Thursday, October 31, 2019

Power Distance in Saudi Arabia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Power Distance in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example Your residents have no strong political tone of voice, as well as the guidelines of the territory tends to be chose with the king and no one from the common people can interfere in the decision making or choosing the leader.. From the family members, the particular folks tend to be near the top of the particular picking order, while the youngsters as well as youth tend to be in the bottom. This is the system of Saudi Arabia where power is strictly with the king and family and is passed on to the children. There are different aspects of this power distance and very important one which is prominent in Saudi Arabia is gender difference. Being conservative country females are not given any major rights and power is restricted to men. Saudi Arabia is a very modern country if we talk about technology and resources but it scores really low when it comes to equality and power distribution so on the basis of social equality and justice Saudi Arabia is far

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Marketing Plan Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Plan - Coursework Example The country is however besieged by rising unemployment. UK witnessed five days of social unrest and riots in August of 2011which resulted in loss of reputation and goodwill for the country (Internet Business News 2011). The rate of change of technology impacts the UK automobile sector considerably. All players in the industry have to keep abreast of the latest technologies and incorporate them in the subsequent models of automobiles. The growth of internet has provided the automobile industry a new sales and communication channel. At the same time, it has provided the consumer an extremely powerful tool to compare and contrast not only the prices of automobiles, but also their specifications and features. The UK government initiated a ‘scrappage incentive scheme’, wherein a car buyer was given  £1,000 trade-in incentive for replacing a 10 year old vehicle with a new, more efficient car. This scheme helped boost sales, but of smaller vehicles and not the likes of BMW (Reed 2009). The government is also giving incentives to buyers to opt for alternative-fuel vehicles (AFVs). Under enormous pressure to go ‘green’, the automobile manufacturers have not only rolled out AFVs but have also invested heavily in enhancing productivity through modular design, flexible manufacturing technology and highly skilled shop floor workforces. The UK automobile industry is extremely competitive with automobile manufacturers from Europe, Japan, China, India and the United States operating in the country. Being a mature market, the rate of growth of UK automobile sector is very low. All major automobile brands are available in the UK market. The car industry thrives on brand loyalty which is to the advantage of existing players. Other potential entry barriers include high investments and long gestation period. The automobile industry requires raw materials and parts of varied kinds. Over the last few years, the

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Difficulties Of Rene Descartes Cogito

Difficulties Of Rene Descartes Cogito The most important contribution of Renà © Descartes in the history of Philosophy is his cogito. In the same way, however, the cogito has also been the most critical problem of his philosophy. This essay will focus more on the difficulties of the cogito. But first, on the side of the cogito: one importance of the cogito is that it is the byproduct of the Method, which is another contribution of Descartes not only in modern philosophy, but also in the field of science. The origination of the cogito from the Methodic Doubt is quite anticipated: all prior knowledge and truths must be erased, unless they are indubitable. In other words, all knowledge and opinions are subjected to examination, whether they can survive the test of doubt. Descartes, having found the fact (or act) of his doubting indubitable, hence maintains the fact that his existence enables his doubting (or thinking) as a clear and distinct idea, and thus the conclusion: Cogito, ergo sum: I think, therefore I am. We understand therefore that the cogito is a product of deduction or inference. However, as I have said, the cogito is quite anticipated. This is because the rules of his Method lay down an algorithm that has a quite predictable result, as if laying down a theore tical step-by-step means to prove something that is already true. The cogito is also considered a product of intuition and not of deduction. However, as far as methods of analysis are concerned, Descartess Method and cogito are valid. Moreover, insofar as the solipsistic argument, the cogito is a rather fair argument. By this, I mean that the cogito is a solipsistic truth, or a belief in the self as only reality or basis of reality. When Descartes has proposed that all knowledge and opinions must be cleared off the mind (or must be brought into doubt), there is still in Descartes the belief that the only thing he can be sure of is that he exists. He cannot deny the fact that he exists, even if the very idea of his being is most accessible via experience (hence, this he must doubt also). Thus if Descartes denies his being in the first place, his cogito will never materialize as a basis for truth. But since Descartes adopts a solipsistic view, he is safe from committing contradiction. To put simply: insofar as the I is concerned (the I, which thinks and doubts), the I exists. Nevertheless, Descartes paradox, which is the cogito itself, is not an absolute oxymoron. By the cogito being a paradox, I mean the self-contradictory problem of the cogito; that is, the problem of which came first: the cogito or the sum. Using the Method of Doubt, the cogito seems to go before the sum, since it is the act of doubting/thinking that came before the conclusion for the act of existence. But in the context of Descartes, it is implied that thinking is actually in the context of being. Now the strength of the cogito argument is that it is a closed argument, relying only on the idea that existence constitutes thinking and thinking reflects existence. It is in these strengths of the cogito, however, that it is also problematic. First is on the solipsistic view. The very problem of the cogito here is the question of reality outside the I. Since Descartes uses himself and only himself in his basis for truth, anything outside himself can be doubtful or false, and thus cannot be a basis for truth. Only the thinking I, thus the human person, can prove and claim ones existence. Thus, the other for the thinking I is doubtful, insofar as the I is concerned. The problem is that Descartes is as if denying the existence of animals, plants and other things, since these things do not and cannot think. Moreover, after proving that he is a thinking thing, the next question that arises is: now how do we establish an edifice of knowledge? Descartes takes emphasis on putting a foundation for knowledge by first using the Method, but forgets how to formulate the next set of algorithm once the Method has been applied. The problem of the solipsistic ar gument of the cogito is that nothing more exists outside the selfs being a thinking thing. It only proves the existence of oneself insofar as the thinking I is concerned, and does not prove the idea and the existence of other things other than the self. Besides, other Is can think of me a mere fiction. In the problem of the solipsistic argument of the cogito, however, the idea of a Perfect Being other than the thinking self exists. Descartes said that since he is cogito (thinking/doubting thing), he is therefore an imperfect being. But since he is imperfect, he has an idea of a perfect thing, which can come only from a Perfect Being, which is God. Nevertheless, nothing more exists outside the thinking self aside from the self itself and God. Now the second weakness of the cogito is in its contradictory problem. Although the cogito (cogito-sum relationship) is a closed argument (like Spinozas freedom-necessity concept); one cannot ignore to question the validity of its argument. In this argument, whether the cogito conditions the sum or the sum conditions the cogito, the idea of existence is still in danger, because it is subject to doubt. The sum (I am) only works for the thinking I, but existence alone cannot prove thinking. Thus what seemed to be a safe closed argument is not free of loopholes at all, because existence in general is not enough to prove thought. Nevertheless, the cogito is concerned for the existence of ones being a res cogitans or thinking thing only. Moreover, that material objects exist because of God is another argument that branched out from the cogito. After concluding that the Supreme Being cannot deceive, Descartes proceeds to concluding that material objects thus also exist. However, this only results to another circular argument: cogito presupposes God, which tells the res cogitans that its ideas come from external objects; but then it is from these external objects that the cogito must doubt first before it realizes that it is a res cogitans, then assume the existence of a Perfect Being. Generally, we find Descartess Method of Doubt and cogito weak. The main premise that we cannot distinguish reality from dream is not even strong enough to be a basis for truth. Although Descartes skepticism is optimistic at finding a certain knowledge that we can know of, still it is rather destructive of the foundation of knowledge that is the objective of his skepticism in the first place. The problem is that Descartes proposes arguments for why everything can be subjected to doubt, such as the dream argument, the deceiving God argument, and the evil demon argument. It is difficult to follow Descartess advice because it is more difficult to prove a negation than proving otherwise (in the case of Descartes proving the negation of knowledge to prove the opposite), since if we convince ourselves with these arguments of Descartes, then we must act and think as if we are experiencing illusions and hallucinations all the time. This is of course difficult for us. In fact one example where we can prove Descartes could probably be right all along that an evil demon is deceiving us (e.g., dwhen something defies the laws of physics) is when we experience a Criss Angel trick. Perhaps we can say that the main problem of Descartess philosophy is both its extreme rationalist and non-rationalist approach. Descratess philosophy is rationalist because it proclaims reason as the only valid criterion for certain knowledge and thus truth. It is non-rationalist, however, in the sense that it somehow forgets other valid functions of the human mind or reason: that is reason as the faculty of mans sentient soul, can, aside from thinking and doubting, imagine, sense and feel.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Essay --

South Africa, a beautiful country located at the southern tip of the African continent with about 3000 kilometers of coastline, is the largest and most developed country in Africa. With eleven official languages and people from various ethnic backgrounds, South Africa is home to distinct cultures that coexist. Despite this diversity, South Africans faced one of the harshest racism in the world. The Dutch first settled in South Africa in 1652 as a stopping point for ships on their way to the East Indies. However, it became a British colony in 1815 after the Napoleonic wars. The Dutch moved inland to escape the British but broke out into war against the Shaka tribe in the northern part of South Africa. The Dutch Boers won, and so they established an Afrikaner state in the north. In 1899, the British tried to annex this Afrikaner state resulting in the Boer Wars. Finally in 1910, the war ended in a coalition between the Afrikaner States and the British. During this period (1910-1948), the Union government enforced several laws that restricted the rights of the black people. They were denied job reservations, the right to form unions and equal citizenship. One Such law was the Pass Law, which required blacks to carry identification pass books with them at all times. In 1948, South Africa gained its independence from British rule, but this did not mean freedom in any shape or f orm for the indigenous South Africans. What this meant was that the Dutch settlers, the â€Å"Boers† now had full right to treat the blacks as they wished and they certainly did. Between 1948 and 1999, a harsh system of racial segregation called apartheid, or â€Å"apartness† in Afrikaans was practiced in the Republic of South Africa. Under this regime, the white minori... ...ter testament to the basic dignity of ordinary people everywhere than the divestment movement of the 1980s.† (tutu, p.1). Today, South Africa is a free nation and it enjoys democratic rights. However, life is still not good. â€Å" It has changed for some people, not for others. Some people still have no jobs. People are hungry.† (Mpumalanga) Nonetheless, numerous NGOs and countries around the world are working towards providing a better life to Africans. Different organizations raise money to help African children receive better education and food. One example of such an organization is â€Å"World Vision Africa† that allows you to sponsor a child in Africa and also visit him/her. With organizations such as these, South Africa will hopefully emerge out of its apartheid shell. With more time, energy and love, we can live as a part of the world and not as a part of a race.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Aldous Huxley

