MTC Midterm Examination Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MTC Midterm Examination - Case Study Example pressing need to enter into a joint venture with an appropriate manufacturer who has credentials and track records to produce and deliver the scanner as per the specifications of Montex. At this juncture, our company has options to start a joint venture with any one of the three companies namely Electronic Innovations (EI), Optics America (OA), and World Optics (WO) to cater the needs of the Montex. EI does not have the product right now as needed by Montex; however, it has capacity to develop the same in 4 months time. In view of the recent layoff at EI and with the possibility of another one in near future any dealing with this company is highly risky. Though EI claims that product will be compatible with our robotic arms, we cannot take the risk of any delay in development of the product and it is in our interest to rule out this option for obvious reasons. Currently, Optics America and World Optics both manufacture the scanners meeting the requirement of Montex. Either of these two companies can be suitable to us for starting a joint venture given the cost economics; however, we need to train our staff and create a new workflow and system for the scanner project. It is important to note that significant technology change will occur in the new venture and will force us to train our shop floor and allied staff to effect a smooth transition to a new process. Getting inspiratio n from Kotter (1996), I recommend four major initiatives to be carried out in the sequential order as listed here with. A Sense of Urgency needs to be established in the company to remove a false sense of complacency at all levels. Before starting any transformational program cooperation from numerous individuals is needed and a sense of urgency in the organization has to come from the top rank of the company. A team of people with sufficient power to lead the change is needed. The team members must possess enough expertise, credibility, and leadership quality to exercise the change. It

Post World War I jewry in america Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Post World War I jewry in america - Essay Example Rarely did the attacks turn violent although there were few recorded cases. Such include 1902 attack of Irish workers and police on the funeral procession of Rabbi Jacob Joseph in New York City, the lynching of Leo Frank in 1915, the murder of Alan Berg in 1984, and the Crown Heights riots of 1991. Anti-Jewish waned off following the Second World War and the rise of the American Civil Right Movement. Claims by The Black Nation of Islam that Jews were responsible for black labor exploitation, introduction of drugs and alcohol and unfair denomination into the community was conclusively done away with following a survey done in 1964 by the Anti-Defamation League. The survey revealed attitudes on anti-Semitism with the majority percentage of 29 Hispanic being most Anti-Semitic trailed by 36% for blacks and 9% for whites. The Jewish population has remained strong politically, mostly liberal with the democratic pattern continuing heavily into the 21st century. The vast majority of Jews, since 1936, have been recorded to have been Democrats. This saw to the 74% of the Jewish populous voting for John Kerry, a Catholic of partial Jewish descent in the year 2004. Again in the year 2006 87% voted for Democratic candidates for the House (Mendes-Flohr and Judah, 62). Jews were fast becoming prominent in Congress and state governments through the country in the year 1990 and significantly proved to be ardent supporters of the American Civil Rights Movement. American Jews have since prospered throughout the early 21st century with them being disproportionately represented in academia, business, and politics. Going by Forbes, Forty-five percent of the top 40 of the 400 richest Americans are Jewish. Twenty percent of professors in leading universities being Jews, Forty percent of partners in the leading law firms in New York and Washington, Thirty percent of American Nobel prize winners in science and 37 percent of all American Nobel winners are

