Manufactures car alarms Essay

Costs: Materials: direct, variable1,600 Labour: direct, variable960 Labour: indirect, fixed280 Other production overheads: variable400 Other production overheads: fixed640 Selling overheads: variable480 Selling overheads: fixed360 Distribution overheads: variable280 Distribution overheads: fixed120 Administration overheads: fixed600 (5,720) Net profit for the year1,480 Anhad is planning next year’s activity and its forecasts for the year ended 31 October 2014 are as follows: 1.A reduction in selling price per car alarm to RM8 per alarm is expected to increase sales volume by 50%. 2.Materials costs per unit will remain unchanged, but 5% quantity discount will be obtained. 3.Hourly direct wage rates will increase by 10%, but labour efficiency will be unchanged. 4.Variable selling overheads will increase in total in line with the increase in sales revenue. 5.Variable production and distribution overheads will increase in line with the 50% increase in sales volume. 6.All fixed costs will increase by 25%. You are required to do the following: a)Prepare a budgeted profit statement for the year to 31 October 2014 showing total sales and marginal costs for the year and also contribution and net profit per unit. b)Calculate the break-even point for the two years and explain why the  break-even point has changed. Comment on the margin of safety in both years. c)Calculate the sales volume required (using the new selling price) to achieve the same profit in 2014 and in 2013. d)A director comments that ‘with these figures, all we have to do to work out our budgeted profit is to multiply the net profit per unit by the units we want to sell†. Why is this statement incorrect? Satnam Berhad is considering diversifying their business activities and they are currently reviewing two proposals. Proposal A is to launch their own television station whilst Proposal B is a joint venture with Kaboor Limited to launch a satellite that would enable the African region to receive advertisements for both company’s products. The available data is follows: Proposal A – TV Station Initial set-up costs: RM250 million Annual running costs: RM100 million Estimated life of project: 5 years Value of assets released at the end of the project: RM40 million Increased sales as a result of advertising products: RM60 million in the first year, growing cumulatively by 50% each year for the following four years. Project B – Satellite Initial set-up costs: RM700 million Annual running costs: RM50 million Value of assets released at the end of the project: RM10 million (Note: all the above to be shared 50/50 with Kaboor Limited) Estimated life of the project is 6 years. Increased sales for Satnam Berhad as a result of advertising their products in the African continent: RM80 million in the first year, growing cumulatively by 20% each year for the following five years. Funding for both projects would be at a cost of capital of 6%. Relevant discount factors at 6% p.a. are: Year Cumulative 10.9430.943 20.8901.833 30.8402.673 40.7923.465 50.7474.212 60.7054.917 Required: a)Using the net present value method of investment appraisal, critically evaluate the two proposals and make your recommendation to Satnam Berhad. b)What other considerations should Satnam Berhad take into account in deciding which Project to pursue?

The Hijras of India

The hijras of India are unlike any you might see in any other part of the world. You might have occasionally come across men dressed as women, wearing garishly bright makeup. They immediately attract attention to themselves for all the wrong reasons and most often win ridicule. We are really not sure if eunuch, transvestite, gay or transgender is actually the right term for a hijra as their social mores are very unique and are almost above classification by western terms.One can attempt to know them by their social mores rather than by classification by taxonomy, so here goes: Who is a hijra? Is there no western classification to this transgender from India? Because of a lack of proper english definition, most research points to hijras associated with a matriarchal, hierarchical clan that encompasses LGBT orientations. Some relevant points here to help you understand who a hijra really is: 1. There are more than a million hijras in India, the largest presence in any country! . Hijras live in clans or all-male hijra communities. The hierarchical head of such a community is called a guru. The followers are chelas. The gurus and chelas live in harmony. 3. In larger cities, like Delhi and Mumbai, hijra communities could coalesce based on language and caste but they are mostly secular in their views on everything. 4. Their sharp clapping conveys their presence and orientation quickly to the normal folks. The clap I demonstrate in the audio is simply limp and incorrect.The hijra’s clap is a distinct horizontal flat palms striking against and perpendicular to each other, with fingers spread, as opposed to the common applause-style, vertical palm & closed fingers strike. I believe this is an extension to their physiological identity. It communicates ‘I am, who I am’. There is a sense of instant identification of the community they belong to. Sociologists actually think there are subtle variations in the ‘taal’ of the hijra’s clap that, apart from controlling the attention of ‘normals’ like us, are also used for internal codified messages.Modern hijras maybe dropping this unique aural identifier to possibly naturalize themselves into the rest of society. Apart from it being somewhat aurally arresting, the visual beauty of the henna design on their hands gets a resounding slap and abruptly snaps it out of it’s intended accent on their femininity. This could well be the reason why an activist, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi discourages the continuing use of the hijra clap, as it has come to only signify begging and extortion. 5. According to Indian surveys, less than 10% of the hijras are castrated . Castration is a hijra’s ultimate form of liberation. Either through a legal gender reassignment by a qualified doctor or an illegal unhygienic, and painful excision by another designated hijra spiritual head. The latter, can often lead to death, but is considered a pure form of nirwaan. Those wh o have undergone and survived the barbaric excision are accorded greater respect in the hijra community. Thankfully, contrary to popular myth, only 10% are actually castrated. Woefully, the deaths due to illegal excisions are not registered. 7.It is believed that because of their unique gender liminality, they have the power to express boon or bane to the recipient. Often called to celebrate weddings and births of newborns. 8. In a successful employment and empowerment scheme, they accompanied Indian tax collectors in the year 2005 and had a revenue share of 4% of the collections attributable to their skills. A euphemism for exhortation, if you ask me, both by the hijras and the tax collectors! 9. Unlike their western counterparts, they are neither men nor women and do not attempt to pass as one.I have a problem with this concept, as they do pick a dominant gender role, when they seek partnership. 10. The Aruvanis of Tamil Nadu have also stated that they do not like to be labeled as ‘hijras’ but as transgendered females. This is cause for some confusion. Was it due to social stigma associated by the term? 11. Most often, hijras are born male but aspire to be women and yearn for a man’s love. 12. Most of the hijras are poor and are discriminated against. They are not gainfully employed and will resort to beg or extort for money and are given to sex work. 3. Because of the lack of jobs many hijras are forced to prostitution and have higher rates of prevalence of HIV within their communities. ** 14. NGO’s employ hijra activists to ensure that their fundamental human rights are not violated. Illegal police custodies and lock-ups of hijras are quickly dealt with by the NGOs. One such promising NGO that has done stellar work with the hijra communities is SANGAMA in Bangalore. ** Sangama was set up in 1999 and is funded by the Bill Gates Foundation and the Fund for Global Human Rights among others.As well as organising protests and rallies, groups like Sangama have been instrumental in establishing community networks with monthly meetings and safe spaces such as drop-in centres for all sexual minority groups. Two thirds of their spending goes towards fighting against the spread of HIV infection through awareness programmes and condom distribution. According to Sangama, approximately 18-20 per cent of hijras are HIV positive. â€Å"Four years ago,† Rex says, â€Å"there were three to four AIDS deaths every month [in Bangalore], now there are three to four deaths every year. † http://petervas. wordpress. com

Non Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Non - Research Paper Example Murals are regarded s the earliest art forms as illustrated by cave paintings of hunting scenes by cave men and those found in Egyptian and Mayan pyramids. Murals can be created using material as witnessed in paintings on cave walls that may have used plant extracts, animal oil to modern synthetic oil or water based paints and pigments. Murals can also be create through the incorporation of other artistic techniques including collage and mosaic where these are embossed onto a wall or permanent surface to create one whole image or representation. This paper seeks to discuss mural art by Ta-Coumba Arken by analysing and offering detailed description of one of his works titled Alum Hungi-I 1991. Ta-Coumba Aiken is a renowned public works art painter whose base of operations is located in Minnesota. Some of his notable works of art in the city include the Jax/Gillette Children’s Hospital mural, the north side’s Pilot City murals project and the Minneapolis Central Library t ile fireplace (Millet 110). A trademark characteristic of Ta-Coumba’s artwork is the resulting variety of contrasting colors and tone that gives his works of art an eye-catching property. This is his style and perspective that is incorporated into his murals, which he starts creating from a white and black outline inwards giving the outline figures ‘meat’ or substance. The outlines set the ground for his process of shape building and coloration, which he describes as ‘spirit writing’. Murals created by Ta-Coumba are characterized by the usage of repeating rhythm patterns through imagery as stylistic devise of bringing out the resultant artistic effect of his art. The artist attributes the inspiration behind his artwork to African masks and dance whose aspects, quality and substance he tries to replicate and bring to life in his paintings. The Alum Hungi-I 1991 by Ta-Coumba is a canvas painting illustrating 9 African or dark skinned figures involved i n various stages activity ranging from drum and flute playing, fishing, spear throwing and dance. This is consistent with Ta-Cuomba’s line of inspiration that comes from African dance and music. The outline of the painting is made out of a black background to achieve the maximum degree of contrast that is also characteristic with Ta-Coumba’s work. The use of color is unlimited, and the level of expression in the figures is accentuated by the rhythm that seems to come from the various poses of the figures in the painting. A notable aspect about the painting is the use of a black outline for each shape a quality that can also be seen in the frame that holds the artwork. Each figure in the artwork is made-up of more than one color a style that gives the painting a warm contrast and rhythm, which works to bring out the theme of the painting. The use of a range of bright colors makes the art work very eye catching. The use of color the blue is used in various shades and int ensities, an aspect that can be construed to represent the artist’s perspective on happiness and joy. The theme of music and dance is brought by the depiction of drums and dancing figures playing the musical instruments. The use of more than one color in the background makes the painting look abstract and distracting to the viewer, which adds to eye-catching quality. The empty spaces in the painting

