Evaluate the different schools of thought that exist with regard to Essay

Evaluate the different schools of thought that exist with regard to stabilisation of business cycles - Essay Example (1) Self-correcting mechanism (2) Keynesian theory of business cycles (3) Real business cycle theory. The self-correcting mechanism states that if any of the major economic problems (inefficiency, slow growth, instability etc.) would occur in the economy then the mechanisms of â€Å"self interest† and â€Å"invisible hand† will rectify these problems. The self-correcting mechanism was proposed by Adam Smith. He suggested that in any such condition the forces of demand and supply will work automatically and the equilibrium will be restored by self correcting mechanism. But when the self-correcting mechanism failed badly due to problems such as inflation and unemployment, John Maynard Keynes, the founder of macro economics, disagreed with the phenomenon of self-correcting mechanism. In his theory he has focused on the role of government and the aggregate demand. J.M. Keynes has suggested that the higher the level of the aggregate demand, the higher will be the level of em ployment, supply and economy. In his theory he has discussed the demand side of the business cycle. He suggested that whenever there is a downfall in the economy the government should increase the aggregate demand through economic policies (fiscal and monetary) and through increase in investment expenditure. According to him a raise in aggregate demand will result in growth in supply, employment, income and economy.

Avocado Leaf Plasticity Essay Example for Free

Avocado Leaf Plasticity Essay INTRODUCTION: Phenotypic plasticity, or differing phenotypes from one genotype in different environmental conditions, is a way for sessile organisms to adapt to changing environmental conditions (Valladares et al., 2007). Plasticity was expected to be abundant, however, it did not occur as often in nature due to resource limitations and environmental stress (Valladares et al., 2007). An experiment by Matos tested the phenotypic plasticity to light availability in shade and sun leaves of coffee trees (Matos et al. , 2009). Their research indicated that compared [to] sun leaves, shade leaves had a lower stomatal density, a thinner palisade mesophyll, a higher specific leaf area, and improved light capture†¦ (Matos et al., 2009). The sun leaves were described as generally thicker with an enhanced quantity of palisade mesophyll (Matos et al., 2009). Our objective was the presence of phenotypic plasticity in avocado trees based on the differences in the morphology of shade and sun leaves. In our study, we asked whether there is a difference in surface area, length-to-width ratio, mass, specific leaf mass, and color between shade leaves and sun leaves in avocado trees. We hypothesized that there would be no significant differences in surface area, length-to-width ratio, mass, specific leaf mass, and color between shade leaves and sun leaves. METHODS: We collected our seventy samples of avocado tree (Persea americana) leaves, in equal amounts of sun and shade leaves, at an avocado tree grove located north of Building 3 and University Drive at Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday, October 24, 2013 at 9:00 am. They were randomly and interspersedly collected throughout the grove. We split the grove into five areas, split into five teams of two, and was assigned to one of the five areas. Each team picked a number for the trees in their region and a random number was selected from a random number table to select a tree corresponding to that number. A random number table was used to pick the corresponding quadrant, branch, and leaf.  This process was done twice on each tree in the understory for shade leaves, and in the canopy for sun leaves. Each leaf was measured for its surface area, length-to-width ratio, mass, specific leaf mass, and color. Surface area was measured by a leaf area meter in squared centimeters. Length-to-width ratio was measured by measuring the length (vertically along the bridge of the leaf) and the width (horizontally on the widest part of the leaf) with a ruler in centimeters, and dividing the length by the width. Mass was calculated by a balance in grams. Specific leaf mass (thickness) was measured by dividing the mass by its surface area in grams per squared centimeter. Color was measured by having three reference leaves provided by the instructor, indicating light (L), medium (M), and dark (D) leaves and compared our collected leaves. After recording all of the data, these data were then input into a statistical program called StatCat to determine normality through a normality test. The data for surface area, length-to-width ratio, mass, and specific leaf mass for sun and shade leaves were both normal, therefore, we chose a paired sample t-test for all of them. A normality test was not needed for color for sun and shade leaves due to it being a nominal scale data. The number of light, medium, and dark shade leaves were tallied up according to color, and the same was done for the sun leaves. A contingency table was made in Excel, and used in StatCat to test our hypothesis. The paired sample t-tests were also done through StatCat, which then gave us the appropriate results to test our hypotheses. RESULTS: Shade leaves had a significantly larger surface area than sun leaves (t = -3.7313, P = 0.00069; Table 1). Shade leaves had a significantly larger length-to-width ratio than sun leaves (t = -2.7162, P = 0.01031). Shade leaves had no significant difference in mass than sun leaves (t = -1.4871, P = 0.1462). Shade leaves had a significantly smaller specific leaf mass than sun leaves (t = 5.82093, P = 1.5Ãâ€"10-6). Shade leaves were significantly darker than sun leaves (X2 = 18.417, P = 0.0001).

Paideia and the Matter of Mind Essay -- Education Learning Philosophy

Paideia and the "Matter of Mind" ABSTRACT: Paideia refers to a particular sort of education which has historically been concerned with learning for the sake of learning, i.e., for the development of mind. As such, paideia is distinguished from specialized learning, training and learning for extrinsic purposes. Paideia is embodied in the traditional notion of Liberal Education which holds that such an education is the development of mind through the achievement of worthwhile knowledge and understanding. A contemporary trend in the literature of philosophy of mind and epistemology is a concern with cognitive functions of the human mind and the role of these functions in the acquisition of knowledge. The functional conception of the mind emphasizes learning (cognitive development) through cognitive training to monitor and control one's own mental processes. The uncritical incorporation of cognitive theories of mind and knowledge acquisition into current educational theory and practice suggests that paideia can be combi ned with, if not enhanced by, cognitive training. This paper takes the position that such an assumption is misguided and that the 'matter' of mind is an issue which requires clarification for advocates of paideia. The paper contrasts the cognitive approach to a 'conventionalist' conception of mind which, arguably, is the concept of mind assumed by advocates of paideia. Paideia refers to a particular sort of education which historically has been concerned with learning for the sake of learning, i.e., for the development of mind. As such, paideia is distinguished from specialized learning, training, and learning for extrinsic purposes. Paideia is embodied in the traditional notion of Liberal Education which holds... ...M.Dent, London) (6) See for example, Wittgenstein, L. (1953) Philosophical Investigations (Oxford: Blackwell Ltd.); Hacker, P.M.S. (1990) Wittgenstein: Meaning and Mind (Part I) (Oxford:Blackwell Publishers); Ryle, G. (1949) The Concept of Mind (University of Chicago Press). (7) Lynne Rudder Baker (1995) Explaining Attitudes 223 (Cambridge University Press) (8) Ibid., 89 (9) Gilbert Ryle (1949) The Concept of Mind 199 (Chicago: University of Chicago Press) (10) Anthony Kenny (1989) the Metaphysics of Mind 21 (Oxford: Oxford University Press) (11) Paul Hirst (1969) "The Logic of the Curriculum" in Journal of Curriculum Studies, 151 (12) Ibid., 150 (13) Ibid. (14) Ibid., 148 (15) Ibid., 149 (16) Michael Oakeshott (1989) "The Engagement and Its Frustration" 71 in The Voice of Liberal Learning Fuller (ed) (London:Yale University Press)

