Wednesday, October 30, 2019

FINAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

FINAL - Essay Example â€Å"The moral structure of discretion remains essentially the same for all officials because they are all charged to obey and implement the law and respect legal process in exercising their power and judgment† (Victoria 1). Discretion is involved in every matter of professional life for a street-level government employee. A front line officer is usually more involved in dealing with public matters because he/she has to deal with public more than the higher ranked officials do. A front line government officer should exercise his/her discretion in resolving public matters instead of sending every simple case to higher authorities. For example, a police officer should have the power to decide whether he/she should resolve a conflicting situation on his/her own or he/she should send the case to the court to decide on it. However, it depends on the nature of the case. If a case is not very complex and both conflicting parties come to the police officer to suggest a solution for t hem, then the police officer should make the decision on his/her own. Such discretions in day-to-day work not only enhance the ability of front line government offices to the critical decisions but also reduce the load of work for the government agencies. For example, if a police officer resolves simple conflicts between people on his/her own, it will reduce the workload for the court which is usually already burdened with a number of cases. However, sometimes discretion in day-today activities does not work well for the society. The reason is that the reasoning and logic that a person at a higher level can give related to public administration matters is different from the mindset of a person working as a front line government employee. Higher appointments are done based on the level of qualification and intellectual ability of people. Such people can take wise decisions by looking all aspects of matters. For example, a decision that a judge can take is more wise and merit-based th an the decision that a front line police officer takes. Similarly, a decision that the manager of an organization can take for employees is more applicable and rational as compared to the decision that an employee takes for his/her work. Therefore, we can say that the consequences if street-level bureaucrats have discretion in their day-to-day activities vary from case to case. However, the negative consequences are not able to overcome the benefits associated with discretion to day-to-day works, such as, enhanced intellectual ability and reduced workload for government agencies. â€Å"Every elected, appointed, and career official must exercise judgment and discretion in carrying out the duties and responsibilities of office† (Victoria 1). Part: B The fundamental assumption of administrative reformers in the late 1800s and early 1900s that politics could have only adverse effects on administration was true up to some extent. The reason is that the politics of that time had in corporated such elements which could have disturbed the administrative approaches and systems of almost every department. Some of such elements included thirst of power, reducing the rights of others, and political instability. All of these elements played their roles in running the political matters of Central European countries. Such elements could have broken the

Monday, October 28, 2019

Investment Banking Interview Essay Example for Free

Investment Banking Interview Essay Standard Questions: 1. Walk me through the highlights of your resume. What is your story, walk through the decisions you have made, and how that relates to your current interest in Investment Banking.. 2. Why investment banking? Why our bank? 3. How do you value a company? 4. To what extent have you created and used financial models before? Discuss your excel modeling skills. 5. Why did you choose McCombs? 6. What other firms are you interviewing with and why? Are you interviewing with consulting firms also? What career opportunities are you exploring other than I-Banking? 7. What were your grades in college? What were your grades for the first semester at McCombs? What was your GMAT score? 8. What qualities would you consider most important for a career in I-Banking? What are your greatest strengths? What are your weaknesses? 9. What do you understand the responsibilities of an associate/summer associate to be? 10. Describe a current event in the market (i.e., LTCM at the end of 1998)? 11. What questions do you have for me? Always have at least two questions prepared per bank. Resume-and personality questions: †¢ Why should I take you instead of someone from Wharton? †¢ Why should I pick you over the other qualified candidates at McCombs? †¢ What made you choose your undergraduate institution? Why did you pursue a major in _____? †¢ What was your favorite class at McCombs so far? Why? †¢ What classes are you currently taking to get ready for the summer? †¢ What are your 5-10 year long term career plans? †¢ What are your proudest accomplishments? What is your most challenging professional experience? †¢ Are you a leader or a follower? Give me an example where you were successful in both roles? †¢ What do you do to relax? †¢ Tell me a joke. †¢ Who has influenced you the most, besides family members? †¢ Say you are at a meeting with a client and your MD is giving a presentation. You suddenly notice a mistake in some of the calculations, which you have prepared. Do you mention it? When? What do you say? †¢ What is one skill that you think is most relevant to Banking? †¢ You seem to like marketing, why are you interested in finance? †¢ What is one word that describes you best? †¢ How would your groupmates describe you? How would you characterize yourself in the group dynamic? If I spoke with your groupmates, what would they say you needed to improve? †¢ Highlight your quantitative accomplishments. †¢ Describe an ethical decision you had to make? †¢ What do you read? Whats your favorite book? †¢ As an associate, what tasks would you like to spend most of your time doing? What percent of each day do you see yourself spending on those tasks? †¢ What is in a pitch book? †¢ What’s been your greatest challenge since beginning McCombs? Greatest accomplishment? †¢ Describe a time you failed, why did you fail, what did you learn? †¢ Describe a time you had to work with someone you didn’t like, or with a difficult person. Finance questions: †¢ What is a LBO? Why lever up a firm? †¢ What makes an attractive LBO? †¢ From a Private Equity firm’s perspective and from a modeling perspective: What are the 3 inputs that matter for an LBO Model? o Answer: Leverage Ratio, Equity Contribution, Estimated Returns, †¢ Why might a company choose to issue debt vs. equity? †¢ What could a company do with excess cash on the balance sheet? †¢ How would you calculate a firms WACC? What would you use it for? †¢ What does Beta mean? Where would you find a firms Beta? How and why would you unlever a Beta? †¢ What is the CAPM? †¢ How do you calculate the firm value for the following firm? †¢ What would greater impact a firms valuation, a 10% reduction in revenues or 1% reduction in discount rate? †¢ What major factors affect the yield on a corporate bond? †¢ How would you evaluate the creditworthiness of manufacturer with three factories in different locations throughout the US? †¢ Company A trades at a P/E of 20. Company B trades at a P/E of 10. Both are considering acquiring Company C, which trades at a P/E of 15. For which of the two acquiring companies would the deal be dilutive. For which would it be accretive? Explain why for each. †¢ Suppose you are buying a new fixed asset part cash and part debt. Talk through how it affects all the financial statements. Financial market questions: †¢ Where is the market going? Bond, equity and foreign exchange? Where do you think interest rates will be in the next 12 months? †¢ What happened in the markets in the past three months? †¢ Do you read the Wall Street Journal everyday? Whats on the front page today? †¢ What industry do you follow and what numbers do you look at to determine if a firm is doing well in the industry. Accounting questions: †¢ What are deferred taxes? How do they arise? †¢ What is working capital? How would you calculate it? †¢ What is EBITDA? Why is it so widely used as a proxy for Operating CF in the financial sector? †¢ Say you knew a companys net income. How would you figure out its cash flows? †¢ Walk me through the 3 major financial statements o What are the major line items of a Cash Flow Statement. o What is the difference between the balance sheet and the income statement? †¢ What is goodwill? How does it affect net income? †¢ A firm is using LIFO, and the COGS start decreasing. What are effects on I/S, BS and CFS? †¢ What is the difference between Purchase and Pooling accounting? Under what circumstances would you use one or the other? Questions on Investment Banks: †¢ Do you understand the lifestyle issues associated with this proffesion? Why dont you have an problem with these issues? †¢ What is your greatest concern about investment banking? †¢ Why I-Banking vs. Consulting? Sales Trading? Research? Finance in Industry? †¢ How does your past career qualify you for a position in investment banking? Why are you not going back to prior career? †¢ What do you hope to accomplish over the summer? †¢ What department do you want to work for inside I-banking and why? †¢ Who is in the bulge bracket? †¢ Rank firms on Wall Street and where do we fit? Who is our competition (in the major categories)? What differentiates our firm? What are our firms strengths? Weaknesses? †¢ If you were the CEO of our firm, what major changes would you implement? †¢ Describe a typical day of an investment banking associate? Technical Questions: †¢ What makes a proposed acquisition accretive? †¢ Suppose a proposed acquisition is accretive, how would you make it less accretive? †¢ What are the main factors in determining if a deal will be accretive or dilutive? †¢ Walk me through how the purchase of equipment effects the 3 statements. †¢ Walk me through the effects on the 3 statements given that a firm has to retroactively change the method of depreciation for last year’s financial statements. Previously, the firm’s fixed assets carrying value was $100M, with no salvage value, an estimated useful life of 10 years, and straight line depreciation. The salvage value has been determined to be $50M, but the useful life of the asset and method of depreciation has not changed. o Effect on Cash? Cash Flow Statement? †¢ What is the different factors to consider when choosing between Enterprise Value and Equity Value Comps? †¢ When you are trying to scale down the number of firms in your selected Comp universe, what would you look at to decide which Comps to include and which to pull out of the Comp universe? †¢ What types of discounts/premiums would you apply after determining valuation based on a Comp valuation? Why?

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Darkness and Evil in Shakespeares Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Darkness and Evil in Macbeth  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Darkness in our society is indicative of evil. For instance, a black cat, a dark night, and a dark place are all symbolic of diablerie. Authors use these symbols to describe an evil character or setting. William Shakespeare employs the imagery of darkness in Act 4 of his play Macbeth to describe the agents of disorder. The witches, Macbeth, and Scotland are all described as dark because they represent the agents of chaos.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The witches in the first scene of Act 4 are depicted as agents of chaos because of the dark domain around them. The witches meet in a dark cave. The cave is an appropriate setting for the witches because caves tend to represent the under-world and hell, creating a feeling of evil. The witches appearance, "secret, black, and midnight hags" also indicates their evil nature. The witches dark meeting place and dark appearance all emphasize their destructive nature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Macbeth in Act 4: consulted with the witches, murdered Macduff's family, and continued to create chaos in Scotland. Macbeth   in Act 4 is described as an agent of disorder, "untitled tyrant   bloody-sceptered". The language in Act 1 that described Macbeth has changed from "noble" and "kind" to the diction of Act 4 witch describes Macbeth as "black Macbeth" and a "tyrant". The Castle that Macbeth lives in, Dunsanine is also indicative of darkness. Dunsanine is similar to the word dungeon a dark and dirty place. In Act 4 Macbeth is an agent of disorder, he murders and he consults witches,   because of this he is described using dark imagery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Scotland under the rule of Macbeth is described as, "shrouded   in darkness", by Malcolm. Scotland in Act 4 has fallen off the "Chain   of Being" and is now occupied with the forces of chaos and disorder.   Scotland in Act 4 is filled with "sighs, and groans, and shrieks, that   rent the air". Scotland is described by Ross as, "O Nation Miserable".   All these descriptions of Scotland portray Scotland as a place where the agents of darkness have shrouded the land.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The agents of chaos and disorder were symbolized by darkness in Act 4. The witches were described as, "dark as midnight"; Macbeth was described as , "devilish and dark"; and Scotland was described as "dying". The imagery of darkness also plays an important role in character development.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Baroque Painting Essay

