A Separate Peace Final Essay

A Separate Peace Final Essay A Separate Peace Final Essay A Separate Peace John Knowles Genre – Fiction and Tragedy Adolescent Relationships Antagonist & Protagonist In the story A Separate Peace I believe that Gene is the protagonist and Brinker is his antagonist. This is because Brinker tells Gene that his failure to enlist comes from pity for Finny. He also says that Gene should put the accident in the past by seeing all the details come to light. Brinker hints darkly that Gene knows what he means. Meaning Brinker is starting to figure out the truth about what really happened at the tree. Gene sees Brinker as a threat , because he knows that the truth is finally slipping out in Devon. Although, I also believe that Phineas is the protagonist and Gene as his antagonist. In a Separate Peace, Gene was the one who was on the tree with Finny when he jounced the limb just before Finny fell and broke his leg. Gene was in fact the main problem to Finny and his death, Finny could no longer able to compete and train in the Olympics and play sports as good as he was able to. The trail in the Assembly Room in the First Building would have never have taken place leading up to Finny getting upset and storming out the building breaking his leg as he fell of the marble stairs causing his death. Finny knows none of this would have ever have happened if Gene never jounced the limb on the tree. Character Traits In A Separate Peace , Gene is portrayed as an intelligent student and a thinker, who considers a situation from all sides before making an actual decision. Gene is also a person who strictly conforms to rules and regulations; he always obeys his teachers, studies hard, never misses a class, and makes good grades. Gene has great work ethic and is very hard working. Although he does not really enjoy sports, for he is not a good athlete. Finny, who has a completely opposite personality from Gene, always acts spontaneously and on blind impulse, never thinking about the rules or the consequences. He is also a poor student, for he does not devote himself to his studies and he does not follow the rules. Finny would rather be playing sports, since he is the best athlete on campus. Although Brinker Hadley is extremely smooth with his words and carefully dressed, Brinker strives to impress people and, when he can, exercise control over them. Brinker is very conservative and he in fact tries to be on top with his academics. Brinker is rather strange he makes long-running jokes with rather sinister undertones, seems very independent and determined, and seems like he's his own person. He is the one who starts enlistment fever on campus, and then stops it dead by chickening out since Gene won't go with him. He's a bit of a paradoxical character, and a kind of foil to the rebellious, free-spirited like Finny. Emotions From the beginning of A Separate Peace, when Gene jounces the limb and causes Finny to fall and shatter his leg , I was in complete awe and angry. I asked how can Gene his best friend and his own roommate , do this to him. I believed that Gene was completely loyal to Finny , and he would never turn evil and back stab Finny like that. Gene didn’t just only break Finnys leg , he destroyed everything Finny lived for. My emotions were extremely high at this moment and from that point on I didn’t see Gene the same. Gene might have cried and was truly sorry but from that point on I believe I saw the true colors of Gene. People all the time become jealous and envy one another. But to push a man out of a tree and purposely cause harm isn’t normal or heathy in his or her state of mind. During the story when Gene visits Finny at his house to tell him the truth about the accident , I could almost feel the guilt down my own throat , I felt sorry for Gene. Although I did fe el impressed that Gene matured and acted like a man by going down to Boston to apologize and tell the truth to Finny. Lastly my feelings toward the

Difference Between the UK, Great Britain, and England

Difference Between the UK, Great Britain, and England While many people use the terms ​United Kingdom, Great Britain, and England interchangeably, there is a difference between them- one is a country, the second is an island, and the third is a part of an island. The United Kingdom The  United Kingdom  is an independent country off the northwestern coast of Europe. It consists of the entire island of Great Britain and a northern part of the island of Ireland. In fact, the official name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The capital city of the United Kingdom is London and the head of state is currently Queen Elizabeth II. The United Kingdom is one of the founding members of the United Nations and sits on the United Nations Security Council. The creation of the United Kingdom heralds back to 1801 when the unification between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland led to the establishment of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. When southern Ireland gained independence in the 1920s, the name of the modern country then became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.   Great Britain Great Britain is the name of the island northwest of France and east of Ireland. Much of the United Kingdom consists of the island of Great Britain. On the large island of Great Britain, there are three somewhat autonomous regions: England, Wales, and Scotland. Great Britain is the ninth largest island on Earth and has an area of  80,823 square miles (209,331 square kilometers). England occupies the southeast portion of the island of Great Britain, Wales is in the southwest, and Scotland is in the north. Scotland and Wales are not independent countries but do have some discretion from the United Kingdom with respect to internal governance. England England is located in the southern part of the island of Great Britain, which is part of the country of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom includes the administrative regions of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Each region varies in its level of autonomy but all part of the United Kingdom. While England has traditionally been thought of as the heart of the United Kingdom, some use the term England to refer to the entire country, however, this is not correct. While its common to hear or see the term London, England, technically this is also incorrect, as it implies that London is the capital of England alone, rather than the capital of the entire United Kingdom. Ireland A final note on Ireland. The northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland is the administrative region of the United Kingdom known as Northern Ireland. The remaining southern five-sixths of the island of Ireland is the independent country known as the  Republic of Ireland (Eire). Using the Right Term It is inappropriate to refer to the United Kingdom as Great Britain or England; one should be specific about toponyms (place names) and utilize the correct nomenclature.  Remember, United Kingdom (or the U.K.) is the country, Great Britain is the island, and England is one of the U.K.s four administrative regions. Since unification, the Union Jack flag has combined elements of England, Scotland, and Ireland (although Wales is omitted) to represent the unification of constituent parts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Resourcing and Talent Management - Case study and Research Assignment