Genting Plantation Berhad

Genting Plantations Berhad (â€Å"Genting Plantations†), formerly known as Asiatic Development Berhad, is one of the fastest growing plantation companies listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia (formerly known as Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange). Incorporated in Malaysia as a private limited company on 29 September 1977, under the name of Asiatic Development Sdn Bhd, it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Genting Berhad (â€Å"Genting†) on 22 February 1980 to spearhead Genting's plantation business. Listed on Bursa Malaysia on 30 August 1982, Genting Plantations currently ranks amongst the top 10 listed companies in terms of market capitalisation in the plantation sector. As at 30 April 2009, Genting Plantations is a 54. 7% owned subsidiary of Genting Berhad. In April 1980, Genting Plantations commenced business through the successful acquisition of the Rubber Trust Group comprising 3 Hong Kong domiciled rubber companies which owned some 13,700 hectares of plantation land in Peninsular Malaysia. In June 1981, the Ko Rubber Companies, which owned about 10,000 hectares of plantation land in Peninsular Malaysia, were acquired by Genting Group and through a restructuring exercise in 1983, some 9,268 hectares of these plantation land and businesses were transferred to Genting Plantations. In the same year, Genting Plantations acquired a further 676 hectares of oil palm plantation and a 30 tonne per hour oil mill. These acquisitions would have now proven to be most astute decisions judging by the development potential of some of the land and the capital appreciation that has since taken place, particularly the 3,200 hectare – Genting Kulai Besar Estate which is now being developed as the mega Genting Indahpura project in Kulai, Johor. Recognising the scarcity of land in Peninsular Malaysia, Genting Group started making inroads into Sabah. In 1985, Genting Group acquired Asiatic SDC Sdn Bhd, whose plantation business comprised some 4,000 hectares of oil palm plantation and a 20 tonnes per hour oil mill. In a subsequent rationalisation of Genting Group's plantation activities, ownership of ASDC was transferred to Genting Plantations in 1991. A quick succession of land acquisitions in Sabah ensued for Genting Plantations, starting with the takeover of Tanjung Bahagia Sdn Bhd in 1988 which owns 8,094 hectares of jungle land, followed by a joint venture arrangement with Landworthy Sdn Bhd (now known as Asiatic Tanjung Bahagia Sdn Bhd) in 1989 which added another 4,039 hectares. Between 1991 and 1996, another 5,730 hectares were acquired. With all these jungle lands fully cultivated, Genting Plantations, with its long term vision to further its plantation interest, continues to expand its land bank. Notable acquisitions include the 8,830-hectare agricultural land near the Sungai Tongod and the 5,611-hectare oil palm estate near Bukit Garam in 2001 and 2002 respectively. And in May 2004, Genting Plantations has completed yet another acquisition of some 6,753 hectares of oil palm estates together with a 60 tonnes per hour oil mill in Kinabatangan, Sabah. In June 2005, Genting Plantations embarked on its maiden foray into the plantation business overseas. This expansion of plantation activities in the Republic of Indonesia is on a joint venture basis with a respectable palm oil producer in the country, the Sepanjang Group. The Genting Plantations-Sepanjang 70:30 joint venture will develop some 76,000 hectares of agricultural land into oil palm plantation. Genting Plantations entered into another joint venture in 2008 to develop 45,000 hectares in Ketapang. Following these recent acquisitions, Genting Plantations's current land bank is slated to increase to over 186,000 hectares in Indonesia and Malaysia; an impressive 14-fold increase since 1980. The Group continues to be actively working towards adding more. At present, Genting Plantations owns 6 oil mills, one in Peninsular Malaysia, which attained the ISO 9002(1994) Quality Management Systems status in 2001 (which was subsequently updated to the ISO 9001(2000) in 2002) and the others in Sabah. Total milling capacity to date is 265 tonnes per hour. In 1994, Genting Plantations entered into a joint venture with a Sarawak state agency to establish a 30/60 tonnes per hour palm oil mill in Serian, Sarawak. This mill scored a hattrick when it was awarded the Anugerah Industri Sawit Malaysia, in recognition of its high oil extraction rate, by PORLA since its commissioning in August 1997. Whilst plantation business remains the core activity, Genting Plantations has since ventured into property development with the objectives to unlock the potential of its strategically located land bank and to reduce its dependence on single source income. The first project by Genting Plantations's property arm, Genting Property Sdn Bhd (â€Å"Genting Property†) is the 55-hectare Genting Cheng Perdana in Central Melaka. Officially launched in October 1993, the project has turned out to be quite a success with its first phase of single- and double-storey houses completed and handed over to purchasers about 9 months ahead of schedule. Since then, 3 other phases have been completed and handed over in good time. What followed next was the launching of the 284-hectare Genting Permaipura project in late 1994. Located about 10 km from the fast-growing town of Sungai Petani, Kedah, a town poised to become the commercial/industrial hub of the northern region in Malaysia, Genting Permaipura comprises commercial and entertainment centres, bungalow lots, residential houses and shop-offices. Also included in this project is an 18-hole golf course with a 2-tier driving range which sprawls over 160 acres of prime land against the majestic backdrop of Gunung Jerai and a clubhouse, The Genting Permaipura Golf & Country Club. Further, in its push to the forefront of property development, Genting Property had embarked on another project – the massive Genting Indahpura or â€Å"Beautiful City† project at Kulai, Johor. Spanning over 30 years, this project located just 30 km north from the bustling and fast growing city of Johor Bahru involves the development of about 3,200 hectares of plantation land in Kulai, Johor, into a self-contained township. Genting Indahpura is conceptualised as a fully-integrated development complementing the State's plan to upgrade the existing Kulai town into a sub-regional centre complete with all modern amenities and convenience, and generously landscaped town parks and green lungs for healthy and recreational pursuits. The project's attraction lies in its excellent location which enjoys easy access from virtually every transportation route – road linkages through the North-South Expressway and the Second Link from Singapore; air linkages through the Sultan Ismail International airport in Senai 10 minutes away; and rail links through the Federal Railway lines. Genting Plantations also has other large tracts of land with development potential. These will continuously be monitored as to the timing and the type of development most suited in relation to their locations. With low land holding cost and huge reserves of own land bank, Genting Plantations can aspire to play a bigger role in the property sector in Malaysia in the near future. Moving forward, the Group, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Asiatic Centre for Genome Technology Sdn Bhd (â€Å"ACGT†), has ventured into the biotechnology industry in 2006. ACGT has set up an equally owned joint venture with Synthetic Genomics Inc â€Å"Synthetic Genomics†), a privately held company dedicated to commercializing synthetic genomic processes and naturally occurring processes for alternative energy resources. The joint venture is tasked to carry out research and development activities on the use of genomics-based techniques and tools to increase the yield and profit stream from crop plants. It will initially focus on whole genome sequencing of oil palm. Synthetic Genomics, which was founded by genome pioneer J Craig Venter, Ph. D. will use its expertise in DNA sequencing to enable SGSI-Asiatic Limited to develop a comprehensive genomic study of oil palm whilst ACGT will be the exclusive agent and sole licensee, on a worldwide basis, for commercialising the technologies developed. In May 2008, the joint venture announced that it had successfully completed the first draft assembly of the oil palm genome. For more information, please visit www. acgt. asia. Genting Plantations is actively involved in environmental conservation and committed to sustainable development of oil palm cultivation. Since 1999, Genting Plantations has collaborated with World Wide Fund for Nature (â€Å"WWF†) in support of its â€Å"Partners for Wetlands†) programme to conserve the Kinabatangan floorplains aimed at rehabilitating and restoring riverine and wetland habitats as wildlife sanctuary and preservation of biodiversity. The Kinabatangan floorplains will serve as a corridor for wildlife movement of Borneo flagship species, such as pygmy elephant, orang utan and proboscis monkey. The Group, noted as the first plantation company to participate in the programme, has extended its partnership with WWF for another 15 years from 2006. On the international front, the Group is one of the first 14 members of the Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil (â€Å"RSPO†), a multi-stakeholder association, whose primary objective is to promote the production and use of sustainable palm oil through co-operation within the supply chain and open dialogue with its stakeholders. Genting Plantations will continue to pursue and adopt good plantation management practices to uphold the well being of the environment it operates in.

Effective and Ineffective Communication

Effective and Ineffective Communication Lisa Brady Loyola University Effective and Ineffective Communication Where we come from, what we’ve experienced, our culture, our norms, our circle of friends, and our history all affect the ways in which we communicate with each other. What constitutes effective and ineffective communication? How do we assess what works as opposed to what doesn’t? Communication is vital not only to patient care but in collaborating as a team to ensure goals are achieved.In Contemporary Nursing, Cherry states that â€Å"effective communication is a foundational component of professional nursing practice. † (Cherry & Jacob, 2011, p. 381) When I think of communication in the clinical setting, two examples are always in my fore mind both of which happened in nursing school. I keep these experiences in mind because they have had a profound effect on the ways in which I communicate with my patients daily. My example of ineffective communicat ion stems from a rotation I did in the ICU. I was apprehensive about going to the ICU. Was I ready?The patients were so acute and I was so inexperienced. I was filled with doubts and insecurity. The short version of this story entails an ICU nurse who was not aware she was getting a student and a shortage of computer tablets, so medications were pulled via a written paper brought to the pyxis. A patient was upset with medications he didn’t understand and the doctor had to be contacted. The doctor yelled at the nurse, the nurse ran from the unit crying and when she returned the scene was set for a near fatal accident. The nurse took me and her piece of paper to the pyxis and began to pull her medications.Again for time and space, the shortened version explains that the nurse mistakenly pulled a night medication due at hour of sleep instead of the day medication. The nurse then instructed the nursing student to pass these medications. By the time the nurse realized she had pull ed the wrong dosage and the nursing student had given them, the patient had to be intubated; stomach pumped and could easily have died. During this emergency treatment the nurse yelled at the nursing student, â€Å"and this is why you always check the computer prior to giving medication. I cannot express to you the fear, anger and confusion I had over what had transpired. I felt â€Å"thrown under the bus†. What had just happened? What happened was a serious disconnect in communication and a hard lesson in patient safety. The patient lived and recovered. I learned to never completely give up my power and to trust my instinct. I have never since and never will give a medication unless I have pulled it and have all the resources in front of me to verify the information.The nurse later wrote on my evaluation that we both needed to learn our five rights. I was angry but in retrospect she was right. I may not have pulled those medications but she told me to give them and I obeyed . I was utilizing non-assertive communication. I have always thought communication was my strong suit. I strive to use the â€Å"I† statements that Cherry suggests. (Cherry & Jacob, 2011) I believe strongly in Jan Hargrave’s concept that â€Å"55% of what we say is non-verbal,†¦38% is in voice reflection and only 7% is in the actual words we say. (Cherry & Jacob, 2011, p. 385) The difficulties that arise in communication; it is dependent on a host of factors, including non-verbal communication and interpretation of the information. (Cherry & Jacob, 2011) I have since learned assertive communication techniques and am currently working on responding instead of reacting. It is a lifelong process. My second example is one of effective communication. A young mom with two babies arrived to the ER. She had no insurance, and her baby presented with fever and signs of pneumonia.The ER doctor and the nurses expressed she was from the city hours away and was mos t likely attempting to obtain free care. The doctor discharged the patient and the nurses discussed amongst themselves the patient and the problems with patients abusing the system. Once again my gut instinct told me there was more to this patient and her story. I went to the patient to express concern and to listen and discovered that the patient was not at this particular hospital to avoid payment. She was in a domestic violence shelter with her two young babies and was attempting to change her life.It upset me that she was pre-judged like this, when all it would have taken was a few minutes of building a rapport and trust to get to the truth of the matter. It has truly made a difference in how I work with my patients. I try to truly listen to what they are â€Å"not† saying. To work with our patients on a holistic level we must actively listen, validate their concerns and their feelings and earn their trust. In conclusion there is so much to take into consideration regardi ng how we express ourselves and interact with each other as professionals and with our patients.We must always consider cultural differences and be keenly aware of body language. How we communicate with individuals varies greatly and is dependent upon where that person is in their life and at that moment. Physical touch is another form of communication and again must be assessed dependent on the person. Some patients don’t mind if we touch their hand or shoulder reassuringly, others are bothered by this. I always make an attempt to ask a patient for example if they are crying; can I give you hug?It is so important to maintain open communication but at the same time keep boundaries. It is a gift to be able to care for our patients but it can be difficult to find the right path of communication for each person. In the end we do the best we can, utilizing the tools we’ve been given and making every effort to be authentic, genuine and in the moment. References Cherry, B. , & Jacob, S. R. (2011). Contemporary nursing issues trends and management (5th ed. ). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Mosby.