Few can dispute the beauty and grace of the Baroque era. It is difficult to define this era as it was a term later put to the ideas of the age between 1600 and 1750. â€Å"The Baroque grew up at the beginning of the seventeenth century in papal Rome, where, rather than a clearly defined style, it was a tendency, common to all the arts – in short, it was a taste, a fashion† (Conti 3)The artists of this time tried to break away from previous conventions, while at the same time hailing the past geniuses. It focused on a tantalizing mixture of old and new, and on action – a moment caught within a canvas.â€Å"Baroque meant movement, desire for nobility, love of the infinite and the non-infinite, of contrasts and bold fusion of all forms of art. It was as dramatic, exuberant, and theatrical as the preceding period had been serene and restrained. † (Conti 4) In particular, the intricacies of light and shadow perfected by Caravaggio are not just pleasant to the e ye of the past. A camera is now used, and adorning the walls of most houses you find black and white prints, effectively showing the contrasts between deep shadows and gleaming light.What is this, but the every man's attempt to recreate what Caravaggio achieved? The impulse toward the adoption of this idiom (thematic use of light and shade) came from Italy, indeed from a single Italian artist . . . known as Caravaggio†¦ Although his work has been more attacked by some critics than appreciated, there is no doubt that he marked the beginning of a new epoch. . . His paintings showed sturdy peasants, innkeepers and gamblers; and though sometimes they might be dressed as saints, apostles and fathers of the Church they represented reality in its most crude and harsh aspect.(Conti 40-41) Caravaggio was born in 1571, and in his relatively short life time of thirty nine years, he managed to bring Italian art to a whole new level. His subject matter changed over the years and depended la rgely upon his patrons’ desires. While much of his patronage, just like Leonardo de Vinci and Michelangelo before him, depended on the Church, the wealthiest and most dominant force in Italian politics at the time, he was not always in their favor. Caravaggio was a notorious brawler with a dark temperament. This temperament and violence is easily visible in many of his works.While he started his career in the late 1590’s painting young boys playing music or holding flowers, he was without a doubt most famous for his later works with more religious and often violent themes. It is in these works we see his definitive use of light and dark. This technique, recreated by Caravaggio, was called tenebrism, and was in effect a more intense version of an already existing technique called chiaroscuro. This use of light and dark, of shadow and narrow beams of illumination, was highly effective, and has inspired artists for many years since. Indeed, â€Å". . in Caravaggioâ€℠¢s universe there can be no light without darkness.† (Martin 223) This, along with his interesting and highly controversial usage of ordinary folk of the time, helped his works to stand out against others as dramatically as his use of light and shadow. He was a highly valued and famous artists of his time, but while his works influenced some of the greatest artists of all time (including Velazquez and Monet), his fame diminished quickly following his death and until the early 20th Century. Much of the information written about him came from contemporary enemies – either rival artists or critics who did not approve of his works.Many of Caravaggio’s greatest works revolve around subjects involved in movement as well as deep emotion. Rather than have a noble person pose, he not only chose lowly peasants and prostitutes as his subjects, but painted them in the throes of movement or action. This effect acts as a snapshot, a glimpse into the life of the people within t he painting. The effect of a camera could not produce a more fascinating result – a true study of human emotion and activity. Particularly regarding his religious subject matter he fell into controversy.He rarely used the pious perfection of Mannerism for his techniques, instead choosing to use a prostitute to model for the Virgin (Death of the Virgin), and an old man to pose as St. Matthew (St Matthew and the Angel). This choice made him popular and unique in many circles, and earned him an eager and young following. But among the established artist clique and in particular among certain members of the Church, his use of the peasants and the outcasts were thought to be vulgar and sacrilegious, too dark and menacing for display in the Church.He also refused to use existing works of art for his inspiration, instead choosing real life subjects, and did not work from sketches, but used the back of his brush directly on the canvas to outline his images. While he got a lot of bad attention for this â€Å"Caravaggio’s work was not negative; his aim was to restore full coporeal density to the unstable figures of Mannerism. † (Bazin 30) Caravaggio’s life was as tempestuous as many of his paintings and he was involved in several brawls. This, no doubt, contributed to his list of enemies who gave less than generous accounts of his life.Their mission almost succeeded; as his name did not reach the heights of popularity other artists achieved until the 20th Century, even though certain artists were aware of his works and used his influence. In 1606 he killed a young man, and was forced to flee his rich allies of Rome. Arriving in Naples, he was protected by the Colonna family, but after several incidents was forced to flee to Malta and then to Sicily. An attempt was made on his life in 1608 when he returned to Naples, but finally it was a fever that reportedly killed him in 1610.Caravaggio was never out of work, and wherever he went his paintin gs were generally highly prized. Despite his short career, and the lack of an official school, his influence was certainly felt, even if primarily in the rest of Europe and not his homeland of Italy. â€Å"His influence was harvested instead in Spain, and in Flanders and Holland. † (Conti 42) It is also true that this influence pushed the boundaries of time. â€Å"Caravaggio’s direct influence was brief, though intense, and was confined to his immediate followers, many of them foreign-born, who worked in Rome.But the indirect consequences of his work for European art were far reaching and incalculable. † (Kitson 41) The revival of interest in his works in the 20th Century shows his small existing collection of fifty paintings to be of equal caliber to any of the greats and his unique technique can be said to have influenced even modern art. â€Å". . . in the Cicerone (Jacob Burckhardt) categorized Italian painting of the age of Rubens, from the Carracci and Ca ravaggio onwards, not as Baroque but as modern, ‘partly eclectic, partly naturalistic’. † (Turner 36)Of all the paintings Caravaggio created his religious ones are the most riveting. Allegorical and fascinating all at the same time, they teach us something about the subjects and ourselves. The people in Caravaggio’s paintings are bound together by dramatic relationships which raise all the problems of life, grief and death. From his paintings there emerges a pessimistic impression of human destiny, and it was not surprising that Caravaggio’s art opened the way to that anxious exploration of the soul which attracted many of the painters of the seventeenth century.(Bazin 31) We don’t see one of the greatest sacrifices in the world in Carr painting of Abraham Sacrificing Isaac. Instead we see a father pained at sacrificing his son, but determined to do it as God’s wish. As in many of Caravaggio’s paintings, the moment in time caught on canvas displays a moment of emotional anguish or change, and together with his use of shadows and light, the subjects become not just the characters of a story, but real life human beings. There are no halos. No storm clouds representing Gods watching eye.Just a man about to do the unbelievable to his son, who is suddenly given an alternative where before there was none. It is heart wrenching and very effective. Caravaggio abandoned many of the rules and guidelines of the highly successful artists of the Renaissance, whose main focus was the adoration and idolization of the human and the religious experience. This was not out of disrespect as was thought at the time, but instead was his attempt to enhance what had been started by these great masters.Yet this caused many to reject his art, while young artists of the time thrived on his art revolution. Although, they never made as much direct progress as he had himself, they did continue to use aspects of his art, picking and choo sing the more forgiving and less controversial use of light and dark, while at the same time bypassing, or conveniently forgetting, probably the most important focus for the artist himself, that of the use of the ordinary. Probably one of the most effective and realistic paintings of his career was the Incredulity of Saint Thomas.In this painting, all of the features we attribute to Caravaggio are in evidence. Jesus stands to the left of the painting while three old men, Thomas in the foreground, look at the future saint put his finger in the wound in Jesus’ side. At the risk of putting too modern a gloss on his work, one could almost say that Caravaggio was the inventor of the anti-hero in religious art . . . Christ and Saints are dressed in drab clothes . . (they are) tough working men who would not stand out in a crowd . . .Ordinary people press around them in defiance of the Counter-Reformation doctrine that lay people could only approach God through the intermediary of t he clergy. (Kitson 101) All three men are old, Thomas’ coat is torn at the shoulder and there is an expression of amazed incredulity on each of the faces. Caravaggio’s use of light and dark makes the wrinkles on their foreheads stand out all the more. This is an image of the disciples that people never saw before. Even the expression on Jesus’ face is captivating and completely endearing as he guides the doubting hand of Thomas to his wound.The light comes from an unseen point to the left off-canvas and highlights the foreheads, the torn shoulder fabric and the exposed torso of Jesus. There is hardly a better example of the use of light and shadow or the use of the ordinary man as the subject matter. The use of light in this case draws the eye towards the most important parts of the painting, the parts that tell the story. The use of light and shadow also show Thomas progressing from the shadows of doubt into the light of faith and belief – he is further out of the shadows than the other two, a symbolic, yet very natural, move towards illumination.â€Å"What (Caravaggio) excels in is truth to the physical and psychological facts of a situation . . . an insistence on incidental details . . . which corresponds to the way the eye notices small things in moments of crisis. † (Kitson 101) Without a doubt, Caravaggio’s burst onto the art scene in 1600 caused a rippling effect throughout the art world. â€Å"The naturalism of Caravaggio which was to have momentous consequences for the whole of European painting, was the first great liberating force in Baroque art.† (Martin 41) Artwork that was highly sought after and appreciated in his lifetime, yet with a personality that was difficult to get along with, he was an enigmatic character with a trenchant for trouble. His inglorious and early death in 1610 was followed by an equally early dissipation of his influence and descent into ignominy in his own country Very soon, what had been started by Caravaggio was credited to others, and for over 400 years, his influence was seen but not heard.With the visual and symbolic impact of strong light and deep shadows, the modern art scene seeks to exemplify the great works of Caravaggio, a motif which he started all those years ago. And in today’s world it is in little doubt that the use of everyday culture and life is far more interesting a subject than that of the higher unknown. Caravaggio’s genius is in little doubt, and even though it took a little while for his appreciation to be felt again on a large level, it is comforting to know that the boundaries of art were pushed at a time when the world was ‘recovering’ from the Renaissance.Though art was cultivated to a high level during that period, the elite still had something to learn from the everyday man, and understating something in a painting, as Caravaggio did, could have far more of an impact in the long term. Caravaggio p ushed the boundaries on a snobbish world and presented us with the gritty truth. His own life was a series of light periods and dark ones, and to this day his eccentricities have preserved his right as one of the greatest artists of the Baroque era, indeed of all time.Works Cited Conti, Flavio. How to Recognize Baroque Art. Italy: Macdonald Educational Ltd. , 1978. Bazin, Germain. Baroque and Rococo. New York: Thames and Hudson Ltd. , 1998. Martin, John Rupert. Style and Civilization: Baroque. London: Penguin Books, 1989. Turner, Jane (ed. ). From Renaissance to Impressionism(The Grove Dictionary of Art). New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000. Kitson, Michael. The Age of Baroque. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1966. Wikipedia Web Site: Caravaggio Search.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Pornography on the internet and its effects to children Essay

