Case Study Research Essay

Case One: Barsz v. Max Shapiro, Inc. Ind. Ct. App. 600 N.E.2d 151 (1992) Fact: Marjorie Barsz brought negligence action against Shapiro’s Delicatessen Cafeteria to recover for personal injuries sustained when she slipped and fell, breaking her right ankle and left knee cap. Her husband, Carl Barsz brought action against the restaurant for loss of consortium with his wife due to Mrs. Barsz’s injuries. The Circuit Court of Shelby County granted summary judgment for the restaurant, and the plaintiffs appealed. The Court of Appeals of Indiana, First District held that genuine issues of material facts existed and reversed the summary judgment. Issue: Was Shapiro’s Delicatessen Cafeteria negligent in identifying and remedying the condition of the floor in the restaurant, causing Marjorie Barsz’s accident? Rule: GOLBA v. KOHL’S DEPT. STORE, INC. Ind. Ct. App. 585 N.E.2d 14 (1992) Analysis: To avoid summary judgment, Marjorie Barsz had to show that there was a defective condition in the floor of the restaurant which caused her slip and fall, and that the restaurant unreasonably failed to discover and remedy the hazardous condition. Genuine material facts existed which precluded summary judgment for the restaurant. Summary judgment is generally inappropriate in negligence cases. Trial Procedure Rule 56(C) Conclusion: A restaurant cannot be held strictly liable for a fall that occurred before having a reasonable chance to remove a foreign substance from its floor; restaurant as not the absolute guarantor of customer safety. However, summary judgment cannot be granted when a genuine material fact exists. Case Two: Golba v. Kohl’s Dept. Store, Inc. Ind. Ct. App. 585 N.E.2d 14 (1992) Facts: Plaintiff Stella Golba brought negligence action against defendant Kohl’s Department Store stemming from a slip and fall accident. Ms. Golba stepped on a small object on a glossy floor, causing her to trip and fall. The floor had only been swept once on the morning of the accident. The Circuit Court of Starke County granted the store’s motion for summary judgment, and the plaintiff appealed. The Court of Appeals of Indiana, Third District held that material issues of fact existed and reversed the summary judgment. Issue: Was Kohl’s Department Store negligent in maintaining their floors in a safe condition for patrons? Rule: BURRELL v. MEADS Ind. 569 N.E.2d 637 (1991) Analysis: A land owner is subject to liability for physical harm caused to his invitees by a condition on the land if, but only if, he knows or exercising reasonable care would discover the condition, and should realize that it is an unreasonable risk of harm to invitees, and should expect that they will not realize the danger, or will not protect themselves against it, and fails to exercise reasonable care to protect them against the danger. Normally, determining whether the host has exercised reasonable care to make their premises safe for an invitee is a question of fact for a jury. Conclusion: Sweeping of a floor only once in the morning does not constitute exercise of reasonable care to prevent injury to customers from objects left in the floor. The issue of fact as to whether the store had notice of the object in the floor precluded a summary judgment.

Othello Is a Play About the Desperate Need for Certainty

Othello is a play about the desperate need for certainty The theme of certainty pervades the play from the opening scence, and as it progresses, the quest for certainty becomes more desperate and frantic; not only within the minds and actions of the characters, but also within the audience as we become desperate to know and understand the outcome of Iago’s malicous plan. Shakespeare introduces the protaginist, Othello, to the audience through the malicious and predujiced tongues of Iago, Roderigo and Brabantio.Iago condemns Othello for favouritism and shows obscenley to Brabantio that Othello is an ‘old black ram’, the ‘devil’, a ‘barbary horse’ copulating with his daughter. Rodergio too describes him as a ‘lascivious moor’ and ‘an extravagent and wheeling stranger. ’ This causes Brabantio to feel certian that Othello, repulsive in his blackness, must have seduced Desdemona by withcraft, magic spells or drugs.The picture echoes aspects of medevil and Elizabethan traditions about the devilish, cruel and lustful nature of moors, and Brabantio would most certainly rather believe these acceptable truths as opposed to reality- his ‘pure’ and virginal daughter is partaking in a sordid affair. Othello’s own desperate plea for certainty is also evident from the offset. Although he refuses to hide from Branbantio and denounce his frabrications, he suggests that Desdemona should testify freely how their love came about.Some may argue that Othello holds a number of insecurities about himself and this is a prime example of him desperatly needing Desdemona to justify her reasoning for marrying him. After all, he displays an incredible vulnaribilty, ‘a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so. ’ Iago works on these traits and his pretended disapproval of the relations between Cassio and Desdemona rouses Othello’s curiosity, thence his ins istance that he be told, and finally his fear that Iago’s information, got in his duty as an honest man, will harm him.At first, Othello appears to be confident of Desdemona’s love for him as he declares she ‘had eyes and chose me’. Iago however finds weakness in Othello’s certainty and seizing his oppurtunity, advises Othello to watch Cassio and Desdemona discreetly. He adds that, of his own well-founded knowledge, Venetian wives decieve their husbands; that Desdemona pretended to fear Othello, when in fact she loved him, and that she decieved her father so completley that he believed she was bewitched. Unable to deny these, Othello draws the disturbing inference.Suspicion takes root, and is revealed by his hesitant ‘I do not think Desdemona’s honest’, and his command that Emilia be set to watch Desdemona. He is desperate to find truth, and underlying doubts about his marriage may have escelated by Iago’s revelation and O thello is eventually driven to find this certianty in his own shortcomings- his blackness, age and unpolished manners. Iago’s evil has infiltrated Othello’s soul and has induced him, as Iago had hoped, ‘to renounce his baptism, all seals and symbols of redemmed sin. The noble image that Desdemona saw in Othello’s mind has become corrupted, and and not before long is he humiliating her through false prophecy, and he fails to see the unreason of punishing Desdemona for a crime she has not commited. In the end, Othello is desperate to relieve himself of all guilt and is certain the the demi-devil has ‘ensnared’ his soul and body.Desdemona is another charcter who clings desperatly on to her certainty that Othello is a kind and loving husband. Out of her generosity and loving-kindness, she continually makes excuses for Othello’s harshness: ‘some unhatched practice†¦ ath puddles his clear spirit’- an ironic perception. Othel lo’s vision of her is utterly distorted; and she in her faith and certianty to him is unable to percieve his spiritual overthrough. His fierce accusations that she is unchaste and a whore she meets by affirming that she is a ‘true and loyal wife’, and desperatly wants Othello to believe in this certainty. In her innocece, she finds it impossible to believe that there are women who are unfaithful to their husbands in spite of Emilia’s down to earth admission.In the last dreadful scence she maintains her innocence and pleads for mercy. Her chastity, loyalty, her whole- hearted commital to her husband’s welfare and to any good deed is the only pure certianty throughout the play, and Desdemona unfortunatly cannot make Othello see this. Emilia fiercy defends Desdemona throughout the play and is certain she would never disobey her husband. Ironically, she admits that she would ‘make her husband a cuckhold’ in order to ‘make him a monarc h’, however clings to her husband’s integrity as she testifies to his vileness and Desdemona’s virtue.

