Thursday, November 28, 2019

A Complete List of John Steinbecks Books

A Complete List of John Steinbeck's Books John Steinbecks books depict a realistic and tender image of his childhood and life spent in Steinbeck Country, the region around the city of Monterrey, California. The world-renowned novelist, playwright, essayist, and short-story writer was born in Salinas, California, in 1902. Growing up in a rural town, he spent his summers working on local ranches which exposed him to the harsh lives of migrant workers. These experiences would provide much of the inspiration for some of his most celebrated works such as Of Mice and Men. John Steinbeck's Books John Steinbeck (1902–1968) was an American novelist, playwright, essayist, and short-story writer.His best-known work includes Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath.  He wrote a series of short stories set in his hometown of Monterrey, California, about the harsh lives of migrant workers there.  He won the Pulitzer Prize for Grapes of Wrath in 1940, and the Nobel Prize in Literature for his body of work in 1962.   Best Known Books Steinbeck published 30 books, including several that were well-respected by both critics and the public. Among those are Tortilla Flat, about a charming group of layabouts who live near Monterey; The Grapes of Wrath about a farming family fleeing the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma for California during the Great Depression; and Of Mice and Men, a story of two itinerant ranch hands struggling to survive. Many of Steinbecks books centered around the difficulties experienced by Americans living in the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. He also took inspiration for his writing from his time spent as a reporter. His work has stirred controversy and offered a unique view into what life was like for struggling low-income Americans. John Steinbecks Books 1927: Cup of Gold- A historical fiction based loosely on the life of the 17th-century pirate Henry Morgan.1932: The Pastures of Heaven- Twelve interconnected stories about the people in a valley in Monterrey, California, a place which would become central in many of his later works.1933: To a God Unknown- Four brothers who move to California to work a ranch and struggle when drought takes away all they have grown.1935: Tortilla Flat- A small band of Hispanic paisanos in Monterrey enjoy life in Monterrey (Steinbecks first big success).  1936: In Dubious Battle- A labor activist struggles to organize fruit workers in California. Movie still from the 1939 Hal Roach production of Steinbecks Of Mice and Men. Here, George (Burgess Meredith) talks with his oafish friend, Lennie (Lon Chaney, Jr.). Corbis / Getty Images 1937: Of Mice and Men- Two displaced migrants seek work in California during the Great Depression. The book was often a target of censorship for its vulgarity and offensive language.1937: The Red Pony Stories- Episodic novel appearing in magazines between 1933 and 1936, first published together in 1937, about a boy and his life on a California ranch.1938: The Long Valley- A collection of 12 short stories, written over several years and set in the Salinas Valley of California (includes the first Red Pony story).   L-R Dorris Bowden, Jane Darwell and Henry Fonda on the set of the film The Grapes of Wrath. Corbis / Getty Images 1939: The Grapes of Wrath- A poor migrant family from Oklahoma and their struggles to find a place in California. Steinbecks best-known novel and winner of the Pulitzer and other literary prizes.  Ã‚  1941: The Forgotten Village- A documentary film written by Steinbeck and narrated by Burgess Meredith, about a Mexican village grappling with modernization.  1942: The Moon Is Down- A story of a small coastal town in northern Europe which is overrun by an unnamed army (thought to be a fictionalization of the occupation of Norway by the Nazis in World War II).  1942: Bombs Away: The Story of a Bomber Team- A nonfiction account of Steinbecks experiences with several World War II American Army Air bomber crews.  1945- Cannery Row- A story of a disastrous party thrown by the inhabitants of a small town in California for their friend Doc.  1947: The Wayward Bus- Interactions of a cross-section of people at a crossroads bus stop in California.1947: The Pearl- An immense pearl brings ill-effects to an oyster fishermans family.   1948: A Russian Journal- A report from Steinbeck on his travels through the Soviet Union during Joseph Stalins rule.  1950: Burning Bright- A morality story meant to be produced as a play, during which an aging man goes to great lengths to have a child. A fishing boat moves on to a trailer pulled by a truck, in Golfo de Santa Clara, Baja California, in Mexico. Fishermen from this area fish in the Sea of Cortez which is the habitat of an endangered porpoise, La Vaquita. Corbis via Getty Images / Getty Images 1951: The Log from the Sea of Cortez- Steinbecks personal log of a six-week expedition in the Gulf of California he made with marine biologist Ed Ricketts. Written in 1941, published in 1951.1952: East of Eden- A novel about two Salinas valley families in the first two decades of the 20th century, based on the story of Steinbecks own ancestors.  1954: Sweet Thursday- A revisit of the people in Cannery Row, taking place after the main character Doc returns at the end of World War II.1957: The Short Reign of Pippin IV: A Fabrication- A political satire, exploring what might happen if an ordinary fellow was selected to be the King of France.  1958: Once There Was A War- A collection of articles written for the New York Herald Tribune while Steinbeck was a foreign correspondent during World War II.1961: The Winter of Our Discontent- The struggles of a Long Island man whose family has fallen from an aristocratic level to a middle-class existence. Steinbecks last novel.  1962: Travel s with Charley: In Search of America- A travelogue of Steinbecks road trip across the U.S. in a hand-built camper with his dog Charley.   1966: America and Americans- A collection of articles from Steinbecks career as a journalist.  1969: Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters- A series of letters written by Steinbeck to his editor during the writing of East of Eden. Published posthumously (Steinbeck died in 1968).   Mexican-American actor Anthony Quinn, American actors Marlon Brando, Lou Gilbert and Harold Gordon on the set of Viva Zapata! directed by Greek-American Elia Kazan. Corbis / Getty Images 1975: Viva Zapata!- A screenplay written by Steinbeck was used to produce this biographical film about the Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata.  1976: The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights- An adaptation of the legend of King Arthur, started in 1956, and unfinished at his death.  1989: Working Days: The Journals of The Grapes of Wrath- Edited and annotated version of Steinbecks personal journal written while he was working on The Grapes of Wrath. Prizes for Literature   Steinbeck won the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 for The Grapes of Wrath, and a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, an award he did not think he deserved. The author was not alone in that thought; many literary critics were also unhappy with the decision. In 2013, the Nobel Prize committee revealed that the author had been a compromise choice, chosen from a bad lot where none of the authors stood out. Many believed that Steinbecks best work was already behind him by the time he was chosen for the award; others believed that the criticism of his win was politically motivated. The authors anti-capitalist slant to his stories made him unpopular with many. In spite of this, he is still considered one of Americas greatest writers and his books are regularly taught in American and British schools.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Gucci Case Essay Example

