Short Story Fiction. Choose one of the following topics; avoid Essay

Short Story Fiction. Choose one of the following topics; avoid long-winded plot summations - Essay Example Situational irony is present in Everyday Use, which enriches the understanding of the theme and its dramatic plot. Since the story begins with Dees domination of her family, readers may expect that she will continue to control her mother and sister and â€Å"own† the quilts for herself. Dee knows that as the â€Å"educated† one in her family, she can easily manipulate her family, who once when she read to them, were â€Å"sitting trapped and ignorant underneath her voice† (Walker). The reversal of expectation happens, because Mama strongly opposes Dees demands for the quilts and decides to give it to Maggie. Apparently, the lamb can also change to a lion when needed. In addition, situational irony persists as a form of exploring the theme of traditional versus modern beliefs. When Dee arrives in a more â€Å"African† ensemble, Walker seems to be inviting readers to think that Dee has changed and shed her superior ego complex. Instead of being humbled by co llege education, however, Dee becomes more enamored with the idea of subjugating rural life, especially its â€Å"backward† (Walker) thinking and practices. Irony shows that Dee remains culturally immature, as she degrades how rural culture will see these old quilts as fit for â€Å"everyday use† (Walker), when for her, a learned African would see it as a precious piece of African heritage, one that is fit for display. Another situational irony example in this story is when Dee fully turns into a white oppressor, all the while believing that changing what she looks like and her name have turned her into a genuine African. Dee tells her mother that her new name is Wangero, because she could not stand â€Å"being named after the people who oppress me† (Walker). Dee also complains that her mother and Maggie remain completely ignorant of their â€Å"heritage† and she says: â€Å"Its really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live youd never know it†

