The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay - 1653 Words

Nick Caraway, from F. Scott’s Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, once found himself â€Å". . . standing beside [Mr. McKee’s] bed and [Mr. McKee] was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear, with a great portfolio in his hands† (Fitzgerald 38). Nick’s thoughts and actions in this odd circumstance spark numerous questions on his sexuality. While Fitzgerald uses covert implications to support the idea Nick is a homosexual, he also preserves plausible deniability that perhaps the scene was just a drunken hallucination. Yet it has been speculated that, due to the time period, Nick was forced to hide his desires through interactions with the â€Å"feminine man† (Fitzgerald 30), Mr. McKee or the masculine woman, Ms. Jordan Baker. Similarly, other literary figures have been caught between societal expectations of proper behavior and their own definitions of true happiness. Other characters that have faced this choice are French diplomat Re ne Gallimard and opera singer Song Liling from David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly. Based loosely on true events, the play chronicles Gallimard’s doomed love story with Song, who is actually a male spy for Communist China. For twenty years, Gallimard claims he did not know of Song’s gender, yet Hwang’s covert implications support the idea both Gallimard and Song were homosexuals who had to hide their preferences in order to survive in their respective societies. Gallimard’s latent homosexuality manifests itself in the symbol of his prison cell whileShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1393 Words   |  6 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald was the model of the American image in the nineteen twenties. He had wealth, fame, a beautiful wife, and an adorable daughter; all seemed perfect. Beneath the gilded faà §ade, however, was an author who struggled with domestic and physical difficulties that plagued his personal life and career throughout i ts short span. This author helped to launch the theme that is so prevalent in his work; the human instinct to yearn for more, into the forefront of American literature, where itRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1343 Words   |  6 PagesHonors English 10 Shugart 18 Decemeber 2014 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life. The Great Gatsby is about the lives of four wealthy characters observed by the narrator, Nick Carroway. Throughout the novel a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby throws immaculate parties every Saturday night in hope to impress his lost lover, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby lives in a mansion on West Egg across from DaisyRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1155 Words   |  5 PagesThe Great Gatsby The Jazz Age was an era where everything and anything seemed possible. It started with the beginning of a new age with America coming out of World War I as the most powerful nation in the world (Novel reflections on, 2007). As a result, the nation soon faced a culture-shock of material prosperity during the 1920’s. Also known as the â€Å"roaring twenties†, it was a time where life consisted of prodigality and extravagant parties. Writing based on his personal experiences, author F. ScottRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1166 Words   |  5 Pagesin the Haze F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in a time that was characterized by an unbelievable lack of substance. After the tragedy and horrors of WWI, people were focused on anything that they could that would distract from the emptiness that had swallowed them. Tangible greed tied with extreme materialism left many, by the end of this time period, disenchanted. The usage of the literary theories of both Biographical and Historical lenses provide a unique interpretation of the Great Gatsby centered aroundRead MoreThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald845 Words   |  3 PagesIn F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, colors represent a variety of symbols that relate back to the American Dream. The dream of being pure, innocent and perfect is frequently associated with the reality of corruption, violence, and affairs. Gatsby’s desire for achieving the American Dream is sought for through corruption (Schneider). The American Dream in the 1920s was perceived as a desire of w ealth and social standings. Social class is represented through the East Egg, the WestRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay970 Words   |  4 Pagesrespecting and valuing Fitzgerald work in the twenty-first century? Fitzgerald had a hard time to profiting from his writing, but he was not successful after his first novel. There are three major point of this essay are: the background history of Fitzgerald life, the comparisons between Fitzgerald and the Gatsby from his number one book in America The Great Gatsby, and the Fitzgerald got influences of behind the writing and being a writer. From childhood to adulthood, Fitzgerald faced many good andRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald2099 Words   |  9 Pagesauthor to mirror his life in his book. In his previous novels F. Scott Fitzgerald drew from his life experiences. He said that his next novel, The Great Gatsby, would be different. He said, â€Å"In my new novel I’m thrown directly on purely creative work† (F. Scott Fitzgerald). He did not realize or did not want it to appear that he was taking his own story and intertwining it within his new novel. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he imitates his lifestyle through the Buchanan family to demonstrateRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1607 Words   |  7 Pages The Great Gatsby is an American novel written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald. One of the themes of the book is the American Dream. The American Dream is an idea in which Americans believe through hard work they can achieve success and prosperity in the free world. In F. Scott Fitzgerald s novel, The Great Gatsby, the American Dream leads to popularity, extreme jealousy and false happiness. Jay Gatsby’s recent fortune and wealthiness helped him earn a high social position and become one of the mostRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1592 Words   |  7 PagesMcGowan English 11A, Period 4 9 January 2014 The Great Gatsby Individuals who approach life with an optimistic mindset generally have their goals established as their main priority. Driven by ambition, they are determined to fulfill their desires; without reluctance. These strong-minded individuals refuse to be influenced by negative reinforcements, and rely on hope in order to achieve their dreams. As a man of persistence, the wealthy Jay Gatsby continuously strives to reclaim the love of hisRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1646 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1920s witnessed the death of the American Dream, a message immortalized in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Initially, the American Dream represented the outcome of American ideals, that everyone has the freedom and opportunity to achieve their dreams provided they perform honest hard work. During the 1920s, the United States experienced massive economic prosperity making the American Dream seem alive and strong. However, in Fitzgerald’s eyes, the new Am erican culture build around that

William Shakespeare s Julius Caesar - 1011 Words

Kendra McConkey Mrs. Taylor ENG2DL Monday, May 4th Brutus is a Hero In a play, there are always heroes and villains. A hero is someone who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievement, and has noble qualities. In Julius Caesar, Brutus is an example of this. Despite the death of Caesar, Brutus is a hero. This shows when he is noble, honest, and admired by other characters in the play. Nobility has a huge role within characters throughout the play, in fact Brutus is very noble which proves he is a hero. Firstly, Brutus is at the funeral and he shows a great amount of respect and compassion for Caesar during his speech. He says, â€Å"As Caesar [had loved] me, I weep for him† (III.ii.23-25). Brutus is being noble to the†¦show more content†¦Finally, Brutus is overall noble for the city of Rome. He kills Caesar because he is true to the conspiracy but most of all he kills him for the better of the people. Caesar questions, â€Å"Et tu, Brut? Then fall Caesar† (III.i.85). This shows Caesar realizes if Brutus, his friend, has stabbed him along with the other conspirators then there must be a noble and important reason why. Brutus is being noble yet again to the people and Rome by doing this. Through these examples it is clear that Brutus shows he is a hero by the noble situations he is apart of. With Brutus nobility, his responsibility is also what makes him a hero in the play. Brutus first changes his opinion on Caesar. Brutus says, â€Å"Remorse from power. And to speak truth of Caesar,/ I have not known when his affections [had sway d]/More than his reason. But tis a common proof/That lowliness is young ambition s ladder† (II.i.19-22). Brutus knows he has to be responsible for Caesar because of his decision to join the conspiracy and kill him. This shows the trust he has in Lucius and the responsibility he takes so Caesar does not climb to power where he can not be stopped. Brutus then takes responsibility for his own actions and admits to regret. â€Å"Friends, I owe my tears/ To this dead man than you shall see me pay./ I shall find time, Cassius, I shall find time† (IV.iii.101-103). Brutus is proving himself responsible for his actions and he tells Cassius the consequences will pay off