Biology and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biology and Society - Essay Example When the population of a less developed country increases, government faces the pressure of increased demand while the supply of services and facilities is limited owing to the limited budget of the country. In less developed countries, the infrastructure is poor and weak. The population of poor people with a substandard lifestyle is high. People are not much educated. Still, there is abundance of talent while the job opportunities are limited. All these factors encourage people to adopt unique ways of surviving through the hard times. Many people start informal small businesses of their own. A substantial population of people in the less developed countries renders services to foreign countries. Although the population is high, yet the pressure on the government is alleviated as hundreds of thousands of people from these less developed countries migrate to the advanced countries in search of better opportunities of education and employment and have a high standard of living in gener al. Many people from such less developed countries as India, Pakistan, and China migrate to the US, the UK, and such other developed countries every year. So the pressure of increased population is essentially shared by the advanced countries. ... Even though they are advanced economies, and have abundance of means and resources, yet there is not a substantial difference between how things are done in the less developed countries and how they are done in the advanced countries. Although there is considerable expenditure on research and development in the advanced countries, yet most of the projects are in their initial stages and are not developed enough to replace the old ways of doing things. Let’s take the hydrogen cars for example. Hydrogen car operates differently from the fuel-operated cars in that it does not use gasoline and accordingly does not cause air pollution like the fuel-operated cars do. Hydrogen cars produce steam while fuel-operated cars produce exhaust. Clearly, hydrogen cars are more environment friendly as compared to the fuel-operated cars. However, a vast majority of people even in the advanced countries drive the fuel-operated cars. Hydrogen cars are used by a minority of people since they are v ery expensive and are not produced in large numbers. As it is said, â€Å"The car of the future [the hydrogen car] is here today. Of course, you can't buy one yet† (Lampton). The bigger contributor to the reduction of environmental health and safety is growing consumption of natural resources by the advanced countries. The more the resources are consumed, the more the pollution is created. Whether it is air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, or any kind of pollution, it is more where there is more development. In fact, the very development with the use of the natural resources is what makes the advanced economies advanced. â€Å"Even the availability of grain is affected more by rising livestock numbers and the use of biofuels – driven, again by consumption – than by human

Respond to The Declaration of Independence Essay

Respond to The Declaration of Independence - Essay Example In the following paragraphs, I will discuss further the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness which is the very essence of the Declaration of independence and include their significance in today’s world. According to Jefferson, people have the right to live and protect their lives. The statement â€Å"He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren or to fall themselves by their arms† (82), shows that there was the violation of life. It is known that when the colonizers first set foot on the land, they faced the danger of fighting with Native Americans but that was understandable because both parties fought for their lives, being aliens toward each other. However, for Jefferson, life of the people has been violated because the colonizers themselves were killing each other, friend against friend and brother against brother, not for survival but because of the order of the king. When Jefferson and his colleagues successfully got rid of the British claws that was taking the lives of numerous people, sadly, the fight for the right for life has not been over yet. When it was not White against White that was happening, the divide between the Whites and Blacks was magnified. Whites are known to have owned Black slaves and for decades, there have been killings of slaves simply because of the slave-owner’s desire to have control of his slaves. For this reason, some slaves take their chances of escaping which infuriated slave-owners all the more, causing them more reasons to hurt them or even kill them. The fight for the right for life among slaves has been long and hard but in time, the vision of Jefferson for a government that respects such right has come. Slave-ownership was abolished in 1863 through the Proclamation of Emancipation issued by

Academic paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Academic paper - Essay Example These common images of nursing contribute to the willingness of students to enter nursing programs. Some consider that the nursing shortage that has existed from 1998 (Seago, 2004) has been caused by the negative image the public sometimes has of nurses. Therefore, public images of nursing have consequences in many areas of society. As the public has its images of nursing and what it means to be a nurse, youth are influenced by those ideas. What students believe of nurses will alter their desires to enter the nursing field. This, in turn, contributes to the shortage of nurses in the United States. Of students who choose to enter the nursing field, often their images of nursing change as they enter clinicals (Sand-Jecklin). Nursing students hold images of nursing that evolve, while students who leave nursing programs maintain the stereotype that they’d had previously. This seen, it is obvious that in order to break stereotypes of nursing, one must actually be a nurse and encounter a nurses’ experiences. It is difficult to change society’s perception of nursing. In terms of nursing students, it has been shown that their ideals, stereotypes, and impressions of nursing alter with their experience. Sand-Jecklin studied demographic data of 150 nursing students. Their motivations for entering the nursing field were reported. Twelve percent chose nursing for the variety of positions the profession entails; other reasons were job security, salary, and challenging career. Across the literature, findings show that among the positive perceptions of nursing, mainly found from studies on nursing students, are job opportunity and salary. An aspect of Dr. Sand-Jecklin’s study that gauged the public perception of nursing was the report the perceptions students have of nursing prior to entering nursing programs. Most often, students entered nursing programs with altruistic reasons. This phenomenon is often

Public Relations Measurement - Managing a Crisis Managing a Crisis Essay

Public Relations Measurement - Managing a Crisis Managing a Crisis - Essay Example They may begin to show the symptoms a few days after eating at the restaurant. Once the connection is made and investigations are launched by city health officials, it is likely that the foodstuffs that carry the E-coli bacteria are the ones that will be examined. A trace-back investigation will likely be conducted where public health officials investigate the suppliers of the foodstuff for the restaurant’s franchises across the different states. The resulting image problem could actually cause the restaurant in question to shut down if it is not dealt with appropriately. In such cases, it is first important to ensure that all the produce that came along with the batch carrying the contaminated foodstuffs is disposed of. It will also be necessary for the restaurant to be shut down for a certain period of time. This will be required by the city health officials who wish to conduct their own investigations as to the sanitary practices, or lack thereof, of the restaurant. The restaurant might also want to launch its own investigations into the matter. Most of the time when such incidents occur a restaurant is forced to revise its relationships with all its contractors or suppliers. This becomes especially necessary when the source of the contaminated foodstuffs is discovered. Once the problem’s source has been discovered and dealt with, it is then prudent for the restaurant’s management to inform the public of its discoveries as well as the steps it intends to take to ensure that the problem does not occur again. The restaurant’s management should also include an apology to the public and seek to make amends to the customers who were affected. This does not mean just paying their hospital bills, but also offering foodstuffs for a particular number of days (Arduser and Brown, 2005). The restaurant can also inform the public of a number which can be used by

Factors That Influence Companies' Choice Of Location Dissertation

Factors That Influence Companies' Choice Of Location - Dissertation Example In establishing the organisation‘s strategic approaches, it involves the determination of the factors affecting both the endogenous and exogenous environment of the firm (Kotler 2008). This is necessary as organisations do not operate in a vacuum, but it performs its transactions within the spectrum of society (Kotler 2008). In this regard, one of the salient issues that are determinative of the failure or success of an organisation is its location (Roslin and Rosnan 2012). An excellent location provides certain advantages and benefits to the firm, and these are 1. Increase profits 2. Employment opportunities. 3. It gives companies the chance to be closer to both its target market and resources 4. Reduces the cost of production 5. Provides an opportunity for the organisation to utilise its location for its competitive advantage (Boone & Kurtz, 2006; Hoogstra and van Dijk 2004; Roslin and Rosnan 2012). As such, the decision for the organisation’s location is pivotal for t he survival and success of the organisation as it responds to the demands of the stringent global economic market. ... Increase profits 2. Employment opportunities. 3. It gives companies the chance to be closer to both its target market and resources 4. Reduces the cost of production 5. Provides an opportunity for the organisation to utilise its location for its competitive advantage (Boone & Kurtz, 2006; Hoogstra and van Dijk 2004; Roslin and Rosnan 2012). As such, the decision for the organisation’s location is pivotal for the survival and success of the organisation as it responds to the demands of the stringent global economic market. This involves not only short-term but also long-term factor of the organization and therefore decision making of pertinent to location should be undertaken with outmost planning and sagacity in order to minimise, if not totally eliminate, risks that may arise because of the location decision of the company (Jain 2010). However, according to Roslin and Rosnan (2012), the impact of location has been downplayed not only by scholars but also by organisations them selves. Locational decision has been normally made not in view of organisational strategy and tactic, but often in terms of profit and cost saving measures (Blair and Premus 1998). Besides, there is an unresolved ambiguity between location and environment which results in a superficial study of location especially in the retail sector (Clarke and Hallsworth 1994) Furthermore, this is evident when it comes to small and medium size enterprises. Although the notion of location seems to be a fundamental factor affecting the dynamics and dynamism of the firm, small enterprises are not given the ample guidance and help in making the appropriate location decision. This observation becomes more serious as it is acknowledged that there is no best or perfect location