ICT Sample Work Welcome Centre Requirements Essay Example for Free

ICT Sample Work Welcome Centre Requirements Essay CLM (Christian Life Ministries) is a church based in Coventry City Centre. Being a registered charity, they wanted to look at ways in which they could raise money to help finance its various activities, many of which benefit the local and international community. In 2000, The Welcome Centre was launched, in which a team of people started using the building venue to provide a catering and hospitality service to paying customers, who were looking for somewhere where they could hold conferences and events, hire equipment and to have food served. The customers who pay to use the services of the Welcome Centre are either commercial customers, such as Coventry City Council, local schools or colleges, or other charity-based organisations. Charities would be able to use the facilities at a discounted rate compared to commercial customers. Customers hire the services of The Welcome Centre for many different types of events, from large conferences to training days and small meetings. The Welcome Centre has up to 4 rooms that can be hired (Grace Room, Grace Room 1, The Elegance Suite, The Serenity Suite), and each room has a capacity between 20 and 250 people. As well as hiring a room, customers have the option of hiring additional equipment, such as a data projector, video projector, OHP, PA equipment and Flip Charts. The price for hiring equipment is on a 1/2 day basis. An event may want a variety of catering options too. The Welcome Centre can provide beverages (e.g. tea, coffee, cold drinks), as well as various food options (Finger Buffet, Finger Buffet with Dessert, Hot Buffet with Dessert). Since opening, the success of the organisation has grown rapidly. This is due to the friendliness of the staff, as well as the level of service offered. As a result, the team has grown from 2 to 7 people. They are looking to expand, and with a future building project underway too, they hope to be able to offer even larger facilities for up to 650 people, as well as to grow their existing customer base. PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION As the business is growing, the staff are getting increasingly busier. One of the key problems is that a manual booking system is used. A customer will call or email with a request for a conference. The staff will write down some basic details about the event such as the contacts name, event name and date and time of the conference. They will also ask the customer for the number of delegates, and therefore determine the number and size of rooms required. Catering requirements for food and beverages, as well as the hire of equipment will also be recorded. This information will all be recorded in a central paper-based diary, which can often become messy as customers sometimes phone to cancel or amend their booking, meaning that the handwriting can become unreadable. This could then lead to mistakes being made such as double-bookings, or not getting everyones requirements correct for a conference. Chris Ruck, one of the team, will sometimes word process the quotation onto a basic blank template produced in Word Processing software (MS Word). After creating the quotation, he will then save it onto his computer. He will sometimes do the same for invoices. The problem with this is that the same information is being entered up to three times; once in the diary, secondly on the quotation, and thirdly onto an invoice. Duplicating the information sometimes leads to small typing mistakes appearing on the documents. Also, it wastes Chris valuable time that could be used for other tasks, such as preparing rooms for conferences. Invoicing is a very important task for The Welcome Centre, as it is the way it requests payment from a customer once a conference has taken place. Tony will often to have to create 20 to 30 invoices at a time. Unfortunately, Tony Williams has very limited experience with computers. If Chris is not available and invoices have to be sent out, Tony will have to write out an invoice by hand into a blank template. This is very time consuming for him, and as the General Manager, he has many more important jobs that he could be doing. Also, handwritten invoices do not look very professional, and so these really should be created and printed from a computer to give a better corporate image. Tony sometimes has to handwrite quotations too for the same reasons. Scope The scope for this task is to find a way of entering booking details for conferences, and to create a quotation for that conference. Creating invoices will not be included in this task. Also, to simplify the task, we will focus on commercial customers only and not charity customers, as the prices are all different. DETAILS OF CLIENT, USER(S) AND AUDIENCE (IF APPLICABLE) IDENTIFICATION OF THE CLIENT The client for this project is Tony Williams, who is the General Manager of the Welcome Centre. Tonys role includes creating the rota of when his team are working, taking booking details from customers for future conferences and negotiating prices if applicable. Tony is also involved in creating quotations for a conference booking to inform the customer how much it will cost. He may also create invoices for a conference that has taken place to request payment. He will also need to keep track of payments for conferences by customers, and chase any outstanding payments. He is also very hands-on in his role, and he will support his staff with serving and room set-up when required. The solution for this task will need to meet Tonys requirements. IDENTIFICATION OF THE USER(S) The users of this solution will be the Tony Williams (the client), as well as Anita Fox and Chris Ruck. Anita and Chris are also responsible for entering details of customer bookings into the diary, and producing quotations and invoices for them. Therefore, they will actively use the solution by changing the customer and booking inputs and sending the quotation that is produced (output) to the customer. Anita also takes care of the accounts and organises the monthly payroll for the employees. IDENTIFICATION OF ANY AUDIENCE The Audience is anyone who may look at the outputs, but not change the content of the solution. The majority of this solution will be used by The Welcome Centre staff, and therefore these people will be users and not an audience. However, Quotations will be viewed by Customers as these are the target audience of this document. ASSESSMENT OF SKILLS OF USER(S) Tony will use the solution, but has very limited ICT skills. He is a complete novice at using computers. He will need introductory training that includes: * Logging in to the network * File Management (files and folders creating, renaming, moving, copying) * Word Processing (Use of word documents, file management opening/ saving, formatting) * Spreadsheets (Use of spreadsheets, file management opening/ saving, formatting, working with multiple worksheets) * Using the solution that is created Anita will also use the solution and is an intermediate user. She can login, organise files and folders, word process, use basic features of spreadsheet software, use a web browser to surf the internet, and can also use her accounts package. She will need training that includes: * Spreadsheets (Advanced course including the recording, use and management of macros, using formulae and functions) * Using the solution that is created Chris is more of an advanced user, and can do all of the above to a more complex level, as well as use graphics and multi-media packages for design work. He will need training that includes: * Spreadsheets (Advanced course including the recording, use and management of macros, using formulae and functions) * Using the solution that is created CLIENT INTERVIEW An initial interview was held with Tony Williams, and the following is a summary of what he said: 1. What is The Welcome Centre and can you give me some background information to the organisation? The Welcome Centre was launched in 2000, as a conference centre for commercial and charitable customers, offering them a hospitality service. The service includes room hire, equipment hire as well a catering options. Customers use the services provided by the Welcome Centre for various reasons from large conferences, to small meetings and training days. 2. Who are the staff at the Welcome Centre and what do they do? Tony Williams is the General Manager, whose role includes creating the rota of when his team are working, taking booking details from customers for future conferences and negotiating prices if applicable. Tony is also involved in creating quotations and invoices by hand. He also keeps track of payments for conferences by customers, and chases any outstanding payments. He is also very hands-on in his role, and he will support his staff with serving and room set-up when required. There are several other employees. Chris Ruck is the Assistant Manager of the complex, who takes bookings, sets up for conferences, and also types up quotations and invoices. He looks after the technical requirements of a conference such as IT needs and P.A. equipment. Anita Fax is the Administrator, who has responsibility for accounts and organising the monthly payroll for the employees. There are also 4 other part time staff, including a cleaner as well as conference assistants. 3. What are the problems that ICT could help to solve? One of the key problems is that a manual booking system is used, whereby booking information is recorded in a paper-based diary. The information is therefore not easily sharable and handwriting will become messy as bookings are amended or cancelled. Also, quotations and invoices are either typed into a blank template document or hand-written. This leads to a duplication of the booking information resulting in mistakes, as well as being time consuming. Hand written documents are not very professional. 4. What do you want the ICT solution to do? Tony would like the new solution to provide easy to use data entry forms for entering details about each conference. He would like a quotation to be produced immediately based upon the booking information that is entered. He would also like the quotation and booking information to be stored for future use, so that someone can view the information easily. 5. Who will use the solution and what ICT skills do they have? Tony will use the solution, but has very limited ICT skills. He is a complete novice at using computers. Anita will also use the solution and is an intermediate user. She can login, organise files and folders, word process, use basic features of spreadsheet software, use a web browser to surf the internet, and can also use her accounts package. Chris is more of an advanced user, and can do all of the above to a more complex level, as well as use graphics and multi-media packages for design work. 6. What hardware and software do you have at The Welcome Centre? In terms of hardware, The Welcome Centre has only just installed a network. Chris and Anita have their own PCs with access to the Network for file sharing. Laptops used for conferences are wireless enabled so that they can access the internet from any room if required. Each computer has Windows XP installed as the operating system, as have the Microsoft Office software suite package, that includes word-processing, spreadsheet, database, web browser, presentation and other software. 7. What data needs to be input into the solution? How? Customer Information: (Company name and address, contact details for event organiser) Event Details: (Event name, date, start finishing time, no. of delegates, room requirements, equipment to be hired, and catering requirements for beverages and food.) General Info.: (Catering items and prices, Equipment items for hire and 1/2 day charges, Room info. capacity, Full Day and 1/2 Day charges, and a VAT rate, in case legislation changes) 8. What processing (e.g. calculations, searches etc) need to be done? * Generate a unique 5 digit quotation no. * Calculate todays date automatically during the booking for the Quotation date * On different forms automatically look-up and display details previously entered, without having to re-enter * Calculate the Event Type (Full Day or 1/2 Day), based on the times entered. Used for pricing purposes. * For each room selected as part of the booking, search for and display the Capacity and the Unit Room Cost. The Unit Room Cost will be based on the Event Type for that room. * Calculate and display Total Room Costs for all rooms booked * For each item of equipment required for the booking, search for and display the Unit Equipment Cost. If the event type is a full day, then double the price. Calculate and display the Total Equipment Costs by multiplying the Unit Equipment Cost by the Quantity required. * Calculate and display the Total Cost of all Equipment * If beverages are required for the booking, search for and display the Price per Delegate for Beverages. Calculate Beverage Costs per Delegate by multiplying this price by the No. of Servings. Calculate the Total Beverage Costs as Beverage Costs per Delegate multiplied by No. of Delegates. * If food is required, search for and display the Price per Delegate for the food option. Calculate and display the Total Food Costs by multiplying the Food Costs per Delegate by the No. of Delegates. * Calculate the Net Quotation amount (the total amount of all the items booked, excluding VAT) * Look up the current VAT rate and calculate the VAT Amount for the quotation. * Calculate the Gross Quotation Amount * Save and store the event and quotation details 9. What output(s) is needed from the solution. The main output of the solution will be a quotation which is initially displayed on the screen, with an option to print a hard copy available. 10. What data needs to be stored? Customer Information: (Company name and address, contact details for event organiser) Event Details: (Event name, date, start finishing time, no. of delegates, total room costs, total equipment costs, total beverage costs, total food costs, Net Amount, VAT Amount, Gross Amount) Store in a table that can be easily viewed. CLIENT REQUIREMENTS After interviewing Tony, and focussing on the problems that he currently faces with creating quotations, we agreed upon the requirements that the new solution must meet. The new solution must: * Provide data entry forms for entering details about bookings. These forms must allow entry of Customer details and the Event details * Provide an additional data entry form to enter general information, including catering items and prices, equipment items for hire and 1/2 day charges, and room charges for full and 1/2 day. Allow the VAT rate to be changeable, in case legislation changes. * Ensure each data entry form is easy to use, complete with data validation and a graphical user interface to minimise data entry mistakes and reduce typing. * All data entry screens must show the Welcome Centre logo, and follow the house style of the organisation in terms of using a red and white colour scheme. * Search for and display information entered automatically, so that the user does not have to keep flicking between different screens to remind themselves of prices or what they have previously entered. * Automatically calculate certain fields to save time and to reduce data input. These fields are: o Generate a unique 5 digit quotation no. o Quotation date o Event Type (Full Day or 1/2 Day), based on the times entered. Used for pricing purposes. o For each room selected as part of the booking, search for and display the Capacity and the Unit Room Cost. The Unit Room Cost will be based on the Event Type for that room. o Total Room Costs for all rooms booked o For each item of equipment required for the booking, search for and display the Unit Equipment Cost. If the event type is a full day, then double the price. Calculate and display the Total Equipment Costs by multiplying the Unit Equipment Cost by the Quantity required. o The Total Cost of all Equipment required forth booking. o Beverage Costs Per Delegate o Total Beverage Costs o Food Costs per Delegate o Total Food Costs o The Net Amount, VAT Amount and Gross Amount on the Quotation. * On different data entry forms, automatically look-up and display details previously entered, without having to re-enter * Ensure all booking information should only be entered once, and the quotation must be produced immediately based upon the booking information being entered, * Produce a Quotation that is professionally formatted, and looks very similar to the quotations he uses today. It must be displayed on the screen with an option to print a hard-copy. * Store the quotation and booking information for future use, in a table format that is easy to read. * Be easy to back-up, and must also be secure, so only authorised users can access the solution. WHAT THE SOLUTION HAS TO PRODUCE The solution must produce a quotation based upon the customer and booking information that is entered. The quotation must be professionally formatted, and look very similar to the quotations he uses today. It must be displayed on the screen with an option to print a hard-copy. The solution must also store a copy of the quotation and booking information, in a table format that is easy to read. HOW THE SOLUTION IS TO WORK From these requirements, I can see that spreadsheet software would be an appropriate design tool to use to implement the solution. The worksheets can be formatted to give the appearance of data entry screens, and you can use validation techniques and a limited graphical user interface to reduce keying and ultimately mistakes. Also, a worksheet can be formatted to look like a Quotation, and a table could be set up to store details for future use. Macros can also be used to automate features of the solution such as navigation and copying data to the storage table. INPUT, PROCESSING AND OUTPUT REQUIREMENTS INPUT REQUIREMENTS CUSTOMER DETAILS Fields to be input: Title, First Name, Surname, Email Address, Telephone No., Company Name, Address Line 1, Address Line 2, Town, County, Postcode * Source of Data: From customers, either face-to-face, email, or telephone * Input Method: Typed using keyboard * Type/ Format of Data: All Text fields EVENT DETAILS Fields to be input: Event Name, Event Date, Start Time, End Time, No. of Delegates, Grace Room Required?, Grace Room 1 Required?, Elegance Suite Required?, Serenity Suite Required? Video Projector Screen Qty, Data Projector Screen Qty, Flip Chart Qty, OHP Qty, PA Equipment Qty, Beverage Required?, No. of Servings, Food Option * Source of Data: From customers, either face-to-face, email, or telephone * Input Method: Typed using keyboard * Type/ Format of Data: Dates will be short dates, Room requirements will be tick boxes, No. of Delegates, No. of Servings and Qty fields will be numbers, food option will be a drop down box GENERAL INFORMATION Catering Table. Fields to be input: Food Price per Delegate Equipment Table Fields to be input: Equipment Price per 1/2 Day Room Table Fields to be input: Max. Capacity, Full Day Commercial Rate, 1/2 Day Commercial Rate VAT Table Fields to be input: VAT Rate % * Source of Data: The Welcome Centre, Government (for VAT Rates) * Input Method: Typed using keyboard * Type/ Format of Data: All rates and prices will be currency fields, Max. Capacity will be numerical and VAT Rate % will be a percentage field. PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS Process Details Calculate unique 5 digit Quotation No. Quotation No. = (Look up highest quotation no. in quotation table) + 1 Calculate Quotation Date Quotation Date = Todays date On different forms, automatically look-up and display details previously entered, without having to re-enter Lookup the following customer fields and redisplay on New Event data entry form: Quotation Id, Title, First Name, Surname, Company Name Event Type If (End Time Start Time) 3 hours Then Event Type = Half Day Else Event type = Full Day Look-up and display Capacity and Unit Room Cost for each room required for the booking Show Capacity: Lookup and show the Max. Capacity from the Rooms Table Show Unit Room Cost: Lookup and show the Commercial Rate for the room from the Rooms Table, depending on the Event Type (1/2 Day or Full Day price) Calculate Total Room Costs Total Room Costs = Add up the Unit Room Cost for each room selected for the booking Calculate Unit Equipment Cost for each item of equipment required for the booking Unit Equipment Cost = Lookup and show the Price per 1/2 Day for item, from the Equipment Table. If the Event Type is Full Day, then double the figure shown. Calculate Total Equipment Costs for each item of equipment required for the booking Total Equipment Costs = Unit Equipment Cost *Qty Calculate Total Cost of all Equipment Total Cost of all Equipment = Add up the Total Equipment Costs for each item of equipment selected for the booking. Calculate Beverage Costs per Delegate Beverage Costs per Delegate = (Price per Delegate for Beverages from the Catering Table) * No. of Servings Calculate Total Beverage Costs Total Beverage Costs = Beverage Costs per Delegate * No. of Delegates Calculate Food Costs per Delegate Food Costs per Delegate = Price per Delegate for Food selected, from the Catering Table Calculate Total Food Costs Total Food Costs = Food Costs per Delegate * No. of Delegates VAT Rate VAT Rate = Search for current VAT Rate from VAT table Net Total Net Total = Total Venue Cost + Total Equipment Cost + Total Beverages Cost + Total Food Cost VAT Amount VAT Amount = VAT Rate * Net Total Gross Total Gross Total = Net Total + VAT Amount Save and store the event and quotation details Copy Customer fields to Quotation Table: (Quotation Id, Quotation Date, Title, First Name, Surname, Email Address, Telephone No., Company Name, Address Line 1, Address Line 2, Town, County, Postcode) Copy Event fields to Quotation Table: (Event Name, Event Date, Start Time, End Time, No. of Delegates, Total Room Costs, Total Equipment Costs, Total Beverage Costs, Total Food Costs, Net Amount, VAT Amount, Gross Amount) OUTPUT REQUIREMENTS QUOTATION The main output of the solution will be a quotation which is initially displayed on the screen, with an option to print a hard copy available. The quotation will be used by both the Welcome Centre and Customers. The Welcome Centre staff will use it to know what they will charge Customers for a particular booking, and it will therefore serve as the basis of the invoice. Customers will use it to know how much they are likely to pay for an event if nothing changes on the day. Details: The quotation must print on A4 paper, landscaped, and display the Welcome Centre logo, company registration no., registered office and contact details, VAT registration no., and VAT rate. Towards the bottom, it must clearly state: Please make cheques payable to C.L.M. Enterprises Ltd. The following fields must be shown on the Quotation: ADDRESS BLOCK: Title, First Name, Surname, Company Name, Address Line 1, Address Line 2, Town, County, Postcode EVENT DETAILS: Quotation No., Quotation Date, Event Name, Event Date, Start Time, End Time, No. of Delegates BOOKING DETAILS: Room names, Qty Required, Unit Cost, Subtotal Equipment, Qty Required, Unit Cost, Subtotal Beverages, No. of Delegates, Price per Delegate, Subtotal Food Option, No. of Delegates, Price per Delegate, Subtotal TOTALS: Net Total, VAT Amount, Gross Total STORAGE REQUIREMENTS The following Data needs to be stored in a single table: CUSTOMER DETAILS: Quotation No., Quotation Date, Title, First Name, Surname, Email Address, Telephone No., Company Name, Address Line 1, Address Line 2, Town, County, Postcode EVENT DETAILS: Event Name, Event Date, Start Time, End Time, No. of Delegates, Total Room Costs, Total Equipment Costs, Total Beverage Costs, Total Food Costs, Net Amount, VAT Amount, Gross Amount The data can be kept for up to 2 years before being archived. HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIRMENTS FOR THE USER HARDWARE The Welcome Centre has a variety of different hardware available to be used. They have only just installed a network, which has been set-up complete with user accounts and passwords, shared folders, as well as private folders for individual users. The Welcome Centre should save the solution onto the network, as this will certainly meet the requirement of being able to keep the solution secure. The network is also backed up on a daily basis, onto a removable hard disk drive. This is removed from the premises every night, in case of fire. This will meet the requirement of being able to back-up the solution. Tony currently does not have a PC, but has access to a laptop if needed. Chris and Anita have their own PCs with access to the Network for file sharing and saving work. Laptops used for conferences are wireless enabled so that they can access the internet from any room if required. Each PC and laptop has its own DVD re-writer, which can read both CD and DVD media. They also have plenty of USB ports, and so can also use portable devices such as pen drives. In terms of printers, Anita has a dedicated multi-function printer attached locally to her PC. The printer is both an A4 Flatbed scanner (input device), as well as a colour Ink Jet printer (output device). Anita uses this machine for most of her small printing needs. However, all PCs and laptops have access to a networked, colour photocopier (output device). The photocopier serves both as a printer and a photocopier, and can print in both back and white and full colour. All PCs have keyboard and mice as their main input devices. SOFTWARE In terms of software available to be used, each computer has Windows XP installed as the operating system, and has have the Microsoft Office software suite that includes word-processing, spreadsheet, database, web browser, presentation and other software. This applications software is generic software, and is used by the Welcome Centre staff for a variety of business uses. Anita does have some specific software, which is an accounting package called Sage. This is used to manage all accounts as well as to process the employees payroll. HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIRMENTS FOR THE DEVELOPER HARDWARE It makes sense for the solution to be developed on a standard PC, so that it imitates the environment in which the solution will be used. The processing power required to run the solution would be minimal, and so either a stand-alone PC/ laptop could be used to develop the solution or a networked PC. The PC must, however, have a monitor, mouse and keyboard. SOFTWARE The solution will be created in spreadsheet software called MS Excel. This software is generic software and can be used to effectively solve this problem. The users also have a good amount of experience in using the software, and so wont need a lot of additional training. Also, Excel is already installed on the end-users computers, and so there would be no further cost of buying more software. This spreadsheet software would be an appropriate design tool to use to implement the solution. The worksheets can be formatted to give the appearance of data entry screens, and you can use validation techniques and a limited graphical user interface to reduce keying and ultimately mistakes. Also, a worksheet can be formatted to look like a Quotation, and a table could be set up to store details for future use. Macros can also be used to automate features of the solution such as navigation and copying data to the storage table. This approach of using a software suite is more expensive than buying an integrated package. A software suite provides more functionality than an integrated package, such as being able to record macros and other more advanced features that may be needed to create the solution. Looking for a specific package isnt relevant in this case, as the requirements are too simple, but also very specialised. Therefore buying a specific package off the shelf would be an additional expense that the company doesnt really need.

