E-Tourism in Sri Lanaka

E-Tourism In Sri Lanka E-Commerce Infrastructure University Collage Dublin Student Name: Madushanka W. H. M Student Number: 11294574 E-mail: madawa. [email  protected] com About Sri Lanka Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka commonly known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean or as Ceylon is one of the exquisite Island in the world Sri Lanka set in the Indian Ocean in south Asia near to the equator which is a great home to 8 UNESCO world heritage sites.Not only that this great Island has unspoiled beaches, waterfalls, pure rivers, 15 national wildlife parks, lagoons with indigenous aquatic birds, 250 acres of botanical gardens, hot water wells and so many unique things. Because Sri Lanka is a multinational country; Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Moors, Indian Tamil, Sri Lankan Tamil, all these ethical groups lives in this small Island. Sri Lanka is a place where the original soul of Buddhism still flourishes (Buddhist 69. %) but it is not a problem to friendly people in this country becau se there are Muslims (7. 6%), Hindu (7. 1%), Christian (6. 2%) & some other religions people living happily within area of 65,610Km. Country has three main geological divisions. In the lowlands, up to an altitude of 100m to 150m, the mean annual temperature various between 26. 5 0C to 28. 5 0C. In the highlands, the temperature falls quickly as the altitude increases. The mean annual temperature of Nuwara Eliya, at 1800 m sea level, is 15. 9 0C.The coldest month of the country is January, and the warmest months are April and August. Agriculture plays an important role in Sri Lankan economy. Main agricultural product is rice but Tea, Rubber & coconut brings more foreign currency to the Island not only that but also Spices export brings foreign money as well. Sri Lanka's economy today is mainly based on the service and industrial sector. However Tourism and the related services industries are also growing in Sri Lanka. Madushanka W. H. M 11294574 madawa. [email  protected] com What is E-TourismWhen we consider about manual processes regarding tourism, there are so many things including air ticket or Cruise ticket reservation, hotel reservation not only that every person must need to obtain a permission before entering to a country (Visa). Just think if a tourist or travel agency had to do all those things manually; definitely it will take nearly one month or more. So E-tourism is the best option for all those time taken processes. It’s a combination of e-commerce and tourism & it helps to maximizing the efficiency of tourism sector.Tourism has closely been connected to progress of ICTs for over 30 years. The establishments of the Computer Reservation Systems (CRSs) in the 1970s, Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) in the late 1980s and the Internet in the late 1990s have transformed operational and strategic practices dramatically in tourism (Buhalis, 2003; Buhalis & Law, 2008). The tourism industry at first focused on utilizing computerized systems (e. g. , CRS, GDS) to increase efficiency in processing of internal information and managing distribution.Nowadays, the Internet and ICTs are relevant on all operative, structural, strategic and marketing levels to facilitate global interaction among suppliers, intermediaries and consumers around the world (Buhalis & Law, 2008; Egger & Buhalis, 2008). E-tourism is a really great concept because it includes business management, information systems & management and the tourism. As an example it has main electronic business functions such as e-commerce, e-marketing, e-accounting etc http://www. srilankan. aero/welcome. html? local e=en_us. ttp://www. srilankan. aero/welcome. html? local e=en_ushttp://www. srilankan. aero/welcome. ht ml? locale=en_ushttp://www. srilankan. aero/wel come. html? locale=en_us. srilankan. aero/welco me. html? locale=en_us http://www. starcruises. com/newweb/homepage. aspx Madushanka W. H. M 11294574 madawa. [email  protected] com Key Players In E-tourism E-tou rism provides great opportunities for numerous key players in tourism industry to expand their businesses. Also because of the E-tourism numbers of new players have come into the tourism industry.Mainly there are several key players; 1. 2. 3. 4. Airlines Hotels Tour operators 7 Travel Agencies Particular country(In here Sri Lanka) 1. Airlines When we considering about the airlines long time ago reservations were made by using a manual process. It’s a really time consuming work because reservations were made on manual display boards, where passengers were listed. Travel agencies had to locate the best routes and fares in manuals and then check availability and make reservation by phone, before issuing a ticket manually.World’s first automated reservation system called SABRE (Semi-Automatic Business Research Environment) was introduced by American Airlines and IBM jointly during 1962. It enabled American Airlines to replace the handwritten passenger reservations system o f the 1950s with the automated reservations system for the future. Currently SABRE global distribution system is used by more than 400 airlines, 55,000 travel agencies, 88,000 hotels, 13 cruise lines & etc.In Sri Lanka currently Sri Lankan airlines has earned great revenue and won series of international and national awards in fields ranging from passenger transport to marketing and internet technology including Platinum Award from the International Air Transport Association as one of the first airlines in the world to introduce a major innovation to tickets. Madushanka W. H. M 11294574 madawa. [email  protected] com SriLankan Airlines made significant investments in technology during last year, the carrier contracted with Calidris(since acquired by Sabre Airline Solutions) to help ensure seats are not occupied by false or spurious bookings .The solution looks at business problems including: Ticket time limits, Fake names, Duplicate bookings and duplicate segments within a booking , Fake or duplicate ticket numbers. 2. Hotels One of the most important player in travel & tourism sector which has a long history, nearly 1300 years. World’s oldest hotel is â€Å"Hoshi Ryokan† which is founded in 717. Sri Lanka’s oldest hotel is â€Å"Galle Face Hotel† which was founded in 1864 by four British entrepreneurs. Now a day hotels in other words E-Hospitality plays major role in E-Tourism.During 1970s due to the airlines Computer Reservation Systems (CRSs) and ICT developments forced hotel industry to develop hotel CRSs in order to maintain good customer friendly environment with rapid response time to customer. By using CRSs in hotel sector, it’s enable travel & tourism trade to access accurate information on availability and to provide easy, inexpensive, efficient and reliable way of making and confirming reservations. Switch companies such as THISCO and WIZCOM emerged also to facilitate interconnectivity between dedicated or interna l hotel system and GDSs (Emmer etal. 1993; O’Connor, 1995, 1999) The development of switch companies Switch Companies CRSs/GDSs Madushanka W. H. M 11294574 madawa. [email  protected] com â€Å"Galileo† is one of the well-known CRS in the world which provide Hotel room reservations, Airline bookings etc. Galileo RoomMasterâ„ ¢ is supper solution by â€Å"Travelport† company which provides hotel shopping and booking solution. By purchasing Galileo RoomMasterâ„ ¢ it provides Galileo-connected subscribers with direct, real-time access to relevant hotel system for shopping and bookings of hotel’s properties.Also it enables to connect with more than 190,000 travel agency workstations, as well as corporate and consumer/ecommerce users throughout the world. Most of the Sri Lankan hotels also are now available for online reservations by using those systems & some of them are inbuilt solutions by the hotels. 3. Tour operators & Travel Agencies Tour operator s organizes, arranges leisure packages including flights & accommodation. They pre-book tourism products and distribute them through advertising in travel agencies.Major tour operators use internet based communication system in order to reduce information handling costs and to increase the speed of information transfer with agencies and the customers. Currently some of the established tour operator’s business are made, in other words packages are booked through online. Thomson Holidays is one of the world famous tour operator company which only accept reservation made through Thomson’s open-line Program (TOP). In Sri Lanka huge number of tour operators like JF tours, Miracle Sri Lanka, Nalro tours use Ecommerce based techniques to attract travelers & advertise about their packages. Madushanka W.H. M 11294574 madawa. [email  protected] com 4. Sri Lankan Government After 30 years of the civil war, tourism is one of the main considering areas of the Sri Lankan governmen t. As mentioned in previously, county has lot of tourist attractions. So currently government has invested in several areas to develop travel & tourism industry. Sri Lanka Tourism Board (SLTB) former Ceylon Tourist Board which is under the Ministry of Economic Development has the main responsibilities to develop country’s travel & tourism. As a country still Sri Lanka couldn’t reach up to good place in E-Tourism. but SLTB doing its best to improve E-tourism.They have an alliance with ICTA (Information and Communication Technology Association of Sri Lanka) to develop E-Tourism. Also SLTB re- launched their web site (http://www. srilankatourism. org/) with new look & currently Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau which is under SLTB trying to use the best technologies to promote about the Sri Lanka (http://www. srilanka. travel/). Social networking (Facebook icon) on the page Ministry of Economic development has long time tourism development strategy (20112016). They have mentioned use of the internet & E-commerce are key objectives to be achieved through the 5 year strategy.Madushanka W. H. M 11294574 madawa. [email  protected] com E-Tourism Benefits to Key Players 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Help to understand about the customers & help to build a good customer relationship. Make direct communication between customers. Ability to respond in quick and efficient way to customer. Reduces communication, advertising cost due to eMarketing. Help to increase interconnectivity among the key players. 24/7 of the business time Less of labors. E-Tourism Benefits to Customers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Can do the business directly without interpreters. Reduces time Accessible at any time Due to competition can obtain good ervice or great product at low price. Can know Up to date information. Wide range of selections. Ability to customize products or services. Online auctions. Future developments in E-Tourism E-tourism has reach to great place in the world but when con sidering with E-commerce there are so many ways which can develop. ? ? ? E-tourism in world or Sri Lanka, still haven’t any major developments in field of mobile, mobile advertising. So developing that kind of product will help to earn more revenue than now. When considering other online products travel & tourism sector need to more think about social networking.As a country Sri Lanka should need to develop several telecommunication technologies such as speed of the internet, wireless internet access etc. †¦ Madushanka W. H. M 11294574 madawa. [email  protected] com Bibliography 1. Department of Meteorology – Sri Lanka (2012) Climate in Sri Lanka [online], available: http://www. meteo. gov. lk/index. php? option=com_content=article=106 d=81=en [07 Feb 2012]. 2. Dodson, B (2011) ‘PEACOCK PROUD’, ascend, available: http://www. google. lk/url? sa=t=j=sabre%20in%20srilankan%20airlines= web=1=2=0CCgQFjAA=http%3A%2F%2Fwww. abreairlinesolutions. co m%2Fima ges%2Fuploads%2FPeacockProud_APR_2011. pdf=6Lk0T87BIYnPrQe13rC6 Dw=AFQjCNGqQUEN5z3krOlHuO4v41AcGRi3wA=rja [06 Feb 2012]. 3. Gartner, W. C, Lime, D. W. (2000) Trends in outdoor recreation, leisure, and tourism: New wave of technological evolution, London: CABI publishing. 4. Glowatz, M (2011) ‘Emerging Infrastructure Trends ’, E Commerce Infrastructure (SL), 9 Feb 2012, University Collage Dublin, Unpublished. 5. Hotelmule(2008)The development of switch companies[Image online], available: http://hotelmule. com/management/html/83/n-2183-9. html[06 Feb 2012]. 6. IBM

