The Effect Of The Stress Of Exams On The Cigarette...

Discussion and Conclusion The purpose of this report was to investigate the effects of the stress of exams in the cigarette consumption level of young students. It was found that students are more prone to smoke when they are under the stress of exams. There are a significant amount of results that agree with the hypothesis. It was found that the majority of participants who claimed being smokers are in the age of 18-22 and are college students. Moreover, the 87% of the responses stated that exams produce great levels of stress in students and the 42% believed that people always smoke because they are stressed. These results could be related to past literature that claim smokers use cigarette as mechanisms to deal with stress (Center of Diseases Control and Prevention 2014; WebMD 2000). Moreover, the 76% of the responses claimed that season of exams avoids students to maintain a healthy daily routine. Responses are the same as past researches which state that activities such as healthy dietary habits, emotional control, physical activity, self-care habits, sleep patterns and study habits would decrease under stressful situations (Oaten and Cheng 2005). Finally, responses show that 54% of participants believed that students have les s self-control in exam season. This might be related to the loss of self-control under stressful situation (Baumeister et al. 1994). The general belief about smoking is that it reduces stress in short-term but is dangerous in long-term isShow MoreRelatedHesi Hypertension Essay5265 Words   |  22 PagesAssessment Mr. Dunns blood pressure reading is 189/110. His LDL cholesterol reading is 200 mg/dl. He asks the student nurse if he should be concerned about his blood pressure. 1. How should the student respond? A)  Your blood pressure is very high. You need to see your healthcare provider today. INCORRECT Mr. Dunns blood pressure is high. The student nurse needs to assess for other symptoms before making the determination that the healthcare provider must see him that day. B)  YouRead MoreNightlife s Second Year Female Management Students Attitude Towards Studies3566 Words   |  15 PagesFemale Management Students Attitude towards Studies Nightlife, it is defined as source of entertainment especially during late night. We asked students on how they would define nightlife for them and some answered that â€Å"Nightlife for me is a source of fun†(Jaelyn Gavina) â€Å"for me nightlife is an experience you’ll missed when you get old† (Danica Lopez). People define night life in different terms and ways as how they see it. Considering that nightlife is also a major part on how students socialize. TheyRead MorePsych Exam Chapter 1216262 Words   |  66 PagesChapter 12, Exam 3 Name: ___________________________________ Date: ______________ 1. The definition of _____ is a negative emotional state occurring in response to events that are perceived as taxing or exceeding a persons resources or ability to cope. A) a hassle B) stress C) a stressor D) appraisal 2. Which of the following is the BEST definition of stress? A) the demands that are made on you by other people B) deadlines, daily hassles, or inconveniences C) a negative emotional state causedRead MoreEssay on Stress and Anger6191 Words   |  25 PagesStress and Anger Stress and Anger have always been related with each other. There have been countless studies, even more theories, about stress and anger and how they relate. But, no matter how many studies are conducted, there will always be the questions about whether or not stress and anger are related. But, I am here to provide the facts on both stress and anger, and then allow you, as the reader, to determine the relationship, because all-in-all, I feel that stress and anger can and cantRead MorePsy Evaluation Essay11057 Words   |  45 PagesPSY4100 Addictions Summer 2012 Final Exam Study Guide NOTE: Your final exam will consist of 100 questions selected from the following, as well as selected questions from in-class tests on Food Addiction and on The Joyful Mind; correct answers to those tests have already been posted to the doc sharing portion of the Ecompanion Website. You can use the answers to check the answers you gave on your chapter study tests. Your final exam is on Wednesday, September 12, 2012; You will have from 8:15AM toRead MoreResearch Paradigm14392 Words   |  58 Pagesâ€Å"Adolescents who become involved with drugs and alcohol are more likely to drop out of high school than are adolescents who do not become involved with drugs and alcohol.† The point is that most quantitative researchers try to identify cause-and-effect relationships that enable them to make probabilistic predictions and generalizations. Quantitative research Research that relies primarily on the collection of quantitative data Qualitative research Research that relies primarily on the Read MoreCoffee Industry11409 Words   |  46 Pagesconducted by the research group AC Nielsen showed an alarming decline in coffee sales of 13% for the months of January to April 2006, compared to the same period in 2003 for the total coffee category. this figure validates a downtrend in annual coffee consumption of Filipinos over the years. the only consolation for this downtrend is the increase in sales observed in the coffee mixes and out-of-home segments due to changing consumer behavior towards coffee.† (the Philippine Star, business As Usual, JuneRead MoreConsumer Lifestyle in Singapore35714 Words   |  143 Pages.................................................................................................................... 8 Chart 2 Chart 3 Number of Students in Higher Education and Expenditure per Student in PPP Terms 2006-2011 ............................................................................. 9 Regional Ranking of Number of Universit y Students 2011......................... 10 Working Habits ................................................................................................Read MoreThesis About Call Center Agents14127 Words   |  57 PagesChapter I Background of the Study If you are a nurse who recently took the board exam, then you must be one of the many new graduates who are considered to be unemployed. After the long weekend parties, holidays, and vacation trips a month ago, you should have recently wondered hey whats next for me now? Well you are not alone. In fact, many of my review mates in a local review center headed to many local BPO companies here in our city. BPO or business process outsourcing involves theRead MoreCommunity Health Nursing Final Exam Study Guide Essay15874 Words   |  64 Pagesï » ¿ NUR 420 Fall 2013 Final Exam Focus Areas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Health care for homeless, why is it so costly? They typically have to stay in the hospital for a longer amount of time because they have a lot more co-morbidities that need to be treated. Being brought to the ED is extremely expensive. Critical interventions are very costly, and so are all the diagnostic tests that must be done. They usually don’t

Essay about Trade Between Australia And China - 1888 Words

Many products we use today are made in China. Trade between Australia and China has heightened in the last couple of years. China has one of the world’s largest economies. It has an increasing role in shaping the world economy, accounting for a third of the increase in the world’s gross domestic product and imports for the period 2000 to 2003 (The Economist 2004). It is also home to a population of 1.3 billion inhabitants, consuming a variety of goods from food items to luxury commodities, toys, clothing, gifts, most car parts and many more things Australia benefits from. For non-agricultural goods, Australian import tariffs are generally low. The most notable exceptions are on motor vehicles and textiles, clothing and footwear imports.†¦show more content†¦Since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy in 1978, Chinas economy has been undergoing a rapid and healthy development. Over the past 27 years, Chinas annual GDP growth has averaged 9.4 pe r cent, more than doubled that of the world as well as more than two folds that of the developed nations over the same period. In 2004, Chinas GDP reached USD1650billion, an increase of 9.5 per cent over 2003.(The Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China in Australia, June 2005) Last year Australia imported $287.8 billion in goods from China, up from $51.5 billion a decade ago, according to the Australian Commerce Department (Asia Education, The University of Melbourne 2005). Although Australia is importing its many goods from china and reducing the cost, Australia also have to consider the unemployment rate and safety issues with these imported goods from Asia. China is one of the biggest countries along with Thailand and Japan who make goods for Australia. Being Australia’s third largest merchandise trading partner and seventh largest service export market in 2003, China might significantly affect the Australian economy through any changes made to its trade policies. A more liberal Chinese trade policy could increase Australia’s income in part through greater market access for its exports. Of every hundred dollars of nationalShow MoreRelatedTrade Between Australia and China2020 Words   |  9 PagesMany products we use today are made in China. Trade between Australia and China has heightened in the last couple of years. China has one of the world’s largest economies. It has an increasing role in shaping the world economy, accounting for a third of the increase in the world’s gross domestic product and imports for the period 2000 to 2003 (The Economist 2004). It is also home to a population of 1.3 billion inhabi tants, consuming a variety of goods from food items to luxury commodities, toys,Read MoreFree Trade Agreement Between China and Australia683 Words   |  3 PagesFree Trade Agreement between Australia and China China, Australia’s second larges export destination, is a growing economy. The labours in china are really cheap, so a lot of companies set up new manufactures in China and close down manufactures in other countries. A Chinese is satisfied getting 800 yean month, three meals a day and a bed to sleep. There are also people, who are willing to work for even lower labours. So if Australia would have a FTA with china it could profit from the fast growthRead MoreBilateral Trade And Investment Between China And Australia2910 Words   |  12 Pages Research on Bilateral Trade and Investment Between China and Australia Group G Chinese Economics Siung Student Number: 2014053038 Abstract The objectives of the paper are to introduce the China-Australia FTA (ChAFTA), signed by Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Huchengand Australian Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb, and describes benefits of the agreement for both sides. The ChAFTA has brought zero-tariff concessions for two countries. Especially in the mining industry and agricultureRead MoreThe Impact Of International Trade Between Australia And China1051 Words   |  5 PagesThere have been substantial amounts of international trade between Australia and China, with a large and robust demand of Australian energy and minerals from China. The more prominent effect of China’s demand is on Australia’s level of exports. Exports increased substantially as exports to China accounted for 21.6% of Australia’s total exports during the GFC period (Priestley, 2010). In order to satisfy these high demands, Australia must increase its supply of these resources which results in theRead MoreChin A Country With Huge Resources1203 Words   |  5 PagesSummary China is a country with huge resources. In 2001, China successfully joint the WTO and rapidly took an important role on the international trade. In late 1990’s, China signed an agreement with Australia and built a close relationship with Australia. In the following years to date, there is a huge changes on the performance of trade and investment between these two countries, especially on agriculture, mining and manufacture. In this article, we will use trade theory to analysis the reasonRead MoreImpact Of Globalization On The Global Economy1452 Words   |  6 Pagesexpand out exchanges and social trade. This results in a trade of different perspectives, knowledge, items and culture. Many goods and services have increased, because of worldwide trading throughout the past years. Australia is linked into the global economy due to exchanges being made between nations and technology being better than ever, as it is quicker, faster and easier to communicate with potential customer s. These are just some of the reasons why Australia is linked in to the global economyRead MoreEssay On Globalisation1207 Words   |  5 Pageswhich all the other nations of the planet come together to expand out exchanges and social trade. This results in a trade of different perspectives, knowledge, items and culture. Many goods and services have increased, because of worldwide trading, throughout the past years. How has globalisation changed over the past 30 years? Globalisation has changed over the past 30 years due to changes made between technology, such as transportation and communications. These reasons have altered the increasingRead MoreAustralia And The United States1293 Words   |  6 PagesAustralia and the United States have always had a very strong relationship through trade and mainly defence. The security of Australia heavily depends on the US, as we are there main allies in defence. Australia and the US are both apart of an organization called APEC. They both have very important roles as there are classified as the head nations. This organization first started in January 1989 in Australia when current prime minister Bob Hawke called for a more effective economic operation acrossRead MoreNt Cattle Exporters Gain Confidence From China1561 Words   |  7 PagesStudy A suitable alternative title for the case could be: NT cattle exporters gain confidence from China. A recent study (Department of foreign affair and trade, 2014, p.4.) shows that almost half of Australia’s exports came from minerals and fuels with 49.3% in 2013, especially iron and coal. Followed by service exports 17.3 percent and manufacturing exports 12.9 percent. In 2013, two-way trade grew by 3.7% to $647.4 billion. Comprising imports totaling $328.8 billion and exports $318.6 billionRead MoreGlobalization Has Changed The Economic Condition Of A Country Or The Lives Of People995 Words   |  4 PagesGlobalization is a communication and connection between person-to-person, local-to-local and nation-to-nation to preserve and develop trade, technology, education, and etc. There are a couple aspects of globalization to count on, but this essay will be focusing on one specific dimension of globalization. Mostly, this essay will examine economic aspect of globalization as well as it will conduct a research: how globalization has changed the economic condition of a country or the lives of people. Moreover

