International Trade Laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Trade Laws - Essay Example This works for the higher competitive advantage of the national companies, and thus 'closing eyes' on the illegal actions foreign companies take abroad, as well as trying to sue them for the refund of the damages which national companies pay abroad, and which is often resolved for the benefit of the national company, is a means of fighting competition through the means and methods which are legal only on the surface. 'Competition law embodies an inherent conflict while protecting local consumers from monopolies, cartels and oligopolies - it ignores the very same practices when directed at foreign consumers'. (Francis, 1995) For example, even GATT /WTO rules allow the existence of the foreign trade cartels, and if the same actions would be considered to be illegal within the country, these actions are seen as proper and legal at the international level. (Mathis, 2002) It was interesting to note, that one of the literary sources recommends adoption of the claw back provisions for the poor countries, which would want to develop their export markets. These claw back provisions would allow local courts to refund any penalty payment put on the local company by a foreign entity for the violation of trade policies and using unfair methods of international trade. ... Let's have a closer look at the GATT International Antitrust Code, which has created the four main principles, violated through the use of claw back provisions. - National laws should be applied to solve international competition problems; - Parties, regardless of origin, should be treated as locals; - A minimum standard for national antitrust rules should be set (stricter measures would be welcome); and - The establishment of an international authority to settle disputes between parties over antitrust issues. (Tarullo, 2002) The use of claw back provision if the violation of the first noted principle - they are not crated in accordance with the international laws and they don not foster creation of the laws which would support competition on the international level. Moreover, 'parties, regardless origin, should be treated as locals'; however claw back provisions are clear examples of the absolutely opposite actions of the parties. Claw back provisions are often depicted as the best means of protecting the parties from the improper judicial treatment in the foreign country; however fighting illegal actions and unfair competition is possible only through the adoption and use of such fines and damage payments for the benefit of the party the rights of which were violated. According to the Havana Charter 1947, there is a list of actions which are supposed to be illegal and represent the moves of the unfair competition; among these actions are discriminating particular enterprises, excluding enterprises from a specific territorial market, etc. Claw back provisions, on the contrary give local (national) companies legal basis for unfair competition' actions in the foreign country through understanding that in case they are sued, their country of

The Reward-Award System and the Suffocating Aspect of Expectations Essay Example for Free

The Reward-Award System and the Suffocating Aspect of Expectations Essay Education is considered as a very important aspect of our lives. It is through education that a person is able to learn various things which are needed later on in his or her life. While some may argue that that there are some things that education does not need to teach like Chemistry or Physics when a person wants to be a writer or fashion designer in the future, no one can argue that it is the discipline which those subjects or the whole aspect of the academic itself which is proven to be very useful later on. No one can deny the fact that the knowledge accumulated within the four walls of classroom is imperative, just as the experience of the whole thing within the years of being educated is important. The relationships that will be formed within the walls of the school can sometimes even surpass the connection that families have within their homes. In fact, sometimes, the people within the school are those who are considered as the very family of a person. However, what is really most focused on while in school is the aspect of academics, and while academics are really important, a person can believe that the stifling obligations and duties that come with it can be very difficult, most especially if a family or a community strongly believes that a person is worthy or should succeed. The expectations which come with the whole thing can be horrifying and appalling. In many countries, there are news reports of very young people committing suicide or killing each other because of the burden which is brought by these expectations. Why is it that many adults are pushing their children to the best schools, to have the best grades, to be the best in everything? Perhaps, a person should look into the basis of what is exactly the concept of being the best. The best is known as the number one — a person who receives the awards and medals and becomes famous for either being beautiful or being smart. Any person in between can be considered as an average person. Thus, this paper will point out the belief that the award-reward system is actually not a good thing and it should be improved or changed. Many companies in the future always ask or want a sense of accomplishment and an achievement. Going through school without getting into trouble and finishing it is a great accomplishment in itself, and yet people still yearn for more. People yearn for a physical evidence of an accomplishment and an achievement. In a family, when a member comes home with a medal or an award, the whole family celebrates and applauds for that person. That is after all, a sense of achievement — an evidence of hard work. However, in the corner or in the room upstairs, the sibling is hiding and feels so worthless since he or she cannot give his or her parents that same sense of satisfaction. So where does the problem lie exactly? Are parents too demanding and pushy that children are left to be so burdened with books and fulfilling the dreams of their parents? That is indeed sometimes the case, is it not — the children are left to fulfill a dream of a parent who is unable to fulfill his or her own dream? Who is at fault though? Who are the ones who are to blame for this kind of rewarding system? This system believes that the only means of achieving success and satisfaction is by means of an award. Genuine compliments and words of praises are then considered as inferior when compared to those awards. The awards system can be even traced back into far as the ancient Greece and ancient Egypt. Those who are concluded as the best and strongest during battles or matches are rewarded with medals, shields, or the head of the leader of their enemy. It is not surprising then why this kind of thinking is still present today. What is it about this kind of system that still make academic and non-academic institutions follow it? It important to look at the pros and cons and determine once and for all, why the reward system is more than discouraging — it is outright a mistake to even exist in the first place. The Advantageous Aspect of the Award System It is through the awards and such things that a person wants to work hard and strive to be the best. Because of this particular system, people are being non-mediocre and making efforts to put their best foot forward. It is a matter of having a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. The shining moment when a person goes up the stage or when everyone starts to acknowledge the person and the efforts which he or she has done is beyond exhilarating — it is a moment of pure bliss which will be imprinted in his or her memory for years. The Suffocating Aspect of Expectations As what the numerous paragraphs of this paper suggest, there are so many things which the award-reward system is telling society. One is that parents push their children to such great extent that it is sometimes suffocating. The burden of having to prove oneself to other people by means of an award is far ridiculous — it is beyond discouraging. Conclusion In conclusion, the reward-award system which has been the practice for many years should be changed for another system that exercises fairness and considers all the implications that the system is bringing. After all, the proof of a job well done does not rely merely on medals and on awards — hard work and determination is also a proof, and medals and awards would not be able to mirror or reflect those.

Susan Glaspells Jury of Her Peers and James Tiptree Jr.s Mama Come Home :: Compare Contrast Essays

Susan Glaspell's Jury of Her Peers and James Tiptree Jr.'s Mama Come Home â€Å"Jury of Her Peers† and â€Å"Mama Come Home† are two very different stories but yet they still are very much alike. The authors even have their own similarities and differences. Both authors are women, James Tiptree Jr. is a pseudonym for Alice Sheldon, who are writing from the feminist perspective. â€Å"Jury of Her Peers† was written by Susan Glaspell in 1917 and â€Å"Mama Come Home† was written in 1968. The characters in each story make some kind of change in the way they act, both show the feminist views that they believe in, and also each story takes place in a different time period with different groups in dominance. In both the Glaspell and Tiptree stories one or more of the main characters make some kind of change. In â€Å"Jury of Her Peers† the two women that go to the Wright house with their husbands begin the story wondering what would ever possess Mrs. Wright to kill her husband. The women entered the house with the purpose to pick up a few things that Minnie Wright had requested from her prison cell. The longer the women are in the house, while their husbands are looking around, the more they find out about the state of mind of Minnie Wright. They find plenty of evidence of the change in Minnie’s attitude toward her husband and her life. The change in the way she was making her quilt shows that she was frustrated with her life or her husband. Later they find the dead canary and decide that Mr. Wright killed the bird and then Mrs. Wright killed her husband in his sleep with a rope. Mrs. Wright mentally changed with the death of her husband, and the bird and the two wo men changed their attitude toward Minnie after they find the evidence. In â€Å"Mama Come Home† a group of female aliens called Capellans come down to Earth. Tillie is a C.I.A. agent that had been raped recently and was having a hard time around men. Tillie looks exactly like the aliens except for the height difference. Tillie likes staying with the Capellan women because they make her feel protected due to their size. For most of the time that they are here she spends almost all of her time with them.

Self-Assessment and Reflection Paper

As I look back over the years I thought about my position as an educator in the early 1990's. I taught adults 18 years and older typing and introduction to computers at Barclay Career Center in Jacksonville, Florida for three years. It never ceased to amaze me at their eagerness to learn. Also as a minister, I experience numerous individuals from various backgrounds. Every one of them is managing problems or difficulties that impede their achievement of intention every day.They look for profound direction and a deeper association with from me and I am there to offer assistance. However, as I started to examine from the top to the bottom for solutions of taking care of the issues of the individuals, I also discovered that numerous adults had an illiteracy impairment which is a hindrance, and of absence of basic education. I found on both professional levels that although the majority were eager to learn, we still needed to assist most of our adult learners in preparing for postseconda ry education, so that they could have successful careers, and productive lives.They were acking so many essential skills I cant even explain how they were allowed in the program without it. Thus we started an Adult Basic Education Program at Barclay Career Center. This program included program instruction in basic literacy skills: In reading, language, writing and math. We emphasized writing, basic math computation vocabulary development, dictionary skills, comprehension improvement, critical thinking, and math problem solving. After a few months we begin to see the turn around especially in their reading, writing and math.So when I was asked why do I want to become an adult educator, and what aspect f adult education or training do I plan to pursue? All these memories flooded my mind. I enjoy empowering adult learners to realize that they can achieve educational excellence, and become what ever they desire no matter what the age. Through my compassion and desire for others ignited me to want to make a difference in other peoples lives. I have selected a vocation in instruction because I believe that it is one of the most essential task performed in our society. I believe that educators exclusively and altogether can change the world, as well as to enhance it.