Economic of Banking and Finance Transaction Cost Theory

Question: Discuss about the Economic of Banking and Finance for Transaction Cost Theory. Answer: Introduction The following report discusses about the role of financial market, financial intermediary, and the financial securities in the financial system of the company. Credit lending is an accounting term either it decrease the assets or increase the liability. Thus, lender checks the revenue and the financial position of the borrower. Moreover, this report discusses the role of asymmetric information before and after the transaction made. There are many problem and issue with the DBS bank at the time of transaction, which is resolve with the help different theories like transaction cost theory, delegated monitoring theory and economic scale theory. This report also discusses the key business activities of the Noble group and role of financial market and financial securities in the financial system of the company. Academic Review With the increase in economic activities in any country, it becomes necessary that strong and healthy financial system is in place to support such activities. Kunt et al. (2011) and may other scholars validate the financial systems and their components hold importance in facilitating smooth conduction of business activities for economic development. Adrian and Shin (2010) propose that financial intermediaries can play an important role in ensuring that all rules, regulations and diligence is followed while conducting financial transactions of the business especially those that are heavily engaged in money and capital markets. This will involve taking appropriate measure before and after lending, reducing information asymmetry and act as an agent during any conflict. Financial Intermediary Financial intermediary hold a very important role in the flow of money in the financial world. A financial intermediary is an institution or individual that acts as a middle man between two parties at the time of financial transaction, such as commercial bank, investment bank, and mutual funds. A financial intermediary is typically a bank that provides the funds to the user of funds (Dilley, 2012). Financial intermediary can offer different types of benefit to the average customer such as- safety, liquidity and economies of scale. Bank is a financial intermediary that provides a dazzling variety of financial service. Role of Financial Intermediary Being a Financial intermediary, DBS bank plays several roles as a financial intermediary. It repackages the deposits of the investor into loans, which are provided to the firms. Through the implementation of this, small deposits of the individual consolidated in the form of large amount to firms. Bank diversifies the loans among several borrowers, because it has so much money. In this way, bank increase its ability to identify the individual defaulted loans by reducing the risk of loan defaulter (Golin and Delhaise, 2013). As a financial intermediary bank provides information to the market participants, by which they make the decision about the deposits. Further, financial intermediary is providing external finance to the firms that are new and it required funds to establish their business. Credit Lending Credit landing is the amount of money that lent to an individual or any firm for their personal, family, household, and business purpose. This loan is monitored by the government regulatory agencies for their compliance. Credit lending is contractual agreement in which borrower receive some amount and agrees to repay it to the lender at some date in future with the interest (Property Metrics, 2016). Credit lending is an accounting term that either decrease asset or increase liability of the business. Cautions in Credit Lending Being a financial intermediary, DBS bank cautions some factor, while lending money to its customers. In the present market context, lender is checked the financial condition and market condition of the borrower for successfully complete the proposed project at time. Apart from this, Lender checks the business revenue and annual income of the customer before lending money to borrower. Through the implementation of this, bank should find out the credit worthiness position of the customer (Ansaloni, 2012). In addition to caution in credit lending, bank should check the background position of the customer under which bank check the liquidity risk, defaulter risk, and interest risk in context of customer. Asymmetric Information Asymmetric information is a very important concept that is widely used in the financial world. It refers that one party has more or better information than the other party when making transactions. Improper information is the reason of an imbalance of power. Role of Asymmetric Information Lack of information causes for the economic imbalances that result in adverse selection and moral hazards problems occurs. Under the adverse selection, sellers have more information about the product. If the quality cannot be measured, the buyer is willing to pay high price that reflects the average quality (Greebbaum et al., 2015). In the Moral hazard, action is taken by the borrower. This problem occurs after the transaction is made. For this reason, it reduces the probability that loan will repaid. Measures before Loan Granted Due to the asymmetric information, DBS bank has to follow some measures before granting loan to the borrower such as- Liquidity, data sharing, profitability, safely and security, purpose of the borrow amount, sources of repayment and social responsibility. Credit referencing is a very important tool by which bank can avoid the problem of Asymmetric information (Schwalbe, 2012). Under this, bank must rank to the firms on the basis of their repayment ability. Measures after Loan Granted Being a financial intermediary, DBS bank has to measure some information after the transaction is made. Bank has to check regularly the financial updates of the borrower. In addition to this, there are many factors which are measured by the lender after the loan granted such as- market value of the collateral security, business plan of the borrower, financial details and market position of the business (Onyiriuba, 2015). Problems / Issues in Lending There are many problems/ issues occur with the DBS bank such as transaction cost, selection issue and many other issues, while it lending money to its borrower. That can be defined with some theories, which are covered as below: Transaction costs reduction theory Transaction cost refers to the cost of transferring between the lender and Borrower. This theory followed by DBS bank to reduce the loss after issued the latter of demand to the company. Through the implementation of this theory, Bank reduces the cost of recovering the loan amount (Pilbeam, 2010). On the other hand, It also refer to reduce some risk, which always involve in the financial transaction such as- search cost, Arrangement fees, professional advise fee, and covenant compliance cost. Informational Economies of Scale theory Due to implementation of this theory, DBS bank faced the problem related to the adverse selection and moral hazard. To overcome this issue, bank should develop the expertise in information that enables them to select a good risk. So bank has to take care of this type of issue in future. At the same time, bank has to measure the information of borrowers transactions held with bank (THE TREASURY, 2016). In addition to this, bank should used different types of tool reduce the risk after issued letter of credit to the company such as: monitoring, government regulation to increase information, financial intermediary active in the equity market, and debts contact. Delegated Monitoring Theory This theory is useful by DBS bank for resolving the problems related to incentive between the borrower and lender after issued the letter of demand to company. On the other hand, this theory provides the best contract to the bank so that legal protection is strong for the bank. At the same time, delegated monitoring is helpful to reduce the transaction cost and deriving the technology in the bank (CESP, 2016). Benefit of delegated monitoring is raised because of skills and the reduction of duplication work. 2. Financial System Financial system is the process and procedure used by the organization to exercise the financial control and accountability. A financial system is covered the financial transactions and exchange the money between lender and borrower. The Singapore financial system is highly developed and well regulated and it offers a wide range of non banking service. The financial system of Singapore has the analytical and operation capabilities to do effectively (Monetary Authority of Singapore, 2016). There are many component of Singapore financial system, which describe as below- Financial Markets Financial market is a broad term that describes a market place, where buyer and seller equally participate in the trade of assets like equity, bond, currencies, and derivatives through the financial intermediaries. Financial market increased the overall production and efficiency of the economy. Financial market of the Singapore is unique in which government played a major role for creating an eco-system that nurtured quality growth (Burton el al., 2015). Financial market of Singapore was able to leverage on the competitive strength at the time of financial crises. Financial Intermediaries Financial intermediary is refers to a middle-men, who is involved in buying and selling of the financial securities such as Banks, Investment Banks, pension funds, and insurance companies. Bank is the most important financial intermediaries in the Singapore financial system, who works as middle men in the transaction of financial securities. They work as credit analyst, which has the ability to assess the creditworthiness of the firms, who wish to borrow funds (Valdez and Molyneux, 2010). Being a financially intermediaries, Singapore banks has so much money to lend and they can easily diversify loans between the borrowers. Singapore banks may facilitate the flow of funds to the business firms as intermediaries to the investor, who are willing to purchase the securities. Financial Instruments A financial instrument presents ownership position in a public traded corporation. Financial market can be divided in many types such as- money market instrument, capital market instrument and hybrid instruments. The financial market of the Singapore covers the capital market instrument, it generally consists the long term financial instrument like shares and bonds. The debts security refers the money, which can borrow and it must be repaid with a particular interest rate at maturity date (Parameswaran, 2011). Equity refers the ownership held by shareholders such as stocks. Generally, a financial security is like a money maker instrument by which companies and other enterprises can raise new capital. Type of Financial Products and Services There are many products and services offered by banking system of Singapore such as insurance, derivatives, and credit and loans. It can played different roles in the Singapore financial system that helps the Noble Group to achieve its business objectives and goals. Nature of financial product and services is described as below: Insurance Insurance service is provided by Singapore banks to the Noble Group for the financial protection and to cover the risk against a range of events such as- damage of property, financial crisis, and loss. There are many types of insurance, which offers by banking system like Life insurance, property insurance, and casualty insurance. In the present context, it is possible for business to insured against the risk but not necessary to cover all the risk. In that case, Bank provides a service of financial adviser by which it helps the noble group in the selection of insurance policy (Annual report, 2016). Insurance policies are helpful for the company at the time of risk. With the help of different insurance, it can easily overcome the losses occurred in the company and achieve its objectives and goals. Credit and Loans Credit and loans is very important facilities provided by the banking system to the noble group. There are many types of credit facilities offer by the banks such as- loan for consumer durables, loan against deposits, loan against shares, and loan against LIC polices. Through the implementation of these facilities bank revolving the credit facilities and decide the amount, which the company want to withdraw. Apart from this, credit facility helps to manage the cost easily and it can help to take advantage of the opportunities (Noble Group, 2016). Banking system of the Singapore provides the facilities of financial advisor to the Noble Group by which helps to frame a plan for the use of amount to achieve the business objectives. Derivatives Singapore baking system provided derivatives facilities to the Noble Group, help to achieve the goals and objective of the company. Banks provides the derivatives facility related to hedging and commodity contract. With the implementation of this, company hedges their interest rate risk and increase the yield of the company. Bank is playing a role of intermediary, which maintains the relationship between the client and company (DBS Corporate Banking, 2016). It can help to reduce the FX exposure and increase the return on the currency investment of the company. Company in Focus Brief Background Information Noble Group Limited is a modern global commodities firm. It was founded in 1986 by Richard Samuel Elman and William James Randall. Noble group buy commodities and transform them into customized and consumable product through which they meet the requirement of the customer. Noble Group manages portfolio of supply chain across the range of industrial and energy products. The core strategy of noble group is to be best company in the whole world at the moving of physical commodity from producer to the consumer. Key business activities of Noble Group Figure-1 Key business activities of Noble Group (Source Annual report, 2016) Noble Group sources the physical commodities and transforms that into the customized product that meets the requirement of the consumers. It provides the logistic business service to the external as well as internal customers, providing the ocean transport. In additional to this, the logistic business provides the long term freight solution and the guidance to the external as well as internal customers of the company. Noble Group Limited provides the financial services that covering capital origination and customer financing solutions (Noble Group, 2016). This service generates business by unblocking new opportunities within the existing customers and providing the financial coverage the relationships with banks, institutional and other global pool of capital. Noble group applies the cash flow hedging accounting for some financial derivatives that are used to hedge the risk of the foreign currency fluctuations. The value of the company is enhancing the solutions transforming commodities by helping the customer in the hedging service that reduce the price risk. It is supported by the flexible structure of the company and trade finance solutions that added the dimension of service for the business. Accessibility and Financial system Financial system of the Noble Group can be access effectively through the different financial market, financial intermediary and financial instruments. It can be facilitated the business activities of the Noble Group. Financial Market Financial system of the Noble Group can be access through the capital market. Under the key business activities, price risk management and hedging facilities of the company is cover under the capital market. Capital market is used for the long term asset with the maturity date is more than one year. In additional to this, noble group includes the shares, bond, and derivatives to facilities the business activities of the company. It is executed forward in the freight derivatives market to hedges its physical freight exposures (Jackson, 2010). Further to this, it also engaged in the derivatives trading of crude oil. It mainly involve in the commodity contract such as physical commodity contract and cash commodity contract, which include commodity future, options swaps and forward freight agreements. Financial Intermediaries Banks act as a financial intermediary for the Noble Group to facilities its business activities effectively. This company partnered with the Australian bank that facilities the medium term prepayment facilities, which secured by the iron ore off take to noble group. An Australian bank provides the guaranteed payment stream with the minimum risk to this group that helps in the growth of business. Being a financial intermediary, Banks facilities comprise different type of credit facilities to the company for their financial arrangements. It works as a credit analyst through which they have the ability to access the credit worthiness of the company. Banks helps the company in the better management of its trade finance operations and improves the efficiency and effectiveness on global basis (Levinson, 2014). Further to this, banks play an essential role for accessing the financial system of the Noble group through managing the risk to achieve the positive rate of return. Bank plays an important role in the corporate governance of the company so that it can be maintain the legal and ethical environment and promote the interest of share holders. Financial Instruments Financial instruments play a role for the future benefit of the company. Noble Group is dealing in the long term financial instrument such as derivatives (future, option or swap), bonds, and shares. Financial instruments can be used to hedge the financial risk and price risk of the company. Shares are issued by the company to raised the money from the investor that is helpful maintain the business activities (Baker and Filbeck, 2014). These instruments provides a link between the investor and the company and it also play a crustal role for the arranging of invest funds of the company. Conclusion Financial system can be access through the financial market, financial intermediary, and financial securities. This report is concluded that the financial intermediary should check the credit worthiness of the client at the time of credit lending. Moreover, it was found that lender and the borrower have to disclose all the information at the time of transaction. There are many problems arise at the time transaction, which are to be overcome with the implication of many theory that reduce the transactional cost, provides help in the selection of best risk. Further to this, it can be concluded that many product and service provides by bank is helpful in achieving the key business activities of the Noble Group. Reference Adrian, T. and Shin, H.S. (2010) Financial intermediaries and monetary economics. FRB of New York Staff Report, (398). [online]. Available at: https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.189.809rep=rep1type=pdf (Accessed: 05/09/2016). Annual report (2016) Our Business Management. [online]. Available at: https://www.thisisnoble.com/images/investors/financialInformation/annualReport/ar2015.pdf (Accessed: 3/09/2016). Ansaloni, P.G. (2012) The Role of Asymmetric Information in Environmental Policy Settings. London: University of London. Baker, K.H., and Filbeck, G. (2014) Investment Risk Management. UK: Oxford University Press. Burton, M., Nesiba, F.R., and Brown, B. (2015) An Introduction to Financial Markets and Institutions. UK: Routledge. CESP (2016) Financial Intermediation and Delegated Monitoring. [online]. Available at: https://www.cfsp.org/publications/papers/financial-intermediation-and-delegated-monitoring#.V8lPTVt97Dc (Accessed: 2/09/2016). DBS Corporate Banking (2016) FX Derivatives. [online]. Available at: https://www.dbs.com.sg/corporate/treasury/derivatives/fx-derivatives (Accessed: 3/09/2016). Demirguc-Kunt, A., Feyen, E. and Levine, R. (2011) Optimal Financial Structures and Development: The evolving importance of banks and markets. World Bank, pp. 1-38. [online]. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ross_Levine/publication/265202090_Optimal_Financial_Structures_and_Development_The_evolving_importance_of_banks_and_markets/links/5523c95b0cf2b351d9c336aa.pdf (Accessed: 05/09/2016). Dilley, K.D. (2012) Essentials of Banking. US: John Wiley Sons. Golin, J., and Delhaise, P. (2013) the Bank Credit Analysis Handbook: A Guide for Analysts, Bankers and Investors. US: John Wiley Sons. Greebbaum, I.S., Thakor, V.A., and Boot, A. (2015) Contemporary Financial Intermediation. US: Academic Press. Jackson, K.J. (2010) Financial Market Supervision. US: DIANE Publishing. Levinson, M. (2014) The Economist Guide To Financial Markets. UK: Profile Books. Monetary Authority of Singapore (2016) Singapore financial centre. [online]. Available at: https://www.mas.gov.sg/ (Accessed: 3/09/2016). Noble Group (2016) about us. [online]. Available at: https://www.thisisnoble.com/#aboutus (Accessed: 5/09/2016). Noble Group (2016) Financial information. [online]. Available at: https://www.thisisnoble.com/#aboutus (Accessed: 3/09/2016). Onyiriuba, L. (2015) Emerging Market Bank Lending and Credit Risk Control: Evolving Strategies to Mitigate Credit Risk Optimize Lending Portfolios, and Check Delinquent Loans. US: Academic Press. Parameswaran, S. (2011) Fundamentals of Financial Instruments: An Introduction to Stocks, Bonds, Foreign Exchange, and Derivatives. US: John Wiley Sons. Pilbeam, K. (2010) Finance and Financial Markets. UK: Palgrave Macmillan. Property Metrics (2016) the Commercial Credit Approval Process Explained. [online]. Available at: https://www.propertymetrics.com/blog/2013/06/12/credit-approval-process/ (Accessed: 2/09/2016). Schwalbe, U. (2012) the Core of Economies with Asymmetric Information. Germany: Springer Science Business Media. THE TREASURY (2016) Current theories of financial intermediation. [online]. Available at: https://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/research-policy/wp/2003/03-19/04.htm (Accessed: 2/09/2016). Valdez, S., And Molyneux, P. (2010) An Introduction to Global Financial Markets. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