Travel to Europe Free Essays

â€Å"Part of us believes the new car Is better because it lasts longer. But, In fact, that’s the worst thing about the new car _ It will stay around to disappoint you, whereas a trip to Europe is†¦ Over. It evaporates. We will write a custom essay sample on Travel to Europe or any similar topic only for you Order Now It has the good sense to go away, and you are left with nothing but a wonderful memory’ – Daniel Gilbert â€Å"Europe and my metamorphosis. † I was excited and nervous. I’d have to think really hard and long to go back to the previous time I felt this way. I put a finger on my wrist Just to feel my blood thump against my thumb at an accelerated rate. I smiled to myself. It was finally happening. I was going to Europe. It all started when I thought about applying to the Exchange Program my college was offering of four-months,’l semester. The College they were sending the students was in Rennet. SEC Rennet School of Business. Finally, something that appealed to me. Living in Delhi had somehow numbed my senses to such an extent that I had become devoid of any sort of feeling. I needed to escape from this place or a while and this seemed Like the perfect opportunity. Carper Idle. I seized it. Voila, I was in Europe. I found time to backpack over all of Europe and when I couldn’t find it I made it. I loved staying In the hostels and Interacting with new people on a dally basis. Some of them even became good friends. It was absolutely necessary for me to visit a few cities that old heard so much about that I was k if my grades took a toll. I knew I wouldn’t get this chance later and I wanted to make the most of it. I thought I’d write a little bit about the cities I visited whilst there. Paris: ‘Wow was the first word that escaped my mouth when I looked around and found myself In Paris. The City of Lights never ceases to amaze and is one of the most beautiful cities I came across in France. Market District, the cobbled streets, the musicians, the poets, all in one place. The romance was In the air. I saw the Notre Dam Cathedral and visited the Place des Vogues Old Square. The Peer Liaises cemetery was hauntingly beautiful and what to tell you about the Eiffel Tower. It was just well exquisite. I was reminded of Ernst Hemmingway and what he had said about Paris and how right he was. â€Å"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the est. of your life It stays with you, for Pans Is a movable feast†. Amsterdam: Man o Man what to say about Amsterdam. I loved it. It has absolutely everything. The Dutch are Insane. What spirit they have. Prepare to be infected with It while you are there because no one can escape it. It was a god damn party every bucking night I was there. I had no sleep at all and my time-space orientation got distorted for a few days I guess with all the kind bud I could get my hands on. The coffee shops were well just misnomers. The Architecture was amazing; I was Just taken In by It. The canals were great too. I love Amsterdam approach on legalizing prostitution. You have to see It for yourself. The place was so lively. Berlin: A city cemented in history. Definitely worth watching and visiting. Starting should see in ones lifetime. I can’t thank my friend Goblin enough for being such a gracious host and showing me around Berlin. Yes I know you want me to bust that myth for you that Germans drink beer like its water. Well that isn’t a myth, one visit to a local pub and my hopes were dashed. It is not a myth. Germans do love their beer a lot, and it loves them back! Warlock was beautiful. Small, quiet and peaceful. Just hat I had wanted that weekend. Some place where I could relax and unwind. I stayed at The Grammar Hostel and man you guys are the best. It is an old town really and there is not much to see except the Market Square. It was lively with so many people there and they were so different from the rest of the Europeans I had met. They were unique I must say. They could find beauty in the simple things in life. Prague. Pariah. The name actually means â€Å"threshold†. It was magical. The city was a portal between the life of the good and the other. A city caked in grime: ancient, Soot- blackened. History lived in every detail. I wandered the streets in disbelief, photographing everything like mad. I wish I had spent more time there. The wind carried the memory of magic; revolutions, violins and the cobbled lanes meandered like creaks. I fell in love there. I don’t know whether it was a good idea or not. I Just wanted to get lost there. Span. Ever since I had learnt Spanish in school I had wanted to go there. I was not too good at it though I remember. By the time I got the chance to visit Spain I had forgotten all my Spanish. The people were wonderful and Madrid is Just Madrid, so exciting, full of life and zest. You’ve got to see it to believe it. I visited Barcelona as well and it was amazing. The Gaudier(Antonio Gaud) architecture was Just stunning. You must visit Case Battle (The famous Skull and Bones balcony). It is the most interesting and unusual of houses in Barcelona. This is my take on the various cities I visited when I was in Europe. I made a lot of friends, had loads of crazy nights but most of all I made memories that will be with me for a lifetime. I hope you enjoyed reading and I hope this inspires you a little not much but a little to get away from your comfort zone and Travel, Dream and Explore. How to cite Travel to Europe, Papers

Pay-As-You-Go Social Security System

Question: Discuss about the report of "Pay-As-You-Go Social Security System". Answer: Pay-As-You-Go Social Security System: Economic Growth and Stability The social security system offers present and future employees with returns that are below the market rates since it is a sophisticated pay-as-you-go system of retirement. The workers suffer the burden of the liabilities that are not funded which emerge from windfall benefits to previous retirees (Fanti Gori, 2012). These principles are useful in examining the impacts of three demographic advances including the stumpy birth rate because the conclusion of the baby boom in 1965, the coming retirements of baby boomers as well as the declining trend in mortality of aging. The stumpy rate of birth diminishes the long-run rate of return of Social Security while the unfunded liability is being spread across the small proportion of workforces. The retirements of the baby boomers have no distinct challenge but denote the close of the provisional benefits triggered by the high rates of birth throughout the boom (Teles Mussolini, 2014). The burden of workers will not be necessarily changed since the declining mortality pattern has no effect on the long-term return rate or the number of employees through whom the unfinanced obligation is spreadable. Nevertheless, the policymakers are likely to adopt responses that will shift the burden from earlier to later generations. A pay-as-you-go system results in a lasting below-market rate of the returns equivalent to the rate of growth of the nationwide labour income. The unfunded liability of the system that describes the windfall gains cost given to previous pensioners who donated little system is the entire load levied on both future and current workforce by the returns of below-market (Wickens, 2011). The manner in which the economic effects of demographic development impacts the rate of growth of national labor alongside the unfunded liability allocation dictates such effects. The growth rate of the national income and the workforce is slowed by a lower rate of birth which decreases the long-run rate of return of the Social Security. Such lower rates raise the burden of the system on individual employee since the unfunded liability will only be spreadable across a small number of workers. The high rates of birth of baby boomers raise the Social Security return rate since it boosts the rate of growth of both national labor income and workforce thereby spreading the unfunded liability across a vast number of workforce. The baby boomers retirements are projected to end these temporary gains thus leaving the impacts of the lower post-1965 birth-rate to be faced by the system. The declining trend in the mortality of the aging population has no effect on the national labor income rate of growth (Viard, 2012). The aggregate gains must be decreased with the increasing number of retirees to address the issue of declining trend in ageing mortality while keeping the burden of workers unchanged. The unfunded liability of a mature pay-as-you-go describes the unavoidable start-up bonus cost provided to early workers. A generation will thus suffer below-market returns from one to the next if the system is continued perceived as the liability servicing cost (Viard, 2012). A current generation, on hand, will make a one-time payment of cost of transition of the same PV (present value) if the system is abolished and this cost is perceived as liability retiring cost (Kuhle, 2014). Shrinking the system is preferred to abolition in reducing both costs of transition and gain to future generation as abolition is expensive. Generation 2 can be taxed to pay the full benefit of generation one and informing generation simultaneously that such benefit will get rid of or decreased in the subsequent period thus shrinking or abolishing the cost of transition. The decision to shift from a pay-as-you-go system needs an examination of the rights, obligation as well as needs of various generations (Engelbrecht 2013). It has been argued by economists that gain to the future generations from gradually abolishing or shrinking the pay-as-you-go system validate the cost of transition to the existing generation. In summary, economic examination of pay-as-you-go social security gives intuitions into the differences and similarities of the developments of three demographics which account for aging of America. However, such insights have remained overlooked in big discussions mainly focusing on whether the Congress will have to change the current legislation to deal with these developments compared to how these events eventually affect various well-being after any legal alterations are made (Teles Mussolini, 2014). The current demographic developments are expected to raise the load that pay-as-you-go social security inflict on upcoming generations. Shifting from pay-as-you-go system will eliminate the encumbrances, but foist a significant cost of changeover to the present cohorts. References Engelbrecht, Hans-Jrgen. (2013). "Introduction to Economic Growth, Charles I. Jones New York, WW Norton Company, 1998, xii+ 200 pp., AU $41.95, ISBN 0-393-97174-0." (2013): 97-100. Fanti, L., Gori, L. (2012). Economic growth and stability with public pay-as-you-go pensions and private intra-family old-age insurance. Research in Economics, 66(3), 219-229. Kuhle, W. (2014). The dynamics of utility in the neoclassical OLG model. Journal of Mathematical Economics, 52, 81-86. Teles, V. K., Mussolini, C. C. (2014). Public debt and the limits of fiscal policy to increase economic growth. European Economic Review, 66, 1-15. Viard, A. D. (2012). Pay-as-you-go social security and the aging of America: An economic analysis. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Economic and Financial Review. Wickens, M. (2011). Macroeconomic theory: a dynamic general equilibrium approach. Princeton University Press.