Gucci Case Essay Example Gucci Case Essay Gucci Case Essay Group A Anna Abrell, Lottie Batchelor, Ankita Choudhary, Yuou Du, Marianne Halmela, Martin Zirfas Table of Contents Guccis strategy! The luxury goods sector! Gucci SWOT analysts: Strategic group analysis! Future predictions Is Gucci good at strategy? When Tom Ford was in charge, the business was more design-focused control was centralised there were disputes between Tom De Sol regarding managerial control With the appointment of Robert Polet, control became decentralised and each brand was given direct control over its label appointed relatively unknown designers # very controversial move PPR bought back the 20% stake that LVMH owned, acquired more brands and entered into franchising Although some brands in the Gucci Group portfolio are not very profitable, they still have a high brand equity, which contributes positively towards the strategic advantage # Although Guccis strategy was controversial and risky at the time of its conception, it has influenced current businesses and helped the company become more profitable # Gucci is good at strategy The Luxury Goods Sector Products Apparel, leather goods, shoes, fragrance, cosmetics, Jewellery, watches # Accessory pending to experience most growth, whilst watch cosmetics cons umption has slowed (Bain Company, 2013) Geographic scope USA, Europe, Central South America, Asia, Middle East Buyers High-class middle. class. Intelligent, individualistic individuals with strong values principles. Are demanding, have high expectations a disposable attitude. : Competitors Kering, LVMH, Richemont Group, smaller niche brands (eg Goyard) Suppliers Specialised, often family-run production sites East Substitutes Wines Spriits Potential entrants High-tech luxury goods Level of profitability but also factories in Asia Middle- Revenues expected to grow 50% faster than global GDP 4-5% growth expectancy for 2013 5-6% annual average growth expectancy through 201 5 (Bain Company, 2013) Long-term profitability Predicted to be 5x larger in 2025 than it was in 1995 Recent likely future changes China to become highest consumer of luxury goods Middle east south-east Asia sales growing Importance of menswear to increase E-Tailers that sell luxury goods to create own-brand luxury good offerings? Aspects that may be affected by competitors, new entrants or potential entrants Importance of customer experience Retail management Talent within the company Threat of new entrants Low Bargaining power of suppliers Medium high High switching costs for industry players Medium to low degree of product differentiation Low supplier substitute availability Low threat of forward integration into the industry High capital requirements High demand-side benefits of scale economies of scale Rivalry among existing competitors Medium High amount of Medium High exit barriers High rival familiarity Medium price competition Threat of substitutes High High offer of attractive priceperformance tradeoff Low switching costs Bargaining power of buyers Medium brand loyalty (more brand loyalty is at the very high end of the luxury sector) High fixed costs Medium to high product standardisation High importance of product Medium to low price sensitivity Stable There is relatively litt le threat of new entrants Longitudinal the industry is not as gravely affected by economic downturn Difficult supply-chain management because there is a trade-off to having sustainable, specialised suppliers # they have higher negotiating power High threat of substitutes Customers are loyal and do not have as much bargaining powers as they do in the high-street sector Rivalry between competitors is not as high as it is in the high- street sector What does this imply about the strategy Gucci should adopt? Strengthen the brand image to combat the threat of substitutes Strengthen the relationship with their suppliers Gucci SWOT Analysts Strengths Worlds third largest luxury retailer Strong managerial presence since the arrival of Polet Brand portfolio is easy to handle Perceived quality value of the leather goods Strengths of brands such as Bottega Venetta, Alexander McQueen etc that have recently established themselves Shift to decentralised control (with 3-year business plans ) Opportunities Expansion into the growing luxury Enter the technological sector Update store concept retail experience more technology Collaborations with other brands celebs Weaknesses Less diversified brand portfolio than other competitives in the sector Residue of cheapened brand image YSL being unprofitable Timing of new strategy implementation Appointment of relatively unknown designers Disruption when three dozen managers left upon Tom Fords leave Robert Polets lack of experience in the ashion sector or luxury markets Threats Economic downturn/instability Imitability fast fashion Less licensing Prada entering into the technology sector LVMH, especially Louis Vuitton Strategic group analysis Hermes Luxury Bottiga Venetta Burberry Celine Givenchy GUCCI LV Kenzo Loewe Traditional Innovative Marc Jacobs Ralph Lauren Longchamp Affordability Michael by Michael Kors How should Gucci adapt its strategy to maintain its position? It might be the time to change the strategy again! Should position themselves to become more innovative make their product offering more varied (include more very high riced, limited items) Refresh their image become more edgy and contemporary ! Eg create cooperations between different brands within the portfolio ! Strengthen the Gucci brand further before adding even more brands to the portfolio ! Celebrity endorsements Prediction for the future of Gucci The brand needs some help to reinvent itself its image through contemporary advertising campaigns, better visual store concepts, social media techniques etc otherwise it may run the risk of losing its brand voice Create a new values Thank you! If you have any questions please feel free to ask