Children are to be considered as the hope of the tomorrow. They are the one who make our world beautiful and meaningful because of their innocence and simplicity. But are these facts still true nowadays? Or will it be just a â€Å"dream† for us now? Children’s characters, personalities and their totality as individual first develop and mold inside the home where parents are oblige and responsible to teach their children the good values and morals. But the irony for this issue is that, parents tend to forget their responsibilities as parents in supervising their kids, due to their hectic schedules and demands of their work, especially in the time when children open their computers connected with internet. They are exposed to different kinds of indecent advertisements and commercials most especially pornography. Computer connected with internet is a very powerful tool to the learning of the children and it can educate them in many ways whether it is profitable or destructive to their morals and values. It contributes much most especially when parents let their children watch indecent (pornography) websites anytime of the day without their supervision. Websites on the internet with pornography demoralize the innocence of these children and may be encouraged to try on these filthy things. The use of sexual attraction in the internet as a tool of persuasion by drawing attention, interest to a particular product for the purpose of promotion and increase in sales had been a part of marketing and advertising industry for quite some time. The method generally uses attractive models, usually in a suggestive or provocative scene. The past two decades have witnessed an increasing use of explicit sexual appeal in consumer-oriented on-line advertising and particularly of women as the object of sexual desire that it has reached to the point of being common. The use of sex in advertising (a form of pornography) on the internet can range from being highly overt to extremely subtle; from explicit displays of sexual acts or nudity, down to the use of basic cosmetic products to enhance attractiveness. The more subtle forms of this spectrum have seeped into other types of media. This means that children are prone to adapt thwarted values and morals which will affect sooner to their development as individuals and contribute in the later part of their lives. Being computer (internet) addict is more treacherous and hazardous than taking a drug because it disseminates violence, spoils people’s intellects, and ruins not only the individual but as well as our nation and culture. In conclusion, it is a fact that internet is a great help and make our works easy and faster however, we cannot deny the fact too that children are great imitators and that is one of their natures. They really follow and imitate what they have seen and observed from other people especially when they realize that these people involve manifests excitement in doing such acts. Internet’s advertisements already content indecent acts such as violence, sensual actions or sex in short pornography has great impact to the minds of the younger generations. These kinds of entertainments will create curiosity and puzzlements to their young minds that will push them to try it by themselves. Pornographic websites really put an effort to convey their audiences-whether young or old-whom the actions perform on net, believe that those actions are worth emulating for and because of these, children are motivated to imitate it. This is a very important issue for me because I believe that children are the next generation that will lead our country and if their values are distorted while they are young, what will happen to our nation for the coming years?

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Anne Boleyn Biography, Facts, and Background

Anne Boleyn Biography, Facts, and Background Anne Boleyn Facts Known for: her marriage to King Henry VIII of England led to the separation of the English church from Rome. She was the mother of Queen Elizabeth I. Anne Boleyn was beheaded for treason in 1536.Occupation: queen consort of Henry VIIIDates: probably about 1504 (sources give dates between 1499 and 1509) - May 19, 1536Also known as: Anne Bullen, Anna de Boullan (her own signature when she wrote from the Netherlands), Anna Bolina (Latin), Marquis of Pembroke, Queen Anne Also see: Anne Boleyn Pictures Biography Annes birthplace and even year of birth are not certain. Her father was a diplomat working for Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch. She was educated at the court of the Archduchess Margaret of Austria in the Netherlands in 1513-1514, and then at the court of France, where she was sent for the wedding of Mary Tudor to Louis XII, and remained as a maid-of-honor to Mary and, after Mary was widowed and returned to England, to Queen Claude. Anne Boleyns older sister, Mary Boleyn, was also at the court of France until she was recalled in 1519 to marry a nobleman, William Carey, in 1520. Mary Boleyn then became a mistress of the Tudor king, Henry VIII. Anne Boleyn returned to England in 1522 for her arranged marriage to a Butler cousin, which would have ended a dispute over the Earldom of Ormond. But the marriage was never fully settled. Anne Boleyn was courted by an Earls son, Henry Percy. The two may have secretly been betrothed, but his father was against the marriage. Cardinal Wolsey may have been involved in breaking up the marriage, beginning Annes animosity towards him. Anne was briefly sent home to her familys estate. When she returned to court, to serve the Queen, Catherine of Aragon, she may have become embroiled in another romance this time with Sir Thomas Wyatt, whose family lived near Annes familys castle. In 1526, King Henry VIII turned his attentions to Anne Boleyn. For reasons which historians argue about, Anne resisted his pursuit and refused to become his mistress as her sister had. Henrys first wife, Catherine of Aragon, had only one living child, and that a daughter, Mary. Henry wanted male heirs. Henry himself had been a second son his older brother, Arthur, had died after marrying Catherine of Aragon and before he could become king so Henry knew the risks of male heirs dying. Henry knew that the last time a woman (Matilda) was the heir to the throne, England was embroiled in civil war. And the Wars of the Roses had been recent enough in history that Henry knew the risks of different branches of the family fighting for control of the country. When Henry married Catherine of Aragon, Catherine had testified that her marriage to Arthur, Henrys brother, was never consummated, as they had been young. In the Bible, in Leviticus, a passage forbids a man from marrying his brothers widow, and, on Catherines testimony, Pope Julius II had issued a dispensation for them to marry. Now, with a new Pope, Henry began to consider whether this offered a reason that his marriage to Catherine was not valid. Henry actively pursued a romantic and sexual relationship with Anne, who apparently held off from agreeing to his sexual advances for some years, telling him that he would have to divorce Catherine first and promise to marry her. In 1528, Henry first sent an appeal with his secretary to Pope Clement VII to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. However, Catherine was the aunt of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, and the pope was being held prisoner by the emperor. Henry did not get the answer that he wanted, and so he asked Cardinal Wolsey to act on his behalf. Wolsey called an ecclesiastical court to consider the request, but the Popes reaction was to forbid Henry from marrying until Rome decided the matter. Henry, dissatisfied with Wolseys performance, and Wolsey was dismissed in 1529 from his position as chancellor, dying the next year. Henry replaced him with a lawyer, Sir Thomas More, rather than a priest. In 1530, Henry sent Catherine to live in relative isolation and began to treat Anne at court almost as though she were already Queen. Anne, who had taken an active role in getting Wolsey dismissed, became more active in public matters, including those connected with the church. A Boleyn family partisan, Thomas Cranmer, became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1532. That same year, Thomas Cromwell won for Henry a parliamentary action declaring that the kings authority extended over the church in England. Still unable to legally marry Anne without provoking the Pope, Henry appointed her Marquis of Pembroke, a title and rank not at all usual practice. When Henry won a commitment of support for his marriage from Francis I, the French king, he and Anne Boleyn were secretly married. Whether she was pregnant before or after the ceremony is not certain, but she was definitely pregnant before the second wedding ceremony on January 25, 1533. The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Cranmer, convened a special court and declared Henrys marriage to Catherine null, and then on May 28, 1533, declared Henrys marriage to Anne Boleyn to be valid. Anne Boleyn was formally given the title Queen and crowned on June 1, 1533. On September 7, Anne Boleyn delivered a girl who was named Elizabeth both her grandmothers were named Elizabeth, but its commonly agreed that the princess was named for Henrys mother, Elizabeth of York. Parliament backed Henry by forbidding any appeals to Rome of the Kings Great Matter. In March of 1534, Pope Clement responded to the actions in England by excommunicating both the king and the archbishop and declaring Henrys marriage to Catherine legal. Henry responded with a loyalty oath required of all his subjects. In late 1534, Parliament took the additional step of declaring the king of England the only supreme head on earth of the Church of England. Anne Boleyn meanwhile had a miscarriage or stillbirth in 1534. She lived in extravagant luxury, which didnt help public opinion still largely with Catherine nor did her habit of being outspoken, even contradicting and arguing with her husband in public. Soon after Catherine died, in January 1536, Anne reacted to a fall by Henry in a tournament by miscarrying again, at about four months into a pregnancy. Henry began speaking of being bewitched, and Anne found her position endangered. Henrys eye had fallen on Jane Seymour, a lady-in-waiting at court, and he began to pursue  her. Annes musician, Mark Smeaton, was arrested in April and was probably tortured before he confessed to adultery with the Queen. A nobleman, Henry Norris, and a groom, William Brereton, were also arrested and charged with adultery with Anne Boleyn. Finally, Annes own brother, George Boleyn, was also arrested on charges of incest with his sister in November and December of 1535. Anne Boleyn was arrested on May 2, 1536. Four men were tried for adultery on May 12, with only Mark Smeaton pleading guilty. On May 15, Anne and her brother were put on trial. Anne was charged with adultery, incest, and high treason. Many historians believe that the charges were created, likely with or by Cromwell, so that Henry could get rid of Anne, marry again, and have male heirs. The men were executed on May 17 and Anne was beheaded by a French swordsman on May 19, 1536. Anne Boleyn was buried in an unmarked grave; in 1876 her body was exhumed and identified and a marker added. Just before she was executed, Cranmer pronounced that the marriage of Henry and Anne Boleyn was itself invalid. Henry married Jane Seymour on May 30, 1536. The daughter of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII became Queen of England as Elizabeth I on November 17, 1558, after the deaths of, first, her brother, Edward VI, and then her older sister, Mary I. Elizabeth I reigned until 1603. Background, Family: Father: Sir Thomas Boleyn (made Viscount Rochford by Henry VIII)Mother: Lady Elizabeth HowardSiblings: Mary Boleyn, George BoleynPaternal grandparents:Sir William Boleyn, son of Sir Geoffrey Boleyn (Lord Mayor of London) and Ann HooMargaret Butler, daughter of Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond, and Anne HankfordMaternal grandparents:Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, son of John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk, and Catherine MoleynsElizabeth Tilney, daughter of Sir Frederick Tilney and Elizabeth CheneyCatherine Howard was a first cousin: Lady Elizabeth Howard was sister to Catherine Howards father, Lord Edmund Howard Education: privately educated at her fathers direction Marriage, Children: Husband: Henry VIII, king of EnglandChildren:Princess Elizabeth, later Elizabeth I of EnglandTwo stillborn sons, perhaps one other Religion: Roman Catholic, with humanist and Protestant leanings Bibliography: Marie Louise Bruce. Anne Boleyn: A Biography. 1972.Anne Crawford, editor. Letters of the Queens of England 1100-1547. 1997.Carolly Erickson. Mistress Anne. 1984.Antonia Fraser. The Wives of Henry VIII. 1993.Eric W. Ives. Anne Boleyn. 1986.Norah Lofts. Anne Boleyn. 1979.Alison Weir. The Six Wives of Henry VIII. 1993.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Definition and Examples of Euro-English