Food Prices and Supply

Food Prices and Supply Kirk Condyles for The New York Times Updated: July 26, 2012 In the summer of 2012, scorching heat and the worst drought in nearly a half-century sent food prices up, spooking consumers and leading to worries about global food costs. On July 25, the United States government said it expected the record-breaking weather to drive up the price for groceries in 2013, including milk, beef, chicken and pork. The drought has affected 88 percent of the corn crop, a staple of processed foods and animal feed as well as the nation’s leading farm export.The government’s forecast, based on a consumer price index for food, estimated that prices would rise 4 to 5 percent for beef in 2013, with slightly lower increases for pork, eggs and dairy products. The drought comes along with heat. So far, 2012 is the hottest year ever recorded in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, whose records date to 1895. That has sapped t he production of corn, soybeans and other crops, afflicting poultry and livestock in turn.The impact of the hot and dry weather on the nation’s farmers has put new pressure on Congress to move ahead on a pending five-year farm bill. But House Republican leaders have been reluctant to act because of divisions within the party’s rank-and-file about the cost of the nearly $1 trillion bill. The legislation includes several federal agriculture programs that farmers have come to expect, though it does not include any specific drought assistance. Several important disaster relief programs expired at the end of 2011, leaving farmers and ranchers who have lost cattle or grazing land with few options without Congressional action.For now, analysts said they expected the broader economic impact of rising food prices to be modest. Americans spend just 13 percent of their household budgets on food. Economists fear a far greater impact outside of the United States because America is a major exporter of a broad variety of agricultural products. Experts Warn of a Global Spike in Food Prices In early September, agricultural experts  urged international action to prevent the global spike in food prices from causing global hunger.The directors of three major United Nations food and agriculture programs sounded the alarm both on the immediate problem of high food prices and the â€Å"long-term issue of how we produce, trade and consume food in an age of increasing population, demand and climate change. † Agricultural production fell in a number of major crop exporters during summer 2012. Besides damaging the corn crop in the United States, droughts also hit Russia and Ukraine, hurting the wheat harvest, as well as Brazil, affecting soybean production.Low yields have translated into high prices. In late August, the World Bank reported that food prices climbed 10 percent from June to July, with the price of both corn and wheat jumping 25 percent to records. So ybean prices climbed 17 percent over the same period, and rice prices declined moderately, the Washington-based institution said. The World Bank and the United Nations food agencies — along with other development and aid groups — have urged countries to prepare for what seems likely to become the third food price shock in five years.Low-income countries that rely on agricultural imports should invest in safety-net programs for the poor, they recommended. They also urged countries to bolster local production. Groups including the World Bank and the United Nations have also warned against trade protectionist policies in light of climbing food prices. International groups increasingly see inconsistent yields and drastic swings in food prices as a problem driven by climate change — and a global challenge that is not intermittent, but here to stay.Since the food crisis in 2007 and 2008, they have bolstered international cooperation to help foster more stable food sup plies and keep the most vulnerable countries prepared. Oxfam, the international nonprofit, issued a report in early September estimating how extreme weather events might affect food prices in the coming decades — forecasting that the prices of a number of food staples could surge far beyond the projected increases. The United Nations agencies warned that too few countries were producing too large a proportion of staple crops — leaving the world more vulnerable to droughts and floods.

The Bell X-1 and Breaking the Sound Barrier

The Bell X-1 and Breaking the Sound Barrier Bell X-1E Specifications: General Length: 31 ft. Wingspan: 22 ft. 10 in. Height: 10 ft. 10 in. Wing Area: 115 sq. ft. Empty Weight: 6,850 lbs. Loaded Weight: 14,750 lbs. Crew: 1 Performance Power Plant: 1 Ãâ€" Reaction Motors RMI LR-8-RM-5 rocket, 6,000 lbf Range: 4 minutes, 45 seconds Max Speed: 1,450 mph Ceiling: 90,000 ft. Bell X-1 Design Development: Development of the Bell X-1 began in the waning days of World War II as the interest in transonic flight increased. Initially contacted by the US Army Air Force and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA - now NASA) on March 16, 1945, Bell Aircraft began designing an experimental aircraft dubbed the XS-1 (Experimental, Supersonic). In seeking inspiration for their new aircraft, the engineers at Bell elected use a shape similar to a Browning .50-caliber bullet. This was done as it was known that this round was stable in supersonic flight. Pressing forward, they added short, highly-reinforced wings as well as a movable horizontal tailplane. This latter feature was included to give the pilot increased control at high speeds and later became a standard feature on American aircraft capable of transonic speeds. In the interest of retaining the sleek, bullet shape, Bells designers elected to use a sloped windscreen in lieu of a more traditional canopy. As a result, the pilot entered and exited the aircraft through a hatch in the side. To power the aircraft, Bell selected an XLR-11 rocket engine capable of around 4-5 minutes of powered flight. Bell X-1 Program: Never intended for production, Bell constructed three X-1s for the USAAF and NACA. The first began glide flights over Pinecastle Army Airfield on January 25, 1946. Flown by Bells chief test pilot, Jack Woolams, the aircraft made nine glide flights before being returned to Bell for modifications. Following Woolams death during practice for the National Air Races, the X-1 moved to Muroc Army Air Field (Edwards Air Force Base) to begin powered test flights. As the X-1 was not capable of taking off on its own, it was carried aloft by a modified B-29 Superfortress. With Bell test pilot Chalmers Slick Goodlin at the controls, the X-1 made 26 flights between September 1946 and June 1947. During these tests, Bell took a very conservative approach, only increasing speed by 0.02 Mach per flight. Dismayed by Bells slow progress towards breaking the sound barrier, the USAAF took over the program on June 24, 1947, after Goodlin demanded a $150,000 bonus for achieving Mach 1 and hazard pay for every second spent over 0.85 Mach. Removing Goodlin, the Army Air Force Flight Test Division assigned Captain Charles Chuck Yeager to the project. Familiarizing himself with the aircraft Yeager made several test flights in the X-1 and steadily pushed the aircraft towards the sound barrier. On October 14, 1947, less than a month after the US Air Force became a separate service, Yeager broke the sound barrier while flying X-1-1 (serial #46-062). Dubbing his plane Glamorous Glennis in honor of his wife, Yeager achieved a speed of Mach 1.06 (807.2 mph) at 43,000 feet. A publicity boon for the new service, Yeager, Larry Bell (Bell Aircraft), and John Stack (NACA) were awarded with the 1947 Collier Trophy by the National Aeronautics Association. Yeager continued with the program and made 28 more flights in Glamorous Glennis. The most notable of these was on March 26, 1948, when he reached a speed of Mach 1.45 (957 mph). With the success of the X-1 program, the USAF worked with Bell to build modified versions of the aircraft. The first of these, the X-1A, was intended to test aerodynamic phenomena at speeds above Mach 2. First flying in 1953, Yeager piloted one to a new record speed of Mach 2.44 (1,620 mph) on December 12 of that year. This flight broke the mark (Mach 2.005) set by Scott Crossfield in the Douglas Skyrocket on November 20. In 1954, the X-1B began flight testing. Similar to the X-1A, the B variant possessed a modified wing and was used for high speed testing until it was turned over to NACA. In this new role, it was used until 1958. Among the technology tested on the X-1B was a directional rocket system that was later incorporated into the X-15. Designs were created for the X-1C and X-1D, however the former was never built and the latter, meant for use in heat transfer research, only made one flight. The first radical change to the X-1 design came with the creation of the X-1E. Constructed from one of the original X-1s, the X-1E featured a knife-edge windscreen, new fuel system, a re-profiled wing, and enhanced data collection equipment. First flying in 1955, with USAF test pilot Joe Walker at the controls, the aircraft flew until 1958. During its final five flights it was piloted by NACA research pilot John B. McKay who was attempting to break Mach 3. The grounding of the X-1E in November 1958, brought the X-1 program to a close. In its thirteen-year history, the X-1 program developed the procedures that would be used in subsequent X-craft projects as well as the new US space program. Selected Sources NASA: Bell X-1 National Air Space Museum: Bell X-1

Geography and History of Finland

Geography and History of Finland Finland is a country located in Northern Europe to the east of Sweden, south of Norway and the west of Russia. Although Finland has a large population at 5,259,250 people, its large area makes it is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. The population density of Finland is 40.28 people per square mile or 15.5 people per square kilometer. Finland is also known for its strong educational system, economy and it is considered one of the worlds most peaceful and livable countries. Population: 5,259,250 (July 2011 estimate)Capital: HelsinkiBordering Countries: Norway, Sweden, and RussiaArea: 130,558 square miles (338,145 sq km)Coastline: 776 miles (1,250 km)Highest Point: Haltiatunturi at 4,357 feet (1,328 m) History It is unclear about where the first inhabitants of Finland came from but most historians claim that their origin is Siberia thousands of years ago. For most of its early history, Finland was associated with the Kingdom of Sweden. This began in 1154 when Swedens King Eric introduced Christianity in Finland. As a result of Finland becoming a part of Sweden in the 12th century, Swedish became the regions official language. By the 19th century, however, Finnish again became the national language. In 1809, Finland was conquered by Czar Alexander I of Russia and became an independent grand duchy of the Russian Empire until 1917. On December 6th of that year, Finland declared its independence. In 1918 a civil war took place in the country. During World War II, Finland fought the Soviet Union from 1939 to 1940 (The Winter War) and again from 1941 to 1944 (The Continuation War). From 1944 to 1945, Finland fought against Germany. In 1947 and 1948 Finland and the Soviet Union signed a treaty that resulted in Finland making territorial concessions to the USSR. Following the end of World War II, Finland grew in population but in the 1980s and early 1990s it began to have economic problems. In 1994 Martti Ahtisaari was elected as president and he began a campaign to revitalize the countrys economy. In 1995 Finland joined the European Union and in 2000 Tarja Halonen was elected as Finland and Europes first female president and prime minister. Government Today Finland, officially called the Republic of Finland, is considered a republic and its executive branch of government is made up of a chief of state (the president) and a head of government (the prime minister). Finlands legislative branch is composed of a unicameral Parliament whose members are elected by popular vote. The countrys judicial branch is made up of general courts that deal with criminal and civil cases as well as administrative courts. Finland is divided into 19 regions for local administration. Economics and Land Use Finland currently has a strong, modern industrialized economy. Manufacturing is one of the major industries in Finland and the country depends trade with foreign nations. The main industries in Finland are metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, and clothing. In addition, agriculture plays a small role in Finlands economy. This is because the countrys high latitude means that it has a short growing season in all but its southern areas. The main agriculture products of Finland are barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes, dairy cattle, and fish. Geography and Climate Finland is located in Northern Europe along the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland. It shares borders with Norway, Sweden and Russia and has a coastline of 776 miles (1,250 km). The topography of Finland is relatively gentle with low, flat or rolling plains and low hills. The land is also dotted with many lakes, over 60,000 of them, and the highest point in the country is Haltiatunturi at 4,357 feet (1,328 m). The climate of Finland is considered cold temperate and subarctic in its far northern areas. Most of Finlands climate is moderated by the North Atlantic Current, however. Finlands capital and largest city, Helsinki, which is located on its southern tip has an average February low temperature of 18 F (-7.7 C) and an average July high temperature of 69.6 F (21 C). Sources Central Intelligence Agency. (14 June 2011). CIA - The World Factbook - Finland.Infoplease.com. (n.d.). Finland: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com.United States Department of State. (22 June 2011). Finland.Wikipedia.com. (29 June 2011). Finland - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.