Analysis Ezra Pounds Portrait dune Femme Essay Example

Analysis: Ezra Pounds Portrait dune Femme Paper With so many poetic, literary devices available to writers, it is not common for an author to use several as tools in the same piece in order to construct his point. Ezra Pound is known for his brilliant use of perfect word combinations, which produce outstanding metaphors that allow a more direct treatment of objects. In Ezra Pounds famous Portrait dune Femme, he creates a direct treatment of a certain woman. However, without his ingenious use of previously mentioned mechanics, the poem would never have been what it is today. In Portrait dune Femme, Ezra Pound uses extended metaphors, word choice, and incredible imagery to criticize a woman of high social class. Pound begins his critique by using a beautiful extended metaphor, comparing this woman to our Sargasso Sea (1). By using the word our, Pound familiarizes himself with the woman he mentions. He makes it known that he is aware of her type, and by doing so he is also gaining insight into the womans inner wirings which enables him to successfully critique her. The Sargasso Sea is located in what is popularly known as the Bermuda Triangle, an area characterized by solitude, and it is most well known for its thick collection of seaweed that collects various pieces of useless debris as opposed to its extreme depth (Sea). By comparing her to the Sargasso Sea, Pound indicates that the girl is not known for her depth, but rather as an empty recipient full of gossip and useless information. She somehow captures vast amounts of stray social knowledge and stores it in her mind, having it on mental file should the situation arise to access it. We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis: Ezra Pounds Portrait dune Femme specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis: Ezra Pounds Portrait dune Femme specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis: Ezra Pounds Portrait dune Femme specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As people view the sea as a mode of transportation, and intermediate between one piece of land to another, they view this woman as an intermediate between people- she has the ability to tell them what they need to know, cutting out the need to go directly to the source. In accordance to this, Pound then claims, Greats minds have sought you-lacking someone else (6). People of worth only speak to her as a last resort, because they are not necessarily interested in her type of information. In connection to the Sargasso Sea, those routing ships to destinations tried painstakingly hard to avoid the area of the Bermuda Triangle, and to cross through it was a last resort (Sea). By using metaphor to compare this woman to the Sargasso Sea, Ezra Pound successfully illustrates a misunderstood woman clouded with useless information. Yet, in the next lines, Pound praises the woman for choosing this lifestyle. In doing so, he uses more common words associated with general conversation, which makes the description seem valid, as if he is speaking to the woman directly as opposed to through the poem. Her superfluous amount of social knowledge and her acceptance of being a last resort says much about her, as it is her last resort, as opposed to the common path of woman which includes marriage and domestic life, a bland husband who uses his wife as a mere commodity to showcase his ability to please and to purchase. By stating that she preferred it to the usual thing: / One dull man, Pound claims that her choice at least sets her aside from the other women of her type, making her the one worthy enough to write about (8-9). Pound then strips the girl of her hearsay knowledge and reveals her true self. She sits there, he has seen her sit / Hours, and waits patiently for someone of worth to acknowledge her and engage in conversation with her (11-12). However, all she has for him is her gossip, but at the same time, the man takes strange gain away, meaning that he does get something from the interaction, whether is be amusement or actual factitious knowledge (15). Even though many people come to her for the latest rumor and other insignificances, she does not mind; she craves that social interaction with others. This mask of superficiality covers a woman who is suffering because no one is genuinely interested in her as a person. Through Pounds use of conversational language, readers are more open to his criticism of this woman and are less turned off by Portrait dune Femme. Throughout the next few lines, Pound again speaks in metaphors and creates believable images as he critiques her usual topics of conversation. He asserts that she and her companions speaks of Trophies fished up facts that lead nowhere r something else / That might prove useful but never proves (16-19). Trophies fished up are symbolic of peoples exaggerated, boastful stories of themselves and personal milestone achievements, which the woman mindfully pays attention to, for she gains to benefit from these tall tales. Facts that lead nowhere are the seaweed of her mind, facts that may or may not prove useful in future conversing. These people find their hour in conversations with this woman, for though she may have heard a story before, she does want the contact with others (21). The people drop great, famous names and speak of luxuries of their class such as perfumes and expensive fabrics (23). Pound, with a sense of disappointment, then says, These are your riches, your great store; only this is what you have to offer (24). Though she yearns to talk to other and exchange information with others, she does nothing with these encounters to better herself or her future conversational capacity. By using so many and so elaborate metaphors, Pound explains that what the woman has to offer is common knowledge and outrageous. Gossip such as hers is easily found, and eventually such suggestive and vain conversations lose their jazz that once attracted so many, even as a last resort. In the end of Portrait dune Femme, Pound states that this gossip is the womans only richness, it is the only item of which she has abundance. She is nothing more than a recipient for people to throw their intellectual rubbish to, and her sole role in life is to share and store that knowledge, carrying on others legacies yet losing herself in the process. Pound recedes to his initial comparison, that of the woman to the Sargasso Sea. The woman, like the entrapping Sargasso waters, has so much to her name, yet Nothing thats quite her own. / Yet this is you (28-29). She did nothing but listen in order to accrue such as wide array of acts, just as the Sargasso Sea does nothing except contain vast amounts of seaweed that accrue splintered debris. Like the sea, it is not her brilliance or beauty that defines her, but rather her skill of accumulation. Through his use of metaphor, language, and imagery, Pound takes readers into the life of a woman who loses herself as she gathers pieces of others. By using these tools, Pound is able to criticize the woman while at the same time evoke feelings of sympathy and pity towards her. Pound does so in order to make an impression amongst those who read Portrait dune Femme, an impression he hopes will steer them away from the gossip part of society and more towards the intellectual path.

What Does “Competitive Salary” Mean

What Does â€Å"Competitive Salary† Mean Sometimes the vocabulary of job searching all seems to blend together into a confusing jumble. Have you seen the phrasing  Ã¢â‚¬Å"competitive salary,† and not been quite sure what it means? Let us help. Competitive salary simply means that the salary they’ll offer will be equal to or more than the industry standard for similar jobs in the same geographical area. That makes it easy to estimate if you do a bit of field research. It also means this company might be more open to salary negotiations. Or that they keep their salary information confidential to protect their employees; i.e. you’ll find out when you’re hired. It also might mean that the company is trying to weed out candidates who are only in it for the money. You might also see the terms â€Å"negotiable salary† or â€Å"market rate.† Those terms usually mean the same thing.It’s Not All in the NumbersRemember: in places where supply is lower than demand, the going rate, or â €Å"competitive salary† will be higher. And also keep in mind that there are other forms of compensation in a package, like benefits. One company might offer a lower salary than another, but more than make up for that in the benefits they are willing to provide.Determine Your GoalsIf you’re looking for a job, the most important things to consider are what you need to support your life. Do your research into the going market rate in your region. Then figure out what the minimum is you’d need to make. Don’t forget to consider things like benefits. What would insurance cost in your state if not subsidized by your employer? How much paid time off would you want in a given year- and how much would that be worth, given the rates? Will this company contribute significantly to a 401k?Once you know what you need, or want, you’ll reach an appropriate moment to bring this up with your potential employer- usually not before the second interview, or when an off er is made at the latest. One option is to wait and see whether the employer brings it up first and saves you the awkwardness of finding a way to steer the conversation in that direction. Once you find your moment, inquire about the compensation.Be StrategicOnce you have your answer, and it’s not quite enough, realize you might not get what you ask for. But don’t walk away! Use what you’ve learned about the â€Å"market rate† to gently and respectfully see if they are willing to negotiate. If you’re the candidate they want, chances are that if they can, they’ll try.Remember: Don’t sell yourself short if you don’t absolutely have to. Stay strong and get your needs met- that way you won’t resent your employer down the line.

Workers compensation claim Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Workers compensation claim - Assignment Example Employee can claim workers compensation benefits after being injured or when he or she develops a disease that is work related. Not all injuries are covered under Employee Compensation Law even after the injury â€Å"on the job. For it to be covered it must be accidental and arising in the course of carrying out work related duties. The law only protects workers. A genuine relationship between employer and employee must exist. Compensable injury claim must arise out of the employment (Jasper, 2008). Deriving support from Rensing v. Indiana State University (1993) and Coleman v. Western Michigan University (1983) cases it is clear that the student will not prevail in the case on the ground that workers compensation benefit is only available to employees. A student who is a football player who gets injured in the field cannot claim for workers compensation benefits because there is no working relationship between him and the university management. According to the employees, act the student does not meet the legal meaning of an employee. Workers Disability Compensation Act, which defines employees every person providing a service to another under contract of hire or apprenticeship, impress or implied, written or unwritten (Hotchkiss, 2003).The law is not limited to minors or aliens. The law also excludes volunteers. Student in this case is a volunteer since he is not paid any wages after playing football. The student is not regarded as an employee because he is not hired by the school to play football. For compensation to take place, the plaintiff must proof the following: that the company dictates or controls the actions of the employee, that there are rights to discipline or fire an employee. The plaintiff must also prove that payment of wages to cater for living expenses and whether task performed by proposed employee is an essential part of the employers business. The plaintiff cannot

Communication Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication Research - Assignment Example The authors, through extensive literature review, have supported the capability of blogs as the new channel of reporting news without the added pressure or constraints of censorship or advertising which often tend to limit / restrict the scope of conventional news media. With this argument the authors have claimed that blogs are relatively better and more reliable source of news since they have the ability and the resources to offer deep and unbiased perspective and analysis of any given situation through modern corporate and mainstream outlets. In order to substantiate their claims the authors have used critical discourse analysis and content analysis whereby a total of 344 posts, 1712 hyperlinks and 10,401 comments from diverse types of blogs including those featuring political and current events over a period of one week. Constructs used: The key constructs used in the study include - blogs as an extension of 1960s ‘new journalism’; the capability of blogs to offer un biased news without the constraints of censorship and the pressures of advertisers; and the manner in which current event blogs interconnect with mainstream and alternative media. The key hypotheses tested include: H1: Political news blogs will link to alternative news sources more than to mainstream news sources H2: Political news blogs will link to opposite-minded current event blogs more than they link to like-minded blogs H3: Political news blogs will link to unofficial sources, such as personal websites and blogs, mainstream and alternative news blogs and alternative news sources more than to official sources, such as government websites and mainstream outlets Operational definitions: Mainstream news sources – are described to include conventional forms of media which are formulaic, reductive, and created with an intention to maximize viewership through pack-journalism. Alternative news sources – are described as any new media produced by non-commercial sources an d created / operated with the purpose of challenging and critiquing the existing power structures Official news sources – are described in this study, to include government websites and mainstream outlets Unofficial news sources – are described in this study to include personal websites and blogs Research Method: The key objective of this study was to substantiate the key hypotheses listed in the study and establish the superiority, legitimacy and credibility of new emerging forms of blogging especially current event and political news blogging over the mainstream journalism. For this purpose the method chosen by the researchers was critical discourse and content analysis whereby a total of 344 posts, 1,712 hyperlinks and 10,401 comments from four political/current events blogs within a seven-day period were analysed. The blogs used for this study were chosen through Tailrank - a meme tracker that uses advanced algorithm to rank blogs, and suggests recommendations base d on a range of factors. Considering the type of this research, the research tool used for selecting blogs via the news tracking device such as Tailrank is apt. Research has supported the credibility of such

A Better Russian Space Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Better Russian Space Program - Essay Example This essay describes main events from the history of launchings and space researches in Soviet Union and modern Russia, such as the first artificial satellite called Sputnik 1 launching in 1957, the first man in space in 1961 and space launches lessening in 90th, because of economic issues, and later provoked by means of political disorder in the country. In 2000, as this essay states, Russia’s position on the world launching started to improve and moved in to top slot which it has detained ever since maintaining an average launching rate. But, sadly, in the last 2 years the Russian space program, once was the envy by the whole world, has been facing a number of problems, especially since huge financial effort on the already strained Russian space agency. Second part of this essay suggests the way Russia can improve it's own space program and what steps should it take, such as experiments with voyages to Mars, increasing their budget and developing a partnership program with NASA. In conclusion, this essay demonstrates the importance of what space agencies all over the world are doing daily. They are constantly researching and developing to better serve mankind's thirst for knowledge and comfort. This is why it is important to support and embrace space agencies at all times, for who knows what gifts they could bring us in the future. It also suggests, that Russia needs to work hard in making their space program the best, that it was in 1980s, and many believe that they can lead the way once more.