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Intelligence Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intelligence Community - Essay Example Threats such as terrorism are not easy to tackle and it has forced intelligence agencies to invest heavily in new technology as well as create more sophisticated methods of spying on potential adversaries. The rise of al Qaeda and its affiliate organizations has created a situation where it has become essential for the intelligence community to utilize all the resources available to it to ensure that this threat is either neutralized or destroyed. The intelligence community after the Cold War has had to face adversaries who are more numerous than during the Soviet era and this has made it imperative for there to be changes in the way that the various agencies within it operate. For example, during the Soviet era, it was common practice for the various intelligence agencies not to share information with each other; each of them attempting to ensure that what they considered to be their jurisdiction was jealously guarded.1 The rise of the terrorist threat on the United States, especial ly after the 9/11 attacks, changed all that as it led to the realization of the need to be interagency cooperation to prevent such an event from ever taking place again. In recent years, there have developed fusion centers whose main purpose is to ensure that all the information, concerning potential threats, that has been collected by the various agencies is shared in a common database.2 This is a phenomenon which would have been considered strange during the Cold War as each agency in the period attempted to keep all the information that it gathered a closely guarded secret, not to be shared with rival agencies. During the Cold War, the main means of intelligence gathering was either through direct spying, the use of double agents, or through the use of sleeper agents. This form of spying was extremely risky for those individuals involved because it created a situation where, if caught, they were likely to either be killed, or put on display to the embarrassment of their home nati on. The modern form of intelligence gathering, however, aims at preventing such incidents as much as possible and this is based on the fact that there is the use of advanced technology to cover those areas which are highly sensitive. The use of the new forms of intelligence gathering technology has ensured that the need for field agents has become minimal; their being required only during the most crucial of missions. The use of evermore sophisticated intelligence gathering technology has created a situation where it has become much easier to gather intelligence on any target around the globe.3 All the potential threats to the nation are often on the radar of the intelligence agencies, and one way or the other; they are more often than not found out and eliminated. The use of the drone technology has enabled the swift identification, targeting, and elimination of threats to national security anywhere in the world, thus creating more efficiency when protecting the interests of the Un ited States. When compared to the Cold War era, it can be said that the status of the intelligence community has changed for the better since it has seen the development of better cooperation between the various intelligence agencies. There has developed the realization that the cooperation betwe

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Biostatistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Biostatistics - Essay Example From our calculation, our odds ratio is skewed in nature and therefore it is not possible to make a direct calculation of the standard error. We have a 95% confidence level and the population odds ratio for heart disease associated with smokers lies within 1.21 (an increased odd of 1.21 fold) and 1.99 (an increased odd of 1.99) fold. When a confidence interval does not include the value of 1, we know that the odds of the measured outcome are different for both attributes even without a significance test. In this case, the confidence interval does not contain value 1.0, hence there is significant association between smoking and heart disease. The Odd’s ratio is 1.55, the smokers are having 1.55 times more risk of having heart disease on the other hand, the risk ratio is 1.2939, means for smokers there is 29.39% more chance to having risk of heart disease. Both the confidence intervals do not contain the value 1, hence the results of both Odd’s ratio and risk ratio are significant. Observe that for both Odd’s ratio and Risk ratio, the p value is 0, hence both the measures are equally significant. The odds ratio value is skewed and therefore it is not possible to directly calculate the standard error of the statistics. The no difference value for this statistics is 1 and therefore when a confidence interval includes the value of 1, we know that the odds of the measured outcome are the same even without a significance test. To evaluate the p value, we can use the chi-square approach but in this case, it is not appropriate therefore it would be proper to use Fisher’s exact solution. Odd’s ratio is preferred in case of a nested control study because it is an efficient method of analysis in terms of both time and cost. It also makes it possible to investigate a wide range of possible risk factors. Odd’s ratio is also particularly suitable to investigate rare diseases with a long induction period. Odd ratio is also preferred because it a

