The Weary Blues free essay sample

The reader can feel the slow and steady beat of the music: â€Å"He did a lazy sway†¦/ He did a lazy sway†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (4-5). The flow of the two lines mimics the beat of the music. The reader can hear the pain in the voice of the musician: â€Å"In a deep voice with a melancholy tone† (17). By using the word ‘melancholy’ the reader can understand there is sadness in his bass voice. One can see his hands working the piano in the dim light: â€Å"By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light/†¦/With his ebony hands on each ivory key† (5, 9). Due to the detailed description the reader can see the musician’s dark hand in contrast to the pale keys of the piano. Through the use of imagery Hughes has allowed the reader to empathize with the musician’s pain and relate to his suffering. Hughes uses syntax as a language device in â€Å"The Weary Blues† to show the singer is not just singing about his feeling, but of Harlem as a whole: â€Å"Droning a drowsy syncopated tune, /Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon, /I heard a Negro play,† (1-3). We will write a custom essay sample on The Weary Blues or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the opening lines Hughes places the subject and the verb of the sentence at the end. He uses this sentence structure show the relationship between the singer and his audience and the dual effect the music has on the performer and anyone listening. The singer is droning and swaying as he performs, but so is his audience as they listen, thus they become merged in the sentence because it describes their interaction. Hughes suggests that the blues is a shared experience and that it can express the feelings of not only the artist, but of Harlem as a whole. Hughes uses a somber tone in â€Å"The Weary Blues† to communicate his feelings about the situation of Harlem during the middle of the 1900’s. This is best seen within the song lyrics: Got the Weary Blues And cant be satisfied- I aint happy no mo And I wish that I had died. (27-30) The musician is singing about how he thinks he has no hope left and wishes for death. This same hopeless feeling can be translated as Hughes’ feelings as well, because he is the poet. Hughes’ hopeless feelings, expressed in the poem, could indicate his thoughts on oppression and the strict racial social codes in place in Harlem and all over the United States during the mid-1900’s. The somber tone of â€Å"The Weary Blues† primarily comes from the reader’s ability to empathize with the emotions that are expressed in the poem. The blues are a universal feeling and are something everyone has experienced at one point. The musician sing the lines: â€Å"Aint got nobody but ma self. / Is gwine to quit ma frownin/ And put ma troubles on the shelf. (20-22). Here, a reader can identify with his gloomy outlook and understand the need to continue. This ability to empathize makes the reader feel similarly depressed, hopeless and dismal. These feelings allow the reader to comprehend the suffering that is in the poem and in Harlem during the middle of the twentieth century. There are two characters in â€Å"The Weary Blues†, the unnamed narrator and the musician, but one shares a depressed voice within the poem. The voice of the unnamed narrator is neutral as he reminisces about that evening; except for when he cries aloud: I heard a Negro Play. Down on Lenox Avenue the other night †¦ O Blues! †¦ Sweet Blues! (3-4,11,14) When the narrator says this, it tells the reader that he has a strong attachment to this memory and may be empathizing with what the musician is singing. The rest of the poem is simply an account of the events that take place that evening. Due to the lack of emotion from the narrator, the reader must look towards the second character, the musician, for emotion that is behind the depressed voice. While the musician’s voice is only seen in the song lyrics, his voice plays the largest role communicating emotions to the reader: â€Å"I aint happy no mo/And I wish that I had died† (29-30). From this lyric the reader understands that the musician is sad and appears to be depressed. At the end of the poem the narrator describes what he believes the musician does: And far into the night he crooned that tune. The stars went out and so did the moon. The singer stopped playing and went to bed While the weary blues echoed through his head. (31-34) Due to the fact that the narrator could not actually know what the piano player is thinking, the reader can say that the narrator is actually describing his own actions after hearing the musician sing. Based on the lack of emotion given from the narrator and the blending of the narrator and the musician’s actions at the end of the poem, the speaker, has a common voice with the piano player, both of whom are depressed. Hughes uses imagery and syntax to allow the reader to empathize with the suffering that is seen in the poem through the musician and within the community of Harlem. Through empathy the reader can understand the somber tone and depressed voice of the characters Hughes uses to effectively communicate the suffering that occurs in Harlem during the mid-1900’s.

