Financial Analysis - Southwest Airlines case Essay - 1

Financial Analysis - Southwest Airlines case - Essay Example This attitude is also visible in the recruitment activities of the airlines. While hiring new people the airlines gives preference to candidates with a combative and hardworking spirit. Besides this in the hiring process the airline officials look for traits like dedication, sense of humor and extroverted people with an empathetic attitude in dealing with the peoples’ emotions. The airline gives special emphasis to learning and expects its employees to learn even from the day to day job experiences. Leadership courses designed for the airline managers emphasize on encouraging, empowering and coaching and are not limited to supervision or rule enforcement. Through regular courses the cultural themes like trust, teamwork, diversity and harmony are ingrained in the employees and supervisors. The supervisory positions in the airline are mainly filled internally as it is the belief of the management that the people who had been in the system are better equipped in handling and understanding the beliefs of the co-workers and find acceptance among the peer. This concept of internal job promotion motivates the employees to put in their best performance. The compensation offered by the airline is higher than the industry standards and it also consists of a plan for profit-sharing for the senior employees. The company has a non-adversarial and harmonious relationship with the employee unions. Airline’s contract with the employee union does not consist of any restrictive rules permitting even the pilots, gate-keepers and ticket agents to perform loading and unloading work. South-west airline has a â€Å"no-layoff policy†. This is because the company is of the belief that laying-off people is only a short term measure of increasing business profits. Instead the com pany seeks to build a sense of trust with the employees as this makes the employees more loyal towards the company. For this reason the company has been successful in building a good-will with

Only The Heart Novel Essay Example for Free

Only The Heart Novel Essay Only The Heart is a very successful novel presented by many narrators in both in the past and present. This novel portrays the hardships and suffering that a Vietnamese family endures through the years of approaching communism. Their desperate flee from the only home they have ever known and the loved ones that they may never see again, all in search of a place where there is freedom and hope. Only The Heat is a story that focuses on the Vo familys suffering. The novel shows the hardships and struggles that a Vietnamese family endures through the years of approaching communism. It is also about their desperate flea from the only home they have ever known and the loved ones that they may never see again, all in search of a place where freedom and hope were to be found. The novel itself is a simply told yet moving story of the Vo family, who come to Australia as refugees in search of hope, as a result of the suffering in The Vietnam War. Many members of the family in turn become narrators and perhaps because of the unfamiliarity of the names, readers must looking back to the family tree, at the front of the book, while the reading of the first few chapters. This novel portrays the hardships, struggles and suffering that a Vietnamese family endures through the years of approaching communism. Even after arriving in the lucky country Australia there is still suffering, caused by Hai Nguyens vicious gang. There are many narrators in the novel but the two main persons through whom the story of is told is Toan, the youngest son and Linh, Toons cousin and adopted sister (after her mother Mai sacrificed her life for her). The last person creates a real overview of what has happened and the deepest thoughts and feelings of these two people, as they escape their country as refugees to Malaysia and then Australia. As you can see Only the Heart, is a successful novel composed by Brian Caswell and David Phu An Chiem, about the suffering the Vo family had to endure in the search of hope. With a terrifying side to life which is beyond even the vast imagination of the many Australians. The novel emphases how lucky we are to live in a country where things such as freedom, opinions and safety, (these are things taken for granted) are considered a right.

Jerome Robbins and Agnes de Mille

Jerome Robbins and Agnes de Mille An analysis of the life and works of the choreographers Jerome Robbins and Agnes de Mille and therole of dance in musical theatre Agnes de Mille and Jerome Robbins worked in musical theatre in what is widely regarded to be the industrys Golden Era. Many would say that it was their innovative approach to choreography in musical theatre that brought an energy and a dynamism to the musical, accounting for its surge in popularity. It is certainly true that they did much to elevate the role of dance in musical theatre, which was previously largely merely as an accessory to the main dramatic event; pretty women with bare flesh parading around the stage. Robbins and De Mille regarded dance as a serious art form and strove to portray it as such on the stage. Musical theatre, as we know it today, did not come into being until the twentieth century, but song and dance have been a part of theatre for thousands ofyears. From as early as the 5th century BC the Ancient Greeks employed music and dance in many of their comedies and tragedies to entertain the public. The Romans carried on this tradition from the 3rdcentury BC, with many plays by Plautus including song and dance. They invented the first tap shoes by attaching metal plates to their shoes so that the entire audience, who would sit in a colossal open-air theatre, could hear the dancesteps (1). In the Middle Ages travelling minstrels and troupes of actors, dancers and singers performed popular songs and slapstick comedy. The religious dramas of the 12th and 13th centuries also included liturgical songs, although no dancing. In the French court of the Renaissance Louis XIV insisted that song and dance be incorporated into his entertainments. In America, some of the first dramatic roles to be performed by dancers were in melodrama, which is unsurprising considering the highly stylised movement of melodramatic actors lends itself more to dance than to anything else. Mlle Celeste, who was later to become one of the most famous dancers of the nineteenth century, was first billed in America as the celebrated melodramatic actress (2). Across the nineteenth century, circuses, showboats and pantomimes all included dance in some form. Stars such as Mlle Celeste and Fanny Essler helped create a popular demand for dance and companies began to include more elaborate dances in their evenings bill. Melodrama and