Course : Thematic Independent Study

Course : Thematic Independent Study Topic : Strategic planning Essay 1 question : How does strategic planning create a competitive advantage for an organisation? Name : Tamryn du Preez Supervisor : Kunofiwa Tsaurau Due Date : 18 October 2010 Words : 4 160 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction. pg 4 Definition of strategic planning.. pg 4-5 Preparation for strategic planning.. pg 5-6 Timing.. Who should be involved? .. Input.. Preparatory work. Planning the agenda/process Strategic planning process pg 6-7 Gathering Information.. Developing mission statement. Setting goals and objectives. Identifying actions and allocating resources. Implementing the plans Monitoring the progress.. Evaluating the progress.. Contributions of Strategic Planning pg 7-9 1.5.1 Financial Benefits. 1.5.2 Nonfinancial Benefits.. Strategic planning techniques pg 10-11 SWOT analysis Scenario Planning.. PEST analysis.. Forecasting Competitors analysis Sensitivity analysis. Strategy planning at different levels.. pg 11-12 Corporate level Business Level Operational level Types of strategic planning time horizon.. pg 12-13 Long-term planning.. Intermediate planning.. Short- term planning.. Components of strategic planning pg 13 Strategy and culture Internal and external.. Balanced scorecard perspectives Market focus.. Conclusion pg 14 Referencing and Bibliography. pg 15-16 1.1 INTRODUCTION: Today many organisations face challenges to keep up with the rapid changes in the world. These changes are taking place mainly because of technology, which creates and leads to a faster contact between people, economic markets, governments and larger organisations. This advancement pace of technology does bring in its benefits and its disadvantages. Therefore it is vital that organisations always remain aware of the changes in their environment and adapt accordingly in order to remain competitive and to distinguish it from the competitors by creating a competitive advantage. This study reviews the literature of strategic planning in order to gain insight on how an organisation can lead to a competitive advantage. In order to gain a thorough understanding of the topic the study will identify how strategic planning will help a management team understand exactly what strategic planning is, how to plan strategically and how to ensure that strategic planning is implemented in your organisation. The importance of this topic is to identify how strategic planning is important not only for the survival or growth of an organisation but also on how it can help the organisation lead to having a competitive advantage over the competitors that choose not to follow a process for strategic planning. The strategic planning process is a step by step course set in place in order to help guide the organisation in been successful. This review also clearly identifies how strategic planning contributes to the success of an organisation and how it can be seen as a competitive advantage. It provides a deeper understanding of strategic planning techniques that are used to help managers make the best possible decisions with information that is available to the company. LITERATURE REVIEW This is the main body of the essay and it reviews all the academic literature related to the subject of strategic planning. The aim is to review the critical points of current knowledge including substantive findings as well as theoretical and methodological contributions of strategic planning. 1.2 Definition of strategic planning: Strategic planning is an organisations process of defining their strategy or their direction, and making decisions on allocating resources in order to pursue the strategy, this includes capital and people (Bradford R.W and Duncan JP, 2009). Different business analysis techniques can be used in strategic planning. Strategic planning is the formal consideration of an organisation future course (Bradford R.W and Duncan JP, 2009). Strategic planning is a sets out the overall direction for the business, is broad in scope and it covers all the major activities within an organisation (Boddy D, 1988). According to Shapiro J, 1996, strategic planning is the overall planning that facilitates a good management Process. According to Geyer Y, 2006, strategic planning is a process that an organisation follows that is disciplined and thorough. Geyer Y, 2006, indicated that strategic planning takes note of the internal dynamics of an organisation and the external dynamics of the world. Strategic planning analyses whether the organisation is effective in its objectives and goal (Shapiro J, 1996). According to Shapiro J,1996 strategic planning establishes whether the organisation needs to change its direction in order to fulfil is purpose or create a competitive advantage. McNamara C, 2002, added that strategic planning identifies where the organisation wants to be at some point in the near future and identifies how it is going to get there. The strategic part of the planning process continues to adapt to the current changes of the organisation (McNamara C, 2002). Strategic planning is considered to be a comprehensive plan that is designed to connect all of the firms decisions and their activities (McNamara C, 2002). Strategic planning is the ability to make decisions for the future, and is considered to be a systematic assessment of the benefits and costs, and clear rules for decision making (McNamara C, 2002). 1.3 Preparation for Strategic Planning: Authors Shapiro, J. (1996), Ducker P. (1996) and Gibson C.K (1995) proposed how preparation is critical to result in good planning. These authors all concurred that without preparation it is difficult for an organisation to maintain their strategic focus. According to the authors, timing, who should be involved, input, preparatory work, and lastly planning the process should be prepared and this is critically discussed below. 1.3.1 Timing The questions to ask here according to Timing is, When do you need to do a strategic planning process? How often do you need to do a strategic planning process? At what point in an organisational or project cycle do you need to do a strategic planning process? How long should a strategic planning process be? (Shapiro J, 1996). 1.3.2 Who should be involved? The key questions to be asked is who will participate in the strategic planning process and who should facilitate the strategic planning process (Shapiro J, 1996). The management team of the project or organisation needs to be understood by all the staff and board members and they should all be involved in the planning process (Shapiro J, 1996). According to Ducker P, 1996, administrative staff should be involved because they need to understand the organisations issues and problems. 1.3.3 Input According to Shapiro J, 1996, strategic planning process looks at the big picture, it is useful to get external input into the process. It is easy for those involved in the work of the project or organisation to lose sight of the overall picture and to think about the issues from the point of view of our own work only (Shapiro J, 1996). Ducker P, 1996, added that getting someone with a wider view and wider concerns may open doors to new ideas and ways of thinking. 1.3.4 Preparatory work This is a review of an organisations work and of the internal functioning that is needed to be done (Shapiro J, 1996). According to Shapiro J, 1996 the review of the work can be done by an external evaluation before the strategic planning process in order to feed into it. The review of the internal functioning of the organisation can be done by an external review conducted to find the right people that will come with useful information (Shapiro J, 1996). 1.3.5 Planning the process According to Shapiro J, 1996, it is important to know what an organisation wants to achieve and what has to be done to achieve these outcomes. It is also important to know what additional issues need to be dealt with in the time available (Shapiro J, 1996). Preparing for the strategic  planning  process  helps an organisation ensure that when they implement the strategy it is a success (Gibson C.K, 1995). 1.4 Strategic planning process: According to the authors Boddy D, 2005 and Wirth R.A, 2009 the planning process can be viewed as a circular flow of topics and action steps. Boddy D, 2005 mentioned seven steps in the strategic planning process which includes gathering information, developing a mission statement, setting goals and objectives, identifying actions and allocating resources, implementing the plans, monitoring the progress and evaluating. These seven steps are critically discussed below. Figure 1 Strategic planning process Evaluating the progress Gathering Information Develop mission statement Monitoring the process Setting goals and objectives Implementing the plans Identify actions and allocate resources Source: David Boddy, (2005), Third Edition, Management An Introduction, Pearson Education Limited, Europe. 1.4.1 Gathering Information According to Boddy D, 2005, this is any information that an organisation can use to guide their choices in building a strategic plan. The information can be collected internally or externally (Boddy D, 2005). Gathering information can collected as primary information that has not yet been conducted or secondary information, which is data that has already been collected (Boddy D, 2005). 1.4.2 Developing a mission statement According to Boddy D, 2005 this is a broad definition of an organisations operation and scope, it aims to distinguish it from other organisations. A clear plan depends on the ultimate purpose of the task (Boddy D, 2005). By developing a mission statement it is a way of the organisation to express a realistic vision of what the future could be if the plan were to succeed (Boddy D, 2005). 1.4.3 Setting goals and objectives These are set in order to identify the desired outcome for the individuals, groups, and the entire organisations (Boddy D, 2005). According to Boddy D, 2005, the goals and objectives turns the generalities of the mission statements into a specific commitment- what is to be done. Goals and objectives provide a focus for an organisation and it used to measure the actual performances (Boddy D, 2005). 1.4.4 Identifying actions and allocating resources According to Boddy D, 2005 this is the part of the planning process that involves deciding what actions need to be taken in order to achieve the objectives and it identifies who will do them. The fifth step is implementing the plan. This step also includes one to decide on possible actions which are affected by what the firms objectives are (Boddy D, 2005). 1.4.5 Implementing the plans Boddy D, 2005, emphasised that a good plan is not worthwhile until something happens and people implement the plan, by acting to make the plan visible. David Bobby added that planning helps by inducing confidence in a process, leading to high levels of acceptability from those involved. Planning is a necessary part of success, but it is not sufficient if it is not put into action (Boddy D, 2005). 1.4.6 Monitoring the progress and evaluating the result Boddy D, (2005) stated that the final stage in developing a plan is to set up a system that would allow people to monitor the progress towards the goals. Boddy D, 2005, added that managers can evaluate progress by using a programme overview chart. The overview chart gives a snapshot of the progress and indicates the areas where there are issues and it shows the expected completion date (Boddy D, 2005). 1.5 Contributions of Strategic Planning: According to the authors David FR. (2001), Hayes B. (2003), Zuckerman A. (2000), Shrader, C.B. (1993) and Almond K. and Barlow J, (2002) there are principle benefits of strategic planning that helps an organisation formulate better strategies through the use of a more systematic, logical and rational approach to a strategic choice. These authors have mentioned the financial and non financial benefits which are critically discussed below. 1.5.1 Financial benefits of strategic planning According David FR, 2001, strategic planning allows an organisation to be more productive rather than reactive in shaping its own future; it also allows an organisation to initiate and influence activities. Researchers indicate that companies using a strategic planning concept are more profitable and successful than those that do not use the concept. Businesses that are using strategic planning concepts have shown an improvement in their sales, profitabilitys, and in their productivities compared to those firms that are not using a systematic planning activity (David FR, 2001). Firms that use the planning system theory generally exhibit superior long-term financial performances relative to their industry (David FR, 2001) The Strategic planning concept and tools provided that there is a cost effectiveness that yields better interest deposit rates (Hayes B, 2003). According to Bill Hayes, 2003, strategic planning has shown to result in an improved or an increased customer service due to the firm been able to produce high quality performances. This is because the companies using a strategic approach are able to make more informed decisions with good anticipation of short and long-term consequences (Hayes B. 2003). According to Zuckerman A. 2000, strategic planning has helped companies to identify and prioritize their opportunities for financial improvement, mainly revenue-generating plans. This in turn has showed to offer the greatest opportunity for significant long-term benefits (Zuckerman, A, 2000). The relationship between strategic planning and company performance lies at the very heart of the discipline, yet no clear summary statement has been made about the numerous empirical findings dealing with this subject (Shrader, C.B. 1993) 1.5.2 Nonfinancial benefits of strategic planning According to David FR, 2001, strategic planning helps avoid financial demises and it also offers other tangible benefits, such as enhanced awareness to the external threats, improved understanding of the competitors strategies, reduced resistance to change, it shown to provide a clearer understanding of performance-reward relationship, and it increases employee productivity. The strategic planning process also helps with identifying and rationalizing the need for change to all managers (David FR, 2001). According to David FR, 2001 strategic planning has allowed organisations to financially identify what it is they want to accomplish in the long-term. Strategic planning allows the management team to assess future assumptions and alternatives. The management team can look at the company as a whole rather than just been focused on their individual responsibilities. Individuals in the credit union will strive harder to achieve objectives they help set. Strategic planning has helped companies to improved their planning eliminates ambiguity and enhance the teamwork and culture (David FR, 2001). According to the authors Almond K. and Barlow J, 2002, strategic planning has helped increase the ability of management to make decisions that will assure long-term financial institution survival and growth of the firms. Strategic planning has also increased the firms ability to control long-range direction, as it has allowed the board to focus on key strategic issues, as opposed to management problems (Almond K. And Barlow J, 2002). According to Almond K. and Barlow J, 2002, strategic planning serves a variety of purposes in organizations, including to: Clearly define the purpose of the organization and to establish realistic goals and objectives consistent with that mission in a defined time frame within the organizations capacity for implementation. Communicate those goals and objectives to the organizations constituents. Develop a sense of ownership of the plan. It has resulted in the firms using the most effective organizations resources by focusing the resources on the key priorities (Almond K. And Barlow J, 2002). According to David FR, 2001, strategic provided firms with a base from which progress can be measured and establish a mechanism for informed change when needed. Strategic planning also has helped managers to listen to everyones opinions in order to build an agreement about where the organization is going (David FR, 2001). Almond K. And Barlow J, 2002, states that strategic planning has provided a clearer focus for the organization, thereby producing more efficiency and effectiveness. Almond K. And Barlow J, 2002, also mentioned that strategic planning can benefit you company as it can be seen as the glue that keeps the board members together. Strategic planning produces great satisfaction and meaning among planners, especially around a common vision (David FR, 2001). David FR, 2001, also added that firms using strategic planning has indicated results of increases in productivity from increased efficiency and effectiveness, strategic planning also has helped management solves major problems in the organization by been able to address different strategies. According to David FR, 2001, strategic provided at the end of the day allows an organization to be more proactive than reactive in shaping its own future. Historically, the principle benefit of strategic planning has been to help different organizations to formulate better strategies for their business through the use of the more systematic, logical and rational approach to strategic choice (David FR, 2001). 1.6 Strategic Planning Techniques: According to the authors Boddy D. (2005) Bacal R. (2002) and Salem M. Al Ghamdi, (2005) there is a wide range of strategic planning techniques available to gather information for strategic planning. There are six planning techniques identified by these authors and they are the SWOT analysis, scenario planning, PEST factors, competitive analysis, forecasting, and sensitivity analysis. 1.6.1 SWOT Analysis According to Boddy D. (2005) a SWOT Analysis is an analytic tool that is used to help summarise the organisations main strengths and weaknesses that are relative to the external opportunities and threats. Bacal R, 2002 added that it helps identify the external and internal factors in order for the business to know the environment better. Boddy D. 2005 added that managers need to focus only a few trends and events that are likely to be important for the business growth. 1.6.2 Scenario planning Bacal R, 2002 stated that scenario planning is a fancy term for a very logical process the what if process. Boddy D. (2005) added that it is not an attempt to predict the unpredictable but it is a way to consider multiple and equal plausible futures for an organisation. These scenarios are not just based on a hunch; they are logically consistent but different from each other (Boddy D. 2005). 1.6.3 PEST Analysis According to Bacal R, 2002, the PEST analysis is another tool that is similar to the  SWOT analysis, but is more focused on the external environment and the important factors out there that can affect the present and future of a business. The PEST acronym stands for: political, economic, social and technological (Boddy D. 2005). These factors can affect your business either directly or indirectly (Boddy D. 2005). 1.6.4 Competitive Analysis According to Bacal R, 2002 a competitive analysis involves looking at those companies that compete in the same market place as you do. Bobby D. (2005) stated that organisations need to look at the critical aspects of a strategy that must be achieved to secure a competitive advantage. A competitive analysis is really a subset of doing an environmental scan (Bacal R, 2002). 1.6.5 Forecasting According to Boddy D. 2005, forecasting is predicting the future of the business. Forecasting is based on the analysis of past trends such as input prices, sales patterns or demographic characteristics (Boddy D. 2005). All forecasts are based on assumptions and managers can assume the past trends will continue (Bobby D. 2005). According to Boddy D. 2005 forecasts rely on extrapolation of past trends and therefore organisations need to question their inherent assumptions as they interpret the results. 1.6.6 Sensitivity analysis According to Boddy D. (2005) this is a method that is used to test the assumptions of key variables in a plan in order to increase the confidence in the choices a business wants to make. According Bacal R. (2002) sensitivity analysis can be useful to provide recommendations for the decision makers. Sensitivity analysis helps enhance the communication to the decision makers and increases them understand the system (Boddy D. 2005). 1.7 Different levels of strategic planning: According to the authors Burk Wood M. 2004 there are three different levels of strategy namely corporate level at the top, business level is the middle section and lastly operational level which is the lower level. Each level has different responsibilities and goals and this will be critically discusses below (Burk Wood M, 2004). Figure 2 Organisational levels Corporate Level Business Level Operational Level Source: Marian Burk Wood, (2004), Marketing Planning principles into practice, Pearson Education Limited, England. 1.7.1 Corporate level The Corporate Level looks at the companys Vision, goals, philosophy and the culture of the organisation and determines planning accordingly (Burk Wood M, 2004). Corporate strategy refers to the overall strategy for a diversified company (Burk Wood M, 2004).It is concerned with the mix of businesses the company should compete in, and the ways in which strategies of individual units should be coordinated and integrated (Burk Wood M, 2004). 1.7.2 Business level According to Burk Wood M, 2004, strategic planning at this level is concerned with the firms mission, business goals and the firms competencies. Burk Wood M, 2004, added that an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions are used to gain a competitive advantage. This is done by exploiting the core competencies in a specific product market which is done on business level (Burk Wood M, 2004). 1.7.3 Functional level Occasionally, plans will be made at the  functional  level, to allow managers to specialize and to increase managerial accountability (Burk Wood M, 2004). Burk Wood M, 2004 stated that at a functional level managers will be concerned with coordinating manufacturing, marketing, human resources, finances, research and development, and information systems (Burk Wood M, 2004). 1.8 Types of strategic planning: According to Morton L.P, 2009 and Lenehan P.F, 2002, strategic planning is the long-term process that determines the path for business owners to reach their goals. The other two business planning processes are more short term (Linda Morton, 2009). Below the time horizons long term, intermediate term, and short term will be critically discussed. 1.8.1 Long term planning According to Lenehan P.F, 2002, the long-term planning process should strengthen both management and the board of directors. The objective is to have everyone leave the off-site meeting with an understanding of the game plan for the next 5 years, which will be updated at an annual off-site planning meeting (Lenehan P.F, 2002). 1.8.2 Intermediate planning Linda Morton states that Intermediate-term planning  includes strategic objectives and has a time horizon of from one to two years. It outlines how the strategic plan will be pursued (Morton L.P, 2009). In marketing, intermediate plans are most often used for campaigns, with the goals and purpose of the campaign supportive of one of the business long-term goals (Morton L.P, 2009). 1.8.3 Short term planning Short term planning  includes operational objectives for specific departments and individuals and has a time horizon of one year or less (Morton L.P, 2009). A short term plan allocates resources and outlines objectives to meet the intermediate plans and the strategic planning process (Morton L.P, 2009). Morton L.P (2009) stated that short term planning allocates those resources day-to-day for business development. 1.9 Components of a strategic plan: According to Oslen E, 2007 there are several different components of strategic planning that needs to be explained to your planning team. The components are strategy and culture, internal and external, the balanced scorecard perspectives, and market focus (Oslen E, 2007). 1.9.1 Strategy and Culture According to Oslen E, 2007, an organisations culture is made up of people, processes, experiences, ideas and attitudes. A strategy is where the organisation is headed. A company cannot have a strategy without a culture or vice versa. The culture is the core of the business, and if it is not in order, the best strategy in the world cannot work for the company (Oslen E, 2007). 1.9.2 Internal and External According to Oslen E, 2007, the strategy is external when you gathering information from a companys customers, competitors, industry and environment. The external information can help a company identify the opportunities or threats that they might face. Through employee surveys, board assessments and financial statements are ways to identify the companys strengths and weaknesses that are internal (Oslen E, 2007). 1.9.3 Balanced scorecard perspectives According to Oslen E, 2007, the balanced scorecard is a framework that is used to develop the firms goals and objective in four areas. These areas are financial, customers, internal business processes and the employees (Oslen E, 2007,). The financial, internal processes and employees are the internal factors of the balanced scorecard whereas the customers are the external perspectives (Oslen E, 2007). 1.9.4 Market focus According to Oslen E, 2007, the growth of a market comes from focusing on the customers and delivering superior value to them consistently year after year. Built into a companys strategic plan is market-focus framework, this is vital because it ensures that the company is focused on growing (Oslen E, 2007). According to Oslen E, 2007 by focusing on the market a company will understand the needs of the customers. CONCLUSION: A strategic plan is simply a tool to be thought of as a guide or map. It has a starting point which is todays conditions and environment. It has an ending point, where the company wants to be in terms of success in the future. Strategic planning is a process that answers the question of how is the best, most likely way to be successful as defined by the stakeholders and allowed by the customers and embraced by the employees. While there is one way presented on how to conduct the strategic planning process it is by no means the only way. The process has to fit the culture, resources and style of the company. It must reinforce the confidence of management to make consistent, workable decisions. The benefit of a strategic planning discipline is that it facilitates effective decision making, better selection of tactical options and it leads to a higher probability of achieving the owners or stakeholders goals and objectives. High quality information is critical to the success of the strategic plans of any organisation. All other factors can be in place, but if the information is inconsistent in any way, then success is much less likely. If success is achieved it may well be at a high cost. High quality information must be acknowledged as one of the organisations main concern. Adopting a continuous development and improvement approach to the information gathering and interpretation process is essential.  

