Cloud Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cloud - Assignment Example Users will use this to interact with the cloud services. For instance, users need a browser that will enable them to access a wide variety of applications at the same time (Collins, 2014). They can access word applications, sophisticated programs, and electronic mail services. An example is the email services where the user requires a browser to access storage and software that is on the cloud host. Essentially, a cloud computing architecture comprises of a front-end and a back-end. The back-end consists of the storage and the servers. On the other end, the front end is made up fat and thin clients. In addition, there is a delivery system based on the cloud and the network. The choice to either rent a cloud computing facility or to purchase hardware is dependent on a number of constraints. First, is the population of the company against the monthly charges per terminal. The larger the organization, the individual cost will be lower but the overall cost, when projected on a long term basis, is very costly. In such a case, it is advisable to purchase hardware for the organization. When running significant database systems, it is cheaper if the organization avoided renting the facility. Making the most out of a cloud facility may be hard because they have fixed instance sizes. With your installation, it gives you the flexibility of creating dimensions of your choices (Jamsa, 2013). The experience with cloud providers is the significant acceleration of CPU speed and the memory. However, the world outside demands you have one flanking the other. Challenges coming with colocation include availability of in-house expertise. It ranges from establishing your network, acquiring equipments that may be expensive. Also, your data centers have to be up twenty-four hours seven days. The additional cost here is to have staff on call and ready to move. Otherwise, you incur extra costs hiring somebody to fix these problems. There is no option other than purchasing

Mutual Fund Project Essay Example for Free

Mutual Fund Project Essay The fund employs a passive management investment approach. It is a low cost way to gain diversified exposure to the equity market in the United States. The fund invests in 500 of the largest companies in the United States. The companies span many different industries and the fund accounts for about 75% of the United States stock market’s value. VFINX measures the investment return of large-capitalization stocks. The most obvious risk is the volatility that comes with its full exposure to the stock market. The mutual fund portfolio’s composition is made up of 99. 45% stocks and . 55% cash. The expense ratio for this mutual fund is . 17%. This is the annual fee that shareholders are charged. It expresses the percentage of assets deducted each fiscal year for fund expenses, including 12b-1 fees, management fees, administrative fees, operating costs, and all other asset-based costs incurred by the fund. For the Year-to-Date (ytd) rankings in its category, VFINX ranked in at 24 according to Yahoo! Finance. Over the last 10 years, the fund has performed in direct correlation to the Samp;P 500 being that it is an index fund and there is a beta of 1, meaning that whatever the Samp;P 500 does, the fund will do as well. VFINX is a good choice if an investor is seeking a mutual fund that offers the stability of large, established companies and the wide exposure of a fund that holds both value and growth stocks. Fidelity Magellan Fund (FMAGX) has ridden the ups and downs over the years of the market’s roller coaster. The fund has gone through many changes over the years and one of the most important key factors to the fund’s performance has been related to the way it was managed. The fund currently has assets totaling 14. billion and its portfolio consists of growth and value stocks across the capitalization spectrum from around the world and the United States. The fund keeps about 20 percent of the holdings in foreign stocks. It is one of the world’s most known actively managed funds and has finally found some stability due to its newest manager, Harry Lange. In 2008, during the financial crisis, the management chose to stay aggressive instead of investing defensively and incurred a bad loss, which lead to the changes in management. FMAGX is classified as a large growth fund and is ranked 24 in its category according to Yahoo! Finance. The 3-year beta is 1. 7, which means that it bears more risk than investing directly in the Samp;P 500, however this also means that it could provide heftier returns. The mutual fund portfolio’s composition

Grief Patterns in Children Essay -- science

Grief Patterns in Children A simple child That lightly draws its breath And feels its life in every limb What should it know of death. This question has been posed by many philosophers, religious leaders and psychologists for centuries, yet has been a potent taboo in society even today. As the field of psychology is gaining ground and knowledge in how behaviors affect the way in which we interact with others, we are discovering new ways to approach and view the mental processes of a human and apply them to how a person grieves that loss. But while oft times those assumptions, hypothesis, and theories are made by adults for adults, the child is a more difficult subject in which to study since it has not achieved its mature mental capabilities. For the adult, a full and eventful life is the predecessor of a grasp of what life and death actually entail, whereas for the child a pure and incomprehensible approach is taken when trying to understand and rationalize its loss. These differences cause much pain and suffering for both adults and children when one does not understand what each is going through and needs, especi ally those of the child. It is often mistaken that bereavement, grief, and mourning are all used synonymously, when they are all in fact quite different terms, which are essential to understanding what relates to a loss proceeding a death. Bereavement alludes to the stress that the person who has experienced the loss is feeling, but not necessarily defining the stress' nature. Grief is the actual process that follows in stages which may occur at different times ensuing the death and loss. According to Tom Golden, LCSW, "grief is related to desire. Whether the desire is large or small, if it is not met, (one) will probably have grief." (Tom Golden, Crisis, Grief, & Healing) Mourning, according to Sigmund Freud, is "the mental work following the loss of a love object through death." (Fuhrman, 1974, p 34, quoting S. Freud, 1915/1957) It not only concerns itself with the present loss but also with the future possibility of relationships. But when a person experiences the loss of a parent through death, they are forever shaped and mettled. Although it has been theorized and debated over whether a child mourns or is even capable of mourning, the affirmations on the cases' part have been very well supported. In order to understand the differ... ...h is a process, not an event." (p. 47) When expecting a child to demonstrate certain characteristics, it is not uncommon for the parent to be confused since both are on different levels of recognizing the loss and dealing with it. Attempting to understand and sympathize with the child and to help them effectively deal with their emotions and confusion is very helpful, not only for the child but for the parent. Everyone, at some point in their life, is going to experience a death or have someone close to them experience a death, the key is communication--opening up and being perceptive to the needs of the bereaved. Sometimes the survivors will exemplify attitudes and actions which show independence and strength yet have needs that need to be met. The everyday changes everyone experiences are and can be very burdensome, but for children, with the uncertainty of their worlds and the people that fill them, it may seem almost impossible to deal with. The significance is in helping the children to deal with their loss at a developmentally appropriate level and to help them "get through" their feelings and to rebuild their lives with the environment in which they've been left.

