Financial Analysis Of Microsoft Corporation - 971 Words

Financial Analysis of Microsoft Corporation The student learner was to pick a publicly traded company and perform a financial analysis based on the company’s financial statements. The student learner chose Microsoft Corporation. The student learner will obtain, analyze, and determine Microsoft’s financial well-being. Microsoft has better return on assets, but they can improve in other areas. Microsoft can increase profit margin, asset management and based on Microsoft s assets, and capital they can focus on making themselves more profitable. William H. Gates III is also known as Bill Gates, left Harvard to devote his energies to Microsoft, a company he had begun in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen (Microsoft Corporation, 2017).†¦show more content†¦Intelligent Cloud This Company’s Intelligent Cloud segment consists of, â€Å"Server products and cloud services, including SQL Server, Windows Server, Visual Studio, System Center, and related CALs, as well as Azure, and Enterprise Services, including Premier Support Services and Microsoft Consulting Services†, as described at Reutuer.com (Reutuer, 2017). This includes the server platform, database, business intelligence, storage, management and operations, virtualization, service-oriented architecture platform, security, and identity software (Reutuer, 2017). Microsoft competes with heavily Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Oracle, Red Hat, CA Technologies, Linux, Adobe, and Ruby on Rails, Amazon, Google and Salesforce.com (Reutuer, 2017). More Personal Computing Microsoft’s More Personal Computing segment primarily comprises Windows, including Windows OEM, Windows Embedded, MSN and Windows Phone; Devices, including Microsoft Surface (Surface), phones, and computer accessories; Gaming, including Xbox hardware; Xbox Live, consists of different transactions such as game downloads and in-game purchases, subscriptions to Window’s Live services; video games; and third-party video game royalties, and Search advertising (Reutuer, 2017). Microsoft competes with some of Amazon, Apple, Google products ,but mostly with Sony, Nintendo, in this segment (Reutuer, 2017).Show MoreRelatedFinancial Analysis of Microsoft Corporation3839 Words   |  16 PagesOverview Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft) is one of the leading providers of software and storage products and services. The company is engaged in developing, manufacturing, licensing, and supporting software products worldwide. Coupled with these activities Microsoft also offers Project Management consultancy services. As one of the largest technology firms in the world Microsoft is at the cutting edge of new technology development and innovation, and as such both existing and potential shareholdersRead MoreFinancial Ratios Analysis Of Microsoft Corporation979 Words   |  4 Pagesyears, Microsoft Corporation has been developing and supporting numerous software products for various computing devices worldwide. As stated by Liquori (2011), â€Å"[This] enables busines s innovation and helps builds the company’s competitive advantage† (n.d). Microsoft’s technical innovations and leadership in consumer and corporate markets has made it a formidable competitor in this information age (liquor, 2011). 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William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience Free Essays