Strategy Air France

Strategy Air France External environment and industry environment Air France and KLM before their merger were two company players whose corporate identity and culture were strong. This gave them an edge in comparison with the other airlines. In addition, their merger enhanced their industry image, attracting more clients because of the initial successful services offered by individual firms. In addition, rivalry is very low in the airline industry.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Strategy: Air France-KLM specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is because of the tight entry requirements postulated in the statute. Bargaining by customers is very low. The people who use these airlines are people of a high status (Wnittington 2001). This uniqueness decreases firm rivalry. With competitors like Star airline being successful after their merger, it was clear that cooperating firms could have the muscle to compete in this industry. However, increase of fuel costs is a huge external problem as it is eating on the revenue generated. Critical success factors Transparency Management decisions and policies are industry driven. The management always deliberates on the market issues before coming up with a decision. Reliability The decisions made by the airline are client driving. The public trust the airline to provide quality customer service while it is in the course of business. Rational The rationality of decisions is based on the application of cost/benefit analysis. Policy makers weigh a designated decision on costs and benefits before their adoption. When the costs outweigh benefits, the decision is abandoned. Accountability and good ethical behavior The airline stands by the decision made and takes responsibility to that effect. The responsibility in this line entails the ability to own, report and explain happenings upon occurrence.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we ca n help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Company analysis Air France-KLM came into existence after the merger of air France and KLM Royal Dutch airlines in September 2003. Increase in competition of Europe airlines and the harsh financial position of the KLM airline led to this merger. The merger led to the dilution of government stake; this ultimately led to transfer of the airline to a public-owned from a state-owned company. The autonomy has solely avoided the government intrusion in daily operations of the airline. The company has a well-designed decision mechanism that addresses day-to-day running operations. Air France-KLM consolidated their revenue through the merger. The company is able to optimize on management as it has a large network. Due to the acquired position of dominance in the industry and bargaining power during the merger, the purchase of new airlines is imminent. The Company also has a variety of services. Passenger, freight and m aintenance services are the three major areas of service. This has enhanced customer satisfaction and fostered confidence (Hough 2006). Air France- KLM has huge operating revenue that is attributable to this wide range of products. SWOT analysis Strengths The transfer of ownership from a state- to a public-owned airline has improved the firms operations and effectiveness Huge consolidated operation revenue is one of the strengths of this airline. This has helped the firm cover its expenses with ease. The diversification of its services gives the airline a competitive advantage over the other airlines. The services provided by Air France-KLM are, passenger, freight and maintenance services. Weaknesses Different cultures are a corporate weakness of this merger. This has led to inconsistency in the decision making process. The firm’s autonomy discourages state intervention in terms of funding to cover its operation costs that may be acute i.e. the ever-rising fuel costs Oppo rtunities With the opening up of the world market and increase of tourism, the firm has an opportunity to grow its revenue base. Threats Rising operation costs. The acute prices of oil drives firms cost high, this decrease the airline profits in the end. The increased airline mergers in the European zone have hiked competition in both the European and global markets. List of References Hough, J. R. 2006, ‘Business segment performance redux: a multilevel approach’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 45-61. Wnittington, R. 2001, What is strategy and does it matter? 2nd edn, Cengage Learning, London

Formal Fused Words

Formal Fused Words Formal Fused Words Formal Fused Words By Mark Nichol Inasmuch as it pains me to say it, notwithstanding my affection for fused words, nevertheless, I encourage readers to use some of the words listed hereinafter sparingly and others not at all. Evolution of the English language includes a process called univerbation (yes, that’s really a word), the combination of a fixed expression of two or more words into a single word. It’s how two nouns are transformed into a closed compound such as lightbulb, or how a phrase such as â€Å"forget me not† coalesces into a noun such as forget-me-not, to represent something new. It’s how phrases like â€Å"young urban professional† are abbreviated to words such as yuppie, and how a portmanteau word like smog is formed. It’s how a verb phrase like â€Å"going to† is slurred to sound like gonna, and how a combination of a preposition and an infinitive such as in and to becomes the preposition into and how three words like not, with, and standing, which in sequence make little sense, are welded together to become a (highly formal) synonym for despite. (Other fused words are still considered invalid, such as the ubiquitous alot and alright and the rarer moreso and eachother, but in centuries to come these will likely be considered standard.) It applies also to when two or three words (sometimes with the aid of another word that remains independent) unite to perform an adverbial function or to serve as a conjunction or as a pronoun. Note, however, that in many cases, these words- though no more venerable than any of the other English vocabulary that has survived for multiple centuries with little change- may be perceived as archaic or at least stuffy. When it comes to the words and phrases listed below, clear communication might be better served by employing a more transparent phrase that represents the same idea. Adverbs Many compound adverbs, such as those beginning with any (anyone, anything, and so on), are entirely acceptable, as is the slightly more formal however, as well as thereafter, therefore, nevertheless, and nonetheless, but the following words may be seen as pedantic: hereinafter: following this part of this document or writing hereinbefore: preceding this part of this document or writing heretofore: up to this time hitherto: up to this time howsoever: in whatever manner, to whatever degree or extent insomuch: to such a degree therein: in that place, thing, or time, or in that particular or respect thereinafter: following the part of that document or writing thereinbefore: preceding the part of that document or writing theretofore: up to that time Conjunctions Some compound conjunctions (such as although) are familiar, but the following might be seen as distractingly formal: albeit: even though forasmuch as: in view of the fact that howbeit: even though inasmuch as: in view of the fact that, or in the degree that insofar: to such degree or extent whensoever: at any or every time wheresoever: anywhere at all Pronouns Whatever, whenever, and so on are everyday words, and whatnot is common though it may be perceived as substandard dialect, but the following are stiff: whatsoever: anything or everything, or no matter what, or anything that might also be mentioned (also an adjective) whosoever: whatever person, or no matter who In summary, with few exceptions (such as nevertheless), consider avoiding words with infixes (words inserted between others to form a single word)- though they are forgivable when used whimsically- and note that even some infix-free fused words (such as therein) may be considered overly formal. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:35 Synonyms for â€Å"Look†Do you "orient" yourself, or "orientate" yourself?40 Synonyms for Praise

Parallelism in Writing for English Learners

Parallelism in Writing for English Learners Parallelism takes place when two similar phrases are joined to make just one sentence. For example: Tom plays the piano.Tom plays the violin.Parallelism Tom plays the piano and the violin. This is just a simple example. There are many types of parallelism and the important point to remember is that both forms must be the same. In other words, if you have two parallel verb structures the tenses must be the same. For example: Peter works hard and plays hard. NOT Peter works hard and play hard. Single Word Parallel Structures Both of the previous examples are single word parallel structures. Here is an overview of single word parallel structures: Nouns Jack eats fish and chicken.Sarah writes poetry and short stories. Verbs Our neighbors have moved and have sold their house.My sister walks or rides her bike to work. Adjectives The class is not only fun but also helpful.She is not only strong but also fast. Adverbs Peter drives quickly and aggressively.They work carefully and effectively. Phrase Parallel Structures Parallelism can also take place with phrases. This type of parallel structure can be more difficult to recognize as the sentences are more complex. Here are some examples: Having fun is as important as working hard.She advised me to get some sleep and take some time off work. Here are phrase parallel structures. Each type of structure includes a note about important points/problems to take into consideration. Noun Phrases Work is as necessary as play.Apples are as good for you as oranges. NOTE: Noun phrases are either singular or plural in nature and impersonal (it or they). Verb Phrases As soon as I arrive home, I put on my shoes and go for a run.Before she leaves for work, she usually eats breakfast and has a cup of coffee. NOTE: All verbs in a verb phrase with parallel structure have the same conjugation. Adverbial Phrases Peter and Tim will probably arrive in less than an hour and in time for the meeting.They want more time off in the summer and on weekends. (at weekends in British English) NOTE: An adverbial phrase is made up of more than one word which functions as an adverb. In this case, in less than an hour and in time expresses when something is going to happen. Gerund Phrases He enjoys playing tennis and working out.They dont mind waiting and talking while you get ready. NOTE: Make sure not to mix the infinitive (to do) and the gerund (doing) in parallel structures! Infinitive Phrases Jackson hopes to visit his parents and see his old friends when he goes home.She advised me to find some new friends and forget about the event. NOTE: Make sure not to mix the infinitive (to do) and the gerund (doing) in parallel structures! Participial Phrases Discovering her financial losses and not knowing enough about the current market, she decided to stop investing.Driving through the German countryside and speaking to the people, Mark began to understand the culture better. NOTE: This is a rather complex structure. Notice how a comma is placed after the parallel structure participial phrases that introduce the sentences. Clause Parallel Structures Finally, clauses can also be used to make parallel structures. In this case, remember that you must use full clause structure (subject verb objects) and that the subjects of BOTH clauses will be the same. This causes the verb conjugation to remain the same in both clauses. Noun Clauses She said that she was having fun but not that she was meeting people.Peter felt that he had made an excellent deal and that he had bought a masterpiece. Adjective Clauses She is a woman who is intelligent and, at the same time, who seems distracted.This is a product that is easy to use and that is simple to clean. Adverb Clauses As he didnt understand and because he refused to try, they let him go.Since it was easy to use and because it was cheap, it sold very well.