Resourcing and Talent Management - Case study and Research - Assignment Example The working options are somewhat rigid and the human resource management systems are not very fair. This report is written on the background of these issues and identifies the major UK labour market and its linkage to the issue at hand. The report will look at the critical issues in the organization and the possible solutions to the issue. There are some elements of the human resource management and talent management system that seem to be problematic. These issues form the basis and foundation of the challenges that OXEN.org is facing at the moment. From the scenario, it appears there is a merger of OXEN.org and some other companies. Mergers normally bring up cultural differences and matters that leads to major conflicts and issues in an organisation. When a merger is done and reasonable care is not taken to streamline the culture and the activities of the members of the two organisations, there is bound to be cultural tensions and issues that affects talent management and human resource issues. Cultural issues in mergers and acquisitions that have bearings on talent management and human resource management appear in the initial planning stage, closing of the deal and the post-merger integration stage (Harzing and Ruysseveldt, 2012). This involves the cultural clash of the different entities that come together under the merger and acquisition agreement. From this case, OXEN.org seem to have major problems and issues that relates to the clashes of cultures which is creating some degree of confusion that is having an adverse impact on the performance of the charitable organisation. It appears there is a major issue with the coordination of affairs between the London, Manchester and New York offices of the company. And this is probably a cause of some human resource management issues and matters which could include amongst

Environmental Issues in Business Transactions Essay

Environmental Issues in Business Transactions - Essay Example In January 2000 after finalizing the purchased amount of seven million dollars and obtaining the assurance of Tyco that the Plant is compliant to existing environmental laws Shan finalized the acquisition of the Plant from Tyco. To reiterate this assurance the purchase contract stipulated that Tyco â€Å"will be responsible for any losses arising out of environmental clean-ups, fines or penalties†. After the purchase of the Plant, Shan discovered that it would cost more than two million dollars to make the Plant compliant to federal and state environmental laws. Shan also discovered that the potential fines and penalties for the non-compliance to environmental state and federal laws could amount to more than one billion dollars. Shan thru its owners tried in several instances to persuade Tyco to buy back the Plant at the same cost or pay for the necessary remediation cost to make the Plant comply with state and federal environmental laws. ... the final report was sent to the Chief Executive Officer of Tyco, the report was accompanied by a request from Shan for assistance in making the Plant compliant. However, Tyco ignored the report including the request. Thereafter, Shan reiterated its offer for Tyco to just buy back the Plant for the same amount it was bought to which, Tyco declined. In December 2003, Shan voluntarily reported to the Environmental Protection Agency that the Plant is not compliant to state and federal regulations. At around the same time Shan also met with the Tyco officials who promised to send documents that would prove that the Plant was in compliance with the regulations set by state and federal laws. Perusing over the documents sent over by Tyco it was determined that Tyco was not doing its responsibility to make sure that the Plant are compliant to regulations under state and federal environmental laws. On the last day of 2003, they filed a case against Tyco for breach of contract. In April 2004, the Plant was visited by state and federal environmental authorities and naturally found it non-compliant to environmental laws. It was determined that it was Tyco who suggested that environmental auditors examine the Plant. Based on their findings the state and federal environmental authorities issued a cease-and-desist order that affected forty percent of the Plant’s operating capacity. That could have greatly diminished its earning capacity thus its initiative to make the Plant compliant to environmental state and federal laws. In June 2004, Shan appealed the cease-and-desist order by asserting that the environmental problem was an issue inherited from Tyco, the previous owner. The appeal contained the findings of the independent consultants showing the extent of the violation in the