string(144) " The harmlessness of the lamb and the purity of the heart of a child are nothing but the manifestation of heart nor does he act premeditatedly\." Trace how Flake’s thought develops from his poem ‘The Lamb’ and ‘The Tiger’ together- â€Å"l have no name: I am but two days old. † What shall I call thee? â€Å"l happy am, Joy is my name. † Sweet Joy befall thee! † ‘ The good character as well as the bad abstractions such as virtues and vices is framed up in symbols to elaborate their suggestiveness and implications. We will write a custom essay sample on William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience or any similar topic only for you Order Now Flake’s cosmology is too large and complex to be given in brief. His symbols help to express his visions which may be obscure to a common reader. Blake says: â€Å"Allegory is addressed to the intellectual powers, while it is altogether hidden from the corporeal. Understanding is my definition of the Most Sublime Poetry. † From this it is clear that in his view poetry is concerned with something else than the phenomenal world and that the only meaner of expressing it is through what he calls ‘allegory. For Blake allegory is a system of symbols which presents events in a spiritual world. The modest Rose puts forth a thorn, The humble Sheep a threatening horn; White the Lily white shall in love delight, Nor a thorn nor a threat stain her beauty bright. † Blake imagined himself under spiritual influences. He saw various forms and heard he voices of angels, fairies, kings of the past and even God; the past and future were before him and he heard in imagination, even the awful voice which called on Adam amongst the trees of the garden. In this kind of dreaming abstraction, he lived much of his life; all his s wor ks are stamped with it. Though this visionary aspect explains much of the mysticism and obscurity of his work, it is also the element that makes his poems singular in loveliness and beauty. It is amazing that he could thus, month after month and year after year, lay down his engraver after it had earned him his lily wages, and retire from s the battle, to his imagination where he could experience scenes of more than-earthly splendor and creatures pure as unfasten dew. Like Sweeteners, Blake narrates things unheard and unseen; more purely a mystic than Sweeteners, he does not condescend to dialectics and scholastic divinity. Those who fancy that a dozen stony syllogisms seal up the perennial fountain of our deepest questions, will affirm that Flake’s belief was an illusion, constant and self-consistent and harmonious with the world throughout the whole of a man’s life, cannot differ from much reality. However, it is also important to note hat he was unlike common atheists. â€Å"Selfish Father of Men! Cruel, Jealous, selfish Fear! Can delight, Chained in night, The virgins of youth and morning bear? In the clash of creeds, it is always a comfort to remember that sects with their sectaries, orthodox or otherwise, could not intersect all, if they were not in the same plane. [My spiritual intelligence is certainly becoming confused by your words of conflicting conclusions, therefore ascending one of them; please reveal definitely that by which I may obtain the greatest benefit. ] We find in Flake’s poetry many of the elements characterizing Romantic poetry. The world of imagination is the world of Eternity’, says Blake. In his championship of liberty, his mysticism, naturalism, idealization of childhood, and simplicity Blake could be called a precursor of Romantic poetry in nineteenth century England. â€Å"Now enjoy†¦. Dip him in the river who loves water†¦.. The busy bee has no time for sorrow†¦.. The most sublime act is to set another before you†¦ The cistern contains: the fountain overflow†¦. † In explaining these lines we waver in interpreting the drops of tears that water the heaven as the outcome of the rage of the defeated rebelling angels or as tears of Eric. If this wrath is one of the two aspects of God, the tiger’s cruelty and wildness is only superficially fearful. It can otherwise be construed as a prophetic rage. But after, all wrath and mercy unite at the same point where the ultimate reality of God is felt. There are two meaner for the achievement of the goal, the first being through the ‘innocence’ of the lamb and other being through the ‘experience’ of the tiger. The close of the poem gives us the clue: the daring of the creator whether God or man is the cleansing wrath of the tiger. Blake is first and foremost a poet of visions and mysticism. But of, his visions are not confined to a narrow streamline of thought about futurity alone; they take the present into consideration and unfold those aspects of contemporary society detrimental to free growth of the mental powers of man. He ridicules the artificial ethos of religion that professes a complete negation of man’s sensual life and vehemently argues for a more complete life which combines the senses and the spirit. He probes beneath the surface of things and exposes the roots of social vices, the hidden sores and scars of a tradition-bound society. â€Å"Can a mother sit and hear An infant groan, and infant fear? No, no! Ever can it be! Never, never can it be! † Flake’s maxim that the human soul is made of contrary elements can be applied here also. Indistinct and imagination or the beastly and divine nature of man is necessary for a fuller life of the soul and for its progress. It is a grievous mistake to sanctify the lamb and turn an eye of defiance towards the tiger. Blake opposes such a view and gives equal prominence to sense and soul, the wild and meek aspects of human beings. â€Å"Does spring hide its Joy When buds and blossoms grow? † What holds our attention is not merely the brute’s beauty but the mystery and repose behind its creation. In ‘The Lamb’ the poet visualizes the holiness of the lamb and child and unifies them with Jesus Christ. It is obvious that the link that connects these figures is ‘innocence’. The harmlessness of the lamb and the purity of the heart of a child are nothing but the manifestation of heart nor does he act premeditatedly. You read "William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience" in category "Papers" The air of innocence is clearly visible on the face of all the three of them. â€Å"How sweet is the Shepherd’s sweet lot! From the morn to the evening he strays; He shall follow his sheep all the day, And his tongue shall be filled with praise. † More than this element of innocence there is another thread of connection between the lamb and Christ. Christ refers to himself as the Lamb of God: â€Å"The lamb of God that take away the sin of the world. † In the Bible Christ is referred to both as a lamb and as a shepherd. In this aspect the lamb has a religious significance too. (â€Å"The whole universe is a symbol, and God is the essence behind. † ? Swami Vegetarian ?) ‘The Tiger’ displays the poet’s excellence in craftsmanship and descriptive skill. In the forest of experience Blake finds the bright- eyed tiger which appears to involve all the cosmic forces. The tiger has made its appearances in the ‘Prophetic books’ of Blake. The poet’s reliance in the cosmic and preternatural forces is increasingly exemplified and asserted when he describes the creation and the creator of the tiger. The creator is a supernatural being and not necessarily the Christian God. The creation, according to another elucidation takes place in an extraordinary cosmic commotion. When the constellations turn round in their course there is a move from light to darkness. The pattern and method of asking questions here are quite different from those employed in ‘The Lamb’. In ‘The Tiger’ the questions are put in a terrified and awe-inspired tone. It is also held that ‘The Tiger’ deals with the colossal problem of evil, but in Blake evil does not exist as an abstract quality. Instead, the evil is embodied in the wrath of God. Christ, like all other Gods, has a dual duty. He punishes the sinners and offenders and loves the followers. Thus Christ or God becomes the God of both love and unkindness. The fire is a popular symbol of wrath. Milton and Spencer have described wrath as fire, but we are not to misapprehend Flake’s use of wrath as one of the ‘deadly sins’ by the miracle and morality plays. Blake finds virtue in wrath and what he describes in the righteous indignation or the wrath of a pious soul. In addition to this, if we also construe the symbolic meaning of the forest, then we can substantiate the meaning of the lines. â€Å"Tiger Tiger burning bright In the forests of the night. † The poet is struck with surprise and awe to behold the wild animal’s majestic elegance and grandeur. Its symmetry is fearful and the glow of its eyes is unearthly. When the process of creation is over, â€Å"a terrible beauty is born. † The strength of the animal and its moves/ are its peculiar features. The tiger beyond its superficial tatty is a prototype of God whose harsher aspect is present n the wildness of the creature. It is a contrast and counterpart to the innocence of the lamb. The poet wonders: â€Å"Did he who made the Lamb make thee? † In the poem ‘The Tiger’ a description of the process of creation is given, but no clarification is given about who the creator is. In the first stanza the creator is described as having wings by which he may have reached the skies to bring the fire for the luster of the wild beast. The creation of the tiger is conveyed in words and phrases which, though meaningful in their totality, do not yield any explicit elucidation of the creator. We sense the strong shoulders thrusting forward in the process of forging the body of the carnivore. The dexterity of the strokes is further conveyed in the ‘dread hand’ which is gifted with unprecedented craftsmanship. If the ‘dread feet’ and ‘dread hand’ are applied to those of the busily engaged creator we can elicit the fact that those limbs are busy in working diligently. At the moment of achieving the perfection of his sublime creation the poem grows tense, the questions are broken in midway and the speaker’s hindered gasps let out incomplete harass of exclamation. â€Å"The star floor. The watery shore. Is given thee till the break of day. † In the world of innocence even the meanest creature such as a lamb (which is low only in the eyes of human beings) is treated as having unbound divinity. Here is an exclusive unification of the three characters- Christ, child and the Lamb who constitute the Christian concept of ‘Trinity in the world of innocence. Flake’s concept of God is closely aligned to his mysticism. He conceives of God as the very epitome of characteristics which man is capable of developing. If he nurtures these qualities, an can attain godliness-it merely depends on what set of qualities a man develops. A child asks a lamb if it knows its merciful creator, its feeder or the giver of its delightful and coos clothing of fleece. He also asks the lamb whether it knows who gave it its tender voice that fills the valleys with pleasant Joy and music. Quite childlike, the lines â€Å"Little lamb who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? † are repeated, presumable with wonder in the eyes of the child. The speaker does not wait for any answer. He tells the lamb that its creator is one who is called after the name of the lamb itself. He is one who calls Himself a lamb. He is meek and mild and came on earth as a little child. The poem comes to have a meaningful pause at this juncture. The questions are asked, answers done and the child (or the poet) turns to conclude the lines in a wise hymnal vein or spiritual implication. He says: â€Å"l a child, and thou a lamb, We are called by His name:† Blake intends to suggest that the great purpose of wrath is to consume error, to annihilate those stubborn beliefs which cannot be removed by the tame â€Å"horses of instruction. It is typical of Blake to ask questions when he is overpowered by wonder ND amazement and it is effective especially in the case of this poem, where it results in an â€Å"intense improvisation†. The phrase fearful symmetry- whatever is possible in symbolic suggestions- is clearly the initial puzzle† the ‘symmetry implies an orderin g hand or intelligence, the fearful’ throws doubt about the benevolence of the creator. The forest of the night’ is the darkness out of which the tiger looms brilliant by contrast: They also embody the doubt or confusion that surrounds the origins of the tiger. In the case of the lamb the creator â€Å"is meek and he is mild†:†He became a little hill†. In the case of the tiger creator is again like what he creates. The form that must be supplied Him is now that of the Promethean Smith working violently at the forge. The tiger is an image of the Creator: its dreaded terror must be His. â€Å"In what distant deeps or skies Burnt the fire of thin eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand dare seize the fire? † There is scarcely any poem in Songs of Innocence and of Experience which does not have a symbolic or allegorical or allusive implication. Though these poems are rendered in the simplest possible poems is somewhat scriptural- simple and rebound at the same time. The Biblical allusions add prodigious significance to his poems when foe example, we read the ‘The Shepherd’ it commemorates Christ as the Good Shepherd and reminds us that the parables are clad in pastoral elements. Without reference to the Bible the poem, ‘The Shepherd’ is meaningless and insignificant. Furthermore, Blake makes use of Biblical phrases too, as we see in the poem ‘The Lamb’. Gave thee life, and bid thee feed, By the stream and o’er the mead; Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing, woolly, bright: Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice? † In Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Flake’s symbols are not as obscure or abstruse as we find them in his other poems. In his later poems (Prophetic Books) they are rather incomprehensible. The principal symbols used by Blake have been classified by critics as innocence symbols. Many of these, of course, overlap, and among themselves weave richness into Flake’s poetry. Then come home, my children, the sun is gone down, And the dews of night arise†¦ † In the first, the word ‘dews’ evokes an image of harmlessness but in the second context it evokes a feeling of chill and damp. In the first there is a feeling that the eight will pass, but in the second poem the word â€Å"dew’ assumes further ramifications of meaning. It implies materialism, the philosophy of experience, the indifference to spiritual truth. Knowledge of these symbolic meanings enriches our understanding of the poem. Blake gives his own interpretation to traditional symbols. The rose traditionally associated with love and modesty assumes the aura of ‘sicknesses and disease in Blake for he considered love to be free and honest and open in order to be good. The lily’s purity assumes added depth in Flake’s poetry, not because it is chaste but because it feels honestly. The sun flower’s movement with the sun has deep meaning: on the one hand it represents a search for spirituality: on the other, it expresses regret for being attached to the ground. The simple vocabulary and movement of Flake’s verse should not lull us into a feeling that the thought too is childish. Indeed there is a complex thread of syllogism in his poetry that gives multiple layers of meaning to his words. Sometimes this syllogism even lends obscurity to his poems because it evolves out of Flake’s own system of symbols. The manner in a particular mood is a remarkable illustrated in the ‘Nurse’s Songs’ in Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience occur in both poems: yet the feelings evoked because of the accompanying words are in sharp contrast. â€Å"To this day they dwell In a lonely dell. Nor fear the wolfish howl Nor the lion’s growl. The world of ‘Experience’ welcomes a child of sorrow, who rather than being a fiend himself is also born into a monstrous world of totems and taboos. Strange to notice, it is not actually upon the growing boy that the shadows of prison house close; on the other hand, the shadows spread on the infant at the moment of birth itself. Predictably enough, there is no scope of a ‘heaven’ lying about its infancy. Its struggle begins from the very moment of its birth, it is choked from the very start of its life and it finds its only rest on its mother’s breast. As a contrast to ‘Infant Joy here the child is not a ‘Joy but a fiend’ and neither its mother nor the father, though it is not explicit from Flake’s poem, accords a warm s welcome to him. The child hides behind the cloud. The speaker is evidently the child himself who laments against life. â€Å"But to go to school in a summer morn, Oh! It drives all Joy away Under a cruel eye outworn The little ones spend the day In sighing and dismay. † Admittedly, the poem brings out Flake’s ideas on love and hints at his well-known belief that sex is not sinful. For Blake nakedness is a symbol of pure innocence and he lauds uninhabited love. The Golden Age is that in which the people have love for their fellowmen and mingle with one another freely. In the Golden Age love is not a crime but a grace and beauty signaling unbridled innocence, but in the present age the most tender sentiments are frozen by the trembling fear’ coming from the cruel eyes of experience. â€Å"In every cry of every Man In every Infant’s cry of fear In every voice, in every ban The mind-forged manacles I hear. Flake’s vision of man in Songs of Experience, especially with reference to ‘A Divine Image’ can be summed up as, The human dress is forge iron The human form is a fiery forge, The human face a furnace sealed, The human heart its hungry gorge. † The poem ‘A Divine Image’ is a contrast to ‘The Divine Image’ in its very title. In ‘The Divine Image’, the definite article ‘Theâ€⠄¢ shows the real, one and only Divine Image. In ‘A Divine Image’ the indefinite article ‘A’ points at a particular divine image which has a unique growth. The contrast is also visible in the two stanzas of these two poems. â€Å"For Mercy has a human heart, Pity a human face, And Love the human form divine. Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace†¦ † Can be seen as a stark contrast to the lines of ‘A Divine Image’ that run as: â€Å"Cruelty has a human heart And Jealousy a human face; Terror the human form divine And Secrecy the human dress. † This is truly terrifying. His soul (the human form) is burning with frightfulness within the iron body of secrecy (the condition of deceit; his face is a furnace sealed up wherein Jealousy rages; his heart is recklessly cruel. The imagery is similar to that of ‘The Tiger’, but where the Tiger had broken all bounds as a symbol of regeneration, man is here imprisoned in a ‘dress’ of an iron suit, of his own forging; and all his energies burn within it, consuming him. â€Å"For I dance, And strength and breadth, And the want Of thought is death;† Blake is not merely a revolutionary thinker on man’s physical or corporeal freedom; he is also one who broods over the spiritual freedom or spiritual salvation of mankind. The former point, showing Blake as a humanitarian, cans be well understood from poems such as ‘The Chimney-sweeper’, ‘Holy Thursday and ‘A little Girl Lost’. In all these cases Flake’s fury makes him lash out at the hypocrisy of man and the society that enslaves children to utter lifelessness. In ‘Holy Thursday Flake’s sympathetic and compassionate heart shares the agony of the children and his pent up feelings are let out through an ironical comment: â€Å"Beneath them sit the aged men wise guardians of the poor, Then cherish pity, lest you drive an angel from your door. William Blake is considered a precursor of Romantic Movement in English Literature. Romanticism laid considerable stress on the elements of imagination, tauter worship, humanitarianism, liberty, mysticism and symbolism. It differed from the outlook expounded by the preceding age of Neo classicism which promoted the notion of reason, balance and logic with regard t o prose and poetry. The Romantic creed of poetry rests on recording the simple emotions of humanity in a simple diction. Recollections of childhood (nostalgia) are also a common subject of Romanticism. When the voice of children are heard on the green And whisperings are in the dale, The days of my youth rise fresh in my mind, My face turns green and pale. † But of, the flood of feelings gains more fury in the poem of the same title in Songs of Experience: â€Å"Is this a holy thing to see In a rich and fruitful land. Babes reduced to misery, Fed with cold and usurious hand? † With vehemence Blake argues for the freedom of human energy too. He deplores any religion that denies sexual and emotional life of man. Virility and vigor are divine and its free play should never be hindered. He is called by thy name, For he calls Himself a Lamb. He is meek, and He is mild; He became a little child. † Many of Flake’s poems celebrate the divinity and innocence of not merely the child UT also the least harmless of creatures on earth, namely the lamb. The child asks the lamb if it knows who has created out. The child does not wait but answers his questions himself. He does so, we feel, not because the lamb cannot communicate, but because the child is so enthusiastic and eager to mention the creator and his virtues. He refers to the meekness of Christ, his glorious infancy as well as his reference to himself as a lamb. He concludes with a reference to his own and the lamb’s affinity to God and thus establishes their oneness. Qualities of simplicity, innocence and divinity are extended even to the world of animals and the innocent creatures like the lamb are raised from their level of lowness in the human eye. Both the child and Christ are unified with the lamb and the three forms the Trinity on earth. â€Å"Tiger! Tiger! Burning bright In the forest of the night, What immortal hand or eye Dare frame thy fearful symmetry? In ‘The Shepherd’ the Shepherd is depicted as enjoying vast freedom, and his fortune is praised. He is so fortunate that he can wander about in carefree way wherever he chooses and sing in praise of God. Not only is he always near his lambs, listening to heir innocent cries, bleats and answering bleats ,but he is never exposed to the world of ‘Experien ce’ where he may be startled by roars of cruelty and fierceness. This is a simple pastoral poem in which liberty and freedom are praised. We are again brought to realize the affinity of lamb and innocence. Frowning, frowning night, O’er this desert bright Let the moon arise, While I close my eyes. † The pastoral convention, which represents the occupations of shepherds in an idealized way, against an idealized country background had to face severe criticism in the eighteenth century because of its unreality. It was held that men and women were neither so Joyful nor carefree, nor so innocent, as they were represented; but according to Blake, young children do have these qualities, they live in a golden world of their own. This convention is used by Blake to give us an insight into childhood, and one ‘state of human soul’. In the poem, the poet tells us about the valley along which he goes piping and about his sudden meeting with a child. The child bids him pipe a song about a lamb- another pastoral element. The ‘pipe’ is a conventional pastoral musical organ on which the shepherds play melodiously as the sheep graze. It is also worth nothing that when the child appeals to him to write down the song, the poet says â€Å"And I plucked a hollow reed, And I made a rural pen And I stained the water clear, And I wrote my happy songs Every child may Joy to hear. The phrase ‘reed’, ‘rural pen’ and Water clear’ contributes much to the elements of pastorals or rustic innocence. In the so-called world of experience, callousness, tyranny and insincerity await the blithe new-comer and subject him to an entire transformation. The child -turned-youth experiences a curb on his spontaneous instincts, by the repelling codes of social moralities and etiquette. There is hypo crisy in full swing and there is cruelty. In this unsanitary forge, he is reshaped and bestowed with an altered outlook. He is no more the rollicking child. His fertile imagination yields to the aged atrophied intellect and mature reason. He is in fact fallen’ or ‘lapsed’- fallen from his primordial abode of life. â€Å"What the hammer? What the chain? The two diverse natures- Innocence and Experience are essential for the ultimate salvation of his soul. From experience man moves to a world of higher innocence. Blake seems to argue that Joy and peace, which man had experienced in his holding, can have solid foundations only if man has experienced and overcome the impediments and unpleasant realities which day to-day life presents. That is to say, to attain a higher innocence man must be tested by suffering and misery, physical as well as emotional; he must go through the actual experience of life. Through the state of childhood innocence is charming; it is not prefect and cannot last long. For spiritual elevation, lessons from both experience and innocence are essential. â€Å"And it bears the fruit of Deceit, Ruddy and sweet to eat: And the raven his nest has made In its thickest shade. † Flake’s The Tiger blends child-like innocence with adult wisdom. The child-like innocence is revealed in the volley of questions and exclamations about the fearful symmetry of the tiger’s body and the reactions of the stars and God to the tiger’s creation. Like the innocent child the poet wonders to know who framed the tiger’s body, fearful but well-proportioned: â€Å"What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry? † The following volley of questions bears the stamp of child-like innocence: â€Å"Shades of the prison-house begin to close Upon the growing boy. † Like a child not contaminated by the evils of experience the poet is curious to know what instruments were used to frame the tiger’s â€Å"fearful symmetry’. With the innocence of the child the poet thinks that the angels were so amazed to see the fearful tiger created that they threw down their spears and wept. He also wonders if God smiled with satisfaction to see his new creation (I. E. The tiger) – the wondering that becomes a child. Uniform spring and your day are wasted in play, And your winter and night in disguise. † With this child-like innocence is blended adult wisdom. The Tiger expresses the sadism (I. . Experience) that comes of age that becomes a man who has gone through his life. The wisdom sought to be conveyed is as follows. Man passes from innocence to experience. And for experience man has to pay a bitter price not merely in such unimportant things as comfort and peace of mind, but in the highest spiritual values. Experience debases and perverts noble desire. It destroys the state of childlike innocence and puts destructive forces in its place. It breaks the free life of imagination and substitutes a dark, cold, imprisoning fear, and the result is a deadly low to blithe human spirit. The fear and denial of life which come with experience breed hypocrisy which is as grave a sin as cruelty. To destroy these forces of experiences the benign creator assumes the role of a malignant creator. In the scheme of things the tiger is as much a necessity as the lamb. So the God who created the lamb also created tiger. In other words, is not only a God of mercy, but also a God of wrath, the creator of Satan and social and political cataclysms. Flake’s conception of God here betrays a striking similarity with the Hondo hydrological Avatar theory. Round the laps of their mothers Many sisters and brothers, Like birds in their nest, Are ready for rest; And sport no more seen On the darkening Green. † It is indispensable that the boy who enjoyed full freedom and liberty in innocence ought to pass into experience. This is because the design of human life gives prominence to the contrariety of human nature without which there is no ‘progression’. A complete life on earth meaner the life of innocence and experience. Without experience or innocence the life cycle is incomplete and imperfect. The memos of Songs of Innocence and of Experience are based on this viewpoint of contrariety. â€Å"Why of the sheep do you not learn peace Because I don’t want you to shear my fleece. † ‘The Tiger’ is typically representative of the most characteristic features of ‘experience’ which in the poetic context of Blake involves deep meaning. From this powerful symbol we construe that Blake was a devotee of energy which, for him, was an aspect of true divinity. In this poem the poet’s irrepressible curiosity at the extraordinarily exquisite creation of God finds its vent in small broken questions. After wondering at the symmetry of its body and stripes, the luster of its eyes, the strong muscles, elegant paws and its powerful strides, the poet turns to the reaction of the creator when he beholds his own creation. The poet says that God may have smiled at the surrender of the rebelling angels at his own master craftsmanship in the creation of the tiger. The ‘stars’ are the rebellious angels under Satan. When they failed to defeat God and were beaten they threw down their spears as in surrender and moaned for their defeat. It is after this event that God started creating inhabitants for the earth. So, at the time of the defeat of the rebelling angels, God might have Just finished the creation of the awesome tiger and smiled on his hidden purpose behind all his acts. â€Å"Because I was happy upon the heath, And smiled among the winter’s snow, They clothed me in the clothed of death, And taught me to sing the notes of woe. † ‘The Lamb’ is the most significant poem in the section of Innocence not merely because it propounds the idea of innocence in the simplest way, but also because here we notice the poet extending the world of innocence even to the animals that re insignificant and base in the human eye. In this poem we see a child patting a lamb and asking if it knows who the giver of its life and brad is. He asks it whether it knows who has given it the silken fleece immaculate white and thin voice of its bleat. The child himself answers his questions. He defines the Almighty God as who is known after the name of his lamb who is meek and gentle. Since God descended to the earth as infant Jesus he is also called a child. The child, lamb and God are all brought to unite to form a single divine entity. The essence of the poem lies in these How to cite William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, Papers