Monday, November 18, 2019

Short essay answers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Short essay answers - Assignment Example He also posits that once technology is universal, rational changes would be initiated and implemented. Surely, technology, if rationally used, does make processes move easier and quicker, thus supporting change and progress. According to Volti, society will only benefit from technology if it is considered in its larger social context. In fact, technology, as defined by Volti, is humans’ ability to design and develop the systems by which they survive by the use of organizational forms, knowledge, and physical objects to realize specific objectives (Volti, P. 8). Progress is connected to technology because technology is primarily cumulative, optimistic, and progressive and requires incessant perfection in its internal mechanisms. Rational world view of technology is thus important in establishing the interactions between technology and society. This rational view is that the assumption that the world can be controlled, more so by addressing problems with technological solutions. There is also a causative connection between technology and economic progress. The connection between technology and economic progress has its consequences, some positive and others negative. In fact, some of the benefits of technology could be harmful to others (Volti, P. 19). The interrelationship between scientific and industrial revolution is a rather apparent one. In fact, the Industrial Revolution was caused by the many scientific inventions of the 16th and 17th century. The industrial revolution refers to the 1750-1850 period during which many changes occurred in the agriculture, technology manufacturing, mining, and transportation sectors, leading to far-reaching improvements on the social, economic and cultural conditions of life during this period (Henderson & Yount, P. 142). In fact, every aspect of life changed during the industrial revolution, which begun in the United Kingdom and spread

Friday, November 15, 2019

Strategies for Depository Companies in Financial Crisis

Strategies for Depository Companies in Financial Crisis Introduction The development of capital markets is highly dependent on the activities of related securities market infrastructure institutes that include, inter alia, depository companies engaged in provision of the services for record-keeping of entitlements under securities (registration and transfer of rights to securities), collection of coupon and dividends (payable income) arising from the portfolios, facilitation of corporate actions processing (such as tender offer, proxy voting, buy-backs), and other services. This study focuses on the issues and relevant remediation steps applicable to depository companies being integral part of the stock market infrastructure. Recent volatility in the stock markets provided a positive impetus to change the business model of depository companies. Securities market participants seek to use the services of depository companies as an additional measure of protection for a significant amount of assets and portfolios. Moreover, the market is shrinking and brokerage houses are going bankrupt that also boosts customers desire to move their assets to specialized players in depository business by establishing direct relations. Nevertheless, the global turmoil has affected the research market segment resulting in rapidly decreasing value of assets under custody, reduction of on-exchange and OTC trading volumes, and redistribution of portfolios of assets by risk-averse investors seeking alternative strategies in times of crisis. Keywords: capital market, strategic alternatives, competitive strategy, depository services. The objective of the research paper is to identify the key strategic options that would increase economic profit of the depositories’ organizations amid ongoing financial crisis. Effectively, we would like to develop and propose different approaches towards the companies’ strategic options aimed at defining current condition, future growth factors and drivers for relatives companies of the market segment. The findings section of the research paper describes most topical problems that depository companies are currently facing in Russia. The economic value drivers are identified and can be used to translate them into the economic profit model of depository companies. Furthermore, the main strategic options are identified to highlight client portfolio rebalancing opportunities in the market segment. Methodology The methodological base of the research paper is based on the analysis of data and information available in public sources, and made through desk study, along with the opinion expressed by the market experts. The following sources of information were used for different sections of the report: Legal framework: federal laws on securities and custody operations, information on securities market volumes and other statistics was retrieved from the Russian National Association of Securities Market Participants (NAUFOR) and the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) official web-sites, the official publications and documents of the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat), and the Ministry of Economic Development; The problems were identified through interviews conducted with securities market specialists in Russia; Securities services sector development: the data was retrieved from annual NAUFOR Russian Stock Market. Facts and Events survey of 2014. The research paper is represented by six chapters that include introduction, methodology, the main part – hypothesis, findings, conclusion, footnotes and bibliography. Hypotheses We suggests the following hypotheses to be tested in the course of empirical research: Hypothesis 1: The growth strategic alternative (merger / acquisition, and integration / alliance) is winning in terms of achieving the objectives set by the company during crisis. Criteria: Cost-saving through synergies with other small providers; introduction of new product offering. Hypothesis 2. Companies that apply product expansion strategy instead of infrastructure needs can be more effective during crisis times, create competitive advantage and fulfill the objectives of the company. Criteria: The presence / absence of the relation between the degree of product diversification of the company (interoperability with the Central Depository, Central Counterparties, communication standards) with product standardization. Hypothesis 3. Depositories companies prone to invest in quality assurance (service organization), rather than implement cost reduction strategies. Criteria: The presence / absence of large market players, including investment funds and wealthy individuals. Characteristics of the research object Object depository companies that provide services to broker / dealers, investment funds, private individuals and other depositories. Characteristics and features of the market segment: Approximately 570 companies. From 15 to 80 employees. Revenue from 0.1 to 5 million dollars a year. Clients local and foreign residents. Entry barriers – licensing requirements, IT technology, staff competencies. Large number of small companies with a small scope of operations and market share. Trend towards consolidation of businesses. The market segment of the securities market industry has a number of distinctive features that influences application of discussed strategic alternatives in the crisis. Findings The current global financial crisis requires depository companies to respond quickly to all macro-environment changes and stay competitive player with large amounts of assets deposited. The securities services are fairly stable line of business, where the client portfolio (equities and fixed income instruments) size is crucial and steady income for the maintenance would facilitate the development of the company. However, the depositary companies are affected by unstable situation, which is observed in the stock market in recent years. Therefore, we would like to see new threats and opportunities that have emerged recently. We analyze the strategies of corporate governance of companies affected by the financial crisis on this basis, the following assumptions that were designated for the research paper: We assume that all actions are undertaken in the interests of the stakeholders of the company or business. Set of strategic alternatives designated for the management in order to adjust the companys goals, drivers and incentives. It should be aimed at achieving long-term stability and development of the companys competitive advantages. We offer three strategic alternatives focused on the development of depository companies. Strategic integration opportunity is aimed at further increasing the scale of production for the purpose of reducing the share of the unit cost. The implementation of the strategic alternative is expected to be done either by improving production processes or acquiring other depositary companies of market segment for the purpose of achieving the economy of scale. The strategy also suggests the possibility of further acquisitions and development of the most profitable depositary companies of the group. The strategy of product expansion in companies offering depository services promote the interests of customers and investors in attracting new portfolios. This strategy, however, requires a systematic approach and professional competence to be successful. The Russian capital market has grown rapidly over the last 15 years, but the securities market infrastructure could not keep up the pace. Effectively, depository companies that had specialized in improving the securities market infrastructure of the stock market, promoting new electronic document interchange, new product offering and interconnection services, can achieve success in the crisis. Given the opportunity to work with local authorities on the development of the securities market infrastructure in the long term they can lead to key roles in the value chain. These depositories companies has a fundamental knowledge and significant resources to identify and resolve discrepancies in connection with the accelerated development o f the stock market. The strategic alternative of the service organization if they can meet service level claimed by sophisticated investment funds, private individuals and global custodians forced by the credit crunch to hold their assets through depository companies using them as extra protection during the financial crisis. For depository companies, there are many opportunities to retain these customers and grow the business, if they can agree and guarantee services that their customers demand. Nevertheless, many questions arise when thinking about the possibility of service in the framework of this strategy, there is no innovation component. It may be difficult to implement such a strategy for large depository companies whose business models are based on cost reduction and unification of services provided. However, the innovative component cannot be a panacea for all the ills in the short term. The decisive role is played by the demand and requirements of the customers and investors, and also monitor ing and control regulatory bodies. Business model of depository companies are highly dependent on the cost of fees for safekeeping as a percentage of total assets in custody, as well as fees for each transaction in securities. Probably the situation could become worse, given the negative reaction from politicians and regulators in light of the financial crisis. One of the key areas which will have an impact on the financial services sector is information transparency. Stagnation of business activity in the stock market has provided many opportunities for depository companies, and put some pressure on the volume of investment and resources management companies. Business and operational models were tested under the conditions subject to increased demands of customers in the pursuit of improving the quality of service and flexibility of services provided. The rapid reduction in the value of client assets under custody put pressure on revenues and spending in order to remain profitable. Conclusion The practical conclusions of the study can be summarized as follows: The specific strategic alternatives have been formulated for depository companies acting in a financial crisis. Each option describes opportunities and focus group, and is presented as optimal one for the company with certain level of expertise and specific client types. Each of the strategic alternatives is aimed at selected market participants and shall provide opportunities to survive, improve operational activities, and also to strengthen their position in the market segment. In conclusion, we notes that at the present time, when the whole world is deepening the financial crisis, more and more companies risk losing their ability to pay. Accordingly, it is necessary to pay more attention to the anti-crisis strategy of corporate governance. Bibliography Rubcov B.B. Modern Financial Markets M.: Alpina Business Books, 2007. – 926 p. Clearnet. Rules conditions for clearing house membership. Paris, 2000.-p. 114 Group 30. Report of Committee on Interbank Netting Schemes of the Central Banks of 2005 www.cbr.ru/sbrfr CBR legal framework, financial market participants, market statistics www.naufor.ru NAUFOR Russian Stock Market Fact Book 2014 www.gks.ru – Federal State Statistics Service. www.ved.gov.ru – The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. 1