Tiananmen Square June 1989 Essay Example

Tiananmen Square June 1989 Paper On the 22nd of April 1989, Chinese students collected together at Tiananmen Square to pay respects to Hu Yaobang, the students saw this as an opportunity to protest for democratic reform. Little did these students know this protest would end with tragic results. Deng blamed Hu Yaobang, a member of the Deng Xiaoping communist party, when students protested for political reform. Due to this he lost his position in the government but still remained in the politburo. His death on 15th April sparked the Tiananmen movement. Sources A, F and G are from books. Source A, the background to the Tiananmen Square incident from China in the 20th Century written in 1990 by Harriet Ward, a British Historian, who, unlike some Chinese sources controlled by government, has freedom of speech. The book gives a general overview of one hundred years in China, which suggests that the information gathered, could be considered vague and facts possibly have been overlooked, which of course would reduce the sources reliability. However, the source was written one year after the incident, which suggests that the information is probably fairly reliable. We can also assume, as the source was written relatively soon after the events, that some of her knowledge was gained from newspapers and television reports at the time, and therefore can be considered fairly trustworthy. As the historian was not present at Tiananmen Square we also know that this is not first hand reporting. However, I conclude that this book must be a fairly reliable source as it specialises in China in the 20th Century, which suggests that the writer completed detailed research into the subject. This source is quite useful in explaining the causes and events of Tiananmen Square. We will write a custom essay sample on Tiananmen Square June 1989 specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Tiananmen Square June 1989 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Tiananmen Square June 1989 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Source F, the events of the 4th June 1989 from the book China, A New Revolution? Written in 1990 by John Bradley, an American historian. This source gives a brief explanation of the events on June 4th. Like source A this information was written only one year after the incidents at Tiananmen Square which suggest the information is dependable for the same reasons as given for Source A. It is also written by a non-Chinese source with freedom of speech, which, as stated above, also increases the reliability of the source. This historian was also not present at the time the incident took place at Tiananmen Square so we can assume some information may be incorrect. This book deals with the revolution of China, and Tiananmen Square was a huge milestone in this regard, however these events no doubt will have slowed down the progress of the Chinese democracy movement. This source is quite useful in explaining the causes and events of Tiananmen Square. Source G, an extract from the book The Truth about the Beijing Turmoil was written in 1989 published in the Peoples Republic of China. This source reports that no one at Tiananmen Square was killed and gives the background to why the soldiers were sent. This source was written the year the incident happened which suggests that the information could be considered reliable, however, the source was written and published in the Peoples Republic of China, which suggests an element of government control and therefore reduces the reliability of the source. This source can be seen as biased as it only gives the governments point of view. In conclusion this source is not very useful. Source B is a table, Source B: Rising living standards in China, 1981-84 from official records at that time. This source shows us the increase of goods per hundred households in urban and rural areas. This source is reliable as the information is from records of that time, but is not particularly useful in explaining the causes and events of Tiananmen Square as it was written years five years before, although it does indicate an increase in the living standards of the Chinese, particularly those in rural households, which could be seen as evidence of a growing democracy. Sources E and D are both sources from newspapers. Source E: The events of 4th June 1989 from a report in the Sunday times in 1989, a British newspaper. The reporter has freedom of speech and cannot be controlled by the government unlike some Chinese sources. This is a primary source and therefore reliable due to the fact that it is an eyewitness report by the reporter, Louise Branson, who was in Beijing at the time. The information is stark and certainly anti-Chinese government, and only gives one side of the story, which could be considered as reducing the reports reliability. This is a very useful source in showing the events that took place at Tiananmen Square. Source D: The students believe they have won from Tiananmen, The rape of Peking 1989, a book published by the British newspaper, The Independent. This source is very useful in explaining the causes and events of Tiananmen Square. It is reliable due to the fact that it was written the same year as the incident; this suggests that the information is correct and up to date. The Independent, has a reputation for well researched, fair, and unbiased reporting. Sources C and H are both photographs. Source H shows one man who stopped the tanks. It was a photograph taken in Tiananmen Square on the 5th June 1989. This photograph shows a brave protestor supporting the Chinese protestors by standing in the way of tanks. This source is a primary source as it is an un-edited picture of what happened on that day and cannot be misinterpreted as the photograph shows exactly what is happening. Although this source is reliable it is not clear what happened before and after this picture was taken. This source is useful in showing part of what happened at Tiananmen Square. The video footage from which the still is taken would be a more valuable source. Source C: Student leaders on the way to deliver the petition, is a photographic source showing students on bikes on the way to deliver a petition. This source is not reliable as it there is no reference given of where it is from or who took it. This photograph could be misinterpreted, as it is not clear what it represents as it does not show anything apart from people riding on bikes, also the image is not very clear and is of bad quality. This source cannot be considered reliable and does not show the causes and events of Tiananmen Square. Source I: a cartoon supporting the Chinese protestors. This cartoon is by Garland in the Independent, drawn on the 16 June 1989 only a couple weeks after the incident, which increases the sources reliability. It is a copy of a famous picture (Source H) but where the position is reversed, the leader is trying to stop the truth from being expressed. This source is reliable as it is a cartoon and can be used to explain the causes and events of Tiananmen Square, as it shows an outsiders interpretation of the tragic events. The above sources are wide ranging and all provide information in varying ways. Some sources are more useful than others. There are two overriding points of view in the sources given which contradict each other, this is because they have different original sources and their agendas are different. All the sources are interesting but only some can be considered reliable.