Achilles - Profile of the Greek Hero of the Trojan War

Achilles - Profile of the Greek Hero of the Trojan War Achilles is the quintessentially heroic subject of Homers great poem of adventure and war, the Iliad. Achilles was the greatest of the warriors famed for his swiftness on the Greek (Achaean) side during the Trojan War, directly competing with Troys warrior hero Hector. Achilles is perhaps most famous for being imperfectly invulnerable, a detail of his exciting and mythical life known as the Achilles Heel that is described elsewhere. Achilles Birth Achilles mother was the nymph Thetis, who had early attracted the wandering eyes of both Zeus and Poseidon. The two gods lost interest after the mischievous Titan Prometheus revealed a prophecy about the future son of Thetis: he was destined to be greater and stronger than his father. Neither Zeus nor Poseidon was willing to risk losing his position in the pantheon, so they turned their attention elsewhere, and Thetis ended up married to a mere mortal. With Zeus and Poseidon no longer in the picture, Thetis married King Peleus, a son of the King of Aegina. Their life together, although short-lived, produced the child Achilles. As was true for the most famous of the ancient heroes of Greek myth and legend, Achilles was raised by the centaur Chiron and taught at a school of heroes by Phoenix. Achilles at Troy As an adult, Achilles became part of the Achaean (Greek) forces during the ten long years of the Trojan War, which, according to legend was fought over the much-courted  Helen of Troy, who had been kidnapped from her Spartan husband Menelaus by Paris, the Prince of Troy. The leader of the Achaeans (Greeks) was Helens (first) brother-in-law Agamemnon, who led the Achaeans to Troy to win her back. Proud and autocratic, Agamemnon antagonized Achilles, causing Achilles to leave the battle. Furthermore, Achilles has been told by his mother that he would have one of two fortunes: he could fight at Troy, die young and achieve everlasting fame, or he could choose to return to Phthia where he would live a long life, but be forgotten. Like any good Greek hero, Achilles first chose fame and glory, but Agamemnons arrogance was too much for him, and he headed home. Getting Achilles Back to Troy Other Greek leaders argued with Agamemnon, saying Achilles was too powerful a warrior to be left out of the battle. Several books of the Iliad are dedicated to the negotiations to get Achilles back into battle. These books describe long conversations among Agamemnon and his diplomatic team including Achilles old teacher Phoenix, and his friends and fellow warriors Odysseus and Ajax, pleading with Achilles to get him to fight. Odysseus offered gifts, news that the war was not going well and that Hector was a danger that only Achilles should kill. Phoenix reminisced about Achilles heroic education, playing on his emotions; and Ajax upbraided Achilles for not supporting his friends and companions in the fray. But Achilles remained adamant: he would not fight for Agamemnon. Patroclus and Hector After he left the conflict at Troy, Achilles urged one of his closest friends Patroclus, to go fight in Troy, offering his armor. Patroclus donned Achilless armorexcept for his ash spear, which only Achilles could wieldand went into battle as a direct substitute (what Nickel refers to as doublet) for Achilles. And at Troy, Patroclus was killed by Hector, the greatest warrior on the Trojan side. Upon word of the death of Patroclus, Achilles finally agreed to fight with the Greeks. As the story goes, an enraged Achilles put on the armor and killed Hectorsignificantly with the ash speardirectly outside of the gates of Troy, and then dishonored Hectors body by dragging it around tied to the back of a chariot for nine consecutive days. It is said that the gods kept Hectors corpse miraculously sound during this nine-day period. Eventually, Hectors father, King Priam of Troy, appealed to the better nature of Achilles and persuaded him to return Hectors corpse to his family in Troy for proper funeral rites. The Death of Achilles The death of Achilles was inflicted by an arrow that was shot directly into his vulnerable heel. That story isnt in the Iliad, but you can read about how Achilles obtained his less-than-perfect heel. Edited and updated by  K. Kris Hirst Sources and Further Information Avery HC. 1998. Achilles Third Father. Hermes 126(4):389-397.Burgess J. 1995. Achilles Heel: The Death of Achilles in Ancient Myth. Classical Antiquity 14(2):217-244.Nickel R. 2002. Euphorbus and the Death of Achilles. Phoenix 56(3/4):215-233.Sale W. 1963. Achilles and Heroic Values. Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics 2(3):86-100.Scodel R. 1989. The Word of Achilles. Classical Philology 84(2):91-99.

Part 1 of the document Gaudium et Spes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Part 1 of the document Gaudium et Spes - Essay Example He perceives it to be Vatican II’s declaration of the Church’s readiness to conduct a meaningful dialogue with the world. Marbacher holds that the biblical and philosophical foundation for this dialogue is the relationship between man and God and the relationship between men. He then describes Gaudiun et Spes’ proposals regarding the nature of this dialogue and its consequence to the Church. Marbacher points out that Gaudiun et Spes is the concrete expression of the desire of Vatican Council II to â€Å"explain to everyone how it conceives the presence and activity of the Church in the world of today† (Marbacher, 1). The pastoral constitution emphasizes that â€Å"honest dialogue† in inextricably linked with the Church’s mission to spread the gospel throughout the entire world. Marbacher indicates that the foundation for the recommended dialogue between the Church and the world is based on three factors: (1) The dialogue between God and men which is amply documented in the Bible (2) The dialogue between men which goes back to the dialogues of Socrates. (3) The dialogue between the Church and men: this is perceived by the Church to be the â€Å"eloquent proof of its solidarity with, as well as its respect and love for the entire human family† (Marbacher, 3). Gaudium et Spes recognizes that dialogue is basis of human existence , the path to a â€Å"deeper level of interpersonal relationships† (Marbacher, 2) and the essential instrument in tackling problems of culture, labor relations and world trade The purpose of the dialogue is to express the Church’s solidarity with all men, including non-believers. It is a mark of respect â€Å"to those who think or act differently than we do in social, political and even religious matters† (M arbacher, 3). It is Vatican Council II’s practical acknowledgement of the liberty of conscience and diversity. Marcbacher attempts to reconcile the Church’s position on dialogue with