Essay example --

INTRODUCTION: HISTORY OF KSE: Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) is currently the biggest and most liquid stock exchange in Pakistan, which was established on September 18, 1947. It was incorporated on March 10, 1949. In the start only five companies were listed with a total paid up capital of Rs. 37 million. (ksestocks.com/AboutKSE, 2014) The first index introduced in KSE was based on fifty companies and was called KSE 50 Index. With the passage of time, KSE 100 index was introduced on November 1, 1991 because there was a need of a real representative index and computer based trading activities due to the growth in number of listed companies and trading activities. Karachi Automated Trading System (KATS) was introduced in 2002 for the purpose of computerized trading in stock exchange. The capacity of KATS was 1.0 million trades per day and the ability to provide connectivity to an unlimited number of users. After that the other to indexes was also introduced, named KSE 30 Index and KMI 30 Index to deal with the needs of investors of KSE. KSE 100 INDEX: The KSE-100 Index was introduced i...

Existentialism: Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon Essay

Dashiell Hammett, father of the American hard-boiled genre, is widely known for producing a suffocating world of realism in his works (â€Å"Hard-boiled fiction†). According to Paul Abraham’s â€Å"On re-reading The Maltese Falcon,† the realistic atmosphere of Hammett’s third novel is reactionary to the post-war turmoil in which the work was born (97). This provides the ideal foundation for subtle philosophical concepts of existentialism such as, quests for truth, self identification, and the significance of existence to build throughout the novel. Richard Layman, in his critical review of Hammett’s novel (also titled The Maltese Falcon), proposes that the philosophies of Hammett’s generation can be found within the text of his novel (71). Hammett conveys an existential theme in his work The Maltese Falcon through his use of themes of inquiry and self absorbed characters as well as his Flitcraft parable. Existentialism, in a simple form, is a philosophy concerning existence and its significance. Layman asserts that â€Å"[existentialism] had its roots in the mid-nineteenth century and flourished in the United States from the 1930s until the 1960s† (71). According to the web-article â€Å"World War I† from the New World Encyclopedia, subsequent to the Great War, â€Å"the optimism for world peace of the 1900s was entirely gone. † Therefore, without the blinders of social optimism, American society could question ideas such as, the occurrence of mass destruction in a â€Å"just† world and the significance of existence in such a world. Hammett’s firsthand experience with the existential crisis—caused by what the historical context from the website â€Å"The Maltese Falcon† presents as global wars, the Great Depression, and other struggles of the 1930s—leads Hammett to employ different techniques throughout his work, providing subtle allusions to existentialism. One method through which Hammett conveys existentialistic thought is through his themes of inquiry in The Maltese Falcon. The plot is centered on the continuous quest for an idolized icon—the Maltese falcon, a precious bejeweled bird. Hammett incorporates an ecclesiastical theme through this pursuit of an icon. The quest for their icon ultimately leads to the demise of the characters involved in its search. It steals the identity and climatically the life of the mob-boss Gutman. Brigid, the femme fatale, also loses in this pursuit, for she is left to the mercy of the law in the final pages. Whether death or imprisonment plagues the characters involved, the quest for an icon consumes their lives. Hammett illuminates the detrimental consequences of such quests through the aforementioned loss of identity, life, and freedom. This message is countered by the existentialistic denouncement of all icons. Existentialism provides a simple solution for such futile quests: lives are not wasted in the search of an icon. In pursuit of a precious icon, all characters lose themselves—a root of the existentialist crisis: loss of self, questioning of existence (â€Å"Existentialism†). Another theme of inquiry in Hammett’s novel deals with the constant search for the truth. Spade, the protagonist, is tormented by the ambiguity of truth throughout the novel. Spade is forced to discern lies from the truth within the first pages of the novel, where he meets Brigid, or rather â€Å"Miss Wonderly† as she is dubbed upon primary introduction. Brigid, notorious for her deceitful ways, confesses to Spade, once an invested relationship is established between the two: â€Å"I am a liar. I have always been a liar† (353). Layman observes that â€Å"the challenge for Spade in the book is to make up the rules as he goes along; to decide for himself, without outside guidance, what he believes and what he believes in† (71). These decisions shape Spade’s actions and help to define his character. Spade, concerning himself â€Å"with the quest for relevance and authenticity,† as David Pickus writes in his expose on existentialism, is not the only character involved in the search for truth (17). Brigid, Gutman, Cairo, and Wilmer are forced to come to terms with the quest for truth and authenticity when it is discovered their falcon is a mere fabrication of the true Maltese falcon. After shaving the black enamel from the base of the falcon Gutman exclaims â€Å"it’s a fake. † Gutman reacts with his â€Å"breath [hissing] between his teeth† and â€Å"his face [becoming] turgid with hot blood† (430). This is representative of the anger Gutman possesses upon the realization of this on-going search for authenticity. Another method in which Hammett unveils existentialistic undertones is through his self-absorbed characters. Layman writes about Spade: â€Å"He is defining who he is. That is the simplest statement of the philosophy of existentialism†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (71). Spade relies solely on himself and often stretches the hands of the law. He undermines the police in order to prevent interference within his investigations, denouncing their authority. For example, when Dundy, a police officer tells Spade, â€Å"You’ve gotten away with this and you’ve gotten away with that, but you can’t keep it up forever. † Spade nonchalantly replies: â€Å"Stop me when you can† (341). The article from the Philosophy website, titled â€Å"Existentialism† states that â€Å"an existentialist believes that a person should be forced to choose and be responsible without the help of laws, ethnic rules, or traditions. † Spade epitomizes this idea with his actions throughout the novel. Brigid is another character who does not function within the realm of laws and rules; however, she is a less responsible character than Spade. Brigid’s efforts are invested into self-preservation. She continuously fights to stay one step ahead of everyone through creating a web of lies, which ultimately becomes a defining element of her character. Her deceitfulness and obsession with obtaining her desires without concern for consequence or reputation demonstrates her loss of self in pursuit of something worthless; she becomes nothing more than a wanton woman with no true identity. In addition to his characterization, Hammett also utilizes the Flitcraft parable as a means of conveying existentialistic thought. Martin Harris writes: â€Å"The Flitcraft parable has been examined closely by those who see the story providing an important key to Hammett’s feelings about the meaning (or lack thereof) of human existence† (241). The Flitcraft parable tells the story of a man who completely changed his life in consequence of one random event. Flitcraft, a satisfied family man, encountered a near death experience via a construction beam plummeting into his path. This event made him contemplate the randomness of life—there are no certainties. Spade tells Brigid: â€Å"[Flitcraft] felt like somebody had taken the lid off life and let him look at the works† (335). Flitcraft understood the uncertainty of life after this experience. With this epiphany Flitcraft began a new life; he took the randomness of life and incorporated it into his existence. Aware of mortality and the significance of one’s identity, Flitcraft exposed himself to an alternate life. While Flitcraft ultimately ended up settling back into his prior lifestyle, the afterglow of his near death experience permitted him to revel in existentialism, for according to the web-article â€Å"Existentialism† the search of self-being is a fundamental element of the existential philosophy. Whether it is through various themes, characters, or a well placed anecdote, the undertones of existentialism exist within the pages of Hammett’s novel. Hammett effectively incorporated themes from his era into his literature. In a time where the â€Å"spirit of optimism in society was destroyed,† Hammett acknowledged realism within the text of his art (â€Å"Existentialism†). While existentialism no longer has an intoxicating hold on modern society, it lives in the pages of influential authors. The Maltese Falcon’s subtle cues to such great philosophical ideas assist in the significance that Hammett’s works hold to this day.