Definition and Examples of Euro-English Euro-English is an emerging variety of the English language used by speakers in the European Union whose mother tongue is not English. Gnutzmann et al. point out that it is not clear, as yet, whether English in Europe will in the foreseeable future become a language in its own right, one that is owned by its multilingual speakers, or whether the orientation towards native-speaker language norms will continue to persist (Communicating Across Europe in  Attitudes Towards English in Europe, 2015). Observations Two foreign girlsnannies? tourists?one German, one Belgian (?), talking in English beside me on the next table, unconcerned by my drinking and my proximity. . . . These girls are the new internationalists, roving the world, speaking good but accented English to each other, a kind of flawless Euro-English: I am very bad with separation, the German girl says as she stands up to leave. No true English speaker would express the idea in this way, but it is perfectly comprehensible. (William Boyd, Notebook No. 9. The Guardian, July 17, 2004)   The Forces Shaping Euro-English [T]he evidence is accumulating that a Euro-English is growing. It is being shaped by two forces, one top-down and the other bottom-up.The top-down force comes from the rules and regulations of the European Union. There is an influential English Style Guide issued by the European Commission. This makes recommendations about how English should be written in official documents from the member states. On the whole it follows standard British English usage, but in cases where British English has alternatives, it makes decisionssuch as recommending the spelling judgment, not judgement...More important than these top-down linguistic pressures, I suspect, are the bottom-up trends which can be heard around Europe these days. Ordinary Europeans who have to use English to each other every day are voting with their mouths and developing their own preferences. . . . In sociolinguistics, the technical term for this interaction is accommodation. People who get on with each other find that their acc ents move closer together. They accommodate to each other...I dont think Euro-English exists yet, as a variety comparable to American English or Indian English or Singlish. But the seeds are there. It will take time. The new Europe is still an infant, linguistically. (David Crystal, By Hook or by Crook: A Journey in Search of English. Overlook, 2008) Characteristics of Euro-English [I]n  2012 a report found that 38% of the EU’s citizens speak [English] as a foreign language. Nearly all of those working at EU institutions in Brussels do. What would happen to English without the English? A sort of Euro-English, influenced by foreign languages, is already in use. Many Europeans use control to mean monitor because  contrà ´ler  has that meaning in French. The same goes for assist, meaning to attend (assister  in French,  asistir  in Spanish). In other cases, Euro-English is just a naive but incorrect extension of English grammatical rules: many nouns in English that don’t properly pluralise with a final s are merrily used in Euro-English, such as informations and competences. Euro-English also uses words like actor, axis or agent well beyond their narrow range in native English...It could be that whatever native-speakers might consider correct, Euro-English, second language or no, is becoming a dialect fluently spoken by a large group of people who understand each other perfectly well. Such is the case of English in India or South Africa, where a small group of native speakers is dwarfed by a far larger number of second-language speakers. One effect m ay be that this dialect would lose some of the tricky bits of English, such as the future perfect progressive (We will have been working) that aren’t strictly necessary. (Johnson, English Becomes Esperanto. The Economist, April 23, 2016) Euro-English as a Lingua Franca - Tramp . . . could be the first English-language glossy magazine aimed at people who speak Euro-English as a second language. (Social Vacuum. The Sunday Times, April 22, 2007)- In the case of English in Europe, there seems little doubt that it will continue to increase its position as the dominant lingua franca. Whether this will result in varieties of European Englishes, or in a single variety of Euro-English being used as a lingua franca can only be determined by further research. The extent to which it is stifling (Gà ¶rlach, 2002:1) other European languages by steadily encroaching on more and more domains also needs to be researched, as do European attitudes toward English, especially the attitudes of the young. (Andy Kirkpatrick, World Englishes: Implications for International Communication and English Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press, 2007) Further Reading AmericanizationDenglish (Denglisch)Global EnglishGlobishNotes on English as a Global LanguageWorld English

Sunday, October 20, 2019

9 Ways to Say Goodbye in Italian

9 Ways to Say Goodbye in Italian You’ve learned that there’s more than just ciao  when it comes to greeting others in Italian, and now you want to know how to say bye when you leave (the ice cream shop) or un negozio (a store). Here are 9 ways to say goodbye. 1.  Arrivederci! - Goodbye! At the end of a conversation, you can simply say â€Å"arrivederci† and give a wave. While you might see the form â€Å"arrivederla† in textbooks, it’s often too formal- even to use with strangers- so you can stick with this form. On its own, it’s still very polite. 2.  A presto! - See you soon/Talk to you soon You could say this at the end of a friendly meeting with an acquaintance that you bumped into on the street or use it to end an email that you’ve written to a friend. It’s more generic in nature, so it’s great to use when you’re not sure when the next meeting will be. A similar generic phrase would be, â€Å"Alla prossima! - To the next time we meet!† 3.  A domani! - See you tomorrow! This phrase speaks for itself. You use it when you plan on seeing the next person the next day. Feel free to say it to a  barista you plan on seeing again tomorrow for your morning caffà ¨. 4. Ci vediamo presto - We’ll see each other soon This phrase is often used between friends who you plan on seeing later on. You may also hear â€Å"Ci sentiamo presto,†Ã‚  which means, â€Å"We’ll hear from each other soon.† 5. A risentirci  - Until our next meeting This farewell phrase is very formal. It’s often used in office/work language and at the end of phone calls as a polite closing form. The formal form of this phrase is, â€Å"A risentirla.† 6. Torni presto! - Come again soon! This is something you might hear from a friend you made while on your trip. It will most likely be followed by a hearty â€Å"buon viaggio! - have a good trip!†Ã‚  In the informal, it would be â€Å"Torna presto,†Ã‚  and you may even hear â€Å"Torna presto a trovarci! - Come again to visit us soon!† 7.  Mi à ¨ piaciuto molto  - I enjoyed myself very much While this isnt a traditional phrase for saying goodbye, it is a great one to use if you want to start wrapping up a social event, like a friend showing you around his or her city. If you want to add something extra, you can also say: â€Å"È stata una bella giornata/serata. - It was a beautiful day/night.† 8.  Buonanotte! - Goodnight! The best time to say â€Å"buonanotte† to someone is right before they’re going to bed. If you’re leaving a social situation and you want to wish someone a good night, it’s best to stick with â€Å"Buona serata,† which means, â€Å"Have a good evening.† 9.  Buon viaggio! - Have a good trip! This is a great phrase to use when someone tells you that they’re going on a trip or are returning back home. If you’re visiting Italy, it’s one that you’ll hear often once you announce that you’re returning home. The â€Å"buon noun† structure is used very often in Italian, and other phrases you’ll hear that help end conversations are: Buon proseguimento! - Enjoy the rest of (whatever action you were doing before the conversation started)!Buono studio! - Enjoy studying!Buon lavoro! - Enjoy working!Buona giornata! - Enjoy your day!Buona serata! - Enjoy your evening!Buon divertimento! - Have fun!Buon rientro! - Have a safe trip back home!

Saturday, October 19, 2019

An organisations structure and culture and their relationship to the Essay

An organisations structure and culture and their relationship to the promotion or inhibition of change within Insurance Company - Essay Example However, the change model to be utilised in this case is the Lewin’s 3 stage model of unfreezing, change and refreezing to explain the change process. Though change is inevitable, it is a complex process that has drivers and resisters. The organisational structure and culture are vital elements in an organisation that can either inhibit or promote change depending on the situation. It is thus very vital to discuss how culture and structure can influence the change process in an insurance company bearing in mind that the insurance sector operates in a very dynamic environment. The company in this case is Zurich Assurance Company Ltd. There are other numerous factors that cause resistance to change and will be discussed briefly alongside culture and structure. In order to achieve this, the paper will be divided into several sections. The first section will be a brief background summary of the insurance company. Secondly, organisational change will be discussed. This entails disc ussion of strategic and operational change. Thirdly, the paper will discuss theoretical underpinnings of the organisation structure and culture. ... The company boasts of its values embedded in its rich culture and which determines how things are done. The company beliefs in integrity, team working, support for the community and abiding with rules and regulations and sustainable value creation. The company has a divisional organisation structure whereby every division handles its own product and employees but resources and controlled centrally. The whole organisation is under the leadership of a chief executive officer. Organisational Change Effective change management according to Senior (2009) depends on the management but whatever the case the impact of change varies according to industry or sector. The change process as per Lewin’s 3 stage model begins with unfreezing. This is where the company analyses its internal and external environment to identify any gaps that exist and thereby identify need for change (Paton & McCalman, 2008). The changes may need a strategic change or operational change depending on the urgency and importance of change. Strategic changes are long-term in nature and affect the whole organisation. They involve creating new vision, developing strategies, implementing the changes, dealing with resistance and evaluating the effectiveness of strategy so as to review. It is a cyclical process. Operational changes affect only a small group of staff such as a department or team and involve changing particular activities as opposed to the whole system. The strategic change process involves extensive planning and begins with environmental scanning to determine the need for change. This involves conducting a SWOT analysis to determine the strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities and threats for the company. This allows the

Computer Generated Imagery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Computer Generated Imagery - Essay Example Another important reason why CGIs are worth the appreciation and support is that they have allowed and encouraged the filmmakers to broaden the horizon of their imaginations. What we saw in inception and 2012 recently, there is the probability that the directors of 70s or 80s may have thought on these lines but failed to translate their imaginations and ideas on screen because of absence of this technology. Today, the filmmakers have the liberty to think beyond what is known by science and technology. In fact, with their imagination and its on screen translation with the help of CGI, filmmakers even provide new directions to the scientists and experts to think (Page, pp. 52-59). Moreover, it has also benefited the video game industry because now it has become possible for the videogame creators to produce videogames of many movies and television series, which are on screen. Examples like Tomb Raider, Max Payne, Saw, Home Alone, Hit Man, Resident Evil, Doom, Mortal Kombat, Prince of P ersia, The Karate Kid, The Mask of Zorro, Star Wars, Street Fighters, Spider Man, Alice in wonderland and others (Miller, Vandome & McBrewster, pp 152-155). CGI has allowed people to achieve real and higher level entertainment from the movies. Without any doubts, the audience usually forms strong associations with the movies, their characters, plots, and scenarios. Furthermore, moviemakers earn a lot from these movies as compared to other professions. This is because the people are ready to pay huge amounts to see certain movies. The point here is that with CGI, the entertainment industry, in the real scene has been the â€Å"entertainment† industry. People are getting value for their money. They get to see stuff, which is beyond their imagination, they heroes doing... This paper talks about a very interesting today's problem - CGI. CGI stands for Computer Generated Imagery and it refers to any static or moving visual image whose creation or finishing had become possible due to the help and graphics added by the computer. Film industry like any other industry is facing the pressures of globalization and competition. Gone are the days when filmmakers had no concern about the budgets of the film, expenses, and costs of the projects only because the idea and the cast of the film were too strong. Producers are now looking for efficient methods of filmmaking with maximum and high quality results. Much of the technological innovation is the result of the same and so is the CGI technology. It allows the filmmakers to save great amount of time, money, and effort. With CGI, filmmakers do not have to make efforts towards gathering the entire cast, crew on a single shooting location for a scene but a scene can be shot at any location, and CGI will do the rest. Furthermore, CGI can also create scenes, which are not only costly but dangerous as well. The paper concludes that in the absence of CGI or in the absence of the recent advancements, which have taken place in CGI, the audience would have found themselves deprived of much needed entertainment and imagination. CGI has not only revolutionized but also provided great benefits to the industry and the audiences. However, it is important for the filmmakers not to lose focus of other essential elements of filmmaking while using CGI.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Volunteer assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Volunteer - Assignment Example volunteers to have a chance to give back, one can see too that it is not just the hungry and the unemployed that are being served here, but that those who serve are also getting so much in return. What I personally got from this experience is something that is very hard to quantify and to put into words, and I suspect that for every volunteer it is different too. What I can say for myself is that this experience opened my eyes to the reality of poverty, how it is sometimes beyond the personal capacity of a person to prevent, that it is something that can hit anybody at any time. Looking at the mix of people who were served too, one can see that this is not just about food, it is also about being able to rely on something that is constant and nourishing, in a world that can be so unpredictable and dangerous, being out on the streets and unable to find work and the means to support oneself. Going to the soup kitchen, they can expect nourishment, and they can expect to have this repriev e from the randomness of their lives five days a week. It is a lifeline. On the other hand for volunteers this is also a kind of lifeline, something that is likewise constant and something that volunteers can rely on, as a kind of refuge too, in a way. People need this kind of avenue for giving back to New York as well (Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen). Looking at the people too, and hearing about some of their lives, what they have been through and what they are currently going through, I realize that sometimes life can hit you hard and there is sometimes no way to prepare for what is going to come next. This contextualizes the readings and discussions in class, in terms of bringing this subjective and personal perspective into homelessness and poverty. Reflecting further, I realize poverty in New York is something that can happen to me too, and that therefore I am really doing this work partly for myself. In normal times these kinds of thoughts and insights will not enter my mind, and it

