Saturday, December 28, 2019

Essay on Jaws - 1080 Words

Is Jaws a Horror Movie? First I will highlight the brief journey through the horror genre and the conventions that have developed. Second, I will then show how these conventions are used in the film Jaws. Let’s start with the silent era, an era based on monsters, Frakingstien 1910, Dracula 1912, The Phantom Of The Opera 1925. Without sound, there was a heavy emphasis on make – up, adding to the horror and preparing the first convention, which is the reveal of the monster. Facial expressions and body language played big part in early horror movies as it provided the tension. A second convention was the ‘dark property in the middle of nowhere,’ using isolation as a way to build up tension. Through the talkies in the 30’s little†¦show more content†¦The opening of the film is from the shark point of view, underwater, the scene is errie. John Williams distinctive music playing leaves the audience tense, especially because they can’t see the creature. We cut to the camp fire scene which introduces our first convention, the weak female teenager. A young girl, Chrissie Watkins and Tom Cassidy leave the safety of a camp fire to go swimming in the middle of the night. We are moved from a warm, safe elemental scene to the cold, dangerous and open ocean. The final view of the camp fire is a high shot this gives the audience a feeling that something is watching them. We are left feeling unsettled but excited. The teenagers run the broken fence and now ‘out of bounds’ are they safe? Chrissie runs into the water and the camera angle pans back to show the dark ocean with a buoy floating in the distance. A sultry bell sound ringing out, building up an eerie feeling. In the water Chrissie is presented as a lady even underwater Chrissie appears stunning while swimming. This same shot is Spielberg shows the point of view of the shark. At this point the audience knows something is going to happen and Spielberg builds the tension using John Williams score. Spielberg uses diegetic sounds of splashing and non-diegetic sounds to great effective. The music starts very quietly and slowly. As the shark moves through the water, the beat and theShow MoreRelatedJaws: Shark and Water1699 Words   |  7 PagesJaws (1975) Media Coursework Peter Benchley wrote Jaws the novel before it was made into a film directed by Steven Spielberg. Jaws is a thriller/horror with the main aim being to build up suspense and tension. When making the film Jaws Steven Spielberg had to face the challenging task of translating Benchley’s popular novel into a hit movie whilst still maintaining the suspense created through the many textual devices used by Benchley, such as language techniques and sentence structure. SpielbergRead MoreEssay Suspense in the Film Jaws1592 Words   |  7 PagesSuspense in the Film Jaws In this essay I will be analysing the film Jaws. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg whose other works include Indiana Jones and E.T. Jaws is a fascinating and entertaining film mainly because of its interesting and diverse plot. The people of Amity Island used to live a peaceful and quiet life in the small summer resort town in America. Now however, the people of the small town have become victim to a man-eating Great White Shark. TheRead MoreJaws and Jurassic Park Films1667 Words   |  7 PagesSteven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) and his other film Jurassic Park (1993) both contain a major theme of what makes a successful hero in society. In Jaws, police chief Martin Brody must successfully eliminate the threat of a Great White Shark from attacking Amity Island. In Jurassic Park, billionaire John Hammond creates a theme park where cloned dinosaurs come alive, hoping that his ideal resort becomes a major success. Through the use of film style elements, such as editing and mise-en scene, SpielbergRead MoreMovie Analysis of Jaws Essay896 Words   |  4 PagesMovie Analysis of Jaws Martin Brody is the new police chief trying to rid Amity Island of a savage shark terrorising the islanders and tourists alike in the 1976 thriller, Jaws. Jaws was directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss. Amity Island relies almost fully on the income gained by tourists visiting the island in the summer vacation. It is up to Martin Brody to protect the beach goers by finding the shark and killingRead MoreJaws Cinematography3254 Words   |  14 PagesDuring the film Steve Spielberg uses music, a mysterious shark and camera techniques such as simultaneous track and zoom, long shot, close up shots and medium shots to build suspense, tension and scare the audience. The music represents the shark, especially its movements and its presence. In the title sequence the camera is moving along the seabed like a shark. Spielberg makes the audience believe that the camera is viewing things through the shark’s eyes, he uses a camera shot called point ofRead MoreEssay about Terror in Spielbergs Jaws1429 Words   |  6 Pagesin Spielbergs Jaws The film ‘Jaws’ exemplifies the statement ‘Sublime terror rests in the unseen- the ultimate horror’. Some people would say that dismemberment and gore is needed to terrorise an audience, but this only shocks and disgusts viewers. A horror film should therefore make the audience imagine the terror in order to maximise the fear factor. Many horror films nowadays use similar techniques to those used by Spielberg in the film ‘Jaws’. They use techniquesRead MoreMovie Analysis of Jaws.2238 Words   |  9 PagesReleased in 1975, Jaws was probably one of the best adventure, action, and suspense films of that era. Directed by Steven Spielberg with the following staring main cast members Roy Scheider as Martin Bordy (chief police officer), Richard Dreyfuss as Matt Hooper (marine biologist), Robert Shaw as Quint (local fisherman), Murray Hamilton as Larry Vaughan (town mayor). Jaws the movie, is not like any other any other fish story. The film is about a gigantic 26 foot shark that has an appetiteRead MoreAnalysis of Jaws Essay2353 Words   |  10 PagesAnalysis of Jaws This essay will analyse the film ‘Jaws’ and look at the ways that Steven Spielberg (The director) builds suspense and scares the audience in the film. Jaws was the box-office sensation of 1975 and the number-one hit movie of the decade until 1977s ‘Star Wars’; this was a time when the success or failure of a few blockbusters began to determine the course of the entire motion picture industry. The film is about a killer shark that causes havoc amongRead MoreSteven Spielberg s Film Jaws2274 Words   |  10 PagesSteven Spielberg’s film â€Å"JAWS† (1975), (Spielberg/Universal), uses the motif of an essentially unseen shark, ominously present through unpredictable displays of terrifying violence, to sculpt a message about good, evil, power, arrogance, and vanity within the hegemony of small-town middle class America. Spielberg markets this â€Å"High Concept† (Cook 40), film and its nationalist ideals on a story that is principally based on one image, the shark, and the fallibility of the human decision making processRead MoreSummary of Film Jaws Essay900 Words   |  4 PagesSummary of Film Jaws This essay that I am doing is about a film called Jaws, which was directed by Steven Spielberg. This film is about a killer shark that terrorised people on the Beach of Amity Island on the most popular day of the year, which causes mayhem in the city and between tourists on their summer holiday on the beach.The film is set on the 4th of July because that is Independence Day in America and thats when families go out to the beach and have some fun

Friday, December 20, 2019

Cultural And Social Capital Theory - 999 Words

Chen (2003) used the frameworks of cultural and social capital theory to explore factors affecting the academic success of Chinese students in Los Angeles Community College. The results of the study indicated that the aspirations of obtaining a higher level academic degree and then transferring to a four-year college or university were considered as the best predictors of academic success for Chinese international students. Whereas, English proficiency was considered to be a weak factor and social interaction factors were not too much related to Chinese international students’ academic success. Yuan (2011) examined the experiences of ten Chinese students at one American university. This study examined the challenges faced by Chinese international students, their social interaction, and their attitudes to adapting into the American culture and society. The result indicated that Chinese participants identified spoken English and class discussion as their major challenges while studying at American higher education institutions. Besides, they stated limited interaction with Americans. However, most of them highly praised the American educational system and regarded their experiences in the United States as being worthwhile. It is also worth noting that the Chinese participants expressed mixed perceptions of American culture and different attitudes to cultural assimilation. Zhang (2013) explored the lived experience of Chinese undergraduate students from their perspective andShow MoreRelatedSocial Reproduction Theory And The American Education System1224 Words   |  5 Pages Social reproduction theory is important and relevant to society because it challenges an institution that we have been socialized to honor and protect. In America, we believe that we have equal opportunities to succeed by educating ourselves in the school system. However, our social class and identity dictate how much access we have to those very opportunities that can lead to success. By examining this theory of social reproduction, we can further understand the roles that culture and social classRead MoreSocial Class And The Self1502 Words   |  7 Pagespraised and referenced studies and whether is it still a useful tool in understanding the relationship between the social class and the self. I will do this by examining the theories of social class and examining them against B ourdieu’s work. The two main theorists on the idea of social class are Karl Marx and Max Weber. Marx based his theory on the idea that there are only two social classes, the bourgeoisie and proletariat. The bourgeoisie being the capitalist upper classes such as factory and businessRead MoreBourdieu Marx And Durkheim, Political Economy With Cultural Studies Essay1350 Words   |  6 PagesBourdieu connects Marx with Durkheim, political economy with cultural studies. He distinguishes cultural production from other economic manufactory field using the interlocking conceptual tools of field, habitus and capital. The conceptual categories Bourdieu brought to cultural analysis have since shaped the study of what I find valuable to my analysis. Bourdieu described media, art, academic settings, and various areas of intellectual production, as fields that appear to be autonomous. HoweverRead MoreIntroduction:. In This Essay I Will Be Exploring The Concepts1688 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction: In this essay I will be exploring the concepts of ideology and symbolic and cultural capital in regards to the ABC television series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with Ty Pennington. The show is an American reality television series providing home makeovers for less fortunate families and community schools. The show is hosted by former model, carpenter and veteran television personality Ty Pennington who is pleasing to the ear and eye. Each episode features a family that has facedRead MoreDISCUSS THE RELEVANCE OF BOURDIEU1339 Words   |  6 PagesRELEVANCE OF BOURDIEU’S CULTURAL CAPITAL CONCEPT IN EXPLAINING EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN ZIMBABWE. EMAIL ADDRESS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦jasbro66@gmail.com MARK†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.... COMMENT†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.... †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ DISCUSS THE RELEVANCE OF BOURDIEU’S CULTURAL CAPITAL CONCEPT IN EXPLAINING EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN ZIMBABWE. The concept of cultural capital originates in PierreRead MoreCultural Capital And Social Capital898 Words   |  4 Pagescoined the phrase ‘cultural capital’ which is the representation of the cultural knowledge, temperament and disposition that is inherited from generation to generation. Published to the Oxford University Press, Pierre Bordieu explained his theory of cultural capital as consisting of three elements: â€Å"cultural capital can exist in three forms: in the embodied state, i.e., in the form of long-lasting dispositions of the mind and body; in the objectified state, in the form of cultural goods (pictures,Read MoreA Social Critique Of The Judgment Of Taste1661 Words   |  7 Pagestransferred. As well as how social order were maintained throughout the time of their existence. (Bourdieu) Bourdieu is best known for his book Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste. Being deemed the sixth most important sociological work of the twentieth century by the International Sociological Association (ISA). (Bourdieu) argues that judgments of taste are acts of social positioning. Along the journey of debating the correlation between taste and social positioning, he tried toRead MoreAin t No Makin By Jay Mcleod960 Words   |  4 PagesIn Jay McLeod’s influential book, Ain’t No Makin’ It (2009), he discovers new sociological theories and social reproduction through his research over many years. Through social reproduction McLeod shows us how education’s role gets passed down from one generation to the next from class inequality. He claims that aspirations/lack of aspirations is being reproduced. He deeply examines two resident groups of male youths that have opposing views on what their aspirations are in life. McLeod alsoRead MoreEs say On Sugar Relationship1493 Words   |  6 Pagescourse of recent history. (add examples plus references) The use of cultural capital as an explanation for the rising popularity of sugar dating: There are many pressures on the mellennials of today to achieve a certain standard of living. Part of this push by society to amass wealth and prestige is to gain an education that will place them in good stead for the future both financially and socially. Bourdieu’s ideas of cultural capital and the habitus of society really explains the nuances of the driveRead MoreBourdieus Theory Of Cultural Development1606 Words   |  7 PagesPierre Bourdieu’s cultural reproduction has transformed as well as influenced the literature field, following Alice Sullivan’s statement on the successful results of Bourdieu s theory: â€Å"Bourdieu s theory of cultural reproduction has been highly influential, and has generated a great deal of literature, both theoretical and empirical† (144). According to Bourdieu’s theory, based on his book Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste, makes the declaration that higher levels of education