Western and Chinese landscape painting Research Paper

Western and Chinese landscape painting - Research Paper Example The essay "Western and Chinese landscape painting" compares Western landscape painting with Chinese landscape painting. Most of these landscapes do exist up to now because they were and are still being used as archeological sites. Although landscape painting is believed to have been practiced all over the world, it is the Western and Chinese landscape paintings that are more predominant in archeological sites and art galleries that focus on landscape painting. Western and Chinese cultures depict a wide range of landscape painting. In most paintings, the background always contains a physical feature. In China, this is always accompanied with a waterfall or a mountain while in the West it is accompanied by rivers and lakes . To discus more about Western and Chinese landscape paintings, we will use landscape painting (1), Poet on a Mountain c. 1500 by Shen Zhou, to represent Chinese culture, as well as landscape painting (2), Poppies Blooming by Claude Monet to represent the Western cul ture. In Chinese culture, landscape painting was inspired by philosophy, represented by pure landscape and devoid of human life. Most of the landscapes were based on imaginary sceneries, such as mountain, but there was a common problem in bridging the gap between the foreground and background, or objects in far range. To solve this problem, most Chinese painters used a dead ground or the use of mist. However, in Chinese culture, there was a slight difference between the East and West Asia in the landscape paints.; in West Asia there was the classification of art according to its prestige and cultural value. This practice was known as hierarchy of genres while in East Asia the form of mountain-water ink was the most common and valued form of landscape art. East Asia dealt with imaginary landscape while the West painters dealt with history painting. With time, they required landscape painting and a poem inscribed on the painting with the use of figures to make landscape look more reli gious. A good example is one of the Chinese masterpieces by Shen Zhou which combined the painting and the poem as a religious saying: â€Å"White clouds encircle the mountain waist like a sash. Stone steps mount high into the void where the narrow path leads far. Alone, leaning on my rustic staff I gaze idly into the distance. My longing for the notes of a flute is answered in the murmurings of the gorge5." In Western culture, landscape painting philosophies were based on religious practices and carried significant spiritual weight. Also in the Western culture, artists tried to make the landscape art as real as possible6. In Chinese culture, their landscape painting aesthetics involved a lot of white or blank space, which allowed the observer to fill the void with his or her own imagination enabling different viewers to have different view of the painting, as this will depend on what or how they decided to fill the void. In addition, the Chinese landscape painting allowed the viewe r to focus on a particular image, as most of the paintings were usually blank, as in filled with mist or fog, to scrap the unwanted information, and with focused imagination allowed the observer to express his or her fillings to the image easily. In Western culture, landscape painting aesthetics included all the details that a naked eye could see when looking at a scene and this was to help the viewer to feel as if he or she was present t

US presidency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

US presidency - Essay Example president was George Washington, "the father of all Americans," who ruled the country from 1789 to 1797, that the current State President, Barack Hussein Obama, was elected in 2009 from the Democratic Party and is the 44th the president, in general, and the first black leader in the states’ history. The past twentieth century presented the United States with Vivid, unforgettable leaders. In the face of the presidents of the twentieth century, from William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, at the beginning of last century, to George Herbert Walker Bush (1989-1993) and William Jefferson Clinton (1993-2001) at the end, the state had talented, intelligent, energetic leaders. However, their acts were not always beneficial for the state and sometimes brought evil and suffering to peoples all over the world. This paper will discuss two leaders of the American people, who were destined to govern the largest state in the world in a bygone age, democrat Lyndon Baines Johnson (1963-1969) and republican Richard Milhous Nixon (1969-1974). Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908-1973) began his political career in 1931 as secretary of Congressman R. Kleberg. By 1948, held the chair of senator and in 1955, he became the first leader of the Democratic Party. In 1960, Johnson decided to run for president. However, an election victory in 1960 was won by John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1961-1963), and Johnson preceded the powers of the Vice President on January 20, 1961. In 1963, Kennedy was assassinated on the 22 of November, and since that day Johnson began to serve as president. The end of the presidency of Lyndon Johnson was the 20th of January, 1969, when Nixon was inaugurated. After this event, the 36th U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson went to his ranch in Texas. He dropped out of high policy, wrote memoirs, and occasionally lectured at the University of Texas. He died on January 22, 1973, in his hometown of Stonewall of a third heart attack,

The Claim of English women to the Suffrage Constitutionally Considered Essay Example for Free

The Claim of English women to the Suffrage Constitutionally Considered Essay 1.Classification a.Text type: This is an article published in the â€Å"Westminster Review† in 1867. b.Cultural and historical background: It dates back to 1867, Victorian period (1837-1901), which corresponds with the reign of Queen Victoria. This was an extremely exciting period, sometimes called â€Å"the second British Renaissance†. It was published after the amendment to the Bill presented by John Stuart Mill, backed up by 1500 signatures, including some of the most remarkable women at that time. His petition for women’s suffrage was rejected. c.Author: Helen Taylor was born in 1831. Her mother, Harriet Taylor, was particularly politically active, supporting women’s rights. As John Stuart Mill’s step-daughter, Helen helped him with his books and articles after her mother’s death. In 1865 Mill got a seat in the House of Commons and presented a petition in favour of women having the right to vote in 1866. His petition was defeated. In 1967 she published this article and she was a founding member of the London Society for Women’s Suffrage. d.Addressee: I think that this article was thought to act as a support document for the incipient women’s suffrage movement. She was preparing the ground for a more formal petition, as though Mill’s petition containing around 1500 signatures was turned down. She was echoing the women petition while societies demanding women’s vote were flourishing all around the country. I think this was intended to be a declaration calling for the women right to vote. 2.Analysis Miss Taylor first published it as an anonymous article in the â€Å"Westminster Review† in January 1867 and it was reprinted afterwards. She based her position on the idea that since women were fully allowed by English law to hold all kinds of properties, so they should to vote in the election of the Parliament representatives: â€Å"This petition [†¦] sets forth that the possession of property in this country carries with it the right to vote†. So it was that even American politicians fought against slave’s right to vote based on their inability to hold property. According to Taylor, it was â€Å"hard to see how, if the law of England endows a woman with property, it can, [†¦] deprive her of the essential privilege†. Following the legal positivism developed by thinkers such us Jeremy Bentham (Westminster Review founder), she based her claim on constitutional grounds stating that women were only asking for the recognition of rights that â€Å"flew naturally from the existing laws and institutions of the country†. She stressed the importance of this social movement, mentioning the number of women’s signatures (fifteen hundred) which backed up the official petition presented to House of Commons by Mr. J. S. Mill in 1867, demanding the vote for women. In addition, she set a 10 to 1 ratio. For each woman that signed the petition, there would be ten that also supported the idea but for several reasons, were not able to express themselves. She thought that it should be taken into account when considering the petition and signatories should be regarded as representatives of larger social body. She then referred to what she called â€Å"domestic despotism†, which did not allow women to openly speak their minds. Apart from grounding her petition on the British Constitution and the already recognized right to property and its management, she highlighted that women were perfectly adequate for the government and management as female sovereigns were. Ironically, Queen Victoria, was openly opposed to such kinds of political concessions to women. â€Å"Universal Suffrage† as the word said, implied the personal representation, which comprised both men and women. That brought up the theory of â€Å"class representation† according to which all mothers, wives and women were part of a very large group by virtue of their female condition. Again, she underlined the odd position in which laws placed women who were property owners. She described that as an â€Å"anomaly of the system†, as anyone entitled by law to hold and manage property, should also be able to take part in the political decisions, as they may have side-effects on their properties. She thought that this political exclusion was due to a prior period when women were not able to own properties and as a result, they were not included among the voters. English law â€Å"has long ago refused to drive women into marriage, as sheep are driven into a fold, by shutting every gate against them but the one they are intended to go through†, this comparison drew a very clear image of the kind of â€Å"anomaly† Taylor was talking about. Women needed to be able to protect their possessions within the legal frame, and one of the very first steps was to be given the right to choose their representatives at the Parliament. She also analyzed what would happen if this petition was admitted and the vote to women was granted. She thought that in a way, men were afraid of losing their decision power and that was why the objected to the petition. They should not be afraid of independent women, as they were already acting that way, governing their own lifes and properties. Occasionally voting, will not make any difference. Besides, she thought that politics at the time were full of â€Å"domestic† subjects, such as education, labour regulation, water supplies, etc. 3.Conclusion The Industrial Revolution (a period from 18th to 19th century) dramatically changed everyday’s life in the United Kingdom. Women taking part in the workforce with new kinds of jobs, tough working conditions, etc. were a challenge for the traditional idea of the women’s role, and its relationship with the environment. Traditionally the woman’s place was the house, children and home caring, playing an absolutely secondary role, subordinated to her husband. This article can be considered one of the major texts regarding the role of women in the Victorian society and the controversial right of women’s suffrage. Taylor made a unique contribution to the suffrage movement. Apart from playing an active founding role in different women’s suffrage associations with this article, she gave visibility to an old claim, organizing a widespread campaign getting thousands of signatures to back up the formal petition. In my opinion, Helen makes a mistake with regards to her consideration of the legal position of women and property, particularly in the case of married women. They were not able to exercise any rights over their property most of the times. It was their husband the one entitled to do so on her behalf. That â€Å"full property† she mentions as basic pillar for her theory is not such, except in the case of some widows and single women. However, Taylor was a pioneer in the movement for womens rights and her contribution was valuable in the battle for equality in the context of a shaky era such as the Victorian. This can be considered one of the milestones regarding the role of women, as it was one the early demands for womens suffrage in the United Kingdom.