Freud The early Twentith Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Freud The early Twentith Century - Essay Example Dora's father had been a patient of Freud's and recommended that she seek treatment from him after discovering a suicidal note on or in her writing-desk (Freud's account is equivocal on this particular). Though her father did not suspect that she would harm herself, he was "none the less very much shaken" (Freud 17) and sought help for his obviously ailing daughter. Dora's symptoms included a host of somatic and mental affects such as dyspnoea (difficulty breathing or hysterical choking), aphonia (loss of voice), hysterical unsociability, and depression. All of these symptoms Freud would trace back to the repression of Dora's sexuality. The willful repression of the sexual urges Dora felt for the adults around her (including her father, her father's mistress Frau K., and her husband Herr K.), Freud concludes, is responsible for all of her hysterical symptoms and, using the interpretative techniques developed in The Interpretation of Dreams, Freud attempts to show that Dora's denial o f these conclusions is a resistance to her own natural inclinations. In other words, Dora represses her true desires and this repression is the source of her hysterical symptoms. "Whereas the practical aim of the treatment is to remove all possible symptoms and to replace them by conscious thoughts," Freud writes, "we may regard it as a second and theoretical aim to repair all the damages to the patient's memory. These two aims are coincident. When one is reached, so is the other; and the same path leads to them both" (Freud 11). In other words, Freud must convince Dora of the correctness of his psychoanalytical interpretation in order for her symptoms to abate. The impairments to her memory, Freud claims, are just those repressed desires that have caused her hysterical symptoms. She must accept Freud's analysis in order to be cured of her ailment. It is this diagnosis of the origin of Dora's symptoms and the path to a cure that I wish to challenge. In order to effectively demonstrate the flaws in Freud's account, I shall turn to the circumstances leading up to Dora's treatment. Dora's father was in a loveless marriage with a woman whose interests in life, we are told, were confined to the upkeep of the family home. Dora's family had moved to a health-resort outside Vienna to provide a better climate for her father's tubercular ailments and made friends with a couple that had lived at the resort for several years, Herr K. and his wife Frau K. Frau K. became her father's nurse and, in time, his mistress. Dora cared for the K.'s two children and was "almost a mother to them" (Freud 19). Two incidents of a sexual nature occurred between Herr K. and Dora, both of which Freud would misinterpret to his patient's detriment. Herr K. would accompany Dora on walks and one day made sexual advances toward her after a trip to the lake. When she told her father about the incident, he called on Herr K. to explain himself. Herr K. denied any such overtures and conjectured that Dora had imagined the whole thing. She had, after all, "read Mantegazza's Physiology of Love and books of that sort in their house on the lake" (Freud 19). It was, Herr K. claimed, most likely that she had been over-excited by such reading and fantasized that Herr K. might be amorously intwined with her. Much to Dora's

Thursday, October 17, 2019

John Locke and property righs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

John Locke and property righs - Essay Example This position allowed Rawls to address two contemporary issues that are equally important but also tend oppose each other’s views: freedom and equality. The Rawlsian theory of justice is influenced by Hume’s philosophy with its critique of justice, that which prioritizes conventions and universal meaning (Forbes, 1985, 68). Hume talked about artificial justice and Rawls coined the so-called artificial device or the â€Å"original position†, which is used to determine justice. It also takes inspiration from Kantian principles, which emphasize moral nobility and the complexity and richness of human life and experience. The beauty of Rawls’ philosophy is its simplicity. The challenge of including the interests of the whole or the large number as well as those of the individual’s was addressed assuming a degree of ignorance in order to attain a desired fairness. It first rejects everything in order to get to the bottom of fairness, and justice is then d etermined. What this means is that similar crimes would have different resolutions because the conditions and parties in each crime are different. Also, there are crimes that in traditional justice could easily be punished because it fits a conventional mold. Let us suppose that a man is accused of racism because he calls someone a Negro, along with several derogatory remarks. Rawlsian philosophy does not jump into conclusion and, instead, tries to understand the situation according to several approaches and involves the reflection on several case-specific variables. The â€Å"original position† is the first of these and the second is what Rawls referred to as â€Å"reflective equilibrium†. In explaining the concept, Rawls (1999) stated that â€Å"justification is a matter of the mutual support of many considerations, of everything fitting together into one coherent view† (19). This approach to justice is radically different from the current system used in most societies. However, it depicts a framework that indicate a highly effective process because it determines and metes out justice within the context of the circumstances of the parties involved. This aspect covers the many different conceptions and interpretations of justice. For instance, retributive justice emphasizes the proportionality of the punishment to the crime committed so that it is not greater or lesser than the harm perpetuated. There is also the case of restorative justice, which follows a more benign framework, focusing on â€Å"healing† as the more preferable outcome for all stakeholders involved including the victim and the offender. Rawlsian philosophy breaks through the differences of these other theories by identifying the fundamental variable in determining justice and work its way from there. By focusing on fairness and the contexts behind actions, Rawls was able to develop a more inclusive model. While Rawlsian philosophy has earned accolades and recognit ion, it also has its share of criticisms. One of the most important is his focus on the individual. For example, if a system of justice will follow the â€Å"reflective equlibrium model† there are those who point out that it would involve several judgments and doctrines based on different backgrounds of those involved, resulting to an almost infinite number of equlibria (Maffettone, 2010, 139). The critics come from all philosophical inclinations. There are those coming from

Elisabeth Louise Vige Le Brun Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Elisabeth Louise Vige Le Brun - Research Paper Example A wealthy heir Louise Marie Adelaide de Bourbon later patronized Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun. During this period, she received advices from Joseph Verne, Jean-Baptist Greuze, Gabriel Francois, and other masters of time (May 3). She also taught herself to paint through copying established paintings of peter Paul Rubens. Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun adopted a technique of painting layers of brilliant color on panels of wood to achieve polished, animated, and immensely attractive portraits of aristocracy and European royalty. She mastered a neo-classical art, an unemotional and severe and form of art harkening back to the grandeur of Rome and Ancient Greece. Its rigidity was a reaction to the emotional charged Baroque style and the over bred Rococo style. Her style is generally considered Rococo and shows interest in neoclassical painting subject. In her early, teenage Louise Elisabeth was painting professional portraits. She applied to the Academia de Saint Luc, after her studio w as seized for operating it without a license. The academie immensely exhibited her work in their salon. Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun was made a member of the academie in 25 October 1783. She got married on 7 August 1775 to Jean-Baptist-Pierre who was an art dealer and a painter (Dunn 4). Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun painted portraits of many of nobilities of the day as her career blossomed. She was invited to paint Marie Antoinette at the palace of Versailles. The queen was so much impressed that Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun painted her portrait together with her family for more than thirty times within a period of six years. She was viewed as the official portraitist of Marie Antoinette hence immense friendship grew between them (Bietoletti 76). Louise Le Brun had an unerring instinct of costume, a flair for innovative poses, and the ability to capture a likeness with relative ease. Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun gave birth to a doughter Jeanne Julie Louise on 12 February 178 0 whom she called â€Å"Julie†. In 1781, she toured Netherlands and Flanders together with her husband. The works of the Flemish masters inspired her to try new techniques of painting. With the new techniques, she painted portraits of the nobility including the one f the prince of Nassau (Fredrickson and Webb 51). Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun was accepted in France’s Academie Royale de Peinture ET de Sculpture as a member on 31 May 1783. She painted numerous portraits with allegorical history painting that she considered her peace bringing back the prosperity. The academy refused to place her work in the academic category of a type -either history or portraiture. She was denied admission in to the academy because her husband was an art dealer. Eventually, she was admitted into the academy through Louis xvi order after a considerable pressure by his wife Marie Antoinette in favor of her portraitist (Bietoletti 77). Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun caused a public minor scandal with her own portrait in which she was seen smiling open-mouthed in contravention of conventions going back to antiquity. In 1789, she was succedent to Marie Antoinette as a court painter by Alexander Kucharsky. During the French Revolution, the royal family was arrested. Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun fled France with her daughter Julie. For some years, she lived and worked in Austria, Russia, and Italy where her experience of dealing an aristocratic clientele was

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

John Locke and property righs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

John Locke and property righs - Essay Example This position allowed Rawls to address two contemporary issues that are equally important but also tend oppose each other’s views: freedom and equality. The Rawlsian theory of justice is influenced by Hume’s philosophy with its critique of justice, that which prioritizes conventions and universal meaning (Forbes, 1985, 68). Hume talked about artificial justice and Rawls coined the so-called artificial device or the â€Å"original position†, which is used to determine justice. It also takes inspiration from Kantian principles, which emphasize moral nobility and the complexity and richness of human life and experience. The beauty of Rawls’ philosophy is its simplicity. The challenge of including the interests of the whole or the large number as well as those of the individual’s was addressed assuming a degree of ignorance in order to attain a desired fairness. It first rejects everything in order to get to the bottom of fairness, and justice is then d etermined. What this means is that similar crimes would have different resolutions because the conditions and parties in each crime are different. Also, there are crimes that in traditional justice could easily be punished because it fits a conventional mold. Let us suppose that a man is accused of racism because he calls someone a Negro, along with several derogatory remarks. Rawlsian philosophy does not jump into conclusion and, instead, tries to understand the situation according to several approaches and involves the reflection on several case-specific variables. The â€Å"original position† is the first of these and the second is what Rawls referred to as â€Å"reflective equilibrium†. In explaining the concept, Rawls (1999) stated that â€Å"justification is a matter of the mutual support of many considerations, of everything fitting together into one coherent view† (19). This approach to justice is radically different from the current system used in most societies. However, it depicts a framework that indicate a highly effective process because it determines and metes out justice within the context of the circumstances of the parties involved. This aspect covers the many different conceptions and interpretations of justice. For instance, retributive justice emphasizes the proportionality of the punishment to the crime committed so that it is not greater or lesser than the harm perpetuated. There is also the case of restorative justice, which follows a more benign framework, focusing on â€Å"healing† as the more preferable outcome for all stakeholders involved including the victim and the offender. Rawlsian philosophy breaks through the differences of these other theories by identifying the fundamental variable in determining justice and work its way from there. By focusing on fairness and the contexts behind actions, Rawls was able to develop a more inclusive model. While Rawlsian philosophy has earned accolades and recognit ion, it also has its share of criticisms. One of the most important is his focus on the individual. For example, if a system of justice will follow the â€Å"reflective equlibrium model† there are those who point out that it would involve several judgments and doctrines based on different backgrounds of those involved, resulting to an almost infinite number of equlibria (Maffettone, 2010, 139). The critics come from all philosophical inclinations. There are those coming from