The Rwandan genocide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Rwandan genocide - Essay Example The Rwanda civil war was fought between the Hutu regimes. The Francophone nations of Africa and France also supported the regime. The Rwandan Patriotic Front, took the support of Uganda and created a lot of chaos and tension within the country which eventually led to the rise of Hutu Power. Hutu Power believed in an ideology. They claimed that the Tutsi wanted to enslave Hutus and should be restrained from at any cost. Irrespective of the concurrent ethnic turmoil, inclusive of the displacement of Hutus in huge in the north at the hands of the rebels, the pressure on the government of Juvenal Habyarimana continued to mount up. It paved way for a ceasefire in 1993 and a pre-mature implementation of the Arshua Accords. Habyarimana’s assassination took place in April 1994. It was the closest and biggest reason behind the killings of Tutsis and proponents of a peaceful Hutus. The mass genocide took place primarily due to two Hutu militias who were associated with political parties i.e. the Interhamwe and the Impuzamugambi. The genocide was carried out by a Hutu power group popularly known as the Akazu all over. The massive killing sprouted the demise of the peace agreement for the war end. Tutsi RPF on the other hand, relaunched their offensive and eventually defeated the army while seizing complete control of the country. Ethnic tensions in Rwanda are no new phenomenon. Disagreements had always been there between the majorities, the Hutus against the minority Tutsis. However, the bitterness grew even further during the colonial period. On the exterior, the two ethnic groups resemble a lot in their mannerism. The language they speak is the same; they pursue the same traditions and culture and have inhabited the same areas. However their difference lies in their appearance. Tutsis are taller and thinner than the Hutus. Many claim that the origin of the Tutsis, traces all the way back to Ethiopia.

The Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio

The Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio The Fibonacci Sequence was firstly introduced by Leonardo of Pisa, known as  Fibonacci, in the year 1202. He studied on the population of rabbits. Firstly he assumed that a newly-born pair of rabbits, one male, one female, are put in a field; one month later, rabbits become adult and are able to mate so that at the end of its second month a female rabbit can produce another pair of rabbits; he also assumed that rabbits never die and a mating pair always produces one male and one female rabbit every month from the second month on. The question that Fibonacci posed was: how many pairs will there be in one year? At the end of the first month, the pair mate, however they dont produce a pair, therefore there is still one only 1 pair. At the end of the second month the couple produces a new pair, so now there are 2 pairs of rabbits in the field. One of them is adolescent and the other is leverets. At the end of the third month, the original pair produces a second pair, the leverets become adolescents hence a total of 3 pairs in all in the field. For the next month, two adolescent pairs produce two new pairs and the newly-born pair become adult. Therefore, our field consits five pairs of rabbits. The terms of the sequence are given as, The Golden Ratio is a special type of ratio that can be seen on many structure of living organisms and many objects. It is not only observed in the part of a whole subjects, but also in arts and architecture for centuries. The Golden ratio gives the most compatible sizes of geometric figures. In nature, The Golden Ratio can be seen on the bodies of human beings, shells and branches of trees.  For Platon, the keys of the cosmical physics is this ratio. Also, this ratio is widely believed that it is the most aesthetic ratio for a rectangle. The Golden Ratio, is an irrational number just as pi or e and its approximate value is 1,618033988à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ To define the Golden Ratio, ÃŽÂ ¦ or PHI is used. The Golden Ratio has been used for many years for different purposes. Some studies of the  Acropolis, the approximate value of golden ratio can be seen on many of its proportions. Parthenon is a typical example of this. The Parthenons facade including elements of its facade and elsewhere are said to be circumscribed by golden rectangles.  For many classical buildings, either the building itself or the elements of the buildings have a proportion which is equal to the golden ratio. This information gives a result that their architects most probably knew the golden ratio and consciously employed it in their buildings. On the other hand, the architects may use their senses and found a good proportion for their desgins, and their proportions closely approximate the golden ratio. Beside this, some analyses can always be questioned on the ground that the investigator chooses the points from which measurements are made or where to superimpose golden rectangles, and the proportions that a re observed are affected by the choices of the points. Some scholars disagree with the idea that Greeks had an aesthetic association with golden ratio. For instance, Midhat J. Gazalà © says, It was not until Euclid, however, that the golden ratios mathematical properties were studied. In the  Elements  (308 BC) the Greek mathematician merely regarded that number as an interesting irrational number, in connection with the middle and extreme ratios. Its occurrence in regular pentagons and decagons was duly observed, as well as in the dodecahedron (a  regular polyhedron  whose twelve faces are regular pentagons). It is indeed exemplary that the great Euclid, contrary to generations of mystics who followed, would soberly treat that number for what it is, without attaching to it other than its factual properties.[1]  In Keith Devlins opinion,  the claim that measurements of Parthenon is not supported by actual measurements even though the golden raito is observed. In fact, the entire story about the Greeks and golden ratio seems to be without foundation. The one thing we surely know that Euclid showed how to calculate its value, in his famous textbook  Elements, that was written around 300 BC.  Near-contemporary sources like  Vitruvius  exclusively discuss proportions that can be expressed in whole numbers, i.e. commensurate as opposed to irrational proportions. A geometrical analysis of the  Great Mosque of Kairouan  reveals a consistent application of the golden ratio throughout the design, according to Boussora and Mazouz.[22]  It is found in the overall proportion of the plan and in the dimensioning of the prayer space, the court, and the  minaret. Boussora and Mazouz also examined earlier archaeological theories about the mosque, and demonstrate the geometric constructions based on the golden ratio by applying these constructions to the plan of the mosque to test their hypothesis. The Swiss  architect  Le Corbusier, famous for his contributions to the  modern  international style, centered his design philosophy on systems of harmony and proportion. Le Corbusiers faith in the mathematical order of the universe was closely bound to the golden ratio and the Fibonacci series, which he described as rhythms apparent to the eye and clear in their relations with one another. And these rhythms are at the very root of human activities. They resound in man by an organic inevitability, the same fine inevitability which causes the tracing out of the Golden Section by children, old men, savages and the learned.[23] Le Corbusier explicitly used the golden ratio in his  Modulor  system for the  scale  of  architectural proportion. He saw this system as a continuation of the long tradition of  Vitruvius, Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian Man, the work of  Leon Battista Alberti, and others who used the proportions of the human body to improve the appearance and function of  architecture. In addition to the golden ratio, Le Corbusier based the system on  human measurements,  Fibonacci numbers, and the double unit. He took Leonardos suggestion of the golden ratio in human proportions to an extreme: he sectioned his model human bodys height at the navel with the two sections in golden ratio, then subdivided those sections in golden ratio at the knees and throat; he used these golden ratio proportions in the  Modulor  system. Le Corbusiers 1927 Villa Stein in  Garches  exemplified the Modulor systems application. The villas rectangular ground plan, elevation, and inner structure closely approximate golden rectangles.[24] Another Swiss architect,  Mario Botta, bases many of his designs on geometric figures. Several private houses he designed in Switzerland are composed of squares and circles, cubes and cylinders. In a house he designed in  Origlio, the golden ratio is the proportion between the central section and the side sections of the house.[25] In a recent book, author Jason Elliot speculated that the golden ratio was used by the designers of the  Naqsh-e Jahan Square  and the adjacent Lotfollah mosque.[26] [edit]Painting Illustration from Luca Paciolis  De Divina Proportione  applies geometric proportions to the human face. Leonardo da Vincis illustrations of  polyhedra  in  De Divina Proportione  (On the Divine Proportion) and his views that some bodily proportions exhibit the golden ratio have led some scholars to speculate that he incorporated the golden ratio in his paintings.[27]  But the suggestion that hisMona Lisa, for example, employs golden ratio proportions, is not supported by anything in Leonardos own writings.[28] Salvador Dalà ­Ã‚  explicitly used the golden ratio in his masterpiece,  The Sacrament of the Last Supper. The dimensions of the canvas are a golden rectangle. A huge dodecahedron, with edges in golden ratio to one another, is suspended above and behind Jesus and dominates the composition.[2]HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio#cite_note-28#cite_note-28[29] Mondrian  used the golden section extensively in his geometrical paintings.[30] A statistical study on 565 works of art of different great painters, performed in 1999, found that these artists had not used the golden ratio in the size of their canvases. The study concluded that the average ratio of the two sides of the paintings studied is 1.34, with averages for individual artists ranging from 1.04 (Goya) to 1.46 (Bellini).[31]  On the other hand, Pablo Tosto listed over 350 works by well-known artists, including more than 100 which have canvasses with golden rectangle and root-5 proportions, and others with proportions like root-2, 3, 4, and 6.