Anatman The Five Skandas And Emptiness

In short, the doctrine of the five Kansas implies that the â€Å"self† is radically Returning to the Second Noble Truth: The Second Noble Truth states: ducked has specifiable origins. Remember, the e root of ducked is, in part, . But this is a result of believing that the self is an thing and thus foolhardier. In addition, we can now see that is brought about by than manta. The three roots of suffering are thus: (craving to have) of the fact that ‘You† are no more 2. 3. Emptiness: The Sanskrit word (craving to not have) (Of the truth Of manta) is commonly translated as â€Å"emptiness. Due t the negative connotations of the word, many contemporary scholars of Bud hiss have suggested alternative translations such as â€Å"limitlessness† or â€Å"boundlessness. † In this class we'll stick to the common translation of â€Å"emptiness† while keeping in mind the at it does not mean that â€Å"nothing exists† or â€Å"nothingness. † Th ere are many layers to the concept that have developed throughout history . On the one hand, there is the he other hand, there is the notion which well look at presently. On t notion. Well examine this aspect when discuss mindfulness (in this section of the course) and Zane (in the Zen socio n).Two Metaphysical Senses of Emptiness: Sense 1: This oldest sense of the term is merely the concept of manta (and consequently the five Kansas). This is the understanding taken up by the Sense 2: tradition of Buddhism. This understanding is the newer of the two (although from our perspective it s quite ancient). In short, it is the claim that all of reality is radically not merely the â€Å"self. † This meaning of emptiness is corn to the tradition of Buddhism, and originates in the Mohammad philosophy of Nicaragua. However, we need a little bit more detail to do the notion justice.Dependent Origination: The central idea behind dependent origination is that everything is radically and i n radical One important consequence of this is that there are neither nor causes effects-?there is nothing that can be identified as the cause or the e effect. There is only the momentary interrelation of the five processes. Thus, reality is no more than a vast system Of _processes. Do not confuse this with the scalded â€Å"butterfly effect. † Another important consequence is that there are no There arena' metaphysically NT upon everything else. Objects. Indeed, everything is radically dependedOther terminology for dependent origination includes â€Å"interdependent arising † â€Å"interdependent coarsening,† or simply â€Å"interdependence. † Wrapping up: So, the distinction between the two senses of emptiness is really one of just r stringing the radical interdependence of the Kansas to the â€Å"self† and of globalization it to all of reality. However, the implications of globalization interdependence are important. The y include: 1. There are no 2. Everything is 3. There are no on and things at all. With everything else. 4. Literally nothing exists-?only causes and effects. Exist-?and thus no Exist. 5. Ignorance as a cause of ducked not only means that one is ignorant of the truth of manta, but that one is also ignorant of the above four facts (among others). These consequences are very important to note when discussing the differed CE between and which we won't be able to fully summarize until the end of this section. An Interesting Question: self next? Given that Buddhism accepts that notion of reincarnation yet claims that there e is no (but just a set of ever changing processes), what is it that is reborn from one lie fee to the Let's discuss this as a class.