Free Essays on Little And Big Dipper

The Big Dipper is one of the most distinctive asterisms in the sky, also known as the Ursa Major or the Great Bear. The Big Dipper is a group of seven bright stars, three that form a handle and four that form a bowl. Fugitive slaves before the Civil War knew it as "the drinking gourd", a signpost in the sky pointing the way north to safety, to Canada where slavery was outlawed. In 1926, when Alaska had to create its own flag, they used the big dipper and the North Star as a design for their flag. It is a piece of Stone Age culture thought to be at least 8,000 to 12,000 years old. In different countries, the Big Dipper has a different name. For instance, In Ireland it was called the "King David's Chariot," from one of that island's early kings. In France, it was the "Great Chariot." And in the British Isles these seven stars are known widely as "The Plough." The Little Dipper is a constellation reflecting and being the smaller version of the Big Dipper. It can be found by looking directly up from the two outermost stars which form the bowl on the Big Dipper. These two stars point us to Polaris, the Pole Star indicating the North Pole, which is at the end of the Little Dipper's handle. The Big Dipper The Little Dipper The 7 stars that are a part of the Big Dipper are: 1. Alkaid 2. Mizar 3. Alioth 4. Megrez 5. Dubhe 6. Merak 7. Phad or Phecda In the Big Dipper, Mizar, the second star from the end, is actually made up of 4 stars. The brighter 2nd magnitude Mizar, and a fainter 4th magnitude nearby star, Alcor are separated by about 11.8 minutes of arc, and being able to detect the two as separate is considered a test of good eyesight. However Alcor is not part of Mizar. Mizar is at a distance of 78 light years from the Sun, and Alcor at 81 light years. The Big Dipper is setting in the northwestern sky at 7:30 p.m. Use the two Pointer stars at the end of the bowl of the ... Free Essays on Little And Big Dipper Free Essays on Little And Big Dipper The Big Dipper is one of the most distinctive asterisms in the sky, also known as the Ursa Major or the Great Bear. The Big Dipper is a group of seven bright stars, three that form a handle and four that form a bowl. Fugitive slaves before the Civil War knew it as "the drinking gourd", a signpost in the sky pointing the way north to safety, to Canada where slavery was outlawed. In 1926, when Alaska had to create its own flag, they used the big dipper and the North Star as a design for their flag. It is a piece of Stone Age culture thought to be at least 8,000 to 12,000 years old. In different countries, the Big Dipper has a different name. For instance, In Ireland it was called the "King David's Chariot," from one of that island's early kings. In France, it was the "Great Chariot." And in the British Isles these seven stars are known widely as "The Plough." The Little Dipper is a constellation reflecting and being the smaller version of the Big Dipper. It can be found by looking directly up from the two outermost stars which form the bowl on the Big Dipper. These two stars point us to Polaris, the Pole Star indicating the North Pole, which is at the end of the Little Dipper's handle. The Big Dipper The Little Dipper The 7 stars that are a part of the Big Dipper are: 1. Alkaid 2. Mizar 3. Alioth 4. Megrez 5. Dubhe 6. Merak 7. Phad or Phecda In the Big Dipper, Mizar, the second star from the end, is actually made up of 4 stars. The brighter 2nd magnitude Mizar, and a fainter 4th magnitude nearby star, Alcor are separated by about 11.8 minutes of arc, and being able to detect the two as separate is considered a test of good eyesight. However Alcor is not part of Mizar. Mizar is at a distance of 78 light years from the Sun, and Alcor at 81 light years. The Big Dipper is setting in the northwestern sky at 7:30 p.m. Use the two Pointer stars at the end of the bowl of the ...

Book Idea How to Find Good Book Ideas Guaranteed to Stir Envy

Book Idea How to Find Good Book Ideas Guaranteed to Stir Envy Book Idea: How to Find Good Book Ideas Guaranteed to Stir Envy A good book idea is rare.As much as you think all of your book ideas are fantastic and anyone would love to read themyou might be completely wrong.And I’ll explain why shortly but first, if you want to skip ahead and discover if your book idea is indeed a great one, take this intuitive quiz that will tell you exactly how it fares against the competition.Click Here to Take the Quiz!What makes a good book?A good book is a combination of high passion on your end, making your readers feel intensely along with a structure that toys with their emotions and an overall message worth sharing.In order to come up with a good book idea, you have to understand what makes a book great and then work backward from there.This might seem a little vague but in reality, this combination isn’t easy to come by.A good book takes time, effort, and the right formula to get right. If you want to leave readers feeling stunned in the best way (and ready to give you those coveted 5-star reviews), i t’s essential to first start with a great book idea.Here are some of the top qualities that make a book good:It invokes high levels of emotion in the readerIt has an overarching theme or messageA strong, pleasant voiceA structure that builds on itselfQuality writing that’s enjoyable to read and visualizeOriginality Once you know what your book needs, it’s time to figure out what you should write about.NOTE: We cover everything in this blog post and much more about the writing, marketing, and publishing process in our VIP Self-Publishing Program. Learn more about it hereWhat should I write my book about?When determining what you should write your book about,start with figuring out if you want to write fiction or nonfiction.If you want to write nonfiction:Fiction and nonfiction are basically two different worlds when it comes to writing.You have to determine if you’re someone who wants to write fiction or nonfiction. This decision is typically simple to mak e because if you dont have an interest in creating new worlds, realities, or making up characters, fiction is not for you.On the other hand, if you love to write guides and how-tos and maybe even self-help related books, nonfiction is going to be a better fit for you.If you want to write fiction:You have to start by determining what kind of fiction you want to write.Which genre will be your battlefield?These are just the more popular fiction genres:RomanceFantasy / Sci-fiContemporaryMysteryThriller / HorrorSatireYoung AdultIn order to choose, pick the genre you enjoy reading the most. That means if you love fantasy and typically read that more than anything else, this will be the genre you’ll enjoy writing the most.Once you know what you want to write, you have to learn how to come up with a good book idea in it. Coming Up With a Good Book Idea for Both Nonfiction and FictionWe’re going to separate these two simply because the process is so different. Coming up with fi ction book ideas differs greatly from nonfiction because they cover much different information, key elements, and reader intent.- How do I come up with a fiction idea for a book?Fiction is amazing because you can come up with pretty much anything and it can be formed into a good book idea.Let us help you break it down.#1 Use writing prompts to spark your creativityIf you have a hard time coming up with book ideas, then what you really need is something to prompt your mind into thinking creatively and imaginatively.And that something is a writing prompt.Writing prompts are very short ideas or story concepts for you to use in order to get started. Think of them as the catalyst for your imagination.We actually have a list of over 200 original fiction writing prompts created for this specific purpose.You can fill out the form below to download them! These prompts might contain the beginning of your next book idea. #2 Do some people watchingHead to a park or airport and just sit down to watch people. This might seem a little odd (or even a tad bit creepy) to you but it’s often a great way to get real:She was perched at her desk, the monotonous tap-tap-tap of the keys a familiar comfort amidst the silence of her lonesome. Leaning in, her eyes flitted across the screen, following the lead of each word she typed.Start writing yours and your mind might just come up with a book idea for you to take to publication.Other Methods for Coming Up With Book IdeasEveryone is different and all of our minds work differently. And that means if you want to come up with a good book idea, you’ll have to try a number of different methods to determine what works best for you.Here are some alternative methods for coming up with a book idea that aren’t listed above.#1 The snowball methodThis is a technique that helps your ideas build on one another much like a snowball builds on itself when yo u start rolling it through the snow.How its Done:How to do this book idea-generating exercise: This is done by writing down a broad concept first, like: Confidence. From there, you will list more specific but still general terms related to this, like: Gain more confidence Confidence and your mood Confidence in the workplace -What affects confidence?After you have these ideas, pick a single one to narrow down even more until you have a niche-specific book idea.#2 Your own twist on a heavily-searched topicThis is for you nonfiction writers out there. In order to find topics that are searched a lot, hop on Amazon, choose â€Å"Books† from the search bar drop-down, then click the search icon or hit enter (yes, without typing anything in the search field).This will bring you to the generic â€Å"home page† for books. Scroll down a little bit and locate the left sidebar with the different categories like â€Å"Popular in Books,† â€Å"More in Books,† and mor e.From here, choose â€Å"Top 20 Lists in Books† as seen below.You can easily scroll through the different sections in order to get an idea for what’s the most popular.Now, most of these will be fiction, as it’s the top-selling genre.If you want to find nonfiction-specific top sellers, repeat the first two steps in order to go back to the books â€Å"homepage.†Then scroll down until you find the â€Å"Books† category with specific genres beneath. You can click on the genre you have the most interest in, like â€Å"Self-Help† in the example below.From here, scroll down until you find the â€Å"Bestsellers† section in which you can discover the hottest titles and topics they cover so you can shape your book idea based on what will sell, like in the image below.#4 Write down any and all ideasEven if they’re tiny and you think they could never make a great book, write them down.You never know what could blossom into sometime incre dible. Maybe JK Rowling never thought an idea about a wizard in school would be interesting and look what happened there!Next Steps If You’re Serious!If you have a book idea or even if you don’t, we can help.Book a call with one of our experts in order to discuss if your book idea is good and how you can dive deeper and uncover a final idea for your book.

