Scarlet Letter And Society Essays - Film, , Term Papers

Scarlet Letter And Society In the novel The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne displays his view of sin in an assortment of his characters. Through Hester Prynne, he explains her sin of adultery and how she becomes stronger by it. Reverend Dimmesdale deals with his sin of adultery personally because he does not reveal the sin, which allows him to become ill with guilt. The character Pearl is portrayed as a living sin, and therefore, is constantly being judged. The characters allow the audience to comprehend Hawthorne's view of sin. If hidden, sin will destroy, but if revealed and repented it is capable of making one stronger. One way Hawthorne develops his view of sin is through Hester Prynne. Hester is charged with adultery. Through the novel, the audience learns that her sin makes her a stronger woman; being the 1600's the punishments were usually severe. She is forced to wear a scarlet "A" upon her breast to let the community be aware of her wrongdoing. "Thus she will be living sermon against sin, until the ignominious letter be engraved upon her tombstone" (59). This quote informs the readers that Hester must wear the scarlet letter until she leaves the World. Honestly, Hester's "badge of shame"(102), makes her a stronger person. The symbol makes her stronger because she puts up with the harassing comments of the town. Hester wears the letter with pride. She is aware that her sin is iniquitous, but by being open about it she is able to become a stronger person. Hester proves that by repenting and repelling sin, it is truly capable of making one stronger. Another character who supports Hawthorne's thought of sin is Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimesdale's sin of adultery is worst because he is a symbol of god. Therefore, Dimmesdale refuses to be opened with his sin. He explains to Hester, "Happy for you Hester that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret" (176)! The guilt that Dimmesdale keeps concealed within his soul eventually beats him and he dies. The shame and guilt he held within his heart cause his death. Through Reverend Dimmesdale, Hawthorne develops the idea that when sin is hidden, it often destroys. The last way Hawthorne acts out sin is through Pearl. Pearl is the product of Dimmesdale and Hester's affair. Whenever the community sees Pearl and Hester together, they assume that Pearl is a devil child because she was born out of sin. "Pearl was born outcast of the infantile world. An emp of evil, emblem and product of sin" (86). This quote displays the people's belief. Hester doesn't believe Pearl to be evil, nor does she think Pearl will follow in her footsteps. Hester said, "I can teach my little Pearl what I have learned from this" (101). For example, Hester is teaching Pearl the catechism. Many children her age aren't aware of it. This proves that Hester is being a virtuous mother. Hester and the community will have to live with the fact that Pearl is a reminder of the sin. Hawthorne forms his view of sin clearly in The Scarlet Letter. By the character, Hester Prynne, he teaches that sin can be a lesson that will make one stronger. By using the Reverend Dimmesdale, the audience is aware that when sin is hidden, it can destroy. Pearl is used in the novel, as a reminder of the sin. The novel portrays sin in a variety of ways, which Hawthorne illustrates in a successful manner.

Americas Backbone essays

America's Backbone essays Hundreds of years ago the United States was formed through people seeking religious or social freedom. In seek of freedom there are possible issues derived from the natural human behavior towards their rivals. For centuries people have oppressed each other to triumph in the sake of their well estate. In search of security and fortune, people have oppressed minorities of all sorts in order to become the successors they are destined to be. The original thirteen colonies were formed from a group of people striving for religious freedom from the eastern civilizations. Native Americans were becoming an endangered race because this new eastern civilization was taking over their mother land, driving them away or even killing them off to extinction. Slavery was the most popular profitable method of farming. Landowners in the southern most states of the United States were the main reason the slave trade exploded and created the foundation of Americas economy from the African slave. Soon after coal mines in the west and railroads in central United States created one of the largest slave migrations across the country. The output of World War II brought the biggest immigration of Japanese refugees from Japan to America; their only main purposes in life were freedom from communist oppression and escape the massacre the war brought. The Mexican-American War became the birth of California as one of the richest states today. The amount of gold in California became the step stone of Californias future, by paying off Mexico with gold mined from California, the United States robed Mexico. The gold rush was the largest migration of Americans from east to west of the United States. This great migration was pioneered by the money seeking American. California alone, hosted the largest immigrant population of people who were seeking the civil freedom. The Latino immigrant began to migrate from all over the southern countries, Mexican immigrants se...

Debating Healthy Hunger - Free Kids Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Debating Healthy Hunger - Free Kids Act - Essay Example Taxpayers finance roughly half of the total medical costs annually through Medicaid and Medicare (Hinman, 2011, 16). In view of this growing problem of childhood obesity, the Obama administration recently signed the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 to intensify its fight against childhood obesity. However, the ratification of the 2010 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act generated varied responses all over the United States. In the view of some, the additional 6-cents for each meal given are valued, but others are dissatisfied with the extra 6-cents which is argued to be insufficient. This paper presents a comprehensive a discussion of the arguments for and against the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Ultimately, the author discusses its position in the debate. Overview The Obama administration recently released a new cluster of federal policies that would regulate the quantity of calories permitted state-sponsored school meals, prohibiting majority of trans fats at the same time as boosting the quantities of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The projects, proposed by the Agriculture Department, embody the initial large-scale overhauling of school lunch rules in the 21st century (The Washington Times, 2011a, A03). The guidelines would be valid to all partly and fully funded meals and may have an impact on a vast number of children. Supporters claim revamping the price in the country’s school lunches is fundamental in mitigating childhood obesity since large numbers of children take at least half of their everyday calories at school (Hinman, 2011, 16). However, a number of conservative detractors, headed by Sarah Palin, have denounced federal attempts to oblige nutritional intake and control school vending machines and bake sales as unwarranted government intrusion. A number of local school administrators and personnel have questioned the cost of putting into effect the new guidelines, with a large number of the suggested menu selections more costly to acquire and prepare. The U.S. is confronting an obesity outbreak, and the predicament of poor diets puts the future of the children and the nation at risk, according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, emphasizing that the country confronts an enormous cost from poor diets in chronic health crises (The Washington Times, 2011a, A03). The rules are a reaction to the 2010 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act. The $4.5 billion policy enlarges the population of students entitled to school lunch initiatives and raises the federal financial backing by 6 cents a meal (The Washington Times, 2011a, A03). Aside from mandating calorie restrictions, the recommended policies demand cutting down sodium by at least half over a decade (Hinman, 2011, 17), increasing quantities of whole grains and forbidding bad fats. The Argument for the Healthy Hunger-Free Free Kids Act Many individuals and organizations within the food industry supported the implementation of the Act with eagerness like the Internatio nal Dairy Foods Association, the United Fresh Produce Association, American Bakers’ Association, and Grocery Manufacturers Association (Julian, 2010). As argued by Center for Science in the Public Interest’s director of nutrition policy, Margo Wootan, criticizing the legislation by the cost only is very crude since there are other resource-saving

