Thursday, December 26, 2019

The ImClone Insider Trading Case What did Martha Really Do

In 2004, famous businesswoman and TV personality Martha Stewart served five months in federal prison at Alderson in West Virginia. After she served her time at the federal prison camp, she was placed on two additional years of supervised release, a portion of which she spent in home confinement.  What was her crime? The case was all about insider trading. What Is Insider Trading? When most people hear the term â€Å"insider trading,† they think of the crime. But by its most basic definition, insider trading is the trading of a public companys stock or other securities by individuals with access to nonpublic, or insider, information about the company. This can include  the perfectly legal buying and selling of stock by a company’s corporate insiders. But it can also include illegal actions of individuals attempting to benefit from a trade based on that inside information.   Legal and Illegal Insider Trading   Legal insider trading is a common occurrence among employees who hold stock or stock options. Insider trading is legal when these corporate insiders trade stock of their own company and report these trades to the  U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission  (SEC) through what is known simply as Form 4. Under these rules, the insider trading is not secretive as the trade is made publicly. Legal insider trading is but a few steps away from its illegal counterpart. Insider trading becomes illegal when a person bases their trade of securities of a public company on information that the public does not know. Not only is it illegal to trade your own stock in a company based on this insider information, but it is also illegal to provide another person with that information, a tip so to speak, so they may take action with their own stock holdings using that information. Acting upon an insider stock tip is exactly what Martha Stewart was charged with. Lets take a look at her case. The SEC’s job is to make sure that all investors are making decisions based on the same information. Most simply put, illegal insider trading is believed to destroy this level playing field. The Martha Stewart Insider Trading Case In 2001, Martha Stewart sold all of her shares of the biotech company, ImClone. Just two days later, ImClones stock fell 16% after it was publically announced that the FDA had not approved ImClones primary pharmaceutical product, Erbitux. By selling her shares in the company prior to the announcement and subsequent drop in the stocks value, Stewart avoided a $45,673 loss. However, she was not the only who benefitted from a quick sale. The then ImClone CEO, Sam Waksal, had also ordered the sale of his extensive share in the company, a $5 million stake to be exact, prior to the news being made public. Identifying and proving the illegal case of insider trading against Waskal was easy for regulators; Waksal attempted to avoid a loss based on the nonpublic knowledge of the FDAs decision, which he knew would hurt the stocks value and did not comply with the Security Exchange Commissions (SEC) rules to do so. Stewarts case proved to be more difficult. While Stewart had certainly made a suspiciously timely sale of her stock, regulators would have to prove that she had acted on insider information to avoid the loss. Martha Stewarts Insider Trading Trial and Sentencing The case against Martha Stewart proved to be more complicated than first imagined. Over the course of the investigation and trial, it came to light that Stewart had acted on a piece of nonpublic information, but that the information was not explicit knowledge of the FDAs decision about ImClones drug approval. Stewart had actually acted upon a tip from her Merrill Lynch broker,  Peter Bacanovic, whom also worked with Waskal. Bacanovic knew that Waskal was attempting to unload his large stake in his company, and while he did not know precisely why, he tipped Stewart off on Waksals actions which lead to the selling of her shares. For Stewart to be charged with insider trading, it would have to be proved that she acted upon nonpublic information. Had Stewart traded based on knowledge of the FDA decision, the case would have been strong, but Stewart only knew that Waskal had sold his shares. To build a strong insider trading case then, it would have to be proved that the sale violated some duty of Stewarts to refrain from trading based on the information. Not being a board member or otherwise affiliated with ImClone, Stewart did not hold such a duty. She did, however, act on a tip that she knew breached her brokers duty. In essence, it could be proved that she knew her actions were questionable at the very least and illegal at the worst. Ultimately, these unique facts surrounding the case against Stewart led to prosecutors to focus on the series of lies Stewart told to cover the facts surrounding her trade. Stewart was sentenced to 5 months of prison time for obstruction of justice and conspiracy after the insider trading charges were dropped and securities  fraud charges dismissed. In addition to the prison sentence, Stewart also settled with the SEC on a separate, but related case in which she paid a fine of four times the amount of the loss she avoided plus interest, which came to a whopping total of $195,000. She was also forced to step down as CEO from her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, for a duration of five years. Punishments and Rewards Associated With Insider Trading According to the SEC website, there are almost 500 civil enforcement actions each year against individuals and companies that break securities laws. Insider trading is one of the most common laws broken. The punishment for illegal insider trading depends on the situation. The person can be fined, banned from sitting on the executive or board of directors of a public company, and even jailed. The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in the United States allows the Securities and Exchange Commission to give a reward or bounty to someone who gives the Commission information that results in a fine of insider trading.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Essay Sports Psychology - 1172 Words

The five main things that I learned in sports psychology from is Goal Setting, Awareness, Leadership, Reboundability, and Routines. These all help me not only in the sport world but also in life. It is important to study these things and practice them as much as possible to achieve the greatest benefits from them nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Until recently I have never really thought about my goals. I have had them, but have never planned them out or evaluated outcomes. When we had a guest speaker named Mark Henry spoke to use about goal setting. Before I wouldn’t put dates or plans with my goals. It helps a lot when you have a date to start the goal and a date when you want to achieve the goal. One thing Mark Henry taught me was that a†¦show more content†¦My stress level is down and life is a lot more enjoyable. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Routines are also a very important thing I learned this year. I have always had a routine in my life because of school but I never knew how important it is. When I was a freshman in high school I went to a private boarding school in Canada. Because I lived on campus I had a very strict routine. Everyday at the same time I would do the same thing. It made things like getting up for breakfast and being to sport on time easier. Even when I didnt want to do something like homework I would have 2 hours to do nothing at all except sit in my room so I would end up doing my homework. Even though it was forced on me at the beginning of the school year I enjoyed it in the middle and end. When routine was interrupted for any reason it was harder for me to get back on track. For example if we had a sleep in the next day it was harder for me to get up. With out a routine I would always be late for events and behind. With a routine you give yourself enough time to do thing s that need to be done. Today my routine is the same as before when a couple hours of my night is for studying and another couple hours is for eating and fun. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;I have always had trouble with rebound ability. From watching the videos such as the HBO special on the Tennessee basketball team I learned that everyone has set backs. They had big set backs such as key players being injured.Show MoreRelatedSport Psychology : Sports Psychology1599 Words   |  7 PagesSports Psychology Sports psychology is a relatively new topic of research that first started out in 1925 as a preparation tactic for athletes before an important event to increase chances of success (Joyce, 2008). In the world today sports psychology is increasingly being used in sports but also manipulated into research to use in organizational groups. Athletes are always looking for the next way to win, even if it is by the smallest of margins, however, competition may be fierce and very competitiveRead MoreSports Psychology, Sports Nutrition, And Strength And Conditioning Essay742 Words   |  3 PagesCAREER GOALS: Through applied sport psychology, sports nutrition, and strength and conditioning, my goals are to give back to my community by: 1. Leading local athletes through a process of discovering their true potential and greatness, so that they can perform successfully to a level that brings true peace of mind and self-satisfaction that they did the best to which they were capable.   a. Volunteer to teach leadership and life skills training to athletes in my community with the Habitudes imageryRead MoreThe Psychology of Sports Essay1921 Words   |  8 Pagesgoverning sports is over, and the age of the mentally tough athlete has arrived. Athletes are no longer the superficial jocks and robots programmed to accomplish one goal, victory. Modern athletes ranging from the high school to professional levels are faced with many pressures and temptations, normally outside the realm of their sport. These pressures can inhibit an athlete’s performance substantially; therefore, the pressures need to be dealt with by psychologists. The effectiveness of sports psychologyRead MoreSport Psychology1034 Words   |  5 Pageshumans that helps motivate us to continue the journey of life. arousal regulation, imagery, self confidence, attention, or concentration , goal setting memory write a 4-5 page paper. the assignment thing said you will write an article for a sports magazine on a topic from the psychological skills training section of the book that you find interesting. ( choices are: arousal regulation, imagery, self confidence, goal setting attention or concentration ) The format of your aticle should be similarRead MoreThe Importance of Sport and Exercise Psychology Essay1050 Words   |  5 PagesSport and exercise psychology is a mandatory aspect of the sport science discipline. This discipline contributes to the various professional practices associated with physical activities such as - teaching of physical education, recreation and health promotion, and kinesiology related professions - because it plays a mental role for the participants. Sport and exercise psychologists view physical activity in several different ways: physical activity as a tool for health, physical activity as a toolRead MoreEssay on Sport Psychology1037 Words   |  5 Pages Sport Psychology: How it Helps Athletes nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In our society today it seems like sports rule the land. Everywhere we look, there is some kind of sporting event going on or being televised. Almost everyone could be considered a fan of at least one sport. Some people follow sports like a religion. With such an increased focus on sports, the athletes performances are put under a microscope. This puts more pressure on athletes to give a winning performance. No longer do athletesRead MoreSports Psychology Essay602 Words   |  3 PagesIt has been identified that through sports psychology one can improve their physical ability and performance. Sports psychology is the study of how the mind, mental states and behaviour effect sporting performance. There are several sport psychology techniques, which have helped me become a better volleyball player. These techniques include planning for performance, controlling arousal levels, mental rehearsal and concentration. The first technique of planning for performance is all about goalRead More Sport Psychology Essays1652 Words   |  7 PagesSport Psychology In earlier days sports psychology was mostly concerned with developing assessment methods that would identify those people with the potential to become serious superior athletes. Today the focus is on psychological training, exercises that strengthen the mental skills that will help athletic performances on the path to excellence. These skills include mental imagery and focus training. If an athlete is serious about becoming the best he or she can possibly be, the most essentialRead MoreProfessional Philosophy : Sports Psychology778 Words   |  4 Pagespotential career that I have in mind is becoming a Sport Psychologist. The first scholarly article I found is titled â€Å"NCAA Athletic Administrators’ Preferred Characteristics for Sport Psychology Positions: A Consumer Market Analysis†. The study conducted in this article looks into the market for Sport Psychologist in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It compares different Athletic administratorà ¢â‚¬â„¢s preferences for sport psychology positions based on time, commitment, affiliation,Read MoreTaking a Look at Sports Psychology1561 Words   |  6 PagesCome on – don’t let the picture creep into your mind. Stop thinking of that†¦ Pink Elephant (Gardner). It has been proven that putting a â€Å"don’t† or a â€Å"not† into a statement can cause the brain to have difficulties in interpreting the statement. In sports, players tend to tell themselves â€Å"not† to do something. In soccer, a goalie might tell him/herself to not let the other team score a goal, and then the team does. Or in tennis, players tell themselves not to serve the ball into the net, and then they