Professional judgment framework Essay

Background Jameson Family Farms (JFF), a family owned business, grows, processes and packages a range of fruits and vegetables, but primarily specializes in growing and selling peanuts. The company has a niche for selling their particular salted and unsalted peanuts to grocery stores and baseball stadiums in the southeastern region of the US. The product offerings have been stable over the last five years, but the company began internet sales in 2010, which increased sales by about $19 million in 2010 over 2009. The commodity business for peanuts, however, is very competitive and seven to eight major companies vie for US sales. JFF’s has annual audits for lending requirements and for family purposes. The family members are paid a modest salary. Prior to 2012, JFF management was composed mainly of closely related family members who started the business more than 30 years ago. Over the last two years, as internet sales have increased, a number of these family members have been voicing the notion of retiring from the business through either an initial public offering (IPO) or private sale of the company. In late 2011, given the age of these family members, other younger, extended family members were considered for the senior management ranks. As a result, in early 2012, the family brought in a distant cousin, Larry Marshall, to fill the role of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Marshall has prior experience working with and growing food commodity companies and preparing such companies for IPOs. Before joining JFF, Marshall was out of work for almost a year and, prior to that, he worked for three different companies over a five-year period. The CEO’s compensation and year-end bonus are based on yearly pretax income as well as non-monetary measures related to meeting IPO filing requirements. Marshall hired a former fellow employee as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Gwen Thomas, and gave Thomas the overall responsibility for the Accounting Department and related financial reporting. Thomas, in turn, hired two individuals in the Accounting Department who worked with her and Marshall at previous companies. Thomas also has her compensation and year-end bonus based on JFF’s yearly pretax income. The audit firm, Fairly Stated, LLP, has been  auditing JFF for over 15 years. The audit partner, Robert Williams, has been on the account for five years and as the audit partner for the last three years. Williams is friends with Harvey Jameson, the patriarch of the family, but Williams does not know Larry Marshall or Gwen Thomas. The company has a new CEO, Larry Marshall, a distant family member. There is a new CFO, Gwen Thomas, who has worked with Marshall over the last five years. Two new accountants have joined the Accounting department, both worked with Thomas over the last five years. The Jameson family decided to retain the new CEO in order to position the company for either an IPO or a private sale, as a number of family members would like to be cashed out of their equity positions. Harvey Jameson has some reservations about some of the actions of Larry Marshall including the reduction in some detailed financial information provided to family members and also the tone at the top. Some of the sales representatives may be feeling pressure to increase sales. Operations The initial analytical review for the nine-month operations through September 30, 2012, with a forecast for the fourth quarter of 2012, indicates an approximate 9% increase in gross sales, which is consistent with management expectations but unusual given the competitive nature of the peanut processing and sales business. Additionally, there are decreases in the sales returns and allowances (53%); a decrease in the percentage of the cost of goods sold (1%); and a small decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses (1%). The cost of goods sold category has actually increased in amount, due to increased sales, but as a percentage of sales it is down, reflecting management’s plan to run more efficiently. Selling,  general and administrative expenses are down due to a slight reduction in head count. From a balance sheet standpoint, there has been an increase in accounts receivable (45%), and a small increase in the allowance for doubtful accounts (7%). Cash and short-term investments are down by more than $2.1 million at September 30, 2012, compared to December 31, 2011. The cash flow statement reflects the increase in accounts receivable, an increase in inventory as well as an investment of $3.0 million in new machinery. Net borrowings under the long-term debt arrangement have increased by $530,000. JFF was recently in the unusual position of being overdrawn in its main operating checking account. This may be due in part to the increase in accounts receivable and the purchases of the new machinery. Determination of materiality In 2011, it was determined that the amount considered to be a material misstatement for financial reporting purposes was equal to or exceeded 2% of net income, or $25,000. With the increased size of operations for 2012, the amount considered to be a material misstatement for financial reporting purposes will still be 2%, but the amount will be $50,000 based on the forecasted results of operations for the year. The 2% amount is still considered appropriate for JFF as the family likes to be aware of all larger items that can impact the operations of the company and, accordingly, we believe this is an appropriate percentage to use. Follow-up actions The audit team determined, as a result of this meeting, to do the following: 1. Obtain more financial information and analytical data to evaluate the operations of JFF through discussions with Larry Marshall and Robert Williams, especially the data related to new sales, cost of goods sold expenses, S,G and A expenses and the customer credit extension and collection procedures, as well as the reasons for the reduction in the cash and short-term investment position. 2. Complete the analytical review analysis (draft attached) based on these discussions. Assess the possibility of material misstatement due to fraud as specified by AU Section 316, paragraph 19b. 3. Assess the possibility of fraud due to material misstatement based on the identification of risk factors as specified by AU Section 316, paragraph 19c and those identified in paragraph 85 of the  appendix. 4. Obtain a better level of understanding of the extent of control testing performed by internal audit that could impact the extent of our procedures. Subsequent to completion of the above procedures, an additional planning meeting will be held to develop an overall risk assessment of the company as well as specific risk assessments for the various audit areas. At this meeting, a preliminary audit approach will be developed, including the extent of control testing, compliance audit procedures, substantive audit procedures and the extent of reliance on internal audit. Video 4 – Meeting between the CEO and the Audit Partner Link: http://bcove.me/72vf104b Note: to turn on closed captioning, click the CC button Required Form a group of at least five students to work as the audit team to complete Parts A and B. Your instructor will tell you whether Part C should be done individually or as a team. Part A: AU Section 316, paragraph 19b instructs auditors to perform analytical procedures when planning an audit to identify areas where auditors should be extra vigilant. Paragraph 19c requires auditors to specifically consider whether fraud risk exists. The Guidance Table on the following pages quotes AU Section 316, paragraphs 19b and 19c. Consider these paragraphs when completing Part A of this assignment. The assignment for Part A is to: Complete the â€Å"Information available† column using the information provided in this case. Complete the â€Å"Analysis† column by determining the implications of the information you document. Include in your analysis whether there is a fraud risk factor present. Review the spreadsheet containing the preliminary analytical review performed to provide inf ormation needed to complete this assignment. Part B: Complete the professional judgment framework application template (provided separately) to document your judgment about the possibility of material misstatement due to fraud. In completing the professional judgment framework application template, keep the following in mind: The application template step â€Å"Considerations to gather the facts† requires answering the question, â€Å"What is the applicable guidance?† For purposes of this case, disregard any fraud risk factors you identify for which you do not have adequate information to address. Because the applicable guidance was documented in Part A of this  assignment, it is sufficient to write â€Å"See the application guidance table† when completing the application template step of â€Å"How does the guidance apply to the issue?† Part C: Using the information you documented regarding the overarching considerations and specific considerations for each process step in the framework, prepare a final memorandum regarding your professional judgment of the possibility of material misstatement due to fraud. Be sure that you are able to address the following considerations: Is the documentation sufficient to support your judgment? Can another professional understand how you reached your conclusion (including why reasonable outcomes and possible alternatives identified were not selected)? Tool to document the judgment Overall memorandum Issue: Facts: Analysis: Judgment: AU Section 316 guidance 19b â€Å"Consider any unusual or unexpected relationships that have been identified in performing analytical procedures in planning the audit. (See paragraphs .28 through .30.) â€Å".28 Section 329, Analytical Procedures, paragraphs .04 and .06, requires that analytical procedures be performed in planning the audit with an objective of identifying the existence of unusual transactions or events, and amounts, ratios, and trends that might indicate matters that have financial statement and audit planning implications. In performing analytical procedures in planning the audit, the auditor develops expectations about plausible relationships that are reasonably expected to exist, based on the auditor’s understanding of the entity and its environment. When comparison of those expectations with recorded amounts or ratios developed from recorded amounts yields unusual or unexpected relationships, the auditor should consider those results in identifying the risks of material missta tement due to fraud. â€Å".29 In planning the audit, the auditor also should perform analytical procedures relating to revenue with the objective of identifying unusual or unexpected relationships involving revenue accounts that may indicate a material misstatement due to  fraudulent financial reporting. An example of such an analytical procedure that addresses this objective is a comparison of sales volume, as determined from recorded revenue amounts, with production capacity. An excess of sales volume over production capacity may be indicative of recording fictitious sales. As another example, a trend analysis of revenues by month and sales returns by month during and shortly after the reporting period may indicate the existence of undisclosed side agreements with customers to return goods that would preclude revenue recognition. â€Å".30 Analytical procedures performed during planning may be helpful in identifying the risks of material misstatement due to fraud. However, because such analytical procedures generally use data aggregated at a high level, the results of those analytical procedures provide only a broad initial indication about whether a material misstatement of the financial statements may exist. Accordingly, the results of analytical procedures performed during planning should be considered along with other information gathered by the auditor in identifying the risks of material misstatement due to fraud.† Information available Analysis AU Section 316 guidance â€Å"19c Consider whether one or more fraud risk factors exist. (See paragraphs .31 through .33, and the Appendix [paragraph .85].) â€Å".31 Because fraud is usually concealed, material misstatements due to fraud are difficult to detect. Nevertheless, the auditor may identify events or conditions that indicate incentives/pressures to perpetrate fraud, opportunities to carry out the fraud, or attitudes/rationalizations to justify a fraudulent action. Such events or conditions are referred to as â€Å"fraud risk factors.† Fraud risk factors do not necessarily indicate the existence of fraud; however, they often are present in circumstances where fraud exists. â€Å".32 When obtaining information about the entity and its environment, the auditor should consider whether the information indicates that one or more fraud risk factors are present. The auditor should use professional judgment in determining whether a risk factor is present and should be considered in identifying a nd assessing the risks of material misstatement due to fraud. â€Å".33 Examples of fraud risk factors related to fraudulent financial reporting and misappropriation of assets are presented in the Appendix [paragraph .85]. These illustrative risk factors are classified based on the three conditions generally present when fraud exists: incentive/pressure to perpetrate fraud, an opportunity to carry out the fraud, and attitude/rationalization to justify the fraudulent action. Although the risk factors cover a broad range of situations, they are only examples and, accordingly, the auditor may wish to consider additional or different risk factors. Not all of these examples are relevant in all circumstances, and some may be of greater or lesser significance in entities of different size or with different ownership characteristics or circumstances. Also, the order of the examples of risk factors provided is not intended to reflect their relative importance or frequency of occurrence.† AU Section 316 guidance – Appendix paragraph 85 Information Analysis Incentives/Pressures a. Financial stability or profitability is threatened by economic, industry or entity operating conditions, such as (or as indicated by): High degree of competition or market saturation, accompanied by declining margins. There is a very high level of competition and market saturation. A cause for this is the increase in foreign companies that are coming into the market. This is causing U.S. companies to streamline their operations. With the increased competition JFF is being forced, along with other U.S. companies to streamline efforts. This may have affect on health and safety concerns down the road. The pressure to increase efficiency and profitability is very high. High vulnerability to rapid changes, such as changes in technology, product obsolescence or interest rates. There have been a lot of changes in operations this past year at JFF. Some of the rapid changes in 2012 include year-end bonus incentive plan, decreased head-count in SGA, new employees in accounting department, decreased profitability of local investments, shortened exchange rate, credit review standards for new customers, and management. These changes have seemed to have important roles in 2012. Year-end Bonus Incentive plan has increased net sales 10% from 2011 to 2012. May increase the amount of pressure placed on sales department. Decreased head count in SGA has caused for the internal auditors to be understaffed and may result in compliance issues. New Employees in the accounting department may cause a increase in misstatements due to unfamiliarity. The decreased profitability of investments is causing a loss that have decreased invest in cash flows. The decreased return/exchange window from 14-days to 5-days will decrease the chances of the firms returns and will allow for a decrease percentage of allowance for returns The increased credit review standards for new customers will help decrease the chance of uncollectable amounts and ultimately decrease accounts receivable. Management changes may cause a increase in chance of error and bad judgment due to the inexperience management has with this company. Significant declines in customer demand and increasing business failures in either the industry or overall economy. Operating losses, making the threat of bankruptcy, foreclosure or hostile takeover imminent. Recurring negative cash flows from operations and an inability to generate cash flows from operations while reporting earnings and earnings growth. Rapid growth or unusual profitability, especially compared to that of other companies in the same industry. New accounting, statutory or regulatory requirements. b. Excessive pressure exists for management to meet the requirements or expectations of third parties due to the following: Profitability or trend level expectations of investment analysts, institutional investors, significant creditors or other external parties (particularly expectations that are unduly aggressive or unrealistic), including expectations created by management in, for example, overly optimistic press releases or annual report messages. Need to obtain additional debt or equity financing to stay competitive —  including financing of major research and development or capital expenditures. Marginal ability to meet exchange listing requirements or debt repayment or other debt covenant requirements. Perceived or real adverse effects of reporting poor financial results on significant pending transactions, such as business combinations or contract awards. c. Information available indicates that management’s or those charged with governance’s personal financial situation is threatened by the entity’s financial performance arising from the following: Significant financial interests in the entity. Significant portions of their compensation (for example, bonuses, stock options and earn-out arrangements) being contingent upon achieving aggressive targets for stock price, operating results, financial position or cash flow. Personal guarantees of debts of the entity d. There is excessive pressure on management or operating personnel to meet financial targets set up by those charged with governance or management, including sales or profitability incentive goals. Opportunities a. The nature of the industry or the entity’s operations provides opportunities to engage in fraudulent financial reporting that can arise from the following: Significant related-party transactions not in the ordinary course of business or with related entities not audited or audited by another firm Information not available A strong financial presence or ability to dominate a certain industry sector that allows the entity to dictate terms or conditions to suppliers or  customers that may result in inappropriate or non-arm’s-length transactions. None They were targeting customers where they haven’t done much business in the past, such as public facilities, movie theaters and other types of retail facilities. Assets, liabilities, revenues or expenses based on significant estimates that involve subjective judgments or uncertainties that are difficult to corroborate. No. The overall result is that as a percentage of net sales, their gross profit has gone from about 15% to about 16% or maybe a little more in 2012. Significant, unusual or highly complex transactions, especially those close to period-end that pose difficult â€Å"substance over form† questions. Information not available Significant operations located or conducted across international borders in jurisdictions where differing business environments and cultures exist. The information did not mention operations conducted across international borders. They may not consider conduct across international right now. Significant bank accounts or subsidiary or branch operations in tax-haven jurisdictions for which there appears to be no clear business justification. No. The company got a call from the bank saying they were over drawn in the main operational account Since ample amounts of money are held in the reserve account the bank authorized the checks they issued b. There is ineffective monitoring of management as a result of the following: Domination of management by a single person or small group (in a non-owner-managed business) without compensating controls. Larry and Gwen have worked together for about five years and have known each other for about eight years. They are familiar with each other. They may move from company to company together. Ineffective oversight over the financial reporting process and internal control by those charged with governance. The internal financial information not as detailed as normal. Thomas claims it is easier for the family members to concentrate on the big picture. c. There is a complex or unstable organizational structure, as evidenced by the following: Difficulty in determining the organization or individuals that  have controlling interest in the entity. No Overly complex organizational structure involving unusual legal entities or managerial lines of authority. No High turnover of senior management, counsel or board members. No. However, Gwen brought two accountants who worked for Gwen for about five years and they make everything flow smoothly. The bonuses are determined by senior management based on the individual sales representative’s increase in sales and a number of other factors such as teamwork and customer feedback. d. Internal control components are deficient as a result of the following: Inadequate monitoring of controls, including automated controls and controls over interim financial reporting (where external reporting is required). The internal financial information was not as detailed as normal. Thomas and new accountants have revised the internal financial information, they distribute to present operations at a much higher level with not so much detailed financial information High turnover rates or employment of ineffective accounting, internal audit, or information technology staff. The company focused more on internet sales. They also reduce some leased office space they had. Improvements in certain operating techniques that would reduce costs, such as electricity management. Ineffective accounting and information systems, including situations involving significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in internal control. Not as detailed as normal. Thomas and new accountants have revised the internal financial information, they distribute to present operations at a much higher level with not so much detailed financial information. Thomas claims it is easier for the family members to concentrate on the big picture. In some respects it is true that very detailed financial information can lead to focusing on the little things rather than looking at the bigger picture. Attitudes/rationalizations Risk factors reflective of attitudes/rationalizations by those charged with governance, management or employees that allow them to engage in and/or justify fraudulent financial reporting may not be susceptible to observation by the auditor. Nevertheless, the auditor who becomes aware of the existence  of such information should consider it in identifying the risks of material misstatement arising from fraudulent financial reporting. For example, auditors may become aware of the following information that may indicate a risk factor: a. Ineffective communication, implementation, support or enforcement of the entity’s values or ethical standards by management or the communication of inappropriate values or ethical standards b. Non-financial management’s excessive participation in or preoccupation with the selection of accounting principles or the determination of significant estimates c. Known history of violations of securities laws or other laws and regulations, or claims against the entity, its senior management or board members alleging fraud or violations of laws and regulations d. Excessive interest by management in maintaining or increasing the entity’s stock price or earnings trend e. A practice by management of committing to analysts, creditors and other third parties to achieve aggressive or unrealistic forecasts f. Management failing to correct known significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in internal control on a timely basis g. An interest by management in employing inappropriate means to minimize reported earnings for tax-motivated reasons h. Recurring attempts by management to justify marginal or inappropriate accounting on the basis of materiality i. The relationship between management and the current or predecessor auditor is strained, as exhibited by the following: a. Frequent disputes with the current or predecessor auditor on accounting, auditing or reporting matters b. Unreasonable demands on the auditor, such as unreasonable time constraints regarding the completion of the audit or the issuance of the  auditor’s report c. Formal or informal restrictions on the auditor that inappropriately limit access to people or information or the ability to communicate effectively with those charged with governance d. Domineering management behavior in dealing with the auditor, especially involving attempts to influence the scope of the auditor’s work or the selection or continuance of personnel assigned to or consulted on the audit engagement.