pantomimes would often incorporate complex ballets into their entertainments. In England the most popular form of entertainment for the working- and middle-classes was the music hall, which staged vaudeville entertainment in the way of singers, dancers and speciality acts. Vaudeville was also extremely popular in America in th e nineteenth century, and by the 1890s dance acts were ever more in demand. Dances were still, however, largely performed in between the acts of the main production or before the end-piece to fill the gaps. The role of dance in the theatre at that time was limited mainly to entractes. They existed purely to appease the audience, to show piece a star, or to titillate predominantly male audiences with allowing spectacle of female limbs in tights(3). Jack Cole referred to the dances and the dancers in theatre at this timeas wallpaper (4). It wasnt really until the 1930s that dance began to be an important part of the musical. George Balanchine, who trained at the Russian Imperial Ballet School before working with Serge Diaghilevs Ballets Russes, regarded dance as a legitimate and important component in musical theatre. He believed dance to be the greatest expressive medium and first introduced ballet onto the popular musical stage with Ziegfeld Follies. Dancers in the theatre began to be taken seriously, rather than regarded merely as pretty girls baring a lot of leg; Into a choreographic world that was a mÃÆ'Â ©lange of decorative movement, legs and taps,Balanchine opened the door and ballet leapt on to the popular musical stage,directed by a supreme artist (5). Whereas previously only routines had been performed on the theatrical stage, Balanchine choreographed dances.He refused for his dances to be merely bite-size slices of entertainment sandwiched between the main attraction and insisted that they be part of th e plot, integrated seamlessly into the action. For the first time in a musical the dances in Balanchines On Your Toes actually helped to advance the plot. When, in 1982, On Your Toes returned to Broadway, Carol Lawson of the New York Times wrote; On YourToes was a turning point in the history of musical comedy, for Mr.Balanchines dances were more than mere interludes. Instead they served as essential aspects of the plot, and were thoroughly integrated parts of the production.(6) Balanchine paved the way for AgnesDe Mille and Jerome Robbins to totally change the dynamics of dance in musical theatre, and thereby in musicals has a whole. De Mille introduced the concept of using dance as a vehicle for story-telling and Robbins transformed the role of choreographer in a musical to being director of the entire show, making dance the driving force. Agnes De Mille Asa child, although she came from a theatrical family, De Mille was not permitted formal dance training, but would improvise pieces to perform to guests and nightly improvised to the accompaniment of her mother on the Orchestrelle (7).She would practice her melodramatic acting skills every night before performing flexibility exercises to limber up her body in readiness for the stage. When in Hollywood with her family her true dancers instinct became evident as she fell in love with the wide open spaces of the country surrounding the town;this would be a recurring theme in her later choreography. In her autobiography, Dance to the Piper, she exclaimed; The descendinggrassy slopes filled me with a passion to run, to roll in delirium, to wreck mybody on the earth. Space means this to a dancer or to a child! The descentthrough theair, the finding of earth-footage, the embracing and struggle with thefundamental ground.These are to a dancer what strong scents are to an animal. (8) Theday De Mille first watched Anna Pavlova perform only increased her desire tobecome a dancer. She was enthralled, awed, and dumbstruck, and describes thatmoment with passion and gusto (9). It was this that encouraged de Mille toorganise her first dance show with a group of other girls but she was still notallowed dance lessons and became frustrated with the limited dancing she coulddo. It wasnt until her sister was advised by an orthopaedist to start balletdancing that she too was permitted to attend the Theodore Kosloff School ofImperial Russian Ballet. Whilst there she learnt technique and poise andtrained her body into that of a dancers. She worked feverishly hard, perhapseven more so because her parents would not allow her to have lessons more thantwice a week, leaving her lagging behind the rest of the class. She resortedto practicing in her mothers bathroom, where she had installed a barre for her. Bythe time De Mille had finished high school however, she had grown to loath therigours of daily practice and decided to abandon her classes and her solitarypractices and go to college. During her time at UCLA De Mille occasionallystaged dances for student rallies and towards the end of her college life shestarted exercising with the mind to getting back up on her points. She decidedto dance professionally after meeting Douglass Montgomery, who convinced herthat she could. Things were never going to be easy for her though. She movedto New York at a time when dancers [were] hired on the sheen of the stockingand the wink of their agent, and when the few dance companies that existed onBroadway were small and dedicated to the personal exploitation of some star(10). I have mentioned earlier the limited opportunities a dancer had in thistime, where no pure ballet was being performed in either music shows ormoving picture shows and there was no such word as choreography. Whenrehearsing for a concert of her own choreography Montgomery taught De Mille howto act through her dancing; he taught me that every gesture must have someexplicit meaning (11). She decided to perform character studies whereby thedancing revealed personality and was natural in the course of the story. Rightfrom the start she wanted to employ dance as more than light entertainment, asa vital story-telling vehicle. These first attempts, being only charactersketches, were quite light by nature, and the style was folk rather thanballet, but it was different to what anybody else had done on the stage before.When she performed some of these at a concert she was received well but whenshe auditioned for Charles Cochran and Noel Coward they told her that she wasmore suited to the concert hall, and that she would never make it in thetheatre. Aftertouring with Adolph Bolm, she was commissioned as a dancer-choreographer on ChristopherMorleys revival of The Black Crook but the drunken, noisy audience madeher hand her notice in. It was in the thirties that the dance scene in NewYork began to stir. Every Sunday a couple of dance concerts were given, withsoloists experimenting with every dance form imaginable. De Mille remembers,we were out remodel our entire craft