Online Marketing at Big Skinny Essay

After analyzing the case it is recommended that Big Skinny should revisit their online marketing options and prioritize what they should be concentrating on to make a good stand in online market and create a brand name. This would help them create a customer base whom they can introduce with new buying options later on. They should start with social media, interactive marketing and online distributors first. For making their online marketing campaign a success it is necessary that customers are confident of their product. Wallets are a kind of product which are best analyzed by touching and feeling the material. So the people who have already owned a big skinny wallet or have heard enough about the brand will be most confident to buy it online. So its possible that in initial days of their online market they will get large number of repeat purchases and lesser new purchases. For creating their brand value online, initially they should only use online distributors who are trusted by t he customers, like Amazon and ebay . This would also help avoid the glitches like wrong discount coupon distribution and many other losses associated with it. They should be selective when it comes to the reputation of the website which is distributing their product and make sure that customer revisits the site because of their product and not just to find some discounted deals. As they already have a huge and happy customer base they should inspire these customers to come online and promote other people to buy their product using social media. They can also introduce some kind of reward point system for regular customers to encourage them to visit their online resources and buy product form there and leave recommendations. Other ways to promote their product can be TV commercials, email promotion and online rebates etc. Now, coming to other promotion strategies which they should consider next when they have got a good online customer response. The Display advertisements only get clicked 0.1% of the time and also takes a lot of time for theirsite to be listed as top site, so they should save their money by not concentrating on this option. As far as sponsored search is considered, as indicated in their chart they are paying a high price for a phrase like â€Å"Leather wallet†, which is not even their priority and main product. I would suggest they should also use words like â€Å"best Gifts for him† â€Å"Christmas gift for dad† etc. because wallets are considered great gifts for festivities and birthda ys. Another long term suggestion to increase their customers would be to categorize items on various customer categories like, wallets for women and senior people etc. Moreover, they should also keep expanding their physical market and should contact more retail stores to sell and promote their product. They can also make a liaison with a well-established brand like Macy’s or Ralph Lauren to get a proper and famous outlet for their product.

Censorship Gone Too Far

This review has passed seven cited quotes regardless of whether you entered the music store or not and you are seeing parent consultation stickers in most of today's popular music. Or, the TV viewer rating is displayed in the upper left corner of your favorite show. What is your favorite video game rating? I believe that you have, but you truly know the influence of these so-called harmless stickers and images on the world of entertainment and your freedom of expression. Recently, in the United States I advertised family values Music review by students at the University of Maryland has gone far. Recently, society as a whole has been influenced by increasingly intense controversy over music censorship. The censorship system is defined as the supervision and management of information and dissemination in society. Many people think that reviewing music is only hiding the truth of American people. This is obviously a biased problem involving the music industry and the people with which i t interacts. Because everyone has their own perspective, censorship is subject to increasingly hot discussion and discussion. The censorship system is unconstitutional as it restricts people's freedom of speech. If legislators can limit this right, what rights do they restrict next? It is a direct infringement of the rights given to us in the first amendment and further reviews should not allow for review if the government limits one right! The censorship system is a controversial subject, and many people think that there are too many censorship systems, but many people think censorship system is far from sufficient. Most people agree that censorship is the management of information and ideas communicated in society. Books can be banned for four reasons: politics, sex, society, religion. - Throughout history, books had a major impact on the society they write. Many of the most important classics in history were challenged or even banned by people of those days. Great novels like Mar k Twain's Adventures of The Huckleberry Finn and Nathaniel Hawthorne's Red Letter have been challenging for years.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 19

Assignment - Essay Example There are many Companies, providing different services in the field of communication, but such leaders as Century Link, are the perfect examples of high-quality services, ability to be reliable and gain a public trust. These objectives are reached through completion of exact tasks. The company provides the users with high-speed Internet. It is interested in providing the customers with security and PC support services, IPTV, DISH Network, MobiTV and DirecTV services (Century Link). Consequently, Century Link is one of the leading companies, providing the clients not only with high-quality phone and data networking equipment, but also the Company, which is able to develop appropriate solutions. The Company establishes its relations with the customers on the basis of fairness and trust. The employees of the Company are protected, compensated and promoted in an equitable manner.  Business partners are pleased with cooperation of CenturyLink. This can be explained by the fact that the Company develops its policies in accordance with the following statement: â€Å"Treat others as you would like to be treated† (Century Link). Moreover, there is no doubt that Century Link would justify its name and it is interesting to look at the history of the Company. There are many characteristics of this Company, but the point that it is brave and innovative cannot be denied for sure. Thus, Century Link is defined as â€Å"the largest Independent Telecommunications Provider and fourth largest wire line telecommunications provider in the United States - based on access lines - serving 33 states with 7.5 million access lines, 2.1 million broadband customers, 450,000 video subscribers and a nearly 17,000-mile core fiber network† (Century Link). These figures are impressive, aren’t they? Nevertheless, in order to delve into the depths of this success, it is appropriate for the audience to know that the Company was established in 1930! The Company

New York City Subway System as a Potential Target for the Terrorists Assignment - 1

New York City Subway System as a Potential Target for the Terrorists - Assignment Example The city cannot operate without the rapid transport system. This makes the subway an integral part of everyday life in New York. The importance of the New York City subway system makes it a potential target by the terrorists. The objective of terrorists is to instill fear in the minds of dwellers of a particular region by disrupting their activities and economy. The terrorists target the infrastructure that a city or state cannot do without. They disrupt operations and crumble economies. This makes the subway a preferred target. The attack involves a gas that will be spread across the subway to render the commuters there inactive. Since the terrorist expects maximum casualty, this will be their best approach. Thereafter, a bomb will be detonated to destroy the underground transit system. Such an act will affect a number of systems. The first will be the electricity transmission lines. The system of the underground transport system depends entirely on electricity for lighting and controlling the temperatures, the bomb is expected to destroy the wire lines that will have an impact on the city-wide transmission lines. A number of blocks adjacent to the building will go without electricity after the attack. The gas will pollute the air around New York City and might affect the Hudson River water. When such an attack is launched in a system as expansive as the New York City subway system, a number of activities need to be realized to assist in containing the situation. A first, every station will need to have their own communication base where all communication to the commuters and workers will be initiated. The security heads at every base will need radios and protective gear. Two at each station will be enough to ensure seamless communication. This will require 936 radios. The personnel will also need protective gear to protect them from the dangerous gases.

Research paper on at&t Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research paper on at&t - Essay Example Hence, both mobility and wireline services will continue to be the focal point of this company along with ISP services. The leadership at ATT is very active force that is trying to get this company ready for the future. As the concept of virtualization and cloud computing becomes more evident; the CEO of ATT is Randall Stephenson, who made great strides to position the company with his vision of Web 2.0. With the help of his CFO, John Stephens constantly collaborate with the FCC for compliance and earnings propagation. It is clear what his vision as he states, â€Å"We’re restructuring our network to shift from hardware- to software-based systems. These can be updated more quickly and cheaply, so we can stay ahead of our customers’ changing expectations† (â€Å"AT&T Support Center†). The company is a public company that is traded in New York Stock exchange as well. ATT has reported a revenue of around $32 million for their 1Q earnings (â€Å"AT&T Support Center†). ATT has been steadfast in reducing expenses by moving to equipment and assets that are not vendor specific. This has allowed the company to not rely on vendors and harness in-house development and techniques which are crucial for the long run of the company. One of the biggest vision of the company is to invest more in the 4G LTE network and slowly shutting their GSM services(an older technology). From a financial standpoint, it is clear that the organization will reap the benefits because it will be able to use its IP services for voice communications as well(â€Å"Femtocell Operator News and Opinons†) . ATT is famous for offering wireless and wireline services. The first and foremost is an effortless customer service. In the realm of effortless customer service, it is clear that ATT wants to take an initiative to provide effortless customer service via seamless integrations of tools and portals. Moreover, ATT has a grand scheme of vision that is known as 2020.  By 2020, the

Civilization history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Civilization history - Essay Example How would her rule be different in the modern world? The term ‘absolutism’ indicates the absolute monarchical power enjoyed by the rulers during the 17th and 18th century. The main features of absolutism are the ending of feudal partitioning, consolidation of power with the monarch, increase in state power, unification of state laws, and a fall in the influence of Church and nobles on the rulers. Moreover, absolutism is marked by the existence of ideologies that justified the absolute power of monarchs. On the other hand, ‘constitutionalism’ refers to the principle that the government derives its power from the people; and hence, is limited by a body of fundamental laws. So, constitutionalism argues that government is not free to do anything as its power is limited. Instead, it is bound to follow the rules and procedures which are set out in the constitutional law of the community. According to Birn, one can say that while absolutism is based on the concept of the absolute power of the ruler, constitutionalis m believes in the balance of power between government power and the rights of people1. Absolutism in Europe tried to ensure order by developing both philosophical and secular ideologies that support the absolute power of the monarch. Some examples are the divine right theory of Bishop Jacques Bossuet (1627-1704) and the Leviathan from Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679). The rulers took all the decisions in absolutism and all the decisions came from the ruler. Also, the ruler ensured control over religion and economy. Another important feature was the clear class distinctions. On the other hand, the methods adopted by constitutionalism were entirely different. As constitutionalism took birth, it replaced the absolute power policy by a rule by law. In addition, the concept of social contract arose as the very basis of government. Thus, the rules developed are the rules that are

The Impact of Technology on Today's Society Research Paper

The Impact of Technology on Today's Society - Research Paper Example The research is based on data gathered from secondary sources. Technology is the application of science to solve a problem. However, there is no definite definition of technology. As technology advances its definition changes. No one definition can describe technology without limiting it. This is because technology evolves each and every day to become more complex and sophisticated. Different types of technology work in different ways for example, we use information technology like the internet for creating and securing data, learning and communication. The scope of this paper is to establish the impact of technology on society.  As the report declares  the goal is to find out the impact of technology on society socially, politically, economically and its influence on health and the environment. The general thing about the different types of technology is that people use them to make life better.  Technology has existed for as long as man. The technology that existed in the pas t may not be as sophisticated and complex as it is today. The introduction of this paper defines technology as the use of science to solve problems and make life better. Computers and the internet may not have existed in the past but science was used to progress man, for example; pyramids of the Egyptians existed in the past.  The technology that exists today may not have existed in the past but there were innovations and inventions then that can also be termed as technology.