Media's Manipulation of the Fashion Industry Dissertation

Media's Manipulation of the Fashion Industry - Dissertation Example The essay "Media's Manipulation of the Fashion Industry" talks about Consumerism in Fashion. The magazines’ promotion of designer fashion garments was conditional, complicated and mediated. Fashion media add their own gloss and frame of meaning to the fashion components or raw materials, when representing fashion. Significantly, the work and purpose of fashion media is constrained by the different â€Å"traditions and conventions which have defined fashion journalism as a specialist field, shaping what can be said, and in what kind of format†. Considerable transformations in consumer attitudes, age profiles, and shopping modes, as well as increasing orientation towards lifestyle consumerism, have led to challenges and opportunities for contemporary designers, retailers as well as the fashion media. Business and couture have always been in close partnership, although the economics of the trade have been closely guarded â€Å"behind the presentational glamour of seasonal fashion shows†. The revisionist history of couture as composed only of the processes of designing and the making of high fashion apparel is â€Å"manipulative, strategic and cynical†. By not divulging the entire picture, fashion journalists’ accounts function as traps for the naà ¯ve reader. The fashion magazines with various journalists and related professionals behind them, â€Å"promote and hype only the notion of couture fashion as high art, and as beyond-reality dreams†. The media control the consumers and the industry by endorsing designers as geniuses., and their clothes as the ultimate in creative innovation. The fashion industry’s design flexibility is well known; however its methods of adjusting to economic trends is not revealed. The industry is â€Å"knowing, manipulative and clever, building with vast success on the uniqueness of couture’s sartorial elitism† (White and Griffiths, 2000, p.122). The glossy magazines succes sfully conceal the industry’s business interests and reinforce the progress of couture companies by avoiding any references to their commercial processes (White and Griffiths, 2000). Fashion journalism is a narrow, closed world consisting of writers, photographers, fashion assistants, contributing editors, and others who share the same ‘fashion world’ as the designers, company directors, press officers, and publicity personnel. This sector considers itself trivialised and associated with lack of intelligence and substance. A closer relationship with industry is maintained by specialised fields in journalism related to consumer-based activities, based on acquring advertising revenue. This is because industry is the source of both news and revenue, states Tunstall (1971). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the media such as fashion magazines, films, and advertising approaches are used to manipulate the fashion industry, and how they i nfluence consumers. The fashion magazines, their target markets, and the Chinese and British markets will be compared. Further, the psychological elements behind fashion

Human Error in Aviation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Error in Aviation - Research Paper Example Studies show that out of the aviation accidents that occur in the US, 60% to 80% are due to human error. Loss of or poor Crew Resource Management (CRM) facilitates most of these accidents. US airlines fail to give their crew proper training and CRM, which are very vital in preventing human errors in the aviation industry. Another important factor in human errors and aviation accidents is the ‘Swiss cheese model’ in which defensive systems consists of slices or pieces, as well as holes resulting from opening, and displacement of the slices, which result in human error. Since human errors occur due to psychological and physiological factors, aviation psychology is an effective solution for human failures in aviation. In addition, there should be proper training and CRM for aviation crew focusing on human factors. Accidents are part of our everyday life. Most of these accidents are attributed to the mistakes we make. Many theories link accidents to systems failure other than human errors. However, there is increasing focus on human error as one of the major causes of accidents. Error classification method was developed to explain the various causes of human error in aviation. Error classification method analyzes the ways in, which people contribute to system reliability or the system failure. Many aircraft accidents result from human error other than systems failure. When investigating accidents, there should be a focus on human errors that might have led to an aviation accident. This is because system failures result from the engineers’ failure or errors in making the craft. This research essay seeks to justify the argument that human errors are the main factors behind aviation related accidents. According Reason, high technology systems consist of defensive layers that either are engineered or rely on people and administrative procedures (6). Engineered defensive systems include physical