Chadwick Inc Essay

The business strategies that are included in the balanced scorecard for Norwalk Division are: maximising return on all development spending, satisfying customer needs, and the development of employee skills. The strategy that is not embraced in the balanced scorecard is the one in regard to driving management responsibility to the lowest level. This strategy was not included because there needs to be a balance in responsibility through the organisation. Employee targets and incentives are closely linked to the  performance of the division; more responsibility given to staff at lower levels could increase the possibility of managers setting strategies for their own benefit and division. This could lead to discrepancies between organisational goals and the goals set by management for a specific division. New measures that need to be developed and included in the balanced scorecard are return on research capital, product profitability, product development time, number of products under development, and number of employees participating in training programs. The measures developed need to be directly related to the objective and have the ability to provide feedback for that particular area. (b) A Balanced Scorecard developed for the organisation will differ to one that is specifically developed for a certain division in an organisation. The objectives of an organisation as a whole are marginally different to the objectives that are set for a division or department. Organisational objectives which are statements that articulate what the organisation hopes to accomplish will include all of the objectives across the different divisions of the company; where as divisional objectives are aimed explicitly at that division. This may result in different measures used in the scorecards to evaluate performance relating to the specific objective. For example, Chadwick Inc. operates in many businesses including personal consumer products and pharmaceuticals. The organisations overall objective is to produce high quality products and get them to the market faster at lower costs. For its part, the Norwalk Pharmaceutical Divisions objective is to increase the yield of new products and to reduce the time and costs of the product development cycle. This divisional objective becomes a part of the company’s current objectives and is the objective that is focused on when developing the divisional scorecard. The divisional balanced scorecard was decided by the president of Chadwick Inc. to be developed in a way ‘that was right for the division’. This decentralised decision-making and authority approach may create conflict  between divisional scorecards and those of the corporation. This approach to developing a divisional scorecard may give rise to negative consequences. Managers may focus too narrowly on their own units performance and strategies rather than attaining the overall organisations goals. It could also lead to inconsistencies at the organisational level. The advantages of decentralisation outweigh its limitations and should be adopted in the organisation. However, to overcome the conflict of discrepancy between organisational and divisional scorecards, top management needs to allow for decentralisation only to a certain extent and ensure that each division is being mindful and taking into consideration the overall organisational objective. (c) The business strategy of a company or division is used to illustrate how all the individual activities are coordinated to achieve a desired result. Developing a strategy is vital as it is used to set the overall direction of the business. The business strategy for Norwalk was developed by one individual and within a few minutes. For optimal results and clear direction, a strategy should be developed over a longer time period and the balanced scorecard should not be created until all the participants involved have a clear understanding and vision of the business. From the beginning of the project it could be said Greenfield was not committed to the development of the balanced scorecard for the Norwalk division. He did not believe how dedicated Chadwick Inc. was to the concept. Any Balanced Scorecard project will fail if it is seen as just another â€Å"management fad†. It needs sponsorship through active communication – communication that explains why the organisation needs the Balanced Scorecard and how it will benefit both the division and individuals. During the process there was also a lack of commitment from all the members, it took them several weeks before meeting and focusing on the project. The time spent developing a balanced scorecard is important, if it is rushed it could lead to negative consequences when it is implemented. The divisions of Chadwick were advised that only hard data (financial data) is to be used in the balanced scorecard. Financial data alone only provides short-term strategies; non-financial data offers a closer link to long-term  organisational strategies. Therefore by encompassing only financial data the balanced scorecard will provide only a short-term measure to evaluate the division’s performance.

International economics homework Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International economics homework - Coursework Example Countries may misallocate their resources in the form subsidies to the local firms. The allocations may lead to uneven distribution of resources that pose negative effects on a country’s economy. A depreciating currency reduces a country’s net foreign debt. For instance, a fall in the dollar positively influences American economy. Dollars largely dominate American foreign liabilities, but the assets valued in foreign currencies. The fall in dollar increases American external assets and largely does not influence the value of its foreign liabilities. Fall in a currency like dollar that manifests international marketing leads to lowering of prices of international commodities. The move leads to changes in the prices of imports, which pose a direct effect on consumer price index. Devaluation of the currency like the sterling-dollar makes exports cheaper. The imports from a different perspective become more expensive causing cost-push inflation within an economy, which negatively affect a country’s economy. Overvalued currency poses a downward pressure on a country’s rate of inflation. The imported goods will be cheaper leading to increased units of imports as a positive consequence. Overvalued currency forces a country’s local producers to improve their efficiency to make them more competitive in the international markets. However, overvalued currency poses a negative consequence by making the exports uncompetitive in the international markets. In addition, the associated lowered prices of imports will make imports a preferred choice for consumers damaging the local industries. From a different perspective, undervalued currency makes imports expensive for the consumers; this will make them opt for domestic goods increasing employment opportunities in the local firms. Undervalued currency also leads to cheaper costs of exports leading to growth and greater employment opportunities in the export industries as a

Personel Recruitment and Selection Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personel Recruitment and Selection - Assignment Example Most often the clarity in the job scope and the requirement visualized by the immediate Manager might not match with the final draft that goes for recruitment. It is critical that this is paid adequate attention. 'Recruitment is the process of identifying that the organisation needs to employ someone up to the point at which application forms for the post have arrived at the organisation' (MBA Publishing 2005). Defining the job requirements and the nature of person who will fit into it is the first level of work that has to be carried out. The date on which the resource is required and the nature of responsibilities that the person needs to take over are to be clearly defined. Based on the requirement specification detailed recruitment documentation is done. In the HR department similar requirements from various sources are pooled together and a common recruitment is done. Based on the recruitment documents an acceptable time scale is fixed for recruitment and selection. In line with the recruitment specifications, either the standard application form or a specific format that fits into the needs of the current situation is created along with the promotion. Once these documents are cleared a comprehensive document for advertising or any other media for recruitment is used. In response to the advertisement, applications are received from the respondents to the advertisement. These applications are then processed using the selection criterion. The important exercise in the recruitment is fixing the needs and the specifications for the job. If this is not in order, the entire process could lead to an unsatisfactory situation. The documentation will also specify the initial short listing criteria for the applications and other selection criteria that would help in filtering and identifying the candidates for the position required. Selection Process The selection process starts with the applications that are received. Initial short listing conditions as specified in the recruitment documentation are applied on the received applications. 'Selection then consists of the processes involved in choosing from applicants a suitable candidate to fill a post' (MBA Publishing 2003). In line with this process, the first level of filtering is done at the application level. Only those applicants who fit into the requirements and the initial screening conditions are then called for the interviews. The interviews are conducted as per the specifications already laid down in the recruitment document. This would ensure that the requirements of the job position are met. The interview will be conducted by forming the right kind of interviewing committee who would have to ensure that the requirements are met and the person selected has the right kind of technical and personnel skills. Interviews are used to check whether the candidate meets the requirements of the specifications document; to cross check whether the person is what he claims to be and the nature of the person and his attitude towards work. In addition to these, it is also important that if he does not match the requirements of the Recruitment document, then in what way and what are the additional training that has to be provided so that

Does the Beauty and Majesty of the Natural World Need to Be Tied to a Essay

Does the Beauty and Majesty of the Natural World Need to Be Tied to a Higher or More Spiritual Force to Be Truly Understood - Essay Example Even in the cases when nature itself is considered divine, more conscious attitude to one’s own religious beliefs is psychologically beneficial. Some objections to this view are examined and followed by counterarguments related to current environmental ethics and politics. People need to have values in life. The need for spirituality is proven by psychological studies (Schroeder, 1992) and numerous moments of our daily experience. We want to transcend the limits of our own personalities by experiencing Other, be it in God, nature, or other entities (Schroeder, 1992, p. 25). Protection of environment is another acute need of humanity. There are numerous ways of satisfying these two necessities. The difference between them lies in the question where is the Other. Or, to put it playfully, who is the Significant Other? Once a person has decided, it becomes clear what God and nature mean to him or her. For pantheists and deep ecologists, nature is valuable by definition (Naess, 197 3). For most of the believers of world religions, nature is beautiful and majestic as long as its phenomena are sanctioned by some deity. Even pagans worship the deities of streams, trees, and rocks, not nature itself. But regardless from the forces considered divine in any one of these cases, the value of nature should not be mediated and limited by any other values.... It often establishes some hierarchy: many animals are believed to be ‘unclean’ or ‘sacred’ in various religions, and the believers treat those animals accordingly. Usually, this inequality does not result in animal massacres or maltreatment, but it has subtler implications for the entire ecosystems. In most of such hierarchies of world religions, human beings are usually situated above the other living creatures, so that the decisions about the entire ecosystems are made, so to speak, in their ‘favour’. This anthropocentrism of traditional culture is blamed for environmental crisis by deep ecologists and radical environmentalists, as it fails to represent the parts of ecosystem as interrelated (Leopold, 1949). There is also selectivity of non-human species: for instance, people are more likely to preserve the spotted owls than the insects that belong to the same ecosystem. It may be argued that human eye is selective by nature and that our exper ience of nature is still mediated by something, be it religion, science, or anything else. This view echoes the one expressed by Ralph Emerson, a classic representative of transcendentalism: that the poet’s eye â€Å"can integrate all the parts† (Emerson, 1836), thereby giving them sense. For Emerson, art and spirit were superior to nature: â€Å"Have mountains, and waves, and skies, no significance but what we consciously give them, when we employ them as emblems of our thoughts? (...) the whole of nature is a metaphor of the human mind† (Emerson, 1836). From the fact that our interaction with nature is mediated, it does not follow that our view is right. Schroeder (1992) explains that spiritual experience, including the spiritual experience of nature, should be