Chapter 14 The Unforgivable Curses

The next two days passed without great incident, unless you counted Neville melting his sixth cauldron in Potions. Professor Snape, who seemed to have attained new levels of vindictiveness over the summer, gave Neville detention, and Neville returned from it in a state of nervous collapse, having been made to disembowel a barrel full of horned toads. â€Å"You know why Snape's in such a foul mood, don't you?† said Ron to Harry as they watched Hermione teaching Neville a Scouring Charm to remove the frog guts from under his fingernails. â€Å"Yeah,† said Harry. â€Å"Moody.† It was common knowledge that Snape really wanted the Dark Arts job, and he had now failed to get it for the fourth year running. Snape had disliked all of their previous Dark Arts teachers, and shown it – but he seemed strangely wary of displaying overt animosity to Mad-Eye Moody. Indeed, whenever Harry saw the two of them together – at mealtimes, or when they passed in the corridors – he had the distinct impression that Snape was avoiding Moody's eye, whether magical or normal. â€Å"I reckon Snape's a bit scared of him, you know,† Harry said thoughtfully. â€Å"Imagine if Moody turned Snape into a horned toad,† said Ron, his eyes misting over, â€Å"and bounced him all around his dungeon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The Gryffindor fourth years were looking forward to Moody's first lesson so much that they arrived early on Thursday lunchtime and queued up outside his classroom before the bell had even rung. The only person missing was Hermione, who turned up just in time for the lesson. â€Å"Been in the -â€Å" â€Å"Library.† Harry finished her sentence for her. â€Å"C'mon, quick, or we won't get decent seats.† They hurried into three chairs right in front of the teacher's desk, took out their copies of The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, and waited, unusually quiet. Soon they heard Moody's distinctive clunking footsteps coming down the corridor, and he entered the room, looking as strange and frightening as ever. They could just see his clawed, wooden foot protruding from underneath his robes. â€Å"You can put those away,† he growled, stumping over to his desk and sitting down, â€Å"those books. You won't need them.† They returned the books to their bags, Ron looking excited. Moody took out a register, shook his long mane of grizzled gray hair out of his twisted and scarred face, and began to call out names, his normal eye moving steadily down the list while his magical eye swiveled around, fixing upon each student as he or she answered. â€Å"Right then,† he said, when the last person had declared themselves present, â€Å"I've had a letter from Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures – you've covered boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, is that right?† There was a general murmur of assent. â€Å"But you're behind – very behind – on dealing with curses,† said Moody. â€Å"So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark -â€Å" â€Å"What, aren't you staying?† Ron blurted out. Moody's magical eye spun around to stare at Ron; Ron looked extremely apprehensive, but after a moment Moody smiled – the first time Harry had seen him do so. The effect was to make his heavily scarred face look more twisted and contorted than ever, but it was nevertheless good to know that he ever did anything as friendly as smile. Ron looked deeply relieved. â€Å"You'll be Arthur Weasley's son, eh?† Moody said. â€Å"Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago†¦.Yeah, I'm staying just the one year. Special favor to Dumbledor†¦.One year, and then back to my quiet retirement.† He gave a harsh laugh, and then clapped his gnarled hands together. â€Å"So – straight into it. Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you countercurses and leave it at that. I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in the sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then. But Professor Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves, he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful. You need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I'm talking.† Lavender jumped and blushed. She had been showing Parvati her completed horoscope under the desk. Apparently Moody's magical eye could see through solid wood, as well as out of the back of his head. â€Å"So†¦do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?† Several hands rose tentatively into the air, including Ron's and Hermione's. Moody pointed at Ron, though his magical eye was still fixed on Lavender. â€Å"Er,† said Ron tentatively, â€Å"my dad told me about one†¦.Is it called the Imperius Curse, or something?† â€Å"Ah, yes,† said Moody appreciatively. â€Å"Your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse.† Moody got heavily to his mismatched feet, opened his desk drawer, and took out a glass jar. Three large black spiders were scuttling around inside it. Harry felt Ron recoil slightly next to him – Ron hated spiders. Moody reached into the jar, caught one of the spiders, and held it in the palm of his hand so that they could all see it. He then pointed his wand at it and muttered, â€Å"Imperio!† The spider leapt from Moody's hand on a fine thread of silk and began to swing backward and forward as though on a trapeze. It stretched out its legs rigidly, then did a back flip, breaking the thread and landing on the desk, where it began to cartwheel in circles. Moody jerked his wand, and the spider rose onto two of its hind legs and went into what was unmistakably a tap dance. Everyone was laughing – everyone except Moody. â€Å"Think it's funny, do you?† he growled. â€Å"You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?† The laughter died away almost instantly. â€Å"Total control,† said Moody quietly as the spider balled itself up and began to roll over and over. â€Å"I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ron gave an involuntary shudder. â€Å"Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius Curse,† said Moody, and Harry knew he was talking about the days in which Voldemort had been all-powerful. â€Å"Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out who was being forced to act, and who was acting of their own free will. â€Å"The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!† he barked, and everyone jumped. Moody picked up the somersaulting spider and threw it back into the jar. â€Å"Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?† Hermione's hand flew into the air again and so, to Harry's slight surprise, did Neville's. The only class in which Neville usually volunteered information was Herbology which was easily his best subject. Neville looked surprised at his own daring. â€Å"Yes?† said Moody, his magical eye rolling right over to fix on Neville. â€Å"There's one – the Cruciatus Curse,† said Neville in a small but distinct voice. Moody was looking very intently at Neville, this time with both eyes. â€Å"Your name's Longbottom?† he said, his magical eye swooping down to check the register again. Neville nodded nervously, but Moody made no further inquiries. Turning back to the class at large, he reached into the jar for the next spider and placed it upon the desktop, where it remained motionless, apparently too scared to move. â€Å"The Cruciatus Curse,† said Moody. â€Å"Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea,† he said, pointing his wand at the spider. â€Å"Engorgio!† The spider swelled. It was now larger than a tarantula. Abandoning all pretense, Ron pushed his chair backward, as far away from Moody's desk as possible. Moody raised his wand again, pointed it at the spider, and muttered, â€Å"Crucio!† At once, the spider's legs bent in upon its body; it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. No sound came from it, but Harry was sure that if it could have given voice, it would have been screaming. Moody did not remove his wand, and the spider started to shudder and jerk more violently – â€Å"Stop it!† Hermione said shrilly.† Harry looked around at her. She was looking, not at the spider, but at Neville, and Harry, following her gaze, saw that Neville's hands were clenched upon the desk in front of him, his knuckles white, his eyes wide and horrified. Moody raised his wand. The spider's legs relaxed, but it continued to twitch. â€Å"Reducio,† Moody muttered, and the spider shrank back to its proper size. He put it back into the jar. â€Å"Pain,† said Moody softly. â€Å"You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse†¦.That one was very popular once too. â€Å"Right†¦anyone know any others?† Harry looked around. From the looks on everyone's faces, he guessed they were all wondering what was going to happen to the last spider. Hermione's hand shook slightly as, for the third time, she raised it into the air. â€Å"Yes?† said Moody, looking at her. â€Å"Avada Kedavra,† Hermione whispered. Several people looked uneasily around at her, including Ron. â€Å"Ah,† said Moody, another slight smile twisting his lopsided mouth. â€Å"Yes, the last and worst. Avada Kedavra†¦.the Killing Curse.† He put his hand into the glass jar, and almost as though it knew what was coming, the third spider scuttled frantically around the bottom of the jar, trying to evade Moody's fingers, but he trapped it, and placed it upon the desktop. It started to scuttle frantically across the wooden surface. Moody raised his wand, and Harry felt a sudden thrill of foreboding. â€Å"Avada Kedavra!† Moody roared. There was a flash of blinding green light and a rushing sound, as though a vast, invisible something was soaring through the air – instantaneously the spider rolled over onto its back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead. Several of the students stifled cries; Ron had thrown himself backward and almost toppled off his seat as the spider skidded toward him. Moody swept the dead spider off the desk onto the floor. â€Å"Not nice,† he said calmly. â€Å"Not pleasant. And there's no countercurse. There's no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me.† Harry felt his face redden as Moody's eyes (both of them) looked into his own. He could feel everyone else looking around at him too. Harry stared at the blank blackboard as though fascinated by it, but not really seeing it at all†¦. So that was how his parents had died†¦exactly like that spider. Had they been unblemished and unmarked too? Had they simply seen the flash of green light and heard the rush of speeding death, before life was wiped from their bodies? Harry had been picturing his parents' deaths over and over again for three years now, ever since he'd found out they had been murdered, ever since he'd found out what had happened that night: Wormtail had betrayed his parents' whereabouts to Voldemort, who had come to find them at their cottage. How Voldemort had killed Harry's father first. How James Potter had tried to hold him off, while he shouted at his wife to take Harry and run†¦Voldemort had advanced on Lily Potter, told her to move aside so that he could kill Harry†¦how she had begged him to kill her instead, refused to stop shielding her son†¦and so Voldemort had murdered her too, before turning his wand on Harry†¦. Harry knew these details because he had heard his parents' voices when he had fought the dementors last year – for that was the terrible power of the dementors: to force their victims to relive the worst memories of their lives, and drown, powerless, in their own despair†¦. Moody was speaking again, from a great distance, it seemed to Harry. With a massive effort, he pulled himself back to the present and listened to what Moody was saying. â€Å"Avada Kedavra's a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it – you could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed. But that doesn't matter. I'm not here to teach you how to do it. â€Å"Now, if there's no countercurse, why am I showing you? Because you've got to know. You've got to appreciate what the worst is. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you're facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!† he roared, and the whole class jumped again. â€Å"Now†¦those three curses – Avada Kedavra, Imperius, and Cruciatus – are known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That's what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice constant, never-ceasing vigilance. Get out your quills†¦copy this down†¦.† They spent the rest of the lesson taking notes on each of the Unforgivable Curses. No one spoke until the bell rang – but when Moody had dismissed them and they had left the classroom, a torrent of talk burst forth. Most people were discussing the curses in awed voices – â€Å"Did you see it twitch?† â€Å"- and when he killed it – just like that!† They were talking about the lesson, Harry thought, as though it had been some sort of spectacular show, but he hadn't found it very entertaining – and nor, it seemed, had Hermione. â€Å"Hurry up,† she said tensely to Harry and Ron. â€Å"Not the ruddy library again?† said Ron. â€Å"No,† said Hermione curtly, pointing up a side passage. â€Å"Neville.† Neville was standing alone, halfway up the passage, staring at the stone wall opposite him with the same horrified, wide-eyed look he had worn when Moody had demonstrated the Cruciatus Curse. â€Å"Neville?† Hermione said gently. Neville looked around. â€Å"Oh hello,† he said, his voice much higher than usual. â€Å"Interesting lesson, wasn't it? I wonder what's for dinner, I'm – I'm starving, aren't you?† â€Å"Neville, are you all right?