Womens Education in Mansfield Park Essays -- Mansfield Park Essays

Women's Education in Mansfield Park      Ã‚  Ã‚   In Mansfield Park, Jane Austen presents three different kinds of formal education for women. Two of these have the ultimate goal of marriage, while the third is, possibly, as close to a gentleman's education as a woman's could be. Although there is some overlapping of these three types, each one is, basically, embodied in one of the major female characters -- Maria Bertram, Mary Crawford, and Fanny Price -- to show the follies and the triumphs of each. Unlucky Maria's education teaches her next to nothing, and Mary's has no true substance below the bright surface. The timid, mousy Fanny Price, however, may be partly in debt to her progressive education for the happiness that she earns at the end of the novel.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Austen's world, a girl's education was almost inseparable from her home life. What she learned and, consequently, her conduct, was often a reflection of what her household was like, and this is certainly true of Maria and Mary.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Maria, brought up by a distant father, an indolent mother, and an indulgent aunt, doesn't learn until too late that selfish actions can bring disastrous consequences. (What is said for Maria in the subject of education is, of course, also true for Julia -- however, for the sake of brevity, and as Maria is the more prominent character of the two, she is the model of comparison in this essay.) Sir Thomas regrets his neglect of his daughters' moral education after Maria's character is exposed:    He had meant them to be good, but his cares had been directed to the understanding and manners,... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fanny fares the best of the three characters discussed, by being true to herself, and by being considerate of others. She receives what is due to her, as a classical hero does -- she is torn away from her rightful place as eldest sister, to be thrust into a lowly position where she must prove herself worthy before returning to her first home. There, she finds things have changed for the worst, but helps set things right before riding away to a new life of domestic felicity. The way Fanny was brought up, her moral and formal education, are akin to tools and amulets carried by mythical heroes -- they may not always be obvious, but they are a source of strength and comfort in the hero's times of need.    Works Cited Austen, Jane.   MansfieldPark. 1814. London: Oxford University Press, 1966.