Functionalist Concepts Of The Nuclear Family

Functionalist Concepts Of The Nuclear Family Murdock (1949) studied 250 different societies and concluded that the family is so functional to society, that it is unavoidable and universal since neither the individual nor society could survive without it. He argued that every nuclear family has these four essential functions without which society could not continue sexual, reproductive, and economic and education. All these four functions are essential according to Murdock without sexual and reproductive no member of society would be there, life would stop if there was no economic function that is family providing for its members and without education, socialisation would not be there hence absence of culture. Murdock has been criticised for not considering whether the functions of the family could be performed by other social institutions and he does not examine alternatives to the family. Parsons (1955) studied the modern American family in the 50s. He argued that there are two basic and irreducible functions of the family, these are, the primary socialisation of children which Parsons sees as a responsibility of the family to shape the childs personality to suite to the needs of society. The second function is the stabilisation of adult personalities, the family gives adults the emotional support necessary to cope with the stresses of everyday life. (Taylor and Richardson etl 2002). Parsons as with Murdock has been criticised for showing the picture of the family as attuned children and compassionate spouses caring for each others needs. There is a natural division of labour within the nuclear family, roles are segregated positively and everyone carry out different roles, for example the instrumental male, whose role is to provide for the family thus the bread winner and expressive female whose role is to provide warmth, love and care for children at home. Based on Biology the woman is the child bearer therefore has to look after the child, this role maintains social stability. Family patterns have changed with time such as cohabitation, rise of reconstituted families and increase in single or lone parent in western family life and changes in the law on divorce have made it easier to obtain. Functionalist theory has been criticised to have concentrated on the family being positive and gives little attention to its weaknesses while in feminism the nuclear family is oppressive to women due to gender distinctions in domestic duties. Functionalists argue that the family is of equal profit to everyone, however Marxists argue that society developed by the need of the capitalist economy. It is the bourgeoisie who benefits not the whole society. Functionalists focus too much on the significance that the family has for society and disregard the sense family life has for individual. Radical psychiatric argue against functionalism for ignoring the negative aspect of the family like domestic violence. Functionalists also ignore different types of families by focussing mainly on nuclear family. Interactionist David Clark (1991) identified four types of marriage arguing against functionalist, not all families are the same. Functionalist depicts everything as positive in the family while radical psychiatric looks at the negative side of the family. Feminism is a conflict theory that sees the family as patriarchal. Men gain more in a family than women. They view the family on a macro scale. Feminists shows how men dominate social relationships thus symmetrical conjugal roles is seen as an allegory. Feminist argues that Men oppress women through domestic violence, the economic involvement to society made by womens domestic labour within the family. Liberal feminist Wollstonecraft (1792) wanted equality for women in terms of rights, liberties and vote by the change of law and policy. Radical feminists like Millett (1970) argue that the organisation of society enables men to dominate women. They believed that gender distinctions are politically and socially constructed therefore wanted radical reforms and social change. Kate Millet invented the term The personal is political meaning everything in society is political. Radical Feminists think not just patriarchal men that benefit from family but all men. Sociolist feminists look at gender as the basis. Sociolist Marxists combine gender with class. They argue that there is a dual oppression for women that they have to go to work as well as work at home. Marxists feminist believe that the destruction of the capitalist society brings equality to everything. Lesbian feminists believe society forces them into heterosexuality so that men can oppress them. They challenge heterosexuality as a means of male supremacy. Humanist feminists argue that society only allows men to self-develop not women and that society distorts womens human potential. Marxist feminist Bentson (1972) argues that family responsibilities make male workers less likely to withdraw from labour, with wife and children to support. Ansley (1972) sees the emotional support in family, stabilises male workers thus making them less likely to take their frustration out on the system. Feeley (1972) sees the family as a dictatorial unit dominated by the husband and also the family values teach obedience. Children learn to accept hierarchy and their position in it. Greer (2000) is a radical feminist who believes that family life continues to disadvantage and oppress women. She points out Britain has very high divorce rate thus less stability in families. Marxist feminist like functionalist they tend to ignore the diversity of modern family life assuming everyone lives in heterosexual nuclear family. They paint a very negative picture of family life possibly exaggerated. Unlike functionalists who see male and female roles being different but equal, Marxist feminists believe that men dominate family relationships. Feminist theory discards functionalist view that society as a whole is benefited by socialisation in the family but rather men benefits more. Women are portrayed as passive victims of exploitation, it does not take into account women who abuse men by fighting back. Functionalist believes that norms and values benefits society while for feminist they benefit men more for example obedience, women being obedient to men. Feminists focus on nuclear family only and the negative aspect of it. Increase in awareness of womens rights has influenced the norms of society. Marxists views of family sees socialisation process results in the spread of a ruling class philosophy, whereby individuals are deceived into accepting the capitalist system and the supremacy of the capitalist class thus hegemony.Bourgoisie benefits by creating a labour force and proletariat continue to be exploited. Engel s (1972) argued that bourgeois nuclear family as an institution which oppressed women. They were seen mainly as children bearers, economically dependent to their husbands and remain faithful to them. According to Engels the family is designed to control women and protect property thus men needed to know their children in order to pass on their property. Marxists say the family serves capitalism in four ways. The family acts as a safety valves for the stress and frustration of working class men, the family as a unit of consumption buys the goods and services provided by capitalism. Women domestic work is unpaid which benefits capitalism and lastly the family socialises children thereby reproducing both labour power and acceptance of capitalism false consciousness. Zaretsky (1976) analysed that the family is one place where male workers can feel they have power and control. This helps them accept their oppression in wider society, furthermore Zaretsky sees the family as a main prop to the capitalist economy. Marxists view of divorce in families is seen by increased economic pressure from unemployment this may place added strain and also family members living longer could increase pressure on relationships. Marxists decline the functionalist view that society based on value consensus and thus benefits all. Instead they see the welfare of powerful groups influencing the way society is controlled. Marxist view ignores family diversity it sees the nuclear family as being simply determined by the economy. This theory reproduces conflict between classes bourgeoisie and proletariat while in factionalists family operates as united everything benefits society. Capitalist system is dominated both economically by rich at the expense of the poor but seen as a fair system by functionalists that works together in the interest of all members causing limited conflict in society. Anthropologists have suggested that the emergence of the nuclear family did not actually coincide with emergence of capitalism. Somerville (2000) argues that Zaretsky exaggerates the importance of the family as a protection from life in capitalist society. As with functionalism reproduce social stability, Marxism produces labo ur force and feminism produce patriarchy. Interactionism also known as interpretive humans are seen as symbolic creatures meaning we define what is around us through signs and language. They study families on a micro scale instead of generalising the whole population, they also look at what family live is actually like rather than how it should be or how it is assumed to be.Interactionists view families as different and unique thus there is no one way of family life, like other perspectives would suggest. The way a family behaves and interacts is based on interpretation of meanings and roles. We are products of our culture what we take as common sense or reality varies according to the culture we live in. Goffman (1969) compares life to drama, we are actors who take on roles and act them out as public performances. Each role has its own script which tells us how to act and what cues to expect from other members involved in our interaction. Bauman (1990) argues that roles and relationships learnt in the family are essential to shaping our future. Not all families are close and warm family metaphors are often used to represent closeness, for example using the term brother and sister amongst members of political organisations. Kellner (1964) looked at socially constructed roles in a marriage, argues that the reality of marriage is an ongoing construction which needs to be reaffirmed, negotiated and renegotiated. Clark (1991) conducted a study of how couples constructed a meaningful marriage. He identified four types of marriage. Drifting marriages where meanings and ideas of the future are unclear, surfacing marriages often made up of people who have been married before, establishing marriages newly wed couple for long term future and lastly struggling marriages financial problems often from unemployment causes tension and anxiety. The conjugal roles in interactionism show that the roles of husband and wife are constantly evolving. For example both husband and wife working and sharing domestic tasks. Interactionist view families on a micro scale so can discover how individuals make family life based on interactions with each other. They are not interested in generalisations about family life but seek to understand how families are unique. They go further than the common sense view of families that functionalism believes in and look at the meanings of what family life is actually like. Unlike functionalism, Marxism and feminism where there is a set function of the family, interactionism is different for there is no one set function of the family. Families can differ based on their interactions, meanings, roles and culture. The discovery of four different types of marriage offers an opposing argument to functionalism, not an ideal nuclear family. It has been criticised while concentrating on meanings, motives and action it ignores the wider structures in which families operate and are shaped. Sometimes generalisations of families are useful as they allow the development of political social policy. Interpretive approaches try to comprehend the family from the perspective of its members. This research should give you an insight on how the families have changed with time. From different views and approaches, understanding families from traditional way of views to modern familys ways of view.