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Analysis of Wallow's Character in Haunting of Olivia Essay

Analysis of Wallow's Character in Haunting of Olivia - Essay Example embarrassed to admit that he doesn’t see any ghosts† (Russell). From this line, the reader has an understanding that these are minds of young children who think they can find the ghost of their long-gone sister. Whether ghosts exist or not is a subject worth of discussion by those who believe in their existence. As the story develops, it is revealed to the reader that Wallow aged fourteen and his brother (the narrator) has been having numerous trips to the lake shore in search of their dead sister (Russell). They repeatedly scavenge through the boats at the shore with the hope of having a glimpse of their dead sister. The reader is able to notice the bully nature of the elder brother through the younger brother, who says, â€Å"On land, Wallow’s a loutish kid. He bulldozes whatever gets in his path: baby strollers, widowers, me† (Russell). These lines gives the reader an understanding of the kind of character Wallow sometimes retrieves into when he feels th at he has all it takes to be a bully. This also explains why he drives the brother in search of the sister’s ghost. From the story the reader is also able to comprehend that the parents of the two children have resumed travelling to third world countries since the death of their daughter. This is because they feel the sons are grown enough to take care of themselves. As the story comes to an end, the reader understands that nothing positive comes out of the brothers’ search for their sister’s ghost. ... In reference to the bullish nature of Wallow, the reader understands that in absence of constant care by the parents, the elder brother will always want to be protective of his younger brother. Character Traits of the Story’s Characters The character of Wallow in the story â€Å"Haunting of Olivia† is caring. As an elder brother, and at fourteen years of age, he protects his brother, who is twelve, because the parents are rarely with them (Russell). When they are scavenging the boats to find anything of value, the reader discovers that Wallow remains in control and keeps watch for the safety of both of them. This can be seen when he says to his brother: â€Å"All right, bro,† Wallow says. â€Å"It’s go time.† He takes my elbow and gentles me down the planks with such tenderness that I am suddenly very afraid. But there’s no sense making the plunge slow and unbearable...† (Russell). Moreover, Wallow is imaginative about nature and supers titious. He refers to the anniversary of his late sister as â€Å"unbirthday†. Since the sister died on that material day, he feels that it is her unbirthday. The reader knows that this cannot be termed as unbirthday. Wallow says, â€Å"†¦that means that tonight is Olivia’s unbirthday, the anniversary of her death† (Russell). The imagination and superstition in these lines is revealed from the fact that Wallow thinks that the opposite of birthday celebration is unbirthday. This is in reference to death anniversary of Olivia. Moreover, by believing that Olivia’s ghost is in existence and they ought to look for it, it is an act of superstition. Ghosts are not things that exist but they arise out of

Monday, October 14, 2019

Asses sociological explanations for ethnic differences in educational achievement Essay Example for Free

Asses sociological explanations for ethnic differences in educational achievement Essay Ethnicity refers to shared cultural practices, perspectives, and distinctions that set apart one group of people from another. That is, ethnicity is a shared cultural heritage. The most common characteristics distinguishing various ethnic groups are ancestry, a sense of history, language and religion. Modern Britain is said to be a multicultural society made up of many different ethnic groups. Achievement within education is very varied across cultures, with some such as Chinese and Indian students performing above the average, and African-Caribbean and Pakistani students performing well below average. There are many factors which can reduce a child from an ethnic backgrounds attainment. For instance, Material deprivation. Material deprivation focuses on income inequality and the material problems that are associated with it. An example of such a study is J. W. B Douglas, The Home and The School (1964). He argued that an interlocking network of inequalities existed which operated against many working class students. This included, differential effects of regional and variations in educational provision and expenditure. Also, housing and environmental factors. Which led to chances of access to good primary schools. Therefore, hindering the chance of access to top streams. As a result, minority ethnic children are more likely to live in low-income households. This means they face the problems that Douglas highlighted, the material factors, such as poor quality housing, no working space and even possibly bad influence of peers. One other reason for differences in educational achievement between ethnicities is the basic family life. African-Caribbean communities have a high level of lone parenthood. Actually, it is estimated 50% of African-Caribbean households have a lone-parent . This can mean that many face financial problems, this can lead to lower achievement in school (Douglas’ material factors). Conversely, single mothers can be a positive role model or influence for many young girls, meaning they perform better in education. Another explanation for ethnic differences is Language. For many children of an ethnic minority English is not their primary language. This can be a disadvantage because they may not understand exams as well as others. Also they might struggle to express themselves with limited English. Finally, some teachers may mistake poor English for a lack of intelligence, when actually this could be completely untrue, meaning that a clever child may be let down by the teacher who might not push the student to their full potential. However, you could argue that Chinese and Indian students first language isn’t English, on the other hand in these two cultures it is the norm to learn English as a strong second language. Therefore, they are not hindered by the second language barrier, as opposed to Bangladeshi’s for example. Language was such a big issue that Bernstein (1973) categorised students into two groups. Elaborated and restricted. In the case of an elaborated code, the speaker will select from a relatively extensive range of alternatives. However in the case of a restricted code the number of these alternatives is often severely limited. Bernstein’s work was not always praised. For instance, Labov (1974) argued that young blacks in the United States, although using language which certainly seems an example of the restricted code, nevertheless display a clear ability to argue logically. Their lack of knowledge concerning the subject may reach further than just the exams they have to take. For instance, due to the large amount of failing black Caribbean’s and Bangladeshi’s (a combined total of 41% managed to get 5 A* C grades), teachers may be subconsciously prejudiced against ethnic minorities. This can lower the students attainments in many ways, one is that the teachers give the student lower grades. Another way is that the teacher negatively labels a student of ethnic minority which can lead to self-fulfilling prophecy. Racism can also lead to conflict between students and teachers, making learning a much harder task. Lastly, racism can lead to low-self esteem among ethnic minorities. A researcher who studies this was Howard Becker (1971). Becker Interviewed 60 Chicago high school teachers. He found that they judged pupils according to how closely they fitted image of â€Å"ideal pupil†. Their conduct appearance influenced judgement. Middle class was closest to ideal, working class furthest away labelled as badly behaved. As a result you can see, if teachers labelled students on how they look, you can imagine how they would label a whole ethnic race. Another factor for ethnic differences in educational achievement is the ethnocentric curriculum. There are several reasons why ethnic minorities may struggle due to this curriculum. One is that the subjects often focus on British culture; naturally White British students will have grown up with this culture, so they might have a greater understanding of the content than students who grew up in a different culture. Another reason is that the content of the curriculum could lower ethnic minorities self-esteem, this is because often the white character is seen as â€Å"good† and superior whilst the ethnic minorities are seen as â€Å"not as academic†. However, it is crucial not to forget that every ethnic minority underachieves at this level. In fact, in the UK, Chinese and Indian pupils score better grades than the â€Å"White† ethnic race. One of the main reasons for this is the support of the parents. Research has shown that some parents of ethnic minority, such as Chinese and Indian, take more interest in their child’s education, they also encourage their child more than other in other cultures. This obviously leads to higher achievement for the child. Not only the parents play a part. Some teachers may stereotype some ethnic minorities to be intelligent and hard-working. This encouragement and sort of support can aid a student in raising their grades. To conclude, there are many sociological explanations for the ethnic differences in educational achievement, from language barriers to family life at home. However, it is important to remember not all ethnic minorities to underachieve. Rafi Kentafi Lindill 12P.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Comparing the Stories of Mark and Peter Essay -- Religion, Gospel

The stories of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection in the gospels Mark and Peter differ greatly. Each author has his own plot, descriptive language, audience and characterization of Jesus. What we know about Jesus and how he is portrayed changes between the gospels. For example, the Gospel of Mark uses many Jewish references and makes parallels to the Old Testament which was most likely for the benefit of a Jewish audience. Also, the Jesus in Mark’s gospel is characterized to be more divine, befitting the expectations of the Jewish community. However, The Gospel of Peter seems to entertain both a pagan and Jewish audience, using language that either group could relate to. The Jesus of Peter is oddly portrayed and is more akin to what we would think as superhuman rather than divine. The most obvious differences between the crucifixion and resurrection stories in the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Peter lie in their plots. These differences, in effect, change our conceptions of Jesus. In the Gospel of Mark it begins with Jesus before Pilate but in the Gospel of Peter it begins with some kind of council between Pontius Pilate and Herod. In the Gospel of Mark we see Jesus on trial being accused of many things. Pilate asks Jesus â€Å"Are you king of the Jews?† and Jesus replies â€Å"You say so,† and we see a Jesus that is above slander and empty accusations. (Mark 15.2) By saying this, Jesus never admits anything. While he does go along with what they are doing to him; he makes no comment on whether their accusations or rumors about him are true. A position that lets us know Jesus is taking the high road. However, in the Gospel of Peter we do not have the luxury of starting with such a conception, in fact we do not even get to see Jesus u... ...ived. In Mark there are these Jewish undertones that make Jesus out to be a divine and respectable figure that was put through so much during his passion, crucifixion, and resurrection. In Peter, we have a strange view of Jesus. He can be perceived as a human that had extraordinary gifts, and supernatural events simply occurred around him. In Peter there was also even more crazy phenomena not seen in the canonical texts. An example of this phenomenon would be when a floating cross appeared and then proceeded to talk. Both texts present these very different views of Jesus while at the same time propose questions that cannot really be answered definitively. The only thing that is definite is that both Mark and Peter used their plots and languages to really influence how their audiences view Jesus. Jesus was emphasized as more divine in Mark and more human in Peter.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Why We Drop Out of College :: essays research papers