Investment analysis: AirAsia Berhad

Investment analysis: AirAsia Berhad 1.0 Market analysis Before we can proceed further in deciding whether investing in AiraAsia is a good choice or not, we have to do a market analysis on the market condition of the airline industry. Our market industry is based on five main elements which are: 1. Legal Like all industries in the market, the airline industry is also tied to certain legal policy of the government so as to ensure the safety and the consumers rights. For the airline industry worldwide, the rules and regulation are set by the International Civil Aviation Organization and is revised from time to time. The rules and regulations are mostly about flights safety measurements and also the management of safety during flight such as making the providence of first-aid kit compulsory on every aircraft in case anything happen during flight. Not only that, the air stewardess and air steward must have basic knowledge of first aid. 2. Politics Politics play a major role in the performance of the airline company as well. Any political policy that is to the airline companys disadvantage will affect the performance and annual profit of the airline. When the very first airline company was established in Germany, which is Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft(DELAG), on 16 November 1909, it was under Germanys government service. But as the 20th century approaches, airline companies are ‘deregulated. Airline deregulation according to the Wikipedia encyclopedia is the process of removing entry and price restrictions on airlines affecting the carriers permitted to serve specific routes. Airline deregulation began in the United States of America in 1978 and from there exist the Airline Deregulation Act 1978 whereas for Europe, deregulation only began in the 1990s. Before deregulation happened, the airline company has to abide by the instructions of the government concerning the routes and the choice of which airports to land on and depart from. Whereas after deregulation, the airline company has the freedom to choose any routes that they want and whichever airports that they want to stopover at. There are pros and cons to the deregulation of the airline company. The pro is the airline company has the freedom to decide on the operation of the airline whereas the con is that the entry barriers for new airline entrants are lower. Thus, creating a more competitive market for established airlines. This is when the low cost carrier airline starts to appear in the market, such as Tiger Airway (Singapore), Jetstar Airways (Australia) and Pacific Blue Airlines (New Zealand). The appearance of these airways will lower the profit margin of the existing airways as Low Cost Carrier (LCC) airlines tend to price their airfare at the very minimum price as possible. Another political aspect is the existence of bilateral agreements between two or more countries regarding the authority of stopovers at different airports. Bilateral agreement is normally based on the concept of ‘freedom of thee air where it gives the airline the freedom or rights to fly in the air space of another country and also be permitted to stop at the airports of their choice. And sometimes, some country may even allow foreign airline to operate on their domestic routes, but this is very rarely to be found. This move by the government will remove many of the barriers to competition and allowing their own airlines to have foreign partners or code sharing partners. This will further increase the airline access to more international routes and also further exposed the airline to foreign countries. Both the airline deregulation policy and the bilateral agreements play a major role in determining the successfulness of an airline company. A policy set by the government may in hibit or aid in the success of an airline company. 3. Economics When we look at the economic side of the market, we will first look at the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the world. GDP is the value of all final goods and services from a nation in a given year. GDP is the best tool to use when accessing the performance of a country as it takes all the industries and products into consideration. A few of countrys GDP and the contribution of agriculture, industry and services to the total of GDP are listed in the table below. Country Growth rate (%) Agriculture (%) Industry (%) Services (%) China 8.7 10.9 48.6 40.5 Egypt 4.5 13.1 37.7 49.2 India 4.4 15.8 25.8 58.4 Nigeria 3.8 33.4 34.1 32.5 Thailand -3.5 12.3 44 43.7 Venezuela -1.5 4.0 34.6 61.4 America -2.4 1.2 21.9 76.9 Singapore -2.6 0.0 26.8 73.2 Malaysia -2.8 10.1 42.3 47.6 Source: CIA The World Factbook and Wikipedia Encyclopedia All the countries have different GDP, some countries may have negative growth and some countries have positive growth. This is normal as during 2008 is when the financial crisis happened. But not all countries did not benefit from the global economy downturn as some countries have positive growth rate for their GDP. This may be due to the fact that the countries benefited from industries that bring losses to another country which results in a tradeoff between the benefits between countries. The services industry contributes to most of the total of the GDP of the countries listed above except for china, Nigeria and Thailand. All three of these countries are more focused on industrial industry which may be due to the fact that these countries have more labored intensive industries. Thus, this shows that service industry plays an important role in the performance of a country and service industry includes airline industry. From the GDP of a country; we can look at the purchasing power parity (PPP) of the consumers. If the GDP of the country is low or is a negative value, this means that the PPP of the citizen is low and vice versa. The PPP of consumers can also be linked directly to the inflation rate of a country. As the inflation rate increase, the PPP of consumer will drop. Inflation rate will increase the price of goods in general as the demand exceeded the supply of the goods. Thus, decreasing the amount of extra money allocated for luxurious goods which also include travelling and entertainments. So the changes in the GDP of a country will affect all the industries, including the airline industry. There are times when not only the GDP will affect the performance of an airline; it may be due to natural disasters which include earthquake, tsunami and flash flood which have been happening quite frequently nowadays. All of these can disrupt the operation of the airline companies as facilities and airports maybe destroyed in the process. Thus, causing an airline company to face loss in the event of natural disasters. Another event that might affect the economic performance of an airline company is terrorism such as the event of the ill-fated day of September 11, 2001where American Airlines and United Airlines was hijacked. This had caused both airways to face huge losses due to the decline in value of the airways stocks. This can reflect the confidence of the customers towards both the airlines had declined extremely as an aftermath of the hijacking event. Below is the graph depicting the change in stock price for both companies. 4. Social As the years goes by, consumer demands are evolving gradually. The consumers nowadays want anything that is their convenience, cheap and can be done instantly without going through painstaking procedures. So as to accommodate the change in the demands of the customers, the airline company has to improvise themselves from time to time. Most of the airline companies nowadays have their own websites. This is to make it easier for the consumers to check the availability of tickets, the schedule of the airline and also enabling the consumers to purchase their ticket through e-ticketing. All of these are to the customers convenience. So as to attract more customers, some airlines are now practicing online check-in of luggage where luggage can be checked-in within 24 hours of the scheduled flight. Social and economic factors are closely related to each other as any changes in the market economy will directly affect the consumer behavior. As stated above under the economic factors, the event of financial crisis will affect the PPP of the customers as prices of goods have been increased due to inflation. In order to save more money, consumers will opt for cheaper goods. The same goes to the purchase of airfares. The lower the airfare is, the better it is and this even applies to business travelers travelling on premium class. This can be proven by a study done by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) where it shows that the consumers choice of seats have changed as the number of premium class travelers have decreased. This can be seen clearly from the graph below. The graph shows that the number of premium passengers had started to fall since july 2008 and keeps dropping until sometime in may 2009 before it the number of passengers travelling on premium class starts to increase gradually. Even though there is an increase of passengers travelling on premium class, it still takes time for the airline company to rebound back from the huge amount of losses that they have incurred. 5. Technology With the advancement of the technological changes in the world, the technology used by the airline company also improvised with time. In the past, whenever the customers wanted to buy air tickets, they will have to go to either the airlines office or any travel agency to purchase their tickets. But now, customers can just purchase their ticket with a click of the mouse. They do not even need to step out of the house, as long there is internet available. Advanced check-in can also be done through the internet 24 hours prior to the flight departure. All of these technologies are to the consumers convenience. Advancement in the technology of the airline industry can also be seen on the safety and the comfort of the aircraft. Aircrafts nowadays are more comfortable, safer and in-flight entertainment is also provided for long haul flights. This is very different from the olden aircraft where the main purpose of the aircraft is just to transport passengers from one point to another. Both the Airbus and Boeing Company are improvising their aircraft from time to time in so as to ensure that their aircraft is the best in terms of safety and also the comfort level. Airline companies in the market are also using the advancement in technology to implement risk management by providing good and reliable databases for risk analysis and targeting, providing faster and more effective business processes, more efficient recordkeeping and providing better services to the customers. 2.0 Airline Industry Analysis The airline industry had always been a highly regulated industry from the beginning of its establishment. The deregulation or liberalization movement initially started in the US in 1978. Governments usually treat the airline industry differently compared to some other industries due to the sensitivity of the aviation business, which involve some national security and sovereignty issues. In this report, Porters Five Forces Model is being used to analysis the aviation industry structure to provide an overall view of the industry. This is a well-established model, in which the industry can be simulated as a model influenced by five different factors called ‘forces as shown in Figure 1.1. A suitable dynamic interaction of these five forces shapes the basic structure to determine the profitability and attractiveness of the industry. 2.1 Industry Competitor The degree of rivalry is one of the most important factors that determining profitability of the industry. The market growth and number of competitors are some of the causes that will affect the industry rivalry. For the airline industry where its fixed cost is usually very high and the variable cost is low, competition is fierce as airlines are trying to generate revenue to reach break-even level in order to survive. Competition in the airline industry can be divided into competition between low cost carriers (LCCs) and full service carriers (FSCs) in both regional and domestic markets. There are 6 budget airlines in Malaysia which are Air Asia, Firefly, Tiger Airways, Cebu Pacific, Jetstar, and Lion Air. The competition among low cost carriers is usually fiercer as offering the cheaper airfare is utmost important for them. One of the main reasons that passengers choose to use a LCC is â€Å"cheaper airfares†. Since most of the low cost carriers do not have frequent flyer program to impose switching cost on customers, it is rather difficult for them to build up customer loyalty except constantly offering a cheaper airfare to retain their customers. On the other hand, there are a lots of full service airline in Malaysia such as MAS, Cathay Pacific Airway, China Airlines, Eva Airways Corporation, and so on. Thus, the competition between full service carriers is more complicated. This is because FSCs are competing in many aspects of their services, such as network coverage, flight frequency, and service quality and ticket prices. While the competition between FSCs and LCCs are mainly focused on attracting each others market as they usually have different customer groups. Customer base of LCCs are largely made up of leisure traveler while FSCs appear to be more attractive for business traveler. 2.2 Suppliers Suppliers are those who provide necessary raw material, equipment and labor for an airline to perform their daily operation. Suppliers strength can greatly affect the industrys profitability, if there is a high concentration in the supplier power, they can exert influence on airlines thus increasing their bargaining power. Major inputs for airline to provide their services to passengers are aircraft, labor, fuel and landing slots. The fleet is the most important assets for airlines to generate revenue. However, there are only two major aircraft manufacturers in the West, Boeing and Airbus, which almost monopolizing the wide-body civil transport aircraft market worldwide. Hence, the bargain power of aircraft manufacturers against airlines remains very strong, as the concentration of aircraft supplier market is very high. Some airline employees are considered as highly specialized and professionals, such as pilots and aircraft technicians. Due to their specializations, it is almost impossible for an airline to find replacements for pilots or maintenance workers in short time, which may cause an increase in the bargaining power of their employees over the airlines. In this regard, the labor cost is one of the biggest operating costs of most airlines. However, cutting cost is the main agenda of airline nowadays, and the labor cost is always the first to be the victim. 2.3 The Buyers Power The buyers power is defined as the influence that customers can have on the airlines revenue affecting ticket prices and service charges. If the buyers power is strong enough, customers can set the ticket price, and vice verse. Strong buyer power can bargain away potential airline profit and extract other benefits from airlines such as quality-improved services. Some of the favorable factors to strong buyers power in the airline industry are relatively low customer switching cost, low product differentiation, and freely available information on Internet. Nevertheless, the buyers power may be weaken by low buyer concentration or small purchase volume. Although fierce pricing war dispute among the airlines, it is notably that buyers do not play proactive roles in the pricing war. Current price impacts in the market is aimed to keeping the airlines competitors out of the market rather than providing the low pricing power of the airlines to their customers. Besides, travel agents, who us ually buy air tickets in large volume, yield greater power but they use this concept to strengthen their position in the market rather than transferring the cost benefit to costumers. 2.4 New Entrant â€Å"New entrant† refers to any new player in the aviation market which will compete with the incumbents. A key criterion to analyze the threat of new entrant in the industry is to analyze the level of entry barriers. Entry barriers are obstacles that may discourage others from entering the market hence affect the competition of the industry. New entrants will also lower the potential profits of the industry as a whole. Most common entry barriers in airline industry are regulation restrictions, labor, access to distribution channels and high capital requirement. However, the entry barriers to the airline industry had generally been lowered recently, especially on the regulation restrictions and distribution channels. The example of new entrant to Low Cost Carrier s is Firefly airline, which was growth recently and become a strong competitor to Air Asia airline. 