Medicine and Ayurveda

Ayurveda  (Sanskrit:   ;  Ayurveda, â€Å"the knowledge for long life†;  /? a?.? r? ve? d? /[2]) or  ayurvedic medicine  is a Hindu system of  traditional medicine native to  India  and a form of  alternative medicine. The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the  Vedic period  in India,[3]  i. e. , in the mid-second millennium BCE. The  Susruta Sa? hita  and the  Charaka Sa? hita, encyclopedias of medicine compiled from various sources from the mid-first millennium BCE to about 500 CE,[4]  are among the foundational works of Ayurveda.Over the following centuries, ayurvedic practitioners developed a number of medicinal preparations and surgical procedures for the treatment of various ailments. [5]  Current practices derived (or reportedly derived) from Ayurvedic medicine are regarded as part of  complementary and alternative medicine. [6] Safety concerns have been raised about Ayurveda, with two U. S. studies find ing about 20 percent of Ayurvedic Indian-manufactured  patent medicines contained toxic levels of heavy metals such as  lead,  mercury  and  arsenic.Other concerns include the use of herbs containing toxic compounds and the lack of quality control in Ayurvedic facilities. At an early period[when? ], Ayurveda adopted the physics of the â€Å"five  elements† (Devanagari: [ ] ); earth (P? thvi), water (Jala), fire (Agni), air (Vayu) and space (Akasa) that compose the  universe, including the human body. [9]  Ayurveda describes seven types of tissues of the body, known as thesaptadhatu  (Devanagari: ). They are plasma (rasa dhatu), blood (rakta dhatu),  flesh  (ma? a dhatu), adipose (medha dhatu),  bone  (asthi dhatu),marrow  and nervous (majja dhatu), and reproductive (semen  or  female reproductive tissue) (sukra dhatu). [10]  Ayurvedic literature deals elaborately with measures of healthful living during the entire span of life and its vario us phases. Ayurveda stresses a balance of three elemental energies or  humors:Vayu / vata  (air & space – â€Å"wind†),  pitta  (fire & water – â€Å"bile†) and  kapha  (water & earth – â€Å"phlegm†). According to ayurvedic medical theory, these three substances —  do? as (Devanagari: —are important for health, because when they exist in equal quantities, the body will be healthy, and when they are not in equal amounts, the body will be unhealthy in various ways. One ayurvedic theory asserts that each human possesses a unique combination of  do? as  that define that person's temperament and characteristics. Another view, also present in the ancient literature, asserts that humoral equality is identical to health, and that persons with preponderances of humours are proportionately unhealthy, and that this is not their natural temperament.In ayurveda, unlike the Sa? khya philosophical system, there are 20 fund amental qualities,  gu? a  (Devanagari: , meaning qualities) inherent in all substances. [11]  While surgery and surgical instruments were employed from a very early period, Ayurvedic theory asserts that building a healthy metabolic system, attaining good  digestion, and proper  excretion  lead to vitality. [11]  Ayurveda also focuses on exercise,  yoga, and  meditation. [12] The practice of  panchakarma  (Devanagari: is a therapeutic way of eliminating toxic elements from the body. [13] As early as the  Mahabharata, ayurveda was called â€Å"the science of eight components† (Skt. a a? ga,  Devanagari: ), a classification that became canonical for ayurveda. They are:[14] 1. Internal medicine  (Kaya-cikitsa) 2. Paediatrics  (Kaumarabh? tyam) 3. Surgery  (Salya-cikitsa) 4. Opthalmology  and  ENT  (Salakya tantra) 5. Psychiatry  has been called  Bhuta vidya  . [3] 6. Toxicology  (Agadatantram) 7. Prevention of diseases and improvi ng  immunity  and  rejuvenation  (rasayana) 8.Aphrodisiacs  and improving health of progeny (Vajikaranam) In Hindu mythology, the origin of ayurvedic medicine is attributed to  Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods. [15] ————————————————- Practices Several philosophers in India combined religion and traditional medicine—notable examples being that of  Hinduism  and ayurveda. Shown in the image is the philosopher  Nagarjuna—known chiefly for his doctrine of the  Madhyamaka  (middle path)—who wrote medical works  The Hundred Prescriptions  and  The Precious Collection, among others. [16] [edit]BalanceHinduism  and  Buddhism  have been an influence on the development of many of ayurveda's central ideas – particularly its fascination with balance, known in Buddhism as  Madhyathmaka  (Devanagari: ). [17]  Bal ance is emphasized; suppressing natural urges is seen to be unhealthy, and doing so claimed to lead to illness. [17]  However, people are cautioned to stay within the limits of reasonable balance and measure. [17]  For example, emphasis is placed on moderation of food intake,[9]  sleep, sexual intercourse. [17] [edit]Diagnosis Ayurvedic practitioners approach diagnosis by using all five senses. 18]  Hearing is used to observe the condition of breathing and speech. [10]  The study of the lethal points or  marman marma  is of special importance. [11]  Ayurvedic doctors regard physical and mental existence together with personality as a unit, each element having the capacity to influence the others. One of the fundamental aspects of ayurvedic medicine is to take this into account during diagnosis and therapy. [edit]Hygiene Hygiene  is a central practice of ayurvedic medicine. Hygienic living involves regular bathing, cleansing of teeth, skin care, and eye washing. 10] [edit]Treatments Ayurveda stresses the use of plant-based medicines and treatments. Hundreds of plant-based medicines are employed, including  cardamom  and cinnamon. Some animal products may also be used, for example milk,  bones, and  gallstones. In addition, fats are used both for consumption and for external use. Minerals, including  sulfur,  arsenic, lead,  copper sulfate  and gold are also consumed as prescribed. [10]  This practice of adding minerals to herbal medicine is known as  rasa shastra. In some cases, alcohol was used as a  narcotic  for the patient undergoing an operation.The advent of Islam introduced  opium  as a narcotic. [14]  Both oil and tar were used to stop bleeding. [10]  Traumatic bleeding was said to be stopped by four different methods:  ligation  of the  blood vessel;  cauterisation by heat; using different herbal or animal preparations locally which could facilitate  clotting; and different medical preparation s which could  constrict  the bleeding or oozing vessels. Various oils could be used in a number of ways, including regular consumption as a part of food, anointing, smearing,  head massage, and prescribed application to infected areas. 19][page  needed] [edit]Srotas Ensuring the proper functions of channels (srotas) that transport fluids from one point to another is a vital goal of ayurvedic medicine, because the lack of healthy srotas is thought to cause  rheumatism,  epilepsy,  autism,  paralysis,  convulsions, and  insanity. Practitioners induce sweating and prescribe steam-based treatments as a means to open up the channels and dilute the  do? as[clarification needed]  that cause the blockages and lead to disease. [20] ————————————————- [edit]HistoryOne view of the early history of ayurveda asserts that around 1500  BC, ayurveda's fundamental and applied principles got organized and enunciated. In this historical construction, Ayurveda traces its origins to the  Vedas,  Atharvaveda  in particular, and is connected to Hindu religion. Atharvaveda  (one of the four most ancient books of Indian knowledge, wisdom and culture) contains 114 hymns or formulations for the treatment of diseases. Ayurveda originated in and developed from these hymns. In this sense, ayurveda is considered by some to have divine origin.Indian medicine has a long history, and is one of the oldest organised systems of medicine. Its earliest concepts are set out in the sacred writings called the Vedas, especially in the metrical passages of the  Atharvaveda, which may possibly date as far back as the 2nd millennium BC. According to a later writer, the system of medicine was received by  Dhanvantari  from  Brahma, and Dhanvantari was deified as the god of medicine. In later times his status was gradually reduced, until he was credited wi th having been an earthly king[10]  named  Divodasa. 22] Underwood ; Rhodes (2008) hold that this early phase of traditional Indian medicine identified â€Å"fever (takman), cough,  consumption, diarrhea,  dropsy,  abscesses,  seizures, tumours, and skin diseases (including  leprosy)†. [10]  Treatment of complex ailments, including  angina pectoris,  diabetes,  hypertension, and  stones, also ensued during this period. [5][24]  Plastic surgery,  couching  (a form of cataract surgery), puncturing to release fluids in the  abdomen, extraction of foreign elements, treatment of  anal fistulas, treating fractures,  amputations,  cesarean sections, and stitching of wounds were known. 10]  The use of herbs and surgical instruments became widespread. [10]  The  Charaka Samhita  text is arguably the principal classic reference. It gives emphasis to the triune nature of each person: body care, mental regulation, and spiritual/consciousness refinement. Other early works of ayurveda include the  Charaka Samhita, attributed to  Charaka. [10]  The earliest surviving excavated written material which contains references to the works of Sushruta is the  Bower Manuscript, dated to the 6th century  AD. The Bower manuscript is of special interest to historians due to the presence of Indian medicine and its concepts in Central Asia. 25]  Vagbhata, the son of a senior doctor by the name of Simhagupta,[26]  also compiled his works on traditional medicine. [10]  Early ayurveda had a school of physicians and a school of surgeons. [3]  Tradition holds that the text  Agnivesh tantra, written by the sage Agnivesh, a student of the sage  Bharadwaja, influenced the writings of ayurveda. [27] The Chinese pilgrim  Fa Hsien  (ca. 337–422 AD) wrote about the health care system of the  Gupta empire  (320–550) and described the institutional approach of Indian medicine, also visible in the works of C haraka, who mentions a clinic and how it should be equipped. 28]  Madhava (fl. 700), Sarngadhara (fl. 1300), and Bhavamisra (fl. 1500) compiled works on Indian medicine. [25]  The medical works of both Sushruta and Charaka were translated into the  Arabic language  during the  Abbasid Caliphate  (ca. 750). [29]  These Arabic works made their way into Europe via intermediaries. [29]  InItaly, the Branca family of  Sicily  and Gaspare Tagliacozzi (Bologna) became familiar with the techniques of Sushruta. [29] British physicians traveled to India to see  rhinoplasty  being performed by native methods. 30]  Reports on Indian rhinoplasty were published in the  Gentleman's Magazine  in 1794. [30]  Joseph Constantine Carpue  spent 20 years in India studying local plastic surgery methods. [30]  Carpue was able to perform the first major surgery in the western world in 1815. [31]  Instruments described in the  Sushruta Samhita  were further modified in the Western World. [31] ————————————————- [edit]Current status [edit]India According to some sources up to 80 percent of people in India use some form of traditional medicines, a category which includes Ayurveda. 32] In 1970, the Indian Medical Central Council Act which aims to standardize qualifications for ayurveda and provide accredited institutions for its study and research was passed by the  Parliament of India. [33]  In India, over 100 colleges offer degrees in traditional ayurvedic medicine. [12]  The Indian government supports research and teaching in ayurveda through many channels at both the national and state levels, and helps institutionalize traditional medicine so that it can be studied in major towns and cities. [34]  The state-sponsored  Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences  (CCRAS) has been set up to research the subject. 35]à ‚  To fight  biopiracy  and unethical patents, the  Government of India, in 2001, set up the  Traditional Knowledge Digital Libraryas repository of 1200 formulations of various systems of Indian medicine, such as ayurveda,  unani  and  siddha. [36][37]  The library also has 50 traditional ayurveda books digitized and available online. [38] Central Council of Indian Medicine  (CCIM) a statutory body established in 1971, under  Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy  (AYUSH),  Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,  Government of India, monitors higher education in ayurveda. 39]  Many clinics in urban and rural areas are run by professionals who qualify from these institutes. [33] [edit]Sri Lanka The Sri Lankan tradition of Ayurveda is very similar to the Indian tradition. Practitioners of Ayurveda in Sri Lanka refer to texts on the subject written in  Sanskrit, which are common to both countries. However, they do diff er in some aspects, particularly in the herbs used. The Sri Lankan government has established a Ministry of Indigenous Medicine (established in 1980) to revive and regulate the practice within the country[40]  The Institute of Indigenous Medicine (affiliated to the  University of Colombo  currently ffers undergraduate, postgraduate, and MD degrees in the practice of Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery, and similar degrees in  unani  medicine. [41] There are currently 62 Ayurvedic Hospitals and 208 central dispensaries in the public system, and they served almost 3 million people (approximately 11 percent of Sri Lanka's total population) in 2010. In total there are currently approximately 20,000 registered practitioners of Ayurveda in the country. [42][43] Many Sri Lankan hotels and resorts offer Ayurveda themed packages, where guests are treated to a wide array of Ayurveda treatments during their stay. edit]Outside South Asia Due to different laws and medical regulations in the rest of the world, the unregulated practice and commercialization of ayurvedic medicine has raised ethical and legal issues; in some cases, this damages the reputation of ayurvedic medicine outside India. [44][45][46] ————————————————- [edit]Scientific appraisal In studies in mice, the leaves ofTerminalia arjuna  have been shown to have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. [47] As a  traditional medicine, many ayurveda products have not been tested in rigorous scientific studies and  clinical trials.In India, research in ayurveda is undertaken by the statutory body of the  Central Government, the  Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha  (CCRAS), through a national network of research institutes. [48]  A systematic review of ayurveda treatments for rheumatoid  arthritis  concluded that there was insufficient evidence, as most of the tri als were not done properly, and the one high-quality trial showed no benefits. [49]  A review of ayurveda and  cardiovascular diseaseconcluded that the evidence for ayurveda was not convincing, though some herbs seemed promising. 50] Two varieties of  Salvia  have been tested in small trials; one trial provided evidence that  Salvia lavandulifolia  (Spanish sage) may improve word recall in young adults,[51]  and another provided evidence that  Salvia officinalis  (Common sage) may improve symptoms in  Alzheimer's  patients. [52]  Many plants used as  rasayana  (rejuvenation) medications are potent antioxidants. [53]  Neem  appears to have beneficial pharmacological properties. [54] ————————————————- [edit]Safety Rasa shastra, the practice of adding metals, minerals or gems to herbs, may have toxic heavy metals such as  lead,  mercury   and  arsenic. 7]  Adverse reactions to herbs due to their pharmacology are described in traditional ayurvedic texts, but ayurvedic practitioners are reluctant to admit that herbs could be toxic and that reliable information on herbal toxicity is not readily available. And there is communication gap between modern medicine practitioners and Ayurvedic practitioners[55] According to a 1990 study on ayurvedic medicines in India, 41 percent of the products tested contained arsenic, and 64 percent contained lead and mercury. 