What Peasants and Laborers Wore in the Medieval Ages

What Peasants and Laborers Wore in the Medieval Ages While the fashions of the upper classes were changing with the decade (or at least the century), peasants and laborers stuck to the useful, modest garments their progenitors had been clad in for generations during the Middle Ages. Of course, as the centuries passed, minor variations in style and color were bound to appear; but, for the most part, medieval European peasants wore very similar clothing in most countries from the 8th to the 14th century. The Ubiquitous Tunic The basic garment worn by  men, women, and children alike was a tunic. This appears to have evolved from the Roman tunica of late antiquity. Such tunics are made either by folding over a long piece of fabric and cutting a hole in the center of the fold for the neck;  or by sewing two pieces of fabric together at the shoulders, leaving a gap for the neck. Sleeves, which werent always part of the garment, could be cut as part of the same piece of fabric and sewn closed  or added later. Tunics fell to at least the thighs. Though the garment might be called by different names at different times and places, the construction of the tunic was essentially the same throughout these centuries. At various times, men and, less often, women wore tunics with slits up the sides to afford more freedom of movement. An opening at the throat was fairly common to make it easier to put on over ones head; this might be a simple widening of the neck hole; or, it might be a slit that could be tied closed with cloth ties or left open with plain or decorative edging. Women wore their tunics long, usually to mid-calf, which made them, essentially, dresses. Some were even longer, with trailing trains that could be used in a variety of ways. If any of her chores required her to shorten her dress, the average peasant woman could tuck the ends of it up in her belt. Ingenious methods of tucking and folding could turn the excess fabric into a pouch for carrying picked fruit, chicken feed, etc.; or, she could wrap the train over her head to protect herself from the rain. Womens tunics were usually made of wool. Woolen fabric could be woven rather finely, though the quality of the cloth for working-class women was mediocre at best. Blue was the most common color for a womans tunic; though many different shades might be achieved, the blue dye made from the woad plant was used on a large percentage of manufactured cloth. Other colors were unusual, but not unknown: pale yellow, green, and a light shade of red or orange could all be made from less-expensive dyes. All these colors would fade in time; dyes that stayed fast over the years were too expensive for the average laborer. Men generally wore tunics that fell past their knees. If they needed them shorter, they could tuck the ends in their belts; or, they could hike up the garment and fold fabric from the middle of the tunic over their belts. Some men, particularly those engaged in heavy labor, might wear sleeveless tunics to help them deal with the heat. Most mens tunics were made of wool, but they were often coarser and not as brightly colored as womens wear. Mens tunics could be made from beige (undyed wool) or frieze (coarse wool with a heavy nap) as well as more finely woven wool. Undyed wool was sometimes brown or gray, from brown and gray sheep. Undergarments Realistically, there is no telling whether or not most members of the working classes wore anything between their skin and their woolen tunics until the 14th century. The contemporary artwork depicts peasants and laborers at work without revealing whats worn underneath their outer garments. But usually the nature of undergarments is that theyre worn under other garments and are therefore ordinarily unseen; so, the fact that there are no contemporary representations shouldnt hold much weight. In the 1300s, it became the fashion for people to wear shifts, or undertunics, that had longer sleeves and lower hemlines than their tunics, and therefore were plainly visible. Usually, among the working classes, these shifts would be woven from hemp and would remain undyed; after many wearings and washings, they would soften up and lighten in color. Field workers were known to wear shifts, hats, and little else in the heat of summer. More affluent people could afford linen undergarments. Linen could be fairly stiff, and unless bleached it wouldnt be perfectly white, though time, wear, and cleansing could make it lighter and more flexible. It was unusual for peasants and laborers to wear linen, but it wasnt altogether unknown; some of the clothing of the prosperous, including undergarments, were donated to the poor upon the wearers death. Men wore braes or loincloths for underpants. Whether or not women wore underpants remains a mystery. Shoes and Socks It was not at all uncommon for peasants to go about barefoot, especially in warmer weather. But in cooler weather and for work in the fields, fairly simple leather shoes were regularly worn. One of the most common styles was an ankle-high boot that laced up the front. Later styles were closed by a single strap and buckle. Shoes were known to have had wooden soles, but it was just as likely for soles to be constructed of thick or multi-layered leather. Felt was also used in shoes and slippers. Most shoes and boots had rounded toes; some shoes worn by the working class might have somewhat pointed toes, but workers didnt wear the extreme pointy styles that were at times the fashion of the upper classes. As with undergarments, its difficult to determine when stockings came into common use. Women probably didnt wear stockings any higher than the knee; they didnt have to  since their dresses were so long. But men, whose tunics were shorter and who were unlikely to have heard of trousers, let alone wear them, often wore hose up to the thighs. Hats, Hoods, and Other Head-Coverings For every member of society, a head-covering was an important part of ones attire, and the working class was no exception. Field workers often wore broad-brimmed straw hats to keep off the sun. A coif, a linen or hemp bonnet that fit close to the head and was tied under the chin,  was usually worn by men undertaking messy work such as pottery, painting, masonry,  or crushing grapes. Butchers and bakers wore kerchiefs over their hair; blacksmiths needed to protect their heads from flying sparks and might wear any of a variety of linen or felt caps. Women usually wore veils, a simple square, rectangle, or oval of linen kept in place by tying a ribbon or cord around the forehead. Some women also wore wimples, which attached to the veil and covered the throat and any exposed flesh above the tunics neckline. A barbette (chin strap) might be used to keep the veil and wimple in place, but for most working-class women, this extra piece of fabric may have seemed like an unnecessary expense. Headgear was very important for the respectable woman; only unmarried girls and prostitutes went without something covering their hair. Both men and women wore hoods, sometimes attached to capes or jackets. Some hoods had a length of fabric in the back that the wearer could wrap around his neck or his head. Men were known to wear hoods that were attached to a short cape that covered the shoulders, very often in colors that contrasted with their tunics. Both red and blue became popular colors for hoods. Outer Garments For men who worked outdoors, an additional protective garment would usually be worn in cold or rainy weather. This could be a simple sleeveless cape or a coat with sleeves. In the earlier Middle Ages, men wore fur capes and cloaks, but there was a general view among medieval people that fur was worn only by savages, and its use went out of vogue for all but garment linings for quite some time. Though they lacked todays plastic, rubber, and Scotch-Guard, medieval folk could still manufacture fabric that resisted water, at least to a degree. This could be done by fulling wool during the manufacturing process, or by waxing the garment once it was complete. Waxing was known to be done in England, but seldom elsewhere due to the scarcity and expense of wax. If wool was made without the stringent cleansing of professional manufacturing, it would retain some of the sheeps lanolin and would, therefore, be naturally somewhat water-resistant. Most women worked indoors and didnt often have need of a protective outer garment. When they went out in cold weather, they might wear a simple shawl, cape, or pelisse. This last was a fur-lined coat or jacket; the modest means of peasants and poor laborers limited the fur to cheaper varieties, such as goat or cat. The Laborers Apron Many jobs required protective gear to keep the laborers everyday wear clean enough to wear every day. The most common protective garment was the apron. Men would wear an apron whenever they performed a task that could cause a mess: filling barrels, butchering animals, mixing paint. Usually, the apron was a simple square or rectangular piece of cloth, often linen and sometimes hemp, which the wearer would tie around his waist by its corners. Men usually didnt wear their aprons until it was necessary and removed them when their messy tasks were done. Most chores that occupied the peasant housewifes time were potentially messy; cooking, cleaning, gardening, drawing water from the well, changing diapers. Thus, women typically wore aprons throughout the day. A womans apron often fell to her feet and sometimes covered her torso as well as her skirt. So common was the apron that it eventually became a standard part of the peasant womans costume. Throughout much of the Early and High Middle Ages, aprons were undyed hemp or linen, but in the later medieval period, they began to be dyed a variety of colors. Girdles Belts, also known as girdles, were common accouterments for men and women. They might be made from rope, fabric cords, or leather. Occasionally belts might have buckles, but it was more common for poorer folk to tie them instead. Laborers and peasants not only tucked up their clothing with their girdles, but they also attached tools, purses, and utility pouches to them. Gloves Gloves and mittens were also fairly common and were used to protect the hands from injury as well as for warmth in cold weather. Workers such as masons, blacksmiths, and even peasants cutting wood and making hay were known to use gloves. Gloves and mittens could be of virtually any material, depending on their specific purpose. One type of workers glove was made from sheepskin, with the wool on the inside, and had a thumb and two fingers to offer a little more manual dexterity than a mitten. Nightwear The idea that all medieval people slept naked is unlikely; in fact, some period artwork shows folk in bed wearing a simple shirt or gown. But due to the expense of clothing and the limited wardrobe of the working class, it is quite possible that many laborers and peasants slept naked, at least during warmer weather. On cooler nights, they could wear shifts to bed,  possibly even the same ones theyd worn that day under their clothes. Making and Buying Clothes All clothing was hand-sewn, of course, and was time-consuming to make compared to modern machine methods. Working-class folk couldnt afford to have a tailor make their clothes, but they could trade with or purchase from a neighborhood seamstress or make their outfits themselves, especially since fashion was not their foremost concern. While some made their own cloth, it was far more common to purchase or barter for finished cloth, either from a draper or peddler or from fellow villagers. Mass-produced items like hats, belts, shoes and other accessories were sold in specialty stores in big towns and cities, by peddlers in rural areas, and at markets everywhere. The Working-Class Wardrobe It was sadly all too common in a feudal system for the poorest folk to own nothing more than the clothes on their back. But most people, even peasants, werent quite that poor. People usually had at least two sets of clothes: everyday wear and the equivalent of Sunday best, which would not only be worn to church (at least once a week, often more frequently) but to social events as well. Virtually every woman, and many men, were capable of sewing, if only just a little, and garments were patched and mended for years. Garments and good linen undergarments were even bequeathed to heirs or donated to the poor when their owner died. More prosperous peasants and artisans would often have several suits of clothes and more than one pair of shoes, depending on their needs. But the amount of clothing in any medieval persons wardrobe, even a royal personage, couldnt come near what modern people usually have in their closets today. Sources Piponnier, Francoise, and Perrine Mane, Dress in the Middle Ages. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997.Kà ¶hler, Carl, A History of Costume. George G. Harrap and Company, Limited, 1928; reprinted by Dover.Norris, Herbert, Medieval Costume and Fashion.: London: J.M. Dent and Sons, 1927; reprinted by Dover.Netherton, Robin, and Gale R. Owen-Crocker, Medieval Clothing and TextilesBoydell Press, 2007. Jenkins, D.T., editor. The Cambridge History of Western Textiles, vols. I and II. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 47