Monday, December 9, 2019

Accounting Financial Report

Question: Describe about financial performance, financial Position and limitation of financial statements and ratio. Answer: Introduction The retail chain of Next was launched in the year 1982 and the initial store was opened that contained stylish clothes, shoes, as well as accessories for females. Soon after that, the collection for men and children followed. Next clothes are provided unique style by the design team that is present inn house and provide value for money. In the current scenario, there are more than 500 stores present in the UK and Eire. Furthermore, more than 200 stores are present in more than 40 countries. Several landmarks were made by Next in a sequence. In 2011, it opened the merged fashion and garden store at Shoreham-by-sea. In 2014, two more stores were added and in 2015, it opened High Wycombe store (Next Plc, 2015). Next strives to enhance the customer base by introduction of new and varied techniques like next day delivery that appeals the customers to a considerable extent. Financial Performance Significant achievements were made by Next in the year 2015 that boasts about its strong financial performance. The increment in the EPS and paying dividend to shareholders indicates that the company has made adequate profit and has solidity. The EPS and the ordinary dividend has been a consistent achievement of the company and it has done it for the straight sixth consecutive year. Moreover, the sales, as well as revenue is a classic indication that the company has performed in a strong manner (Investors Chronicle, 2015). The retail sales increased by 5% while the online business saw a jump of 12%. The sales of the entire group went up by 7% and reached a strong figure of 4 billion for the first time. The share prices also indicates that the company performed in a strong manner because the investors vouch for those shares that are fundamentally strong and have a potential to deliver returns consistently (Investors Chronicle, 2015). The share price went up by 62.80 to 71.50 indicatin g the strong financial performance. There was not buying back of the shares rather surplus cash was returned through the way of dividend. A huge sum of 572 million was returned to the shareholders through the scheme of buybacks and dividends. Moreover, the company did not use the investment to return cash to the shareholders and neither by increasing the debt (Northington, 2011). This indicates that the company performed at a true potential that helped it to provide benefits to the shareholders without any compromise. Moreover, next continued the manner of investing in new, as well as larger stores. With the enhancement in the base of the customer, it has now spread to more than 71 countries in total and enhancing the image. The distribution, as well as warehouse capacity is enhanced that enables the company to provide better facilities. There has been a strong change in the administrative, selling expenses that contributed to a strong financial performance. The financial position is mainly expressed through availability of funds and the manner in which the company is able to meet the exchanges in foreign exchange rate and the interest rates. Moreover, compliances with the regulation also play an important role in shedding light on the financial position. Next follows a policy of returning cash to shareholders that is in surplus through buyback, as well as special dividend. Moreover, the company is able to maintain a proper structure of debt that goes in favour of the company. It has an appropriate balance of equity plus debt. Adequate finance is needed that is procured through the operational activities. Next is also prone to credit risk and mainly in the form of Directory customer receivables that stands at 712m that projects the biggest item on the balance sheet. Moreover, next performs through a centralized treasury function that is entrusted with the task of meeting the risk that arises from liquidity, interest and currency risks. T he treasury operates through an approved policy of the board. Next has appropriate medium, as well as long term financing that support the operations of the business and even the cash position that is reported to the Board. Therefore, Next Plc financial performance in the year 2015 has been entirely due to the presence of strong policies and financial management. The annual report clearly shows that the progress made by Next Plc has been considerable as compared to the year 2014. Financial Position The financial performance of the company was strong and has been clearly depicted with the help of income statement, balance sheet, and cash flows. The financial performance of the company is signifies through the income statement, balance sheet (Albrecht et. al, 2011). Moreover, appropriate ratios help in the telling about the financial performance of the company. The sales enhanced in the year 2015 to reach 4 billion and the underlying profit got a good boast reaching a high of 782 million. The financial position was strong because the company paid dividend and without any compromise on the profits. Ordinary, as well as special dividend was paid providing benefits to the shareholders. Buy back of the shares was also done that was of 138 m (Next Plc, 2015). The financial position of the company was done by way of equity, reserves, and investments. No over-dependence was present on debt. Hence, it can be said that the policy stressed entirely on equity and derived strong profitabilit y. The share price also received a great boost and increased by 4.8% displaying solidity. A better projection of the financial position is done with the help of ratios. The following are the ratios that are computed: Current Ratio The current ratio is major ratio when it comes to the ability of the company is meeting the obligations. One of the major ratios that indicates the liquidity of the company (Melville, 2013). The current ratio of Next Plc has increased and is heading towards the standard ratio of 2:1 indicating that the company is in a strong financial position to discharge the obligations and there will be no errors in that. Gross profit Ratio One of the strongest profitability indicators that helps to assess the financial position. The GP ratio has increased marginally that indicates the company is able to manage the cost of goods sold in a proper manner (Melville, 2013). Further enhancement can be seen when there is a further control on the cost of goods sold. Net Profit Ratio The Net profit margin of the company has increased in 2015 and has surpassed the percentage of 2014 indicating a strong sales and generation of strong profit numbers. The operating expenses have been in a strong control and hence a ratio has shown an immense change (Horngren, 2013). Operating profit ratio This ratio is termed as ratio of operating profit to sales. In 2015, the operating profit ratio stands at 20.30% as compared to 19.62% in 2014. The progress in this ratio is entirely by dint of a strong control over the operating expenses (Horngren, 2013). Proprietary Ratio A higher proprietary ratio is always needed because it sheds light on the finance that is done by the shareholders (Christensen, 2011). However, there is a decline in the ratio and the company needs to rectify it in the coming year. Return on Equity Return on equity indicates the profit generated by the company by using the funds of tee shareholders (Christensen, 2011). The ratio has shown a marginal increase that indicates the financial position of the company strong and hence able to use the funds of the shareholders in an effective manner. Receivables collection Period The collection period has enhanced in a marginal manner indicating that the management has used the policies in an effective manner. Hence, efficiency of the management is strong. Payables payment period This ratio indicates the payment made to the suppliers. The average payment period has declined indicating that the company will be able to pay the suppliers in a quick span of time (Merchant, 2012). Price / Earnings Ratio The price earnings ratio of Next Plc is a little lower in 2015, it is 17.05 as compared to 17.15 seen in the year 2015. A slight decline is not of a much concern as going by the other ratio the company has a strong stability. Dividend Cover Ratio This ratio states the number of times the shareholder will receive dividend (Lapsley, 2012). However, the ratio has fallen marginally, but going by the historic performance and the current number it is still strong and will continue to provide dividend. Going by the above discussion and the ratio analysis it can be stated that Next Plcs financial position is strong and is bound to continue a strong run in the near future. Limitation of financial statements and ratio Ratio analysis fails to consider the intangible factors like brand, skills, labour organization, culture, etc. These are considered important and vital in the long run. However, ignorance of all factors leads to problem. The ratio analysis is done considering the accounting data that is present in the financial statements. However, the financial statements are not free from error and mismanagement. Therefore, simply relying on such data will not project a clear view and may prove to be wrong (Graham Smart, 2012). Different companies use different method of computation and hence comparison of two different companies from different sector cannot be apt. It is because the ratios can be derived from various methods and there is no standard applicability (Davies Crawford, 2012). Hence, in this scenario it becomes difficult to compare and know the result. The computation depends on the data that is available and one company may give greater emphasis to one set of data as compared to other. Financial statements also suffer from deficiency. They cannot be said as the best tool for evaluation because it is prepared considering the historical data. The historical data is not of much relevance when it comes to the [resent scenario. Planning should not be done considering it because it has flaws in it (Davies Crawford, 2012). Conclusion Going by the ratio analysis and view of the annual report it can be said that the company had a strong year where the entire unit performed in a strong manner and reached great height. The profit was strongly supported by the turnover and the resources were used in an efficient manner. Going by the solvency and liquidity it can be said that the company is a good bargain for the long term and one can strive for outer performance (Brealey et. al, 2011). The company has a strong asset base and the cash flow shows that the company has met the situation with great ease. Moreover, the company is strong when it comes to principle of ethics and corporate governance. It has adhered by all the principles and therefore the progress is fast as compared to the peers. Moreover, the shareholders are also provided benefits in the form of dividend that is a major advantage of the company. This is one of the reasons why the investors have invested in this stock. Year by year the company has achieved s ignificant feat that implies Next Plc is adapted to the internal and external environment. The company strives to perform by providing unique design to the customers and the same can be seen in the coming scenario. At current, the company has 4 million customers and with the strong development and line-up, Next Plc is destined to make further advancements and hence is a strong recommendation. Computation of Ratios Current Ratio CURRENT RATIO 2014 2015 Current assets 1,468.10 1,616.00 Current liabilities 886.6 834.5 Current Ratio 1.655876 1.936489 Working Capital 581.5 781.5 GP Ratio GP RATIO 2014 2015 gross profit 1240.1 1343.4 Sales 3,740.00 3,999.80 GP ratio 33.15775 33.58668 Net profit Ratio NP ratio 2014 2015 Net profit 553.2 634.9 sales 3,740.00 3,999.80 NP ratio 14.79144 15.87329 Operating profit ratio operating profit ratio 2014 2015 operating profit 722.8 812.1 sales 3,740.00 3,999.80 Operating P ratio 19.3262 20.30352 Proprietary Ratio Proprietary Ratio 2014 2015 Share capital 1,55,032 1,52,874 Reserves 2,84,154 2,88,528 Shareholders fund 1,677 1,608 Total assets 2,709 2,709 Proprietary Ratio 0.619158 0.593444 Return on Equity 2014 2014 Net profit 553.2 634.9 Shareholders fund 286.20 321.90 Return on equity (%) 1.932914 1.972352 Ratios Formula Computation 2015 2014 7 Receivables collection Period 365 / Debtor's Turnover Ratio 11.69 11.48 8 Payables Payment Period 365/ Creditor's Turnover Ratio 37.06 40.20 9 Price / Earnings Ratio Market price per share / Earnings per share 17.03 17.15 10 Dividend Cover Ratio (Profit After Tax - Preference Dividend) / Dividend paid to Equity Shareholders 2.94 3.33 References Albrecht, W., Stice, E. and Stice, J 2011, Financial accounting, Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western. Brealey, R., Myers, S. and Allen, F 2011, Principles of corporate finance, New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Christensen, J 2011, Good analytical research, European Accounting Review, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 41-51 Davies, T. and Crawford, I 2012, Financial accounting, Harlow, England: Pearson. Investors Chronicle 2015, Next Plc Financial, viewed 3 February 2016, https://markets.investorschronicle.co.uk/research/Markets/Companies/Financials?s=NXT:LSEsubview=Overview. Graham, J. and Smart, S 2012, Introduction to corporate finance, Australia: South-Western Cengage Learning. Lapsley, I. 2012, Commentary: Financial Accountability Management, Qualitative Research in Accounting Management, vol. 9, no.3, pp. 291-292. Libby, R., Libby, P. and Short, D 2011,Financial accounting, New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Horngren, C 2013, Financial accounting, Frenchs Forest, N.S.W: Pearson Australia Group. Melville, A 2013, International Financial Reporting A Practical Guide, 4th edition, Pearson, Education Limited, UK Merchant, K. A 2012, Making Management Accounting Research More Useful, Pacific Accounting Review, vol. 24, no.3, pp. 1-34. Northington, S 2011, Finance. New York, NY: Ferguson's. Next Plc Ltd 2015, Next Plc Ltd. Annual Report and accounts 2015., viewed 3 February 2015, https://www.nextplc.co.uk/~/media/Files/N/Next-PLC-V2/documents/reports-and-presentations/2014/next-annual-report-2015-final-web.pdf.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Media in Elections an Example by