2.5 Substitutes â€Å"Substitution† represents the threat that other industries or transportation may offer a product, which can replace air transport. The threat of substitution depends on the type of flight, namely long haul or short haul, and travel purpose such as business or leisure. For short haul and leisure travel, the main substitution threat in the Asia Pacific comes from surface transport such as road and sea transport. Even though some of the airfares from LCCs are lower than bus fare, but after paying for the airport charges and insurances, customers will find that generally the total cost of air travel is still higher than that of road transport. Although surface transport is cheaper in term of money, it still costs the passenger more in terms of time and efficiency. Furthermore, road transport generally will not compete with long haul travel, especially for cross nation traveling. On the other side, latest technology inventions such as videoconference pose a bigger threat for business travel. In the aftermath of 911, many worries that the airline industry will be substituted by video conferencing companies as they assumed that people will be less willingly to travel since then. However, the speedy traffic recovery proved them wrong. Although the international passenger flow havent returned to the pre-crisis level, but it seems the recovery is on the right path. 2.6 Low Cost and Budget Airline Air Asia Berhad Air Asia is one of the largest low fare and no frills airline. in Low Cost Carriers (LCC) industry which providing guests with the choice of customizing services without compromising on quality and services . It operates scheduled domestic and international flights and it is also the first airline in the region to implement fully ticketless travel and unassigned seats. On 12 November 2008, Air Asia abolished fuel surcharges. In doing so, it claimed to be the first airline in the world to abolish fuel surcharges. From this statement, we can conclude that Air Asia is successful to expand their market as well as they airline had flown 55 million cumulative passengers by 2009. In 2010, it has the worlds lowest costs for an Airline, at $3.21 per seat-kilometer. Air Asia is able to attract more customers in future since they can offer lower price tickets to flight around the world. Last but not least, Air Asia is a corporate that potential to growth among the LCC industry due to its competence strategy holding. This corporate was emphasize on leanest cost structure; transparency in decision making and information sharing; safety; invest and enhance the Air Asia brand to maximize shareholder`s value; human capital development; and passion for guest satisfaction. Hence, investor can be confidence with their performance as well. 3.0 Company Analysis AirAsia is one of the award winning and largest low fare airlines in the Asia expanding rapidly since 2001. With a fleet of 72 aircrafts, AirAsia flies to over 61 domestic and international destinations with 108 routes, and operates over 400 flights daily from hubs located in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Today, AirAsia has flown over 55 million guests across the region and continues to create more extensive route network through its associate companies. AirAsia believes in the no-frills, hassle-free, low fare business concept and feels that keeping costs low requires high efficiency in every part of the business. Through the corporate philosophy of â€Å"Now Everyone Can Fly†, AirAsia has sparked a revolution in air travel with more and more people around the region choosing AirAsia as their preferred choice of transport. AirAsia creates values through the following vision and mission. (Resources : http://www.airasia.com/my/en/aboutus/irorganizationalstructure.html?) 3.1 Mission †¢ To be the best company to work for whereby employees are treated as part of a big family †¢ Create a globally recognized ASEAN brand †¢ To attain the lowest cost so that everyone can fly with AirAsia †¢ Maintain the highest quality product, embracing technology to reduce cost and enhance service levels 3.2 Vision To continue to be the lowest cost short-haul airline in every market we serve, delivering strong organic growth through offering the lowest airfares at a profit. Leanest Cost Structure †¢ Efficient and simple point to point operations †¢ Attracting and retaining hardworking and smart people †¢ Passion for continuous cost reduction Maximise Shareholders Value †¢ Resilient profit growth through our lower cost base †¢ Expansion of the AirAsia network in a prudent and disciplined manner †¢ Invest and enhance the AirAsia brand to increase investors returns Safety †¢ Comply with the highest International Aviation Safety Standards and practices †¢ Keep operations simple and transparent †¢ Ensure the security of our People and Guests Passion for Guests Satisfaction †¢ Maintain simplicity in every application †¢ Practice the unique and friendly AirAsia experience at every opportunity †¢ Recognise the linkage between guests satisfaction and long-term success Transparency †¢ Transparency in decision-making and information sharing †¢ Optimum disclosure higher than industry norms †¢ Timeliness in disclosing information Human Capital Development †¢ Invest in both hard and soft skills †¢ Recognize all our People as contributors to our success †¢ Reward excellence and individual contributions †¢ Maintaining one brand across the Group (Resources : http://www.airasia.com/my/en/aboutus/irstrategy.html?) 3.3 Strategy (Resources : http://www.airasia.com/my/en/aboutus/irstrategy.html?) 3.4 Values 1.Safety Adopting a zero tolerance to unsafe practices and strive for zero accidents through proper training,work practices, risk management and adherence to safety regulations at all times. 2. Valuing Our People Committing to our peoples development and well-being and treating them with respect, dignity and fairness. 3.Customer Focused We care and treat everyone in the same manner that we want to be treated. 4.Integrity Practicing highest standards of ethical behaviour and demonstrate honesty in all our lines of work in order to command trust and mutual respect. 5.Excellence in Performance Setting goals beyond the best and reinforcing high quality performance standards and achieving excellence through implementing best practices. (Resources : Air Asia Annual Report 2008) 3.5 Logo 3.6 Motto â€Å"NOW EVERYONE CAN FLY† 3.7 Directors Biography Dato Abdel Aziz @ Abdul Aziz bin Abu Bakar(Non-Executive Chairman) Dato Sri Anthony Francis Fernandes (commonly known as Dato Sri Tony Fernandes) Dato Kamarudin bin Meranun (Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer) Conor Mc Carthy (Non-Executive Director) 3.8 Independent Directors Dato Leong Sonny @ Leong Khee Seong (Independent Non-Executive Director) Fam Lee Ee (Independent Non-Executive Director) Dato Mohamed Khadar bin Merican (Independent Non-Executive Director) Datuk Alias bin Ali (Independent Non-Executive Director) (Resources : http://www.airasia.com/my/en/aboutus/irdirectorsbiography.html?) Share Registrar Symphony Share Registrars Sdn Bhd Level 26, Menara Multi-Purpose, Capital Square 8 Jalan Munshi Abdullah 50100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: 603-2721 2222 Fax: 603-2721 2530/1 Corporate Broker ECM Libra Berhad Stock Exchange Listing Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad (Listed since 22 November 2004) (Stock code: 5099) Auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers Level 10, 1 Sentral, Jalan Travers, Kuala Lumpur Sentral 50706 Kuala Lumpur Tel: 603-2173 1188 Fax: 603-2173 1288 Audit Committee Dato Leong Sonny @ Leong Khee Seong Fam Lee Ee Datuk Alias bin Ali Dato Mohamed Khadar bin Merican (Resources : Air Asia Annual Report 2008) 3.9 Major Shareholders As of 12 November 2009, about 26% of the total share capital was owned by TuneAir Sdn Bhd. AirAsia is a substantially owner managed company, the cumulative ownership by the board of directors constitutes approximately 28% of the share capital. Shareholder name No. of shares owne What Is Atherosclerosis Disease? What Is Atherosclerosis Disease? Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory condition affecting mainly the medium sized and large muscular arteries in the vasculature. Research suggests that the role of statins as a cholesterol lowering agent is only one of their many pharmacological purposes, and that they can also be used in the treatment of inflammatory conditions such as atherosclerosis. A lot of funding has gone into this area of research as its predicted that in the next 15 years, it is expected that cardiovascular related events are going to be the main cause of death worldwide. Thus there is a greater need to consider novel strategies in management of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. In the course of this essay I will attempt to describe how and why atherosclerosis is an inflammatory condition and how statins can be exploited as anti inflammatory agents in reducing the overall cardiovascular risk associated with the disease. There is a lot of laminar blood flow through the medium sized and large arteries in the vasculature which are the prime positions for atherosclerotic plaques to grow, making the blood flow more turbulent. This leads to the build up of ischemic tissue in organs where blood flow becomes limited leading to major vascular events as a consequence. The composition of this atheroma is the first indication that the disease is of an inflammatory origin as it matches that expected at the intermediate phase of injury. Also, as seen in other inflammatory states, monocytes are attracted to the site of inflamed tissue and differentiate into macrophages. This leads to an increase in production of inflammatory cytokines and an upregulation in toll like receptors. The plaque is largely made up of macrophages, mast cells, T cells, fibrin, collagen and platelets aggregates which indicate that the immune system has been activated to produce an inflammatory response to the insult. It is now also evident that the actual stenosis is less of a contributing factor to ischemia and that it is more of a result of the activation of plaque content, eg, macrophage and mast cells, which elicits the prothrombotic and procoagulant factors involved in thrombus formation. The role of cholesterol in plaque formation is considerable as macrophages found in the plaque composition are heavily saturated with cholesterol ester giving them their name, foam cells. Additionally, there is a lot more LDL in the circulation which has been proven to be pro inflammatory and is raised in atherosclerosis. Raised LDL in it self is a big contributing factor to the formation of foam cells as the LDL becomes oxidised and reduces de-novo synthesis of LDL receptors on endothelial cells and macrophages. Running parallel to this, CD34 scavenger receptors on these cells become unregulated so macrophages and endothelial cells engulf cholesterol and cholesterol esters in an uncontrolled manner leading to the formation of foam cells. These then set off a series of events leading to more foam cell production and plaque formation. This illustrates the important role cholesterol has in worsening the inflammatory processes involved in atherosclerosis thus foregrounding the need of s tatins to utilise their lipid and non lipid pharmacological mechanisms involved in cholesterol lowering as well as controlling the inflammation. There is a lot of evidence from experiments which link the involvement of cholesterol and inflammation in atherosclerosis. There is evidence which suggests that the presence of cholesterol results in an over expression of cell adhesion molecules, eg VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and E-selectin. Also, increased release of cytokines such as MCP-1 within the plaque as well as macrophages TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and IL-1 which is all consistent with the inflammatory process. Additionally, mast cells are attracted and degranulated at the site of plaque formation. Other experimental evidence also shows that when cholesterol fed rats are treated with immunosuppressants; there is a reduction in the atherosclerosis. There is research into the possibility of there being some angiogenesis in the area which is consistent with the proliferative phase of repair involving the immune system. All of the above illustrates, with evidence, the inflammatory origins of atherosclerosis. Infectious agents are also associated with activating the immune system to produce a pro inflammatory response to a foreign organism. There is further evidence which illustrates that this is also true for atherosclerosis. There have been suggestions which say that infectious agents such as Chlamydia pneumoniae damage the endothelial cells in the same way as cholesterol. Infection with this organism can cause increased cell activation and expression of adhesion molecules as well as programmed cell death at site of damage. Also, there is increased cytokine expression in smooth muscle cells and the increased size of cells correlates to the neointimal thickening (plaque) associated with the disease. Overall, this leads to the recruitment and activation of immune cells such as leucocytes which are a major contributor to the inflammatory process. It was also shown through experimental models, that this infection causing the plaque formation can be treated by azithromycin which is a well es tablished immunosuppressant. All this evidence again foregrounds the strong correlation of inflammation in atherosclerosis. Now that we have established that atherosclerosis is indeed an inflammatory condition which can be exacerbated by high cholesterol and infection, the treatment strategy should therefore involve the use of statins for their cholesterol lowering and non lipid properties allowing them to be effective in resolving the inflammation. The conventional role of statins is the inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase enzyme which intern stops all the enzymatic steps occurring downstream of this enzyme to ultimately reducing hepatic cholesterol production. This leads to the inhibitory effect cholesterol has on LDL receptor synthesis being lifted so more receptors are synthesised leading to a greater uptake of cholesterol from the circulation thus lowering overall blood cholesterol levels. There is a lot of novel evidence suggesting the benefits of statins occurring before blood cholesterol reduction which illustrates that some other process must be involved. Apart from the conventional HMG-CoA reduction, statins also have non lipid related activity. They inhibit the production of mevalonic acid and isoprenoid metabolites which accounts for the apparent immunosuppressant activity of statins in atherosclerosis. In the case of inflammatory diseases, statins can also reduce smooth muscle proliferation, reduce over expression of ce ll adhesion molecules, reduce infiltration of macrophage and T cells to site of damage, inhibit antigen dependant T cell activation and reduce other inflammatory mediators such as IL-6, TNF alpha, C reactive protein and INF-gamma. Some studies have also shown the action of statins in vivo when an small experimental amount of 2ng/kg of LPS from E coli was injected into volunteers taking simvastatin or a placebo. The results of this study illustrated the non lipid effects of statins in response to insult as there was no change in blood TNFalpha in the group taking the statin which shows that statins have a role in affecting the bodys immune response to external insult. This clearly foregrounds the roles of lipid and non lipid mechanisms of action of statins in reducing serious outcomes related to the occurrences of cardiovascular events. In conclusion, it is clear from experimental evidence that atherosclerosis has been identified as an inflammatory disease. There is significant information to support the notion of using statins in a clinical setting for their lipid and non lipid effects to aid the over all reduction in the atherosclerosis and the role it has in activating an immune response. Therefore, statins can be used for their pleiotropic effects in inflammatory disease such as atherosclerosis to help alleviate the body of the inflammatory response related to the condition.