Elasticity on Demand, Breakeven Analysis and Pricing Decisions free essay sample

When a firm changes prices, the effect on profits is more important than the effect on revenue. There is a simple formula to calculate the critical Price Elasticity of demand which is just sufficient to maintain the contribution to overheads and profits. This will be greater than that required to maintain revenue. A common issue in business and in business studies is whether a firm should change the prices at which products are offered. The calculations begin with estimates of the reaction of customers to the new prices. This reaction is represented as Price Elasticity of Demand (PED), the ratio of the proportionate changes in volume and price. Students are always told and some students even remember that Elastic Demand (PED gt;1) means more revenue from a lower price and less from a higher one; and Inelastic Demand (PED But who wants the same revenue with lower profits? Any change in price will have a much bigger impact, proportionately, on the contribution per item for the firm than on the asking price to the customer. We will write a custom essay sample on Elasticity on Demand, Breakeven Analysis and Pricing Decisions or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It follows that an increase in price may succeed in raising profits, even though revenue falls; and that a lower price may reduce profits even though revenue increases. So the critical question is not whether the PED is greater or less than one, but whether it is sufficiently high (for a lower price) or sufficiently low (for a price increase) to improve profits. The critical level of PED can be found by an application of breakeven analysis. We can take the current level of contribution to overheads and profit; and ask what the volume (units sold) must be to give the same level of contribution at the alternative price. Having found this critical volume, we can then compute what the PED would be to give us this volume at the new price, compared with the existing price and quantity. This then will be the Critical Price Elasticity of Demand (CPED). If we are raising prices, any PED less than CPED will increase profits; if we are lowering price, we want PED to be more than CPED. And while there is no way, short of trying the price change, to know what the PED actually is, a firm may well have sensible ideas about the likelihood of its being significantly greater or less than a specified value. It may seem that calculating the CPED is rather a waste of time, since we should have to calculate the required change in quantity first; and might just as well reckon our chances of getting this volume after our price change, without entering into Elasticity computations at all. However it turns out that there is a very simple formula for calculating the CPED.