Media in Elections by Expert Lilliana | 16 Dec 2016 Media plays a vital role in the development of our national politics than most of the people realize. Media helps in defining the major issues and acts as a gatekeeper in setting limits for political dialogue and even candidacies for public office. One of the major example of a candidate who knows how to play within the medias rules and later use them to their own advantage is Barack Obama. Writer at EssayLab write best essay for students. Need essay sample on "Media in Elections" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed The media can also play a major role to veto the candidates such as in the case of John Edwards. He led his rivals in introducing a severe health care plan, and questionably transformed the contest in his appeal to the Democratic base on that and also other issues. But the media still rejects Edward, by ignoring him and by covering more of negative reporting than the other key contenders. The same incident had also occurred with Howard Dean in 2004, who rallied the Democratic base but later on found himself about six times in many negative articles covered by the media than his opponents. Undergraduates Usually Tell EssayLab specialists:How much do I have to pay someone to make my essay online?Professional writers recommend: Order Papers On Essaylab.ComAcademic Paper Writing Services Best Website To Buy College Papers Need Help With Assignment University Essay Writing Service The media does way much more than to directly control the opinion of the voters. Most of the politicians, institutions and other political participants will not bother wasting resources on a candidate they think is unlikely to win. The voters often look at how the media is treating the candidate in order to come to a decision. If the media is not taking a certain candidate seriously or is unreceptive to the candidate, those potential supporters will look somewhere else. So, obviously how the media portrays a candidate plays a very important role in the mind of the voters. Until lately, the sole medium was the printed press. It had a limited reach only because functional literacy was in minority. But since then times have definitely changed, now elections are dominated by the television, a development which can be traced back in time to 1960 which showed the first television debate between US presidential candidates. But this view point is partially correct. The majority of the worlds populations does not even watch television as they have no electricity or can not afford to buy one. Nor is this only a phenomenon of dictatorships - the world's largest democracy, after all, is India. For such countries, radio remains the most important medium. Election campaigns are obviously a very special case of political communication, defined by Wolton as "the space in which contradictory discourse is exchanged between three actors with the legitimate right to express themselves in public on politics, namely politicians, journalists and public opinion" ( 1990). As stated by Mickiewicz and Firestone (1992), during an election campaign in a democratic culture, each of these have different interests: The candidate is interested in reaching the electorate; the media take an interest in elections as journalists and as media; and the public is interested in receiving the information necessary to participate knowledgeably in an election. Assuming that they are not associated with any political parties and are not dedicated to furthering any political foundation, the media's welfare can be further defined in terms of three goals: first, to serve the candidates and the audience by making available facilities for direct access by candidates to airtime or news and/or opinion and editorial pages of newspapers and periodicals, as provided for by electoral law and dictated by the newsworthiness and importance of an election in broad: secondly, to provide the audience by covering the election campaign and providing additional information, background, analysis, and commentary which help the audience make an informed choice on polling day; and third, to avoid being caught in political controversies or becoming a battleground for competing parties, and to avoid compromising their credibility by biased or unbalanced coverage of the campaign. This approach views media performance in elections in terms of the purposive action of their managerial and editorial staff, that is, of the media organization itself. This is just one way of looking at the issue, however, because the mass media play several distinctly different roles in elections. As communication media, their generic properties and structural characteristics have by themselves helped remake the shape of election campaigns and have, in general, played an important role in shaping the political process. The media also are channels for communicating ideas and images existing or created independently of themselves, that is, channels of communication between the politicians and the public (hopefully this will be two-way communication) and among the politicians themselves. Politicians seek to reach out to the public with their images, election platforms, and views on election issues; in turn, the public in various ways voices, to and through the media, its views on the candidates and parties contesting the election. Similarly, the candidates respond to messages spread by other politicians and directly or indirectly engage in a debate with them. And, of course, the media also function as communicators, originating messages and images and introducing them into social discourse, that is, as initiators of political communication and as communicators of their own messages (e.g., coverage and analysis of the campaign, staging of debates, interviews with candidates conducted at the media's own initiative). Recognition of the media's role in elections as communicators raises a new set of issues concerning their ability to act independently in that capacity. There seems to be widespread acceptance in the literature of the view that the impetus which decides what role the media will play comes largely from outside the media system. If so, their role in the political process may turn out to be secondary and derivative in many cases. However, the media's ability to affect the voters in other ways is limited. We could thus say that the media's influence on election results is in inverse proportion to the gravity of issues facing the voters, the stakes involved for them personally in the election result, and the extent of their political commitment. Therefore, the more that depends on the outcome of the election for the voters personally, the more interested they will be in the issues, the more intense their political commitment will be, and the less they will need to rely on the media to make sense of the dilemmas involved or to make up their mind who to support. As a general rule, this means that the content delivered by the media, and especially television, in their role as channels and communicators, can be a relatively powerful force at election time in societies marked by a general social consensus on the shape of the country's political and economic system (this is usually a feature of stable, prosperous, and democratic societies). In such circumstances, the general level of political awareness and commitment in society will be low, and there will not be a fundamental difference between the election platforms of leading contenders or much at stake in the outcome of the election for most voters personally. Therefore, receptivity to media-delivered and media-originated information and persuasive messages may be high. And conversely, where these conditions do not obtain, this receptivity may be low. References Wolton D. (1990). "Political communication: The construction of a model". European Journal of Communication, 5( 1), 9-28. Mickiewicz E., & Firestone C. ( 1992). Television and elections. Queenstown, Md.: The Aspen Institute. Swerdlow J. L. (Ed.). ( 1988). Media technology and the vote: A source book. Washington, D.C.: The Annenberg Washington Program. Abramson J. B., Arterton E. C., & Orren C. R. ( 1988). The electronic commonwealth. New York: Basic Books. Gurevitch M., & Blumler J. G. ( 1983). Linkages between the mass media and politics: A model for the analysis of political communication systems. In J. Curran, M. Gurevitch , & J. Woollacott (Eds.), Mass communication and society (pp. 270-290). London: Edward Arnold.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Approaches to Counselling Essay Example