Religion and Spirituality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Religion and Spirituality - Essay Example Religiousness can be described as having a personal belief or faith in God and the values levied down by a certain sect or a school of thought, performing activities i.e. rituals that demonstrate alliance to a certain religion (e.g. church memberships or alliances etc), adhering to a belief-based system of life and following God’s will (Zinnbauer et al. 557). On the other hand, a research conducted by Zinnbauer et al. indicated that spirituality is an outcome of a scared experience. Some of the definitions of spirituality include being connected with God or any other form of almighty power, belief in transcendence, integrating certain beliefs into a system of life, demonstrating God’s love to others, focusing on gaining inner stability and personal growth. Other definitions of spirituality are â€Å"an ultimate concern, an integrating or unifying factor within the personality, authenticity, a source of yearning, a meaningful identity and purpose, a union with God. It c an be seen that the definitions of religion mainly surround existence of God. Hence, it accepts the fact that there is a supreme power who has defined certain rules and principles which are meant to be followed if one wishes to have indemnity. These religious morals and values define an institutional system of life in various forms. Taking example of Christianity, there are various sects that have their own set of doctrines which are reflected in their lifestyle as well as in their manner of praying. Hence, religion defines a rather concrete set of beliefs, accepting existence of God and its supremacy giving it an outlook of obligations that one has to follow in order to be associated with a certain religion. On the other hand, spirituality is a matter of choice. It concerns personal experiences and feelings that surround the existence of a superior power. It is important to note that other than accepting presence of God, some may find spirituality in a non-sacred phenomenon as well . The later concept relates to karma or an output of one’s deeds and nature’s responses to them. A critical analysis of these two definitions may indicate that where religion can be a heart less observance of certain principles, spirituality is more about gaining inner peace and inspiration through nature, other humans and different phenomenon of life. Also, where religion can lead to association with different derivative social functions, spirituality can make one opting for isolation in order to find self-actualization and inner stability. 2. Spiritual assessment allows one to be aware of their stimulants that inspire them spiritually. There are various tools that can be used to asses one’s spiritual alliances. One of the most common tools that are used mainly in palliative, elderly and end-of-life care is FICA spiritual assessment tool. FICA stands for faith (or beliefs), importance and influence, community and address (Borneman 2). The tool has been designed to assist physicians and various healthcare professionals to consider spiritual needs of their patients in order to give a holistic treatment and also of themselves while providing services in their respective fields. This tool assesses how one perceives himself to be religious or spiritual (â€Å"FICA Spiritual Assessment Tool† n.p). Also, it defines the things that give meaning to the phenomenon of life and life after death. Second important component of this assessment is how one incorporates such religious or spiritual values into their life and how it influences their behaviour during illness and role of these beliefs in regaining health. Third part of assessment concerns the environment or community

Essay on School Life Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On School Life - Essay Example With this particular process, there is the ability to understand the school culture through organization, identity, resources and community relationships which are established. The conclusion which the authors show is that there needs to be a re-evaluation of leadership and the association which teachers have on every level toward enhancing the school culture. The strength of this article begins with the different areas which are evaluated for teachers. Instead of limiting the environment to the culture that is expected in a general context, the author’s examine the specific culture of the school environment. The combination of organization, resources and community are evaluated independently to create the right conclusion. This is combined with the dependent variables which are associated through the survey and observation to reach a better conclusion about what is occurring within society. This combination of information is one that allows the right evaluation to be made in terms of environment and with the concept of culture which is built from the different expectations with relationship building and the school relationships. While the survey and overall evaluation is one that considers a variety of concepts, there are also limits with the approach that is taken from the idea of teacher leadership. The evaluation of different components doesn’t move into the individual leadership styles or expectations that are within the classroom. This is furthered with the inability to create the right association with how one should respond to the environment or how each of the independent variables links to culture. The gap in defining culture, teacher roles and the other independent variables, both in the review of theories and in the broader context, doesn’t provide the correct association with what is needed in terms of leadership. The idea of teacher leadership becomes one that carries a gap toward the culture which is evaluated because of the lack of theory that is provided. Another change which would alter the way in which this article is presented is with the theories based on the evaluation. There were a small number of teachers that were observed and the survey was a casual and unstructured evaluation. If there were different structures or observations, it may have changed the results that were associated with the overall evaluation. The idea of teacher leadership and the model for school renewal may have carried different results with broader observations as well as more structure to the data which was retrieved. Further studies would need to be done to alter the way in which the information was presented. Combining this with more thorough application to school culture, leadership and the understanding of environment would have then closed the gaps with the research which was conducted. In the article by Ronald Lindhal, â€Å"The Role of Organizational Climate and Culture in the School Improvement Process,† t here is an understanding of what it means to belong to a complex institutional environment. The evaluation which occurs in this article looks at improvement in schools, climate and the school culture that is associated with the main ideologies that are there. The theoretical viewpoint is one which makes a statement that the school system carries a complex system because of the combined associations with education and the culture of the institution. In turn, there is the need for