The French Creoles of Louisiana

Table of Contents Introduction History of Creoles Traditions, customs, and beliefs Economic and political impact Family and community dynamics Conclusion Works Cited Introduction The story of the United States of America reveals a loaded history of different individuals who came here to start a new life; therefore, this has made the country to be composed of a marriage of cultures. Those who came to this continent were driven by different reasons. Some migrated willingly in order to look for new opportunities while others were forced to come here as slaves or as prisoners. The mixing and blending of these cultures has contributed to the unique American culture.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The French Creoles of Louisiana specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Among the states of U.S., a rich distinctive multilingual and multicultural heritage distinguishes the state of Louisiana since it is has been the home of many ethnic groups of people for a long time. â€Å"Gens de Couleur Libres,† the Free People of Color, which are today commonly referred to as â€Å"Creoles† or â€Å"Creoles of Color† are dominant in the Southern Louisiana state and have distinct cultures (Cable, 1). Even though some of them no longer embrace their heritage left behind by their ancestors, some have preserved it until today. This paper focuses on the French Creoles of Louisiana and their unique lifestyle. In contrast to other ethnic groups in America, the Creoles never came from a native country. The word Creole was initially employed during the 1500s in reference to the descendants of French, Spanish, or Portuguese settlers. Most of these settlers were living in the West Indies and Latin America. The word Creole is borrowed from the Portuguese word crioulo, which refers to a slave born in captivity. During the early years of European colonial rule, only a single definition of the term was acknowledged. However, as the Creole people embraced differing social, political, as well as economic distinctiveness, the term was used to refer to other things as well. In the West Indies, Creole means descendants of the European settlers. However, some individuals of African descent are also referred to as Creole (Hall, 283). In the state of Louisiana, it refers to the French-speaking people of French or Spanish descent whose ancestors were upper class whites, many of whom served as officials during the colonial reign of the French and the Spanish. In the 1700s and the 1800s, the Creoles established a different caste that used the French language and held on to the traditional cultural attributes of related social groups in France. Most of them were Catholics. However, they were the first French group to lose their culture to a more â€Å"American† way of life and in the late twentieth century, they had lost most of their values as a people. Caver and Williams note, â €Å"Creoles of color, the descendants of free mulattos and free blacks, are another group considered Creole in Louisiana (para. 1).Advertising Looking for research paper on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More History of Creoles During the 1600s, a number of French explorers and settlers arrived in the U.S. where there dominant presence continued until late 1700s when France ceded Louisiana to Spain. In spite of the coming of the Spanish, French customs and language were still dominant in the continent. The majority of the Creoles, however, are the descendants of French colonials who fled the slave revolt, which took place in 1791 to challenge the oppressive French authority. During the slave revolution, the French ran away from Haiti to other areas which were safer and most whites either were killed or fled, many with their slaves. Many mulatto freemen also suffered the same fate. These events led to the establ ishment of an independent country named Haiti. By 1815, more than eleven thousand migrants had found a new home in New Orleans. When Toussaint L’Ouverture (1743-1803), a self-taught slave, became the ruler of Haiti in 1801, he sent more exiles to the Gulf Coast whereby some settled in the current state of Louisiana while others in Cuba. Among the ones who fled to Cuba, most of them came to New Orleans during the early nineteenth century. This took place after the U.S. bought the Louisiana territory in 1803. The movement of refugees from Haiti and Cuba to St. Martinsville, Napoleonville, the rural areas outside New Orleans, and along the Mississippi waterway led to the doubling of the population of New Orleans. In the state of Louisiana, the word Creole started to be used in reference to descendants of Africans or those from racially mixed mothers and fathers. French and Spanish descendants who were not born in the colonies were also being referred to as such. Caver and Willia ms note, â€Å"Persons of French and Spanish descent in New Orleans and St. Louis began referring to themselves as Creoles after the Louisiana Purchase to set themselves apart from Anglo-Americans who moved into that area† (para. 5). Presently, the word Creole can be used to refer to many things. One of Louisiana historians called Fred B. Kniffin has emphasized that the term Creole â€Å"has been loosely extended to include people of mixed blood, a dialect of French, a breed of ponies, a distinctive way of cooking, a type of house, and many other things† (as cited in Caver and Williams, para. 5). According to this definition, it implies that the term is not specific and one should not attempt to define it as such. Louisiana Creoles of color were regarded as dissimilar and detached from other people. As much as these Creoles of color were different from both blacks and whites, they never stayed away from active public life. They formed a component of the elite society. In the 1800s, they were leaders in commerce, agricultural production, politics, and as slaveholders.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The French Creoles of Louisiana specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nevertheless, by 1724, the Code Noir (Black Code) had described their legal standing and they were given the mandate to own slaves, own real estate, and be recognized in the courts. However, they were not allowed to vote or marry white people. On any official document, they had to identify themselves as either f.m.c. or f.w.c. (free man or woman of color). The term Creole was mainly used as an expression of parochial and colonial administration during both the French and the Spanish rule and the people of the colony forged a new local identity. Nevertheless, it is important to note that those who were born in the New World, as opposed to Europe, were called Creole (Logsdon). The language of the colony was Par isian French; however, afterward it was modified to incorporate some local words. The white French Creoles talked in the Colonial French since it started to become different from the original version of French as spoken in France. Africans who were born as slaves were also called Creole. This was to differentiate them from the new African arrivals. With time, the black Creoles and Africans formed a blend of a French and West African language referred to as Creole French or Louisiana Creole French, which was used in some situations by slaves, farmers, and free people of color alike and it is still being spoken today in central Louisiana. Creole French is no longer spoken in New Orleans but only certain words and expressions are still present. Similar to other regions within the American continent, which were being ruled by foreigners, the Louisiana region also had a mixed-race group, of which there were several free people of color. During the early years when the colonialists settle d in the region, the free people of color resulted from the relationship between the colonialists and the local women. This is because there were a less number of European women in the colony. In most cases, French males took slaves to be their mistresses, or common law wives, and at times married them, which led to the increase in the number of free people of color (gens de coleur libres). Even when more European women came into the colony, an informal union between gens de coleur libres and the whites was still practiced. This system was called placage and it served the purpose of benefitting both the parties. This arrangement was practiced since it was against the law for any woman of color to enter into a marriage relationship with a white man.Advertising Looking for research paper on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A free woman of color who was fair to look at was presented at â€Å"Quadroon† balls. This is similar to debutante balls commonly practiced in our society today. The woman’s mother and some close relatives would accompany the beautiful woman to the balls so that she can meet with her potential protector. Once the woman had danced with the man, and she got interested in him, the relatives would then enter into discussions in order to find something that the young man would give them in exchange for their daughter. The man was to be capable of providing the young woman with a well furnished home having an adequate number of servants and every child resulting from the relationship had to receive proper treatment until adulthood. The sons were to be sent to France for better education leaving their sisters behind to receive teachings from the local convent institutions. The children from such unions would benefit from the transfer of social capital from their parents once they died. Such kind of marriage arrangements would most of the time last for the entire lifetime of both the parties involved. Sometimes, the union culminated upon the marriage of the man. It was a common practice for white Creole males to marry in their thirties to their fellow white Creole females. Since family members arranged most of these marriages, the Creole man’s union with the free woman of color would be maintained; however, if it were not maintained, the woman would be obliged to look for other means of taking care of herself and her family. This would include, but not limited to, business projects and activities such as hairdressing and sewing. The system of placage was not the only way that the free women of color could earn a living since most of them were married and had typical households throughout their lifetime. As a group, the free people of color started to acquire education and skills while preserving their French social customs, which they changed with some components of their ancestry as well as with the Louisiana culture. As their population increased, the French –speaking mixed race or mulatto population practiced intermarriages within themselves for sustaining their class and social culture. Eventually, they came to be referred to as Creoles of color and they were more affluent and better established than the Africans in other parts of Louisiana were. The settling of the Americans from New England and the South triggered a cultural conflict since some of them were not pleased with elements of cultural and linguistic climate that was prevalent in their newly acquired territory. These issues were related to the dominance of French language and Catholicism, the free class of mixed-race individuals, and the strong African customs of the slaves; therefore, they made concerted efforts through the U.S.’ first Louisiana governor, W.C.C. Claiborne, to reverse the trend (Bell, 9). Claiborne eventually gave in due to the p ressure from the Americans and made a fast decision to make English the official language in the region. However, the French Creoles of New Orleans were not pleased with the decision. They went to the streets and protested against the initiatives that the Americans were making to change aspects of their lifestyles. Moreover, upper class French Creoles viewed the Americans as uncivilized. This was in particular to the ill-mannered Kentucky traders who often visited Louisiana with flatboats having goods for sell. Efforts by the Americans to enforce a binary culture that was dividing the people into black and white were greatly opposed by the natives. This is because the locals were accustomed to one, which had a fluid upper class of mixed-race individuals. Upon recognizing that the inputs of both the white ancestry and the free people of color were essential for development to be achieved in Louisiana, the governor reinstated French to be used as an official language throughout the st ate. Consequently, the language was the medium of communication in state functions, community meetings, as well as in the Catholic Church. Of much essence is that both the Colonial French and Creole French were maintained as the language of most people in Louisiana, which enabled the emergence of affluent and educated group of mixed-race Creoles. New Orleans was separated into Latin and American populations in which the former were found east of Canal Street whereas the latter were found left of it up to the late nineteenth century. Out of a total number of eighteen governors that served from 1803 to 1865, a third of them were French Creole and they new no other language apart from French. During the times when the Americans started to arrive in Louisiana in the early nineteenth century, the locals distinguished themselves as French Creoles in order to differentiate themselves from the Americans who were new in the city since they wanted to protect their identity with an iron fist. During the French and Spanish government, Louisiana was recognized as a three-tiered society and it enabled the gens de coleur libres to have the necessary identification that they needed. During this time, In Louisiana, the majority of the free people of color were of mixed race and they worked hard to obtain education, wealth and essential skills in artistry in the colony. In attempts to preserve their social and political identity, the previous free people of color started to use the term ‘Creole’ and they were native speakers of both Colonial French and Louisiana Creole. The gens de couleur libres were threatened with the outbreak of the American Civil War (Sybil, 301). This is because the outbreak of the conflict was intended to end slave trade and ultimately end a three-tiered society, which made them to be rich. The promised rights and opportunities for the slaves brought considerable threat to the identity and position of the gens de couleur libres. After the de feat of the Confederate forces, the Americans slowly watered down the Louisiana three-tiered society. The Americans had embraced the idea of the binary division of individuals according to their races. By the late nineteenth century, more and more people migrated to New Orleans and Louisiana. Since most of them were English-speakers, French was no longer recognized as an official language in the areas. Currently, French or Louisiana Creole is mainly spoken in the rural areas and both the white and mixed-race Louisiana Creole peoples are still being influenced by the French way of life. Traditions, customs, and beliefs White Creoles imported most of their household equipment from France. This made them to be immersed in an entirely French atmosphere. A major component of Creole social life has been built around the French Opera House. From the mid nineteenth century to early twentieth century, the operas were great social and cultural affairs. The French Opera House, which had the ca pacity of 805 people, had a beautiful interior design. The Creoles loved the opera music and were elated in attendance since they were renowned for spectacular get-togethers and impressive partying. The white Creoles did not want to give up on their individualistic lifestyles. They rejected any proposals for intermarriage with the Anglo-Americans and they turned down the idea to learn English as a second language. More so, they were bitter and scornful at the Protestants. They regarded them to be irreligious and wicked. In New Orleans when the French were governing the city, public balls were scheduled to take place at least two times per week. The practice did not stop even when the Spanish took control of the territory. Prominent free people of color and white creoles attended these events on a regular basis. In general, the Creoles were successful in preserving their traditions in the rural sections. However, they gradually lost ground in New Orleans. By the beginning of the nine teenth century, the population of the Creoles was seven times more than the population of the Anglo-Americans in New Orleans. However, by the mid of that century, the Creoles population had dwindled to twice that of the Anglo-Americans. The Anglo-Americans responded by hating the Creoles with equal enthusiasm and steadily, New Orleans started to become two cities in one. Canal Street was the dividing line. To walk across it in either direction, one was heading to a different territory. These distinctions are still evident today. Older Creoles nowadays claim that most of their young people have failed to hold on the basic tenets of social etiquette. They complain that most of them do not observe the use of proper language when talking to others, particularly the adults, and they often greet others hurriedly in an inarticulate fashion. Economic and political impact The gens de couleur libres played a pivotal role in building the economy of the slave societies. In many places, they did various jobs. For example, some worked as artisans and others as small-scale businesspersons in the towns. In several colonies, particularly in the U.S., the creoles were not permitted to own slaves and agricultural land; however, some of them lived in the countryside where they became major slaveholders and owned agricultural land. Most of the free people of color resided on or close to the agricultural estates where they or their ancestors had served as slaves. The plantation owners in most occasions employed the free people of color to manage their farmland. This was more evident in a situation in which there was a family relationship among them. The free people of color were also given positions in the government. Most of them served as rural police officers. Their duties entailed looking for runaway slaves and keeping law and order among the slave population. Their role was important especially in places where the population of the slaves was more than that of the whites. In p laces where the laws of the land allowed it, the free people of color enjoyed various privileges. They obtained fertile land for practicing agriculture and owned slaves. In nearly every slave society in the United States, the free people of color were well-recognized planters. In some states like Louisiana, they owned most property. Some masters who were engaged to women of color also divided some parts of their possessions to them. This was done in at least two ways. First, is under the arrangement of placage. In this case, the mother would solicit for a piece of land or property from the slaveholder. Second, the wealthy slaveholder would make arrangements so that an apprenticeship would trade for his mixed-race children. This gave the children the opportunity to make a skilled living. In the Haiti, the free people of color possessed approximately thirty percent of the entire land and approximately twenty-five percent of the slaves during the late colonial period. Even after the Am erican Civil War that brought the end to slavery, the difference between former free people of color and former slaves was still evident. Since they were better placed in terms of educational achievement and experience, the free people of color were very much instrumental in offering the much-needed leadership for the newly freed. For example, Toussaint Louverture, leader of the Haitian Revolution, and most of the officials of the newly found government, were free people of color. The same situation was evident in the U.S. in which many of them were given the opportunity to serve as local officials during the Reconstruction period. Family and community dynamics In the free people of color homes, men were considered as the heads of their families. On the other hand, women devoted their lives to the service of their families. They met the needs of the widowed and the children among them and sometimes gladly welcomed them to be part of their families. Currently, the free people of colo r are still a closely-knit group and tend to marry within their community; however, most of them are also getting into relationships outside the group and losing their Creole ways. In the old days, the relatives who wanted to preserve the old family trees closely scrutinized Creoles marriages. Therefore, the young people were confined to marry within their own class and every meeting their attended was sternly chaperoned by the older members of the family. Before being formally engaged, a suitor had to seek the consent of the woman’s father. Weddings were opulent affairs that every relative was obliged to attend. The creoles often baptized their children when they were approximately one month old. During baptisms, a godfather (parrain) and a godmother (marraine) gave gifts to the kid. It was a costly honor to be selected as a parrain since one was required to pay for the celebration that followed the baptism. In the old days, when someone passed away, notices were put in the neighborhood to inform people of the funeral service to be held in the home of the deceased. Conclusion The free people of color are an exceptional example of a group, which has historically self-constructed a community identity based in part on social and economic situations and concurrently from a common history, culture and geography (Jolivette, 4). Although the American Civil War affected them, most of them have remained in New Orleans and have introduced their unique culture and heritage to other regions across the United States. From planters to hairdressers, the gens de coleur libres have left a lasting imprint in New Orleans. The beautiful scenery across the state, which is a major tourist attraction, is due to the relentless efforts of the Creoles of color. Works Cited Bell, Caryn C. Revolution, Romanticism, and the Afro-Creole Protest Tradition in  Louisiana, 1718-1868. London: Louisiana State University Press, 1997. Print. Cable, George W. The Creoles of Louisiana. Gret na, La: Pelican, 2000. Print. Caver, Helen B., and Williams Mary T. â€Å"Creoles.† Countries and their cultures. Advameg, Inc. 2010. Web. https://www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Creoles.html Hall, Gwendolyn M. Africans in Colonial Louisiana: the Development of Afro-Creole  Culture in the Eighteenth Century. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1995. Print. Jolivette, Andrew. Louisiana Creoles: cultural recovery and mixed-race Native American  identity. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2007. Print. Kein, Sybil. Creole: the History and Legacy of Louisiana’s Free People of Color. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State Univ., 2002. Print. This research paper on The French Creoles of Louisiana was written and submitted by user Justin Casey to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