Approaches to Counselling Essay Example Approaches to Counselling Paper Approaches to Counselling Paper Essay Topic: Rogerian Relationships play an important role in everyday life. You or I may define a relationship with a person in many different ways depending on the context with whom the relationship is with, whether this be peers, colleagues or loved ones. So is it possible to have a relationship with someone who you don’t know, someone such as a therapist? It may be possible; however this is not the type of relationship that is being described within counselling therapy. The client-counsellor relationship is unlike these day to day relationships that you may form with peers or loved ones, it is highly specialised; depending on the approach, it is usually informal in a structured manner, with boundaries and rules to dictate where the relationship may or may not go. These boundaries can have a powerful effect on the degree of the relationship; for instance the provision of confidentiality can help the client self-disclose more easily, and this confidentiality in turn creates and provides an atmosphere of trust which has been described as an aspect of an intimate relationship (Monsour, 1992). This essay will focus on the relationship process in different counselling approaches; namely Existential counselling, Psychodynamic counselling and Person-Centred counselling. It will aim to understand the process and therapeutic approach used in counselling and how the relationship between client-counsellor evolves and what effect this will have on the outcome. Throughout history, support has been seen to be a key aspect of recovery from illness. Iroquois Indians believed the cause of ill health to be unfulfilled wishes (Wallace, 1958 [cited in McLeod, 2009]); diviners would discover these unfulfilled wishes which were seen to be unconscious, and organise a festival of wishes where by neighbours, loved ones and the community would help to fulfil these wishes. In countries such as India the prevalence of mental health counselling is relatively low; the notion that western counselling theories and can be transported across from individualistic societies to collectivistic society may be seen as inappropriate. In India family support, even today, is still seen as being used as the first point of contact for illness; culture and religion plays a significant role in the day to day lives. Western society was not so different to this before industrialisation. Religion played an important role in the western societies, where mild emotional and interpersonal problems were dealt with by priests (McNeil, 1951 [cited in McLeod, 2009]), and a shift from â€Å"tradition centred† (Riesman, 1950 [cited in McLeod, 2009]) to â€Å"inner-direction† approach was seen with the rise of Freudian and Rogerian counselling. According to Burnard (1992) â€Å"the main point of working in the health care field is to communicate†. Communication is broad, and the form of communication that takes place is as varied as those in the relationship. The positioning of people and body language all contribute to revealing the feelings of one person to another (Argyle, 1983); this is because non-verbal communication, unlike verbal communication can not be effectively withheld. Morrison Burnard (1997) say that listening and attending are â€Å"by far the most important aspects involved in counselling†, and that clients would lose faith in a counsellor who stares out of the window or fiddles with a pen. If a counsellor uses Rogers’ (1957) core conditions, the counsellor will be exhibiting a presence which is inviting and warm, and allows for an effective therapeutic relationship. Rogers is seen as the founder of ‘client-centred approach’ (often referred to as person-centred). The approach involves the counsellor helping the client find their own solutions to problems, without the counsellor giving direct advice (Morrison Burnard, 1997). The person-centred approach believes the client is the best authority on themselves and their experiences, however that achieving this potential requires favourable conditions and that poor conditions may disrupt personal development. Rogers (1957) believes the client often comes to a counsellor because of incongruence between the client’s self image and their ideal self, and the role of the counsellor is to facilitate the client to resolve this incongruence. One reason that incongruence may occur is because individuals often cope by accepting views of others and gradually incorporating these into their own views about themselves. Overtime an individual’s intrinsic sense of their own identity, evaluations of their own experiences and attributions of value may be replaced due to conditional acceptance from others. This is the basis for the first of the three core conditions (1. Unconditional positive regard/acceptance; 2. Empathic understanding; 3. Congruence), maintained by the person-centred approach. The first condition allows the client to freely explore all thoughts and feelings without danger of rejection, and crucially the client is free to explore these without having to meet any standards of behaviour to earn positive regard. The second, empathic understanding, is so that the counsellor can accurately understand the clients thoughts, feelings and meaning, from the clients perspective. Burnard (1992) cites Kalisch as defining empathy as â€Å"the ability to perceive accurately the feelings of another person and to communicate this understanding to him†. The final condition, congruence, is for the counsellor to be authentic and genuine, and not to present a facade, where the client is free to understand the counsellor as much as the counsellor understands the client. Rogers states that if a counsellor is being congruent then this may lead to the counsellor self-disclosing, however that this is not so that the counsellor can talk about their own feelings, but to ensure that a client is not deceived by a facade (Corey, 1991). Rogers believed these three conditions were both necessary and sufficient for therapeutic progress to occur, and that there is nothing essentially unique about the relationship, and that a healthy relationship with others may manifest the core conditions in them. However a frequent criticism is that delivering the core conditions is what all good therapists do anyway before applying their individual therapeutic approaches. Bowers and Clum (1988) reviewed studies which compared therapies with a technique focus, therapies with a relationship focus (placebo therapy), and therapies with both. They found that both contribute to the effectiveness of psychotherapy, and that the therapeutic relationship contributes a unique piece of variance to the effectiveness of therapy. In addition, Bolstad (1992) found that using closed questions or too many questions at all was found to be an inhibitory factor in the relationship, so the use of minimal prompts (such as â€Å"umm†, â€Å"yes† and even body movements like nodding [as seen in Rogerian person-centred counselling]) should be present in all counselling sessions. The existential approach views humans as continually changing and transforming, living essentially finite lives. The focus of this approach being on the client’s life and exploring the meaning and value in accordance with one’s own ideals, priorities and values. Psychological disturbance is taken as the outcome of avoiding life’s truths and working in the shadow of other people’s expectations and values. This approach places great emphasis on the therapist’s ability to be aware of, and to question their own biases and prejudices; the facilitation of the client’s beliefs and values are essential to building the therapeutic relationship, and thus the therapists is seen to being naive within the therapy. To understand the client, the therapist explores the client’s existence on four main dimensions (1. phsyical; 2. social; 3. psychological; 4. spritiual). Van Deurzen (2000) observes there are â€Å"obvious existential elements† in the person-centred approach; and in an historical context the philosopher (Soren Kerikegaard) most frequently mentioned by Rogers, also contributed significantly to existential counselling. Legg (1998) surmised that academic Psychology has advanced over the last 50 years, whereby theories (such as personality theories) have evolved, but the empirical foundations of counselling (both person-centred and existential) are virtually never addressed in current literature. The difference between person-centred and existential being that the existential approach focuses on the relationship a person has with themselves and the world around them, whereas the person-centred approach focuses on the development of the self under more or less welcoming conditions. Modern psychological therapies can trace some roots back to Freud and his methods of psychoanalysis. He strongly supported the idea of lay analysts without medical training, which was ever increasing difficult as western society moved towards medical, biological and scientific approaches to illness. Psychodynamic therapy focuses on the idea that most of mental disorders lie in the unconscious mind, and therefore the patient is unaware of them. Freud believed that in order to treat the problem, the client’s repressed desires and problems must be uncovered in order for the therapy to proceed. The psychodynamic therapist uses the here and now to determine possible explanations in everyday life (McLeod, 2009). Although modern psychodynamic therapy is still heavily influenced by Freud’s original ideas from the early 1900’s, it has been highly developed since, taking a more social relationship-oriented approach (McLeod, 2009). The core principals are for the therapist to understand the development of personality, particularly how it was shaped by early family life and environment. Freud favoured two methods of assessing a client’s unconscious thoughts and feelings; dream analysis, and free association. These were developed after Freud learnt ‘hypnosis’ from French psychologist Charcot Janet. Freud maintained the idea that a client and therapist must have a good rapport for therapy to work, however his scepticism about hypnosis lead to the development of ‘free association’, which works on the principal that the client is comfortable enough to talk freely. The relationship within a psychodynamic therapy in modern psychology allows for a more personal relationship; by having the counsellor as a ‘blank screen’ onto which the client can project their thoughts and feeling about themselves, allows for the therapist to understand how the client is feeling, this hopefully leads to the same relationship and rapport that the client is trying to overcome; this is the most commonly used method in modern psychodynamic therapy (transference). However a major criticism of psychodynamic therapy, unlike other therapies, is that the counsellor/therapist is offering his or her own opinions on the situation. Both existential and person-centred tries to get the patient to reflect on their own experiences, here in psychodynamic therapy we see that the counsellor may offer an interpretation. Researchers found that in extreme cases, such as sexual abuse in women, psychodynamic therapy may elicit more withdrawals than progressive results (Farber, 2009). This also occurred in sessions with post traumatic stress disorder patients, who withdrew considerably after a psychodynamic treatment (Markowitz, 2009). Van Denburg Van Denburg (1992) note premature termination resulted from failures in empathy; they also note that others have suggested that premature termination occurs from too strong negative transference(Mahler, 1952), fears of abandonment by and separation from the therapist, and too strong feelings regarding dependence on the therapist (transference resistance Freud). Today psychodynamic therapy is mainly used to treat problems such as personality disorders, anxiety attacks, panic and depressive disorders. Thus far this essay has looked at three approaches in counselling, and identified ways in which the therapists build relationships with the clients. But how effective is the therapeutic relationship in counselling? Research has consistently reported a positive relationship across studies between the quality of the therapeutic alliance and therapy outcome, although there are some instances where the working alliance fails to predict outcome or where associations are nonsignificant (Gaston, 2004; Hovarth, 1991, 1993, 1994; Krupnick, 1996 [cited in Knaevelsrud Maercker, 2006]). Blagys and Hilsenroth (2000, 2002) found seven interventions that stood out as distinguishing psychodynamic and interpersonal therapy from cognitive–behavioural treatment, and six techniques and interventions were identified as distinctive activities of CBT. Lambert and Ogles (2004) indicated that varying types of therapy usually yield similar results, but the possibility of differences should not be excluded. However, different approaches have been exposed to systematic evaluation to various degrees. A comparison was made between psychoanalytical psychotherapy and behaviour therapy, where both sets of therapists were rated equally on display of warmth; however the behaviour therapists were rated as more active and seemed more genuine (Sloane, Staples, Cristol, Yorkston Whipple, 1975). Research about therapeutic orientation and attachment styles has shown that having a psychodynamic orientation predicted the quality of the alliance as being less positive, and the psychodynamic therapists reported more problems in therapy, compared with cognitive– behaviour therapists, cognitive–analytic/ integrative or eclectic therapists, and humanistic therapists (Black, Hardy, Turpin, Parry, 2005).

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Anyone Can Learn to Play This Guitar in Minutes

Anyone Can Learn to Play This Guitar in Minutes Practice, practice, practice. If you want to become good at anything, theres no getting  around those three words. Musicians, of course, know this all too well. Research has shown that trained violinists and pianists typically put in an average of 10,000 hours before they can be considered elite performers. For the rest of us with far less lofty aspirations, there are popular rhythm-based video games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band that are much easier to pick up. The games also allow players to quickly get accustomed to rhythmic timing, notes as well as some of the dexterity necessary to play drums, bass, and other instruments. Still, making the leap over to, say, actually playing the guitar, is entirely different. There’s just simply no substitute for the hours upon hours of practice necessary to master the finer subtleties of things like finger positioning and different picking techniques. The learning curve can often feel so steep that about 90 percent of beginners quit within the first year, according to Fender, a leading guitar brand.    That’s where technologically-enhanced instruments such as the MI Guitar comes in. Pitched as the guitar anyone can learn to play in mere minutes, the rhythmic guitar is something of a novice’s dream. Similar to Guitar Hero, it features a tactile electronic interface along the fretboard but is capable of expressing a wide range of chords. At the top, the guitar’s force-sensitive strings also allow users to generate chords with varying degrees of loudness, much like a real guitar. The Crowdfunding Project That Could Originally launched as a crowdfunding project on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo, the campaign raised a total of $412,286. The final product isn’t due to ship until late 2017, but early hands-on reviews of the latest prototype have generally been positive. A reviewer at Wired magazine praised the guitar as â€Å"totally fun and shockingly simple to use.† The Next Web echoed a similar sentiment, describing it as â€Å"great for quick jam sessions with friends, or using it to master the strumming portion first.† Brian Fan, founder and CEO of San Francisco-based startup Magic Instruments, came up with the idea after spending an entire summer trying to learn the guitar, with little progress. This despite having played the piano as a child and all the way through his musical training at The Juilliard School, one of the world’s most prestigious music conservatories. â€Å"I tried everything [to learn the guitar]. YouTube videos, learning guitars, gimmicks you name it,† he said. â€Å"The thing is you have to develop the motor skills and muscle memory for that particular instrument, which takes a lot of time. A lot of the time it felt like playing hand twister.† The first thing to know about the rhythmic guitar is that it bears only a superficial resemblance to a traditional string instrument. Like other sampler devices, users are limited to a series of pre-recorded digital sounds that play through the speaker. You won’t be able to perform hammer-ons, pull-offs, vibrato, string bending, slides and other advanced techniques that are used to shape the sound and give it that distinction. â€Å"Intentionally, it’s geared towards people like me with limited or no experience and who want to just play, rather than guitar players,† Fan said. â€Å"So it behaves nothing like a guitar, but it’s still so much easier to play music since it’s not bound by the physics of vibrating strings.† Review of the MI Guitar Cradling the latest version on my lap, it did have the look and feel of an actual guitar, though lighter and admittedly much less intimidating. Despite not having much of a musical background beyond a piano class in high school, it still lends the player an air of confidence with its buttons in addition to strings considering we all press buttons on a computer keyboard every day, how can it not be intuitive? It also comes with an iOS app that displays the lyrics and chords to various songs. Sync it with the guitar and it’ll carefully guide you along Karaoke-style, scrolling forth as you play each chord. Its not hard to flub my first couple attempts at a Green Day song, either by pressing the wrong cord button or hesitating a beat too many. But by the third go around, its easier to pick up the pace a bit, stringing them together until lo and behold music. Joe Gore, a guitar player, music software developer and former editor for Guitar Player magazine, who has yet to try out the technology says that while he likes the notion of a guitar for that anyone can play, he doesn’t expect it to be well-received by those who’ve long put in their dues. â€Å"The guitar community is very conservative,† he explained. â€Å"And because theres a certain work ethic that goes into honing your craft, it’s natural to feel a bit scorned when they see someone cheat and take a shortcut instead of investing the time into something their completely passionate about.† And while Fan says he understands where the criticism comes from, particularly the barrage of â€Å"hate posts† his team has received on social media, he doesn’t see any reason for guitar purists to feel threatened. â€Å"We are not replacing the guitar, especially the expressiveness and sound,† Fan said. â€Å"But for those who’ve never learned it when they were young and have less time now, we’re saying here’s something that you can pick up and enjoy playing right away.† Where to Purchase Anyone interested in pricing information and purchasing the Rhythmic Guitar on pre-order can do so  by visiting ​Magic Instruments website.​