End of Isolation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

End of Isolation - Essay Example Dorn and McClellan state in their work that society consisting of human beings has experienced numerous changes due to technology (McClellan, 1999, p.276). Changes in technology has even assisted America in several ways and has resulted in eliminating America’s social isolation, elevating economic growth, assisting in strategizing the military section and uniting the American people mentally and physically. Body The gap between the citizens of America has decreased due to increase in technological advancements since 1865. The new advancements have made various changes, these advancements have helped: in making research and development an easier task, sharing information and education, socializing with other and changed complex tasks into simple ones. These changes have assisted US in transferring and receiving information in both oral and written format. One of the major technological advancements experienced since 1875 was the creation of telephone by Alexander Graham Bell, t his advancement was made as Graham Bell was quite motivated by the providing education to the deaf (Keenan, 2001, p.51). Other advancements that came to the forefront were the introduction of machines used to increase productivity, vehicles used for transportation of mass quantity of resources, and the typewriter. These advancements led to the research and development of much sophisticated technologies. The people of the United States were divided and had a conflict with each other during the period of Reconstruction. The American citizens were focused on and were very concerned about the disastrous effects of the Civil and the political wars that were being experienced by the nation during that era. The difference of opinion among the citizens and the wish to learn new things resulted in higher desire for technological advancements. During this period, the citizens felt the need for technology that could help them in moving from one end to another and to communicate their views to others. These needs led to the development of railroads and telegram during the 19th century, railroads accomplished the need for traveling and telegram led to the accomplishment of the need for communication (Bowles, 2011, p.47). During the period of the 1900s technological advancements were slow in speed to happen as compared to the technological advancements experienced by the Americans today. Technological advancements have even aided the students of America in gaining diverse amount of information and learn things in a better manner. Before computers came into existence, people in America were restricted to their libraries and educators for information purpose. Today, American students use internet and online sources to obtain information and with the aid of this information they develop themselves and gain acceptability throughout the world in different organizations. Politicians and people representing political arena use the means of technology to gain popularity in order to get elected in the higher rankings of the political arena. These advancements are used by interest groups and political personalities to change the perception of the citizens of the citizens and to gain support for the enactment of new practices and regulations. The telegram has been replaced by digital technology such as the mobile phones. The digital technolo0gy has been used by the President Obama, he used email to obtain support for his plan of generating economic growth

Sensory perceptions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sensory perceptions - Essay Example I will give facts on aspects that lead a person to believe another one’s view on the world and also describe factors contributing to accuracy of this sensory data. Analysing and discussing human development as a child and the child’s outside nurturing influences and how this is continued through to adulthood plays a major role in sensory perceptions. My goal in this paper is to research influences and factors that all contribute to the development of the brain that is the key instrument in interpreting situations , circumstances and experiences in the world. Mental Illness, trauma, and consumption of substances. I will also describe three factors that would influence the accuracy of sensory data and they will come under the headings of childhood positive verbal communication, childhood environment, individual beliefs. My final paragraph will bring the titles together and discuss the roles of natural and nurtured abilities that contribute in interpreting and the world. There are certain mental illnesses that can distort ones view or interpretation of the world â€Å"they have hallucinations ( actually seeing or hearing things that don’t exist) Trauma is said to be the causes losing connections in early brain development which can cause mental illness and an inability to form an accurate view of the world in adulthood â€Å"the brain is compromised of many regions... within each of these brain areas are millions of neurons or nerve cells, which send messages to each other across synapses... Because the brain operates on the â€Å" use it† or â€Å"lose it â€Å" rule an â€Å"over pruning† of these connections can occur

GE coursework Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GE coursework - Case Study Example Welch created the culture of the company in his own image. His philosophy that good leaders create a vision for the company helped him to motivate the management to put optimum performance in their operations. This culture has been made possible by uniting different cultural forces across the globe. The success of the company can also be attributed to its positive stance towards diversity. Any company that fails to take into account the values and culture of the people in the environment in which it operates is bound to fall. However, GE has managed to take a positive approach towards diversity across the whole globe. It specialises on technology based businesses such as semiconductors and radio stations. These products have high demand across the globe and it can be seen that any company that specialise in technical products is likely to attract many customers Its digitization process such as the use of the internet has also positively contributed to its success. The internet has revolutionised the business landscape during the contemporary period and this has also contributed towards the success of GE in its global and regional

Trap ease america Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Trap ease america - Essay Example More men might be willing to use the cheap traps that are dangerous when loading, but after a single bad experience any men will automatically switch to a product such as Trap Ease. A target market that was not mentioned by the firm is the Asian marketplace. In Asia rats are used as a source of food. They consider rat meat a delicacy. The Trap Ease offers a more effective way to trap rats. The added cost will of the product are easier to absorb when a customer is going to make money by capturing the rat. The marketing mix can be defined as a set of marketing tools the firm uses to pursue its marketing objectives in the target market (Kotler). The first issue with the marketing mix of the company is that the target market is not wide enough. Making women the target market is eliminating half the potential clients in the marketplace. The location variable is another problem. The amount of distribution channels for the product is not wide enough. The price for the product is reasonable at $2.49 retail, but if the company could lower the retail price of the product to $1.99 the demand of the product would go up a lot. The firm is not using any promotional tools effectively to educate the masses about the existence of the product and its advantages. The company should utilize a better product strategy. It would be wise to highlight the features of the trap in an advertising campaign. An improve packaging can make the product more appealing in the shelves of stores. Offering a greater variety of colors for the traps can help increase interest in the product and as a consequence its demand will go

Greeces Inadequate Response to the International Credit Crisis Term Paper

Greeces Inadequate Response to the International Credit Crisis - Term Paper Example In several areas housing markets suffered heavily, something that led to foreclosures, evictions and prolonged cases of unemployment among several industries. During that time, the crisis is said to have been responsible for the failure and closure of several key businesses (Laskos, & Tsakalotos, 2013), massive drops in consumer wealth, which had been estimated to range in trillions of American dollars. Similarly, the situation caused a huge downturn in economic activities, leading to the global recession of 2008-2012, thus resulting in another crisis, the European sovereign-debt (Shannon, 2014). It is believed that the most active part of the particular crisis that manifested itself in the form of liquidity crisis can actually be traced from 9th of August 2007 (Shannon, 2014). During this time, BNP Paribas is believed to have ended completely all withdrawals from the three main hedge funds because of a total evaporation of the much needed liquidity. This paper examines the concept of the international credit crisis as it happened, focusing on the strategies that Greece use in response towards the crisis including the United States and other European nations. The real cause of the crisis has been a subject of discussion, with different experts giving different opinions and perspectives as to the real causes. The Levin-Coburn’s report from the U.S senate explained that the crisis was brought about by those complex and high risk financial products, failure from the side of regulators, diverse conflicts of interest, agencies in charge of credit rating as well as the market itself, which wanted to rein beyond the Wall Street excesses (Laskos, & Tsakalotos, 2013). On the other hand, the conclusions by the commission of inquiry into the crisis argued that the crisis would have been avoided, had the financial regulators taken effective steps in good time. In this case, they explained that the crisis was to be blamed on financial supervision and regulation

Technology in Today's Society Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Technology in Today's Society - Research Paper Example Moreover, the potential of technology to promote social changes is examined. The various effects of technology on society are also evaluated. It is concluded that the relationship between technology and society is quite close leading to their mutual dependency. As for the drawbacks of the above relationship, these seem to be limited – at the level that they cannot lead to irreversible damages on either the society or the technology. In order to identify and evaluate the effects of technology on society, it would be necessary to refer primarily to the features of technology, as identified through observing the use of technology in various human activities. Through these features the context of technology – priorities, rules and benefits – is made clear; in this way, the potentials of technology to intervene in society influencing its ethics and ideas, can be understood. One of the key characteristics of technology seems to be its trend to change; in fact, it could be noted that change is the primary feature of technology (Aswathappa 256). The term ‘change’ as used for describing technology has two different aspects: it refers to the continuous update of technology – in order to meet the increasing human needs; moreover, the above term is used to reflect the alteration of human relations, as members of society. At this point, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of technology it would be necessary to check the level at which ‘people are prepared for it’ (Aswathappa 256). In other words, technology can be related to the society influencing the behavior of humans within a particular social group. Its ability to be expanded rapidly is another feature of technology. Indeed, when entering a particular society, technology is likely to widespread ensuring that all people within the specific social group are reached – meaning that those people become aware of the above technology and its benefits/ characteris tics (Aswathappa 256). Furthermore, technology can expand across the society with no support from the members of the society; this phenomenon can be characterized as a ‘self-reinforcing ability’ (Aswathappa 256). It is because of the above characteristics that the effects of technology on the society can be significant. Having the potentials to expand rapidly – with no external support – across the society, technology can influence the behavior of the members of the society; however, the level of its power within each society cannot be precisely estimated in advance being depended on the local culture and traditions but also the buying power of consumers – which will define their ability to access the particular technology. The potentials of technology to intervene in society seem to be primarily related to the following characteristic of technology: its content; in accordance with Aswathappa (256) the technology can be described as ‘a complet e set of knowledge, ideas and methods’ (Aswathappa 256). It is at this point that technology can highly influence society – which is based on specific ethics, ideas and traditions. It is assumed that the ability of technology to i

Greeces Inadequate Response to the International Credit Crisis Term Paper

Greeces Inadequate Response to the International Credit Crisis - Term Paper Example In several areas housing markets suffered heavily, something that led to foreclosures, evictions and prolonged cases of unemployment among several industries. During that time, the crisis is said to have been responsible for the failure and closure of several key businesses (Laskos, & Tsakalotos, 2013), massive drops in consumer wealth, which had been estimated to range in trillions of American dollars. Similarly, the situation caused a huge downturn in economic activities, leading to the global recession of 2008-2012, thus resulting in another crisis, the European sovereign-debt (Shannon, 2014). It is believed that the most active part of the particular crisis that manifested itself in the form of liquidity crisis can actually be traced from 9th of August 2007 (Shannon, 2014). During this time, BNP Paribas is believed to have ended completely all withdrawals from the three main hedge funds because of a total evaporation of the much needed liquidity. This paper examines the concept of the international credit crisis as it happened, focusing on the strategies that Greece use in response towards the crisis including the United States and other European nations. The real cause of the crisis has been a subject of discussion, with different experts giving different opinions and perspectives as to the real causes. The Levin-Coburn’s report from the U.S senate explained that the crisis was brought about by those complex and high risk financial products, failure from the side of regulators, diverse conflicts of interest, agencies in charge of credit rating as well as the market itself, which wanted to rein beyond the Wall Street excesses (Laskos, & Tsakalotos, 2013). On the other hand, the conclusions by the commission of inquiry into the crisis argued that the crisis would have been avoided, had the financial regulators taken effective steps in good time. In this case, they explained that the crisis was to be blamed on financial supervision and regulation

