Chinese History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Chinese History - Essay Example According to the text, the top trigram is referred to as Tui, the Joyous and denotes gladness. The lower trigram in my throw denotes Chen, also referred to as the Arousing and has the attribute of movement (pantherwebworks.com, 2). When the two trigrams are joined together, they yield gladness in movement (following). According to the text, following is endowed with the utmost victory, perseverance promotes, and no blame. The opposite hexagram (Chieh) warns that one must not persevere in the face of vexing limitation. I wanted to know if this year will offer more good than bad, hence I believe that the divination holds that if I seek to serve on the side of good, then goodness will follow me however the reverse also holds true. The divination also holds that I should strive to overcome all limitations that may prevent me from achieving my following in order to succeed. While I truly did enjoy this exercise, I believe divination is largely idealistic. The exercise did allow me to think more about my question and I believe that the answers that it provided were very helpful. I however would not depend on divinity to solve my large questions/decisions. As to the value, I truly believe that the practice offers temporary peace that can enable one to view their problems in a different

Junking the Junk Food Essay Example for Free

Junking the Junk Food Essay In this article the author is trying to show us how our country has become very unhealthy nation. Warner believes that to end the obesity in the country the government needs to be involved. They should make healthy food more appealing while making the junk food less appealing. There are a lot of people whom are worrying and trying to change the way majority of American people eat. Because almost 40% of American people are fat, and that because the way they eat. Lot of politicians are trying to send their message to the public and trying to make them realize that fast food is bad for them and eating healthy is good. Personally I don’t think that government can force somebody to change the way they eat. The only way or the only solution is changing our culture, because most of the people think eating burgers and fries everyday is normal, that’s their culture. But the day that we change that thinking and the day that we start thinking that eating healthy (fruits, vegetables) everyday is a normal, than we are going to have a different culture, and totally different America. 400 Warner identifies how politician Sarah Palin recently made an appearance in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with cookies to pass out to the kids of the local schools and how unnecessary the act was. Criticizing Palins actions, Warner continues on her point of how children are not deprived of these treats that some believe to be needed and how these foods and lack of nutrition need to be changed not encouraged. 401- Warner also mentions here how Glenn Beck mocked the governmentand led to government health inspectors shutting down a7-year olds lemonade stand. Government can’t regulate what the American people eatand don’t eat. Because there are lot of educated people and know the consequences of eating too much fatty foods. She also refers to Michelle Obama’s campaign to fight childhood obesity. She wants to change our culture educating peoples to eat fruits and vegetables instead of french fries and burgers. 402- Warner explains how government is trying to regulate the amount of junk food that we eat. She is trying to compare current events and historical events to explain how the eating habits in our country have changed over the years. An example is â€Å"the food rationing programs of World War 2† She also offers some solutions to the problem of obesity in the country. One of these solutions is that we should make fatting foods look bad, like we made cigarettes look bad. People will have a hard time changing their eating habits when junk food is portrayed as delicious and they don’t directly receive negative side effects 403- The only way or the only solution is changing our culture, because most of the people think eating burgers and fries everyday is normal, that’s their culture. But the day that we change that thinking and the day that we start thinking that eating healthy (fruits, vegetables) everyday is a normal, than we are going to have a different culture, and totally different America. 404- She also mention if we stop putting the cigarette like a s exy and cool product instead of putting something really bad that can damage our lungs and cause a horrible disease like a lung cancer can stop people smoking.

Why Is Religion Important :: essays research papers

Why is Religion Important? Religion is the one element of life that has connected the races and societies of the world for hundreds of years. It has given meaning to lives that may seem otherwise hopeless. Religion has provided for a universal language and culture among those who believe in a higher power. The spirit or being receiving the worship and praise may not be the same, but the practices are usually similar and serve the same purpose--to give direction, insight, courage, and a divine connection. In today's world, there are many different ways to get involved in religion; various methods have attracted groups of all ages and races. One popular association is FCA or Fellowship of Christian Athletes. This particular group has helped me to find Christ in my own life. There are a lot of unconventional activities to help the younger generations get involved. Some of these activities included Death Week, which focused on death and pain, meetings about family and divorce, lectures to help people reach for their goals, and encouragement speakers. There is a great deal of fun incorporated into all the seriousness, though. We went on ski trips, did missionary work, and put on skits. All of these activities involved Christ in some way, and helped the younger generation to realize that being spiritual was not 'uncool.'; When I attended the FCA meetings, it was the one time that I actually felt free from all my problems. FCA helped me to find my spiritual self and gave me a sense of compl etion. Religion is the main source of morals and values today. I feel like many people today are not following the word of God. I think that religion is overlooked, and not taught enough. For example, colleges, high schools, and many other places are not even allowed to pray, teach or preach the word of the bible. I feel like that is a problem in the United States today. It has had the effect of more violence, problems in families, and the non- education of the younger generation. I feel that though religion is choice, it should be introduced, because many don't even get the opportunity to learn about it.