The author Aloud Huxley Illustrates how the use of Lies has the ability to make a society appear as though it Is actually perfect. In the novel Brave New World Sir Thomas Moore states the root of what is thought to be a perfect society but clarifies the one misconception, its existence. â€Å"Utopia is sometimes said to mean ‘no place' from the Greek ‘O Topic' but others derive it from ‘e' as in ‘eugenics', in which case it would mean ‘healthy place' or ‘good place'. Utopia, may have been punning: utopia is the good place that doesn't exist. Sir Thomas Moore (Brave New World. 2007) Philosopher, Sir Thomas Moore states that Utopia, which Is the ultimate place of happiness, doesn't exist; this may foreshadow that the entire premise of the body is a lie. The idea of happiness and perfection is a positive outlook, it allows for unity and stability within a society, which would be ideal. In reality, perfection is unattainable and genuine happiness may not always be a possibility for some yet the government continues to convince civilization that everything Is okay and nothing Is ever wrong.Exposure of weakness, flaws and Impurities allow other to take advantage and story the success and stability created solely on happiness. The thorough use of the great words of a philosopher, the author demonstrates how happiness cannot coexist with truth; happiness exists truth exists but never in the same instance as it is impossible to live perfectly, life is unpredictable, and uncontrollable.Mustache Mood proves that there was one a world where the honest truth and natural beauty were the mall objectives of the government In this society yet the need for control, stability, greed and power eliminated the Individuality It had once acquired. Truth ND beauty are Indeed desirable qualities, faulty but aesthetically appealing and therefore Mustache Mood would argue that it is simply unpractical. Whereas comfort and happiness are not always desir able, requiring sacrifices for the greater good, artificially made it is less faulty and provides long-term success.The future is guaranteed with a man-made society, claimed Mustache, with God and religions tomorrow Is never guaranteed, hence â€Å"Our Ford† as opposed to ‘Our Lord†. â€Å"Our Ford himself did a great deal to shift the emphasis from truth and beauty to comfort and happiness. Universal happiness keeps the wheel steadily turning; truth and beauty can't. And, of course, whenever the masses seized political power, then it was happiness rather than truth and beauty that mattered. † (Brave New World. 007) Mustache illustrated that happiness cannot be left up to chance believing in a higher power that one cannot see with the natural eye is allowing too much freedom and creatively the beauty of God would ultimately upset the perfectly ordered society. The possess. Thus, â€Å"Our Ford† has eliminated the aspect of truth by be ridding the bea uty for comfort and happiness, and the cost of individuality creating one mass of a unman society without a single independent thought of their own. In this sense the government had created a false sense of happiness within the society.Happiness is viewed differently by all, many have different ways to go about attaining and maintaining it but regardless of how one may define it, it has the same effect on everyone by providing inner peace and comfort though when it is found in all honesty it is most enjoyable. Freedom and isolation have the ability to create happiness yet the use of isolation creates a world in which false happiness is acquired. To be a unique individual is freedom, freedom of scrutiny, to be different ND separated is ignorance.In the novel Island by Aloud Huxley the author uses a person of authority to convince his society that there is only one happiness and individuality does not play a role in this one happiness. â€Å"But still, high or low, true or false, hap piness is happiness and freedom is most enjoyable. ‘First because it simply isn't possible for Pal to go on being different from the rest of the world. And second, because it isn't right that it should be different' ‘Not right for people to be free and happy? Once again the Rain said something inspirational about false happiness and he wrong kind of freedom. (Island 2009) The island of Pal is an ideal society, stable in its government with the Rain as their person of authority. While the Rain believes in truth and happiness, whereas others believe that in order to find happiness in life sacrifices must be made and that happiness cannot coexist with truth. The truth is that there is a world and an alternate society besides the one on Pal although these civilians live in the belief that their island is different and inferior to others as a result of this, false happiness and stability that has been created on this island.To create and stabilize a society requires levels of authority and power in order to produce the results a perfect society should desire. The adaptation of an alternate ego to produce well with the use of evil is proof that although one may have the ability to experience happiness it is only apparent in the absence of truth. â€Å"The Yogi and the Stoic -two righteous egos who achieve their very considerable results by pretending systematically to be somebody else, even someone supremely good and wise, that we can pass from insulated Manicure-hood to Good being. â€Å"(lagans 2009)Figuratively, these egos act as opposing forces for good and evil the false and genuine aspect of happiness. Truthfully one may desire to acquire a positive product yet deceit result in a false sense of happiness. Happiness creates stability within a society, truth provides uncertainty within a society. The use of lies creates the perfect balance of good and evil creating â€Å"utopia† and demonstrating that happiness cannot exist with truth as a m ain faction. Sacrifice, the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.The ultimate sacrifice in the in the new world of England is the sacrifice of self and personal preferences in order to tend to the greater being, civilization. In Brave New World the author demonstrates his use of inhuman sacrifices in order to provide the stability of life the world controllers had desired for them and eternal happiness. ‘And that', that is the secret of happiness and virtue -liking what you've got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people everything is man-made, from their human embryo itself, to the way of living to the feelings and emotions that one has towards life and its purpose for them.Everyone lives under a specific â€Å"Caste† which determines their career and social popularity for the rest of their lives and which forces them to make sacrifices that they claim to enjo y because â€Å"everyone needs everyone†. At a point these sacrifices become irrational and inhumane although the actual living civilians are essentially brainwashed to prevent them from opposing. The general society is happy, but their minds are not aware of the inhumanity the government forces them to act on. It is an act of power abuse if the deceit in the happiness which is falsely acquired.Science is he art in which the power and the high level of superiority of the new society is developed on, it created it removed religion claiming it as the truth and the force of corruption. Happiness came at all costs in which science was the cost and ultimately might be the cause of the ruin of their newly found happiness. â€Å"l rather regret the science. Happiness is a hard master-particularly other people's happiness. A much harder master, if one isn't conditioned to accept it unquestioningly, than truth. † One can't consult one's own preference.I'm interested in truth, I like science. But truth's a menace, science is a public danger. As dangerous as it's been beneficent. † (Brave New World. 2007) The advancement of science had been so great in society that it allowed them to make a breakthrough creating the alternate universe in which only happiness existed. The sacrifice of the â€Å"mother art† was made due to the fact that if and being had the mental capacity to become more knowledgeable about this utopia than the creators themselves it could cause an uprising in the world.Those wanting to be happy experienced happiness and other yearning for the knowledge and power of art were removed from the society in order to only portray the good and not the vile. The truth of the society was never fully displayed thus happiness was only gained in the lies that the government displayed. Pleading insanity is a sacrifice, it is a sacrifice of one's former being and sanity, and a commitment from then on in life. While everyone is born with it, it may not always be necessary that one would actually have to accept it and claim to live with it.In the novel Island a certain influential character states that everyone is insane in the eyes of God and in order for the masses to remain happy they would need to except their insanity and live with it. Everyone should stick to the insanity that God has seen fit to curse him with. Peace Fortier -that was Lather's advice. But make a point of sinning your own sins, not someone else's. And above all don't do what the people of this island do. Don't try to behave as though you were essentially sane and naturally good. We're all demented sinners in the same cosmic boat -and the boat is sinking. (Island 2009) In the world every individual aspires to reach perfection or at least some level of it, yet in this novel every person is categorized and placed at a level while one can be put in the sights level one may not attempt to surpass it this is deemed an act of defiance. It is inhumane sacrif ice to repress the individuality and knowledge only few are born with. Other may be happy, but the belief that everyone is the same and everyone needs everyone is false, it is not an agreed statement it is a trained. Possession and power are a privilege in the mind of those who attain it, it is granted to them from a higher source.Society is a pyramid, in the way that everyone belongs to everyone and strings, and so, give them the power to pull ours. † (Island 2009) A god is a power above that one may seek for guidance, go to for Judgment, or simply inner peace. It has become a sacrifice to be associated with powers this is, inhumanely in the sense that one must devote their entire being simply to receive peace and happiness. The truth is that these homemade gods serve to have no more power than we who have created them yet in false belief and hope that one created we trust that this is a fact.Happiness is the only certain truth, the necessity of human possession sacrifices is however not true. The mind is a delicate yet powerful muscle attaining information, attaining information for years on end, developing and creating facts and assumptions, this in which many see the opportunity to take advantage of. Brain washing and feeding the brain incorrect or factual information, teaching them ways of practice that may not be 100% legitimate but beneficial for those teaching it. â€Å"We condition the masses to hate the country,† concluded the Director. â€Å"But simultaneously we condition them to love all country sports.At the same time, we see to it that all country sports shall entail the use of elaborate apparatus. So that they consume manufactured articles as well as transport. Hence those electric shocks. † (Brave New World. 2007) â€Å"Conditioning† is one of the key terms the world controllers use as a code term for brainwash. It is a method in which the mind is conditioned to learn and develop certain beliefs based on the caste th ey are set in. It is a corruption of the government and the great power in which they do have over the population mass in order to create the happiness they wish for.The happiness is gained through the use of conditioning the civilians, although as they are unaware they are essentially being brain washed it isn't truthful in any sense. Having the freedom to be as one may please is happiness, it is truth; whereas constantly being controlled is not. The perfect society is demanding and controlling, it is necessary in order to be stable and sustainable. The corruption lies in the transfer of power where the authority expands from stability to simply mind-controlling. â€Å"But how useful! I see you don't like our Bazookas Groups; but, I assure you, they're the foundation on which everything else is built.They're the gyroscope that stabilizes the rocket plane of state on its unswerving course. † The deep voice thrillingly vibrated; he gesticulating hand implied all space and the onrush of the irresistible machine. Mustache Mood's oratory was almost up to synthetic standards. † (Brave New World. 2007) The Bazookas Group is a method that the ruler Mustache used to create the balance and the stability within the society, however it is the extent in which he used it to and the brainwashing he used to maintain the utopia he had achieved with such great pride.He had created happiness, yet falsely acquired, it was as though the people of England were a simulation with no real personalities to points of conflict, and there was no reason for their society to no be happy. He had corrupted it until the point that their society of individuals were living but they had had no real life of their own. The world itself, apart from society has basic needs, needs that sustain it and allow it to be prosperous over years to come. A world without its basic needs is incomplete if it never had them, or corrupt if they were taken away.In the novel Island the author happiness. â€Å"Armaments, universal debt, and planned obsolescence – those are the three pillars of Western prosperity. If war, waste, and moneylenders were abolished, you'd collapse. And while you people are over consuming the rest of the world sinks ore and more deeply into chronic disaster. † (Island 2009) While the society may by happiness and in a sense â€Å"flawless†, they obtain countless flaws that are actually masked and hidden in order to maintain the image that Mustache Mood aimed to create.The corruption of basic human need and social habits and occurrences provides happiness for those who wish to live in perfect peace, yet it also provides a hidden lie and proves that truth and happiness may not coexist in this society. The idea that pain and all things negative is an avoidable state is irrational, it is impossible in reality. Yet somehow the attempt to create a society in the absence of that in order to create happiness. In utopia the government is corrup tion enough to believe that if the right alterations are made to the human society that happiness may be achieved.In the novel Island the author demonstrate that if one were to be honest perfection would not exist. â€Å"One third, more or less, of all the sorrow that the person I think I am must endure is unavoidable. It is the sorrow inherent in the human condition, the price we must pay for being sentient and self-conscious organisms, aspirants to liberation, but subject to the laws of nature and under orders o keep on marching, through irreversible time, through a world wholly indifferent to our well-being, toward decrepitude and the certainty of death.The remaining two thirds of all sorrow is homemade and, so far as the universe is concerned, unnecessary. † (Island 2009) Pain is inevitable, happiness is a choice; the corruption of a society simply lies in the act of one figure attempting the alter life and its natural order. While sorrow may be unnecessary it is still a part of life, everything in life whether positive or negative impacts your life in one way or another. The use of irruption, declaring that pain is unnecessary is a false claim, as everything one experiences reflection on their life in a positive way whether it be indirectly or directly.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