20 Verbs Smothered by Bes

20 Verbs Smothered by Bes 20 Verbs Smothered by â€Å"Be†s 20 Verbs Smothered by â€Å"Be†s By Mark Nichol Below are phrases in which a form of â€Å"to be† plus an adjective (or a preposition and a noun) and, often, a preposition can easily be replaced by a simple form of the verb (occasionally accompanied by a preposition), resulting in a more concise statement: 1. Before: â€Å"She is able (or unable) to think for herself.† After: â€Å"She can (or cannot) think for herself.† 2. Before: â€Å"This rule is applicable to both scenarios.† After: â€Å"This rule applies to both scenarios.† 3. Before: â€Å"They are authorized (or empowered) to speak on our behalf.† After: â€Å"They may speak on our behalf.† 4. Before: â€Å"The company is benefited by this policy.† After: â€Å"The company benefits from this policy.† 5. Before: â€Å"The agreement is binding upon both parties.† After: â€Å"The agreement binds both parties.† 6. Before: â€Å"The compound is derived from a chemical reaction.† After: â€Å"The compound derives from a chemical reaction.† 7. Before: â€Å"We are desirous of your reply.† After: â€Å"We desire your reply.† 8. Before: â€Å"She is in agreement with us.† After: â€Å"She agrees with us.† 9. Before: â€Å"He will be in attendance at the event.† After: â€Å"He will attend the event.† 10. Before: â€Å"Their behavior is indicative of what you can expect from them.† After: â€Å"Their behavior indicates what you can expect of them.† 11. Before: â€Å"He is in error in his account of the incident.† After: â€Å"He errs in his account of the incident.† 12. Before: â€Å"It was in existence at that moment.† After: â€Å"It existed at that moment.† 13. Before: â€Å"She is influential on his artistic style.† After: â€Å"She influences his artistic style.† 14. Before: â€Å"I am in possession of some incriminating evidence.† After: â€Å"I hold some incriminating evidence.† (In this case, â€Å"I possess . . .† in place of â€Å"I am in possession of . . .† would imply ownership, not temporary possession, which is what the original sentence implies.) 15. Before: â€Å"My colleague is in receipt of the document.† After: â€Å"My colleague received the document.† 16. Before: â€Å"The mechanism will soon be operative.† After: â€Å"The mechanism will soon operate.† 17. Before: â€Å"The company was in violation of several regulations.† After: â€Å"The company violated several regulations.† 18. Before: â€Å"The committee was productive of a thorough report.† After: â€Å"The committee produced a thorough report.† 19. Before: â€Å"This advertising campaign will be effectively promotive of the product.† After: â€Å"This advertising campaign will effectively promote the product.† 20. Before: â€Å"We are supportive of your efforts.† After: â€Å"We support your efforts.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?Work of Art TitlesHow often is "bimonthly"?