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Las Meninas Essay Example For Students

Las Meninas Essay Artist Diego Velà ¡zquezYear 1656Medium Oil on canvasDimensions 318 cm Ãâ€" 276 cm (125.2 in Ãâ€" 108.7 in) This is one of Velà ¡zquez`s largest paintings and among those in which he made most effort to create a complex and credible composition that would convey a sense of life and reality while enclosing a dense network of meanings. The artist achieved his intentions and  Las Meninas  became the only work to which the writer on art Antonio Palomino devoted a separate section in his history of Spanish painters of 1724, entitling it  In which the most illustrious work by Don Diego Velà ¡zquez is described.  Since then the painting has never lost its status as a masterpiece. From Palomino we know that it was painted in 1656 in the Cuarto del Prà ­ncipe in the Alcà ¡zar in Madrid, which is the room seen in the work. He also identifies most of the figures of the court servants grouped around the Infanta Margarita, who is attended by two of the Queen`s meninas or maids-ofhonour: Marà ­a Agustina Sarmiento and Isabel de Velasco. In addition to that group, we also see the artist himself working on a large canvas, the dwarves Mari Bà ¡rbola and Nicolasito Pertusato, the latter provoking a mastiff, and the lady-in-waiting Marcela de Ulloa next to a  guardadamas  (attendant), with the chamberlain Josà © Nieto standing in the doorway in the background. Reflected in the mirror are the faces of Philip IV and Mariana of Austria, the Infanta`s parents who are watching the scene taking place. The figures inhabit a space that is modelled not just through the laws of scientific perspective but also through aerial perspective. In the definition of this space the multiplication of the light sources plays an important role. The painting shows a large room in the  Royal Alcazar of Madrid  during the reign of King  Philip IV of Spain, and presents several figures, most identifiable from the Spanish court, captured, according to some commentators, in a particular moment as if in a  snapshot. Some look out of the canvas towards the viewer, while others interact among themselves. The young  Infanta Margaret Theresa  is surrounded by her entourage of  maids of honour,  chaperone, bodyguard, two dwarfs and a dog. Just behind them, Velà ¡zquez portrays himself working at a large canvas. Velà ¡zquez looks outwards, beyond the pictorial space to where a viewer of the painting would stand. In the background there is a mirror that reflects the upper bodies of the king and queen. They appear to be placed outside the picture space in a position similar to that of the viewer, although some scholars have speculated that their image is a reflection from the painting Velà ¡zquez is shown working on. Las Meninas  has long been recognised as one of the most important paintings in  Western art history. The  Baroque  painter  Luca Giordano  said that it represents the theology of painting and in 1827 the president of the  Royal Academy of Arts  Sir Thomas Lawrence  described the work in a letter to his successor  David Wilkie  as the true philosophy of the art. More recently, it has been described as Velà ¡zquezs supreme achievement, a highly self-conscious, calculated demonstration of what painting could achieve, and perhaps the most searching comment ever made on the possibilities of the easel painting. References En.wikipedia.org. (2017).  Las Meninas. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Meninas. Museodelprado.es. (2017).  Las Meninas The Collection Museo Nacional del Prado. Available at: https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/las-meninas/9fdc7800-9ade-48b0-ab8b-edee94ea877f.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Evaluation of Taxation of Return on Property Holding