Earth and Spirituality Essay -- Christianity Creation Ecology Papers

Earth and Spirituality For many people, spirituality and ecology may be separate disciplines, spirituality being the realm of clergy and ecology the realm of scientists. But we are living in a time of both ecological and spiritual crisis, one in which we are loosing species at unprecedented rates and in which masses of people are desperately seeking some spiritual direction in life. It is possible that the only way to restore wholeness may be to rediscover the vital connection between the two crises: a spirituality centered in Creation. Spirituality is a part of human existence which people have recognized as far back as we are able to discern, and yet it is a concept not easily defined in words. One way to define it may be to describe spirituality as the relationship between life and the spirit. The spirit is that part of ourselves which is at the core of our existence and of who we are as beings, that which extends beyond ourselves and gives life meaning beyond physical survival. Religion then is organized spirituality: the uplifting and nurturing of spirit by people uniting to go about the business of living. Throughout existence as we know it, religion has taken many forms, but as is the case with spirituality, it appears to be as ancient as human life itself. History of Spirituality in connection with Earth I will begin by discussing some of the history of spirituality as connected with Earth. So-called "primitive" religion, in what we are able to gather from cave drawings, fossils, and artifacts, centered around the interconnectedness of the human and non-human worlds, and also for many thousands of years, had a distinctly feminine or androgynous focus in its imagery. Integral to this spirituality were ritual a... ...ciety Publishers. "Shamanic Counseling and Ecopsychology". 1995. In Theodore Roszak, Mary Gomes, and Allen Kanner (Eds.), Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind (p. 182). San Fransisco: Sierra club Books. Sjoo, Monica and Barabara Mor. 1987. The Great Cosmic Mother. San Francisco: Harper and Row. Soelle, Dorothee. 1990. The Window of Vulnerability: A Political Spirituality. Minneapolis: Fortress. Solutions Now: holistic problem solving. Availableat: http://www.solutions.com/soulu__spirita.html Tauli-Corpuz, Victoria. 1996. Reclaiming Earth-based spirituality. In Rosemary Radford Reuther (Ed.), Women Healing Earth (pp. 99-106). Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books. Toynbee, Arnold. 1974. The Religious Background of the Present Environmental Crisis. In David and Eileen Spring (Eds.), Ecology and Religion in History. New York: Harper and Row.

An Unpredicted New kind Of Warfare Essay

World war one continued for four years across a vast and stretching from the English Channel to the northern Swiss border. In 1914 the prediction was that the war would be over by Christmas. At the beginning of the war, The Germans thought they could capture France before invading Russia therefore preventing a war on two fronts. But because of the failure of tactics they couldn’t succeed, and this was one of the main reasons the war lasted for such a long period. It was no longer each side trying to capture the other in the war but stopping the enemies movements in trench warfare and using new technology to soften up enemy, if it didn’t back fire. Defense was now the key to winning the war and was far superior than the offensive. The trenches were hard to capture by advancing troops because of increasing firepower from machine guns. Crossing no-mans land was committing suicide for the troops as machine guns could inflict enormous damage on advancing infantry. The realization of the advantage of defense resulted in the enhanced rate of advancing technology. This was one of the core reasons for stalemate upon the Western Front because technology was advancing at such a rapid rate and new inventions were being introduced in a hasty manner. Many of the new inventions were not sufficiently tested and many of the ideas were not thoroughly thought through which resulted in unnecessary delays. Aircraft at the start of the war was used primarily for reconnaissance work, spotting enemy trenches and movements before a possible attack. But this alerted the enemy’s attention and gave them time to prepare resulting in the attacker’s job being more costly and difficult to undertake. Barbed wire was massed produced on an industrial scale by both sides as barbed wire entanglements were unbreakable for troops, stopped cavalry in their tracks, and slowed troops down completely. Attempts were made to destroy barbed wire with shellfire but the barbed wire is just lifted and often ends up in a bigger mess than before. Chlorine gas was first introduced in April 1915 by the German army against the French army. Chlorine gas destroyed your respiratory organs and you had a long slow death. But poisonous gas was an extremely unreliable method of attack as the direction of the wind may change at any time and return the poison in the direction of the attacker killing your own troops. Also, as with many other weapons that were developed it can only be used once to an advantage, as their element of surprise is lost. Gas masks were quickly distributed to both sides and gas was not such a great fear as it was first thought Tanks were invented to be the technical solution to the major problem of both barbed wire and machine guns. They had an armour plate to protect troops whilst attacking and caterpillar traction to allow them to cross-hilly and muddy ground. But the first Mark I tank was a weak and variable weapon. It was used at the Somme in 1916 but neither their performance nor numbers could help win the battle. It was not until Cambrai in 1917 that tanks were used on a large scale. They crunched their way over the barbed wire and German trenches creating a huge hole in the German defenses. A General on horseback commanded his armies in battle up until 1914. After 1914 telephones were working. Battles could be safely won from far away behind a desk. But though this development in communications may seem a great success, but telephones in reality were useless in attack, because the commanders didn’t have a good perspective of the war and didn’t know everything as they would be if they were sitting on horse and overlooking the battle which led to troops often pulling back because of lack of communications and broad view of the battle. In 1914 neither the French nor the British armies were trained for trench warfare. They had to adapt which took them several years and accounted for several of their failures and delays. French generals felt infantry charges were a necessity to win the war despite the huge advances in technology. And Germen generals thought that with enough ammunition and man power and gradually wearing down the enemy they would win the war. Eventually in 1917 the French army refused to attack any more, only to defend because of the horrific numbers of casualties lost for only a few miles gained. A term to explain this was the cannon fodder. The battle of Somme in 1916 is a good example for a shocking case of awful miscalculations by the leadership of both sides; Britain lost around 419,000 men for only a strip of land about 25 km long and 6km wide. These huge loses were due to bad planning. The men were untrained and advanced towards the enemy walking and carrying heavy packs on their backs. These â€Å"big pushes† which was a belief shared by British Kitchener and Haig were mere execution of side’s troops as they were walking straight into machine gun fire. The first World War was the first war between two vastly industrialized economies and factories on both sides mass-produced inconceivable amounts of artillery and ammunition. Industry was under an incredible amount of strain and it was not until 1917 that the munitions industry was able to produce adequate quantities of ammunitions. Railways played a major part in the transportation of troops form one area of the western front to the next along with food and other supplies. Both sides were also both able to keep going because of the huge numbers of men and supplies continuously brought by trains and trucks. Basically both the central powers and allies were never in a drought of resources. At the outbreak of war on the Western Front, the Allies and the Germans were relatively equal in their strengths and weaknesses. Bad leadership held up many of the British and French attacks resulting in unnecessary numbers of casualties. Germany spread its men out over many of the fronts not only in the eastern front, but also in the Western Front. One argument is that if perhaps they had concentrated on only one front they may have had a chance of success as opposed to spreading out the troops over a large area. The deadlock ended in 1918 when it was broken by eventual collapse of the central powers. It was ultimately attrition that proved the crucial decider but it was a series of events and inventions that had not happened before which gave way to the end result. The submarine campaign was important as it brought America into the war with fresh troops and much needed resources and resulted in a huge blow to the German morale. In conclusion, there was no one true reason for deadlock on the western front, but that it was due to several problems. Technology advanced too rapidly, generals were not adequately trained for trench warfare. As one quote would say â€Å"The great war was fought with 20th century weapons and 19th century tactics†. The war was able to be kept going due to the fact they were both vastly industrialized economies and neither side was able to eliminate the other since and the governments of both sides directed the industries towards mass production of uniforms, ammunitions, ships, explosives etc†¦