† said Hermione. â€Å"Oh yes, I'm fine,† Neville gabbled in the same unnaturally high voice. â€Å"Very interesting dinner – I mean lesson – what's for eating?† Ron gave Harry a startled look. â€Å"Neville, what -?† But an odd clunking noise sounded behind them, and they turned to see Professor Moody limping toward them. All four of them fell silent, watching him apprehensively, but when he spoke, it was in a much lower and gentler growl than they had yet heard. â€Å"It's all right, sonny,† he said to Neville. â€Å"Why don't you come up to my office? Come on†¦we can have a cup of tea†¦.† Neville looked even more frightened at the prospect of tea with Moody. He neither moved nor spoke. Moody turned his magical eye upon Harry. â€Å"You all right, are you, Potter?† â€Å"Yes,† said Harry, almost defiantly. Moody's blue eye quivered slightly in its socket as it surveyed Harry. Then he said, â€Å"You've got to know. It seems harsh, maybe, but you've got to know. No point pretending†¦well†¦come on, Longbottom, I've got some books that might interest you.† Neville looked pleadingly at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but they didn't say anything, so Neville had no choice but to allow himself to be steered away, one of Moody's gnarled hands on his shoulder. â€Å"What was that about?† said Ron, watching Neville and Moody turn the corner. â€Å"I don't know,† said Hermione, looking pensive. â€Å"Some lesson, though, eh?† said Ron to Harry as they set off for the Great Hall. â€Å"Fred and George were right, weren't they? He really knows his stuff, Moody, doesn't he? When he did Avada Kedavra, the way that spider just died, just snuffed it right -â€Å" But Ron fell suddenly silent at the look on Harry's face and didn't speak again until they reached the Great Hall, when he said he supposed they had better make a start on Professor Trelawney's predictions tonight, since they would take hours. Hermione did not join in with Harry and Ron's conversation during dinner, but ate furiously fast, and then left for the library again. Harry and Ron walked back to Gryffindor Tower, and Harry, who had been thinking of nothing else all through dinner, now raised the subject of the Unforgivable Curses himself. â€Å"Wouldn't Moody and Dumbledore be in trouble with the Ministry if they knew we'd seen the curses?† Harry asked as they approached the Fat Lady. â€Å"Yeah, probably,† said Ron. â€Å"But Dumbledore's always done things his way, hasn't he, and Moody's been getting in trouble for years, I reckon. Attacks first and asks questions later – look at his dustbins. Balderdash.† The Fat Lady swung forward to reveal the entrance hole, and they climbed into the Gryffindor common room, which was crowded and noisy. â€Å"Shall we get our Divination stuff, then?† said Harry. â€Å"I s'pose,† Ron groaned. They went up to the dormitory to fetch their books and charts, to find Neville there alone, sitting on his bed, reading. He looked a good deal calmer than at the end of Moody's lesson, though still not entirely normal. His eyes were rather red. â€Å"You all right, Neville?† Harry asked him. â€Å"Oh yes,† said Neville, â€Å"I'm fine, thanks. Just reading this book Professor Moody lent me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He held up the book: Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean. â€Å"Apparently, Professor Sprout told Professor Moody I'm really good at Herbology,† Neville said. There was a faint note of pride in his voice that Harry had rarely heard there before. â€Å"He thought I'd like this.† Telling Neville what Professor Sprout had said, Harry thought, had been a very tactful way of cheering Neville up, for Neville very rarely heard that he was good at anything. It was the sort of thing Professor Lupin would have done. Harry and Ron took their copies of Unfogging the Future back down to the common room, found a table, and set to work on their predictions for the coming month. An hour later, they had made very little progress, though their table was littered with bits of parchment bearing sums and symbols, and Harry's brain was as fogged as though it had been filled with the fumes from Professor Trelawney's fire. â€Å"I haven't got a clue what this lot's supposed to mean,† he said, staring down at a long list of calculations. â€Å"You know,† said Ron, whose hair was on end because of all the times he had run his fingers through it in frustration, â€Å"I think it's back to the old Divination standby.† â€Å"What – make it up?† â€Å"Yeah,† said Ron, sweeping the jumble of scrawled notes off the table, dipping his pen into some ink, and starting to write. â€Å"Next Monday,† he said as he scribbled, â€Å"I am likely to develop a cough, owing to the unlucky conjunction of Mars and Jupiter.† He looked up at Harry. â€Å"You know her – just put in loads of misery, she'll lap it up.† â€Å"Right,† said Harry, crumpling up his first attempt and lobbing it over the heads of a group of chattering first years into the fire. â€Å"Okay†¦on Monday, I will be in danger of – er – burns.† â€Å"Yeah, you will be,† said Ron darkly, â€Å"we're seeing the skrewts again on Monday. Okay, Tuesday, I'll†¦erm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Lose a treasured possession,† said Harry, who was flicking through Unfogging the Future for ideas. â€Å"Good one,† said Ron, copying it down. â€Å"Because of†¦erm†¦Mercury. Why don't you get stabbed in the back by someone you thought was a friend?† â€Å"Yeah†¦cool†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Harry, scribbling it down, â€Å"because†¦Venus is in the twelfth house.† â€Å"And on Wednesday, I think I'll come off worst in a fight.† â€Å"Aaah, I was going to have a fight. Okay, I'll lose a bet.† â€Å"Yeah, you'll be betting I'll win my fight†¦.† They continued to make up predictions (which grew steadily more tragic) for another hour, while the common room around them slowly emptied as people went up to bed. Crookshanks wandered over to them, leapt lightly into an empty chair, and stared inscrutably at Harry, rather as Hermione might look if she knew they weren't doing their homework properly. Staring around the room, trying to think of a kind of misfortune he hadn't yet used, Harry saw Fred and George sitting together against the opposite wall, heads together, quills out, poring over a single piece of parchment. It was most unusual to see Fred and George hidden away in a corner and working silently; they usually liked to be in the thick of things and the noisy center of attention. There was something secretive about the way they were working on the piece of parchment, and Harry was reminded of how they had sat together writing something back at the Burrow. He had thought then that it was another order form for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, but it didn't look like that this time; if it had been, they would surely have let Lee Jordan in on the joke. He wondered whether it had anything to do with entering the Triwizard Tournament. As Harry watched, George shook his head at Fred, scratched out something with his quill, and said, in a very quiet voice that nevertheless carried across the almost deserted room, â€Å"No – that sounds like we're accusing him. Got to be careful†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then George looked over and saw Harry watching him. Harry grinned and quickly returned to his predictions – he didn't want George to think he was eavesdropping. Shortly after that, the twins rolled up their parchment, said good night, and went off to bed. Fred and George had been gone ten minutes or so when the portrait hole opened and Hermione climbed into the common room carrying a sheaf of parchment in one hand and a box whose contents rattled as she walked in the other. Crookshanks arched his back, purring. â€Å"Hello,† she said, â€Å"I've just finished!† â€Å"So have I!† said Ron triumphantly, throwing down his quill. Hermione sat down, laid the things she was carrying in an empty armchair, and pulled Ron's predictions toward her. â€Å"Not going to have a very good month, are you?† she said sardonically as Crookshanks curled up in her lap. â€Å"Ah well, at least I'm forewarned,† Ron yawned. â€Å"You seem to be drowning twice,† said Hermione. â€Å"Oh am I?† said Ron, peering down at his predictions. â€Å"I'd better change one of them to getting trampled by a rampaging hippogriff.† â€Å"Don't you think it's a bit obvious you've made these up?† said Hermione. â€Å"How dare you!† said Ron, in mock outrage. â€Å"We've been working like house-elves here!† Hermione raised her eyebrows. â€Å"It's just an expression,† said Ron hastily. Harry laid down his quill too, having just finished predicting his own death by decapitation. â€Å"What's in the box?† he asked, pointing at it. â€Å"Funny you should ask,† said Hermione, with a nasty look at Ron. She took off the lid and showed them the contents. Inside were about fifty badges, all of different colors, but all bearing the same letters: S. P. E .W. â€Å"Spew?† said Harry, picking up a badge and looking at it. â€Å"What's this about?† â€Å"Not spew,† said Hermione impatiently. â€Å"It's S-P-E-W. Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.† â€Å"Never heard of it,† said Ron. â€Å"Well, of course you haven't,† said Hermione briskly, â€Å"I've only just started it.† â€Å"Yeah?† said Ron in mild surprise. â€Å"How many members have you got?† â€Å"Well – if you two join – three,† said Hermione. â€Å"And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying ‘spew,' do you?† said Ron. â€Å"S-P-E-W!† said Hermione hotly. â€Å"I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status – but it wouldn't fit. So that's the heading of our manifesto.† She brandished the sheaf of parchment at them. â€Å"I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now.† â€Å"Hermione – open your ears,† said Ron loudly. â€Å"They. Like. It. They like being enslaved!† â€Å"Our short-term aims,† said Hermione, speaking even more loudly than Ron, and acting as though she hadn't heard a word, â€Å"are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing the law about non-wand use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're shockingly underrepresented.† â€Å"And how do we do all this?† Harry asked. â€Å"We start by recruiting members,† said Hermione happily. â€Å"I thought two Sickles to join – that buys a badge – and the proceeds can fund our leaflet campaign. You're treasurer, Ron – I've got you a collecting tin upstairs – and Harry, you're secretary, so you might want to write down everything I'm saying now, as a record of our first meeting.† There was a pause in which Hermione beamed at the pair of them, and Harry sat, torn between exasperation at Hermione and amusement at the look on Ron's face. The silence was broken, not by Ron, who in any case looked as though he was temporarily dumbstruck, but by a soft tap, tap on the window. Harry looked across the now empty common room and saw, illuminated by the moonlight, a snowy owl perched on the windowsill. â€Å"Hedwig!† he shouted, and he launched himself out of his chair and across the room to pull open the window. Hedwig flew inside, soared across the room, and landed on the table on top of Harry's predictions. â€Å"About time!† said Harry, hurrying after her. â€Å"She's got an answer!† said Ron excitedly, pointing at the grubby piece of parchment tied to Hedwig's leg. Harry hastily untied it and sat down to read, whereupon Hedwig fluttered onto his knee, hooting softly. â€Å"What does it say?† Hermione asked breathlessly. The letter was very short, and looked as though it had been scrawled in a great hurry. Harry read it aloud: Harry – I'm flying north immediately. This news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore – they're saying he's got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he's reading the signs, even if no one else is. I'll be in touch soon. My best to Ron and Hermione. Keep your eyes open, Harry. Sirius Harry looked up at Ron and Hermione, who stared back at him. â€Å"He's flying north?† Hermione whispered. â€Å"He's coming back?† â€Å"Dumbledore's reading what signs?† said Ron, looking perplexed. â€Å"Harry – what's up?† For Harry had just hit himself in the forehead with his fist, jolting Hedwig out of his lap. â€Å"I shouldn't've told him!† Harry said furiously. â€Å"What are you on about?† said Ron in surprise. â€Å"It's made him think he's got to come back!† said Harry, now slamming his fist on the table so that Hedwig landed on the back of Ron's chair, hooting indignantly. â€Å"Coming back, because he thinks I'm in trouble! And there's nothing wrong with me! And I haven't got anything for you,† Harry snapped at Hedwig, who was clicking her beak expectantly, â€Å"you'll have to go up to the Owlery if you want food.† Hedwig gave him an extremely offended look and took off for the open window, cuffing him around the head with her outstretched wing as she went. â€Å"Harry,† Hermione began, in a pacifying sort of voice. â€Å"I'm going to bed,† said Harry shortly. â€Å"See you in the morning.† Upstairs in the dormitory he pulled on his pajamas and got into his four-poster, but he didn't feel remotely tired. If Sirius came back and got caught, it would be his, Harry's, fault. Why hadn't he kept his mouth shut? A few seconds' pain and he'd had to blab†¦.If he'd just had the sense to keep it to himself†¦. He heard Ron come up into the dormitory a short while later, but did not speak to him. For a long time, Harry lay staring up at the dark canopy of his bed. The dormitory was completely silent, and, had he been less preoccupied, Harry would have realized that the absence of Neville's usual snores meant that he was not the only one lying awake.