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Incarceration Rates Disparity in Provincial and Federal Prisons Essay

Incarceration Rates Disparity in Provincial and Federal Prisons - Essay Example Less representation is registered among the white boys and other ethnic groups. Among girls, only the aboriginal communities have registered increased misrepresentation in the jails which are rated at 10 percent higher than other ethnic groups in the Ontario prisons. Statistics have indicated that indicated that over-representation of the Aboriginal people in the prisons has been on the increasing trend over the past 30 years. The statistics escalated after the Second World War and the trend has accelerated over the years. If the current trend is to continue, then the number of Aboriginal people under incarceration is likely to be higher than those out of prisons which are indeed a worrying trend. Despite the introduction of the Youth Criminal Justice Act of 2003 that has seen a steady decrease in the number of incarcerations among the youths; the trend has not been witnessed among the aboriginal boys and girls. The provincial jails must rise and act on the increased number of deaths of black youths that has been witnessed lately through gunshots by police and other security agencies. This calls for a change of tactics on how security issues are to be handled in the country and that massive incarcerations is not the solution. International bodies such as the United Nations have expressed their concern about the need to reduce the increased overrepresentation of aboriginal and black races in the federal and provincial prisons. In Manitoba, similar situations seem to exist based on how the Aboriginal people are treated in relation to incarcerations. Despite the fact that they only form 12% of the entire province population, they dominate the jails and account for more than 0ne-half of the people who are incarcerated in the correctional centers at any given time. It is indeed very shocking that in a nation where justice is expected to be blind to racial differences only one ethnic group seem to dominate the prisons.  

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

What was the ideal female image projected by mass media in the 1950s Essay

What was the ideal female image projected by mass media in the 1950s Was this ideal also the reality Why, or why not - Essay Example While the husband was away, the ideal woman would clean the house, make porridge for the babies and bake cookies for the children returning from schools. The family seemed to offer a psychological fortress, a buffer against both internal and foreign threats. In this ideological climate, independent women threatened the social order. Under cultural pressure and with limited options for work outside the home, women, contained and constrained, donned their domestic harness. (Meyerowitz, 1994). The ideal image was not quite real because many women did not feel comfortable restrained into the boundaries of their home. They felt that their rights were subdued and they did want things to change for good. Women of 1950s wanted to play their role in social development along with men and yet maintain a balance between their professional and domestic life. Their constant effort improved their lifestyle in the 1960s when more women joined schools and entered the workplaces than ever

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Research Investigation Essay Example for Free

Research Investigation Essay A research investigation on what specific skills an actor would need learn in order to convincingly portray the role of Silvio in Carlo Goldoni’s, A Servant of Two Masters. Carlo Goldoni wrote the comedy â€Å"Arlecchino servitore di due padroni†, which translates into modern English as The Servant of Two Masters, a commedia dell’Arte-style play. The performers of Commedia were often illiterate, and as such there was no point to write down scripts and record the performance, it was improvised and modified, preserving the aspects the audience found amusing and excluding those that were less successful. In this way, Carlo Goldoni’s writing down of the play strictly goes against commedia traditions, as it is not the way things were done when it was originally staged. Despite performing all their plays in Italian for the first twenty or so years, Commedia troops had phenomenal success, perhaps because the slapstick nature of their comedy mingled with its vulgar humor was relatively easy to follow. The themes of the play, including love, romance, deception and the status between masters and servants, combine to create an enjoyable and greatly comical performance. The play also scrutinizes social boundaries that were once present. Such as, the idea of a woman being dressed as a man this was much more controversial in the 1700’s and especially a woman who defeats a man in combat, as Beatrice (comes to Venice dressed as a man in search of her beloved Florindo, She is also a part of the first lover couple along with Florindo) defeats Silvio. Smereldina (the maid of Clarice, she is an extremely feisty and slightly bitter character who wants more than anything to find a man and get married) also confronts Silvio and scorns him, which is something unparalleled in that time, a woman of the serving class reprimanding a man of status. The play also explores the lengths people will go to for the sake of love, the hopelessness of Florindo (a man banished from his home in Turin for his murder of Federigo Rasponi, and the lover of Beatrice who comes in search of him) and Beatrice’s relationship to find each other, as well as commenting on the importance of never giving up hope, because as they are about to kill themselves they find each other again. This is also reflected in the many difficult predicaments Truffaldino (the servant of both Florindo and Beatrice, he is a mischievous, hungry man who is seeking ways to better himself, he is comic relief and also the main protagonist) finds himself in, as no matter how hopeless his situation looks, he keeps on envisaging himself getting out of his tricky situations and eventually he does get out of trouble. The behavior by those of the dominant class of the servants is a very noticeable theme of the time period, and an important social observation. The serving class of Truffaldino, Smereldina and the Porter (she carries the bags places at different times during the play and has a fairly rough time of it, carrying very heavy loads only to be ridiculed and left unrewarded for her labor) are regarded with little respect and trust throughout the entirety of the play. As the early performers of this play were more than likely lower class individuals, this play is an insightful parody of their own difficulties. Commedia dell’Arte is an Italian theater style, characterized by masked performers and improvised scenes based on simplistic scenarios. Carlo Goldoni categorized four elemental types of stock characters in Italian comedy: Pantaloon, a miserly Venetian merchant, easy to anger, disrespected by everyone and a born loser; Dottore, a pedantic lawyer-type from Bologna; Brighella, a serenading servant who enjoys thieving, and bragging; and Arlecchino, a basically thoughtless servant permanently in despair over unreturned love. A Servant of Two Masters is set in Venice in the 1700’s, and would have been performed by a travelling troop of commedia actors. As such, they would have had very limited set facilities, and their performances staged outdoors, meaning they would have to allow for surrounding noises such as wind when performing. Throughout this research investigation it will be delving into what specific skills I must learn in order to convincingly portray the role of Silvio in Carlo Goldoni’s, A Servant of Two Masters. There is a catch when one decides to take on the task and portray the role of Silvio in The Servant of Two Masters and that is that the comic instincts of a skilled actor need to conquer a tendency to be a servant to the text. It has been said that commedia is the riskiest form of comedy. That being said, it is worth the risk. When the flash of inspired improvisation hits an actor it is like a whirlwind and time seems to be in a complete interruption while a phenomenon takes place. Fortunately Goldoni’s writing is so perfectly composed and clinging to fundamental Commedia dell’Arte form that it allows one to understand how to perform below, within and around the text itself. Focusing on the lovers, they are the sons and daughters of characters who are also high on the social ladder; this is where Silvio finds himself in The Servant of Two Masters. The lovers in this play (Silvio and Clarice) are not only infatuated with each other they are extraordinarily infatuated with themselves. More often than not, they are only with one another because the other person makes them look better. They argue often, making a big melodramatic show out of their blubbering and attempting to top the others grief; yet they immediately make amends when they receive a flattering remark about their appearance. They speak in a distinguished, pretentious and flowery language: â€Å"If I could think that you desired my blood to avenge my supposed cruelty, I give it you with all my heart. But, oh God! Instead of the blood of my veins, accept, I beg you, that which gushes from my eyes.†(Goldoni 53) Silvio is traditionally costumed in the latest Italian fashions (since Italy is where Commedia originated) The Lovers elegant costumes were usually of the same color, just in case another couple of lovers was in the play too. This only reaffirms how much they were made for each other. Just like couples who wear matching outfits today. Given that Silvio is wealthy, he wears expensive clothes and jewelry, made of luxurious fabrics. Both Silvio and Clarice usually hold some kind of prop in their hand, most likely a letter to swoon over, or a handkerchief but this is of course the director’s choice. There is always a mirror somewhere on their body, being in a purse or pocket, or even hanging as a necklace around the actor’s throat. This is useful for admiring oneself, or in Silvio’s case for seeking out Clarice and adorning her through it. Unlike what most know Commedia dell’Arte to be known for the lovers do not wear masks. Rather, they wear quite a bit of makeup which in turn subsidizes as their mask. The term dreamer is a key way to understanding the lovers movement. Their feet are firmly on the ground, in a somewhat Ballet style position, but they lack firm contact with the earth because they lead with their chest and are heart heavy. Their arms are held out to their sides and curved. Their whole manner is very elegant and balletic, as they do not walk so much as glide. They never touch; to do so would cause them both to faint and or run away. It is sexually arousing for them to get very close without touching. They aren’t the brightest individuals so walking is somewhat of a challenge causing them to wobble, due to the uncertainty of their lack of contact with the ground. The posture that Silvio undertakes is that of compelling pride. His chest is naturally expanded and thrust out so that his heart essentially leads him, sometimes seeming to literally pull him across the stage. He points his toes while standing (like that of a ballet dancer), and when moving, he takes light, quick steps, giving himself a floating appearance. Overall, they simply lack contact with the ground. Their hand movements and gestures are very grand, expansive and expressive. Actors use the same dancing trainers as the wealthy individuals whom they are imitating in order to put emphasis on the absurdity of melodramatic behavior. There can be two sets of lovers in a Commedia dellArte play. The First set of lovers, usually more intelligent and serious, and the Second Lovers which in A Servant of Two Masters is Silvio and Clarice, usually whimsical and slightly silly. The second lovers in Goldonis A Servant of Two Masters are Clarice and Silvio. In research of the lovers when things are not going their way, they throw tantrums, pout, hurl insults while crying and whining. Their manner of dress and movement is highly stylized (more so than the First Lovers), making Silvio quite a narcissus. Silvio exists very much in his own world- and in his own world within that world. Self-obsessed and very selfish, he is more interested in what he is saying himself and how it sounds than in what his beloved Clarice is saying. He is primarily in love with himself, secondarily in love with love, and only without any doubt in love with his beloved. What he learns, if anything, from the tribulations of A Servant of Two Masters is the need to reverse these sickening priorities. Even though most of Silvio’s declarations would melt a heart of stone, there always seems to be a comic side to everything he says. One wonders if the explanation does not lie in the fact that love often robs the lover of all sense of his own logic, even though he may be the most rational of living men under ordinary circumstances. He does, however, come off better than most other Commedia characters: there is no viciousness in him, and less to be accused of – except for his vanity and narcissism. He represents the human potential for happiness, which is something that everyone is striving for. â€Å"Sir, I beg you, let everyone do as they will; do not be so put out about it. Now that I am happy, I want all the world to b e happy too. Is anyone else going to be married? Let them all get married†! (Goldoni 54) I have become conscious of the fact that the character of Silvio must be played as one that is over confident. He is very certain of himself and of his actions. He believes he is entitled to Clarice and is willing to fight to protect his property. Silvio is also quite protective, or even overprotective of those things which are important to him, or that he sees as belonging to him. He wishes to keep Clarice all to his own and have her within an area he feels he can keep safe. While he is protective of others, he himself shows little regard when placing himself in jeopardy. This is shows how dim witted his character truly is. The idea of defeat does not enter his mind and he is always on the front foot, unwilling to let others determine his actions, he is a very rash character. Patience is a virtue, apparently. Silvio often lacks any sense of patience which makes him a very irritable, anxious, angry and difficult to be around type of character. His shortage of patience makes him a rat her ignorant character. Silvio is always quick to act and often makes mistakes because of his unwillingness to listen to the advice or opinions of others. He is a man of action, and he needs for things to be occurring or he quickly loses any potential interest. He is quick to do battle regardless of the consequences, which shows how stupidly in love he truly is. His unwillingness to listen to an entire situation and process his next appropriate action, often get him into irresponsible situations. â€Å"†¦That wretch shall die, and my ungrateful Clarice shall see her lover wallowing in his own gore†. (Goldoni 26) Despite his quick anger and his tendency to solve his problems with violence, he is inconspicuously charming. Even though his unwillingness to listen too much besides the sound of his own voice, he is really just eager to please his lover Clarice. He has swept Clarice off of her feet and is the heartthrob of Venetian women. Some people settle down, and some people are just settling and some people refuse to settle for anything less than the feeling of butterflies, which is exactly how Silvio feels towards Clarice. He is never slow to put himself in harm’s way. He is quick to action and has little caution for his own well-being when engaging in any sort of fight, or in anything else he does. He is a man to be admired when he is at his finest, even though he is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. â€Å"I don’t care how old you are’ I have a mind to run you straight through the body†. (Goldoni 24) Through researching the character of Silvio it would be necessary to portray him as a man who struggles to hold himself in the position in which his status in society places him. He strives to be suave, cool and collected, but somewhat fights to maintain focus and is very quick to act, his actions usually end in anger and much turmoil. He is a powerful physical presence, and is one of formidable fighting skill, but is emotionally immature on many levels. His love for Clarice is one of his few genuinely mature emotions, and it is his motivation through the play. He is prone to rash, spontaneous actions, as well as to throwing tantrums such as a moody child would when things don’t go his way. This effectively suited the comedic aspect of the play while not deteriorating from the romantic story between Clarice and Silvio. â€Å"When we love we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too†. (Jeaulo Coelho)