T.S.Eliot Murder in the Cathedral

T. S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral tells the story of Thomas Beckett, a man who reigned as Archbishop of Canterbury during the 12th century in England until his death in 1170. In order to tell Beckett's story, Eliot creates a series of equally interesting characters that each play a crucial role thought the play. The most unique rolefound within the play is the Women ofCanterbury, or the Chorus. Throughout the piece, the Chorus delivers seven choral odes. These choral odes, when looked at as a collective work tell a story. They begin with brief foreshadowing of events that will occur later in the play, but then quickly jump into necessary storyline; one which summarizes the events of the pasts, and then immerses the audience into the common man's view of the events in the present. The first choral ode begins with heavy foreshadowing. The Women of Canterbury are drawn towards the Cathedral, but they do not know why. At first, there is confusion. They question, â€Å"Are we drawn by danger? Is it the knowledge of safety that that draws our feet towards the Cathedral? As they reach the cathedral however, they come upon a realization. â€Å"There is not danger for us, and there is no safety in the cathedral. Some presage of an act, which our eyes are compelled to witness, has forced our feet towards the cathedral. † They recognize that it is not their own personal danger that draws them closerto the cathedral, but instead the foreshadowing of a horrifying act in which they will be forced to bear wi tness. It will be an act so terrible, that safety can not even be found within the hallowed halls of the cathedral. After the period of foreshadowing, themood of the first choral ode drasticallyshifts away from the dark and mysterious presage of an act to a description of the concrete past. The remainder of the choral ode serves as away to bring the audience up to speed on the last seven years of Canterbury'shistory. While they convey the events of the past, the women of Canterbury express a constant lurking fear for the safety of their Archbishop. A perfect example of this common theme found within the first choral ode is in the following stanza, in which the Chorus states: â€Å"Seven years and the summer is over, Seven years since the Archbishop left us, He who was always so kind to his people. But it would not be well if should return. † These lines are typical of the first choral ode, for not only do they explain to the audience that the Archbishop Thomas Beckett has been gone for seven years now, but they fear for his well being and for the wellbeing of Canterbury if he were to return. As the choral ode draws to a close, the Women of Canterbury give off a sense of unavoidable waiting. They say: â€Å"Come happy December, who shall observe you, who shall preserve you? Shall the Son of Man be born again in the litter of scorn? For us, the poor, there is no action, But only to wait and to witness† They welcome the month of December,but then question how it could possibly be a joyous time. Who would be able to celebrate the Christmas and Advent season with the terrible events that are about to occur? Could Jesus bereborn into such scorn? The Women ofCanterbury know that there is little they can do at this time. They must wait, and then witness the act that they fear. With the commencement of the secondchoral ode, the general mood shifts from confusion and waiting to fear. The Women of Canterbury have been informed that Beckett is returning to Canterbury. Such an announcement stirs great anxiety amongst them. They fear that their way of life will be disrupted and endangered. They plea to a Thomas who has not yet arrived to: â€Å"Return. Quickly. Quietly. Leave us to perish in quiet. You come with applause, you come with rejoicing, but You come bringing death into Canterbury: A doom on the house, a doom on yourself, a doom on the world. † The women say that though they will be rejoicing on the outside, their deep insides will be dominated by fear, for they believe that his coming will come hand in hand with his own death. The idea of fear is the general theme in thesecond choral ode, as it constantly recurs throughout the lines. Later in the choral ode, the women say, â€Å"We are afraid in a fear which we cannot know, which we cannot face, which none understands. † This illustrates thedepth and complexity of the fear which they are facing, for they know not how to neither combat it nor completely comprehend it. All the people know is that with Thomas comes death upon their home of Canterbury, so the beg him to â€Å"leave us, leave us, leave us sullen Dover, andset sail for France. † The fear of the second choral ode becomes a reality in the third. The Women of Canterbury know what decision Beckett has made. They tell him, â€Å"We have not been happy, my Lord, we have not been too happy. We are not ignorant women, we know what we must expect and not expect. † By saying this, the Women of Canterbury mean that they understandthe consequences that Thomas has chosen by staying in Canterbury. They know that he will perish if he stays. Then the women begin to despair. They cry, â€Å"God gave us always some reason, some hope; but now a new terror has soiled us, which none can avert,† and, â€Å"God is leaving us, God is leaving us, more pang, more pain than birth or death. The Women of Canterbury, who always took faith in the idea the God was protecting their Archbishop, believe that Thomas has turned away from the Lord's protection by deciding to remain at Canterbury, for not even God could protect him from the wrath of what was yet to come. The fourth choral ode that opens up the second act heads in a completely dif ferent direction than the intense despair of the third choral ode. Instead, this choral ode is more accepting, for the chorus knows that the death of Beckett is coming. Nature is used throughout this choral ode to foreshadow his death. At one point theWomen of Canterbury say, â€Å"The starved crow sits in the field, attentive;and in the wood the owl rehearses the hallow note of death. † The starved crow that they speak of symbolizes the Four Knights, who arrive in Canterburyshortly after the choral ode is delivered. The owl symbolizes the result of their visit to Canterbury: a death, a death that they fear will be brought upon Thomas. Though they have accepted the situation, the Women of Canterbury feel helpless, for all they can do between that moment and Thomas's death is wait. Asthere is nothing they can do, they say,†We wait, and the time is short, but the waiting is long. † As the fifth choral ode begins, the helplessness from the fourth choral ode carries over, but this time it is coupled with an air of guilt. The Women of Canterbury are stuck in an in between zone. They grieve: â€Å"Now is too late for action, too soon for contrition. Nothing is possible but the shamed swoon Of those consenting to the last humiliation. I have consented, Lord Archbishop, have consented. † The women realize that the wheel is turning and the eternal action leading to Beckett's doom is in motion. They are in despair, for it is too late for them to try and aid their Archbishop, but too soon for them to seek forgiveness for allowing Beckett to be killed. The murder of their Archbishop is a matter that they are taking personal responsibility for, and they view it as a humiliation to them all. Their final cry of â€Å"I have consented, Lord Archbishop† truly isolates and illustrates the immense guilt that they have brought upon themselves. The Women of Canterbury believe that by standing aside and allowing the Knights to threaten Thomas, they have consented to his murder. All they have left is helplessness, guilt, and like always, waiting. The sixth choral ode is met with a shiftfrom helplessness to intense distress. Archbishop Thomas Beckett has just been murdered, and the Women of Canterbury feel as if they, along with all of Canterbury, have been stained with their Archbishop's blood. The chorus screams: â€Å"Clear the air! Clean the sky! Wash thewind! Take the Stone from the stone, take the skin from the arm, Take the muscle from the bone, and wash them. Wash the stone, wash the bone, wash the brain, Wash the soul, wash them wash them! † As shown, the Women of Canterbury become obsessed with trying to wash themselves clean of Beckett's blood. Such words confirm that the Women of Canterbury see not only the Four Knights as Thomas Beckett's killer, but themselves as well. They feel severe regret, proclaiming: â€Å"We did not wish anything to happen We understood the private catastrophe, The personal loss, the general misery, Living and partly living† These lines show that, though they believe that they were a part of the murder, they were unintentionally involved. They did not mean for any illwill to come upon their Archbishop, but through their lack of action, their living and partly living, they allowed Beckett to face a tragedy, a tragedy that they were completely aware of, alone. The Women of Canterbury abandoned their Lord, and they do notknow how to deal with their despair The final choral ode begins not with despair, but instead with grateful praise to an all powerful God. The entire choral ode reads like one long prayer of praise, thanks, and then contrition to a merciful God. At points,the Women of Canterbury even go as far as to compare their deceased Archbishop to Jesus Christ. In it's beginning, they say, â€Å"We praise Thee, O God, for Thy glory displayed in all the creatures† The Women of Canterbury then go on to on to show their gratitude to God by respectfully praying, â€Å"We thank Thee for Thy mercies of blood, for Thy redemption by blood. For the blood of Thy martyrs and saints. † By these words, the Women of Canterbury are thanking God for redeeming their souls with theblood of Thomas, their Archbishop. Through these lines, Eliot is comparingthe murder of Thomas Beckett to the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, saying that both died to save the souls of those around them. Finally, the Woman of Canterbury seek contrition, pleading, â€Å"Forgive us, O Lord, we acknowledge ourselves as type of the common man, of the men and women who shut the door and sit by the fire. â€Å"On one level, they ask forgiveness for standing by and doing nothing to prevent Beckett's death, for they are just common men. If read more deeply however, they return to the Christ like image of Beckett. The common men askfor forgiveness, for like Peter, they†sat by the fire† and denied their Lord. Just as Peter allowed Christ to die, so the Women of Canterbury allowed Thomas Beckett to die. The seven choral odes in T. S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral tell the story of the common man's view of the events that occurred during that fateful December of 1170 in Canterbury. Through foreshadowing and interesting use of language, T. S. Eliot crafts the Chorus to be one of, if not the most fascinating character found within the whole play. Their unique perspective on Thomas Beckett's murder truly makes Murder in the Cathedral one of the greatest plays of the 20th Century.