History of Indian Airlines

Brief History of Indian Airlines India's chiefly domestic state-owned carrier, Indian Airlines Ltd. , flies passengers and cargo to 59 domestic and 16 international destinations. Its fleet numbered 52 aircraft in 2000. Indian Airlines has traditionally based its network around the four main hubs of Delhi, Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Calcutta, and Chennai (formerly Madras). The airline carries about six million passengers a year and has a substantial freight operation. Origins The Air Corporations Act of 1953 amalgamated India's dozen or so airlines, most of them undercapitalized, into two nationalized air carriers: Air-India Ltd. given responsibility for international routes, and Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC), the domestic airline. The eight airlines that were amalgamated into IAC included Air Services of India Ltd. , Airways (India) Ltd. , Bharat Airways Ltd. , Deccan Airways Ltd. (already 70 percent government-owned), Himalayan Aviation Ltd. , Indian National Airways Ltd. , Kalin ga Airlines, Ltd. , plus the domestic operations of Air-India Ltd. IAC began operations with a fleet of 74 of the war surplus Douglas DC-3s that had founded its short-lived predecessors. The airline also had three times as many employees as it needed, writes R.E. G. Davies, a situation that was slow to change due to the government's refusal to allow layoffs. Davies also writes that the standard of maintenance was low and the airline suffered many accidents in its early years. IAC soon moved to bolster its fleet by ordering a few new de Havilland 114 Herons, retired after only a couple of years of service, and Vickers Viscount 768s, which were assigned to trunk routes. The DC-3s continued to supply feeder traffic; they soon began to be phased out by Fokker F-27s and Avro 748s. IAC began flying short-haul jets–French-made Caravelles–in the mid-1960s.The Caravelles were so popular that IAC soon needed larger jets to on the routes between Bombay (Mumbai), Delhi, Calcutta, and Madras (Chennai) that formed the India's domestic trunk network. IAC's first Boeing 737s entered service in 1971. Between 1962 and 1972, IAC was called upon to support the military in several campaigns, first in skirmishes with China, and later with the wars with Pakistan that ultimately led to the creation of Bangladesh. Confidence and Crisis in the 1970s and 1980s IAC announced a Rs45 million loss for 1972. The next year, the company had several incidents of aircraft damage or loss.Labor unrest, high fuel costs, political burdens, and built-in inefficiencies added to the company's problems. However, these were met with such resolve that IAC had the confidence to order its first wide-body jets, Airbus A300s, in 1975. A program to produce ground support equipment in Indian factories was part of the deal. In 1976, new routes stretched across political divisions to Kabul, Afghanistan, in the northwest, and the Maldive Islands in the south. The government allowed the formation of a few new limited service airlines in the 1970s: Air Works India, Huns Air, and Goldensun Aviation.None of them had long life spans. Around 1979, IAC dropped the word â€Å"Corporation† from its name. Another national airline, Vayudoot, was formed in 1981 and tasked with carrying feeder traffic from India's smaller communities. Indian Airlines' managing director, Gerry Pais, was Vayudoot's part-time chairman. Vayudoot was serving more than 100 destinations within India by 1990. The government also set up a helicopter corporation to serve off-shore oil fields. Britain's  Financial Times  described Indian Airlines as the world's third largest domestic carrier in the mid-1980s.With business growing at better than ten percent a year, it was increasing its capacity. Indian Airlines ordered a dozen of the new Boeing 757s in August 1984. After Rajiv Gandhi, a former Indian Airlines pilot, became prime minister, this order was changed to Airbus A320s due to what were perceived as political reasons. However, the crash of an Indian Airlines A320 in Bangalore on February 14, 1990–the type's second major crash globally in a two-year period–sorely tested management's faith in the plane, which featured new fly-by-wire flight controls and electronic cockpit instrumentation.As part of a plan to merge Indian Airlines with Air-India, the state's international carrier, two leading young industrialists were appointed to chair the boards of the two companies in autumn 1986. Neither these plans nor the new chairmen lasted very long. In 1987, Indian Airlines carried 10 million passengers and earned a profit of Rs630 million ($48 million). However, the quality of its service was facing criticism, to be heightened by the coming entry of new carriers into the market. India's chiefly domestic state-owned carrier, Indian Airlines Ltd. flies passengers and cargo to 59 domestic and 16 international destinations. Its fleet numbered 52 aircraft in 2000. Indian Airline s has traditionally based its network around the four main hubs of Delhi, Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Calcutta, and Chennai (formerly Madras). The airline carries about six million passengers a year and has a substantial freight operation. Origins The Air Corporations Act of 1953 amalgamated India's dozen or so airlines, most of them undercapitalized, into two nationalized air carriers: Air-India Ltd. given responsibility for international routes, and Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC), the domestic airline. The eight airlines that were amalgamated into IAC included Air Services of India Ltd. , Airways (India) Ltd. , Bharat Airways Ltd. , Deccan Airways Ltd. (already 70 percent government-owned), Himalayan Aviation Ltd. , Indian National Airways Ltd. , Kalinga Airlines, Ltd. , plus the domestic operations of Air-India Ltd. IAC began operations with a fleet of 74 of the war surplus Douglas DC-3s that had founded its short-lived predecessors.The airline also had three times as many emplo yees as it needed, writes R. E. G. Davies, a situation that was slow to change due to the government's refusal to allow layoffs. Davies also writes that the standard of maintenance was low and the airline suffered many accidents in its early years. IAC soon moved to bolster its fleet by ordering a few new de Havilland 114 Herons, retired after only a couple of years of service, and Vickers Viscount 768s, which were assigned to trunk routes. The DC-3s continued to supply feeder traffic; they soon began to be phased out by Fokker F-27s and Avro 748s.IAC began flying short-haul jets–French-made Caravelles–in the mid-1960s. The Caravelles were so popular that IAC soon needed larger jets to on the routes between Bombay (Mumbai), Delhi, Calcutta, and Madras (Chennai) that formed the India's domestic trunk network. IAC's first Boeing 737s entered service in 1971. Between 1962 and 1972, IAC was called upon to support the military in several campaigns, first in skirmishes with China, and later with the wars with Pakistan that ultimately led to the creation of Bangladesh. Confidence and Crisis in the 1970s and 1980sIAC announced a Rs45 million loss for 1972. The next year, the company had several incidents of aircraft damage or loss. Labor unrest, high fuel costs, political burdens, and built-in inefficiencies added to the company's problems. However, these were met with such resolve that IAC had the confidence to order its first wide-body jets, Airbus A300s, in 1975. A program to produce ground support equipment in Indian factories was part of the deal. In 1976, new routes stretched across political divisions to Kabul, Afghanistan, in the northwest, and the Maldive Islands in the south.The government allowed the formation of a few new limited service airlines in the 1970s: Air Works India, Huns Air, and Goldensun Aviation. None of them had long life spans. Around 1979, IAC dropped the word â€Å"Corporation† from its name. Another national airline, Vayudoot, was formed in 1981 and tasked with carrying feeder traffic from India's smaller communities. Indian Airlines' managing director, Gerry Pais, was Vayudoot's part-time chairman. Vayudoot was serving more than 100 destinations within India by 1990.The government also set up a helicopter corporation to serve off-shore oil fields. Britain's  Financial Times  described Indian Airlines as the world's third largest domestic carrier in the mid-1980s. With business growing at better than ten percent a year, it was increasing its capacity. Indian Airlines ordered a dozen of the new Boeing 757s in August 1984. After Rajiv Gandhi, a former Indian Airlines pilot, became prime minister, this order was changed to Airbus A320s due to what were perceived as political reasons.However, the crash of an Indian Airlines A320 in Bangalore on February 14, 1990–the type's second major crash globally in a two-year period–sorely tested management's faith in the plane, which feature d new fly-by-wire flight controls and electronic cockpit instrumentation. As part of a plan to merge Indian Airlines with Air-India, the state's international carrier, two leading young industrialists were appointed to chair the boards of the two companies in autumn 1986. Neither these plans nor the new chairmen lasted very long.In 1987, Indian Airlines carried 10 million passengers and earned a profit of Rs630 million ($48 million). However, the quality of its service was facing criticism, to be heightened by the coming entry of new carriers into the market. Chronology * Key Dates: * 1953:  Indian Airlines is formed as India's domestic airline. * 1965:  Short-haul Caravelle jets enter the fleet. * 1972:  IAC records a rare loss. * 1975:  The company orders its first widebody jets. * 1992:  India's domestic air market is deregulated. * 1998:  Plans to merge Indian Airlines with Air-India are drawn up but not approved. 2001:  The Indian government solicits bidders for p artial ownership of Indian Airlines. Additional Details * State-Owned Company * Incorporated:  1953 as Indian Airlines Corporation * Employees:  22,500 * Sales:  Rs 3,755 crore ($1 billion) (2001) * NAIC:  481111 Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation; 481112 Scheduled Freight Air Transportation; 481211 Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation; 481212 Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportationhttp://www. referenceforbusiness. com/history2/65/Indian-Airlines-Ltd. html#ixzz2DAhNxQo5

Poverty And Social Structure Essays - Homelessness, Housing

Poverty And Social Structure Essays - Homelessness, Housing Poverty And Social Structure Pitzak, Chris Soc. 422 Dr. Heaton May 17, 1999 POVERTY AND SOCIAL STRUCTURES Although the United States is one of the richest countries in the world many of it's people sleep in the streets, dig through garbage cans to find food, and carry all that they own in this world on their backs or in shopping carts. These people are known as the homeless. Recently I had the opportunity of helping, and at the same time being educated by one of the members of this unfortunate group. I was able to experience first hand how a homeless person thinks and feels through an intimate means of communications popularly known as writing notes. Why writing notes? Because the individual that I invited into my home and fed was both deaf and mute. He was male, middle aged, and of African American decent. Needless to say it was a conversation unlike any I have ever had. In this paper, I plan to detail the observations I made during our interaction, specifically addressing how social structures form a key element in both the lives of the affluent and indigent. I met Reggie through some of my friends. He was homeless and in need of help. One night he knocked on my door and wrote on his piece of paper, may I come in? I nodded affirmatively and motioned him to have a seat on the couch. After retrieving a pad of paper and pen, we began to communicate. We began with a couple of trivial questions and then I asked if he would like something to eat. He responded by writing yes please on his pad of paper and I quickly prepared some of the food we had in our refrigerator. As he ate, I asked him about himself and how he had arrived at the position he was currently in. He said he was from Virginia and was Mormon. He had been baptized there and learned that there were a large number of Mormons in Utah, and for that reason decided to move to out here. He had a car and so he packed his few belongings and came out to live with a people who had the love of Christ and would be more accepting. He obtained a minimum wage job and even a small apartment. Things seemed to be going good. After a short period of time Reggie lost his job because he missed too many days without notifying his employer, a result of his genetic disabilities, and shortly after could not pay rent. At the time I talked with him he was living in his old beat up car, trying to find a meal. Why did Reggie find himself in this impoverish state, and why was he unable to climb out of it? I believe it is largely because of social structures, namely his networks. When individuals form networks or groups they tend to associate with those who are like them. Equity theory explains this by claiming that people are most satisfied with a relationship when the ratio between benefits and contributions is similar for both partners. This would infer that networks would exist between those within a specific class but not across classes. By forming associations with those of equitable status, the rich form a very supportive network and the poor form a network that can sympathize with their situation at best. Networks are vital to class mobility in that they are critical in molding life chances, providing

Benjamin Franklins Success Model Life and Times in the Autobiography essays

Benjamin Franklins Success Model Life and Times in the Autobiography essays Philosopher, scientist, and framer of the US Constitution: these are just few of the occupations Benjamin Franklin had been involved with throughout his life. In his memoir entitled, "Autobiography," Franklin talks about his life successfully assuming positions and occupations that had benefited American society. Interspersed with the narrative accounts of his life, the great proponent of the Enlightenment period also infused insightful thoughts about his philosophy of life and his optimistic view of humanity's goodness and potential to achieve perfection. One of the interesting points of "Autobiography" is his proposed model for success in life, wherein he enumerated thirteen (13) virtues in the life of man, which shall be his guide in his pursuit for perfection and satisfaction in life. This paper provides a detailed discussion and analysis of Franklin's life, applying in the discussion how his own model of success in life reflects his life. Franklin's success model is made up of four (4) virtues which bring into light the characteristics that made him successful and contented in life: resolution, industry, justice, and The first element that makes up Franklin's success model is resolution, describing this virtue as follows: "Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve." As a young man, Franklin is already seen as a resolute individual, who have a definite plan of action in achieving his goals in life. At a young age, he had already recognized the value of planning ahead, of formulating goals and dreams and systematically achieves them. In "Autobiography," he was able to go through all the hardships and difficulties in his work as a printer in Philadelphia, that, despite the conflicts that he had with his former employer, he was able to remain optimistic about his future and plan ahead despite his limited financial resources. ...