32]  A 2004 study found toxic levels of heavy metals in 20 percent of ayurvedic preparations made in South Asia and sold in the Boston area, and concluded that ayurvedic products posed serious health risks and should be tested for heavy-metal contamination. [56]  A 2008 study of more than 230 products found that approximately 20 percent of remedies (and 40 percent of  rasa shastra  medicines) purchased over the Internet from both US and Indian suppliers co ntained lead, mercury or arsenic. 7][57][58]  In 2012 Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Washington states in its report that Ayurvedic drugs has links to lead poisoning on the basis of some cases presented where some pregnant woman had taken Ayurvedic drugs toxic materials were found in their blood. [59] Ayurvedic proponents believe that the toxicity of these materials is reduced through purification processes such as  samskaras  or  shodhanas  (for metals), similar to the Chinese  pao zhi, although the ayurvedic technique is more complex and may involve prayers as well as physical pharmacy techniques.However, these products have nonetheless caused severe  lead poisoning  and other toxic effects. [7][57] Due to these concerns, the Government of India ruled that ayurvedic products must specify their metallic content directly on the labels of the product,[8]  but, writing on the subject for  Current Science, a publication of the  Indian Academy o f Sciences, M. S. Valiathan noted that â€Å"the absence of post-market surveillance and the paucity of test laboratory facilities [in India] make the quality control of Ayurvedic medicines exceedingly difficult at this time. [8]Ayurveda can be defined as a system, which uses the inherent principles of nature, to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individual's body, mind and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature. What is the Origin of Ayurveda? : Widely regarded as the oldest form of healthcare in the world, Ayurveda is an intricate medical system that originated in India thousands of years ago. The fundamentals of Ayurveda can be found in Hindu scriptures called the  Vedas  Ã¢â‚¬â€ the ancient Indian books of wisdom. The  Rig Veda, which was written over 6,000 years ago, contains a series of prescriptions that can help humans overcome various ailments.What does Ayurveda do to you? : The aim of this system is to prevent illness, heal the sick and preserve li fe. This can be summed up as follows: * To protect health and prolong life (â€Å"Swasthyas swasthya rakshanam†) * To eliminate diseases and dysfunctions of the body (â€Å"Aturasya vikar prashamanamcha†) What are the Basic Principles of Ayurveda? : Ayurveda is based on the premise that the universe is made up of five elements: air, fire, water, earth and ether. These elements are represented in humans by three â€Å"doshas†, or energies:  Vata, Pitta  and  Kapha.When any of the  doshas  accumulate in the body beyond the desirable limit, the body loses its balance. Every individual has a distinct balance, and our health and well-being depend on getting a right balance of the three  doshas  (â€Å"tridoshas†). Ayurveda suggests specific lifestyle and nutritional guidelines to help individuals reduce the excess  dosha. A healthy person, as defined in  Sushrut Samhita,  one of the primary works on Ayurveda, is â€Å"he whose  doshas  are in balance, appetite is good, all tissues of the body and all natural urges are functioning properly, and whose mind, body and spirit are cheerful†¦ What is ‘Tridosha' or the Theory of Bio-energies? : The three  doshas, or bio-energies found in our body are: * Vata  pertains to air and ether elements. This energy is generally seen as the force, which directs nerve impulses, circulation, respiration, and elimination. * Kapha  pertains to water and earth elements. Kapha  is responsible for growth and protection. The mucousal lining of the stomach, and the cerebral-spinal fluid that protects the brain and spinal column are examples of  kapha. * Pitta  pertains to fire and water elements.This  dosha  governs metabolism, e. g. , the transformation of foods into nutrients. Pitta  is also responsible for metabolism in the organ and tissue systems. What is ‘Panchakarma' or the Therapy of Purification? : If toxins in the body are abundant, then a clean sing process known as  panchakarma  is recommended to purge these unwanted toxins. This fivefold purification therapy is a classical form of treatment in ayurveda. These specialized procedures consist of the following: * Therapeutic vomiting or emesis (Vaman) * Purgation (Virechan) Enema (Basti) * Elimination of toxins through the nose (Nasya) * Bloodletting or detoxification of the blood (Rakta moksha) The roots of ayurveda| | | | Ayurveda,the oldest system of medicine in the world, traces its roots to the Vedic period in ancient India. The  Vedas  contain practical and scientific information on various subjects beneficial to the humanity like health, philosophy, engineering, astrology etc. Vedic Brahmans  were not only priests performing religious rites and ceremonies, they also became the  Vaidyas (Ayurvedic Physicians).The Sage- Physician- Surgeons of that time were the same sages or seers, deeply devoted holy people , who saw health as an integral part of spiritual life. It is said, that they received their training of  Ayurveda  through direct cognition during meditation. In other words, the knowledge of the use of various methods of healing, prevention, longevity and surgery came through Divine revelation . These revelations were transcribed from the oral tradition into book form, interspersed with the other aspects of life. | | |   |   | | | Consequently  Ayurveda  grew into a respected and widely used system of healing in India.Around CA. 1500 Before. Common era. Ayurveda  was delineated into eight specific branches of medicine and there were two main schools –  Atreya, the school of physicians, and  Dhanvantari  , the school of surgeons. These two schools made  Ayurveda  a more scientifically verifiable and classifiable medical system. People from numerous countries came to Indian Ayurvedic schools to learn this medical science. They came from China, Tibet, Greece, Rome, Egypt ,Afghanistan, Persia etc. to le arn the complete wisdom and bring it back to their own countries.Ayurvedic texts were translated in Arabic and   physicians such as Avicenna and Razi Sempion, who both quoted Ayurvedic texts , established Islamic Medicine. This medicine became popular in Europe and helped to form the foundation of the European tradition in medicine. In the 16th  Century Europe , Paracelsus , who is known as the father of modern Western medicine, practiced and propagated a system of medicine which borrowed heavily from  Ayurveda.. | | Principles of Ayurveda| | | | |   |   |   | | | Ayurveda  is a holistic healing science which comprises of two words,  Ayu  and  Veda.Ayu means life and  Vedameans knowledge or science. So the literal meaning of the word  Ayurveda  is the science of life. Ayurveda  is a science dealing not only with treatment of some diseases but is a complete way of life. Ayurveda  aims at making a happy, healthy and peaceful society. The two most importan t aims of  Ayurveda  are:   + To maintain the health of healthy people + To cure the diseases of sick peopleA Person is seen in  Ayurveda  as a unique individual made up of five primary elements. These elements are ether (space), air, fire,water and earth. Just as in nature, we too have these five elements in us.When any of these elements are imbalanced   in the environment , they will in turn have an influence on us. The foods we eat and the weather are just two examples of the influence of these elements . While we are a composite of these five primary elements, certain elements are seen to have an ability to combine to create various physiological functions. The elements combine with Ether and Air in dominence to form what is known in  Ayurveda  as  Vata Dosha. Vatagoverns the principle of movement and therefore can be seen as the force which directs nerve impulses, circulation, respiration and elemination etc. The elements with Fire and Water in dominence combi ne to form the  Pitta Dosha  . The  Pitta Dosha  is responsible for the process of transformation or metabolism. The transformation of foods into nutrients that our bodies can assimilate is an example of a Pitta function. Pitta  is also responsible for metabolism in the organ and tissue systems as well as cellular metabolism. Finally, it is predominantly the water and earth elements which combine to form the  Kapha Dosha. Kapha  is responsible for growth, adding structure unit by unit.It also offers protection , for example, in form of the cerebral-spinal fluid,which protects the brain and spinal column. The mucousal lining of the stomach is another example of the function of Kapha Dosha protecting the tissues. |   Ã‚  | | We are all made up of unique proportions of  Vata,Pitta and Kapha. These ratios of the Doshas vary in each individual and because of this  Ayurveda  sees each person as a special mixture that accounts for our diversity. Ayurveda  gives us a model to look at each individual as a unique makeup of the three doshas and to thereby design treatment protocols that specifically address a persons health challenges.When any of the doshas become accumulated,  Ayurveda  will suggest specific lifestyle and nutritional guidelines to assist the individual in reducing the dosha that has become excessive. Also herbal medicines will be suggested , to cure the imbalance and the disease. Understanding this main principle of  Ayurveda  , it offers us an explanation as to why one person responds differently to a treatment or diet than another and why persons with the same disease might yet require different treatments and medications. | | |      Ã‚  |   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  |      Ã‚  Ã‚  | Other important basic principles of  Ayurveda  which are briefly mentioned here are: 1. Dhatus- These are the basic tissues which maintain and nourish the body. They are seven in number namely- rasa(chyle), raktha(blood), m amsa(muscles),meda(fatty tissue), asthi(bone), majja(marrow) and sukla(reprodutive tissue). Proper amount of each dhatu and their balanced function is very important for good health. 2. Mala- These are the waste materials produced as a result of various metabolic activities in the body. They are mainly urine, feaces, sweat etc.Proper elimination of the malas is equally important for good health. Accumulation of malas causes many diseases in the body. 3. Srotas- These are different types of channels which are responsible for transportation of food,  dhatus,malas  and  doshas. Proper functioning of  srotas  is necessary for transporting different materials to the site of their requirement. Blockage of  srotas  causes many diseases. 4. Agni- These are different types of enzymes responsible for digestion and transforming one material to another. All these factors should function in a proper balance for good health.They are inter-related and are directly or indirectly respo nsible for maintaining equilibrium of the tridoshas. Balance and Harmony of the Three Doshas When the three Doshas are well harmonised and function in a balanced manner, it results in good nourishment and well-being of the individual . But when there is imbalance or disharmony within or between them, it will result in elemental imbalance , leading to various kinds of ailments. The Ayurvedic concept of physical health revolves round these three Doshas and its primary purpose is to help maintain them in a balanced state and thus to prevent disease.This humoral theory is not unique to the ancient Indian Medicine : The Yin and Yang theory in chinese medicine and the Hippocratic theory of four humours in Greek medicine are also very similar. |   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  | | The Qualities of the Three Doshas The three Doshas possess qualities and their increase or decrease in the system depends upon the similar or antagonistic qualities of everything ingested. Vata  is : dry, cold, light, mobi le, clear, rough, subtle Pitta  is : slightly oily, hot, intense, light, fluid,free flowing, foul smelling. Kapha  is: oily, cold, heavy, stable, viscid, smooth, soft Both  Vata  and  Pitta  are light and only Kapha is heavy.Both  Vata  and  Kapha  are cold and only Pitta is hot. Both  Pitta  and  Kapha  are moist and oily and only Vata is dry. |   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  | | Anything dry almost always increases  Vata  , anything hot increases  Pitta  and anything heavy ,  Kapha. Puffed rice is dry, cold light and rough – overindulgence in puffed rice therefore is likely to increase Vata in the overindulger. Mustard oil is oily , hot , intense , fluid , strong-smelling and liquid and increases Pitta in the consumer. Yoghurt , which , being creamy, cold, heavy, viscid, smooth and soft , is the very image of Kapha , adds to the body's Kapha when eaten.All Five elemets , as expressed through  Vata, Pitta and Kapha  , are essential to life, working together to create health or produce disease. No one dosha can produce or sustain life – all three must work together , each in its own way. | | | PURIFICATION THERAPY| | | ‘Health is purity and disease is impurity So purification is the treatment. ’   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (old Indian saying)| | | Purification therapy is a unique feature of  Ayurveda  by which the  complete cure and non recurrence of disease is made possible.The functional components (doshas, namely  vatha, pitha & kapha  ) move all around the body through the channels of circulation to do the normal physiological activities. The disease is the result of imbalance in the quantity and quality of the doshas. During the disease process, the unbalanced doshas get lodged in the weak parts of the channels of circulation and produce the disease symptoms. If the channels of circulation are pure and healthy, even the aggravated doshas cannot loc ate anywhere and produce disease   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ayurveda  offers two measures in the management of a disease 😠 | | . Pacifying therapy  :-  in which the unbalanced  doshas  are pacified with in the body itself. As this therapy don’t cleanse the channels of circulation, there is the possibility of reprovocation when exposed to similar causative factors. This therapy is suited in conditions in which there is not much vitiation of the doshas. 2. Purification therapy  :-  It is aimed at the complete expulsion of the unbalanced  doshas  and the purification of the channels of circulation. As the channels are cleansed and strengthened by this process, the chance of recurrence is nil.   |   | Purification therapy can be implemented not only for curing diseases but to maintain health. No other systems of medicine can offer such an effective treatment measure. So we can proudly declare our superiority of Ayurveda to any other systems on account of its purification therapy. The purification otherwise called  Ã¢â‚¬ËœPancha karma therapy'  is    implemented in five ways. | | | 1. Enema therapy :-  It is best for vatha imbalance. 2. Purgation therapy :-  Best for pitha imbalance. 3. Emesis therapy :-  For kapha imbalance. 4. Nasal drops :-  For all diseases above the neck. 5.Blood letting :-  Best for removing blood impurities. | | |   |   | | Stages of the treatment|   | | First stage  :-  This includes the external and internal application oils followed with fomentation or sudation. By this the unbalanced doshas lodged in the weak parts of the channels are liquified and loosened. Main or second stage  :-  In this stage the loosened and liquified doshas are expelled out of the body by the appropriate purifactory procedure. Post therapy  :-  This includes the regimens to be practised after the purification. This is mainly intended to augment the digestive fire. | |