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Perspectives of Marriage in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre :: Jane Eyre Essays

Perspectives of Marriage in Jane Eyre          Many novels speak of love and indulging in passion, but few speak of the dynamics that actually make a marriage work. Jane Eyre is one of these novels. It doesn't display the fleeing passions of a Romeo and Juliet. This is due entirely to Bronte's views on marriage and love. The first exception to the traditional couple the reader is shown is Rochester's marriage to Bertha. This example shows the consequences of indulging in passion. The opposite side is shown through another unlikely would-be couple, Rosamund and St. John. Through this pair, Bronte reveals the consequences of indulging in duty. Another view of marriage is also present in the book, through the character Jane Eyre and her actions.    The first example of Bronte's view on the role of passion is in Rochester's marriage to Bertha. This marriage is based entirely on passion. Rochester does nothing to either restrain or question his passion. Because of his impulsive passion, he entraps himself in an unfufilling marriage. He thought nothing of his duty and his consequence of this was he becomes the pride owner of a marriage based entirely on duty. Through Rochester's choices and consequences of those choices, the reader can see that Bronte asserts that marriage decisions based on passion and ignoring the role of duty will bring more than the loss of passion, it will bring an abundance of what you failed to factor into the decision, duty. People have to take care of responsibilities if they want to have fun and happiness later.    In case the reader failed to recognize the opportunity the Rochester marriage gives her to see Bronte's views, she puts in the book the could-be St. John marriage. St. John decides not to marry Rosamund Oliver based on his passion for her. He completely shuns his passion, the opposite extreme of Rochester. In doing this and basing his marriage decision on his duty to God, he looses a genuine chance to gain true happiness. Through this example in Jane Eyre, Bronte is trying to show the reader that the opposite end of the spectrum is also wrong in making a marriage decision.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

How is Benedick presented in the scenes leading up to this point?

In these two extracts, Shakespeare provides two very different presentations of Benedick. The first: misogynistic, marriage-fearing Benedick which he projects to his audience. Second: the warm-hearted, love-sick Benedick who, despite his fiery demeanour, is very much in love with Beatrice. In the first part, Benedick soliloquises about the man who â€Å"dedicates his behaviours to love† is a fool, and the irony of becoming the â€Å"argument of his own scorn.† This pre-empts the drastic change in Benedick's behaviour later in the scene. Already we see a confident flurry of long, complex declaratives, signalling a kind of gusto to Benedick's emotions: he clearly feels strongly about this issue. However, the fact that he must say these things to himself may serve to highlight his insecurity with himself. It is quite obvious from earlier points in the play that Benedick is wholly uncomfortable with his feelings towards Beatrice and tries (unsuccessfully) to hide these feelings. In the next few lines, Benedick contrasts battle imagery such as â€Å"good armour† with softer, more romantic objects, such as a â€Å"new doublet.† This serves to illustrate his contempt for Claudio's utter turnaround. His tripling in this section further emphasises both Benedick's views, and indeed his own issues. The fact that he must use persuasive techniques such as parallelism suggests that he himself cannot truly bring himself to believe his apparent viewpoint. Benedick ends with a long list of characteristics which he wishes to see in his dream woman. Although utterly fantastic in terms of realistic prospects, it nevertheless contrasts with Benedick's view earlier in the narrative, where he insists that he will â€Å"die a bachelor.† His dogmatic disposition is obviously being broken down in small steps. The comment suggests that Benedick is not as opposed to the notion of taking a woman as he may be trying to convey; it is more a reluctance to settle for less, as it were. As we shall see, Beatrice proves to be this catalyst for his transformation. The second extract follows the planting of the idea that Beatrice is in love with Benedick into his mind, by Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonato. Once again, Benedick launches into an excitable monologues, consisting of a few very long declaratives. This certainly displays a lot of excitement on his part, and the fact that he uses an interrogative, a rhetorical question (â€Å"love me?†), shows a disbelieving sense of glee and does much to counteract the pessimistic Benedick from a few lines earlier. In conjunction with his earlier soliloquy, Benedick attempts to dismiss his earlier ideas, stating that â€Å"a man loves the meat in his youth, that he cannot endure in his age.† He seems to think that it is acceptable that he can change his views drastically over the space of a few minutes without any sort of continual repercussions. His metaphor serves as a hyperbolic piece of irony, the imagery not befitting the very short space of time that Benedick is describing. As Beatrice enters, we see Benedick misinterpreting her words in a very optimistic manner. He believes that her words truly confirm her feelings for him and fails to see the absurdity of his thoughts. The transformation, if you will, is complete. Benedick even goes so far as to recite some of the qualities listed and how they are apparent in Beatrice. Again, the use of tripling is effective, but here instead to show a rush of revelationary excitement that his slim hopes have been realised. Overall, the second extract serves to prove the insecurity conveyed in the first. Shakespeare presents Benedick as unsure and unnecessarily dogmatic, and this is confirmed by his behaviour in the second part. In the scenes leading up to this, we see the establishment of Benedick as the witty cynic, at odds with traditional values. I believe that Shakespeare's initial presentation of Benedick goes in stark contrast to his true character. In the first scene, he is called â€Å"a good soldier.† The later war of wits with Beatrice, and his misogynistic advice to Claudio and Don Pedro very much establishes Benedick as a â€Å"man's man,† if such a thing existed in Elizabethan times. However, I believe that this is merely a faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade, and that he does have a pretty clear motive. It seems to me like the reason for Benedick's disposition is, put simply, Beatrice. He is confused and frustrated at his feelings towards Beatrice, and attempts to counteract them through his words of scorn. Quite clearly, the other characters see through this, and this is what leads them to trick him later. Another aspect of Benedick's personality, his insecurity, also seems to stem from Beatrice. At the party scene, he shows exasperation at her description of him as a â€Å"jester† and â€Å"dull as a great thaw.† Benedick clearly cares about Beatrice's opinion of him, no matter what his exterior may suggest. His short monologue at the end of that scene is once again one where interrogatives are used in order for Benedick to reassure himself. Benedick is seen to have a sharp-tongued speaking style interspersed with witty metaphors and riddles. This singles Benedick out of someone with a high level of intelligence, but it also immediately identifies him as a counterpart to Beatrice. His militant anti-marriage stance is mirrored by hers, and his words of advice to Claudio convey his emotions in flowery prose, perhaps suggesting a reluctance to disclose any true information about himself. Overall, Benedick is presented as someone who is heavily influenced by Beatrice, and it seems that it is her actions that shape his personality, and define him as a character. Obviously, this is consistent with the narrative, and goes a long way to explain Benedick's sudden change of heart in Act 2 Scene 3.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