there were no rules we struck sparksfrom one another (12). For five years De Mille taught herself to choreograph,but she was trying to learn to compose dances, not pantomimes, nor dramaticstories, nor character studies, but planned sequences of sustained movementwhich would be original and compelling (13). She viewed dance as a seriousart form and wanted to choreograph dances that would present it as such, butwith barely any formal training behind her she found this very difficult.After disastrously choreographing Flying Colours De Mille and her mothermoved to Londo n where, as in New York, she choreographed and danced in her ownrecitals to critical acclaim but with no financial gain. At one recital though,Marie Rambert and Arnold Haskell were amongst the audience and were impressedenough to ask her to stay in London to continue her recitals and be taught atThe Ballet Club. Itwas at The Ballet Club that De Mille met Anthony Tudor and Fredrick Ashton,both of whom would go on to become important choreographers and who, with her,would revolutionise the dance world. In 1933 she choreographed the dances forCharles B. Cochrans Nymph Errant in London but during the thirties DeMille returned to America several times, dancing in her uncles production of Cleopatrain 1934 and choreographing Irving Thalburgs film-version of Romeo andJuliet. On the latter project she had to endure her dances being cut topieces as the camera cut out most of the group work and showed only snippets ofthe rest. The custom at the time was not to show a whole dance but to providelight entertainment with cuttings of dances. OnHooray for What De Mille came up against the type of men that insisteddancers were hired for their sex appeal and that dances were performed to sellsex. These were the sort of men that were keeping dance from becoming aserious, important art form and that issued it with only a decorative functionin theatre and films. The management wanted the girls exposed as much aspossible, face front always, bosom bared, legs just visible to the waist, DeMille recalls (14). As she refused to conform exactly, wanting her owncreative input, she was fired with one word, before her choreography was rippedto shreds. Without the security of Equity many of the dancers and actors werefired without warning as the Business Manager exacted his vision of abosoms-and-legs chorus-line extravaganza. At this time on Broadway dances, attheir best, were slick and well-formed, but with no great moments of dramaticrevelation (15). When De Mille returned to Broadway some years later she wasto dramatically change thi s notion. In1940 Ballet Theatre was formed and De Mille was invited to become one of thechoreographers, on the understanding that she was not to dance herself. It wasa highly creative time for De Mille and she was able to work with some of thefinest dancers and choreographers of the time. It was at Ballet Theatre thatDe Mille created her first ballet, Black Ritual, a controversial piecewith black dancers; the first time this had ever been attempted by a seriousballet company. Having had only brief and frenzied flurries with commercialtroupes of mixed prostitutes and chorus dancers she had not had the experienceof setting a schedule of choreographing and rehearsing and was extremelynervous. Her dancers did not help matters by being consistently late and byarriving unprepared. The ballet was not received well but shortly after shewas hired by a successful booking manager for a national tour. De Mille andher dancers prepared for the tour through blood, sweat and tears but it was atotal success, a nd De Mille discovered something vital: although the managersmay not, the public liked and appreciated her work. Notlong after returning to New York, De Mille was asked by Ballet Theatre tocreate Three Virgins and a Devil, which was a huge hit and dÃÆ'Â ©buted theyoung Jerome Robbins. In 1942 she was commissioned to create a ballet for theBallet Russe de Monte Carlo. She extended a piece she had partly choreographedyears earlier, and Rodeo was the result. The ballet formed the basisfor a uniquely American dance style, using folk themes, tap dance andenergetic, fast-paced movements, capturing the essence of a cowboys manner.Teaching male dancers who were used to the precision and elegance of balletproved to be difficult so De Mille resorted to acting lessons to help herdancers find their characters. She wanted them to be cowboys; shewanted them to communicate dramatic meaning. Come opening night they wereprepared and the audience adored them. De Mille had created an entirely newand exciting dance style; it was the first of its kind, and the moment wasquick with birth (16). De Mille successfull y turned ballet into musicalcomedy, and gave the form real energy and gusto, with movements never beforeseen in this very precise of dance forms. Wehad breached the bulwarks De Mille exclaims in Dance to the Piper (17).She, with a few choreographers before her, had created a new tradition, onewith a different root impulse to traditional ballet. She asserts that tocreate a style that truly differs from ballet one must base that style onanother technique. De Mille integrated folk dances into her work, withoutlowering the performances to comedy caricatures. Her work, like that of fellowchoreographer Anthony Tudor, conveyed theatrical meaning through dance steps;the line between actor and dancer was blurred. Rather than dancers usingtraditional technique and performing well-known steps, where the human bodiesare used merely as units of design, grouped, lumped, and directed intopredetermined masses, De Mille strove for originality and dramaticcommunication in her choreography. She writes of Tudors work; Tudordeveloped the story-telling quality of his choreography to such a degree thateach gesture, formed out of the emotional components of the moment, is almostas explicit as though the dancers spoke. The new choreography does not arrangeold steps into new patterns; the emotion evolves steps, gestures, and rhythms. (18) Reading De Millesexplanation of her method for creating dance in Dance to the Piper, oneis reminded of a director beginning to stage a play. She spends much time oncharacterisation; finding the right gestures and stance for each character actsas a stimulus for the choreographic process (19). De Mille did not createimpersonal dancers but characters acting out, through dance, a story. Fromthe success of Rodeo, as well as for its all-American style and theme,De Mille was asked by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein to choreographdances for their new production, Oklahoma! De Mille knew the projectwas going to be difficult as, unlike ballet where the choreographer is themaster and ruler of the show, many elements other than dance contribute to formmusical theatre. The performers must take direction from