Business Simulation Games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Simulation Games - Essay Example The blending of content curricular and design simulation technology gives the students risk-free opportunities that test various strategies that drive corporate activities. Our participation in such games gave us a chance of integrating strategic and financial strategies for their virtual businesses (Blazic, Ribeiro & Arh 2012, p. 13).  Serious computer games from a part of the new and emergent educational environment based on sophisticated technologies and elements of entertainment (William & Klass 2007, p. 4). For this case, there is a need to define a serious computer game. A serious game is one whose primary function is to provide education of any type rather than entertainment. The games provoke active learner involvement and as such, they form one of the best learning platforms for the students. There are unique properties of the games that define their relevance to the education system because they attract concentrations that other methods fail to do. This paper is, therefor e, a personal report of the strategies of a game played for group work projects. The paper has eleven parts, which altogether outline the strategies that the game employed and their relevance of the game to real-life situations. After the introduction, the ten remaining parts will proceed in the sequence outlined. Next, there shall be a competitive strategy, external overview analysis, internal summary analysis, the decisions taken, the results, and strategic directions. The remaining parts will discuss the underlying strategic principles, the key learning outcomes and finally, the reflections and conclusion.

Hunting - species Essay Example for Free

Hunting species Essay Provide several reasons why the elephant is an endangered species 1〠Population growth and migration poses a great threat to elephant survival 2〠Forest elephant lives is illegal logging by humans, Habitat of forest fires so that they become smaller and smaller. 3〠In order to get the elephants teeth, skin, bone, gall and by human hunting. 4〠Elephants character more docile, circus training and hunting with them Elephants mass suicide should be an important reason for the reduction in the number of elephants. [pic] http://image.baidu.com/i?ct=503316480z=tn=baiduimagedetailword=%C8%CB%C0%E0%C6%C6%BB%B5%B4%F3%CF%F3%C6%DC%CF%A2%B5%D8in=5790cl=2lm=-1st=-1pn=1rn=1di=62303643165ln=1991fr=fm=resultfmq=1332407214005_Ric=0s=0se=1sme=0tab=width=height=face=0is=istype=2#pn10-1di31330369530objURLhttp%3A%2F%2Fimage2.sina.com.cn%2FIT%2Ful%2F2006%2F1001%2FU68P2DT20061001143048.jpgfromURLhttp%3A%2F%2Ftech.sina.com.cn%2Fd%2F2006-10-01%2F14171168876.shtmlW298H450T9883S22TPjpg. [pic] http://image.baidu.com/i?ct=503316480z=tn=baiduimagedetailword=%C8%CB%C0%E0%C6%C6%BB%B5%B4%F3%CF%F3%C6%DC%CF%A2%B5%D8in=5790cl=2lm=-1st=-1pn=1rn=1di=62303643165ln=1991fr=fm=resultfmq=1332407214005_Ric=0s=0se=1sme=0tab=width=height=face=0is=istype=2#pn24-1di90139524615objURLhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.iouter.com%2Fupload%2F2007_06%2F070601140920491.jpgfromURLhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.iouter.com%2Fn12632c16.aspxW400H284T9409S44TPjpg.