Earning an Online Degree after Retirement Essays

Earning an Online Degree after Retirement Essays Earning an Online Degree after Retirement Essay Earning an Online Degree after Retirement Essay Retirement is a time in which people put aside their career and spend quality time doing things that they enjoy doing rather than things that they have to do. However, there can still be important goals after retirement; goals that work to further the person both mentally and emotionally. For many retirees that are suddenly faced with time that is left to their discretion it may be time to revisit their education by earning an online degree. The computer has opened up a whole new world for us. Gone are the days when college classes meant sitting behind a desk. Today, a whole world of education is open to us – a world in which we can logon to the Internet and be treated to a whole host of degree opportunities. Students who choose to pursue an online degree through a reputable school can receive the same high quality education as they would by attending classes in a traditional setting. The difference, of course, is with an online degree the work can be done at the student’s convenience and there is no commute time. Retirees may especially enjoy an online degree as it allows them to pursue their educational and personal goals while still leaving them time to enjoy their friends, families, and other hobbies of interest to them.

Dactylic Hexameter

Dactylic Hexameter Dactylic Hexameter is a very important meter in Greek and Latin poetry. It is especially associated with epic poetry, and so is referred to as heroic. The very words dactylic hexameter often stand for epic poetry. Why Dactyl? Dactyl is the Greek for finger. [Note: The Homeric epithet for the goddess Eos (Dawn) is rhododactylos or rosy-fingered.] There are 3 phalanges in a finger and, likewise, there are 3 parts of a dactyl. Presumably, the first phalanx is the longest in the ideal finger, while the others are shorter and about the same length, since long, short, short is the form of the dactyl foot. The phalanges here refer to the syllables; thus, there is a long syllable, followed by two short ones, at least in the basic form. Technically, a short syllable is one mora and a long is two morae in length of time. Since the meter in question is dactylic hexameter, there are 6 sets of the dactyls. The dactylic foot is formed with one long followed by two short syllables. This may be represented with a long mark (for example, the underscore symbol _) followed by two short marks (e.g., U). Put together a dactylic foot can be written as _UU. Since were discussing dactylic hexameter, a line of poetry written in dactylic hexameter could be written like this:_UU_UU_UU_UU_UU_UU. If you count, youll see 6 underscores and 12 Us, making up six feet. However, dactylic hexameter lines can also be composed using substitutions for the dactyls. (Remember: The dactyl, as stated above, is one long and two short or, converted to morae, 4 morae.) A long is two morae, so a dactyl, which is the equivalent of two longs, is four morae long. Thus, the meter known as spondee (represented as two underscores: _ _), which is also the equivalent of 4 morae, can substitute for a dactyl. In this case, there would be two syllables and both would be long, rather than three syllables. In contrast with the other five feet, the last foot of the line of dactylic hexameter is usually not a dactyl. It may be a spondee (_ _) or a shortened spondee, with only 3 morae. In a shortened spondee, there would be two syllables, the first long and the second short (_ U). In addition to the actual form of the line of the dactylic hexameter, there are various conventions about where substitutions are likely and where word and syllable breaks should occur [see caesura and diaresis]. Dactylic hexameter describes Homeric epic meter (Iliad and Odyssey) and that of Vergils (Aeneid). It is also used in shorter poetry. In (Yale U Press, 1988), Sara Mack discusses Ovids 2 meters, dactylic hexameter and elegiac couplets. Ovid uses the dactylic hexameter for his Metamorphoses. Mack describes a metrical foot as like a whole note, the long syllable as like a half note and the short syllables as like quarter notes. This (half note, quarter note, quarter note) seems a very useful description for understanding a dactylic foot.

Coaching and Mentoring in Organisations Literature review

Coaching and Mentoring in Organisations - Literature review Example The essay is an analysis of the ‘Letters from the forgotten men’ and the photographs from the Great Depression. According to the letters, it is evident that the continuous measures applied by people to counter economic turmoil were never sufficient. Also, the middle-class citizens often thought that the economic depression affected their lives more than it did to the working-class individuals. However, this was not the case and by 1932, a greater percentage of the American population had lost their major source of income. People lost their income either through unemployment or the sudden loss of the family’s breadwinner.More than half of those who were lucky to have consistent work were allocated part-time schedules that affected their normal rate of income. For instance, letter 20 of (McElvaine 62) reflects on the life of a humiliated family that has lost and used up all the savings and been forced to go on relief in order to survive. The letter was written by a devastated woman requests for Mrs. Roosevelt to lend the family an amount of $28 so that they can pay for the storage charge of their things, and move into one room. The move is quite detrimental to the health of the family and reveals how the middle-class individuals suffered and sought help from American bourgeoisies. The Great Depression period also sounded quite ironic to some extent. The more people had in the 20s, the more they seemed to want to accumulate and encourage the habit ofacquisitive individualism. However, the influence of the Great Depression led people to start thinking about having enough of the material things and food. Having enough to get by was not as much important as having the values of working together with others to survive the effects of economic mayhem. For instance, letter 51 (McElvaine 91) highlights a letter from a

Organisational Behavior and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organisational Behavior and Analysis - Essay Example Through motivation, employees strive to perform at their best. Motivating employees is definitely a challenging task for any organisation. Hence, the financial rewards deliver an actual method to inspire and compensate the employees and tap them for better and exciting activities (Kohn, 1999). Rewards According to Janet Spence (1971), rewards tend to have a positive impact on motivation which involves the performance of employees to a large extent. Rewards serve as motivations for employees in an effort to inspire them in various methods such as altering job positions, reorganising job plans, developing working situations, and ranges of other activities (Kohn, 1999). The idea and prerequisite for motivation has been enticing much attention in the continuous change of business situation, altering technologies in the area of business and increasing difficulties. These aspects generate interference on the performance and on the level of proficiency of employees. Therefore, motivation he lps to maintain the level of proficiency as well as improve and even develop the performance of the employees to a significant extent. ... and Extrinsic Motivation Intrinsic motivation is demarcated as conducting an activity for intrinsic fulfilment rather than some distinguishable significance. When the employees are motivated intrinsically, they begin to act for excitement or challenge involved in their assigned tasks rather than due to external reasons, stresses or rewards. According to Hull (1943), a type of employees’ behaviour is the consequence of the motivation that was delivered by emotional forces, and the intrinsically motivated activities were specified to be those activities which offered satisfaction of the intrinsic emotional requirements. Employees have been witnessed to be motivated by satisfying their individual and inner requirements such as requirement for liberation, skill, positive relationship and better working environment in organisation (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Intrinsic motivation is a vital instrument for open-ended intellectual improvement as it is the driver of impulsive assessment and c uriosity. Intrinsic form of rewards can be stated as internal procedure of rewards which is experienced by an employee while undertaking a particular task such as new challenges, modification of work or task on the positive achievement of objectives, positive gratitude and sympathetic attitude of the company. To some extent, the financial contemplation or pay benefits does not work well as a motivator after surpassing a certain level of survival. In those conditions, the intrinsic features or elements swap the extrinsic aspect and act as robust and efficient motivators for employees (Ryan & Deci, 2000). On the other hand, extrinsic rewards are denoted to those rewards that appear in the form of material and are recognised as external with respect to task accomplished or implemented. The

The Madness of King George 1994 Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Madness of King George 1994 - Movie Review Example Consequently, Hytner’s movie sets for an epic encounter with the movie thrilling the viewer from start to the end. The story in the film begins about three decades in the reign of King George. It is during this period that the Great Britain had lost all its possessions in America and the king, played by Nigel Hawthorne, started showing symptoms that are illustrative of increasing dementia. In addition, the king exhibited bouts of forgetfulness and showed violent fits and language that was uncouth and uncharacteristic of the throne and royalty. In effect, the stage for overthrowing the king is set once he starts exhibiting these characteristics with his opponents using it as a weakness and the perfect opportunity to install the Prince of Wales, Rupert Everett, to the throne. It should not be forgotten that most of the people and King George’s opponents blamed the king for the loss of Great Britain’s possessions in America. The movie identifies two people who were steadfast in their support for the king. In this case, the character played by Julian Wadham, King George’s prime minister and Helen Mirren who was the queen show their determination throughout the movie to support and protect the throne from the king’s opponents. In order to protect the throne from its opponents, they bring doctors to rescue the king from his demented condition. However, these doctors used archaic methods of treatment, which proved to be of little value given the king’s condition. In effect, the inconsequential treatment provided by these doctors make the protectors of the throne become desperate and turn to Ian Holm, a character who plays the role of Dr. Willis. This doctor used approaches that bordered unconvention  practice with the approaches  reminiscent of modern day psychiatry. Besides, Dr. Willis was harsh on King George as he