Threats To Coral Reefs Environmental Sciences Essay

Threats To Coral Reefs Environmental Sciences Essay Coral reefs deal with many threats, from both nature and man. Coral reefs have become the home for over twenty five percent of the marine life in the ocean and theyre the largest living structures on earth (Coral Reefs and CO2). Also, reefs provide food for about 500 million people around the world (Connor). Coral reefs require balanced water chemistry for growth as well as balanced light, temperature, and nutrient levels. Any changes to these can affect the survival of the coral and potentially kill them (Sandhyarani). Ten percent of the tropical reefs in the world have already been lost and the reefs that remain show signs of deterioration and possible loss (Coral Reefs and CO2). Twenty percent of the worlds reefs have been destroyed and show no immediate prospects of recovery, Clive Wilkinson, World Wildlife Fund. The two main threats that reefs deal with come from humans (anthropogenic) and natural events. Consequently, global warming may now have the most devastating affect on coral reefs from humans. Global warming can be caused by the release of CO2 into the atmosphere as a result of the burning of fossil fuels (Coral Reefs in Danger). An increase in ocean temperature is a direct affect of global warming and extremely dangerous to corals and the organisms that call the coral home. The warming can cause coral bleaching, when coral polyps drop the algae that live on them leaving behind the bright white color of the corals skeleton (Thompson). This algae provides the coral with eighty percent of its energy, making the algae critical to the corals existence (Threats). Coral life depends on algae, but too much can also have a negative effect. Pollution has become one of the leading human threats to coral, resulting from runoff, sewage, oils, chemicals, fertilizers, and radioactive wastes getting into the ocean (Kaku). These chemicals can increase the nutrient levels in the ocean waters a nd cause algae blooms and growth of other marine organisms that can compete with coral for space. Pollution can also lead to light deprivation and will ultimately starve a coral, which depends upon its symbiotic algae to produce food photosynthetically (NOAA CoRIS). Pollution can be linked to coral diseases as well; due to the poor water quality that pollution produces. If an oil spill occurs coral spawning, the oil can destroy the egg and sperm of the coral polyp as it floats near the surface before it can ever fertilize and settle (NOAA). Destructive fishing methods are another human related threat to coral reefs. Blast fishing, the most destructive to reefs, kills not only the objective fish but also reef animals and the reefs themselves (Thompson). Cyanide fishing, which involves the release of cyanide into the ocean to stun fish, can kill the coral polyps and corrupt the entire reef (NOAA). Coral mining can also be extremely devastating for corals, the coral is mainly used for construction purposes and can be obtained fifty percent cheaper than rock from a quarry (NOAA). Furthermore, natural threats are also dangerous the coral reefs. Coral diseases are the most common natural threat. Diseases can be caused by humans but they mainly derive from natural biological stresses such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. They can also occur as a result of non-biological stresses such as increased sea surface temperature or ultraviolet radiation (NOAA). Nevertheless, they have the same impact no matter the cause and the main diseases include black band disease, white band disease, white plague, and white pox. Slowly over time, these progress to expand across the coral eating away at the corals tissue and leaving behind its white skeleton unprotected (NOAA). The waves that result from hurricanes and cyclones can break apart branches of coral and coral heads, scattering the fragments and leaving no chance for the coral to recover (McGinley). Tidal emersions, which leave corals exposed for long periods of time during low tide, can cause the coral to overheat and dry out the essential coral tissues (NOAA). Predation from fish, marine worms, barnacles, crabs, snails, and starfish can destroy reefs in some cases by eating the soft tissues of coral polyps (NOAA). Humans remain the largest threat to coral survival but natural events can still be devastative. Pollution, overfishing, and overuse have put many of our unique reefs at risk. Their disappearance would destroy the habitat of countless species. It would unravel the web of marine life that holds the potential for new chemicals, new medicines, unlocking new mysteries. It would have a devastating effect on the coastal communities from Cairns to Key West, Florida communities whose livelihood depends upon the reefs.President Bill Clinton

Flower Shop Business Plan

Flower Shop Business Plan Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. The name Jharkhand is come from Sanskrit which means Jharkhanda which means regions dense forest. Jharkhand has boarder with Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and West Bengal. It covers 74,677 kilometer square from the east. Ranchi is the capital of the Jharkhand. Some of the major cities of Jharkhand are Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Sindri, Deoghar, Hazaribagh and Gumla. According to some writer, they said that there was already geo political and cultural entity called Jharkhand even before the period of Magadha Empire. Now I am going to tell you about what is retail? Retail: Retail derived from a French word retailer which means to break bulk. Retail consist of all activities involved in the marketing of goods and services directly to the consumer for their personal, family and house hold use. General Description Now my topic for term paper is Jharkhand and I am going to open a Flower shop in Bokaro steel city of Jharkhand. Name of my store is BUDS and BLOSSOMS. Goals and Objectives of a Flower Shop Mission: BUds and Blossoms will use the technology to target the customer and differentiate from the other traditional retail and on-line florists by offering flower gift programs with better service such as customer can select the specific delivery dates, tangibility and customer also specify the color, scents etc. Objective of a flower shop: Objectives of my shop are following: The main objective of my shop is to fulfill the customer wants and give them better product so that customer will satisfy. The second objective is to gain 10% profit. To increase sales. And to generate maximum revenue. About my shop: Buds and Blossoms firstly target the audience within the market. According to Emerson he said that certain things have not changed. Some of the most successful businessmen still have trouble purchasing gifts especially flowers for their wives, fiancà ©es and for their girl friends. So Buds and Blossoms provide them fresh and beautiful flowers for their wives etc. I will open my shop in Bokaro steel city in Jharkhand because in this city most of the population is youngster and they like flower as a most attractive gift for their girl friends or wives. And the shop will target the higher level of income on loved ones. Buds and Blossoms mainly target the Valentines Day, anniversary and birthday etc. and I think fresh flower is the easiest way to speak the feelings of your heart. Buds and Blossoms also provide restaurant facility. And I will also give the customer the better service and flowers so that people can trust on my shop. And to open the shop I will see the following factors: Store location: As Buds and Blossoms open a small gallery on that place where the people usually go so that they can see the gallery and would like to visit my gallery. Buds and Blossom plans to open in June and cover 600 square feet. One third space is used for retail and other space is used for storage and restaurant etc. and we are also providing the free parking so that people can easily visit to my store because sometime people cant visit the shop because they cant provide them parking service. Store design: As we know that customer can easily attract by the exterior design of the gallery or a shop. So Buds and Blossoms create a attractive and inviting store front such as Simple and modern design with attractive design. Beautiful flower design and with lots of lighting. Clear large glass window so that people can easily see the interior decoration. Buds and Blossoms will be open for Monday to Saturday and closed on Sunday and the timings are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. And I will follow the policy of CRM that is customer relationship management that means we create a good relationship with the customer. And as I am selling only flowers so my shop is a specialty store which provides only flowers to the customers. Products and Services: Buds and Blossoms will offer a variety of products and services. Products: Using a wide mix of flower: Buds and Blossoms will provide natural and original work of art. The arrangements of shop provide flowers as per the need of the customers. And all samples in the store will be available for purchase. Green and flowering house plant: Buds and Blossoms offer a selection of seasonal green and flowering plants occasionally. Variety of prices: The store will offer a variety of sizes with different prices. Handmade Bouquets: For customers who prefer to use their own vases, Buds and Blossoms will provide them handmade bouquets. Services: Home delivery: Buds and Blossoms will provide home delivery to their customers. Birthday blooms: Buds and Blossoms will offer a free arrangement to each office manager on his or her birthday. Give priority to delivery program: Buds and blossoms give priority to the delivery flower so that we will deliver the arrangements on the same place and at the same time of the week. Buds and Blossoms also provide discount facility to their commercial customers. Marketing plan: Buds and Blossoms mainly target the youngster of the Bokaro city as I mentioned earlier that youngster prefer flower as gift for their girlfriend and for their wives. So our main focus on youngster of the city. As we are opening our new business so I want to achieve minimum 50% of the market share as a florist. Positioning strategies: Buds and Blossoms positioned in their customer by giving some extra benefit, high quality, high quality floral arrangements and personalized service. And Buds and Blossoms also plans to create a unique shopping experience with its floral design gallery which is located in an up and coming arts district area for making poisoning in the customer mind. Current demand in the market: As we know that people like to give flower on anniversary and in the party but there is no any retail shop for the flowers but people demand is high. So rich people demand for the special flowers. So it means the current demand for the flowers is more. Consumer preference and product development: As we know that today people more prefer flowers as a gift so the consumer preference about the flower is more and this preference is also continue in the future. The product development is also high because rich people and business mainly prefer the flower as a gift so the product development is high in present and as well as in the future. Opportunity for the business: As we all know that mainly in India that there has not many flower gallery or a retail shop for the flower so this become an opportunity for me to open a retail shop of the flower for the youngster of the Bokaro city. This is the big opportunity for my business. Barriers for the business: Following are barriers that came into the business: First is that people in India the medium class people thought that flowers are not sufficient as a gift? They usually prefer costly gift and a big gift for the party. So it means they cant prefer the flower due to this sales decrease. Secondly people never trust on the retailer easily. And the third is that it is difficult to capture the minimum 50% of market share as a florist. Solution for the barriers: First is that attracting the people through advertisement? Second is that using some special arrangements for the people? Some factors that affect my business are following: Change in economy: If the economy changes then it affect my business. Change in consumer perception: if the perception of the customer changed then it badly affects my business. Change in technology: if in the future some other technology arises then people prefer that technology more then it also affects my business. Promotional strategies: First promotional strategy is trough advertisement. Means through advertisement we can attract customer and promote our product. The other strategy for promotion is direct selling means to interact the customer for the promotion of the gallery and the product. And the third strategy is by indirect sales means by organizing some events etc. So I think through this we can promote our product or our flower gallery. Operational plan: Store location: As Buds and Blossoms open a small gallery on that place where the people usually go so that they can see the gallery and would like to visit my gallery. Buds and Blossom plans to open in June and cover 600 square feet. One third space is used for retail and other space is used for storage and restaurant etc. and we are also providing the free parking so that people can easily visit to my store because sometime people cant visit the shop because they cant provide them parking service. Layout: Generally, a florists shop will contain a large no of flowers. Sometimes it displayed on the street or will have a large plate glass window to display the flowers. Generally to keep the flower fresh shoppers kept the flower in the cooler or in the water. They also kept them in vases or other containers. My shop has a cooler near the front of the shop with glass window so that customers can easily see the flowers. And Buds and Blossoms have a back section for the decoration of the flower. Key supplier: Key supplier means where we purchase the raw material in this case key supplier means that where we are getting the flower. So I get flower from the Gardner of that particular area and the nursery located in that particular area that are the key supplier of my store. Credit policy: Credit policy is that when we gave the product on credit to the customer. So I follow that policy in some situation means that I will give credit facility to the commercial customer of my gallery. Store management: Store management is very important for a store. To become a top florist store manager the store management is important. To manage the store firstly there is total integration. Means every detail from a flower order needs to be shared with every part of the shop which requires information at the right time in order to handle the proper flower order. And by using new technology we can maximizes sales and reduces costs. I think through this I can manage the store. Merchandising management: Merchandising management includes such areas as salesmanship, types of flower such as jasmine, rose etc., advertising and promoting our floral business, marketing and display window. These all are merchandise of the store so its knowledge is important to make money. Financial plan: As we know that to start a business we require adequate money for the business. So to start a flower shop following are the assumption that should consider: Underlying assumptions: The flower shop will have annual revenue of growth of 16% per year. The total capital spend on the business is 30 crores. I will acquire 10 crores of debt funds to develop the business. I have take loan of 10 years with the 9% interest rate. In the depression or recession the revenue of the gallery should may decline as depend on the market condition or consumer preference. Sources of funds: Equity contributions Management investment 15, 00, 00,000 Total equity financing 15, 00, 00, 000 Debt share 10, 00, 00, 00 Total debt financing 10, 00, 00, 00 Preference share 5, 00, 00, 000 Total preference financing 5, 00, 00, 000 Total financing 30, 00, 00, 000 Break even analysis: In this we assume the running costs which include rent, utilities and an estimation of other running costs. The following chart shows what we need to sell per month to break even, according to these assumptions: Break even analysis Monthly Revenue Break even $ 5, 085 Assumptions: Average percent variable cost 30% Estimated monthly fixed cost $3, 560