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Themes of Lord of the Flies :: essays research papers

The theme of the novel is the collapse of the society. The friendships among the boys are destructive because they do not realize the beast inside of them. They show their ego to each other. The beast is something evil within themselves and it is not a savage animal that is caved ‘Lord of the Flies’. The conch shell symbolizes the law and order among the children who trapped in the deserted tropical island. It is used to call the groups of the boys to assembly in a certain place. Ralph, the chief and the central leadership of the group is responsible to take care the conch. The conch shell represents the authority which the boys must obey. The conch is an instrument like a trumpet blowing to order the boys. Finally, the conch shell is broken down into pieces and the leadership is torn down and abandoned. The atmosphere of the island society collapses into chaos and no longer peace remind. The beast in the story symbolizes the gradation of the morality among the boys. The compete each other becoming in the last survivor and the commander of group. The beast is not a real object which they believe if exists. They don’t realize the internal beast inside of them. Only Simon understands what the real beast is, but is killed when he tries to tell them about that. The beast mind and soul of the boys lead them to the collapse of the society. They begin killing each other and the trustworthy has lost. The parachute man symbolizes the lost of the adult supervisor who has the authority to control over the boys. The moral confrontation has arisen among the boys. The beast inside of them leads them to the anarchy. Also because of the lost of the parachute man, there is no adult who manage them and the situation bring them to the collapse of the society.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Economic History and Current India Essay