the director, thecomposer, the author of the book, and the producer. The dance director gotlittle say in the arrangement. Singing and acting were the main components inmusical theatre at the time; dance was merely for decoration. When casting thedancers, De Mille insisted on talent and personality, Rodgers wanted faces,although his idea of a face had frequently to do with the character in it,but Mamoulian, the director, wanted slim legs above all (20). It was assumedthat the public, also, were far more interested in the singing and the dramathan the dancing. The num bers of dances were therefore limited. De Milleinsisted, however, that every dancer was hired for just one reason that heor she was the best available performer for the role (21). She did not cavein to the whim of the director; she wanted her dancers to be seriousprofessionals, and Rodgers agreed. Once, during rehearsals, a note was playedout of tune and one of the chorus faces winced with pain, but it was notannoyance or amusement, it was agonised concern. When Rodgers saw herexpression one he had never seen cross a chorus girls face he realisedthat responsible artists had entered the ranks (22). The chorus dancers wereno longer pretty faces, good legs but nothing between the ears; everyperformer, including the dancers, knew their craft. Another difficulty DeMille would have was that the dances would have to be created from the impetusof the book, they would have to build the authors line and develop his action(23), rather than being created from scratch from characters develope d by her.De Mille was also faced with the problem of swiftly travelling from dialogue,to song, to dance, and back to dialogue again without it looking farcical. Asthe choreographer she was going to have to learn surgery, to graft and splice(23). DeMille achieved all this and more. She succeeded in elevating her role aschoreographer to that of equal importance with the playwright, the composer andthe lyricist, and she did what no choreographer had successfully done before -she integrated the ballets into the story. Her dancers were not merelydecoration but characters, and she worked with them to achieve depth ofcharacter, motivation and emotion. Dancers could no longer project theirpersonal response to a piece of music. They needed to move as the charactersthey were portraying. Their reactions, their facial expressions, all needed tofurther the audiences understanding of their character. This requiredin-depth script readings and analysis of character motivations, just as adirector would insist on for his or her actors. De Mille realised that this canreally help the dancer. Whereas in ballet the dancer has to rely on what theyfeel to give the dance energy and dynamism, they now had the singing and actingto give them background and motivation to help give their dancing, as thesecharacters, expressive movement (24). If the role of dance in Oklahoma!was to communicate dramatic meaning to the audience, and to further the plot,the dancer had to become the character, and know it inside-out. AsDe Mille herself notes, it was Anthony Tudor who first shocked audiences intoviewing a ballet dancer as an individual capable of dramatic communicationthrough her body, by clothing them in long Edwardian dresses (25). No longerwas the ballet dancer the stylised, typical image that made it acceptable forwomen to bare their legs and arms and wrap their limbs around a man. She wasnow familiar; like their mothers and aunties. They could now communicate humantruths and take part in the telling of a story. Dressed as the characters of aSouth-western town, rather than tights and a tutu, the audience was able to seethe dancers as humans with a story to tell. Thecrowning glory of De Milles choreography on Oklahoma! was without doubtthe dream-ballet which occurs at the end of Act 1. With this De Milleexperimented with something entirely new in musical theatre, and for many yearsto come barely a musical was made without it containing a dream ballet. Inthis extended ballet Laurie acts out her quandary through dance; a highlyimaginative method of moving the story forward. Dance was inextricably boundto the plot of the musical. Whereas in previous musicals dance was merely aside entertainment and could be cut without the story losing any of itsmeaning, one could not take the dream ballet out of Oklahoma! withoutruining the plot. By using dance the thoughts and feelings in the mind and theheart of Laurie could be conveyed and explored far more effectively thanthrough straight dialogue. The dances were intended to strengthen theaudiences understanding of the characters and further the plot, as well ascomplement the lyrics and the dialogue, and i t worked. Now, as well as singingand acting, dancing added to the dramatic impact of the musical on theaudience. AsKislan notes, dance also adds to the important theme of open space in Oklahoma.It is the guiding metaphor for the promise of the American Dream and thelimitless opportunities for the brand new state the lovers are destined tolive in (26). The audience is always aware of the physical space on stage asthe dancers never seem crowded, no matter how many occupy the space. In thedream ballet Curly lifts Laurie up in the air, reaching for the sky, and theballetic style danced in constantly opens the body up, extending arms and legsto give the impression of limitless space. In Dance to the Piper DeMille writes of the sense of space ballet dancers work with; Every joint andsinew is pulled long, the arms are wide and free the stretching up and out,the liberating jump, the racing over and away from the earth (27). Thefeeling of space conveyed on stage through dance complements the songs, withlyrics such as plenty of room to swing a rope/plenty of heart and plenty ofhope (28). Atlast dance as more than an accessory, but as a serious art form, had arrivedonto the popular stage, and the audience were roaring. They were howling.People hadnt seen girls and boys dance like this in so long. Of course, theyhad been dancing like this, but not just where this audience could see them(29). Perhaps the most important accomplishment for dance in Oklahoma!was that De Mille was a choreographer on the show, not a dance director. Thedifference being that dance directors worked for audience approval;choreographers work for audience enlightenment (30). Her dances were integralto the story they added and enlightened rather than decorated. This was anew role for dance in musical theatre. DeMille went on to choreograph the dances for many more Broadway musicals in the1940s and 1950s, including One Touch of Venus in 1943, Carousel in 1945, Brigadoon in1947, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1949, and Paint Your Wagon in1951. Tally-Ho(1944) and FallRiver Legend (1948) provided her with the opportunity to further herrevolutionary