Definition and Examples of Grammaticalization

Definition and Examples of Grammaticalization In historical linguistics and discourse analysis, grammaticalization is a type of semantic change by which (a) a lexical item or construction changes into one that serves a grammatical function, or (b) a grammatical item develops a new grammatical function. The editors of The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar (2014) offer as a typical example of grammaticalization . . .  the development of be going to into an auxiliary-like item be going to. The term grammaticalization was introduced by French linguist Antoine Meillet in his 1912 study Levolution des formes grammaticales. Recent research on grammaticalization has considered whether (or to what extent) it is possible for a grammatical item to become less grammatical over time- a process known as degrammaticalization. The Concept of "Cline" Basic to work on grammaticalization is the concept of a cline (see Halliday 1961 for an early use of this term). From the point of view of change, forms do not shift abruptly from one category to another, but go through a series of small transitions, transitions that tend to be similar in type across languages. For example, a lexical noun like back that expresses a body part comes to stand for a spatial relationship in in/at the back of, and is susceptible to becoming an adverb, and perhaps eventually a preposition and even a case affix. Forms comparable to back of (the house) in English recur all over the world in different languages. The potential for change from lexical noun, to relational phrase, to adverb and preposition, and perhaps even to a case affix, is an example of what we mean by cline.The term cline is a metaphor for the empirical observation that cross-linguistically forms tend to undergo the same kinds of changes or have similar sets of relationships, in similar order s.(Paul J. Hopper and Elizabeth Closs Traugott, Grammaticalization, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2003) Have Got to According to Bolinger (1980) the modal auxiliary system of English is undergoing wholesale reorganization. Indeed, in a recent study, Krug (1998) observes that have got to for the expression of necessity and/or obligation  is one of the biggest success stories in English grammar of the last century.  Such claims suggest that  synchronic data spanning  several generations in apparent time may provide insight into the mechanisms underlying ongoing grammaticalization processes in this area of grammar. . . .In order to contextualize these forms  in terms of their development and history, consider the history of the modal must and its later quasi-modal variants have to and have got to . . ..Must has been around since Old English when its form was mot. Originally it expressed permission and possibility . . ., [b]ut by the Middle English period a wider range of meanings had developed . . ..According to the Oxford English Dictionary  (OED) the use of have to in the sense of oblig ation is first attested in 1579 . . ..The expression have got to on the other hand . . ., or with got by itself, . . . entered the English language much laternot until the 19th century . . .. Both Visser and the OED label it colloquial, even vulgar. . . . [P]resent-day English grammars usually consider it informal. . . .However, in a recent large-scale analysis of the British National Corpus of English (1998), Krug (1998) demonstrated that referring to have got to  or gotta as simply informal is quite an understatement. He found that in British English of the 1990s  have got to  or  gotta  were one and a half times as frequent as the older forms must and have to.According to this general trajectory, it would seem that the construction with got is grammaticalizing and further that it is taking over as the marker of deontic modality in English.(Sali Tagliamonte, Have to, Gotta, Must: Grammaticalization, Variation, and Specialization in English Deontic Modality.  Corpus App roaches to Grammaticalization in English, ed. by  Hans Lindquist and Christian Mair. John Benjamins, 2004) Expansion and Reduction [G]rammaticalization is sometimes conceived of as expansion (e.g., Himmelmann 2004), sometimes as reduction (e.g., Lehmann 1995; see also Fischer 2007).  Expansion models of grammaticalization  observe that as a construction ages, it may increase its collocational range (e.g., the development of BE going to as a future marker in English, which first collocated with action verbs, before extension to statives), and aspects of its pragmatic or semantic function (e.g., the development of epistemic modality in the use of will in examples such as boys will be boys).  Reduction models of grammaticalization  tend to focus on form, and particularly on changes (specifically, increase) in formal dependency, and phonetic attrition.(The Oxford Handbook of the History of English, ed. by  Terttu Nevalainen and Elizabeth Closs Traugott. Oxford University Press, 2012) Not Just Words, but Constructions Studies on grammaticalization have often focused on isolated linguistic forms. It has frequently been emphasized, however, that grammaticalization not only affects single words or morphemes, but often also larger structures or constructions (in the sense of fixed sequences). . . . More recently, with the increasing interest in patterns and particularly with the advent of Construction Grammar . . ., constructions (in the traditional sense and in the more formal explications of Construction Grammar) have received much more attention in studies on grammaticalization . . ..(Katerina Stathi, Elke Gehweiler, and Ekkehard Kà ¶nig, Introduction to Grammaticalization: Current Views and Issues. John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2010) Constructions in Context [G]rammaticalization theory adds little to the insights of traditional historical linguistics despite purporting to offer a new way of looking at data concerning grammatical forms.Still, one thing that grammaticalization definitely has gotten right in recent years is the emphasis on constructions and on forms in actual use, and not in the abstract. That is, it has been realized that it is not enough simply to say, for instance, that a body part has become a preposition (e.g. HEAD ON-TOP-OF) but rather one must recognize that it is HEAD in a particular collocation, e.g. at-the-HEAD-of that has yielded a preposition, or that HAVE turning into EXIST is not necessarily just a random semantic shift but rather is one that happens in the context of adverbials . . .. This is a big step forward, since it takes semantic change especially out of the realm of the purely lexical and places it into the pragmatic domain, deriving changes from inferencing and the like that are possible for words in constructions with other words and in actual, contextually keyed usage.(Brian D. Joseph, Rescuing Traditional (Historical) Linguistics From Grammaticalization Theory. Up and Down the Cline- The Nature of Grammaticalization, edited by Olga Fischer, Muriel Norde, and Harry Perridon. John Benjamins, 2004) Alternate Spellings: grammaticalisation, grammatisation, grammaticisation

Using examples, discuss critically in what circumstances is it right Essay

Using examples, discuss critically in what circumstances is it right to whistleblow - Essay Example lowing has been practiced for a very long time, and this is especially common in the corporate world which means it largely involves the employee/employer relationship in working places. In the UK, the whistleblowing practice first came to light and consideration following the enactment of the Public Interest Disclosure Act (1998) that was meant to lay the basis of all disclosure cases including whistle blowing. Since then, there have been an increased liberty in the manner through which people have handled cases of unsatisfying or harsh conditions at public offices and places of work with statistics showing that this has led to an improved state of resources and employee management. According to the Act, whistle blowing is classified as all forms of reports from workers on suspicion of wrongdoing at their respective places of work. These reports are meant to reveal this kind of information to other publics in what is referred to as making a disclosure for the sake of public interest. According to the Act, a worker is required to whistle blow if faced with various circumstances especially those that involve neglect of duties by an organisation or an individual in the place of work. These circumstances include; criminal offences being carried out at the place of work, when the organisation or an individual facilitates another person’s exposure to danger or unsafeness, where environment is facing damage, unlawfulness at the place of work and someone covering up cases of wrongdoing. A worker is supposed to report any form of criminal activity taking place in an organisation. A good example is seen in an organisation or an individual getting involved in activities such as theft, money laundering or drug business. A worker should also raise concerns if a company engages in practices that lead to degradation of the environment such as releasing untreated industrial waste into the environment. A worker can also raise a concern in cases where the safety of workers

A mother duties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A mother duties - Essay Example ace in your life an earthquake would not quite be able to describe until the aftershock – being left with different kinds of ruins with which you are the epicenter. Now this is the time when every bride realizes she actually dedicated all her carefully thought of vows to a routine of feeding, cleaning, gardening with every emotional quotient on the side. As opposed to popular belief, being a mother never makes you only a mother. It only makes you the mother of all trades. If before motherhood you have never imagined the possibility of doing something you think is hard work and at the same time doing something fun without depleting the satisfaction or productivity you can get from both, being a mother will now turn you into a Jedi. Mothers never simply rock a chair to put a baby to sleep. They do the rocking in a much more pleasurable way without having to feel guilty. Mothers may have lost their to-die-for bodies and a calendar full of fun activities but they sure still got the female hormones that need a little bit of tingling. Aside from that, motherhood is not a free-Willy cause where you can just trample in the sea all day long. A lot of mothers today, most of which seem to be a Stepford wife personified, are able to help pay the bills in the house and at the same time manage a family despite the many physical and emotional challenges they face in a daily basis – sometimes the hardest of which would be to tame a wistful second child, the husband. However, one thing I am sure of, behind every successful woman is a bag of dirty laundry. Thus, coining mothers who work a â€Å"working mother† is an implication of redundancy. At home, mothers perfectly exemplify that sleep is not a part of human life. Based on observation and experience, mothers could very well be considered the right hand of God. They are the household omnipresent, omniscient, and all-knowing beings who could very well deliver on every demand of each person in the house that makes the job of

