Locke and Hobbes on Revolution

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) and John Locke (1632-1706) belonged to the same generation of philosophers.   However, both philosophers viewed English Revolution differently.   Hobbes had experienced the English Revolution as a time of brutality.   Thence, the philosopher compared the revolution to what he referred to as the â€Å"state of nature† (or, a state of primitiveness). This state was ruthless and uncouth.   Hobbes believed that revolutions were similarly a negative state, and in order to guard itself against the malice of revolutions, society needed a strong king and strict governance, somewhat akin to the Panopticon state of Michel Foucault.   Locke, on the other hand, lauded the concept of revolution as a necessity during times of governmental disturbance.   In other words, the philosopher with a good view of revolution believed in dismantling the government if it does not work (â€Å"Locke and Hobbes†). Sharp (2006) explains the difference between Locke’s and Hobbes’ viewpoints on revolution thus: At least part of the difference between Hobbes and Locke can be attributed to their  historical circumstances.   Hobbes witnessed the English Civil War, which destroyed every  opportunity for happiness for many people.   His all-powerful state must have seemed like the  lesser of two evils, since it would at least be stable and life would not devolve into anarchy.  Ã‚   Locke, however, witnessed the Glorious Revolution, where the government was completely  changed without bloodshed. For him, revolution must not have seemed like such a terrible  thing.   Most likely, both views are too extreme.   Revolution is usually a costly endeavor, since  those in power rarely relinquish it willingly.   However, the possibility or revolution is a key   part of maintaining rights, since an all-powerful government could suppress our rights without  fear of repercussion. Hobbes, being senior to Locke in age and experience, had apparently seen a bloody war that Locke had not been a witness of.   Thus, the views of the philosophers differed with respect to the English Revolution.   Had Locke also lived through the English Civil War, he might have been bitter about the idea of revolution as well.   Nevertheless, it is important to note that both philosophers believed in human rights.   Locke was not a violent agitator.   Furthermore, it is clear that his philosophy on revolution was written with ultimate peace in mind. Locke wrote about â€Å"abuse of power by the government† as a reason for a revolution.   In order to serve justice, he considered it ethical for citizens to fight for their rights, even if they must fight the government for the same reason.   In Locke’s view, â€Å"rebellion† was a necessity at times of governmental corruption and dissidence.   Besides, in the perspective of the philosopher, the people could be trusted to make decisions as regards civil rights.   The important matter to consider remained, however, that people could achieve â€Å"restoration of their rights† via a revolution (Kemerling, 2000). Locke’s philosophy on revolution makes the kinds of allowances for the common people that Hobbes’ philosophy does not allow for.   In the latter’s view, revolutions are bad because they lead to bloodshed.   So therefore, governments should be strong enough to rule the people without letting them express their agitation in any form whatsoever. Locke’s philosophy can debate with Hobbes’ view quite simply by claiming that the victims of bloodshed are usually the common people; and if they are the ones taking responsibility for a revolution, they are the ones also responsible for guarding their safety at all costs during a revolution.   Governments that try to quell public rebellion through military violence are bad in any case.   Hence, the public is right in demolishing such governments.   At the same time, the public must protect itself from the agitation of the government during a revolution. Thus Locke’s philosophy of revolution allows for public liberty unlike Hobbes’ philosophy, which is similar to the Panopticon.   Michel Foucault’s (1995) Panopticism begins with a detailed description of the measures to be taken against a seventeenth century plague. The government was meant to exercise absolute control over all citizens during such time, as spaces were to be partitioned and houses were to be closed off.   Stray animals were to be killed, and human beings were to be advised that they could only leave town if they wanted to be killed too.   Moreover, guards were to be put on duty to keep a constant eye on the people.   Every guard was to be informed that â€Å"if he leaves the street, he will be condemned to death.† The government aimed to create a pure and disciplined community through these orders.   What is more, as Foucault points out, it was a â€Å"political dream† to create such an obedient community, even for a brief period of time.   Such an obedient community happens to be a model for other communities and other times.   This plagued community was further marked by: †¦strict divisions; not laws transgressed, but the penetration of regulation into even the  smallest details of everyday life through the mediation of the complete hierarchy that assured  the capillary functioning of power; not masks that were put on and taken off, but the  assignment to each individual of his ‘true' name, his ‘true' place, his ‘true' body, his ‘true'  disease.   The plague as a form, at once real and imaginary, of disorder had as its medical and  political correlative discipline.   Behind the disciplinary mechanisms can be read the haunting  memory of ‘contagions', of the plague, of rebellions, crimes, vagabondage, desertions, people  who appear and disappear, live and die in disorder. The Panopticon state is the literal embodiment of Hobbes’ philosophy of government.   Totally unlike Locke’s state of freedom, which is equal to democracy in present times, Hobbes’ is a restrictive state with police control at best.   From these two differing philosophies of government arise two dissimilar, defining concepts of revolution.   People through history have found it difficult to believe in both at the same time.   To answer their concerns, both Hobbes and Locke advise their readers and thinkers to use their reason in changing or adopting a form of government (Sharp). References Focault, Michel. (1995). Panopticism. Retrieved 20 May 2007, from c. Kemerling, Garth. (2000). Locke: Social Order. Philosophy Pages. Retrieved 20 May 2007, from http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/4n.htm. Locke and Hobbes, Two Contrasting Views of the English Revolution. Retrieved 20 May 2007, from http://www.iun.edu/~hisdcl/h114_2002/Locke%20and%20Hobbes.htm. Sharp, Robert. (2006, September 5). Hobbes Vs. Locks: A Question of Rights. Retrieved 20 May 2007, from http://philosophy.suite101.com/article.cfm/hobbes_vs__locke.      

Lifestyle Diseases

Since the dawn of civilization, man’s physical attributes have always been in accordance with the work he was supposed to do. It has been proven that we were ape like before and had lots of body hair, which was then to protect us from cold. Eventually as time passed our physicality changed a lot, and we started to walk erect, but still we were built in such a way that we were fit for hunting and to endure other physical conditions. As centuries began to unfold, we started developing at a brisk pace and we have reached a stage of today, where we can get food by paying money for which we have to work, and that too doesn’t have to be necessarily a strenuous labor job. This change in lifestyle has brought about a lot of positivism and negativity in our lives.Today we don’t have to strive for food nor fight wild animals, but today we have to work long hours, which how much ever tiring maybe aren’t strenuous to what we had to do earlier. This exact change has br ought in the ‘lifestyle diseases’, which are responsible for maximum deaths in countries which are either developed or are in the brink of becoming developed. Today we have development in the field of medicine and the diseases of yester years are either extinct or they don’t possess a threat much. Since we don’t have much threat from infectious diseases as much as we had before, the life style diseases which mainly comprise of the following, affect us the most:These diseases have been associated with the new way of life and come into the generic term of lifestyle diseases. Compared to the olden times, today obesity is a major problem which can be assessed by the following:‘By 2001, almost 21 percent of adults were obese, representing a nearly 75 percent increase. Because these data are based on self-reported height and weight, obesity rates are most likely even higher than these estimates suggest. Results from the 1999 National Health and Nutrition E xamination Survey, which collects data through clinical measurements, found that approximately 30 percent of U.S. adults are obese and an additional 34 percent are overweight and Even more alarming is the increase of those who are morbidly obese; that is, those who are 100 pounds or more overweight’ (Eileen Salinsky).Obesity has been the root of many problems. Today children are always eating processed junk food and cola rather than salads and vegetables and milk. The pizzas and burgers how much ever scrumptious it is, cannot be considered as a main food and due to this reason not children but adults too tend to bloat up. An obese person is always at risk for heart diseases, diabetes and liver diseases. Being obese makes a person more inactive, this leads to other problems of muscles and joints. For obesity it is said that the more you eat the more you are eaten from inside. Today diseases like cancer have been one of the prime forces in eliminating mankind. There have been l ots of deaths and amputations that have been accounted to cancer.This diseases which was not much active in the olden times, is today’s prime diseases. Cancer has various forms, and if not it could have been prevented from maintaining a good staple diet. One thing that can be attributed from a lifestyle point of view is that in the west and developed countries, there has been a serious loss of staple food and required vegetables in the diet and there has been a major increase of meat and wine. Because of the use more technology cell phones have become a common thing amongst people, including teenagers, but one thing they do not know is using a cell phone over an hour increase the chances of having brain tumor as it emits high amount of radiation. Many people have contracted these tumors, but have failed to realize this that it was due to their lifestyle.Heart Attacks and diabetes which also are lifestyle diseases are the worst in the group as they have killed more people than even one can imagine. The following will cement the fact about arteriosclerosis and diabetes:  The WHO estimates that atherosclerosis (heart attacks and strokes) and diabetes (90% of the Type 2 variety) kill about 20 million people every year, more than are killed by war, famine, AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined, and more than might conceivably be killed in a single pandemic of bird flu. Bill Gates gives billions to trying to eliminate infectious disease but never mentions the really big killer, cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the form of atherosclerosis and hypertension or high blood pressure’ (Pandemic Lifestyle diseases 2007).Life style diseases can be treated too, but it takes it toll on the individual, and for instances of heart and all major by pass operations have to performed, or for cancer chemotherapy or amputation of the part is required.The best way is prevention of these diseases by changing our lifestyles. If we endorse certain amount of exercise and r ight amount of nutritious food then the chances of contracting these diseases go down by huge percentages. Fore mostly, it is very essential to keep a check on junk food and easy to make fried food. Apart from increasing cholesterol and obesity, these foods don’t help much. There has to be a steady intake of staple food with maintaining an equal balance of vegetables and meat. One has to make sure to complete a certain amount of exercise, be it a small run or doing exercises in the gym. This physical exercise will help increase the much needed blood circulation and in turn help people to live healthy.The high amount of work loads only worsens the living environment, as tensions give rise to many diseases. Those working always on tight deadlines suffer the most from it. The only way to counter it is to take time out to relax and practice mind reliving techniques which can be attained via yoga or reiki. The lesser the tension the more an individual can live longer and enjoy lif e.   Alcohol and smoking, which are considered to be very normal in today’s times, are one of the worst ways of affecting our body.Smoking contracts blood cells and can give lung cancer, along with dampening one’s stamina and appetite. Alcohol on the other hand makes one obese, addicted and also causes serious troubles in the liver and kidney region. If one can refrain from smoking and have very limited quantity of alcohol, then he reduces huge chances of getting diseases. The best part of lifestyle disease is it can be easily prevented with certain precautions. Everybody have to die in this world, but the choice of dying young due to lifestyle diseases or dying when you are old is a choice one has to make.Works Cited:1)    Eileen Salinsky, Principal Research Associate Wakina Scott, Research Associate â€Å"Obesity in America: A Growing Threat†, 11th July 2003, http://www.nhpf.org/pdfs_bp/BP_Obesity_7-03.pdf2)   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Pandemic of Lifestyle Diseases† , 14th October 2007, http://www.panaceia-or-hygeia.com/3)    http://naturalhealthperspective.com/home/civilization.html4)   http://www.obesityinamerica.org/geographic.html