Essay --

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE I am very thankful for providing me this opportunity and it is with sincere sense of gratification that I do pen my brief statement of purpose. I completed under graduation in Computer Science Engineering from VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology affiliated by Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad. Being an undergraduate student, I stand at a point where I have to decide my future so as to enhance my knowledge and skills. At this point I have to take right choice of university to pursue a graduate degree. Graduate study helps me in sharpening my skills and quest professional exposure. Undergraduate program is a broad based structured course with strong fundamentals but offers limited scope of specialization. Thus, I feel that the graduate course would pave way to acquire specialization in my field of interest. In the following paragraphs I shall explain my interest in pursuing a graduate program in Computer Science. Through under graduate studies I have learnt many concepts and it gave me a firm grounding in number of Computer Science Engineering related concepts. During my schooling, I was introduced to computer basics and I also feel that one should have proficiency in more than one field. I found this computer knowledge coupled with my under-graduation background would be advantageous to pursue a career in Computer Science During my under-graduation, I was introduced to various subjects like Computer Organization, Computer Networks, and Operating Systems and programming languages like C,C++,JAVA. I am acquainted with operating systems like MS-DOS, WINDOWS. I developed interest in the field of networking from the time I started to learn about LAN and I... ...spirations I wish to pursue my education at a school renowned for its good research facilities, eminent faculty and good quality of student life. I feel that advanced graduate study at your university is best kind of education with the environment to achieve my goals because of flexibility in learning systems and sophisticated infrastructure available and the nature of research going on. Attending your prestigious institution would give me an opportunity to receive high-level education under the guidance of prominent professors. I would regard my admission to UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI not only as a great honor but also as a great responsibility and challenge to prove myself. Hence, I request that my application be considered for admission with possible financial aid and assistantship. Thank you for your time and consideration. High Regards, VAMSHI NENAVATH.