Question: Discuss about the Evaluation of Taxation of Return on Property Holding. Answer: Introduction This report discusses effect of taxation on return from property holding in an economy. The economy Effect of taxation on equity and housing prices are analysed. Taxation on property return affects the economy. Property tax is a source of income of government. Hence, if property tax increases, tax revenue increases. Property tax is regarded as cost of capital (Norregaard 2013). When, government increases the property tax, cost of capital increases. Therefore, reduction in property tax increases the capital investment. As the capital investment increases, industry develops and the more jobs are created. On the other hand reduction in tax revenue decreases government spending. The mixed effect of property tax on economy is discussed in this report in the Australian context. Property tax depends on the value of the property at a certain point of time. Different types of property valuation methods are used in different jurisdiction. Decrease in property value reduces the tax bill. Furthermore, property tax bill varies according to the usage of property such as residential use, commercial use, vacant land etc. In some areas the real estate tax bill is calculated on current value (Burkhauser et al. 2015). Therefore, the tax bill changes as the value of the property changes overtime. Generally, local government collects property taxes. Hence, property tax law is formed based on local economic structure. Evaluation the system of taxation on property holding returns Assessment of taxation on owner occupied property Land is considered as property in the economy. As land is inelastic in supply, effect of price on supply is low. Therefore, imposing tax on land does not impact much on behaviour of land suppliers. In case of owner occupied land, it is easier to identify the actual tax payer. The return on land is considered as economic rent. Land tax in Australia is charged to the owner of land. As opined by Jacobs and Berry and Dalton (2013), the utility of house is different from the land. Land taxes differ across different states of Australia. Land Tax in New South Wales Tax Base, (AUD) Tax rate Up to 412,000 AUD 100 412,000 -2,519,000 1.6% on band over ADU412,000 Over 2,519,000 25 on all value over ADU 2,519,000 Land tax in Victoria (2009-2014) Tax Base, (AUD) Tax rate Up to 250,000 0% 250,000 600,000 0.20% on band over 250,000 600,000 1,000,000 0.50% on the band over 600,000 1,000,000 1,800,000 0.80% on the band over 1,000,000 1,800,000 3,000,000 1.30% on band over 1,800,000 Over 3,000,000 2.25% on all value over 3,000,000 Land tax (2014-15) in Australian territory for residential properties TAX BASE, AUD TAX RATE Up to 75,000 0.41% 75,000 150,000 0.48% on band over75,000 150,000 275,000 0.61% on band over 150,000 Over 275,000 1.23% on all value over 275,000 Figure: Land Tax rate in different territory of Australia (Source: Ato.gov.au, 2016) Unlike land, a house gives service to the occupiers. Thus, VAT can be imposed on the services of house. In the view of Whiteford (2014), the value of houses fluctuate overtime just like share values. Hence, the home ownership can be considered as saving. As the owner occupied property has characteristics of both investment and consumption, it needs to be taxed from the two ends. If there is decrease in value of land, the land owner may suffer from capital loss, if the land tax would have been declared before. However, in practical, the value of land is non-decreasing as its supply is naturally fixed. Hence, use of land is not likely to be changed after windfall loss. Slack and Bird (2014) cited that, there is externality effect on owners land. If there is external development besides a land, the value of the concerned land increases. In this case, the value of the land increases due to community efforts rather than individual effort. Tax collected from the land thus includes the bene fits accrued by the landowner. Assessment of taxation on investment property Investment property is the property, which is purchased in the motive of profit earning. Rental income is a source of income from investment property. Rental income is taxable at the time of receiving it during a given period. Sale of rental property comes under capital gain or loss. Capital gain on investment property is liable for tax. In Australia, the investment property, building renovation due to profit motive and property used in business are taxed as capital gains tax or goods and service tax (Australia I.C.O.M.O.S. 2015). During the calculation of tax on the capital gain, cost of financing the acquisition and end use of the property needs to be considered. The capital gain from selling property gets tax exemption if gained amount is reinvested in an asset. The amount of tax depends on the time of selling investment property. During valuation of capital gain, difference between initial purchase price of the property and selling price renovation cost and transfer costs are considered (Coffee et al. 2013). Capital gain tax in Australia is calculated by using CGT method and Indexation method etc. Net capital gain is calculated by subtracting total capital loss and any CGT discount from total capital gain during a year (Ato.gov.au, 2016). In Australia, the capital gains tax is charged at standard income tax rate. In the capital gains tax method, capital gain is calculated by deducting cots base from the fair market value of property. The cost base includes acquisition cost of property, incidental expenses of purchase and sale of property and property improvement cost. Cost base cannot be calculated if the property is sold within one year of purchase (Elia et al. 2013). The property indexation method depends on date of purchasing property. There are two criteria of measuring capital gains in Australia. If residents have acquired the property after 21 September in 1999, the discount capital gain or unindexed capital gain is decreased by 50%. Therefore, the capital gain, which is taxable, is 50% of the cost base. The cost base of the assets, which were acquired before 21 September 1999, was indexed as per fluctuation of the CPI in Australia. Effect of taxation on equity Capital gains from stocks and mutual funds are taxed if the income is generated in short term. Long term return from equity is not taxed. Implication of tax is not applicable at the time of investment in shares. Tax is imposed at the time of sale of assets (Crowe 2013). As the public investment is mobilised in the economy for investment in different sectors, it is exempted from tax. However, income generated from sale of assets is liable to be taxed as if it is capital gain. In Australian economy, the repayment for mortgage on housing loan is liable to be taxed (Baranska 2013). The interest earned from the investment property is tax deductible. Equity is taxed if it is used for funding the purchase of investment property. Loan to value ratio and debt service ratio are used in evaluating the effect on equity. Investment in different types of property has different types of risks and values. Therefore, the loan to value ratio differs for different types of assets (Shi and Jou and Tripe 2014). Banks of Australia accepts up to 80% loan to value ratio for residential property and 60-70% for the commercial properties. If the borrower takes a mortgage insurance policy, the lender generally accepts a higher LVR (Chung 2016). The value of equity is therefore calculated as follows. If for example, the current value of property is $800,000 and the mortgage on home is $450,000, then the value of equity on property is $800,000 - $450,000 = $350,000. Now, if the investor finds an investment, which is worth of $500,000, the investor would try to get a loan of same worth. Now the LVR for the investor = ($450,000 + $500,000)/ ($800,000 + $500,000) = 73.08%. As the maximum criteria for the LVR is 80%, the investor will pass in the security criteria. Therefore, the bank may grant the loan to the investor for purchasing the investment property using the equity. The return on equity falls under the capital gains tax (LeBlanc and Matthews and Mellbye 2013). Hence, the standard income tax rate is applicable for the equity. Dividends on equity of a company fall under the corporation tax in Australia. The corporation tax rate in Australia is 28.50%, which is effective from 2015. Moreover, the tax on capital gain depends on whether the property is held on capital account or revenue account. If the property is included in the revenue account, the gains from disposal are calculated with the income of the owner (Peng and Chen 2016). The tax rate on income would be as per owners tax rate. If the property is held in capital account, the net capital gain is added wit h the income of the owner and taxed according to the owners tax rate. Effect on housing prices The housing price in Australia is influenced by the increasing value and cost of the assets. As investment in house is a source of income, return from investment property determines the demand for house (Sim and Krause and Winson-Geideman 2015). The housing prices in Australia have increased at 7% per year. The rising housing price in Australia can be explained by Stock flow model. Figure: Residential property prices in Australia (Source: abc.net.au, 2016) Figure: Growth in housing prices in Australia (Source: rba.gov.au, 2015) Stock flow model According to the stock flow model, demand for housing property is negatively related to the user cost of acquiring the property and property price (rba.gov.au, 2015). However, demand for housing is positively related to rent. There are other factors such as permanent income of the households; availability of credit etc affects the housing demand. The user cost of house ownership depends on real interest rate, asset depreciation and appreciation of housing price. Differences in tax structure for owner occupied and investment property also influence the demand for housing (Forrest 2013). Figure: Relation between the property price and property demand (Source: created by author) In the short run, the demand for housing changes frequently compared to supply of house. The demand pull inflation raises the price of the house In Australia. Increasing access of credit in Australia is the cause of increasing demand and prices of housing. Despite increasing rent, the demand for housing is rising in Australia, as the income of the people has increased substantially over the years (Randolph and Pinnegar and Tice 2013). However, there is a fall in residential property prices in Australia from 2015 to 2016. Figure: changes in housing price in Australia (Source: abs.gov.au, 2016) Effect on Australian economy According to the recommendation of tax review committee, the government of Australia can impose levy of 0.2% on unimproved value of property or may impose 0.1% on value of improvement on annual basis (abc.net.au, 2015). As per reporting, the actual amount of tax on property would be more than the average payment by the residents of the capital city. The report says that imposition of tax would raise the levy by $7bn at the current property price. According to Ferrero (2015), property tax is unavoidable. It is an inevitable part of spending for home owner, as property tax is wealth tax. Property, which is in use, gives service to the user and therefore is liable for GST tax in Australia. There is little impact of property tax on savings and incentive to work. Property tax is a significant source of earning of states. Moreover, property such as building and land is immobile in nature and the demand for real estate is rising with population growth (Paris 2013). Therefore, the prices of property tend to rise. People cannot shift immediately to avoid property taxes. Thus, property tax remains good source of revenue of state government. States and Australian territory on purchase of property levy stamp duty in Australia. Stamp duty rises with increase in property price (Ferrero 2015). Increase in stamp duties discourages people to purchase property and restricts the efficient use of property such as land and buildings. Grattan Institute of Australia has suggested that, the revenue of the States may increase if stamp duty can be abolished. Increase in revenues is beneficial for state, as it can use the revenue in improvement of society (Cesa Bianch, Cespedes and Rebucci 2015). Investment in property increases capital of the economy, which is further used in any productive purpose. Effect on society According to World Economic forum report, taxation on housing has mixed impact on consumer spending. Taxes on main dwelling have negative impact on household expenditure. Taxes on residential property have no significant impact on household expenditure. When mortgage debt burden increases, the household reduces their savings. As an impact, total disposable income of individual decreases. Fall in disposable income decreases consumer goods demand of people. Therefore, it may affect the aggregate demand of the economy (weforum.org, 2015). Decrease in consumer spending is regarded as short run cost in the economy. Lower property tax rate encourages the urbanisation in the economy. Rapid pace of urbanisation has positive externality on the surrounding land. Effect of fiscal policy on housing market Fiscal policy of the government can affect the housing market in terms of demand and housing prices. Taxation on property is fiscal policy of the government. Market analysts have predicted that due to effect of Brexit, Australian real estate market will gain from foreign investment. Global investors find it is risky to invest in UK and European market due to after effect of Brexit. Therefore, they tend to invest more in Australian real estate market. Chung (2016) argued that, government fiscal policy may be counter effective in this case. NSW government has taken decision to impose 4% stamp duty on the purchase of residential property by foreign investors. Furthermore, 0.75 % land tax would be imposed on the foreign investor, who owns a residential real estate in Australia. This surcharge is more in Victoria, which is 1.5% to make the real estate market costlier (news.com.au, 2016). This government policy may discourage foreign investment in domestic housing market in Australia. Redu ction in tax cut has positive effect on demand for housing. However, it has negative effect on property investors. Cut in housing prices reduces the capital gain on investment property. Due to lowering interest rate, the revenue of the government has decreased from $8.4 billion during 2011-12 to $3.7 billion in 2013-14 (theaustralian.com.au, 2016). Supply of housing depends on availability of land, cost of construction, profit of the developer and other infrastructure cost such as water, sewerage and transport facility. Demand for housing depends on number of households searching for land, location, transport, income of the households etc. If the government increases the spending to provide better social infrastructure, demand for housing tends to rise. Explanation of circular flow of income Circular flow is a concept, where activities of different economic agents are linked through a circular flow. Main agents of the circular flow are producer, households, goods market and factor market. Figure: circular flow of income (Source: created by author) Investment property such as land, commercial premises comes from households. Property sold to the commercial firm, banks or government earns capital gains and rent. Government impose tax using fiscal policy on the rental income. Tax revenue is thus received by government. The tax revenue is further used in economic development. The investment properties are used by different organisation for productive purpose. Final produced goods are received by households through product market. On the other hand banks play important role of resource mobilisation in this sector. Household saves money in banks. Banks mobilise the saving across the economy. A household goes to the bank for getting loan to invest in property. In return, the borrower pays interest rate to the bank. In this way, different agents in the economy are linked with each other. Recommendation Property tax has effect on consumption behaviour of people. In one hand, it is source of revenue to the local government. A better way of property taxation is comparison of property tax with market value of property and not with the GDP of the economy. Inequality in property tax rate decreases the revenue. Property valuation is a complex issue. Therefore, appropriate tax on property needs proper infrastructure. Due to inelasticity of the supply of property and growing demand for land and building, the property price in Australia has growing trend. Demand for supply is growing for residential and commercial purpose. Property tax has both equity and efficiency implications. Therefore, it can be recommended that for proper taxation, property identification, collection of revenue and enforcement are needed. Tax payer may support the government in the context of tax payment if they can feel that they receive required service for property tax from the local government. Conclusion The report has analysed the implication of property tax and its impact on Australian economy. Two types of property such as owner occupied and residential property are evaluated here. Land tax differs across different state of Australia. Different land tax has mentioned in the report. CGT method and Indexation method are used in calculation of capital gain tax in Australia. Capital gain in Australia is taxed according to the standard income tax rate. Taxation on equity has been discussed in the report. Housing price in Australia has a growing trend. As property tax base increases, price of housing increases. Rising housing prices has not much impact on property demand. However, hike in stamp duty has negative impact on property demand. References abc.net.au. (2015). Property taxes could raise $7b, boost economy by $9b: Grattan. [online] Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-15/property-taxes-could-raise-7-billion-dollars-save-9-billion/6620958 [Accessed 18 Aug. 2016]. Ato.gov.au. (2016). Property used in running a business | Australian Taxation Office. [online] Available at: https://www.ato.gov.au/General/property/property-used-in-running-a-business/ [Accessed 18 Aug. 2016]. Ato.gov.au. (2016). Working out your net capital gain or loss | Australian Taxation Office. [online] Available at: https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Capital-gains-tax/Working-out-your-capital-gain-or-loss/Working-out-your-net-capital-gain-or-loss/ [Accessed 17 Aug. 2016]. Australia, I.C.O.M.O.S., 2015. Australia.Heritage at Risk, pp.35-39. Baranska, A., 2013. Real estate mass appraisal in selected countriesfunctioning systems and proposed solutions.Real Estate Management and Valuation,21(3), pp.35-42. Burkhauser, R.V., Hahn, M.H. and Wilkins, R., 2015. Measuring top incomes using tax record data: A cautionary tale from Australia.The Journal of Economic Inequality,13(2), pp.181-205. Cesa Bianchi, A., Cespedes, L.F. and Rebucci, A., 2015. Global liquidity, house prices, and the macroeconomy: Evidence from advanced and emerging economies.Journal of Money, Credit and Banking,47(S1), pp.301-335. Chung, E. (2016). Unlocking your equity for property investment. [online] Your Investment Property. Available at: https://www.yourinvestmentpropertymag.com.au/property-finance/unlocking-your-equity-for-property-investment-147210.aspx [Accessed 18 Aug. 2016]. Coffee, N.T., Lockwood, T., Hugo, G., Paquet, C., Howard, N.J. and Daniel, M., 2013. Relative residential property value as a socio-economic status indicator for health research.International journal of health geographics,12(1), p.1. Crowe, C., DellAriccia, G., Igan, D. and Rabanal, P., 2013. How to deal with real estate booms: Lessons from country experiences.Journal of Financial Stability,9(3), pp.300-319. Elia, E.A., Zevenbergen, J.A., Lemmen, C.H.J. and Van Oosterom, P.J.M., 2013. The land administration domain model (LADM) as the reference model for the Cyprus land information system (CLIS).Survey review,45(329), pp.100-110. Ferrero, A., 2015. House price booms, current account deficits, and low interest rates.Journal of Money, Credit and Banking,47(S1), pp.261-293. Forrest, R., 2013.Housing and family wealth. Routledge. Jacobs, K., Berry, M. and Dalton, T., 2013. A dead and broken system?:insiderviews of the future role of Australian public housing.International Journal of Housing Policy,13(2), pp.183-201. LeBlanc, P., Matthews, S. and Mellbye, K., 2013. The tax policy landscape five years after the crisis. Norregaard, M.J., 2013.Taxing Immovable Property Revenue Potential and Implementation Challenges(No. 13-129). International Monetary Fund. Paris, C., 2013, October. Is anybody listening? The impact of second home ownership on local governments in Australia and elsewhere. InProceedings of the 3rd National Local Government Research Forum. Peng, T.C. and Chen, C.F., 2016. The effect of quality determinants on house prices of eight capital cities in Australia: a dynamic panel analysis.International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis,9(3). Randolph, B., Pinnegar, S. and Tice, A., 2013. The first home owner boost in Australia: a case study of outcomes in the Sydney housing market.Urban Policy and Research,31(1), pp.55-73. rba.gov.au. (2015). Long-run Trends in Housing Price Growth. [online] Available at: https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/2015/sep/pdf/bu-0915-3.pdf [Accessed 18 Aug. 2016]. Shi, S., Jou, J.B. and Tripe, D., 2014. Can interest rates really control house prices? Effectiveness and implications for macroprudential policy.Journal of Banking Finance,47, pp.15-28. Sim, E., Krause, A. and Winson-Geideman, K., 2015. The impact of transit-oriented development (TOD) on residential property prices: the case of Box Hill, Melbourne.Pacific Rim Property Research Journal,21(3), pp.199-214. Slack, E. and Bird, R.M., 2014. The Political Economy of Property Tax Reform.OECD Working Papers on Fiscal Federalism, (18), p.0_1. theaustralian.com.au. (2016). ALP policies to cut house prices. [online] Available at: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/federal-election-2016/federal-election-2016-shortens-policies-to-cut-house-prices/news-story/59ea32227280c5f96464d504ec763959 [Accessed 24 Aug. 2016]. Whiteford, P., 2014. chapter 3 Australia: Inequality And Prosperity And Their Impacts In A Radical Welfare State.Changing Inequalities and Societal Impacts in Rich Countries: Thirty Countries' Experiences, p.48. www.news.com.au. (2016). Property market braces for big changes. [online] Available at: https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/the-property-market-is-teetering-on-the-edge-of-some-major-changes-will-it-be-good-news-or-bad-news-for-owners/news-story/b0f6d93ab3af3f0ed7b8689686a82dd9 [Accessed 24 Aug. 2016]. www.weforum.org. (2015).How do property tax rises affect consumer spending?. [online] Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/08/how-do-property-tax-rises-affect-consumer-spending/ [Accessed 24 Aug. 2016].