The Murderous Cult of Roman Diana and Her Sword-Wielding Priests

The Murderous Cult of Roman Diana and Her Sword-Wielding Priests In the US, the President has to retire after eight years in office, but at least they get to live after their second terms as President. Some of the ancient Romans werent so lucky. In order to become the new priest of the Italian sanctuary of Diana Nemorensis (Diana of Nemi), the incoming priest had to murder his predecessor to get the job! Although the shrine was  located in a sacred grove and near a gorgeous lake, so applications for the position must have been through the roof... Priestly Problems So whats the deal with this sacerdotal situation? According to Strabo, Artemiss worship at the grove of Nemi - included a barbaric ...  element. The priestly turnover was quite graphic, for, as Strabo recounts, the priest had to be a runaway slave who killed the man previously consecrated to that office. As a result, the reigning priest (dubbed the Rex Nemorensis, or King of the Grove at Nemi) always carried a sword to protect  himself against murderous interlopers. Suetonius concurs in his  Life of Caligula.  Apparently, the ruler of Rome didnt have enough to occupy his twisted mind during his own reign, so he meddled in religious rites...Supposedly, Caligula got fed up with the fact that the current Rex Nemorensis had lived for so long, so the dastardly emperor hired a stronger adversary to attack him. Really, Caligula? Ancient Origins and Mythical Men Where did this odd ritual come from? Pausanias states that when Theseus killed his son, Hippolytus - whom he believed to have seduced Theseuss own wife, Phaedra - the kid  didnt actually die. In fact,  Asclepius, god of medicine, resurrected the prince. Understandably, Hippolytus didnt forgive his father and the last thing he wanted was to stay in his native Athens, so he  traveled to Italy, where he set up a sanctuary to his patron goddess, Artemis/Diana. There, he set up a  contest for runaway slaves to become the temples priest, in which they fought to the death for the honor. But according to  the late  antique author Servius, who wrote commentaries on major  epic texts, the Greek hero Orestes had the honor of founding the ritual at Nemi. He rescued his sister, Iphigenia, from the sanctuary of Diana at Tauris; there, Iphigenia sacrificed all strangers to the goddess, as recounted in Euripidess tragedy  Iphigenia in Tauris.   Servius claims that Orestes saved Iphigenia by killing Thoas, king of the Taurians, and stole the sacred image of Diana from her sanctuary there; he brought the statue and the princess back home with him. He stopped in Italy - at Aricia, near Nemi - and set up a new cult of Diana.   At this new sanctuary, the ruling priest wasnt allowed to kill all strangers, but there was a special tree, from which a branch could not be broken. If someone  did  snap a branch, they had the option to do battle with the runaway slave-turned-priest of Diana. The priest was a fugitive slave because his journey symbolized Orestess flight westwards, says Servius. This ritual, then, was Virgils source of material for the legends about the area where Aeneas stopped off in the  Aeneid  to find a magical plant and enter the Underworld.  Sadly for these entertaining tales, neither probably had anything to do with the ritual at Nemi. Issues of Interpretation Aeneas and the slave-priests came up again in modern studies of religion. Ever heard of anthropologist James Frazers seminal work The  Golden Bough? He theorized that Nemi was the spot where Aeneas went to Hades, as Servius suggested. The sacred sparkly in the title refers to a bough, golden leaf and pliant stem Aeneas had to grab in Book VI of the Aeneid  in order to descend to  the Underworld. But Serviuss own claims were spurious at best! This odd interpretation has a long history -  well-chronicled  by Jonathan Z. Smith and Anthony Ossa-Richardson.  Frazer took these ideas and claimed that used the slaying-of-the-priest as a lens through which he examined world mythology. His  thesis - that the symbolic death and resurrection of a mythical figure was the focus of fertility cults across the world - was an interesting one. This idea didnt hold much water, but that  theory of comparative mythology informed the works many historians and anthropologists, including the famous Robert Graves in his  White Goddess  and  Greek Myths, for decades ... until scholars realized Frazer was wrong.

Philosophy Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Philosophy Paper - Essay Example One of the arguments by St. Thomas is the argument that beings (things) are caused, moved or changed by something else. Here we are talking of a beginning or an end. That the Universe began from somewhere. There cannot be at any time we can imagine of vacuum. The ever expanding Universe cannot be imagined to have a beginning, why? Because it could imply again that the Universe has an end. Indeed, can one imagine of a time when there was nothing at all? This implies that an explanation has to be; in order to explain the reason for their existence (being) hence invoking the Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR). The basic idea here is that God needs to be posited as the ultimate source or explanation of the existence of all other beings, (Class Notes, 11/27/12). Now consider this argument from Rowel’s book on cosmological argument (24): The argument above maintains that there are only two types of beings that is the self existent being (God-cause) and the depended beings (effects). That any causal series invites us to think of the first cause the uncaused. Premise one depends on PSR which is purely to say that the things in which we experience coming and going out of existence is a mere fact that there must be a superior being that controls or rather brings them into existence and out of existence. This again is to say that every depended being cannot exist on its own without the other or simply put it that one depended being has to be brought forth by the other depended being. Â   Response: There is no way we can talk of a series of dependent beings as if it is a dependent being. I.e. remember that every individual has got his or her own identity and individuality. That the moment I confuse your identity with the other, am automatically saying that the individuality and identity of the first cause (God) is interfered. This again

The United States from the World War II as the Strongest Economy in Research Paper

The United States from the World War II as the Strongest Economy in the World - Research Paper Example Each of the countries which signed their allegiance to the Bretton Woods indicates its recognition of four important factors. This uniformity becomes the cornerstone and the main factor which holds the international economy together. First, all the nations involved recognize and agree that â€Å"the interwar period had conclusively demonstrated the disadvantages of unrestrained flexibility of exchange rates† (Cohen 4). It can be recalled that the Great Depression in the 1930s has become a grim reminder of how floating exchange rates discourages trade and investment while increasing the risk of destabilization and competitive depreciation. On the other hand, architects of the Bretton Woods are also reluctant in adopting a permanently fixed exchange rate like the 19th-century gold standard. Thus, avoiding both maxims, delegates agree on a â€Å"pegged rate† or â€Å"adjustable peg† currency regime or a par value system (Cohen 5). Thus, each country is obligated to choose a par value in their national currency and intervene in order to maintain the exchange rate within 1% above or below the preset rate. Secondly, all nations hold that â€Å"if exchange rates were not to float freely, states would also require assurance of an adequate supply of monetary reserves (Cohen 6).† The financial hegemony held by the United States during the period significantly affected the final decision: â€Å"a system of subscriptions and quotas embedded in the IMF, which itself was to be no more than a fixed pool of national currencies and gold subscribed by each country†.

Uniformity of Accounting Standard and Conceptual Framework Essay Example for Free

Uniformity of Accounting Standard and Conceptual Framework Essay Uniformity of Accounting Standard and Conceptual Framework Executive summery Harmonization of the accounting standard and conceptual framework is emerging as a requirement for of the international community. As business cross national boundaries so the transecting parties need uniformity in the financial reporting for better understanding of the business conditions. The process of harmonization gets accelerated by the initiative of the two major standard setting body of the world IASB and FASB. Although the two authoritative bodies try to uniform the accounting standard but the major concern arises here is the biasness of the influencing nations. In the assignment, pros of the harmonization process is discussed which is essential for international business community. The process is also disturbed by taking into account no consideration of the society and judgment of the professionals. In the assignment some recommendations are made for accelerating the harmonization process. Contents Introduction Economics and politics are the two major elements that shape the accounting standard of a nation. As each and every nation varies in their economic condition, customized accounting standard gets its appeal. Nowadays business is not confined in the national boundaries. With the integration of the worldwide market and the economic forces the process harmonizing the accounting standard has become an emerging issue. In the process independent rather than governmental organization is most appropriate. If we account for the advantages and disadvantages of the harmonization process then in the pros side of the ledger high quality standard of the FASB is the achievement and in the cons side I will posted the biasness of the standard setters. The process reduces the cost of the international community because adding an additional member in the process tends to zero marginal cost of standard setters. Why uniformity in the accounting standard and conceptual framework? With the widespread integration of the markets and policies all over the world, nowadays it becomes inevitable for the financial institutions all over the world to follow a uniform standard for financial reporting. Following the high quality accounting standard tends to a higher standard financial reporting. The pros for informing standard all over the world are as follows: (Ball, ,2005) Maintaining uniformity in financial data presentation: standards are set to guide the contracts of the financial institutions. In the case, if the financial reporting of the entities is different, it causes problem for both the contracting parties in the maintenance of the conditions of the contracts. For example- Company X lends money from Bank Y on the condition that landed amount must not exceed 60% of the total tangible. In the situation valuation techniques of the firms are different then it affects the contract adversely. So following a uniform standard for valuation of tangible asset is a solution of the problem Uniform presentation of financial performance: investors make investment decision based on the financial performance of any firm. In the situation, if the firms follow different standard to represent profitability then it becomes misleading for the investors. Following a uniform standard for reporting can resolve the problem (Lammle, ,2005) Adopting uniformity in the accounting standard offers the society the following three benefits: 1. Uniform accounting standard offers the benefit of economics of scale. Standard once are set, the cost of adding additions user is zero 2. The auditors tasks get easy because all the financial institutions follow uniform policy and procedure for reporting 3. Comparability can be made which reduce the cost of the firms contracting each other Extended cross border transactions: nowadays cross border transaction has been increased. Information about the foreign products and the financial information of the business are now available in internet. As a result, investors invest in foreign firms. In the situation uniform financial reporting gets very important (Buys, ,2011) Uniform financial reporting offers the investors the following benefits: IFRS standards offer a more accurate presentation of the financial data than that of the national standards. Information of some firms is not readily available. In the situation uniformity in accounting standard reduce risks in decision making Usually small investors cannot evaluate all the information than that of professionals. Following the IFRS standard improves the quality of information which ultimately gives the investors more information for access Following the uniform accounting standard serves the purpose of comparability and information accessibility cost gets reduced In IFRS standard emphasis is given for the comparability of information and it becomes more accessible. So integrating the entire world standard with IFRS yields the investors the above benefits. Some other passive pros of uniform accounting standard are as follows: Improve usefulness of financial data Increase transparency which ultimately benefits stakeholders The above two factors tend to reduce agency costs of the firms The above are some of the benefits of harmonization of the accounting standard. The process of harmonization is fueled by the process of globalization. As transactions occurs across national boundaries, there create a need for uniform accounting standard. In today’s business world, transactions cross national boundaries. As a result uniformity in reporting financial data gets very important. IFRS standard plays a vital role in the process of harmonization and many of the European nations follow IFRS. In the process an initiative is taken by USA to harmonize GAAP with IFRS. (HINES, ,2005) Arguments against uniform financial reporting Uniformity in financial reporting is made at the expense of the society. Culture differs in different nations, as a result in the process of uniform accounting reporting cultural aspects are considered. Economic condition of different nations also varies, for example- some are big, and some are small. Uniformity ignores the judgments of the professionals. The process also discourages research in the field and also discourages different ways of financial reporting. Shortcomings of uniform financial reporting are as follows: (Sunder, ,2007) Application of the concept uniformity: the concept of uniformity can never be defined specifically so that the standard setters can apply it in financial reporting. For example- in case of reporting the R D expenditure, management discretion is ignored. In recording the expenditure economic nature of the firm is considered. But the economic condition of the firms is not feasible in many cases. As a result, the uniformity issues creates problem Social norms: the process of uniformity in accounting standard barely considers the issues like cultural, social and political differences in the nations. As a result the process of implementation is affected largely. (Madawaki, ,2012) In applying the standard in the society the standard setters face the following three problems related with the practice in the society: 1. Information problem: in the process of developing standards, the stand makers have very little information about the social circumstances. Standard are set to replace the previous one but the process is very complex. Involvement in the social norms provide more information which is largely ignored in the process 2. Problem in design the standard: in designing standard, it becomes very important to attain representation, impartiality and consistency. The professionals set the standard may not be impartial. In the process, the influencing stakeholders try to influence the standard setting for their benefit. This influence distorts the proper standard setting of the standard setting body. 3. The gaming problem: the development of the standard alters the decision environment of the business firms. Standard also paves some new opportunities. The standard setters do not possess all the information for desired chances as a result misunderstanding arises. The standard setters should ensure that the standards ensure the mutual understanding between the standard setters and the business firms Legal situation of a nation: in the cases where standard is conflicting the low of the nation the jurisdiction of the nation imply it invalid to impose Education and research: in the process of uniformity new standards are set. As a result, the professional teams of the standard setting body have to train the local the professionals in the new standards. In the educational programs also the subject concern with the topic should be amended. This means that the whole system such as: educational materials, accounting software, reporting system all have to be restructured (Agrawal, ,1987) The process of uniformity is questioned by the dominance of some countries. Many nations argue that the head of IASB is the representative of USA. It is a major defense against the standard setting process. In some cases, the judgmental areas of the business firms vary. In the situations, uniformity is somehow impossible. Harmonizing standard with the US GAAP in the uniform of standard is also a major shortcoming. Recommendation The process of harmonization of the two standard setting bodies FASB and IASB has already been started. The process benefits the transactions across national border. Cost of providing information is also reduced. In the situation the process can be successful if it can maintain the following standards: (Barbu, ,2007) To cope with the changing global marketplace, the standard setting body should update the accounting standard in a regular basis and should communicate it with the related parties for implementation The standard setting body should be private and independent to avoid any political pressure of the government which ultimately ensures democracy. In case of governmental standard setting body, there is a chance to be biased in formulating accounting standard In setting the standard the economic variety of the nations should be considered There should be some areas for professional judgment because of the economic variety of the nations To implement the process of uniformity a monitoring sell should be developed. The department oversees the maintenance of the accounting standard. If any nation does not follow the prescribed standard then the department can panelize the nation (Buchanan, ,2007) Conclusion The process of harmonization gets appeal of the international community in the last ten years. The process gets accelerated by the Europeans as they are currently following IAS and IFRS for financial reporting. United States is also a pioneer in the issue by creating a bridge with the international standard with GAAP. In the process the stakeholders gets advantaged by sharing a uniform financial reporting. The cross border relationship is emerged in a new horizon now. The audit process gets the justification in the harmonization process.  But the process is not without some problems also. The process reduces the independent judgment of the auditors. The major stakeholders also influence the standard setting process. An independent private standard setting body is a possible solution to the problem.