style. She continued to cast dancers that were skilled at projectingcharacter as well as performing the correct steps. Kislan records that dancersthat worked with De Mille have testified to her fantastic ability to sense eventhe smallest dramatic quality in their dancing, and, together, manage to set itfree and integrate it into the choreography so that the dance is alwaysexpressive of the drama (31). De Mille was still responsible to the director, the lyricist andthe author of the book though. Her choreography had to fit the other elementsof the musical, and dance was often of secondary importance to those elements.Choreographers such as Jerome Robbins were to change the role of thechoreographer, and thus the role of dance in musical theatre, forever. Banishedwas the mindless aesthetics that enslaved dance to the colossal, opulent, andlavish needs of the producer, the star, or the specialty act (32). Dance wasto be given the highest status of the production. The choreographer was torule the show. Indeed, the choreographer would no longer be merely the dancecreator, but the director-choreographer; the dance-director follows, thechoreographer adapts, but the director-choreographer leads (32). JeromeRobbins was a pioneer of this change in status for the role of dance in musicaltheatre. Jerome Robbins Robbinswas born into a devoutly Jewish family in 1918, but resented being Jewish, withits conservatism and old ways. His large family, however, provided him withmany theatrical contacts and influences. His uncle, Jack Silverman, startedout as a ballroom dancer with the two men he was living with, Bing Crosby andGeorge Raft. Edward G. Robinson was also related, and another of Robbinsuncles, Daniel Davenport, owned a chain of vaudeville and burlesque theatres.Davenports father and his brother performed on the vaudeville circuit underthe name of the Davenport Brothers, staging acrobatic acts. It is to this partof the family that Robbins owes his zest for vaudeville-comedy. Robbinsparents ensured that both their children were educated in the arts, and this iswhere Jerome shone. He saw it as an escape route, a way by which he could haveaccess to the possibilities which lay beyond his community; When I was a childart seemed like a tunnel to me. At the end of that tunnel, I could see lightwhere the world opened up, waiting for me (33). Both he and his sister,Sonia, were strongly encouraged by their mother to aspire to the stage. Soniatook dance lessons and Jerome music lessons, and by the time he was three and ahalf he was composing pieces and giving recitals on the piano. Indeed, heexcelled in anything creative that he tried, but admitted that this wasbecause, the only world that was really exciting for me was the world in whichI could make believe that things were not the way they were (33). The worldof musical theatre was therefore the perfect world for him, later, to live in. Robbinshad to keep his love of dance a secret from his parents, especially his father,and his school friends, who were all into sports. As his sister danced her wayinto the spotlight Jerome was left practicing in private, often with the helpof Sonia. At the Weehawken schools he attended Robbins performed in manyschool plays, but it was at his summer camps that he fell in love with Gilbertand Sullivan musicals, and played the comic leads in HMS Pinafore, TheMikado, and Pirates of Penzance. Jeromes knack for comedy was madeevident through his performances in these roles. A fellow camper latercommented, Jerry had a tremendous sense of humour in everything he did (34).He still kept his dancing a secret though. At one parents day at the camphowever, Robbins performed a dance on the table-tennis table and, as anothercamper remembers, had the adults in tears. Furthermore, This was a bigaudience and he was completely uninhibited (34). Robbinseventually took dance lessons with Sonias dance teacher in modern dance, theform that was the emerging trend in the Depression years of the 1930s, whenpeople wanted a dance form that could more readily express the social realismsof the time than could ballet. Jerome witnessed many pioneering greats of thedance stage, such as Martha Graham, Charles Weidman, and Doris Humphrey, but in1932 he was to meet the man he would later call his guru, Gluck Sandor (35).Sandor directed, choreographed and danced in many of the productions staged atthe Dance Centre, at which Sonia danced. He worked in vaudeville and onBroadway in the 1920s and was a tremendously expressive dancer, manipulatingevery gesture for dramatic effect, which was to a have profound influence onRobbins future work. As Robbins himself has cited, We dancers were taught toperform with the concentration of an actor (36). Anzia Kubicek, a dancer,remembers that Sandor, preferred to do things with a story line hisimagination w ould just go a mile a minute, and he worked with the bodies he hadto work with, which were sometimes very limited (37). Robbins would work withboth principles in his choreography, starting with a story from which hisdancers could develop their characters, and therefore their movements. Aftergraduating from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1935 Robbins entered New YorkUniversity to study Chemistry, but in his second year his fathers corsetbusiness was in danger of going bankrupt and he could no longer fullyfinancially support Jeromes education. Jerome was by this point desperate todrop out and follow his dream of becoming a professional dancer and, throughhis sister, he managed to successfully audition for an apprenticeship withSandors company. With the help of Sandor, Jerome convinced his parents tolet him try to make it as dancer, and he left the university. Sandor persuadedan unconvinced Robbins to concentrate on ballet rather than modern dance but itwasnt until he saw Alexandra Danilova perform with the Ballet Russes that Robbinsagreed that ballet held many opportunities for him. Jerome progressed quicklyand Sandor recognised him as a natural dancer, recalling years later; Oncehe saw something, he could do it backward. Before I would do a thing he had it.He could anticipate what was to come. He was sensitive and he was musical. (38) In1937 Robbins secured his first part in The Brothers Ashkenazi, whichintensified his passion for the theatre. Throughout its run he would practiceon the barre, much to the bewilderment of the Yiddish cast of the play. Hisfellow performers recall him constantly dancing (39). After two years trainingat the Dance Centre, and having procured roles in various plays, Robbins leftthe company in search of more commercial work. He found work in the chorus ofa number of musicals which, in the thirties, were largely comic. AlthoughRobbins went on to choreograph and dance in such musicals, he also wanted totake the medium further, and use musical theatre as