As high school students, most of us were taught the dream of going to college from the importance that it has. The real life examples from our friends teach us the importance of going to college. If you drop out of college you may lose yourself, your family, and your friends. One of my friends dropped out of college because he had a bad friendship. So, they convinced him not to go to the school, but when he grew up he realized that the college was the most important thing in his life. Even though we know that â€Å"college is the best thing†, why we drop out of college? That fact is that we drop out from the college for many reasons. We sometimes drop out of the college because of bad friendship. For example, my brother’s friend was just 19 years old and he dropped out of college only because he wanted to fit into a group that was bigger than him. As a result of this, he wanted to be seen as â€Å"cool,† but that wasn’t all. Due to this, he used drugs that dropped him out of the college totally. These students don’t want to seem irresponsible, so they make up an excuse, such as the bad friendship. Another reason we drop out of college is that we want to be independent. A lot of news has been saying that students are sensitive during the adolescence. Because of adolescence, they may think that school is â€Å"nothing†, it is just a waste of time. Also, facts have been saying that more and more students are being independent related to the school. A good reason that they are independent is that they want to have their own money. However, when we don’t know how to say no and face whatever problems may cause, we often use to drop out of college to avoid difficulties. However, dropping out of college is not always negative, in fact, familiar problems can yield positive results. In terms of financial support we know that college costs money, so a lot of students cannot afford it. For example, there are families were the parents are divorced, and one parent has to burden all the family expenses. Often, it happens that one of the parents die, and the children have to grow up with many difficulties.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Business Management of Owning a Construction Company Essay

Owning a construction company requires good planning whereby the management puts several measures in place to ensure that a company performs well to generate enough money that aids it run its operations. Availability of surplus raw materials is one of the important factors to consider while managing a construction company. A construction firm should have enough laborers who offer services to customers and who work at the production stage. Running a construction company requires that the management come up with a good marketing strategy that allows the company to attract as many clients as possible to allow the organization generate enough income to carry out its activities effectively. Keeping records in an organized manner makes it easy for a construction company to make references and also to avoid loss of data. Managers who plan their activities wisely and accordingly in a construction company are in a better position of elevating the profit that the company generates and to impro ve the quality of goods and services that the firm offers. Definition of Important Concepts Management is a common term that this paper uses and it means to adopt effective measures as a leader that help to run an organization in an effective manner. The term construction is also common in this analysis and it means to come up with projects such as buildings, bridges and roads using qualified personnel. Counterarguments Even though raw materials are essential in the running of a construction company, some companies lack them due to poor management which in most cases leads to the fall of a business. Other construction companies lack enough laborers and this makes the available workers to strain with their work which in most cases lowers the outcome of construction companies. Lack of effective marketing strategy and lack of proper ways of record keeping also in many instances lead to the downfall of many construction companies because they are not able to generate sufficient income from different customers and they experience confusion respectively.This report makes use of an imaginary company by the name of Davis Construction firm to expound on the management of owning a construction company. As part of its activities, this construction firm produces building bricks from clay soil, produces celling boards that builders fit inside houses, and also hires professional masons and other construction desi gners to people or organizations that want to come up with buildings. To attain its goals, the management of Davis Construction firm must take into account several measure that will help it run its activities. Availability of Raw Materials First of all, the manager of this organization must ensure that there is a continuous flow of raw materials to enable the firm continue with its production. In this case, the essential raw materials that Davis Construction firm needs are clay soil to manufacture bricks, wood chips to manufacture celling board, and sufficient water to carry out the mixing process. Other raw materials that this organization needs to produce its goods include chemicals that it uses to carry out its production. A good manager will carry out a research on the best places to acquire the raw materials so that the firms does not experience delays in its production process. To ensure a steady supply of raw materials in a construction firm, managers should have more than one source of suppliers who deliver raw materials to the company. Having more than one source of supplier who supply the same product is important because this allows a company to carry out its activities continuously not to inconvenience customers. In many instances, unreliable suppliers make business managers to consider alternative ways getting raw materials to carry out an organization’s activities (Alonso, 2007, p. 3). Another way in which the manager of this company and any other construction company can ensure constant availability of raw materials is by establishing nearby sites that generate enough raw materials to run the activities of an organization. For example, to have a constant supply of water, the manager can hire professionals to come and dig boreholes that will provide surplus water to the firm at a much cheaper cost. Availability of Workers Effective management of a construction company calls for hiring enough laborers who help in running the organization’s activities. A wise manager will therefore, put measures to ensure that the laborers share work equally and that they do not strain while carrying out their activities. The laborers in a construction firm should fall into several sections where each worker partakes in the activity of his specialization. By each worker taking part in the activities of his specialization, a construction firm will attain accuracy in all the goods it produces and all the services it offers. To get laborers of sufficient knowledge to carry out their activities, the management of Davis Construction Firm should carry out a test while recruiting laborers after ascertaining their credentials. Even though it is a common occurrence in many countries that construction activities attract workers with low educational level (ILO, 2001, p. 12), it is important for managers to hire workers with high qualification to do their job perfectly so as to come up with products and services that satisfy customers’ needs. The management should ensure that workers get sufficient training to enable them carry out their duties with preciseness. As a way of improving the technical skills of their workers, managers should organize educative seminars where other professionals offer theoretical and practical knowledge to the workers. Good managers take the initiative of helping technicians who show great ability in their duties attain further training and also to serve as motivation to the co ntractors. Managers in a construction company should also take their workers to tour different construction firms because if they fail to do this, it will be impossible to compete favorably with other construction firms. Marketing Strategies A construction company should adopt effective marketing strategies that allows it to reach customers from different geographical regions. After intense research about marketing strategies, managers in construction companies such as Davies Construction Firm should come up with a suitable way of marketing the goods and services that the firm offers. To effectively reach customers from different regions, managers who run construction firms should adopt reliable channels such as the internet and publications because these two are able to carry so much information about a company and are also able to transmit information within a very short time. Enhanced technology has improved communication and marketing which has positive effect on inter-organizational relationship and communication (Avlonitis & Karayanni, 2000, p. 442). Managers in a construction firms should appoint certain people with the right qualification to manage the company’s website and to attend to customers’ n eeds. In a business organization, it is important for managers to create a customers’ department wing to improve the quality of services and to build a long-term relationship with the customers (Rust, Moorman, & Bhalla, 2010, p. 5). Record Keeping Managers who run construction companies should adopt better ways of storing vital information. Good forms of record keeping enable construction companies to make necessary reference whenever conflicts or discrepancies occur. For example, Davis Construction Firm can adopt better ways of record keeping by using computers that are able to store large amount of data for a very long time. People in charge of electronically storing data must be very keen in their activities to ensure that the information stays for a long time without getting lost (Trace, 2002, p. 138). Managers in a construction firm should also adopt a way of keeping records that is easy to retrieve information. Some of the advisable ways of keeping records in a manner that is easy to retrieve include using alphabetical orders, storing records according to the subject and keeping records in accordance to urgency. Conclusion Managers who run construction firms should take the initiative of helping the company attain its goals. As part of their management duties, managers should be able to come up with ways that ensures a constant and sufficient supply of raw materials to enable the firm carry out production of goods and services continuously. A manager should also be able to ensure that a construction firm has enough workers who help in carrying out the activities of a company in accordance to their area of specialty. Coming up with an effective marketing strategy helps to reach customers from different regions and therefore, be able to generate enough money for the construction firm. Above all, a manager in a construction firm needs to device effective methods of storing vital information about past and current operations of a construction firm. References Alonso, E., et al. (2007). Material availability and the supply chain: Risks, effects, and responses. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.Avlonitis, G., & Karayanni, D. (2000). The impact of internet use on business-to-business marketing: Examples from American and European companies. Industrial marketing management 29(4) 441-459. International Labor Organization, ILO. (2001). The construction industry in the twenty-first century: Its image, employment prospects and skill requirements. Geneva. Rust, R., Moorman, C., & Bhalla, G. (2010). Rethinking marketing. Harvard Business Review. Trace, B., C. (2002). What is recorded is never simply ‘what happened’: Record keeping in Modern organizational culture. Archival Science 2(7), 137-159.at is Recorded is Never Simply ‘What Happened’: Record Keeping in Modern Organizational Culture Source document

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Review of Literature Related to River Water Quality in Ireland