Marketing Research 200 Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing 200 - Research Paper Example Discuss the following statement: â€Å"Quantitative research is more important than qualitative research because it results in statistical information and conclusive findings.† Use references to support your opinions. (Recommended approx. 1000 –1200 words) 100 marks Total Marks (200 marks) 1. In what ways can marketing research influence the development and implementation of marketing strategy? Does that mean that organizations that conduct market research will perform better than organisations that does not? Please provide adequate references and examples for each of the points in your discussion. Marketing plays a vital role in the development of an organisation. It is a necessary part of every business and no business can sustain in the market without proper marketing strategies and techniques. When we look deep into the oceans of marketing, we observe many things that are pre-requisites and are required necessarily to perform proper marketing. Market Research is one of them. What is Marketing Research? Marketing research is basically a simple function, which interlinks consumers, public and customers to the marketer through the flow of information. It helps to get the idea of what a layman thinks about the product and in which manner a marketer should market the products. Marketing research specifies the information required to solve an issue, manages and implements the data collection process, analyses results, and communicates the findings and their implications. (Journal of Marketing Research 2011) It is basically about understanding consumer behaviour, like how a particular person quenches his thirst while he is at work. It helps you to get an idea of the consumers’ mentality. It also helps in ascertaining the current position of the company in the eyes of a consumer. A company can never improve its products unless it is aware of its current product standings. Therefore, market research creates an opportunity by conducting in-depth research and helps organizations to progress on regular basis. Moreover, a thorough marketing research can also help in getting answers of the following questions, by remaining unbiased. Who will buy your product? Will the consumers of your product recommend your product to others? What do customers expect from you? Are you meeting their standards? Are you competitors better or do you have the best standing amongst the customers? There are many similar questions that need to be answered in order to improve the performances of businesses among competitors (Alberta 2003). In addition, market research is the best way to get first hand information of customers. By conducting these researches, not only you are getting relevant information but also showing your customers that how much you care about them. It is also an admitted fact that these marketing researches helps strengthen customer relationships (American Marketing Research 2011). In addition, no one can deny the fact that a fine line separates the success or failure in business and marketing research is correlated to the success or failure of an organization. Influence of marketing research in the Development and Implementation of Marketing Strategy: Considering the conventional definition and concept of marketing research, (what is the conventional definition of MR? mention it) (Mentioned Under the heading of What is Marketing Research, with reference to the JMR) one can easily deduce that marketing research certainly influence the development and implementation of a marketing

International finance Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International finance - Case Study Example hy debt to equity ratio for a business should be such that the equity is high than the debt, since it is only then, that a business can demonstrate its ability to pay its debts using its own resources, without borrowing externally (Tyran, 1986:38). However, the debt to equity ratio of NDP points to the fact that the company’s financial status is not healthy, since the company had a debt to equity ratio of 100% (Moffet & Adelson, 2011:44). This means that the company’s debt is equal to the company’s owned resources and as such, should the financial crisis extend for long, the company cannot remain with any resources to continue its operations, since it would use all of its resources to pay up debts. The other pointer to the unhealthy financial status of the NDP is the high interest expense which the company is incurring. The increase in the debt levels of the company has a corresponding increase on the cost of capital, in form of the interest charges (Moffet & Adelson, 2011:44). Thus, considering that the interest expenses for NDP are consistently increasing, with the company having an interest expense of HK$102 by December 2008, but the same increasing to HK$480 in millions by march 2009 (Moffet & Adelson, 2011:43). This simply means that the company is obtaining its capital at very high costs, which are then unhealthy for the operation of the company. The other issue that indicates that the financial status f NDP is not healthy is its earnings ratio. The earnings ratio measures the rate at which the business is able to generate revenues, after it has paid costs of generating the revenues, such as interests, taxes and depreciation of the assets applied towards generating the revenues (McClure, 2011:n.p). For example the earnings of the NDP by September 2008, was HK$ 3,988 million, but the same had reduced to HK$ 2,049 million by March 2009, indicating that the revenues for the company were consistently reducing (Moffet & Adelson, 2011:43). This is a pointer

Business Plan College Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Business Plan College - Assignment Example Those skills support Master Minder's goals. The UK's changing demographics have led to families becoming more fragmented with parents of young children often finding they have little or no close family support when they start a family. But professional babysitting agencies are an emerging business trend as they provide a cheap form of childcare and represent an attractive option for busy mothers who need help not only with childcare but also with light house hold duties. Childcare provision in the UK is a clearly segmented market, as a result of legislation and constantly changing market needs. British parents pay high childcare bills and despite Government initiatives and tax changes, there is a growing need for the expansion of private sector services. Service, price and reputation are essential success factors in the childcare services industry. Master Minders will compete well in this industry by offering competitive prices, high-quality childcare services and by maintaining an excellent reputation with parents and the community we serve. We will start our business on the First January 2009.We project healthy revenues and a high net profit for the four first years. The high profit will help the company to achieve its long-term goal which is to franchise and/or to become multi-location. Master Minder's mission is to contribute to the community by filling a need for specialized baby sitters. The company will provide baby sitters with a safe and independent environment. Close personal attention to each child is essential to providing a quality experience for all children; therefore, adequate personnel will be hired to ensure each child has the proper supervision whilst in our care. I.2. Objectives Master Minder's objectives are: To serve clients with needs for select, specialized baby sitters rather than clerical or light industrial baby sitters. To create a service based operation whose primary goal is to exceed customer's expectations. To increase the number of client's served by 10% each year. To develop a sustainable, profitable, start-up business. The long-term goal of the company is to franchise and/or to become multi-location, and eventually sell this business. I.3 Keys to success Keys to success for the company will include: Maintaining a high reputation in the community. Quality care by trainee program for our baby sitters. Maintaining and controlling cost to assure a sustainable profitable business. Offering flexible hours and competitive pricing, discounts and advantages to our customers to gain their loyalty. Master Minders is a temporary and permanent placement baby sitter agency working solely with skilled, professional baby sitters. Master Minders differs from other temporary and permanent placement agencies because of our skilled baby sitters and the variety of its services. Master Minders will be located in Reading. Master Minders will provide Baby sitters and Mother's Help Master Minders does the following for each

The Celtic Religion Essay Example for Free

The Celtic Religion Essay The Celts were an ancient group of people who populated a substantial area of Europe from the British Isles to Galatia. The Celts are thought to have existed from about 1000BC to the 1st century when they were conquered by the Romans. The Celtic religion was extremely complex and is difficult for modern day man to understand. This essay will discuss the nature and role of religion in the ancient Celtic society. The Celts were polytheistic sharing some beliefs that spanned across all the tribes; however, each tribe had their own beliefs and rituals. The Celts worshiped many gods and goddesses and a lot of the Celtic religion revolved around the worship of natural phenomena including water, sky, mountains, trees and earth. The worship of water deities was common among all Celtic tribes due to their medicinal and healing properties. There have been a number offerings which the Celts made for their gods that have been discovered in rivers, springs and wells. An example of a famous Celtic-healing site linked with water is Bath found in England. Other places where Celts made offerings to their gods were in sacred groves and forest clearings. Animals were revered by the Celts for their special qualities of speed, strength, ferocity and cunning and the gods that were represented were mostly in animal form. Some of the animals important to the Celts included boars, stags, bears, hares, birds and horses. Due to the Celts close connection with nature shrines and altars were built in the forest. These were generally made of wood, evidence for this is found in classical literature. For example, Lucan, a Roman poet, describes an altar in a forest near Marseilles, â€Å"altars were erected on little hillocks and all the trees were purifies with human blood.† This is also evidence of sacrifice, which formed a part of the nature of the Celtic religion. Both humans and animals were sacrificed in honour of their gods. Julius Caesar mentions such sacrifice in The Conquest of Gaul, â€Å"†¦after a victory they sacrifice the captured the animals and collect the rest of the spoil in one spot†. The Druids were Celtic priests who played a major role in the ancient Celtic society and were of a high status among the Celts. Their role was that of priest, scholar and judge. They were in charge of religious activities; they performed rituals and also played the role of a judge. No significant political decision was made without the Druids as there attendance was seen as necessary to obtain the gods favor. When disputes arouse the Druids played the role of a judge whether the issue was between tribes or individuals; whatever the crime being committed was, it was the responsibility of the Druids to arbitrate the problem and decide on the compensation to be paid and received by the parties involved. The Druids also gave rulings on all religious questions and groups of numerous men would go to them for instruction and advice. According to the historian, Diogenes Laà «rtius, it is apparent that the Druids held three truths; the need to honour the gods, to abstain from evil and to show bravery. The Druids spent many years learning the sacred texts and passing them onto their followers. An example of the way in which they taught their followers were at feast and festivals through the bardic tradition of singing and reciting stories of gods and heroes. As can be seen, the Druids played an important role in the lives of the Celtic people. It is evident from looking at the writings of classical authors that Celtic festivals, when held, were grand. They included great feasts, processions, the making of offerings and human and animal sacrifices to their gods. The four main festivals that were held by the Celts were the Samhain, Imbloc, Belteine or Beltane and Lughnasadh. Samhain was believed to be the most important festival and occurred on the first of November, some believe this was the beginning of the Celtic year. This was not only a significant religious festival that included proper ceremonies and sacrifices, but was also a day holding important political and administrative functions. Barry Cunliffe writes in his book The Celtic World, â€Å"During Samhain†¦ the whole tribe presumably assembled for feasting and to ensure, through sacrifice, the continued fertility of the crops and herds.† The Imbloc festival was celebrated on the first of February and meant ‘ewe’s milk’, this name was given for this festival as it marked the birth of the first lambs and commemorates the return of fresh milk. This festival celebrates the return of the cycle of new life to the earth and marks the rebirth of nature and fertility. It is the celebration of bringing nature back to life. The Belteine or Beltane festival took place on the first of May and is the feast of light and marks the season of sunny weather. On this day the Druids light the beacon fires to bring good news of the coming season to the people. The Lughnasadh was a harvest festival that occurred on the first of August and marked the end of summer growth and the beginning of autumn harvest. These four festivals marked the seasons of the year and were major events for the Celtic society. The practice of human sacrifice in honour of their gods was a normal occurrence in Celtic society. Strabo, a Greek geographer, talks about the Celts and human sacrifice in his book Geography, â€Å"They used to strike a human being, whom they have devoted to death, in the back with a sword, and then divine from his death struggle.† The Celts held the belief â€Å"an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth† and also â€Å"a life for a life†. For example when a person was sick, the relatives may make a human sacrifice in order that their kin would be spared. Other reasons the Celts made human sacrifices were to ensure survival of warrior before battle, the prisoners were usually the ones that were sacrificed in this circumstance and in times of need such as famine or plague. Celtic society was heavily influenced by their religious beliefs and practices, this is shown through the connection they felt with nature, the Druids status and power in the society and the festivals that marked their calendar year. Religious matters were never expressed in writing; however, the strong oral tradition of the Celts enabled the passing down of their religious practices. This along with classical literature has provided the future generations with an insight into both the nature and role that religion played in Celtic society.