a vehicle for explorationinto the human psyche. He would later say, Musicals tend to be facetious. Noone has ever used them as a medium to depict deep personal struggle, and Ithink this can be done (40). He would go on to do just that. Aswell as his brief encounters with Broadway, in the summer of 1937 Robbins startedworking as part of the entertainment staff at Camp Tamiment, a summer job hewould have for five years. The resort played host to many up-and-comingtalents, such as Danny Kaye, Imogene Coca, and Carol Channing. It was avirtual breeding ground for musicians, comedians, singers and dancers. Robbinschoreographed and danced in many of the performances held in the social hall.It was a very creative atmosphere, with new productions performed every week.Max Lieberman, director of the entertainment program at Tamiment, strove forBroadway-quality pieces, and with only a week to create and rehearse each one,ideas had to flow. Robbins work was of two extremes; burlesque sketches onthe one hand and socially serious dramatic dances such as Strange Fruit andDeath of a Loyalist on the other. Some of his pieces were performed atthe 92nd Street YMHA, under the auspices of the Theatre ArtsCommittee, as well as in the Str aw Hat Revue, which Tamiment opened onBroadway in 1939. The revue was an amalgamation of many of the sketchesperformed at that summers camp but, due to the sensitive atmosphere followingthe outbreak of war in Europe, they were only allowed to include the comedysketches. Robbins suffered a huge blow to his ego when Jerome Andrews, who hadbeen brought in by the backers to supervise the dances, was given sole crediton the billing for the choreography. It did however give him a determinationto be wholly in charge of

Mother-daughter Relations and Clash of Cultures in Amy Tans The Joy Lu

     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Amy Tan is an American Born Chinese, daughter of immigrants, and her family shares many features with the families depicted in her novels. Tan's novels offer some glimpses of life in China while developing the themes of mother-daughter relations, cultural adaptation and "women with a past".   Tan’s novels share many themes and elements, but this paper will focus mainly on two episodes of the novel The Joy Luck Club: "The Joy Luck Club" and "Waiting Between the Trees"; and will make references to The Kitchen's God Wife and The Hundred Secret Senses. In the first place, mother-daughter relations between Chinese mothers and ABC daughters are not easy ones in Tan's novels. They are always problematic. Mothers want to bring up their children according to the Chinese ways, whereas daughters want to live their own life according to the "American Way of Life", despising Chinese habits and traditions, sometimes to the extent of being ashamed of their origins. Amy Tan herself confessed that, as a child, she used to put "a clothespin on her nose hoping to make it pert, to change its Asian shape."    In "Waiting Between the Trees," Lena St. Clair sees her mother, Ying-Ying as a weak-minded woman who needs constant help. This impression is aroused by Ying- Ying's traditional Chinese female education. In Ying- Ying's times, women used to be educated to be obedient, to honor one's parents, one's husband and to try to please him and his family. This education is based on Confucius's teachings: during her life a woman has to follow three persons during her whole life: at home, she has to follow her father; married, she has to follow her husband; and when her husband dies, she has to follow her son. Therefore a woman is not supp... ...hers and daughters which have their source in a clash of cultures. In her novels, she reflects Chinese history, traditions, education and superstition, together with may experiences takes from her family history, all of which provides a convincing representation directly inspired in the real everyday life of the Chinese colony in the United States.    Works Cited Tan, Amy (1989). The Joy Luck Club. New York: Ivy Books. -- (1991). The Kitchen God's Wife. New York: Ivy Books. -- (1995). The Hundred Secret Senses. New York: Ivy Books. Ng, Mei (1998). Eating Chinese Food Naked. Harmondsworth: Penguin.    Internet: Liu, Ping (1997). Adjusting to a New Society: A Study of Educated Chinese Women: http://www.ics.uci.edu/~tdo/ea/chineseWomen.html Interview with Amy Tan: The Joy Luck Club Lady: http://detnews.com/menu/stories/23098.htm    Mother-daughter Relations and Clash of Cultures in Amy Tan's The Joy Lu      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Amy Tan is an American Born Chinese, daughter of immigrants, and her family shares many features with the families depicted in her novels. Tan's novels offer some glimpses of life in China while developing the themes of mother-daughter relations, cultural adaptation and "women with a past".   Tan’s novels share many themes and elements, but this paper will focus mainly on two episodes of the novel The Joy Luck Club: "The Joy Luck Club" and "Waiting Between the Trees"; and will make references to The Kitchen's God Wife and The Hundred Secret Senses. In the first place, mother-daughter relations between Chinese mothers and ABC daughters are not easy ones in Tan's novels. They are always problematic. Mothers want to bring up their children according to the Chinese ways, whereas daughters want to live their own life according to the "American Way of Life", despising Chinese habits and traditions, sometimes to the extent of being ashamed of their origins. Amy Tan herself confessed that, as a child, she used to put "a clothespin on her nose hoping to make it pert, to change its Asian shape."    In "Waiting Between the Trees," Lena St. Clair sees her mother, Ying-Ying as a weak-minded woman who needs constant help. This impression is aroused by Ying- Ying's traditional Chinese female education. In Ying- Ying's times, women used to be educated to be obedient, to honor one's parents, one's husband and to try to please him and his family. This education is based on Confucius's teachings: during her life a woman has to follow three persons during her whole life: at home, she has to follow her father; married, she has to follow her husband; and when her husband dies, she has to follow her son. Therefore a woman is not supp... ...hers and daughters which have their source in a clash of cultures. In her novels, she reflects Chinese history, traditions, education and superstition, together with may experiences takes from her family history, all of which provides a convincing representation directly inspired in the real everyday life of the Chinese colony in the United States.    Works Cited Tan, Amy (1989). The Joy Luck Club. New York: Ivy Books. -- (1991). The Kitchen God's Wife. New York: Ivy Books. -- (1995). The Hundred Secret Senses. New York: Ivy Books. Ng, Mei (1998). Eating Chinese Food Naked. Harmondsworth: Penguin.    Internet: Liu, Ping (1997). Adjusting to a New Society: A Study of Educated Chinese Women: http://www.ics.uci.edu/~tdo/ea/chineseWomen.html Interview with Amy Tan: The Joy Luck Club Lady: http://detnews.com/menu/stories/23098.htm   