History - Essay Example In over four hundred years ago, some of the settlers and Europeans coexisted peacefully, while others fought each other. Even today, many people are still migrating to America to seek a better life. Although slave trade is outdated, there is a high rise of illegal immigrants. Immigration is relevant in today’s world; it has a great impact on the economy. People who run factories, restaurants and farms, find immigrants helpful in their businesses. Immigrants are a cheap source of labor. Therefore, this means low operating costs, high profits, and low prices for commodities produced. For some Americans, immigrants are a hurt to the economy, for instance, high school drop outs who are seeking jobs say immigrants are interfering with the job entry level to take lower wages. Other groups in the society believe immigrants provide a great source of labor, which result to high yield. Immigrants spending on necessities like food, shelter and clothing leads to an increase in domestic gross product. Immigration has resulted to an increase in population, with an estimate of 82% increase from the immigrants. The immigrants come with a positive attitude to excel; they are known to be creative, industrious and adventurous. Many of the immigrants start their businesses that contribute to revenue. In social circles, racism is experienced towards the immigrants, especially the minority groups. For instance, racism exists between the Africa Americans and the non-white Latino immigrants. Attacks and fights have also been experienced between African immigrants and Africa Americans. Because of migration, religion has great diverse in America. For instance, increase in Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Politically, most of the immigrants associate with groups that address immigration issues. The issue of shared amenities is believed to strain a state with time. For instance, if water sources are not increased, then people will

Public health policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public health policy - Essay Example Insufficient sleep, untimely eating and excessive use of sugar-contained drinks and alcohols trigger obesity. Similarly, junk food and soft drinks, which are highly rich in sugar, are also increasing the number of obese persons in the United Kingdom. Boseley (2014) points out that more than 70 per cent of adults are either overweight or obese in England. In other words, the overweight are those who are more prone and vulnerable to obesity if they continue with the same style of eating habit and living style. Cancer, diabetes and heart diseases are the main potentials effects of obesity (Boseley, 2014a). Boseley (2014a) further explains that the causes of cancer, which include obesity, alcohol abuse and sugar intake, will increase the cancer cases which could reach 25 million a year over the period of next 20 years as warned by the World Health Organisation. Moreover, the cases of diabetes and heart diseases will also increase as many adults do not give much consideration to their health and related issues as well. Aggregately, their rise will put more burden on the United Kingdom’s health index and health expenditure as more and more patients will register their case and take essential medical care and treatment from the primary health care units and other health venues. Obesity and weight gain are closely linked with psychological ill health (Ternouth et al., 2009). Healthy body and mind are highly essential for performing routine personal, social and professional activities and these activities are only effectively performed if mind properly regulates the supply of energy and other food requirements of different body parts and at the same time maintains psychological balance by avoiding any disorder. However, recent food eating habits and modern lifestyle prompt obesity and weight gain which create problems for mind and also severely affect the psychological balance. This graph clearly demonstrates the growing level of obese

Impressive and Attractive Portfolio Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Impressive and Attractive Portfolio - Article Example An impressive portfolio along with a good resume can increase the prospect of an applicant or job seeker to conquer heights of professional achievement. As far as the insurance field is concerned, one can rise to eminence if only one has good communication skills and if one is able to maintain effective business correspondence with the clients and the employer through effective e-mails, various types of letters, memos and press releases. By arresting the attention of the company/client through a systematically prepared portfolio, the applicant gets a chance to prove that he/she is the perfect fit for the job. As the past work one has done is considered as the best indicator of future performance, a hiring manager really cares about what the applicant can do for them in the future. In an interview, the examples of one’s work turn the interview into an opportunity to show where one excels and it provides a concrete opportunity for the employer to look for what he really expects from the applicant. A portfolio which is systematically prepared could just give one the edge, and one may get the first offer. To prepare an excellent portfolio, one must concentrate on the following points. It must include a copy of the applicant’s master resume to show the level of one’s skills, base and breadth of one's experiences in the field. Moreover, it must be pointed out that the applicant possesses lots of untapped potentials which distinguish him from the rest of the people being interviewed. The next point that must be considered is whether the applicant is capable of setting real examples or representative samples of his/her past works, which clearly show one’s level of skill and quality. For instance, a person who has previously worked in an insurance company or a bank can include samples of memos, e-mails, reply letters, request letters, negative message letters, sales letters and press releases in his/ her portfolio.

Youth Justice System in England and Wales in Comparison with another Essay

Youth Justice System in England and Wales in Comparison with another Country - Essay Example The three stages of juvenile justice system include pre-trial, trial, and post-trial. The pre-trial stage includes those activities that occur in between the time when a crime gets reported and the young criminal is taken for trial in the court. The trial is the stage when the proceedings occur within a court in order to judge the treatments for the young offender depending on his crime. Once the treatment/judgment against him/her is declared the treatment of the offender is represented by the post-trial stage. In the whole process, professionals including police, prosecutor, as well as judges have a significant role to play since it is their powers that together decide and implement the treatment of the young offender (Swain, 2009, p.230). Earlier it was thought that justice systems do not have much impact on the behavior of the offenders and that such individuals cannot be corrected. However, in England and Wales, the youth justice system was more strictly taken concern of after th e incident of a murder of a young child by another two 10 years’ old boys. This incident had shaken the world and since then the justice systems in these countries had become more strict and severe to take measures against youth crimes. Establishment of Youth Justice Board was considered intending to set up proper leaders and teams as well as standards to focus on the youth crimes occurring in these countries and thereby implementing measures to treat such offenders correcting them and bringing them back into the society (Graham & Moore, 2006, pp.65-66). The present study focuses on the youth justice system prevailing in England and Wales and comparing the system with that of another country that has been considered to be Netherlands for the particular study and discussing the extent to which each of these countries takes into account the welfare and rights of the child. The Youth Justice Board: The Youth Justice Board (YJB) in England and Wales represents a public body that is in charge of the justice system in England and Wales. The Secretary of State for Justice appoints the members of the body. The purpose of this board is to prevent criminal activities by young individuals thus making sure that the offenders are safely and securely taken care of while their trials proceed. The reasons for the youth being involved in crimes are tried to be analyzed by this board such that they can be prevented from repeating the activities in the future (About the Youth Justice Board, 2012). A survey conducted by the British Crime Survey (BCS) reveals that according to the perceptions of the society or the community, young offenders need to be rehabilitated in order to correct them of their crimes that they have committed. Around 45 percent of the respondents of the study by BCS had supported the rehabilitation program and believed that the Youth Justice System should have their focus on such programs. However other respondents had their belief that the young delinq uents were treated very leniently by the justice system (Youth Justice Statistics 2010/11, 2012). To understand these issues, the justice system, the records of criminal activities, and the respective treatments in England and Wales would be relevant for understanding through a detailed study that follows in the further sections of the report. Youth Justice System in England and Wales: The Youth Justice Board (YJB) is in charge of the youth justice system in England and Wales. The board has the responsibility of managing the young offenders as well as determining ways through which such offenders may be prevented from performing crimes in future. Of a total ?800 million that is considered as the cost of

Impact of Taxes and Human Capital on Private Client Portfolio Essay

Impact of Taxes and Human Capital on Private Client Portfolio Management - Essay Example Private clients in portfolio management tend to base their decisions on the overall tax burden, which creates a disincentive to engage in activities taxed at a higher rate (Parkin 56). Tax based income policies are policies that control inflation like the rate of increases in wages and the associated increase in prices through tax penalties and incentives. One of the main objectives of portfolio is to earn returns on the individual’s investment. Others include accumulation and preservation of capital. Tax policies and systems are potentially essential factors that determine private portfolio management because they too determine individual’s portfolio choices. These choices include the decision on whether to hold stocks, how much should be invested, and the period of time to be spent on speculation before the clients sell their securities. Moreover, different states offer different tax levels for the various available portfolio assets as well as incentives to encourage investment. Moreover, the tax policies and systems have significant effects on the number of private clients who will exploit the available investment opportunities. In addition, most of the countries embrace a tax system that treats all investors equally and offer private client’s incentives to stimulate their investments. Therefore, taxation has a significant effect on portfolio structure. There is clear evidence from research on how portfolios are greatly affected by tax rules. Similarly, evidence shows that human capital and other related tax policies and systems that the tendency of people to invest in portfolios depends on the investor’s perception on the tax-induced rewards, which are gained from investments. Whenever taxes increase in an economy, private clients become reluctant in investing because it becomes very hard to carry out any trade in a given location and therefore private investors tend to move to better places. Likewise, private clients have a tend ency of fearing direct investment in portfolios when substantial taxes are imposed by the government in order to reduce their expenses. Moreover, investors are quite sensitive to any increase or decrease in the marginal tax rates since this determines whether they will invest in portfolios or not. Introduction of transaction taxes by a government on trades and available investment opportunities has the ability to change the location of investors. Another implication of human capital on private client’s portfolio is that adjustments in the supply of capital to these households are costly especially due to the opportunity costs forgone. Therefore, a private client is more willing to invest in portfolios when there his or her human capital has a high rate of return or when there is maximum productivity on the invested capital. Therefore, availability and existence of human capital increases the rate of investment into portfolios as opposed to incidences when the households lack human capital. Recently, human capital has been highly debated and discussed by scholars due to its significance in portfolio choice. Furthermore, introduction of methods of control by the government also affects private clients indirectly since an increase in the tax rate on investments results into a decrease in the potential private investors. In fact, a significant reduction on taxes or