[32] 3. Math in Arts: Carla Farsi  straddles two fields that many people believe are diametrically opposed: as well as being a professor of mathematics at the University of Colorado at Boulder, she is a working, exhibiting artist. After years of pursuing both interests separately she declared 2005 her Special Year for Art and Maths, and in an impressive effort put on various exhibitions, classes, movies, lectures, concerts, plays and an international conference all to deepen the understanding of the relationship between maths and art. Plus interviewed her to find out just what this relationship is about, and what it feels like to have a foot in both worlds. Painting by numbers? When you look at some of Carlas artwork, you might be forgiven not to recognise any maths in it. Some of her installations in particular appear impulsive, even disordered, and made from recycled objects belong very much to the realm of reality. There are no meticulously worked out geometrical patterns, intricate fractals or perfectly recreated perspectives, as you might expect from an artist-mathematician. So what makes the connection between maths and art? Is there more to it than the fact that maths underlies patterns and perspective? Visualisation is one of the main points, Carla says, especially in geometry you can prove things visually, and the pictures can say as much as the actual theorem. But you can even go beyond geometry. Something that is logical, that makes a mathematical theorem, also makes some kind of a visual statement about structure and composition. Its almost like a piece of art, it has its own structure, logic, meaning. In a mathematicians head, the mathematica l ideas, even if theyre very abstract, can appear to be almost visual, intuitive. Carla thinks that with the advance of computers, the visual and artistic aspects of maths will become more and more prominent: Computers are developing so fast and we dont really know yet what they could do for us in the future. Maybe one day it will be sufficient to think about the images involved in a mathematical idea or proof, and a computer will compute the underlying equations for us. Right now, just drawing a picture is often not enough a proper proof has to be more rigorous than that. But computers are already being used to prove theorems [seePlus  article  Welcome to the maths lab], and maybe one day a mathematician could simply present the computer with a picture, and the computer will be able to read off the maths in it. In this way, mathematicians could spend more time on the creative aspects of maths having the ideas and computers could do the boring, automatic parts. At that point maths may be closer to art than it appears now. So, what does it  feel  like, being an artist and a mathematician at the same time? Does proving a theorem feel very different from creating a piece of art? No, the two dont feel very different. Of course, when youre doing maths, youre bound by rules much more than when youre doing art. In art you can change the rules what you initially planned to do half-way through, and I do that a lot. In fact, even if Ive made up some rules at the beginning, I often find that Im unable to stick to them, the practicalities involved force me to seek other routes. Do Carlas motivation for doing maths and her inspiration to do art come from the same place? Yes, I certainly think so, Im absolutely positive about that. There is the same kind of fascination for me in both maths and art. Its all about expressing ideas, and sometimes maths works better and other times its art. Maths and art are just two different languages that can be used to express the same ideas. In some periods of my life Im more attracted by the rigour and formality of maths, and at other times I prefer art. I think maths and art are just different languages that can be used to express the same ideas. What are these ideas? Thats a very difficult question! I think its how I relate to the world, how I see and understand the world. I feel a relationship with certain objects, or objects of the mind, and I want to express that. For example, I may be touched by the idea of an explosion [Carla indeed painted a series of pictures on the subject of Hiroshima], and to express it, I may prefer to use art, bright colours. If I want to express or understand something more formal, maths may be better-suited. Numbers by painting But Carla didnt put on her Special Year just in order to contemplate those deep connections. First and foremost, she wants to open up the world of maths to those who are scared of it, or feel that it has nothing to do with real life. Emphasising the visual and creative aspects of maths might make people like it more. I created a course at my university, aimed at non-maths students, which teaches maths using the visual arts. I think this could also be of great benefit to maths students, and here we could teach the more formal mathematical ideas. Carla uses paintings and sculptures both to give an overall feel for the subject and to illustrate concrete maths objects and problems. An area that benefits most from the visual approach is topology. This branch of maths studies the nature of geometric objects by allowing them to distort and change. Think of a knot in an elastic band: its defining feature, the way the band winds around itself, remains the same even when you stretch the band. In this spirit, topologists regard any two objects that can be deformed into each other without tearing to be one and the same thing have a look at  Plusarticle  In space, do all roads lead home?  to see how a coffee cup can be turned into a doughnut. Carla teaches topological ideas and methods using the sculptures of North American artistHelaman Ferguson, and also the works of Catalan architect  Antoni Gaudà ­. I usually ask students to bring playdough to the maths class. Fergusons work in particular is good for illustrating the solutions to concrete mathematical problems, such as how to unknot a knot: I usually present first the puzzle and then give them some hints to see if we can work out the solution together. Usually I also ask students to bring playdough to this class, so that we can work hands on. After we have worked out the maths I show them a piece by Ferguson that beautifully illustrate the result. With Gaudà ­ I am a bit more loose. I introduce him when I talk about topological transformations of surfaces and also when I talk about spirals. Some of his work illustrates well the concept of topological deformation and I use it for that, as a general example. This is also useful when students ask (as they often do) how mathematics relates to things they see in the real world. Of course, no class on maths and the visual arts would be complete without fractals. Their often astonishing beauty comes from their infinite intricacy: no matter how closely you zoom in on a fractal, what you see is still extremely complicated and crinkly. Whats more, it often looks similar to the whole fractal, a phenomenon called self-similarity (see the box on the  Von Koch Snowflakebelow). There are various mathematical techniques to measure the crinkliness of a fractal, and Carla teaches them in her classes with the aid of fractals that occur in nature and art: I teach my students how to compute the fractal dimension of a fractal. First I show them some examples from art and other fields, especially nature. Then we study the technique formally, and then apply it to images of fractal art. We also work out the fractal dimension of some of the original examples I presented them with. As Carla points out, there are paintings containing fractals that were never consciously intended by the artist: mathematicians have shown that the drip paintings by abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock can be identified by their own particular fractal structures (see  Plus  article  Fractal expressionism). Symmetry is another concept that is as visual as it is mathematical. We can perceive it almost subconsciously and it has been argued that it plays a vital role in our perception of beauty yet it opens the door to a wealth of mathematical structure. A square, for example, has 8 symmetries: you can reflect it in the vertical, horizontal or diagonal axes, you can rotate it through 90, 180 or 270 degrees, or you can simply do nothing and leave it as it is. Each of these transformations is called a symmetry, because after youve done it, the square appears to be exactly as it was before. If you put all these 8 symmetries together, you get a self-contained system: whenever you combine two of them, by first doing one and then the other, you get one of the other symmetries in your set try it! Such a self-contained system of symmetries is called a  group, and symmetry groups are the gateway to abstract algebra. A simple visual consideration lands you in the thick of some quite advanced ma thematics!