The Difference between Republic and Democratic Party Essay

The Difference between Republic and Democratic Party - Essay Example For instance, people - or both parties and political ideologies - in the American South tend to be more conservative, while their neighbors in the Northeast and West Coast are typically more liberal. Also, not everyone adheres to the principles of the two major parties and there are several minor or "third parties" in the United States, although they rarely get their candidates elected (Remini 35-43). Below are some issues that are frequently discussed by the news media and politicians. Every four years during a presidential election, both major parties convene at a national convention and draft a platform, which is an agenda for the next four years and spells out their positions on the issues of the day. The current party platforms reveal the parties' positions on the following controversial issues: 2. Democrats' opinion is that flag burning is political speech and is protected by the Constitution; Republicans oppose them and claim that the flag is protected from burning by a constitutional amendment 4. According to the Democrats' platform they are in favor of strong regulations to protect the environment. Republicans look at this problem from economic point of view: "strong environmental laws harm the economy", they say. 9. 5. Democrats: "strong anti-discrimination laws are needed". Republicans: "People and businesses can be trusted not to discriminate". 6. Democrats debate that it is important to increase the minimum wage to help workers; Republicans' response is as follows "first of all, to raise the minimum wage means to hurt businesses". 7. Democrats stand for the Government which should require universal access to healthcare, while Republicans state that private insurers are preferable to government mandates. 8. According to Democrats, the Government should increase taxes on the wealthy to pay for public programs, Republicans: "cutting taxes for everyone helps the economy". 9. Democrats write that military spending is to be cut; veteran's benefits are to be expanded; the US is to act in concert with other nations and/or with support from NATO and the UN. Republicans declare that military spending is to be increased; veteran's benefits are to be cut; the US is not to be constrained by other nations or by NATO and the UN 10. Democrats strongly oppose the death penalty: "it is not a deterrent and innocent people are in jeopardy". Republicans are less sentimental in this issue: "the death penalty is necessary and effective" - that is their message. 11. Democrats announce that gays' rights and marriage are civil rights; Republicans view is traditionalistic, they say that marriage is a sacred trust between a man and woman only. 12. Democrats oppose the practice of the prayer in school, they believe it is the violation of the separation between church and state. Republicans, again, follow the tradition arguing that the prayer in school is a religious right and our Judeo-Christian heritage (Shafer & Badger 22-70; Gould 14-97). Thus as the above mentioned facts show, Democratic and Republican Parties are different in some very

Short and Long-term Financing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Short and Long-term Financing - Assignment Example Sainsbury plc uses different types of financing such as borrowing, bank loans, term loans and equity funds to acquire needed cash. Long term finance is usually paid off after a long period of time such as 10-25 years. On the other hand, short term finance needs to be paid off within a year. Long term finance is acquired to fulfil a company's long-term funding needs whereas short term funds are used to finance company's working capital. Sainsbury relies on short term bank loans, bank overdrafts and short term notes for short term financing, and relies on equity shareholder's funds, medium term notes, finance leases and loan stock for long term financing. The company relies on too much loan capital, which is mostly high interest bearing in the long-term. High payments of interest reduce the company's profits. Also, high loan capital weakens a company's credit worthiness and increases risk in future. Equity financing carries high cost because it is more risky for investors. However, equity financing can be used to generate huge capital and payment of dividends is not compulsory. On the other hand, debt financing requires fixed payment of interest compulsorily. Businesses cannot rely on one source of finance rather they endeavour to maintain a mix of debt and equity capital. Companies with high debt capital are considered as more risky and therefore, the cost of capital will rise as creditors will demand more return i.e. high interest because of high risk involved. High risk, high return for investors and high cost for the company. Evidence B Working Capital Management- Sainsbury plc Working capital can simply be defined as the amount of funds in excess of current assets over current liabilities. It is basically the sum of money which is left after keeping aside the funds that are to be paid off to short term creditors. Working capital is used to finance a company's short term business needs and expenditures Working capital has two major elements viz. the current assets and the current liabilities. It can be mentioned as: Working capital = current assets-current liabilities In order to analyse a company's working capital management, it is useful to calculate ratios such as current ratio, quick ratio, receivable turnover ratio and stock turnover ratio (see appendix I). All these ratios help to determine a company's working capital position. Current ratio shows the ability of a company to meet its short term expenses and obligations out of its current assets less current liabilities. Sainsbury plc's current ratio is 0.79:1 at the end of the year 2006 whereas it was 0.57:1 in 2005 and 0.83:1 in the year 2004. It shows that the working capital position of the company has declined by about 5% over the last three years. The company is able to pay off only 79p for every 1 borrowed. Quick ratio is a variant of current ratio. It is calculated on the basis of only the current assets that can be readily converted into cash, excluding inventory and prepaid expenditures. Sainsbury plc's quick ratio is 0.67:1 at the end of year 2006, 0.46:1 in 2005 and 0.67 in 2004. This means that the company is only able to pay off 67p for every 1 of its short term obligations out of its quick current assets. For efficient working capital management, it is very essential that the company is able quickly convert its receivables and inventories into cash. The receivable turnov

Leadership in Difficult Times Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership in Difficult Times - Research Paper Example A beautiful landscape comprising of Colorado Mountains: Mt. Antero, Mt. Princeton and Chalk Cliffs, surrounds the Ranch which increases the attraction of the place. The Wolmingtons have been the most gracious and kind hosts in the entire Colorado as their guests (more of clients) continue to repeat their returns year after year. There are guest rooms, family lunches and dinners, hunting time with exciting adventures and do-it-yourself guides that allow their clients to feel at home (â€Å"DVR†, 2012). After the death of Clara, Parker thought he was left alone. However, his fourth generation has now taken over the Deer Valley Ranch operations and continues to offer the same homely feeling and adventure to their guests which Parker and Clara together provided. At the age of 94, Parker died in 2011. Now, Levi, Halley, Cora, Daniel and Jordan are the heirs of the Deer Valley Ranch and have to ensure that it continues to thrive like before. Today is 19th March, 2012. Daniel woke up from his bed after a beautiful night sleep. It has been almost five months since Parker’s death, and things have been moving smoothly. Daniel smiled and lazily moved towards the morning newspaper lying on the breakfast table. Levi was in the kitchen and beautiful aroma of baked bread and hot coffee drifting from there and fresh morning air from the Colorado Mountains broadened Daniel’s smile even further. ... All of them like Daniel for his leadership qualities and the ability to envisage team working spirit in the Ranch that has only benefitted the entire Ranch family which includes its clients. But things do not remain all the same every day. Daniel took up the newspaper and all of a sudden, his smile turned into a horror stricken one. A shout from his mouth left Levi stranded between the desire to run to Daniel and the bread in the oven that was only seconds from ready. Levi’s mind decided for the former and she ran to Daniel who was pulling hard on the arm chair. â€Å"What happened?† asked Levi. Getting no response, she filled a glass of water and put it to Daniel’s lips. He took a long swallow of water and his mind started working. â€Å"We are in the recessions. Prices of food and inflation have risen tremendously and we have 7,000 deer and one goat in the Ranch to feed. How are we going to save our Ranch within no time?† said Daniel with a perplexed exp ression. â€Å"Don’t worry, everything will be alright†, answered Levi with a confident smile. â€Å"We just need to inform others and devise a strategy to save the deer from dying† said Levi. â€Å"Yes, you are right. Let me call Jordan, Halley and Cora. We should immediately sort out this matter†, exclaimed Daniel. Within an hour, all of the five heirs of Deer Valley Ranch were sitting outside the Ranch House. â€Å"We have to save our Grandparent’s Ranch as it means everything to us. The prices of the food have increased three times as of today’s newspaper. We have 7,000 deer and only one goat in the Ranch, which means we will not be able to provide the required level of food in terms of quantity and quality to

Respiratory Protection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Respiratory Protection - Essay Example (OSHA, 2011) However the kind of respiratory protection required for each situation is different and should be used accordingly to ensure maximum damage protection. Sanding Fiberglass in Open Air Fiberglass is used extensively in applications relating to HVAC (for ductwork and acoustical control) as well as structural components such as cooling tower stacks. Fiberglass may need to be grinded once it has set into place for adjustments or for modifications. The grinding produces fiberglass dust that is more dangerous than fiberglass fibers. The size of the dust particles is smaller than the fibers so they can be transported quicker to the lungs. Given the situation that grinding is taking place in an open environment it can be assumed that the oxygen levels pose no serious concerns. The only real danger emerges from the inhalation of the fiber glass dust produced by grinding. Fiberglass dust protection is offered by using NIOSH approved N95 respirators. The use of either half face or f ull face piece respirators should be done after an assessment form EHIS to determine if the personnel should be placed in a complete respiratory protection program. (EHIS, 2011) The NIOSH N95 respirators block out fiberglass and other small dust particles and offer a breathing system that extracts ambient air and filters it before inhalation. Nitrogen Leakage in Confined Area Nitrogen is not poisonous but presents a significant hazard when it is mixed with breathing air. In the provided situation the nitrogen leaking from the tubes would mix up with ambient air around the leakage. The mixing of nitrogen with ambient air would cause a decrease in the overall oxygen concentration and this would lead to asphyxiation. In the worst case scenario, the person undergoing such asphyxiation could die too. Moreover the working environment is confined so the already present nitrogen leakage would have already diluted the oxygen present in the working environment. The oxygen levels should be che cked for the confined space to determine the kind of protection required. Two distinct options are available to protect respiration using ASRs. (OSHA, 2011) One could be the use of SCBA and the other could be the use of supplied air respirators. The use of SCBA would be overkill as the atmosphere in the confined environment does not contain a poisonous material such as ammonia. Therefore it would be best to use a supplied air respirator using plant air as a supply. Spray of Hazardous Materials in Open Environment When hazardous materials are available in a working environment there is a constant need to protect the skin as well as the respiration of the personnel involved. In these circumstances, APRs are used in order to purify the incoming breathing supply. In order to offer protection against hazardous materials it is necessary to use full face protection. Moreover the amount of oxygen available in the environment also plays a major role in deciding the kind of respiratory protec tion to be used. In the given situation, the oxygen levels are reported at greater than 19.5% which means that oxygen supply (such as through plant air) would not be required. Instead the protection required would require APRs to purify the incoming air supply to the personnel. Furthermore the PEL for each material has been crossed but the IDLH values have not been exceeded as yet. In case of hydrochloric acid the PEL is 50 ppm and in case it is exceeded, the use of a NIOSH approved respirator with a