Financial Statement Analysis Of Marks And Spencers

Financial Statement Analysis Of Marks And Spencers This report will analyze Marks and Spencers financial statements for 2008 and 2009 using ratio analysis. Findings show that Marks and Spencer have not had a very good profitable year in comparison with 2008. The purpose of this report is to analyze the figures and to point out some of the reasons for the deprived performance. Table of Contents Aim of report 1 Ratio Analysis 1 Profitability ratios 1 Liquidity ratio 2 Performance ratio 3 Evaluation on profitability 5 Evaluation of the liquidity position 6 Information provided for the user groups 7 Conclusion 11 Recommendations 12 Bibliography 13 Evaluation of the assignment 14 Aim of Report This report will analyze Marks and Spencers financial statements for 2008 and 2009 using ratio analysis, explanations will be given on why the changes have occurred in the companies profitability, liquidity and what impact the changes have caused on the company. The companies annual report will be examined from the point of view of each set of its potential users. Ratio analysis An accounting ratio as suggested by Melville (1999) is the evaluation of a relationship which exists between two figures shown in a set of financial statements. In the following report mainly the profitability, liquidity and performance ratio will be discussed. Profitability Ratios The profitability ratios are used to evaluate whether the business was able to produce an acceptable level of profit. Gross profit % ratio This ratio shows the gross profit in comparison to sales. The higher the ratio percentage the better it is for the company. Gross profit/ sales x 100 2008 ( £M) 2009 ( £M)  £1,211.3/ £9,022.0100 =13.43%  £870.7/ £9,062.1100 =9.61% The gross profit margin has decreased from 2008 to 2009 by 3.82%. Pretax profit % ratio This ratio shows the net profit before tax in comparison to sales. The higher the ratio percentage the better it is for the company. Profit before taxation/ sales x 100 2008 ( £M) 2009 ( £M)  £1,129.1/ £9,022.0100 =12.51%  £706.2/ £9,062.1100 =7.79% The net profit before tax margin has decreased from 2008 to 2009 by 4.72%. After tax profit % ratio This ratio shows the net profit after tax in comparison to sales. The higher the ratio percentage the better it is for the company. Profit after tax/ sales x 100 2008 ( £M) 2009 ( £M)  £821.0/ £9,022.0100 =9.10%  £506.8/ £9,062.1100 =5.59% The net profit after tax margin has decreased from 2008 to 2009 by 3.51%. Liquidity ratios The liquidity ratios are an assessment so as to ensure whether the business is able to pay of its debts as they fall due. Current ratio This ratio shows how well the company can meet its short-term financial obligations from its current assets. Usually the optimum result is 1:1 or more, but this will vary with each company. Current assets/current liabilities 2008 ( £M) 2009 ( £M)  £1,181.7/ £1,988.9=0.594:1  £1,389.8/ £2,306.9=0.602:1 The current ratio has increased from 2008 to 2009 by 0.008. Quick ratio This ratio shows how well the company can meet its short-term financial obligations from its current assets, removing stock from the calculation. The ratio removes stock because it is the least liquid current asset. Usually the optimum result is 1:1 or more, but this will vary with each company. Quick Ratio = (Current assets- inventory)/current liabilities 2008 ( £M) 2009 ( £M) ( £1,181.7  £488.9)/  £1,988.9=0.348:1 ( £1,389.8  £536.0)/  £2,306.9=0.370:1 The quick ratio has increased from 2008 to 2009 by 0.022. Gearing ratio This ratio shows how much of the companys long-term funds are supported by lenders. Below 50% is seen as low geared and good. Above 50% is seen as a cause of concern. Gearing ratio = Total borrowings / equity * 100 2008 ( £M) 2009 ( £M)  £2815.1/ £1964.0 * 100 =143%  £3060.7/ £2,100.6 * 100 =146% The gearing ratio has increased from 143% to 146%. Debt ratio (Ward, 2010) This ratio shows how much the company is in debt. Usually the optimum result is 1:1 or less, but this will vary with each company. Debt ratio = Total liabilities / total assets 2008 ( £M) 2009 ( £M)  £5,197.0/ £7,161.0=0.726:1  £5,157.5/ £7,258.1=0.711:1 The debt ratio has decreased from 2008 to 2009 by 0.015. Performance Ratio This ratio helps in calculating the efficiency in the operation of the business through effective utilisation of its resources. After Tax Profit as % of Noncurrent Assets This ratio helps as to analyze the percentage of profit the business has made by utilising its noncurrent assets. After Tax Profit as % of Noncurrent Assets = Profit after tax / Noncurrent Assets 2009 ( £M) 2008 ( £M)  £506.8 /  £5868.3 = 8.63%  £821.0 /  £5979.3 = 13.73% From this ratio it is clear that M and S was not able to make much profit in 2009 as compared to 2008. In 2008 M and S was able to produce a profit of 13.73% by the utilization of its fixed assets but by reaching 2009 the profit made has decreased to 8.63% thus there was a decline in the profit by 5.1%. After Tax Profit as a % of shareholders Fund This ratio helps to analyze the amount of profit which the business was able to generate from the utilization of the shareholders fund. After Tax Profit as a % of shareholders Fund = Profit after tax / Total Equity 2009 ( £M) 2008 ( £M)  £506.8 / £ 2100.6 = 24.10%  £821.0 /  £1964.0 = 41.8% From the ratio it is again clear that the utilization of the shareholders fund so as to generate profit has also decreased in 2009 by 17.7%, i.e., in 2008 M and S was able to generate a profit of 41.8% which has reduced to 24.10% in 2009. Even though the company was not able to generate adequate profit from the shareholders fund, the company was able to increase the dividend of the shareholders from 20.3p to 22.5p (Pg: 78). Earnings per Share As suggested by McLaney and Atrill (1999), earnings per share is the amount of profit that has been earned from each ordinary share. 2009 ( £M) 2008 ( £M) 32.3 (Pg: 78) 49.2 (Pg: 78) From the figures listed above it is clear that the shares for 2009 where only providing an earning of 32.3p as compared to last year which was 49.2p thereby creating a difference of 16.9p. Dividend per Share As suggested by Melville (1999), dividend per share is the amount of dividend allotted for each share for the stock held by the shareholder. 2009 ( £M) 2008 ( £M) 22.5p (Pg: 90) 20.3p (Pg: 90) Even though the earnings per share and the after tax profit as a percentage of shareholders fund where all less M and S was able to provide a decent standard of dividend 22.5p to its shareholders as compared to 2008 which was only 20.3p. This shows that M and S are taking proper steps so as to keep their shareholders happy. Return on Capital Employed As suggested by Weaver and Lunt (2003), this ratio helps those who have invested in the business to analyze the amount of profit the business is making from the utilization of this capital. Return on capital employed = Profit after Tax/ (Total Assets Current Liabilities) * 100 2009 ( £M) 2008 ( £M) [ £506.8 / ( £7258.1  £2306.9)] * 100 [ £821 / ( £7161-  £1988.9)] * 100 = 10.24% =15.87% From this ratio it is obvious that M and S was not able to utilize its capital to the maximum level. In 2008 the company was able to provide a return on capital of 15.87% which reduced to 10.24% as it reached 2009. Evaluation of the profitability of Marks and Spencers Examining the results from the ratio results show each ratio has decreased in 2009 in comparison with 2008. The reasons behind the gross profit ratio decreasing were because the gross profit had decreased by  £340.6m in 2009 (p78). The gross profit had decreased because of the increase of the cost of sales by  £155m (p87). The increase in cost of sales maybe due to the increase in purchases over the year as MS increased their buying by 10 times a year (p28). The reasons behind the pretax profit ratio decreasing were because the pretax profit had decreased by  £422.9m in 2009 (p78). The pretax profit had decreased because of the increase in finance costs by  £67.9m (p78). The increase in the finance costs is due to the increase in interest payable and the increase in the unwinding on the discount of partnership liability to the MS UK pension scheme (p89). The reasons behind the after tax profit ratio decreasing were because the after tax profit had decreased by  £314.2m in 2009 (p78). The after tax profit had decreased because of the exceptional costs being stated (p78). The exceptional costs have occurred were not regular running costs and were due to property related costs, rationalisation of IT and logistic networks and redundancy costs (p88). Income tax was not a problem has it had decreased in 2009 (p78). Internal factors which had an impact on the profitability of MS were: Despite the economic recession sales revenue figures had gone up from the previous year (p78), giving a positive impact on the profitability. The finance costs of interest payable had increased to the previous year (p89), giving a negative impact on profitability. Exceptional costs and the exceptional pension credit during 2009 gave a negative impact on the profitability, as the Group had decided to make changes to the pension scheme (p88). Selling and marketing expenses had been decreased in 2009 (p87) to keep up with a tight budget (p14), this gave a positive impact on the profitability. Income tax paid this year was less compared to last year (p78), but as this was due to a lower pretax profit (p78), it still played a positive impact on the profitability. Finance income had decreased in comparison to 2008 (p78), this was due to the exceptional costs of  £135.9m and the decrease in franchised stores (p86). Profit before property disposals and exceptional items had decreased over the year (p78) and this created a negative impact on the profitability. External factors which had an impact on the profitability of MS were: The economic recession which MS along with other high street retailers had to face (p14), impacted the profitability of MS. Customers were not spending as freely as they would normally, resulting in lower sales figures in some areas and therefore lower profit levels. The pace of growth of MS and its services was slow due to the recession (p5). Due to the recession costs had to be lowered to lure customers (p14) this in result had a negative result on the profitability. The sterling currency rate had decreased in 2009 compared to 2008 (p104). Therefore any foreign business would have been affected by this change, resulting in a negative impact on the profitability. Evaluation of the liquidity position of Marks and Spencers Liquidity ratios are used to show the ability of the company to turn its assets into cash as quickly as possible and to measure the ability of the company to pay of its short-term debts and expenses within the expected time. One of the two main liquidity ratios are Current ratio and Quick ratio. It is always good to have a high liquidity ratio as it show the ability of the business to pay of its debt within the expected time. However if these ratios are too high this means that the business is having too much of current assets which are not used nor utilized as efficiently as required in order to deal with the day to day activities. Retail sector of M and S involves purchasing goods and trading cash on credit from its suppliers and for this reason cash flow statements are included. A cash flow statement is used in order to show the cash inflows and outflows of the business thereby providing a better liquidity assessment for M and S. This in fact helps outsiders to analyze the whether M and S is able to generate adequate cash from its day to day operations. The closing net cash has increased to a great extend from  £117.9m in 2008 to  £298.3m in 2009. Even though during these recession period M and S was able to show a good closing cash figure this in fact shows their ability to manage cash. Decrease in net cash outflow from operating activities from  £966.2m in 2008 to  £596.9m in 2009. (p80) This cash generated from the operating activities enabled them to spent on financial activities. Increase in net cash inflow from operation activities from  £1069.8m in 2008 to  £1290.6m in 2009. (p80) The main reason for such a good cash flow in 2009 as compared to 2008 is because of the cost reduction where ever possible(p1). By analyzing the liquidity ratios of M and S the following findings were found out: The current ratio of M and S operating in retail sector was 0.59: 1 in 2008 and 0.60:1 in 2009. This shows that M and S had 59p in current assets so as to pay of every  £1 worth of current liabilities in 2008 and 60p of current assets so as to pay of every  £1 current liability in 2009 The quick ratio in fact showed that the company had 37p worth of current assets to pay off every  £1 worth of current liability after deducting closing stock for 2009 and 35p for 2008. This in fact shows that the firm is under liquidity due to the fact that the company has fewer assets than liabilities. As already explained above the debt ratio shows how much the company is in liability over its assets. By looking at debt ratio for M and S it has decreased from 0.73:1 in 2008 to 71:1 in 2009 which is good as it suggests that the company was able to pay of its debts within the due date. The gearing ratio in fact measures the proportion of M and Ss long term funds provided by the lenders. By comparing the gearing ratio in 2009 which was 146% to the gearing ratio in 2008 which was 143%, it shows that M and S was able to increase their credit worthiness. Thus by increasing their credit worthiness they are able to gain further loans in ease. Information provided in the report for its users (Nyarko, 2009) Employees Employees provide labor for the company; they need financial information to ensure they have a secure job and are being made correctly. The report has the following information useful for employees: Closure of 26 mostly Simply food stores (p6) Reduce roles across head office by 15% (p15) Cap level of pay increase (p6) Early retirement reductions given (p6) Legal and safety performance improved from 80% to 92% (p14) Opened 75 stores (p15) Plan to open 10-15 stores within two years in the Indian subcontinent (p39) Introduced new development programs tailor made for growing tomorrows leaders (p46) Reinforced lines of communication between management and colleagues at every level (p46) One of the lowest UK turnover rates (p46) Training given across each field (p44) Communication improved using tools like In store listening groups (p47) 44 employees celebrated 40 years working for MS (p47) 40,000 great service awards for staff who have excelled in their role (p47) Over 3,500 elected employee representatives from every part of the business in the MS business involvement groups (BIG) (p47) Decrease of 83.3% on bonuses (p48) Pay for performance to be central for decisions (p62) Employees with disabilities given a full and fair consideration for all vacancies (p75) Increase in wage and salary cost by  £48m (p91) Shareholders Shareholders provide equity for the company; they need financial information to make economic decisions. The report has the following information useful for shareholders: Dividends cut by 20.9% (p1) Adjusted profits down 40% (p2) Largest clothes market share (p2) Clothes value market share decreased by 0.3% (p2) M S direct sales up 19.0% (p19) International growth up by 25.9% (p38) Growth by 15% of the Italian range in the food sector (p7) Kids wear increased market share by 0.6%pts and putting MS fourth in the market (p8) Earnings per share 28.0p down by 35.8% (p14) UK gross margin down 1.7% pts (p14) UK market share clothing and footwear down by 0.5% (p18) Carbon emission down by 18% (p19) Reduction in dividends payout by 33.3% (p49) After tax profit down by 314.2m (p78) Increase in retained earnings by  £20.2m (p79) Management The management is the executive and non executive directors of the company, they need financial information to determine if the company is making good progress or not and to make claims for performance related bonus issues. The report has the following information useful for management: Adjusted group profit before tax down by 40% (p2) 39 out of 100 rigorous commitments as part of plan A achieved (p9) New and old members in management team (p10) Group revenue up by 0.4% (p14) Group capital expenditure down by 38.2% (p15) UK sales down by 1.7% (p14) Operating cost up by 4.9% (p14) Adjusted operating profit down by 29.4% (p14) Profit before tax down by 40.0% (p14) 80% of portfolio into modernized format (p15) UK footfall down from  £21.8m to  £21.6m (p18) UKs fourth largest coffee shop chain (p25) Womens wear value market share down by 0.6%pts (p26) Womens wear volume market share down by 0.8%pts (p26) Lingerie value market share up by 0.4%pts (p29) Lingerie volume market share up by 1.2%pts (p29) Menswear value market share down by 0.4%pts (p30) Menswear volume marker share down by 0.2%pts (p30) Kids wear value market share up by 0.6%pts (p31) Kids wear volume market share up by 0.7%pts (p31) Food value market share down by 0.4%pts (p32) UK home sales up by 1.1% (p35) Customers Customers are those who buy from the company, they need financial information to compare financial information and product quality with other companies. The report has the following information useful for customers: New products and services introduced (p1) Building international portfolio (p1) Improve value without compromising quality (p57) Enticed an additional 200,000 under 35s into store for womens wear (p3) Four menswear brands ranging from  £4 to  £499 (p4) New promotions introduced e.g. dress for less (p6) Marketing cost 8.6% lower (p15) Opened 75 stores (p15) Womens wear and menswear divided up into different brands aimed at different customers (p26-30) Style magazines best shop for lingerie 2008 (p29) Top quality food by watchdog survey (p32) Added new products and ranges to home products (p35) Best new skincare product award (p35) Food to order catering service launched (p36) Remodeled 24 stores (p40) Leeds and Liverpool stores modernized upcoming year (p40) Reduced food carrier bag use by 83% (p43) Meet over 67% of the FSAs salt targets for 2010 (p44) The board supported by different committees to help its governance accountabilities (p50) MS core focus on quality, value, service, innovation and trust (p32-34) Suppliers Suppliers are those who sell to the company, they need financial information to check for credit worthiness of the company against others. The report has the following information useful for suppliers: Net debt down to  £2.5bn from  £3.1bn (p16) Increased buying from suppliers to 10 times a year (p28) Trained 1000 suppliers on ethical standards (p34) 2008 compassion in world farming compassionate supermarket of the year award (p34) Paying farmers a fixed and industry leading price for their milk (p34) Engaged in profitable partnerships (p51) Increase in cash flow levels by  £180.4m (p80) Improved net debt by  £586.9m (p80) Increase in current liabilities of trade by  £96.9m (p79) Continue as going concern (p76) Banks and other lenders Usually banks (or other lenders) provide financial help to businesses by providing money. The main concern of these banks and lenders when deciding to provide money to a business is to make sure the business is capable to keep up interest payments during the course of the loan and eventually repay the loan at the due date. Thus the banks require this financial information so as to analyze the financial position and prospects of the business in order to provide them their loans. The bankers and other lenders require the following information from the report: M and S creditors payment policies. (p75) The profit which has decreased by  £314.2m by comparing 2008 an 2009. This might increase the pressure among the lenders to make the company to return their money. (p78) Decreased noncurrent assets by  £111m, so as to seize the assets in case of non return of the loans. (p79) Current assets and Current liability which have both increased by  £208.1m and  £318m respectively. This would enable the lenders and banks to determine liquidity position of the company. (p79) Consolidated cash flow information, repayment of syndicate banks which has reduced to  £108.1m in 2009. This shows the company was able to deal in 2009 with fewer loans. (p80) The Governments The main reason for the governments to use the financial information of the company is to ensure whether the business is keeping up with their tax payments. The other reasons are to regulate the business and to provide national economic statistics. They are also responsible for preventing the business from any fraudulent acts. The report has the following information important for the government. External auditors report (p77) this enables the government to look at the fairness in the operation of M and S. Deferred tax decreased from  £372.1m to  £225.5m.(p79) Tax Authorities The taxation authorities are responsible for calculating the taxation liability from the accounting report provided by the company. Competitors Competitors may use the accounting information provided by their rivals so as to find ways to improve their own financial position. Due to this reason, usually businesses are keen in keeping their accounting information as private as possible. The General Public The businesses which are big and powerful are of interest to the general public. They usually require the policies of the organization so as to know how these policies would impact the community. The public would also want to know whether the business is running in profit or not. The general public would use the accounting information for the following reasons: Old people would like to know about the pension schemes. (p102) Whether the business operations are affecting climate change. (42) Conclusion Concluding the report the findings show Marks and Spencer have not had very good profitable year in comparison with 2008, with a deduction of after tax profit by 3.51%. This is vastly due to the economic recession which has been an external negative factor for all the High Street shops. Another reason for the deduction in profit levels was due to exceptional costs which incurred during the year. However MS have managed to increase their sales by  £40.1M by investing in their costs. They were able to gain growth in certain market sectors and make 80% of its portfolio into a modernized format. MS achieved several awards for their products and the services they provided during the year, which improved their brand image. MS were able to achieve 39 out of 100 of its commitments made to Plan A, which is a long term project to create an eco-friendly business. Examples of these are the reduction of carbon emissions by 18% and reducing food carrier bag usage by 83%.While MS closed down 26 u nderperforming stores, they managed to open 75 new stores. MS has one of UKs lowest turnover rates, as they were able to celebrate 40 years of working for MS by 44 of its employees. The employees wage and salary costs had been raised by  £48M in comparison with 2008, this shows MS was employing more people and paying their employees fairly. Although there had been a dividends cut of 20.9%, there had been an increase of retained earnings by  £20.2M; this maybe to due to MS retaining income for a rainy day, in the present times of the economic recession, or for further future investment. Recommendations To improve Marks and Spencers overall performance and to create a sustainable going concern business, it should: Continue to treat its employees well and award them for their performance to avoid losing any trained staff and maintain its good employer record. Increase its costs on selling and marketing to make customers aware of new products and services MS has to offer. This is return should compensate for the decrease in this years market share decreases. Research past data along with any future investment plans, to try to predict any exceptional costs which may occur. These can then be prepared for so the profit levels are not damaged to vastly. Continue to create innovative products and services which help to win awards for MS, as they will improve the brand image of the company as well as generate more sales. Think of ways to compensate the losses the shareholders have incurred this say year otherwise they may decide to sell them back. Continue to achieve more of Plan A commitments to try to help the society MS operates in, this in return will also create a stronger brand image for the company. Continue to improve on their cash flow levels, so they always have enough to counter any recession associated problems and do not run into liquidation. Look for niches in each of the market sectors by carrying out market research and create products and services in tune with the market needs, to attract more customers, generate more sales and improve the companys overall profit levels.