G Puccini's Tosca Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

G Puccini's Tosca - Essay Example Nevertheless; those musical references to objects, persons, or ideas are not developed on a Wagnerian scale and are not certainly woven into symphonic web. Puccini’s musical motives serve as a narrator and provide information a character’s unexpressed thoughts, recollections, or recall. In Act 1 Tosca and Cavaradossi’s plan their rendezvous that evening, but Cavaradossi’s thoughts are revealed when Angelotti’s fugitive motive is heard. Likewise, Scarpia’s interrogation of Cavaradossi is punctuated by the motif connoting the well: Cavaradossi refuses to mention the well, but the music reveals that he is thinking about it (Puccini 21) Tosca begins on an imposing, quasi-tragic note, much darker than the opening pages of Puccini’s earlier operas. However the composer takes care to introduce the Sacristan, a basso buffo, for comic relief. Puccini was always very careful to include well defined minor characters. The Sacristan’s banter with Mario gradually leads to the aria â€Å"Recondita armonia†. This piece requires vocal intensity and extension, together with depth of interpretation from the tenor, and is enriched by the Sacristan’s counter-melody (21). A nearly comic interlude features the sacristan and the chorus, creating an overall cheerful tone. This is immediately interrupted with the arrival of Scarpia, as the orchestra once more becomes deep and obscure, but with energy and power this time conveying the overall power held by the police chief. Every accent and work of Scarpia is underscored by Puccini to depict a character with the depth of evil comparable perhaps only to Iago in Verdi’s Otello.The darkness of the orchestra continues throughout the scene of the search of the church. Upon Tosca’s sudden arrival in the cathedral, the sinister nature of the music is toned down significantly as Scarpia acts politely towards her. However, as Scarpia plays upon Tosca’s jealousy, the music resumes

Identify failures of the now discontinued brand Ralph Lauren Rugby and Essay

Identify failures of the now discontinued brand Ralph Lauren Rugby and propose a marketing strategy for the re-launch of that brand - Essay Example The company even uses various advertisement campaigns to position the brand in minds of the targeted audience. The store layout is also re-structured. The marketing strategy developed is proposed to Mr. Ralph Lauren in order to persuade him to re-launch the brand. The Ralph Lauren Corporation was incorporated in the year 1967 and was a world renowned clothing brand that defined the American lifestyle. Mr. Ralph Lauren started this company by selling ties which was completely different in design to the tradition design of ties used by men in America. His range of colourful ties gave birth to a brand called Polo. In the later years the product range of the brand widened which included footwear, luxury accessories, apparel, and home furnishings. The company comprised of various brands apart from Polo such as Pink Pony, Chaps, Club Monaco, Black Label, RRL and RLX, American Living, Purple Label, and Rugby. The brand Rugby was launched in the year 2004. Despite of the success of the company this Rugby brand failed miserably in the market place and finally the brand was closed in the year 2012. The common reasons for failure of a fashion brand are its incapability to maintain a leading edge or to remain as trendy in order to meet the demand of the customers. In the years when Rugby was launched there exist a lot of competition in the preppy brand market space. The high priced products had made the brand unable to capture the maximum of the market share. The preppy style of the brand was very fashionable from the starting years of its launch but somewhere the other offerings of the brand were really absurd even for its target market. The offerings of the brand were such as a pair of sweat pants with English style classic boating blazer or herringbone three-row-two sport jacket. The combinations offered by the brand were no doubt fashionable but at the same time they were not that much appealing

Michele Moody-Adams argues that moral progress is possible Essay

Michele Moody-Adams argues that moral progress is possible - Essay Example The Concept of Moral Progress Throughout History Considering the evolution of morality throughout the historical process, it should be emphasized that moral progress can be traced only from the instance the human life gained its uppermost value. This instance came with the Renaissance period in Europe. The Renaissance Humanism is featured with the appearance of the specific behavior codex that can be regarded as the initial step of the moral progress. This codex involved refusal from slavery, admiration for the human body and soul, human rights protection, and so on. The next step of the moral evolution of the humankind is the post World War I period. The global society became obsessed with the issues of war prevention and conflict resolving on a world scale, and the foundation of The League of Nations, as the global arbiter can be regarded as the further moral growth of the humanity. The further assimilation of the moral progress, discussed by Moody-Adams (259) is the result of the post World War II morality expansion: democratic movements, the wars for independence are the key aspects of the further morality assimilation, and moral progress throughout the world. Moral Progress In defining moral progress as a global perspective, the necessity of defining some common moral standard is crucial. Particular arbitrary decisions, needed for judging morality, have to be developed in accordance with the moral progress principles, such as: 1. Equality 2. Justice 3. Righteousness However, different moral groups cannot be included into a single judgment system otherwise dominant society will declare and impose its own moral system on the other weaker one, which exceeds the morality requirements. In the light of this statement, it should be emphasized that creation of the global arbitrary organizations cannot resolve moral conflicts, and creates the hierarchically arranged global society, where Superpowers declare their own values and moral standards for subdominant gover nments and societies. This originates the silence concept offered by Fricker (287). Considering the fact that cultural relativism offers the clear definitions of right and wrong, these definitions can be relevant and righteous only within the society that originated these definitions. Therefore, in the given circumstances of the global arbitration, the moral progress is featured with the local character mainly (Moody-Adams, 258). Moreover, if the morality values system of the â€Å"convicted† society contradicts the morality system of the global arbiter, the institutional prejudice is inevitable (Fricker 291) In general, the dialogic morality is almost meaningless without the basic persuasion that the humanity is constantly moving to greater equality, compassion, and justice. Nevertheless, the skepticism among scientists is enormous, since hierarchically arranged societies are not featured with high virtues. Nevertheless, the very fact that these societies are based on the le gislative activity signifies that such a progress has to be pursued. The evident logical contradiction in cognitive and moral relativism can be enunciated with the following question: considering the fact that all the members of the given society are ethnocentric, does this mean that cultural relativism is one of the forms of ethnocentrism? Moreover, cultural relativis