Leadership in Difficult Times Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership in Difficult Times - Research Paper Example A beautiful landscape comprising of Colorado Mountains: Mt. Antero, Mt. Princeton and Chalk Cliffs, surrounds the Ranch which increases the attraction of the place. The Wolmingtons have been the most gracious and kind hosts in the entire Colorado as their guests (more of clients) continue to repeat their returns year after year. There are guest rooms, family lunches and dinners, hunting time with exciting adventures and do-it-yourself guides that allow their clients to feel at home (â€Å"DVR†, 2012). After the death of Clara, Parker thought he was left alone. However, his fourth generation has now taken over the Deer Valley Ranch operations and continues to offer the same homely feeling and adventure to their guests which Parker and Clara together provided. At the age of 94, Parker died in 2011. Now, Levi, Halley, Cora, Daniel and Jordan are the heirs of the Deer Valley Ranch and have to ensure that it continues to thrive like before. Today is 19th March, 2012. Daniel woke up from his bed after a beautiful night sleep. It has been almost five months since Parker’s death, and things have been moving smoothly. Daniel smiled and lazily moved towards the morning newspaper lying on the breakfast table. Levi was in the kitchen and beautiful aroma of baked bread and hot coffee drifting from there and fresh morning air from the Colorado Mountains broadened Daniel’s smile even further. ... All of them like Daniel for his leadership qualities and the ability to envisage team working spirit in the Ranch that has only benefitted the entire Ranch family which includes its clients. But things do not remain all the same every day. Daniel took up the newspaper and all of a sudden, his smile turned into a horror stricken one. A shout from his mouth left Levi stranded between the desire to run to Daniel and the bread in the oven that was only seconds from ready. Levi’s mind decided for the former and she ran to Daniel who was pulling hard on the arm chair. â€Å"What happened?† asked Levi. Getting no response, she filled a glass of water and put it to Daniel’s lips. He took a long swallow of water and his mind started working. â€Å"We are in the recessions. Prices of food and inflation have risen tremendously and we have 7,000 deer and one goat in the Ranch to feed. How are we going to save our Ranch within no time?† said Daniel with a perplexed exp ression. â€Å"Don’t worry, everything will be alright†, answered Levi with a confident smile. â€Å"We just need to inform others and devise a strategy to save the deer from dying† said Levi. â€Å"Yes, you are right. Let me call Jordan, Halley and Cora. We should immediately sort out this matter†, exclaimed Daniel. Within an hour, all of the five heirs of Deer Valley Ranch were sitting outside the Ranch House. â€Å"We have to save our Grandparent’s Ranch as it means everything to us. The prices of the food have increased three times as of today’s newspaper. We have 7,000 deer and only one goat in the Ranch, which means we will not be able to provide the required level of food in terms of quantity and quality to

Media Representation on the Conflict in the Middle East Research Proposal

Media Representation on the Conflict in the Middle East - Research Proposal Example The events in the world like the twin tower bombing on September 11, 2001, in New York City, Washington DC and Pennsylvania and the numerous wars that occurred in the centuries will be indelibly impressed on the minds of millions, if not billions, of the world’s inhabitants. Where were you when you heard the news on the attack on the World Trade Center in New York and on the Pentagon in Washington? What was your reaction to the news on TV, Internet and newspaper when war broke out in the Middle East, learning that the US is installing their troops in Afghanistan? What’s your idea of Bin Laden? Who is he? How did you feel about the story of Hitler and the Holocaust? How far has man reached in pursuit of self-destruction? The incredibly swift destruction of so much property and lives has given mankind reason to pause and reflect. But what was the role of media in representing these events? Isn’t it a normal happening nowadays to hear and view of such news? Artists and Their Shock Tactics to Imply Change. In truth, scene of war has been displayed dozens of times in art galleries in different forms. People get used to it. They find beauty in it—that is, the bloody sprawl of bodies on the floor while heroically winning a battle over the battle, butchering brothers and neighbors of a different race. What do you think is the purpose of the artists in displaying the gruesome effect of the scene? What was the reaction of the art’s appreciator? Is it some kind of a form of a shock tactic? As viewed by Juliet S. Samuel of The Harvard Crimson online edition, shock tactics in the name of art are nothing new, whether it’s excrement smeared on the Virgin Many (Chris Ofili), crucifixes submerged in urine (Andres Serrano), or Danish artist Marco Evaristti exhibiting live goldfish in functional blenders.

The Defeat That Won A Life Essay Example for Free

The Defeat That Won A Life Essay Throughout History man has suffered from many setbacks and even though these have slowed his progression it has never defeated him. In the fiction novel The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway the main character Santiago undergoes many challenges while fighting the big fish. Even though in the end Santiago lost the fish, he was never defeated. Throughout the novel The Old Man and the Sea Hemingway uses symbolism through Santiago, the marlin, and his nemesis, the sharks to contribute to his theme that â€Å"A man can be destroyed but not defeated. † Throughout the novel Santiago represents determination, bravery, patience, and the ideal everyman through his actions when dealing with obstacles. During Santiago’s fishing expedition the marlin represents the ultimate goal we must obtain. Lastly, the sharks represent our enemies in life and that no matter, what we cannot let them break our spirits. Santiago’s struggle with life shows his true character and that he is the ideal everyman. His struggle defines determination, patience, and bravery. Santiago first shows his inner character when he maintains his daily fishing even after eighty-four days of coming back empty handed. On the eighty-fourth day the old man comes in empty handed again, but something about him seems strange. When Santiago’s friend, Manolin, looks at him â€Å"everything about him was old except his eyes and they were they same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated†(10). Even though Santiago’s body might be starting to fail him his spirit has not. Santiago also represents the highly valued ability to have patience. After the big fish has been hooked and starts swimming at its steady rate out to sea Santiago realizes that this fish will not give up soon. As the sun starts to go down Santiago says softly, aloud â€Å"Fish, Ill stay with you until I am dead†(52). Santiago demonstrates patience here and that time cannot defeat him. Lastly, Santiago proves his bravery when he realizes that he is probably out matched. After one day of swimming below the surface the marlin jumps out of the water in an attempt to break the line. This will be the first time Santiago will be able to look at him. Once Santiago sees him during his breath taking jump Santiago is awed and panic stricken. Santiago has seen many great fish but, â€Å"Now alone, and out of sight of land, he was fast to  the biggest fish that he had ever seen and bigger than he had ever heard of†(63). He decides to stay with the fish and test his luck. Santiago shows that the big fishes size will not daunt him or let it scare him into defeat. Santiago will fight with all his might to capture this fish. All of these characteristics contribute to Santiago being the ideal everyman and the idealistic vision of man cannot be defeated. In every person’s life he or she encounters some very difficult obstacles and the rewards to them can be the ones they most highly prize, Santiago’s is the great fish. One of Santiago’s obstacles is his worn body and he pushes it hard. On the second day his left hand begins to cramp and eventually tightens into a form of claw. Santiago is disgusted and says, â€Å"What kind of a hand is that, cramp then if you want. Make yourself into a claw. It will do you no good†(58). Here Santiago is battling with his endurance. He knows his body is to old to catch the big fish but he won’t admit it or even acknowledge it because he knows that once he starts to believe it he will give up and the fish will have won. Another challenge Santiago is put through to obtain his goal is one in his mind. After Santiago first sees the fish he is dumb founded by its sheer beauty and then he realizes it is the biggest, strongest fish he has ever beheld. To succeed he must not let the size of the marlin break his mind set on catching it. After seeing the fish for the first time Santiago says to himself, â€Å"I must never let him learn his strength nor what he could do if he made his run†(63). Even though Santiago is up against the greatest fish he has ever seen he must keep his wits about him and not forget what he has learned his entire life about catching fish. No matter what Santiago cannot be defeated by the fish as long as he doesnt let the fish beat him mentally. After three long days of wrestling with the big fish Santiago finally succeeded. Once the fish went belly up he laid back and let the fish sit in the water by the boat for a bit. He then said to himself, â€Å"I am a tired old man. But I have killed this fish†(95). Santiago’s victory over the big fish proved that if a man kept his spirit strong the he could never be defeated no matter how strong or massive his opponent is. Santiago’s overcoming of his physical and physiological obstacles resulted in victory over the great fish and proving the statement that a man can be destroyed but not defeated. The worst way to loose is to give in to an enemy and let them break his or hers spirit. Santiago did exactly the opposite when dealing with the sharks. Once the huge fish was caught and killed Santiago started preparing to leave for home. He tied the fish to the side because it would sink the boat if he tried to bring it in and he hoisted the sail so that the winds could bring him in. No long after starting his long journey home the first shark came. When it first appeared Santiago was determined to not let his prize be ruined. He took out his harpoon and â€Å"he hit it with his blood mushed hands driving a harpoon with all his might†(102). Here Santiago shows that he will not let a shark beat him and take all his hard work away. If he can’t protect the fish he’s going to at least die trying. Even after his harpoon is lost Santiago doesnt stop fighting. He sees two more sharks coming and takes â€Å"up the oar with the knife lashed to it† to defend his prize. Santiago shows that he will go as far as it takes to keep himself from being defeated by lowly scavengers. In the end Santiago was beat and his prize destroyed but he was never truly defeated. As Santiago stumbles ashore and towards his shack he feels the pain of the long fishing trip in his muscles. As soon has he gets home his first and only priority is sleep. Santiago stumbles into bed and pulls the sheets over him. He closes his eyes and immediately falls asleep, â€Å"The old man was dreaming about lions†(127). The old man was never defeated. His body, the marlins strength, and the sharks predatorial attacks were no match for Santiago’s mind and his ability to overcome setbacks. Santiago’s dream about lions shows that this fishing trip was just another challenge life had thrown at him. Loosing the fish was only a small setback in Santiago’s life and minuscule in comparison to catching the fish itself. Throughout this novel Hemingway uses Santiago, the marlin, and the sharks as symbolism to contribute to his theme that â€Å"A man can be destroyed but not defeated.† Throughout the novel Santiago represented the ideal everyman through his actions which depicted determination, patience, and bravery. He showed the characteristics of a man who could leave any battle feeling undefeated and knowing that he gave it his all and didn’t back down. The marlin represented the ultimate goal we must achieve and how the fight to obtain it is the most strenuous one. In the end the sharks represented our  enemies and even if they take what we have earned earning the prize is more valued than the prize itself. Men are the most prize driven creatures and even though sometimes the prize is destroyed by others man has never let that defeat him.