Thursday, November 28, 2019

John Keats La Belle Damn Sans Merci Analysis free essay sample

The poem begins with a forlorn and heartbroken narrator suffering from both physical and emotional pain, ‘So haggard and woebegone’ (l 6) who meets a beautiful maiden. La Belle Dame sans Merci appears to portray to readers the universal anomaly of what is known as unrequited love. In conjunction to love felt equally by two parties, unrequited love occurs when the love felt by one person is far greater than that felt by the other who is loved. The term unrequited literally means ‘not returned or rewarded’. This denoted the unfairness in the balance that one expects in a love relationship when the love that one feels for another is not reciprocal. In the poem, Keats shows this by describing the Knight’s disappointment would be less severe if he did not believe that from the beginning of their love affair that the maiden love of him was equal. In line 19 and 28 the maiden appears to have fallen in love with the knight just as he has fallen for her, â€Å"She look’d at me as she did love†¦she said, I love thee true. We will write a custom essay sample on John Keats La Belle Damn Sans Merci Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page (l 1928) This can be interpreted that despite her inherent nature, she seemed true feeling for the knight at the time. She even takes him back to her home, her â€Å"elfin grot† (cave) (l 29) and makes him comfortable. At this point, it’s only natural for the knight to believe that the love his felt for the maiden was exactly proportional to what she was feeling, and their ‘wild’ romance would continue when he awakes. However, as he awakes from his slumber, he found that the maiden was nowhere to be found. He was all alone and the his expectations of the romance was shattered. It then dawned that his suffering disappointment stemmed from the realization that she never really loved him the way he thought she did. At this point the knight is lonely and hopeless, but he does not show anger towards her. This shows his understanding that in love there is despair. Even though the love he feels for her is pure and true, she did not have the same feelings. The only clues in La Bella Dame sans Merci that depicts whether or not the love felt by the maiden towards the knight is true, comes from the dreams of the knight when he was sleeping. In his dream he comes to the realization that the maiden is pitiless and she has no mercy. His dreams can be interpreted as if the knight subconsciously knew that the love wasn’t real and that the maiden had already left him, and his mind has already started shifting the blame towards her. This mentally prepares the knight for the harsh reality that he has to face as he awakes. The dream might just be his rationalization; a way of making her out to be evil in order to cope with the pain of learning his love is unrequited, and in love there is despair. Despair is the state of having lost all hope, of finding oneself unable to believe life will ever be good again. The knight in La Belle Dame sans Merci falls into despair when he learns a relationship that seemed to be just starting has abruptly ended. His situation is clear from the very first line, when a stranger finds him out in the forest and can tell just by looking at him that something is gravely wrong. The stranger sees how pale he is and, noticing he has chosen to live by a dead, frozen lake, wants to know what ails him, by which he means what has made the knight so sick in spirit. In the middle stanzas of the poem, the knight describes the romance, which meant more to him than anything that happened before it or since. The brief romance ended with the lady lulling him to sleep. Readers can assume that, comfortable and happy beside her, he expected their love to continue and even to grow when he awoke. In the real (as opposed to magical) world, the knights despair would take time to develop, because he would not know for sure that the woman he loved was gone forever. In the magical world of this poem, though, he is visited in his sleep by pale figures of noble men who describe the woman as merciless. When he wakes to find her gone, he readily believes her absence confirms the damning things the figures said about her. The poem does not have the knight looking for his lady or trying to find out why she has left; he is as certain she had no intention of staying with him just as surely as he knows he loves her. There is no hope they will be reunited, and therefore there is no hope that he can ever be happy again. His life is doomed to despair. La Belle Dame sans Merci is a ballad, a medieval genre revived by the romantic poets. Keats uses the so-called ballad stanza, a quatrain in alternating iambic tetrameter and trimeter lines. The shortening of the fourth line in each stanza of Keats poem makes the stanza seem a self-contained unit, gives the ballad a deliberate and slow movement, and is pleasing to the ear. Keats uses a number of the stylistic characteristics of the ballad, such as simplicity of language, repetition, and absence of details; like some of the old ballads, it deals with the supernatural. Keats economical manner of telling a story in La Belle Dame sans Merci is the direct opposite of his lavish manner in The Eve of St. Agnes. Part of the fascination exerted by the poem comes from Keats use of understatement. Keats sets his simple story of love and death in a bleak wintry landscape that is appropriate to it: The sedge has witherd from the lake / And no birds sing! The repetition of these two lines, with minor variations, as the concluding lines of the poem emphasizes the fate of the unfortunate knight and neatly encloses the poem in a frame by bringing it back to its beginning. In keeping with the ballad tradition, Keats does not identify his questioner, or the knight, or the destructively beautiful lady. What Keats does not include in his poem contributes as much to it in arousing the readers imagination as what he puts into it. La belle dame sans merci, the beautiful lady without pity, is a femme fatale, a Circelike figure who attracts lovers only to destroy them by her supernatural powers. She destroys because it is her nature to destroy. Keats could have found patterns for his faerys child in folk mythology, classical literature, Renaissance poetry, or the medieval ballad. With a few skillful touches, he creates a woman who is at once beautiful, erotically attractive, fascinating, and deadly. Some readers see the poem as Keats personal rebellion against the pains of love. In his letters and in some of his poems, he reveals that he did experience the pains, as well as the pleasures, of love and that he resented the pains, particularly the loss of freedom that came with falling in love. However, the ballad is a very objective form, and it may be best to read La Belle Dame sans Merci as pure story and no more. How Keats felt about his love for Fanny Brawne we can discover in the several poems he addressed to her, as well as in his letters.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Beautiful Evil Professor Ramos Blog