Monroe Doctrine Essay

Ever since its inception as a nation, the United States of America followed a foreign policy of isolationism right up to president Jefferson. This was become the European nations, which were at the helm of American affairs, were involved in several conflicts and turmoil, and American presidents realized the folly of involving such a young nation in war. Thus in 1793, when France declared war on Britain, Americans had divided opinions on the course of action. The federalists wanted to support Britain, and Hamilton, the secretary of treasury, rallied their cause. Secretary of state, who like many other Americans wanted to support France against Britain. However George Washington stuck by his policy of isolationism and avoided conflict. John Adams, and his successor Thomas Jefferson also adapted this policy. When this conflict between Britain and France increased, Jefferson placed an embargo on trade with both nations. While this action highlighted American neutrality, it was also harmful for the American economy, which led to the removal of the embargo. This step highlighted the folly of the policy of isolationism; making it obvious that United States had to make a stand, while continuing its policy of neutrality, not simply isolate itself from world affairs. Hence was a predecessor to the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine was the fruition of early American foreign policy. It was delivered by president James Monroe, in his seventh annual address to the Congress on the 2nd of December 1823. It stated that United states would not tolerate any attempt by the European powers to colonize or interfere in the functioning of the western hemisphere, whilst the western hemisphere would in no way interfere in the European sphere of influence. It was meant to protect the newly independent Latin American states from European control. It was a defining moment in the separation of the old and new world, and became a long-standing American policy with minor variations, to be invoked by several American presidents. The Monroe doctrine, was delivered, and not read out in the congress unlike the other addresses. In this address Monroe gave the background for such a policy and the existing state of foreign relations, in which he mentioned negotiations with France, and dialogue with Russia on their commercial interests in the United States. He also talked about the Treaty of Ghent and the difference between US and Britain on the boundaries between the US and Canada. The president also announced to Congress a new round of negotiations with the British toward establishing a treaty that would define the exclusive and shared commercial interests of the United States and Great Britain as regarded states and territories bordering on lakes and rivers emptying into the St. Lawrence River. Thus he justified the need for such a policy and in his address included military strategies and provisions to safeguard it, like authorizing additional naval force for safeguarding their commercial interests in the Mediterranean Sea, Pacific Ocean, and the Atlantic coast. The key paragraph of the address, which summed up the foreign policy stated â€Å"We owe it, therefore, to candor and to the amicable relations existing between the United States and those powers to declare that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety. With the existing colonies or dependencies of any European power we have not interfered and shall not interfere, but with the Governments who have declared their independence and maintained it, and whose independence we have, on great consideration and on just principles, acknowledged, we could not view any inter- position for the purpose of oppressing them, or controlling in any other manner their destiny, by any European power in any other light than as the manifestation of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States†. The Monroe doctrine had its backgrounds in the foreign policy of earlier four presidents, as well as in the experiences of Monroe and Adams as diplomats. James Madison, during his presidency, continued to follow Jeffersonian foreign policy of prohibition of trade with both nations. In 1810, however, the Congress reversed itself, realizing its ill effects on the country’s economy authorizing the president to pursue trade with both countries, provided each accepted America’s policy of neutrality, or trade with only one, if that one accepted America’s view of neutral rights. Of the two, only France complied, hence Madison declared a state of â€Å"non-intercourse† with Great Britain. This led to the war of 1812 between America and Great Britain. The war, which initially proved to be disastrous for America, ended with the treaty of Ghent in 1814, and thus paved way for Monroe’s foreign policy to avoid future war, while protecting American rights. Monroe, who was inspired by Jefferson, and loyal to Jeffersonian policy, saw the need to avoid war, at the same time asserting America’s independence. John Quincy Adams, unlike his father deflected from the Federalist Party, and supported Jefferson in his placement of the embargo on trade with both nations. Thus both Adams and Monroe were inspired by Jeffersonian ideas, and saw the crucial need of making a stand as a newly independent nation, while avoiding the calamity of war. Monroe and Adams were faced with several problems regarding foreign policy, the foremost of which included renegotiating terms with Great Britain, on the treaty of Ghent and establishing new boundaries, reasserting rights that had been previously challenged. Later there arose a problem of Spanish claim over Florida, and Britain, it was suspected, was providing them help. This led to serious and long negotiations between America and Spain for the purchase of Florida, which ultimately led to the Adams- Onis treaty, Onis being the Spanish minister to America. This was considered one of Adams greatest successes as secretary of state, until he drafted the Monroe Doctrine, which influenced American foreign policy for generations to come. The doctrine grew out of several diplomatic problems. The first was the minor clash with Russia concerning the northwest coast of North America. In this quarrel, Secretary of State John Quincy Adams expressed the principle that the American continents were no longer to be considered as a field for colonization by European powers. That principle was incorporated verbatim in the presidential message. The other and more important part of the doctrine grew out of the fear that the group of European governments commonly called the Holy Alliance would seek to reduce the Latin American states that had recently gained independence from Spain to a colonial status once again. When France crossed the Pyrenees to help put down a rebellion against the Spanish monarch, Britain worried that this might lead to a joint French-Spanish expedition to retake the Latin American colonies for Spain, which would harm British economic interests in the area. The British foreign minister George Canning communicated with the American minister in London, Richard Rush, and suggested that a joint declaration opposing such a development would serve both their interests. Thus in 1823, the British foreign secretary, George Canning, through Richard Rush, proposed to Monroe that America should join powers with Britain for the joint protection of South American colonies from the Holy Alliance. There was once again a division of views on this matter. Adams believed that Britain had great self-interest behind such an offer. When Monroe consulted with Jefferson and Madison on this issue, Jefferson asked him to accept the proposal, however Madison, like Adams cautioned Monroe to be wary as it most definitely has British self-interest involved. According to Harry Ammon, Quincy Adams was convinced that Britain had ulterior motives in this offer. He believed that using this joint action as bait, Britain was hoping to discourage American intention of taking over Cuba, which Adams believed, was inevitable. After much debate in the cabinet, the decision was reached to reject this proposal, for it seemed that America had nothing to gain through this alliance, and President Monroe was anyway reluctant to do anything that might make the US appear subservient to Britain. However America still needed to protect the southern states from being restored to Spain via the holy alliance. Also if such an attack occurred, and Britain interceded and emerged victorious, Americans would be left at the mercy of the British once again, and the Southern territories would fall under British control. It was then decided that the southern countries needed to be protected not only from Spain, the Holy alliance, or Britain, but also from all non-American powers, and this is how the genius idea behind the foreign policy, to be called Monroe Doctrine emerged. This doctrine, though presented as the annual presidential address, was the brainchild of John Quincy Adams, the secretary of state, whose main motive behind this policy, according to Edward Renehan Jr. , was to deter colonialism. Even though the doctrine shaped future American foreign policy, the immediate impact of the Monroe Doctrine was mixed. It was successful to the extent that the continental powers did not attempt to revive the Spanish empire, but this was on account of the strength of the British Navy, not American, which was relatively limited. According to Alejandro Alvarez, the doctrine was simply a policy for the United States’ self defense, not for its aggression or for its isolationism. The Monroe doctrine also had not stated any disapproval towards Pan-Americanism or even cooperation with other European nations. The Monroe Doctrine was especially influential in the history of Latin American countries. Around the early 1800’s many Latin American areas, under the leadership of Simon Bolivar, had declared their independence from the controlling powers in Europe. These new countries lacked the military strength and experience to fight with foreign powers, however, when the Monroe doctrine was put into effect, they were safeguarded from these wars, and thus welcomed this policy. Over the years, the doctrine became the defining foreign policy of the United States, with continuous changes and variations, however, its two main ideas held true through the years. First, that the United States would not tolerate European powers further colonizing the American continents or interfering in its affairs. And second, that the United States would not interfere in existing European colonies or in Europe itself. According to Edward Renehan Jr. , the Monroe Doctrine had a significant impact, not only in the development of Foreign policy, but also on American history, which would have been significantly different, if not for this doctrine. In essence, ‘Without its existence Latin America would have been severely regionalized by European powers to serve their colonial interests, and a range of European powers, not just Spain but also Holland, Germany, France, and Great Britain—would have gained a major foothold, introducing not only new lines to the map, but also new languages and cultures’. The coinage of the term ‘Monroe doctrine’ first came from President James K. Polk in 1845, when he successfully invoked this doctrine to thwart of French and British efforts against annexation of Texas, as also British threats in Oregon and California. He also expanded the doctrine to include his belief of ‘manifest destiny’. A concept, which along with the Monroe Doctrine came to be referred as Polk Doctrine. Monroe Doctrine greatly changed the American foreign policy, by shifting the emphasis from neutrality, to respect towards America, as a newly independent nation. With the ending of the war between European nations, and the restoration of peace, the American foreign policy was liberated from its earlier inhibitions, which had existed ever since Washington’s presidency. Monroe seized the opportunity to let matters of neutral rights of America dissolve in the background, while bringing to the forefront the concept of the United States as the most powerful in the Americas, and a country which was a serious and powerful republic, which no longer needed the aid or patronage of foreign nations to achieve its diplomatic aims. The Monroe Doctrine was significant in defining and paving the way for American foreign policy for centuries. It was initially drafted simply as a means of asserting America as a power as well as for American self defense, and highlighting it as an independent nation. Its true brilliance was realized only decades later when it was recalled time and again by several Presidents of the United States. It was the first act that grew to see America as a superpower in the world. This simple assertion of non-interference separated the old world from the new world, thus making the United States the biggest power in the Western Hemisphere. It was the first decisive step in the foreign policy of America after Jefferson’s embargo on trade, and it greatly changed as well as shaped foreign policy as the United States for the first time asserted itself as a power without the support or patronage of another nation.

Why Do People Bully

Types of and reasons for bullying behavior Questions/Main Ideas/Vocabulary Ask questions you think are important Write questions directly across from the answers In your notes Leave a space or draw a pencil line separating questions Highlight key vocabulary Notes/Answers/Definitions/Examples Write headings larger or in a different color Take sufficient notes with selective (not too much verbiage) & accurate paraphrasing Skip a line between Ideas and topics use billeted lists and abbreviationsCorrectly sequence information Types of Participants: Bully – Someone who hurts somebody emotionally and/or physically. Sometimes It Is Intentional, sometimes It Isn't. Victim – The person who receives the action of the bully. 1 OFF Active Bystander – Acting on behalf of the victim. Why People Bully: Becomes involved. Cultural Causes – Unrealistic for people not to be influenced by violence in our culture. Institutional Causes – If there is no rule enforcing no bullying then it makes the bullying more likely to occur.Social Issues – Some people think that bullying others is funny or even being the class clown. The negative behavior causes people to bully more because they think â€Å"hey why not? Everybody else is doing it! It must be the new thing† Family Issues – Families that encourage violent behavior and the adults in that family who don't teach their kids right from wrong tend to have children who get in trouble a lot or maybe they don't do so well in school. They are also most likely to be the bully.