There have been recent studies of the entire history of the economy of india where it is possible to ananlyse where india stood its place in past and where it is currently held. Paul Birog made a thorough analysis of Asian countries GDP economic development of 1750-1918 where surprisingly the findings in 1700AD drawn economic statistics of world . China had 32. 8% GDP where as as india had 25% . UK at that time had 1. 8% GDP along with 1% GDP in USA. By the time of 1900 there was a total reversal of paradigm shift where US and UK had GDP growth of 41% whereas China and India suffered 1. 7% GDP overall. The western research shows that india was a economic giant . London economist Angus Madisson in 1990, one of the greatest british economist of all time was appointed by the OECD nations to verify Paul Birogs research along with different levels of assistances from different countries. Eventually in 2010 he published a 2000 year economy of India where it showed from 1AD India topped thed world with 34% GDP. Still in 1000AD it had 28% GDP. In the years 1500 and 1600 china overtakes india. Again in 1700 india overtakes china and finally the entire crash of the Indian economy began later in 1750’s where the british colonial overlords landed in the country and started looting the country and exploiting its resources. The OECD website refers in the â€Å"world economic history and millennium perspective† lists out all these information which have been quoted before. It is one of the most trusted and relied upon website to refer to the statistics of the world economies. Although the word society is absent completely in western society where Margaret Thatcher said in 1971, that there is nothing called as society. And today all the western accepts today is the alternate version of so called civil society. Now civil society is totally different from the traditional society where it can be suggested that it is a form of ‘anti society’. Civil society which is the current western trend is based on social contractual theory, which all the institution are based including out democratic government where each citizen is recognized as co-citizen in country rather than mutual brotherhood based society. For eg. In USA, in Philedelphia, a Son can file a case against his own father for divorce of relationship and can achieve his claim since there is no cultural society, it is a civil society where 2 people are viewed as co-citizens rather with any blood and brotherly relationship. The complete western understanding, their institutions, sociology, individualism, constitutional theory of west does not recognize normal basic human relationship. But whereas our Indian society has always been working entirely on human relations since the ages of time where india showed a huge economic superpower with traditional society. Today since Indian government which is puppying around the western ideology fail to realize that they are taking the economy of the nation into a huge catastrophy. In 1993, when Manmohan Singh was the finance minister invited jagadish bhagavati a neo economist from USA, who formed the entire Duncan WTO treaty for the situation crisis in india with its economic situation. He suggested that the problem with Indian people is that they are saving more than need which comes around 23%GDP,out of which 19 % GDP were only saved by Indians. His advise included to bring down the savings of the people by different means of taxations and other techniques to 9-10%. Out of which this 9 -10% should only be focused on food, shelter like basic needs and increase productions by employing more people and made a whole theory model on that. His theory on Indian situation stated that unless you destroy the family saving of the Indian people and bring it down to half of it, there was no chance of development. He also made a research on the Indian families that Indian woman played a vital role in taking hold of the savings of her family expenditures. So his ideas proposed to change the mentality of the reserved family woman to consumer based woman where she can be advertised to spend more of our money and change the family structure symmetrically in Indian society. In western society there is no propensity to save money assets, thus as a result many families are destroyed. Today 51% Americans are single parent family, out of which 41% children are born to unwed mothers, 20% born for school going children. 51% of the American people are dependent on government support on life insurance, health support etc. where as Indian people have always been dependent on society. Moreover the western economy is build on contractual interest based constitutional society which has led to time bomb ticking economy is USA and other European countries. Today the present scenario has changed the entire habitual thinking process of the people in India. They have a huge affiliated love towards the western society and its features less realizing the suicidal catastrophic and destructive features of its empire. The govt. in India always claim to be globalizing with the world but in reality, india is Americanizing by focusing only on American economic model. There are other traditional society based economies like Japan and germany wherr they instead of manipulating the crowd, they motivate their savings in their family and encourage only the financial institutions to put up money in trades of stock market. There is a huge commonality between the german or Japanese structure of economic history of rich cultural based society which our country could have adopted for the people but current democractic model is partially by the people but it has terribly failed to be for the people by inviting the civil society in our country. Indian economies,constitutions, institutions,sociology, philosophy, education etc all are based on the government economic blueprint of those same people who looted the country, colonized it and then destroyed the Indian GDP. CONCLUSION There are fraternity based economic models in this world with which we share commonality and our ideas should be to have a wider understanding of the world with whom we relate culturally and socially and only then our economic model can be aligned to them to achieve prosperity and serenity in our country.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on Fire And Ice By Frost