Beautiful Evil Moumita Milton English 102 24th July 2019 Whenever we hear the word â€Å"monster†, the very first thing that comes into our mind are images or werewolves, vampires, zombies, or even clowns luring kids into storm drains. These monsters can be as real as every child’s boogeyman. But should we be scared of monsters that only exists in movies and literature or should we rather be concerned with real-life monsters that are very much alive, disguised and poses a real threat. Serial killers. The truest monster in every sense of the word. They aren’t just any type of monster. They are classified into a specific genre because of the notoriety of their MO (modus operandi). Some of them functions very well in the society, some may be socially withdrawn, others may be academic achievers and others are even public figures. There is not one defining character or trait that can identify someone as a serial killer, but surely there are signs to look out for in people which we can use to determine the possibility of them being one. Theodore Robert Bundy(November 24, 1946–January 24, 1989). One of the most prolific serial killer in the United States; captured in 1975, tried in 1976 for kidnapping, which later led to trial for more than 30 counts of rape and murder of women from different states. In January 1989, he was sentenced to be executed, and later confessed to killing at least 100 women during his active years (Montaldo, C. 2019). In his work Monster Culture (Seven Theses), Cohen presented through Theses II that â€Å"Monsters must be examined within the intricate matrix of relations (social, cultural, and literary-historical) that generate them† (Cohen, J.J, 1996). The becoming of a monster is not something you just easily attribute to thin air. It is empirical that we examine some facts about Bundy’s childhood to fully understand how he became the most notorious killer in US history. Ted Bundy grew up without really knowing his father. He grew up believing that his mother, Eleanor â€Å"Louise† Cowell, was his sister, and that his grandparents were his real parents. There were speculations about his grandfather being his biological father, making him a by-product of incest, though this rumor wasn’t scientifically proven thru DNA testing. Growing up in a dysfunctional family, with his grandfather being abusive and oftentimes hostile, Bundy was perceived by many as a shy and timid boy with lack of social skills. Later in his teenage years, growing up not being able to socialize a lot with other teenagers, it would then be reported that young Bundy was caught peeping into ladies’ windows. During the later part of his incarceration where he had interviews with experts, Bundy claimed that he had a fondness to pornography as a child and later on influenced him in his series of rape and murder activities. Looking into the facts, we can say that Bundy surely had a perverted childhood. And yet we have to ask whether these factors really played a major role in his evolution to evil. Despite his aberrant childhood, Ted Bundy grew up to be a self-made man. He developed a totally different persona. He worked his looks and excelled in academics, and through time also enhanced his social skills. He was even involved in romantic relationships when he was in university. He studied psychology, law and has worked on campaigns for then Washington Republican Dan Evans. However, as progressive as his adulthood may seem, troubled Bundy did not fully develop until his adolescent years. It was around that time in 1969, that he discovered the truth about his parentage. Shortly thereafter, he underwent a relationship crisis with his then girlfriend, Elizabeth Kendall. All of these happened momentarily before his first killings began, reason why it was presumed that the pile-up of successive setbacks in his personal life triggered the monster in him that was only waiting to be unleashed. Bundy’s personality speaks that of intricacy and complexity. From a child with an unhealthy childhood, to a man with a potential for success, it is very difficult to understand why and how he chose to create a monster of himself. As Cohen explained in his Thesis III: The Monster is a Harbinger of Category Crisis on Monster Culture, the dangers of monsters are not in its ability to harm but in our incapability of understanding their nature. The complexity of their personal structure requires a different level of understanding, approach and perception other than what we are accustomed to. â€Å"For by refusing an easy compartmentalization of their monstrous contents, they demand a radical rethinking of boundary and normality† (Cohen, J.J. 1996). This is especially true for Bundy since, while he was incarcerated, many experts attempted to delve into his monstrous interior to possibly understand his development as a serial killer. However, there was never a precise diagnosis, only that majority of the evidence led him towards Anti-Social Personality Disorder. Not one of the best people in their fields who have dealt with Bundy could explain his Daedalian nature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In aiming to understand the evolution of the serial killer in Bundy, it will be easy to look into the flaws in his life that could have easily become the trigger factor. Most people looking into Bundy’s life story, would readily attribute his actions to his unfortunate childhood. However, a lot of people grew up like Bundy, or even worse, and still didn’t end up becoming a serial killer. There are also documented serial killers who grew up with loving families, had everything they want in life, but still opt to do evil. There may be an undeniable correlation between the social upbringing of a person and how they will be in their adult life, but it does not necessarily follow that an unstable childhood will by default produce a troubled adult. However, in Bundy’s case, he may not have chosen at birth to be a psychopath but his childhood exploit surely played a significant part. During those times that he was plagued with un fortunate events as a kid, Bundy may could have possibly fabricated a fantasy as a means of escaping his real world. Since he lived a lonely and complicated childhood where he felt he did not fit in, young Bundy sought for ways to satisfy his loneliness (Dimitropoulos, S. 2018). This holds true for Cohens’s idea depicting monsters as an alter ego and projection of one’s self. â€Å"The monster awakens one to the pleasure of the body, to the simple and fleeting joys of being frightened or frightening† (Cohen, J.J 1996). This would explain why most experts would agree that Bundy was dealing with a similar case of multiple personality disorder accounting witness recollections of him being another version of himself in separate instances. Bundy wants us to believe what we want to believe regarding his personality. But he is the master of himself and he wear his mask so well it is hard to tell one personality from the other. In totality, Bundy’s life as a seri al killer, as a monster, was his own choice. It was not his mother’s nor his grandfather’s fault why he killed innocent women. It was not the fault of his ex-girlfriend who broke her heart, and definitely not the fault of the women who trusted him. â€Å"He killed for the sheer thrill of the act and the challenge of escaping his pursuers† (Moyer, J. 2015). Those unimaginable actions were his own, his craft, his own way out. Annotated Bibliography Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. Monster Theory: Reading Culture. University of Minnesota Press. 1996 Monsters are complex creatures to understand. The book will outline theories in relation to the study of monsters and approaches the understanding of the monster nature in different constructs. This literature takes on the likes of Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster and Beowulf and attempt to dissect the reason behind their monstrosity. It is discussed how the intricacy of these creatures makes them more dangerous. The integration of monster in society attracts fear but at the same time its mysterious effect becomes appealing to people. We adapt and believe in creatures that we don’t even know is true but has not really look into the context of how these creatures came to be and the circumstances that surrounds their creation. It is an effective literature that gives the readers the pull into the mystery world at the same time giving them a realization that would lead them to believe that monsters do really exist. Dimitropoulos, Stav. â€Å"Ted Bundys Childhood: Lonely Boy to Window Peeper to Serial Killer.† 16 April 2018, Real Crime, Retrieved from https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/ted-bundy-childhood-turned-into-serial-killer This is a documented conversation with Psychologist Al Carlisle, who was only one of the few experts who tried and unravel the mind of Theodore Bundy. It mainly focuses on his childhood years and how his loneliness, his reclusion from the social world influenced his life as an adult. After multiple theories as to how Bundy turned into a killer, this interaction with Carlisle emphasizes on the highlights of his childhood including him being addicted to pornography. Carlisle also debunked some theories circling Bundy’s story specifically mentioning that it was all along Bundy’s choice to become a serial killer. Several articles and scholarly works on Bundy never fails to mention and include his childhood since it is, after all, considered as our formative years. Despite the argument that Bundy would have been a killer either way he was brought up, his story will never be completed without looking into the possibility of his corrupt childhood being the main contributor. Montaldo, Charles. â€Å"Biography of Ted Bundy, Serial Killer.† 23 May 2019, Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/profile-of-serial-killer-ted-bundy-973178 Montaldo, as a writer and a former licensed private detective, provides the basic information about Theodore â€Å"Ted† Bundy who was once the most notorious serial killer in the United States. He outlined the important events in Bundy’s life starting from when he was a kid in a dysfunctional family, up until his arrest, trial and execution. He established that Bundy was a functional adult regardless of his unfortunate childhood and presented some of the incidents in his life that may have contributed to his becoming of a serial killer. In the accounts of people who have worked on Bundy’s story, we always find details of him being, at some point in his life, a good person. This work gave us the idea that Bundy was not necessarily evil in the onset of his existence. Montaldo’s outlined work help us look easier into the transition of Bundy’s life to becoming a serial killer. Moyer, Justin Wm. â€Å"The twisted friendship of crime writer Ann Rule and serial killer Ted Bundy.† 28 July 2015. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/07/28/crime-writer-ann-rule-and-killer-ted-bundy-were-friends-before-they-were-famous/?noredirect=onutm_term=.0db5c5dc313b   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This article narrates briefly the life of Anne Rule as a writer, towards the presentation of the relationship that formed between her and Ted Bund. In her hopes of producing a phenomenal work on Bundy, Rule would frequent the prison to visit Bundy for interviews. It was established that the frequent visit formed a bond between the two that enable the writer to write best-selling works about Bundy. Rule confessed that although a serial killer, he instantly liked Ted the first moment she saw her. Even inside bars, Bundy’s personality still exudes charisma. It was known that he had a thing about women liking him and Anne Rule was no exception. It would seem that the intention of approaching Bundy for literary reasons blossomed into an unlikely personal connection between them, which have made it easier for Anne Rule to write about a person whose complicated nature she relatively understands. Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. Monster Theory: Reading Culture. University of Minnesota Press. 1996 Dimitropoulos, Stav. Ted Bundys Childhood: Lonely Boy to Window Peeper to Serial Killer. 16 April 2018, https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/ted-bundy-childhood-turned-into-serial-killer Montaldo, Charles. Biography of Ted Bundy, Serial Killer. 23 May 2019, https://www.thoughtco.com/profile-of-serial-killer-ted-bundy-973178 Moyer, Justin Wm. The twisted friendship of crime writer Ann Rule and serial killer Ted Bundy. 28 July 2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/07/28/crime-writer-ann-rule-and-killer-ted-bundy-were-friends-before-they-were-famous/?noredirect=onutm_term=.0db5c5dc313b Google Search, Google, google.com/search?biw=1536bih=750tbm=ischsa=1ei=vCk5XfP4IeGU0PEPuKy9yAMq=ted bundy murders oq=ted bundy murders gs_l=img.3..35i39j0.1212.2295..26800.0..0.110.535.5j10.1..gws-wiz-img.0i24.-_wroOhtquMved=0ahUKEwjzxuXol8_jAhVhCjQIHThWDzkQ4dUDCAYuact=5#imgdii=7RqBzXMeYBh-0M:imgrc=2GTQ74y3-5JM: Google Search, Google, google.com/search?q=ted bundy picturessource=lnmstbm=ischsa=Xved=0ahUKEwi42ZbVl8_jAhWRsp4KHVZXA-sQ_AUIESgBbiw=1536bih=750#imgrc=1J2JMVkx15nSBM:

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Levendary Cafe case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Levendary Cafe - Case Study Example However, the failure of this company and other companies in the Chinese market is not due to poor management. The failure has primarily resulted from failure to carry out a concise and thorough research. For example, Pretzel Time was unsuccessful in the market as a result of ignorance of proper sitting arrangements. This company overlooked the need to study and adapt decent decor. Hence, the tile dà ©cor they used in its establishment was for a bathroom. The failure by the designer of this company made it lose many potential customers. In addition, the other element which needs to be noted concerning entry into the market revolves around the VP’s decision to select many locations across the country. One can easily assume that VP’s objective for the entry was to ensure that the businesses succeed even during their first year of operations. The assumption is null, since your objective seems to have been to come up with a reliable market niche. From this, the business would have been expanded further. It seems that Chen’s choice of locations depended on their prices. Therefore, he wanted to reduce costs at all levels, so as to come attain his desired goal of achieving a successful business. It is also important to note that the plans to enter the Chinese market were poorly implemented. The poor implementation of the plans is depicted by how this company took long to realize its need to adopt GAAPs for accounting purposes of revenue collected. The VP considered this step to be so expensive. 1. The company needs to close down Chinese-like restaurants and to replace them with those restaurants that assume an American concept. This decision will be effective since competitors such as McDonalds and KFC have remained in foreign markets and still have a good customer base. 2. The headquarters, under your leadership, can embrace a mixed concept aspect. The aspect needs immediate change of the services offered so that at least two menus are served in

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Budgeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Budgeting - Essay Example Forecasting should not be mistaken with budgeting. Forecasting is a management tool used for planning and setting a goal. Forecasting makes use of past and present data, and trend analysis to estimate sales, or to estimate demands for a product. It uses statistical data in estimation and uses management expertise, knowledge and judgment (GeminiGeek, n.d. ) An operating budget is a projection of estimated income and expenses that is based on the forecasted sales which is usually done for a short term period, normally for one year while a cash budget is a way of monitoring the cash flow of a business. Cash budget makes it easy to see how much money comes in and out for the period, thus, it becomes a simple way to monitor the financial condition of the business or household. A cash budget can be done either on a weekly or monthly period for an accurate monitoring (Business Directory, n.d.) Zero budgeting departs from the traditional budgeting wherein all expenses must be justified for every new budgeting period and every function within the organization is analyzed. Zero budgeting starts from zero and does not take into account prior year’s budget (Cronin, Tom). For instance, if you have a budget of $20,000 for a campaign in 2011 and it did not produce good result, the manager must justify why he needs the same budget for 2012. The manager must develop a plan from zero-base and justify why, where and how he will spend the money of the company. In other words, if the manager proposes a campaign for a product, he would pinpoint the projected expenses and profit to show its feasibility so that the company could assign a particular budget for that. All budget proposals are then analyzed and ranked according to importance. The system lets the management identify priorities, allows management to compare and analyze the needs of every unit in the organization and make funding allocation. In zero based, budgets are built

Monday, November 18, 2019

Age Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Age Discrimination - Essay Example This type of discrimination can take many forms and can surface in many workplace areas. This paper highlights age discrimination, who it affects, where it is likely to surface, the laws constructed to prevent its occurrence, and also illustrates suggestions for today’s HR managers to prevent this form of discrimination from occurring. Age discrimination has many definitions, but can be best described as a situation which occurs when older workers are â€Å"avoided or excluded in everyday (business) activities because they are simply the wrong age† (Nussbaum, 2000). Age discrimination also involves denying the provision of job opportunities to older workers, such as a career-based promotion, in favor of promoting a younger individual for the management role. Age discrimination, when it occurs, impacts both the more seasoned worker and the business as well. For instance, the older employee who is experiencing discrimination based on age will not only see diminished job opportunities, but their emotional well-being can be impacted negatively. Despite the various legislation created to combat this growing form of discrimination, evidence suggests that age-related bias and discrimination is on the rise in contemporary business and in the broader society. According the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), age-bias claims have soared in recent years, which is attributed to today’s economic conditions (Levitz and Shishkin, 2009). For instance, because many companies are currently looking for methods to reduce costs, lay-offs have become the cost-cutting choice when personnel and payroll costs begin to exceed salary and compensation budgets. In addition, recent changes to existing anti-discrimination laws have made it easier for laid-off employees to allege age bias as the rationale for why they lost their jobs (Levitz and Shishkin). However, why is the older worker being targeted for lay-offs over their younger,

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Impacts Of Tourism On National Parks Tourism Essay