Deir El Mdina Essay -- essays research papers

Deir El Medina Describe the village of Deir El Medina. The village of Deir El Medina grew from the time of the 18th Dynasty to the 20th. By its final stage approximately 70 houses stood within the village walls and 50 outside. Perhaps 600 people lived here by then. A wall surrounded the village approximately six meters high built of mud-brick. Gates were located at each end. The villages of Deir El Medina made up a special government department under the vizier of Upper Egypt, and were a select largely hereditary group of scribes, quarrymen, stonemasons, artisans, and labourers, who created the final resting place for their divine rulers. Describe in detail a typical workers house at Deir El Medina. Most of the houses in Deir El Medina were built in a standard elongated design, 15 by 5 meters. They had rubble bases and mud brick superstructures, and shared walls like today’s terrace housing. Each of these houses would have the following features. Down several steps from the street was an entrance room, with niches for offerings, stalae and busts. Often there were painted images, sometimes of the god Bes. A low bed-like structure has suggested to some archaeologists that the entrance room was also used as a birthing room. A doorway led into the main room of the house, with raised dais by one wall, plastered and whitewashed. Against another wall may have been a small altar and offering table and niches for household gods. A small cellar was often located under this room, approached by a small flight of steps and covered by a wooden trapdoor. Several small rooms may have led off the main room, possibly for sleeping, work or storage. At the rear was a small walled court, which served as the kitchen. It contained an oven for baking bread, a small grain storage silo, a container for water and grinding equipment. Another family shrine and another small cellar may also have been here. A staircase led to the roof where the family might sleep or store goods. Windows were normally set high in the walls with a grill. Though the outside of the houses was whitewashed, traces of paintings have been found in the interior walls. Refer to diagram 1.1 What type of furniture existed in such a household? The furniture was generally well made and often beautifully crafted. Nobles’ furniture was often inlaid with semi-precious stones and ivory and the villages often copied ... ... and grape juice were commonly consumed by workers- wines were more expensive. Spices and herbs were used such as cinnamon, cumin and thyme. ENTERTAINMENT- There is abundant information about leisure pursuits of Egyptian nobility. They hunted wild game such as the ibex, ostriches, gazelles, hares and wildfowl, and fished in the Nile. It is not certain if the villagers shared these pursuits. Villagers enjoyed music from instruments such as the harp, lyre, lute, flute and drum. Board games such as senet were also popular. What was Egyptian Family life like? Houses held five to six people yet burials often included at least three generations. Marriages were generally arranged. There was no ceremony but complex legal arrangements were made. Divorce was simple; reasons given range from adultery to infertility or simple apathy. Women had considerable legal, economic and social status. Some even appeared to be literate. Children played like they do in every culture yet are often shown performing light work. Boys were educated in a nearby temple where they were taught reading, writing and arithmetic. Squabbles between families, and even within families appear to have been quite common. Deir El Mdina Essay -- essays research papers Deir El Medina Describe the village of Deir El Medina. The village of Deir El Medina grew from the time of the 18th Dynasty to the 20th. By its final stage approximately 70 houses stood within the village walls and 50 outside. Perhaps 600 people lived here by then. A wall surrounded the village approximately six meters high built of mud-brick. Gates were located at each end. The villages of Deir El Medina made up a special government department under the vizier of Upper Egypt, and were a select largely hereditary group of scribes, quarrymen, stonemasons, artisans, and labourers, who created the final resting place for their divine rulers. Describe in detail a typical workers house at Deir El Medina. Most of the houses in Deir El Medina were built in a standard elongated design, 15 by 5 meters. They had rubble bases and mud brick superstructures, and shared walls like today’s terrace housing. Each of these houses would have the following features. Down several steps from the street was an entrance room, with niches for offerings, stalae and busts. Often there were painted images, sometimes of the god Bes. A low bed-like structure has suggested to some archaeologists that the entrance room was also used as a birthing room. A doorway led into the main room of the house, with raised dais by one wall, plastered and whitewashed. Against another wall may have been a small altar and offering table and niches for household gods. A small cellar was often located under this room, approached by a small flight of steps and covered by a wooden trapdoor. Several small rooms may have led off the main room, possibly for sleeping, work or storage. At the rear was a small walled court, which served as the kitchen. It contained an oven for baking bread, a small grain storage silo, a container for water and grinding equipment. Another family shrine and another small cellar may also have been here. A staircase led to the roof where the family might sleep or store goods. Windows were normally set high in the walls with a grill. Though the outside of the houses was whitewashed, traces of paintings have been found in the interior walls. Refer to diagram 1.1 What type of furniture existed in such a household? The furniture was generally well made and often beautifully crafted. Nobles’ furniture was often inlaid with semi-precious stones and ivory and the villages often copied ... ... and grape juice were commonly consumed by workers- wines were more expensive. Spices and herbs were used such as cinnamon, cumin and thyme. ENTERTAINMENT- There is abundant information about leisure pursuits of Egyptian nobility. They hunted wild game such as the ibex, ostriches, gazelles, hares and wildfowl, and fished in the Nile. It is not certain if the villagers shared these pursuits. Villagers enjoyed music from instruments such as the harp, lyre, lute, flute and drum. Board games such as senet were also popular. What was Egyptian Family life like? Houses held five to six people yet burials often included at least three generations. Marriages were generally arranged. There was no ceremony but complex legal arrangements were made. Divorce was simple; reasons given range from adultery to infertility or simple apathy. Women had considerable legal, economic and social status. Some even appeared to be literate. Children played like they do in every culture yet are often shown performing light work. Boys were educated in a nearby temple where they were taught reading, writing and arithmetic. Squabbles between families, and even within families appear to have been quite common.