Free Essays on Girl Culture

Girl Culture Lauren Greenfield’s exhibition Girl Culture captures the unique yet widely shared experience of growing up female. Greenfield uses vivid color photographs along with textual interviews of the subjects to explore what it’s like to grow up female in today’s commercial society. She exposes the contrasting ideals that young girls are taught about the importance of being an individual, but also are constantly bombarded through various medias to our society’s narrow ideals of beauty and sexual appeal. Through her photographs Greenfield reveals the details of this superficial culture, explores the environment of growing up female in today’s society, and the influential fashion industry. The media influences how girls see themselves and also how others perceive them, the body has become the only way for girls to express themselves. The media is a substantial influence on our society. It projects the idea that in order to be happy and successful you must conform to a certain beauty standard. This idea has done serious damage to young girls who are still trying to form their own identity. Our commercial culture has taught them that to be happy one must conform strictly to this image of beauty. In Greenfield’s exhibit, many of the girls expressed their feelings of the pressure to conform. â€Å"There is so much peer pressure . . . but with the fact that everybody has to look the same . . . You have to be the same supermodel everyone else is† . For girls from other cultures, it is easy for them to see how American culture emphasizes appearance. â€Å"If you’re brought up here [America], you’re taught that you have to look good to succeed, that beauty gets you what you want and gets you where you need to go. I have noticed how, if you’re overweight, people treat you differently . . . And it’s everywhere. It’s not like something that only a small portion of people do. It’s a lot of people now, and it’s gett... Free Essays on Girl Culture Free Essays on Girl Culture Girl Culture Lauren Greenfield’s exhibition Girl Culture captures the unique yet widely shared experience of growing up female. Greenfield uses vivid color photographs along with textual interviews of the subjects to explore what it’s like to grow up female in today’s commercial society. She exposes the contrasting ideals that young girls are taught about the importance of being an individual, but also are constantly bombarded through various medias to our society’s narrow ideals of beauty and sexual appeal. Through her photographs Greenfield reveals the details of this superficial culture, explores the environment of growing up female in today’s society, and the influential fashion industry. The media influences how girls see themselves and also how others perceive them, the body has become the only way for girls to express themselves. The media is a substantial influence on our society. It projects the idea that in order to be happy and successful you must conform to a certain beauty standard. This idea has done serious damage to young girls who are still trying to form their own identity. Our commercial culture has taught them that to be happy one must conform strictly to this image of beauty. In Greenfield’s exhibit, many of the girls expressed their feelings of the pressure to conform. â€Å"There is so much peer pressure . . . but with the fact that everybody has to look the same . . . You have to be the same supermodel everyone else is† . For girls from other cultures, it is easy for them to see how American culture emphasizes appearance. â€Å"If you’re brought up here [America], you’re taught that you have to look good to succeed, that beauty gets you what you want and gets you where you need to go. I have noticed how, if you’re overweight, people treat you differently . . . And it’s everywhere. It’s not like something that only a small portion of people do. It’s a lot of people now, and it’s gett...

Twilight of the UAW

Twilight of the UAW Free Online Research Papers The past two years have seen the biggest attacks since the foundation of the UAW in 1936. This included cutting wages for new hires in half, eliminating company responsibility for retiree healthcare, the closing of dozens of factories, and the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. With the whole economy entering the worst recession since the 1930s, the auto companies are now trying to destroy the UAW completely. The demands being put on autoworkers will drive down union wages, benefits, and working conditions to be equal to or worse than those of non-union autoworkers. Joel Bergman. â€Å"In Defense of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  After securing a deal for $17.4 billion in government loans in December, GM and Chrysler have been in negotiations with the UAW to restructure the companies to make them â€Å"viable.†. The proposed contract changes would be devastating: they would eliminate the cost-of-living-adjustment, limit supplemental unemployment benefits, reduce break times, and destroy other key benefits. There would also be major cuts in company payments into the UAW’s retiree healthcare fund, a key concession from the 2007 contract. Although Ford has not asked for government loans, they are demanding the same cuts from the UAW. GM and Chrysler have already announced plans to cut tens of thousands more jobs and close more than 15 plants in the next two years. Bret Hoven. â€Å"Crisis in †¦Ã¢â‚¬  On top of it all, General Motors was unwilling to bail out its former parts unit, Delphi. So, in return, the Chairman and CEO Robert Steve Miller decided to file for Chapter 11 protection. Through bankruptcy, Miller reckons, he can get what he needs from the UAW and GM to make the money-losing company profitable again. Delphis failure means a massive and painful overhaul, possibly for all parties. The move by Miller, who has been involved in bankruptcy filings by Bethlehem Steel, United Airlines, and auto parts maker Federal Mogul Corp., has grave consequences for Delphis 24,000 UAW workers and another 11,000 retirees. While the UAW gets penalized, so to speak, foreign auto makers get state and local tax breaks to build new plants in the U.S. Because of this, every big auto maker is expanding production in the Chinese market and exporting vehicles to the U.S. Durbin, Dee-Ann. â€Å"UAW Authorizes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The two-day strike by the UAW against GM illustrates clearly the steep decline of the importance of unions in the United States economy. Once perhaps the most powerful union in America, UAW membership among the big three auto companies has fallen by 40 per cent since the last national contract in 2003, and by much more since the 1980s. This union represented about one quarter of a million workers at GM as recently as 1994, but its active membership there has shrunk to under 75,000. As a result of this latest contract, GM will unload its present and future health care liabilities into a trust fund run by the union. Apparently, GM reduced its liabilities for health care by over $15 billion. Also the company eliminated any uncertainty over its future liabilities concerning medicare towards its active and retired employees. In return, GM committed to keeping a number of plants operating in North America, and made a few other concessions such as cutting wages for workers and retirees. Joel Bergman. â€Å"In Defense of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In addition, GM offered retirement incentives, ranging from $35,000 to $140,000 to nearly all of its 113,000 U.S. hourly workers. The early retirement plan would trigger the largest retirement of union workers from a Detroit automaker in recent memory and help GM reach its goal of cutting 30,000 hourly jobs. GM will make the offers to workers in three categories: (1) Those with 30 or more years of service will receive a $35,000 incentive to retire with full pension and other benefits. (2) Those with between 27 and 30 years on the job will be given credits to bridge the gap to retirement, but no special payout. (3) Those with lower seniority will be offered more than $100,000 in a lump sum payment to leave the company with only the pension benefits they have accrued. The WorkPlace. â€Å"Twilight of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In reality, these events are not independent market forces of global competition which just happen to have unfortunate results for some workers. Nor is it a question of foreign workers gaining what U.S workers are losing in foreign markets. However, we can expect to see the Chinese cars coming next year at a cost of 40% less than comparable American cars. Richard Freeman, a Harvard University economics professor stated that he was not sure if the UAW can hold on to its wages and benefits in the face of this ‘foreign wave’ of new imports. The WorkPlace. â€Å"Twilight of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Therefore, it is absolutely necessary for autoworkers to fight against these attacks. The Big Three, with the help of Congress, are attempting to make autoworkers pay for a crisis they did not create and have no control over. They have been struggling to maintain profitability for several years, during which the auto industry has sold over 17 million vehicles annually in the U.S. Now, with rising unemployment, diminishing wages, and tighter restrictions on loans, it is unlikely more than 10 million new vehicles will be sold in 2009. Joel Bergman. â€Å"In Defense of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The solution as of now is that base wages for UAW workers will remain the same, but the deal limits supplemental pay that laid-off workers receive while they collect unemployment benefits. The ratified deal also ends the controversial â€Å"Job Banks† program that ‘let workers collect most of their pay from the company when laid-off.’ Other solutions that would eliminate future problems would include cutting wages and benefits, gaining control of health care issues, reducing production costs and material cost through merging with foreign auto makers, using low competitive supplier sources and leveraging scales. Sharon Silke. â€Å"UAW suspends†¦Ã¢â‚¬  So, how did the UAW get into this position in the first place? Auto manufacturers, forced to increase production to maintain profits, could not simultaneously create a market that could keep up with today’s production levels. During this period, wages have fallen while manufacturers have significantly overproduced cars, trucks, SUVs and minivans that no one could buy. People were forced to take out low-interest mortgages, second mortgages, extra credit cards and car loans in order to maintain the same standard of living they enjoyed in the past. Joel Bergman. â€Å"In Defense of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  People were unable to pay off their debts as banks foreclosed on their mortgages, forcing them to go bankrupt and even live on the street. All of this could have been avoided if the UAW had not fought off concessions that would have helped the U.S carmakers fend off imports in the 80’s and 90’s. Like the steel and airline industry, now the UAW is paying the price. The WorkPlace. â€Å"Twilight of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  We should support unions because they are responsible for almost every advance made by working people. Rises in the standard of living dont just happen by themselves. The 8-hour day, the 40 hour week, unemployment insurance, disability insurance, and OSHA laws are all from the union movement. Carolyn Fninski. â€Å"Peace-Train†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Concerning our economy and society, not having the UAW right now would have a horrific effect on society. The most productive auto manufacturing plants would probably be shutting down. Then, if U.S auto factories were to shut down, whole communities would be destroyed, families torn apart and millions of people would be forced into poverty. This would be a mortal blow to the UAW and the trade union movement in the U.S. The UAW has always made fiercely loyal commitments to improve the lives of their workers. Among other things they were the first to improve job security, make available comprehensive training and education to staff, provide employer paid health insurance plans for industrial workers, and take a political stance for employees. The UAW has always allied with the Democratic Party, fighting for the American worker and not for the big bucks companies. They’ve undertaken many economic and social issues and, luckily for the American union workers, they have often prevailed. (Michael Goldfield 199) Thanks to their hard work, the UAW has provided employees with rights and benefits that non-unionized workers could never dream of. UAW members have the right to seek justice through the National Labor Relations Board. They are protected from unfair labor practices. Even in a time of crisis like today, employers don’t have to limit productivity. Still, their workers are ensured jobs at all times. Whether non-union workers benefit from the above conditions or not, the UAW and it’s union counterparts and non-union counterparts, benefit immensely. That is why the UAW and the Big 3 (GM, Chrysler, and Ford) are still the driving forces of our economy today. Bergman, Joel. â€Å"In Defence of Marxism.† 16 Jan 2009. The Financial and the Auto Sector. 18 Mar 2009 Durbin, Dee-Ann. â€Å"UAW Authorizes Strike Against Delphi.† 17 May 2006. Washington Post. 19 Mar 2009. Fninski , Carolyn. â€Å"Peace-Train: Support Unions.† 4 Sept 2008. For The Colorado Daily. 19 Mar 2009. Goldfield, Michael, The Color of Politics, New York, New Press, 1997. Hoven, Bret. â€Å"Crisis in the Auto Industry-Nationalize and Re-Tool to Save Jobs!† 11 Mar 2009. UAW Local 879. 15 Mar 2009 Silke, Sharon. â€Å"UAW suspends jobs bank, delays retiree fund payments.† 14 Dec 2008. USA Today. 15 Mar 2009 The Workplace. â€Å"Twilight of the UAW.† 10 Apr 2006. Business Week. 17 Mar 2009 Research Papers on Twilight of the UAWLifes What IfsThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationDefinition of Export QuotasNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanPETSTEL analysis of India19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Analysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaGenetic Engineering