British Empire and India Essay

India is located in southern Asia. India borders Pakistan, China, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Pakistan is on the northwest border. China and Nepal are on the northern border. Bangladesh is on the northeastern border. More than half of India is surrounded by the Indian Ocean. Climate, Weather, and Seasons India has one of the most diverse climates in the world. It has monsoons, to very hot weather, all the way to the snowy Himalayan Mountains. A monsoon is a wind that changes direction with the change of seasons. Monsoons also bring rain which can cause flooding and other disasters. Monsoons almost only happen in the Indian Ocean. But at the same time, the monsoons are very helpful, because they give the people of India their water to irrigate their crops, growing their crops, and for drinking water for the people of India. India has three main seasons. Their seasons are the rainy season which is from June-October, the Indian Winter which is from November-January, and the Humid Heat from April-May. The monsoons usually come through in April-October. Major Landforms The Himalayan Mountains is a mountain range that goes through India. Himalaya means House of Snow in Sanskrit. They go east to west for 1,500 miles making three mountain ranges between India and Tibet. They are the highest and youngest mountains in the world. The Indo-Gangetic Plain is a flat area of land. The Plain is where the Ganges River runs through. It covers 300,000 square miles of northern India. It has some of the most fertile soil in the country of India. The Thar Desert is a sandy region that covers 100,394 square miles of land. It only receives ten inches of rain in one year. Camels are very important in the desert because they need some way of transportation. The Southern Peninsula separates northern India and Southern India. These mountains are about 4000 feet high, not nearly as tall as the Himalaya. The Eastern Ghats, The Western Ghats, and the Vindhya Range form, the Deccan Plateau. There is water everywhere on the Southern Peninsula. It has many rivers. Major Rivers, Lakes, Seas, and Other Bodies of Water One of the most famous rivers in the world is the Ganges River and the Ganges is located in India. The Ganges River is very important in the Hindu Religion, because they are supposed to bathe in the River at least once in their lives. It is located in northern India and goes almost all the way across India. The Bay of Bengal is a bay bordering almost the entire eastern border of India. It also borders Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar. It merges with the Padma Delta. Also, many rivers flow into the Bay of Bengal. Although, because of the monsoons the northern coast of the bay is losing its people. The Arabian Sea borders India, The Arabian Peninsula, Iran, and Pakistan. The Indus River is the most important river that flows into the Arabian Sea. It is a very large principle in India and Europe’s trading. Significant, Unusual, or Unique Geographic Features of the Country India is a subcontinent of Asia. A subcontinent is a large landmass that is usually attached to a continent. India also has 4,000 miles of pure coastline. The Indian Ocean is what makes up the 4,000 miles. History of India Pre-History One of the first civilizations in India settled around 2,500 B.C. That civilization lived in central and southern India. They were called the Dravidians. The descendants of the Dravidians still live in southern India today. Another early civilization was called the Aryans. They were there from about 1,500-200 B.C. The word Aryans means â€Å"noble ones.† They invaded the Dravidians and made them go farther south. Some of the Dravidians stayed with the Aryans and lived the Aryan lifestyle. In return the Aryans would use some of the Dravidians customs. The Aryans also invented the Sanskrit language, which is one of the oldest languages in the world. They also set up the Caste System. They started the Hindu religion and wrote the Vedas, which is the most important book of the Hindu scriptures. Ancient Empires Two hundred years before Alexander the Great invaded a kingdom was forming. They were known as the Maurya’s. The first ruler of this empire was Chandragupta. They ruled for about 140 years. They had a big army, a government, and tax collection. But in 184 B.C. the empire fell apart. In A.D. 319 a king named Chandragupta I founded the Gupta Empire. Chandragupta II was his grandson and during his reign was the peak of their empire. He reigned from 330-375. Chandragupta II also invented the concept of zero and figured out that the world was round. The Gupta Empire ended in 550 because the White Huns conquered them. Invasions and Exploration In 518 B.C. the Persian King Darius conquered both the Indus Valley and West Punjab. In 327 B.C Alexander the Great of Macedonia defeated and overthrew Darius III and the defeated king Porus and marched to the Beas River. The Indians were so fierce that Alexander was so weak that him and his troops had to go back home. In 977 bandit raids of Muslims came into India. Then in 1192 the Muslims marched in again and conquered some land. They built there capitol at present day Delhi. When the Muslims were conquering they destroyed many Hindu temples and statues, but when they were settled there were very few problems between the Hindu’s and Muslims. Marco Polo was one of the first Europeans to set foot in India. He became a favorite to Kublai Khan, who sent him on expeditions all around Asia including India. In India Marco Polo was amazed by the wealth of India. He gave Europe their information about India, which only made them want India’s riches. Mughal Empire In 1526 the Mongols invaded northern India and made the Mughal Empire. Their leader was called Babur. The Mughal Empire’s land was northern India, parts of southern India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Their capitols were Agra and Delhi. The Mongols did not get rid of the ways of life before them, and for the Hindu’s protection they made them pay taxes. The local government was in charge of the people that lived there. The Mongols were the ones to build the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. Akbar was considered their best ruler, because he combined military ability with religious tolerance and some culture, he had lively discussions with all religions, and he also prevented taxes. Revolts inside and outside of the kingdom weakened the empire and by the 1800’s the empire had fallen. British India East India Trading Company By the early nineteenth century Great Britain controlled almost all of India. The East India Trading Company was the administration of India. The company was ruled by either the government or generals, all whom which Britain had chosen. They actually only controlled half of India. The other half was controlled by an Indian princess whom had pledged loyalty to Great Britain. British Changes in India Great Britain caused many changes for India. They built school, hospitals, paved roads, and they built the railway system in India. They also invented the Indian Civil Service; which was a way for Indians to be employed. But, they also passed the Permanent Settlement Act of 1793, is a law that says if you can not pay your taxes for your land, your land will be taken away. Lord Cornwallis passed a law that prevents Indians from high posts in the government. Also, because of the Industrial Revolution in England, the cloth from England was sent to India so that the expensive cloth in India stopped being purchased and many craftspeople went out of business. In 1857 the Indians rebelled and many people died. In 1858 the uprising was over, the East India Trading Company lost control over India and the British government took control. British Raj After the Sepoy Mutiny the British rule was at its peak. Queen Victoria was named Empress of India in 1877. The British people gloried over their rule of the Indians. At this time the Indians began to want their own country without the British in control. The India National Congress was formed in 1885. At first the Congress was just a little group of people that met and talked about what they would like to do in India, but then it turned into a big group of people which often and openly opposed British rule. In 1906 the Muslims started a group called the All-India Muslim League. This group fought for the rights of Muslims. The British had two strong forces against them at this point. Independence Around 1915 a new leader emerged, his name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhi was a lawyer from a wealthy Hindu family. In 1915 Gandhi returned from South Africa. He dedicated his life to fighting for India’s independence. Gandhi used a method called Satyagraha, which means nonviolent in Hindi. Instead of physically fighting he would do things like peaceful marches, hunger strikes, and refusing to buy British goods. In 1919 the British army fired on a peaceful protest and killed 400 Indians and injured 1,200 Indians. The massacre turned almost the entire world against British rule. Many leaders such as Gandhi and Nehru were put in prison for their peaceful resistance. In 1935 the British passed the Government of India Act, which said that it was possible that later on they could be self-governed. On August 15, 1947 the Indians celebrated their first independence day. Muslims also wanted their own land away from the Indians, so the British gave them East and West Pakistan. However, the Muslims and Hindu’s broke into riots. Gandhi was very upset about the riots so he went and spoke his peaceful word to different parts of India hoping that the riots would stop. Some Hindu’s thought Gandhi was being too sympathetic to the Muslims and one of those people shot Gandhi on January 30, 1948. Modern India The people had won their independence, but they wanted even more freedom. On January 26, 1950 India became the first republic of the British Commonwealth. Jawaharlal Nehru was already the prime minister of India. He planned to introduce modern methods of technology, hoping that he would raise a standard living for all Indians. Nehru tried to keep India at peace with the world, but they had a few problems with neighboring countries. In 1966 Nehru’s daughter became India’s third prime minister. Her name was Indira Gandhi (she was not related to Mohandas Gandhi.) In 1971 she led the victory over Pakistan. This war granted East Pakistan from West Pakistan. India was now considered the most powerful