Essay on strategy Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On strategy - Essay Example es have been developed and researches have been conducted to explore the socioeconomic phenomena on the concrete foundations of in-depth observation and existing realities. The global corporate culture has been adopting and following the Five Factors Model presented by famous theorist and strategic analyst Michael E. Porter in 1980. The theorist submits to state that since the contemporary era experiences the state of perfect competition in the wake of tremendous technological advancement, five-factor model is vehemently supportive in developing their strategic schemes and revising them according to the fast changing market situation. â€Å"The strategic business manager seeking to develop an edge over rival firms can use this model to better understand the industry context in which the firm operates.† (learnmarketing.net) Porter has described the following five factors as the part of his strategic model: Porter views these five factors to be regulating the future of a product as well as the organisation producing the product. Porter declares competitive rivalry between the firms as the most dynamic factor, which explains that the easier the entry in a business or industry, the higher the level of competition in that business area. Since such products are similar to one another in respect of characteristics, formulae and even outlook, the probabilities of their availability are also almost one and the same. Consequently, it is also flexible for the customers and consumers to switch from one product to its rival brand. For example, KFC is offering almost the same fast food items as being produced by McDonalds; the same is the case with Coca-Cola, RC Cola and Pepsi, where only few people are brand conscious and take these drinks as the substitute of one another. Thus, consumers take advantage of such a state of affairs, and the companies have to devise innovative plans and strategies i n order to combat with the situation of perfect competition. Porter also views

Impact of Taxes and Human Capital on Private Client Portfolio Essay

Impact of Taxes and Human Capital on Private Client Portfolio Management - Essay Example Private clients in portfolio management tend to base their decisions on the overall tax burden, which creates a disincentive to engage in activities taxed at a higher rate (Parkin 56). Tax based income policies are policies that control inflation like the rate of increases in wages and the associated increase in prices through tax penalties and incentives. One of the main objectives of portfolio is to earn returns on the individual’s investment. Others include accumulation and preservation of capital. Tax policies and systems are potentially essential factors that determine private portfolio management because they too determine individual’s portfolio choices. These choices include the decision on whether to hold stocks, how much should be invested, and the period of time to be spent on speculation before the clients sell their securities. Moreover, different states offer different tax levels for the various available portfolio assets as well as incentives to encourage investment. Moreover, the tax policies and systems have significant effects on the number of private clients who will exploit the available investment opportunities. In addition, most of the countries embrace a tax system that treats all investors equally and offer private client’s incentives to stimulate their investments. Therefore, taxation has a significant effect on portfolio structure. There is clear evidence from research on how portfolios are greatly affected by tax rules. Similarly, evidence shows that human capital and other related tax policies and systems that the tendency of people to invest in portfolios depends on the investor’s perception on the tax-induced rewards, which are gained from investments. Whenever taxes increase in an economy, private clients become reluctant in investing because it becomes very hard to carry out any trade in a given location and therefore private investors tend to move to better places. Likewise, private clients have a tend ency of fearing direct investment in portfolios when substantial taxes are imposed by the government in order to reduce their expenses. Moreover, investors are quite sensitive to any increase or decrease in the marginal tax rates since this determines whether they will invest in portfolios or not. Introduction of transaction taxes by a government on trades and available investment opportunities has the ability to change the location of investors. Another implication of human capital on private client’s portfolio is that adjustments in the supply of capital to these households are costly especially due to the opportunity costs forgone. Therefore, a private client is more willing to invest in portfolios when there his or her human capital has a high rate of return or when there is maximum productivity on the invested capital. Therefore, availability and existence of human capital increases the rate of investment into portfolios as opposed to incidences when the households lack human capital. Recently, human capital has been highly debated and discussed by scholars due to its significance in portfolio choice. Furthermore, introduction of methods of control by the government also affects private clients indirectly since an increase in the tax rate on investments results into a decrease in the potential private investors. In fact, a significant reduction on taxes or

Analyzing woterstoff reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyzing woterstoff reflection - Essay Example This stage is evidenced in Woterstorff’s â€Å"Lament for a Son†. Wolterstorff (1987) cannot believe that his son is dead. He chooses not to believe the caller at first. He walks to Eric’s favorite places in the hope of finding him there with his friends. The second reaction is anger. Individuals start asking themselves questions after realizing the death is real. The questions often seek to find failure that caused the death. In â€Å"Lament for a Son,† Wolterstorff is angry at his son for going to climb the mountains alone. He is angry that his son did not take his friends with him. A friend could have saved his life. Lack of answers to such questions leads to the bargaining stage. In bargaining, the grieving persons have come to terms with the reality of death. They seek the intervention of a higher power and seek to explain the death through spiritual and religious perspectives. Wolterstorff believes that his son died doing what he liked and was drawing near to God as he climbed high up the mountains. The believe gives him solace. However, depression is inevitable in grief. Depression is a long term effect that affects the behavior, attitude and way of life of an individual. The bereaved person cannot simply let go of the deceased. Wolterstorff cannot forget his son just yet He goes to his son’s favorite places and keeps asking himself questions about his death. The psychological wound that he suffered due to his death is still raw. Acceptance is the last stage of grief. Individuals accept that death is the fate of human beings (Kübler-Ross & Kessler, 2007). Individuals also realize that death is inevitable and cannot be planned, or be prepared for. In this stage, people seek peace within the family and friends. A good example is that Wolterstorff finds solace in his family and find happiness by talking about their deceased son. As noted, Wolterstorff is heavily reliant on his family for comfort. He is a Christian and

British Poetry Essay Example for Free

British Poetry Essay The comparison and contrast of Wilfred Owens and Rupert Brookes approaches to the subject of war The Soldier by Rupert Brooke and Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen were both written during world war one. War and death are the themes of both poems but they are written from different perspectives. The two poets take different approaches in portraying the effect that war has on the people involved. The Soldier by Rupert Brooke idealises and glorifies war while Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen highlights the horror and cruelty of war. Wilfred Owen gives the reader the impression that war is horrible and that dying for one’s country is not all the glory and honour that it seems, and that in reality, dying in a war, no matter for what cause, can be both painful and full of suffering, while Rupert Brooke, on the other hand, gives the reader the impression that dying in war for one’s country, is very honourable, and glorious. In ‘Soldier’, Brooke expresses his love for England and how he believes it is right to fight and die for his country. However, Brooke never knew what war was like, as he died in 1915. Therefore, his poem is very idealistic. This is expressed when he writes, â€Å"†¦ there is a corner of a foreign field that is forever England†. Here, he sees the English soldiers’ bodies as parts of England. If they die on foreign soil, that land will be forever part of England because their soul remains there along with their values and love for England. Brooke does not describe the horrible nature of death in war and only tells how the soldier honors England by dying while defending the nation. He evokes positive feelings toward the war and describes optimistically the soldiers’ thoughts once the war has finished by using words like â€Å"happy dreams† and â€Å"laughter† By contrast, Wilfred Owen uses irony to portray war not as a glorious duty but as a barbaric massacre. â€Å"Dulce et decorum est/ pro patri mori† which mean: â€Å"it is sweet and honorable to die for one‘s country†. He considers this a lie for most soldiers after they see and live the reality of the war as soldiers. War can not be called sweet but horrible. Owen opposes to the idea of fighting in a war. Wilfred Owen focuses on the tragedy of war and the conditions of the soldiers. For example, he depicts the soldiers as â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks†. Generally, one thinks of a soldier as a man full of strength, who looks brave with his uniform and marches confidently to war. In contrast, Owen tries to make the soldiers look like penniless men and gives a sense of their non-glorified reality. Their uniforms, their psychological and physical health are destroyed. That shows how the battle has severely damaged the spirits of the soldiers. As can be easily seen, Brooke’s poem supports fighting for one’s country and patriotism, whereas Owen’s poem questions the reasons for fighting a war.

Priceline.com Essay -- Economics Case Study e-commerce, solution

Priceline.com Priceline.com is an Internet company that pioneered a unique type of e-commerce known as â€Å"demand collection system† that enables consumers to use the Internet to save money on a wide range of products and services while enabling sellers to generate incremental revenue. Using a simple and compelling consumer proposition of â€Å"name your price,† the consumer is in control of the product they wish to purchase. In the form of individual customer offers guaranteed by a credit card for a particular product or service at a price set by the customer and communicate that demand directly to the participating sellers or to their private databases. The company works by allowing the consumers to agree to hold their offers open for a specified period of time to enable priceline.com to fulfill their offers from inventory provided by participating sellers. Once fulfilled, offers generally cannot be canceled. By requiring consumers to be flexible with respect to brands, sellers and/or product features, the company enables sellers to generate incremental revenue without disrupting their existing distribution channels or retail pricing structures. The company is grounded on the assumption of â€Å"rational self-interest.† In other words, since individuals make rational decisions to achieve the greatest satisfaction or the maximum fulfillment of their goals, Priceline.com has now revolutionized the market industry. By their ‘name and lock your price† strategy, more and more consumers have been able to maximize their satisfaction on differentiated products. The consumers want to spend their incomes to get the greatest benefit from the goods and services they can afford. Priceline.com helps them to achieve their goals. Since the inception of this internet-based company, millions of consumers were able to afford more with less expenditure on their goods. In addition, rational behavior varies among every individual because individual preferences, circumstances, and available information differ. Priceline.com offers various or â€Å"differentiated goods and services† in a broad range of products to purch ase from. â€Å"E-Commerce Pioneer Priceline.com Sells 20,000 Leisure Airline Tickets In Six Weeks.† As ticket sales accelerated, priceline.com has become one of the nation’s top 10 most-visited commerce Web sites. In it’s first six weeks of operation, pricelin... ...e expected rate of return is far greater than the interest invested in producing advertisement. Moreover, they expect companies to support their business strategy so the other companies in return can generate greater revenue as well. Conclusively, Priceline.com has brought an exciting and provides other businesses with inspiration to follow their strategies. Many consumers have benefited from this Internet Company and as a result have saved money to spend on other wants. Now we have the option of choosing a price and giving countless vendors the chance to bid. For better or worse, this could transform the way we think of shopping, as well as the way in which we do it. Conceivably, it could alter the nature of balance and power between vendors and consumers. In addition, it restructures long-standing capitalistic business and sales traditions. This new business model appears to have the potential to give enormous new powers to people who want to buy things, since their price is being offered to many thousands, even millions, of possible sellers. The new business method venture is successful and it opens the doors for consumers who are tired of the fixed prices they have to pay.