Reflection Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 13

Reflection - Assignment Example This would affect the economical development with the abandonment of some services. Austerity measures applied by the administration because of the increasing aging population would cause diminution in the living standards. Labor supply would get affected negatively by causing skilled employees numbers to drop causing exceptional hike in the cost of labor. Lower savings would negatively affect the actual Gross Domestic Product. The lower saving would be because of reduced savings attributable to the high numbers of retirees, who would not be saving anymore. The Canadian physical capital stock would also extensively reduce because of the reduced savings that would create a diminishing impact on real capital per head. Increased immigration in Canada helps in balancing the effects of the increasing dependency ratio by supplying skilled economic skills to the Canadian economy. However, it is worth to note that increased immigration of skilled workers does not necessarily imply economic growth and development. The effects of immigrant workers are largely neutral on the economic performance. On the flipside, increasing numbers of immigrants cause pressure on the government for provision of basic services such as housing and other administrative services. These pressures may negatively affect the government and spills to the economic performance. Canadas Aging Population May Create $67-Billion Annual Budget Hole: Study. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2014, from

Vitamin D Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Vitamin D - Essay Example The production of this very specific sub-type of Vitamin D that is Vitamin D3, takes place in the human skin. It is produced in the skin when a chemical called 7-dehydrocholesterol is in a chemical reaction with ultraviolet rays.The bi-weekly requirement of a normal human being is ten to twenty minutes of exposure to the sunlight, on either their arms, hands, back or the face without the application of a sunscreen. For this exposure, the ultraviolet exposure index must reach more than three. The case where there is exposure for a longer time, the supply of the vitamin produced may degrade very quickly – as quickly as it may be produced, in most cases. Vitamin D3 plays an important role in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the body. It also helps in the proper functioning of the minerals. Calcium and phosphorus form an important component of bones and teeth. The osteoclastic (bone breaking cells) cells break the bones to generate calcium when needed. Low levels of c alcium and phosphorus can hence cause different bone related disorders and dental problems. As a result, Vitamin D3 can also be an important factor in preventing rickets, osteomalacia and osteoporosis. The usage of Vitamin D3, at a normal rate, may not have any side effects; however, if taken in excess, it may make the user nauseate and may result in constipation. Vitamin D3 can be a source of causing kidney diseases, liver diseases and may result in causing a difficulty in absorbing nutrients from food.

Interpersonal Communication Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interpersonal Communication Skills - Essay Example With the innovation in the era of technology, it is exigent to grasp, memorize, espouse rapidly and the usage of effective communication. One is required to furnish leadership in its growth, for the interest of time, cultivation, evolution and accountability. It is also significant to fathom that communication through various mechanisms, contraption and modes gives different defiance and ruminations. It is through conversation that individual's memorizing principles and policies and the growth of shared meaning associated within the citizenry of rules and observance. Dialogue empowered communicants to reconnoiter their identity within the community, employed in conventions, make drift of their experiences, and cultivate a feeling of intimacy. Conversation helps the participants to enhance the chronicle of the locale and each individual appendage of that locale, which furnished a varied magnitude to their own growth. Finally, this authorized the participants to scrutinize the connotation they deduce of their surveillance and co-operations vis--vis the individual, the community, and the profession.

Export Management Task Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Export Management Task - Article Example For all of you who are involved in the industry and to those of you who have had the occasion to become involved on a personal level, You will no doubt agree with me when I say that it is an industry which is predicated on logistics, scheduling, and documents. Moreover, all of the logistics must be arranged far in advance, the scheduling must all come together into one unit at a specific time, and at a specific place, and all of the documentation must be accomplished accurately, and on time, in accordance with previously stipulated agreements. Having said that, I will now present the various components and aspects which comprise the Export Management Task. Export sales contracts can be formal or informal, depending on the foreign buyer. One should be cautioned that any contract which is made quickly and informally when some of the conditions are assumed or left to be clarified later, is a dangerous, ill advised, and not a good practice standard. Of course, most of us are aware of off ers to sell which are presented over the phone, which covers the product to be sold, the quantity, the price per unit, outlining delivery, the terms, and the medium of payment, which is often accepted by the foreign buyer. Also, we are familiar with a call from the buyer, with an offer to buy. offer to buy. 2This type of contract may be preceded by a series of offers and counter offers before the final offer and acceptance. This type of contract remains informal if it is not confirmed in writing. This type of contractural practice is most common and acceptable between branches of the same company, or between long standing trade partners, or between very reputable companies who trade in commodities which are prone to rapid changes in prices. It is my caution to you, that unless one of the three above-mentioned conditions are characteristic of your transaction, then this informal mode, should not be your practice. The most assured way to a void any and all misunderstandings, is to get the buyer to agree to the use of what is commonly referred to as General Standard Conditions. "These are standardized contract terms that permit the parties to refer to a pre- established set of rules that can be incorporated into the contract"(SIT). If you elect to choose this standardized proforma, then you must by all means, become keenly familiar with the contents, because once the generalized Standard Conditions have been adopted, they are legally binding whether or not both parties are aware of and understand every provision"(SIT) According to the Secrets in International Trade, an offer to sell may also be made via telex, courier, air mail, cable, facsimile and today even via e-mail. The exporter confirms the terms and stipulations of the sale via a proforma invoice: the proforma invoice will detail the entire order, The type of shipment ( i.e., f.o.b. Plymouth) quantity, type of item, unit cost, and total cost. As an addendum one might also include certain terms such as the name and address of the preferred bank, and the preferred shipping3 date. Upon receipt of the proforma invoice, the buyer will confirm his acceptance by

Public Opinion on Homosexuality and Marriage Essay

Public Opinion on Homosexuality and Marriage - Essay Example The crux of the homosexual debate revolves around the definition of marriage. The Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) defines â€Å"marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman for purposes of all federal laws, and provides that states need not recognize a marriage from another state if it is between persons of the same sex† (Chabot, p.8). In other words, marriage is restricted to a union between one man and one woman and same-sex marriage, even if it is recognized by one state is not recognized by the federal government and therefore federal benefits are denied to homosexuals. This Act has opened a can of worms. Those who support homosexual marriages argue on the basis of civil and religious freedom, financial viability and the principle of love. One writer argues that â€Å"the First Amendment of the Constitution clearly states that a person's religious views or lack thereof must be protected. Marriage by the state is a secular activity; the government cannot start making laws just because a religion says they should† (Messerli, 22 May 2009, p.1). In other words, one religious view should not dictate the view or lifestyle of another. Same-sex marriage is a matter of choice and the state has no right to deny homosexuals of this choice. Another argument states that â€Å"The right to marry the person that you love, have made a commitment to, and wish to live with for the rest of your life is a foundational human right† (Robinson, p.3). He also went on to quote a pamphlet by the National Gay and Lesbian Task which states that, "If legally marri ed, gay, lesbian and bisexual couples would have a greater ability to care for and protect their families.† The financial benefits the pamphlet named included joint tax returns, joint insurance policies for home, auto and health, automatic inheritance on death, secure workplace and other benefits such as annuities, pension plans, Medicare, etc.   