The importance of the proper way in which to write a research paper Essay

The importance of the proper way in which to write a research paper - Essay Example Experiments and surveys are conducted, with the use of interviews and questionnaires, to seek answers to the research questions and come to conclusion. For example, in the research with research question: how coffee intake affects sleep, the researcher will follow the qualitative approach, going to participants of the study, and conducting interviews, questionnaires, and surveys, to know how caffeine intake is related to sleep. He will not use the quantitative approach, which is best used for hard scientific evaluations, like those in physics, and is based on empirical data that can be used for statistical analysis. Hence, when the aim is to gather general information about a subject matter, like why something happens or what people think about it, qualitative research is used; but, when the researcher has to go for numerical evidence, he uses quantitative approach. The research question also gets modified with each kind of study. The comparison of above mentioned approaches illustrates that it is very important for the researcher to think about the research approach before starting the research, as every approach undergoes entirely different steps. Research questions get modified, even if conclusions remain the

A Christmas Memory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Christmas Memory - Essay Example The adventures they went through were actually unlikely due to the wide gap in their ages. It could actually be said that it was commendable on the part of Sook, who, as a senior citizen, was still feeling so much young at heart. Her passion in making and flying kites could very well be extraordinary for an old female individual. For Buddy, as the narrator, the experiences were his memories of Sook, more than her cousin, friend, a guardian, who supported his every needs, provided the impetus for his remarkable memory and adoration for this woman. Due to the need to pursue his education, he was eventually separated from Sook, but his thoughts never left her. Each and every Christmas of his life is thereby dedicated in memory of his last Christmas spent with Sook, despite the simplicity and lack of grandeur in celebrating the festivities; it still was his perfect Christmas memory. The rationale is the pure love and affection that was shared between them. There was a sense of reliance and dependability to each other. Whatever was lacking in one, was provided by the other. Buddy knew from this heart that the last Christmas spent with Sook would always be cherished and would never be forgotten for the simple reason that the love and happiness shared between them could never be surpassed nor replaced by anyone els e, ever. When we were made to experience being blindfolded and let by someone to go places in school, the experience was actually terrifying. There was a mixture of fear, anxiety, confusion, and a little bit of relief that someone I know was actually leading me. There was fear because of being subjected to the unknown. By being blindfolded, one was not allowed to use the sense of sight which is a very important element in creating a sense of security. Anxiety was felt due to the feeling that I would like to know until when will I be blindfolded and led and be fully depended on the assistance of a friend. I was also confused

International marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 4

International marketing - Essay Example Coming up with novel, more competitive products and continuously improving its offer strengthens Asseco Group position while opening new market and client opportunities. As of January 2010 the Asseco Group employed over 8500 people. Asseco Poland SA is in the process of trying to introduce its Customer Care Integration and Operation system in to renowned big banks and financial institutions in the UK, but without much success at the moment (Bennett, & Blythe, 2002). This is a system that aims to integrate customer care operations of the bank in to the main functions of the bank –that is seamless integration. That is if a customer calls the bank, their calls will be automatically recognized by the system and routed to the proper area of the bank. Asseco Poland SA is interested in targeting the UK market, London in particular as it’s the number one financial center in the world, as there are a number of small and medium scale banks and financial institutions. It is aiming to target these medium and small scale banks and financial institutions in UK. Product placement strategy related opportunities. Company can place the product in well researched market segments like small and medium scale banks and financial institutions in cities such as London. The current UK legislation may have a negative impact due to increase in taxes. If taxes increase this increase may have to be passed down to the customer. Thus price of the product will increase. This will affect the business of the company. The threat of new software companies coming to the market is mitigated to a great extent by the fact that investing in the software industry is an expensive deal. Developing sophisticated software is expensive, thus this is a barrier against new companies entering the market. While many stakeholders – internal and external – would show an equally great amount of interest in the successful outcome of the event, there can

Marketing Management and Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Management and Strategy - Essay Example SIA targets the upper strata of the income group and is positioned as a luxury carrier. It has four variations of first class cabins, a business class and an economy class. It offers world gourmet cuisines in all classes and is known for quality customer service. It is one of the most respected travel brands around the world. The frequent flyer program of SIA provides world class facilities and access to lounges. It also has strategic tie-ups in different countries offering special discounts on presentation of the boarding pass. Silkair, a wholly owned subsidiary of SIA group was formed in 1989 by the name of Tradewinds. It was targeted at the holiday traveler to SE exotic destinations. In 1992, the carrier was renamed Silkair. This marked its evolution from a leisure airline to one who also caters to the business traveler. To discuss the in flight experience, there are two classes of cabins available on all SilkAir flights - business class and economy class. The airline offers Oriental and Western menus which emphasize on flavors of the region. For in-flight entertainment SilkAir offers its passengers a handheld device called the DigEplayer. Interested passengers traveling in economy class on selected flights may rent the DigEplayer on board for a particular fee. DigEplayers are complimentary for business-class passengers flying on selected routes. Segmentation and positioning: Silkair, is not a lo... It was targeted at the holiday traveler to SE exotic destinations. In 1992, the carrier was renamed Silkair. This marked its evolution from a leisure airline to one who also caters to the business traveler. To discuss the in flight experience, there are two classes of cabins available on all SilkAir flights - business class and economy class. The airline offers Oriental and Western menus which emphasize on flavors of the region. For in-flight entertainment SilkAir offers its passengers a handheld device called the DigEplayer. Interested passengers traveling in economy class on selected flights may rent the DigEplayer on board for a particular fee. DigEplayers are complimentary for business-class passengers flying on selected routes. Segmentation and positioning: Silkair, is not a low cost carrier, it is a wing of Singapore airlines which operates within a specific geographic area. It prefers to be addressed as a value carrier. The group identified a new segment of holiday travelers from Singapore to other SE Asian countries. The destinations are usually short haul. Thus a dedicated carrier was launched to serve this market. This is a part of SIA group's global strategy where the decision was made to service new sectors. SIA followed the global strategy of aggregate segmentation, segmenting the customers on the basis of cosmopolitanism (Kotabe, Helsen, 2004). The initial positioning, "The regional wing of Singapore airlines", took advantage of the already established credibility of SIA. Once established, it adopted a new positioning, "Where the world unwinds", directly targeting its segment of holiday travelers. Global environment - Competition: Although it is not a low cost carrier, it faces competition from most of the low cost

Language and reason as ways of knowing Essay Example for Free

Language and reason as ways of knowing Essay Knowledge is also said as ways of knowing. It means information and skills acquired through experience and education. The acquisition of knowledge is done by three main factors; perception, language and reason. In this essay we sought to see the strengths and limitations of those learning approaches. Lets take an example, how do we know that in a bottle, labeled crystal, there is water? We would use this example to explore the three cases. Perception is the way of taking messages and processing it by the brain to obtain meaningful information. Using the example above, we would do anything possible to conclude that what we are consuming from the bottle is water. That is we would observe, smell, taste, etc. We can see that we use our senses to identify the substance. We would observe the bottle, its labeling (name, ingredients etc.), colour of the substance and advertisement on the substance; we would smell the substance and even taste it (this would be last because we fear it might be harmful). All this shows that using our senses, we can identify objects and moving organism; this is the major strength of perception (immense knowledge is gained). Another point would be upon losing one of the senses; we are able to intensify the others, which help us even more in detection but surplus always comes with its difficulties. Subliminal perception is the way trying to identify objects with the memory only, for example a patient may not remember someones name but seems to know that person, and thus that patient tries to associate a name that goes well with that person that he/she declares to be unidentifiable. The problem is that even with our senses, we are limited in perception and its very frustrating to know how little we know. Sometimes our senses may deceive us, we may see the substance transparent but it is not necessarily water but another liquid. We can have perceptual illusions where we believe an object to have a specific shape but actually differs from what we have thought of. We may also have hallucination, we may feel, see, hear, taste and smell something when there is really nothing of such kind. We also tend to conclude on the very first bit of information received as we have been in such situation before (experience). Language is a method of communication which involves a sender, a message and a receiver to express thoughts. It was developed by humans and when using it, the rules were grammar and the symbols were words. The advantage of this method of learning is that its very simple (user-friendly) to use and every person in the world uses it. So communication is easy, thus enriching the ability to acquire knowledge. The greatest advantage is that there are many ways to communicate the thought, therefore enabling people to understand in a way or other. Using the example above, we can give important information, express what we feel and enquire about the substance in the bottle and also in different ways so that all the people involved can understand. There are also seven functions of language, which guides us to where each piece of information acquired can be classified. Despite language having a strong face of learning, it still has its disadvantages. The example above, the bottle of supposedly water, we have used our senses to identify it but without language it is impossible to give the facts, views etc correctly and even harder to communicate the information in different ways; some people uses too many words to explain only a word(can be a different language). Also different people have different views and not all will agree on what one has said about the substance. Reason is a way to justify what we have acquired as knowledge based on previous experiences. If we cannot do so, therefore we have not gained any knowledge. Taking the above example again, we say if that substance is water because its tasteless; we say so because we have heard, read and experimented on water. The strength of reasoning would be the rationality and logic arguments. Rationality is what allows us to say things that do make sense, we will not say that the substance in the bottle is water because of the shape of the bottle; it does not make sense. The rationality of a statement shows how the processing of all the information acquired is done and says whether its good or not (there is really a bad reason as long as a person can justify it). Being logical depends on the argument put forward as example given above. To be logical, the deductive argument must be correct and validate the argument; this differentiates between a good reasoning and bad reasoning, using above example, 1) all liquid that is pH 7 is water and the substance in the bottle is of pH 7, thus the substance in the bottle is water (this a valid deductive argument) . But sometime the arguments may be valid but does not sound, all substances that are colourless are harmless and the substance in the bottle is colourless, therefore its harmless (concentrated hydrochloric acid is also colourless but is very harmful).  To conclude knowledge gained through perception, language and reason is a great advantage to us, human beings but often can be deceptive and invalid. We should be more careful when taking in information, processing, expressing and justifying it. Here again we see that they are all linked!