Assessing Factors Of National Security

Assessing Factors Of National Security Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work produced by our Law Essay Writing Service . You can view samples of our professional work here . Assessing Factors Of National Security National security is the necessity to maintain the endurance of the state through the use of political power, the exercise of diplomacy, economic and military. The idea developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II. Originally focusing on military might encompasses a broad range of facets all of which impose on the military or economic security of the nation and the values espoused by the national society. Therefore, in order to possess national security, a nation needs to possess environmental security, economic security and energy security etc. Security threats involve not only conventional foes such as other nation-states but also non-state actors such as violent non-state actors, narcotic cartels, multinational corporations and non-governmental organisations; some authorities include natural disasters and events causing severe environmental damage in this category. Measures taken to ensure national security include: us ing diplomacy to rally allies and isolate threats marshalling economic power to facilitate or compel cooperation maintaining effective armed forces implementing civil defense and emergency preparedness measures (including anti-terrorism legislation) ensuring the resilience and redundancy of critical infrastructure using intelligence services to detect and defeat or avoid threats and espionage, and to protect classified information using counterintelligence services or secret police to protect the nation from internal threats Slide 4 – Who defines national security? State/Government/group of elites determines the main objectives of security based on the nation’s sovereignty, integrity of the state and economic prosperity. As the source of political authority, the government defines security, and this definition generally encompasses the broader spectrum of values held dear by the majority. â€Å"Since the future racial peace in this country depends on how well the gove rnment handles the sensitive issues, it is suggested that the NSC shall be the body to look into the matter†. Slide 5 – Scope Slide 6 – Factors Of National Security Slide 7 – Economy Historically, conquest of nations have made conquerors rich through plunder, access to new resources and enlarged trade through controlling of the conquered nations’ economy. In today’s complex system of international trade, ‘ by multi-national agreements, mutual inter-dependence and availability of natural resources etc., the freedom to follow choice of policies to develop a nation’s economy in the manner desired, forms the essence of economic security. Economic security today forms, arguably, as important a part of national security as military security. Slide 8 – Military This is traditionally, the earliest recognised form of national security. Military security implies the capability of a nation to defend itself, and/or deter military aggr ession. Alternatively, military security implies the capability of a nation to enforce its policy choices by use of military force. The term â€Å"military security† is considered synonymous with â€Å"security† in much of its usage. One of the definitions of security given in the Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, may be considered a definition of â€Å"military securityâ€Å": A condition that results from the establishment and maintenance of protective measures that ensure a state of inviolability from hostile acts or influences. Slide 9 – Politic The political aspect of security has been offered by Barry Buzan, Ole Wà ¦ver, Jaap de Wilde as an important component of national security. Political security is about the stability of the social order. Closely allied to military security and societal security, other components proposed in a framework for national security in their book â€Å"Security: a new framework for analysis†, it specifica lly addresses threats to sovereignty. System referent objects are defined, such as nation-states, nations, transnational groups of political importance including tribes, minorities, some religious organisations, systems of states such as the European Union and the United Nations, besides others. Diplomacy, negotiation and other interactions form the means of interacion between the objects.

You write me a topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

You write me a topic - Essay Example In addition, the article gives attention to the banks involved; this is especially the banks in Switzerland. This is including the effect that the confessions of the whistleblower have had on the banks. These include the loss of business and reduced revenue from lower rates charged for private banking due to loss of privacy. One more issue is the remuneration of individuals who come forward with information on fraudulent activities that involve tax evasion. Therefore, with this, it shows the commitment of the IRS in recovering lost taxes by spending substantial amounts of the same funds in compensating those that forward the information. Tax evasions appear to be a critical issue in the United States leading to the loss of billions of dollars in expected revenues to the IRS for national development. This fraudulent behavior is highly unethical; moreover, it is degrading to the development of the country morally. This should provide the perspective to the individuals involved that it is their moral responsibility to pay taxes to the government. It is also the moral obligation of an individual to the society to pay taxes because the same society benefits from it (McGee and Smith 3982). Failure to pay the taxes, results in unfair practices in the society by overburdening some members of the society to shoulder the burden of developing the nation. This means that tax evasion is an issue that the IRS is well aware of and is condoning both directly and indirectly. This is following the reward scheme, where whistleblowers are rewarded with substantial amounts of finances, despite their involvement in defrauding the IRS (â €Å"Whistleblower - Informant Award†). As a result, it might lead to worse ethical issues of intentional tax evasion in an attempt to clinch the prize money offered by the federal government. In addition, the other issue is that of

The character of Othello Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The character of Othello - Essay Example He is proud, and a good husband, but he is vulnerable to the vicious slanders of others who resent his presence among them. Othello himself is obviously deeply loved by Desdemona, and he claims that â€Å"She loved me for the dangers I had passed† (Act I, Scene 3), which Desdemona agrees with. He is highly thought of as a soldier, and apart from Iago, most people respect him for his achievements. Part of the crisis that occurs in this play has to do with the social context of a non-Christian outsider coming in to Western society and taking on high position in court and the hand in marriage of a desirable white woman. Diyanni puts the blame for Othello’s downfall squarely on the influence of Iago: â€Å"Othello’s language later in the play reveals his decline from a courageous and confident leader to a jealous lover distracted to madness by Iago’s insinuations about his wife’s infidelity† (DiYanni, 2004, p. 927). It is true that Othello is dri ven to distraction by the second-hand tales of assignations between Desdemona and her alleged lover Cassio. One criticism that could be made of Othello is that he is not a very good judge of character. He is duped by Iago, and he accepts the account of events that he is given, and the piece of evidence in the form of the missing napkin is enough to convince him that something untoward has happened. The way he goes about finding out the truth is deceitful, since he makes up an excuse to ask Desdemona about the napkin, and this shows that he is gullible, and easily led when it comes to matters of romance. Desdemona is a feisty woman, but she shows admirable deference to her husband’s authority. It is a pity that he did not trust her word and give her the same loyalty and respect that she gave to him. The real tragedy of Othello’s character is that he jumps to a wrong conclusion and kills his wife in haste, not because he hates her, but because he loves her, and he has bu ilt his whole life, and his military career, on being a good and upright husband to her. Seeing her run off with someone else would make other people laugh at him, and he is extremely angry, even to the point of cursing her with the words â€Å"Damn her, lewd minx! Oh damn her, damn her!† (Act III, Scene 4). He is deeply hurt, because he thinks she has deceived him, despite all their vows and his absolute loyalty and commitment to her. There is a violent side to Othello, and he imagines all kinds of ways of killing her, with an emphasis on destroying her beauty and emphasizing his power over her. Although this reaction is very extreme, it is also understandable, and even in modern times the newspapers are full of stories of masculine rage being taken out on former partners when relationships break up. It is very human to feel this way, and the audience can identify at least with how he feels, even if they do not agree with what he does about that feeling. There is evidence in the last scene that Othello comes to realize his error, not just in distrusting his wife, but also in thinking ill of other people involved in the story. Even though he is not a Christian, he displays all the features of a Christian penance, asking forgiveness of Cassio, and admitting that he has done something terribly wrong. He mentions the fact that he

Humanties 3 Discussion 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Humanties 3 Discussion 1 - Essay Example Moreover, focus on the scientific discovery that resulted to industrial revolution made steady alteration on the prevailing economic structure in the western world. The main ideas and inspiration behind the Neoclassicism were music and theater, which were either principally or impassive form. Qualities that are emphasized by corresponding Romantic style were strong emotion, admiration of nature and break from corresponding subsequent inflexible structure (Janson & Anthony, 234-367). Artists within the Realist duration mainly conveyed a ingenuous and objective vision in regard to the contemporary life. Work of art from Neoclassicism is Painting that mainly corresponded with the underlying 18th century enlightenment epoch and extended in the early 19th century (Janson & Anthony, 234-367). Neoclassical painting is mainly characterized by utilization of straight lines, smooth paint surface, and minimal utilization of color, illustration of underlying light and corresponding distinct, crunchy description of the forms. Moreover, Neoclassicism was mainly procreated from corresponding methods within the Paris in regard to the underlying history

Stanard v. Bolin, 88 Wash. 2d 614 (1977) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Stanard v. Bolin, 88 Wash. 2d 614 (1977) - Essay Example Similarly, she suffered socially from embarrassment and ridicule from friends and neighbors (Stanard v. Bolin, 1977). In this case the court found the law of tort as well as the law of contract to be the most applicable since the plaintiff was suing for damages arising from a breach of promise- marriage (Lettmaier, 2010). Many American states, a promise to marry is deliberated to be legally enforceable, if the promise or agreement satisfies all the basic requirements of a valid contract. Therefore, failure to satisfy a promise to marry is treated in a similar manner to breach of contract. Moreover, a breach of promise to marry is treated as tort since the plaintiff suffers injury and loss hence they have a right to sue for damages ( LaMance, 2011). In light of the presented facts and claims by the plaintiff, the court ruled that the defendant owed the plaintiff damages for mental distress, injury to health, and loss to reputation. In addition, the court ruled that a rejected fiancà © would no longer be compensated for damages for loss of anticipated financial and social position (Stanard TD v. Bolin,