The Growth of Marietta in Barbara Kingsolvers The Bean Trees Essay

The Growth of Marietta in The Bean Trees Barbara Kingsolver, in the novel The Bean Trees, portrays the story of a young woman, Marietta Greer, learning about love, responsibility, friendship and the human condition. All of us can relate to the struggles of every day life; however, it is when we must deal with issues that we would rather run from that show our true character. Sooner or later, we all have to confront issues that life bestows on us. Â   Marietta embarks on her journey west in a 1955 Volkswagen with a pledge to get away from Kentucky. She fulfills a promise she has made when she changes her name to "Taylor" after passing through a town named Taylorville. While traveling in Oklahoma, she acquires a three year old she names "Turtle." It is when Taylor's car breaks down in Tucson that she and Turtle begin their new life together. Through their travels, they meet up with people who draw them in and provide love and support. Their new friends, Lou Ann, who becomes their roommate, and Mattie, Taylor's new boss, convince Taylor to return to Oklahoma to find Turtle...

Blood Ties and Families Essay

Many social scientists reject the idea that ‘families can be defined only by blood ties. ’ Discuss. The Oxford Dictionary meaning of family is noun (plural families) 1 [treated as singular or plural] a group consisting of two parents and their children living together as a unit. There are many different ideas about what makes a family, and is this idea of what a family is universal and the children’s perspectives. There is a lot of debate with social scientists about the family. Functionalists say that the term family is a universal institution performing functions for society’s survival. Sociologist Murdock suggest that each family has for functions in order to be classified as a family. They are, a common residence, however there are many cases in which families do not share a common residence for example if a child is at boarding school or a parent is in the armed forces. (Murdock, cited by Gittins, D, p. 2). (Gutman 1976) found that it was common among black slave families in the USA for a husband and wide to live on different plantations and see one another for a few hours once or twice a week. Soliende de Gonzalez cited by gittins) found this type of household very common in black Carib society: â€Å"there are groupings which I have called â€Å"dispersed families† in which the father, even though he is absent for long periods of time he still retains ultimate authority over a household for which he provides the only support, and where affective bonds continue to be important between him and his wife and his children†. (Mudock cited by Gittins p. ) next family function is economic co-operation, it’s a broad term and can encompass a wide range of activities such as sleeping and cooking, it occurs between households as well as between individuals within the household (Murdock cited by Gittins p. 4) third is his definition of sexuality is heterosexuality, even though this is only one of many forms of sexuality. They say that this is the most important function of a family because it leads to reproduction. He also suggests that they get pressured into thi nking that’s heterosexuality is a ‘socially approved relationship’ between two adults. However there are critisms of Murdock as he doesn’t take into account the diversity of the ways in which co-residence, economic relations, sexuality and reproduction. Many sociologists say that they are simply western values and ideas of what a family should be like and assume that everyone will agree. (Jessie Bernard 1973 cited by Gittins pg. 3) Another criticism is that families do not need adults of both sexes, or a heterosexual couple, as same sex couples can adopt or can use medical advances (e. . IVF or surrogacy) to become a biological parent. (Edholm 1982 cited by Gittins p. 4) Anthropologists prefer to use the term kinship rather than family, â€Å"the ties which exist between individuals who are seen as related both through birth (descent) and through mating (marriage). † This theory is concerned with the ways in which parentage us assigned, attributed and recognised, descent is traced, relatives are classified, rights are transferred across generations and gr oups are formed. Unlike the functionalist approach the kinship theory stresses the fact that kinship is a social construction and also it emphasises on the variability of kinship depending on how it is defined. There is a debate about whether kinship is biological or social, many of us believe that its biological because of we know who are parents are and they made us so we simply think that kinship is biological but there are cases where children are brought up by parents who they believe to be their biological parents and then find out that they have been adopted and then suffer an identity crises because they do not know who they are anymore. Their own suffering is caused by the ways in which we define kinship in society and there is a clear difference between a ‘biological’ and ‘social’ parents, we see the biological parent as the real parents and that has the strongest bonds with the child, this is a strong western belief. However in other cultures they believe that it is the person who rears the child is defined as the parent regardless who is involved in the reproductive process, for example in some cultures it is common for a child to be raise by a grandparent. ( R. T. Smith cited by Gittins p. ) fond this was common in Guyana and Jamaica and says that ‘close and imperishable bonds are formed through the ‘act’ of raising a child. Fictive kinship (Rapp 1980:292 cited by Gittins p5) stated that fictive kinship was a serious relationship, and how we turn friends into family. It was also argued that kinship is whatever we chose it to be whether that’s biological, social or fictive, it’s a way of identifying others as in some way special from the rest, people to whom the individual or collectively feel responsible in certain ways. Many anthropologists have argued that kinship is simply a system of meaning and symbols, they also state that animals reproduce, mate and form attachments but they do not have a kinship system. (Marx cited by Gittins p 5) argued that it distinguishes people from animals. In child birth motherhood is always known unlike fatherhood, however apart from carrying and giving birth to the child that is where the biological process stops the rest become socially constructed. Gender also affects the ways that kinship is constructed and defined, they are both universally present as mothers and children are but the content of them and the meanings ascribed to them is highly variable. Age is also an important fact when it comes to kinship as people grow up the household composition and resources change. All relationships are different and with society changing there has become many different norms of society. Families do not have to be blood ties or even live under the same roof all the time or have two sec parents. Family isn’t universal.

Once Upon a time x constant image of your face

Guilt is a common feeling that humans feel when they have done something wrong. The poets Gabriel Okra and Dennis brutes both express this feeling of guilt in their personae backgrounds. Therefore, okra's â€Å"Once upon a Time† and brute's â€Å"It is the Constant Image of Your Face† are poems portrayed with guilt, but they show it in different situations. The body of both poems have a specific situation happening. In the poem â€Å"Once upon a Time† the persona wishes to be young again an forget all the lessons he has taught himself.He admits of having to put on a â€Å"mask â€Å"depending on who he is in company with, however he wishes to return to his childhood days when he would laugh a honest laughter. The persona speaks to his son about the times when people WOUld Seem to be sincere and caring when dealing with one another. In the poem â€Å"It is the Constant Image of Your Face† the persona chooses his woman over his county. The persona looks at his love for his country along with his mistress and the heartbreak that is inflicted with his choices.The persona admits that they cannot make excuses for his mistress does not take precedence over the personae country, however he still commits treason against his country by being seduced by his mistress's beauty and protection. The persona hopes that his country' will forgive him for choosing his mistress. In both the poems the personae give a feeling of guilt in their events. In the poem â€Å"Once Upon a Time† the poet creates contrast be;en â€Å"heart† and â€Å"faces†. â€Å"Hearts† suggest a deep honest feeling and emotion.Thus, when people shook hands â€Å"with their hearts†, their emotion was true and real. However, when they laugh ‘With their teeth†, not with their eyes. This suggests that the eyes are like the windows of the soul thus letting us see how a person truly feels. In the second poem, â€Å"It is the Constant Im age of Your Face† the persona reflects on the image of someone he cares for. The persona admits that both him and his mistress can â€Å"plead excuses† for his behavior because the woman does not take precedence over his country. He is also feeling guilt and sadness because of what he has done.He has committed treason against his country and he hopes his country will pardon him because of his love for his country and woman. The two poems show contrast through literary devices. Personifications and oxymoron are used by the poets in their poems. In the poem ‘it is the Constant Image of Your Face' the phrase ‘heart's Treachery' is an oxymoron used.

Physical Abuse Letter

Shondra Gant 91-1413 Halahua St. Kapolei, HI 96707 (123)456-7890 [email  protected] com October 7, 2012 Theo Bark Writer TheBoomBox. com 770 Broadway New York, NY 10003 Dear Mr. Bark, Your article written on October 5, 2012 concerning the Chris Brown and Rihanna matter, writing how her father approves of their reconciliation is not a subject that should just be taken lightly.Abusive relationships are a serious matter and stating that it is okay to continue a relationship with your abuser is the wrong message to be sending to people, including those that are in abusive relationships and won't speak up about what they go through. Considering that 80% of girls in abusive relationships continue to be in the relationship with their abuser( Bhatti paragraph 7, statistic 2), ending a relationship and starting it back up again is the same circumstance. Writing this article IS NOT the correct message that you should be sending.That ultimately the people that hurt you once can change and won 't hurt you again, â€Å"He used to hit her†¦. He swore that it wouldn't happen again but it only got worse;†( Sparks, P. 64). 33% of teenagers do not speak up if they are being abused( Bhatti paragraph 6, statistic 3), 24% of women ages 18-35 haven't said if they were being harmed in an abusive relationship( Glamour magazine). When Rihanna spoke up about he matter, they said goodbye, there was a hearing, and they stopped speaking.Now these rumors of a reconciliation are bringing up memories and making this a hot topic again. And now coming out, saying her father approves of this, that this event between them is just a ‘mistake, and everyone should be forgiven once'( Bark, paragraph 3). People who continue to forgive abusers realize they shouldn't have, and by writing this article this is what you are saying: Just go ahead and forgive! Abusive relationships are a major issue, but seeing how these are music professionals that people listen to and look up to, this hi ts home much more.The children that look up to these individuals will think, â€Å"well she took him back! I can too!!! † Do you have kids Mr. Bark? I don't, but I have 6 younger siblings, seeing your article that a family member approves of an abuser getting back together with the abused, and every other article stating they are back together IS NOT something I want my siblings thinking is acceptable in society. Thank you for your time in reading my letter on what I thought of your article. Sincerely yours, Shondra Gant

International Finance - currency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International Finance - currency - Essay Example Same method is applied for obtaining the values mentioned at other places and tables elsewhere also in this paper. FOREX experts thought that the pound would begin the year 2003 on an optimistic note but unfortunately for the pound, that year also began with a downward trend against the Euro and continued till the year end. The first quarter saw the pound value against euro drip by 5.8% from 1.539429 to 1.449098. It further continued the downward journey to 1.438329 by the end of second quarter reaching its lowest of the year at 1.397857 on May 30. The decline in the second quarter was 0 .7 % and negligible when compared to the first quarter decline. On the whole, the pound dripped by 6.56 % during the first half of the year which had seen the euro rise against the pound from 0.649591to 0.695251. The following table and the subsequent graph show the decline of the pound against the Euro as explained earlier in the first half of the year 2003. The European Central Bank (ECB) has continued with a policy of consistency in bank rates boosting up the morale of the Euro in FOREX markets. In January and February, 2003, the Governing Council of ECB decided to continue with existing rates of 3.75% and 1.75 % for marginal lending and deposit facilities respectively. The minimum bid rate on main refinancing operations also continued to be at 3.75% putting at rest all the rumours. This was followed by a report, released on February 24, 2003, that claimed that the solvency levels of EU banks also continued to be even stronger. The regulatory capital ratio for EU banking system stood at 12% as against the minimum requirement of 8% in the preceding two years of 2001 and 2002, according to this report (Press release, 24 February 2003-EU Banking sector stability, The banking sector has remained stable). While these decisions helped the Euro maintain its stability and uptrend against the pound, some unfavourable trends persisted on the home ground for the latter currency adding fuel to the fire. No doubt, the British economy had recorded maximum growth rate in the third quarter of 2002 due to buoyancy in consumer spending and rising of prices while the GDP rose by 0.94 % in comparison with the previous quarter. But the inflation rate had crossed the Bank of England's (BOE) expected target of 2.5% reaching almost 2.8% in the last quarter (Released on 1/9/03 For 4 Jan 2003 ). The BOE defended the inflation rate arguing that the tendency was temporary and had its sources in the rising prices of oil and housing. With a view to reverse the inflation trend, the BOE had reduced the interest rate to 3.75 percent from 4%. This was the lowest level borrowing rate in the country since 1955 (Released on 2/6/03 For Feb 2003) and it naturally made the public and FOREX traders lose interest on the pound leading to its continuous downtrend against the Euro. The following table shows how it went down further in the second half of the year 2003. Date / Month