Arthur Miller and his Distorted Historical Accuracies :: American America History

Arthur Miller and his Distorted Historical Accuracies In 1953, Arthur Miller wrote his famous play The Crucible, in response to a fear of Communism that had developed in the United States during that decade. The "Red Scare", as it was later called by historians was led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, whose paranoia of a communist takeover spread through the nation like a wildfire. Men and women alike fell victim to McCarthy's pointed finger and as a result of this hysteria, were mostly deported from the country, their careers and lives ruined. Some argue today that McCarthy's plan had been to use the fear of the American people to throw his enemies out of office and gain power himself. Whatever McCarthy's motives may have been, Arthur Miller realized the senator's ludicracy when he attempted to accuse the President himself to be Communist. Miller and the rest of the American people drew the line and McCarthy was seen a fraud. By the time the rest of the public had came to this realization, Miller's play was written. The Crucible is a play in which Arthur Miller parallels events of the Salem witch trials of 1692 to the problems that were plaguing his own society. The statement that most readers today bring out of the play is that history has a way of repeating itself. Miller's play was an extreme hit upon release and won a Tony award. The play is so popular today that many teachers in secondary schools use it to base their lesson around when teaching their students about 1692 Salem and there are multimedia activities based on Salem through The Crucible's view. Miller is often asked to speak at events where similar "witch hunts" occur, acting as a sort of expert on the subject of Puritan Salem and acts of hysteria. The question is, why is Arthur Miller revered by so many as "the man to ask" regarding the Salem Witch trials when his play had many inaccuracies, some very obvious? Miller's play is not a historical account of the events in 1692 Salem, but rather a work of fiction. It is important to realize that what Miller wrote is not fact by revealing where his play is historically flawed. Some of the more important discrepancies are discussed below: By examining Miller's main plot relationship between characters Abigail Williams and John Proctor, we uncover many discrepancies, mainly that there was no relationship at all.

Gay Marriage Should Be Legal Essay examples -- Papers Gay Marriage Hom

'Would legalization of gay marriage be good for the gay community?' Sam Isaacson wrote an article analyzing the opinion of the gay community on legalizing same sex marriages. It is somewhat of a controversial issue with the gay community whether or not marriage is a good thing. He divides the community into two groups: integrationists and liberationists. The controversy is caused because of these two different philosophical views. The integrationists want to be as normal as can be. They want to 'integrate' themselves into society. On the other hand, the liberationists cherish their gay culture with their own customs and values. The integrationists want gay marriage and the liberationists object to same sex marriage. Isaacson's belief is to consider the objections of the liberationists. However, he believes that legalization of marriage would benefit gays and society. The liberationists do not care for being part of the ?normal? society. They believe marriage would take away from their way of living and would show that marriage is the right way to live. Isaacson states, ?...

Fight to Win (Race of My Life) Herman Meyer

McVittie 1Fight to Win The two novels pivot around that central theme, strength of character. The first novel, †The Race of my Life† is an autobiography by alpine ski racer, Herman Meyer. The second book   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Fighter† was a biography of George St-Pierre, a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. Two contemporary, highly skilled athletes in completely unrelated sports. Both are at the top of their game and are face with a large obstacle that they will have to overcome to proceed with their career. You are ultimately only as strong as you character. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but when faced with adversity, it is only those with supreme sense of character that will come out on top. Hermann Maier is on top, winning world cup as well as Olympic gold in his sport, downhill alpine ski racing. He has been consistently breaking records with grace and speed through hard work and natural talent. But in the summer of 2001 Hermann Maier’s skiing career comes to a screeching halt. It is not just a question of â€Å"will he race again? †, but â€Å"will he survive and will he ever walk again? †. The accident didn’t occur during a death defying ski race, but instead on a break from training out cruising on his custom made Harley Davidson motorcycle. The near fatal motorcycle crash breaks his leg so badly, almost to the point of amputation and Maier is in the Intensive Care Unit battling infections as a result of a 9 hour reconstructive surgery to peace his leg back together. Maier speaks of waking up after surgery, not knowing if he still has a leg. â€Å"during a ski race, a split second will make the difference between victory or defeat. But now much more was at stake. †(Hermann. Page 1) This gives you some insight as to how bad the situation really was. Not unlike Hermann, George St-Pierre’s (GSP) career may also be in jeopardy. Having fought to get to the top in the vicious sport known as MMA, Mixed martial arts, Saint Pierre has achieved the title, the gold belt. He is the first MMA fighter to receive mainstream corporate sponsorship and endorsement deals. He is sitting in the number one position for his weight class when the unexpected happens. GSP is challenged to protect his position in a title fight against welterweight champ GJ Penn. Penn who holds the title in the next weight class up from GSP. Penn wants to drop down to light weight division to fight the number one ranked GSP. â€Å"Just when I thought I was on top of it all, Penn announces that he will be dropping a weight class to fight me for my belt. (GSP. Page 26) If GSP looses this fight, not only will he lose the belt and the tile, there are fortunes to be lost in endorsements and revenue from future fights. Both Maier and GSP who have achieved success in their sport, are faced with dealing with a possibly career ending situation. Neither sport is for the weak minded and they have fought long and hard, through focused and disciplined training to get where they are in their careers. They will have to muster all the strength in their character to overcome such adversity now.

Divorce in the Philippines Essay

Everyday, we hear stories from the news about women being abused by their husbands up to the point of causing death to the abused. It is also never new to hear a spouse having extramarital affairs and those other stories of infidelity and violence. We may sometimes first-handedly witness it in our own community, neighbors and friends, and even in our own homes. Come to think of it, why stay on this kind of unhappy relationships? According to the Philippine Commission on Women website, â€Å"physical injuries and/or wife battering remains to be the most prevalent case across the twelve-year period, from 1997–2009, accounting nearly half (45.5 percent) of all reported violence against women (VAW) cases nationwide.† Yes, we already have annulment and legal separation in the Philippines but these systems are nothing but flawed—allowing only separation for such grounds that makes marriage void, in the first place. Meaning, this only considers those cases of psychological incapacity, impotence, marriages between collateral blood relatives, incestuous marriages, mistaken identity, and minority. However, spousal abuse and infidelity are not grounds for the annulment of marriage. This does not answer the rampantly occurring cases of violence and infidelity that leaves women rather helpless. Philippines is among the last two countries in the world that do not yet legalize divorce. Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza first filed a divorce bill in Congress in 2005. The bill, known as House Bill 1799, or An Act Introducing Divorce in the Philippines, was re-filed in August 2010 by Gabriela Women’s party-list. It should be no wonder now why it is the women who are fighting for the passage of this bill because they are the object of infidelity and violence. Lawmakers have identified several grounds for divorce: when the married couple has been separated for five years de facto and reconciliation is highly improbable; the couple has been separated for two years before filing for divorce; when the grounds for legal separation (infidelity, psychological incapacity and irreconcilable differences) are present resulting to an irreparable marriage. According to a Social Weather Station survey conducted in March 2011, â€Å"50 percent of adult Filipinos agree and 33 percent disagree with the statement: ‘Married couples who have already separated and cannot reconcile anymore should be allowed to divorce so that they can get legally married again.’† In 2005, a similar survey was conducted which showed that 43 percent of adult Filipinos were in favor of divorce and 44 percent were not. From the statistics, we can conclude that Filipinos are starting to become open-minded with this issue and now accepts divorce as an option for failed marriages. According to Luzviminda Ilagan and Emerciana De Jesus, representatives of Gabriela Women’s Party List, â€Å"The sanctity of marriage is not based on the number of marriages existing but on the quality of marital relationships; when a marriage is no longer viable, divorce should be an option.† Indeed, why stay in a marital relationship where it no longer foster love between husbands and wives? It is now time to accept the rampantly occurring fact that some marriages work and some unfortunately don’t. In cases where a union is more harmful than beneficial, a divorce can be a benevolent and less hurtful way of severing ties.