2.0 Literature Review2.1 River Water Quality in IrelandNational studies of Irish rivers have been carried out since 1971. In 1971, 2,900km of river channel was surveyed. The studies consisted of chemical and biological appraisals. This was before the constitution of the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) , the competent authorization at the clip was An Foras Forbartha. The EPA was established in 1992 and they so became the competent authorization for H2O quality monitoring in Ireland. In 2006, the EU Water Framework Directive Monitoring Programme was implemented. From 2004-2006, 13,240km of river channel was surveyed, with biological trying carried out at 2,985 trying sites on 1,151 rivers and chemical sampling at 2,500 sites. ( EPA, 2008 ) The Monitoring Programme was put in topographic point to run into the demands of the EU Water Framework Directive ( 2000/60/EC ) , the European Communities ( Water Quality ) Regulations, 2003, Groundwater Regulations ( S.I. No 9 of 2010 ) , and Environmental Objectives European Communities ( Surface Water ) 2009. From 2007-2009, of the 13,240km surveyed the river quality showed 70 % were uncontaminated and 30 % were damaged to a greater to lesser extent. The National Water Monitoring Reports are compiled and published every three old ages. The most recent study 2011 showed that 20.1 % of rivers had high position, 48.8 % good position, 20.7 % moderate position, 10 % hapless position and 0.4 % river channel was bad position. ( EPA, 2011 )2.2 Ashlane River SourceAshlane River is sourced from Lough Gill. It flows downstream via the Garavogue River. It diverts into its ain watercourse known as Ashlane River. The River flows through Hazelwood Demesne and so through the Institute of Technology. And so out to Carton Bay which flows to Sligo Harbour. *waiting on info from Sligo Coco to finish this subdivision2.3 Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC2.3.1 OverviewThe Water Framework Directive was introduced in 2000. It established the legal model to protect, preserve and better the quality of surface, transitional and coastal Waterss and groundwater where necessary. It besides includes modified and unreal H2O organic structures. The Water Framework Directive sets out clear deadlines. The primary aim set out in the Water Framework Directive is to accomplish at least good H2O position by December 2015. The Directive was transposed into Irish statute law by the Water Policy Regulations ( S.I. No 722 of 2003 ) , Surface Water Regulations ( S.I. No 272 of 2009 ) and Groundwater Regulations ( S.I. No 9 of 2010 ) . These ordinances govern the form of the Directive by word picture, monitoring and position appraisal programmes. The Directive besides aims to continue, protect and enhance Waterss and manage H2O organic structures based on river basins or catchments. The definition of good H2O position for surface Waterss is based on its ecological position and chemical position. The Directive set out five ecological position categories: ‘high’ , ‘good’ , ‘moderate’ , ‘poor’ and ‘bad’ . ( EPA, 2005 )2.3.2 River Basin DistrictsA river basin is defined as an country of land from which surface run-off flows through watercourses, rivers and lakes into the sea at a river oral cavity or estuary. In 2003, the designation of the River Basin Districts and competent governments were completed. For each RBD a River Basin Management Plan ( RBMP ) was developed and implemented. The chief purpose of the RBD is to make an incorporate monitoring and direction system for all Waterss within each RBD, to bring forth RBMP. ( EPA, 2005 ) Figure 1: The eight River Basin Districts of Ireland. ( Water Matters, 2007 )2.3.3 Characterisation ( Article 5 ) Summary ReportsUnder the WFD a drumhead word picture study ( article 5 ) was developed in 2004 for all RBD in their legal power. This needed: ‘an analysis of RBD characteristics’ ‘A reappraisal of the impact of human activity on the position of surface Waterss and on groundwater’ ‘An economic analysis of H2O use’ The chief aim of the word picture study was to supply a sum-up of the initial word picture at each RBD degree. To make this physical, chemical and biological characteristics of surface H2O and groundwater were assessed alongside the force per unit areas due to human activity. The study identified the H2O organic structures at hazard or non at hazard of accomplishing the ‘good H2O status’ by 2015. ( EPA, 2005 ) The word picture study has given a image of the present province of H2O organic structures within each RBD. It gives a better apprehension of the future province of all H2O organic structures and provided a starting point for the design of the ‘Programme of Measures’ . The Programme of Measure is a combination of policies and direction actions for the bar of impairment of H2O quality position utilizing a cost effectual attack. . ( EPA, 2005 ) It sets out the steps that may necessitate to be taken and developed into each RBMP of the RBD. The Programme of Measures, are steps needed to run into the aims set out in the WFD in those H2O organic structures non accomplishing or at hazard of non accomplishing good position. ( EPA, 2005 )2.2.4 River Basin Management PlansIn 2009, the RBMPs were finalised and implemented into each RBD. The RBMPs set out specific environmental aims to be achieved by December 2015. They identify the programme of measured and the actions that will be taken in achieved these marks. They besides cover aims that are non set out in statute law but that are auxiliary steps in achieves the good H2O position. The competent authorization for the execution of the RBMPs is the local governments. ( EPA, 2005 )2.2.5 Monitoring RequirementsThe monitoring demands are set out in the WFD. The monitoring of groundwater and surface-water commenced in 2007. They were assigned to several bureaus ; EPA, Local Authorities, Marine Institute, Fisheries Boards, Waterways Ireland, OPW and NPWS. The WFD lay out 3 types of monitoring that is carried out on surface Waterss in order to accomplish and protect H2O organic structures. They are surveillance monitoring, operational monitoring and fact-finding monitoring. ( EPA, 2008 ) Surveillance Monitoring ( SM ) is to build an effectual program for all future monitoring programmes, to measure long term alterations in natural conditions in order to find the non-natural and the natural alterations in an ecosystem and buttocks long term alterations as a consequence of widespread anthropogenetic activity. It is besides the demand to supply supplementing and formalizing the impact assessment process detailed in Annex 11 of the Directive Operational Monitoring ( OM ) is supervising of the countries that have been at hazard of neglecting to run into the environmental aims and find the position and to measure alterations in the H2O organic structure position that have resulted from programmes of steps. Fact-finding Monitoring ( IM ) is required in countries where the exceedance of environmental aims is unknown ; it may be due to inadvertent pollution. And where surveillance monitoring indicates that the aims for a organic structure of H2O are improbable to be achieved and operational monitoring has non been established. ( Ferreira et al. , 2007 )2.2.6 Surface Water ClassificationThe position is determined by appraisal of ecological position, ecological potency and chemical position. Surface H2O are classified as High ( A ) , good ( A ) , moderate ( B ) , hapless ( C ) and bad ( D ) position. Water organic structures of high and good position are Class A Waterss as the H2O organic structure is accomplishing the WFD demands. These H2O organic structures have really small or no pollution. Moderate, hapless and bad position are underperforming and non go throughing the WFD demands. Pollution is present in these H2O organic structures. But aim to accomplish the good H2O position by 2015 .2.5 Water Quality Monitoring2.3.1 Physical-Chemical Water Quality MonitoringPhysical-chemical monitoring four times a twelvemonth and is carried out to garner specific H2O quality features. The WFD requires monitoring of rivers for thermic conditions, oxygenation conditions, acidification position and alimentary conditions. The parametric quantities tested on river H2O include: pH, temperature, dissolved O, conduction, P, alkalinity and Suspended Solids. These trials help to place the beginnings of pollution for carry oning appraisals on ecological impacts. ( EPA, 2007 ) For Ireland the chief pollutants of concern are foods and oxygenation conditions as they cause issues such as eutrophication and organic pollution. ( EPA, 2011 ) There are three elements: a ) ‘General constituents ( physico-chemical )quality elements are as specified in WFD Annex VIII ( 10 – 12 ) , ’B ) ‘Specific relevant pollutantsare those identified by Member States as being discharged in important measures ; this is besides specified in WFD Annex VIII ( 1 – 9 ) , ’degree Celsius ) ‘Precedence substancesare specified in WFD Annex X and for present intents the listing of precedence substances besides includes the unsafe substances as per the demands of WFD Annex IX’ ( EPA, 2007 ) General constituents are the scene of the Environmental Quality Standard Values for the high/good and good centrist position. Specific relevant pollutants refers to the directive for the scene of a individual EQS for each pollutant, failure to accomplish the EQS will ensue in non run intoing the good H2O position. Priority substances every bit required by the WFD are puting a individual criterion that divides the chemical position of ‘good’ and neglecting to accomplish good’ . Failure in accomplishing any of the above criterions mentioned will ensue in non accomplishing the good chemical position by 2015. ( EPA, 2007 )2.3.2 Biological Water Quality MonitoringBiological monitoring is carried out one every 3 old ages on all rivers under the WFD. The biological quality elements measured are Phytoplankton, macrophytes, invertebrates and fish. For rivers of bad position, monitoring of macro invertebrates is required to be carried out one time a twelvemonth lower limit. Benthic invertebrates ( E.g. Mayflies, rock flies, runts and pelecypods etc. , ) are good ecological indexs of pollution as they are really sensitive to alterations in an ecosystem. E.g. Organic pollution. The community diverseness in an ecosystem will worsen in the presence of organic pollution. The more sensitive species are replaced by more tolerant invertebrates in the presence of high degrees of pollution. ( EPA, 2007 ) For the appraisal of Irish Rivers, macro invertebrates have been divided into five index groups: ‘Group A, the sensitive signifiers, Group B, the less sensitive signifiers, Group C, the tolerant signifiers, Group D, the really tolerant signifiers and Group E, the most tolerant forms.’ A Biotic Index is used, it is a quality index based on the composing and copiousness of invertebrates in a specific H2O organic structure. A Q value is applied and used to find the ecological position of the river. ( EPA, 2007 )Biotic Index ( Q )StatusBoundary EQR valueQ5, Q4-5HighHigh /Good = 0.85 Good/Moderate = 0.75Q4GoodQ3-4ModerateQ3, Q2-3PoorQ2, Q1-2, Q1BadTable 1: Biotic Indexs ( Q Values ) relation to the WFD position classs ( EPA, 2007 )2.6 Water Pollutants2.4.1 PhosphorusPhosphorus is an indispensable food in surface Waterss for workss and animate beings. Phosphorus is a food of short supply in most fresh waters. High degrees of P in surface Waterss can do accelerated growing of workss and algae blooms. The accelerated growing can take to rapid O depletion or eutrophication of the H2O. This will go forth a H2O organic structure of low dissolved O so so it can non back up aquatic life, certain fish and invertebrates. In all H2O classs across Ireland P degrees have started to demo a diminution. This could be due to the reduction of inorganic fertilizer applications, storage betterments of organic fertilizers and the rigorous prohibition of distributing periods covered in the Good Agricultural Practice Regulations and increased norm rainfall 2008 – 2009. ( Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government ( DECLG ) and the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Marine ( DAFM ) , 2013 ) In 2012, 85.4 % phosphate concentrations & A ; lt ; 0.05mg/L P and 2 % phosphate concentrations greater than 0.1 mg/L P. Overall the phosphate concentrations are worsening but the consequences are rather varied from twelvemonth to twelvemonth. ( Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government ( DECLG ) and the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Marine ( DAFM ) , 2013 )2.4.2 Ammonia NitrogenNitrogen exists in Waterss in four chief signifiers: organic N, ammonium hydroxide N, nitrite N and nitrate N. In uncontaminated surface Waterss ammonia N is typically present in the scope of 0.01 – 0.5 mg/L N. There will besides be low degrees of organic N, no nitrite and higher degrees of nitrate. In uncontaminated Waterss nitrate is the dominant signifier of N. ( Donohue, A. , Geraghty. O. , 2012 ) Elevated degrees of ammonium hydroxide in surface Waterss are unwanted as it is an indicant of organic pollution and increases oxygen demand. High degrees of ammonium hydroxide in surface Waterss are really toxic to fish life. ( Donohue, A. , Geraghty. O. , 2012 )2.4.3 Nitrate NitrogenThe Nitrates Directive ( 91/676/EEC ) was introduced in 1991 with the chief aim of diminishing H2O pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural beginnings. The presence of nitrate ( NO3- ) in surface H2O is normal at low degrees. Beginnings of nitrate are: rainfall, decomposition of dirt organic affair and fertilisers/manures. Datas from the period 2000-2003 detected that no surface H2O in Ireland had nitrate degrees & A ; gt ; 50mg/L. ( Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government ( DECLG ) and the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Marine ( DAFM ) , 2013 ) In recent old ages at that place has been a lessening in the mean nitrate concentrations across all H2O classs under the WFD. In 2012 71.5 % had nitrate concentrations & A ; lt ; 10mg/L NO3- , 1.3 % had concentrations & A ; gt ; 25mg/L NO3- . Overall nitrate concentrations have been worsening since 2007. ( Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government ( DECLG ) and the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Marine ( DAFM ) , 2013 )MentionsDepartment of the Environment, Community and Local Government ( DECLG ) and the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Marine ( DAFM ) , ( 2013 ) . 2nd Review of Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme. Ireland: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government ( DECLG ) and the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Marine ( DAFM ) . Donohue, A. , Geraghty. O. , Environmetal Analysis 2 Laboratory Manual. Environmental Protection 2. ( 2012 ) EPA, ( 2005 ) . The Characterisation and Analysis of Ireland ‘s River Basin Districts. Irish republic: EPA. EPA, ( 2007 ) . Proposed Quality Standards for Surface Water Classification. Water Framework Directive. Irish republic: EPA. EPA, ( 2008 ) . The Water Framework Directive – A new direction attack. Ireland ‘s Environment. Irish republic: EPA. Ferreira, J. , Vale, C. , Soares, C. , Salas, F. , Stacey, P. , Bricker, S. , Silva, M. and Marques, J. ( 2007 ) . Monitoring of coastal and transitional Waterss under the E.U. Water Framework Directive. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 135 ( 1-3 ) , pp.195-216. McGarrigle, M. , Lucey, J. and Cineide, M. ( 2011 ) . WATER QUALITY IN IRELAND 2007-2009. Wexford, Ireland: EPA. Water Matters. ( 2007 ) . 1st erectile dysfunction. Shannon: CarbonNeutral.