Female Ambiguity :: essays research papers

Female Ambiguity: Kirke from The Odyssey vs. Bianca from The Taming of the Shrew   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Women are ambiguous characters throughout texts such as The Odyssey and The Taming of the Shrew. In these two stories, there are female characters that are deceitful and beguiling towards men. Kirke and Bianca are two comparable characters that display such behavior. I will explain how both characters display ambiguity by hiding their true nature behind actions that they wouldn’t normally take; therefore these female characters are being deceitful to those who fall for their actions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kirkie displays her obscure behavior at the point of The Odyssey when some of Odysseus’s crew is sent up to Kirke’s hall. When the men lay eyes on her she is weaving on her loom. Kirke’s weaving is a domesticated action to the crew of Odysseus’ men who witness it. Before the men see her the carnivorous mammals at her entryway that seem to be under her spell intimidate them. Kirke’s weaving alone is not what enticed the men to her, yet it was her singing which was described as beguiling, that made the men believe she was an angel. â€Å"Low she sang in her beguiling voice, while on her loom she wove ambrosial fabric sheer and bright, by that craft known to the goddesses of heaven.† (Homer 171) This action of weaving and singing gains the trust of the weary men who then wish to approach her. The sirens also sing. Somehow with female singing men lose their rational thoughts and become hypnotized by the sound. Weaving is an action used at least by one other female character, Penelope that deceives a large group of men into thinking that the female is harmless and domestic. In this story all the females that sing use it as a lure of the men and it works every time, however the waving trick didn’t work so well for Penelope and her secret of unraveling a shroud she would spend all day weaving was discovered. The crewmen in this part of the story see Kirke singing on the loom and it strikes their hearts and they seem to narrowly forget about the wolves and lions at her entrance only to see her young beautiful image as a fine woman. Polites, one of Odysseus’ crewmen broke the silence held by the men to assure them that this womanly duty Kirkie performs makes her seem harmless and that they should not hide away from her.

Intro to Ethics Study Guide Essay

1. social contract theory is to give up right to have a government, animals come in the public court of opinion. Animals are involved †¦ implicit †¦ it can be inferred they contribute to human beings and killing them would interfere with the balance in the ecosystem 2. virtue ethics-aristotle would argue that if you were to kill an animal without morality would be immoral. Using too much compassion or too little. Doing the right thing because it is the right thing. 1st categorical imperative. If that maxim is able to become a universal law. A maxim would be to care for animals 3. Util- it depends on the situation who it makes happy more who is satisfied? Can you do better with your time 2. If John has a day off from work and stays home all day getting drunk, then Utilitarianism would say that it is okay for john to do that seeing that he is home alone and he is not bothering anyone. His family and friends are not aware of what he is doing and he decided to get drunk which makes his happiness the highest. Yet, it must be considered what John could have done in that period of time that could have been most beneficial to the community. The morally right thing action brings the highest net or overall happiness which John did not provide. This brings up Hedonism where the right actions only have best results that are measured so the goal should be to maximize the total measure of happiness. John could have done other things throughout that day like volunteering at a hospital or visiting his family. According to Utilitarianism, John decided to get drunk which is not following through with the Utilitarian right of action by doing something that would give the most happiness. Morality is the effort to guide one’s conduct by reason and have the best reasons for doing them. So, if John’s drinking is not backed up with the best reasons possible for doing them, then John’s decision is not morally correct according to utilitarianism. 3. 4. We are obligated to keep our promises according to all four theories. Utilitarianism: If my happiness outweighs the net happiness of the person of whom I want to break the promise with, then utilitarianism would say that it is okay to break the promise seeing that it would give me the most amount of happiness. But, if you break that promise and continue to break promises you made to your friend, then that would eventually lead to your best friend being unhappy with you and break the friendship apart unless that friend does not care about broken promises. Kantian ethics: We should keep our promises because we are to act only according to that maxim by which it will at the same time become a universal law. If we were to promise to pay someone back and never planned to pay them back for real and broke that promise, then if that was to become a universal law no one would trusts each other or believe people when they say they will owe them back. Thus, this will break friendships and leave the world with broken promises. Social contract theory: depends if the person lying is doing something for good virtue ethics: practical wisdom on which virtue to use. Knowing what virtue to use in what situation. 5. Kant thought lying was immoral because our behavior should be guided by universal laws which are moral rules that hold true in all circumstances. Kant says that lying under any circumstances is â€Å"the obliteration of one’s dignity as a human being† Even a small white law is unacceptable. His argument consisted of it being okay to lie or lying becoming popular. You should act in a way if it was to become a universal law so this universal law of lying would lead to everyone lying and the purpose would be self-defeating, no one would believe each other, and no one would pay attention to what you say. Essentially, Kant believes that we should only do the actions that conform to rules that we would adopt universally. 7.virtue is a state of character that lies between by doing a virtuous act you will become virtuous because it will become a habit coward-courage 8. If known murder comes to your home searching your friend, A virtue theorist would tell the truth. Although he has virtues like loyalty and honesty which he want to keep true, I would have to choose between one or the other. Virtues are desired states of character that are also excellence that brings into good conditions therefore people strive to have these virtues. The friend must choose to whether tell the truth to the murderer which is a virtue of having honesty or tell a lie to the murderer to help his friend which is a virtue of loyalty to their friend. Although both virtues are important and one would not want to participate in the murder of their friend, a virtue theorist would essentially tell the murderer the truth since ——–lying is treating a person as mere means because you are using them to lie instead of using them as ends——virtue is a state of character concerned with choice and so lying in a mean would be determined by the rational principle which can only be determined by a man of practical wisdom.—-virtue looks for what is intermediate.