The Sociopathic Religious Leader and Terrorism

The Sociopath Religious Leader and Terrorism Naturally, when one is given the task to explore terrorism, the first thing one would think to do is look up the definition to establish a deeper understanding. Merriam- Webster defines terrorism as: â€Å"the use of violent acts to frighten the people in an area as a way of trying to achieve a political goal†. This definition can lead one to believe that the word terrorism is nothing more than a subjective, blanketed term that is used loosely to label any act charged with hatred towards the government.This can also lead one to believe that â€Å"Terrorism† is not a word that can be easily fined but definitely has to deal with a basis for political hatred. Currently, scholars can not agree upon a more precise definition for the word. It's meaning varies from country to country, and even person to person. The media leads the general population to believe that terrorism is any violent act committed by a person with radical poli tical beliefs that is pointed towards high government officials but actually takes the lives of innocent civilians.Of course, the events that happened on September 1 lath, 2001 echo this sentiment and the media tells every American that this is the definition of terrorism. But does an act of terrorism always have to be committed by a radical thinker from the middle east with a deep-seeded hate for America? Does it always have to be politically charged? Absolutely not. Politically aimed terrorism is Just one end of the spectrum; however, both Merriam-Webster and the Mass Media would disagree. Both lead one to believe that all terrorism is politically driven. Many scholars also believe there is another fuel behind terrorist attacks.On the other end of the spectrum lies Religion. This world contains religious fanatics that are Just as passionate about their beliefs who are also capable of omitting the same heinous crimes against humanity. To take this one step further: imagine what cou ld happen when you have a passionate person that obsesses and idealizes their beliefs to the point of a mental disability. Many scholars agree upon the fact that there is a level of psychopaths and/or sociopath behavior that is present in the minds of most terrorists. So what happens when you mix a psychopathic brain with extreme religious views?As Americans, we tend to forget that prior to September 1 lath, 2001, the most devastating act of terrorism in the United States was the Oklahoma City Bombings. If one delves past the surface of Timothy McVeigh, they may be surprised at what they find. Timothy McVeigh was more than a man that was angry with the government. Studies done on Timothy McVeigh reveal inherit psychological problems. Studies â€Å"†¦ Suggest that there may be consistent neurological deficits of the prenatal lobes, anterior Cingular gurus and left temporal region behind murderously sociopath behavior. Timothy McVeigh was the textbook definition of a sociopath a nd while he may have denounced his religious views once he was caught, a closer view into his case study proves otherwise. Once you begin to look into his core beliefs you'll discover that he was heavily influenced and involved with the Christian Identity Movement. This â€Å"†¦ Theocratic form of faith that developed in the late sass and movement was a spread like wildfire through rural communities throughout the U. S. In the sass. † Their extreme views are what motivated Timothy McVeigh to put action behind his strong beliefs.The chief guidebook of the Christian Identity Movement was a piece of fiction entitled â€Å"The Turner Diaries† written by William Pierce. In this book, Pierce counts a certain faith-fueled appraisal that happened to be the exact framework for McVeigh bombing. It is as if Timothy McVeigh used this extreme piece of fiction as a step-by-step instructional on how to carry out the bombing. â€Å"In the book, the revolutionaries blow up a fede ral building as part of their intergovernmental war. In real life, the bombing of Oklahoma City's Alfred P.Murray Building was almost a carbon copy of the incident in Pierce's book. † McVeigh even had photocopies from pages on the book on him at the time of his arrest. This event was Just as much faith driven as it was politically charged. As tragic as the Oklahoma City Bombing was, Timothy McVeigh only had one other believer in his cause, his co-conspirator. Over the past couple of decades in America, there have been devout sociopaths that have convinced hundreds of believers to do some peculiar and gruesome things.During the bizarre Heaven's Gate tragedy in 1997, Marshall Applicable convinced 38 people to take their own lives in order to get to Heaven. He convinced them all to eat applesauce laced with a Phenobarbital that contained both arsenic and cyanide. How did he do this? With his smooth talk, convincing tone and personable demeanor. Even ore inexplicable is how anothe r Bible-toting holy-roller by the name of Jim Jones convinced more than 900 people to kill themselves by drinking Cool-Aid. Both Marshall Applicable and Jim Jones had a way with words that could convince people to do absolutely anything.Fortunately for the general public of America, these two monsters didn't have their followers take innocent lives before taking their own. Charles Manson on the other hand was an advocate of getting his followers to commit murder. Charles Manson and his story are both interesting because here is a man with an extremely devoted religious following. His followers committed several orders in cold blood to include shootings and gruesome, multiple stabbings in the name of their leader. Charles Manson proclaimed himself to be both God and the Son of Man and his followers hung onto his every word.It is important to note that Charles Manson committed no killings with his own hands. Everyone that died under his guidance was killed by one of his lowly but loya l followers. Imagine a religious leader as influential as Marshall Applicable, Jim Jones or Charles Manson with thousands of followers that felt the need to inflict harm upon the general public. Shook Sahara was an extreme religious fanatic in Japan that had a rather extensive following. He was the sole creator of the religious affiliation Mum Sonority.His beliefs were originally rooted in Christianity and the Bible but took a drastic turn for the worse once his sociopath mind started to further develop his own personal ideologies and started applying them to his made-up religion. Sahara believed that he was the Son of God and began to preach this to the masses. This man had a way with words and he was able to accumulate a cult-like following of nearly 10,000 people residing in Japan and 30,000 more in Russia. Sharma's cult was truly unique because of its followers: â€Å"†¦ At seems most remarkable about this apocalyptic cult is that its leading members include Japan's best a nd brightest: scientists, computer experts, lawyers and other highly trained professionals. But according to cult expert Margaret Singer of the University of California at Berkeley, these demographics are not unusual. â€Å"Cults actively weed out the stupid and the psychiatric cases and look for people who are lonely, sad, between Jobs or Jilted,† she says. † This is more than likely the main reason behind the widespread following and the high volume of people that read into all of Sharma's beliefs.Sharma's international claim to fame name in 1995 when he initiated a terrorist attack upon the general public that resided in Tokyo. Under Sharma's guidance, a Saris nerve gas was released into the enclosed and confined spaces of the Tokyo underground subway system. The effects of the gassing were catastrophic. There were 13 untimely deaths and more than 5,000 people were seriously injured. Using religion, Sahara convinced 27 co- conspirators to cause harm to thousands upon thousands of people in the name of God. Sahara is one of the ultimate examples of how a sociopath coupled with extreme religion can wreak havoc on society.What if there was a man with an extensive following like Shook Sahara and the motivation to carry out his own dirty work like Timothy McVeigh? Faith-driven terrorist acts committed in the name of God would cause mayhem in residential streets across America. All of these men mentioned, whether they committed acts of terrorism or not, have had many characteristics in common with most terrorists that have been psychoanalysis professionally through an institution. They all exhibit some of the same key certain traits. First, most terrorists are very convincing.Whether they use deceptive charm or descriptive stories to make their followers believe their truth, they can alter pinions and change views in order to make people see their altered view or reality. In the cases of both Timothy McVeigh and Shook Sahara, this rings true. Secondl y, terrorists and sociopaths alike are characteristically known to be highly intelligent. This is evident in the case of Sahara because in order to attract intellectual people, Sahara had to be intellectual himself. Sahara charmed his followers with intelligence and conversed with people on their high level.And lastly, Sociopaths are delusional to the point that they have convinced themselves that their babbling is the absolute truth. There is nothing more convincing that a man that has absolute, 100% confidence in the words that he is preaching. Whether it is a complete lie or not, an unwavering confidence in delivery combined with a zealous belief that it is the truth is enough to motivate thousands. One day in the United States of America, there will be a sociopath religious leader that has a strong cult-like following who is widely accepted and loved by the general public.Business men and politicians alike will endorse his personal views on religion and the major marketing giant s will have him on the covers of magazines and on the front page of newspapers . Rappers and singers will mention him in their songs, and he may even have a verse or two on a hit-song himself, making him a household name. He will make cameo appearances in hit box-office movies and win over audiences across America. Both he and his devoted underlings will have an extreme zeal and undying faith for what they believe.If this sociopath religious leader has a destructive vision that is characteristic of all terrorists, evil and destruction will be a result. His zeal coupled with mass appeal, along with the notion of â€Å"Our work is favorable in the eyes of God† ill result in catastrophic terrorist events nationwide and may even unfold to be the beginning of something much bigger, something that is already written. While the thought of a politically charged terrorist attack is awful, the endless possibilities of faith-driven acts of terrorism are absolutely mortifying.The politic ally driven terrorist has a rational consequence to deal with: backlash from the government and the citizens. On the other hand, the faith-driven terrorist has an irrational view of consequence or concern for his actions because the only audience he is worried with is God. The faith-driven terrorist is liable to do so much more harm to innocent lives because his psychopathic brain may see his work as acceptable according to his beliefs and favorable in the eyes of God.It is his disregard of the consequences that is unbearable and leaves the doors wide open for any and all kinds of terrorist attacks to ensue. The faith-driven terrorist is not bound by the constraints of this world and it is because of this, that the sociopath religious leader is the ultimate terrorist.

How Will Science and Technology Change Our Lives Essay

The Contribution of India to the world of Science & Technology dates back to ancient times. India had the best of the scientists in different fields of science and technology – mathematics, medicine, architecture, astronomy, geometry, chemistry, metallurgy, etc. Aryabhatta was a fifth century mathematician, astronomer, astrologer and physicist. He introduced the concept and symbol for Zero and the decimal place value system to the world of mathematics. Bhaskaracharya introduced Chakrawat Method or the Cyclic Method to solve algebraic equations. Kanad, a sixth century scientist developed the atomic theory which says that the material universe is made up of anu/atom, which cannot be further subdivided and they are indivisible and indestructible. This is what the modern atomic theory says. In the field of medicine, India was a front runner. Susruta was a pioneer in the field of surgery. Charak, considered the father of ancient Indian science of medicine, was the first to talk about digestion, metabolism and immunity as important for health and so medical science. The science of Yoga was developed in ancient India as an allied science of Ayurveda for healing without medicine. India was a pioneer in many technologies such as metallurgy (steel making, iron, zinc, bronze etc) and Architecture. The findings in Moganjatharo civilisation stand testimony to this fact. The structures such as Iron Pillar in Delhi, Taj Mahal, Gol Gumbaz, Mahabalipuram, Tanjore Periya Kovil are some examples of India’s supremacy in the Architecture. Science and Modern India Indian scientists have played a stellar role in the development of India. In the short span of its post-independence history India has achieved several great scientific achievements. Indian scientists have proved their mettle in the face of international sanctions and have made India one of the scientific powerhouses of the world. Sir M. Visvesvaraya, Sir CV Raman, Jagadish Chandra Bose, Subramaniam Chandrasekar, Srinivasa Ramanujam, Homi Bhaba, Vikram Sarabhai are some of the names leading the pack of Indian scientists. How technology impacts people’s life? Technology affects people’s lives by improving medicines, provides better treatment for diseases and insures a longer life. It improves transportation by helping people move from one corner of the world to other in hours by using transportation services such as Airways, Railways, or even Bus Transportation. Modern Technology changed people’s lifestyle and the way they live. For example, now it’s possible to surf Internet on TV, watch programs, pause Live TV, and even playback live shows. Internet surfing is a technology revolution. Because of that technology, a person could know what is happening on the other side of the world. Due to Internet, it is now possible to say that the world is at your fingertips. Recent discoveries and scientific breakthroughs such as Cracking the DNA code and Mapping the Genome may completely change the way people look even before they are born. Diseases that are passed through generations, like diabetes, chronic diseases may be eliminated from the unborn child. What India should do? While India is uniquely positioned to use technology for progress, it has in the recent past lagged behind in the quality and spread of science research. The need for a strong science eco-system based on a sound research foundation is the need of the hour for India to become a Global Power house. The key to continued success for India in a globalised knowledge-driven economy is building a higher education system that is superior in quality and committed encouragement of relevant research in science and technology. To achieve this, the government, universities, companies, venture capitalists, and other stakeholders should come together to enable Research and Development to achieve superiority in the field of science and technology.