Sociodemographic Health Risks in Australia

Sociodemographic Health Risks in Australia Australians regard the country environment a better and safer option in terms of lifestyle and health then populated areas, such as cities and their surrounding neighborhoods (Humphreys Rolley 1991). Moving to rural areas for a much cleaner atmosphere and away from the congestion of traffic. Nevertheless families or individuals who built life for themselves in rural and remote Australia have many health disadvantages in their path, then civilization in city areas and its regions. This is proven statistically with evidence and research that mobility and mortality rates are much higher than those who live in urban areas due to some extensive diseases that can’t be further examined in rural areas to give a full diagnosis and asses their condition due to shortage of resources and medical equipment (Humphreys et al. 1997) . There are many factors that contribute to rural health disadvantages in different specifications in relation to his/her health. This essay will be looking into the four major factors that include, sociodemographics, health status, health risk factors, costs and use of health services. Sociodemographics refers to the variables within a society and its population in terms of race, gender, socio economic statuses and mainly the population’s social wellbeing in both rural and remote Australia. Socioeconomic disadvantages and demographics of the area and its population are major and important determinants of health (AIHW, 2012). It is important to realise the main indicators such as age, health statuses, rates of hospitalisation and mortality rates for rural populations of Australia are determined by certain demographics such as sex and population size, this process is essential to clarify different health statistics (AIHW, 1998a). These points are indications in relation to poorer health, adequate nutrition, better housing and having an education with transport (AIHW,1998), to support your travel needs wither health related or not. Privation of either of these necessities will result in dramatically poorer health. Keeping in mind that if sufficient nutrition is not reachable or used it will have an immediate effect on health status. Needs like education have more of an indirect effect on health (AIHW, 1998). For instance having no educational background can result in the lack of knowledge about certain health conditions like cancer, in rural Australia there are insufficient resources to determine and treat breast cancer, cervical cancer and lung cancer which results from individuals smoking and affecting their health not being health conscious which greatly results in higher death rates (Mathers, 1994). The factors that contribute to the health of a population include social, economic, environmental and an array of lifestyle choices (AIHW, 2012). A number of factors are linked with livelihoods in rural Australia that subsequently affect health status. Factors that affect health status of given population in rural Australia include: employment, ethnicity, business grounds in rural areas other factors are from a demographic point of view looking at climate, geography, aging populations and retrieval of information in relation to health and disability (Frager et al, 1997), (AIHW,2012). These factors take different effects within rural and metropolitan Australia and may result in dissimilarities in the prevalence of an array of diseases and mortality rates (AIHW, 1998a). Australia’s indigenous population are facing poorer health then the overall Australian population. The effect is recognised by numerical categorisation of indigenous people in RRMA sub sections and by use of mort ality data collected and put in Australia’s institute of health and welfare database of mortality (AIHW, 2013). Mortality rates in capital cities was lower than those in rural and remote zones of Australia (AIHW, 1998a). There are different of health outcomes regularly used as indicators for given health populations (AIHW, 2012). Death rates, hospitalisation and cancer incidence rates are all a set of indicators for health status (AIHW, 1998a).   Health risks are the probable factors that decline the health of people from certain medical conditions or diseases. These comprise of certain factors such as their physical environment, pollutants, and communicable diseases, additionally the social environment plays an important part, family matters and disturbances (AIHW, 2003). These all result in the amplification of different diseases affecting people’s health (AIHW, 2013). Behavioral determinants such as inadequate exercise, smoking and reduction of daily activities are linked with increase in disease rates and other medical conditions. Living in rural Australia would be a negative outcome for most when asked simply by being away from health facilities, such as gyms occupying for exercise, doctor surgeries for quick treatment and having less produce stores to buy your five daily fruits and veg’s from for your daily intake. Risk factors are the probable outcomes of disease in people if there’s a link with th e medical condition and factor. Other risk factors for chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease are very complicated to determine. Generally speaking there is not one specific cause to a diseases occurrence rate, there are several factors that need to be assessed before making any thorough diagnosis. Understanding certain aspects in risk factors both rural, regional and remote Australia is the key fundamental in going forward as a nation helping individuals in need. Costs and the utilization of health services across remote and rural Australia is a topic often brought up in the parliamentary senate of Australian states. The idea behind these parliamentary debates are to enhance and better the performance of Australia as a whole country by mending all those gaps that have been left such as expenditure and utilization of health services across rural and remote Australia. The government of Australia has said a lot and personally haven’t done anything to assist with introducing new health resources and supporting the coasts for medical equipment and building safer roads for rural and remote areas so individuals are less likely prone to an accident, therefore it builds better health measures and reduces mortality rates due to degrading the risk factors associated with it. Expenditure levels, amid regions are certainly related with changes in population’s growth size and composition (AIHW), (2011). A district or region with a greater pop ulation are highly likely to have immense total health expenditures then places with lower populations. The age structure of a given population in a specific location is a vital factor in health expenditure, (AIHW), (2011). Reason is due to older individuals and youngsters such as infants and toddlers require greater health diagnosis and care. In remote and rural Australia regions usually consist of younger group sectors in populations then older pupils, (AIHW), (2011). Health care facilities such as hospitals which are the main source of receiving health assessments from ED doctors or getting an x-ray for a broken leg. Procedures in hospitals are surgical and non-surgical whilst they require chemotherapy for cancer patients or even specialist checkups on your health condition to prevent it from actually getting worse. The remoteness of hospitals from rural and regional populations in Australia may impact their access to procedures, (AIHW), (2008). Levels of health expenditure are w idely affected by certain sub factors such as the degree of illnesses and diseases, population and government set out policies and grants alongside the price for these goods and services, (AIHW 2004). Inconclusion for the population of remote and rural Australia there are many positive attributes. In comparison to the National Health Survey they have gathered data that indicates Australians, regardless of their geographical region, have knowledge of certain preventative measures for a better health, and understand the requirement for exercise to keep fit physically and mentally, pap smear tests and protection from the sun by using certain moisturisers to help prevent melanoma or other skin cancers conditions (AIHW, 2011). In addition the health of populations in rural and remote zones of Australia is much poorer then individuals who live in metropolitan regions of Australia. In relation to their health conditions such as mortality as a result of injury obtained, certain heart conditions and diseases, homicide and suicide rates. Overall there are substantial health risks associated with living in remote and rural regions of Australia among them are pollution, road safety, available health facilities, and medical equipment with treatments. However there are positives for the populations of rural and remote zones such as having peace, costs are much lesser then urban areas, less crime and a safer environment with distance from noise. Reference list: Humphreys J/ Rolley F (1991). Health and health care in rural Australia. (Original work published 1991). Retrieved from http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=6442459022. Humphreys JS/Matthews-Cowey S/ Weinand (1997).Factors in accessibility of general practice in rural Australia. Australia: Author. (Original work published 1997). Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (1998). the sixth biennial health report of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.Australia’s health. Retrieved from http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=6442459022. Abduljawad Raeiq Student Number Health Health Behaviour 130 Essay 17688257

Book Report On Not Without My Daughter English Literature Essay

Book Report On Not Without My Daughter English Literature Essay The main character of the book is Betty Mahmoody. She is a loving mother and is remarried with Moody. If they are going to Iran for a holiday, he refused to allow them to leave. She never thought Moody would take her there against her will, because he had sworn by the Koran that they will return to the USA after two weeks and she believed him. Betty is a strong woman who keeps having faith that she and her daughter will escape Iran and can go back to the USA some day. Moody Mahmoody: Moody is Bettys husband and he is born in Iran. In the beginning of the book he is a good husband and father, but when they are in Iran, he changed into a very bad person when he started to beat his wife and daughter. He wont let his wife and child go back to the USA and lied about it. Betty Mahmoody, a Michigan divorcee with two young sons, met and fell in love with a very nice, intellectual, Westernized doctor from Iran. He had studied and qualified in America. They were happy and eventually married, though she did not enjoy visits from his countrymen, who treated her as inferior. They had a little girl, Mahtob. After much persuasion, Betty agreed to visit Moodys family in Iran when Mahtob was four. Once there, Moody changes, becoming more domineering, Islamic and Iranian, expecting Betty to adopt the customs of his homeland. She and Mahtob become virtual prisoners wherever they live. Betty has to wear chador, completely covering herself. Some family member always spies, telling Moody her every move. She fears Moody and his family, realizing that he intends them all to stay in Iran. Little Mahtob must go to school, a dreadful place. But Betty receives help and kindness from one of the teachers who allows her to stay and help out. During these breaks from Moody, she risks all, seeking help from various strangers whom the teacher suggests. Betty grasps at anything. Even rumors that people-smugglers kill, rape and rob, then abandon their charges, do not deter her. The Swiss Embassy people have warned her; they are unable to help either. Someone gives her a lead, she connects with a woman, then a man who may help. He will not take children. Again, she must wait in fear, her hatred of Moody and what he is doing growing stronger. Finally she connects with Amahl. Betty trusts him implicitly, taking great comfort from their secret meetings. Time passes, Mahtob returns to school. For over a year they have been away from home and their loved ones. Betty is brought to pain and despair as her father is dying and she cannot go to him. Moody eventually agrees to let her go but not Mahtob. Betty refuses. He insists, his agenda being that she sell everything and bring back the money. He forces her to apply for an Iranian passport and books flights. Betty attends Islamic classes and ceremonies, trying to understand the culture she is captive in, earning trust from Moody, though he keeps the papers and passports locked in his briefcase. But the someone helping is working hard on her behalf. Through links with tribal leaders, he hopes to get Betty and Mahtob out via Pakistan. They must hurry, the flight to America looms. A tremendous snowfall in the mountains stops them a dreadful setback. Moody is more abusive and violent, the two are prisoners. Her passport awaits at the airport. Only two days remain. A chance to escape happens Moody is called to the hospital. Amahl hides them in a Tehran flat and they move the following night. There is a long drive to Tabriz, then up into the mountains, where Kurdish rebels and border patrols mean danger. They must cross into Turkey in a Red Cross Ambulance, to the city of Van in Eastern Turkey, passing from one smuggling team to another. Thus begins their journey, trusting many strangers, receiving kindness as they drive, walk, ride horseback and stumble through the rocks and snow, seeking freedom. It is an arduous flight, hampered by checkpoints, high mountains and viciously cold weather, but finally they reach Van. After 32 hours on a bus, they arrive in Ankara one full week since the journey began. Finding a hotel, they wait for morning and the final step the American Embassy. The passports are not in order, no visas or border stamps. The hotel clerk wants to report them to the police. Betty begs him to contact the Embassy at three a.m. A Marine on duty refuses to help, urging them to see the police. Betty persuades the clerk to call her mother, who contacts the State Department in Washington. When they reach the Embassy, matters are in hand, they are safe at last, on a plane home that same day! Sadly, Bettys father dies six months later. She knows nothing about her Iranian friends; contact is too dangerous for them. Borrowing money, she reimburses Amahl who helped her to freedom. He cannot escape. Mahtob has settled and does well at school. Both fear that Moody will try to snatch his daughter back. The State Department agreed that Betty should tell her story as a warning to others. There are many women and children trapped in Iran, as they were. Her powerful friends in America and Iran give her some hope of safety. She and Mahtob live under assumed names, somewhere in the U.S.A. [1] Personal evaluation. I have read this book with great pleasure. Its a sad story with a happy ending. I cant imagine that this story is true-happened. Its very exciting, because when you read the book you have no idea if they can escape or if they will die in Iran. Its unbelievable how a father can put his wife and child in such a position, how a father can beat his wife and how a family can have such a great influence on a grown-up man. The women in Iran are inferior to their husband: they have to cover their arms, legs and forehead, they must listen to their husbands and are treated like slaves. So the culture in Iran is different from our culture, it makes you aware of the problems in the world and the emancipation of women. [1] = http://www.shvoong.com/books/73262-daughter/