country in the south. Although, she lost her position as prime minister in 1977 because of the price of goods going up, she came back into power 1980. Then she was assassinated by her own bodyguards, because of the way she treated the Sikhs most holy place. After she was killed her son, Rajiv Gandhi, took her place. He introduced more technology to India, which made them closer to the rest of the world. In 1991 he was assassinated by terrorists at an election rally. India is achieving more than anyone could imagine India could and they are on a good path for the future. Government and Politics Type of Government and Organization India is a democracy country. India has three branches of law, legislative, judicial, and executive branches. The Executive Branch consists of president and prime minister. The president is Pratibha Patil and the prime minister is Manmohan Singh. The legislative branch consists of the Council of States or the Rajya Sabha. The Judicial Branch is considered the Supreme Court. Their political parties are the Congress Party and the BJP (Bahujan Samaj Party.) Political Divisions India has twenty-eight states and seven union territories. India also has local village councils. Local Village Councils are groups of people in a village that are part of that council. Population and Demographics India has about 1.2 billion people. India is 72% Indo-Aryan, 25% Dravidian, 3% Mongoloid and other. India is 80.5% Hindu, 13.4% Muslim, 2.3% Christian, 1.9% Sikh, and 1.8% other. Major Cities and Areas of Population Mumbai (Bombay) is one of India’s major cities with 15 million people. Kolkata (Calcutta) is another major city with 12 million people. Delhi is also a major city with 11.3 million people. Military Forces and Other Foreign Relations India’s military branches are the Army, Coast Guard, Navy, and Air Force. In India there is a city named Kashmir. Kashmir is mostly in India but partially in Pakistan. Pakistan and India have been fighting over Kashmir for a very long time and they have had wars over it and many people have died. India is also part of the British Commonwealth and does a lot of trading with the British. National Symbols and Anthems India’s National Anthem is the Jana-gana-mana Economy Agriculture 65% of India’s people are farmers. The largest amount of land a farmer gets is 2 acres and many farmers get below 1 acre. They have to grow enough food to feed their family and to sell to others. Rice is one of India’s most important crops. Rice is usually planted in flooded paddy fields because rice needs a lot of water to be able to grow. Wheat is another important crop grown all over India. Tea is one of India’s largest exports. It is grown on vast plantations in the hills. About 1.5 billion pounds of tea are picked each year and about 800,000 pounds are exported each year. Another important crop is coffee. Also many fruits are grown in India. Some of those fruits are pineapples, mangoes, coconuts, watermelons, oranges, bananas, papayas, grapes, and apples. Manufacturing and Industry The textile industry was one of the first industries to come into India. India’s textile industry is the 2nd largest in the world. Textile is a fabric that has been woven. In India the textile industry is the most important in the world. Another important industry is mining. Coal is the main item India mines. Another important mining item is iron, but coal is the most important in their industry world. India also has an industry in car building. They build their cars for people all over the world. India also wants to have good cars to drive so they also make it for you. Business India has always been the most desired call center area, because call centers in India offer advantages that other countries don’t. India has been able to meet the international demand for call centers by providing cost-effective services and customer-oriented services. India’s type of money is called a rupee. In India everything is bought with rupees. 95% of India’s businesses are family-run. Family businesses in India started in the 1890’s. These businesses started mainly because of the freedom movement, in protest to buying British trade. Trade India’s main trading partners are China and the United States of America. India’s main exports are petroleum products, textile goods, gems, jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, and leather manufactures. India’s main imports are crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, and chemicals. Types of Transportation Trains are one of the most important ways Indians get around. India has a very large and complex railway system. Each train has cars according to different classes. Buses are another way to travel in India. Buses are usually very crowded. They are so crowded many people ride on top of the buses to have room. India also has airways and waterways. Culture People, Language, and Religion In India there is 72% Indo-Aryan, 25% Dravidian, and Mongoloid and other tribal groups 3%. India’s main language is Hindi. There are many other languages such as Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, etc. Also most Indians speak English, because of the British peoples influence. India is 80.5% Hindu, 13.4% Muslim, 2.3% Christian, 1.9% Sikh, 1.8% other, and 0.1% unspecified. Cuisine Curry is India’s main ingredient in their food. Curry is an Indian spice used in most of India food. In South India they have Dosas. Dosas look like an American omelet or pancake. They are fried on a large flat skillet and eaten when they are very hot. But, instead of being served on a plate they are served on a leaf. They call it Meal on a Leaf. In the Hindu religion they think cows are sacred so they do not eat beef. Dress and Customs An Indian woman wears a proper dress called a sari. Saris wrap around your body tightly but are loose at the bottom so you can walk. Indians also have something called a caste system which is basically something to put people in certain classes. The lowest class is called untouchables. No other classes are aloud to make any physical contact with the untouchables, because they are considered unclean. The next class up is the servants and slaves. Next are the farmers and merchants. Next are the rulers and warriors. Then on top are the priests. Hindu weddings are usually long and beautiful. It’s an all day affair with a party and dancing. Then by the end of the day they are finally married. If a Hindu dies they are to be cremated. After they are made into ashes they throw the ashes to the wind. To show their grief they shave their heads and wear white, the color of mourning. Indians are all supposed to bathe in the Ganges River at least once in their life; it is part of the Hindu religion. Education When Indians are young they go to village schools. Most Indians don’t go to school. Village Schools are very small and simple. They do a lot of their learning outside because most don’t have indoor classrooms. There are 130 universities in India and more people are starting to go to college. Music, Art, and Literature The Sitar is the most important instrument in the North. It looks like a guitar but smaller and rounded at the bottom. It is very popular in Indian music. The Vedas is the most important book in the Hindu religion. It is their scriptures and their Bible. Textiles are beautifully woven cloths. They make them in India on the streets and in factories, although, it is very expensive. Jewelry is decorative and symbolic in India. Most women wear bangles around their wrists and they where many other jewelry pieces. Architecture Ruins dot the Indian countryside. India has some of the largest ruin sites in the world. There are also many Mughal buildings. Mughal buildings are distinguished by the arched doorways and windows, minarets, domes, and decorations carved into the wall and covered in gemstones. The British also built many buildings in India. Science, Inventions, and Innovations India’s greatest contribution to mathematics is probably the concept of the number zero. Also, they came up with concept of infinity. They had maps of the stars and contributed a lot to astronomy. Holidays, Sports, Entertainment, and Leisure Activities The four major holidays in India are New Years Day, Republic Day, Independence Day, and Gandhi’s Birthday. A major sport in India is cricket. Bollywood is where all of India’s movies are made. Many people watch Bollywood movies. Many people in India like fling kites. Famous People Gandhi Gandhi was a Hindu man who believed in a free India and peace. He was a strong and independent person. Many people believed in him. He was born in October 2, 1869. He lived his whole life fighting for his country and the people. He had a tragic death on January 30, 1948; he was shot by a Hindu fanatic. He died with pride and the assurance that his country was independent. Nehru When Gandhi was alive Nehru was his assistant in a way. He was the first prime minister of India. He believed in making India more modern and bringing in modern technology. He contributed a lot to his country, but he died in 1964. Indira Gandhi Indira Gandhi was the third prime minister of India. She was Nehru’s daughter. She believed in helping the rural areas and she loved helping children. She was a very popular prime minister, until things started being more costly. Then, she lost her job as prime minister, but regained her position back. Later, she was assassinated. It was a tragic death but she helped her country in many ways. Famous Places Taj Mahal Shah Jahan had the Taj Mahal built in memory to his favorite wife. It was like her tomb or memorial. It was built in the Mughal period. It is a very complex building. It was never finished. The Taj Mahal is a very popular tourist spot and it is one of India’s most famous place to people all around the world. The Red Fort The Red Fort was also built during the Mughal period. It was originally called the Mughal fort, but because of its red sandstone walls it was called the Red Fort. Inside of the walls are palaces, barracks, gardens, and other buildings. It is a major tourist attraction as well. Gir National Park Gir National Park is a forest and a wildlife refuge. It was established in 1965 to protect nature and wildlife. It is one of the most protected areas in Asia because of the animals in it. It is a place for animals to roam free in their natural habitat while being protected. Many tourist can go see it but can’t disturb the animals.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Essays on Down and Out in London and Paris