Immigration Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

Immigration Law - Essay Example The effectiveness of these three key features of the 2009 Act depends on politics and in some cases implementation. It is only along these lines that these three features will have an impact on present or future life in the UK. Border Control Part I of BCIA 2009 deals with the control of the UK’s borders (Border, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, Part I). The simplification for travellers to Britain including returning residents follows from the government’s intention to provide for a â€Å"unified border force† under the auspices of the UK Border Agency (Millington and Williams 2010, p. 597). Essentially, the unified border force enables immigration officers to also assume the role of customs officers. This means that a single agency is responsible for detecting and detecting exploitation of immigration and customs laws at the UK’s ports of entry (Vine 2010, p. 3). For this present transfer of border checks to a single agency means that daily travelle rs will be spared having to report to two separate check points upon entering the UK. Traditionally, travellers had to present themselves to both immigration and customs officers in order to be cleared for entry. ... Moreover, the UK Border Agency works together with Law Enforcement and within the framework of the UK Counter Terrorism Strategy for the purpose of detecting and preventing entrants to the UK who may cause harm to the UK or its citizens (Grimwood 2009, p. 3). This degree of border security comes with a political climate where border security has grown in importance since the 11 September 2001 terror attacks in the US. This is evidenced by the tightened border security enlisted by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and the Borders Act 2007. Both act enhanced the authority for the control of immigration. Section 21 of the 2009 Act permits the exchange of information between the UK Border Agency and other government agencies (Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, Section 21). The degree to which the UK Border Agency is permitted to share and exchange intelligence and information on travellers with law enforcement and other agencies at home and abroad, opens up the pos sibility that returning residents and foreigners will be vulnerable to intense scrutiny and invasion of privacy. Contacts at home and abroad may also come under intense scrutiny and be subjected to invasion of privacy should a traveller or returning resident with whom they are connected come under investigation or suspicion by the UK Border Agency or one of its partners. There is also a risk of discrimination and racial profiling as political and public concerns over the threat of terrorism persist (Vine 2010, p. 3). Together with the transfer to the Border Agency of the intrusive strip, search and entry powers previously granted to customs (Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, Section 26), the risk of invasion of privacy and

Essay on Police and the Community Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On Police and the Community - Essay Example A lesser barricade could be people’s self-esteem and self-perception (Morris, 2008). This is because they do not view themselves as activists or leaders. This perceptual concern is a barrier for over 36% of the adults in America. Not being an activist or leader is a barrier for 42% of adults who are not involved but wish to be. Disengaged participants in several focus groups stated that they wish for a fearless director with organizational skills, knowledge, plans, enthusiasm, a selfless attitude, and honesty. This group also puts more weight in disliking politics than adults on not knowing anyone else taking part in the activity. In order to overcome these obstacles, authorities that are involved in public participations should ensure that those who are involved in the activity are protected. Authorities need to educate people on these barriers and assure them that they will be safe after they take part in the activity (Thurlow, 2008). Question 2 Policy makers have a tough ta sk of carrying out what is best for their constituents plus their countries. This makes them the voice of the citizens. It is extremely vital that a police chief should be a policy maker for his constituent or country due to several reasons. These reasons are: police chiefs have interests of constituents and interests in the country. They also defend the constitution. Since policy makers are elected by the public, this will also give a chance to police chiefs to be elected by the public. Each policy maker has an obligation of defending the constitution. Police chiefs are also obliged to defend the American constitution, and this makes the liable policy makers (Chief of Police, 2007). A policy maker is a person who is responsible for making the policies of an organization. This includes the government or any other institution that requires regulations. A statesman refers to a diplomat or politician who has had a long, as well as respected duty at the national or international level. It has been said that police chiefs should be politicians. This is not a brilliant idea. Politicians have an obligation of representing and responding to the constituents, voting on legislation, participating in budget discussions and taking part in committees. Even though, police chiefs need to realize these factors, their central duty is to implement the law. This is a vital duty. They need to be separated from political matters so that they could execute their tasks to the fullest. If police chiefs are allowed to be statesmen, then this would interfere with the neutrality of the police force from politics. It will interrupt with the activities of the police force (Samuels, 2000). Question 3 Similarities Community oriented policing as a philosophy that encourages organizational strategies, which hold up the organized use of problem-solving techniques and partnerships, to tackle the immediate factors that give rise to public security issues. The security issues are social disorders , crime as well as fear of crime. Community oriented policing also comprises of three key components in America as well as other nations. These components are: community partnership, organizational transformation as well as problem solving. Most countries, including the United States, think that