Hih Accounting Strategy Essay

I am going to talk about HIH insurance’s Corporate accounting scandals. Background: HIH insurance was formed as a small insurance company in 1968. Its main business was to underwrite workers compensation insurance in Australia. The company expanded its operations into property, commercial and professional liability from the mid 1980s. During this period, it also moved into the UK and the US insurance markets. In the US, the focus was on workers compensation insurance. Public liability and professional indemnity insurance were its main specialisations in the UK. Corporate governance The HIH Royal Commission Report attributed the failure of the company to two key factors. First, claims arising from insured events in previous years were much greater than the company had provided for in its accounts, thus leading to an overstatement of reported profits. This is known as ‘under-reserving’ or ‘under-provisioning’. The second factor concerns the further mismanagement of HIH through poorly conceived and badly executed acquisitions. The insurance risks were not properly identified and managed. There was an environment where unpleasant information was hidden from the Board or filtered or sanitised to reduce discomfort or undue questioning from the Board. And there was a lack of sceptical questioning and analysis by senior management, by the board and, arguably, by the auditors Accounting issues: Provisions for expected future claims Evidence presented before the HIH Royal Commission indicates that the prudential margin approach is common industry practice due to the inherent uncertainties in predicting claims. Yet HIH almost always employed the central estimate and did not apply a prudential margin. The consequence was not only to take an overly optimistic view of claims provisions but to continually overstate reported earnings. Accordingly, if one assumes a lower amount of claims is likely to be made on outstanding policies this will generally make profits look more substantial than otherwise would be the case, given an inverse relationship between profits and provisions for future claims (that is, liabilities). According to Main (2003, p. 107) and Westfield (2003, pp. 38 and 43) the approach to profit determination at FAI and HIH was to chose a targeted profit number and to alter the provisions to effectively arrive at that arbitrary figure. Not only did this approach appear to violate the spirit of the accounting standard but it would eventually result in large losses being reported should actual claims exceed the amounts that were previously provisioned. Earnings management using reinsurance contracts HIH appears to have obscured its optimistic provisioning by entering into so-called financial reinsurance arrangements with other parties. Reinsurance is a process â€Å"whereby a second insurer, in return for a premium, agrees to indemnify a first insurer against a risk insured by the first insurer in favour of an insured† According to AASB1023, for a transaction to be accounted for as insurance or reinsurance, there must be a transfer of risk to the reinsurer. The standard does not describe, either in qualitative or quantitative terms, what degree of risk transfer is required. Without examining the intricate details of the actual transactions entered into by HIH, these contracts, in effect, â€Å"promised that no claim would be made on a specific reinsurance policy† (Main, 2003, p. 115). The overall objective was to use reinsurance to offset any likely increase in claims liabilities on the balance sheet with a corresponding recovery under a reinsurance contract. Accounting for goodwill In acquiring the shares of FAI, HIH gave consideration which, in total, amounted to $300. 5 million. This acquisition was initially recorded in 1999 in the consolidated financial statements of HIH as comprising $25 million of net tangible assets and $275 million of purchased goodwill. Subsequently, another $163 million of FAI-related â€Å"goodwill† was added to this intangible asset account so that by the year 2000 this goodwill account had a balance of $438 million (HIH Royal Commission Report, 2003, Section 7. 1. 4). Justice Owen contended that the goodwill adjustments (and reinsurance transactions referred to earlier) became techniques for concealing under-reserving problems inherent in FAI’s insurance portfolio. Conclusion: In conclusion, HIH insurance has several factors lead the company collapses- 2 corporate governance problem and 3 accounting issues. ‘under-provisioning’ and mismanagement are two factors of corporate governance. Provisions for expected future claims; Earnings management using reinsurance contracts and Accounting for goodwill are 3 factors of accounting governance.