Personal journal entry 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal journal entry 4 - Essay Example However, the court identified that this kind of relationship can contain important traits of family that symbolizes the changing social situations. It is clear that the number of individuals that qualify to be a family under the law has expanded2. The case clearly demonstrated that due to the changing modern beliefs the two men living together were ‘family’. During the case, the court researched and confirmed a wide role meaning of ‘family’. The idea is a collection of combined attributes that can be looked at independently or as an entity. The meaning of family can be confirmed when one analysis the supposed roles discharged in the relationship3. The judges in this legal resolution held that a difference could not be seen by a same-sex couple staying together and the opposite sexes couple, in terms of affection and love4. In this case, Mr. Fitzpatrick succeeded on the basis of ‘assured’ tenant and not statutory tenant because he did not qualify as a spouse5. In addition, the ruling was made in consideration of the characteristics defined by the 1920 Act that were satisfied by Mr. Fitzpatrick and his partner that fell under the term

Literature review of Analog Circuit Computer Aided Design Essay

Literature review of Analog Circuit Computer Aided Design - Essay Example The main purpose of this research of "Analog CAD" is to get the values of transistor sizes and components values like resistors and capacitances if the analog circuit specification is given. The optimization technique it adopts is geometric programming (Boyd, 2004). Till today analog circuit design automation is done for long length transistors or sub-micron transistors. Main objective of this research work is to automate circuit in deep sub-micron region. Before starting actual work on any topic it is necessary to go through literatures otherwise one may land up in a result which has already been found out by some other person.This section deals with the existing literatures related to analog circuit optimization. It outlines a summary of all the resource materials, authorial credentials, content credibility, source credibility, text credibility- Fluid integration of the source evaluation. A true literature review gives the proper sense of works that technology has achieved till dat e into that specified topic which helps one researcher to bring down his own research problem.Han Young et al. (1990) developed an analog silicon compilation system for CMOS op amps (OPASYN). The synthesis starts from a certain specification. From its database, program selects op amp topology that suits most with the given specification. Using parametric optimization the circuit then determines optimal value for its parameters. It also produces Design-Rule-Correct compact layout of the optimized op amp. Yang et al. (1995) proposed a Simulated Annealing (SA) algorithm for topology selection and sizing. In analog cells, topology choice and sizing simultaneously is efficient than normal two step mode synthesis. Basic problem with that approach is that super circuits must be worked out for each sort of analog cells. Chen et al. (2000) placed an iterative optimization idea for improving delay in digital circuit. Instead of only adjusting that gate sizes to reduce delay, they adjusted wire loads of the gates by repositioning them using geometric program. It gave better result in deep sub-micron design where the effect of interconnect delays dominates Mandal P and Visvanathan V (2001) devised an efficient technique for sizing of op amp by sequential convex optimization problem. This method then prototyped in MATLAB to apply into CMOS two stage op amp. Paper mostly focuses on long length transistor. In short channel case results did not come satisfactory due to second order effects. To overcome this, model was used that gave acceptable result.. Hershenson M et al. (2001) also worked on same topic and came out with fruitful result. There they have used 0.8 technology. Dawson et al. (2001), using geometric programming optimized the allocation of local feedback loops in a multistage amplifier. In a multistage amplifier local feedback loops effects its overall bandwidth, gain, rise time, noise and linearity. Using GP tool these problems had been solved taking into account wide variety of constraints. After that, Daems et al. (2001) came with simulation based automatic generation of signomial and posynomial models that can be used for analog design automation. These posynomial models were found to be more useful for geometric programming optimization. There, they tested the methodology with a CMOS OTA in 0.7 m technology. Hershenson M. (2002) presented a technique for the design of Analog- Digital Converter (ADC). In a predefined pipeline ADC topology she tried to get the component values and transistor sizes meeting the specification and keeping constraints like power, SNR, sampling frequency and area in convex form. Eackelaert et al. (2003) depicted a new technique to generate symbolic expressions for the performance characteristics. The technique determines the coefficients and the exponents of a posynomial template based

Company Introduction, Market Segmentation, and Product Repositioning Research Paper

Company Introduction, Market Segmentation, and Product Repositioning - Research Paper Example Strategic Mission Statement The mission of Holden Trucking Services is to be preferred trucking firm by being able to deliver the most affordable, high quality and efficient trucking services to the customers. According to Radhakrishnan (2001), trucking services form a very important part of the supply chain for many business and it is critical that it is efficient in terms of service as well as cost. This is what Holden Trucking Services will seek to be doing, that is, provide efficient and reliable services to customers at affordable prices. In its growth outlook, Holden Trucking Services looks to serve the African market. The African market is the most underserved market in this sector of the global economy. Africa is expected to be next big economy in the next twenty years. According to market experts, the current fast growing markets such as India and China will have reached their optimum growth by the year 2050. At the current moment, every firm including trucking firms are con centrating their foreign market growth in the BRICS market. As the African market is being ignored, it is going to be easy for Holden Trucking Services to establish itself as the trucking firm of choice and be able to take advantage when the opportune e time comes. The African market is already a ripe market and is underserved and even without having to wait for the opportunities time. Most African countries don’t have dependable trucking services of their own and therefore depend on foreign firms. None of these foreign firms have been gracious enough to offer localised trucking services. This means that the services are too expensive for the local African market. The services are also inefficient and not dependable especially where time of delivery is critical. Holden Trucking Services will be the trucking firm to fill this gap to make sure that the local market is well served. Marketing Plan Holden Trucking Services will reach the market by personalising the services. The m arket will be divided into smaller cells with each cell being given as much autonomy as possible. This will make sure that every area can be served individually and this will increase the quality of the service to the customers. Holden Trucking Services will also seek to be a low-price leader. The modern trucking business is too expensive for most customers an this always has a negative implication of the customers because most of the customers are businesses which would benefit a lot if they could find a cheaper way to deliver their goods so that they can expand their profit margins (Kendall, 2005). Offering low prices and high quality of service to the customer will be an easy way to enter in the market and Holden Trucking Services seeks to use this as a way to make sure that it curves a market share for itself. Segmentation of the Market Holden Trucking Services will seek to serve the underserved market. Such underserved market include the small scale businesses which usually can not afford to have their own trucks but at the same time find trucking services prohibitively high. In this regard, to be able to serve this market, Holden Trucking Services will use two main strategies. First, it will include smaller trucks rather than having only large trucks. These smaller trucks will help in making sure that the firm is able to dispatch customer’

Philosophy and theory of architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 1

Philosophy and theory of architecture - Essay Example In so doing, it discusses the roots of this phenomenon, and surveys the different phases it has been and is going through and its physical spread and influence as well. That is, it takes a tour through both changes over time as well as spatially. The focus is mainly on the architecture of Buddhist temples, particularly those found in China. However, as the reader will come to know, if not known already, in Buddhism there is a variety of buildings that are considered as religious or spiritual spaces besides temples. A case study is made of the Baima Si, which is the White Horse Temple in the Henan province of China. This temple (Si) was chosen for its historical significance, as will be explained later, as well as the fact that it represents a unique amalgamation of architectural styles. It also functioned as a model for other such buildings and thereby played a pivotal role in moulding a special wave of thinking on architecture, which makes it deserve serious attention. For contrasti ve purposes, important comparisons are also drawn with architectural features belonging to Buddhist temples elsewhere in the world, especially in other Far Eastern countries that are heartlands of Buddhism. In addition, some comparisons are also highlighted between Buddhist architecture and what is found in other religious architectural expressions, especially of Christian, Hindu and Islamic origin. After the distinguishing and other special features are identified for Chinese Buddhist temples, an attempt is then made to explain these and the philosophy behind them. Buddhist architecture In Buddhism, although the temple is the main place for spiritual practices, there are also other spiritual spaces. These are the pagodas, which are towers like broader based minarets, stupas, which are dome shaped monuments, and grottos, which are caves used for specific spiritual practices within a more isolated environment. They are all holy and made to be serene and tranquil. The temples function more as monasteries for collective practices. As far as Chinese temples are concerned, Buddhist philosophy has been described as the greatest impetus behind religious art and architecture in China (Phuoc, 2010). Initially, Buddhism was practised in ordinary settings in China, such as people’s houses, but as demand grew, then special buildings were constructed. These buildings proved to be far more interesting than the Confucian and Taoist places and rich in architectural detail reflecting an equally richer philosophy. Hindu and Islamic philosophies of architecture share some commonality with Buddhist architecture. The Hindu influence is mostly evident in the early temples. Thus, there is a direct connection with Hindu architecture as they gave roots to Buddhist architecture. Connections with other religions are more indirect. A prominent style of Christian architecture was Gothic architecture during the medieval period. This was related with scholastic philosophy (Radding & Clark, 1994) in which there was an attempt to develop a comprehensive and integrated solution for various tasks including the construction of churches. An interesting parallel is drawn between the ideas of St. Thomas Aquinas who was one of these aforementioned philosophers and Buddhist architecture in that he saw churches as symbolising heaven on earth. This is similar in some ways to the Buddhist concept of heaven but with some fundamental differences. Whereas only one heaven is envisaged in Christianity

Romantic Imagination Essay Example for Free

Romantic Imagination Essay â€Å"The Creation of Adam† painted by Michelangelo in 1510, is one of the most beautiful and famous painting representing the Creation. It was painted on the ceiling of the Papal Sistine Chapel and is a masterpiece of High Renaissance art. It is a part of a larger scheme of decoration within the chapel, including various elements like a large fresco of The Last Judgement. Michelangelo demonstrated his skill in creating a huge variety of poses for the human figure, providing an influential pattern for other artists ever since. So at the time, it was not conventional. The technique employed was fresco. The colours are beautiful. It represents a metaphor of Humankind’s need for a covenant (accordo, convenzione) with God. Elohim creating Adam by William Blake is a colour print finished in pen and watercolour. It represents God creating the first human being. God is a supernatural being with wings, white hair and beard. He is bigger and stronger than him and very powerful. Adam, instead, seems a very weak and suffering creature. He is stretched on the ground. In the picture there is also a great worm that entwines Adam and symbolizes the world of pain and sorrow, the devils temptations and also the fact that the human being is linked to sin and corruption. Blake uses cold colours, dull, dismal and gloomy. The atmosphere is very sad. The shapes of the protagonists are distinct and sharp. All these things suggest the tension of the creation and also the energy of God. For Blake the creation is a suffering moment for the creature, a moment of tension, because the author has a pessimistic view of life. Adam is innocent, weak and destined to sin.