Emblazoned symbols of decadence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Emblazoned symbols of decadence - Essay Example By using various symbols as literary devices in the poem, the poet is able to successfully illustrate what he felt like and the painful processes he underwent as he lived the life of a prisoner within the harsh confines of a remote relocation camp. The powerful imagery and relatable concepts Okita manages to muster out of concrete nouns help him to masterfully paint mental pictures of what he and 110,000 other Japanese Americans emotionally went through from 1942 to 1946. Being forced into internment camps was a very invasive and demoralizing experience for Japanese Americans, and Okita eloquently captures the essence of how they felt by relating this hardship to a turtle’s smashed shell, which symbolizes not only the gutted houses they had to leave behind, but their squashed pride and self-respect. the middle of the poem, Okita relays how his neighbor Jimmi described the way people prepared turtle soup in the deep south as a way to symbolize what he went through as a result o f being displaced, â€Å"A huge sea turtle ─ take a sledge hammer to the massive shell, wedge it open with one simple, solid blow till the turtle can feel no home above him, till everything is taken away and there is nothing he will carry away from this moment,† (Schmidt and Crockett 331). Without the poet spelling it out, the reader can easily see that victims of internment camps underwent a painful process similar to that of a turtle being stripped of his shell, which represents the security of his home. The reader understands that once the shell (home) is taken away and destroyed, much of the defenseless victim’s identity and self-worth is stolen away, as well. The vivid imagery of the turtle, which symbolizes both Japanese Americans (body) and their ravaged homes (crushed shell), is used as a precision instrument to artfully and poignantly depict the tragedy that wartime prisoners endured. Okita also goes on to use a barbed wire fence as a symbol to draw an image of the harsh conditions faced by detainees, as well as the different perspective from which they viewed life. The poet draws on the past pleasure he took in counting stars from his home in Fresno, California, where he often sang with the joy it brought him - gazing at the celestial wonders. He then describes the stars he sees in his Arkansas internment camp, which are accompanied by the sharp, unattractive stars made from barbed wire fences, â€Å"The nice thing about counting stars is you can do it just about anywhere . . . Even in a relocation camp miles from home, even in Jerome, Arkansas where a barbed wire fence crisscrosses itself making stars of its own - but nothing worth counting, nothing worth singing to,† (331). The barbed wire fence symbolizes the constraints from enjoying the world the way it was meant to be, while the fake stars it forms are symbolic of how internment camps provide horrible substitutes for real (enjoyable) life on the outside. These litera ry conventions give the reader a better grasp of what life was really like inside the confines of the camps. Lastly, Okita uses the imagery of his family’s car before and during his internment to symbolize the condition of the detainees and their lives. He creatively does this while recounting about his mother, â€Å"At night, she’

Information Regarding CPA's Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Information Regarding CPA's Report - Essay Example The deferral method specifically focuses on income statement and the tax expense is calculated on the basis of identified revenues and expenses in the income statement. However, the deferral method is not acceptable under GAAP. In contrast, the liability method would estimate the future taxes payable or receivable. Hence, the liability method focuses on the estimation of current as well as deferred tax assets and liabilities. â€Å"The amount of income tax expense recognized for a period is the amount of income taxes currently payable or refundable, plus or minus the change in aggregate deferred tax assets and liabilities† (CCH Editorial, p.28). The liability method primarily focuses on the balance sheet. The changes in the balance sheet elements are used to calculate the amount of income tax expense under this method. 2. Procedures for Reporting Accounting Changes and Error Corrections Generally, accounting changes are of two types including changes in accounting principle an d changes in accounting estimate. Mainly, there are two approaches available for reporting accounting changes. They are retrospective approach and prospective approach. Under the retrospective approach, comparative financial statements are recast to clearly illustrate the changes. In addition, related accounting records are properly adjusted to indicate net effect of the change as of the starting of the current period. In addition, the identified accounting changes and their effects on the income statement and balance sheet are appropriately attached to the financial statements. The prospective approach is used when the application of retrospective approach becomes impractical. In case of reporting error corrections, the cumulative effect of the correction has to be reported as a prior period adjustment if only the statements relating to the current period are presented. â€Å"If comparative financial statements are presented, then the error should be corrected in the earliest affe cted period presented by correcting any individual amounts on the financial statements† (FASAB). In addition, the effect of correction of an error in previous financial statements on relevant balances must be properly disclosed. 3. Rationale Behind Establishing Subsidiary as a Separate Corporation The concept of making subsidiary as a separate corporation adds to the operational efficiency of an organization. When a parent company and its subsidiaries operate as separate legal entities, either of them may individually involve in legal proceedings, bankruptcy, or tax delinquency without depending on the other. In addition, the separate operation would be assistable to prevent a non-profitable subsidiary from operating at the expense of the holding company. Hence, the subsidiary corporation would be forced to raise operating funds by itself to meet its business requirements. When a parent company and its subsidiaries operate as a single corporation, the business management would be a cumbersome task because the single firm becomes responsible for dealing with huge volume of transactions. In addition, the separate operation would aid the holding company to take advantage of tax duties and public sector spending. This concept is also beneficial for the holding company to timely identify the operational pitfalls of its subsidiaries and recommend

Role as an English Teacher Essay Example for Free

Role as an English Teacher Essay Analyzing Ryan’s love for reading and writing, it can be understood that his literature and reading analysis work in Year 6 and Year 7 was not only non stimulating but also quite below the standard of the works that Ryan could produce on his own with out any help from his teachers and parents. There are several types of activities that are performed during class in order to build the students’ love for literature and allow them to go through several texts, both fictional and non-fictional, in order to build their character and minds. Some of these activities involve RIBIT (Read in Bed, its Terrific) activity, where six categories of books have been formed and the student can choose any book from each category, to read and then fill prescribed activity sheets accordingly. Other activities include Miscue Analysis which involved prior reading and then retelling of the same story, writing, copying and similar other activities to build the students’ reading and writing habits. However, it is quite understandable to note that some students have a better caliber and grasp of reading and literature than others since each student has a different psyche and all activities may not be liked or understood by all students. Some students may be better at following all the activities and performing just as prescribed as they would not like to deviate from the prescribed pattern. On the other hand, other students show more caliber towards being flexible and would like varying and different texts and literature to read and evaluate. Ryan is one such example in this class as he would like to be more flexible in his reading and read different texts and literatures rather than the prescribed ones. There are a few reasons for this deviation. One of the primary reasons for this deviation from the prescribed syllabus is his love for reading as he has been reading and writing for the past few years. Secondly, Ryan has a different mind frame from other students in his class in which case his likes and dislikes in reading are also different. Basically, he would like to read on his own than have a set routine and pattern through which as an English Teacher, I would route his towards reading. Therefore, his readings in class bore him and his mind is distracted. It can be understood as to why his behavior has been shifting from reading and writing towards making more friends and creating distractions in class. His basic aim in Year 6 was to read and write pieces of fiction and non fiction. However, in Year 7, there is hardly any time after completing all homework, for reading and writing that he previously used to enjoy. In this case, his reading and writing got affected and he would get bored by the readings prescribed in the English Syllabus as well, which leaves him distracted and a bit disturbed since his hobby and love for reading and writing is not getting fulfilled. Therefore, in my opinion, he shifted towards creating mischief in class, and began to make more friends amongst his class and school mates, which is the time that he used to spend in brushing up his writing skills in fiction and non-fiction. During class, in both Year 6 and Year 7, writing was a generalized activity which involved few things like Copying, Question/Answer Activities, Fill-in-the-Gap Activities and Labeling. For a person like Ryan, these activities hold little meaning in English Language and Literature since he has been far ahead in his reading and Literature than his friends due to his self-motivation and read and write. In this case, the activities done in class hold less value, and coupled with exceptional amounts of homework given to children in the years, it actually has become distracting for Ryan to actually study and complete any substantial readings of his own. Ryan’s transition from primary to secondary had been a time of difficulty due to the several reasons which are highlighted above, if his and other students’ input had been taken in this regard, to understand and evaluate what they would like to read and study during the year, it would have become far more easier for Ryan, and other students to cope with activities and studies during Year 7.