Mark Twain as a Realist Writer

Mark Twain as a Realist Writer Considered one of the great American Realist  writers, Mark Twain is not only celebrated for the stories he tells but also the way in which he tells them, with an unmatched ear for the English  language and sensitivity to the diction of the common man.  To flesh out his stories, Twain also drew heavily on his personal experiences, most notably his work as a riverboat captain on the Mississippi, and never shied from portraying everyday issues in starkly honest terms.   Dead-On Dialects Twain was a master of conveying the local vernacular in his writing.  Read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, for example, and youll immediately hear the distinctive Southern dialect of that region.   For example, when Huck Finn attempts to help Jim, a slave, escape to freedom by paddling a canoe down the Mississippi, Jim  thanks  Huck profusely: Huck yous de  bes  fren Jims ever had:  en  yous de  only  fren olde Jims got now. Later in the story, in chapter 19, Huck hides while he witnesses deadly violence between two feuding families:   I staid in the tree till it begun to get ​dard, afraid to come down. Sometimes I heard guns away off in the woods; and twice I seen little gangs of men gallop past the log-store with guns; so I reckoned the trouble was still agoing on. On the other hand, the language in Twains short story The Celebrated  Jumping Frog of Calaveras County reflects both  the narrators upscale Eastern Seaboard roots and the local vernacular of his interview subject, Simon Wheeler. Here, the narrator describes his initial encounter with Wheeler: I found Simon Wheeler dozing comfortably by the bar-room stove of the old, dilapidated tavern in the ancient mining camp of Angels, and I noticed that he was fat and bald-headed, and had an expression of winning gentleness and simplicity upon his tranquil countenance. He roused up and gave me good-day. And here is Wheeler describing a local dog celebrated for his fighting spirit: And he had a little small bull pup, that to look at him youd think he wans worth a cent, but to set around and look ornery, and lay for a chance to steal something. But as soon as money was up on him, he was a different dog; his underjawd begin to stick out like the focastle of a steamboat, and his teeth would uncover, and shine savage like the furnaces. A River Runs Through It Twain became a riverboat cub- or trainee- in 1857 when he was still known as Samuel Clemens. Two years later, he earned his full pilots license. As he learned to navigate the Mississippi, Twain became very familiar with the language of the river. Indeed, he adopted his famous pen name from his river experience. Mark Twain- meaning two fathoms- was a navigational term used on the Mississippi. All of the adventures- and there were many- that Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn experienced on the Mighty Mississippi relate directly to Twains own experiences. Tales of Abuse And while Twain is rightly famous for his humor, he was also unflinching in his portrayal of abuses of power. For instance,  A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court,  while absurd, remains a biting political commentary. And for all his pluck, Huckleberry Finn is still an abused and neglected 13-year-old boy, whose father is a mean drunk. We see this world from Hucks point of view as he attempts to cope with his environment and deal with the circumstances into which he is thrown. Along the way, Twain explodes social conventions and depicts the hypocrisy of civilized society. No doubt Twain had a terrific knack for story construction. But it was his flesh and blood characters- the way they spoke, the way they interacted with their surroundings, and the honest descriptions of their experiences- that brought his  stories to life.

An Explanation of Wechsler Intelligence Tests

An Explanation of Wechsler Intelligence Tests The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) is an intelligence test which determines an individual childs  IQ, or intelligence quotient. It was developed by Dr. David Wechsler (1896-1981), who was the chief psychologist of New York Citys Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital. The test that is typically administered today is the 2014 revision of the test that was originally devised in 1949. It is known as WISC-V. Over the years, the WISC test has been updated several times, each time changing the name to represent the proper edition of the test. At times, some institutions will still utilize older versions of the test. In the latest WISC-V, there are new and separate Visual Spatial and Fluid Reasoning index scores, as well as  new measures of the following skills: Visual spatial abilityQuantitative fluid reasoningVisual working memoryRapid automatized naming/naming facilityVisual-verbal associative memory Dr. Wechsler developed two other commonly used intelligence tests: the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI). WPPSI is designed to assess children aged 3 to 7 years and 3 months. The WISC essentially outlines  students intellectual strengths and weaknesses and provides insight into their overall cognitive abilities and potential. The test also compares children to peers of a similar age. In the most general terms, the goal is to determine the potential for a child to grasp new information. While this assessment can be a great predictor of potential, the IQ level is, by no means, a guarantee of success or failure.   Where the Wechsler Test Is Used Private schools serving children in 4th through 9th grades often use WISC-V as part of their admissions testing procedures, which may be in place of, or in addition to, other admission testing like the SSAT. Those private schools that use it do so to determine both a childs intelligence and his or her performance in school relative to that intelligence level. What the Test Determines WISC determines a childs intellectual capabilities. It is frequently used to diagnose learning difference, such as  ADD or ADHD. The test also helps to assess strengths in order to determine  gifted children. The WISC test indices are verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory and processing speed. The subtests allow precise modeling of a childs intellectual abilities and readiness for learning. Interpreting the Test Data Pearson Education, a company that sells the Wechsler testing products, also scores the tests. The clinical data that the tests provide helps the admissions staff develop a complete understanding of your childs intellectual strengths and weaknesses. However, the wide range of assessment scores can be daunting for many and difficult to understand. Not only do school officials, like teachers and admission representatives, need to understand these reports and what the scores mean, but also the parents.   According to the Pearson Education Website, there are options for the type of score reporting available for the WISC-V, which will provide a narrative explanation of the scores including (the following bullet points are quoted from the website): Narrative summary of the child’s background, history, and test behaviorsInterpretation of the Full Scale IQ and all primary, ancillary, and complementary index scoresIntegration of the reason for referral in test score interpretationRecommendations based on WISC–V performanceOptional Parent Summary Report Preparing for the Test Your child cannot prepare for WISC-V or other IQ tests by studying or reading. These tests are not designed to test what you know or how much you know, but rather, they are designed to determine the test-takers capacity to learn. Typically tests like the WISC consist of tasks that assess various measures of intelligence, including spatial recognition, analytical thinking, mathematical ability, and even short-term memory. As such, just make sure that your child gets plenty of rest and relaxation before the test. The school is accustomed to administering these tests and will instruct your child what to do at the appropriate time.