Project Paper Part C Statistics Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Paper Part C - Statistics Project Example Similar to the coefficient of variation, the coefficient of determination normally ranges between +1 and -1. The coefficient of determination between the credit balance and size is established at 0.566; this means that 56% of the total variation can be explained by the linear relationship that exists between the credit balance and size of the household. The remaining 44% of the variation cannot be explained by the linear relationship which exists between the credit balance and size of a household. The above results of a two tailed t-test help a statistician to understand the probability of the differences of a given data; it indicates whether data are attributed to sampling errors. The t-test is mostly used by statisticians to reject a particular hypothesis or not. Mostly, if the p-value, which indicates the level of probability, is less than a certain significance level, one can reject a hypothesis. The above two tailed t-test was performed on credit card balance (variable 1) and size of household (variable 2). The P (T

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Essay Example for Free

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Essay Dickens promptly introduces the reader to Pip who serves both as the retrospective narrator and as the young protagonist of the novel. This works on a two level approach with regard to guiding us through the plot as an omnipotent narrator whilst simultaneously leading us through Pip’s life with the immediacy of a first person narrative. It is clear from the beginning that it is Pip’s perceptions which entirely define the events and characters of the novel. Dickens utilises this dichotomy in the opening chapter by exploiting Pip’s narrative perspective. We are introduced to Pip as if in the midst of a pleasant conversation with him, ‘I give Pirrip as my father’s family name†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Immediately after however, we are subjected to the unravelling thoughts and fears of a frightened child under threat. This serves to capture our attention and instil a sense of compassion for Pip, for who we fear the worst. Dickens employs Pip as the narrator to present a prospective and prophetic relationship between himself and the escaped convict. As a reader, this initially appears to be a strange concept solely based on the power dynamics between Pip and the convict and his demands, with Pip reciprocating for fear of his life. However, as they part, Pip looks back to see the man walking alone into the marshes. This metaphorical image of the convict hugging ‘his shuddering body in both his arms’ on the horizons with the gallows, is strikingly familiar to the initial image we had of Pip who was holding himself in the cold, alone in the churchyard with the gravestones of his dead parents. As a reader, it appears that their relationship seems to warm at that moment, with the two sharing a common loneliness and marginalisation from society – the orphan and the escaped convict. Dickens uses this characterisation to develop our imagination of Pip, in that whilst Pip is afraid, he insti nctively displays a sympathetic reaction and remains resolute. Pip’s description of the convict when he first meets him seems elongated in response to the time he would have actually viewed him with, as he ‘only [had] a moment to see it’. Pip describes the convict as a man ‘who limped, and shivered, and glared, and growled’. The repetition of the word ‘and’ before each verb makes the list of the convict’s appearance sound considerably longer. The use of an iambic poetic rhythm further reinforces this idea that the list is made to sound longer. The words used to describe the convict are also stressed to sound more convincing, creating an extended metaphor of an animal. Pip is afraid of this ‘fearful man’ because of his animal like features and wounds. The portrayal of the convict cannot be easily forgotten for the reader and our imagination of him becomes almost reality. Dickens gives no clear indication of the man’s future in Pip’s life but he does create the sense t hat the convict will return, largely by building up a sense of mystery around the convict’s situation and his relationship with Pip. Dickens creates sympathy for Pip by making it explicitly clear that he has been deprived of parental guidance. He has never known his parents, ‘The shape of the letter’s on my father’s, gave me an odd idea that he was a square, stout, dark man, with curly black hair.’ This image of Pip being completely alone in a desolate cemetery trying to imagine the appearances of his parents makes us commiserate with him. We are also reminded of his youth and innocence with the childish conclusions he arrives at regarding the appearances of his parents. The gravestone reads ‘also Georgiana, wife of the above’, and in Pip thinking that his Mother’s name is actually ‘also Georgiana’, we sympathise with him for his lack of awareness. We are able to establish from this that Mrs Joe Gargery never mentions or talks about their Mother, which again makes us realise his lack of parental love. This light-hearted ponder at the gravestone’s inscriptions briefly lifts the sombre mood of the chapter which largely revolves around death, and allows Dickens to lessen the dramatic tension building up. We can conclude from this chapter that Pip has experienced loss and death at an early age but he seems accustomed to it. However, it could also reveal how Pip is lacking in certain life experiences, which we realise could affect him and his choices negatively in the future. We discover that Pip’s five younger brothers gave up trying to obtain a living exceedingly early in that ‘universal struggle’. Whilst they had ‘given in’ but Pip himself hadn’t, it reveals his resilience and strength to succeed. Knowing this, this early in the novel about Pip’s character, it infuses the read er with a sense of optimism about Pip and his future. Dickens concentrates heavily on the ‘bleak’ settings and grave moods to prepare the reader for a sense of what’s to come in the story, and of Pip. Dickens thoroughly describes the setting of the eerie Kent marshes in detail in order to deliver a definite mood early in the novel. The use of the setting in a graveyard works a mood of isolation and desolation; Pip is isolated by the fact he is an orphan. The graveyard itself is described as ‘bleak’ and ‘overgrown’, conveying that it has been neglected much like Pip himself. The repetition of ‘dead and buried’ further lowers the mood. Pip recalls that his ‘most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things’ is placed at a time between light and dark – perhaps symbolising the transition from good to bad, which we realise may be relevant later in Pip’s life. We see that Pip realises this whilst being shaken upside down by the convict, symbolising t hat he has a distorted view of things, with them perhaps being upside down themselves. Dickens sets the chapter in a graveyard to deliver a sombre mood. A wide open space seems harsher than an inside enclosed one, and Pip is less familiar with them. The external world offers Dickens a space to experiment with the idea of Pip being afraid of things he has not previously experienced. This makes Pip feel unsettled and isolated, which is passed on to an involved reader. The derelict setting is further reflected in the mood as Dickens describes the landscape surrounding the churchyard. He continually describes it as a ‘dark flat wilderness’ which is dreary in appearance and has the possibility to harbour deep and unknown dangers. Obstacles in the marshes such as ‘dykes’, ‘mounds’, and ‘gates’ work as visual obstructions for Pip but on a metaphorical level as symbols for possible upcoming obstacles in Pip’s life. Dickens maintains the use of words such as ‘flat’, ‘low’ and ‘darkâ€℠¢ which gives an eerie feel and dense mood to the opening chapter. There is also further symbolism in Pip’s surrounding, in that there is both a flowing river and flat, solid ground on the same landscape. This could reflect that there are two ways in which to travel the same distance and that Pip is soon to have to choose a path to take, which will in turn alter his life. This is thought provoking and concerning to us as a reader, whilst simultaneously intensifying the already dampening mood. The marshland is repeatedly represented as a place where good meets sin, and this is clear in the skyline. It has ‘long angry red lines and dense black lines intermixed’, and these frightening colours and the ‘darkness of the sky’ all accentuate Pip’s vulnerability in this graveyard full of misery, with the pathetic fallacy working to highlight his isolation. There are also only two vertical structures on the horizontal landscape of the marshes – a beacon and gallows. The beacon’s use is to guide sailors home and steer them from danger, whereas gallows are used to hang criminals for crimes they have committed. These two structures symbolise good and evil and the choices in which Pip is to make – leading to either a life of good or a life of sin. The ‘green mounds’ and ‘nettles’ all portray the hostility of everything against Pip, with connotations of something that could hurt him. The ‘wind’ rushes from the ‘distant savage lair’. This metaphor is used to describe the sea from which the ‘wind is rushing’ and the use of pathetic fallacy creates a harsh and tense atmosphere of a claustrophobic nature. However, to Pip, the wind is a wild beast and the ‘savage lair’ is the den from which the wind comes. This further intensifies the sympathy we as a reader have for Pip. To conclude, Dickens utilises the vulnerability and innocence of Pip to evoke both sympathy and anticipation for the young boy and his future. It is the confusion of the opening chapter’s happenings and the title ‘Great Expectations’ which makes us as a reader eager to continue the novel and our journey with Pip.

rober lowell Essay -- essays research papers

Te poem by Robert Lowell seems as if he was remembering his mother’s death and what he had gone through during that time. He tells the story in a poem in a sequential order from being in the hospital, being in the car with her dead body and finally in the cemetery burying her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the hospital we can see that he remembers that the nurse could only speak in Italian. We also see that, he kind of knew that his mom was going to die because he says that there is only a week left of her existence. By thinking about all this Robert Lowell starts to tear and I guess does cry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When he gets his mother’s casket in the car he gets very descriptive by saying, â€Å"the whole shoreline of the Golfo di Genova was breaking into fiery flowers. The crazy yellow and azure sea-sleds blasting like jack-hammers across the spumante-bubbling, wake of our liner.† In these lines he’s basically talking about or describing his emotions. Then he goes on talking about his Ford vehicle where the mother is traveling first class in the hold. Then the author talks about the black and gold casket and how it resembles with the great Napoleon’s casket. Since Napoleon was a very noble man in his time he referred his mom’s casket with Napoleon’s. He saw the importance because the mother was very important in Robert’s life just as Napoleon was important to his people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Its so hard writing down what you see in a poem. Well this is...