â€Å"Fire and Ice† In Robert Frost’s poem â€Å"Fire and Ice† the main theme is the final destruction of the earth. Many people speculate how the world will come to an end. Frost compares the destructive forces of fire and ice and gives the reader insight into Frost’s own experiences and thoughts of entire destruction. At the very beginning of the poem, Frost literally offers two possibilities for the end of the world. â€Å"Some say the world will end in fire, / Some say in ice.† (l. 1-2). People have wondered for years as to how the world will be destroyed. Most believe the Bible that the world will end in fire. Others favor the view of another Ice Age caused from a meteor hitting earth. Beyond the literal reference, Frost also leads the reader to observe the downfall of mankind. In the next two lines Frost tells the reader what he has experienced. He concurs with â€Å"those who favor fire† (l. 4). Frost relates the detrimental fire to desire. He believes that desire will ultimately bring about the end. This relation suggests that desire, or lust, greed and want, when used negatively bring about one’s downfall and could certainly bring about the downfall of an entire planet. Frost next contrasts the relation of fire and desire with that of ice and hatred. â€Å"But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice.† (l. 5-9). Frost is saying that if the world must be destroyed a second time that he would want it to end with damaging ice to show what hate would be like. Frost relates ice to the hatred throughout the world. He has seen enough hate to consummate world wide death. Ice surrounds objects and causes them to crack or break from the pressure; much like hatred does to an individual. Hate gets into one’s very soul and forces out all the good, eventually eating away the core of one’s being. Therefore... Free Essays on Fire And Ice By Frost Free Essays on Fire And Ice By Frost â€Å"Fire and Ice† In Robert Frost’s poem â€Å"Fire and Ice† the main theme is the final destruction of the earth. Many people speculate how the world will come to an end. Frost compares the destructive forces of fire and ice and gives the reader insight into Frost’s own experiences and thoughts of entire destruction. At the very beginning of the poem, Frost literally offers two possibilities for the end of the world. â€Å"Some say the world will end in fire, / Some say in ice.† (l. 1-2). People have wondered for years as to how the world will be destroyed. Most believe the Bible that the world will end in fire. Others favor the view of another Ice Age caused from a meteor hitting earth. Beyond the literal reference, Frost also leads the reader to observe the downfall of mankind. In the next two lines Frost tells the reader what he has experienced. He concurs with â€Å"those who favor fire† (l. 4). Frost relates the detrimental fire to desire. He believes that desire will ultimately bring about the end. This relation suggests that desire, or lust, greed and want, when used negatively bring about one’s downfall and could certainly bring about the downfall of an entire planet. Frost next contrasts the relation of fire and desire with that of ice and hatred. â€Å"But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice.† (l. 5-9). Frost is saying that if the world must be destroyed a second time that he would want it to end with damaging ice to show what hate would be like. Frost relates ice to the hatred throughout the world. He has seen enough hate to consummate world wide death. Ice surrounds objects and causes them to crack or break from the pressure; much like hatred does to an individual. Hate gets into one’s very soul and forces out all the good, eventually eating away the core of one’s being. Therefore...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Shakespeare Authorship Controversy

The Shakespeare Authorship Controversy Could William Shakespeare, the country bumpkin from Stratford-upon-Avon, really be the man behind the World’s greatest ever literary texts? 400 years after his death, the Shakespeare authorship controversy continues. Many scholars simply can’t believe that William Shakespeare could have had the necessary education or life experiences to have written such complex texts–he was, after all, just the son of a glove maker in a rural town! Perhaps at the heart of the Shakespeare authorship controversy is a more philosophical debate: can you be born a genius? If you subscribe to the idea that genius is acquired, then believing that this little man from Stratford could acquire the necessary understanding of the classics, law, philosophy, and dramaturgy from a brief stint at grammar school is a stretch. Shakespeare Was Not Clever Enough! Before we begin this attack on Shakespeare, we should clearly state at the outset that there is no evidence to support these claims–in fact, the Shakespeare authorship conspiracy theories are largely based on â€Å"lack of evidence†. Shakespeare was not intelligent enough: The plays contain a deep knowledge of the classics, yet Shakespeare did not have a university education. Although he would have been introduced to the classics at grammar school, there is no official record of him attending.Where are his books?: If Shakespeare did amass knowledge independently, he would have had a large collection of books. Where are they? Where did they go? They certainly were not itemized in his will. Whilst the above may be a convincing argument, it is based on lack of evidence: records of pupils at Stratford-upon-Avon Grammar School have not survived or were not kept and the inventory part of Shakespeare’s will has been lost. Enter Edward de Vere It was not until 1920 that it was suggested that Edward de Vere was the real genius behind Shakespeare’s plays and poems. This art-loving Earl carried favor in the Royal Court, and so may have needed to use a pseudonym when writing these politically charged plays. It was also deemed socially unacceptable for a noble man to be involved with the lowly world of theater. The case for de Vere is largely circumstantial, but there are many parallels to be drawn: 14 of Shakespeare’s plays are set in Italy – the country De Vere traveled in 1575.The early poems are dedicated to Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, who was considering marrying De Vere’s daughter.When De Vere stopped writing under his own name, Shakespeare’s texts soon appeared in print.Shakespeare was heavily influenced by Arthur Golding’s translation of Ovids Metamorphoses – and Golding lived with De Vere for a while. In The De Vere Code, Jonathan Bond reveals ciphers at work in the mysterious dedication that prefaces Shakespeare’s sonnets. In an interview with this website, Bond said, â€Å"I suggest that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, wrote the sonnets – and the dedication at the beginning of the sonnets was a puzzle created for the recipient of the collection of poems. The ciphers fit the pattern of wordplay that was widely in evidence amongst writers during the Elizabethan era: they are simple in construction and all of immediate significance to the recipient †¦ My contention is that Edward de Vere was simply entertaining the recipient while avoiding explicitly naming himself in order to prevent a possible embarrassment over the intensely personal nature of the poems.† Marlowe and Bacon Edward de Vere is perhaps the most well-known, but not the only candidate in the Shakespeare authorship controversy. Two of the other leading candidates are Christopher Marlowe and Francis Bacon – both have strong, dedicated followers. Christopher Marlowe: When Shakespeare started writing his plays, Marlowe was killed in a brawl in a tavern. Up until that point, Marlowe was regarded as England’s best playwright. The theory is that Marlowe was a spy for the government, and his death was choreographed for political reasons. Marlowe would then have required a pseudonym to continue writing and developing his craft.Sir Francis Bacon: Cryptic ciphers were hugely popular at this time and supporters of Bacon have found many ciphers in Shakespeare’s texts concealing the identity of Bacon as the true author of Shakespeare’s plays and poems.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Employee Turnover in Hong Kong's hospitality industry Essay