Orwell, George. Down And Out In Paris And London. 1933 Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England. 1989. Number of pages: 216 The commentary, â€Å" Down And Out In Paris And London† by George Orwell is quite interesting. In this commentary, Orwell explores the life of the disenfranchised poor, the underemployed, and the flat broke. Orwell not only wrote about this lifestyle, he explored and spent quite some time living amongst the poor. He spent some time working as a plongeur in the hotels of Paris. He also spent time living amongst the tramps and the poor in London. Throughout the book, Orwell explores in detail the life of the poor through the people he met along the way; of course, changing their names to keep their identity. Orwell explores what goes on behind the scenes. He also gives the readers a detailed look at both the poor side and the common wealth side. He is able to do this because he has lived both sides of life. Therefore, Orwell has the qualifications to inform the reader about poverty, without looking down on it. â€Å"Poverty is what I’m writing about,†(p. 5), is Orwell’s thesis, which is relevant throughout the book. What makes this commentary fascinating is that Orwell does not offer a solution for poverty, in fact he offers insight for poverty. Orwell’s explorations amongst the poor, has influenced the intended audience he is writing for, the major theme he is writing about, and the purpose in writing â€Å"Down And Out In Paris And London†. Orwell’s explorations amongst the poor have influenced who his intended audience is. His book was written in the first person narrative, which is powerful at getting a message across. â€Å"Down And Out In Paris And London† was intended for a specific audience, an audience who does not know about poverty. Orwell’s first encounter with poverty is the same typical encounter that people who do not know what poverty is like might expect. Orwell pla... Free Essays on Down and Out in London and Paris Free Essays on Down and Out in London and Paris Orwell, George. Down And Out In Paris And London. 1933 Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England. 1989. Number of pages: 216 The commentary, â€Å" Down And Out In Paris And London† by George Orwell is quite interesting. In this commentary, Orwell explores the life of the disenfranchised poor, the underemployed, and the flat broke. Orwell not only wrote about this lifestyle, he explored and spent quite some time living amongst the poor. He spent some time working as a plongeur in the hotels of Paris. He also spent time living amongst the tramps and the poor in London. Throughout the book, Orwell explores in detail the life of the poor through the people he met along the way; of course, changing their names to keep their identity. Orwell explores what goes on behind the scenes. He also gives the readers a detailed look at both the poor side and the common wealth side. He is able to do this because he has lived both sides of life. Therefore, Orwell has the qualifications to inform the reader about poverty, without looking down on it. â€Å"Poverty is what I’m writing about,†(p. 5), is Orwell’s thesis, which is relevant throughout the book. What makes this commentary fascinating is that Orwell does not offer a solution for poverty, in fact he offers insight for poverty. Orwell’s explorations amongst the poor, has influenced the intended audience he is writing for, the major theme he is writing about, and the purpose in writing â€Å"Down And Out In Paris And London†. Orwell’s explorations amongst the poor have influenced who his intended audience is. His book was written in the first person narrative, which is powerful at getting a message across. â€Å"Down And Out In Paris And London† was intended for a specific audience, an audience who does not know about poverty. Orwell’s first encounter with poverty is the same typical encounter that people who do not know what poverty is like might expect. Orwell pla...

Monday, October 21, 2019

The eNotes Blog Ghostwriting Do ReadersCare

Ghostwriting Do ReadersCare It may not surprise you to learn that many celebrities do not write their own books. After all, they usually have neither the skill nor the time to do so. It may be more upsetting, however, to learn that books by more laudable figures are also penned by ghostwriters. According to literary agent Madeline Morel, â€Å"On the non-fiction best-seller list, 12 out of the 15 books listed probably have been ghostwritten.† A look at last week’s New York Times nonfiction best-seller list seems to uphold Morel’s assertion. Of the fifteen current top titles, three say they are written â€Å"with† someone else. Several others, like Dylan Ratigan’s Greedy Bastards, also seem likely candidates. The question is, does it matter to you whether or not the story you are reading is penned by its central figure? Is it all right if a person has a good story to tell but relies on someone else to do the actual writing? Perhaps the best solution is to do as several authors now do by confessing that they did not go it alone. Professional ghost writers defend their craft. They are not merely reporters or dictation machines, many will insist. Rather, they bring their skills to help someone express him- or herself in a way that will sound both interesting and polished. Professional ghostwriter  David Reisen  adds, â€Å"I don’t think that writing with somebody is necessarily milquetoast. I really want the human being to come through.† (You can hear more about ghostwriters and writing on PRI’s Studio 360  here.) What do you think? Do you care at all if a book is ghostwritten? We would like to hear your thoughts.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

John Alden Jr. and the Salem Witch Trials

John Alden Jr. and the Salem Witch Trials John Alden Jr. (1626 or 1627 - March 25, 1702) was a soldier and sailor accused of witchcraft on a visit to the town of Salem and imprisoned in the 1692  Salem witch trials; he escaped from jail and was later exonerated. John Alden Jr.s Parents and Wife Father: John Alden Sr., a crew member on the Mayflower when it sailed to Plymouth Colony; he decided to stay in the new world. He lived until about 1680. Mother: Priscilla Mullins Alden, whose family and brother Joseph died during the first winter in Plymouth; her only other relatives, including a brother and sister, had remained in England. She lived until after 1650, and possibly until the 1670s. John Alden and Priscilla Mullins were married in 1621, probably the second or third couple among the colonists to marry in Plymouth. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1858 wrote The Courtship of Miles Standish, based on a family tradition about the couple’s relationship. Recent evidence suggests that the story may be based on fact. Priscilla and John Alden had ten children who lived past infancy. One of the two eldest was John Jr.; he and the other two eldest children were born in Plymouth. The others were born after the family moved to Duxbury, Massachusetts. John Alden Jr. married Elizabeth Phillips Everill in 1660. They had fourteen children together. John Alden Jr. Before the Salem Witch Trials John Alden had been a sea captain and a Boston merchant before he became involved in the events in Salem in 1692. In Boston, he was a charter member of the Old South Meeting House. During King William’s War (1689 – 1697), John Alden held a military command, while he also maintained his business dealings in Boston. John Alden Jr. and the Salem Witch Trials In February 1692, at about the time that the first girls were displaying their symptoms of affliction in Salem, John Alden Jr. was in Quebec, ransoming British prisoners held there after their capture in the raid on York, Maine, in January. In that attack, a group of Abenaki, led by Madockawando and a French priest, attacked the town of York. (York is now in Maine and was at the time part of the Province of Massachusetts.) The raid killed about 100 English settlers and another 80 were taken hostage, forced to march to New France. Alden was in Quebec to pay the ransom for the freedom of the British soldiers captured in that raid. Alden stopped in Salem on his return to Boston. There had already been rumors that he was, through his business, supplying the French and Abenaki side of the war. There had also apparently been rumors of Alden having affairs with Indian women, and even having children by them. On May 19, a rumor came to Boston through some escapees from the Indians that a French leader had been looking for Captain Alden, saying Alden owed him some goods that he had promised to him. This may have been the trigger for the accusations that followed just days later. (Mercy Lewis, one of the accusers, had lost her parents in Indian raids.) On May 28, a formal accusation of witchcraft- â€Å"cruelly torturing and afflicting several of their Children and others†- against John Alden was filed. On May 31, he was brought from Boston and examined in court by Judges Gedney, Corwin and Hathorne. The court decided to put Alden, and a woman named Sarah Rice, into Boston jail, and instructed the keeper of the prison in Boston to hold him. He was delivered there, but after fifteen weeks, he made an escape from the jail and went to New York to stay with protectors. In December 1692, a court demanded that he appear in Boston to answer charges. In April 1693, John Hathorne and Jonathan Curwin were notified that Alden had been returned to Boston to answer at the Boston Superior Court. But no one appeared against him, and he was cleared by proclamation. Alden published his own account of his involvement in the trials (see excerpts above). John Alden died on March 25, 1702, in Massachusetts Bay province. John Alden Jr. in  Salem, 2014 series John Alden’s appearance during the Salem witch trials has been highly fictionalized in a 2014 series about the events in Salem.  He plays a man much younger than the historical John Alden was, and he is romantically linked in the fictional account to Mary Sibley, though this has no basis in the historical record, with intimations that this was his â€Å"first love.† (The historical John Alden had been married for 32 years and had fourteen children.)