Racism and Ethnic Discrimination Essay

Particular sectors of the population that are considered inferior based on their ethnic identities have limited socio-economic mobility and limited access to political participation, and for this reason the organization of current society reflects a situation of structural racism, which in turn perpetuates inequality. The phenomenon of institutionalized racism is covert, and is falsely considered something of the past instead of as an ongoing process that is real, still in force, and continually reproduced in social relations. While the fight against racism advances, expressions of racism become more sophisticated,4 and it intensifies other discrimination based on gender, age, geographic origin, or socio-economic status. 5 The ideology of racism is institutionalized by the State, as power and access is granted to certain groups based on the recognition of a superior culture. Racism then persists in the attitudes held by those with a voice in shaping laws, public policies, and programs, and therefore becomes imposed on the institutions and interactions that shape everyday life. One aspect that makes the analysis of racism and discrimination more complex is the fact that Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendent communities have internalized and accepted the racist structures, often reproducing those structures in their own relations. Stigmas held by certain groups against others create hierarchies that are inextricably linked to physical and cultural traits such as skin color, â€Å"grade† or â€Å"purity† of blood, clothing, and language and accents. At the international level there have been significant advances in the instruments and international mechanisms of protection and defense of the rights of Indigenous and Afro-descendent peoples. The Inter-American System of Human Rights is a notable advancement is the construction of jurisprudence on the collective rights, as well as the instruments and mechanisms established in the United Nations system. Nicaragua has ratified the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), however, it does not fulfill its commitments with respect to providing periodic information. After a complex history of external colonization that maintains Nicaragua divided in two socio-cultural realities, in the last few years a process of juridical and political recognition of multiculturalism has initiated. 6 These measures however have not contributed to transforming the State, or to guaranteeing equal opportunities of access in the construction of democracy. The central problem continues to be the form and behavior removal or diminishment of recognition, enjoyment, or exercise, under equal conditions, of human rights and fundamental liberties in political, economic, social, cultural spheres, or any other sphere of public life. 3 UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples and CODISRA. JUN POP TIJONIK. 2006. 4 Francisco Cali. CERD Expert, Guatemala. 2006. 5 The Guatemala Human Development Report (2005), analyses the concept of social stratification, which gives evidence of the asymmetries with respect to access to development for Indigenous and Afro-descendent Peoples, having to do with difference that go beyond socioeconomic factors, and that moreover, reinforce ethnic subordination. UNDP, Guatemala. 2005. 6 This is a doctrine based on the explicit recognition of cultural diversity is established in conformance with equality of citizenship. It recognizes the existence of collectives that are historically and culturally different from the cultural group that has been in power, to which once recognized, the collective cultural rights will be guaranteed, incorporating them in laws and state institutions and creating public policies to manage the diversity. Multiculturalism facilitates the culture and the identity that are constituted in main axes of political rights and duties. 5 of 104 Racism and Ethnic Discrimination in Nicaragua November 2006 of the National State: mono-ethnic, exclusionary in its concept of citizenship and in the distribution of goods and services. The Mestizo project of the national State continues to identify the administrative structure and resources of the State with an ethnic group, its cultures, and values. Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendent communities in the Autonomous Regions, Pacific, and Central-Northern region continue to be discriminated against. Racism and inter-ethnic conflict in Nicaragua continues to be a daily reality in the lives of Indigenous and Afro-descendent people. New threats linked to globalization and internal migration also exacerbate the conflicts. Despite advances in the Indigenous and ethnic movement, as well as increased recognition of rights, it is evident that to fight against these forces there must be greater commitment, as indicated by one of the subjects interviewed for the study: â€Å"We need to operate from a feeling of the value of others and the recognition of our Miskitu, Mayangna, and Kriole brothers and sisters as human beings—as individuals that have their own values, which are worth the same as mine†¦ I need to see [others] as human beings with whom I must live, and therefore, with whom I have to create an environment of empathy where we see each other as people fighting together to move forward †¦ and for this, we will need to change our ways of feeling, thinking, and acting †¦ we will need to have concrete goals†¦to move forward hand in hand as Costenos and as Costenas †¦ and this is possible. †7 This report seeks to describe racism in a way that documents a range of experiences of discrimination, in all spheres of life. Perhaps the outlook presented here will seem quite negative, as most of the subjects interviewed were skeptical that any governmental or nongovernmental organizations are taking steps to address the problems—nor were they confident that the situation would change in the near future. Since racist and colonial structures still exist in all corners of the world, unfortunately there are few examples of anything more than incremental changes in the past few years, decades, or even centuries. However, the intention of this report is not to showcase a list of complaints, nor to assign blame to any particular group or institution. Instead, this study operates under the possibility that the process of documenting experiences of racism and discrimination can facilitate communication across sectors, and can be the first step toward taking affirmative actions to combat the ideology and practice of racism. Thus, like other documents— reports, laws, declarations, treaties—this study can only be a starting point. The real work begins when, armed with consciousness and the will to change, people choose to undertake the task of struggling together for progress. 7 Interview with Benalicia Lucas, 2 October, 2006. 6 of 104 Racism and Ethnic Discrimination in Nicaragua November 2006 2. STRUCTURE AND METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY This study was conducted with the support of Diakonia, a Swedish international cooperation agency whose mission is to promote the respect and exercise of all the human rights of all people and to contribute to the democratization of societies for the strengthening of a democratic culture. The study carried out the objective of analyzing and systematizing racism as an ideology and an everyday practice in Nicaragua. The specific objectives were the following: 1. To establish and explain briefly the connection between racism, external colonialism and internal colonialism. 2. To characterize racism against Indigenous Peoples, Garifunas, and Afrodescendents in Nicaragua, in the cultural, social, economic, legal, and political spheres. 3. To describe the current situation and trends of the phenomenon of racism. 4. To analyze and evaluate the types of demands of the affected groups to combat racism, the affirmative actions to be taken, and the role of organized civil society in this process. 5. To analyze and evaluate the actions from the State in relation to racism at the national, regional, and international levels, identifying political strategies, programs to raise awareness, and potential results. 2. 1 Scope and methodology. The study was carried out at the national level, covering the North and South Atlantic Autonomous Regions, Indigenous Communities of the Pacific and CentralNorthern region, and Managua. Qualitative and participatory methods were used to collect the data for the study, complemented by a literature review. The methodology seeks to identify the ways in which racism manifests itself on a daily basis in the lives of Indigenous Peoples, Krioles, and Garifunas in Nicaragua. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were held with key individuals and organizations in Bilwi, Bluefields, Managua, Sutiaba, Leon, Nindiri, and Sebaco, as well as with Regional Autonomous Councils. A guide of questions was used for each interview and focus group, and is included at the end of this report (see: â€Å"Instruments Utilized. †) We recognize that knowledge of the historical construction of race in Nicaragua is indispensable to a complete understanding of the current situation; however, we consider that beyond the scope of this study. Moreover, it is important to note that policies of the State or of other institutions are by no means static. Portrayed in this study are the impressions of a variety of people based on trends and overall tendencies in the daily experience of racism, but we do not to pretend to represent all the facets of this theme, since we understand that there are other experiences and challenges that exist in Nicaragua. 7 of 104 Racism and Ethnic Discrimination in Nicaragua November 2006 Similarly, it is important to take into account the context of human development and well being in order to appreciate the full extent of the challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendents in Nicaragua. However, this report does not present extensive data on social, political, economic, or cultural well-being, and only refers to those indicators when directly relevant to expressions of racial discrimination or to examples of institutionalized racism. It is important to highlight that one of the limitations is the absence of a system of national statistical information with disaggregation by ethnicity or culturally relevant indicators, which makes it difficult to make comparisons. Finally, no ethnic group should be perceived as monolithic, as there is as much diversity in each group as there are shared characteristics. To assign a rigid set of values or perspectives to any ethnic group comes perilously close to contributing to institutionalized racism, as one of the basic traits of all ethnic groups is that, because they are made up of people, they are full of inconsistencies, paradoxes, and contradictions. Indeed, ethnicity is but one of many identities that we use to define ourselves, along with nationality, geographic origin, age, religion, physical and mental ability, gender, and sexual orientation. It is the intersections of these identities that determine the experience that we live as specific persons and Peoples. The report has been organized in the following order: In the first two chapters there is an introduction, the objectives are defined, and the scope and methodological aspects of the study are presented. In the third chapter the themes of racism and discrimination are analyzed using an approach based in individual and collective human rights, and concludes with various notes related to ethnic identity. In the fourth chapter the historical process of racism and ethnic discrimination in Nicaragua is analyzed in light of processes of external and internal colonization. It concludes with a discussion of new forms of colonization that Indigenous and Afrodescendent Peoples confront. In the fifth chapter the diverse forms and manifestations of ethnic discrimination in cultural, social, economic, juridical-legal, and political spheres are presented. In the sixth chapter the principal demands of Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendent communities are presented. In the following chapter there is an assessment of the responses that the State and various other actors have given to fight against racism and ethnic discrimination. In the last chapters conclusions and recommendations of the study are presented. 8 of 104 Racism and Ethnic Discrimination in Nicaragua November 2006 3. RACISM AND INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE HUMAN RIGHTS For the analysis of discrimination for ethnic and racial motivations we have considered it appropriate to use a human rights approach. The basic premise of this approach is that a society free from discrimination should permit people to live with dignity and achieve the highest levels of humanity guaranteed by the body of international human rights laws. This requires the recognition that Indigenous Peoples and Afrodescendent communities are subjects with individual and collective rights derived from their specific historical and cultural characteristics, and that a result of racism those Peoples have not had that recognition nor conditions to exercise their human rights. Indigenous Peoples define themselves as the descendents of the original inhabitants before the formation of States that, independently of their size or level of development, maintain cultural characteristics, cosmovisions, spirituality, and harmonious relationship with nature and are guided by their own forms of organization, customs, and traditions. 8 In the case of Nicaragua, this is understood by Indigenous people as â€Å"the human collective that maintains a historic continuity with societies before colonialism, whose social, cultural, and economic conditions distinguish them from other sectors of national society, and whom are governed totally or partially by their own customs and traditions. †9 In the case of ethnic communities, these are understood as the combination of families of Afro-Caribbean ancestry that share the same ethnic consciousness, through their culture, values, and traditions, linked to the cultural roots and forms of ownership of land and natural resources. 10 Article 5 of the Political Constitution of Nicaragua establishes ethnic pluralism as a principle of the nation, and that the State recognizes the existence of â€Å"Indigenous Peoples† and indicates among their special rights â€Å"maintaining and developing their identity and culture, having their own forms of social organization, administrating their local affairs, maintaining their communal forms of property of their lands, and the enjoyment and use of those lands. † These concepts do not necessarily imply that those characteristics are static, or that a certain sample could represent the extensive diversity and forms of organization, or the distinct demands of the Afro-descendent Peoples and communities in Nicaragua. As the process of reconstructing individual and collective identities and the international and national recognition of collective rights have advanced, the members of Indigenous communities have begun to recover and live in their everyday and public lives their specific collective identities: Rama, Sumu-Mayangna, Miskitu, Chorotega, and others. Each People has more specific cultural characteristics, others that have been adapted, and others shared. ILO Convention 169. Law 445 on Property and Communal Lands. The law defines the term Indigenous community as the combination of families from Amerindian ancestry established in a territorial space that share feelings of identification, linked to the past aborigines of their indigenous people and that maintain an identity and their own values of a traditional culture, as well as forms of ownership and communal use of lands, and of their own social organization. 10 Ibid. 8 9 9 of 104 Racism and Ethnic Discrimination in Nicaragua November 2006 The concept of a People is linked to the international right established in the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Convention on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and has been incorporated, without qualification, 11 in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in June 2006. Convention 169 of the International Labour Organization is however the only binding instrument that refers specifically to Indigenous Peoples and tribes. In addition to the United Nations, the Organization of American States has initiated a discussion on the project of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and through a variety of considerations, observations, and recommendations, has advanced the international juridical rules referring to Indigenous Peoples. The commission and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has also had a notable process of constructing jurisprudence on collective rights within the InterAmerican system. Indigenous Peoples possess collective rights based on their historical rights and collective cultural identity, which are indispensable to their existence, well-being, and development as peoples. 12 Collective rights are human rights of the third generation that are derived from their political, social, and cultural structures, spiritual traditions, histories, and philosophy. It is also important to highlight that among collective rights are the rights to self-determination and autonomy, which are expressed through the right to conserve and their own political, juridical, economic, social, and cultural institutions, while maintaining their right to participate fully, if they desire, in the political, economic, social, and cultural life of the State from the local to the national level. 13 These rights are linked to the territorial right based on historical and ancestral usufruct, and access to the enjoyment, use and benefit from natural resources. 14 The central element in the debate on collective rights of Indigenous Peoples has been the recognition of their collective rights as peoples, and the consequent rights that are derived from that recognition. Because of the close relationship between collective rights and identity as Peoples, individual and collective identity is a process of reconstruction that depends on the degree of oppression that is confronted, the degree of cohesion of the group, their level of coordination with the grassroots, and their relations with the rest of society. Afro-descendent communities, based on their distinct ethnicity15 and the conditions of colonization, racism, and social exclusion that have been imposed on them, are subjects of collective rights. For them it has been very complex to obtain recognition of The text of the Universal Declaration adopted on June 29, 2006 by the Human Rights Council goes beyond the concept of Indigenous Peoples included in the ILO Convention 169, since it is not limited to the domain of States, and in this sense it is equal to what is established in the first paragraph of the ICCPR and ICESCR. 12 The definition of the rights of peoples is in the framework of the ICCPR and the ICESCR. 13 Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Human Rights Council, United Nations. 29 June 2006. A/HRC/I/L. 10 14 Ruling in the case of Awas Tingni, Inter-American Court of Human Rights. 15 An ethnic group is one that shares common cultural characteristics and whose members recognize themselves as part of a group for reasons of relationship, solidarity, or culture. They share a name that they identify with common ancestry, historical memory, common cultural elements (religion, language, customs), and a sense of solidarity. In the case of Afrodescendents in the region, only the Garifunas share the sense of connection to the land and territory. 11 10 of 104 Racism and Ethnic Discrimination in Nicaragua November 2006 their distinct identity, because it has been associated with derogatory prejudices and the lack of clear forms of communal and cultural organization of their communities. However, the discrimination that these communities suffer is high and generally hidden. 16 The black communities, descendents of African slaves and workers of Caribbean islands as a result of the policy of colonization by the English during the 17th and 18th centuries, maintain certain common characteristics, such as their roots in African ancestry, their history of being uprooted and of slavery, and their specific customs, values, and traditions. 17 They are basically concentrated in two groups: the Garifunas and the Krioles. 3. 1 A note on cultural and ethnic identity. Ethnic identity is dynamic and complex, and can evolve over one’s lifetime according to a variety of factors, which may be incorporated consciously or unconsciously into one’s identity. It is affirmed by various elements that an individual defines for herself or himself as the criteria for a sense of belonging to a certain group, such as a set of shared values, attitudes, lifestyles, and/or customs. Similarly, cultural identity is formed based on a common ancestry, a shared historical memory, a connection to a native land, and/or common practices such as religion, language, traditions, and customs, which result in a feeling of solidarity. Each cultural group is further defined by its differentiation from others, based on cultural markers (such as language or clothing), and other attitudes and practices that are associated with a particular social group. In Nicaragua there is a mixture of shared ethnicities and cultures. Therefore, race and ethnicity cannot be defined based on blood, skin color, or physical traits, but rather, are based on the way in which one self-identifies based on a variety of cultural, social, and political factors. 18 For example, the construction of identity in the Autonomous Regions has been defined through contacts with external and internal colonization, in different historical moments, from the first contact with the English in the mid-17th century, up to the current migration of poor rural people from the central region of Nicaragua that is advancing with the agricultural frontier to the coastal regions. In addition to the specific identities of each people and community, there is also a â€Å"costena† identity promoted by these communities as a strategy of survival. 19. Racial and ethnic discrimination is the daily manifestation of racism that is expressed through behaviors differentiated according to the origin of a person. It occurs in personal relations and at each moment, but it also occurs in the institutional domain, where it is expressed in ideological constructions with which one has grown up, lived with, and been educated. Because of the fact of being internalized, it is expressed through laws, public policies, and forms of organization that are adopted by institutions within the State, as well as cooperation agencies, civil society, families, and educational centers. Its effects are both individual and collective, and in the case of Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendents it is expressed through the violation of their collective rights. 17 UNDP, Regional Human Development Report, 1999. 18 In the case of the Autonomous Regions, Law 28 recognizes ethnic self-identification as a right. 19 Similar processes have been documented in other similar contexts where there are negotiations and repositioning of actors that use symbols, and defend diverse cultural values in contexts of domination and resistance. Ong, (1999) 16.