Russo Japanese War Essay -- Russian Defeat, Distance

Is distance an insurmountable problem, judging from the Russian Experience in this conflict and the British experience in the War of American Independence? In order to clearly understand the points presented, insurmountable must first be clearly defined and understood in relation to the case. For this essay insurmountable means that Russia and the British were unable to overcome distance. Distance was the single factor that led to their inability to successfully wage war and defeat their opponents baring all other difficult matters were achievable. In the Russo-Japanese War, distance from theater and within theater was not an insurmountable problem for the Russians. In contrast, distance from and within theater proved an insurmountable problem for the British during the War of American Independence. The Russian’s defeat was a combination of a unaffectionate value of the object (government & people), inadequate leadership (government & forces), and a poorly trained and equipped force that could not t unite their land and sea forces (government & forces). However, the British were severely handicapped by vast area of operations; this impacted their ability to receive supplies, guidance, and reinforcements, as well as project its sea power effectively. By the late 1800’s Russia had infiltrated the Far East, with two naval stations, Port Arthur and Vladivostok, forces based in Manchuria as well as the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Russia military desires in Asia were not of national security importance but that of imperialism and wealth, the former was most important to Nicholas II and the latter of Witte. The Far East expansion would allow Russia to initially capitalize on Manchuria and Korea’s resourc... ... the war (Fuller, pg. 406). The trading capacity of Russia was also in shambles. Domestic trading and trading with Siberia was halted to support the sole use of Trans-Siberian railway for military transport (Warner and Warner, p.317). Revenue was down and the hatred for Nicholas II had increased. Nicholas II was warned that an object so remote and out of touch with the national spirit would only fan the flames of revolution (Koda, p.397). The Revolution was fully blown and the political and economic reform was being demanded. Boycotts and attacks on public officials were common. Nichols II content to lead a nation without the interest of his people, led Russia into war with itself. Russia was losing face value with the world. Matters on the home front needed immediate attention and the war was a distraction that could no longer be afforded or tolerated.

Samuel Morse Essay

Morse remains as one of the most influential figures of American history because he contributed to society by creating the Inglewood electric telegraph. Samuel Morse was born in Charleston, Massachusetts on April 27,1791. As a young boy, Samuel lived with his parents and two older brothers. Although hi s academic skills were just mediocre, his ability to draw was outstanding. Samuel wanted to pursue a career in art but his father opposed and strongly urged him to focus on school. He graduated from Yale and become a clerk at a local bookstore.Eventually, Samuels father reversed his decision and allowed him to study art. He traveled to England and studied with the renowned artist Benjamin West. After four ears, he went back to America and opened up a studio in Boston. † But when Morse returned to the United States in 1815, Americans did not have a taste for such large history paintings. (Gambling 2). They attracted a lot of attention but nobody would buy them. Samuel wanted to in crease the respect for painters so he founded the National Academy of Design in New York. There, his painting Gallery Of the Louvre was displayed in public.By presenting Americans with a dazzling showcase of great art he would be doing in miniature what domestic art museum, were there one, should do. † , (Stain 5). Samuel expected his dents to study and copy the paintings provided at the Academy. Slowly, the American interest in historical art gradually increased. Without Samuel Morse, the people of the U. S. May have never found the beauty in art. As people began experimenting with different type Of methods to transfer messages, Morse dropped his focus on painting and directed it toward electricity.He was motif dated to create the telegraph due to the delayed and sudden news of his wife's death. Morse was listening to a friend and he talked about electromagnetism. â€Å"l see no reason why intelligence might not be instantaneously transmitted by electricity to NY distance. à ¢â‚¬Å", (Stain). He immediately jotted down notes for a future model. Morsel's final outcome was a singletree telegraph. It used a send, repeater and receiver. The main component of the machine was the use Of Morse Code. Morse Code is a series Of dots and slashes that can be translated into letters, numbers and phrases.A skilled operator can reach Upton forty words per minute. As the invention goes public, many people began to fight for the telegraph patent. â€Å"Morse was immediately involved in legal claims by his partner and by rival inventors. † (Maybe 8). Although the invention was impressive, I do not understand why people are desperate to win prizes. Morsel's main rival was Pain. They attacked each other with lawsuits and accusations. One of the examples was that Pain tried to claim that Morse copied the idea of using dots and slashes from a Swedish person named Swain.Samuel quickly displaced this by saying Swain did not intend to use it as a form of communication. Af ter a while, the electric telegraph patent went to Samuel Morse. Then the Congress funds $30,000 to construct a forty mile telegraph line that connects Washington to Baltimore. Samuel makes a public demonstration and types into the telegraph. What hath God wrought? ‘. These words officially open the first telegraph lines made. The Morse Telegraph quickly spreads around the world, greatly impacting their lives.Australia, Europe and India eventually made their own telegraph lines. Morse became instantly famous and he was rewarded by many nations for his â€Å"acts and contributions to the scientific community†. A submarine telegraph was built and connected Ireland to Newfoundland. The queen of England tested it and also gave him a medal. The whole world was grateful for his invention and it changed how everybody lived. Anybody could send assuages around the world in just a matter Of minutes. But then the telephone was invented a few decades later.As the telegraph rage wen t down, people began to remember Samuel Morse as a painter instead of a inventor. Although he opposed against this, he was still happy and spent his vast amount of money on his house. It overlooked a farm, stream and forest. The rest of his life was mainly quiet and pampered. Morse died in New York City on April 2, 1872. As of today, Samuel Morse is still recognized as the founder and creator of the electric telegraph. It greatly changed the world and slowly evolved to en we know today.

Ohm’s law Essay

Predictions 1. The longer the wire, the more it will resist the flow of electrons 2. The wider the wire the less resistance it shall have. 3. Copper will be the wire which has the less resistance. 4. The different types of wire will have different levels of resistance. Accuracy I am intending to also get a reading for the length â€Å"zero† also using the crocodile clips and keeping the circuit identical. This shall be my â€Å"control†. I suspect that there will be resistance both in the circuit wires and in the multimeters. This will mean that the values obtained for resistance of the wire shall be slightly too high. By subtracting the resistance value of the circuit wire from the resistance calculations I will get a more accurate set of results. Also as I intend to draw a best fit line for my results, if all the points are slightly too high the gradient will be dramatically altered. The way in which the readings are being taken is designed so that the readings are random but in an orderly way so that I can spot any mistakes. Method Method used The method used was identical to that explained under the planning section, above. The results (i. e. readings on the multimeters), were taken down and put into tables. The results were as follows: Results For nickel chromium wire, SWG 30 Length (cm) Width (mm) Current Readings (Amps) Voltage Readings (Volts) T3Length (cm) Width (mm) Current Readings (Amps) Voltage Readings (Volts) For nickel chromium wire, SWG 22 Length (cm) Width (mm) Current Readings (Amps) Voltage Readings (Volts) For copper wire, swg 30 Length (cm) Width (mm) Current Readings (Amps) Voltage Readings (Volts) Try 1 Try 2 Try 3 Ave. Try 1 Try 2 Try 3 Ave. For constantan wire, swg 30 Length (cm) Width (mm). Current Readings (Amps) Voltage Readings (Volts) For manganane wire, swg 30 Length (cm) Width (mm) Current Readings (Amps) Voltage Readings (Volts) Resistance values For Nickel Chromium Wire, SWG 30 Length (cm) Current (A) Voltage (V) Resistance (? )For Nickel Chromium Wire, SWG 28 Length (cm) Current (A) Voltage (V) Resistance (? ) For Nickel Chromium Wire, SWG 24 Length (cm) Current (A) Voltage (V)Resistance (? ) Patterns and trends It can be quite clearly seen in most of my results that when a graph of length and resistance are plotted the result is a straight line. In my case I have obtained a scatter graph with a very strong positive correlation. In graph 1 It can be seen that there are four straight lines passing through the origin. These straight lines are the values for Nickel Chromium at different gauges. The gauge values are as follows: Gauge Diameter (mm)   graph two, it can seen that this is not a relationship of direct proportionality as the correlation doesn’t â€Å"point† towards the origin. Also from graph one, it can be seen that the resistance increases as the length does. All these lines are straight and they all pass through the origin, so I think it is appropriate to conclude that Resistance is directly proportional to the length of the wire. Finally it can be seen from graph three that the resistance in different types of wire varies according to the type. Keeping the gauge constant this was tested and the results were as follows: Nickel Chromium is the most resistant, Manganane is the second most resistance, Constantan is third, And the least resistant is copper. All the evidence her proves that my results agree with my hypothesis. (c. f. section P). Evaluation Reliability The reliability of these results is quite good. This is because the procedure is relatively straight forward, and the numbers are not difficult to record. I think the results are certainly reliable enough to support both of my conclusions firmly. Anomalus results. There are a few anomalus results throughout the experiment. The resistance values in the table are not always increasing, and this is not always occurring at a steady rate. Good example of which are the readings for 40 and 50 cm on the copper wire. I think that this is just a mistake in taking down the results or possibly we didn’t wait foe the voltmeter to stabilize. Experimental errors These could include many things, the most likely of which are a short circuit, The wire may have heated up causing less resistance, and the readings on the multimeters could have been inaccurate. Further work This could include finding a more varied set of results, testing more types of wires. It could also include taking more readings to get better averages. I would suggest using all the rest of the equipment in the same way. Also one could try to investigate temperature changes by using insulated wires and a tray of cold/warm or hot water. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Venezuela and democracy

Venezuela Is a country ruled by dictatorship hidden by democracy. Basically, the whole governmental system Is controlled by Hugo Chavez and his own party. The problems that exist are foot shortage, prlvatlzatlon of recourses(such as 011) and economic Issues. The volce of people can't be heard. Many evidences tells that Venezuela is actually a dictatorship country, not a democracy country as it seems. President Hugo Chavez had control of the election in Venezuela. 2 The government was trying to control the people by police officers. They abused student groups with iolence and threat.On the streets, while the students were peacefully protesting fighting for their freedom, democracy and civil rights, the police tried to stop them. 4 The common goal in Venezuela is to get real democracy. People take actions. For example, students form the organization â€Å"VotoJoven,† to promote democracy. 7 They achieved striking results with the registration of more than 750,000 new voters In t he system In 2010. They demand students rights. Come back to our important topic, as the â€Å"former† of the countrys problems, Chavez, who has been on the position of President since 1999.