The History Of Cleopatra VII

The History Of Cleopatra VII Cleopatra VII was the last person to rule Egypt as an Egyptian pharaoh. After her death Egypt became a Roman province. She was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty (a royal family which ruled Egypt during the Hellinistic Period-323 BC to 146 BC) of Ancient Egypt. She is therefore considered to be a descendant of one of Alexander the Greats generals who had seized control over Egypt after Alexanders death. Cleopatra learned Egyptian unlike other Ptolemies who spoke Greece and refused Egyptian and represented herself as the reincarnation of an Egyptian Goddess. Cleopatra VII ruled originally with her father Ptolemy XII Auletes (commonly name as Auletes and who ruled Egypt from 80 to 58 BC) and later with her brothers, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV. Later she became a sole ruler. As pharaoh, she kept good relations with Julius Caesar (Roman General who played a critical role in the transformation from Roman Republic to Roman Empire) that solidified her grip on the throne. After Caesars assassination in 44 BC, she aligned with Mark Antony in opposition to Caesars legal heir and she bore the twins Cleopatra Selene II and Alexander Helios, and another son, Ptolemy Philadelphus. Mark Antony was defeated by Octavian (the future emperor Augustus) and hence Egypt became the Roman province of Aegyptus. Though Cleopatra was an Egyptian pharaoh but she basically belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty which was Hellenistic. Cleopatras mother language was Greek but still was the first ruler of the dynasty to learn Egyptian. She also adopted Egyptian beliefs and deities. Her patron deity was Isis (a Goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs) and thus was considered the re-incarnation and embodiment of the goddess. Her death marked the end of the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Hellenistic period and the beginning of the Roman era in the eastern Mediterranean. The above picture displays the bust of Cleopatra VII who is depicted as a great beauty and her legacy still survives in various works of art and dramas. William Shakespeares Antony and Cleopatra, Jules Massenets opera, Clà ©opà ¢tre are some examples of dramatizations inspired by Cleopatras life. REIGN 51 BC TO 12 August 30 BC SUCCESSOR None (Egypt was annexed by Rome) SPOUSE Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator Ptolemy XIV Julius Caesar (not legally wed) Mark Antony FATHER Ptolemy XII Auletes MOTHER Cleopatra V of Egypt BORN 69 BC DIED 12th August 30 BC (aged 39) BURIAL Burial was done in Alexandria, Egypt Cleopatra in the Roman Civil War In the Roman civil war between the Caesarean party which was led by Mark Antony and Octavian and party led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus who assassinated Julius Caesar. Cleopatra sided with the Caesarean party because of her past. Brutus and Cassius together and sailed to the East of the Roman Empire and conquered large areas and established their military bases. Now Cassius wanted to invade Egypt to seize the treasures of that country and to take the revenge from the queen as she refused his request to send him supplies punish the queen for her refusal of Cassius request to send him supplies and her support for Dolabella (a Roman General). At that time in Egypt there was famine and an epidemic which became an important reason why Cassius thought that Egypt could easily be conquered. But still he could not execute the invasion of Egypt because at the end of 43 BC Brutus called him back to Smyrna (an ancient city located at a central and strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia now located in Turkey). Cassius tried to blockade Cleopatras way to the Caesareans. Nevertheless Cleopatra sailed with her military from Alexandria to the west along the Libyan coast to join the Caesarean leaders but she was forced to return to Egypt because her ships were damaged by a violent storm and she became ill. Relationship with Julius Caesar Cleopatra became Caesars mistress, and nine months after their first meeting, in 47 BC, Cleopatra gave birth to their son, Ptolemy Caesar, nicknamed Caesorian , which means little Caesar. At this point Caesar cancelled his plans to annex Egypt, instead backing Cleopatras claim to the throne. After a war lasting six months between the party of Ptolemy XIII and the Roman army of Caesar, Ptolemy XIII was drowned in the Nile (longest river of the world situated in Egypt) and Caesar restored Cleopatra to her throne and assigned her younger brother Ptolemy IV as her new co-rule. Although Cleopatra was 21 years old when they met and Caesar was 52, they became lovers during Caesars stay in Egypt between 48 BC and 47 BC. Cleopatra claimed Caesar was the father of her son and wanted his son to be the heir of Julius Caesar but instead of making his son caesorian, his heir, he chose his grandnephew Octavian. But Caesar even erected a golden statue of Cleopatra represented as Isis in the temple of Venus Genetrix (the mythical ancestress of Caesars family), which was situated at the Forum Julium (a forum built by Julius Caesar in Rome). Caesar was assassinated on 15 March, 44 BC. At that time Cleopatra was in Rome along with her outrages. After Caesars assassination Cleopatra returned to Egypt with her relatives. After the death of Ptolemy XIV who was allegedly poisoned by his elder sister, Cleopatra made her son Caesorian, her successor and gave her an epithet (an epithet as a descriptive word or phrase given to someone) Theos Philopator Philometor which means Father and mother loving God. Cleopatra and Mark Antony Coin of Antony and Cleopatra In 41 BC, Mark Antony, one of the triumvirs (name historians give to the official political alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavians, later known as Augustus) who ruled Rome after the assassination of Julius Caesar. Dellius had to summon Cleopatra to Tarsus (a historical city in south eastern Turkey) to meet there Antony and answer questions about her loyalty. During the Roman civil war she allegedly paid much money to Cassius due to which Antony lost his trust on Dellius. Actually it seemed that in reality Antony wanted Cleopatras promise to support his war against the Parthians (citizens of Parthia a region of North eastern Iran). Cleopatra had Antony order the death of her sister Arsinoe to safeguard herself and her son, Caesarion. Arsinoe at that time was living at the temples of Artemis in Ephesus (Artemis is one of the religious Greek deities which is situated in Ephesus which is an ancient Greek city). On 25 December 40 BC, Cleopatra gave birth to twins fathered by Antony, Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene II. Four years later, Antony visited Alexandria again on route to make war with the Parthians. Donations of Alexandria was a religious-political statement by Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony in which they distributed lands of Rome and Parthia amongst Cleopatras children and granted them many titles especially for Caesarian who was the son of Julius Caesar. Donations of Alexandria was announced in late 34 BC, followed by Antonys conquest of Armenia (a client state of roman and Persian Empires stretching from Caspian to Mediterranean sea), Cleopatra and Caesarian were crowned co-rulers of Egypt and Cyprus. Cleopatra Selene II was crowned ruler of Cyrenaica and Libya and Ptolemy Philadelphus was crowned ruler of Phoenicia, Syria, and Cilicia. Donations of Alexandria were also a main reason for The Final war of the Roman Republic. Cleopatra was also given the title of Queen of Kings by Antonio. Her enemies in Rome feared that Cleopatra was planning a war of revenge that was between the whole of East against the Rome and establish herself as empress of the world at Rome and inaugurate a new universal kingdom. Caesarian was given co-regency with Cleopatra and was also given many titles such as god, son of god and king of kings. Egyptians thought Cleopatra to be a reincarnation of goddess Isis, as she called herself (NEA Isis). Relations between Antony and Octavian finally broke down in 33 BC, and Octavian declared a war against Egypt. In 31 BC Antonys forces faced the Romans in a naval action off the coast of Actium. Cleopatra was present with an army of her own. But Octavians invaded Egypt in the Battle of Actium and thus Antony and Cleopatra lost this war and thus the Roman Empire took over the Egypt. As he approached Alexandria, Antonys armies deserted to Octavian on August 1, 30 BC. DEATH This picture above shows the death of Cleopatra which was drawn by Guido Cagnacci in 1658. There have been many stories about the death of Cleopatra VII such as according to the ancient sources; particularly the Roman ones think that Cleopatra killed herself by inducing an Egyptian cobra to bite her. The oldest source is Strabo who was a Greek historian, geographer and a philosopher says that there are two stories: That she applied a toxic ointment OR That she was bitten by an asp. Other authors have questioned these historical accounts, stating that it is possible that Augustus had her killed. In 2010, the German historian Christophe Schaefer challenged all other theories, declaring that the queen had actually been poisoned and died from drinking a mixture of poisons. After studying historic texts and consulting with toxicologists, the historian concluded that the asp could not have caused a slow and pain free death, since the asp (Egyptian cobra) venom paralyses parts of the body, starting with the eyes, before causing death. Schaefer and his toxicologist Dietrich Mebs decided Cleopatra used a mixture of hemlock, wolfsbane and opium. Plutarch, writing about 130 years after the event has also mentioned the asp to be the major reason for Cleopatras death. He reports that Octavian succeeded in capturing Cleopatra in her Mausoleum after the death of Antony. He ordered his freedman Epaphroditus to guard her to prevent her from committing suicide because he allegedly wanted to present her in his triumph. But Cleopatra still was able to suicide by provoking the asp (cobra) to bite her on her arm. Suetonius, writing about the same time as Plutarch, also says Cleopatra died from an asp bite. Shakespeare also gave his own theory on the death of Cleopatra which gives us the image of Cleopatra clutching the snake to her breast. Before him, it was generally agreed that she was bitten on the arm. The site of their Mausoleum (a monument) is uncertain, though it is thought by the Egyptian Antiquities Service, to be in or near the temple of Taposiris Magna south west of Alexandria. Cleopatras son by Caesar, Caesarian, was proclaimed pharaoh by the Egyptians, after Alexandria fell to Octavian. Caesarean was captured and killed by Octavians. CONCLUSION: Why the women in world history were not given due importance? By taking the example of Cleopatra VII, the reasons why women were not given importance are: Cleopatra being the mother was more concerned about her children. She always tried her children to get throne unlike Julius Caesar who chose his grandnephew. Women are more directed towards their own children rather than caring about their kingdom. Cleopatra was not much concerned for her empire or the kingdom and was more aligned towards her family. Donations of Alexandria is the most important example which clearly explains that Cleopatra cared only about her family. She could have given those empires to some more educated or strong and a better person which could have helped her and Antony in the battle against Octavians. Well these were the main reasons why I think women were not given due importance in history.