The South China Tiger Essay -- Endangered Species Wildlife China Essay

The South China Tiger As a result of â€Å"the South China Tiger [being] one of the most endangered tiger subspecies in the world† (State Forestry Administration, 2000) China implemented the China Action Plan For Saving the South China Tiger. China’s State Forestry Administration developed the plan because it was necessary to minimize the threat of extinction posed by humans to these tigers. Without intervention, the South China Tiger would go extinct. Historically, â€Å"The South China Tiger was widely distributed, [its range area was about] 2000 kilometers from east to west and 1500 kilometers from north to south† (State Forestry Administration, 2000). What lead to the South China Tiger being classified as extinct was the ignorance of people about the tiger’s ecological and reproductive fragility. According to the China Action Plan, â€Å"During the thirty years before 1980 the wild population of the South China Tiger suffered from continuous large-scale hunting, deforestation of their habitats for timbers, reclaiming of agricultural lands, and pollution from chemical fertilizers†. A combination of human encroachment and habitat destruction resulted in both a decrease in the numbers of South China tigers in the wild as well as a decrease in the habitat in which they were able to live. The Ministry of Forest of the Peoples Republic of China combined its efforts with the World Wildlife Federation to conduct a study of the South China Tiger from 1990-1992. â€Å"The outcome of the survey revealed that there were about 20 to 30 South China Tigers living in the wild at that time. Therefore, the South China Tiger [was] on the brink of extinction† (State Forestry Administration, 2000). There are two different types of South C... ...te Forestry Administration, 2000). The South China Tiger is only one of several species that is endangered due to human activities. It is important for both governments and individuals to become aware of the threats that they pose to species in order to prevent extinction in the future. Without knowledge and awareness many species will meet that same fate as those of the Dodo bird and the Passenger Pigeon. However with appropriate awareness, monitoring and preservation programs it is possible for humans to prevent the complete extinction of the so many vital species and organisms that share this planet with mankind. References 1- China Action Plan for Saving the South China Tiger, Draft Outline. State Forestry Administration, P.R. China. Oct. 2000 2- http://www.5tigers.org/Research/Schina.htm. 3- http://www.home.aol.com/tigertrail/china.htm

Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games Essay -- Papers Children

Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games The video game technology, like most technologies, has changed drastically in the last few years. Arcades may look much the same on the surface as they did a decade or two ago, but the games have become far more violent, sophisticated and addictive. When one visits the video arcade it is not surprising to see children pointing and shooting something that looks suspiciously like a real weapon. If Pong – or, for that matter, Pac-Man and Super Mario Brothers – is one’s point of reference, one needs to think again. What one assumes about the benign, outdated games of the 1970s and the 1980s, even of the early 1990s, the research regarding them cannot be considered valid as video games put in the market in the last five years. It is a whole new world, and it is evolving at a rate that is hard for parents to keep pace with (Funk. Jeanne 1993). How fast a rate? Consider this: During the last two decades interactive video games have emerged as one of the most popular forms of entertainment, particularly among teens. According to the non-profit organization, Mediascope, â€Å"Globally, annual video games revenues now exceed $18 billion. In the United States alone, video game revenues now exceed $10 billion annually, nearly double the amount Americans spend going to the movies. On average, American children who have home video game systems play with them about ninety minutes a day. The kids are changing with the technology – how could they not be? They are riding technology curve in a way we are not and never can. On many levels, it’s wonderful to have them exposed to this brav... ...tors in Computing Systems CHI '04 Abstracts on Human factors in computing systems. ACM Press New York, NY , USA p. 1375-1378 Provenzo, Eugene. Video Kids. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1991 47-48. Schmitt, B.D. (2004). Disadvantages of Video Games. Clinical Reference Systems. Jan 1, 2004 p 3356. Behavioral Health Advisor 2004.1 McKesson Health Solutions LLC Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction Association for Computing Machinery, ACM Pres, New York, USA The First Fighting Game That Let You Just Be Friends. Take Greatest Games of All Times. Mortal Kombat II. Midway 1993. Accessed 2 Sept 2005 at: http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-17.html Videogame- mind control? Accessed 2 Sept 2005 at: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread37141/pg1

Music: the International Language Essay

Music is a part of people’s lives from all around the world. It has been around for at least 50,000 years and most likely originated in Africa (Wallin, et al. 1). There are several distinct genres of music. The most recognized forms in the western hemisphere are: classical, jazz, rock and folk, as well as others which are essentially branches from the four previously mentioned. Many career options exist for those wishing to pursue music, many of which require one or more scholastic degrees. In music, there are a plethora of diverse structural forms in which music is composed. A structural form usually describes the order the â€Å"sections† in a piece of music are written. Without composers, there would be little music today. Most composers have a unique style that they write in that can be identified by anyone with a trained ear. Music is constantly in an evolutionary state, and the music industry changes to reflect that. The future holds endless possibilities for the social and economical effects of new music. Musical notation was not always nice printed symbols arranged in an easy to read format. The Greeks were the first to implement a system for translating written work into sound. However this system made it difficult for someone to imagine the melody, and was extremely difficult to reproduce, and there were usually many errors on copies. The Romans used the first 15 letters of the Roman alphabet above the applicable words to determine pitch with the first letter as the low pitch and the 15th letter as the high pitch. Neuma, or Neumes, is a very peculiar notation used mostly by 6th to 12th century ecclesiastical writers. Deciphering this notation is essentially guesswork due to the number of variables affecting the sounds. (â€Å"Changes in Musical Notation†). Of all the genres of music, classical is the most distinct. It usually includes string instruments, French horns, and trumpets, as well as others. Rock music or â€Å"devil music† as some people refer to it, has become increasingly popular around the world since its inception in the mid 1900’s. This type of music is known to use electric guitars, drum kit, and vocals. Jazz also uses those instruments, but in a different way. In a typical â€Å"big band† jazz orchestra, there will be five saxophones, four trombones, four trumpets, a pianist, a drummer and a guitarist. The jazz style is quite different from that of other types of music. Normally, the first and third beat of a four beat measure are emphasized, in jazz the second and fourth beats are emphasized. In music, there are many formal structures (the way sections of a piece repeat) in which songs are written. Sectional form is a mixture of short chunks of a piece (DeLone. et al. 87). Vocal music often employs the use of the strophic form, which repeats the same section over again (AA†¦). Binary form, as the name might suggest, has two different sections played in succession (AB) or one repeated and then the other repeated (AABB). Similarly to binary form, chain form has three or more sections played in succession (ABC) or (AABBCC). Ternary, or tertiary form, similarly to binary form has two different sections, the difference being there is a â€Å"B† section sandwiched in between two â€Å"A† sections (ABA). Arch form has three different sections, one â€Å"C† section in between two â€Å"B† sections, which is then in between two â€Å"A† sections (ABCBA). Finally, rondo form, which comes in two varieties: symmetrical and asymmetrical. Symmetrical form is (ABACABA) as asymmetrical form is (ABACADAEA) (â€Å"Musical Form†). There are many fun and rewarding careers in music many of which involve working with an assortment of creative individuals. Composition, the art of writing music, is one of the more difficult, yet also more rewarding choices, although it is hard to make a living as a composer unless the utmost dedication is displayed. Teaching others music, either by instruments, theory, or otherwise, is an occupation in high demand around the United States (â€Å"Bachelor of Music†). Musicians are the key element of music, without them there would be no live music. Music therapy is one of the less known musical vocations. Music therapists help people with mental illness or disability by using music (â€Å"Careers in Music Therapy†). There have been many great classical composers, each with his or her own identifying characteristics in their writing. Johann Sebastian Bach is known for never leaving pauses in his music. However, George Frideric Handel writes so that there are moments where no notes are played (grand pause. ) Mozart has written over 600 pieces of music, all of which were written in one draft. Music is all about sound, and for a mostly deaf man, Ludwig Van Beethoven is quite an accomplished composer. The music industry is generally defined as â€Å"the businesses and organizations that record, produce, publish, distribute, and market recorded music† (â€Å"Music Industry†). There are four major record companies or â€Å"labels,† Sony BMG, EMI, Universal and Warner. In 2005, Universal dominated the United States market with a 31. 71% market share. In a close second came Sony BMG with 31. 71%. Warner firmly holds third with a solid 15% market share, leaving EMI to clean up with the remaining 9. 55%. Independent labels cover18. 3% of the US market, but there are many independent companies and none of which hold a candle to he â€Å"big four† (Cashmere). Music artists and record companies alike make most of their money from music sales, but with the rise of peer-to-peer file sharing networks, it has been increasingly popular to illegally download or, pirate, stolen music. According to the American Federation of Musicians, gross revenue for music drops about 20% annually due to piracy. In reaction to the horrifying statistics the Recording Industry Association of America or, RIAA, has taken a number of steps to fight internet piracy. One of their goals is to inform the public of the repercussions music piracy has on the individuals who earn a living from legitimate music exchange (â€Å"Online Music Piracy†). Jazz is the only style of music native to the United States of America. It is clear that many other genres thought to be â€Å"truly American† are actually just bits and pieces from the musical traits of other cultures. Jazz music is brimming with improvisation solos, where a musician is usually given a chord progression also known as â€Å"changes,† and the musician plays notes in the scale of the key given at the specified time. Although the ink on the page may say to play in C7 one could just as well play in Cm in stead. Jazz is also not bound to the â€Å"limitations† of other forms of music and will not always be cut up into easy-to-identify sections. One thing almost all types of music have in common is scalability, for example, there could be a single saxophonist playing â€Å"Harlem Nocturne† on a street corner, or there could be an 18 piece big band orchestra playing the same song in a concert hall. The same applies to classical music, but it is more common to see a street musician playing jazz than classical music. The invention of solid-state electronics brought on many changes. The music world was affected when someone figured that if you make a keyboard and set it so each key you press produces a different frequency at a line level current and run it through an amplifier, there will be an electronic piano-style keyboard! This device later became known as the analog synthesizer and was used in many performing bands. Several years later, digital sound synthesis technology made it possible to have hundreds of different â€Å"patches† on a keyboard, eliminating the need for expensive sound modules for analog synthesizers. Today, both technologies are used, but analog is mostly just used and built for historical and experimental purposes. Every kind of music requires an instrument, be it human vocal cords, a bassoon, or a microchip, at least one instrument is required. There are three types of â€Å"traditional† instruments. Brass instruments are devices in which sound is made by pressing the lips to the large end of an almost conical mouthpiece and buzzing the lips whilst blowing. Instruments requiring no buzzing are referred to as woodwinds. The sound can be made either by a single reed, where the layer places the top front two teeth on top of a tapered mouthpiece and presses the bottom lip over the bottom teeth contacting the reed and blowing so the reed vibrates in between the mouthpiece and the bottom lip. A double reed instrument has no mouthpiece, only two reeds that are pointed together at the end. The third form of woodwind sound production entails placing the lips one the near side of a hole in the mouthpiece and blowing air over the gap, just like making a glass bottle whistle. In music, there are two categories, one for the high society, and one for the low society. The high society music is that of the classical, baroque romantic and other such eras, are usually preformed in formal venues. In contrast, the low society music such as jazz, rap and hip hop could be preformed in places where formal etiquette is not present such as a casino, night club or parking lot. It is apparent that the average audience member of a classical performance will have an income higher than that of an audience member from a hip hop concert. By analyzing this data, musicologists have concluded that the class distinction is not related to the music itself, rather, the crowd associated with that type of music.