Modern Tibet :: History Tibet China Essays

Modern Tibet Tibet was and is still termed by many as one of the most beautiful and culturally unique places in the world known to man. I don’t have a flashy quote to start because I will be talking about a very bitter sweet aspect of China’s invasion of Tibet in my paper: the economic impact on modern Tibet, and I hope that by the end of my endeavor, the reader will realize that it is sweeter than a lot of people think it is. The economic benefits of the Chinese invasion were the only good thing that came out of the bloody ‘emancipation’ of Tibet in 1950: it’s not perfect, because nothing ever is; it’s not even comparable in any way to pre-invasion Tibet, but I will show that the economic situation in Tibet now, is the need of the day and the good by far outweighs the bad. It is imperative for the analysis of the topic to first shed some light on the economic conditions prevailing in Tibet prior to the Chinese invasion. One really interesting thing to note after reading Heinrich Harrer’s Seven years in Tibet and John F. Avedon’s In Exile from the Land of Snows is that both these writers give a somewhat incomplete picture of the economic situation in pre-invasion Tibet. At times, they have touched on the occupations of various people, the way of life in small villages as well as in the ‘forbidden city’, Lhasa, but they have more or less stayed away from any description of the economic structure at that time. After doing some research, a clearer picture appeared and the reality is rather striking. Since a large portion of Tibet was geographically unsuitable for any kind of use to humans, the economy was agro centric and primitive. There were basically three types of landowners in Tibet: namely the administrative class, the nobl es and the monasteries. In a country where religion was the blind driving force behind everything, it wasn’t astonishing to note that the landowners comprised only five percent of the total population and the rest were serfs, slaves or just vagabonds. There was even a class of serfs called Nangzam, who were solely meant to be sold and auctioned at will of the owner and even gifted to people on important occasions [9]. At least in Lhasa, one of the chief aspects of the economy was that a huge chunk of a physically capable population was earning its daily bread by begging on the streets in front of monasteries and other places of pilgrimage. Modern Tibet :: History Tibet China Essays Modern Tibet Tibet was and is still termed by many as one of the most beautiful and culturally unique places in the world known to man. I don’t have a flashy quote to start because I will be talking about a very bitter sweet aspect of China’s invasion of Tibet in my paper: the economic impact on modern Tibet, and I hope that by the end of my endeavor, the reader will realize that it is sweeter than a lot of people think it is. The economic benefits of the Chinese invasion were the only good thing that came out of the bloody ‘emancipation’ of Tibet in 1950: it’s not perfect, because nothing ever is; it’s not even comparable in any way to pre-invasion Tibet, but I will show that the economic situation in Tibet now, is the need of the day and the good by far outweighs the bad. It is imperative for the analysis of the topic to first shed some light on the economic conditions prevailing in Tibet prior to the Chinese invasion. One really interesting thing to note after reading Heinrich Harrer’s Seven years in Tibet and John F. Avedon’s In Exile from the Land of Snows is that both these writers give a somewhat incomplete picture of the economic situation in pre-invasion Tibet. At times, they have touched on the occupations of various people, the way of life in small villages as well as in the ‘forbidden city’, Lhasa, but they have more or less stayed away from any description of the economic structure at that time. After doing some research, a clearer picture appeared and the reality is rather striking. Since a large portion of Tibet was geographically unsuitable for any kind of use to humans, the economy was agro centric and primitive. There were basically three types of landowners in Tibet: namely the administrative class, the nobl es and the monasteries. In a country where religion was the blind driving force behind everything, it wasn’t astonishing to note that the landowners comprised only five percent of the total population and the rest were serfs, slaves or just vagabonds. There was even a class of serfs called Nangzam, who were solely meant to be sold and auctioned at will of the owner and even gifted to people on important occasions [9]. At least in Lhasa, one of the chief aspects of the economy was that a huge chunk of a physically capable population was earning its daily bread by begging on the streets in front of monasteries and other places of pilgrimage.