Coursebook And Materials Evaluation English Language Essay

Coursebook And Materials Evaluation English Language Essay Introduction English language holds a great significance in Pakistan. It is the second language of our country yet enjoys the status of first language. It is the medium of instruction in the institutions of higher education and is widely used on radio and television in the country. Several newspapers, periodicals and books on different subjects are published in English. It is the official language of all the government departments and private organizations in Pakistan. Most importantly, our body of law is codified in English and the knowledge of English is considered to be essential for getting good jobs as exams and interviews for civil services, armed forces and other attractive posts are conducted in this language. The inevitability of English, not only in Pakistan but in the whole world, lies in its dominance in the three major areas of development: science, humanities and trade. Keeping in view the importance and the need to learn this language, Cunningsworth (1984:5) highlights three main perspectives on English Language Teaching as follows: The students need to learn the language to use it for communicative purposes It needs to be taught as a system of grammar and vocabulary in structural perspective The learners need to develop their four basic skills-reading, writing, listening and speaking in this language ELT materials play a very important role in many language classrooms but in recent years there has been a lot of debate on the actual role of materials in teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language. A successful course book requires a working balance between the three perspectives mentioned above. Arguments about the textbooks include both the advantages and the limitations of materials for students as well as the needs and preferences of teachers who are using them. Other modern issues regarding material evaluation include textbook design and practicality, methodological validity, the role of textbooks in innovation, the authenticity and the appropriateness of subject matter, and cultural components. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that we establish and apply a wide variety of relevant and contextually appropriate criteria for the evaluation of the textbooks that we use in our language classrooms. This paper aims at an analytical study of a published ELT course book (Stepping Forward) with regards to its underpinning approach and methodological principles to be drawn through an external as well internal evaluation of the book. LITERATURE REVIEW 1- Importance of Textbooks in ELT context: English language instruction has many important components but the essential constituents of many ESL/EFL classrooms and programs are the textbooks and instructional materials that are often used by language instructors. As in their argument to prove textbooks affective agents of change, Hutchinson and Torres (1994) suggest: The textbook is an almost universal element of teachingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦No teaching-learning situation, it seems, is complete until it has its relevant textbook. (p. 315). Many other theorists agree with this observation as Sheldon (1988) states that textbooks not only represent the visible heart of any ELT program (p.237) but also offer considerable advantages for both the student and the teacher when they are being used in the ESL/EFL classroom. Moreover, he believes that published materials are more reliable for the students because they have more credibility than teacher-generated or in-house materials. Textbooks yield a respectable practicality as they are relatively inexpensive and involve low lesson preparation time, whereas teacher-generated materials can be ineffective in terms of time, cost and quality. In this way, textbooks can reduce professional workload and allow teachers the opportunity to spend more time in concentrating on the material available instead of arranging for a new one every time. As Hutchinson and Torres (1994) point out that textbooks play a pivotal role in innovation and support teachers in potentially disturbing and threatening change processes, for they demonstrate new methodologies, introduce change gradually, and create a framework upon which teachers can build a more creative methodology of their own. 2- Reasons for Textbook Evaluation: Since the 1970s there has been a movement to make learners the center of language instruction and it is probably best to view textbooks as resources in achieving aims and objectives that have already been set in terms of learner needs. Therefore, we must make every effort to establish and apply a wide variety of relevant and contextually appropriate criteria for the evaluation of the textbooks that we use in our language classrooms. We should also ensure that careful selection is made, and that the materials selected closely reflect the aims, methods, and values of the teaching program. (Cunningsworth, 1995:7). Another reason for textbook evaluation is the fact that it can be very useful in teacher development and professional growth. Cunningsworth (1995) states that textbook evaluation helps teachers to acquire useful, accurate, systematic, and contextual insights into the overall nature of textbook material. Sheldon (1988) offers justification through several other reasons for textbook evaluation. He suggests that the selection of an ELT textbook often signals an important administrative and educational decision with considerable financial investment. A thorough evaluation, therefore, would enable the management and teaching staff of a specific institution to choose amongst all of the available textbooks in the market. Moreover, it would provide a sense of familiarity with a books content assisting the educators to compare it with the strengths and weaknesses in textbooks already in use. Textbook evaluation, therefore, can potentially be a means of conducting research as well as a form of professional empowerment and improvement. 3- Methods of Evaluating Textbooks: On the subject of textbook evaluation various researchers have suggested ways of helping teachers to be more systematic in their evaluative approach, by presenting evaluation checklists based on general criteria that can be used by both teachers and students in many different situations. Although Sheldon (1988) suggests that no general list of criteria can ever really be applied to all teaching and learning contexts without considerable modification. Thats why, almost all the educational theorists agree that evaluation checklists should be having some criteria pertaining to the physical characteristics of textbooks such as layout, organizational, usable and logistical characteristics. Thus, in this regard, the evaluative criteria presented by McDonough and Shaw (1997), is most suitable and applicable in any ELT context. The model of evaluation offered by McDonough and Shaw (1997) consists of two stages: (A) External evaluation and (B) Internal evaluation. They believe that the teachers should perform an external evaluation first of all in order to gain an overview of the organizational principles involved. After this they should move onto a detailed internal evaluation of the materials to see how far the materials in question match up to what the author claims as well as to the aims and objectives of a given teaching program. Thus, the next section of this paper will present an external as well as internal analysis of an ELT course book (Stepping Forward) based on McDonough and Shaws (1997) model of evaluation. TEXTBOOK ANALYSIS: AN EVALUATIVE STUDY 1- Key Facts about the Book-Authors and Publishers: One of the most useful starting points in any textbook evaluation is an analysis of the authors and publishers details. The authors of Stepping Forward are Heather Jones and Robyn Mann and the publisher is a well-established company based in Singapore, EPB Pan Pacific publishers, a trademark of Times Publishing Limited. Ample information about the publishing company such as the contact address, telephone and fax numbers can be found on the inside front cover. Moreover, information about the authors formal education, amounts and types of teaching, administration, and curriculum/syllabus and materials development experience is also given which presents a clear picture of the authors having a recognized standing in the field of education and a strong reputation for producing innovative materials. 2- Target Audience and Proficiency Level: Stepping Forward by Heather Jones and Robyn Mann comprises a series of textbooks. The book under analysis has been designed for the students of grade six belonging to an age group of around eleven years. The book includes challenging topics, chosen especially for the interest level of the target students. The topics like My Family, Growing Up, Dinosaurs, Tourism, and Science Fiction etc are highly attractive and motivating for the learners. 3- Cost Effectiveness: Another important factor that relates to the choice of a textbook is cost. Some might feel that price is not necessarily an important factor in textbook evaluation, but the fact that most ESL/EFL textbooks are published and manufactured in wealthy English-speaking nations such as England and the United States but used in many less-developed nations like Pakistan suggests that price should play a pertinent role in textbook selection. This is particularly the case in countries in which the economic conditions are somewhat less than desirable and many students with limited incomes are required to purchase the books for language courses. In this case, Stepping Forward is also a little expensive as it costs Rs.365/-, however, the printing standard and paper quality worth the price. 4- Accessibility and Availability: Some additional concerns regarding external evaluation are accessibility and availability. In order to be purchasable for a textbook, it must be currently in print and readily available. Moreover, the publisher should be accessible for additional information, teaching demonstrations, and order requests. At first glance it would seem that Stepping Forward meets many of these requirements for it is a relatively new book that was most recently published in 1995 and then reprinted every year till 2007. Moreover, representatives from the publisher (EPB Pan Pacific) can be easily contacted for ordering information and assistance. 5- Audio-Visual Aids and Supplementary Materials: The book contains several charts, models, and photographs that help clarify and contextualize information. The presence of real life pictures portrays a friendly and motivating atmosphere. The pictures are not merely added for a cosmetic effect, they are rather of an integrative value that they help explaining the theme to the learners. In addition, Stepping Forward contains an excellent package of supplementary materials including items such as classroom tape cassettes or CDs, a student workbook, and a teachers guide. More specifically, the teachers guide includes useful page-by-page instructions, teaching suggestions and instructional input, lesson notes, optional tasks and alternatives, classroom management advice, language notes, general notes about the task and cultural data, expansion activities and game ideas, tests, answer keys, transcripts for listening activities, and opportunities for teacher reflection. The student workbook, on the other hand, provides review exercises an d a variety of practice exercises that help the development of students proficiency in grammar, reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary, and speaking and has enormous potential for classroom use or for home assignments. 6- Overall Organization of Textbook: The layout and design of a textbook refers to its organization and presentation of language items and activities. In Stepping Forward, for instance, the learning objectives are clear and concise and a detailed overview of the topics, functions, structures/grammar, and skills within each unit can be found in the introductory table of contents. The book follows a thematic/modular format as the course components are effectively and clearly organized in six thematic sections: Personal relations, Nature, Community and Nation, Imagination, Science and Technology and Other people. Four sections contain three units each and two include two units each, which makes it a sum total of sixteen units. 7- Authors Claims- the Methodological Principles underpinning the Book: One of the most important and essential criterion that pertains to the overall textbook evaluation is the authors approach to teaching methodology. Brown (1995) and Cunningsworth (1995) suggest that it is absolutely essential in evaluating any textbook to determine whether or not its inherent methodology matches the aims and objectives and conforms to the classroom context. The simplest and quickest way for initially discovering a textbooks theoretical premises and methodological underpinnings is to examine its back cover (the blurb). So, a closer examination of Stepping Forwards back cover reveals that the authors (Heather Jones and Robyn Mann) claim to adhere to the Communicative Approach and the textbook contains a multi-skills curriculum and follows a topical/functional format. The book also tends to focus on both accurate and fluent communication emphasizing linguistic as well as communicative value of the topics. The promotion of integrated language-skills practice and the incl usion of topical themes, grammatical structures and functions, as well as lexical development are focused. Particular emphasis is placed on meaningful and authentic communication with the goal of establishing communicative competence in production and comprehension as the authors state in the blurb, students as well as teachers will find Stepping Forward an exciting and stimulating language learning experience, one that will result in the learners being competent and confident users of the English language. Moreover, many of the pair and group activities such as role-playing and information-gap tasks are claimed to facilitate learning through genuine interaction and the language skills and sub-skills are presented and practiced through the use of both inductive and deductive approaches. 