how i got cultured :: essays research papers

In the book How I Got Cultured, Phyllis Barber tells the story of her childhood in a western Mormon household. Through stories and episodes of her early life she descriptively explains the difficulties she faces between her Mormon values and her desire to become a successful star. She wants to be noticed, and be the center of everything, and the Mormon Faith allows very little tolerance for this behavior in that they are a very conservative group. She uses her talents and abilities to assist her in her search of her â€Å"culture†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I can definitely relate to Phyllis Barber in this dilemma, though she comes from a totally different faith and also era. Growing up in a strict Christian household gives me a sense of what Barber is trying to tell us in her memoir. When I was younger I played football and was crushed when the season in my seventh grade year came to an end when my mother wouldn’t let me play because it interrupted my Christian life, in that I wasn’t attending youth group during the week anymore.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In contrast to Barber, my childhood environment was extremely rich with culture and the battle between right and wrong was a very difficult one in that perception of right and wrong differentiated between faith and the real world. Barber struggled to find her â€Å"culture.† She frequently speaks of the Hoover Dam, I think she refers to the Hoover Dam as a symbol that represents the separation that I talked about. She is stuck between two worlds: Mormonism and a place where talent could forge it’s own path. She describes that the Dam separates Arizona and Nevada. In my opinion, this is a direct reflection of her life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not only is Barber constricted by her Mormon faith to live the life she dreams of, but she is faced with the moral value of a woman perceived in the fifties. She isn’t â€Å"supposed† to want the things that she does, or dream the dreams she dreams at night. She is â€Å"supposed† to be quiet and stand to the side and not â€Å"shine.† She continues to tell not only of her love for attention through music, but also through dance. She is introduced to ballet, which, to say the least, begins to satisfy her quench for culture. Throughout the book she is exposed t many amazing people, and learns much from them.

Internet as a Research Tool Essay -- Expository Web Internet Essays

Internet as a Research Tool Because of its speed and convenience, the Internet has quickly become one of the most-used resources for gathering information. The Internet allows people to have access to a lot of information in one place, and in the convenience of their own homes. However, many problems arise when students use the Internet as a research source for school assignments. Many students are typically under the false assumption that everything on the Internet is valid; if it’s written it must be true. Problems that emerge from using the Internet as a research tool are the quantity of information, the quality of the information, issues of plagiarism, and additional problems with general Internet usage. The issues discussed in this paper are mostly referring to the information found on the Internet when students used it to do research. Most of these problems mentioned often do not apply to publications that are found in both the print form and in an online form. A misconception many students often have is the belief that everything can be found on the Internet if provided with the right tools to find it. In reality, however, Marylaine Block asserts in her article entitled â€Å"Getting Students Beyond The Net†, that â€Å"the Net represents, at most, perhaps 12% of the world’s accumulated store of information† (Block, 2003, What’s Not on the Net section, para. 1). Because of various circumstances, such as â€Å"the prohibitive cost of digitizing, lack of interest, and copyright issues†, the majority of this information is not and will not ever appear on the Internet (The Second Largest Source: Books section, para. 1). Very few periodicals earlier than 1980 have been digitized for these reasons. Therefore, most of the peri... ... March 2, 2004 from Academic Search Premier database. Mash, S. D. (2003). Libraries, Books, and Academic Freedom. Academe, (89)3, 50-54. Retrieved March 1, 2004 from Academic Search Premier database. Matthew, K. I., Varagoor, G. (2001). Student Responses to Online Course Materials. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, (33)5. Retrieved March 4, 2004 from ERIC database. Minkel, W. (2002). Web of Deceit. School Library Journal, (48)4, 50-53. Retrieved March 4, 2004 from ERIC database. Sidler, M. (2002). Web Research and Genres in Online Databases: When the Glossy Page Disappears. Computers and Composition, (19)1, 57-70. Retrieved March 4, 2004 from ERIC database. Towson University Infotutor. Retrieved March 4, 2004 from http://cooklibrary.towson.edu/infotutor/www/web7b.cfm.

The Reasons Behind Puerto Rican Migration to America Essay -- History

The Reasons Behind Puerto Rican Migration to America As a Puerto Rican who was born and raised in Hartford, I did not think much about how or why my parents are here in the United States. It was after reading the articles in Hist 247 Reader: Latinos in the USA that I began to question the reasons and conditions of my grandparent's migration. Many think that Puerto Ricans began to migrate to the United States after 1898 when the United States took over Puerto Rico but Puerto Ricans have been migrating to the US since 1840's. The Puerto Rican migration is best described in two different experiences. The first experience from later 19th Century to early 20th Century is the migration due to the economic and social situations in Puerto Rico while the second experience from 1940's to the present is mostly due to the chain migration and the thought that the United States will offer them a better life. Both waves of migration brought new experiences to the United States like the struggle of identity, politics, and power. The fundamental motive for leaving Puerto Rico was economic. The article "The Genesis of the Puerto Rican Migration" mentions that during 1878-1879 there was a major shift in capitalist mode from haciendas to sugar plantations. Around 1870 braceros and peasants began to leave the island to go to Santo Domingo, Cuba, etc... Under North American domination 1898-1901, Puerto Rico became an expansion in which allowed " for control of the means of production in the colony and the transformation of the "sugar islands" into exporters of products needed in the metropolis" (Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueà ±o 348). To the United States, Puerto Rico became a means to gain more capital and power in the Caribbean. I agree with C... ...which our early ancestors had to deal with we still have to deal with like discrimination, stereotypes, and unemployment but not as badly as they did. We need to become one instead of trying to compete with each other in order to achieve what our ancestors wanted. Our politics have gone from class politics, ethnic politic to identity politics. We need to keep fighting in order to be represented in government and for our voices to be heard. Bibliography Barradas, Efrain. "How to Read Bernardo Vega" Hist. 247 Reader Cruz, Jose E. Identity and Power: Puerto Rican Politics and the Challenge of Ethnicity. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1998. Dietz, James. "Migration and International Corporations: The Puerto Rican Model of Development" Hist. 247 Reader Figueroa, Luis, ed. His. 247 Reader. Department of History. Trinity College. Spring 1999 edition.

Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard To Find” Essay

Throughout Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man is Hard To Find†, hints are given to the readers that foretell what is in store, foreshadowing the grotesque ending that is to come. These insinuations of the forthcoming become coincidences later in the story when they actually do develop into reality, creating mocking irony. The names within the story can be considered foreshadowing themselves. For example, the name of the town where the family is murdered is called â€Å"Toombsboro.† The word â€Å"Toombsboro† can be separated into two words: Tombs and Bury. These are words that signify death. The fact that the author chose this as a name for the town, implies the foul event that will insure later in the story. The first moment that foreshadowed the future was the article about the Misfit that the grandmother showed Bailey. She told him, â€Å"A Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida†¦I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it.†(368) This moment sets up a major coincidence when the family later runs into the Misfit. Plus, it was an irony because the Grandmother had attempted to persuade the family not to go in the direction the Misfit was heading. Yet, unfortunately only June Star paid any attention to the comment, and the family did run into the criminal. Additionally, a less obvious evidence of foreshadowing occurred when June Star announced, â€Å"She [The Grandmother] wouldn’t stay at home for a million bucks. She has to go everywhere we go†(368) This can be read as a direct foreshadowing of the order and occurrence of the grandmother’s death. When the family comes across the Misfit, and each family member is taken into the forest, the reader wonders why every time Bobby Lee and Hiram return without the family member. Eventually, one realizes they have all been killed. So, June Star’s comment that the grandmother goes everywhere the family goes can be read as a signal that she will meet the same end that they did. Plus, the fact that she follows the family indicated that she would die last.Furthermore, although the grandmother did not want to go to Florida, she still unpredictably dresses up. The grandmother wore, â€Å"A navy blue straw sailor hat with a bunch of white violets on the brim and a savvy blue dress with a small white dot in the print. Her collars and cuffs were white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet.† (369) O’Connor says that the reason for the grandmother’s proper dress was, â€Å"in case of an accident, anyone seeing her  dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady.†(369) She therefore foresaw her own death, or at least foreshadowed it. It also shows how she represents the properness and rich religious beliefs of the south. Yet another foreshadowing is portrayed when the family â€Å"passed by a cotton field with five or six graves fenced in the middle of it, like a small island† (370). It is not an accident that there are five or six graves, which evidently matches the exact number of people in the car. Five people and the sixth is the baby. The baby is not precisely a full complete person, hence the ambiguity of the number of graves. Flannery O’Connor uses foreshadowing to give the readers slight hints of what is to come, foretelling the grotesque fate of the family. Insinuations are made through titles, comments, clothes, and sites, setting the scene for surprising irony later in the family’s journey.

Citizen Bank Case

The merger of U. S. Citizen Bank and Louisiana Purchase Bank (LPB) in 1998 resulted in a formation of a financial powerhouse possessing core competencies in commercial lending and innovation. Upon recognizing the much needed annuity-driven market potential existing within the U. S. college population, the LPB pioneered the student credit card program in 1989. Indeed, the student credit card program proved to be more profitable with net income margin around 6 percent compared to that of 4 percent for non-student product offerings. In fact, LPB was collecting revenue on 60 percent of its accounts. The sheer magnitude of credit usage among college students caught public’s attention. Well respected college professors claimed direct correlation between credit institutions’ success and college students’ irresponsible financial behavior leading to debt and higher drop-out rates. Due to this increased public awareness, The U. S.  General Accounting Office (GAO) initiated an investigative report to further analyze the magnitude of student credit card usage and its consequences on students’ academic, financial, and personal well-being. The GAO asked LPB’s head of Student Card Services division, Michelle Jeffries, to participate in a survey soliciting data pertinent to their college student accounts as well as information regarding LPB’s marketing approach to this demographic. Data submitted would be compared to that of other (unnamed) financial institutions and published (in aggregate) without identifying individual responders. In addition, Michelle Jeffries was notified that a popular investigative television series, ’60 Minutes’ will be featuring a story on student credit cards and plans to portray credit card issuers in a negative light similar to that of tobacco companies. I believe Michelle is in the best position to be the key decision maker due to the fact that she has the most insight into divisional operations, objectives, and values. She is the leader of the student credit card services division and should be the one to decide and communicate next steps – after having gathered input from other constituents – including the President, Risk Manager and other employees. Michelle needs to consider the interests of U. S. Citizen Bank, its employees and shareholders, all calling for a profitable and prospering organization. In addition, she needs to consider the rights of general public and media to know what U. S.  Citizen Bank’s ultimate objectives are, including its corporate values and goals. Does U. S. Citizen Bank need to have a moral obligation to look after the best interests of customers it serves? If so, what is in college students’ best interest when it comes to credit cards? Is it ethical to extend credit to students? Finally, Michelle needs to think about her own virtues and character in addition to those of the organization. What virtues does the company value the most? Do those align with her personal virtues? The most important ethical issue at hand is the implied allegation that success of U. S Citizen Bank’s Student Card Services division was at the expense of college students’ financial well-being. That begs the question of moral obligation and the ethics of extending credit to college students. Another important ethical issue is U. S. Citizen Bank’s response to the public in regards to the GAO survey as well as 60 Minutes. The bank is being asked to disclose confidential customer information as well as their business and marketing plans. Lastly, Michelle needs to marry her own personal values to those of the organization which she leads. She has a solid track record of being honest, fair and ethical and she needs to lead the organization keeping those core values in mind. Lastly, she needs to assure those shared values are actually being practiced. Michelle is presented with the following possible options. She could disregard GAO’s request for information on grounds of protecting customer privacy as well as corporate business and marketing plans in terms of promotional and marketing strategies. She could also choose not to publicly address 60 Minutes to avoid the possibility of self-imposed negative attention on U. S. Citizen Bank in relation to the series. Another viable option would be to submit the requested information to the GAO as well as publicly address the 60 Minutes series while firmly defending company’s current strategy without identifying any holes or areas for improvement. The third option would be to respond to the GAO’s request as well as release a public statement in response to the 60 Minutes series clearly identifying U.  S. Citizen Bank’s corporate values, objectives and responsibilities to all of its stakeholders. In both responses, Michelle could acknowledge things the corporation believes they’ve done right as well as things they could and plan to improve on in response to helping college students become more financially responsible when it comes to credit card debt. Michelle should respond to the GAO survey by submitting requested account data and marketing information while emphasizing company’s strong commitment to customer privacy and onfidentiality of information submitted. She should address the 60 Minutes series by clearly identifying and defending her organization’s values and commitment to its customers. She should highlight company’s accomplishments and strides in the area of student credit card education programs. Furthermore, she should identify areas of improvement with well-defined action plans that will elevate the organization to the next level vs. merely pointing out weaknesses to the competitors. The overall theme should re-iterate company’s commitment to all of its stakeholders, acknowledging what they’ve done to support that commitment followed by an action plan to further evolve and improve their student credit card education programs. They should raise the bar for all credit card issuers on educating college students on responsible use of credit cards. More importantly, they should publicly acknowledge their ethical responsibility to provide customers with information necessary to make sound financial decisions. Michelle also needs to ensure external communication aligns with the internal translation in order to successfully execute publicly announced action plan. Internal stakeholders need to be assured that external message is honest and action-driven and not just a media ‘spin’ to protect company’s interests. An internal communication to employees and shareholders should clearly translate the external message into sustainable long-term profitability and well-being of the company. Considering the interests of all parties involved, the suggested approach is clearly the right one. By publicly acknowledging and recognizing an increased concern surrounding college students’ credit card debt, they will gain public’s sympathy and respect. By choosing to do something about it via a well defined action plan, they will gain public’s trust. By gaining public’s trust, they will gain a more loyal and increased customer base which will contribute to company’s long-term profitability. In addition, this approach will clearly communicate company’s values and traits of responsible corporate citizenship which will set an example for other companies in their industry, including their competitors. One might argue the organization should really re-evaluate the business they are in as it may not be morally responsible to extend credit cards to students. I would argue that the morality question certainly does come into play and should definitely be considered when deciding on tactics used to promote and market credit cards to students. However, the actual extension of credit to students, by its nature, is not unethical. In fact, when utilized properly, it serves students’ interests by allowing them to build credit history while teaching financial responsibility and spending within means. In conclusion, while credit lending geared towards college students is not considered unethical business to be in, marketing techniques utilized to promote such products and service may certainly cross ethical boundaries.

Raising Achievement in Science (Physics, Chemistry or Biology)