Psychology Behind Substance Abuse Research Paper

Psychology Behind Substance Abuse - Research Paper Example From the report it is clear that  more and more people presently are turning towards substance abuse for seeking relief from the distress of many everyday annoyances like paralyzing sense of failure, broken relationships, and other complex tragedies of life.  Thid discussion stresses that  most of the people turn towards the option of drug abuse when they are psychologically saturated from the aggravated worries and this saturated point tempts them to abuse drugs so that they may be able to negate or exchange their blackened depression for positive pleasure or psychological reward. Whether the substance used by the abuser is a stimulant or a depressant, it helps him/her in temporarily forgetting the harsh or ruthless realities or failures of life. Psychological assessment helps in identification of the fact that the patient is habitually and inadequately using drugs because he/she is obsessive about seeking denial from mounting depression. The psychological disorder of substanc e abuse can be managed by effective communication with the patient rather than abruptly referring him/her to a rehabilitation centre without any psychological therapy. The initial euphoric sense that is experienced by a substance abuser serves as a potent psychological pleasure or reward for him/her, which is immediately followed by strengthened feelings of self-confidence in case of a stimulant abuse and relaxation in case of a depressant intake. The street name for such potent and weird psychological effects is rush, which is the bait for all drug abusers who desperately seek refuge from the brutal challenges of life which they find too hard to manage. Psychological analysis of rush reveals that this is experienced by a substance abuser because of the stimulation of the pleasure reward pathway in brain that results in excessive dopamine release, which is responsible for the regulation and transfer of drug and producing the overpowering sensations of pleasure, indulgence, confidenc e, and ego gratification. This gratifying but unearned psychological reward modulates the brain of a substance abuser in such a way that he/she develops a persistent longing for the preferred drug. 4. Rebellion and defiance lead to substance

Marketing your own arts event or project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing your own arts event or project - Essay Example In an argument by Bose (2010) the product, promotion, place and price analysis is mandatory. From this information, the marketing plan develops insights on the exact approach to the market in regards to selling the strategy. In terms of marketing a musical event, the four Ps of marketing would provide the target market with the accurate information to the product, the place to which the concert would be held, promotional approaches to be used and the price of tickets. The product in this regard is the music concert. The product in this place is a norm in this market (Kerin, 2012). For this reason, the main act would be accompanied by opening acts from already established artist. The opening acts should have the maximum preference of the target market. The event target teenagers and young adults. For this reason, the opening acts should have at least a minimum of 3-Year dominance in the music industry. To increase the relevance of the product, the main act should provide an analysis on what the audience may expect during the concert. The event main product is selling to the industry a new artist. The music industry is highly trendy considering the numerous shifts in market preferences. For this reason, the use of online modes of promotional would be appropriate. The event would use mega social sites for the promotion of the event. Specifically, the main and opening acts would use their social networks handles to increase the quantity of information provided to the market. The use of the conventional media would also be appropriate. This is based on that the approach offers a wider market reach. Evenson (2011) asserts that the success of promotional strategies is based on how well it achieves the objective of the product. In this case, the objective of the product is to provide a sold out event. The price of the event is directly

Non Specific Topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Non Specific Topics - Essay Example In anticipated inflation, actual inflation will be significantly above expectations or well below. This will result in losses in incomes, and income and wealth is redistributed from one society group to another. Households are able to switch savings into deposits for higher nominal rates in anticipated inflation. Companies will readjust prices and lenders adjust rates of interest. Both of this inflation will affect the economy. Industrial policy is an economic program that is government sponsored where public and private sectors combine efforts to come up with technological and industrial innovations. The government provides the capital and financial support to the private sector. Industry policy enhances cooperation between banks, governments, employees, and private enterprises for strengthening the national economy. Industry policy will focus on positive elements. It will focus on innovation, to come up with better and effective methods of production and business as the product. Industrial policy has clear goals on the short and long term. These goals are to be accomplished through institutional structures set up by the industry policies. Industry policy will also have their weaknesses including its incompatibility with macroeconomic policies. There will also be deficiencies in the infrastructure system. Industrial policy will at times be incoherent with economic instruments. The law of diminishing returns is a principle of short run production. It states that as a firm will continue combining more of an input that is variable with an input that is fixed the marginal product of the input variable will decline eventually. The amount of output per worker and capital per worker relationship is the per-worker production function. In the per-worker production function, there will be a point where there are increasing profits no matter the input by the workers. The output increases at an increasing rate. It will do so up

International Marketing Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Marketing Management - Assignment Example The product we are going to launch in Pakistan would not be a standard product for the rest of the countries, because it has to be in accordance with the preferences of Pakistanis. Like for example Pizza Hut is operating globally but the pizza you are going to eat in Pakistan compared with pizzas available in other countries' Pizza Hut would be much different as people in Pakistan like spicy food, even the names they have given to the types of pizzas available here are mostly in Urdu language which is the national language of Pakistan. I think that this kind of strategies would be an added advantage for the company. Our ice cream dessert would be available in a packed rectangular box, containing two packets. One will contain the powder form of ice cream dessert which needs to be dissolved in milk, according to the given directions on the box. Another packet will contain the fruit topping, to be served with the dessert. In the preparation of the dessert the temperature of the country needs to be considered. Secondly, the ingredients should be halal i.e. acceptable by the Muslim state. The name we have given to our dessert is 'Summer Delight' because almost for the eight to nine months the weather remains hot in Pakistan. The logo is 'cannot avoid the bite'. Targeting youth segmen... Targeting youth segment of Pakistan would give you an idea of a developing nation where competition and advancements are growing really fast. You might think that as this country is in its development phase, where approximately 30% people are below poverty line, then how would it be possible for the youth population to spend on the desserts The answer is simple. There are thousands of people who can afford and are interested in buying and consuming these items, at a place where there are a few competitors, where youth segment is ready for changes and easily accept and adopt foreign products (Pakistan, 2001). The young generation of Pakistan, aged between 10 - 35 years depending on situations, is a quick decision maker and they are more concerned about the fashion and trend that is going to come in the market. Basically they are ambitious kind of people and always want to be the innovators rather than followers. So if a product fulfils their demands then they are absolutely going to try it. At present for the youth market, the only constant thing is 'change'. Through various communication channels like internet, telephone, newspapers, television programs from all over the world, they are at all times in search of innovative ideas and notions. For a company to target the youth, it has to be adaptable and would be ready and effective for all sorts of integrations, only then it would be possible to catch them and then to retain them (Youth, 2007). Customer's buying behaviour: The buying behaviour of the customer varies significantly depending on the features of the product. For example if a person is interested in buying a car then he will take some time in making the decision because it is complex buying and involves high prices. Our product does not require too much

DIY garden marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

DIY garden marketing plan - Essay Example Most of the respondents believed that the most attractive features of these designs are the elegance and creativity that comes with their design. The designs are not just made to serve the purpose that the resultant product should serve, but they have a way of relating to nature, which makes them even more attractive for gardens. The customers also said that the deliveries were made within 24 hours apart from a few cases where there were explanations for the delays. The average rating of the designs was 4 out of five. Most of the respondentsthoughts that the designs would be more attractive if there was a way through which they could be personalised according to the specific preferences of customers. The pricing strategy of the company is notably competitive. The company strives to offer the most affordable prices by reviewing the prices of their competitors. Given the fact that the company highly depends on innovation, they choose the lowest possible prices so that they can leave their potential customers and existing customers with no option but to buy their products. In a market that is highly competitive, this strategy has been effective given the fact that the global economic crisis have affected the price sensitivity of consumers in Plymouth (Kim & Mauborgne 2015, p. 187). Furthermore, the high number of players in the recent past means that the customers have higher bargaining power within this area. This implies that the consumers will always go for the most affordable products and services available in the market. With the lower prices the company has been able to cope with the companies that were more dominant and popular even before their existence. The strategy has b een effective in winning new customers and retaining the already existing ones. Given the fact that the business organisation is based in Plymouth, the most appropriate way through which the products can get to the customers is by road.