8- Cultural Biases: The book under analysis, Stepping Forward, can be termed as culturally biased or specific in some regards, for the names of people and places as well as pictures are mostly taken from the Singaporean culture. For example, the travel brochure given on page 131-133 in the textbook, particularly informs about places in Singapore and Malaysia. Similarly, on page 130 the listening activity talks about Hotel Mirimar in Singapore. Moreover, the writing task on page 135 requires drawing the map of Singapore and the pictures shown on page 129 and 149 have also been taken from real life situations in Singapore. 9- Universal Context: Nevertheless, in spite of certain cultural specific data, Stepping Forward, has a universal appeal and generates in a world-wide context. Because the activities and tasks designed around this culturally bound material are not confined to any geographical boundary. Thus, they can be carried out in any context throughout the world. (B) INTERNAL EVALUATION-Units 8 and 9: Since the external evaluation displays a positive image of the book, therefore, an internal evaluation needs to be executed further. The following discussion is going to evaluate the book internally with particular reference to the units 8 and 9. 1- Grading and Sequencing of Materials: The materials in Stepping Forward are organized in a linear sequence within the units of the book. Every unit begins with a Preview of the topic for eliciting the learners background knowledge and activating their schemata. Then, the four language skills are presented and practised in a systematic manner moving from listening to speaking and then reading to writing with grammar and vocabulary coming between the reading and writing activities. The authors truly claimed in the blurb that the book follows a communicative approach which is achieved through task-based learning (TBL). Such an approach creates a need for learners to acquire new language through the setting of tasks that require them to carry out and struggle through a communicative task, before going on to focus on specific language items that the students find difficult or problematic. The communicative tasks such as (in units 8 and 9) working on persuasive travel brochures, completing the crosswords, playing grammar-games, filling in the tables, making cards or using thesaurus and library tend to stimulate interaction as well as require the use of language items. These tasks not only intended to introduce language forms through authentic material but also engage the learners in truly meaningful and effective communication such as negotiation of meaning and ideas. 2- Presentation of the Language Skills: Stepping Forward is a multi-skills syllabus and therefore covers and integrates both productive (speaking and writing) and receptive skills (listening and reading). The authors advocate an integrated, multi-skills syllabus because it considers and incorporates several categories of both meaning and form. A more positive characteristic of the integrated syllabus within Stepping Forward is the fact that the linguistic elements of the textbook such as grammar and vocabulary items are closely connected to the skills-base. So, as the grammar element and the vocabulary base become more demanding, the skills work also gets more challenging. An internal evaluation of the book reveals that material used for each skill becomes more complex as the units progress. An in-depth analysis of the treatment of language skills in units 8 and 9 is presented below. (i) Listening: Listening activities are designed in Stepping Forward for practicing such sub-skills as making predictions, extracting specific items (scanning/listening for detail), acquiring general information (skimming/listening for gist), extracting detailed information, recognizing function and discourse patterns/markers, and for inferring meaning from context. Every unit in the book deals with a different sub-skill in listening. For instance, in unit 8 the learners are supposed to listen for making inferences about the speakers statements as being persuasive or not. However, in unit 9 the students are made to listen for specific information in order to clarify meaning and make corrections. (ii) Speaking: Speaking practice, in this book, is integrated with other language skills. Every time after presenting a Preview of the topic the learners are given discussion questions for the activation of schemata. Then they are required to talk about the information they gather while listening activities. For example, on page 130, the description of the listening task ends on the note: Be prepared to argue your opinion later!. Moreover, after or while doing most of the reading and writing tasks, the learners are required to discuss the information in pairs or groups. For instance, in unit 8 (page 140) after reading a poem the learners are moved on to a speaking task of verse speaking in groups. Similarly, in unit 9 (page 160), the students are required to perform a role-play after reading a dialogue and on page 166 questions for class discussion are given within a writing activity of creating cards. Such tasks match the authors claim in the blurb: Stepping Forward provides numerous activities to enable students to work individually, in pairs, groups as well as class discussion. This provides scope for creative thinking and critical discussion. Speaking tasks and discussions are intended to involve the students in active information sharing, freer cooperative group tasks, and other types of exercises designed to encourage communication skills as they allow the students to extend, refine, and personalize the material they have practised in each unit. (iii) Reading: Reading activities in Stepping Forward are designed to practise sub-skills such as reading for detail or for skimming, scanning, inferring etc. In every unit, reading tasks are divided into two sections: Fiction and Non-fiction. In unit 8, the section of non-fiction contains activities around a travel brochure and the fiction section deals with reading a poem. While in unit 9, non-fiction reading is designed around a feature article and fiction reading presents a dramatic play script. Moreover, in order to expose the learners to the reading material beyond the course book, they are also asked to use thesaurus and library (pg 143, 164, 165). These tasks provide a practice of reading for detail, for meaning and for ideas. Reading activities in every unit follow the practice on grammar and vocabulary further leading to the writing tasks. (iv) Writing: Writing activities in Stepping Forward typically ask students to perform tasks of various kinds such as descriptions, narratives, postcards, reviews, letters etc. It can be suggested, therefore, that the writing skills in Stepping Forward are based on both product and process approaches. Essentially, a product-oriented approach centers on the end-result of writing, whereas a process-oriented approach centers on the process of writing itself. In addition, product-oriented approaches typically engage learners in imitating, copying and transforming models of correct language texts while process-oriented approaches emphasize brainstorming, planning, drafting, revision, and editing. The writing task given in unit 8 (pg 145-146) is based on process approach in which the learners have to write a travel brochure by gathering and organizing information and then revising and editing the first draft. However, in unit 9, the writing activity is designed around the product approach in which the students will be working towards an end-product-the greeting card that they have to create. Despite their differences, both approaches to the teaching of writing skills have their advantages. Product writing, for example, emphasizes sentence structure and grammar and is often utilized as an excellent means of preparing students for written examinations. The process approach, on the other hand, prepares them for the complex procedure involved in writing compositions. For these reasons, the authors of Stepping Forward have included activities that incorporate both product and process approaches of writing in this particular textbook. 3- Different Learning Styles-Self-study: Another interesting feature of this book is the website (www.panpaceducation.com) that has been designed to accompany the textbook. The integration of the personal computer and information technology to language learning is becoming increasingly commonplace in many institutions and it seems as though the authors and publishers of Stepping Forward are well aware of this growing phenomenon. In this particular case the publishers have developed an accompanying web-site that teachers can use to find Internet links to professional articles and that students can use to gain additional practice with the material covered in the textbook. This web-site can be used as a useful teaching and learning tool as it provides teachers with assistance in professional development and also provides students with an opportunity to become increasingly self-reliant and less teacher-dependent. Moreover, the promotion of student self-directed study is integral in allowing students to become increasingly aware of their own abilities to remember, learn, and solve problems and more strategic and reflective in their learning, thinking, and problem solving. 4- Language Type and Content: Language type and content refers to whether the language included in the materials is realistic and authentic and what type of linguistic items are evident in the book. In terms of grammatical structures and functions, Stepping Forward places much emphasis on grammatical accuracy and repetition of structures and functions. Grammar and vocabulary are organized into separate sections in each unit. In unit 8, grammar section deals with pronouns and in unit 9 it provides a practice of simple present and present perfect tense. The section of vocabulary also includes thesaurus use in every unit, so that the students can build on new vocabulary on their own. A fair weightage given to grammar and vocabulary in the book justifies the authors claims as it is stated on the back cover of the book: a wide range of grammar and vocabulary exercises are especially designed to help students acquire the necessary language skills and vocabulary to discuss and write on the topic in each unit. The author s believe that correct knowledge of grammar and functions are an essential aspect of communicative competence and they have adopted the task-based learning technique as a means of accomplishing their objectives. Since the introduction of the Communicative Approach to language teaching in the 1970s and 80s, there has been a growing school of thought that says that authentic reading, speaking, listening, writing, and grammatical language models should be used to teach English language skills as long as the activities or tasks associated with them are also authentic and suitably graded to the level of the students with whom they are being used. Whereas, many researchers belonging to another school of thought believe that authentic content can often create a number of difficulties and problems for students who are lacking in the proper cultural background knowledge or schemata to properly comprehend a messages meaning and content. Moreover, the selection of authentic texts is frequently quite difficult and challenging and a students inability to understand a text can be extremely demoralizing and de-motivating in some instances. Thats why, Stepping Forward presents a combination of both authenti c and inauthentic/scripted materials to ensure the success of the book. CONCLUSION The preceding analysis shows that Stepping Forward is a relatively modern addition to ELT supermarket. The external and internal evaluation traces out a number of notable and worthwhile characteristics of the book. For example, the entire textbook package is well conceived and it contains a wide variety of useful supplementary materials. The book is also very attractive and organized in a clear, logical, and coherent manner. This organization reflects a topic-based (thematic) structural-functional syllabus that is designed with the goal of facilitating communicative competence which is the underpinning objective of the book. In addition, Stepping Forward reflects a multi-skills syllabus, and manages to integrate the four language skills without neglecting other important aspects of ELT such as grammar and vocabulary development which is aimed at integrating the communicative and structural approaches of language teaching. In addition, receptive and productive skills are covered throu gh a wide variety of teaching and learning strategies such as top-down and bottom-up listening and reading exercises and both product and process oriented approaches to writing skills. According to the evaluative model presented by McDonough and Shaw (1997), a successful external evaluation moves onto the internal study and satisfactory results of the internal evaluation further lead towards the adoption/selection of the book. Thus, the positive outcomes of both types of evaluation, validity of the authors claims and its suitability to the learners needs make Stepping Forward a fairly recommendable product for an effective instruction in the dynamic field of English Language Teaching. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦far from being a problem, the textbook is an important means of satisfying the range of needs that emerge from the classroom and its wider context. Education is a complex and messy matter, what a textbook does is to create a degree of order within potential chaosà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦around which many forces and demands of teaching-learning process can cohereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for purposeful action in the classroom.