New Testament Essay Example for Free

New Testament Essay For all readers of the New Testament, the theme of the redemption of man through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is fascinating reading; in the case of the believer in the word of God, it is something else entirely. Believers and scholars alike agree that Paul’s letters to the Romans embody the theme of justification, or God’s gift of grace by which the truly repentant are forgiven of sins and accepted by God because of the price that Christ paid by dying on the cross. Implicit in the concept of justification is the identification of Jesus Christ as the Son of God (Cullmann). In this essay, the concept of justification will be more closely examined; within two specific chapters of Romans, 4 and 5, justification will be discussed and examined in order to better understand the concept as well as these pivotal chapters of the New Testament itself. In order to better understand the significance of Romans, one must first consider the historical context in which its ideas were shared by the faithful. Most people governed their actions, and defined their worth, through the laws of the day, which ruled all aspects of life. Within Romans, however, the concept of justification by faith alone, not the law (Perrin Duling) set the conventional order askew. This concept alone undoubtedly opened the eyes of many people to the refreshing possibility of redemption through the one true God. Those who read these words were introduced to the writings of the apostle Paul, who presented himself in the New Testament as â€Å"a slave of the Messiah, Jesus Christ† (Bryan), the word slave being used not Order#311114061 Justification Pg. 2 in the conventional sense of bondage and harsh servitude, but rather in a way that allowed those who sought God to come to Him without fear of punishment. The concept of coming to God for justification is personified in Romans through 2 specific verses, as follows: Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due. ROMANS 4-4 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness ROMANS 4-5 What these verses tell the reader is that their submission to God, while it will benefit them, is not something that He considers to be optional; moreover, belief in God will lead to redemption because of justification. Beyond the explicit text of justification within Romans, there are also some key themes of justification within it that reinforce the overall concept. Specifically, when Romans calls the people to â€Å"lift up their hearts†, this is an outright plea for people to embrace justification (Knox). The bottom line in justification is peace with God and salvation through the Holy Spirit, and by the lifting up of the heart, one can attain inner peace and security in the warmth of God’s love. This peace and security is described as being â€Å"clothed in the righteousness of Christ† (Harink), and is further clarified by this passage: â€Å"therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God† ROMANS 5-1. While this brief essay can hardly scratch the surface of the promise of the New Testament and the gift of justification from God to the Pg. 3 human race because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, one thing is for certain. For the faithful, the redemption from sin by God is a priceless gift, and the New Testament is a rock upon which the hopes of Christians can be bolstered today, tomorrow, and forever. As long as humans walk the face of the earth and beyond, God will be there for them and His words are eternal. Works Cited Bryan, C. (2000). A Preface to Romans: Notes on the Epistle in Its Literary and Cultural Setting. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved June 22, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=96373444 Cullmann, O. (1963). The Christology of the New Testament (Guthrie, S. C. Hall, C. A. , Trans. ) (Revised ed. ). Philadelphia: Westminster Press. Retrieved June 22, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=95085143 Harink, D. (2005, June 14). Setting It Right: Doing Justice to Justification. The Christian Century, 122, 20+. Retrieved June 22, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5009653212 Knox, J. (1961). Life in Christ Jesus: Reflections on Romans, 5-8. Greenwich, CT: Seabury Press. Retrieved June 22, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=13880819 Perrin, N. , Duling, D. C. (1982). The New Testament, an Introduction: Proclamation and Parenesis, Myth and History (2nd ed. ). San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Retrieved June 22, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=59589847

The Wives Of The Dead English Literature Essay

The Wives Of The Dead English Literature Essay The Wives of The Dead is one of Hawthornes less remembered stories from a sequence of early tales he wrote in 1832. The story takes place in early eighteenth century Massachusetts Bay. Mary and Margaret are the two main characters, they are sister in laws who are drawn closer together because both their husband die within two successive days. However the story is not as simple as the plot. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses his lengthy visual descriptions to create a symbolic and almost supernatural background. If the story is read rapidly the reader may make the mistake of thinking its simply exploring the nature of a womans grief. However buried beneath the deceit of the narrator, lay the details that reveal the true meaning of the story. Like all of Hawthornes writings the story does not lack complexity. As the story advances readers are forced to ask the question of whether the story deals with dreams or reality. A question that is often asked but never holds the value that Hawthorne place s in it in this story. The issue can be major or insignificant thats why Hawthorne says The following story, the simple and domestic incidents of which may be deemed scarcely worth relating (Hawthorne968). The Wives of The Dead illustrates the importance of distinguishing between reality in life and the nature of reality in dreams. Hawthorne writes The Wives of the Dead in the third person omniscient viewpoint. This allows him to tell the story from a godlike perspective. Elements that the main characters might not or can not be noticed are pointed or to the reader. Because of the circumstances in the story, Hawthorne uses this style so the reader has an idea of what is going on while the main character has stepped out of the room or turned away. In this stories case this style is used to give the reader information or an overview about what is going on while the character are sleeping. In third person omniscience, the reader can get the story from Margaret and Marys point of view. This style makes the story more interesting because both characters are blind to something the other one knows. In The Wives of the Dead the visitors that both Margaret and Mary get are unknown by one or the other character. They are unwilling to tell the other about the news they receive about their husbands. The blindness of both p arties causes tension between both characters that only the reader is aware of. The narrator will also do several things other than telling the story. Things such as sometimes commenting and judging characters or events like saying one of the sisters is mild, quiet, yet not feeble character(Hawthorne960). This form of writing also gives the narrator the ability to give misleading or even dishonest details. The narrator does this to make distinguishing between reality and unreality more difficult. Hawthorne provides clues to help distinguish the reality that may be hidden beneath dreams or the dreams that may be hidden under the reality. The first of the two sisters that may or may not have been dreaming is Margaret. She was the first of the two sisters to receive a message that their husband is not dead is Margaret. Margaret is the sister who is of the lively irritable temperament, she does not dream her visit because it happens before she falls asleep (Hawthorne969). Mary falls asleep first while Margaret became more disturbed by feverish, in proportion as the night advanced with its deepest and stillest hours (Hawthorne970). She does not fall asleep before her visits because her grief greatly disturbed her still. The visitor is a friendly innkeeper of the town who is known by Margaret (Hawthorne970). Further validation comes from Goodman Parkers account of having received the news of Margarets husband. Margaret receives word from an express the tiding of the frontiers (Hawthorne970).Goodman Parker states He tells me we had the better in the skirmish you wot of, and that thirteen men report slain are well and sound , and your husband among them(pg. 970)Nothing seems too miraculous or disputable that would indicate a supernatural aspect of a dream. After Margarets visit she goes to Marys room to tell her what has happened. She decides not to tell he because she does not want to further ber sadness. Margaret says Shall I waken her to feel her sorrow sharpened by my happiness (Hawthorne970). After deciding not tell Mary, Margaret notices a look of motionless contentment was how visionless as if her heart, like a deep lake(Hawthorne 971). The reason Mary could or could not have been dreaming are the brief details describing her face before she fell asleep and the description of Stephen. The narrator describes the look on Marys face as motionless contentment which suggests that she has made peace with the death of her husband(Hawthorne969). If she had made peace with the loss of her husband she would not be as likely to fall asleep with the wishful thinking that her husband may still be alive. Her actions before she goes to bed suggest she is trying to move on. Mary began to recollect the precepts of resignation and endurance, which piety had taught her(Hawthorne971) .Therefore, Marys dreaming that her husband is alive is possible but unlikely. If she had looked happy while she is asleep it will be okay to assume that she was dreaming that her husband was alive. However, there are many clues that suggest her visit is a dream, but not necessarily her dream. When Mary awakes for a little time, slumber hung about her lik e a morning mist(Hawthorne971). She is clearly in a state where she can easily fall back to sleep without realizing. When her visitor begins to knock on the door, she listened with imperfect consciousness and she does not answer until she is clearly wide awake (Hawthorne 971). So at the same moment of the knocking, she goes from a drowsy state to being wide awake. The pang of recollection darted into her mind when she answers the door (Hawthorne971). Mary recognizes her visitor and describes him as a unsuccessful wooer of her own named Stephen (Hawthorne972). a rejected lover of Mary who comes by seeking to comfort her with information about the guy who won her over. This is the first clue that seems very unlikely. The storm is over and the moon is out yet when she speaks to Stepehen, she notices that he is soaked. This can just be the narrator giving misleading information, but it serves to cast doubts about if this is really happening or if it is all in her head. The status of Mar ys husband is ultimately harder to prove than that of Margarets, and the evidence that cast doubts on Stephen are normal inconsistencies for a dream. The tale has many structural parallels within it. Each wife is awakened by a visitor who has news about the survival of their husbands. After receiving the good news thy each stop themselves from waking and telling the other what had happened. They are both sleeping restlessly at one point of the story but the story does not say for sure if they are dreaming. The main deception of the story is that what happens is exactly what both characters could dream. The story presents blanketed realities; however, they are not necessarily less real only because some events are not likely. The dramatic background of the story with the rainy twilight of autumn day suggests and is ideal for a dreamlike world (Hawthorne968). It is not clear if one, both, or neither of the characters are dreaming. Discussing the interpretation of the events or dreams is overlooking the purpose of the story. The point is simply a caution against ignorance of the distinction between dreams and reality.