Saturday, October 19, 2019

The executive branch of state government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The executive branch of state government - Essay Example The public elects the president to serve a term of four years after which he can be reappointed to power again, (Brannen & Baker, 2005). The presidential position term is renewable once through reappointment. The executive ensures that the national laws implemented and enforced, (Ferguson, 2006). This is done in order to ensure that the daily responsibilities of the federal government are carried out smoothly. These responsibilities include collecting of taxes, representing the political and the economic interests of United States to the world and safeguarding the affair of the nation within its borders. The president enacts and implements the legislative laws. The president also bargains contracts, and he heads the armed forces and the state. Legislature   The congress also labeled as the legislature comprises of the senate and the members of the house. The senate comprises of two legislators from all the states and the assembly involves the two houses. Similarly, the senate consi sts of about one hundred senate members, each state with two representatives, and the public appoints the senate members from their states. They serve for the period of six years after which can be reelected for another six-year term. The nation’s assistant president heads the congress, (Gershman, 2008). However, he is not expected to vote unless in a special case like when a tie between two powers occurs. The senate also has the duty of approving the presidential nomination to the cabinet as well as other related posts.... The senate should rectify the contracts made by the government by approximately two-thirds approval votes. The representative body consists of state representatives from various regions. The population they represent from their respective states determines these representatives. Presently, there are about 436 house members. The increasingly populated states give more representatives to the legislature that the scarcely populated states. The representatives are appointed by the public to rule for a term of two years, and the representatives appoints the speaker of the house. The crucial role of the legislative department is to make state laws, by first drafting the law and later discussing it, (Hall & McGuire, 2005). The congress votes whereby by if the law is voted in by at least two thirds, is adopted as law for the nation upon approval by the president. The judiciary The judiciary entails the Central Court of the US (that head the judiciary) and minor national courts, (Garcia, 2003 ). The difficult cases from the legislative department are taken to the judiciary for hearing. The body rules whether a case is legal from the constitution or not. The president chose such justices and the senate approves them. The power of the Supreme Court is final and thus cannot be challenged by any court. Theories Collective action This theory explains how people can cooperate to over social dilemmas they face. Collective action hypothesis suggests that people have the power to discern cooperation values and social rules. This is a shift from the normal capacity of a human being, in which he exhibits self- interest and short-term benefits. This extends the accomplishment of the collective action. However, the solidarity attitude can be eliminated if

Friday, October 18, 2019

Choose a topic Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Choose a topic - Research Paper Example It takes place on every Chaturmas, the twelfth day of the waning moon. During this day, all Jains congregate in temples for devotions. a) New Year Festive- in nations like Sri Lanka and Thailand, the New Year is usually celebrated for about three days from the first full moon in the month of April. In other Mahayana countries, this celebration is held the first full moon of January. b) Vesak- Vesak is held to commemorate the birth and death of Buddha, the enlightened one. It is, thus, the most important event for the Buddhists. The celebrations usually happen during the first full moon of May. Other Buddhism festivals that remember the life of Buddha are the Magha Puja and Asalha Puja Day. a) Oshogatsu- this is the celebration of the closure of the old year and opening of the New Year. During the closure of the year, the people party as they symbolically wash away the misfortunes of the past. They also express their wishful expectations of the New Year. These festivals usually give the members of these religions the opportunity to come together as one family and share their spiritual experiences. Most worshipers usually get spiritual nourishment from these festivals. In Hinduism for instance, the festivals help them divert their attention from the worldly things and concentrate on the spiritual matters. In Shinto, the visiting of the graves helps them make peace with their ancestors and gods. It is during such times that the members of these religions decide to give to the poor in the society and preach peace. As they give back to the community by helping the poor, they create a harmony between the community and religion. During these celebrations, the people usually feast with food and drinks and the outsiders are always invited to take part. Diwali is a good example. Therefore, such celebrations bring the people together and help create peace in a social set

Centralized PC Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Centralized PC Security - Essay Example To protect data, security policies are required to be defined. Contingency planning is also an essential aspect which cannot be disregarded. As per Ramesh, V.C., and Xuan Li there are three dimensions of contingency planning â€Å"The first issue concerns the handling of multiple objectives; we discuss the benefits of using fuzzy logic for handling this issue.  The second issue is the consideration of the economic cost of post-contingency corrective actions as well as the utility of discrete control actions that complicate the modeling and solution of the contingency planning problem.  The last issue is the need for of advanced parallel computing techniques for addressing the real-time aspects of many contingency planning problems;† 2 Analysis of Problems ABC Corporation has twenty seven desktop workstations either connected with each other via a hub or a switch. The workstations are only workgroups as there is no domain and security policies applied in the organization ex cept some users have Internet access and only the manager has a separate email account. There is no email server available to provide separate email addresses to employees. The separate email addresses enables instant correspondence between the subordinates, hence making the communication better and cost effective. Currently the employees are using telephone for coordination which is not cost effective. Some workstations are used to store data. There is no access policy defined for the data stored in the workstations. The data is vulnerable as anyone can access it or delete it. The server is used only for providing internet access and data transfer within the network. There is no firewall installed in the network, either hardware or software which makes the data, hardware, software defenseless. There is no connectivity between the regional offices and head office. The manager access the financial information from the head office using the computer network. The 5 regional offices hav e five databases which they are maintaining individually. Immense amount of time is wasted when head office sends a CD named â€Å"House types data† to each regional office. The administrator copies the files available on the CD to the locally maintained database. The data is updated because the project managers have to access the plans and building specifications of the houses the company builds. The data contains all the detailed information of the house construction material which is required. There is no backup of devices, data, workstations and server. If any workstation containing database crashes, the data will be lost. 2.1 Security Vulnerabilities The impact of the security breach issues is unpredictable. It can be diverted and involves human suffering as well as revenue loss for the organizations. One of the security breach took place on 21 October 2010, as per â€Å"www.networksecurityedge.com† The Philadelphia Inquirer states â€Å"Keystone Mercy Health Pla n and AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan have notified 280,000 Medicaid members that their information may be at risk after a portable computer drive containing the names, addresses, and health information was lost. The last four digits of 801 members' Social Security numbers were also stored on the hard drive†. This incident is related to theft of the hardware devices risking 280,000 Medicaid

Thursday, October 17, 2019

THTR 201 Production Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

THTR 201 Production Response - Essay Example Mr. Darcy is not an easy man to love and at first is graceless and stiff making Elizabeth to be prejudicially inclined to make unwarranted observations towards him. The development of this love and attraction between Darcy and Elizabeth commences with the refusal by Darcy to have a dance with Elizabeth, which would be followed, later by Elizabeth’s passionate refusal to his initial proposal at a wonderfully wet rainy scene. Though female characters dominate the play, there are strong performances by males as shown by the sycophantic Mr. Collins and the commanding and all-powerful Mr. Bennet. Mr. Collins shows in the play that all the six women from Bennet’s household will be under his command and mercy as he stands to inherit the entire estate which makes the senior Mrs. Bennet to try and find means of safely marrying off their other daughters. My three favorite characters are Elizabeth, Darcy and Mrs. Bennet as they clearly give credence to the name of the play, which is pride and prejudice. Elizabeth and Darcy are very quick to judge someone else and are proud emphasizing the human natural instinct to judge quickly on the first impression. Both the eventual two lovers have strong negative first impressions of each other and people in general and it becomes more fun when they get over their pride and come together at the end of the play. Mrs. Bennet is equally my favorite character as having known the character of Mr. Collins; she endeavors to ensure that her remaining five daughters have the best in life and would want them to be safely married off. These characters of being proud and prejudicial to others also apply to me as in most instances, I have always been proud and make perception of people even before knowing them. The major theme in the story â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† is love as it is a courtship between Elizabeth and Darcy and these two have to overcome numerous

Response journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Response journal - Essay Example This guy tells how Indians fled to the mountain to escape the inhuman nature of Spaniards. The Indians flees into the mountains from the Spaniards oppression. I would have liked it if they stayed and defended their native land although much of the suffering they underwent, seems unbearable. Spaniards employed attacks on children and women. Yes, they are the most vulnerable species but I would prefer if the Spaniards would have only attacked men alone. Oppressions of the Indians in the hands of Spaniards calling themselves Christians makes me feel that Christianity as a religion, is all about man’s laws and yet it is not. Christianity as a religion is seen as ‘holly’ because it is Godly with empathy and sympathy. I will prefer the author to ignore the idea of Spaniards referring to themselves as Christians and maybe give them a name without considering religion. Oppression Indians endures from Spaniards invention, known as the Grater Antilles, is inhuman. As Christ ians, though judgement cannot be passed unless God himself judge, they are expected to be fair and loving to others. Whenever a Factories is built in any given area, I expect job opportunities to be created. Job creation improves living standards of those around the area. It is sad to see factories built on unhealthy land that is unfavourable for the settlement. The main purpose of this factories should not be to provide a place to keep goods that arrive late at the but to cater for Indies needs. Slavey emerges, an idea that I can not support but fight to discard out. Spaniards uses this factory as a place of forecasting weather condition in order not to pose any threat to slaves being transported by canoes. It is sad to see someone being cared for as a slave but not as a native of the land. In this case, human life i is being dealt with knowingly Spaniards who are calling themselves Christians, in an animosity way.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Business law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business law - Case Study Example on is that whether the three minors who have misrepresented themselves to the company while making a purchase of the alcohol have any liability and whether there is any liability of the company for selling liquor to minors. The law governing the aforesaid legal issues is Title-23 Chapter- 6 of the Idaho Code. According to Idaho Code  § 23-604, any person under 21 years of age who shall purchase, attempt to purchase or possess any alcohol beverages, beer or wine shall be guilty of misdemeanor and punished according to the schedule set out in  § 18-1502. Moreover, no person licensed in pursuance to title 23 Idaho code shall sell any alcohol beverage to a person under 21 years of age and shall be guilty of misdemeanor in case of its violation. In case of misrepresentation made by purchaser, the purchaser shall also be liable with the licensee (Idaho Code  § 23-615). It was held in State vs. Kolliche, 143 Me. 281, 284-85 (1948) that furnishing alcohol to the minors is malum prohibi tum and does not require the prosecution to prove intent. This makes both the company as well as the minors liable for misdemeanor. Minors are allowed to rescind the contract on the ground of incapacity but they are not going to get the whole purchase price and are going to get an amount after deducting the depreciated amount from the purchase price. It was held in Dodson v. Shrader’s Auto Sales 824 S.W. 2d 545 (TN 1992) that the minors full purchase price recovery is subject to a deduction from use, depreciation of the item in possession of