The Role of Lease Financing in Bangladesh

Introduction Lease financing is comparatively a new concept in the financial sector and has got recognition as aninnovative source of finance for accelerating the pace of industrialization as well as economic growth of  Bangladesh. Leasing companies have registered substantial growth in lease financing during the year 1985through 1994.Since 1995 to date, growth in lease market has significantly slowed down because of sluggisheconomic activities, withdrawal of incentives by the government, imposition of cash resource requirementwith Bangladesh Bank as per Finance Act 1998, expansion of number of leasing institutions, lack of  diversification of service and of awareness in business community about leasing etc. Researchers have alsofound that leasing companies need to develop their professionals and should come in the market with newmarketing strategy. BackgroundBangladesh is a least developed country in the world with per capita GDP Tk. 11. 284 (USD 230). She suffersfrom poverty, i mperfection in both, factor and product market, continuous in equilibrium in the economy,defective administrative structure in both financial and non-financial sector, inappropriate tax structure,heavy dependence on assistance from World Bank including other International Lending Agencies andDonor Countries, lack of capital stock, massive unemployment, political turmoil and unhealthy environmentfor investment.With the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent country in 1971, the thenGovernment nationalized all commercial Banks with the hope of accelerating industrial growth throughfinancial, fiscal and other supports. Since the inception of independent Bangladesh, Commercial Banks,Development Financial Institutions and Investment Corporation of Bangladesh have been the major sourcesof industrial finance in the country. These Banks were predominately serving the public sector by extendingsupport in the form of long term loan, working capital finance, bridge finance etc. and had limi ted experiencein trade, commerce and industry.Due to dearth of experience in investment decision, project financing,recovery of loan and recycle of loan, both entrepreneurs and Banking Financial Institutions coupled withdifficulties at every stage of development and accomplishment which ultimately led to the emergence of  many sick industries. The Development Financial Institutions (DFI s) that depend largely on external assistance suffer fromfinancial constrains because of ineffective project appraisal. Imprudent investment decisions, poor recoveryand inability to recycle of loan which resulted in withdrawal of fund by international donors.As a result of  poor performance and withdrawal of external support, the liquidity position of DFI s have declined and abilityof sanctioning fresh loan and of refinancing sick industries reduced. Nationalized commercial Banks areusually reluctant to finance capital expenditure due to higher financial risk and poor recovery and designedto prom ote the nonproductive sectors. Besides, their loan operation was substantially diminished due toadditional cash reserve requirement imposed by Bangladesh Bank in order to curb inflation. Consequently,genuine industrial clients are affected by their limited access to the long-term local currency loan.Thiscontention is evident from the fact that the private sector remains in massive default to the DFI s and NCB s,90% of borrowers to DFI s are in defaulting and recovery rates are as low as 10% of the total recoverableamount. On the other hand, Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the only stock market of Bangladesh is not wellorganized and therefore failed to mobilize sufficient fund to meet the demand of the capital market of thecountry. During 1972-84, public sector financial institutions were found totally failure in developing industrialsector and promoting first generation of industrial entrepreneurs

A Feasibility Study to Automate The School System Essays

A Feasibility Study to Automate The School System Essays A Feasibility Study to Automate The School System Essay A Feasibility Study to Automate The School System Essay Polar encourages students with financial capabilities to enroll in private schools. Polar only accepts students with low-income parents but intellectually capable. Presently Polar has an MIS department that basically maintains all computer installations in the University especially the computers in the two computer laboratory rooms. There are more or less four Internet connections shared by offices in the university. There are only two personnel in the MIS department, one is the head and the other one is a computer technician. There is a proposal to automate the enrolment system but unfortunately, the budget for it is not yet allocated. The eve for automation was approved but the budget is still yet to be allocated. All the offices have computers with Internet connection but not connected locally. It nearness that there is no Intranet system installed. Moreover, there is no Wi-FL connectivity installed that can be availed by students. Since Polar is Local Government Unit, all legal aspects are referred to the Civil Service Code of the Philippines. In the use of Information Technology, all legal aspects are referred to the e-commerce law of the Philippines and the anti-cyber crime law that was recently passed. Polar is funded by the City of Marking. All collections in the University is deposited in a bank account under the Universitys name but controlled by the City Government. The Vice President for Financial services of the school monitors the financial activities of the University. Budget preparation is done in the university level through the different departments then collated by the Finance department for submission to the Board of Trustees for approval. The approved budget is submitted to the city counsel for approval. The final approval will be coming from the Mayor of Marking. In proposing a School Automated system, there is a need to do cost/benefit analysis to estimate the total cost of the project. The cost analysis result will then be submitted to the Budget officer to be included in the Budget preparation for the next fiscal year. This section will do the following: Inventory Ana appraise current Ana proposed unaware Ana steward Ana ten way It supports human interactions with technology Evaluate software by addressing the trade-offs among creating custom software, purchasing COTS software, and outsourcing to an application service provider Forecast tangible and intangible costs and benefits, and perform a cost-benefit analysis using cash-flow analysis method. : We are in the information age and the use of Information Technology is paramount to success in any organization. We have to accept the fact that we cannot do away without computers. The image of a progressive organization is reflected on what kind of technology it is being utilized. Nowadays, if you are not considered High-tech then your image is considered conservative. Moreover, schools are also dealing with young people who are well versed in Information Technology applications. Information technology is a fast-changing technology and therefore, developing systems are no longer that expensive. Computer units are getting cheaper everyday with better technical specifications. The government is advocating the use of CIT (Information-communications Technology) in its various operations and therefore local government units should also make use of this technology. In this light, it is strongly recommended that all operations in the Panamanian Eng Lungs Eng Marking be automated as soon as possible. The university is growing very rapidly in terms of the number of students and in the quality of education. The only drawback is there is no automated school system in place. To be progressive, change must happen and it should be

Emily dickinson 4

Emily dickinson 4 "Best Things dwell out of Sight"(#998) describes one of America's greatest poets. She dwelled out of sight for most of her life and her poems, with the exception of seven published anonymously, remained out of sight until well after her death. Many literary scholars have attempted a biography on this mysterious woman and poet and yet none are conclusive. Dickinson remains an enigma even today but biographical speculation allows us to analyze some of her poetry even though we may be completely inaccurate about what we presuppose.There are some facts about Emily Elizabeth Dickinson that we know for certain. She was born on December 10, 1830 and is recognized as one of America's greatest poets. She had an older brother, William Austin Dickinson, born on April 16, 1829, and a younger sister, Lavinia Norcross Dickinson, born on February 28, 1833. She was raised in Amherst, Massachusetts, which was a small and tradition-bound town in the nineteenth century.Angie DickinsonEmily's father, Ed ward Dickinson, was a grand figure in Amherst. In his letters, he comes across as a remarkably ambitious man-"a typical success-oriented, work-oriented citizen of expansionist America," in Richard Sewall's characterization. Educated at Amherst College and Yale, he soon became the leading lawyer in town. For thirty-seven years he was the treasurer of the college that his father helped establish in 1821. Besides this, Edward had accomplished much success in his life but biographers of Emily's life believe that he paid for his public success through his emotional destitution. Emily's father was a rigorous Calvinist and dominated the Dickinson family. His concept of life was rigid religious observance and obedience to God's law as stated in the Bible. He prompted his children to read the Bible and attend church every Sunday. People who knew the Dickinsons referred to Edward as...