Dust Over The City :: essays research papers

For Love Or Money People inevitably encounter many problematic situations in their lifetime. Some problems may be more serious than others, but the fact remains that it is alsways their choice as to how they will react and whether or not they will "sink or swim." A survivor is aperson who, depite whatever hardships they encounter, will face their problems head on and will not back down. They always do whatever humanly possible overcome these obstaclsand supersede eveyone’s excpectations and sometimes even their own. Such people share common characteristics ; steadfest courage, the ability to adapt and adjust and a perservering attitude. Through Jim and Masdeline Dubois the central characters in Dust Over the City, the author presents such a case as shown through their many ordeals and their reactions to them. This is evident in their encounter with other and Alains patients, their battle with loneliness and the decision to move to the mining town, adjusting to the new city and acc epting the fact with little provisions this is where they must live now. In Andre Langevins novel Dust Over the City the characters Alain and Madeline are the embodiment of two people that are newly wed and the problems that each other face may or may not be normal. Alain and Madeline were a very unhappy married couple and there were many things underlying their true feeling about each other. This is proved when Madeline meets someone. Alain is confronted with this great big beast of a man who works in a bare and owns the restaurant. The only thing Alain could do to survive the marriage and win Madelines live back was to fight back despite the unequal balance and size of strength and the poor odds of winning. When the author writes "The man was the size of a great black bear against this liitle man." This proves Alain love for Madeline was unconditional and leading to great advances. Through this incident we can readily see that this man was truly brave. He stood up, remained calm and the ultimately defeated this enormous man where he could have easily chose to give up and he would of most likely been slaughtered. It was his bravery that allowed him to survive. Also this married couple was being torn apart by the wife Madeline. She had moved with Alain to this new city and Alain a succesful doctor, may not have the greatest looks or a muscular body but he loves Madeline more than anything in the world.

Lord of the Flies: Irony :: Free Essay Writer

Lord of the Flies: Irony William Golding, the author of Lord of the Flies, used irony to tell his story of a group of young British boys stranded on a deserted island. The readers can clearly spot the irony in the dialogue and Ralph, one of the main character, is also aware of the irony in his situation. The irony in the novel forces the readers to step aside and think about the hidden meanings the author is trying to express. The first example of irony occurred in chapter two. Jack says to the group of young, impressionable boys that "We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages."(Golding 32)However, in the following chapters Jack is the leader of the tribe and encourages the boys to forget civilization and act upon their primitive instincts. They ignore the laws that they all have agreed to follow while on the island and commit heinous crimes against humanity, such as torture against both humans and animals, and murder. They no longer act like English schoolboys who are the best at everything, but like savages. Relatively early on in the novel Ralph comes to terms with his situation. He realizes that much of one’s life is spent just keeping out of danger and staying alive. After understanding the complex, yet realistic, view of life he remembers his first impression of the island and how he thought they would have fun on the island, like living in one of his books. Now he realized what life on the island would really be like. There is irony in Piggy’ s name. The boys hunt, kill and eat pigs on the island. Not only do they kill the pigs, they enjoy it tremendously. Piggy’ s name suggests that he will be a victim of the beast. Not the beast the boys on the island fear, but the beast within each of them. The author is saying through Piggy that because they kill and eat the pigs they become the beast. Ralph prays to the adult world to send them something grownup, a sign or something. His prayer is answered by a dead parachuter, a casualty of war from the fighting going on in civilized society. The dead man is powerless to help the boys. He actually causes more problems. He is mistaken for the beast and causes more fear in the boys and drives them closer to becoming savages.

Colonel Sherburns Influence on Huck in Huckleberry Finn Essay

Sivilization is a far cry from civilization, though they look the same and sound the same and one can easily be confused for the other. Civilization refers to an advanced state of humanity. The people who make up civilization are generally thought to have a higher intellectual and moral standard than those not part of it, and to be more mannered and well bred. Sivilization is a faux form of civilization. It appears to be equivalent to civilization, but where the superior attributes are sincere in civilization, they consist of ersatz gentility in sivilization. Throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the adolescent protagonist Huckleberry Finn, in his flight from â€Å"sivilized† society, encounters many people who have the act of refinement down pat, but who are in essence vicious, self-serving, and pusillanimous. Huck becomes aware of this hypocrisy throughout the duration of the novel with the help of many characters, and one of the characters that helps him rec ognize sivilization for what it is is Colonel Sherburn. The first lesson that Huck learns from Colonel Sherburn ...

Guidelines for Report Essay

   †¢We focus on just the executive summary, because in your career that is what management will most often read from your report. The focus is on the logic of your argument and how well your report builds a clear coherent business case for decision makers. This means part of your task is to decide what information to include in your summary and what information is not essential. Your writing will need to be crisp and precise. †¢There are multiple potentially correct answers to this case. The quality of your summary comes down to how well you can justify your conclusions and how persuasive your argument is. Therefore, you will need to consider not just what you say but how and why you say it. †¢This report will require you to apply techniques covered in MGB309. Not all the techniques will necessarily be applicable or helpful. Part of your job as an analyst is to identify and apply the right tools and techniques for your analyses. †¢Adequately conducting the analyses will not guarantee an excellent mark. It is an important but not the only part of the process. A really good summary requires that you synthesise your information to build a compelling case rather than just report findings. The assignment requires that you demonstrate your understanding of strategic management through application of your strategic analysis knowledge. †¢Showing where you obtained the data from through appropriate referencing is an important aspect to substantiate your analysis. The references you use may be checked. If you use ideas that are not yours but are taken from a resource you have to reference it. Remember that the quality of the source will determine the credibility of the argument. Referring to essays from other students found on the internet is therefore highly inappropriate.