Cross-Cultural :: essays research papers

Cross-Cultural Introspective   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Culture is the customs, institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or group. My culture has influenced me in many ways. Being an African American woman, I have to strive to the best I can be. My ancestors died, so that I may live a full and wonderful life. I have to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. I believe that I am black first and a woman second. As an African American, I feel that I have to prove myself to the world. I fell that I have to show them that I can make it. I am not a lost cause. My ancestor have taught me that my values and beliefs does matter. Family, education, and religion are the three most important things in my life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My family is the most important thing in my life. Everything I am, is because of my family. In a African American family the mother is a lot of times the strongest figure. They are equal to their husbands, they share work responsibilities inside and outside the home. My parents stressed morality, the value of labor, and education, and racial uplift. My mother took my brother and I regularly to church. My mother was very strict with us. My father insisted that we work hard in order for the us to be successful. My grandmother is considered our strong figure. Strong religious orientation has been a factor in African-American culture for many years. My grandmother learned to read and write at church. As a little she went to Mount Calvary Baptist in New Iberia, Louisiana. Her churched formed schools for free blacks, as well as for slaves; created institutions, such as banks, hospitals, and homes. My grandmother said church and religion was a way to bringing a positive outcome to her life. My grandmother, Dorothy Harding, was an astonishing woman. My grandmother was a strong, proud, beautiful black woman. She was the rock of our family. I can remember when she would sit all of us on the floor and tell us about her childhood. She would start off by saying   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"You’ll never know what it was like growing up in 1940,† then she would continue with â€Å"all you do is complain, but let me tell you, you have it very easy.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then she would go on to say how her family had no money and that she never had her own pair of shoes.