The fires of jubilee by Stephen Oates

This is a book seeks to explain the rebellion of black slaves in the Southampton city in Virginia. Before this rebellion, the slaves had been subjected to poverty and were being treated with a lot of cruelty by their masters. The author brings to light all the sufferings which the blacks were subjected to by their masters and as a result of these sufferings, there rose a feeling of hopelessness among the blacks and this led to the rise of a rebellion . In fighting for the rights that had been denied, the blacks took the law into their hands and the writer tries to make acceptable the disgust and desperation that led to these rash measures. In all this, the author intends to justify the course of action that was taken by the slaves in fighting for their rights. It brings into light the bloody results of the rebellion and death which came afterwards. From the first paragraph, the historian Stephen B. Oates  Ã‚   tries to bring into light the sufferings which the black slaves were subjected to by their white masters in the Southampton county of Virginia. He clearly gives a detailed description of the object poverty experienced by the slaves as well as cruelty of their and also the feelings of hopelessness felt by the slaves. He clearly sets the stage for the introduction of the main character of the book; Nat Turner becomes the root or the leader of the rebellion of the slaves. He is able to show clearly or demonstrate the level of oppression suffered by the blacks and goes on to show how they develop the feeling that they had no other option left for them other than to take the law into their own hands. All these resulted into the rise of a revolt and its clear that the writer succeeds in laying the foundation as well as making the readers understand the kind of sufferings that the slaves suffered and hence the need for the rash measures taken by the slaves. References 1. William Styron   (1966) , The Confessions of Nat Turner , (New York: Random House)

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Storing Record Data in a BLOB Field in Delphi

Storing Record Data in a BLOB Field in Delphi In Delphi, a record data type is a special kind of user-defined data type. A record is a container for a mixture of related variables of diverse types, referred to as fields, collected into one type. In database applications, data is stored in fields of various types: integer, string, bit (boolean), etc. While most data can be represented with simple data types, there are situations when you need to store images, rich documents or custom data types in a database. When this is the case you will use the BLOB (Binary Large Object) data type (memo, ntext, image, etc. - the name of the data type depends on the database you work with). Record as Blob Heres how to store (and retrieve) a record (structure) value into a blob field in a database. TUser record ...Suppose you have defined your custom record type as: TUser packed record   Ã‚   Name : string[50];   Ã‚   CanAsk : boolean;   Ã‚   NumberOfQuestions : integer; end; Record.SaveAsBlobTo insert a new row (database record) in a database table with a BLOB field named data, use the following code: var   Ã‚   User : TUser;   Ã‚   blobF : TBlobField;   Ã‚   bs : TStream; begin   Ã‚   User.Name : edName.Text;   Ã‚   User.NumberOfQuestions : StrToInt(edNOQ.Text) ;   Ã‚   User.CanAsk : chkCanAsk.Checked;   Ã‚   myTable.Insert;   Ã‚   blobF : myTable.FieldByName(data) as TBlobField;   Ã‚   bs : myTable.CreateBlobStream(blobF, bmWrite) ;   Ã‚   try   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   bs.Write(User,SizeOf(User)) ;   Ã‚   finally   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   bs.Free;   Ã‚   end; end; In the code above: myTable is the name of the TDataSet component you are using (TTable, TQuery, ADOTable, TClientDataSet, etc).The name of the blob field is data.The User variable (TUser record) is filled using 2 edit boxes (edName and edNOQ)and a check box (chkCanAsk)The CreateBlobStream method creates a TStream object for writing to the blob field. Record.ReadFromBlobOnce you have saved the record (TUser) data to a blob type field, heres how to transform binary data to a TUser value: var   Ã‚   User : TUser;   Ã‚   blobF : TBlobField;   Ã‚   bs : TStream; begin   Ã‚   if myTable.FieldByName(data).IsBlob then   Ã‚   begin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   blobF : DataSet.FieldByName(data) as TBlobField;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   bs : myTable.CreateBlobStream(blobF, bmRead) ;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   try   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   bs.Read(user,sizeof(TUser)) ;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   finally   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   bs.Free;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   end;   Ã‚   end;   Ã‚   edName.Text : User.Name;   Ã‚   edNOQ.Text : IntToStr(User.NumberOfQuestions) ;   Ã‚   chkCanAsk.Checked : User.CanAsk; end; Note: the code above should go inside the OnAfterScroll event handler of the myTable dataset. Thats it. Make sure you download the sample Record2Blob code.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Spasmodic

Spasmodic Spasmodic Spasmodic By Maeve Maddox The adjective spasmodic means of the nature of a spasm; characterized by spasms or convulsive twitches; marked by jerkiness or suddenness of muscular movement.   In medical terms, a spasm is a sudden and violent muscular contraction of a convulsive or painful character. Both words are used figuratively. For example, inconsistent or occasional efforts at political reform are said to be spasmodic in the sense of: Occurring or proceeding by fits and starts; irregular, intermittent; not sustained or kept up. A speaking style, such as that of Milla Jovavich in The Messenger, is spasmodic in the sense of Agitated, excited; emotional, high-strung; given to outbursts of excitement; characterized by a disjointed or unequal style of expression. Here are some examples of the use of spasmodic on the web: To a roomful of adoring gays, a spasmodic Pelosi said, Dont ask dont tell†¦will be a memory come Christmas. Spasmodic reform and a little effort before elections will not accomplish much. †¦the electoral parties, always embarked in the rhythmic and spasmodic succession of seductive promises†¦ Violence still occurs, but it is spasmodic and much reduced. †¦there is the most horrendous spasmodic knocking noise coming from inside the [1.2 nova] engine]. Sometimes its possible to reach for the word spasmodic and not quite make it, as in this complaint from another unhappy car owner whose Mini-Cooper engine had been knocking for weeks before the incident described: †¦[the man at the dealership] said that I could have the vehicle towed in at my expense (his estimate was $600 for the towing). I declined due to the cost and the spermatic knocking. 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 Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Rhetorical Devices for Rational WritingTaser or Tazer? Tazing or Tasering?25 Idioms About Bread and Dessert

Sunday, November 3, 2019

The Great Railroad Strike 1877 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Great Railroad Strike 1877 - Research Paper Example strike failed to a considerable level, but it evoked labour upheaval, social change, political mainstream and organization among the American labourers. The workers at Ohio and Baltimore railroad went on strike because their wages were reduced twice over the previous year. The striking workers refused to let the trains run until all the pay cut were returned to respective employees affected.1 Following the civil war, railway industry was the leading sector in industrial growth. The development of several railway lines was fuelled by the government grants and subsidies during 1870s, making the railroad become the largest commercial sector in USA. The Chicago Tribune termed it as â€Å"the very heart and life of the modern system of commercial existence.† As the expansion of the railway continued, their economic and political power grew dramatically. In contrast, the workers in the railroad industry lacked political as well as an economic power. An increasing influx of workers from Europe and rural areas to the city meant that labour supply surpassed demand. Since an individual worker was not considered as valuable commodity, several companies rarely had a good incentive to respond to the workers needs. In addition, there were little ideologies of solidarity among workers and labour unions were being viewed as criminal gang organizations. Some existing unions were u npopular with the public and were not able to execute their duties because they feared facing legal challenges. The problem faced by some labour movement intensified in 1873 when economic panic erupted. The unemployment rate was at 25% and the value of an individual worker dropped considerably. Moreover, as the government continued cutting the wages, the unions and workers revolted and fought back. Railroad workers faced the harsh working environment and were not able to collectively respond to the persistent wage cut. As corporations suffered consistently, reduced revenues and economic depression

Friday, November 1, 2019

Business Manangement Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Manangement - Coursework Example Social responsibility improves public relations, companies that are socially responsible tend to be more prolific as they can attract productive employees and retain quality workers, reduce bad publicity and risk from government litigation. However, social responsibility can also harm the business by interfering in the quest of profit maximization. This usually occurs because socially responsible actions can carry a very high cost, paid by the businesses indulging in corporate social responsibility. Business Ethics Business owners frequently make decisions involving ethical considerations. Contrasting decisions are made in similar situations by different managers, depending on their particular moral development, individual characteristics and the culture of their organization. In the case of â€Å"Who To Lay Off?† a questions approach can be employed according to Robbins, Coulter, and Vohra (2008) to identify ethical considerations. If the business owner asks himself questions such as â€Å"have you defined the problem accurately?† Robbins, Coulter, and Vohra (2008,p.108) He can decide as to whether or not terminating an employee is the most ethical decision.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Business Environment - Essay Example The firm has developed its brand through the high quality food and service that it offers to all its customers. The firm has been able to capture a desirable percentage of market shares in terms of food market and on the other hand Waitrose has also gained its importance in the organic food market and fish market. This British supermarket chain which is partnership firm has an employee base of 91,000 (Randall and Seth, 2011).The organization operates on the concept of centralized decision making. Albam a small high street retailer was founded by Alastair Rae and James Shaw who have proved to be great partners through their decision making approach and strategy formulation. Both of them worked together with all its workers so as to deliver the best services to all its customers and position themselves as a strong brand in the market (Pride, Hughes and Kapoor, 2011).The retail business of Albam is focused towards developing sophisticated and practical menswear that is aligned with the ever changing fashion scenario. The small retailer has extended its branches into two other locations in London. The business ownership structure of this small retail firm is that the owners and staff aim at providing personal service to all its customers. The staffs get feedback from the customers and on that basis they develop their designs so that they are able to retain their customers and create more of timeless fashion (Menipaz and Menipaz, 2011).Thus it can be stated that ownership structu re of Waitrose which is a big firm, is completely different with that of a small firm such as Albam. In case of Albam the focus towards customer loyalty and dealing individually with customers but on the other hand the owners of Waitrose are more aligned towards smooth running of the subsidiary by enhancing their level of service through providing online facilities to all its customers (Heskett, Sasser