RBC Analysis Essay

Executive Summary In today’s demanding market, it is essential to know how to make good investments. The following is an in depth qualitative and quantitative analysis of the Royal Bank of Canada. First, RBC and its subsidiaries will be introduced including information about its history and current situation. The qualitative analysis will consist of RBC’s general information, history, business segments, and corporate social responsibility. Secondly, ratios and other quantitative information pertaining to RBC’s investment situation will be analyzed. Finally, with respect to the qualitative and quantitative data, an investment recommendation will be made Investment Criteria A company’s ethics and proper management are just as important for their success as their financial data. In order to decide whether or not to invest in a company one must research the company inside and out starting with where the company has come from all the way to their current situation. A company’s history is of the utmost importance because it reveals management trends and past ethical decision making that could reoccur. Another important aspect of a company’s history is their international expansion and the companies they have done past business with. The industries companies choose to merge with are a good indicator of where they will invest their money in the future. More specific to the banking industry, sustainability has become one of the most important criteria for investment. Especially after the financial collapse of 2008, banks with strong sustainability stood out and gained ground on the high-risk high reward banks. From a quantitative perspective, data trends can help predict if a company is on a small skid or headed toward future collapse. Ratios can help determine how quickly a company can pay back their liabilities as well as how efficient they are being with their shareholder’s money. A company’s stock may rise or fall depending on their current situation and how the market is fairing overall. The amount of assets and acquisitions a company makes can lead a potential investor to believe they are expanding. Usually good financial data investment criteria are a current ratio >2:1 and an ROA >5%. Company Introduction The Royal Bank of Canada is Canada’s largest bank by assets and market capitalization. The bank has offices in Canada, United States and 49 other countries. Currently, there are 80,000 full and part time employees at RBC with close to 15 million clients worldwide. The company has a good balance between retail and wholesale banking with over two-thirds of their revenue coming from Canada. The other main geographical markets include U. S. (16%), while all other revenue is distributed internationally (17%). (See Appendix A) Qualitative Analysis History The history of a company, industry it is present in, and prior success are some of the main factors when considering investing in a company. RBC has been a leading Canadian bank since June 22, 1864 when it was incorporated as the Merchants Bank of Halifax. Its name was changed to The Royal Bank of Canada in 1901. Twenty-four year later it merged with the Union Bank of Canada on the basis of 1 share of Royal Bank stock for two shares of Union Bank stock. Since then, RBC has taken advantage of many international joint ventures and foreign acquisitions. Most notably in Cuba, Britain, and West Germany. Post-1980, the bank created joint ventures in China with China International Trust & Investment Corp. and began acquiring financial companies in North America. All of the sudden, RBC found themselves competing with large new international banks. During this time, the bank also made a larger commitment to their corporate social responsibility as their charitable donations reached 25. 5 million in 1999. Most recently, RBC has been striving to become a more broad-based financial services group rather than a traditional commercial bank. Although RBC wanted to keep with it’s main goal of being the #1 banker in Canada, they also wanted to build a stronger overall North American identity. Technology based products took the lead in the bank’s new American market strategy. In going along with this strategy, RBC acquired the world’s first Internet bank in order to take advantage of e-banking services. Finally, the bank has developed a new global brand strategy in response to their growing North American presence, which requires the RBC financial group banner to each business platform and operating subsidiary. Business Segments The Royal Bank of Canada has five main business segments. The largest of these segments is their personal and commercial banking segment, which makes up 56% of their earnings. RBC was named the largest and most profitable retail banking in Canada as well as the 2nd largest bank by assets in English Caribbean (†Corporate Profile†). The bank provides cross-border banking for Canadian clients and U. S. wealth management clients. Their second largest business segment is their capital markets sector. Their capital markets department deals with corporate and investment banking, equity and debt distribution as well as trading. This segment is recognized as the 10th largest global investment bank by net revenue and was also named the best investment bank in Canada across equity, debt, and M&A five years in a row (â€Å"Corporate Profile†). The third business segment of RBC, which makes up 11% of their earnings, is their wealth management division. Investment, trust, credit, and other wealth management and asset management solutions are all included in wealth management. The division was named top six global wealth mangers by assets as well as ranked #1 in Canada in both retail and asset management (â€Å"Corporate Profile†). Finally, their insurance and investor & treasury services make up the last 11% of the bank’s total earnings. The insurance segment deals with life, health, home, auto, travel, and wealth accumulation solutions. Achievements of the insurance segment include receiving high marks for â€Å"Likelihood to Recommend† and â€Å"Ease of Doing Business† (â€Å"Corporate Profile†). Their investor & treasury services provide global custody, fund administration, and asset servicing to institutional investors. (See Appendix B) SWOT Analysis Strengths: Leading Market Position: RBC is Canada’s largest bank measured by assets and market capitalization. Leading market position in Canada enables the bank to gain economic economies of scale. Significant Presence in the US and UK RBC is the sixth largest full-service brokerage firm in the US and operates in a network of 42 states. In the UK, RBC is considered a Gilt-edged market maker and actively trades in either conventional or index-linked gilts (â€Å"Welcome to ALADIN†). Strong Balance Sheet RBC has a strong capital ratio and common ratio that are much greater than those required under Canadian standards. Also, the bank’s operating leverage declined between the years 2008 and 2010 showing potential from raising new capital (â€Å"Welcome to ALADIN†). Weaknesses: Asset Quality Deterioration RBC’s asset quality has been deteriorating since 2007. More specifically their gross impaired loans to total loans and acceptances ratio has grown between the years 2008 to 2010. Growth and profitability concerns at US operations Although RBC realized an overall growth in revenue in 2009, they also experienced a loss of net income. The US is RBC’s second largest market and can deeply impact the companies overall growth as a whole. Opportunities: International Expansion RBC has a rich history of international acquisitions over the past 30 years. Continuing with this aggressive strategy paves the way potential increases in revenue and profit expansion. Canada’s Promising Economic Prospects Canadian GDP has shown positive growth within the past two years. Attributing to this growth has been an increasing demand for commodities and improving global financial market conditions. Threats: Increasing Interest Rates As Canadian interest rates rise, so does the potential for a decrease in demand for financial services. High Taxation Banks in Canada are taxed at a much higher rate than other countries. In addition to Canada’s high taxation, the bank also faces high tax rates in the US; it’s second largest market (â€Å"Welcome to ALADIN†). Corporate Social Responsibility RBC has a clearly defined community and sustainability mission as they have been contributing to building a better future since 1864. Emphasis is put mainly on investing in the future by delivering quality products, protecting the environment, and sustaining a productive workplace. In respect to the community, RBC invests millions of dollars in health, sports, and the arts. More specifically they created RBC Play Hockey, which provides hockey gear to under privileged children. RBC believes that the game of hockey can bring a community together and provide a fun, competitive atmosphere among kids. Twenty grants, each of which was $25,000, will be awarded across North America (â€Å"Corporate Profile†). In respect to the environment, climate change, biodiversity, and water are weighed heavily upon. The RBC Blue Water Project helps educate people about the importance of preserving clean water in order to have enough fresh water for the future. The main component of the program is a ten-year, $50 million donations program, which supports not-for-profit organizations that protect watersheds and ensure access to clean drinking water (â€Å"Corporate Profile†). In RBC’s workplace is built upon the notion of shared values, and a sense of responsibility toward others. They look to provide a safe and flexible working environment with career growth opportunities. Also, the bank provides short and long term savings and wealth accumulation programs for their employees. Quantitative Analysis (See Appendix C) Balance Sheet: RBC has realized a 14% increase in assets over the last three years. This growth in assets is an indicator for an increase in stock returns. However, many times a growth in assets leads to sluggish returns as too many assets weigh down the bank (â€Å"Welcome to ALADIN†). Basic accounting procedures require all financial information on the balance sheet to even out. Therefore since RBC’s assets grew by 14%, so did they liabilities and shareholders equity. This increase in the bank’s liabilities can be attributed to inventory being purchased, issuing bonds payable at a discount, retirement costs for current employees etc. Paid-in capital, the year’s net profits, or a new share offering can increase shareholder’s equity. Shareholder’s equity is especially important for banks such as RBC because of the amount of capital they are given to invest. Cash Flow: Net investments cash flow represents the gain or loss in cash flow from investments made in the financial market and operating subsidiaries. In 2009, RBC had a positive cash flow indicating they were not investing heavily at the time. However, in the next two years, huge investments were made which made their net investments cash flow to go far below zero. Having a negative overall cash flow is not necessarily a bad thing, but instead may be a result of heavy investments. Nevertheless, RBC has maintained sustainability and kept their overall cash flow positive despite their large investments. Income Statement/Retained Earnings: RBC’s total revenue has decreased by 5% over the last three years. However looking deeper will reveal a huge increase in the company’s revenue over the past five years. In 2007 and 2008 the total revenue was $22,462 and $21,582 respectively (â€Å"Welcome to ALADIN†). This data revels an overall increase in revenue of 22% between 2007 and 2011, which any company would be proud of. In addition, RBC shows their continued effort toward sustainability as their retained earnings increased by almost 20% in the past three years (â€Å"Welcome to ALADIN†). In effect, this increase shows that a healthy profit exists even after dividends are given out to the shareholders.

Mass Media in Great Britain Essay

The media play a central role in Britain’s daily life, informing and educating, questioning and challenging – and of course – entertaining. In recent years the availability of more radio frequencies, together with satellite, cable and microwave transmissions, has already made a greater number of local, national and international services possible. The transition from analogue to digital transmission technology is now expanding this capacity enormously. The Internet is providing, increasingly, an additional medium for information, entertainment and communication. Television and Radio Broadcasting in Britain has traditionally been based on the principle that it is a public service accountable to people. While retaining the essential public service element, it now also embraces the principles of competition and choice: †¢ the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), which broadcasts television and radio programmes; †¢ the ITC (Independent Television Commission), which licenses and regulates commercial television services, including cable and satellite services. †¢ the Radio Authority, which licenses and regulates commercial radio services, including cable and satellite. The three bodies work to broad requirements and objectives defined and endorsed by Parliament, but are otherwise independent in their daily conduct of business. Television viewing is by far Britain’s most popular leisure pastime: over 97 per cent of households have at least one TV set. British television productions are sold world – wide. BBC The BBC provides two complementary national terrestrial television networks: BBC 1 and BBC 2, which transmit 24 hours a day. It also provides a range of digital channels, including BBC News 24 and BBC Choice. BBC Network Radio serves an audience of 29 each week, transmitting 24 hours a day on its five national networks. BBC has 39 local radio stations serving England and the Channel Islands, and regional and community radio services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. BBC World Service broadcasts by radio in English and 42 other languages world – wide. It has a global weekly audience of at least 140 million listeners. BBC Worldwide Television is responsible for the BBC’s commercial television activity. It is one of Europe’s largest exporters of television programmes. It also runs an advertiser – funded, 24 – hour international news and information channel; and an entertainment and drama channel broadcast to subscribers in continental Europe and Africa. The BBC’s domestic services are financed predominantly from the sale of annual television licences; there are no paid advertisements. BBC World Service radio is funded by a government grant, while BBC Worldwide Television is self – financing. Independent Television The ITC licenses and regulates three commercial television services – Channel 3 and Channel 4 (in Wales the corresponding service is S4C), which complement each other, and Channel 5 – all financed by advertising and sponsorship. Channel 3 programmes are supplied by 15 regionally based licensees and an additional licensee providing a national breakfast – time service. Licences for Channel 3 and 5 are awarded for a ten – year period by competitive tender to the highest bidder who has passed a quality threshold. Independent Radio Independent radio programme companies operate under licence to the Radio Authority and are financed mainly by advertising revenue. There are three independent national services: Classic FM, broadcasting mainly classical music; Virgin 1215, playing broad – based rock music; and Talk Radio UK,  speech – based service. About 200 independent local radio services are also in operation. Stations supply local news and information, sport, music and other entertainment, education and consumer advice. Teletext, Cable and Satellite Services The BBC and independent television both operate a Teletext service, under which information is displayed as â€Å"pages† of text and graphics on receivers equipped with the necessary decoders. Cable services are delivered through underground cables and are paid for subscription. Cable franchises have been granted covering areas comprising 83 per cent of all homes and nearly all urban areas in Britain. In mid – 1999 there were about 12.1 million homes able to receive such services, and 3 million subscribing homes. Digital technology is being introduced which will support up to 500 television channels. Cable also has the capacity for computer – based interactive services, such as home shopping and email. Many British – based satellite television channels have been set up to supply programmes to cable operators and viewers with satellite dishes. Some offer general entertainment, while others concentrate on specific areas of interest, such as sport, music, children’s programmes and feature films. The largest satellite programmer is BSkyB (British Sky Broadcasting) which, with around 7 million subscribers, dominates paid – for television in Britain. It launched its digital satellite service in 1998, carrying more than 140 channels. Satellite television and cable services are funded mainly by subscription income. The Press National newspapers have an average total circulation of over 13 million on weekdays and about 14 million on Sundays, although the total readership is considerably greater. There are 10 national morning daily papers and 10  national Sundays – five â€Å"qualities†, two â€Å"mid – market† and three â€Å"populars†. There are about 1,350 regional and local newspapers, and over 7,000 periodical publications. There is no state control or censorship of the newspaper and periodical press, which caters for a range of political views, interests and level of education. Where they express pronounced views and show obvious political leanings in their editorial comments, these may derive from proprietorial and other non – party influences. A non – statutory Press Complaints Commission deals with complaints by members of the public about the content and conduct of newspapers and magazines, and advises editors and journalists. In 1995, the Government rejected proposals for statutory regulation of the press and for legislation to give protection to privacy. Instead, it endorsed self – regulation under the Commission and recommended tougher measures to make self – regulation more effective. Working practices throughout the newspaper industry have become more efficient with the widespread used of advanced computer – based technology. Publishers have been able to reduce production costs by using computer systems for editing and production processes.