Poetry Analysis Essay Example for Free

Poetry Analysis Essay The poem is quick to assert that, maybe even provide a caveat, that one should take their life seriously and live their life to the fullest. It’s interesting that Byron beings to reflect on his life at this age, and I find it even more interesting that the poem was written on the last year he would live. One thing Byron emphasizes heavily on this poem is love and compassion. His first lines are an admittance that he does not have a partner by his side (lines 5-8). Many people fear dying alone, and Byron is not immune to such anxiety. Byron is even envious for those who have found love (lines 13-15). The â€Å"Chain† Byron says he wears symbolizes loneliness, perhaps even failure. He fears that his ultimate failure in life would be his lack of a companion, and that he cannot fill that void. I think Byron than goes on to say that love is happiness: and to have an absence in love would leave a person empty. Byron realizes he has failed in the one area he defines to be the most important and to recover from that and at least die in an honorable/memorable way is to take the soldier’s death. Since he has no significant other to speak highly of him when he is gone, he could at least have his fellow brothers-in-arms speak of him when he’s gone (most likely due to the soldier’s death). Overall, I’d say Byron is quite malcontented with how he’s lived his life. But I would say he was rather too harsh on himself, he fails to recognize all the great and wonderful things he has achieved in his life. But I also know that no one can determine whether or not someone was successful in life; that can only be determined by how that individual perceives themselves. The poem as a whole seems to be a reflection, but also a sad epiphany that Byron has not done all that he could have done with his life. This leads to the reoccurring theme that has been illustrated by almost all poets of this age: The ‘carpe diem’ seize the day/moment mentality. Darkness At the beginning lines of the poem, Byron sets up the reader to understand that this vision of the future, while not a current reality, could easily become so if mankind does not change his interaction with the environment. A cataclysmic event has occurred in which the sun is destroyed. For the eco-critic, this could be representative of any sort of environmental issue that is the result of man’s irreverence for the Earth – nuclear war, pollution, overpopulation. The poem does not need to explain how the sun was destroyed, just that the event happened and as a result, mankind’s decent into chaos and death was imminent. Mankind’s reaction to the event is to burn both civilization and nature in order to provide fuel to continue its existence. The next section forewarns the reader that following environmental catastrophe will be nothing but destruction. The destruction of nature occurs in the form of the overuse of resources, such as animals for food and trees for fuel. Men and animals would seemingly succumb to an almost hysteric state in which the law of survival becomes the only law, which is heralded as truth. This state of kill or be killed ultimately produced more concerns for the fate of mankind. Not only has the environment begun to be destroyed, here represented by the loss of the sun, but what few resources remain are being consumed at an unsustainable rate. The eco-critic understands that the population of the Earth can and should only become as large as is sustainable by the resources available to it. Byron illustrates this concept through the introduction of famine in the next section of his text. â€Å"The crowd was famish’d by degrees; but two of an enormous city did survive, and they were enemies. † The ultimate warning of eco-criticism is that the result of the widespread destruction of the environment is the widespread destruction of the human race. Byron has created a world in which the only two remaining humans cling to whatever life they have left in the form of a metaphorical flame. The last section of â€Å"Darkness† leaves the reader with a haunting image of a world in which nothing living exists. According to the eco-critic, this is the warning that Byron is delivering to us: either we change our ways and amend our neglect of environmental duty and responsibility, or we eventually perish. The destruction of mankind will come at its own hands, whether it is through environmental cataclysm, overpopulation and the subsequent war and famine, or through the slow poisoning of the Earth. Darkness† is a vehicle by which the eco-critic can forewarn the reader to change. Eco-Criticism, then, becomes a vehicle for change and hope. It is not merely about the destruction of the world, but hope that destruction can be avoided. Epitaph on an Infant This is a short poem, but still has a lot of meaning behind it, pertaining to the circle of life and death. Coleridge is saying that death can come at anytime and any moment, and seize anyone it pleases. Taking the b aby’s life shouldn’t be viewed as an evil or injustice, but rather part of the cycle. The first line can be interpreted to mean that the baby was never able to become exposed to the horrors of the world (sin) or be in the world for too long to have its loss be heart-breaking (sorrow). Not saying the loss of the baby was not a saddening thing, but Coleridge is saying the baby was not in this world long enough for it to be a huge loss. The last line is hopeful, saying the baby was able to â€Å"blossom there†, with there meaning heaven obviously. This, I feel, is how Coleridge viewed situations where the cycle of life seemed to break its own norms with taking a life that many would view as too early to take. This is for those who never got to grasp the mentality that many Romantic embraced during this time, of seizing the day, and living life to its fullest, not having any regrets. Of course, the baby (or any other youngling) is unable to even encounter such mentalities or form its own attitude for life. Even the length of the poem is symbolic; it represents the life span of the young babe, and how short life can ultimately be if one does not take their time to sit back and enjoy it a bit. Human Life Here’s how I interpreted this poem to be, line (cluster) by line (cluster). Lines 1-4: if the human body dies, the soul lives on forever. Lines 5-6: A human is comprised of three things, mind, body, and spirit. Lines 7-9: Everybody dies at some point in their life, and while to may try to prolong it, it is ultimately unavoidable. Lines 10-14: Nature will choose when everyone dies, it does not discriminate. Lines 15-17: When everything does not seem to be going your way, look through your previous dreams, hopes, and fears. Then reflect, and see if everything is as bad as you are making things out to be. Lines 18-22: remember though that each previous event echoes other ones and to be honest why do we wallow in things that are not important, and yet we hide ourselves from matters of much more importance? Lines 23-26: Why do we compare ourselves to events in the past instead of matters in the present moment or future? The past does not change, but we are shaped from it. Lines 27-28: Humans feel what they feel for no apparent reason; yet they seek reasons for why they feel the way they do. And the final line (29): All of a human’s life is nothing but a contradiction. A human will seek answers to many of life’s questions within themselves, but will always have conflict within. With this poem, Coleridge takes a more dark approach to the cycle of life, with his central theme of the poem being clearly stated at the very end â€Å"A beings being is contradiction†. He takes the approach to life of many people spend hours, days, weeks even contemplating the reasons for the seasons, our existence, why we die, and all other philosophical questions; and he asks â€Å"Why even bother seeking such answers? †. Death is unavoidable, and those who try to prolong it or even avoid it, are just walking contradictions. Why try to go against what is everyone’s fate in the end? Coleridge purposes such ideas and asks provocative questions to get his readers to think: Is it wiser to spend one’s life contemplating matters that way over everyone’s head, or rather just accept that your life as you know it will end one day, but in the meantime do your best to live it and not let anything shackle you to the bonds of â€Å"I can’t therefore I won’t†. Once again, the Romantic theme of ‘carpe-diem’ is sensed as a undertone to this poem, as Coleridge is warning people to not let the worldly matters trouble them, instead seek out the best in your life. Ode On The Death Of A Favorite Cat Drowned In A Tub Of Goldfishes This poem was quite uncommon for its time, but it still shared the qualities that make the readers think about life, death, and the cycle of the two. The reader is taken on a journey into the life of this cat, Selima, experiencing not only the beauty that is said creature, but also the sad end she came to, quite undeservingly. The third person view Grey utilizes helps show the struggle between life (the cat) versus nature. With the tone being deadly erious, Grey is showing a portrait of the cat as a cat with her conscious tale and ears of jet ( lines 7,11), trying to accomplish no more than procuring a goldfish for lunch. However, the tale takes a deadly turn when the fated Selima goes a paw too far and tumbles face-first into the goldfish tub. The reader, through this tone (which some might call mock-heroic, could they not see the utter tragedy and seriousness of Selimas fate), is taken into the life and death of a ca t who was merely hungry; alas, she ends up swimming with the fishes. The golden hue of the fish is what catches the tabby’s attention, and the cat then tries to catch it’s lunch. Eventually, the cat falls into the pond, and struggles for a while, with no help coming. This can be seen as no matter what you do in your life, when things really matter (such as a life and death situation), the only person one can rely on is themselves. Unfortunately, Grey has a grim way to convey that. The cat surfaces eight times, each time her life force growing weaker and weaker against the struggle ntil eventually Selima, having exhausted all her life, sinks amidst the objects of her lunchtime ambitions. Grey’s powerful message here is clear; be careful where you step, as you may fall into a pond of goldfish and drown. Furthermore, Gray implies, what you covet, though it may be beautiful, may lead you to your death. This can be tied back to the theme of not taking life for granted, and making each day yours. Should one be weighed down with material possessions and worldly goods, they are depriving themselves of the ultimate ‘good’, life itself.

The Crucible by Nicholas Hytner :: Movie Review, Film

This captivating screen version of The Crucible is based on Arthur Miller’s play in 1953. Nicholas Hytner did an excellent job at directing this movie. There are a few faults in the film, but overall it was a wonderful movie. The first fault in the movie was the beginning scene. The scene was supposed to be a night scene. But it looks as if it was early morning. I think Hytner shot the scene during the day and tried to use the night vision but it did not work so well. Another bad scene was when the girls are supposed to faint in the courtroom. The scene was poorly directed and acted. Bob Crowley did a great job with the designing of the costumes. They completely fit with the scenery and the setting. The music was also a plus with this film. It always fit in every scene. The base drumbeats were timed just right in the scene when Elizabeth is questioned about John being an adulterer. Right when she gave her answer the drum went, â€Å"BOOOM!† The camera always seemed to be in just the right place at all times. The cameraman shot every angle perfectly. He caught every person’s reaction, such as in the scene when John admits to lechery with Abigail. First he catches Abigail’s reaction to John’s admittance of this, and then he also catches Reverend Parris’s reaction when the Judge is talking about the girls dancing in the woods. The lighting worked very well in Elizabeth’s scene with the judge. Right before she states her answer, Hytner makes the rain go away and the sun come out and across the back wall of the courtroom. It makes the audience think that something good is about to happen, as if she was going to tell the truth and all the trials were going to stop. One character that stuck out to me is Winona Ryder as Abigail. She has a look of lust. Her eyes show deep sexual passion every time she looks at John Proctor. Ryder’s looks are very intimidating. In the scene when she threatens the girls, not only does her threat, â€Å"†¦let anyone breathe a word or the edge of a word about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring with me a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.