The Impacts Of Tourism On National Parks Tourism Essay Tourism is a growing industry, and may bring diverse impacts upon popular locations. The impacts of tourism can be positive or negative, affecting economic, social and environmental spheres in certain areas. Around the U.K there are 15 National Parks with beautiful areas of mountains, moorlands, woods and wetlands (National Parks 2011). A National park is an area of countryside protected by government (usually relating to the environment) that everyone can visit. Different, non-governmental organisations also look after the landscape, wildlife and assess impacts from tourism, serving to further achieve sustainability (outcomes of tourists). This includes the Environmental Act 1995, which stated two main purposes for National Parks in England: conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area and promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the environment. National Parks also aim to boots the economy of the area and social well being for the local community (Nationa l Parks 2011). Moreover, despite Government intervention, impacts on tourism are still greatly felt in National Parks especially in terms of (mainly) negative impacts on the environment. The most famous and largest National Park in the U.K would be The Lake District. The Lake District area contains 16 lakes, more than 150 high peaks and is the only National Park in England with over four 3000 foot mountains (Ledingham, 2007). The Lake District attracts more than 12 million visitors every year by the variety of different locations and natural beauty (Wyatt, 2009). However, tourism contains the seeds of it own destruction (Weaver, 2001: p24). Mass-tourism can have both positive and negative impacts on the landscape and upon local communities. As much as tourism brings many benefits to an area (especially for the economy), mass tourism is likely to cause environmental degradation (physical, social etc) on some level. This is the argument that tourism can essentially destroy itself in the over-use of relatively small areas. Therefore, this essay aims to demonstrate and critically analyse the economical, environmental and social impacts of tourism on the Lake District and to review past and present legislative measures designed to reduce the possibly negative effects of increased tourism in an area. Economic Impacts The main aims in developing Cumbria in terms of economic is to equip local authorities and partners with a common understanding of local economic conditions and economic geography and of the social and environmental factors that impacts on economic growth (Cumbria 2011). This shows that The Lake District is a key target to achieve economical growth whilst following the decree of sustainable development, to meet not only needs in terms of area development, but also to look for the right approach for the community in general. As Park (2007) stated: sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Park, 2007). Latest data from Cumbria Tourism indicate that in 2009 there were 5 million overnight visitors to Cumbria as well as 36 million day trippers (Peck, and Mulvey 2010). It is estimated that these visitors generate a total of  £2bn to the Cumbrian economy and support over 32,000 jobs (Peck, and Mulvey 2010). Tourism is the main creator of employment and economical stability in The Lake District, by creating tourist attractions and developing the infrastructure such as hotels, restaurants and different facilities. This creates a multiplier effect as increases in spending from tourists produces an increase in the economy of an area. Moreover, this increase in tourism in The Lake District helps to generate work for local people, however, this may create more low-skilled (and thus low paid) jobs such as car park attendants or waiters and many of these jobs are also seasonal. Nevertheless, unemployment in Cumbria reached a plateau at just over 2.5% in 2008, though latest figures for Octobe r 2010 indicate that there are 7,525 applicants on Job seeker allowance which represents 2.4% of total working population (Peck and Mulvey 2010). In some cases, this may be due to seasonality as more jobs are likely to be available during the summer months. The Lake District also generates much environmental interest in tourism. For example The Osprey has provided a formidable boost in tourism, and in 2007 attracted half a million visitors. Moreover, around 100,000 people visit ospreys each season generating  £1.68m, of which  £420,000 was re-invested in the osprey project (Kenmir, 2008) The Lake District projects protect the environment through tourist spending, which also boosts the economy of this particular area (e.g. creating new jobs). Conversely, tourism can have a negative impact upon The Lake district. Due to the amount of people visiting each year the local goods are becoming more expensive because tourists are able to pay more for products (National Parks 2011). Therefore, this impacts heavily upon the locals as their salaries may not cover the costs of the products this may lead to locals resenting large tourist influxes. Moreover, low wages levels have led to a gap between local incomes and house prices the average in the National Park  £314,730 which, as an mean, is fairly high (Lake District 2011). However, Government policy towards this issue is to balance environmental control and landscape capacity i.e. through constructing new accommodation and by meeting local needs by making living more affordable (Moss, 2010). Nevertheless, as much as the increase in the amount of visitors in The Lake District generates huge amounts of revenue, a lot of this income goes in refurbishment and in protecting the environment from daily visits. Environmental Impacts The Lake District is one of the biggest National Parks in the U.K and the outstanding natural environment brings in over 12 million tourists every year, with many of the visitors being international. In early 1883 whilst The Lake district was being developed, The Lake District Defence Society was created to protect the region from damaging human development in an age of railways and the emergence of mass tourism (Sutton, 2007). In recent years there has been an increase in the numbers of short breaks and off-season breaks in the Lake District, as more people take their main holidays abroad (LDNPA, 2005). Moreover, the visitors who are staying in the National Parks are seeking out different types of holidays and experiences (LDNPA, 2005). There has been a rise in active sports, for example water sports as shown in the case study of Windermere lake, however, power boats, jet skis etc. were causing damage to the natural environment through pollution of the lake and physical disturbance of the wildlife in the area. Therefore, one of the legislative measures put forward by the government was a 10mph limit on the lake to reduce this disturbance and reduce the environmental impact upon Lake Windermere (BBC 2005). However, this had negative impacts on the economy of The Lake District. When the speed limit was imposed, demand of tourists visiting this destination decreased specifically for this reason (i.e. water sp ort activities were therefore indirectly abolished). This specific facility was a high source of income for this area however, by reducing the willingness of tourists to visit this place, it has decreased the income generated less income may result in less funding for environmental projects. Due to the main form of transportation of visitors to the Lake District being the car, with limited parking areas and spaces, traffic congestion and pollution from cars is damaging the environment (Foulerton, 2009). Car use, and other road transport make up the largest single part of carbon emissions within the National Parks, and these emissions are growing 1% per year (Foulerton, 2009). The local transport system is poor which encourages the majority of residents and tourists get around by cars. However, the overall aim in the Lake District is to reduce the need to travel by cars by improving the transport system (Lake District, 2011b) For example, buses have less of an impact on the environment e.g. such as Oxfords hybrid Brookes buses which comply with the Euro 5 standard (EC, 2010). This may be achieved by encouraging services and goods to be available locally and reduce the need to travel throughout e.g. by promoting the public to cycle, walk and use The Lake District transport ation (Lake District, 2011b). Moreover, increases in parking spaces for tourists, as this can also generate more jobs. As an example from personal experience, in Zermatt, Switzerland, the government ordered a enormous car park located in Tà ¤sch, 5km from the Matterhorn mountain, forcing tourists to use train services to reach the location. Moreover, the use of cars in this area was banned in order to protect the environment. Since 1947, only electric cars without a combustion engine were allowed to operate in the Zermatt (President of the Zermatt Tourist Board 2011). In addition the negative impact of tourism is damage to the landscape in terms of litter, erosion, fires and vandalism (Cumbria, 2011b). In order to protect the environment the government is increasing the amount of recycle bins place around the area and is setting up different educational events which promote good environmental practice e.g. repairing footpath erosion (LDNPA, 2005). Social Impacts Government is making decisions and are improving the area of the Lake District in term of economical benefits and environmental protection. However, all this impacts is experienced by the social community (i.e. people who actually living there all time, not just during the holidays). Therefore, Government outline on social inclusion, public participation and the new planning system or Local Development Framework are encouraging new audiences; young people, urban populations and minority groups including people with disabilities, finding new and better ways for actively involving people in decision-making (LDNPA, 2005). This strategy would help local citizens to share their opinion and ideas on how to improver or what should be done. Therefore, the aim is to enable local residents and tourism business, to have a greater say in the development of tourism in their own area (LDNPA, 2005). This means listening more carefully and engaging people more effectively. This is an opportunity for everyone to be involved in the review of The Lake District tourism development policies through the local development frameworks (LDNPA, 2005). Through the improvement of economic in the Lake District it has an impact upon the social community in negative and positive way. Tourism is a key attribute in the Lake District which producing a jobs to the locals. Moreover, economical benefits because of a cash- flow with in The Lake District area. However, generally it is low paid part-time and seasonal (Moss, 2010). In addition there is a lack of start up businesses and business premises, due to the low-skilled job, employers have problems recruiting locally (Moss, 2010). Government producing education programme, which enables to deliver the second purpose of National Park in terms of understanding and enjoyment of their special qualities (LDNPA, 2005). Therefore, this approach helps to produce the jobs in terms of tour guide as well as lectured and day course informing tourists about the are and heritage of the National Parks. In addition, the potential for WHS (Worlds Heritage sites) is to bring social and community benefits to Cumbria and Lake District (ERS, 2006). If the economical target will be achieved and managed in the right way, throughout attracting the tourists to the WHS areas, these would results in social and community benefits, particularly in increase in the quality of life for residents (ERS, 2006). Conclusion The essay has discussed an impact from tourism in the Lake district in terms of economic, environment and social. All the impacts are linked in order to stabilize each impact government is making different policies to protect the environment. Therefore, tourism is the main creator of employment and economical stability in The Lake District, in order to protect the environment the area should generate income. Moreover due to the 12 million of visitors each year The Lake District is developing in terms of infrastructure also through the tourists and projects for example The Osprey it helps to keep environment protected. However, due to increase in tourism the impact from cars (i.e. emission) it has an negative impact in the area, therefore, making the better transport system with eco-friendly transportation may facilitate and encourage visitors to travel through the public transport. Moreover, in terms of social impacts and low-skilled/paid jobs due to seasonality, local community faci ng a problem to start up local businesses because employers, have problems in recurring locally. Therefore, government should invest and support local businesses to increase the quality of life for particular areas. In order to develop the tourism attractions and places government should find new and better ways for actively involving people in decision-making.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Humors Place in the 20th Century Novel Essay -- Literature Literary E

Humor's Place in the 20th Century Novel   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In her essay, â€Å"The Beautiful and Sublime Revisited,† Iris Murdoch says: The modern novel, the serious novel, does tend toward either two extremes: either it is a tight metaphysical object, which wishes it were a poem, and which attempts to convey, often in mythical form, some central truth about the human condition or else it is a loose journalistic epic, documentary or possibly even didactic in inspiration, offering a commentary on current institutions or on some matter out of history (264). Murdoch’s words do hold some truth in them. Certainly, her words can be applied to many of the most well-known modern novels from James Joyce’s Ulysses to Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. However, her descriptions can just as easily be applied to the post modern novel. Though seriousness has generally been associated with modern literature, it is an aspect of post modern literature, as well. However, unlike most works of modern literature, the post modern novel does not focus solely on this seriousness, or on passing along a message of some sort. Rather, it strikes a delicate balance between humor and seriousness; between laughter and conveying â€Å"some central truth about the human condition† or â€Å"offering a commentary on†¦some matter out of history.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before I elaborate further, perhaps it is necessary to make a distinction between the terms â€Å"modern† and â€Å"post modern† as they will be used in this study. In the most general sense of the word, â€Å"modern† refers to those writings published before and during World War II, while â€Å"post modern† refers to the works that came after this time period.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now that this distinction has been made, the issue of humor in modern and post modern l... ...h serious subjects, it also isn’t accurate to say that there is no humor in modern literature. Many modern novels have humor in them. Ulysses is a good example of such a modern novel. However, in general, humor seems to be more prevalent in post modern literature. Works Cited Bolger, Dermot. A Second Life. Penguin Books: London, 1994. Forster, E.M. A Passage to India. Harcourt: San Diego, 1924. Ishiguro, Kazuo. The Remains of the Day. Vintage International: New York, 1988. Joyce, James. Ulysses. Vintage International: New York, 1934. Lawrence, D.H. Women in Love. Penguin Books: London, 1920 Murdoch, Iris. "The Sublime and Beautiful Revisited." The Yale Review, pp.247-271. 1959. ---. Under the Net. Penguin Books: London, 1954. Rauk, John. "Societal Reception of Tolkien and Other Modern Writers." Michigan State U., East Lansing, MI. 28 Apr. 2004. Humor's Place in the 20th Century Novel Essay -- Literature Literary E Humor's Place in the 20th Century Novel   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In her essay, â€Å"The Beautiful and Sublime Revisited,† Iris Murdoch says: The modern novel, the serious novel, does tend toward either two extremes: either it is a tight metaphysical object, which wishes it were a poem, and which attempts to convey, often in mythical form, some central truth about the human condition or else it is a loose journalistic epic, documentary or possibly even didactic in inspiration, offering a commentary on current institutions or on some matter out of history (264). Murdoch’s words do hold some truth in them. Certainly, her words can be applied to many of the most well-known modern novels from James Joyce’s Ulysses to Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. However, her descriptions can just as easily be applied to the post modern novel. Though seriousness has generally been associated with modern literature, it is an aspect of post modern literature, as well. However, unlike most works of modern literature, the post modern novel does not focus solely on this seriousness, or on passing along a message of some sort. Rather, it strikes a delicate balance between humor and seriousness; between laughter and conveying â€Å"some central truth about the human condition† or â€Å"offering a commentary on†¦some matter out of history.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before I elaborate further, perhaps it is necessary to make a distinction between the terms â€Å"modern† and â€Å"post modern† as they will be used in this study. In the most general sense of the word, â€Å"modern† refers to those writings published before and during World War II, while â€Å"post modern† refers to the works that came after this time period.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now that this distinction has been made, the issue of humor in modern and post modern l... ...h serious subjects, it also isn’t accurate to say that there is no humor in modern literature. Many modern novels have humor in them. Ulysses is a good example of such a modern novel. However, in general, humor seems to be more prevalent in post modern literature. Works Cited Bolger, Dermot. A Second Life. Penguin Books: London, 1994. Forster, E.M. A Passage to India. Harcourt: San Diego, 1924. Ishiguro, Kazuo. The Remains of the Day. Vintage International: New York, 1988. Joyce, James. Ulysses. Vintage International: New York, 1934. Lawrence, D.H. Women in Love. Penguin Books: London, 1920 Murdoch, Iris. "The Sublime and Beautiful Revisited." The Yale Review, pp.247-271. 1959. ---. Under the Net. Penguin Books: London, 1954. Rauk, John. "Societal Reception of Tolkien and Other Modern Writers." Michigan State U., East Lansing, MI. 28 Apr. 2004.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Free and Fair Election