Mobile Phone and Skype Users Essay

1. Describe the environment in which Skype competes based on the three characteristics of high-tech markets (Chapter 1). Skype competes in the Internet telephony market, which provides voice-over-internetprotocol (VOIP) services to users. This allows users to install the software on their computers and make call through the Internet for free. Skype makes small charges for per-minute calls to landlines and mobile phones. The three common characteristics of high-tech markets are 1) market uncertainty; 2) technological uncertainty and 3) competitive volatility. 1) Market uncertainty a) The users are uncertain about the security and potential vulnerabilities exposed by the Skype system. Users doubt the reliability of the system. It is often not used for making emergency cases or highly important matters like calling the ambulance or police. b) There exist different VOIP platforms. There is platform dependency, where only Skype users can make calls to users who are using the Skype platform. c) Users move in herd behavior and there is increasing popularity in using social platform like MSN messenger, which also provides VOIP service. Thus there is a shift of users to more popular platform. 2) Technological uncertainty a) Windows update caused potential glitch in the system. This caused blackouts to users, which caused lost of trust in the Skype system. b) Users doubted the privacy security of the system, which could be intruded by unknown strangers calling using Skype. c) Users can easily disguise themselves and falsify their identities when registering to use the platform. Thus unregulated membership increases the rise of misusing the technology for crimes. 3) Competitive Volatility a) There is an increasing direct competition from large competitors such as Yahoo, MSN and Google. These players have diverted Skype users as this free voice-communication over the net is integrated into each of the social platform. As the network becomes larger, some of these services might utilize revenue model of Skype by adding value-added service to call users by landlines and mobile phones and provide it for free. b) The rising popularity in the use of Iphone also means there is a increase of other free calling services provided by Tango and Facetime etc. these platform provide the ability for users to conveniently call using their phone or gadgets like Ipad.

How the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn Were Named

How the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn Were Named The Tropic of Cancer was named because at the time of its naming, the sun was positioned in the Cancer constellation during the  June solstice. Likewise, the Tropic of Capricorn was named because the sun was in the constellation Capricorn during the  December solstice. The naming took place about 2000 years ago, and the sun is no longer in those constellations at that time of year.  At the June solstice, the  Sun  is in Taurus, and at the December solstice, the sun is in Sagittarius. Why the Tropics Are Important Geographic features like the equator are reasonably straightforward, but the Tropics can be confusing. The Tropics were marked off because they are both places within the hemisphere where it is possible to have the sun directly overhead. This was an important distinction for ancient travelers who used the heavens to guide their way. In an age  when our smartphones know  where we are at all times, its hard to imagine how hard getting around used to be. For much of human history, the position of the sun and stars was often all explorers and traders had to navigate by.   Where the Tropics Are The Tropic of Capricorn can be found at latitude 23.5 degrees south. The Tropic of Cancer is at 23.5 degrees north. The equator is the circle where the sun can be found directly overhead at noon.   What the Major Circles of Latitude Are Circles of latitude are an abstract east and west circle that connects all places on Earth. Latitude and longitude are used as addresses for every part of the globe. On maps  latitude  lines are horizontal, and longitude lines are vertical. There is an infinite  number of latitude circles on earth. Arcs of latitude are sometimes used to define the boundary between countries that lack distinctive geographic borders like mountain ranges or deserts. There are five major circles of latitude. Arctic CircleTropic of CancerEquatorTropic of CapricornAntarctic Circle Living in the Torrid Zone The circles of latitude also serve to mark the boundaries between the geographical zones. The zone between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic  of Cancer is known as the Torrid Zone.  In the United States, this area is more commonly known as the tropics. This area comprises almost forty  percent of the globe. It is projected that by the year 2030, half of the global population will live in this area. When one considers the climate of the tropics its easy to see why so many people want to live there.   The tropics are known for their lush green vegetation  and moist climate. Average  temperatures range from warm to hot year round. Many places in the tropics experience rainy seasons which range from one to several months of consistent rainfall. Incidents of malaria tend to rise during rainy seasons. Some areas in the tropics such as the Sahara desert or Australian outback are defined as dry rather than tropical.

Microceratops - Facts and Figures

Microceratops - Facts and Figures Name: Microceratops (Greek for small horned face); pronounced MIKE-roe-SEH-rah-tops; also known as Microceratus Habitat: Woodlands of central Asia Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (70 million years ago) Size and Weight: About three feet long and 15-20 pounds Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Tiny size; occasional bipedal posture; small frill on head About Microceratops First things first: the dinosaur most people know as Microceratops underwent a name change in 2008, to the slightly less snazzy-sounding Microceratus. The reason is that (unbeknownst to the dinosaur paleontology community) the name Microceratops had already been assigned to a genus of wasp, and the classification rules say that no two creatures, no matter how different, no matter if one is alive and the other is extinct, can have the same genus name. (This is the same principle that led to Brontosaurus having its name changed to Apatosaurus a few decades back.) Whatever you choose to call it, the 20-pound Microceratops was almost certainly the smallest ceratopsian, or horned, frilled dinosaur, that ever lived, outweighed even by the middle Cretaceous Psittacosaurus, which lay near the root of the ceratopsian family tree. Remarkably, just like its distant ancestor from tens of millions of years back, Microceratops seems to have walked on two legsthat, and its unusually tiny frill, making it a far cry from the normal ceratopsians with which it coexisted, like Triceratops and Styracosaurus. (You should bear in mind, though, that Microceratops was diagnosed on the basis of very limited fossil remains, so theres still a lot we dont know about this dinosaur!)