Marketing Strategies of IBM Essay

Introduction This study aims at examining the use of theoretical marketing approaches in the practical business scenario. In this domain the marketing strategy of IBM has been considered on empirical grounds. It is by the use of marketing theory and concepts that the study evaluates the marketing strategies of IBM and its role in fulfilling the firm’ overall goals and objectives. Four specific aspects of marketing strategy evaluation are assessed in this study. Initially the proceedings are related to the importance and the use of information in successful marketing strategies by IBM. This is followed by a discussion on IBM marketing strategies in relation to its organisational strategy. The paper also makes an analysis of the application of IBM marketing strategies in global context. Lastly e-business strategies of IBM in the marketing domain are assessed. Evaluation of marketing strategy of IBM International Business Machines Corporation, better known as IBM, is a multinational IT company involved in the manufacture and retail of computer hardware and software applications, and IT consulting services. Employing the best talents in the industry, IBM is today the largest as well as the most profitable information technology employer in the world. Despite of the adverse economic conditions, the firm achieve a significant increase in its net revenue and income in 2008 compared to previous years. Well – devised and efficient marketing strategies have been the key to IBM’ global success. The company strongly believes that devising effective marketing strategies requires making appropriate decisions that can well enhance all kinds of competitive advantages and can create all kinds of new sources of value for the purpose of improving the organisational revenue growth. According to Luq Niazi, Leader of Strategy and Change at IBM, â€Å"when the leaders of an organisation think about their business as components, it becomes clear which ones they need to own – and which they do not†. This clearly indicates the great emphasis that IBM places on the performance and  decision making capabilities of leaders in devising effective marketing strategies. In addition, the firm also considers understanding the requirements and needs of customers as crucial for developing effective marketing strategies. Understanding the innovative demands of customers lies at th e core of developing effective marketing strategies. Based on IBM’ market share and dominance in the IT industry, the firm can be aptly described as a ‘market leader’. Being a market leader, an important marketing strategy which IBM uses against its competitors is the defensive marketing warfare strategy. The defensive marketing strategy involves the firm employing tactics to maintain its market share. There are several tactics that firms use for defending their market share, such as fortification, counterattack, mobile defence and strategic retreat (Ries and Trout, 2005). Being the courageous market leader that IBM is, the firm adopts the best defensive marketing strategy which is â€Å"self attack†. IBM’ strategy is â€Å"cheaper and better than IBM†. Aware of IBM’ tactic, customers wait for IBM’ new prospects as they know that the Big Blue will constantly introduce new and better products which makes the firm’ own products obsolete. Another key marketing strategy employed by IBM for sustaining its market leadership is product differentiation strategies. Product differentiation can be achieved using a variety of factors such as distinctive products, reliability, durability, product design etc (Kurtz and Boone, 2006). IBM uses a product differentiation strategy based on quality of performance. In line with its quest for further growth and market leadership, the firm adopts a diversification strategy. The importance of IBM’ growth strategy has heightened in the current economic situation with companies in the computer industry having faced a massive drop in the industrial production and productivity of computer hardware and the future growth for this segment also appearing dim. In such a context, IBM has strategically reduced its exposure to hardware by diversifying into software and services. IBM also realises the importance of maintaining good relationships with its customers and in line the firm lays great emphasis on trust – based marketing strategies. Trust based marketing strategies stress on the need for organisations to gain ethical hold over consumer dealings and also be honest and open about its products and the services. For IBM, adoption of this strategy has been very effective in developing its brand  identity and image. In all of its marketing activities, the firm strives at building customer trust and loyalty. Importance and use of information in IBM marketing strategy The importance and use of information is vital for gaining success. In line, IBM adopted the strategy to take up Social Networking to the work place. It is an absolute means of sharing ideas, complains and letters of appreciation in public. By means of adopting networking opportunities, IBM established its strong hold over competitive market. It is through the provision of Social Networking (SN), that IBM established its commitment to technology and developed an enterprise – wide SN mindset. IBM is the first major IT supplier that has got potential provisions for SN and is in the process of changing the entire enterprise along with a credible application to address the market. By means of investments made in the SN domain, IBM has gained enough market strengths in the enterprise lineage, global services, deep pockets and above all in gaining loyal customers. By success of SN, IBM proved to be a fine player in the domain of information networking. The proceedings have added many advantages to its organisational global services. SN for enterprises have been implemented with enough marketing strategies and this is what is providing IBM with technical expertise in the field of organizational/adoption issues. The launching of more facilities related to SN are relevant to the competition of the market. The launcher came up with a new idea and launched it much before the though had developed in anyone’ mind. The second big thing to the adoption of marketing strategy is the IBM’s mindset in the launching of Lotus Connection. It is an information networking process with collaboration-centric approach to SN and helps in information sharing and uninterrupted workflow. By few minutes of exploration anybody can well get hold over its functionalities. IBM kept it easy and user friendly; the basics of marketing strategies. When it comes to the use of information system in IBM, the adoption of unique kind of marketing strategies is predominant. The basic approach is in being innovative and adopting something that is very user friendly and easy for the customer to adopt. Complicacies in the same field can lead to failure of  the same. This is the reason that IBM lays emphasis over making it simple, easy and sharing more than the consumer can expect. Once there is a kind of trust and sense of being facilitated gets into the consumer, he hardly will opt for any other company and this is what IBM believes to the core. Application of innovative ideas in the field of information sharing units can be of great risk, but under the marketing strategy of IBM, this risk has been taken again and again with enough success. IBM marketing strategy in relation to Organisational strategy The strategic effectiveness of an organizational strategy can be measured using SWOT analysis. This is a structure that figure out strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a particular company. Incorporating the Johnson and Scholes’ model for corporate strategy into this structure creates three success criteria for evaluating a firm (Rifkin, 2001). These are as following; Suitability can be assessed to identify the factors that will support the strategies. Feasibility is all about the adoption of executing the strategy into practical field. Acceptability is something that will determine the reactions that the organisation will receive by the execution of the strategies. At IBM, employees are greatly encouraged to initiate creative marketing tactics. The application of SWOT and the Johnson and Scholes model proves that IBM has got enough potentiality in developing well crafted assessment about itself. Its main strength lies in identifying its weaknesses. The approaches are all very professional and the marketing persuasions are well structured as per the organ isational structure. As per the declarations made by the official site of IBM, the basic marketing strategy in relation