Illegal Immigration Essay -- Immigrants Aliens USA Mexicans

Illegal Immigration   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most controversial political issues of today is that of illegal immigrants from Mexico. Illegal immigration into the United States is a problem that should be stopped, as it is unfair to both Americans and to the people of the country from which they illegally immigrated. It is thought that the majority of illegal aliens residing in the U.S. are Mexicans (Anderson 55). Roy Beck clarifies the situation by stating, "The national consensus is that the United States should be a post-mass immigration country has included most leaders of business, religion, labor, academia, and social work." Illegal immigration from Mexico must be stopped by means of different policies and other methods of prevention, because the effects on both Mexico and the United States are predominately unfavorable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are multiple policies and means of preventing illegal immigrants from entering the United States. Immigration laws are the back bone of illegal immigration prevention. Proposition 187 is a tough immigration law clamping down on illegal aliens, used in California. It doubled the number of boarder guards, made it harder for legal immigrants to bring their families over, not permitting as much political help and was harder on illegal aliens already here (DiConsiglio 3). NAFTA, officially, hasn’t reduced as much illegal immigration as had been hoped, but, it helped Mexico recover faster from it’s economic crisis in ‘94-’95, which has stopped a larger flood of people, since most immigrants tend to come to the U.S. in times of Mexican economic depression ("Mexico" 2). The major reason Mexicans tend to illegally immigrate is to find jobs. Therefore, elimination of the chance of them getting a job would be a problem. A bill shown to the Ho use, by California would let the employer enter a job applicant’s social security number over the phone to receive confirmation, of a person’s official citizenship (DeMott 31). That would work in conjunction with the need for proper documentation to be shown to employer for current verification of legal citizenship, limiting their job opportunities and thus discouraging them from ever illegally immigrating. The Border Patrol is the most effective and widely used form of prevention. It is an agency of Immigration and Naturalization, that is charged with detecting and preventing illegal passage to the... ...ent crimes, twice as many unemployed, more than twice the welfare dependency, and more than seven times as much crowded housing (Beck77). These statistics are astonishing and represent the essence of the impact of illegal immigration on America. The following statement by Lydia Anderson exemplifies the effects of illegal immigrants and the discourtesy they have for America: Whether they take jobs or burden our social services, however, the continued influx of illegal immigrants promotes disrespect for the law and seriously limits our ability to control out immigration policy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Illegal immigration from Mexico is a problem and must be stopped using different means of prevention we can avoid any negative repercussions on Mexico and the U.S. It is an economic drain on the U.S. and it is degrading the condition of American society as a whole. Frank Sharry, of the liberal National Immigration Forum has said, "There is virtually a national consensus that illegal immigration is a problem." With this in mind, in a few years, there will be new policies implemented that will virtually wipe out illegal immigration, mainly focused on preventing illegal aliens from acquiring jobs.

The Sonnet Essay -- English Literature

The Sonnet Explore aspects of the sonnet tradition through reference to a range of material you have studied The word ‘sonnet’ comes from the Italian word ‘sonnetto’ meaning little sound or song. A sonnet is a special type of poem. The sonnet is always 14 lines long and usually expresses the poets’ personal feelings or thoughts; most often connected with love or death, which are two of the most basic aspects of human existence. The poem generally uses rhyme and metre to organise the poet’s ideas in a formal way. There are several different types of sonnets which all accomplish this in a slightly different style. The Italian or Petrarchan sonnet was originally developed around 1350 by Petrarch, an Italian poet (1304-1374). Petrarch had fallen madly in love with a woman named Laura, but she was a married woman and refused to become his mistress. Petrarch wrote poetry expressing the idea of courtly love and conveying his own misery and his slavery to the love of Laura; a love denied. His verses contain accusations about the fickleness of love, the timeless quality of art and the hopelessness and devotion of eternal love. The Italian sonnet is divided into two sections by two different groups of rhyming sounds. The first eight lines are called the octave. This has two four line units that rhyme in the same way. A b b a, a b b a. The remaining six lines are called the sestet and can have either two or three rhyming sounds arranged in a variety of ways: cdcdcd, cddcdc, cdecde, cdeced, or cdcedc. The poem is clearly divided into two sections by the two differing rhyme groups. The change from one rhyme group to another signifies a change in subject matter. It can also be said that the octet prese... ... years of pain’ the word ‘long’ is again repeated to emphasize the time he has been away and the suffering he has experienced as a Black in a ‘White’ world. The tightness, compression and discipline of the sonnet form does not disguise but rather emphasises his love for Jamaica and his suffering since he left. In conclusion therefore, the sonnet has developed from its traditional form albeit still retaining some of the aspects Petrarch may have once used centuries beforehand such as an octave/sestet structure. It was originally a formal love ‘song’ with high ideals and a rigid format. Shakespeare transformed it and made the sonnet more accessible and fun for the common man to enjoy. The sonnet has since evolved further and can be used in a wide variety of forms and for an even wider range of subject matter and can be easily read by audiences world-wide.

Famous Women Pilot: Amelia Earhart Essay -- Female Pilot, Biography

Amelia Earhart is one of the most famous women pilots in our history. Her childhood wasn’t the best out of everyone’s, but she used flying as a distraction. Amelia attempted to do things that no one else would attempt and she was the first women to break many records and fly to different places. Amelia was the first woman to attempt to fly around the world even though if it meant risking her life. She changed what women pilots could do and she encouraged them to fly and become pilots. It is still a mystery till today about her disappearance. Amelia Earhart impacted women in aviation even before she disappeared on her journey around the world. Amelia’s childhood didn’t start off or end up as great as it could have been. Amelia Mary Earhart was born in Atchison, Kansas on July 24, 1897. Her parents struggled financially when she was young. It was tough for them to pay for things and that impacted their family life (â€Å"Amelia Earhart†). Amelia spent a lot of time at her grandparents house. At that time her dad, Edwin wasn’t doing well with his job and he had a bad drinking problem. Amy, Amelia’s mom and the two girls left her father. Her parents got together and tried to work things out, but it eventually didn’t (Fleming 9). While Amelia was still young, she worked as an American Red Cross nurse during World War I in Toronto, Canada. Once the war ended, Amelia went to New York to attend Columbus University and got a degree in nursing. Her nursing job was one of the many jobs Amelia had to help pay for the daily needs of the family. She paid for all the things that were r equired for her plane since her family couldn’t afford these expenses (â€Å"Amelia Earhart†). Overall, she used flying as her distraction to all of the d... ...ng the Social Significance of Scientific Discovery. Ed. Josh Lauer and Neil Schlager. Vol. 6. Detroit: Gale, 2000. 57-58. Global Issues In Context. Web. 6 Nov. 2013. Parr, Jan. Amelia Earhart: First Lady of Flight. New York: Franklin Watts, 1997. Print. Pelt, Lori Vori. Amelia Earhart: The Sky's No Limit. New York: Forge, 2005. Print. American Heroes Ser. Stone, Tanya Lee. Amelia Earhart. London: DK Pub., 2007. Print. Wagner, Heather Lehr. "'A New Career'." Amelia Earhart, Famous Flyers. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2003. American History Online. Facts on File, Inc. Web. 26 Novem ber 2013 Waldman, Carl, and Jon Cunningham. "Aviation and Exploration." Encyclopedia of Exploration: Places, Technologies, and Cultural Trends, Volume 2. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2004. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web 6 Nov. 2013.

Importance of Computer Essay

Science is one of the greatest blessings in modern life. Scientific advancement has led to many important inventions. One of them is the computer. About a decade back, a computer was seen as a wonder machine. A few years later, this wonderful machine came closer to us as the Personal Computer (PC) entered the household scene. The computer today plays a significant role in our everybody’s life. Computers are used practically everywhere. The use of computer in our country in the past two decades has taken a big jump. Today computers do much more than simply compute, super market scanners calculate our grocery bill while keeping store inventory; computerised telephone switching centres play traffic cop to millions of calls and keep lines of communications untangled, and Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) let us conduct banking transactions from virtually anywhere in the world. The extensive use of computers in all fields of business has improved efficiency of the industry and the economy of the country. Computers have the capacity to do extremely complicated work in all branches of learning. Computers can be effectively used in solving the most difficult and complex mathematical problems. The other use of computers can be in compilation of information. Thus there will be a saving of time in research works. Computers can provide information to prevent traffic accidents. They can do such works which make the worker dull to repeat a process hundred times or more. Automation of work through computer will save the time and energy of human life. Thus human beings will get more leisure than they have today. Computer is the result of human mind exercises. It is a machine. It can help in any physical action. It can be used in progressing a physical work. It cannot think independently. We have to feed it before taking any mental work. We can find the answers based and limited to feeding material. First, we have to feed for a particular field to find some answers related to that field, we cannot find an answer from a vacuum because there is no ndependent feeling and thinking to answer without any base. Computers will never be able to replace man as they need detailed instructions from man and can never lead independent lives. In the Armed Forces computers are being widely used for collecting complex data for the aircrafts, missile and guns. The radar system is controlled with complex computers to give early warnings of coming enemy unit. Computers are also being widely used in mass communication and medical science. Today the police have started storing data on crimes and criminals on computers. Computers now have become a need of the day, in modern life. They are being used in every field of work. Due to importance of computer, its knowledge has been thought an essential qualification for a job. No doubt computers are capable of doing everything, but it is falling short of thinking. This is still only reserved form of man. So here computers are only machines; it cannot compete with man though they have overcome him in many ways

Advantages and Disadvantages of Organizational Structures Essay

Departmentalization: Advantage- More specialized in certain fields, communication is excellent because of the knowledge one has about the function of the job, easier to work as a team to get better results. Disadvantage-Staff does not always know the case of the client in detail, other organizations may not always talk to the same person, and very specific job knowledge is required, hard to find a fill in for positions. Matrix Organizations: Advantages-more flexible than departmentalization, more than one person in charge that one can go to for assistance, wider choice for employees that fit the need. Disadvantages-employees are harder to manage due to independence, could increase expenses, more employees needed, lack of loyalty to position, constant team work needed. The Project Team: Advantages-less managers, better communication, less stress on one person. Disadvantages-who is in charge may create conflict, lack of consideration for others, lack of accountability, lack of job focus. The collegial model: Advantages-independent functioning, independent decision making, each person is equal in responsibility, each generates own income, total flexibility. Disadvantages-lack of accountability, lack of authority. In day to day operations the Matrix structure would serve well for a counseling center as its advantages are stronger than its disadvantages, Project Team structure would be the better choice for the center as it has a stronger back bone to carry the center. The Departmentalization structure is the strongest of all choices as it divides the employees by knowledge and has a better opportunity to assist clients. The collegial model would not be efficient in a counseling center as there is no real set structure for day to day operations; its disadvantages are stronger than its advantages.