An Introduction to Puritanism

An Introduction to Puritanism Puritanism was a religious  reformation movement  that began in England in the late 1500s. Its initial goal was to remove any remaining links to Catholicism within the  Church of England (Anglican Church) after its separation from the Catholic Church. To do this, Puritans sought to change the structure and ceremonies of the church. They also wanted broader lifestyle changes in England to align with their strong moral beliefs. Some Puritans emigrated to the New World and established colonies built around churches that fit these beliefs.  Puritanism had a broad impact on England’s religious laws as well as the founding and development of the colonies in America. Beliefs Some Puritans believed in total separation from the Church of England, while others simply sought reform, wishing to remain a part of the church. Uniting these two factions was the belief that the church should not have any rituals or ceremonies not found in the Bible. They believed that the government should enforce morals and punish behavior such as drunkenness and swearing. Puritans, however, did believe in religious freedom and generally respected the differences in belief systems of those outside the Church of England.   Some of the major disputes between the Puritans and the Anglican church regarded the Puritan beliefs that priests should not wear vestments (clerical clothing), that ministers should actively spread the word of God, and that the church hierarchy (of bishops, archbishops, etc.) should be replaced with a committee of elders.   Regarding their personal relationships with God, Puritans believed that salvation was entirely up to God and that God had chosen only a select few to be saved, yet no one could know if they were among this group. They also believed that each person should have a personal covenant with God. The Puritans were influenced by  Calvinism and adopted its beliefs in predestination and the sinful nature of man. Puritans believed that all people must live by the Bible and should have a deep familiarity with the text. To achieve this, Puritans placed a strong emphasis on literacy and education.   Puritans in England Puritanism first emerged in the 16th and 17th centuries in England as a movement to remove all vestiges of Catholicism from the Anglican Church. The Anglican Church first separated from Catholicism in 1534, but when Queen Mary took the throne in 1553, she reverted it to Catholicism. Under Mary, many Puritans faced exile. This threat, combined with the increasing prevalence of Calvinism, which provided writings that supported their viewpoint, further strengthened Puritan beliefs. In 1558, Queen Elizabeth  I took the throne and re-established the separation from Catholicism, but not thoroughly enough for the Puritans. The group rebelled and, as a result, were prosecuted for refusing to abide by laws that required specific religious practices. This was one factor that led to the eruption of the English civil war between the Parliamentarians and the Royalists in 1642, fought in part over religious freedom.   Puritans in America   In 1608, some Puritans moved from England to Holland, where, in 1620, they boarded the Mayflower to Massachusetts, where they would establish Plymouth Colony. In 1628, another group of Puritans founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Puritans eventually spread throughout New England, establishing new self-governing churches. In order to become a full member of the church, seekers were required to give testimony of a personal relationship with God. Only those who could demonstrate a godly lifestyle were permitted to join.   The witch trials of the late 1600s in places like Salem, Massachusetts, were run by the Puritans and fueled by their religious and moral beliefs. But as the 17th century wore on, the cultural strength of the Puritans gradually waned. As the first generation of immigrants died out, their children and grandchildren became less connected with the church. By 1689, the majority of New Englanders thought of themselves as Protestants rather than Puritans, though many of them were just as sharply opposed to Catholicism.   As the religious movement in America eventually fractured into many groups (such as Quakers, Baptists, Methodists, and more), Puritanism became more of an underlying philosophy than a religion. It evolved into a way of life focused on self-reliance, moral sturdiness, tenacity, political isolationism, and excess-free living. These beliefs gradually evolved into a secular lifestyle that was (and sometimes is) thought of as a distinctly New England mentality.

acondroplasia essays

acondroplasia essays Acondroplasia A Genetic Bone Disorder There are hundreds of reasons why some children never reach expected heights as adults. Many are short in stature because of family or ethnic backgrounds. Others have a wide range of medical conditions, which are often at times genetic, that limit overall growth in all or just specific parts of the body, such as the limbs or the torso. One of the medical conditions is Acondroplasia, the most common bone or skeletal disorder. What is Acondroplasia? Acondroplasia, or Dwarfism, is a genetic disorder of bone growth that is evident at birth. It affects about one in every 20,000 births and it occurs in all races and in both male and female genders. It is estimated that there are about 10,000 individuals with this disorder in the United States. When a person has Acondroplasia, abnormal cartilage at the growth plates of the bones in the body causes their short stature. Men with this disorder are usually less than 52 inches tall and women are somewhat shorter. Acondroplasia is caused by an abnormal gene, or in other words, mutation, that is located on chromosome 4 pair (humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes). The condition may be passed on from one generation to the next or it may just simply result from a new mutation in a gene from an average sized parent. Nine out of ten children who are born with Acondroplasia have average sized parents. It is not possible to have a little bit of Acondroplasia, or only a touch of it. A person either has it or does not. In 1994, Dr. John Wasmuth and his colleagues discovered that the mutation of the fibroblast growth factor receptor-3 (FGFR3) gene on human chromosome 4 does indeed cause Acondroplasia, but the exact way in which the mutation in FGFR3 causes Acondroplasia is not yet known. Some of the signs and symptoms of Acondroplasia is that the individual has a large head with a prominent forehead, a low br...

Write a great resume even if you’ve never had a job

Write a great resume even if you’ve never had a job Looking for a job can feel like a catch-22: to get a job I need experience, but to get experience I need a job. And if you’re a student with no work experience or otherwise entering the workforce for the first time, how do you deal with that on a resume? You can’t just hand in a blank sheet with your name and address at the top. But don’t panic- you’ve got more than you think you do. Find experience in other places.You don’t have much full-time work experience yet, but you likely have experience in other areas. Have you volunteered? Are you a member of any clubs? Do you have any unpaid internships or other experience that’s close, but not quite, paid working experience? Any part-time jobs?Those may not be direct lines to the job for which you’re applying now, but you can talk about the skills and experiences you’ve had that have prepared you. Even hobbies may have a place here, as long as they’re relevant to the job you w ant- and, more importantly, appropriate. (Think â€Å"playing the violin† and not â€Å"crushing it on Xbox Live.†)For example: if you babysit on weekends, that shows responsibility. If you volunteer at the senior center sometimes, play up responsibilities and the skills you’ve learned and used there (like people skills or patient care skills). If you get to use your ninja math and organization skills as the treasurer of a club, definitely include that on your resume.Use academic experience.If you’re just starting out, whoever’s reading your resume likely understands that you’re light on experience. Academic courses and experience can come in handy here, especially if you’ve taken classes or become certified in the field where you’re trying to get a job. Don’t list every class you’ve ever taken, but a targeted list of relevant academic experience can help fill out your resume.Play up your skills.Here’s wher e you lean on personal qualities instead of personal experience. Bilingual? List it. Can do a vlookup like nobody’s business? That’s Excel expertise- list it.And if you’re feeling light on skills as well as experience, don’t sweat it. Skills are something you can build with time and effort, not just prior experience. You don’t need work experience to take a class on coding or public speaking. And those are skills that look great on a resume- ones you can highlight.Build your brand.It can be hard to develop a professional brand if you don’t yet have a job, but there are some things within your control here. If you’re interested in getting a job in graphic design, build a site where you can showcase your work. If you’re interested in social media, build up your presence and focus your energies on developing a professional network in the field in which you want to work.Bottom line: you have more experience than you think you do. W hen you’re building a resume without the luxury of having work experience, look at all aspects of your life for skills and bullet points that you can use to show you’re an awesome entry-level candidate.