to organisational strategy adopted by IBM is more concerned about the proceedings led by HRM. The perspectives of organisational dealings are strategically adopted to meet the demands of HRM. The typical business culture of IBM is customer centric and in hence a substantial amount of responsibility is placed on the HR department. It has been marked that on traditional ground many IBM executives along with aspiring general managers are selected for the purpose of improving sales force and market oriented projects. It can be well marked as Samuel J. Palmisano, the current CEO, IBM; initially joined the company in the position of a salesman. With his determination and marketing strategies he achieved the position that he currently occupies (Spooner, 2002). Though it  is unusual for a CEO’s profile, but in IBM, growth of the organisation and the people working for it are directly proportionate to performances led in the field and the adoption of the marketing strategies which respond adequately to competitive pressures. Global context in IBM marketing planning In the global context, IBM has proved itself as a strong contender by managing to sustain in the most difficult situations. It has overcome the twists and turns it initially faced in adjusting to the ‘bricks-and-clicks’ business structure. Overcoming all the hurdles IBM is now achieving milestones through the advantages forwarded by brick-and-click enterprises. It is through this enterprise structure that IBM has transformed into a major player in terms of getting hold over global marketing plans. Its formulisations are inclusive of creating a global brand blueprint. It is a mode that usually gets expressed locally and after attaining some success approaches on global grounds. IBM always follows the process of establishing central framework and then architects the relevant consumer experiences to gain consistency with the brand. IBM always concentrates in gaining single view from its consumers and that helps in assessing the risk factors of global marketing strategies (R ometty, 2001). In order to meet the diversified point of views, IBM follows the structure noted below; Process of analysing the context of ‘when’, ‘where’ and ‘how’ the appropriate and relevant customer data can be collected. This is an approach that is done under the provision of practical market survey. The means to create absolute governance framework with special attentions led over management policies and overall practices. These are the sources that are collected through the purpose of encouraging customer centricity added by the scope to safeguard customer privacy. Approaches led by institute consistent processes for target customer is the next step. In this process the relationship led by the management across all the domains of sales and provided services of the organisation are scrutinized professionally. The process of appointing efficient team leaders and strong management initiators. IBM also appoints a leader who can perform as a single customer advocate and is very much accountable for all the sorted touch points. The marketing strategies adopted by IBM to meet global demands and competitions are well inclusive of a robust infrastructure. It has the provision for optimising flexibility and  a hub-and-spoke architecture for collecting consumer demands on global arena. There is also well marked acknowledgement for all the innovative ways adopted by the partners of IBM. Developments attain by the partners of IBM in global terms is also directly related to the marketing strategies followed by IBM. IBM understands the fact that partners can add much hold over the local market and can reach the consumer with more in-depth formulations. This is the reason that they believe in developing capitalized relationship with these partners for future opportunities. IBM and e-business strategies The motive of any electronic business is to efficiently meet consumer demands through internet networking. The internet provides a medium for businesses to reach out to customers globally at very low costs. It is an exclusive means adopted through the dealings related to information and communication technologies. In case of IBM the role of e-business is very strong. Through e-business strategies, IBM is equipping itself with all kinds of external activities and is applying determined relationships for respective business dealings; with individuals, diversified groups and corporate clients. According to ‘Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance?’; a book by a former CEO of IBM, Louis Gerstner (2003), IBM’ approach for e-Business strategies is handled by specialised e – business teams operating under IBM’s marketing department. It is through its e-business strategies that IBM is able to link its internal as well as external data processing systems with greater efficiency and flexibility. E-business helped IBM in reaching closer to its consumers, conveying the message of reliability and in urn enhancing customer loyalty to the brand. The proceedings led by IBM for the development and implementation of e-business concentrate on the diversified functions occurring through electronic capabilities. IBM is also a part of the entire value chain proceeding for more profitable dominance over the local as well as global market. There are some predominant sectors where the e-business strategies are applied to gain more trust and money from the consumer. These activities are noted below; electronic purchasing supply chain management processing orders electronically handling customer service cooperating with business partners These proceedings add special technical standards in the e-business structure of IBM. The firm also utilises e-business strategies to exchange of data between its partners and associate companies. As a matter of fact the e-business strategies of IBM are not much different from the other marketing strategies. The basic difference however depends over the expansion of management for sending and receiving contracts from the consumer. It is under this strategic implementation that IBM has adopted many local dealers to be a part of its services. These dealers are of course selected through some professional modes. The reputations of these dealers are marked by IBM first before offering the partnership. In terms of services for each product sold through e-business, IBM provides appropriate training to all those people who are a part of this structure. With strategic planning IBM is also into the dealings related to integrated intra and inter firm business proceedings. Conclusion From the above discussions, it can be derived that the marketing strategies adopted by IBM are built on the structure of trust – based marketing, defence marketing warfare, product differentiation and diversification marketing strategies. It is through the appropriate use of these theoretical approaches that IBM has established itself very strongly in the traditional marketplace as well as in the burgeoning online marketplace. IBM strives at fulfilling the needs and expectations of its customers and in enhancing customer trust and loyalty. The products and services provided by IBM can guarantee their utility to the customer’s satisfaction. In a nutshell, IBM is a courageous risk – taker that places great emphasis on innovative ideas for further growth. In line, the firm explores the consumer’s domain through proper hold over local and global proceedings. References Emerson, W.P. (1996) Building IBM: Shaping the Industry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. Gerst, Louis V. (2003) Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance? Leading a Great Enterprise through Dramatic Change. Harper Paperback Ham, A. and Rastelli, L.G. (2002) Marketing – Essential techniques and strategies geared towards results, John Wiley and Sons Inc, USA. IBM Global Business Services, http://www-935.ibm.com/services/uk/index.wss/home [retrieved on 19th Nov. 2009] Kurtz, D. L. and Boone, L.E. (2006) Principles of Marketing, 12th edn, Thomson South-western, USA. Ries, A. and Trout, J. (2005) Marketing warfare, Pearson, UK. Rifkin, J. (2000) The Age of Access, Putnum Books, New York Rometty, Ginni (2001) Five marketing tips for the digital age. http://www.935.ibm.com/services/au/index.wss/ibvstudy/igs/a1006209?cntxt=a1005848 [retrieved on 19th Nov. 2009] Spooner, John G. (2002) IBM meets lowered estimates. Staff Writer, CNET News April 17, 2002 http://news.cnet.com/IBM-meets-lowered-estimates/2100-1014_3-885259.htm [retrieved on 20th Nov. 2009] Find out more from UK Essays here: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/marketing/marketing-strategies-of-ibm.php#ixzz3JFUjpwpr