Two articles that are influential in the field of Organizational Article

Two articles that are influential in the field of Organizational Development - Article Example Furthermore, the authors indicate that those organizations that can develop a sense of learning within their respective units are the most likely to maintain a degree of success over the long term. The article itself was salient to the subject matter it discussed. However, the authors did not spend a great deal of time discussing how organizational policies that can affect the cultural exchange mechanisms can and should be instituted in order to achieve the highest levels of results. As such, the article lost a bit of its legitimacy with attempting to define and categorize such a process. Courvisanos, J., Tuck, J., McEachern, S., & National Centre for Vocational Education, R. (2012). Building the Capacity to Innovate: The Role of Human Capital. Research Report. National Centre For Vocational Education Research (NCVER), Similarly, the second article that has been chosen seeks to understand the ways in which an organization can actively support/foster and grow its innovative powers. The authors note that due to the fact that the marketplace is changing at such a rapid rate, it is necessary for organizations to react to this by seeking to differentiate the means by which they encourage innovation within their respective units. The authors do not commit to laying out a framework by which innovation itself can be encouraged; rather, they seek to lay out a series of conditions that firms should first consider with reference to how they intend on growing, expanding, and differentiating themselves. The article’s main drawback is concentric upon the fact that it does not lay out a specific framework for how innovation can be ultimately encouraged. Although it is clear why this has not been done from the analysis they performed as well as the explanations they gave, the reader is left to wonder if it would not be slightly more simple to merely lay out a basic framework for ways in which

The growth of Gulliver's madness in Part IV of Gulliver's Travels Essay

The growth of Gulliver's madness in Part IV of Gulliver's Travels - Essay Example He descends further into madness because he cannot (and does not want to) think clearly. Indeed, Gulliver’s madness is a result of pride that is founded in disception. Gulliver refuses to accept the truth about his race because it means accepting the truth about who he is. He would rather live a liar and in deception. Discussion Gulliver’s madness started when he becomes unable to control events. His madness started slowly and with his interaction with the Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos. In a sense, his madness is the result of his inability to accept and discern what he has encountered. He knows what is happening but he cannot make real sense of it other than wants he wants. Gulliver’s madness becomes evident when he begins to think of his own â€Å"kind† as less than acceptable. His interaction with the Houyhnhnms makes Gulliver to admire them greatly. He tells us that their ideas and viewpoints â€Å"opened my eyes and enlarged my understanding, that I bega n to view the actions and passions of man in a very different light† (250). He admires the Houyhnhnms and, as a result, begins to despise anything else, including those of his own race. The fact that Gulliver wants to be accepted as a Houyhnhnm is also an indication that he is slipping into insanity. Gulliver believes, â€Å"the Yahoos . . . were observed to be the most unteachable of all brutes† (227). Indeed, Gulliver belittles himself when he belittles the Yahoos. Gulliver knows what he is but believes that he can change because of the Yahoos repulsive nature. Gulliver is an example of what can happen to us when we allow our minds to become clouded and refuse to think for ourselves. Gulliver loves the Houyhnhnms and essentially begins to hero-worship them. For example, as he continues to stay with them, he begins to think of his friends, family, and the â€Å"human race in general† (272), as â€Å"Yahoos in shape and disposition† (272). It should come a s no surprise then, when Gulliver’s master tells him that he is considered to be a Yahoo that his mind snaps. His master has no choice but to â€Å"employ† (273) Gulliver like the â€Å"rest of his species† (273) and orders him to â€Å"swim back† (273) to the place from which he came. Because Gulliver has already disassociated himself from the Yahoos and his own race, this news is unacceptable and too much to live with. Gulliver has already gone too far in his appreciation of the Houyhnhnms and cannot go back to the way things were. Gulliver thinks too much of himself to consider life as a Yahoo. Further evidence of Gulliver’s madness can be seen in his thoughts regarding Don Pedro of whom he considered â€Å"like an animal which had some little portion of reason† (281). Gulliver does not want to return home to those that he considered Yahoos. When he does return home, he brings himself to â€Å"tolerate the sight of yahoos† (284). H ere we see how Gulliver’s has taken him over because he does not consider himself a Yahoo but better than them and the ultimate sign of his diseased mind is when he considered that fact that by mating with one of the Yahoos and fathering more of them causes him the â€Å"utmost shame, confusion, and horror† (284). He does want to touch the Yahoos and admits that he cannot â€Å"endure my wife or children in my presence; the very smell of them was intolerable†