Oration - Definition and Examples

Oration s An oration is a  speech delivered in a formal and dignified manner.  A skilled public speaker is known as an orator. The art of delivering speeches is called oratory. In classical rhetoric, notes  George A. Kennedy, orations were classified into a number of formal genres, each with a technical name and certain conventions of structure and content (Classical Rhetoric and Its Christian and Secular Tradition, 1999). The primary categories of orations in  classical rhetoric were  deliberative  (or political),  judicial  (or forensic), and  epideictic  (or ceremonial).   The term oration sometimes carries a negative connotation: any impassioned, pompous, or long-winded speech (Oxford English Dictionary). EtymologyFrom the Latin, plead, speak, pray Observations Clark Mills BrinkWhat, then, is an oration? An oration is an oral discourse on a worthy and dignified theme, adapted to the average hearer, and whose aim is to influence the will of that hearer. PlutarchIt is a thing of no great difficulty to raise objections against another mans oration, nay, it is a very easy matter; but to produce a better in its place is a work extremely troublesome. Paul Oskar KristellerIn classical antiquity, the oration was the very center of rhetorical theory and practice, though among the three types of speech- deliberative, judiciary, and epideictic- the last was to become the most important in the later centuries of antiquity. During the Middle Ages, the secular public speech and the political and social institutions supporting it disappeared more or less completely. Rhetorica Ad Herennium, c. 90 BCThe Introduction is the beginning of the discourse, and by it the hearers mind is prepared for attention. The Narration or Statement of Facts sets forth the events that have occurred or might have occurred. By means of the Division we make clear what matters are agreed upon and what are contested, and announce what points we intend to take up. Proof is the presentation of our arguments, together with their corroboration. Refutation is the destruction of our adversaries arguments. The Conclusion is the end of the discourse, formed in accordance with the principles of the Art. David Rosenwasser and Jill StephenIf you read or listen to (for example) political speeches, you will find that many of them follow this order. This is because the form of the classical oration is suited primarily to argument- to the kind of writing in which the writer makes a case for or against something and refutes opposing arguments. Don Paul Abbott[Throughout the Renaissance,] the oration remained fixed as the supreme form of discourse, just as it had been for the Romans. In the opinion of Walter Ong, the oration tyrannized over ideas of what expression as such- literary or other- was....It is no exaggeration to say that the rules of the classical oration were applied to every kind of discourse.

Marketing Communications in McDonalds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Marketing Communications in McDonalds - Essay Example The company that is the subject of this research is McDonald’s as a global retailer in the food services category that operates based on 35,000 different retail outlets spanning across different international regions, A large number of outlets of the company contributes in serving the needs of around 70 million consumers spanning across 100 nations. The company aims at generating a place where consumers can effectively visit for eating and drinking activities. McDonald’s aims to entice the customers through the provision of quality foods and services such that the same help in meeting the parameters of quality, cleanliness and value addition to the customers. The meeting of the above parameters is taken to rightly contribute to generating effective customer experiences such that the same encourages in making the customers to gain frequent visits to the stores. McDonald’s aims to expand along different countries through the development of franchisees in that the s ame contribute to helping the company to effectively blend its corporate culture with the national culture of the region. The company operates based on serving the needs of both its internal and external stakeholders like employees and customers respectively through working based on needed integrity and ethics. It also works in the meeting of sustainable objectives pertaining to taking care of natural and social environment where it tends to conduct its business operations. Marketing Communication activities are conducted by the business organizations with its targeted customers, both existent and of potential nature along different stages relating to pre-sales, sales and finally relating to the post-sales stage. Marketing Communication activities are conducted by a company in an integrated fashion such that different types of promotional and communication tools are utilized to rightly communicate with targeted individuals, and other potential groups and interested communities. Diff erent types of marketing and promotional tools like the use of advertising through the use of print, broadcasting and online mediums, direct marketing activities, sales promotion, personal selling and also through the use of publicity campaigning can be effectively integrated to generate considerable awareness among the targeted consumers relating to the products and services marketed.

Pricing strategy of ipos and what are the reason behind failure in Essay

Pricing strategy of ipos and what are the reason behind failure in ipos in india - Essay Example I am aware of the policy on plagiarism and can understand its implications. I can produce a hard copy of this assignment as when demanded by the University. The Dissertation entitled Under Pricing and After Market Performance- a Study on Indian Initial Public Offering is the outcome of my sole effort with the advice and help of many. First I am grateful to the Almighty for the endless help and enthusiasm extended to me completing the work in time. I am also thankful to my Professor (Name here) for his/her valuable supervision and advice for producing a quality work. Next, I am indebted to each and every friend of mine for the help and enthusiasm they extended to me for completing the work without much difficulty. I am also grateful to University (Name of the university) for the help and learning environment extended to me for studying and preparing a dissertation on finance. Finally, I would like to thank my parents for the warm influence and love which ha been a source of inspiration for me for the successful completion of the work. The work entitled under pricing and after market performance- A study on Indian Initial Public Offering is an attempt to examine the important determinants of under pricing and analyse the behaviour of initial public offering return and after market performance in Indian context. The researcher takes a sample of 20 Indian Initial Public Offering listed on both Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE). The samples are selected on a certain conditions to ensure the authenticity of the data collected and the generalisations arrived at after the completion of the work. Many research studies have been undertaken in the field of market under pricing and long rum market performance. Many of them came out with results that under pricing are a common phenomenon in the stock market IPO and the long term performance of common stock is exactly in

CVS Internal assesment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CVS Internal assesment - Research Paper Example They create visual representations that show the customers’ position in relation to client’s tastes and the competing brands (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007). A marketing strategy is a process in which an organization uses its limited resources to maximize its greatest opportunities with a hope to gain or retain a competitive advantage (Metcalfe & Warde, 2002). The CVS is a leader in pharmaceutical services industry. This happens through delivery of customer prescriptions. The company also helps customers to access medicines easily. CVS Caremark uses a number of marketing strategies to deal with its competitors. CVS Caremark is positioned in convenient locations to easy customer access. The company offers 24 hours service. These two strategies make CVS Caremark’s products easy to access especially for those who like frequent glossary shopping. The company’s biggest challenge is high competition in the market environment (Dibb & Simkin, 2008). CVS Caremark is working towards winning customer trust, confidence and loyalty. The company is using the social media as a strong marketing tool. The company also gives customized offers from its local stores. CVS Caremark after reviewing its marketing strategies claimed that customers were more informed and involved in their healthcare products than ever. Walgreens was a relatively small company a few years ago. However, the company has undergone a transformation which has made it prosperous. Walgreens developed a desire to pay more attention to the needs of its clients. This was particularly done to the young mothers who had multiple children. This means the company was investing for more sales with these mothers in the coming days. The company also built strong internal relationships strategically. They included functional interdepartmental relationships. This is because the CEO of the company believed that relationships and connections are necessary for the entire company to

Life Savers Soda - Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9750 words

Life Savers Soda - Marketing Plan - Essay Example The process entails hiring several food experts and a select few to criticize and offer suggestions that will improve the taste of the company’s beverage product. Price. The company will sell the Life Savers Soda products at reasonable prices (Gitman 295). The reasonable price does not necessarily mean the lowest price. The company will sell the prices at $ 1.0 lower than the top selling brand in the market. The low price will ensure easy encroachment into the competitor’s current market share. Place. The company will sell the products at a place that current and future customers can easily reach (Jooste 4). The products will be sold at grocery stores and other retail outlets. Initially, the products will be pilot-tested in the grocery stores and malls in Los Angeles, California. With the high population, the there is a projected high demand for the company’s life savers’ Soda products. Promotion. The company will advertise the products in the four media outlets. The company will advertise the many health invigorating benefits of drinking one Life Savers Soda a day. Likewise, the company will advertise the advantages of drinking the product’s vitamins and mineral increases. The company will advertise the product’s benefits in one radio station. The company will also advertise the health uses of the product in one television spot. The Company will send its promo sales persons to distribute leaflets or flyers to people visiting the mall and grocery entrance doors. The company will set up a website, www.lifesaverssoda.com or one of similar importance, to generate online revenues. After the three month Los Angeles pilot project, the company will replicate the same marketing plan within the California state. When the product sales figure is high enough to generate enough profits, the company will sell the product to all 50 states of our nation. Sports Promotion. The company

Thought Paper on On Huntington Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 From Page 3 to Essay