Social Issues With Multiculturalism

Social Issues With Multiculturalism What are the main sociological issues raised by the idea of a multi-cultural society? ‘Multiculturalism is not about difference and identity per se but about those that are embedded in and sustained by culture’ (Parekh, 2000:2). Despite the fact that most countries today are culturally diverse, it would be impossible to discuss the main sociological issues raised by the idea of a multicultural society without explaining first, what is the meaning of culture itself? The most common definition of culture refers to a complex entity which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, customs and habits acquired by members of a society. Claire Alexander sees culture as a set of traditions and beliefs linked to ethnicity and common origins which led to the realisation that culture is not a fixed set of beliefs, but it is made and unmade in daily life. (1996) The query of multiculturalism is not a recent topic for debate since it has been present in the political life of European countries since 1945, year that does not only mark the Second World War but also the beginning of an era of concerns and changes. The main issues raised by this matter refer to immigration, delegation of power and growing numbers of political refugees and asylum seekers. Yet, further problems emerge concerning collective and political rights, liberal ideas, identity, and individual freedom. (Rex, 2003) Furthermore, Kymlicka suggests that the diversity of cultures we are experiencing today has led to a conflict between majorities and minorities over matters such as language, autonomy, political representation, and national identity (1996). He also argues that this, mainly affects democracies: ‘attempts to create liberal democratic institutions are being undermined by violent nationalist conflicts; volatile disputes over the rights of immigrants, indigenous peoples, and other cultural minorities are throwing into question many of the assumptions which have governed political life for decades’ (1996: 2) Until recently, multiculturalism was seen by politicians and monarchs as a positive trait of modern and nation-states. However, this perception changed due to ethnic conflicts within nations such as the ethnic cleansing in Yugoslavia or the riots in the United Kingdom between Asians and native British citizens. In the past few years, many philosophers and social scientists have taken an interest into the idea of cultural diversity and tried to define the image of a liberal society, answer the question whether individual rights should be expanded to groups and solve the problem of recognition which appeared it implied the denial of individual rights in the first place. (Rex, 2003) On this matter, Charles Taylor argues that in fact, recognition is an essential component of the concept of rights and individuals could be recognised as part of a group (1994). In order to expand his argument, he goes as far back as the collapse of social hierarchies and the ancient regime and states the common element that constitutes both a hierarchy and a democratic society. He claims that the ancient hierarchies were based on the notion of â€Å"honour† which even though it was a matter of choice, it defined the individuals of the society; the term we use today is â€Å"dignity†. On the other hand, Taylor states that recognition has acquired a different meaning with the new understanding of individual identity that emerged at the end of the eighteenth century. This new idea focused on the inner voice of the individual and on the concept of authenticity: ‘on the original view, the inner voice was important because it tells us what the right thing to do is; bei ng in touch with our moral feelings matter here, as a means to the end of acting rightly’ (1994:28) He also argues that identity is necessarily collective and that cultural rights cannot be enjoyed by individuals alone because they are collective by nature. However, Taylor’s position collides with the liberal tradition which is based on the idea of individual freedom and the neutrality. According to Henri Giordan, the pillar of the modern society is fighting for individual freedom rather than the traditional structures of societies. Thus, the progress of civilizations was reflected in the freedom of speech and press, liberty to gather political parties and vote, concepts which defined human rights that in Pareks` view: ‘represent a great historical achievement’ (2006: 17) Furthermore, he explains that: ‘for the first time in history (human rights) provide a universally accessible moral and political language in which to articulate our shared concerns and differences. In so doing it builds moral bonds between human beings in different parts of the world and helps create an awareness of our shared humanity.’ (2006:17) Nonetheless, Parekh suggests that human rights should follow three conditions: ‘firstly, they should be integrally related to and indispensable for a life of dignity; secondly, they should be universal or rather universalizable in the dual sense that all human beings are entitled to claim them and that this claim extends to all societies; thirdly, human rights should be widely accepted as such by a cross-cultural consensus.’ (2006:25) In order to sustain this point of view, Kymlicka states that minority rights are inseparable from human rights and mentions UNESCO: ‘the defence of cultural diversity is an ethical imperative inseparable from respect for human dignity. It implies a commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular the rights belonging to minorities and those of indigenous peoples. Cultural rights are an integral part of human rights, which are universal, indivisible and interdependent.’ (UNESCO, Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, 2001) However, the rise of democracy was brutally interrupted by the First and Second World War. National identity became a threat for ideologies such as fascism and Nazism which led to a tragic outcome (Kym1icka, 1992). Some minorities were exterminated, either by expulsion or by genocide while other minorities were assimilated and force to adopt the language, customs and religion of the majority group and were denied political rights. It became evident at the end of the Second World War that a different approach to minorities’ rights was necessary and attempts were made to redistribute collective rights to individuals rather than granting special rights to members of a group. (Kymlicka, 1996) Starting with the 1980s, a new dimension was given to minorities rights and Kymlicka suggests that ‘these changes have followed two tracks: there is one track for the specific case of â€Å"indigenous peoples†, and another track for â€Å"minorities† in general’ (2007:31) He goes on explaining that the rights that were exclusively given to indigenous peoples (the Indians and Inuit in Canada, Aboriginal in Australia, Indian tribes in the United States, the Maori of new Zealand) included land claims, language rights, customary law and representation in the central government: ‘this is a perception that is sometimes promoted by indigenous peoples themselves and their advocates, who assert that the status of indigenous peoples has nothing in common with the claims of â€Å"minorities†, and that the ideology of â€Å"indigenism† has no connection with more general theories of multiculturalism’ (2007: 34) The latter track that Kymlicka explains refers to the distinction between â€Å"historic minorities† (that were traditionally settled in the country and included groups that were considered â€Å"indigenous peoples† and long-standing â€Å"national minorities†: the Scots and Welsh of Britain, the Catalans and Basques in Spain, Puerto Rico in United States) and the â€Å"migrants† (2007). In what immigration is concerned, it appears that the countries with a high density of migrants (Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States) have approached the problem of immigration through a process of assimilation with the hope that they will blend in with the native-born citizens. Solid evidence for the progress of minority rights was given by the European Union when they declared that the promotion of minority rights was the â€Å"ascension criteria† for the countries that wanted to join the Union (Kymlicka 2007) Another topic that Kymlicka approaches in his theory refers to the distinction and the connection between â€Å"collective rights† and â€Å"individual rights†. He begins by explaining that there are two meanings of â€Å"collective rights†: ‘collective rights could refer to the right of a group to limit the liberty of its own individual members in the name of group solidarity or cultural purity (â€Å"internal restrictions†); or it could refer to the right of a group to limit the economic or political power exercised by the larger society over the group, to ensure that the resources and institutions on which the minority depends are not vulnerable to majority decisions (â€Å"external protections†)’ (1996: 36) The internal restrictions imply intra-group relations- the group may use the state power to limit the liberty of its own members which raised the question of individual oppression. As an example, Kymlicka refers to culture where women are oppressed or cultures were the religious orthodoxy is enforced. Moreover, he argues that some minorities would limit even further the rights of their members: ‘it is one thing to require people to do jury duty or to vote, and quite another to compel people to attend a particular church or to follow traditional gender roles. The former are intended to uphold liberal rights and democratic institutions, the latter restrict these rights in the name of cultural tradition or religious orthodoxy.’ (1996:36) External protections imply inter-group relations- the ethnic/ national group seeks to preserve its distinction and identity by limiting the effect of the decisions taken by the majority group. Doing so, this also raises yet another issue: not of individual oppression but of inequality between groups. However, Kymlicka makes it clear that ‘collective rights’ are indeed opposed to individual rights: ‘On one natural interpretation, ‘collective rights’ refer to the rights accorded to and exercised by collectivities, where these rights are distinct from, and perhaps conflicting with, the rights accorded to the individuals who compose the collectivity. This is not the only possible definition of collective rights—indeed there are hundreds of definitions in the literature—but almost everyone agrees that collective rights are, by definition, not individual rights.’ (1996: 45) This matter led to a conflict of ideas between individualists and collectivists on the priority of individuals within a community or the community itself. It appears that individualists argue that the individuals are essential for a community seeing that a community only matters if it contributes to the well-being of its constituent members. On the other hand, collectivists deny the idea of a community that`s meant to attend to its individuals. (1996) ‘Collectivists and individualists disagree about whether communities can have rights or interests independently of their individual members (). Most such rights are not about the primacy of communities over individuals. Rather, they are based upon the idea that justice between groups requires that the members of different groups be accorded different rights.’ (1996: 48) Despite the fact that multiculturalism and immigration have always been present in our lives and are essential components of the modern world, it is still impossible to find the answers to the always-present sociological issues that a multicultural society rises. What triggers the majority of problems is immigration: with it, emerge matters concerning minority rights, individual freedom and identity, oppression, riots, protests for human rights, violence and racism. Economical and political issues, religion and race concerns, language and culture barriers are also consequences of this cultural diversity that we are experiencing today. The topic looks as if it appealed to theoreticians and social scientists and it still remains an ever-present subject of discussion. It also led to conflicts of ideas between theoreticians such as Charles Taylor and Will Kymlicka, both Canadians but with opposing views. It is quite obvious that multiculturalism is now seen as a persistent problem, taking into account the changes that took place in the structures of societies. However, there is no doubt that immigration improved our knowledge of different cultures, languages, traditions and food; it had also thought communities to be tolerant and accept diversity even embrace it. Economy and trade between countries has developed and societies became â€Å"cosmopolitan†. Even thought, migrants have always been put in a bad light, they are not in fact, trying to deter natives. They have good working skills and are willing to work for low-paid jobs and extra hours. Usually, they do the jobs that the natives would not do and it app ears that there are more immigrants than natives that have a permanent job. It seems unfair to argue that migrants do not help the economy of the country they live in seeing that they still pay taxes and have less claimed benefits than the unemployed natives. Moreover, due to the fact they have a low wage they can always be found in the rough area of big cities, living in modest and dangerous conditions. On the other hand, language it is definitely a cause of having low-paid jobs since most migrants do not speak the language, thus making it more difficult to find employment. Another factor of immigration is religious discrimination. Considering the recent events in the United States, Arabs and Islamists in particular are discriminated and put in a bad light. Romanians and Bulgarians also have a bad reputation around Europe and a false image which may lead to cultural conflicts between migrants and natives. Somehow, it appears that the society makes it harder for migrants to obtain necessary documents in order to reside and work legally in the country. Until recently, Romanians and Bulgarians were bound to apply for a work permit in order to work legally in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, attempts are being made to improve and solve these problems and it is quite obvious that many advantages have been gained from this. Moreover, it is evident that multiculturalism is the way forward and while modern societies need to become more tolerant of migrants and their values, the migrants have to accept the majority`s way of life and integrate in their community and nation. Unfortunately, these changes might not occur in the near future considering that minorities have more and more claims for rights and benefits and natives are becoming more and more reluctant to the controversial idea of multiculturalism, which seems to lead their lives.