Buddhist Nuns in Tibet

Our work aims to research Buddhist nunnery in Tibet. We are going to give information about Tibet in general and about peculiarities of Tibetan religion. We are going to pursue a case study of ordination to a nunnery. Buddhism is one of the world religions. Its believers live through in India, China, South-East Asia, Tibet and other countries. In old times inhabitants of Tibet didn’t practice Buddhism. Their folk religion called â€Å"mi-chos†, which meant the law of men. In after years it transformed to â€Å"bon-chos† – Bon religion. There some people who practice it in Modern Tibet and a handful of handful of Moslems..Nowadays Tibet is a poor Chinese province. It makes modern Tibetan Autonomous Republic. Besides of TAR Tibetan people live in the Chamdo region of Szechwan; some are found in Tsinghai and Kansu (Chang-tu Hu 66). Population carries on animal husbandry. Most of Tibetans consider themselves Buddhists Tibetan Buddhism is differs from the other national forms of this religion. It adapted to everyday life of inhabitants. As Guiseppe Tucci stated, â€Å"the entire spiritual life of the Tibetan is defined by a permanent attitude of defense, by a constant effort to appease and propitiate the powers whom he fears† (187).Tibetan Buddhism is heavily influenced by belief in supernatural. Tucci observed, that religion of Buddha in Tibet shot with a certain ambiguity: on the one side the fear of capricious spirits that was inherited by Lamaism from the country's original religions and, on the other, the conviction that man possesses the means to control these dark vengeful forces demanding propitiation. Magic, ritual, acts of piety, liberality towards monasteries and teachers, exorcism, liturgical technique, all come to his aid. And the human victim he was at the outset, at the mercy of a thousand invisible forces, is able to become their master.(73-74) On this basis scientists state there is a detached Tibetan form of Buddh ism. They called it Lamaism. Lamas were privileged class in Tibetan society. They operate in many sectors of daily life, and the monasteries are important social and economic centers of society. Basic concepts of Buddhism (karma, nirvana, transmigration, and reincarnation) are the same in Lamaism. There were three religious sects in Tibet: Nyingmapa, Kargyu, Sakya, and Gelugpa. The last one is known as the â€Å"Yellow School,† because monks wear yellow hats during ceremonies.It emerged in China since the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and became the most influential school in Tibet since the 17th century. Gelugpa sect governed over the country until the Chinese re-exerted control over Tibet when head of â€Å"Yellow School† Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959. The Panchen Lama, who resided at Shigatse, has been elevated by the Chinese government to the position vacated by the Dalai Lama. Followers of the Panchen Lama used to claim that his spiritual powers rival those of the D alai Lama. Both of them were reincarnations of their predecessors.When either dies the priesthood have to decide in which newly born child he has been reincarnated. The reincarnation can happen anywhere, even in a peasant family, but such a family automatically becomes a member of the noble class. Our study of Tibetan nunnery will be incomplete without defining the role of monasteries. Monastery system is the basis of Lamaism. There were 6000 of Buddhist monasteries in Tibet until the Chinese invaded in 1950. Nowadays only six of them are restored (Kerr 37). Monasteries as landowners were authority under units of villages. Many of them used to house five thousand monks.Percentage of the monks composes from 20 to 33-1/3 percent of male population. According to Havnevik Hanna, there were also 27,000 nuns in 1959 (37). In Buddhist countries nuns are called by many different terms —bhik? un? i, don chee, sikkhamat, dasasilmata, jomo, mae chi, tila shin. According to Tibetan tradi tion celibate female Buddhist practitioners are known as ‘ani’. Karma Lekshe Tsomo states in her book, that many women in Tibet became ‘anis’ because nunnery provides an opportunity to get an education (201). Knowledge turned out to be an important theme in the history of many monastic communities.Owing to the isolation from the rest of the world, there was a lack of scientific knowledge in Tibet. Alexandra David-Neel notes, that many Tibetans believed that the earth was flat (26-29). The first radio station in Tibet started operating on January 1, 1959 (Chang-tu Hu 251). There were no primary schools prior to 1950. After the defeat of revolt against Chinese authority in the late fifties Tibetan diaspora began. In the sixties many young people from western countries began heading to the East searching for religious and philosophic alternatives to replace inadequacies they felt in their own cultures.Communication innovations of the eighties established close r connections among people. That’s why desire for knowledge and education affected even remote nunnery high up in the Himalayas. Karma Lekshe Tsomo narrates what was the monastery education to be: The monks and nuns had been recruited with promises of a life of study. Instead, they had to work day in and day out on the ‘gonpa's’ (settlement) construction. At night, they were too tired to concentrate on the lamas' teachings in Tibetan, an unfamiliar language†¦.In this culture, women only left home if they had specific, compelling reasons to do so. For many women, the quest for religious learning and an aversion to hard labor do not constitute compelling reasons. (204) If there is no senior monk in the monastery nuns live in the villages with their parents and work with them. They could gather together only several days on month to read few ‘pechas’ (religious texts). Those, who are not ordained just have to take five precepts: not to kill, steal, lie, commit sexual misconduct, or take intoxicants. Beijing notes that it’s not easy to be a teacher.To be appointed as a teacher of nuns, a monk must fulfill sixteen qualifications : respectability (not having incurred a defeat or partial defeat and being conscientious in that he has forsaken unwholesome deeds such as killing animals); steadfastness (twenty years of standing as a monk); learning (knowledge of the three collections of the scriptures); and thirteen qualities of helpfulness (the twelve explained in the first chapter of this work in the discussion of the qualifications of the monastic preceptor, plus not having previously been appointed as a nuns' teacher and then removed from that position).A monk with these qualifications is appointed to be the nuns' teacher within the boundary of his monastic community; qualified fellow monks perform the appropriate ceremony during the confession ceremony of the fifteenth of the lunar month (132). At first to be accepted as a monk it was enough to take refuge in front of the Buddha. Then special rules were instituted. To be a monk or a nun became a matter of maintaining regulations.Aspirant needs to assume vows. To enter the Buddhist community novice have to pass a long way. According to Beijing, vows of personal are of seven categories when distinguished according to the person: the [vows of the] monk (bhik? u), the nun (bhik? uni), the male novice (srama? era), the female novice (srama? erika), the layman practitioner (upasaka), the laywoman practitioner (upasi?ka), and the postulant nun (sik? amana) (122). In the original procedure for conferring monastic ordination, the aspirant became a monk without any complex ritual. The present-day procedure confers ordination with a considerable amount of ritual. Beijing recorded several ways in which persons became instantaneously ordained as monks and nuns. For example by accepting the eight severe precepts:To receive ordination from monks; to await announce ment of the proper date for the fortnightly confession from monks; to participate in the rainy season retreat near a place where monks are also in retreat; to attend the ceremony of lifting of restrictions (imposed during the rainy season retreat) in an assembly of both monks and nuns; to serve respectfully both monks and nuns if one has transgressed any of these eight precepts ; not to reveal the corrupted morals of monks; not to reproach a monk; to behave respectfully (prostrating and so forth) toward the community of monks, including prostrating before a newly ordained monk.(89) The ceremonies that confer the lay practitioner vows or the novice vows on a woman are essentially the same as those for a man, except for the aspirant being referred to as â€Å"the woman known as†¦ ,† instead of â€Å"the man known as†¦ ,† and the additional questions posed to the woman. The precepts of the postulant nun may be assumed at the age of eighteen in the case of one wh o has not been married and at the age of ten in the case of a woman who has been married. This ordination is conferred by a group of twelve nuns through a two-part ceremony including proposal.A female novice must receive the postulant nun's vows and observe them for two years before she can receive full ordination as a nun. The aspirant nun should give the vow for strict observance of celibacy. Beijing mentions that a woman cannot receive this vow if she has any of the following five obstacles: having both the male and female organ or having neither; menstruating continuously or having no menstruation; having no feeling in the vagina; and having been a nun before (178). The bestowal of this vow constitutes the intermediate part of the nun's ordination.In the first part, her request to become a nun is forwarded to the abbess with a report on whether she is free from obstacles to her ordination (not having received permission from family or husband, being pregnant, etc. ). The second part of the ceremony consists of her request for the vows of strict observance of celibacy, which is forwarded to the abbess along with a report confirming that she will abide by such a vow (determined from further questioning), and the final agreement by the abbess which signals the conferral of the vow.In the third part, she is fully ordained by a group of both monks and nuns. An extensive explanation of the rules for nuns concludes the ceremony. Then the full ordination is bestowed in the presence of group of nuns augmented by a group of ordaining monks. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the preceptor instructs the new nun on the twelve points of discipline, which include the eight defeating offenses, the eight severe precepts, and other rules.However, it should be mentioned that the traditions for the ordinations of the postulant and fully ordained nun were never introduced in Tibet. Once became a nun, female practitioner of Buddhism must observe three hundred and sixty-four ru les: not to commit the eight defeating offenses that constitute root downfalls, twenty partially defeating acts, thirty-three downfalls involving forfeiture, one hundred and eighty downfalls requiring confession alone, eleven downfalls to be individually confessed, and one hundred and twelve minor infractions.In Buddhism, vows are viewed in many ways, depending on the context of the discussion, but generally the ethical systems are designated as three sets of vows, as two sets of vows, or as one all-inclusive vow. The three sets of vows spoken of throughout all divisions of the Buddhist scriptures are those of personal liberation (pratimok? a), of meditative absorption (dhyana), and of the uncontaminated (anasrava) vows. These are essentially identical to the three forms of training on the Buddhist path: the development of morality, meditation, and wisdom.In fact, in order to gain the different types of enlightenment of their systems, proclaimers (Rravaka), solitary sages (pratyekab uddha), and bodhisattvas must forsake disturbing emotions and other obstacles on their paths by cultivating an uncontaminated discriminative awareness which is developed by training in wisdom. This discriminative awareness is grounded in mental quiescence achieved by training in meditation, and mental quiescence is developed on the basis of training in pure morality.The proclaimers' system speaks of two sets of ethics, each with three vows: the vows of a lay practitioner, novice, and monk (or nun); and the vows of body, speech, and mind. The three vows in the scriptures of the Universal Way (mahayana) refer to the processes of refraining from the unwholesome, of aiming at acquiring good qualities, and of working for the benefit of all living beings. These are also known as the three trainings, or ethics, of the bodhisattva. The tantras speak of four sets of ethics, each with three vows.The first set includes the commitments of awakening mind, the vows related to the creation phase, and those related to the completion phase. The second set includes the pledges of the Buddha's body, speech, and mind. The third set, as taught by the great adept Vitapada, consists in not conforming to the practice of accepting what is good and rejecting what is bad with respect to any physical, verbal, or mental action. The fourth set includes the vows of personal liberation, the bodhisattva commitments, and the pledges of the awareness holder (vidyadhara).The tantras also speak of two types of ethics: the common pledges received during the vase initiation of the five awarenesses (of the vase) and the stages of the initiation prior to these; and the uncommon ones received at the time of the irreversible vajra-master initiation. According to a different explanation, the two types of ethics in the tantras refer to the vows related to the creation phase and those related to the completion phase, also known as the outer and inner vows.Moreover, when the tantric adept assumes all the v ows of personal liberation, the bodhisattva commitments, and the tantric pledges, he or she maintains these ethics in both their outer and inner aspects. Works Cited Beijing, Chos ‘byung. The History of Buddhism in India and Tibet. Delhi: Sri Satguru, 1986. David-Neel, Alexandra. â€Å"Edge of Tibet†, AATA 44:1 (January 1944): 26-29. Chang-tu Hu. China: Its People, Its Society, Its Culture. New Haven, CT: HRAF Press, 1960. Havnevik, Hanna. Tibetan Buddhist Nuns.History, Cultural Norms and Social Reality. Oslo: Norwegian University Press, 1989. Kerr, Blake. Sky burial : an eyewitness account of China's brutal crackdown in Tibet. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications, 1997. Shen, Tsung-lien and Liu, Shen-chi. Tibet and the Tibetans. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1977. Tucci, Guiseppe. The Religions of Tibet. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1980. Tsomo, Karma Lekshe. Innovative Buddhist Women: Swimming against the Stream. Richmond: Curzon Press Limited, 2000.