Thought Paper on On Huntington Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 From Page 3 to page 108 - Essay Example Democracies have become intricate, multi-layered systems that no longer truly function as purely representative entities through which the people wield true power. The constant push-pull between lawmakers and external actors who influence the legislative process has, particularly in the U.S., often blurred the line between the elected and non-elected. The resultant deal-making is undemocratic because it plays out behind the scenes, far from the political arena, and often places non-elected power brokers in a position of control over elected representatives. â€Å"If these democratically elected decision makers become, however, simply a facade for the exercise of much greater power by a non-Democratically chosen group then clearly that political system is not democratic† (Huntington, 10). In the U.S., special interest groups, lobbyists, and privatized government services, many of which are co-opted into government agencies, are at the very heart of the Democratic process and of ten behave in ways that run counter to the notion of purely representative government. Bureaucracy In the U.S., the governmental bureaucracy is a powerfully entrenched, often insidious force. The sheer size, scope and complexity of bureaucracy overwhelms the average American Democracy Behind the Scenes 3 citizen’s ability to comprehend how it functions vis a vis elected officials. This enables individual segments of the bureaucracy to play out their roles and impact the business of Democracy in ways that are not directly responsible to the public. Over the past 50 years, most presidential candidates, particularly Republicans, have made â€Å"big government† a cause celebre, campaigning against a vague yet politically effective concept. But what fails to attract the attention of these candidates, or the people who vote for them, is that the big government to which they refer is not governed in a truly Democratic fashion. The business that takes place in bureaucratic org anizations plays out beyond the scope of elective politics and, as such, does not involve the voters. Nevertheless, the outcomes of these bureaucratic activities generally affect citizens quite directly. Americans exhibit a characteristically contradictory attitude towards bureaucracy in that they expect government to be sensitive and responsive to their needs, yet often decry what is considered undue influence wielded by professional bureaucrats. Such unrealistic expectations reflect a fundamental lack of understanding about the nature of bureaucracy in a democracy, though it does not obscure the fact that the work that goes on within the bureaucracy takes place far from the public gaze and so can be considered inherently undemocratic. Regardless of the party or administration in charge, successful Democracies are inextricably linked to bureaucracy through their need for functional efficiency, which in the modern world relies heavily on a strong bureaucracy. The work that goes into the refinement and enacting of policy goes on behind closed doors. Democracy Behind the Scenes 4 Special interest groups Special interest groups present a unique challenge to Democracy in that they represent a subtle, imperceptible erosion of checks and balances within the political system. Interest groups have long held a presence on the American political scene, but their influence on the body politic reached

Life Savers Soda - Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9750 words

Life Savers Soda - Marketing Plan - Essay Example The process entails hiring several food experts and a select few to criticize and offer suggestions that will improve the taste of the company’s beverage product. Price. The company will sell the Life Savers Soda products at reasonable prices (Gitman 295). The reasonable price does not necessarily mean the lowest price. The company will sell the prices at $ 1.0 lower than the top selling brand in the market. The low price will ensure easy encroachment into the competitor’s current market share. Place. The company will sell the products at a place that current and future customers can easily reach (Jooste 4). The products will be sold at grocery stores and other retail outlets. Initially, the products will be pilot-tested in the grocery stores and malls in Los Angeles, California. With the high population, the there is a projected high demand for the company’s life savers’ Soda products. Promotion. The company will advertise the products in the four media outlets. The company will advertise the many health invigorating benefits of drinking one Life Savers Soda a day. Likewise, the company will advertise the advantages of drinking the product’s vitamins and mineral increases. The company will advertise the product’s benefits in one radio station. The company will also advertise the health uses of the product in one television spot. The Company will send its promo sales persons to distribute leaflets or flyers to people visiting the mall and grocery entrance doors. The company will set up a website, www.lifesaverssoda.com or one of similar importance, to generate online revenues. After the three month Los Angeles pilot project, the company will replicate the same marketing plan within the California state. When the product sales figure is high enough to generate enough profits, the company will sell the product to all 50 states of our nation. Sports Promotion. The company

Doing business in India Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Doing business in India - Research Paper Example This view is changing rapidly due to the countries’ potential future. It is deemed that in the near future India will have the world’s largest market for goods, services, and development of infrastructure (Padmanand & Jain, 2000). India’s fast economic growth is due to its ready domestic market in the agricultural and service industry and its appealing demographic trend. The Indian government is also taking measures open up the country to foreign investment (Manian, 2007). The Indian Market The major barrier in penetrating the Indian economic barrier is cultural disparity. The chances of success are improved by understanding the influence of Hinduism and the Indians cultural norms. It is fundamental that investors study some of the cultural facts because such facts influence business in India. India’s official language is Hindu though the international language for commerce is English. Investors also need to understand that India is a hierarchical country (Bose, 2009). The legacy of the caste system influences attitudes towards business. The boss has the final word and cannot be questioned whether his instructions are correct or not. He cannot also been seen doing menial jobs such as making his own coffee or arranging chairs in a boardroom. His instructions are followed to the latter and micro- management works. This approach makes it necessary for potential investors to liaise with individuals with a final say over decision-making. Investors should not overlook the importance of etiquette in India. Using a Namaste handshake is a sign that one understands the Indian culture. During the first meeting, business cards are exchanged. It is advisable to have it translated to Hindi. Enhancing relationships is imperative because negotiations can be slow if trust is not established. Understanding cross-cultural divergences is a bonus in doing business in India (Business standard India 2010). The business law in India offers employees several protections. Foreign employees are required to present visas and Amaritt for such protection (Millar, 2006). Attorneys in India are allowed to practice across the states and most of the legal regulations are consistent across states. Most court cases drag for decades (Makar, 2008). Additionally, arbitration is preferred in solving disputes. The judicial system in India is poorly institutionalized and highly corrupt. Judicial procedures are expensive and influenced by politics. There is a high deficient in protection of property rights. The cost of licensing is very expensive and starting a business can take up to one month. The main source of employment in India is the unskilled informal sector, which is inefficient. The government controls pricing of commodities and this has seen the weakening of the rupee. Foreign participation in India’s economy is impeded by the dominance of the government in the financial sector. The government has also stripped down the citizensâ€℠¢ right in purchasing from low cost multinational stores. Excessive regulation by the Indian government has impeded economic growth (Manian, 2007). India’s economy after independence was the â€Å"socialist mixed model† the government controlled both the private and public sectors output, prices and licensing (Schmidt, 1991). Suppliers are unable to benefit from monopolies as tariffs for electricity consumption are fixed. The BIS: Bureau of Indian Standards set quality standards for products for consumer protection. In 1895,

How a Firm’s Resources Limit Its Search for Opportunities Essay Example for Free

How a Firm’s Resources Limit Its Search for Opportunities Essay In this essay I will describe how a firm’s resources limit its search for opportunities. I will also provide two examples of how a firm’s resources may be limited by its opportunities. Firms may be limited by strengths and weaknesses of their available resources due to lack of one or more combinations of the following sources: production capabilities, cost(s) of research, marketing, management, and available or dedicated finances (Perreault, W.D, Cannon, J.P, McCarthy, E.J., 2010). In order for a firm to determine if it has the resources to expand on new opportunities, they must have a variety the sources mentioned above. Firms must first establish the direction and what market(s) that they want to pursue and target (Perreault, W.D, et. al, 2010). Once a firm has an idea of the targeted market and products/services they wish to offer they can move forward to the next step of establishing new opportunities. The first specific topic resource that may limit the search for new opportunities is marketing. If marketers for the firm do not target the right combination of prospective customers it can be a challenge to get a new firm to earn a reputable standing against pre existing and established firms. When a firm ventures out to expand or offer something totally new they have to prepare a variety of marketing. Marketing requires financial resources and research (Perreault, W.D, et. al, 2010). The second specific topic resource that may limit the search for new opportunities is production capability. If companies don’t have the necessary finances to conduct research and development (RD) on the product or services they wish to offer they may not get past the process of brainstorming (Perreault, W.D, et. al, 2010). A firm may also be limited to new opportunities if they cannot keep up with the demand of products (production) and/or services (Perreault, W.D, et. al, 2010). References Perreault, W.D, et. al,. (2010). Essentials of Marketing. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