Functions of Doctrine in a Christian and African Perspective

Doctrine, in Ninian Smart’s dimensions of religion refers to the writings and textbook knowledge that people have regarding their religion. This is exactly what people believe about their respective religions passed on from the generation to generation. Doctrine is in fact, â€Å"the set of answers one has accepted to life’s profound questions. † It intrinsically comprises what the ethical standards of a certain religion would have and it â€Å"directly affects† the behavior of its followers. The â€Å"symbolic and mythical† are given order by doctrine, since people cannot rely on abstract truths alone.The main purpose of doctrine is to give â€Å"authoritative and sometimes systematic proofs that their religious reality and everyday reality is one and the same. † It may also be said that doctrines are somewhat answers laid out by the authoritative body in a certain religion, to answer the questions of life. They are â€Å"logical† hig hly systematized body of religious knowledge intrinsic in religion. It is evident that when two opposing doctrines clash, â€Å"believers commit the most bloody atrocities in the name of their belief† and in the process stay true to the doctrines they uphold.Certain aspects of the human life such as â€Å"death, suffering and change† are given light by religious doctrines, since it gives a foundation of belief to the religious follower. It may be said that people need something to hold on too, because these facts of life are much too grave for the ordinary human mind. In general, doctrines are â€Å"belief systems which provide answers to certain boundary/identity questions. † What cannot be explained is therefore given light by religious doctrines, and this help in a person’s acceptance of life and its realities.The functions then of doctrine are to â€Å"bring order and focus to myth and ritual†, â€Å"provide institutionalization of answers to the unexplainable†, â€Å"control boundaries of religious expression†, and â€Å"determine what is inclusive and exclusive in a given religion. † African religion has been greatly questioned by early European explorers visiting the continent. Some Africans were actually even converted to both Islam and Christianity through these explorers. In modern times, African religion still continues to be dominantly pagan.Dialogues regarding African religions have had certain difficulties since African â€Å"ethnic groups lack a term for religion in the Western sense as an entity or activity separate from everyday life. † Africans uphold religion as a complete way of life. African religion also may become misleading, since doctrines per tribe differ in degree and belief, where it is only called â€Å"doctrines† for formality purposes. As most world religions, the African religions hold that there is one creator of the universe who withdrew and remains remote f rom the concerns of the world.Believers do not directly talk to this god, nor do they offer sacrifices to him. Instead, secondary divinities are seen as ‘middlemen’ between them and their god. They are considered as â€Å"children of the god† or at least are held to be high ranking in their religious hierarchy. It should be noted that African â€Å"religions do not demand adherence to any single doctrine. † The intent of these religions is almost always pragmatic, where â€Å"religious rituals serve as strategies for reinforcing life, fertility and power. Doctrine then for them is a set of practice and rituals that they do in order for them to survive.What they believe in is that â€Å"the principal vision shared by African religions is that human beings must vigilantly maintain a harmonious relationship with divine powers in order to prosper. † The goal of these religions is to control these divine powers for the betterment of their lives, and â⠂¬Å"ritual is the way to do so†. A practical way of looking at religion and doctrine is what comprises African religions.Ritual then â€Å"ensures a community’s responsible relationship with ancestors who are guardians of the moral order, with spiritual forces within nature, and with the gods. † Of course, for Christianity, it is a totally different story. Doctrine for Christianity is a way of life, yet it is not purely for survival. Rituals are present yet not in the same sense as African religion where they offer animal sacrifices and hold mystical ceremonies. Christian doctrine therefore is an ethical way of life, a compilation of the facts about the religion, compiled by the Catholic Church.Christian doctrine therefore centers on the truth about God, Jesus and life. These are ways on how to live a Christian life which also teaches the way of Jesus. It may be seen as dogmatic, since the early doctrines were considered more of dogma than a religion that can hel p in a person’s salvation. These Catholic doctrines had been protested and continuously scrutinized by scientists and philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche. The Catholic Church has been known in its early years to have imposed a way of life to the Christians, implementing soul and even physical persecution in the name of sin.The Catholic Church, though not changing the religious doctrines through time, adapts to the modern world of democracy and human rights. Persecution, like in Dante’s Inferno is not taught anymore, and was instructed to be uplifted because people follow not because they believe in the doctrine, but because of fear of persecution. Christian doctrine has now become a way of life for most Christians, deepening and rejuvenating their faith in their daily lives through it.

Genetically Modified Foods One World Essay Essay

Did you know that we’ve been eating genetically modified foods for the past 10 years? It’s in about 70-75% of our nation’s food. Our food supply has greatly improved. Today we are going to find out what are genetically modified foods. Genetically modified foods are foods that have been engineered in the laboratory. They are improved in many ways. In the first part of my speech I will talk about the genetic modification technology in food and agriculture, locating improvements. In the second part I will include a debate about food safety, consumer attitudes and other concerns. Newspapers frequently carry stories about genetically modified food. The biotechnology agricultural age is occurring. Scientists had an idea to make food have better appearance, growth, and taste. In genetic engineering you take the best food available and add the few characters you are interested in so that you’re breeding efficiency is increased. The last century was a time of big changes in genetic engineering. Humanity made huge steps toward creating new life. Experiments with creating human were not successful, but the whole world was watching the experiment with sheep Dooley, which became first cloned animal. It was first such a big succeeded experiment and as a result almost everyone knew the last news about the sheep. However a big achievement was made in modifying new plants and crops. In the 21st century genetically modified products already became a part of our life. Every day new genetic products appear in shops and it becomes harder to find healthy food which does not contain any added chemical components. Apples during the winter time, oranges which become ripe twice faster than their period of ripening and tomato bushes which can survive very cold weather prove that biological world had experienced a lot of changes. Experiments are being made, new plants are being produced for a quite a long period of time, however genetically modified products is one of the hotly debatable topics today. The benefits of gene technology in terms of food production are enormous. The most common genetically engineered crops contain modifications that make the plants resistant to certain diseases and herbicides, or allow them to produce their own pesticides, thereby eliminating or reducing the need to spray. So-called â€Å"Bt corn,† for example, contains a gene resistant to the harmful mycotoxin fungus and herbicide producers, Monsanto have created a strain of soybeans genetically modified to be unaffected by their product Roundup. The soybean farmer therefore can avoid targeting specific weeds and require just one application of a general weed-killer, reducing costs and agricultural waste run-off. Genetically modified crops are also being adapted to grow in salty, dry or frosty environments, contain edible vaccines, have a longer shelf life and be more nutritious. A group of Swiss and German scientists recently developed a strain of GM rice known as ‘golden rice’ due to its altered color. Containing genes that produce a unusually high amount of beta-carotene (vitamin A), this rice could be a solution to the thousands of poor children in Asia who eat little but rice and go blind or die from lack of vitamin A. Public reaction to the use of recombinant DNA in genetic engineering however has been mixed. Sliding US export commodities such as genetically modified soybeans and corn have highlighted hardened public opinion and widespread resistance to biotech crops, especially in the European Union. Concerns about GM foods fall into three categories: economics, environmental hazards and human health risks. The latter two have been the subject of hot debate, both in Australia and overseas. Environmental damage from GM crops can be caused through various channels. One of the main concerns has been the possibility of gene transfer to a non-target species, that is crops engineered for herbicide tolerance and weeds cross-breeding, resulting in the transfer of the herbicide resistance to create ‘super weeds’. In addition, environmentalists fear that transgenic plants may proliferate rapidly, pollinating natural plants in their surroundings eliminating existing species. Further environmental suspicions include those of unintended harm to other organisms and of the reduced effectiveness of pesticides once insects become tolerant to a crop’s natural pesticide. Questions have also been raised on the human impact of genetically modified organisms. Critics of recombinant DNA fear that the pathogenic, or disease-producing organisms used in some recombinant DNA experiments might develop extremely infectious forms that could cause worldwide epidemics. Likewise, the unknown effect of foreign genes introduced into GM food crops in terms of human health also presents a controversial issue. Furthermore, there is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. A proposal to incorporate a gene from Brazil nuts into soybeans in order to increase their nutritional value was abandoned when it was found that the genetically engineered soybeans caused an allergic reaction in people sensitive to Brazil nuts. For these reasons, extensive testing and labeling of GM foods may be required to avoid the possibility of harm to consumers with food allergies. Biotechnology has started to revolutionize food production, with fantastic results. With the world population of 6 billion expected to double in the next 50 years and an adequate food supply becoming a major challenge it will no doubt continue to do so in the future.

Analysis of a film poster Essays

Analysis of a film poster Essays Analysis of a film poster Essay Analysis of a film poster Essay Essay Topic: Film The film poster that I have chosen to analyse is that used for Halloween Resurrection. The title of the film is situated at the bottom of the page but has also been centred. The font used for it stands out because it is plain but it also has the sharp edging which helps with symbolising what the genre of the film is. The use of colour in the word Halloween helps it to stand out, the silver colour used at the top of the lettering contrasts with the black background making it stand out and catch the eye of the public. The poster has also included a lot of the common things that you will find on all film posters such as the certification, which is situated next to the title. There is also all the information about the production company, director etc which has to be included for legal purposes, the one thing that is found on almost all film posters is the names of at least one star who is in starring in the film but this poster does not include any names. Also there is no release date found on the poster, one reason for this could be because the poster was released before the company had decided on the date of release. First impressions from the poster are that the film is going to be a thriller genre. Once you look in more detail at the poster you can see that there are different images that have been used to create the feel that the film is going to be of the above genre. Firstly the title Halloween Resurrection shows that it is going to be a thriller because you usually associate Halloween with ghosts and rising people from the dead, also the word resurrection is associated with the rising of dead people. Another image that shows the thriller side is the use of the knife which blood on the tip of it, also the way that the knife has had a sparkle put on it shows that it is sharp and it makes you feel as though it will be used for evil. The use of the Michael Myers mask as the background image shows that it is going to be a thriller, but people who have seen the other films in the Halloween series will pick up on this up. If you havent seen any of the other Halloween films then you will not realise who the person is in the background but you should be able to realise that he seems evil because you are only able to see half of his as the other half is in shadow and the sockets of his eyes are completely black. The poster does conform your expectations of the genre because it shows many images that you can associate to other thriller films. The way that the sentence Evil finds its way home is placed across the face in the background makes you think that maybe this face is in fact the face of evil, and it is his home where he is planning on going back to. Also the image of the knife with the blood on it shows that there will be death within the film and that is more than likely the way that people are going to be killed. The enigma which is used to bring people into watch the film is the face in the background because people are going to want to know whos face it is and why it is being kept in the dark. The review given to the film that has been printed on the poster again ties in with the thriller genre as it says that the film is more gore-splattering than you might expect. The image used as the background of the poster is an extreme close-up on a very pale face. The camera has been positioned face-to-camera on a slight upward tilt. The light has been angled so as though only half of the face is lit up and the other half is in the shadows, the side that has been lit up is the side with the writing running across the cheek. The other stars in the film are collaged together to fit inside the blade of the knife, it has been done in this way because all these people are going to be victims of the killer. The order, which they have been put in the blade could symbolise the order of which they are going to be murdered. The way that the image of Tyra Banks isnt only a close up of her face like the other stars is used to try to bring in an audience of males because it shows her cleavage. The further back the images are in the knife blade the more shadowing there is on their faces, the face at the front has hardly any shadowing whereas the face at the very back has half of her face in shadow. The faces within the knife blade all have serious expressions with a slight look of anxiety and fear, this could show that they are going to be victims of the killer or they know something about the killings. The face in the background is expressionless. The main framing is open but within that there is the framing of the knife blade, which is a closed frame. The image in the background is slightly out of focus and this helps to bring the knife into focus in the foreground. In the review written on the page there is the use of hyperbole, the way that the word hugely has been used to describe how entertaining it is has been put there to emphasise it. There is a range of ages of the people who star in this film, the people who we can see from the film range from teenagers to 30s. There is also an even range of gender, in the majority of films males have more roles than women do but from the people you can see on the poster there is an even range. The images used within the poster are used in a typical manner to show that the film is going to be of the thriller. The use of the mysterious person in the background and then the knife blade in the foreground with all the other stars from the film collaged into it also help build tension about the film. The film poster was directed mainly towards people who are over 15 and into thriller films. It is also directed towards people who are fans of films from the rest of the Halloween series, these people are aimed at by the use of the Michael Myers face in the background. I think that the poster was also successful because it builds tension about the film and makes people want to go and see what is actually going to happen.