Employee Turnover in Hong Kong's hospitality industry - Essay Example Turnover implies employee leaving the present job voluntarily and taking up other jobs (Jack Black, 2002). Turnover is not resignation which involves end of employment by the employer for reasons such as a fall in profits of the company, bankruptcy or merger. Thus, employee turnover is taken up by the employee rather than the employer. Employee turnover is dependent on the type of business and the economic state of the area in which the company is operating. Thus where there is an economic boom, turnover is said to be much greater than in areas where there is no growth or which are undergoing the economic down turn (Employee What, 2002). The phenomenon of employee turnover is considered as one of the natural outcomes of conduct of business in modern organizations. Thus it is said that achieving zero percent turnover is not practical and should not even be attempted in today's rapidly changing employment environment (Branham, 2000). It is also said that some turn over may be desirable as it would enable a shake out amongst the employees avoiding bunching up of a large number with similar pay scales, salaries and capabilities making a pyramid (Branham, 2000). To retain all such employees will be extremely expensive for the organization. New employees are also said to bring in fresh ideas, approaches, abilities, attitudes and also prevent the organization from remaining stagnant (Branham, 2000). 2.3 Brief introduction of Hong Kong Hong Kong is said to be a very vibrant metropolis which has a life and dynamism of its own making it one of the unique cities in the World. It has a typical Chinese culture which has remained unaffected by British influence over the years (Hong Kong, 2006). It offers a mix of the modern and the ancient, the Oriental and the Western and therein lies its charm. At the same time the employment environment in Hong Kong follows a very flexible tendency. Thus employees in Hong Kong are not inhibited by generally accepted norms of loyalty and life long service which is characterized by some Eastern management cultures such as the Japanese (Hong Kong, 2006). 2.4 Employee turnover in Hong Kong Hong Kong job market has been continuously improving since the middle of 2003. This has been very dynamic and there has been greater availability of jobs in Hong Kong over the past few years (HR Service Providers Directory, 2005). There is a link between job growth and turn over of employees as seen from the data published in the HR Service Providers Directory 2000. The quarterly turn over rate as per the Directory, HK/HRM 2005 First Quarter Survey on Manpower Statistics has continued to rise which is also in conformity with vacancy rates which have also shown an upward trend due to lack of suitable candidates. In the first quarter of 2005, the overall turnover rate was .62 % higher than for the previous quarter at 2.99 %, and almost 1 (.92) % higher than the same period of 2004. Figure 1 at Appendix 1 refers (HR Service Providers Directory 2005). The turnover in the hotel sector was however slightly lower than the overall trend at 2.77 %. Figure 2 at Appendix B refers (HR Servic

Friday, November 1, 2019

Casestudy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Casestudy - Case Study Example IAS 16 requires that the recognition principle is applied to all property, plant and equipment costs only at their occurrence. Amongst other things, the costs include the initial costs incurred for either the acquisition or the construction of an item of property plant and equipment and the subsequent costs that are incurred for replacement of parts or service. There exists two types of accounting models under IAS 16. These include the cost model and the revaluation model (International Accounting Standards Board, 2006). While the cost model requires that assets are assessed at costs that are less than the accumulated depreciation and the impairment, the revaluation model requires that the assets be recorded at a revaluated amount hence making its fair value at the date of revaluation less the subsequent depreciation and impairment only with provisions that the fair value can be measured with much reliability. The company that we will be taking into consideration is ING Group N.V., a global financial services firm that is based in the Netherlands (ING Group, 2012). The company applies critical accounting policies that the management believes are not only important to the portrayal of the organizations financial condition and results, but that is also require the most difficult, subjective and complex judgement mainly resulting from the need to make estimations about the various effects of matter and that are also inherently uncertain. Key to note is the fact that various judgements and uncertainties that affect the application of the policies which may result reporting of different amounts that are significantly material under the various different conditions or through the use of different assumptions. The company considers financial reporting and disclosure practice and employs the use of accounting policies quarterly in a bid to ensure there is not only accuracy in the reported information that is not only relative to the prevailing economic conditions, but also the business environment. The company’s property, plant and equipment are reported at a cost that is less the accumulated depreciation. The depreciation realized on property, plant and equipment including even the assets under capital is computed on the straight line method over the estimated useful lives which in most cases range between 30 to 40 years in the case of buildings and 2 to 15 years in the case for equipment (ING Group, 2012). The company immortalizes leasehold improvements over the shorter of the leaseholds estimated useful lives or the related lease life that is mostly not less than 10 years. In the instances where the leases have the options of renewable periods, the company employs the use of original lease term that excludes renewal option periods aimed at determining the estimated useful lives. In instances where a failure to exercise a renewal option results into imposition of an economic penalty to the company, the company may determine at the incept ion of the lease about its renewal being reasonably assured and may include the inclusion of the renewal option period in the determination of the various appropriate estimated useful