French Rhythm - Le Rythme

French Rhythm - Le Rythme Youve probably noticed, or at least heard others say, that the French language is very musical. The reason for this is that in French there are no stress marks on words: all syllables are pronounced at the same intensity (volume). In addition, many final consonants are liaised or enchaà ®nà ©s onto the next word. The lack of stress marks combined with liaisons and enchaà ®nements are what give French its rhythm: all of the words flow together like music. In contrast, English words each have a stressed syllable, which makes English sound comparatively choppy or staccato. (Im speaking purely from a linguistic point of view - this is not a judgment about which language sounds prettier.)Instead of stressed and unstressed syllables, French sentences are divided into rhythmic groups (groupes rythmiques or mots phonà ©tiques). A rhythmic group is a group of syntactically-related words in a sentence.* There are three basic kinds: Nominal (noun) groupsVerbal groupsPrepositional groups *Note that since the individual words within rhythmic groups are syntactically related, they are usually subject to required liaisons.The last syllable of each rhythmic group is accentuated in two ways. Intonation   Intonation refers to the pitch of someones voice. The last syllable of each rhythmic group inside the sentence is pronounced at a higher pitch than the rest of the sentence, while the final rhythmic groups final syllable is pronounced at a lower pitch. The only exceptions to this are  questions: in this case, the last rhythmic groups final syllable is also at a high pitch. Tonic accent The French tonic accent is a slight elongation of the final syllable in each rhythmic group. Rhythmic groups normally have up to 7 syllables, but this varies according to how quickly they are being spoken. If a sentence is spoken very quickly, some of the shorter rhythmic groups may be joined together. For example, Allez-vous au thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre  ? is short enough that you might choose to pronounce it as a single rhythmic group rather than Allez-vous  | au thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre  ?The following chart shows how rhythmic groups fit together. Click on the Listen links to hear each sentence pronounced at two different speeds. Due to the (lack of) quality of internet sound, I exaggerated the accentuation in the slow version. Please remember that this is just a guide to help you better understand rhythm and improve your French listening and speaking skills.   Nominal group Verbal group Prepositional Listen David et Luc | veulent vivre | au Mexique. slow normal Mon mari tienne | est prof danglais | Casablanca. slow normal Un tudiant | est arriv. slow normal Nous parlons | dun film. slow normal Allez-vous | au thtre ? slow normal

The Fall of Enron Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Fall of Enron - Essay Example It was 1985 when Kenneth Lay’s Houston Natural Gas merged with Nebraskan-Northern Natural Gas Company’s holding company, InterNorth, to form Enron. The two separate companies were primarily dealing with the distribution and transmission of oil and electricity in the United States of America. They were also active in the construction, development and maintenance of power plants, pipelines and other similar infrastructure worldwide (Wikipedia, 2006). Under the new company name, Lay was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer and wanted to expand Enron’s market share as he had envisioned for his former venture. Houston Natural Gas had previously been in the business of generating their revenues from junk bonds from which its proceeds were used in the formation of Enron. Kenneth Lay aimed at becoming the biggest player in the energy sector through successful trade earnings from futures contracts (NPR, 2006). To his advantage, Spectrum 7, an oil-well concern welcomed a partnership with Enron a year after its creation. Spectrum 7 was headed by George W. Bush, son of the then-Vice President George H. W. Bush. With falling gas prices in the mid 1980’s, Enron and other gas firms vigorously lobbied for deregulation. The deregulation action came into effect when buyers switched to the cheaper alternative – fuel oil. No doubt fluctuating gas prices allowed Enron to start marketing gas futures; securing gas prices at later date promised to their stakeholders. Similarly, the company lobbied once again for electricity just before selling electric power futures contracts (NPR, 2006). From then on, Enron was aggressive in expanding its services in the water utility sector by creating Azurix that partly collapsed on the NYSE in 1999 and shut down operations in 2001 (Wikipedia, 2006). Jeffery Skilling was hired in 1990 to lead the new division – Enron

Obesity in American Children Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Obesity in American Children - Research Paper Example 1140). Available evidence in indicates that statistics of childhood and teenage-hood obesity have more than tripled since 1980 and the prevalence does not appear to be showing any significant downward momentum (Wojcicki and Heyman 1457). Almost a third of 2 year-old children are currently overweight or obese with an increased likelihood exposure to cardiovascular disease and diabetes, of hospitalization and a subsequent diagnosis with a mental, bone and joint disorders than non-obese children (Thompson and Wolf 189). Worse still, the causative effects of obesity not only harms millions of Americans healthwise, but concurrently bulges out annual health care costs with little results—more than one quarter of America’s health care budget is devoted to obesity related health issues (Finkelstein and Fiebelkorn 223). The above notwithstanding, the problem stands with worse consequences for a society regarded as a front-runner in nearly every sphere of influence, technology in clusive; overweight children adolescents graduate to adulthood with all the health complications that accompany obesity. What is this obesity anyway? Are there chances of saving a generation whose lives apparently hangs on the pendulum? This paper investigates the impact that obesity on American Children—a disease now considered of epidemic proportions, with regard to its prevalence rates, the contributing factors, the health complications and the possible routes for preventive measures. Across section of epidemiological studies define obesity based on body mass index (BMI). It thus refers to a chronic, complex condition characterized by an excess amount body fat/adipose tissue relative to lean body mass with a resultant effect of â€Å"caloric imbalance†Ã¢â‚¬â€too little calories used in relation to the amount consumed (Daniels, et al 1999). Noteworthy, the amount of body fat consumed and those for subsequent usage are affected by various genetic makeup, behavioral i nteractions as well as environmental factors. More generally, while the causes of obesity may genetically linked, many of them the causes are behaviorally and environmentally conditioned and are remediable with correct child upbringing. The World Health Organization (W.H.O.), The Centers for Disease Control (CDC, Surgeon General, The National Institute of Health (N.I.H.) among other healthcare monitoring organizations, all now recognizes obesity as a major health issue that is in its prime levels of concern in the United States. Even though statistical increases in obesity have been somewhat similar in the industrialized world, the United States’ levels ranks among the highest the world over. The country has witnessed the estimates steadily increase from 13 percentage points in 1962 towards 19.4, 24.5, 26.6, 33.8 percentage points in 1997, 2004, 2007 and 2008 respectively (National Center for Health Statistics par 11-14). Overall, the prevalence has increased by a whopping 33 percent in the last decade alone with an ever burgeoning research evidence indicative of a direct relation between an increased in the mortality rate and the exacerbative effects of obesity (Fontaine, et al. 190). As insinuated above, the root cause of obesity can be tracked to