Children after the separation Essay Example for Free

Children after the separation Essay Further his studies of the effects of war on children who were separated from their mothers at an early age was considered to be research done in a crisis situation. Critics argue under these circumstances it would be impossible to conclude how the same children would have reacted out of a war time environment. It was also argued that Bowlby failed to take account in his studies what had happened to the children after the separation. Bowlby was influenced greatly by James Robertsons research on the effects of separation on mother and child through hospitalisation. Robertsons studied children between six months and three years of age who were separated from their mothers due to hospitalisation. Robertson claimed to have established a sequence of behaviour that all children would pass through. This sequence consisted of distress, were children behaved in a disturbed manner. Despair whereby the child seems to lose hope of finding there lost parent. Lastly, the child display detachment type behaviour, refusing anyone to become involved with them. Robertson concluded that separation from their mother was harmful. In 1971 Klein and Stern studied why parents abuse their children. They found evidence in their studies that a high percentage of abused children had been born prematurely. Because these children were put into an incubator and separated from their parents an attachment was unable to develop, resulting in later abuse toward the children. The study concluded that there is a crucial period when attachments not formed adequately would not be able to be re-formed. This is of considerable importance to social work in relation to the modern day understanding of child abuse as further research has shown that many abusers were once abused themselves. Klaus Kennell (1976) two paediatricians put forward the theory that they too believed there was a critical period when attachment took place, this was immediately after birth, when the mother was physiologically pre-disposed to bond with her infant. It was during this time that the strength of the attachment was determined.  The American National Center for Clinical Programs supports Bowlbys notion of motherlove. They propose that a parent who realises they are going to have a long-term relationship with their child will put more into the caregiving and interaction, as opposed to a substitute care giver who may not be so motivated as they see many children come and go and therefore do not build up a caring relationship with children. This idea has implications for fostering as a consequence may be lack of care or favouritism towards other children in their care. John Elisabeth Newson (1986) point out that one function of a parent is to act as a memory store for the children to play back and compare experiences. Children in a care setting without a key adult with whom they have a close relationship with will be unable to build upon past experiences and this may have an impact on their emotional development.  Many studies have looked at whether attachment is instinctive, as Bowlby had believed. Konrad Lorenz (1935) agreed that attachment was instinctive when he put forward his imprinting theory. His observations revealed that newly hatched goslings follow the first thing they saw, this could be a human or other object and there was a brief critical period early in the goslings life when this would occur and was found to be irreversible. Lorenzs believed this was biological, a factor of evolution that ensures the young of all species are able to attach to someone for survival, and was relevant to the way humans form attachments in relation to it being an instinctive behaviour. Critics of his theory (Sluckin 1961 and Bateson 1964) have shown that if a young bird is kept isolated it stays unimprinted beyond Lorenzs critical period and imprinting can take place after the critical period has passed. This casts doubt on Lorenzs claim that imprinting processes are instinctive. Many researchers now believe that imprinting is actually a process of rapid learning (MacFarlane 1975) In contrast to the theory that attachment is instinctive Colin Turnbull and Margaret Mead when studying families in various African tribes concluded that they saw no signs of instinctive love or affection between parents and children. It was quite normal for many children to be left to fend for themselves; many were even killed as they were thought of as burdens by their parents. The researchers came to believe attachment to be a learnt process that we internalise from observing our own mothers behaviour, and if not learnt properly for example through illness or as in the tribes case through a different set of family norms and lifestyles, then no bonding or emotional attachment can occur. In New York in 1943 Goldfarb conducted a study of orphans. Two groups of fifteen orphans were matched for age, sex and social background of their parents. The orphans of group A had been fostered before nine months old. The orphans in group B had spent at least their first three years in an orphanage before they were fostered. Goldfarb visited each child at ages three, six, eight and twelve years and measured their development with regard to intelligence, language skills, social maturity and their ability to form relationships. Goldfarb found that every child in group A did better than those in group B leading to the conclusion that a normal family home is crucial to emotional and cognitive development. Critics of this study argue that the children may not have had the same intelligence to begin with and that the children in Group B did not have the stimulation of a family for as long a period as those children in Group A. Harlow Zimmerman conducted studies on a group of rhesus monkeys. Their studies consisted of isolating young monkeys for three months, six months or twelve months. The researchers concluded that the behaviour of the monkeys who had been isolated for twelve months was proportionately worse than those who had been isolated for three months. The behaviour of all the monkeys who had suffered isolation was seen to be disturbed. The same researchers also placed monkeys in a cage with surrogate mothers, a doll made of wire with a feeding bottle and a doll made of wood and towelling without a feeding bottle. The monkeys spent equal amounts of time with each surrogate mother. The studies showed that the monkeys preferred to cling to the towelling doll even if it meant they did not have a feeding bottle. This led the researchers to believe that warm contact is of critical importance as a need for the monkeys and leads to affectionate responses. Critics of both these studies question the relevance of animal studies to human behaviour. Bowlbys influential theory managed to link together the evolutionary focus of adaptation with the psychodynamic and behavioural importance of social relationships during infancy and childhood. (Hollin 95)  A measure of its influence can be gained from the action of the World Health Organisation in 1955 stating that Permanent damage can be done to the emotional health of babies and children when put into nurseries or sent to child-minders. The WHO report had many consequences and resulted in lots of practices regarding child care and childrens needs being changed. Women were encouraged to stay at home and were made to feel guilty and bad mothers if the went out to work. (Which suited the government at the time, as they needed these vacated jobs for men) Family Allowance payments were also introduced as a further inducement to keep women from going out to work  Maternity wards encouraged siblings to stay with their mother, whilst childrens wards encouraged mothers to stay.  A main influence on social work practice was the idea that a bad home is better that the best institution which resulted in less fostering and removal of children from poor if not dangerous situations at home. Bowlbys findings were influential but controversial and became the starting point for further studies. Some studies began to disagree with Bowlby, Fraiberg in 1974 argued that it was possible to strengthen an attachment; Parents of blind children who did not experience eye contact with their infant felt rejected and consequently were unable to develop a strong attachment to their children. When taught to interpret their childs hand movements, it was found the bond could be strengthened. Interaction was thought to be the important element in developing the attachment.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck | Analysis

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck | Analysis John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, was first published in 1937. At the time, America was still suffering the grim aftermath of the depression and the itinerant workers who form the basis of the novel were very much within the consciousness of a nation separated by wealth yet driven by the idea of ‘the American dream’. Steinbeck’s novel is, however, essentially a tale of loneliness, of men struggling alone against a cold, uncaring and faceless destiny. The central protagonists, George and Lennie are, as they are proud to proclaim, different from the others because they have each other. They are an odd couple, George the shrewd, wiry yet ultimately caring protector of the ironically named Lennie Small, who is, in fact, a huge man who doesn’t know his own strength and is mentally incapable of making the smallest of decisions for himself; he relies on George completely but equally, George needs Lennie as he gives him a reason to keep going. Lennie, despite his lack of intellect, senses this because when he knows George feels guilty for being angry with him, he takes advantage of the moment to manipulate George into repeating the story of their ‘dream future’, especially the rabbits they intend to keep with which Lennie is obsessed. They are not related but Lennie’s aunt has brought up George and he has promised her that he will look after Lennie, now she has died. The secret dream they share, of building a life together on a ranch and ‘liv[ing] off the fatta the lan’ is central but the very title of the book, taken from Robert Burns’ poem ‘To a Mouse’ foreshadows the ultimate defeat of their dream, since it speaks of plans going wrong. The two men are en route for another in a series of ranch jobs, having been run out of Weed, the place where they previously lived and worked, because Lennie has been wrongly accused of attempted rape because of his innocent desire to touch the material of a girl’s skirt; again there is foreshadowing here of the tragic ending of the novel. Indeed, the whole of the book follows the circular movement established by the setting of the beginning of the novel and inverting descriptions used there in the ending which takes place in the same spot, where Lennie has been warned to return if anything goes wrong which inevitably it does. Upon arrival at the ranch, Steinbeck takes the opportunity to introduce the reader, via the newcomers, to a panoply of characters, all loners for one reason or another: the old, maimed and dispirited Candy, the black, crippled and isolated Crooks, the feisty and arrogant boss’s son, Curley, who is newly and unhappily married, his wife being what the others call a ‘tramp’, and the god-like Slim, to whom all the others look up and to whom they all look for an image to idolise. Steinbeck uses each of these in a different way to show facets of loneliness and isolation, with only Slim seeming beyond the idea that he is an object of pity. From the first, George is afraid that the aggressive boss’s son, Curley, will cause trouble for himself and Lennie because he is an amateur boxer who sees Lennie’s size as a challenge and is ‘handy’. However, when he is involved in a violent incident with Curley through no fault of his own, Lennie crushes his hand and Slim warns him that if anything is said about it, he will make Curley look a fool, the thing he knows Curley fears most. Indeed, Steinbeck perpetually uses Slim as his centre of consciousness in the novel, the man in whom George confides, in a carefully choreographed ‘confessional’ scene, for example, where even the lighting reflects the intense interrogative. Slim is also the only one of the men who appears to have any kind of relationship with Crooks. It is no coincidence, either, that it is Slim who comforts and consoles George at the end of the book, telling him ‘You hadda, George. I swear you hadda’ and leading him away. Perhaps the most controversial aspect of Steinbeck’s novel is undoubtedly his portrayal of women. The only female character to have a real presence in the book is Curley’s wife, who appears to have married Curley on a whim, having been disappointed in her ludicrous ambition to become a film star, and is already clearly on the lookout for a better prospect. She flirts with the men, is clearly attracted to Slim, and abuses Crooks, emphasising as she does this the racial tensions of the time. The other references to women are to prostitutes and Lennie’s late aunt, rather oddly sharing a name with the local ‘madam’ of the brothel. Steinbeck here lays himself open to the charge of sexism, especially since in other works such as East of Eden, which he wrote in 1952, women are similarly portrayed as an entrapment to men, perhaps indicating a connective with difficulties in his personal life. In conclusion, however, it must be said that the enduring appeal of Steinbeck’s powerful novel remains intrinsically the moving realisation of the central relationship between George and Lennie and how their rather coincidental coming together becomes for both the defining emotion of their lives. Precisely because there are two of them, that someone, as George says, ‘gives a damn’, Steinbeck is able to highlight the loneliness of the itinerant drifters of whom he also writes movingly in The Grapes of Wrath (1939). The sharing of their dream with the desperate Candy is in a sense the beginning of the end because as it becomes almost a reality it is simultaneously broken by the intrusion of possibility symbolised by him. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck made a nationwide problem human and in doing so, he created characters who continue to both move and disturb. Bibliography: Cynthia Burkhead, Student Companion to John Steinbeck, (Greenwood Press, Westport, CT., 2002). Donald V. Coers, Paul D. Ruffin and Robert J. DeMott, eds., After the Grapes of Wrath: Essays on John Steinbeck in Honor of Tetsumaro Hayashi, (Ohio University Press, Athens, OH, 1995). Robert DeMott, Steinbecks Typewriter: Essays on His Art, (The Whitston Publishing Company Troy, New York 1997). Tetsumaro Hayashi, John Steinbeck: The Years of Greatness, 1936-1939, (University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa, AL, 1993). Arthur Hobson Quinn and Appleton-Century-Crofts, The Literature of the American People: An Historical and Critical Survey, (Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York 1951). Claudia Durst Johnson, Understanding of Mice and Men, the Red Pony, and the Pearl: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents, (Greenwood Press, Westport, CT., 1997). John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Longman, Harlow, 2000). John Steinbeck IV and Nancy Steinbeck, The Other Side of Eden: Life with John Steinbeck, (Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY, 2001).