Assignment 1: Raising Achievement in Science (Physics, Chemistry or Biology) (PGCE programme) This assignment is set at ‘H’? level. (3000 words +/- 10%) Assignment Task With reference to your reading in the relevant research, write about how you have raised or could have raised the achievement of a pupil or small group of pupils whom you have taught this year.There must be a clear link between the discussion of the teaching and learning that took place in your class and the relevant research on achievement; you must provide a sound rationale for your teaching methods and strategies. The school, teachers and students must be anonymous. Introduction It should constantly be our aim as teachers to raise the achievement of the pupils in our care so that they are attaining at their full potential.It will also be useful for you to discuss these issues with those you work with at school (mentor, PCM, SENCO, etc. ) and to observe closely how these are addressed in classroom pract ice. However, in this assignment, it would be especially appropriate for you to select a particular pupilor group of pupils who you work with in the classroom and who have specific challenges in attaining theirfull potential in science (see below for suggestions), and for you to focus on strategies and techniques for supporting their particular needs.The generic assignment briefing at the top of this page asks you to discuss a particular pupil or group of pupils and how you might have raised, or did raise, their achievement in science (and particularly in your own specialist discipline of Biology, Chemistry or Physics), linking aspects of the teaching and learning with the relevant research carried out in your literature review. In identifying the pupil or group you intend to refer to, consider the range of children who might under? achieve: †¢Gender: boys/girls †¢those with special educational needs †¢the gifted and talented †¢literacy in Science †¢children in care †¢minority ethnic children travellers †¢young carers †¢those from families under stress †¢pregnant school girls and teenage mothers (http://www. education. gov. uk/schools/pupilsupport) †¦and the reasons and issues surrounding underachievement: †¢inequalities in class (social background), ethnicity, and/or gender †¢lack of motivation †¢lack of suitable challenge †¢the appropriateness of activities and tasks †¢a mis? match of expectations †¢a perceived irrelevance of the activities and tasks Some further thoughts The following is based on the report: â€Å"Improving Secondary Schools†, the Hargreaves Report on secondary schools in the Inner London Education Authority (1984).This was summarised in West, A & Dickey, A (1990) â€Å"The Redbridge High School English Handbook†; L. B. Redbridge Advisory Service. The report defined four aspects of pupil achievement (think carefully about how these apply to science and your chosen discipline): 1. This aspect involves most of all, the capacity to express oneself in a written form. It requires the capacity to retain propositional knowledge, to select from such knowledge appropriately in response to a specified request and to do so quickly without reference to possible sources of information.The capacity to memorise and organize material is particularly important. 2. This aspect is concerned with the capacity to apply knowledge rather the knowledge itself; with the practical rather than the theoretical; with the oral rather than the written. Problem solving and investigational skills are more important than the retention of knowledge. 3. This aspect is concerned with personal and social skills: the capacity to communicate with others in face to face relationships; the ability to co? operate with others in the interests of the group as well as the individual; initiative, self? eliance and the ability to work alone without close supervision; and t he skills of leadership. 4. This aspect involves motivation and commitment; the willingness to accept failure without destructive consequences; the readiness to persevere; the self confidence to learn in spite of the difficulty of the task. Such motivation is often regarded as a prerequisite to achievement rather than as an achievement in itself. We do not deny that motivation is a prerequisite to other aspects of achievement, but we also believe that it can be regarded as an achievement in its own right. What do we mean by under? achievement? â€Å"Achievement below expectations† †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Underachievement is a discrepancy between a child’s school performance and some index of the child’s ability. † (Rimm, S (1977) ‘An Underachievement Epidemic’; Educational Leadership 54 (7)) †¢An underachiever is: â€Å"A young person, at each significant stage of education that has not reached the expected levels set by the government. † (P rince’s Trust) You are recommended, for example, to go to the web? site: www. dfe. gov. uk/schools/pupilsupport Look under ‘Inclusion and Learner Support’. You will see a list of items including ‘Minority ethnic achievement’ and ‘Gender and Achievement’.The written essay The title and subject matter of the assignment are as laid out at the top of this briefing document under ‘Raising Achievement in Science’. The essay should be about raising achievement in the learning of science in your specific discipline (physics, chemistry or biology). †¢You are expected to have read widely in the process of carrying out this assignment, showing evidence in your writing of an appropriate depth and breadth †¢In addition, you are expected to draw upon your own experience and observation from schools you have been in †¢References to publications in our text should provide the author, date and page number. A bibliography must be provided with full details of relevant texts that you have read. An omitted bibliography/references section can result in a ‘fail’ grade for the assignment. Advice on correct referencing is contained in the ‘Assignment Guide’ available on UEL Plus. †¢Any materials you have produced in seeking to raise achievement in the classroom may be placed in the body of the assignment or an appendix as appropriate. These materials may be referred to in order to exemplify points made in the essay. Ensure that you offer some critique of the points raised from your reading and experience; be aware that there are alternative viewpoints; be careful not to simply offer subjective statements. Points made should be justified from evidence of experience, observation and/or reading. Offer critical analysis of what you have read, observed and taught in respect of this task and some alternative approaches. Do not necessarily take educational writers’ views or those of colleagues at ‘face value’. Submission The assignment should be approximately 3000 words +/? 0%, not including quotations or appendices. A reference list/bibliography must be included. All referencing should follow the Harvard system as detailed in the following book (available from the bookshop): Pears, R & Shields, G (2010) â€Å"Cite Them Right ? 8th ed. †; Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan An e-book version of â€Å"Cite Then Right† is also available on UEL Plus Keep any schools, teachers and pupils anonymous. Annotated Bibliography: Monday 12th November, 2013 by 5:00pm; submitted by e-mail directly to your tutor Assignment submission (electronic):Monday 7th January, 2013 by 23. 59 hr The assignment should be submitted electronically using the Turnitin protocol. A suggested ‘starter’ reading list: Younger, M & Warrington, M (2005) â€Å"Raising Boys’ Achievement in Secondary Schools†; Oxford: OUP You might also download the following document: http://publications. dcsf. gov. uk/default. aspx? PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=DCSF? RR086& When looking for resources in the Library, remember that areas of the Library, in addition to education, may be worth a look at; eg.Child Development and Child Psychology (these books are held within the Health and Bi? Science collections). What is an Annotated Bibliography? A Bibliography is simply a list of books relevant to the study being undertaken and which have been referred to when preparing the study. The list is referenced in the proper manner (refer to the book â€Å"Cite Them Right† and to the guidance at the end of this document). An Annotated Bibliography is where, under each book/article reference, there are a few brief sentences / short paragraph summarising the key points of the text where they are relevant to the current study.Here is a brief, example related to achievement of girls in science: Kelly, A. (1986), The d evelopment of girls’ and boys’ attitudes to science: A longitudinal study, European Journal of Science Education, Volume 8, Issue 4 Attitude? to-science tests were completed by 1300 pupils, at ten schools, when they were 11 years old and again two and a half years later. During that time their interest in most branches of science decreased, but both girls and boys became more interested in learning about human biology.Their opinions about science and scientists also became generally less favourable, but pupils grew more willing to see science as suitable for girls. The attitude changes varied considerably from school to school, and were slightly better in schools which had implemented a programme of interventions to improve children's attitudes than in other schools. There was considerable stability in the attitudes of individual children over the period of the study. The ‘idea’ of the annotated bibliography is to ‘gather together’ a range of relevant literature which will, at a later stage, be the basis for extended writing and study.