Free and Fair Election The electoral system have to be fair and just and to ensure this, free and fair election will be held when the Parliament is dissolved or finish it’s sitting duration of 5 years. A free and fair election must be in orderly manner and it must not have Coup d’etat. Coup d’etat is meant by a sudden decisive exercise of force in politics . It is an alteration of an existing government by a small group that tend to create riots and chaos. The current Malaysia government believe that Bersih 2. 0 and 3. 0 is an attempted coup d’etat to topple the government – an allegation made by the Prime Minister himself.But the 8 demands from Bersih 2. 0 have no bias standing against any of the governmental parties in Malaysia. Basically they just wanted a clean and fair election, which is the fundamental element in the electoral system. Malaysia practices the simple plurality system which is also known as ‘first-past-the-post system. The h allmark of this system is that constituencies are single-member constituencies and a candidate with the largest vote wins the electoral district even if it does not constitute an absolute majority of the electors.Article 116 and 117 constitute that representatives at State and Federal level are divided into constituencies in accordance with the provisions contained in the Thirteenth Schedule. This system is following the Westminster post system which is also followed by UK and India. The MP who won the election does not usually equal to the majority of votes. They won the election by simple majority but not the entire popularity of the voters. The fundamental built on this system is that each voter is entitled to only one vote. Constituencies are approximately equal in population size so that it carries the same value.All constituencies are single-member constituencies so that there are as many electoral districts as there are seats in the elected chamber. Only one ballot is held an d the candidate obtaining the most votes is declared elected. Candidate with the largest vote wins. The advantages of the simple plurality system are that it produces a clear winner; it provides political stability; reduce the number of political parties represented in Parliament; enables stability in government and ensures easy passage of legislation through Parliament. Furthermore, it avours large groups and coalition and eliminates small parties, making it an easy tunnel for the legislation making to pass through. There is no perfection in everything, so does the political electoral system. One of the defects of first-past-the-post system is that it produces parliaments that are elected but not representative. Democratic legitimate is in doubt because the ascendancy of government population is usually below 50%. Voters who voted for unsuccessful candidates receive no representation in Parliament. In 1982, 60. 5% of the votes gave to the Barisan 85. 7% of the constituencies. In 20 04, 63. % of the ballots translated to 90. 41 seats in the Dewan Rakyat. These flaws can be minimized with the system of proportional representation where the parliamentary seats are given to the parties in proportion to the number of votes obtained by them. In single transferable vote system, a candidate is elected only if he obtains the quota of the vote cast. It is a multi-member constituency but each voter has only one vote and he is required to mark out his preference for different candidates. In the list system,each party is allowed to put up a list of candidates equal to the number of seats to be filled.The voter gives his vote to the whole list en bloc. There must have an honest and competent administration to run the election so that the election will be fair. The Election Commission must be fair. Article 114(2) of FC written that in appointing members of the Election Commission the YDPA shall have regard to the importance of securing an Election Commission which enjoys pub lic confidence. This implies that public confidence is essential and to gain the public trust, independent and fair Election Commission is a must.In Article 114(4)(b) and (c) also clearly stated that the YDPA shall by order remove from office any member of the Election Commission if such member engages in any paid office or employment outside the duties of his office or is a member of either House of Parliament or of the Legislative Assembly of a State. By staying away from the executive and legislative branch, it prevents the Election Commission from choosing side or bias towards any of the party in the election. Even their remuneration comes from consolidated fund as stated in Article 114(5) of Federal Constitution.This proves that the Election Commission is neutral from the government. Their duties are to conduct election, keep the election roll clean and constitutes boundary as listed. Mobilising organisations like political parties aided our country to envisage democracy. Non-p olitical associations and organisations like firms, industries, trade unions and religious organisations help to create and mobilize public opinion. This indicates that developed system of a political party is essential to ensure fair and free election. In Malaysia political parties are allowed but they must apply for registration under Societies Act.Nearly 34 political parties are registered with the Registrar of Societies. The ruling Barisan National is the world’s most enduring political coalition. Starting out as the Alliance since 1955, today it has 14 parties, 9 which won federal parliamentary seats. There are 20 registered opposition parties, 4 of which gained parliamentary representation. To achieve a free and fair election, candidates must apply the general rules of fair play. Equal chances should be given to each participating parties to conduct their election campaign.Election campaign could be conducted through media and spreading their propaganda. Shifting voters illegally, creating â€Å"phantom† voters, granting illegal immigrants citizenship and the right to vote, buying votes, handing out cash aid to vulnerable groups, and intimidating voters are crimes of election and must not be conducted in any way. The use of propaganda is limited in some countries by forbidding use of opinion polls, newspaper advertisement and house to house campaigns. Giving of free transport, food and bribes to the electorate is forbidden.But government after government gets around the law by promising or delivering â€Å"development aid† just before the election (Prof. Shad Saleem Faruqi, 2008). In Malaysia, under the Elections (Conduct of Elections) Regulations 1959-82, the period for election campaign has been progressively shortened from the period of 147 days to a minimum of 11 days. The conduct of the campaign is supposed to be fair and equal to each participating parties. But the Government’s ban on political processions on the alleged ground of security make the certain parties unable to reach the electorate and to mobilise public opinion.The short campaign period limits out the other parties to reach out to the electorate. The ownership and control of the mainstream print and electronic media by the Government or groups affiliated with the ruling coalition like TV3, Bernama and Berita Harian gives the Government an unfair advantage over its opponents. These issues need to be addressed and redressed. The right to speech, assembly and association are the essential pillars of a democratic set-up; to reach the goal of free and fair election. Speech, assembly and association are restrained considerably in Malaysia.Though Article 10(1) enshrines these freedoms, Articles 10(2), 10(4), 149 and 150 permit the Parliament to impose restrictions on the exercise of these freedoms on 14 constitutionally permissible grounds. A plethora of laws has been enacted under the authority of the Constitution to ensure that electoral z eal does not compromise race relations, national security and public order. As in during ordinary or election campaign, processions, public rallies and assemblies are not allowed except with a police permit under the Police Act. The recent case of Bersih 2. rally was an assembly that was not permitted by the Police Act, although their organization was legal and permitted. The root to achieve fair and free election results is through the votes. Malaysia uses the â€Å"One vote, one value† which is based on one cardinal principle- that constituencies should be approximately equal in population size so as to give reality to the principle of one person, one vote, one value. This principle is an offshoot of the rule of equality before the law. The weightage of the votes are differ based on geographical areas, basically categorized into rural and urban area.The Baker v Carr rules gives parliaments a primarily urban bias. For this reason many countries including Malaysia allow rural constituencies to be smaller in population size than urban electoral districts. â€Å"Rural† or â€Å"urban† are not defined in the Constitution and wide disparities in population exist from constituency to constituency. Population, geographical size and the urban-rural dichotomy seem to have exerted influence. Labuan, Putrajaya, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Sabah and Perlis are over-represented. Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Terengganu are under-represented in the federal legislature.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Why You Need To Limit Your Social Media Use

Why You Need To Limit Your Social Media Use Social media is everywhere- and a huge part of our day-to-day lives. It’s not going anywhere either. But do the benefits of all this connectivity and constant chatter actually outweigh the costs? Have you even considered what costs there might be in your life and career? Here are a handful of reasons why you should curb your constant phone use and start taking part in that old-fashioned thing we call the real world.1. You’re Down on YourselfStudies show that people who spend a significant amount of time on social media experience increased anxiety and decreased self-esteem. Watching everybody else’s milestones and achievements fly through your feed doesn’t make you happy for your pals, it makes you unhappy about your own (seeming) lack of accomplishment. Are these people even your friends? Are you spending more time thinking about their goal-slashing and not worrying enough about setting goals of your own?2. You’ve Distorted RealityAnd while we†™re at it, all that success and joy you see on your feed from your thousands of â€Å"friends† is also highly crafted and paints a pretty rosy picture of events. Nobody’s life is as glamorous or freewheeling as Instagram and Facebook make them out to be. Just think of how many times you took that selfie to make sure it looked effortless? You’re not alone by any means. Remember that image and reality don’t always match up- and that your happiness should not depend on anybody else’s.3. It’s Not Actually SocialYou may feel less lonely, or more like you are keeping in touch with all of your friends when you’re constantly all up on their social media, but it’s not actually getting you anywhere close to real, lasting and close relationships with any of your friends. It’s just empty interaction. Your real, close friends are the ones you have actual conversations with- even on the phone or Skype if not in person. If your frien ds were to deactivate their accounts, would you still speak to them?4. You’ve Become a JerkAre you that friend who can’t get through an entire dinner- or concert, or picnic, or party, or other hang-out situation- without spending most of the time checking their phone? And be honest- it’s not even for important work emails or personal calls or texts! This friend is scrolling through their Facebook and Instagram feeds while you’re trying to have a conversation. It’s incredibly rude and ruins the experience for everyone. So if you’re not that friend, make sure you don’t become that friend.5. Your Life is PublicIf you don’t set boundaries and post everything that happens to you willy nilly, you forget that your entire life is not only public, but also permanently recorded in visual images and text. Just remember that safety and reputation are both important. And dial it back a bit.6. You’re DistractedSocial media is incredib ly distracting. Maybe you find yourself doing something cool; instead of enjoying the moment and being present, you’re mostly thinking how to get the perfect photo and how to phrase the perfect post. You’re starting to see the world in virtual, filtered form, rather than experiencing it. Or worse- you’ve lost touch with your life because you feel most alive when online. Or the least bored. But every hour you spend on your phone is another hour of life you’re missing out on. Think what you could accomplish in all of that accumulated time!