Geography Bangladesh Coursework

To what extent does the Physical Environment of Bangladesh determine its level of development? What efforts could be made to reduce the country's problems? The aim of this coursework is to investigate how Bangladesh's Physical environment is affecting the rate of the development of the country. Furthermore, to explore what efforts could be made to reduce the country's problems. [Section 1] To what extent does the Physical Environment of Bangladesh determine its level of development? Bangladesh is situated in South Asia. It is surrounded by India, and borders Burma. The population is roughly 150 million people; 45% of it's population is in poverty. The minority of the population of in Bangladesh are located in Dhaka, the capital city, Chittagong and Khulna; most of the population are located in rural areas. The main river running through Bangladesh is the Ganges-Brahmaputra. This river is the main cause of the issues in Bangladesh. Monsoons occur every year, without fail, causing the country even more problems. Only 40. % of the adult population are literate, and only 21. 6% of children have secondary education. The government are continually trying to solve the problems, but this is unsuccessful as a result of the country's poor wealth. Bangladesh is 49. 8% below the poverty line referring to its wealth, and its rapid population growth hinders the development of the country. There are many reasons why Bangladesh is an LEDC. The main reason for this, is the flooding which occurs every year as a harsh result of the monsoons, prohibiting the speed of development. The river Ganges-Brahmaputra is seen as an ‘untameable' river, which changes its form very frequently. This causes disaster in itself as it destroys many parts of Bangladesh's fertile land which is at is best by the river. As a result of this, there are a lot of homes located along the river as it is a main source of water for everyday life, and to provide jobs such as farming and agricultural work. As a result of this, the continuous building and rebuilding of communities uses time and money, consequently slowing down the progression of the country. Another reason for Bangladesh being an LEDC is a consequence of its highly dense population. This would not be a problem if money was sufficient in Bangladesh, but the country is poor, meaning it cannot provide for its large number of inhabitants. Finally, the aid given to Bangladesh by other countries can be useless, for example, much of the money aid given to the Bangladeshi government, are loans. When the country cannot afford pay back the loans, Bangladesh is in more and more debt, meaning the development of the country is decelerate. Furthermore, most of the other aid given to the country does not help the poor, continuing poverty; highly-skilled experts can be expensive, again spending the money the government do not have; charities can be influenced by the people who support them, therefore the aid given may to be teach a certain subject, whereas simple life skills may be of more use; and fi- nally, the aid may be given to individuals, rather than communities which would be more useful. Bangladesh is between stages 2 and 3 in development. The country is poorly educated, meaning families are stuck in a poverty circle. This is when a family are poor, they have many children because the majority of them will die due to disease and malnutrition. The family need the surviving children to work to provide for the family, and to look after the parents when they are old. Then the children have children, who will do the same for their parents. This is a vicious circle which is extremely hard to get out of. Another reason why Bangladesh is in between the stages 2 and 3 is because of the floods, continually destroying parts of the country, and their valuable crops which help to provide many, many families with income. Furthermore, the money aid given to the country is usually in the form of loans; when the country is unable to repay these loans, they get into serious debt. The reason Bangladesh is in the development stages between 2 and 3 is as a result of a combination of factors. (Data from 1989. ) The employment structure in Bangladesh is very different from here in the UK. In the UK, just 7% of the population are unemployed; whereas in Bangladesh, 25% of the population are unemployed. Of those who are employed, 75% work in agricultural jobs such as, farming the fertile land. In the UK, only 2% of the population are employed for agricultural positions. % of the Bangladeshi population are working for the industry, and 20% of the UK work for the industry. 78% of the employed population in the UK are working in services, and just 19% in Bangladesh. This data shows that Bangladesh are still very much relying on the old way of life, working on farms for example, while most of the population in the UK are working in jobs such as policemen/women. This also implies that if the land is damaged, or crops do not flourish successfully as a result of the flooding, almost four fifths of the population suffer from an immense fall in their income. This is a major reason contributing to why Bangladesh's physical environmental is such an impact on the stage of development. Bangladesh do have another way of making money though. They export some goods, mainly to the US. The main exports are fish products, textiles, clothing and jute (a type of woven material). This brought in $1,305 million to Bangladesh in 1989. Bangladesh is situated in Asia. It borders Burma, and is surrounded by India. The land in Bangladesh is mainly floodplains and delta; suggesting that there would be a high level of flooding in the country, slowing down any development of the area. As we can see from the map, (below), most of the land is in the colour blue, meaning it is very close to sea level, increasing the chances of flooding. Also, there are many swampy locations liable to flooding. The majority of the country is up to just 10 meters above sea level. The country is flat, also meaning when large amounts of flooding by the large and main rivers occur, the water would spread out quickly, therefore this would affect vast areas of the country, rather than just secluded areas. The main rivers flowing through Bangladesh are the River Brahmaputra, the River Meghna and the River Ganges. This, therefore, affects a huge number of the people, as when the rivers flood, the rivers are close together, increasing the volume of the flood water, and increasing the impact on the Bangladeshi society. As a result of the country being mainly floodplains and the four main rivers running through, building on the plains would be unconstructive and a waste of valuable money, this meaning the development of the country is very limited, due to the physical features of Bangladesh. The climate in Bangladesh is split into three main phases; the hot season, the cool season and the rainy season. The hot season is between March and June. The cool season is between November and February, and the rainy season is between June to September. The hot season is known to consist of some heavy showers. Depending on the area, the amount of rainfall throughout Bangladesh in the rainy season, ranges between 200cm and 300cm; the north tends to have the most rain. During this season, tropical rainstorms occur also. These can cause very strong winds and more heavy rain. The wind spreads the flood water out more over many miles, causing excess flooding, prohibiting development of the country further. The temperatures in Bangladesh are fairly consistent. The temperatures do drop during the winter, but on average, do not fall to below 10 degrees Celsius. In the summer, the temperatures reach their highest during April and May. These temperatures are roughly 34 degrees Celsius. The annual monsoons have devastating effects on the people of Bangladesh. Firstly, the floods have destroyed many of the Bangladeshi people's homes and many communities, leaving some dead, and some badly injured. Aid has to be called for as the country cannot support itself alone, meaning they have to rely on others. Another effect is that cattle are stranded and worse, drowned in the floods. This means farmers are losing valuable ‘tools,' consequently loosing money as a result. Furthermore, the water will become stagnant and cause things to rot, attracting vermin, eventually spreading disease. In addition to this, homes and building vital for development of the country will be destroyed, bringing development back to square one every time there is a major flood. As we can see, there is a huge impact of monsoons on the whole country, keeping it in a state of poverty. Yes, the weather does effect the development of the country as every time the country is flooded, valuable and limited money is spent on repairs and aid. This can get Bangladesh onto serious debt, meaning money is spent on other things which need to be spent on development, stumping the development of the country on a regular basis. There are three main rivers running through Bangladesh. There is the River Brahmaputra (below left and below right), the River Meghna and the River Ganges. The River Brahmaputra is the largest of the three; it is 2,900km long in total. The river does not start in Bangladesh, but it splits into two there. The river also flows through Tibet, India and China as well as Bangladesh. The rivers source is high up in the Himalayas in Tibet, and travels at a steep anticlimax until it finally levels out in the plains in India. After 35km of travel, the river joins to two others, and becomes the very wide River Brahmaputra. The river travels into Bangladesh, and is used there for a range of purposes. The main ones being a source of energy, food, clean water, deposition of waste in the deepest parts, defence barriers and transport. One of the most important uses of the river is for energy. Because there are waves, generators are assembled and when the waves reflect off of them, energy and power is created. Much energy is produced every second because the river is so large. Another main use of the river, is that it is fast moving water, (not as fast as the Ganges), meaning it is fresh, enabling the people to use it as drinking water. People will bottle this water, and sell it. A good way of making money. People are able to use boats and swim in the river as the water is not as rough in the River Brahmaputra than it is in the River Ganges. The river causes many problems as well as being of use to the people. When it floods, which is every year, it kills crops, people and cattle. It also destroys homes and leaves villages wrecked. The river Ganges is seen as a wild and untameable river. Its source is also in the Himalayas at the confluence of six other rivers. A confluence is the meeting of two or more rivers or water sources. The Ganges then flows through India and into Bangladesh. The river is seen as sacred to the people because when it comes into the city of Kanpur, it is joined by the Yamuna at Allahabad. This point is recognised as the Sangam at Allahabad. The Sangam is a scared place in Hinduism, therefore the river has some religious meaning to it. The River Ganges has also been used for modern day films, and to test out new submarines. Because of its unique features, some submarines and other vessels have been named after it. The final main river is the River Meghna. This river begins its journey in the hilly regions of India. It is the only one of the three main rivers that actually forms inside of Bangladesh itself. It is a very dangerous river, so the people who live near it, cannot use it as it is so very dangerous. Its only use to its people is that it deposits a lot of silt, so therefore the local farmers can enjoy successful crops. As we can see, each river has advantages and disadvantages. The River Ganges is viewed as the least constructive of the main rivers as it is prone to flooding, and the deposition of silt is low, meaning it is of little use to farmers. In addition to this, the river is highly polluted. The River Meghna is useful as it deposits a lot of silt, yet is far too dangerous to bath or wash, cook clean etc. in. So, this means that the River Brahmaputra is the most useful to the country. It allows people drinking water, water to cook, clean and sell. Furthermore, it is a huge supplier of energy to Bangladesh, meaning it is valuable for the development of the country. Deforestation does have a large impact on the rivers in Bangladesh. It increases the amount of surface runoff where the forest has been cleared because there is no interception of the plants and there are no trees to use the extra water in photosynthesis. This means that the surface runoff will flow into the rivers, causing the water levels to rise, and contributing to the flooding. To conclude, the rivers have uses, but are also prone to at least 3 major floods a year, hindering the development of the country. Deforestation is causing a rise in water levels also. However, the River Brahmaputra is a useful source of energy, helping to contribute to the development of the country. There are many things which are being done to overcome the Bangladesh's problems. As a result of the country's poor wealth, it is a great struggle to try to pull the country out of its current state of poverty. There already have been, and will be many schemes to try to rule out the problems Bangladesh has and is experiencing. For example, the Flood Action Plan was set up, also, the World Bank plan was established, flood guards have been purchased, and the H. E. E. D scheme was set up. The H. E. E. D Scheme The H. E. E. D scheme was developed and designed by the Tear Fund. The Tear Fund is a Christian Charity, working globally to try to eliminate poverty. The H. E. E. D scheme's aim was to support villages in Bangladesh to push for a better future. H. E. E. D stands for Health, Education, Economic, Development. The scheme operates by addressing the roles of both women and men in society to allow everybody to play a part in trying to overcome problems, together. Women form in groups of about 20 to discuss problems and show that they have a voice and that they also have rights in society. Only the women are able to do this as they are the only ones who have the time. Their main role is to be a housewife, looking after the family, while the men are out working. The men work as farmers all day, therefore they are unable to support the women as much.