Response journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Response journal - Essay Example This guy tells how Indians fled to the mountain to escape the inhuman nature of Spaniards. The Indians flees into the mountains from the Spaniards oppression. I would have liked it if they stayed and defended their native land although much of the suffering they underwent, seems unbearable. Spaniards employed attacks on children and women. Yes, they are the most vulnerable species but I would prefer if the Spaniards would have only attacked men alone. Oppressions of the Indians in the hands of Spaniards calling themselves Christians makes me feel that Christianity as a religion, is all about man’s laws and yet it is not. Christianity as a religion is seen as ‘holly’ because it is Godly with empathy and sympathy. I will prefer the author to ignore the idea of Spaniards referring to themselves as Christians and maybe give them a name without considering religion. Oppression Indians endures from Spaniards invention, known as the Grater Antilles, is inhuman. As Christ ians, though judgement cannot be passed unless God himself judge, they are expected to be fair and loving to others. Whenever a Factories is built in any given area, I expect job opportunities to be created. Job creation improves living standards of those around the area. It is sad to see factories built on unhealthy land that is unfavourable for the settlement. The main purpose of this factories should not be to provide a place to keep goods that arrive late at the but to cater for Indies needs. Slavey emerges, an idea that I can not support but fight to discard out. Spaniards uses this factory as a place of forecasting weather condition in order not to pose any threat to slaves being transported by canoes. It is sad to see someone being cared for as a slave but not as a native of the land. In this case, human life i is being dealt with knowingly Spaniards who are calling themselves Christians, in an animosity way.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Historical Development of the 1960s Essay Example for Free

Historical Development of the 1960s Essay Historical Development of the 1960s Introduction            Of the many historical eras, the 1960 era is regarded as one of the most controversial eras ever in the history of America. However, this was not the anticipation that most of American citizens had. At the very beginning of the 1960s, many believed that this was perhaps the most promising era yet. They even dubbed this era the golden age. The expectations of the people intensified in 1961 when John F. Kennedy took the office of the president. His charisma and enthusiasm won the hearts and trust of the American people. They strongly believed that his government would provide solutions to the major problems that they were facing at the time. However, to the surprise of many, the decade turned out to be the complete opposite of what they had expected. The president himself was assassinated, a chaotic storm characterized by protests by civil rights movements engulfed the country, and instead of the war in Vietnam coming to a halt, it intensified. This essay will strive to create an interconnection between these events which shaped up the 1960s. It will tackle incidents relating to the free speech movement, the Vietnamwar, the Black Panther Party, Rock-n-roll, and the women’s movement, also known as the feminist movement, as witnessed in this decade.            An issue that had been a thorn in the flesh of the American people was coexistence of the white Americans and the African-Americans. Though the slave trade had been abolished by this time, issues of discrimination were still rampant in society. The African Americans would hence dedicate themselves to fighting for equality for their people in this society. At the very beginning of 1960, some four black students defied the norms of society at that particular time and sat down at a white’s-only lunch counter. Their actions were succeeded by demonstrations at that counter every day, drawing the nation’s attention.            6 years down the line, the African-American community still wanted society to regard them as equal with the rest of the Americans and this led to the formation of the Black Panther Party. It was originally known as the Black panther Party of self-defense but the name changed. This party movement was however founded for the sole purpose of eradicating police brutality in African-American neighborhoods. However, with the rapid expansion of the party and the start of a publication, the objectives of the party had diversified. This diversification meant that the party was keener on social empowerment thus disregarding the exclusivity of race. This however sparked up problems within the party since the radical members differed in opinion with the members that were in support of their socialistic cause. This made the party’s political motive to be disoriented and the government at that time considered the party as a national threat.            The Black community of the United States was not the only entity that was fighting for its civil rights. Gender inequality was still a societal vice that America was struggling with. During this time, men were given more opportunities as compared to women in virtually every field and this led to the second wave of the feminist movement. The job market viewed women as the less productive species. One of the reasons why this notion was upheld was because the women needed time off when they delivered and most employers believed the assertion that women would quit their job when they got pregnant. More to this, the society had branded the man as the provider of the home. It was therefore argued that men needed jobs and better paythan women because of the fact that there were people who were dependent on them. Generally, society had defined the place of a woman as the home; whether she was educated or not.            In 1963, Betty Freidan wrote a book, The Feminine Mystique. This book highlighted the frustration of the educated housewives and how society had forcefully put them in a state of dissatisfaction. What shocked many is the fact that she defied society’s assumption that women found satisfaction in only serving their families. This book stirred a revolutionary movement, one which historians refer to as the second wave of the feminist movement. This movement saw society begin to give women more chances in schools, the job market and also in matters involving remuneration.            From the historical facts available from this era, it is evident that civil rights protests and demonstrations were the order of the day. Even students took the liberty of staging their own protests during this period. The Free Speech Movement was the name given to the protests that the students staged. This movement took place in 1964-1965 at the University of California, Berkley, when students were expressing their discontentment on the ban that the school administration had imposed on on-campus political activities. The students rationale for the protests was that this ban was infringement of their academic freedom and right to free speech. The students felt that they could do more than just confine themselves to books. The objectives of the movement had been put in place way before the movement began when students in the campus formed a political party that enabled them to get involved in off-campus political and societal issues.            The students used this platform to source funds from campus students to support civil rights causes. However, this right was exclusively granted to the political clubs in the school and this is what prompted the school to impose the ban on on-campus political activities. Though the students were doing this out of good will, society was of a contrary opinion. For this reason, voters gave the governor seat to Ronald Regan in 1966 whose campaign forte was to make good the mess that the Berkley students had made.            Events in this era were not just restricted to the local scene. The events that America was involved in during this era also crossed boarders. America had been in conflict with Vietnam since the 1950’s. With the election of J. F. Kennedy, Americans were hopeful that this conflict was finally going to come to an end following his campaign theme; his government had answers to America’s biggest problems. However, these hopes seemed to go down the drain in 1963 when Kennedy was assassinated. The hopes of the American people were now in Lyndon B. Johnson’s hands. His government had two wars to fight; the war against poverty, and the war in Vietnam.            However, Johnson had committed himself to establishing an anti-communist south-Vietnam, a trait he had inherited from his predecessors in their solidarity to the country. For this reason, he had to make a choice to forego the war on poverty to attend to the war in Vietnam. More to this, the president had gained the support of the congress and they gave him the authorization to protect the American soldiers and their allies by all means necessary. The prolongation of the war caused a divide in the nation. Some were in support of the war, others protested against the war, whereas others fled to neighboring Canada to avoid being drafted into the war.            Amidst all these events that were happening, people needed something to give them an escape from it all even if it was temporary. Entertainment was the surest way of attaining such. In this era, the most common form of entertainment was music. Rock-n-rollwas the most popular music genre at the time. The developments in this genre were referred to as invasions and were named on the basis of where they originated from. The British invasion occurred in the early 1960s. In mid 1960s, garage rock was unveiled. The genre was common in North America. The genre gained this name because it was played by armatures at the comfort of their homes in their garages. However, this genre barely made it past the 1960s as it was replaced by other genres. Conclusion            The 1960s era, as highlighted above was a rather event-full one in the American history. Though it may seem like the era did not live up to its expectation as the golden age, it can be argued that to some extent it did. This is because the events during this time acted as milestones especially with regards to civil rights issues. However, the prolongation of the war in Vietnam did injustice to the country as it caused a divide. In conclusion, the 1960s were not shy of historical events. References Fischer, Klaus P.  America in White, Black, and Gray: The Stormy 1960s. New York [u.a.: Continuum, 2006. Print. Source document