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Asoka Has Contributed Many Significant Contributions Religion Essay

Asoka Has Contributed Many Significant Contributions Religion Essay Asoka has contributed many significant contributions to the development of Buddhism. Asoka became the first Buddhist emperor, and he conversed to Buddhism in 261 BCE and was then known as Dharmasoka. Asoka contributed to the development of Buddhism in three important ways. First he applied basic principles of Buddhism to his rule through government and foreign policies. Second and the most significant contribution, Asoka supported missionaries, he sent them throughout the kingdom in order to spread the teachings of Buddhism. Third, Asoka was able to maintain Buddhism as a major religious tradition in the kingdom. Asoka was able to contribute interfaith dialogue; he maintained positive dialogue with people of other religions because he believed all religions are good. Asoka believed the first precept (Ashismsa) and generosity were very important in witnessing the faith. Asoka taught people about Buddhism in different ways to help them best understand all the Buddhist teachings. For ex ample Asoka taught the educated through writing on edicts and pillars, whereas he taught the uneducated through ministry, stories and paintings. Asoka strengthens Buddhism through Viharas, he built these shrines in order for the Sangha to worship in and practice their faith. Asoka established social welfare support because Asoka believed it was important to support all his people. An example of a social welfare that Asoka did was he grew medicinal herb gardens and shade areas for all the people. Most importantly Asoka believed that everyone should be treated with friendliness. Asoka has been a big part in the development of Buddhism and has contributed many important and significant contributions that are still being used and continued to be followed today. Assess the impact on Buddhism of the significant person or school of thought identified in the previous question. The contributions of Asoka to Buddhism have had a great impact on the Buddhism community. Asokas contribution of the missionaries has impacted Buddhism significantly, it allowed Buddhism to expand beyond Mauryan Empire. A positive impact Asoka had was religious tolerance, as now the Buddhism religion is being respected and is expanding to other neighbouring kingdoms. For example, Asoka sent his son and daughter to Sri Lanka with the missionaries and the impact this had was Sri Lanka converted to Buddhism. Asoka contributions impacted his kingdom significantly. Through Asoka the Sangha and Lay people were able to unite through worshiping in the temples and shires. If it wasnt for Asoka building the Viharas, people wouldnt have been able to unite together and worship their religious tradition. Buddhism is now publicly worshiped and this is due to one of Asokas contributions. Examples of Asokas contributes that are impacted by public worship of Buddhism is the stupas, temples and rock e dicts which are everywhere in the kingdom and visible to the public as they have the Buddhist teachings on them. People were impacted by Asoka as they saw him as a true witness to the faith. This is because Asoka showed how to correctly live the Buddhist life according to the ethics of Buddhism. Also Asoka influenced the people around him to adapt Buddhist teachings to their way of life, this is an ethical decision. The significant impact Asoka left on the Buddhism community is his conversion from a harsh person and a murderer to living by Buddhist ethical standards, which is a very big deal for both Asoka and his people. Through rock edicts, stupas and missionaries Asoka was able to promote Buddhist education as equal access to knowledge. The most important impact Asoka left from his contributions was the importance of social welfare as he showed his people how important social welfare in Buddhism and the care for others is. This was shown through Asokas examples of social welfare, some of these examples include, medicinal herb gardens, hospitals, planting trees and lastly treating everyone friendly and with fairness. People have witnessed Asokas ruling over the kingdom as being a true example for all people of what the lived expression of Buddhism should be through his witness to the faith and this has all significantly impacted all the people of his kingdom and other people from his neighbouring kingdoms who are now Buddhist because of him. Islam In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful,to You lone do we turn for help. Guide us along the straight path. To what extent does this quotation expresses a significant person/school of thoughts distinctive Islamic answer to the enduring questions of human existence? Islam is the submission to Allah. There is a division in adherents in Islam; the two main sects are the Sunni and the Shia. The shiites believes that the accurate leadership of Muslims after Muhammads son-in-law continues through a line of religious teachers. Sunnis support the dominance of the caliphs, which is the line of rulers elected by the people to guard the visionary legacy in the running of community relationships. Islam adherents believe that there is only one God, called Allah. The stimulus above the to you lone do we turn for help. Guide us along the straight path shows this meaning, that there is only one true god and that the adherents are to follow that one god, in order for their questions about human existence to be answered and to be lead on the correct path. The stimulus above is from the Quran, the holy book for Muslim adherents. Sayyid Qutb was a significant person who helped answer the fundamental questions by expressing his distinctive Islamic answers to the questions of human existence. Sayyid Qutb answered those questions through his new interpretation of the principal teachings. His new interpretation was that he wanted everyone in state of Hakimiyya, and this only exists under the Sharia law. Sayyid Qutbs principal teachings to his adherents include Jihad, Jahiliya/Hakimiyya, and submission to the will of Allah which is very important (away from western influences), centrality of Allah through Tawhid (oneness) and Aquida (belief in god) and lastly Sharia law. Sayyid Qutb had a radical practice of Islam which he influenced his adherents to follow. He expressed to the adherents that it was important to have modest life styles of living, and living free from negative influence of the west, namely sexual freedom and materialism. By the adherent following Muhammads way of life, they are helped by Allah and guided to the right path. Sayyid Qutb answered the questions of human life through his philosophy. His philosophy was Hakimiyya, Jahiliya, Jihad, and in order to be in the state of Hakimiyya adherents need to overcome Jahiliya by Jihad. Sayyid Qutb philosophy answers those questions as they express the importance of submission to Allah and he showed adherents how to live to God. The stimulus means to be submitted to Allah, and to only believe in the one true God. Sayyid Qutb was born in Musha, Egypt in 1906, and in 1916 he attended a school in his local village. In 1919 Sayyid Qutb dropped out of school for two years, and he then moved to Cairo in 1920 where he finished his high school education. In 1929 he attended Dar Al-Alum University. Between 1939-1948 Sayyid Qutb worked as a university teacher, he also wrote many articles that reflected the Liberal values. In 1948, Sayyid Qutb, he went to America, achieved a Masters Degree education, and he also wrote a book Social in Islam building an Islamic idea of Tawhid. In 1949 he wrote another book called In the shades of the Quran, which was a commentary on the Quran. An example from the book In the shades of the Quran is There is nothing hindering people to seek the mercy of Allah. All they have to do is to seek it directly from Allah without mediation or intercession except heading to Him in obedience, hope, confidence and submission.  [1]  This quote from the book helps adherents understa nd how important the submission to Allah is, and also in the stimulus above it helps adherents find answers to their questions about human existence. Sayyid Qutb joined Islamic brotherhood. In 1954 Sayyid Qutb was first arrested and jailed for conspiracy to overthrow the ruling Egyptian government through the use of lesser Jihad which he encouraged. He was released from prison in 1964. A year later in 1965 he published another book called the Milestone. In this book he criticised the west because he didnt like the way they were living, and because of that his philosophy about. An example of a quote from the book Milestone is ..as a family is the basis of the society, and the basis of the family is the division of labour between husband and wife, and the upbringing is the most important function of the family, then such a society is indeed civilised  [2]  . In this quote Sayyid Qutb is emphasising that Islam and the Islamic style of living encourages this kind of family. By becoming this family adherents are living the right way of life according to Allah. Sayyid Qutb was rearrested and jailed again on charges of conspiracy aga inst the ruling government, which was implemented through Milestones. In 19966 Sayyid Quote was executed by hanging. As shown in the stimulus above, Sayyid Qutb is an example to the adherents on the right way of life and the right path to take. Sayyid Qutbs philosophy is all about Hakimiyya, and the way to achieve it, his philosophy also consists of Jahiliya and Jihad. He wanted all of the adherents in society to be Hakimiyya, which means for adherents to accept the Sharia and live under it, Hakimiyya is the goal in life. In reference to the stimulus above by being in the state of Hakimiyya you submitting to Allah and following the one true God. Jahiliya is thesubmit to materialism and sexual freedom. In Jihad, there is greater Jihad which is individual struggle to submit to the will of Allah and lesser Jihad which is holy war, and the use of military means. Sayyid Qutb mostly focused on the greater Jihad. His philosophy is all about being in the state of Hakimiyya and overcoming Jahiliya. Sayyid Qutb lived his philosophy and he showed the right way to live to the submission to the will of Allah, in reference to the stimulus this is important in order of walking the right path. Sayyid Qutb has impacted many people, both followers of his philosophy and opposers of his philosophy. The impacts his left on his followers include he brought a new and more relevant understanding of Islam and how it should be lived and he died as a martyr for Islam. He is a model of living his Islamic principles, in spite of the personal consequence even death. Opposers of his philosophy believe that he is a poor example of what Islam should be, also there were protests against him and many Muslims didnt want him known as a significant person. His radical views are seen as examples to other people as there are many radical groups that exist today and follow his philosophy. In reference to the stimulus, Sayyid Qutb is seen as a person who was able to answer the questions about human existence to all adherents. People who follow his philosophy see him as a good example on the way to live to the submission to the will of Allah, and praying to the only true God. Sayyid Qutb has radically interpreted the Quran and he has affected many adherents. His philosophy, Hakimiyya, Jahiliya and Jihad, has answered all the questions that each adherent asks themselves about the existence of life. The meaning behind the stimulus is that there is one true God, and adherents should only follow that one God, also that they should live to the submission of Allah. The Tawhid gives adherents their beliefs and encourages them to live the proper way of life and following in Muhammads footsteps. Sayyid Qutb is a significant person who was able to distinctively answer the enduring questions of human existence.