Create or use an existing company Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Create or use an existing company - Term Paper Example There are some main factors that company has to deal with. As most of the soft-drink and beer bottles are liable for reuse and recycling, company gets some of its raw material from defected and used bottles that are supplied back by the beer companies. However, a number of bottles do not reverse and company has to involve glass as the raw material of new bottles. There had been a stagnant increase in the market since last three years which provides and estimation for supposed upcoming market demands. In light of those factors company has to keep a safe number of bottles that can be supplied urgently when required by buyers. On the other hand, a large number of bottles made in advance can create a burden over company’s investing strength. That would also create a lack of fluency in company’s cycle of work. Thus, company has to involve a concrete Inventory management that keeps the overall demand and supply chain in a safe and trustworthy position to provide continuous pr ofit to Volga Glasses. The supply chain and IT Factors Obviously, the purpose of Volga Glasses’ is to enhance and manage its supply chain to perform with a perfect smoothness that does not shake even in the conditions of an urgent tide in market situations. Company uses elegant IT techniques to manage that smoothness. Chiefly the bills are collected as electronic data providing an exact record of supply over a particular period. While mostly a supply chain is maintained over longer period like a year or six months, Volga Glasses is bound to use three month estimation because of the nature of its assets and frequently wavering requirements. Three years ago company has ordered a software organization to design software for their inventory management. The software had produced good results while it had been quite dependent of human inputs and mandatory analysis by the supervisors of Volga Glasses. This software ‘Smart-Task’ bases its strategy in collecting the suppl y data and comparing the overall cost of raw materials added with the labor and mechanical expenses. Over the time it also manifests the comparative graphs of market tides during various supply chain periods. Company manages to base its strategies in short term chains such as three months as well as yearly managements of supply chains. During last years it had come out that Smart-Task has been accurate and efficient in processing the data to manifest a scenario of the market. However, during the recent immediate ups and downs of market the estimations of Smart-task have failed when external situations like a temporary recession had stricken the market of soft drinks. Therefore an analysis of Company’s requirement and reliability of IT over numerous patterns of system of research is mandatory. Synchronization of IT and HR Out of the data processing methodology of Smart-Task, it has come out that it depends solely on human inputs which provide a base for calculations and estima tions. Company’s HR department is responsible for providing the supposed information for future uplifts and lowering of market because Smart-Task puts the data in various graphs that ease the methods of comparisons provide a manifestation of supply chain. The requirement of advance inventory is calculated on a

U.S Departments of Justice versus Eight Cigarette Companies Assignment

U.S Departments of Justice versus Eight Cigarette Companies - Assignment Example In addition, they stood accused of luring thousands of children to start smoking by producing enticing adverts that did not have risks attached to them. Furthermore, the companies were accused of making money illegally through unscrupulous means and hence should return their profits made since 1953 to the U.S government. According to the information provided, the tobacco companies stood accused of breaching their duty to care. In as much as they had reports of research conducted in the 1950’s about the dangers of cigarette smoking, they still went ahead to market their products to consumers, created a chance to get children to smoke, and make more people addicted to the product which eventually led to deaths related to cigarette smoking (Ellet 27). By breaching their duty to care for their consumers, the companies were supposed to be sued. In the duty to exercise care, a company is required to take measures which should prevent injury or damages resulting from the use of their products. According to the US government, they sued the 8 cigarette companies since they were aware of the risks of smoking cigarettes, yet went ahead to market them. The solution, in this case, will be to ensure that the 8 companies use the amount gained through unscrupulous ways to promote the public on the dangers of smoking (Ellet 89). The government in a bid to protect the citizens from deaths caused by advertisements which are misleading wanted to give back to the people what they had lost. A lot of American citizens had been misled by their adverts since 1953 by encouraging the use of smoking and attributing it to not cause lung cancer. The US government is suing the cigarette companies was supposed to make sure that such practices are not carried out.  

Create or use an existing company Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Create or use an existing company - Term Paper Example There are some main factors that company has to deal with. As most of the soft-drink and beer bottles are liable for reuse and recycling, company gets some of its raw material from defected and used bottles that are supplied back by the beer companies. However, a number of bottles do not reverse and company has to involve glass as the raw material of new bottles. There had been a stagnant increase in the market since last three years which provides and estimation for supposed upcoming market demands. In light of those factors company has to keep a safe number of bottles that can be supplied urgently when required by buyers. On the other hand, a large number of bottles made in advance can create a burden over company’s investing strength. That would also create a lack of fluency in company’s cycle of work. Thus, company has to involve a concrete Inventory management that keeps the overall demand and supply chain in a safe and trustworthy position to provide continuous pr ofit to Volga Glasses. The supply chain and IT Factors Obviously, the purpose of Volga Glasses’ is to enhance and manage its supply chain to perform with a perfect smoothness that does not shake even in the conditions of an urgent tide in market situations. Company uses elegant IT techniques to manage that smoothness. Chiefly the bills are collected as electronic data providing an exact record of supply over a particular period. While mostly a supply chain is maintained over longer period like a year or six months, Volga Glasses is bound to use three month estimation because of the nature of its assets and frequently wavering requirements. Three years ago company has ordered a software organization to design software for their inventory management. The software had produced good results while it had been quite dependent of human inputs and mandatory analysis by the supervisors of Volga Glasses. This software ‘Smart-Task’ bases its strategy in collecting the suppl y data and comparing the overall cost of raw materials added with the labor and mechanical expenses. Over the time it also manifests the comparative graphs of market tides during various supply chain periods. Company manages to base its strategies in short term chains such as three months as well as yearly managements of supply chains. During last years it had come out that Smart-Task has been accurate and efficient in processing the data to manifest a scenario of the market. However, during the recent immediate ups and downs of market the estimations of Smart-task have failed when external situations like a temporary recession had stricken the market of soft drinks. Therefore an analysis of Company’s requirement and reliability of IT over numerous patterns of system of research is mandatory. Synchronization of IT and HR Out of the data processing methodology of Smart-Task, it has come out that it depends solely on human inputs which provide a base for calculations and estima tions. Company’s HR department is responsible for providing the supposed information for future uplifts and lowering of market because Smart-Task puts the data in various graphs that ease the methods of comparisons provide a manifestation of supply chain. The requirement of advance inventory is calculated on a