Monday, October 14, 2019

An analysis of Strategic management

An analysis of Strategic management Initially strategic management was of most use to large corporations operating in multiple industries. Increasing risk of error, costly mistakes and even economic ruin are causing todays professional managers in all organizations to take strategic management seriously in order to keep their company competitive in an increasing volatile environment. (Frery 2006) Different authors have described strategic management as followed: The strategic management is used to present to strategic formulation, implementation and evaluation with strategic planning referring only the strategy formulation (Pearce Robinson 2000) the intention of the strategic management is to develop and produce new and different opportunities for future. As Mr. Potter refers that Strategy is the direction of an organization over the long term which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences with the fulfilling stakeholder expectations. This in turn led to organizational development activities as reorganizing, new definitions of roles, jobs and etc. (Potter 1996) And also it can be carried in the strategic management is that set of managerial decision and action that determines the long run performance of a corporation. It includes environment scanning (both external and internal).strategic formulation (strategic or long range planning), strategic implementation and evaluation and control. As this definition implies, strategic management focuses on integrating management, marketing, finance, and production / operations, research and development and computer information system to achieve organizational success. (Hoskisson, Hitt Wan 1999) The study of strategic management therefore emphasizes the monitoring and evaluating of external opportunities and threats in light of a corporations strengths and weaknesses. Strategic management as a field of study incorporates the integrative concerns of business policy with a heavier environmental and strategic emphasis. Therefore strategic management has tended to replace business policy as the preferred name of the field. (Hoskisson, Hitt Wan 1999) The strategic management is a core area for an organization in order to explore the problems which result in success or failure. Strategic management has been defined as that set of decisions and actions which lead to the development of an effective strategy or strategies to help achieve corporate objectives. (Luffman, Lea, Sanderson and Kenny 1996) Basic stages of strategic management: The strategic management process consists of four basic stages. Environmental scanning, strategic formulation, strategic implementation, and evaluation and control. Environmental scanning:- Before an organization can begin strategy formulation, it must scan the environment to identify possible opportunities and threats and as well the strength and weaknesses. Environmental scanning is the monitoring, evaluating and disseminating of information from the internal and the external environments to key people within the organization. A organization use this method to avoid strategic surprise and to ensure its long term health. Research has found a positive relationship between environmental scanning and profit (Thomas, Clark Gioia 1993) Strategic formulation:- This is the expansion of the long range plans for the effective management of environmental opportunities and threats as well as the organization strength and weakness. It consist of defining the corporate mission, identify achievable objective, rising strategies the setting policies. Strategy formulation issue include deciding what new business to enter, what businesses to abandon, how to allocate resources, whether to expand operations or identify, whether to enter international markets, whether to merge or form a joint venture and how to avoid a hostile. Because every organizations have limited resources itself. So strategists ought to decide which alternative strategy will be benefit for the firm most. Top managers have the best perception of understanding effect of strategy formulation and they are the persons who have the authority to commit the resources necessary for implementation. (Hitt Michael 2006.) Strategic implementation:- Strategic implementation is the most difficult stage in strategic management. This process requires a firm to establish annual objectives, devise policies, motivate employees and allocate resources for the implementation of the formulated strategies. This is the process that converts the strategies and policies in to the action through the development of programs. Strategy implementation includes developing a strategy-supportive culture, creating an effective organizational structure, redirecting marketing efforts, plan the budgets, developing and utilizing information system and linking employee payment to organization performance. (Hitt Michael 2006.) Evaluation and control:- Strategic evaluation is the final stage in the strategic management. The purpose of this process is to evaluate the actual performance of an organization to do the comparison with the desire result. Because the strategic management processes were inappropriately used, operational managers must know about it. So that they can correct the employee activity. Evaluating and controlling is the major element of the strategic management to identify the weaknesses in previous executed strategic planes and thus stimulated the entire process to begin again. And all strategies are the subject to future modification because external and internal factors are continuously changing. Followings are the three fundamental strategy evaluation activities Reviewing external and internal factors that are the bases for current strategies. Measuring performance. Talking corrective action. (Hitt Michael 2006.) The phases of the strategic management: A firm generally evolves through the following four basic phases of strategic management Basic financial planning (phase. 1):- The project is based on the analysis very little proposed with the most information from the organization. The sales typically offer the small amount of environmental protection, information. Such simple operational planning is only pretending, strategic management, and it is quite time consuming. The time horizon is usually one year. (Gluck, Kaufman Welleck 1982) Forecast based planning (phase.2):- In addition to internal information, managers gather available data from environment to extrapolate the current trend of five years and future. This phase also time consuming. The process gets very political as managers compete for larger share and funds. The time horizon is usually three to five years. (Gluck, Kaufman Welleck 1982) Externally oriented planning (phase.3):- Top level management controls the planning process by the introduction of strategic planning. The company tries to increase its responsiveness to changing markets and competition through strategic thinking. Top management typically develops five-year plan with the help of consultants but input from lower levels. (Gluck, Kaufman Welleck 1982) Strategic management (phase.4):- The employees at many levels from various departments and works groups develop and integrate a serious of strategic plans aimed at achieving the companys primary objectives. The complicated annual five years plan is replaced with the help of all levels of the organization throughout the year. (Gluck, Kaufman Welleck 1982) Levels of strategic management: Strategy exists at a number of levels in an organization. They are, Corporate level strategy:- This is concerned about the overall scope of an organization and how value will be added to the different units of an organization. Corporate strategy tropically fit with the three main categories of stability, expansion and reduction of expenditure. (Ansoff 2002) According to Michael potter, a firm must formulate a business strategy that incorporates cost leadership, differentiation or focus in order to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage and long term success in its chosen areas or industries. (Potter 1993). Alternatively, according to Kim and Mauborgne, an organization can achieve high growth and profits by creating a blue ocean strategy that breaks the previous value cost trade off by simultaneously pursuing both differentiation and low cost. (Kim Mauborgne 2007) Eg:- Nicholas piramal follower a corporative growth strategy in order to have more share formulation drugs In corporate strategy, Johnson, Scholes and Whittington present models in which strategic option are evaluated against three key success criteria, Suitability (would it work?) Feasibility (can it be made to work) Acceptability (will they work it) (Johnson, Scholes Whittington 2008) Business level strategy:- The second level is business level strategy which is about how various businesses included in the business strategy and compete in their particular markets. Because of this reason business strategy is called as competitive strategy. This typically concerns issues such as pricing strategy, innovation or differentiation instance by better quality. So where ever corporate level strategy involves decision about the overall organization as a whole, strategic decision related to particular strategic business unit within the overall organization. (Johnson, Scholes Whittington 2008) According to Potters statement The business strategy must be maintained continually, in line with changes in the business and its environment. It should be formally reviewed at least annually as part of the business planning round; it provides the context for progress reporting on strategic themes. (Potter 1993). The business strategy must always show progress against plans to date, to enable planners to determine the current business environment and the impact that specific change programs and projects will have on the organization as a whole. There must be accurate, timely information about: Major investments to date, the corporate risk register, For each major investment, the risks associated with it. (Potter 1996) Operational strategy:- The third level of strategy is at the operating end of an organization. This is an approach taken by the functional areas to achieve the corporate objectives and strategies by maximizing the resources productivity.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Dead Father :: The Dead Father Donald Barthelmeis Essays

The Dead Father Jerome Klinkowitzà ­s remarkably insightful review of Donald Barthelmeà ­s work begins with an anecdote about an evening they spent together in Greenwich Village (Barthelmeà ­s home for most of his life as a writer), and how a perfectly Freudian remark by Barthelmeà ­s wife put a stop to the writerà ­s boorish mood:à ¬Ãƒ «Why Donald,à ­ she said, à «your fatherà ­s is bigger than yours.à ­She was referring to their respective biosin Whoà ­s Who in America.à ® It is Klinkowitz's well-argued contention that Barthelmeà ­s mid-career novel The Dead Father (1975) not only represents the high-water mark of his skill as a technical master of postmodern prose, but that it also embodies the central neurosis/inspiration driving nearly all his work, from his first published story, à ¬Me and Miss Mandibleà ® in 1961, to his last novel, Paradise (1986).(Though The King is mentioned by Klinkowitz, it is clear he considers it to be barely part of the Barthelme canon.)For Klinkowitz, Barthelmeà ­s near-obsessive goal as a post-modernist is to à ¬buryà ® his modernist father.For instance, Klinkowitz writes that, while at first glance à ¬Me and Miss Mandibleà ® seems a perfectly Kafkaesque tale of a man awakening to grotesquely transformed circumstances, in fact it is à ¬[f]ree of overweening anxiety and not painfully dedicated to existential questioning or angst ...à ®[1] à ¬[Barthelmeà ­s] first inclination is to laugh at rather than flail angrily against the forms and themes of an earlier style ...à ®[2]Klinkowitz cites à ¬The Indian Uprisingà ® and à ¬The Balloonà ® as oft-anthologized stories which epitomize Barthelmeà ­s work prior to The Dead Father; pieces which came to represent the postmodern short story with all its socially savvy and technically sophisticated style, yet stories whose primary tone is comic rather than the stilted existential dread of Barthelmeà ­s modernist precursors.Thus anxiety of influence is defused through comedy and exaggeration.Klinkowitz implies that, in Barthelme we have our first authentic American Beckett, but one in whose work optimism is neither desperate nor self-canceling. Skillfully mixing criticism and biography, Klinkowitz demonstrates how Barthelmeà ­s life influenced his work; how his time in the army as a service newspaper writer, and later as a publicity writer and editor prepared him to handle à ¬words and images as blocks of material rather than as purveyors of conceptions ...à ®[3]But the use of autobiographical material makes a point beyond that relevant to critical biography.Klinkowitz argues that a consistent thematic in Barthelmeà ­s writing was life as text--and therefore text as some sort of incarnation of life.As Klinkowitz writes of his meeting with Barthelme in the village, Barthelme à ¬was firmly inside his text.