Compariosn of pre 1914 and Wilfred Owen’s poems Essay

By comparing and contrasting a selection of war poems, consider the ways in which attitudes to war have been explored and expressed. When considering poetry written post 1900 concentrate on a selection of poems written by Wilfred Owen. War has been an influential topic for poetry for many centuries and through its catastrophic cruelty and sense of patriotism has created some of the most brilliant poets and most controversial poems ever written. With each different war comes different poets who want to write their views on it and just as motives of war differ, so do the opinions of the poets; some see war as barbaric and destructive, whereas others portray it as a way of ennobling oneself. Before the technology and media coverage we have nowadays, stories of battle were passed down by word of mouth and were often written in poetic form so they could be memorized easily. Just as the artillery used in the wars has changed, the way war is portrayed has as well. Before World War 1 began in 1914, it was seen as a glorious opportunity for men to serve and defend their country. In many poems war is compared to a game, for example in â€Å"Vitai Lampada† written by Henry Newbolt, the refrain â€Å"Play up! Play up! And play the game!† is repeated at the end of each stanza to try and rally the soldiers and ready them for battle. Newbolt uses the leitmotif of comparing fighting to playing a cricket match to ease the pressure off the soldiers by making it seem fun and competitive. He uses the simile: â€Å"Beat through life like a torch in flame† to portray how the schoolboys have responsibilities and also to show how these must be passed down through the generations to protect their country, just like the Olympic torch. War is also compared to a game in Henry V’s speech in Shakespeare’s play, Henry V. He declares: ‘The game’s afoot,† once again understating the enormity of the battle. In addition Shakespeare uses the battle cry â€Å"God for Harry, England and Saint George!† to show that the English are on the righteous side and have a duty to serve their country. Before 1914, there was no compulsory military service and therefore Britain did not have a huge army like other European countries. However World War 1 was so large, conscription needed to be introduced, meaning all men of the appropriate age were obliged to go to war. Along with conscription came the propaganda to encourage men to join up and a popular form was poetry. Poets like Jessie Pope and Rupert Brooke wrote poems convincing men that war would be an exciting opportunity with their friends and that it is their duty to honour and serve for England. However, one of the most famous war poets, Wilfred Owen, had a different view of the war. At first he wrote in a similar way to the likes of Pope and Brooke, but after experiencing first-hand action in the front line his work became less idealistic. One of Owen’s most famous poems is â€Å"Dulce et Decorum est†. The Latin title means â€Å"it is sweet and fitting to die for your country† and it is used ironically to anticipate an idealistic poem, but it is quite the opposite. Owen wrote this poem in reply to the jingoistic recruiting poems written by Jessie Pope; they glorify war and make it seem like a great opportunity for men to have an adventure with their friends. In the first two lines of â€Å"Dulce et Decorum est†, Owen uses the vivid imagery of â€Å"old beggars† and â€Å"coughing like hags† and the reader thinks that he is describing someone elderly or of low status. However, in the lines that follow, we realize that Owen is actually talking about soldiers who are walking away from the front line: â€Å"Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs And towards our distant rest began to trudge.† Owen uses the word â€Å"haunting† to portray that the battle they have endured will stay in their minds forever. To convey the exhaustion of the men Owen uses hyperbole: â€Å"men marched asleep†¦drunk with fatigue†. This shows how fighting was physically draining for the soldiers and contradicts the glamorous image that Pope’s poems conjure up. In the second stanza Owen illustrates the terrifying scene of a gas attack. He repeats the word â€Å"GAS† for a second time in capital letters to convey a sense of urgency and also to imply how fatigued the men were as they needed it to be repeated louder a second time for them to realise the situation. Owen uses polysyllabic words like â€Å"ecstasy† and â€Å"fumbling† and â€Å"clumsy† to convey a sense of panic and alarm. He describes how one man did not get his gas mask on in time and is â€Å"flound’ring like a man in fire or lime†. This portrays that the gas he is inhaling is burning and the image â€Å"as under a green sea, I saw him drowning† is very powerful because it shows that the gas overwhelms his lungs just as water does when you drown. The line â€Å"In all my dreams, before my helpless sight† shows how Owen will remember that scene forever, and the word â€Å"helpless† suggests that he cannot do anything about the flashbacks and horrible memories he will have to endure but it also implies that he could not do anything to help the soldier who was dying. Owen uses the adjectives â€Å"guttering, choking, drowning† to illustrate the soldier’s horrific death; the word â€Å"guttering† is especially effective as you use it to describe a candle about to go out, just as the man’s life is about to be extinguished. Owen bitterly attacks Jessie Pope in the last stanza. He sarcastically addresses her as â€Å"my friend† and uses gruesome comparisons like â€Å"Obscene as cancer† and â€Å"bitter as the cud of vile† to portray the horror of war. The line â€Å"incurable sores on innocent tongues† implies that the some soldiers who were very young will have terrifying memories with them for the rest of their lives. He appeals to the senses by using hideous and graphic imagery: â€Å"If you could hear, at every jolt, blood- Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs†. The adjective â€Å"froth-corrupted† illustrates how the man’s lungs had been plagued by the gas and what a horrific death he had to endure. He uses the simile: â€Å"like a devil’s sick of sin† to describe the soldier’s face, suggesting a sense of repulsion and disgust. Owen depicts the soldiers as â€Å"children ardent for some desperate glory† portraying that Pope’s recruiting poems wrongly persuaded boys that were not of age to vulnerably serve their country. In the last two lines Owen frames the poem by repeating the title, but he uses it ironically as he says it is â€Å"The old Lie†, contradicting other pre World War 1 poems that give the impression men will be considered heroic if they serve their duty. Owen once again opposes the notion that women will treat soldiers, who return home from war injured, like heroes in his poem â€Å"Disabled†, Owen opposes the idea that women will treat the soldiers, who return from the war injured, like heroes. In the poem â€Å"Fall In† by Harold Begbie, he persuades men to join the army by using the sexual attractiveness of women. The lines: â€Å"When the girls line up in the street, Shouting their love to the lads come back,† implies the men will be seen as courageous and gallant for fighting. However, Owen explains this is not the case in the lines: â€Å"Now he will never feel again how slim, Girls’ waists are, or how warm their subtle hands, All of them touch him like some queer disease†. The metaphor â€Å"like some queer disease† expresses how the women are afraid he may be contagious and how they find him repulsive. Just as in â€Å"Dulce et Decorum est†, at the beginning of the poem we think Owen is describing an elderly man because he uses the phrase â€Å"ghastly suit of grey† which infers old age. But then we discover how he â€Å"threw away his knees†; he chose to enlist for the army and that is portrayed a grave mistake, a waste of his life. The line: â€Å"Poured it down shell-holes till the veins ran dry† also infers that the man opted to fight as the verb â€Å"poured† suggests that he did it himself. In addition, Owen portrays how the boy was not motivated by principles to sign up: â€Å"Someone had said he’d look a god in kilts†. He had been induced by vanity and also to â€Å"please his Meg†; once again the notion of impressing the women is used. Even though his face was â€Å"younger than his youth† the line â€Å"Smiling they wrote his lie: aged nineteen years,† shows that the authorities were unscrupulous as the y knew he was just a boy but still let him sign up. â€Å"Disabled† is a very contrasting poem and Owen repeats the word â€Å"now† to emphasize the contrast between what he was, and what he has now become: â€Å"Now he is old†. Owen uses the motif of football throughout, but not in the positive way Newbolt does in â€Å"Vitai Lampada†. He uses it ironically to show the difference between his life before the war when he was fit and agile, and now when he is condemned to a passive lifestyle in a wheelchair. When he was playing football â€Å"he liked a blood smear down his leg,† implying that he thought it looked manly and would impress the girls. Now however, he can only watch boys playing football: â€Å"voices of play and pleasure after day† and the women do not see him as heroic as their eyes â€Å"Passed from him to the strong men that were whole†. The word â€Å"whole† creates a strong image of him being limbless and is powerful as it is not very compassionate, just like the women. In the last two lines, Owen repeats the rhetorical question: â€Å"Why don’t they come?† The first question is directly addressing the nursing staff, portraying that they do not care for the wounded solider or are disgusted by his wounds and the second question portrays a sense of abandonment; he is confused because he fought in the war and people should honour what he has done instead of pitying and disposing of him. Owen’s â€Å"Mental Cases† has a similar theme to â€Å"Disabled† except it focuses on the mental aspect of fighting and not the physical aspect. The purpose of this poem is to describe to the reader that the conditions were so terrible in the First World War that it drove people insane. The tone of the poem is an angry one; Owen portrays his opposition to the war through line such as: â€Å"Multitudinous murders they once witnessed†. The word â€Å"multitudinous† means the common people and shows how Owen thought that the ordinary people of Britain were being slaughtered and that young, fit men were the subject of untimely deaths. It also emphasises the vast scaled of the murders and the intensity of the war. Owen uses very powerful and vivid imagery in the first stanza with phrases such as â€Å"drooping tongues† and â€Å"purgatorial shadows† to describe the men. The word â€Å"purgatorial† suggests that they are trying to cleanse their soul of the sins they have committed, but are trapped by their own violent actions in the war. Owen uses the word â€Å"shadows† to portray them as ghosts, men that go unnoticed because they are insane and not normal. This is ironic because they were probably once very fit and able and are now spending their lives in an institute. The first stanza poses the question of what made the men mad and Owen uses rhetorical questions to engage the reader: â€Å"but what slow panic gouged these chasms round fretted sockets?† This phrase conjours up a strong image of the men being wide eyed with a constant look of terror upon their face. Owen utilizes the phrase â€Å"slow panic† to infer that the men have been subject to a form of torture and that they have painfully been made to suffer. The phrase â€Å"deeply gouged† suggests wrinkles implying that the men are quite old; however we learn that the men have not lost their minds due to age, but due to war. The lines: â€Å"Always they must see these things and hear them, Batter of guns and the shatter of flying muscles,† use realistic and gruesome imagery to describe the battles. Onomatopoeia is used through the words â€Å"shatter† and â€Å"batter† making the reader almost hear the tremendous bangs of the guns and making them understand the intensity of the situation. The phrase â€Å"human squander† portrays Owen’s thoughts that many â€Å"multitudinous murders† took place and that their lives were lost for no reason; it was a mistake. In the final stanza Owen describes to the reader how the mental cases wish they were dead so they did not have to remember the atrocious carnage that they have seen: â€Å"Dawn breaks open like a war that bleeds afresh†. This simile is effective because usually dawn brings new beginnings and fresh opportunities, but to these men it just means they have to endure memories of what the war did to them. This poem is a very personal one as in the last four lines; Owen uses words like â€Å"us† and â€Å"brother†. This shows that the men blame us for allowing what happened to occur, and how they wish that they did not have to be reminded of it any longer. Wilfred Owen’s wrote â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth† not to portray the mental and physical effects of war like â€Å"Disabled† and â€Å"Mental Cases†, but to explain how a whole generation of men were subject to gruesome injuries or brutal deaths during the First World War. The title is deliberately ironic because the word â€Å"Anthem† usually suggests celebration; however the tone of this poem is bitter and mournful. It also infers that Owen is mocking poets like Rupert Brooke who say it is honourable to die in the war. The first line is a rhetorical question and it uses plosives, portraying an angry tone. The metaphor â€Å"for these who die as cattle† is effective because it infers that the soldiers are being slaughtered. The soldiers are referred to as â€Å"Doomed Youth† as there were â€Å"no prayers nor bells† for them as they died on the battlefield, just the â€Å"monstrous anger of the guns†, suggesting that the amount of deaths were so widespread there was no separate emotion for each man, their deaths were unimportant like that of cattle. This personification also infers that the weapons were taking control of the soldiers and that their actions are that of monsters. Owen portrays how there is no time for sentiment of the battlefield in the line: â€Å"The shrill demented choirs of wailing shells;† this personification is effective because when a person dies they are believed to be â€Å"at peace†, but when you die on the battlefield the destruction and devastation carries on around you regardless. Owen portrays how the men came from ordinary backgrounds in the phrase: â€Å"sad shires† and he describes how the family of the soldiers’ did have funerals for them back at home in the line: â€Å"what candles may be held to speed them all?† The devastation of their deaths is shown through the line: â€Å"the pallor of girls’ brows shall be their pall;† suggesting that their girlfriends are sorrowful and also by using the plural it shows how a whole generation of women may not be able to find husbands because so many young men were killed in action. In the last line, a â€Å"drawing-down of blinds† is a fitting way to end the poem, but it could also be associated with traditional drawing down of blinds in a room where a dead person lies and furthermore it infers that so many soldiers’ lives were now over. I enjoyed reading Wilfred Owen’s poetry more than the pre 1900 poetry as it gave me a realistic view of what the effects of war were on the soldiers and their families. World War One was the most devastating and barbaric war to date and therefore I believe that Owen’s poetry is more fitting as it gives a personal aspect to the poems, portraying the soldiers as humans, not just as statistics, but also showed them like animals to make the vast scale of the murders evident.