7 Examples of Passive Voice (And How To Fix Them)

7 Examples of Passive Voice (And How To Fix Them) 7 Examples of Passive Voice (And How To Fix Them) 7 Examples of Passive Voice (And How To Fix Them) By Mark Nichol The sentence construction â€Å"(noun) (verb phrase) by (noun)† is known as passive voice or passive construction, because the true subject is relegated to the end of the sentence and is thus acted on, rather than acting, which often weakens the statement. The solution is simple: Give the focal point of the sentence its due â€Å"(noun) (verb) (noun),† and demote the false subject to the back of the line. Note that not every passive construction is evil sometimes what seems to be the false subject is worthy of prominence but a preponderance of passive constructions leads to a wearying read. 1. â€Å"There is a considerable range of expertise demonstrated by the spam senders.† The actors in this little drama are the spam spenders or, to be more active, the spam senders are the actors in this little drama. Direct them center stage, and send the weak â€Å"there is† opening packing to the provinces: â€Å"The spam senders demonstrate a considerable range of expertise.† 2. â€Å"It was determined by the committee that the report was inconclusive.† Again, the subject is weak and indeterminate. Two actors, the committee and the report, are vying for the lead role here, but committee is the bearer of the news about the report, and to place the report the head of the sentence would be to replace one passive sentence with another. Attend to the actors: â€Å"The committee determined that the report was inconclusive.† 3. â€Å"We were invited by our neighbors to attend their party.† We is stronger than it as a sentence opener, but â€Å"our neighbors† is stronger still: â€Å"Our neighbors invited us to attend their party.† 4. â€Å"Groups help participants realize that most of their problems and secrets are shared by others in the group.† This sentence starts off actively but then turns and bellies up in the middle; emphasizing â€Å"others in the group† over â€Å"most of their problems and secrets† makes the sentence more active: â€Å"Groups help participants realize that others in the group share most of their problems and secrets.† 5. â€Å"The proposed initiative will be bitterly opposed by abortion rights groups.† The content may be about the proposed initiative, but that doesn’t preclude given a sentence about it a more dynamic structure: â€Å"Abortion rights groups will bitterly oppose the proposed initiative.† 6. â€Å"Minor keys, modal movement, and arpeggios are shared by both musical traditions.† The writer is detailing key information at the head of this sentence, but starting off with the context is stronger: â€Å"Both musical traditions share minor keys, modal movement, and arpeggios.† 7. â€Å"In this way, the old religion was able to survive the onslaught of new ideas until the old gods were finally displaced by Christianity.† Remember when I wrote that not every passive voice should be targeted for reconstruction? This sentence is more active, but no more correct: â€Å"In this way, the old religion was able to survive the onslaught of new ideas until Christianity finally displaced the old gods.† Perhaps the newcomer, Christianity, should also come later in the sentence. Again, don’t indiscriminately exterminate passive construction at the expense of the writer’s voice or intent, but do exercise judicial revision to rejuvenate pallid prose. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Using the Active Voice to Strengthen Your WritingTestimony vs. Testimonial

Cause - Effect Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cause - Effect Assignment - Essay Example However, when they become obsolete and are discarded inappropriately, the products release toxic substances into the environment- including air, water, and soil. Various computers parts have varying levels of toxic substances. For instance, an average computer screen contains five to eight pounds of lead accounting for around 40% of all lead in the US. Generally, these items form part of a larger category of wastes known as electronic waste, or e-waste. Electronic waste generally refers to carelessly discarded, excess, or broken electronic devices. This definition is vague and there is still debate as to whether items such as broken fridges and other household appliances should be included under e-wastes. However, the widely accepted definition includes wastes arising from computer hardware, old electronic devices such as phones (both fixed and mobile) and entertainment gadgets, television sets, computer monitors, refrigerators, and other electronic communication devices. Poor dispos al of e-wastes poses several risks to human health and degrades environmental quality as they contain noxious metallic elements known to cause serious health complications. When the wastes are buried in landfills, toxic constituents can infiltrate into water systems and the soil, and finally reach our bodies. Should we sacrifice ourselves for the sake of technology? There has been a growing call for industry players to effect proper disposal of e-wastes, or to find alternative uses of the wastes, such as recycling and separating the components of the electronic devices for use in various industrial processes. Causes of Increased Volumes of Computer Hardware Although toxins released by poorly discarded computer hardware affect every one of us, the majority is generated by electronic companies and repair shops that do not want to incur additional expenses in adopting sound waste management expenses. Critics also argue that recycling could unintentionally cause damage to the environmen t as it leads to accumulation of electronic materials that will eventually have to be discarded. They further argue that e-wastes do not constitute a significant portion of total wastes. Hence, diversion of more funds to implement waste management practices will only serve to benefit the companies and not the public (Hicks et al, 2005). Besides, recycling of computer hardware exposes workers to the heavy metals present in most of the equipment. This problem can worsen if workers do not wear protective gear. It is costly too since the percentage of the initial cost recovered after recycling can be as low as 1-5%. Using these arguments, companies and individuals have continued to dump computer hardware and other electronic wastes without regard to their long-term effects on the environment. This could subsequently result in the suffering of innocent individuals who have had no input in the disposal process. A second common source of waste computer hardware has been through dismantling shops. Although the recycling process is a noble idea, not computer parts are recycled. The non-recycled parts are poorly disposed leading to increased amounts of waste computer hardware in our town. The steady increase of these computer parts together with other obsolete electronic items could ultimately result into a steady increase in electronic wastes resulting to unmanageable levels. Long Term Effects of Computer Hardware in my Town Electronic wastes contain precious elements

Coconut Groove Fire Incident Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Coconut Groove Fire Incident - Research Paper Example This, among other design flaws and failures to take safety measures into consideration, led to the tragic incident. This paper seeks to give an in depth analysis of the events that led to the fire, and changes executed by fire and safety departments across America to avoid a repeat of the tragedy. The Cocoanut Grove Fire and Potential Causes To understand why the Cocoanut Grove fire was not easily contained, and why it claimed so many lives, it is imperative to get an idea of its original layout. This facility had three exits, on the Shawmut, Piedmont and Broadway sides (Boston Fire Historical Society, n.d). The building’s main entrance comprised of a single revolving door on the Piedmont Street side. The entrance opened into Cocoanut Grove’s lobby, while the way into the Melody Lounge, in the lower level, was through a single stairwell from the reception area. There were no other entrances or exits from this part of the Night Club. The exit to Shawmut Street was positi oned centrally along the main club area’s wall. Another entrance along this wall, and bordering the performance stage was closed at all times. The third exit was on the side of the new Broadway Cocktail Lounge. This exit comprised of just one door, which unfortunately opened inward. Another contributory factor, to the massive loss of life, was that all other exits that could have enabled patrons to escape were either obscured or locked. For instance, had the door on the side of Piedmont Street been open during the incident, Melody lounge patrons could have exited without having to go back to the reception area (Beller & Sapochetti, 2000). Another imperative safety flaw noted was that, exit points from the upper level dressing areas were through stairs, which ended at the Shawmut side door that was always locked. Additionally, windows on the Shawmut and Piedmont building sides were obscured, making them virtually invisible for patrons inside the facility. Further, the night cl ub’s interior had numerous decorations, made of flammable materials. Some of these materials included fabrics on the ceiling as well as artificial leather used on bars and walls. To make matters worse, the facility had false walls and suspended ceilings throughout, covering the building initial fixtures. There were also artificial palms, for decorative purposes and these were not only in the night club, but also in the Melody Lounge at the basement level. The palm trees’ capacity to burn was accentuated by incorporation of electrical lighting and its affiliated wiring. The lower leveled Melody Parlor also had highly flammable rattan wood coverings on the walls, and most of the furniture in the entire facility had artificial leather covering (Beller & Sapochetti, 2000). Allegedly, a mere eight days prior to the tragic fire, inspectors from Boston’s fire department had scrutinized the facility. In their report, these inspectors indicated that there were sufficient exits, no combustible decorations and enough fire extinguishers to put out a fire, in case of one. Apparently, the only deficit found by the inspectors was the absence of a steel fire barrier between the dining area and the Broadway Lounge. It is crucial to note that, following the facility expansion through inclusion of the Broadway Lounge, the club’s management sent an application for a restaurant license to the town council. Under the new terms of operation, the Cocoanut