AtekPC Project Management Office Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

AtekPC Project Management Office - Case Study Example It was mandated with developing entrepreneurial improvements in the cost reduction and management benefits. AtekPC desired to create new products for the markets meeting creative, adaptive and agile standards through designing innovative systems manufacture processes. The office depended on coming up with duties involving a project focus strategy and enterprise-oriented strategy. Responsibly, they were to mentor other workers within the organization through consultation, mentorship, and offering training (Warren McFarlan, 2007). At the heart of any company’s operation are its customers. They are the individual consumers who and why the company exists. AtekPC had different personnel and organizations they sell them PCs. It was identified through customer character that they feared and clung to old technology and could not buy new products that came into the market. AtekPC needed a reliable and cheaper production process to achieve its goal. The production department head Mr. Steven consented that they had challenges with their current manufacture processes (Warren McFarlan, 2007). There are many options available for meeting the process and could be through plant installation or outsourcing of the manufacturing process to another company. To deliver on milestones, a company needs the right employee mix from various departments to achieve their goals. In the project endeavor, AtekPC employee was divided into two factions; those that were pro-PMO and those who resisted the change. The IT department now of the need to change was not quite experienced. The management had the right experience but needed other expatriates to implement the process. Owing to the development of a new PMO, they needed to hire fresh and experienced professionals to spearhead the new department (Warren McFarlan, 2007). Every business wants a positive limelight, which presented from the media. To maintain customers, get to them, and receive their

Maya Society was an example of a great civilisation. Discuss the Essay

Maya Society was an example of a great civilisation. Discuss the various aspects of this civilisation - Essay Example Despite having such powers she would never be given the title of Mah Kina (Hill, 1732). Many historians after closely studying history and different civilizations have come to conclusion that Mayans as a society were native cultured people belonging to Northern part of America. As a civilization or populations and resources, they occupied a terrain of an estimate sixty thousand square miles. This also included Southern Mexico, adjacent segment of Northern Guatemala. Mayan society: the Mayans were the most important of the cultured native peoples of North America, both in the degree of their civilization and in population and resources, formerly occupying a territory of about 60,000 square miles, including the whole of the peninsula of Guatemala and Yucatan. However it is to be noted that majority population always resided in same region outside large cities. As other tribes, Maya also had important tribes which formed strength of whole nation. Key tribes were Quiche and Cakchiquel of Guatemala. Each tribe part of Maya society held high cultural values. In North America Maya were being most advanced civilization and also most prehistoric. Despite being so prestigious, their numbers are estimated to be around two million approximately (Andrien, 814). If analyzing Maya civilization culturally, they could be segmented into three sections, i.e. south, north and central. It was the southern region where first signs of Maya civilization could be traced back. Izapa carvings reflect Gods that were antecedents of classic deities and at and at Kaminaljuyu glyphs on stelea indicates the signs of origination of Maya writing system. Olmec influence could be clearly traced in this area when historians studied it. Southern lowlands from Tabasco lying in northwest to Belize all made up the central region. While southern region constituted of Guatemalas Motagua River region. Along River and throughout the Peten Maya civilization flourished due

The Epic Of Gilgamesh Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Epic Of Gilgamesh - Essay Example Right from his birth, his adventures under the influence of Enkidu to his last days the readers find that there is always a divine connection in his actions and speeches. The relationship between Gilgamesh and gods can be compared with the relationship of Abraham and God in the Book of Genesis. In both the stories God has a sinifcant role to play in the development of the character. Epic of Gilgamesh goes on to prove that desire of God and destiny of man often comes in conflict. The clash between mortality and desired immortality heightens the tragedy of the epic poem. The prologue of the epic â€Å"Whoever you may be, governor, prince or anyone else, whom the gods may choose to exercise kingship† (George, xxxvi) comments that god has impartial view of mankind. In the poem Gilgamesh is portrayed with lot of glamor. The lines which denote his lordly appearnce and stature are: â€Å"Supreme over the kings, lordly in appearance/ he is the hero, born of Uruk, the goring wild bull†. (Kovacs, Tablet I) His appreciation is evident when it is said â€Å"Gilgamesh is awesome to perfection† His bravery and courage is reflected in the following lines: His physical greatness is complemented by his leadership abilities and his camaraderie with his fellow subjects; â€Å"He walks out in the front, the leader/ And walks at the rear, trusted by his companions/ Mighty net, protector of his people†. (Kovacs, Tablet I) The story of Epic of Gilgamesh is clasified into epsiodes namely a) the meeting of Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu, b) encouter with fickle and voluptuos goddess Shamhat, c) journey through the Cedar forest, d) death of Enkidu and e) search for immortality. The journey through the Cedar forest has high importance because Gilgamesh and Enkidu duo kills the monster Humbaba and also defeat the Bull of Heaven. Ishtar, the goddess of sex and warfare supervises their combats. Companion’s death urges him towards quest for life of eternity. Utnapishtim offers him a chance to

Effective Processes of Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Effective Processes of Management - Essay Example The strategic management processes are three: strategy analysis, strategy formulation and strategy implementation. These processes are strongly interrelated. None of these processes comes first and the others follow. The order of these processes is not sequential. Henry Mintzberg supports the idea that the decisions in an organization are not always taken on optimal rationality and that the business environment is not predictable. He proposed another model of strategic management where the realized strategy of an organization is a combination of deliberate and emergent strategies. The processes of the financial management are the following: financial planning and financial control. Financial planning controls the financial resources of the organization and it plans the timing and the size of expenses. The financial processes help the organization to generate profits. Financial planning tries to increase the resources of the organization and it takes care of the money invested in the organization by external third parties/investors. Talking about investors, financial planning takes care that the investors will receive reasonable amounts of return on their investments. Change management is a necessary component of any organizational performance improvement process to succeed, including programs like Six Sigma, Business Process Reengineering, Total Quality Management, Organizational Development, Restructuring and continuous process improvement. Strategic Human Resource Management includes strategies concerning learning and development. There is a distinction between learning and development. Pedler, Boydell, and Burgoyne (1989) see learning as being concerned with an increase in knowledge or a higher degree of an existing skill, whereas development is more towards a different state of being or functioning.

Generally Accepted Auditing Standards Paper Essay

Generally Accepted Auditing Standards Paper - Essay Example The audit opinion resulting from verification of financial statements provides a reasonable assurance that the statements give a true and fair value in accordance with the frameworks of financial reporting; therefore, Mobitech Accessories Ltd. does not expect auditors to produce absolute assurance by detecting all aspects of errors and fraud. Types of audits that organizations can perform include statutory, internal, external, and compulsory audits. Various standards, Acts, and boards have been initiated to guide the auditing function. Generally Accepted Auditing Standards provides a basis for performing and judging the quality of audits (Catty, 2012). The general requirements of GAAS include maintenance of independence in audit matters, adequate technical training, and proficiency for audit performance, and exercising professional care during audit performance and report preparation. Mobitech Accessories Ltd enables auditors to obtain sufficient understanding of the enterprise and allows auditors to access sufficient evidence by performing audit procedures in accordance with GAAS. GAAS also require the auditor to express an opinion regarding the financial statements; an opinion can be qualified, unqualified or disclaimer (Huault & Richard, 2012). Mobitech Accessories Ltd auditors usually state reasons in the report where they cannot express an overall opinion. GAAS provide assumptions, principles, and constraints to achieve basic objectives and implement fundamental qualities (Huault & Richard, 2012). The accounting entity assumption assumes that the business entity is a being and separate and distinct from its owners and managers. The going concern assumption assumes that the business will remain in operation indefinitely. The historical cost principle requires companies to report their liabilities and assets based on costs of acquisition rather than fair market value. The principle of revenue

Effective Processes of Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Effective Processes of Management - Essay Example The strategic management processes are three: strategy analysis, strategy formulation and strategy implementation. These processes are strongly interrelated. None of these processes comes first and the others follow. The order of these processes is not sequential. Henry Mintzberg supports the idea that the decisions in an organization are not always taken on optimal rationality and that the business environment is not predictable. He proposed another model of strategic management where the realized strategy of an organization is a combination of deliberate and emergent strategies. The processes of the financial management are the following: financial planning and financial control. Financial planning controls the financial resources of the organization and it plans the timing and the size of expenses. The financial processes help the organization to generate profits. Financial planning tries to increase the resources of the organization and it takes care of the money invested in the organization by external third parties/investors. Talking about investors, financial planning takes care that the investors will receive reasonable amounts of return on their investments. Change management is a necessary component of any organizational performance improvement process to succeed, including programs like Six Sigma, Business Process Reengineering, Total Quality Management, Organizational Development, Restructuring and continuous process improvement. Strategic Human Resource Management includes strategies concerning learning and development. There is a distinction between learning and development. Pedler, Boydell, and Burgoyne (1989) see learning as being concerned with an increase in knowledge or a higher degree of an existing skill, whereas development is more towards a different state of being or functioning.

Describe your Out of Class Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Describe your Out of Class Experience - Essay Example school period is something not many people do normally and especially when the examinations are near and usually the norm is to be found strictly in reading zones. This was a new experience for me and also for the few friends I was with as i had never done anything like this as I am always busy in the libraries and engaging in group discussions just before an exam which builds up the pressure and tension making remembering harder. This was the exact opposite during this experience as I got to remember even without much reference to class notes and discussions. The insight I got from this whole experience was that education is possible anywhere as long as one puts their mind to what they are studying or being taught and is relaxed. It was during my summer holiday break last year, when i had an opportunity to experience another out of class experience by attend a seminar that is related to my course in school and that was being held near my home town. The seminar was a five days affair with five different motivational guest speakers most of whom were born in that town and had become successful in their careers. The aim of the seminar was to motivate and encourage the students pursuing this course and who are from my home town not to dwell on their backgrounds but think about the future and how they could change that whichever way they wanted. These were ideal speakers as they had experienced almost all the trials, tribulations and joys that are present in this town and hence the far they reached and whatever they had achieved by the time the seminar was being conducted was possible for the students residing in this location. This got me to start dreaming big about my future and how all the challenges I was currently facing in school and in life as a result of the geographical locations should not be a hindrance but act as a stepping stone towards a bright future. I even got one of the speakers to be my role model to help me in achieving this dream and