Technology in Classroom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Technology in Classroom - Essay Example Since the advent of computers, information revolution is creating tools that promise assistance in the intellectual dimensions of our lives. With the introduction of technology the classrooms which were passive have become active learning centers. The highly interactive nature of computers enables students a high level of involvement in learning. Today's students have mastered a large variety of tools that we will never master with the same level of skill. From computers to calculators to camera phones, these tools are like extensions to the human brain. Educating and evaluating student without these tools makes no more sense to them. (ascd.org, 2007). PowerPoint presentations are easy to obtain, modify, and create. They are versatile and a great asset to any classroom. Good presentations may take time to produce or adapt, but they can be shared and used year after year. They can be used for whole class presentations and reviews, for drills, or for individual work. Data projectors can be used in many locations (e.g. classrooms, conference rooms, lecture theaters, etc) for professional development of staff, sharing of educational resources, students presenting their work to a class. Demonstrating new software. Projecting live video of experiments. Teaching about contemporary internet in general, students will be able to show their work in full screen. Technology helps students in curriculum-free programs such as the common tool-type applications for exploring ideas and relationships with data; engaging in problem solving, locating, organizing data and presenting information; creating reports and various types. With the help of technology in team-based projects can be worked on within the classroom, with increased supervision from the teacher. Many books and journals will be available on-line i.e., in the e-library. Students are getting hands-on experience of concepts that were difficult and impossible in traditional classroom. The data analysis and interpretation is vital in many disciplines. The technology has efficiently solved this problem. Many new fields are possible only through the use of such technology. By the usage of modern technology students have become more familiar with the knowledge-management skills. Technology-usage skills are also developed in the students with a more professional environment offered by the classroom. The presence of technology in the classroom reflects the dramatic rise in the availability of readily-accessible knowledge and communication tools online in the workplace. Faculty can share their discipline specific uses of technology such as the use of online databases. Team-based projects can also be worked on within the classroom, with increased supervision from the teacher. Students are able to develop communication skills within the class. Students have a h abit of relying on a very informal writing style with instant Messaging; the use of notebook computer can be used in the coming future to develop professional writing skills. (itc.udayton.edu, 2006) Regardless of whether it is multiplication or exercises or spelling, there are certain facts that children must learn through memorization in their early education. And the key to learning these is

Management Info Systems Individual Work wk11 Essay

Management Info Systems Individual Work wk11 - Essay Example DSS are basically correlation or collaborative computerized systems with a motive to help the organization or companies use and arrange/organize large amount information in form of images or text files or any other format and communication techniques, data or statistics or different type of models to complete the process of decision making. Now by using DSS, this results in rapid decisions, more efficient and effective ones, makes more strong communication and interaction with in organization, satisfies and give more strong arguments and evidence to strengthen the decision and take less time with providing many different views to the case (Power 2015; Decision Support Systems 2015). Whereas some consequences of DSS might be there like to much dependence or automated or computerized system , minimize the manual work that reduces the skills of workers and can easily make computer responsible for any mistake and no one on the responsibility. Various decision support systems include EISs, GSSs and GISs. Executive information system (EIS) is specially designed system to make decisions at executive levels. It makes easy way to for the organization to achieve their targets and make efficient decisions at executive level. It’s very hard to have an eye on every function or activity of your organization and on the other hand you cannot ignore it as well. So EIS supports you in this way to get information so you take the decision at CEO level and not only at top level but you can also get support from EIS at other management levels too. EIS helps to design and support the activities involved at senior level like goal marking, strategy making, make shift plans and c rises management. EIS has some prominent advantages as it’s very easy for the top hierarchy as not a very professional computer skilled knowledge is required.Information and data is better and easy to understand.EIS makes quick decisions and helps the executives in efficient