Hamlet & Ophelia

Throughout the play of Hamlet, one constantly questions if Hamlet is actually in love with Aphelia. His intentions are difficult to determine: it often appears as though he is not in love with her at all, but is in fact repulsed by her. Hamlet even insists that Aphelia leave him, and everyone else in her life, in his immortal line, â€Å"Get thee to a nunnery' (Ill. L. Pl 25), thus sending her away to lead a life of solitude.However, despite these statements from Hamlet, his other actions give way to the idea that Hamlet not only loves Aphelia, but also cares for her so deeply that he sees her as a liability. He treats her terribly and insists that she leave him in order to protect her from being hurt or killed by his enemies. It is here that we see that, indeed, Hamlet really does love Aphelia. The closest that Hamlet ever comes to stating his love is in Act Ill. Hamlet says to Aphelia, â€Å"l did love you† (Ill. L. Pl 25). However, he then goes on to tell her he does not l ove her.During this conversation, Hamlet believes someone may be eavesdropping on them. This is proven by Hamlet's question, â€Å"Where's your father? (Ill. L. IPPP). Aphelia states that he is at home. Hamlet replies with, â€Å"Let the doors be shut upon him that he may play the fool nowhere but in ‘s own house† (Ill. L. IPPP-44). This quote suggests that Polonium, Aphelion's father, is eavesdropping on Hamlet and foreshadows that he may be planning something as a result. Hamlet would never want to give away his true intentions for Aphelia to one of his enemies, such as Polonium, and therefore lies to Aphelia about his intentions for her.His love for her is so deep that he is willing to make her believe that he does not love her in order to rote her. Another example of Hamlet admitting his love for Aphelia is in the letter that he sends her. Hamlet writes, â€Å"Never doubt I love. † (11. 11. IPPP). He tells her that among and between everything else around he r, his love for her is real. This is the one time before Aphelion's death that Hamlet reveals his true feelings. He feels he can do this in writing, as Hamlet believes only Aphelia will read the letter, as opposed to one of his enemies, such as Polonium.Hamlet knew he had to hide his love for Aphelia and act in a different manner to protect her. His plan backfires however when Aphelia chives the letter, as she gives it to her father. Not even in writing can Hamlet admit his true feelings for Aphelia without the information of his vulnerability slipping into the wrong hands. Throughout the play, Hamlet's love for Aphelia is questioned. Hamlet acts as if he does not love Aphelia in order to trick everyone else into thinking that he does not care about her. Hamlet does not want Aphelia to become involved with him because if Claudia decides to get revenge on Hamlet, she would die.Hamlet shows his love for Aphelia when he confesses to her that he â€Å"loved† her, when he sends he r the deter, and when he finds out that she has died. But many could argue that Hamlet never loved Aphelia – that he fell out of love with her or he never loved her in the first place but was simply driven insane by his father's death and attempted to use her feelings for him to his advantage. Needless to say, there is concrete information pointing to Hamlet's love being true. Hamlet simply was not able to state it bluntly in order to protect Aphelia.Rexes Manchester Mr.. Lowe Is Hamlet a misogynist? If so, what might be the pathology of this vile disorder? Throughout the play Hamlet accuses women of being adulterous, uncaring and soonest creatures. Hamlet's misogynistic feelings towards women come from his mother, Gertrude, and, unfortunately, Aphelia becomes part of his thoughts as well. Hamlet's mother is the cause for his suspicion towards women. Gertrude hasty, and incestuous, remarriage to Claudia, within a week of the kings death causes anguish, suffering and distress for Hamlet.This leads him to question the true heartiness of all women; â€Å"O most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets! It is not nor it cannot come to good, but break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue. (1. 11. Up 56-157) As the story goes on Gertrude becomes a cruel, adulterous and insupportable woman in Hamlet's eyes. â€Å"Nay, but to live in the rank sweat of an misnamed bed, stew's in corruption, honeying and making lovers the nasty In this climatic scene Hamlet finally shows an intense desire to save his mother's soul by trying to convince her that she must repent for the marriage to Claudia.Hamlet attempts to teach Gertrude that celibacy becomes easier the more time goes on and the more one practices. As a consequence, it seems, the misogynist that is Hamlet egging to break down. Which is why Aphelia is so important with in the story, she becomes a victim of Hamlet's anger that leads us to discover if he is truly a misogynist or not. It is Ap helia, the passive character in the relationship that has become the unlucky victim. Aphelia believed that Hamlet possessed real love for her, but so much to the point that he became â€Å"mad for her love. (2:2:84) She accepted his love letters and acknowledged his indications. However, Hamlet becomes so concerned with how vengeful women are to men, or that they are a considerable threat to myself, and that he cannot stop for a moment and realize the pain he is causing Aphelia because of it. In the end, classifying Hamlet as a misogynist does not suffice to the difficult and realistic character of Hamlet. For, as it turns out, the feelings of hatred towards women were only because of the moments that he was caring and concerned with Aphelia and his mother.Though it is irresolute that he would have ever trusted a woman again but at the end he does reveal his love for Gertrude and Aphelia. Does Claudia murder his brother for his throne or his wife? Claudia is Hamlet's uncle, brother to king Hamlet. King Hamlet has been killed and a week after his death, Claudia became king and King Hamlet's wife, Gertrude, remarries to Claudia. The murder of King Hamlet is much like what we see in the Bible. Cain commits the first murder by killing his brother Able while he is sleeping peacefully in a garden.Much like this murder, Claudia murders his brother by pouring poison in his ear while he is sleeping in his own garden. Throughout the story Claudia' nerve is tested and finally he admits his â€Å"offense is rank and smells to heaven because it hath the primal eldest curse upon, a brother's murder† (111. 11. 111). Claudia not only murdered King Hamlet for the throne but for his wife Gertrude as well. He always possessed the secondary role to his brother for quite sometime and because he was always second to King Hamlet, he became Jealous.The fact that King Hamlet was always busy in state affairs and fights could the reason for Gertrude loneliness, which brought her closer to Claudia. After the death of King Hamlet, support of Claudia gave Gertrude a way out to prevail over the situation and heartache. Weak moral strength in Gertrude made it simple for Claudia to convince her to marry him. After this it was simple for Claudia to have Gertrude become loyal to him, this also made him the father of Hamlet and brought his worries of revolt to a close as well as Hamlet's royal right to become king.As Claudia took over the throne and married his brother's wife, it also would make sense to say that he took over the throne so Hamlet would not be king. Also, Claudia had to ascend the throne nearly immediately since Denmark was on the brink of war with Norway. Finally, Claudia took the throne because if he had not, Hamlet would have become king and would have figured out that Claudia murdered is father and would have had him murdered anyways since that is the mandate of this story. Claudia married for two reasons.He wanted to solidify his image in the k ingdom as king and he simply was in the dire need of romance. As the opportunity to do both of those came about he took advantage of it, but as he did that turned his newly owned kingdom into turmoil. Rexes Manchester The play opens in the dark. Two men a foot apart cannot see each other. A Ghost appears. Why has Shakespeare begun the play thus? What does it tell us about the nature of his audience? Shakespeare begins Hamlet in immediate suspense. There is no lighting and only two people on stage.The reason for this is to get the audience's attention from the beginning, without a strong introduction of the play the audience will be bored and unhappy with the performance. The audience at the globe theatre is rather uncivilized. Throughout the play itself the audience is drinking, eating and standing. Everyone in the audience is mostly dirtying, smelly and not very intellectual. If the actors were not performing at their highest level, things would be thrown on stage, the audience wou ld become irritated ND the situation would escalate very quickly to the point that there would be a riot.Shakespeare uses the tactic of introducing a ghost first because it conveys the overall setting of the play, which is suspense, mysteriousness, puzzlement and most of all, curiosity. Through this introduction there is no need for a narrator to come out on stage and say the play is beginning. Due to the mysteriousness the crowd becomes silent, as they are anxious to find out what the play is about. Without the beginning of the play starting as it does, there would be no way to have the audience cooperate for a long period of time.