Disease and Disorders of the Lymphatic System

Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there are high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Type I Diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. It was previously known as juvenile diabetes. Type I diabetes is usually caused by an auto-immune reaction in which the cells that produce insulin are attacked by the body’s defense system. People who have type 1 diabetes produce very little or no insulin. (Types of Diabetes, 2013) The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. However, in most people, it due to a problem with the body’s immune system. The immune system is supposed to fight harmful bacteria and viruses, but in those with type 1 diabetes the system mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas. (The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas, which lies behind and below the stomach. Once the islet cells have been destroyed the pancreas will produce little or no insulin. The pancreas secretes insulin in the bloodstream and it is circulated throughout the system enabling sugar to enter cells. The main function of insulin is to lower the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. As the level of sugar drops in the blood, the pancreas slows down the secretion of insulin. Because there is no insulin to let glucose into cells, the sugar builds up in the bloodstream where is can cause life-threatening complications. (The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) Glucose is important to the body as it is the main source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and other tissues. There are two major sources of glucose, food and the liver. The body receives glucose from various foods containing sugar. When sugar is ingested it is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it enters cells with the help of insulin. When you haven’t eaten for a period of time, your insulin levels are low; this is when the liver converts stored glycogen into glucose to keep the glucose level within the body within a normal range. (The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) There aren’t many known risk factors for type 1 diabetes. Some of the known risk factors include: a family history of parent or sibling with type 1 diabetes, Genetics (the presence of certain genes indicates an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes), exposure to certain viruses (Epstein-Barr, mumps, or cytomegalovirus may trigger destruction of islet cells), early drinking of cow’s milk, introduction of cereal to a baby’s diet prior to the age of 3 months, the birth mother who is younger than 25 years of age or if she had preeclampsia during pregnancy, being born with jaundice, and having a respiratory infection just after birth. The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) While diabetes is a chronic, lifelong illness, it is controllable. Treatment for type 1 diabetes includes monitoring blood sugar on a regular basis, eating healthy foods, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight, as well as insulin therapy. Individuals with type 1 diabetes will generally require regular insulin injections for the duration of their lives . (The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) There are various types of insulin used to control blood sugar levels. The three types insulin used for therapy is rapid-acting, intermediate options, and long-acting insulin. Rapid-acting insulin should be taken within 30 minutes of eating a meal as onset of action begins 10-15 minutes after injection and last for approximately 45 minutes. It is meant to be used to help metabolize food when ingested. Long-acting insulin should be taken at the same each day as it works over a 24 hour period with no peak time. The goal is to keep blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible, this will delay and possibly prevent complications. Daytime blood sugar levels prior to meals should be between 80 and 120. Bedtime blood sugar levels should be between 100 and 140. Keeping blood sugar levels close to normal most of the time can dramatically reduce the risk of complications to other major organs in the body. Uncontrolled blood sugar can cause damage to the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys. Long-term complications develop gradually over years. The earlier diabetes develops and the less controlled the blood sugar is, the higher the risk for complications. Type 1 diabetes complications can be life-threatening or even disabling. Heart and blood vessel disease increases the risk for coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and narrowing of the arteries. Excess sugar can injure the walls of tiny blood vessels, with can cause tingling, numbness, burning or pain that usually begins at the tops of the toes/fingers and gradually spreads upward. Uncontrolled blood sugar can cause the loss of all sense of feeling in limbs. Diabetes can also damage the filtering system of the kidneys. Severe damage can lead to kidney failure which can require dialysis or a kidney transplant. Because diabetes can cause nerve damage it can also affect the blood vessels of the retina which can lead to potential blindness. Diabetes increases the risk of cataracts and glaucoma of the eye. This is just a few of the complications of uncontrolled diabetes. (The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) Living with diabetes isn’t easy. Management of blood sugar requires a lot of time and effort, especially when newly diagnosed. Poorly controlled blood sugar can directly affect emotions and cause behavior changes, such as irritability. Diabetes can also make you feel different from other people. It is important to take with others who have diabetes. Support groups are available both online and in person. This is a good source of information. You can also visit the websites of the American Diabetes Association or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

ADD/ADHD Intervention Assistance Essay