Classical Music Essay Example for Free

Classical Music Essay Kerala (/ˈkeÉ ªrÉ™lÉ™/), also known as Keralam (/ˈkeÉ ªrÉ™lÉ™m/) is a state located in the south-west region of India on the Malabar coast. Thiruvananthapuram is the state capital among the 14 districts; other major cities include Kochi andKozhikode. At a population of 33,388,000 in 2011, the state has the lowest population growth rate. It also has the highest literacy rate; It is also considered as the cleanest state in India. Production of pepper and natural rubber constitute prominent output in the total national output, as well as in the agricultural sector, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, spices are important. Climate Kerala has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest summer monsoon and northeast winter monsoon. Agriculture Kerala produces 97% of the national output of black pepper[180] and accounts for 85% of the area under natural rubber in the country.[181][66] Coconut, tea,coffee, cashew, and spices—including cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg—comprise a critical agricultural sector.[182][183][184][185][89][186] The key agricultural staple is rice, with varieties grown in extensive paddy fields Fisheries Kerala is one of the leading producers of fish in India. about 1.1 million people earn their livelihood from fishing and allied activities such as drying, processing, packaging, exporting and transporting fisheries. Culture-Dance The culture of Kerala is composite and cosmopolitan in nature and its an integral part of Indian culture. Kerala is home to a number of performance arts. These include five classical dance forms: Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Koodiyattom, Thullal andKrishnanattam, Culture-Music: Carnatic music dominates Keralite traditional music. Development of classical music in Kerala is attributed to the contributions it received from the traditional performance arts associated with the temple culture of Kerala. Culture-Cuisine- Kerala cuisine has a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry and meat Elephants Elephants have been an integral part of culture of the state. Kerala is home to the largest domesticated population of elephant in India—about 700 Indian elephants, owned by temples as well as individuals.[324] These elephants are mainly employed for the processions and displays associated with festivals celebrated all around the state. Tourism Kerala is a tourist destination: the backwaters, beaches, Ayurvedic tourism, and tropical greenery are among its major attractions. Keralas beaches, backwaters, mountain ranges and wildlife sanctuaries are the major attractions for both domestic and international tourists. The city of Kochi ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala. RÄ jasthÄ n, ) Known as The land of kings, is the largest state of the Republic of Indiaby area. It is located in the northwest of India. Jaipur is the capital and the largest city of the state. Eastern Rajasthan has the world famous Keoladeo National Park near Bharatpur, a World Heritage Site known for its bird life. It also has two national tiger reserves, Ranthambore and Sariska Tiger Reserve, and a famous temple in Khatu, Sikar district, Language: Rajasthani is the main spoken language of the state, although Hindi and English are used for official purposes. It is spoken by 13 million people in Rajasthan and o ther states of India. Economy Rajasthans economy is primarily agricultural and pastoral. Wheat and barley are cultivated over large areas, as are pulses, sugarcane, and oilseeds.Cotton and tobacco are the states cash crops. Rajasthan is among the largest producers of edible oils in India and the second largest producer ofoilseeds. Rajasthan is also the biggest wool-producing state in India and the main opium producer and consumer. There are mainly two crop seasons. The water for irrigation comes from wells and tanks. The Indira Gandhi Canal irrigates northwestern Rajasthan. The main industries are mineral based, agriculture based, and textiles. Rajasthan is the second largest producer of polyester fibre in India. Rajasthan is pre-eminent in quarrying and mining in India The state is the second largest source of cement in India Tourism: Endowed with natural beauty and a great history, tourism is a flourishing industry in Rajasthan. The palaces of Jaipur and Ajmer-Pushkar, the lakes of Udaipur, the desert forts of Jodhpur, Taragarh Fort (Star Fort) in Bundi, and Bikaner and Jaisalmer rank among the most preferred destinations in India for many tourists both Indian and foreign. Culture: The Ghoomar dance from Udaipur and Kalbeliya dance of Jaisalmer have gained international recognition. Folk music is a vital part of Rajasthani culture.Kathputli, Bhopa, Chang, Teratali, Ghindr, Kachchhighori, Tejaji etc. are the examples of the traditional Rajasthani culture. Rajasthan is known for its traditional, colorful art.wall painting in bundi . The block prints, tie and dye prints, Bagaru prints, Sanganer prints, and Zariembroidery are major export products from Rajasthan. Handicraft items like wooden furniture and handicrafts, carpets, and blue pottery are some of the things commonly found here. Rajasthani clothes have a lot of mirror-work and embroidery. A Rajasthani traditional dress for females comprises an ankle length skirt and a short top, also known as a lehenga or a chaniya choli. Cuisne Rajasthani cooking was influenced by both the war-like lifestyles of its inhabitants and the availability of ingredients in this arid region.[1] Food that could last for several days and could be eaten without heating was preferred. Rajasthani cuisine is a splendid array of colorful, spicy and unique dishes. Rajasthani food is incomplete without the mention of the famedDal-Baati-Churma, a distinctive dish of the state. Amir Khusrau AmÄ «rKhusrow was an Indian musician, scholar and poet. He was an iconic figure in the cultural history of the Indian subcontinent. A Sufi mystic and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi, AmÄ «r Khusrow was not only a notable poet but also a prolific and seminal musician. He wrote poetry primarily in Persian, but also in Hindavi. He compiled the oldest known printed dictionary (Khaliq-e-bari ) in 1320 which mainly dealt with Hindvi and Persian words. He is regarded as the father of qawwali. He is also credited with enriching Hindustani classical music by introducing Persian and Arabic elements in it, and was the originator of the khayal and tarana styles of music. The invention of the tabla is also traditionally attributed to AmÄ «r Khusrow. Early life and background AmÄ «r Khusrow was born in Patiyali in Uttar Pradesh. His father, AmÄ «r Sayf ud-DÄ «n MahmÃ… «d, was a Turkic officer and a member of the Lachin tribe of Transoxania, themselves belonging to the Kara-Khitais.[5][6][7] His mother was the daughter of Rawat Arz, the famous war minister of Balban, and belonged to the Rajput tribes of Uttar Pradesh Khusrow the royal poet Khusrow was a prolific classical poet associated with the royal courts of more than seven rulers of the Delhi Sultanate. He is popular in much of North India and Pakistan, because of many playful riddles, songs and legends attributed to him. Through his enormous literary output and the legendary folk personality, Khusrow represents one of the first (recorded) Indian personages with a true multi-cultural or pluralistic identity. Last Days I 321 Mubarak Khilji was murdered and Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq came to power. Khusro started to write theTughluqnama. 1325 Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq came to power. Nizamuddin Auliya died, and six months later so did Khusrow . Khusrow s tomb is next to that of his master in the Nizamuddin Dargah of Delhi. - Tulsi Das TulsiDas also known as Goswami Tulsidas), was a Hindu poet-saint, reformer and philosopher renowned for his devotion to the god Rama. A composer of several popular works, he is best known as the author of the epicRamcharitmanas, a retelling of the Sanskrit Ramayana in the vernacular Awadhi. Tulsidas was acclaimed in his lifetime to be a reincarnation ofValmiki, the composer of the original Ramayana in Sanskrit.[4] He is also considered to be the composer of the Hanuman Chalisa, a popular devotional hymn dedicated to Hanuman, the divine devotee of Rama.[5] Tulsidas lived permanently and died in the city of Varanasi.[6] The Tulsi Ghat in Varnasi is named after him.[3] He founded the Sankatmochan Temple dedicated to Hanuman in Varanasi, believed to stand at the place where he had the sight of Hanuman.[7] Tulsidas started the Ramlila plays, a folk-theatre adaption of the Ramayana.[8] He has been acclaimed as one of the greatest poets in Hindi, Indian, and world literature.[9][10][11][12] The impact of Tulsidas and his works on the art, culture and society in India is widespread and is seen to date in vernacular language, Ramlila plays, Hindustani classical music, popular music, and television series. Tulsidas is believed to be a reincarnation of Valmiki Early life Birth Tulsidas was born on the seventh day of the bright half of the lunar Hindu month Shraavana (July–August). After renunciation, Tulsidas spent most of his time at Varanasi, Prayag, Ayodhya, and Chitrakuta but visited many other nearby and far-off places. He traveled across India to many places, studying different people, meeting saints and Sadhus and meditating Tulsidas died at the Assi Ghat on the bank of the river Ganga in the Shraavan (July–August) month of the year Vikram 1680 (1623 CE). Like the year of his birth, traditional accounts and biographers do not agree on the exact date of his death. Different sources give the date as the third day of the bright half, seventh day of the bright half, or the third day of the dark half.[77][78] - Works Kamban Kambar (Kampan in casual address) was a medieval Tamil poet and the author of the Tamil Ramayanam Ramavatharam, popularly known as Kambaramayanam, the Tamil version of Ramayana. He was born in the 12th century in Tiruvaluntur in Tanjore district - Life Kambar belonged to the Ochchan or Occhan caste, traditionally nadaswaram players in southern India.[3][4] But he was brought up in the household of a wealthy farmer in Vennai Nellur in south India. The Chola king having heard of this talented bard, summoned him to his court and honoured him with the title Kavi Chakravarthi or The Emperor of Poets. The Ramavataram or Kamba Ramayanam of Kamban is an epic of about 11,000 stanzas as opposed to Valmikis 24000 couplets. Kamba Ramayana is not a translation of the Sanskrit epic by Valmiki, but an original retelling of the story of the God Rama. The poetic work is well known for its similes. Many Tamil poets, statesmen, kings and common people have praised Kambar for his Kambaramayanam which has more than 10000 songs forming one of the greatest epics of Tamil. Kambaramayanam has more than 45000 lines. Thyagaraja Kakarla Tyagabrahmam (May 4, 1767–January 6, 1847), was one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music or classical South Indian music. He was a prolific composer and highly influential in the development of the South Indian classical music tradition. Tyagaraja composed thousands of devotional compositions, most in praise of Lord Rama — many of which remain popular today. Of special mention are five of his compositions called the Pancharatna Krithis (English: five gems), which are often sung in programs in his honor. Tyagaraja was born in 1767 in Tiruvarur, Tiruvarur district, in what is now called Tamil Nadu, to Kakarla Ramabrahmam and Sitamma in a Telugu Brahmin family of the Mulukanadu subsect He was named Tyagaraja after Lord Tyagaraja, the presiding deity of the temple at Tiruvarur. Tyagaraja began his musical training under Sri Sonthi Ramanayya, a music scholar, at an early age. He regarded music as a way to experience Gods love. His objective while practising music was purely devotional, as opposed to focusing on the technicalities of classical music. Tyagaraja, who was totally immersed in his devotion to Lord Rama and led the most spartan way of life without bothering in the least for the comforts of the world, The songs he composed were widespread in their popularity. due to the labour of love by these musicians and researchers, there is a definitive collection of Thyagarajas music. However out of 24,000 thousand songs said to have been composed, about 700 songs remain known. Tyagaraja Aradhana, the commemorative music festival is held every year at Thiruvaiyaru in the months of January to February in Tyagarajas honour. This is a week-long festival of music where various Carnatic musicians from all over the world converge at his resting place. SAROD The sarod is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is the most popular and prominent instrument in Hindustani (northern Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani) classical music. The sarod is known for a deep, weighty, introspective sound, in contrast with the sweet, overtone-rich texture of the sitar, with sympathetic strings that give it a resonant, reverberant quality. It is a fretless instrument able to produce the continuous slides between notes known as meend (glissandi), which is important to Indian music. The sarod is believed by some to have descended from the Afghan rubab, a similar instrument originating in Central Asia and Afghanistan. The nameSarod roughly translates to beautiful sound or melody in Persian . Design The design of the instrument depends on the school (gharana) of playing. There are three distinguishable types, discussed below. The conventional sarod is an 17 to 25-stringed lute-like instrument — four to five main strings used for playing the melody, one or two drone strings, twochikari strings and nine to eleven sympathetic strings. The design of this early model is generally credited to Niyamatullah Khan of the Lucknow Gharana as well as Ghulam Ali Khan of the Gwalior-Bangash Gharana. Among the contemporary sarod players, this basic design is kept intact by two streams of sarod playing Another type is that designed by Allauddin Khan and his brother Ayet Ali Khan. This instrument, referred to by David Trasoff (Trasoff, 2000) as the 1934 Maihar Prototype, is larger and longer than the conventional instrument, though the fingerboard is identical to the traditional sarod described above. This instrument has 25 strings in all. Sarod strings are made either of steel or phosphor bronze. Early sarod players used plain wire plectrums, which yield a soft, ringing tone. Playing The lack of frets and the tension of the strings make the sarod a very demanding instrument to play, as the strings must be pressed hard against the fingerboard. There are two approaches to stopping the strings of the sarod. One involves using the tip of ones fingernails to stop the strings, and the other uses a combination of the nail and the fingertip to stop the strings against the fingerboard