Cherish the Children’s Thinking Essay

Do you think teachers should cherish the children’ s thinking? Most people think the teachers should treasure the children’s thinking and give the children a space to think freely. It is important for children to cherish their chance to think freely, because they may lose the imagination when they grow up. If all people in the world do not have imagination, this world would not have some new technology products and this society won’t progress. This world needs to keep the pace of progress because no progress is backwards, for example the gasoline is less and less in the world, if scientists can’t create a new energy, then gasoline will disappear. So, this world need to progress by imagination and creativity. The teachers should train and treasure the children’s imagination in order to develop this world and keep progressing. Nowadays, most people have lost the ability of imagining because they had seen too many real things, for example they can†™t believe there are some aliens in this world. However, the children believe that the aliens are real in the world because the children are naà ¯ve and willing to trust anything. Thus, teachers should cherish the children’s freedom to think and make their thinking positive in order to develop their own better, earn more academic knowledge and change their lives in the future. Firstly, in order to get a better development of children, the teacher should make children’s thinking more positive. Ho (2007) argues that the American education is not advanced, but it is better in other ways than other countries from the article called â€Å"We Should Cherish Our Children’s Freedom to Think†. (page112) He compares the education of him and his son and discovers they are very different. He had to memorize something about academic knowledge, for example the main cities in the world, lines for Hamlet and a number of math formulas. In contrast, his son studied ever ything by some experiences, for example he drew a map from his home to school and label every street and building he passed when he was six years old. (Ho, 2007, page112) He agrees this learning method because this kind of education can help the children develop their ideas and creativity. The children are the hope of world, so the teacher must use current and suitable methods to educate the children in order that children develop better. Secondly, if the teachers make students study in the process of playing games and answer the questions actively, the children will earn more academic knowledge. If the children’s ideas are accepted by their teachers and their teacher praise them, the children will keep their thinking and want to get more praise. In this case, the teachers should praise the positive ideas of the children and veto the negative thinking. Ho’s teachers answered the question and gave them a correct answer only when they asked, and he didn’t have a chance to make a decision in many cases. However, his son got a good laugh and an A grade from his teacher when he asked his teacher question and told his teacher his ideas. (Ho) And Ho’s son learned the knowledge of history through play the role. (Ho) Those are good ways to educate, b ecause this way can make the student more confidence, more interested in study and study more industriously. Thus, they will get more academic knowledge. Finally, the people will be able to change their life through some original ideas if they keep their imagination and creativity. Nowadays, this world needs more new products that can attract your eyeballs. If you have the abilities of imagination and creativity, you can change the world. For example Steve Jobs, who is a legend in the world, changed the whole world. Because of his ideas, he created many technology products called iPhone, iPod, iMac and so on. Those products all changed the habits of people, for example many people always put the iPhone in the hand and watch it. Thereforeï ¼Å'the people of the whole world are fond of his product designed by him. Then he had become a rich and excellent man. Thus, we should treasure the thinking of childrenï ¼Å'either kill the imagination in order that they can get a better life in t he future and change this world. In conclusion, American education can make children think freely. For example Ho’s son drew a map when he was six years ago. Special method that is to praise children and play the role can make children earn more knowledge. Keeping the children’s thinking may make them get better life and become a person who can change the world such as Jobs. I think most countries can change their system of education and the teacher should use other ways to educate children. They should respect the children’s ideas and do not kill their imagination and creativity in order that children develop better, earn more knowledge and change their lives and world.

How Did Napoleon Become Emperor

How did Napoleon become Emperor ‘I was born when Corsica was perishing, 30 000 French men spewed into our shore drowning the throne of liberty in waves of blood’ wrote Napoleon when the French army conquered his home country state of Corsica. Soon after his parents agreed that the impoverished island could give nothing more to their eight children, but only one country could, the one that Napoleon abhorred, France. Carlo, Napoleons father, accepted the overtaking of Corsica and began studying law soon after became a representative of the Corsican Parliament.When moved to France, Napoleon at the age of nine was sent to the Royal Military College, where he was to study military strategy for five years. Then at the age of fifteen, he was promoted to the Royal Military Academy in Paris, a highly respected college in France. A year later he starts as a soldier in France’s best artillery squad, but feels unaccomplished because the highest ranks are given to the families of high nobility.But, the French Revolution’s timing opens possibilities to Napoleon that he tough could never of happen, â€Å"to be 20 years old in1789, is very important, Napoleon’s destiny and the destiny of the whole country, become the same. † says Antoine de Baecque. As an artillery Captain at the age of 24, Napoleon was sent to Toulon, where his victory against the British overtaking of the city was an enormous opportunity fro Napoleon the prove himself and rapidly be promoted through the ranks of the French military where there was a vacuum for control cause by the fleeing emigre.Finally Napoleon was promoted. At home the Terror is still going, Napoleon sides with Robespierre’s view that liberty can no survive in France, if the heads of criminals do not roll. â€Å"(Napoleon) hated the terror but he hated chaos even more†, he believed that it was necessary to suspended liberties in the name of liberty. After Robspierre’s death, the Thermidorian assault obligated the government to call on Napoleon, because he was one of the only qualified military leaders still in France, to restore peace in Vendemiaire. We killed a great many of them, now all is quite, I could no be happier† wrote Napoleon to his brother. Finally he was a full general at the age of twenty-six. In less then ten years time he would be emperor of France. Tough his military achievements were key to his popularity and to his visions, luck, propaganda, and social manipulations also played a major role in his path to the top. ‘Great men become great because they have been able to master luck’ said Napoleon, but luck was also to be replaced by genius.In Italy he won multiple battle and obtained the support of the locals in stating that he was freeing them from tyranny and has no problem with the people of Italy only its despots. At this point in time Napoleon won battles after battles and gained moral and economic growth through th e spoils of war. But most importantly he sends back propaganda exalting him through his own newspaper, portraits and also art. Napoleon understood that victories were not enough to gain popular popularity so he focused strongly on sending back powerful and extravagant art of him and his victories.The Italian people were getting weary of Napoleons presence since he was still continuously demanding and sending back gold and silver. Moving from Italy to Austria, the Austrians asked to make peace, fearing Napoleons fast pace and unbeatable army, and Napoleon followed the peace agreement personally, enraged form the decline of the Austrian government he shouted ‘this is what will happen to your empire, your empire is like a maid accustomed to being raped by anyone’ simultaneously breaking a porcelain tea set. Finally the Austrians gave in and Napoleon achieved what he wanted.Through this achievement Napoleon saw that his military intelligence was not only limited to battle b ut to politics. Waiting to go back to France at the right time as an esteemed pioneer and general, Napoleon head to Egypt. There the British fleet sunk Napoleons naval army, the only communication he had back to France. During this dead lock, Napoleon matured and realized he was no invincible. During this time he lead an exposition to decipher the Egyptian past which was a mystery to France. But, back in France his goddess of wife bought a new house and was cheating on Napoleon.His brother sent him a letter telling him this and Napoleon responded by adopting his own Cleopatra. Soon after Turkey declared war on Napoleon. Napoleon after the close victory and thousands of injured and sick men, was too full of pride to admit he was not as victorious as he sent back to France. Adding to his fame and propagandist profession Napoleon was able manipulate words and acts to his favor. Abandoning his army in Egypt Napoleon sets sail fro France to seize the opportunity of his life time, to come home as a hero respected and wanted in the unstable mother land.A coupe was on the rise and Napoleon wanted to be a supporter of this, he believed this was to be an easy transition, but the two classes of the directory had to renew their oath taking hours to complete and Napoleon became impatient and barged in to the meeting place, there he was hated for since it is strictly illegal for outside people to intervene in parliamentary affairs. Shaken Napoleon stuttered over the opportunity of power and Lucien his brother saw this and unsheathed his sword and stated ‘if my brother had any intentions of becoming dictator I’d run him through. Finally the legislators fled and all was over, but later that evening Lucien and his consuls voted that three consuls were to be sworn in, making it legitimate. One of which was Napoleon. Soon Napoleon rewrote the constitution and became head consul, making him the most powerful men in France. Major achievements of Napoleon before he bec ame emperor are: he established a new economy, replacing he currency with the Franc, establishing the Bank of France, generalizing and standardizing tax collections, and passing indirect taxation to make France richer.Passed the Concordat, allowing him to control the church in directly through him controlling the priest’s paycheck, owning the church land and integrating Church and State. Establishing his Civil Code which is still France’s basis for government today. Also between 1801-1803 he used military funds to locally improve France through creating jobs for the unemployed and improving the esthetic and moral look of France creating a ‘feel good’ era for France. In total Napoleon is a military genius, foreign policies diplomat, socially accepted and wanted as ruler, reversed the economic path of France and its debt, all before he became emperor.France was content with the position it was in more power no less power given to Napoleon, but royalist were not happy with the path France was on. On a confused plot the assassinate Napoleon the royalist failed to eradicate the main column supporting France at this time. Through this attempted people were set on the idea of crowning Napoleon their emperor to reduce the possibilities of assassination plots. The pope of Rome was invited to the crowning but did not crown Napoleon, he was there only to legitimatize and justify the crowning. In Notre Dame de Paris Napoleon crowned himself on December 2 1804.