Ban Zhao and Lessons for Women Essay

_Nu-jie,_ translated as _Lessons for Women,_ by Ban Zhao is a famous Chinese literacy work about women, her virtues and her roles. Ban Zhao was the first known female Chinese historian and poet. She was a renowned scholar under the Han dynasty and also a major contributor to the creation of one of the best-known history book ever written called _Han Shu,_ which is translated to _Book of Han. The Han dynasty is considered the most important time in the grand history of China. Many scholars have regarded the Han dynasty’s reign as the â€Å"Golden Age of Chinese history† but not only that, the Chinese empire under the Han dynasty rose to the forefront of the world along side with the Romans, Parthians and Khushans as the four great societies in ancient time. It was a time of transitioning in China as there were constant developments in many  social and cultural departments such as literature, science, art and industry. The Han dynasty also followed the ideals of Confucianism, which were reflected through politics as the government not only appointed talented men but also already capable men who were determined to improve. Confucianism quickly became the official ideology of the great nation. The Han dynasty’s reign also marked the transformation of China’s literacy and intellectual history. Confucianism had already had a big impact on the Chinese culture and on the lives of the Chinese as well. Its’ principles also benefited the intellectuals under the Han’s reign. The ancient Chinese had invented paper and also learned to how devise the lunar calendar. Literature and philosophies also reached new heights as education was being developed which was made possible by the evolution of a common language. It was also during this time that Ban Zhao’s father, Ban Biao, started his work on the book _Han Shu_ as he was determined to record the history of this time period. Ban Zhao was born in 45 C.E. and she was a daughter in an elite family, who had connections to the imperial court, under the Han dynasty. She was educated and often tutored by her own mother. By the mere age of 14, Ban Zhao had married Cao Shou who was also from her town of birth. However, Cao Shou’s death in later years left Ban Zhao with the responsibilities of raising children on her own. She then devoted her life to literacy which led to the formation of the tradition of historical writings in China. Ban Zhao left her hometown for the capital with her mother and her brother, Ban Gu, as he became the designated historian and editor of _Han Shu_. Many scholars believe that Ban Zhao had already assisted her brother and contributed her efforts to the work of _Han Shu_ at that time. Due to the devotion in her own work and the Chinese tradition, Ban Zhao never remarried. However, that led to the significant rise in her career as a historian and a writer when her most famous work , _Lessons for Women_, symbolized her effort of applying the principles of Confucianism to the lives of women. _Lessons for Women_ was originally Ban Zhao’s teachings for her daughters on  how to be a proper women. She intended the book to serve not only as lessons but also as a guideline for her daughters. She wanted them to manage themselves accordingly and behave the way a proper woman would. Be that as it may, the book identified itself with a much larger audience as it later became the referenced instruction manual for women who were striving for the ideals of Confucianism and who were to be a wife. _Lessons for Women_ emphasized the importance of the women way of life. â€Å"Let a woman modestly yield to others; let her respect others; let her put others first, her last†¦ Let a woman retire late to bed, but rise early to duties; let her not dread tasks by day or by night†¦ Let a woman be correct in manner and upright in character in order to serve her husband; let her love not gossip and silly laughter; let her cleanse and purify and arrange in order the wine and the food for the offerings to the ancestors.† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). _Lessons for Women_ also talked about the qualities of a proper woman, the qualifications of becoming one and advised women on their conducts in the home of the husband or the husband’s family. According to Ban Zhao, â€Å"a woman ought to have four qualifications: 1. Womanly virtue; 2. Womanly words; 3. Womanly bearing, and 4. Womanly work.† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). Ban Zhao also emphasized the importance of the roles husband and wife in the family. She said that the way of husband and wife is â€Å"intimately connected with Yin and Yang† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.) . She then explained that if either of the roles were to prove unworthy of one another, â€Å"then the proper relationship between men and women and the natural order of things are neglected and destroyed.† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.) Because of Ban Zhao’s strong beliefs in Confucianism and its principles, she often talked about how women must try to improve themselves, especially intellectually. Ban Zhao encouraged the principle of wanting to educate oneself as she urged that women should improve themselves through education. She indicated that literacy was important for both the wife and the husband in order to accomplish their roles in the family effectively. The book also put emphasis on the importance of women behaving as submissive which symbolized  the social roles of women in a Confucian society. Confucius himself said little about women which reflected the limited importance of women in ancient Chinese culture and society. But it was Confucianism’s principles that proved to be one of the driving forces that led to the belief that women could get educated, and eventually better themselves. As stated prevously, Ban Zhao originally intended _Lessons of Women_ as lessons for her daughters. Because of that, the book focused on how young women should behave before, during and after marriage. Ban Zhao talked about how young girls should keep her virtues, follow the customs and respect the values in order to become a proper woman. She further expanded her definition of the way women should live their lives. When Ban Zhao mentioned, â€Å"Let a woman modestly yield to others†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.), she also added that if a woman was to follow all those morals, she may humble herself before others. Right after that, â€Å"Let a woman retire late to bed, but rise early to duties†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.) talked about how a woman would become industrious if she follows all these practices. And finally, â€Å"Let a woman be correct in manner and upright in character†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.) explained the principles of ancestral worshiping. Ban Zhao then demanded equality in education; she said that if a relationship in marriage is to exist in harmony, the relationship between wife and husband should be proper and they should know their places so they can function effectively. In order to achieve this, Ban Zhao was asking questions about why women were not getting the same education that the men were able to, â€Å"Yet only to teach men and not teach women – is that not ignoring the essential relation between them?†¦ Only why should it not be that girls’ education as well as boys’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E. ). Ban Zhao then added further explanations about her defined women qualifications. For womanly virtue, a woman has to â€Å"guard her chastity carefully†¦ and to model each act on the best usage† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). According to Ban Zhao, a woman does not have to have brilliant and exceptional compared to others to achieve womanly virtue, it is about the ways a woman takes care herself and how she conducts her actions that symbolize her virtues. For womanly words, a woman has to â€Å"choose her words  with care; to avoid vulgar language†¦ and nor to wear others with much conversation† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). Ban Zhao thought that a woman does not have to engage in conversations all the time, should not use vulgar language and must choose an appropriate response to represent herself. For womanly bearing, a woman has to â€Å"†¦keep clothes and ornaments fresh and clean; and to keep the person free from disgraceful filth.† (Ban Zhao, c a. 80-106 C.E.). Ban Zhao was saying that a woman does not have to be pretty nor does not need a perfect face to present herself, it is about the ways how she keeps her clothes appropriate in terms of appearance and how she takes care herself to achieve womanly bearing. Finally, womanly work means â€Å"whole-hearted devotion†¦, to love not gossip or silly laughter; in cleanliness and order to prepare for the serving guests†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). Ban Zhao said that to achieve womanly work, a woman does not need to be skillfully better than everyone else but to learn her responsibilities and do them effectively. These four qualifications are what would make a proper woman, according to Ban Zhao. However being a woman, proper or not, did not hold a high regards in the culture of ancient China. The primary aspect of a woman’s life in ancient China was to be a wife and continue the bloodline of the husband. They were viewed as â€Å"objects† which its purpose is to produce offspring, and in such a patriarchal culture male offspring was always preferred. A woman was expected to stick by her husband and conduct her actions in manners that would be deemed as appropriate by her husband or his family. Anything else would cause disharmony and thus brought embarrassment to not only herself but also to both families as well. Ban Zhao urged women to get an education so they can serve their families, especially their husband, more efficiently and in a better manner overall. According to Ban Zhao, â€Å"Let a woman not act contrary to the wishes and the opinions of parents-in-law about right and wrong; let her not dispute with them what is straight and what is crooked. Such docility†¦called obedience.† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). _Lesson for Women_ served as a guideline for women to learn the proper ways of being a woman in order to better themselves and their status in the  social rankings. It, however, also emphasized the importance of women knowing their roles and duties in the family well and because of that, family must always be their priority which they must always give implicit obedience to. If they were to follow Ban Zhao’s idealized practices, they would not bring embarrassment nor disgrace to the families. This book presented practices that were idealized by an educated ancient Chinese woman. Despite the correct descriptions of the situation many women faced during ancient China, _Lessons for Women_ did not mention the fact that not many women had the opportunities to earn an education like Ban Zhao had and their chances in life were very limited compared to Ban Zhao. Most of the women were not born in a privileged or prestigious family like Ban Zhao’s and the Confucian culture, practiced by the Han dynasty, forced women into the little and limited roles. According to the book, Ban Zhao wanted women to educate and better themselves for both their social ranking and their family matters. However, Ban Zhao also acknowledged their culture at the time and often urged women to be submissive to both the husband and his family. She also noted that the opinions of the women and what they thought was right or wrong may differ from their husband’s but they must sacrifice their personal opinions and not cause disharmony. After analyzing the book, I have learned that there were certain ways that women could have improved themselves intellectually speaking but because of their culture, it did not improve their social rankings nor had any great influence on the society at the time. It also made me realize that women have had to come a long way to become respectable in the society. The book also emphasized the patriarchal society that ancient China and one can see the lasting impact it has had on the culture of China even to today’s day and age. China have always favored its sons more than its daughters and it has been this way since the ancient time of the Han dynasty. It was not until 2013 when the son-preferred tradition began to gradually decline as the great gender imbalance in China started to balance out. One of the reason that the younger generations have attributed to the decline in the â€Å"gender-cide† is the opportunities at higher level education. As Ban Zhao had stated in _Lessons for Women,_ education is an important, if not the most important, factor for women to improve themselves. _Lessons for Women_  served as a great guideline for women who wanted to be a proper woman and eventually improve themselves as human beings. Ban Zhao talked about what a young girl needed to do and how she should behave to be considered as a woman. However, it should also be mentioned that Ban Zhao was born in a prestigious family during the Han dynasty and whose ties were connected with high ranking officials. Her family was wealthy enough to afford her an education which was a luxury that not many Chinese could have afforded at the time, let alone the Chinese women. Be that as it may, _Lessons for Women_ served its intended purpose and more as many women initiated the first steps of i mproving their statuses in both their household and their society. References Lee, Yuen T. (n.d.). Ban Zhao: Scholar of Han Dynasty China. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://worldhistoryconnected.press.illinois.edu/9.1/lee.html Hasall, P. (Ed.). (n.d.). Ban Zhao: Lessons for a Woman. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/banzhao.html Nancy Lee Swann, trans., Pan Chao: Foremost Women Scholar of China (New York: Century, 1932), 82-90. Strayer, R. (2013). Ways of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources (2nd ed.). Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s. Larson, C. (2014, July 31). In China, More Girls Are on the Way. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-07-31/chinas-girl-births-ratio-improves-as-coun try-gets-more-educated