The fragility of tourism

The fragility of tourism Tourism is fragile,the 7/11 tragedy had a very severe,almost devastating effect on the industry.Climate conditions are able to influence visitor arrivals for the Mediterranean beaches.Sometimes it is political and economic instability that is the determining factor (e.g.Argentina) almost ruining a traditional and established industry.Tourism can have both positive and negative effects.Positively it creates employment and economically enables the conservation of valuable space;restrains a migratory tendency within the home population improving their socio-cultural education.It encourages support of local commercialisation resulting in the free interchange of ideas,customs and sensitization of issues concerning the eco-environment.The reduction of working hours,the ever present threat of unemployment because of technological advancement and the globalisation process enables the tourism industry to provide an interesting and stimulating intensive alternative Just as significant as the p ositive effects is the rising cost of natural resources,water,energy.The spoiling of landscapes with land reclamation;rising levels of waste disposal;alterations to ecosystems;the extinction of rare species of animals and plants;the loss of traditional values and rising levels of prostitution,that is sex tourism.There is the narcotics trade,forest fires,together with the rising cost of housing. Rising levels of carbon dioxide and other contaminating gases from increasing frequencies of airflights with ozone erosion and acid rain.All kinds of ecosystems are becoming affected.Thailand is littered with golf courses that consume large amounts of pesticides and water.There is hardly anywhere in the world not affected by tourism impact.From the Antarctic to Mount Everest visited with huge amounts of garbage the reminder of previous expeditions.Tourism is an aspect of globalisation most sensitive to any repercussion.In the eastern region of Spain,Benidorm has a great concentration of hotels,accommodating nearly half a million tourists in August within an area of little more than 12 kilometres.There is a large proportion of the population of many countries who do not participate in tourist flows but who nevertheless will become part of such flows with the emergence of new markets in Latin-America and Asia. The level of impact relates to the class of tourism. A family hiking trip in the Alps cannot make the same impact as a collection of caravan vehicles situated in the same area,or a vast Mediterranean hotel complex.It is therefore prudent to analyse the main categories of tourism and their effects the solutions to such problems.Business tourism has little impact except for the consumption of aircraft fuel.Beach tourism,very popular but quite dangerous for the environment as there is a large congregation of people within a relatively small zone.There is a high turn-over of resources,increased waste,escalating house prices as impact factors.Adventure tourism is the most harmful;usually visiting virgin zones with a rapid degradation because of high consumption of resources.Matters escalate with the waywardness of track vehicles who go off the beaten track.Rural tourism or mountain tourism consists of small hotels serving a small percentage of tourists.Reorganisation of these areas is gai ning momentum with a redirection of flow from the cities to such zones.Eco-tourism contributes in the effort of sustainable tourism possessing an awareness for nature and attempts to reduce any impact.Agricultural tourism is concerned with sustainable tourism.The tourist takes part in activities on the farm and like places.Tourists are introduced to aspects of the life and empathy with the animals and plants.This injects a life into such environments and agrees with the immediate habitat.The other varieties of tourism are minority,seasonal and impacts are therefore diverse,dependent upon type.In this category there is that of the religious,gastronomy,events,cultural etc. All the above have common factorial problems.Ever increasing usage of natural resources,generally unrecyclable.Raw materials and combustibles originating from elsewhere,that is non local.The problem of water,energy.Consuming of territory from agriculture to infrastructure.The generating of contamination.Residual wastes.The factor of residual waters and the pollution of subterranean reserves.Atmospheric pollution.Noise contamination and the loss of biodiversity. Future development must become sustainable in the long term and economically viable.Efforts should be made to channel such mass flows to reduce transport emissions that develop into global repercussions with local cooperation to support sustainability against loss of biodiversity and depletion of natural resources.But the word sustainable has many definitions when applied to tourism. Although respect of the environment is meant there are some principles involved.There would be three aspects.Ecological,Social and cultural and economic sustainability.Ecological sustainability means the tourism must respect maintenance of the essential biological process,of biodiversity and of biological resources.Social and cultural sustainability entails respect of local culture with the local populations values and the retention of the communitys identity.Economic sustainability means that there must be economic efficiency present. There is no one clearly acknowledged method of analysing the impacts of tourism and there are a number of different criteria for its measurement.The factor of economic costs based on indicators lends itself to compactness needing no previous knowledge of ecology or sociology.Most studies are able to display the benefits generated and contributive to the balance of payments to income contributed by the government and its deployment.Yet few have included the analysis of negative effects.Negative economic impact has an effect on the local scale.Destinations that suffer economically when dependent on tourism.Diversification if applied to the local economy is able to positively revert such consequences with the development of tourist goods and services replacing the previous gains of traditional activities.The way is open to instability due to alteration of tourist routes,ineffective publicity,the influence of ever changing tourist fashions in response to seasonal variation of production. Before such situations develop the small economies decide whether to resort to dependency within the sector or proceed with a duality strategy.Here they will try to balance two sources of income,the traditional with economic activities.This involves a more rational choice of possibilities.If there is no duality then it frequently becomes an inflationary situation.This inflationary aspect is sublimative with prices and taxes affecting the local population.It has no regard for anything existant before and it becomes patently obvious in the escalation of food prices and that of goods etc.Those who are directly involved in the industry experience improved benefit but not the local population.In the areas of tourist development,capital destinations there is disruption of traditional production sectors.Foreign capital is not limited to a local effect as it leaves the receiving country contributing to a loss of currency.Some authors assert that for the long term,low potential productivity from a tourist company has a depressive effect on local economic growth.Clarifying we have possible inflation from such tourist activity,purchasing potential being greater than that of the resident population leading to escalating prices for food and services.The loss of potential economic benefits with a high dependency on foreign capital.Distortions of local economy.Concentration of economic activity into one type of activity.Impact on employment produces fluctuating levels. Social impacts again consist of both positive and negative effects.Positively there is the recovery and conservation of cultural values that but for the visiting tourists would have disappeared.Funds as a result are made available for preservation of artefacts and restoration of forgotten historical monuments.Local communities would be unable to provide such resources.Yet various tactics are applied in such privileged places of tourist interest.Many local customs have been revitalized and tourist resources are being made available for the reappearance of folklore,festivals,craft pursuits and gastronomy.There has occurred marked improvement in facilities and services such as sanitary,modes of transport,parks etc. Nevertheless again negative impacts exist.The immediate negative factor is that of the social disparities between the indigenous population and that of the visitors.For some destinations essentially those to be found in the underprivileged countries their is a kind of imperialistic relationship with the inhabitants becoming servants of the tourists.Inevitably there arises social tension and resentment.A new kind of colonialism appears with dependency upon the foreign currency.Outside workers obtain contracts possessing better qualifications.With such clear indications of the socio-economic differences the negative impact takes effect.Gaming,increasing prostitution,drugs appear previously non-existent and all related to the arrival of tourists.Such negative impacts lead to loss of culturization.The local population observes the tourists and then seeks to adapt to their customs paving the way for the destruction and disappearance of the very thing that the tourists originally arrived f or. The tourism impact to the environment is the most negative aspect.Wholesale damage has been caused to large areas that will be very difficult indeed to reclaim.Tourism,tourist activity as a phenomenon of mass flows requires substantial infrastructure supported by intricate service networks.Careful planning has not always been applied with a resulting deterioration of the natural and social environments.There has been a transformation of infected zones with the destruction of ecosystems;diminution in the quality and quantity of water;soil contamination;the extinction of many species of fauna;severe infection of flora,fishing depletion and the contamination of the sea. Destruction of ecosystems arises with a massive presence of visitors.Originally the mass influx promised a get-rich-quick attitude.Nature was defenceless.Those destinations with an image of a tourist paradise have become victims to ecosystem destruction.Natural clean water has been severly affected and reduced with tourist arrivals.In many instances the amount of tourists arriving has been unsustainable to local resources.The many many golf courses and residential swimming pools all affect agricultural development and the zonal ecological balance. Soil contamination arises in many instances with substances derived from human activity that alter the chemical environment and reduces crop yield. Many species of fauna are becoming extinct.The effect upon tree populations,unregulated city-planning,hunting present ever present and overwhelming danger to endangered species.The mighty oceans yield of fish is becoming seriously affected.Population along the coasts has mushroomed together with second residences.To prevent an ecological disaster careful and superior planning is necessary;beyond local expertise.An overwhelming presence in the natural zones is affecting/impacting the flora in the same way.The presence of tourists in natural zones with a deluge of sporting activity such as motorbikes,mountain bikes,all land vehicles causes severe erosion of surface land inevitably affecting the flora. Are there solutions to such problems and is sustainable tourism attainable?Or is tourism an impact generator advancing to disaster. A global entity that is attaching attention to such a problem and attempting to fulfil objectives for a sustainable tourism is the European Union.The rest of the world has economic problems of its own as in Africa.The EU with its agenda 21 has invited the local administrations to act.It recommends the following:Promotion of local production,offering ecological foods of the region containing no additives.Reduction of waste garbage and separation of the various categories for possible recycling.Usage of various technologies to saver water.Purification of residual waters for irrigation and agriculture.The saving of energy with efficient washing machines,heat insulation.Respecting the environment and landscape.Promotion of public transport and bicycling.To establish pedestrian zones in areas of historic value.The promotion of local tourism and to reduce air schedules of the flight industry thereby reducing carbon emissions.Planning to facilitate contact between the visiting tourists and the local inhabitants but to deter the formation of any tourism ghettos.Planning to benefit all the local population. It therefore appears from the previous account that the main aims concerning tourism management are to maximise economic,environmental and socio-cultural benefits of tourism but to minimise costs associated with such a strategy.The contemporary theme that has been introduced above is sustainable tourism.According to the Brundtland Commission(1987) development is sustainable when it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.Another definition was offered in Vancouver at the Globe Conference. Sustainable tourism development is envisaged as leading to management of all resources in such a way that we can fulfil economic,social and aesthetic needs while maintaining cultural integrity,essential ecological processes,biological diversity and the support systems. Three objectives should be achieved concerning tourism development.To increase the economic value of tourism.Improving the quality of life for the people and the protection and responsible usage of natural resources. It appears that tourism development within a country relates to an assumption of economic gain.Only tourism management with its application of various methods and principals can determine whether any economical gain will outweight the cost factor.There are staffing costs,overheads and utilities to take into account.To reduce costs to a minimum might involve improved staffing rotas,energy saving. There can be a number of positive impacts of tourism such as an improvement in the balance of payments,easier access to foreign exchange,the contribution to GNP and the multiplier effect.Also job creation and increased revenues for the government.Direct taxation with revenues.There are negative impacts including costs for infrastructure development;an over-dependence of the destination on tourists.The aspect of low skilled work.Again repeating here that is seems clear there is a simple principle involved.Namely that of minimising costs and maximising profits.High leakage is most likely to occur with NMEs(multi national enterprises)where there is the need to promote tourism but in order to do so there is import of food and beverages,capital technology,repatriation of staff and therefore a capital outflow,investment of capital infrastructure by the host government.It may be argued that with restriction/control of such NMEs there will be reduced capital outflow,reduced repatriation,toge ther with switching on of a multiplier effect stimulating more spending by the tourists in the local economy.Again debatable,there is the hiring of as many local residents as staff,ensuring proper salary levels with provision of training to support promotion opportunities.With the resulting reduction of staff repatriation there will occur an increase in the levels of local staff remuneration and so immediately contributing to a multiplier effect with the possibility of enhancing the destination socio-cultural aspect.Economics entails making and providing for the making of choices with influence and guidance being preferably applied.There is a need for professional marketing expertise at destinations to increase the average length of stay,the daily expenditure per head,with the diminishment of seasonality.Yet very searching evaluation is required here for these actions while producing economic benefits may in fact harm the environmental,socio-cultural aspects of the destination causi ng indirect costs. It is claimed by some sources that tourism development can be identified as the cause of environmental degradation in every case where there is tourism present.Such damage consists of air and water pollution,the accumulation of garbage on the streets and beaches;biodiversity damage,congestion of traffic,decline of wildlife.A number of these effects are irreversible harming not only the tourist destination industry but contributing to the cumulative effect of global pollution itself. The physical and cultural environments comprise the essential attractions for the visiting tourist to the destination.It is the responsibility of tourism management to minimize environmental damage and so ensuring future business.There are a number of methods that may be applied to diminish environmental impacts.Energy saving measures eg light bulbs,toilet flushes,cleaning detergents that are environmentally friendly.The limiting of visas thereby reducing immediately the number of visitors.Educational programmes of awareness both for the visiting tourists and the locals.An increase in profit may result with the reduction of costs,applied to utilities.Yet even if the limitation of visas does significantly affect profit it may be considered a better option so that there is still existant the possibility of future gains with the preservation of the destinations natural resources that are there to attract the tourists in the first place. To conclude one of the main ingredients for success of environmental policies is government involvement itself.Again it may be arguable there should be laws on land usage and the extent of building construction for the destination.The necessary infrastructure should be installed to meet anticipated volume of tourist flow with protection of natural heritages. The socio-cultural impacts can be measured with resort to crime rate statistics,the ratio of tourist to locals etc.A management method used to measure the level of socio-cultural impact is Doxey Irridex Model.The model has a four stage process wherein there are diminishing returns in the local inhabitants attitude towards the visitors.Firstly there is the exploration stage where contact between both parties is of frequent occurrence and here the attitude is referred to as euphoria.There is a welcoming of contact with the outside world and there is the possibility of supplementing the household income as a result of such inflow.With increasing flow there occurs diminishing contact with the early arrivals.The tourists become part of everyday business concerns that transforms the initial attitude into one that seeks contact and liaison for personal gain.Those residents of such a destination develop an apathetic attitude to such matters. A further development of the model presents annoyance.The significant inflow of tourism disrupts everyday life with developing queues experienced in the local shops,traffic jams.Local business accommodates to souvenir promotion emanating a sense of alienation to the local population.A subtle inbalance is occurring subconsciously activating antagonism towards the tourists.There is a loss of control within the community because they have now become dependent upon such tourist inflows.Destination facilities as a result of increasing volume deteriorate and contribute to the attraction of a down-market visitor.The tourists now become the focus of blame for such developments.The increasing deterioration in attitude becomes a mirror of reflection and comparison of the effect of such tourism influx. Tourism management methods applied to assist in maximizing positives and minimising negatives of impact for the socio-culture consist of educating about tourism;promotion of cross-cultural exchange;imposition of visitor codes;ensuring that locals have access to cultural facilities;preservation of local architecture;maintenance of authenticity;providing for the more sensitive cultural tourist with appropriate marketing;limitation of tourist numbers. One principal that has gained attention is the carrying capacity assessment.It may be used to control and implement frontline sustainable tourism.There is a variety of applications such as the determination of a tourism development limit for a particular place and the limitation of actual visitor numbers.It attempts to balance economic goals for physical and facility capacity of the destination.The social goal for social carrying capacity of the destination,and environmental goals with the ecological carrying capacity of the destination.Hopefully to achieve sustainable tourism development as a working reality.It has not met with the anticipated success because of unrealistic expectations,faulty assumptions and misplaced value judgment with an inadequate legal support system. Efforts of management to achieve a sustainable tourism system consist of a number of principles consisting of environmental impact assessment,limits for acceptable change,visitor impact management,visitor experience and resource management. It perhaps has become clear to the reader that tourism management should not function alone in these matters,but work together with local government and public bodies.Legal implementation is a central issue because if there is to be a restriction of visas for example there has to be assistance from such a quarter.Success breeds success and so tourism management and government will hum the same tune. The methods referred to above all have the same principal;that of protection for the host destination rather than a focus upon tourism demand.Obviously the demand has to be considered but it is the design of the tourist product that should be the main focus.Application of such principals referred to in the foregoing discussion will hopefully result in sustainable tourism for the future.

Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot and The Theater of The Absurd Essay

With the appearance of Waiting for Godot at the Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre de Babylone in Paris in 1953, the literary world was shaken by the arrival of a drama so different yet so thrilling that it gave rise to the "Theater of the Absurd". His contribution to this particular type of theater movement allows us to refer to him as the father of the genre. While other dramatists, such as Tom Stoppard, have also contributed to this genre, Beckett remains its single, most lofty figure. It is this type of theater that deals with the absurd aspects of life, to stress upon its native meaninglessness. It is the time and identity of characters that are usually vague or ambiguous in such plays from the theater of absurd. The plays are dreamy and impossible to implement in real life and the dialogues of such plays are irrational and make the play seem absurd because the whole structure of the play is in repetition. In this play, Samuel Beckett emphasizes upon human suffering. The play revolves primarily around Estragon and Vladimir who endlessly wait for something to help overcome their boredom and sins because they seek redemption as mentioned in the play. Godot can be assumed as one of the many wishes that Vladimir and Estragon wait for. Waiting for Godot is part of the ‘Theater of the Absurd’. This implies that it is meant to be irrational and pointless in nature since you do not have a proper moral and conclusion to the play, i.e., it is an open ended play. The readers and audiences can have many conclusions towards the end of the play. The concepts of drama, chronological plot, logical language, themes, and recognizable settings are features of drama that a play from the Theatre of Absurd does not have. We see how the characters of Vladimir and Estrago... ...s with their incoherent colloquy. And above than all, its theme is unexplained meaning that the play does not only have a single theme like adventure or action. â€Å"Waiting for Godot† is an absurd play for it is devoid of characterization and motivation. Though characters are present but are not recognizable for whatever they do and whatever they present is purposeless. Works Cited Beckett, Samuel. Waiting For Godot. 3rd ed. N.p.: CPI Group, 2006. Print. Vol. 1 of Samuel Beckett: The Complete Dramatic Works. 4 vols http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Absurdity-In-Waiting-For-Godot-868180.html http://www.gradesaver.com/waiting-for-godot/study-guide/about/ http://www.gradesaver.com/waiting-for-godot/q-and-a/why-is-waiting-for-godot-despite-its-absurdity-a-popular-play-109391 http://elitnotes.blogspot.in/2012/07/absurdity-in-waiting-for-godot-waiting.html Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot and The Theater of The Absurd Essay With the appearance of Waiting for Godot at the Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre de Babylone in Paris in 1953, the literary world was shaken by the arrival of a drama so different yet so thrilling that it gave rise to the "Theater of the Absurd". His contribution to this particular type of theater movement allows us to refer to him as the father of the genre. While other dramatists, such as Tom Stoppard, have also contributed to this genre, Beckett remains its single, most lofty figure. It is this type of theater that deals with the absurd aspects of life, to stress upon its native meaninglessness. It is the time and identity of characters that are usually vague or ambiguous in such plays from the theater of absurd. The plays are dreamy and impossible to implement in real life and the dialogues of such plays are irrational and make the play seem absurd because the whole structure of the play is in repetition. In this play, Samuel Beckett emphasizes upon human suffering. The play revolves primarily around Estragon and Vladimir who endlessly wait for something to help overcome their boredom and sins because they seek redemption as mentioned in the play. Godot can be assumed as one of the many wishes that Vladimir and Estragon wait for. Waiting for Godot is part of the ‘Theater of the Absurd’. This implies that it is meant to be irrational and pointless in nature since you do not have a proper moral and conclusion to the play, i.e., it is an open ended play. The readers and audiences can have many conclusions towards the end of the play. The concepts of drama, chronological plot, logical language, themes, and recognizable settings are features of drama that a play from the Theatre of Absurd does not have. We see how the characters of Vladimir and Estrago... ...s with their incoherent colloquy. And above than all, its theme is unexplained meaning that the play does not only have a single theme like adventure or action. â€Å"Waiting for Godot† is an absurd play for it is devoid of characterization and motivation. Though characters are present but are not recognizable for whatever they do and whatever they present is purposeless. Works Cited Beckett, Samuel. Waiting For Godot. 3rd ed. N.p.: CPI Group, 2006. Print. Vol. 1 of Samuel Beckett: The Complete Dramatic Works. 4 vols http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Absurdity-In-Waiting-For-Godot-868180.html http://www.gradesaver.com/waiting-for-godot/study-guide/about/ http://www.gradesaver.com/waiting-for-godot/q-and-a/why-is-waiting-for-godot-despite-its-absurdity-a-popular-play-109391 http://elitnotes.blogspot.in/2012/07/absurdity-in-waiting-for-godot-waiting.html