The Pantheon as an Architectural Success Essay Example for Free

The Pantheon as an Architectural Success Essay The Roman Pantheon is the most preserved building in Rome despite all the additions and restorations to its original form. The original Pantheon was built in 27 BC by Marcus Agrippa after the conclusion of the Battle of Actium. The monolithic structure seen in Rome today, however, is no longer the original Pantheon from Agrippa’s time. The 27 BC Pantheon burned down in the historic fire of 80 AD and was completely reconstructed by Emeperor Hadrian in 125 AD with the present day structure. Hadrian, however, attributed the construction to the mind behind the original Pantheon as attested to by the inscription on the portico Hadrian left on the building itself, â€Å"Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, in his third consulate, made it.† (Ward-Perkins, 111).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Pantheon continues to amaze thousands of individuals daily. Tourists as well as Roman locals are held enchanted by the buildings faà §ade and dome. The interest stirred up by the Pantheon, however, doesn’t involve just tourists and curious eyes of onlookers. The architectural accomplishment that is the Pantheon has evoked many debates and researches as to its resilience to weathering and time. The Pantheon is a wonder of the modern world, a success story that continues to urge minds of the academe to unlock its secrets. This paper intends to delve into the more physical aspect of the Pantheon and unearth the factors that contribute to the greatness of the structure’s architectural design and composition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Pantheon exemplifies the best of what the Roman architectural revolution put forth during the first century. The Pantheon has within its frame some of the most advanced innovations Roman architects of the first century could provide. Its construction was made possible through the development and utilization of a new type of expert concrete that is now known as Roman concrete. Roman concrete allowed for buildings and architectural structures that were more curvilinear in form. This is most evident in the Pantheon’s configuration (Mark Hutchinson, 24).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Roman concrete used material that was very similar to the material used today in making concrete. The difference is seen in the way the Romans utilized these materials. The basic technique employed in Roman construction at that time consisted of only a few steps. First, a semi-fluid substance of lime, pozzolan, and small stones are poured in. Then a layer of stones is put on top this mixture. A second batch of the semi-fluid substance is then poured over which another layer of stones are placed. This technique is generally accepted by those studying Roman architecture. Debate continues, however, regarding the placement of the mortar on whether it was poured or tamped (Herring, 14).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Roman pozzolan-based concrete proved to be advantageous because of the extra aspects it added to the possibilities of design which were not available with lime mortar. One of these aspects is the fact that Roman pozzolan-based concrete did not need to be dried out for them to set. Roman concrete would set even when immersed. These would also cool relatively faster than lime mortar and had an added factor of increasing compressive strength, although tensile strength was low. (Mainstone, 25)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The pozzolan base of Roman concrete, however, was not the only factor that made this material superior to all others available during the time of construction of the Pantheon. There were three other factors that played into the excellence of Roman concrete. Romans were very skilled in choosing the best quality of lime for the concrete. It was essential for them to ensure that only the best quality of materials went in to creating their concrete. The early Roman construction workers were also strict in enforcing that the same relative amounts of materials went into the concrete production process. This was to ensure that the concrete they produced would always have the same first-rate quality. The ratio of water mixed with the cement material was also monitored. The Romans made sure that water was minimal in the mixture. The process of placing and compaction of the mortar was also perfected, ensuring that almost no spaces were present in the aggregate. This was to ensure that the structure for which the concrete was being used would attain the highest possible strength and therefore be one that would last under weathering and other corrosive factors (Herring, 16).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The construction of the Pantheon was not a simple task. The yard, from which the blocks used to construct the structure, was located 800 meters away from the actual site of the Pantheon. Delivery of the blocks from the building yard to the construction site must have required many laborers. The distance, however, may have also been counterbalanced by the Tiber River via which most of the blocks must have been shipped. With all the work involved in the construction of the Pantheon, it is certain that care and skill were essential in the construction. Only with extra caution and true skill could a monument such as the Pantheon truly stand and outlast its makers. (Hasselberg, 88)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Understanding the material which contributed to the strength of the Pantheon is only the first step in understanding the might of its design. Certainly, the Roman Pantheon has lasted the test of time and has undergone the weathering of ages due to the Roman concrete with which it was built. And certainly the Romans ability to come up with a plan for this construction and to follow through with these plans through careful execution and skillful craftsmanship added to this architectural success. However, the monolithic structure has continued on as a great architectural feat through time not only because of its durability but also because of its monumental design. The well-renowned painter of the ceiling of the Sistine chapel, Michelangelo, was one of the many people whose amazement and love for the arts were drawn forth by the Pantheon. He is known to have once described the building as having an â€Å"Angelic and not human design†, a design attributable to the competence and expertise of the ancient Romans (Lugli, 1). The Pantheon’s interior is one of the most concrete examples for the beauty and angelic appeal of the building. The first and most conspicuous aspect of the Pantheon’s interior that invites its visitor to exclaim in wonder is not the walls or ceiling but rather the amount of space that welcomes all to take a step inside. Roman architecture considered space to be something more than just a gap between two objects. Rather, space was considered as a concrete object, as something with volume, with equal weight as the human body. The Pantheon provides modern-day proof of the Roman architects need to place room and make space in the architectural designs of the buildings constructed at that time (Semes, C1.1). The extensive space seen in the Pantheon is not complete to be considered as remarkable if left by itself. It must always be considered with relation to a context, the structures forming the boundary of that space. It is then essential for the Roman architects to ensure that the walls and domed ceiling of the Pantheon will do well to complement the space they wish to portray in the building (Semes, C1.2). In the case of the Pantheon, Roman architects chose a round shape to serve as a boundary of the space within the interior of the Pantheon. The circular shape adds to a feeling that the Pantheon’s interior is indeed spacious. The Pantheon’s walls are ordered by an array of extravagant structures such as the building’s columns, lintels, niches, doorways, and of course the wall itself seen between the earlier mentioned structures. The structures involved in the Pantheon’s walls were not only varied in type but were also varied in terms of the subtypes. The additions to the wall were formed into varying shapes, thus forming subtypes, to add to the intricacy of the beauty of the Pantheon’s interior (Semes, C1.2). Take a moment now to scrutinize one of these features which exists as an aspect of the design of the Pantheon celebrated by contemporary architects as a link to early architectural concepts of beauty. This is seen in the three basic dimensions of the Pantheon’s wall. These three dimensions include the diameter of the columns, the space between each column, and the height of the columns. These dimensions are in the ratio of 1:2:9.5 in the Pantheon. Hermogenes, a popular architect during the Hellenistic age, considered these dimensions and ratio to be the makings of a perfect faà §ade. Vitruvius, the engineer during the 1st century in Rome, is most likely the one to bring to life through the Pantheon the concepts introduced by Hermogenes (Hasselberg, 89).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The round wall contains many niches as well creating an impression of the wall containing numerous chambers at different levels. These niches contain some of the most reputable men of the Western world including kings of Italy, popes, and famous painters such as Raphael. All niches as well as openings in the wall are framed by an arch of bricks which serve more than just beautification purposes. These arches add to the support of the wall above the openings and niches and were called relieving arches because of this feature. These arches only went so far as the wall and did not invade the Pantheon’s dome. Creating structural support through the use of relieving arches was very common with Roman architects during the time the Pantheon was built (Lugli, 30). Roman architects showed their prowess by the careful placement of these structures, the columns, the lintels, the niches, the doorways, and the wall itself. They alternated solid structures with spaces creating an interaction between the two which worked to increase the Pantheon’s appeal as an architectural masterpiece. The differing shapes in the structures, therefore, did not give a sense of disorder but rather an overall impression of organization in the face of diversity. The walls and its complementing features thus give an observer’s eyes a feast both as individual pieces and as an integrated whole (Semes, C1.2). One of the most acclaimed features of the Pantheon is its domed ceiling. It is celebrated world-wide for its being built. The Romans were known for their addition of arches in their structures. The creation of the Roman Pantheon’s domed ceiling gives evidence to the development of the Roman architectural concept of arches. Roman architecture evolved to improve the concept of the arch, modifying it and making it more complex with the resulting structure of a dome. The Roman concrete based on pozzolan is acknowledged by many to be the reason for the Roman architects’ success in building a domed ceiling. At the time, the new form of concrete made the construction of the ceiling an accomplishable feat. Lime mortar would not have been an easy material to use in the construction of the Pantheon’s ceiling, thus the use of the new pozzolan-based concrete, which had many features of modern Portland concrete, contributed greatly to the monumental task of building the dome-shaped ceiling. However, there are those who believe that although the concrete is one of the main factors involved in the dome’s success, it is not the only factor. Robert Mark and Paul Hutchinson believe that the concentric stepped rings placed in the outer surface of the Pantheon dome add to the success of the ceiling (26). It is believed that the steven step rings helped to bring stability to the entire structure of the Pantheon by adding to the compression of the structure. This is evidenced by the oculus at the center of the dome which serves as a compression ring. The positioning of the ring or oculus effectively distributes the compression of the structure about this point. The compression ring attests to the skill of the Roman architects and engineers. They not only had the skill and knowledge required to create the colossal Pantheon but they also had the expertise and comprehension of modern engineering to create it in such a way that it would remain standing as a solid and stable structure for a long time.   Many of the imitations of the Pantheon add such stepped rings to the dome of their derivative structures probably for the same purpose of stability and compression. The dome was also a successful architectural feat with the help of the coffering. Coffering is the placing of sunken panels of different shapes in accordance with the structures in the ceiling. This serves aesthetic purposes as well as reinforces structural strength. The dome’s underside was also made stronger with the use of lightweight aggregate in the upper part of the building’s edifice. The aggregate was of lower density than the aggregate used in the lower parts of the building such as the walls, floor and columns. It is evident then that a lot of though went into the creation of the Pantheon’s dome (Mark Huthcinson, 26). Because of the addition of an oculus in the domed ceiling, the Pantheon provides a perfect example of an architect’s use of light to emphasize the appearance of space. The Pantheon’s dome has an oculus or opening in the middle which makes a circular form across the Pantheon’s interior, the floor and the walls. Sunlight streams in through the open oculus and gives an enchanting chiaroscuro effect, a term indicating the alternating effect of light and dark, via the columns and niches in the room (Semes, C1.2). The shadows created by the columns and niches plays with the light coming in from the oculus to create the effect of irregular but successive alternations of brightness agains darkness. However, a simple addition of an opening in a spacious room is not enough to create such a marvel as the Pantheon’s interior. There must always be the consideration of the features within the structure’s interior and how these features would interact with the light. The different materials used in the construction of the Pantheon add to the mystery created by the illumination entering from the opening in the dome’s oculus. The classical interior welcomes the streaming in of light from the sun or perhaps even from the moon. The walls, the columns, the niches and even the arches add to the effect given by the streaming glow from above. The marbles with all its colors, the golden gleams from the ornaments, allow for the light to play inside the Pantheon and create different effects (Semes, C1.2). The columns in the Pantheon’s interior are created with different types of marble. Those in the lower zone are of a material called giallo antico. This is a type of marble that is of a yellowish-orange color. Some of the other columns in the lower zone are made of marble with an off-white color streaked with reddish-purple hues, called pavonazzo. The walls and floor are covered with marble of white, green, and green-gray colors. Although it may seem to one who has not seen the Pantheon up close that these colors would clash and cause quite an unattractive display of shades, this is not the case in the Pantheon. The architects and engineers of the Pantheon were so skilled that even in the mixing of these hues; the Pantheon creates a sense of intricate beauty and intimate splendor. These add to the attraction of the Pantheon’s interior for visiting tourists and even for the locals. The colors are so well balanced that the interior creates a sense of energy and of unity despite the variation (Semes, C1.2). The Pantheon lends this energy to its visitors, encapsulating them in its color-induced aura once they step inside the great structure’s walls. The Pantheon came to be used for different purposes, attesting to the flexibility of its architectural design. Historians speculate that the Pantheon may have been initially used as a dedication to the Roman gods and goddesses worshipped by many at that time. It may also have served an astrological purpose which may have been the reason for the oculus or hole at the rooftop of the Pantheon. The structure continued to served as a church in 608, as a funerary afterwards, and as a place where the busts of artists not laid to rest in the Pantheon were placed (Howell, 34). The end of the Roman civilization signaled the replacement of Roman architectural design. The Dark Ages was a time of little growth in architectural design but new architecture was conceptualized by the succeeding Renaissance minds. If not for structures such as the Pantheon, Roman architecture would have been all but forgotten. Today, many historians, architects and researchers continue to study the Pantheon to try and uncover the secrets lost during the downfall of the Roman Empire. It provides modern architects are now returning to the foundations of classical architecture and the Pantheon is a treasure trove of knowledge regarding classical design. The Pantheon provides these architects with aspects of classical design that are no longer visible in modern structures. It is clear that the Pantheon continues to be a legacy of the skill and capabilities of the Roman architects who made it (Semes, C1.2). Works Cited Lugli, G. â€Å"The Pantheon and Adjacent Structures.† Rome: Giovanni Bardi Publisher, 1971 Hasselberg, Lothar. â€Å"Deciphering a Roman Blueprint.† Scientific American 272 (1995): 84-89 Herring, Ben. â€Å"The Secrets of Roman Concrete.† Constructor Magazine September 2002:13-16 Howell, Peter. â€Å"Pantheons: Transformations of a Monumental Idea.† Apollo Magazine September 2005: 33-36 Mainstone, Rowland. â€Å"Letter On the Structure of the Roman Pantheon.† The Art Bulletin 68 (1986): 673-674 Mark, Robert, and Paul Hutchinson. â€Å"On the Structure of the Roman Pantheon.† The Art Bulletin 68 (1986): 24-34 Semes, Steven. â€Å"Pantheon Inside.† Architecture Week 254 (2005): C1.1-C1.2 Ward-Perkins, J.B. â€Å"Roman Imperial Architecture.† New York: Penguin Books, 1985