Crime and The American Dream Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Crime and The American Dream - Essay Example The American has adopted a capitalistic society that leads to lack of social control and deviant behaviour. The American Dream refers to broad cultural ethos that has a goal of success open to competition. Americans are socialized to believe that they can achieve it regardless of nay obstacles, since it is a free country of equal opportunities (Messner, & Rosenfeld, 2012). This Dream has a distorted the values of Americans where they focus on monetary success and disregard happiness with commitment to acquire material gains. This has created a culture of prioritizing material gain using illegitimate methods to gain success that results in anomic imbalance in the society (Maume, & Lee, 2003). The Anomies means disintegration of social controls that produce high likelihoods of deviant behaviour that leads to the breakdown of morals in the society. America has a set of norms and values that distinguish its culture from others which explains the foundation of Americans are resistance to social control and hence culpable to criminal temptation, This means that norms and values that are supposed to mould the cultural and social stamina in America is the main motivator of high rates of criminal behaviour, and the values are individualism, achievement, orientation and materialism. The American society looks at its social worth by what it accomplishes since it is the primary objective. The methods used to get to such a point are disregarded since the focus is the end goal. In the pursuit of success, this means that one must also achieve their own success thus creating competition in the society rather than moulding collaboration. This demotivates use of legal means especially to those with limited resources (Agnew, 1992). These values mould the minds of Americans in such a way to legitimize harmful means of achieving success, and this creates an obsession with crime. The Anomie theory integrates the concepts why American Dream leads

Module 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Module 8 - Essay Example It is also common for temple walls to be adorned with sculptures of scroll-like foliage, images of women, and couples exhibiting romantic scenes. These human figures are voluptuous, curved, and appear to be in perpetual motion, representing growth, prosperity, and abundance, and were regarded as auspicious motifs (India Netzone,2009). A famous example of a temple with ornate scenes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata is the Virupaksha temple, the biggest temple located in Pattadakal which is a World Heritage Site. Another, the Hutchimali Temple, displays a sculpture of Vishnu sitting on top of a large cobra. A third, the Ravalphadi cave temple, is a celebration of the many forms of Shiva. These temples depict the gods in human forms or derivations thereof – e.g., Vishnu is sometimes shown as a male form with four arms representing his wide-reaching power. The human form is therefore deified in Hindu architecture. References: Acharya, Prasanna Kumar (1946). An Encyclopaedia o f Hindu Architecture. Oxford University Press. India Netzone (2009) ‘Hindu Art’. IndiaNetzone. 10 Aug 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2012 from http://www.indianetzone.com/42/hindu_art.htm Rajan, K.V. Soundara (1998). Rock-Cut Temple Styles. Somaiya Publications: Mumbai. ISBN 81-7039-218-7 http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1036&bih=602&tbm=isch&tbnid=7XMgE3Kxs5sNSM:&imgrefurl=http://www.viasingapore.com/author/admin/&docid=6C8I_lf8GUOvbM&imgurl=http://www.viasingapore.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/vacation_645x320-1.jpg&w=645&h=320&ei=gyF5UPHFK8HPrQetoYHYCw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=114&vpy=331&dur=1799&hovh=158&hovw=319&tx=127&ty=136&sig=113358727395579824739&page=1&tbnh=133&tbnw=266&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0,i:100 Category B (3) Discuss the contemporary art of Meera Mukherjee's Ashoka at Kalinga. How does her art embody the past with the present? Meera Mukherjee is a modern Indian sculptor whose artistic efforts were directed at incorporating local, traditional, and non-western themes and techniques, with those of the international, modern, and western approaches. Her masterpiece, Ashoka at Kalinga, exhibits both the influences of her German training and her stay with the Bastar tribe in central India, where she studied their unique method of casting bronze. Ashoka was a great emperor who ruled during the 3rd century B.C., specifically the last major emperor of the Mauryan dynasty. The conquest of Kalinga, a country on the east coast; the battle was Ashoka’s only aggressive war. It lasted a full year and turned out triumphant but bloody, during which 100,000 people were slain, 150,000 were taken into captivity, and an untold number died of starvation. Severely distressed by the violence of war, Ashoka thereafter rejected war and adopted Buddhism as his empire’s official religion. Drawing upon this significant segment of India’s history, Mukherjee used Ashoka at Kalinga as a means of peaceful protest against the political violence in late 20th century India. By depicting a moment in her country’s past through her sculpture, she was able to make a connection with the present events with the same timeless message – the rejection of violence. Aside from the theme, Mukherjee

Cause and Effect of the Unemployment Rate Term Paper

Cause and Effect of the Unemployment Rate - Term Paper Example The paper will also try to identify other causes for such extraordinary situation not seen ever before. Understanding Phillips Curve Below is a typical Phillips Curve drawn for the period between 1961 to 1969 as unemployment rate versus inflation rate. Source: http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/PhillipsCurve.html The curve shows inverse relationship between the unemployment rate and inflation. During the years 1961-67, as unemployment rate rises from 4 percent to 6 percent, inflation rate reduces from 3 to 1 percent. A way back in those years, Philips curve was used as a guide for policy makers. To reduce the unemployment rate from 6 percent to 5 percent, the government would think of stimulating the economy by spending more but later on Phelps and Friedman put forward their views that in order to achieve lower unemployment rate government cannot trade with higher inflation rate. If unemployment is at the natural rate and the real wage also remains constant and the government uses mo netary and fiscal policy tools to lower unemployment rate below its natural rate, then the resultant increase in demand will encourage firms to raise their prices quickly and would like to pay more. Due to this, labor supply will increase and unemployment rate goes down. This is an illusion for labor as price will rise more rapidly than they would anticipate. The moment they feel the pinch of inflation, labor supply gets reduced at the old wage rates or they will demand increase in wages. In this process, real wage gets back to its previous level and the unemployment rate comes back to the natural rate. The price inflation continues at the higher rates due to expansionary fiscal policies. (Hoover 2008) Friedman’s and Phelps’s analyses explained first time that Phillips curves behave differently in the long run. The average inflation rate in 1960s was about 2.5 percent which rose to 7 percent in the 1970s; however during the same period the unemployment rate did not fal l but increased from about 4 percent to about 6 percent. This implied that at some rate of unemployment there would always be a stable rate of inflation. This came to be known as NAIRU (nonaccelerating inflation rate of unemployment). NAIRU is presented here below for the period between 1945 and 2000. (Hoover 2008) Source: http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/PhillipsCurve.html NAIRU does not suggest that unemployment rate is constant unlike natural rate of unemployment. Milton Friedman developed the Expectations-Augmented Phillips Curve that explained the breakdown of the Phillips Curve. The Expectations-Augmented Phillips Curve for the period from 1976 up to 2002 for the changes in the rate of inflation versus unemployment rate is plotted as per the following. (Hoover 2008) http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/PhillipsCurve.html The chart shows NAIRU at about 6 percent. Assuming a situation when economy is at NAIRU, rate of inflation at 3 percent, and the government wants to reduce it to zero. The chart suggests that monetary and fiscal policy which drives unemployment rate from 6 to 7 percent brings down the inflation rate by 1 percentage point. If fiscal management causes unemployment rate to remain at 7 percent; it will take almost three years for inflation to reach to zero. The expectations-augmented Phillips Curve is considered a most basic macroeconomic forecasting tool used by most of the central banks while modulating fiscal policies. Most diverse schools of macroeconomic thought accept the applicability of this model. It is

Armenian Genocide - The Extintction Of ANation Research Paper

Armenian Genocide - The Extintction Of ANation - Research Paper Example Another noteworthy reason behind elaborating the topic selected for this research includes the strong denial tenaciously witnessed by the Turks with regards to the happening of such a gruesome incident at such a massive scale, claimed by the Armenians (Mikaberidze 233). Despite the very fact that the Turks persistently repudiate the number and ratio of the Armenian masses killed by the Turks, they emphatically endorse the catastrophe of the Armenian persecution and killing during the First Great War. Somehow, the recent offer of seeking the apology from the people of Armenia, on the part of the incumbent Turkish prime minister, on the eve of the completion of ninety-nine years of the mishap ratify the claims made by the generations of the Armenian about the tyrannies and cruelties exercised by the Turks on the Armenians partly because of their ethno-racial and religious differences on the one side, and the financial and moral support rendered by the Armenians to the enemies of the Ot toman Empire on the other (Russian Times 2014). By critically investigating into the history of the world at large, it becomes evident that the humans have always been involved into clashes, conflicts, bloodshed and war against the fellow-beings since the primitive eras of Paleolithic and Neolithic civilizations (Durkheim 33). The origin of religion also reflects the lust of the humans to obtain a dominant position against their rival clans, tribes, groups, communities, societies and nations, where the individuals sought support from the metaphysical and supernatural forces to win their favours and earn financial, physical, political and social gains to employ the same against the rival forces (Freud 21). In other terms, spiritual belief system has always been one of the most noteworthy bones of contention among the individuals adhering to and emulating the diverse religious code and