Sub Prime Lending Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sub Prime Lending - Essay Example This led to a subsequent boom in housing markets in all most all parts of the world. Requirement for possessing ones' own house in the US was further fuelled by a normal liberalisation of approval standards for contributing to the growth of "teaser" loans. These loans came with relatively low primary repayment charges. Ultimately this led to the speeding up of financial conceptions which has made it possible for mortgage financing to be more easily accessible. In this dissertation we are going to examine the growth of the sub prime lending industry, and will also discus the viability of a business model for lenders. Keeping in mind the current credit crunch and sub-prime lending particularly mortgage lending; we believe that this research will attempt to lay the foundation on future research as to what may be done to rectify financial institutions in the United Kingdom. We would like to discuss the rise and fall of sub prime lending from home owners perspective also. Sub prime mortgages can be defined as residential loans that are not conforming to the Criteria for prime mortgages and so their probability of full repayment is low. This assessment is normally made according to the score and record credit of the borrower, the mortgage loan to value (LTV), and debt service to income service ratio. The advantages of sub prime lending, is that it offers homeowners who in real sense, cannot afford real estate nor do they get an opportunity for creating wealth. However, some critics of sub prime lending have argued that this benefit comes at a bigger cost, given that borrowers of sub prime loans are usually charged excessive rates which eventually fix them in default. The cost of borrower associated with a sub prime lending is normally driven by two factors, down payment and credit history requirements (Kennedy 2008 pp.12-18). In mid 1990, the country witnessed a residential real estate lending boom, with the sub prime lending expanding at a faster rate. The wall street journal reported in 2001 that the number of outstanding sub prime mortgage had tripled. According to the housing department the sub prime lending industry has grown from thirty five million in 1994 to six hundred and fifty. There are many factors that have contributed to this growth such as: increase in risk based pricing facilitated by some advances in technology, deregulation of the banking industry and an increase in capital that has been made possible by security. However, the growth is mainly attributed to an increase in security. Securitisation refers to the pooling of loans to make securities which are then sold to the secondary market. Securitisation gives lenders an excess capital that will normally not be available to make any additional loans. The legislative deregulation entrenched by government in the banking industry has also fuelled the growth of sub prime lending industry (Army 2003 pp. 124-134). The last two years (2007, 2008) are the years that are surely to be remembered as a years of turbulence, change and difficulty. The world banking systems have received trillions of funding because of the weight of their innovation. The worlds' largest economies have gone into recession with the value of the UK pound going below the value of Euro for the first time. The once vibrant credit

Finance and Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Finance and Investment - Essay Example Based on the given information, it appears that all projects are viable because of the positive NPV. In selecting the best project, the highest NPV has to be considered. In this situation, Project B is expected to provide more gains. Its NVP is more than double compared to the NPV of Project A. This means that benefits generated by Project B are twice greater than Project A. In practice, there are several aspects that can affect the determination of the coefficients. First, the inflation rate is one of the indicators used to identify the coefficient. Basically, considering the inflation rate changes the value of the principal as time progresses. Usually, the interest rate changes the amount that is expected to be gained from an investment when the benefits of the venture are realized in an installment basis. Second, the interest rates are also valuable aspects in determining of the coefficient. This happens when the project is financed by debt. It is imperative that the interest rate will serve as factor. A. Usually, senior executives view the different valuation methods to be similar. The most extensively used among the schemes is the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) because of its inclination to be flexible and accurate. Some instances, however, suggests that several aspects affect the precision of the forecasts. Benchmarking the methods used by the company to its competitors is a viable scheme to arrive at more accurate predictions. The process when correctly manifested enables the company to determine mismatches in performance and strategically determine its position in the industry. Using multiples analysis provides insights that contribute in creating value in the industry. Multiples analysis is often miscomprehended and misused. Several analysts have failed to consider minor details that have great impact on the end result. Given this limitation, the companies can address the deficiency through meticulous designing of the multiples analysis. A prominent design was developed by Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) which tracks the stock movements among US firms. Another important problem observed in multiples analysis is that the method results to several varying conclusions. Overall, multiples analysis remains as an important component of DCF which accurately determines the future gains of investments. B. One of the main uses of multiples analysis is on predicting the price of stock markets. It assumes that the same prospects apply to the firm being studied. This appears to be limited because such has never been the situation for some firms. Using the same prospect makes the forecasting limited. In effect, it will difficult to arrive at an accurate result. In addition, it has been detected that the method tends to provide unexpected difference. In forecasting, the analyst draws conclusions that will like be observed. Multiples analysis becomes problematic because analysts fail to recognize the important differences after the results have been obtained. Amidst the use of multiples in DCF, its

An essay which explores and analyses a particular issue in the field

An which explores and analyses a particular issue in the field of interpretation - Essay Example This author will assess the interpretation of war and the multiple factors that dictate the many perspectives on the topic. In Carol Acton’s article Diverting the Gaze: The Unseen Text in Women’s War Writing, she talks about the difference in how women perceive war verses the way men see it. She notes that, â€Å"while womens war writing from the First World War has received much critical attention over the past ten or more years that has established its authenticity as witness to war, scant attention has been paid to how women see the trauma of frontline combat nursing and how, consequently, such seeing or not seeing influences the narrative (Acton, p54).† The author focuses on the perception of how women perceive the trauma of war specifically nurses who aren’t necessarily fighting on the frontline, but who are providing medical care for soldiers and often caring for them right up to their last living moments. Acton notes how writings produced by women of the first World War and Vietnam were very similar, she goes on to point out that, On a general level, the striking similarity in the narratives of these two wars seems to arise from the compulsion to bear witness to the trauma of combat nursing. More specifically, British writers from the First World War and American writers from the Vietnam War were both concerned with carrying what Jane Marcus has called "a terrible knowledge" to a civilian population that seemed completely removed from any understanding of the war experience (Acton, p54) The contrast Acton makes between the women nursing the soldiers, both American and British, in both World War I and Vietnam, with the civilians reveals how there is a major difference in interpretation of war when one is on the frontline verses just assessing it when it’s far away. Acton goes on to point how

Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Ethics - Research Paper Example Staubus provides a good discussion on the misstatement of financial data and information and their effects on the companys performance exposure. The article focuses ont he relationships which are being violated by such ethical misconducts in the financial reporting. The paper provides insight on the duties, reponsibilities and expectations of the related parties or stakeholders of the organization. This paper aims to reflect on the past and current events of fraudulent or unethical reporting systems. The article focuses on the role of ethical behaviors and corporate governance issues and forms an opinion that ethics is an important part in earnings management and overcoming the barriers of fraudulent financial reporting. This article provides the basic discussion on ethics and its role in the accounting field. The article provides the means of ethics, the role of institutions and education in maintaining ethical behavior and the impact of ethical values on society. The aim of IFAC is to provide guidance and set standards for professional accountants. This paper provides the guidelines of ethical behavior and the standards set for them to follow. The ethical behaviors are, hence, understood by reading these

Mason and Shepherd' difficulties Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mason and Shepherd' difficulties - Case Study Example The clause 1, 2 and 4 of her contract exclusively forbid her to share any information that is related to the company, its associates and customers or is linked in anyway to its wider interests. The contract is also explicit in that during the employment period and within one year of leaving present employment, she cannot engage in any business or activity that is in direct or indirect competition to the existing area of operation of ATS. As per clause 6, the company has also claim to any new idea that may significantly impact organizational work output and performance. Shepherd’s employment contract also forbids him to share company’s information. At the same time, it also ensures that his employer, Nova Software Company will have claim to any new idea, discovery or development that are conceived during the period of employment and which has direct bearing on the wider ramifications on the operations and performance of the company. Thus, both Mason and Shepherd are in h ighly precarious ground vis-a-vis their employment conditions. There are huge legal and ethical issues that are being violated by Mason and Shepherd. Shepherd was inspired for his new ideas for developing translation software by observing the pros and con of the software developed by his previous employer, Riverhead. But it was only after working for ten years at Nova that he decided to seriously work on translation engine. The new software would expedite the portability of software developed by Nova and other companies on myriad operating systems. Hence, by default the company has claim to the idea and development of translation engine which would complement the software developed by the Nova. Mason has also been exploiting her contacts, developed during her employment at ATS for her own vested interests. She has also been highly unethical in accessing and using confidential information for her personal gain. Mason and Shepherd are both in serious trouble. They now not only need to give advance notice for their resignation but also hire the services of a lawyer who could defend them in the court of law for breach of confidential information, violation of employment contract on various level and for also protecting their future interests vis-a-vis their creative input. Therefore, Mason and Shepherd must hand over their resignation, give advance notice and also take legal recourse to counter any claim by their employers. Answer 2 The non disclosure agreement as prepared by Mason and Shepherd for the prospective venture capitalists lacks professional vision and rational approach. The agreement prohibits the VCs to discuss the wider ramifications of the project with other investors or specialists for its feasibility. The VCs are independent investors who would need to ensure the viability of project before they decide to fund the project. They are also inundated with requests for funding the projects from other businesses and individuals. Thus, it would become hi ghly difficult for VCs to differentiate minor differences amongst the innovative software from different developers. Hence, disclosure agreement must give leverage to VCs so that they can confer with other experts in the field before coming to final decision. Mason and Shepherd can protect their interests by patenting their ideas and software. Hence, it is unreasonable to expect VCs to sign this disclosure agreement. Another important fact is that legitimacy of the company that has yet to become a legal entity. Thus, any legal non disclosure agreement becomes null and void and it is highly unreasonable on the part of Mason and Shepherd to expect their venture capitalists to sign such agreement. Answer 3 Yes. Mason and Shephe