Pros And Cons Of Credit Cards English Language Essay

Pros And Cons Of Credit Cards English Language Essay Nowadays credit cards are of great convenience. Credit Card is a kind of bank plastic cards, which is tied to the personal account of the bank, which bank offers the customer with a credit line without filing liens and guarantees. AS a fact, to get a credit card is more complicated than a debit card as a credit card means the loan. Typically, a credit card issued by a commercial bank to obtain consumer credit for any urgent needs of the client, as this is the easiest option of processing the loan and the original amount of the credit facility is generally not very high. Credit card should be used wisely and cautiously. The main advantage of a credit card is the use of the credit funds. If people receive a consumer credit, they must pay interest on a loan. A credit card is a convenient way to pay for the goods and services. As a fact, nowadays people pay no more attention to the cash money, as they have credit cards. If a person does not like to ask to borrow money, banknote may be fall-back option in case before the wages are not enough money. A credit card is absolutely indispensable when booking a hotel or car rental. In such cases, the correct amount is not deducted, but only blocked on the clients account. Interest on the amount of lockable is not charged. As disadvantages, there can be attributed the restrictions set by the bank for cash. The disadvantage of credit cards is that not all outlets accept credit cards to pay for their goods or services, but all more or less large retail chains can pay by credit (and debit) card. With a credit card, you can withdraw cash using the ATM network of an y bank. True to withdraw cash on credit cards have limitations, but you can always get the remaining amount to another ATM or in the same, by entering your card and pin code again. [1] In the banks, credit card processing practiced as part of the contract to the target consumer loans, for example, when you make a loan to purchase home appliances. In the loan agreement the conditions for issuing credit cards are specified and the whole mechanism of its transmission to the client, for example, after full repayment of the first loan. Often there are situations when people get credit cards in the mail, it is outraged, believing that the bank simply imposes his card. And not to fall into such an awkward position should carefully read all the terms of any credit agreement are signed. [5] The money people all over the world spend using credit cards, does not actually exist. It should be noted that the money has gone virtual and there are a lot of cases of cheating and hacking of the credit cards, as the whole system is not perfect. As a fact, credit does not do any good, as there emerge many different problems caused by the credit cards and the taken credit, when people purchase a lot and become shopaholics. Consequently, nowadays to survive and to live comfortable life, people us credit cards to buy different things, from a pen to a flat with the help of a credit card. For that, everyone needs a stable highly paid job to cope with the difficulties arising. And many people live in debt while shopping constantly and purchasing plenty of unnecessary things. Debt is the latest concern in our society and there should be found a solution to the way of spending money. Individuals and governments are struggling to cope with the debt and offer different options to solve the problem. Also, marketing credit card companies have had to stop towards high school and college kids in order to help keep them out of debt before graduation, as there is very high percentage of people living in debt and have no way out. Nowadays it is a severe problem for the people all over the world, who use credit cards and who constantly have a temptation to purchase goods, even if they dont need them. And especially thi s problem is about adolescents who do not work yet and already have an access to the credit cards. [3] Either way it should be remembered that buying goods with the credit card, we hereby affirm the agreement to buy the goods at a price much higher than the real price of the product itself is. This is called I want it now, that further includes paying more for the goods. It remains only to compare the size of this proportion with the rate of inflation. Everyone knows that credit stimulates consumption and, consequently, production. But any loan borrower must provide certain guarantees on their credit obligations. Excessive credit entails a chronic excess of the rate of consumption over the pace of increase in income of the loan borrowers and, therefore, guarantees taken credit obligations. Imagine for a moment that all that you are using was purchased on credit. The car, which you navigate to work and shop, as well as TV, refrigerator, furniture everything bought on credit, and often this is added to the most important apartment on credit. Your only guarantee your monthly salary. O f course, you have no savings, because almost all of your wages goes to pay for the credit for those things that you use. Such loans are called sub-prime. This is the way most Americans live. Now imagine for a moment that you or someone from your friends lost their jobs. The next day in front of your house there would be a queue of creditors to declare the guarantee or to pay obligations. You are nervously looking for decent jobs with wages sufficient for your monthly payment obligations. If you do not pay for the credit on time, on your account penalties are applied. In the worst case, your property is started with a hammer. But imagine this same situation, but only on a global scale. You cannot pay off the loan, your property is auctioned, but no one at the auction would buy it, because the neighbors of your neighbors would be in exactly the same situation. Automatically starts the crisis in the banking sector, falling demand, and, of course, there comes a decline in production. [ 2] Time flies very quickly. Think about it: not so long ago, buying something on credit could safely assume status act. Now buying on credit is a commonplace, routine activity, nothing to do with the advance. All kinds of people do it, often without thinking about consequences. It is no secret: take credit when you do not have enough money to have the right to pay the entire purchase (for the washing machine, a car or a new apartment). So from a rational, practical point of view a credit is a direct alternative to hoarding. Credit stimulates consumption, and thus serves as an additional battery for the production. Credit is just the ideal solution for implementing the words I want it right now. But the total loan creates the illusion of an exaggeration of your financial opportunities. Some people are so accustomed to use credit cards that they often fail to notice how quickly their red account balance reaches the size of the monthly salary. [4] Today it is too difficult to stay away from the banks and credit, since we live in an age of capitalism. And if we live, therefore we adopt the rules of the game that the banks set. Banks rule the world nowadays. If you want an apartment take the credit, you want the car take the credit, you want a great vacation you are welcome! Take a credit voucher. And if you save for the same things without taking a credit, is there any sense to rejoice over it in old age? Credit for today for the majority nowadays is both the way out and the prison Interest loan lately is very crucial. Now with a credit card a person can buy almost everything from simple TV and mobile phone to a car, apartment and a country house. There is no dispute that credit is extremely convenient and profitable invention of mankind. But, as says the popular proverb, every cloud has a silver lining. And vice versa.