Choral Speaking Script

Choral Speaking Script! (official) L : LEFT, R: RIGHT. first row : number 1, second row: number 2 and third row: number 3. L&R2,3: Guys, the choral speaking competition is next week! L&R1: Oh My God, what are we going to talk about?! R123 :Hmm.. Let’s talk about FOOD! Mmm yum yum yum L123: No No No! Let’s talk about†¦. BOO! GHOSTS? *Yeah* Uuuuu†¦ Lydia: No guys, let’s talk about something we ALL have in common! L&R 123: What, our parents’ nagging?! Lydia: No, I’m talking about music! L1,2,3: Music?! R1,2,3:Music?! ALL: Mu~sic!Even the word is music to our ears! ALL: A very good morning to the honorable judges, teachers and friends. Today, whether you want to hear it or not, we’re going to tell you all about music! L1,2,3: So, sit back, and relax R1,2,3: But don’t fall asleep ALL: And†¦. Enjoy the show! ALL: As teens, music plays a HUGE part in our everyday lives! I bet most of us can't live without music! We all have iPo ds, MP3s and even our handphones have music! All around us there’s music—on the radio, television and even our surroundings! L;R2,3:The ticking of the clock..L;R1: Tick tock, tick tock L;R2,3: The tweeting of the birds†¦ L;R1: Tweet-tweet, tweet-tweet! ALL: EVERYTHING has its own natural rhythm and beat that forms its own music! Now, let us bring you b~ack in time†¦ To see how music has evolved! ALL: In the seventies, pop dominated the airwaves! Can you imagine Our  grandparents grooved to Stevie Wonder and the Beatles—(I wanna hold your hand~) L1,2,3: Who?! R1,2,3:  WE  don’t have a clue! ALL: ‘Pop music’ actually came from the word ‘popular music’. Over time, it made its own genre as we know today.Its basis covers several different genres of music: jazz, rock, soul, r;b Creating a fusion of sound that evolves into pop music as we know it! Over time, pop music’s popularity increased by the rise of MTV, whi ch popularized artists such as  Michael Jackson,Madonna  and  Prince. ALL: T~hen, in the eighties, a new genre of music was born! Disco, babeyh! The â€Å"disco sound† is so unique it defies description! It draws on many influences: Jazz, Latin, pop—all that produces a feet-tapping melody. It mostly consists of dance beats that makes you want to— L2,3:–Bust a move! R2,3: And break out your groove!L;R1:Okay, that’s enough. ALL:With disco music came the fashion that most of us today would cringe at. L;R3: Bell bottoms L;R2:Puffy hair L;R1:Poodle skirts ALL: And even six inch platforms! ALL: Boy, Aren’t we glad we’re in the 21st century! ALL: In the nineties— Farah Natasha: WOHOO! ROCK AND ROLLL!!! (everyone looks) err, sorry. ALL:As we were s~aying, nineties brought rock music to a whole new level! Rock took a new definition. From the 80es beat, society practiced freedom of expression by rock music. From classic rock, sub-g enres quickly developed: pop-rock, blues-rock and glam rock.L1,2,3:And so, our trip down memory lane ends. R1,2,3:But the 21st century music begins! ALL: Pop. Techno. Rap. Rock. RNB. Soul. Metal. Hiphop. You name it! Even foreign music like Jrock and Kpop! Nadirah: â€Å"Sorry sorry sorry sorry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ALL:With so many genres of music, no wonder life is a symphony! ALL: Music influences teenagers in s~o many ways. L1,2,3: Hearing your favourite song on the radio can turn your day 360 degrees! R1,2,3: It’s the most effective medium that teens use to break out of the funk. ALL: There is just so much meaning behind music nowadays!Music can also tell an artist’s life story, things they have been through, and even their opinion on certain views. L;R2,3: Songs about the environment, L;R1:[earth song! ] If they say, Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature Why, why, does he do it that way L;R2,3: about love and friendship, L;R1:[falling for you! ] L;R2,3: and about li fe’s experiences all give a positive impact to the listeners. ALL: It’s the universal medium that everyone understands, even through the language barrier! From America to France, Germany to Zimbabwe, music is abundant and constant.Through the mass media, music from all walks of life are heard and enjoyed. ALL: We all need music in our lives. The steady beat of music calms the mind, heart and soul. Young or old, white or black, Caucasian or Asian, ev~eryone is united by this freedom of self-expression. As life goes on, new beats are discovered, new rhythms are explored and self expression begins again! No one can get bored or tired of music because it is ever-changing. ALL: In short, life without music would be†¦ (someone) : Devastating! (someone) : Boring! [cricket sound] ALL: It just simply wouldnt be life! Thank you!

Dispatches Paper Essay

As I read Dispatches by Michael Herr, there is an overwhelming sense of fear and horror. His dispatches are populated by soldiers called ‘grunts’, whose enemy was everywhere and nowhere. Their maps were blank; their names for the enemy, ‘Charlie’ or ‘VC’, told them nothing. How do you recognize them? They all wear black pajamas; they are all alien to us. They are everywhere. That’s where the paranoia began. Herr’s dispatches are disturbing because he writes from inside the nightmare, with all the tension and terror that turned these young men into killing machines. It is all the more frightening because, emptied of any concerns for justice, or ethics, or solidarity, they opened fire anywhere, everywhere. After all, who could know where or who the enemy was? Herr’s use of brutal imagery absorbed me into his savage surroundings. From the soldier who can’t stop drooling as a result of a particularly dreadful gun battle, to the scenes of the dead, American and Vietnamese, adult and infant, on battlefields and village streets. The characters are real people in a situation that most of them neither like nor understand. They are young men who invoke the same shortcomings we all have. They are professional soldiers and act that way despite their misgivings. They push past the boundaries of fear and into the realms of heroism or insanity or death. Everyone that he introduces is individual. There are no carbon copy soldiers here. They are funny or musical or religious or delusional. I felt as though I was being introduced to people I knew throughout the book. From time off in Saigon and Hong Kong to his time spent in a bunker during the siege of Khe Sanh, Herr covers every aspect of the war. He shows how so many soldiers were so drastically affected by the war. He describes the strange, fearful moments when at night the jungle suddenly goes silent. Herr tells tales of Marines throwing themselves on top of him with incoming fire, people he has only just met minutes or hours before that are risking their lives to protect his. This book is very descriptive and one of the best examples of this is this sentence, â€Å"Every fifth round was a tracer, and when Spooky was working, everything stopped while that solid stream of violent  red poured down out of the black sky.† In this sentence Herr is retelling the feelings felt by everyone as they watched the gunships flying overhead, unleashing the fury of gatling-guns that could fire thousands of rounds per minute. Not only does Herr convey the impact of such a sight; he does it in such a manner that a vivid image is formed in the reader’s mind. One of the more disturbing and insightful quotes in the book comes when a Marine at Khe Sanh learns that his wife is pregnant, but not with his child. Herr retells with this account, â€Å"†Oh don’t worry,† Orrin said. â€Å"There’s gonna be a death in my family. Just soon’s I git home.† And then he laughed. It was a terrible laugh, very quiet and intense, and it was the thing that made everyone who heard it believe Orrin.† This quote shows how badly some soldiers were transformed during the war. A man who used to be very peaceful and calm would now snap at the slightest provocation. He would now plan the death of his wife for cheating on him. With these examples I would definitely say that one of the strengths of this book is its vivid descriptions. The other strength of this book is probably how it covers the emotional and physical aspects of the war. Still it is difficult to reconcile Herr’s disregard for the grunts’ brutality and his apparent admiration that surfaces. Herr feeds on the death and carnage of the battlefield. It is difficult to grudge a person for their attachment to the most exciting times of their life. Herr’s is almost an addiction to the life of the thrill seeker, but as he frequently mentions, unlike the grunts, he could always take the next chopper back to an air-conditioned hotel room in Saigon, or leave altogether. (Not that an air-conditioned room in Saigon would be necessarily safer than Khe Sahn†¦) He describes Vietnam as a jumbled, confused, mess of a living hell. Herr also wrote the narration for â€Å"Apocalypse Now,† so what more do you need to know? It is crucial to understand that this book is not a political or military history of the war. Instead, Herr tried to portray the â€Å"experience† of what it was like to be in Vietnam; you won’t find a handy map and glossary in the back. (If you honestly don’t know what words like di di, zip, grunt, 16, and DMZ mean, I suggest you bone up on your history.) There are two major downfalls to this book: rambling and fiction. His writing style, disjointed and confused, makes the book a little hard to get used to. But when you do get used to it only then can you see that Herr is trying to give the reader an accurate account rather than a moral lecture. In terms of fiction the problem with writers is that they are writers. As such they are basically dishonest. This is not Vietnam as told by a soldier. This is Vietnam as told by a journalist who is â€Å"in-country† to the precise extent he cares to be and hotfoots it out of there when the going gets rough. In the beginning of the book Herr describes the horrors of night patrol by describing his own fear. He then informs the bewildered reader that this is a bit too much for him and therefore takes his journalistic eye somewhere else. The difference between a journalist and a soldier is that the soldier can’t leave when he feels like it and so he doesn’t have the luxury of drama. Unfortunately, most of this book is drama.