Hamidian Era Essay Example for Free

Hamidian Era Essay â€Å"Analyse the Hamidian era from the perspective of either the Balkan or the Anatolian or the Arab provinces, discussing the different ways in which that region was treated by the Ottoman government, and the different ways that region responded†. The Balkan region of the Ottoman Empire had always been a crucial part of it vast domains. The Balkan states can be credited with shortening the lifespan of a troubled empire. More specifically, Albania it can be argued contributed a great deal in bringing about the eventual demise of the Empire. The late British MP Audrey Hebert succinctly stated that, â€Å"In the end, like Samson in the Temple of Gaza, they pulled down the columns of the Ottoman Empire upon their own head. It was the Albanians and not the Serbs or Bulgars or Greeks who defeated the Turks†. It is strange then that not enough research has been done to deeply analyze the Albanian nations’ contributions towards the Ottoman Empire. This essay will look at the Hamedian agenda in relation to the Balkan region, focusing specifically on the Albanian nation. This essay will analyze the Sultans policies vis-a-vis the Albanians to conclude that in the end the Empire lost a once great ally of the Empire due to its detrimental centralizing policies, which attempted to strip away national in a time when nationalism was a central them in the region. The loss of Albania within the Balkans culminated in the Young Turk revolution, which brought an end to the Hamedian era. Sultan Abdul Hamid II is generally remembered as a pious ruler. The Hamedian agenda was multi-faceted. The Sultan sought to unify the Muslims under the banner of Islam to repel outside intruders. He also wanted complete authority in order to centralize his Empire. The Ottoman context at this time was characterized by strong nationalist calls from within the Empire. This sweeping nationalism was inspired by Western Europe and various European states encouraged nationalist movements within the Empire thus further compounding the multitude of political, social and economic problems confronting the Sultan. Sultan Abdul Hamid II attempted to undermine the growing nationalist problem by employing his policies of pan-Islamism. Pan-Islamism gained real momentum only after the signing of a treaty in Berlin in 1878. The treaty was a consequence of the Ottoman defeat against the Russians a year earlier. As a result the Sultan auspiciously suspended the constitution and exiled Ottoman Bureaucrats whose where seen as a threat to the Sultans power. The major outcome of this European headed congress however was that the Empire had lost large parts of the majority Christian Balkan territories. The Sultan then distanced himself from the secular orientated ideas of the preceding Tanzimat era. His policies â€Å"went from being, ostensibly supra-religious during the hey-day of the Tanzimat, to more emphasis being placed on Islam in tone and nuance†. An example of this is his education policy, which put forward school curriculums very Islamic in nature. The Balkans had always been a key economic resource for the Ottoman Empire, owing to its large population, huge fertile lands and well located position inside Europe. The congress’s decision resulted in Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria gaining independence. This greatly hindered the Sultan’s desire for centralization. Without worrying about ruling a large Christian population, the Sultan could now focus exclusively on his Muslim subjects. He did this in two ways. Firstly, the Sultans’ subjects needed to form â€Å"a cohesive new core of identity,† especially since the Muslim population made up over 70% of the Empire. Secondly, Abdul Hamid was not afraid to use his title as Caliph of the Believers to rally support from his subjects to call for jihad against the infidel colonialists. Of course this was part of the pan-Islamic propaganda used so well by the Sultan. In 1877 the Islamic agenda of the Sultan became very apparent. The San Stefano, treaty was forced on the empire after the Russians had defeated the Ottomans in war. The treated stipulated that the majority Albanians lands be given to Serbia, Bulgaria and Montenegro. The Albanians were ethnically non-Slavic and most of them were Muslims. They were known to be very loyal to the Empire. Some of the best soldiers who served in the Janissary corps came from Albania. Not long after the treaty of San Stefano, prominent figures from Albania came together in response to a congress that they perceived as dangerous to the Albanian national interests. This phase in Albania’s’ history is known as the national awakening. The initial result of this congress was the formation of the â€Å"league of Prezren† on 20 June 1878, lasting until 1881. With a coalition of land-owners, religious scholars and intellectuals, the league had almost 300 members. They came from Kosovva, Yannya, Isscodra, and Monasstir. The league submitted a document consisting of sixteen plans to the Sultan in 1878. At least 47 Albanian representatives signed this document. Article 1 clearly outlined that the Albanians were not against the Empire. Article 2 had clearly stated the Leagues’ loyal stance towards Abdul Hamid. We find the following in article 6: â€Å"In view of the situation in the Balkans, we will not allow any foreign troops to enter our territory. We will not recognize Bulgaria and do not even wish to hear its name mentioned. If Serbia does not agree to give up the regions it has occupied illegally, we will deploy volunteer corps (akindjiler) against it and do our utmost to bring about the return of these regions. We will do the same with Montenegro. † â€Å"It is understood that the Government may not interfere in the affairs of the League. Accordingly, the League will not interfere in the administrative affairs of the Government, unless the latter can be shown to have issued orders involving the use of force. † (Article 14) The formation of the league coupled with the resistance against the decisions of the congress of Berlin contributed in heightening the nationalistic tendencies of the Albanians. The call amongst the Albanians to unify the four populated vilayets into one autonomous province grew louder. However this clearly ran counter to the Sultan’s policy to unite the Empire on an Islamic basis and not a nationalist one, therefore rendering their demands impossible to accept. The Albanians became increasingly disgruntled with the policies of the Empire. However the Sultans endeavour to redefine the Ottoman identity as purely Islamic was â€Å"mainly directed at curbing nascent proto-nationalist acuities of the Ottoman Muslims. † Such a context deemed the ideas of league as harmful to the agenda of Abdul Hamid. The notion of a separate national entity, in this case â€Å"Albanianism’’ was thus actively suppressed by Abdul Hamid. Indeed Albanian nationalism became very pronounced and posed a threat to the Sultan. The idea of a national identity became so popular in Albania, that a traveller from England became astonished to observe that Albanians viewed themselves as Albanians and not as â€Å"Turks or Christians like other minorities in the Empire†. However language became a key hindrance for the Sultans plans. The Albanian language united them. In the wider Balkan context language aided in further agitating the growing nationalistic tendencies within the region. However the use of language as a basis for Albanian unity was not welcome by all. The Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople outlawed the use of the Albanian script in writing. Sticking to the social contours set by the Sultan the Patriarch intended to divide the Albanians on the basis of creed. † Local Orthodox Patriarchs threatened Albanian bishops teaching the language with excommunication. However such attempts were ultimately unsuccessful. The Albanian issue was also expressed in military terms further perplexing the Sultans problems. The Albanians fiercely resisted the points of the aforementioned treaty, which gave away territory to its neighbours, in particular the cessation of Ulcinnj, Plavve and Gusinnje to Montenegro. The Albanians represented by the league were even prepared for what they believed to be an imminent attack by Montenegro and Serbia. The military capabilities of the Albanians were well known to the Sultan. A close confidant to the Sultan and chief secretary of the Empire Tahsin Pasha (1894-1909) describes the Sultans views towards the Albanians. The Albanians occupied first place [in the empire]. Abdul Hamid believed in the bravery and devotion of Albanians. This certainly constituted the foundation of Abdul Hamid’s policies†¦in Rumeli; the Albanians were considered a bastion of Abdul Hamid’s policies† The Sultan was able to use the military might of the Albanian forces. 1879 was the year in which they defeated an army form Montenegro in Gussnye. The Empire would suppo rt or restrain Albanian military activity depending upon its political interests at the time. Albanians generally fitted into the wider Ottoman political plans, and although the league acted as an independent government inside Albania, collecting taxes and administering the region for example, the Sultan largely ignored this due to the Albanian opposition to a complete dissolution of the Ottoman Empire and its territories. However in 1881 when the pan-Islamic policy of the Sultan had reached a new level, the league was seen as a threat and officially dissolved. Many people were exiled to the western peninsula of Asia. Following on from the dismantling of the League of Prezren, Abdul Hamid had always attempted, until his removal in 1909, to use the loyal elements of the Albanians to maintain control of the Balkan region. The former vizier Mehmet assad Sefvett Pasha suggested that the Albanians should be heavily relied on for security in Europe. The general Derrvish Pasha also supported this view. The Sultan was fully aware of the strategic importance the Albanians held within the Empire. The Albanian population was of great size, and well placed in the Balkan region. They were key in defending the Empire from the Balkans. Due to the loyalty and importance the Albanians had to the Sultan, he expanded the role of the Albanians within the Empire. Many were hired as his palace guards, and given a greater chance of participation in the Ciragan Palace (the Ottoman Parliament). They were also appointed to keep the Sheikh-a-Islam safe. Nevertheless Abdul Hamid maintained a feeble hold over population of Albania. Tribal loyalty was a strong force amongst the Albanian people. This loyalty eventually evolved to become expressed through nationalism, a notion that had already swept the region. The Sultans use of pan-Islamism to centralize his Empire, and more specifically to create a loyal defensive Albanian front in Europe became interpreted as an infringement on the Albanian right to self-recognition. The Alabanian language was used to promote national solidarity amongst the Albanian population, something the Sultans at times abstract policies could not deal with. However it is also true that the Albanians shared a common cause with the Sultan. They rejected and resisted foreign encroachment of the Empire and did not wish for its dissolution. The formation of the league of Prezren is evidence for these sentiments. In the end the question of why the Albanians and the Sultan could not work together, even for the short term to solve these shared issues is difficult to answer. However what becomes pretty clear is that the Sultans policy of uniting his empire on the basis of religion was persistently competing with the powerful force of nationalism, and in this case Albanianism. To conclude, nationalist movements, which had engulfed the Balkans— the Serbs, Montenegrins and Greeks — had an impact on the Albanians. The Albanians wanted greater autonomy within the Empire. The Albanians did not necessarily despise the rule of Abdul Hamid or his Empire. They were after all â€Å"loyal subjects for 500 years† and always â€Å"felt secure,† within the Empire. They disagreed with the idea that they could not gain greater autonomy like the rest of the Balkan states around them. Abdul Hamid’s attempt at centralization infringed on the national aspirations of his subjects thus pan-Islamism was antithetical to granting self-government to the different segments of the Ottoman Empire. The Albanians wanted greater autonomy but this clearly ran counter to the Sultans plans of centralization via the medium of pan Islamism. The Sultan lost the support of the Albanians and this paved the way for the committee of union and progress to gain huge support in the Balkans (especially in Macedonia). This eventually led to the dethronement of the Sultan. The Sultans policy failed to confront a tough nationalism, and ultimately became his undoing.