Non-standard English: Usage and attitudes

Non-standard English: Usage and attitudes Introduction Spoken language is a powerful method of communication that conveys more than intended referential information. Depending on the listeners attitude, a speakers accent or dialect may imply a number of characteristics such as social class and professionalism. Examples of non-standard linguistic features are discussed under Task 1; followed by summaries of two studies under Task 2, which focus on attitudes towards West Indian Patois (Edwards, 1986) and the Cockney accent (Giles Sassoon, 1982). Task 1 Thats the girl he gave the bracelet to. This sentence contains a grammatical, non-standard linguistic feature because it ends with the preposition to. In Standard English, a preposition usually proceeds a noun, hence the sentence should read: Thats the girl to whom he gave the bracelet. However, there are cases where sentences sound unnatural if they are arranged in a way that avoids a final proposition. This is usually seen in conversational English, for example: in relative clauses and questions which feature phrasal verbs, passive constructions, and short sentences which feature an infinitive or verbal noun. Nonetheless, in formal writing, it is considered better practice to avoid placing a preposition at the end of a sentence where it may seem stranded. (Preposition, 2008) Buffy the vampire slayer is dead cool. This sentence contains a lexical, non-standard linguistic feature because dead functions as an adverb of degree, such as very; the sentence should read, Buffy the vampire slayer is very cool, or of a similar effect. Dead typically functions as an adjective, meaning no longer alive, and is used in contexts such as a dead bodyor a dead issue. It has therefore undergone semantic change, and its meaning has been broadened. (Dead, 2017) My old man gave me a set of wheels for my birthday. This sentence contains lexical, non-standard linguistic features because slang is used. My old man is a colloquial, informal noun phrase meaning ones father or a womans husband or boyfriend; set of wheels is also a colloquial, informal noun phrase meaning a motor vehicle, as opposed to a literal set of wheels. According to Standard English, the sentence should read: My father gave me a motor vehicle for my birthday. The phrases have thus undergone semantic change. (Old man, 2017) The guy that works in the bar is really nice. This sentence contains a lexical, non-standard linguistic feature due to the use of the informal noun, guy, meaning man (Guy, 2017). There is also a grammatical, nonstandard linguistic feature because, in Standard English, that should not be used as a relative pronoun when the antecedent is personal. A human antecedent is typically proceeded by who in a defining clause. An inanimate antecedent or a human but representative of a class is followed by that; for example, the chair that collapsed / the baby that laughed. In Standard English, the sentence should therefore read: The man who works in the bar is really nice. (That, 1998) Who did you see? This sentence contains a grammatical, non-standard linguistic feature because who is used in place of whom. In Standard English, who is a relative pronoun or an interrogative when it refers to the subject (who is there?). Whom is the objective form, hence the sentence should read: Whom did you see? However, the use of whom is declining and is often replaced by who in modern usage. (Who and whom, 2017) Task 2 A study of West Indian Patois, conducted by Viv Edwards (1986) A study of 45 British-born black adolescents in a West Midlands community (Edwards 1997: 409) reveals the attitudes of teachers and pupils towards West Indian Patois. Attitudes to Patois in the educational world are generally negative. The Association of Teachers of English to Pupils from Overseas (ATEPO 1970) describe West Indian language as babyish and lacking proper grammar (Edwards 1986: 25); the National Association of School Masters (1969) refer to West Indian language as a plantation English which is socially unacceptable and inadequate for communication (Edwards 1986: 25). These negative attitudes reflect some of the findings of Edwards (1986) West Midlands study. Conducted in Dudley, the study consisted of a judgement sample and comprised of 3 measures which were applied to the speech of 21 women and 24 men, aged between 16 and 23: frequency of Patois features, competence in Patois, and patterns of Patois usage. (Edwards 1997: 410). The studys findings are presented in 3 sets of interactions, as summarised below: Classroom Interaction, Pupil-Pupil Interactions and Pupil-Teacher Interactions. Classroom Interaction The stereotype that Patois speakers are limited to monolingualism was opposed by recordings of Black pupils using different language patterns in the classroom. Pupil-Pupil Interactions Contrary to the beliefs of the White community, Black pupils, who reduced the frequency and range of their nonstandard linguistic features, made a marked choice not to speak Standard English (despite their competence to speak both varieties). The use of Patois in the classroom was rare but virtually all black pupils could understand it, and used features in at least some situations. Within Black peer groups, it marked solidarity and acceptance; in mixed-raced groups, it functioned to exclude the White outsider. However, a few White pupils sought acceptance from Black friendship groups by using Patois, but their degree of competence varied. Some Black pupils responded with amusement and approval; most responded negatively to the White community for using a variety of English that was distinctively Black. Pupil-Teacher Interactions Black pupils used Patois to exclude their White teacher as means of defiance. Teachers then felt threatened when Patois was used in a confrontational way. Teachers who responded punitively elicited negative attitudes towards Patois. Other reports of teacher responses included learning nonstandard linguistic features in an attempt to understand Black dialect. Edwards (1997) concludes that teachers punitive responses and the use of Patois to exclude the White community are a reflection of the issues caused by negative attitudes towards nonstandard varieties of English. A study of Cockney, conducted by Howard Giles and Caroline Sassoon (1982) A study of a speakers accent and social class reveals the attitudes of 120 undergraduate listeners towards Cockney, in comparison to Received Pronunciation (RP). Based, on Ryan Sebastians (1980) study of the attitudes of middle class listeners towards Mexican-American in the USA, both studies were reminiscent of Lamberts (1967) matched-guise test and consisted of a tape-recording, followed by a questionnaire. Ryan Sebastian (1980) found that by disconfirming the listeners assumption of the accented speakers social class, their evaluations improved. Giles Sassoon (1982) referred to this as the Ryan Sebastian effect, which they later opposed in their hypothesis: awareness of a Cockney speakers social class would not attenuate significantly the unfavourable status associations commonly levied against nonstandard speech (pp. 306). The participants of the study (Ss) consisted of 63 males and 57 females, aged between 18 and 23. Ss heard 1 combination of a male students voice and social class information who was recorded reading two stimulus passages using RP and Cockney accents. The legitimacy of his bidialectal skills was assessed in a pilot study by 24 undergraduates. The studys dependant measures involved 5 small questionnaires, each consisting of 7-point rating scales and instructions. The questionnaires were: measures of Ss perception of the speakers social class, accent and formality of speech; social evaluation scales based on the speakers intelligence, success, friendliness and trustworthiness; belief similarity items which measured the extent that Ss agree[d] with the speaker on social issues such as the legislation of marijuana; social distance items which measured how close a relationship Ss were willing to have with the speaker; and social role items which determined Ss willingness to work with the speaker as subordinate to, superior over, or colleague with them (pp. 307). Ss were recorded in groups of up to 6 other undergraduates; they were handed the 5 questionnaires in the format of a response booklet with the social class information facing upwards. Once they had completed the task, they were debriefed and engaged in discussion. The results proved Giles Sassoons hypothesis; the awareness of the speakers middle class background did not prevent Ss from perceiving him as a low status evaluation when he used Cockney. Accent influenced the ratings on only 1 of 4 social issues; listeners shared more beliefs on the legislation of marijuana with the speaker when he used an RP accent; accent had no effect on social distance items; but the findings from the social role items showed that Ss preferred an RP speaker as their superordinate, and as a subordinate too (pp. 311). Giles Sassoon conclude that the awareness of a Cockney speakers middle class background does not prevent the stereotyped negative attitudes towards low status ratings (pp. 311). Conclusion The nonstandard linguistic features in Task 1 and the studies summarised in Task 2 portray several varieties of English. The mixed attitudes towards the widespread use of nonstandard linguistic features are a clear reflection of an ever-changing language. Word count: 1500 words References Allen, R. Fowler, H. (2008). Preposition. Pocket Fowlers Modern English Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordreference.com.idpproxy.reading.ac.uk/view/10.1093/acref/9780199232581.001.0001/acref-9780199232581-e-3016?rskey=4f5JCxresult=1 Allen, R. Fowler, H. (2008). Who and whom. Pocket Fowlers Modern English Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordreference.com.idpproxy.reading.ac.uk/view/10.1093/acref/9780199232581.001.0001/acref-9780199232581-e-4155?rskey=ducoglresult=2 Dead. (2017). Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford. Retrieved from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/dead Edwards, V. (1986). Language In A Black Community. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters Edwards, V. (2007). Patois and the Politics of Protest: Black English in British Classrooms. In Coupland, N. Jaworski, A. Sociolinguistics: A Reader and Coursebook. (408-415). London: MacMillan Press. Fowler, H. Burchfield, R. (1998). That. The new Fowlers Modern English usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Giles, H. Sassoon, C. (1983). The effect of speakers accent, social class background and message style on British listeners social judgements. Language Communication, 3(3), 305-313. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0271-5309(83)90006-x Guy. (2017). Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford. Retrieved from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/guy Lambert, W. E. (1967). A social psychology of bilingualism. Journal of Social Issues. 23, 91- 109. Old man. (2017). Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford. Retrieved from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/old_man