Inattentive behaviors are very common in the ADHD children and are often go unnoticed because it becomes difficult to observe these trends in the students. There are various symptoms of inattention in students by which they can be identified to being suffering from ADHD;  ·Ã‚   The student is most of the times unable to pay attention to the events that are happening in the classrooms. They are unable to concentrate on what is being taught by their teacher.  ·Ã‚   They are very vulnerable in their paying of attention. They can’t handle pressure of work and most of the times unable to solve the work which they are assigned.  ·Ã‚   They always feel anxiety and are unable to finish their tasks as they move on to the other.  · They have problems with the planning and managing of tasks. They show inability by staying behind and always lack in confidence. b) Hyperactivity:   Ã‚  Ã‚   This is described as the tendency of the child to become active in wrong ways. The symptoms include;  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   They are uncomfortable in each situation they are opened to.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   They cannot sit at a single place for sometime and they have problems in waiting as well. They initiate things only to move away from the current situation.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   They are restless in nature and always show confusion as they have so much things going on in their minds which make them to show their anxiety and pressure. c) Impulsiveness:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Impulsiveness can be stated as the disability of the child that makes him to take action without interpreting things and events.  ·Ã‚   They take action without having to think or know about the consequences.  ·Ã‚   They most of interfere in the conversations trying to put forward their opinions in the wrong ways.  ·Ã‚   Their inability to stay focused is minimal. Part 2A) Being a teacher the characteristics that I will be observing in the child will be as follows; 1. Behavior 2. Leadership Role 3. Intervening in Conversations 4. Frustration 5. Day Dreaming 6. Low Self Esteem

Essay on Americanism

Essay on Americanism Essay on Americanism Essay on AmericanismAmericanism has never been associated with the issues of race, gender and ancestry in the past. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said that to be an American has always been a, â€Å"Matter of mind and heart† and â€Å"nevera matter of race or ancestry.† To â€Å"race and ancestry,† one might add gender. In other words, to be an American means to be filled with Americanism, demonstrate American identity in behavior, thoughts and actions, protecting freedom and independence of the nation. Nearly all Founding Fathers, e.g. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, or John Adam reflected the meaning of Americanism in the development of the nation, portraying â€Å"the vast majority of ordinary Americans as mere bystanders.†1 However, other historians have provided the documentation that proves that â€Å"the 95 percent of Americans who were not members of the founding-era gentry shaped the independence movement and Revolutionary War and were in turn influenced by both.† 2 This fact means the ideology of true Americans reflects the ideas of Americanism. Historian and scholars provide a wide range of interpretations of the meaning of Americanism in the history of the U.S., as well as its impact on other nations. The ideals of Americanism had been practices in the development of progressive politics of the U.S. and had a strong impact on the quality of American democracy.   Thesis statement: Being an American in the past has been a matter of heart and mind and has never been a matter of race, gender or ancestry because Americanism is an ideology that reflects national identity and is based on freedom of American nation.To start with, being an American in the past has never been a matter of ancestry. The mainstream American ideology is focused on the idea of the melting pot.   The melting pot does not involve the role of ancestry because of the use of the concept of assimilation, whichis crucial for American national ide ntity. Ancestry does not form Americanism. The Slaves’ Petition for Freedom to the Massachusetts Legislature of 1777 points out to the fact that Americanism, originated from the colonists’ revolutionary struggle against the political power of   Britain,   involved a wide range of issues regarding justice, equality and human rights. According to the Slaves’ Petition, â€Å"enslaved people throughout the colonies seized upon the rhetoric of liberty and equality to point out the contradiction of fighting Great Britain over principles not fully followed by the colonies themselves; they also appealed to Christian precepts.†3 Actually, being an American in the past has never been a matter of ancestry because of the various identities formed into a single American identity. For example, African Americans (former slaves), Asian Americans (immigrants), Italian Americans (immigrants), Native Americans (aboriginals) and other groups are united to form American n ation. In addition, American national identity is idealized social destiny of many groups of population. American people are hold together due to common ideals, and the lack of a common origin or ancestry cannot affect the development of American nation. Americans adhere to the ideals of democratic society. They have always fought for the establishment of equal human rights and the abolishment of slavery. During the period of the Great Depression, homelessness appeared as the result of economic crises, but it had nothing common with the matter of ancestry. According to researchers, â€Å"the homeless man – the tramp, the hobo, the vagrant – became alternately the embodiment of rugged American individualism and a metaphor for social disorder.†Besides, being an American in the past has never been a matter of gender. According to Ellen DuBois, the American women’s suffrage movement originated from the public protest meeting that was held in Seneca Falls, New York, in July 1848. The major goal of this historic meeting was to join the right of women with men’s rights in their privileges, including voting rights. The impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction epoch on gender issues was enormous. In 1860, the right to vote had become the primary concern of the women’s rights movement. The Fourteenth Amendment addressed the issue of gender inequalities. However, it did not affect Americanism, because both man and women considered themselves Americans. Women fought for their rights, and their struggle was part of American identity. According to researchers, â€Å"an independent movement of women for women turned the campaign for suffrage into a continuing source of activism and political sophistication for coming generations of women.†5 Although there were some difficulties in recruiting women after WWII, because women in military were regarded as â€Å"prostitutes and cross-dressers†, that issue did not affect Am erican ideals of democracy and freedom  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, being an American in the past has never been a matter of race. Racial issues had been raised in America since the adoption of the Constitution. From the historical perspective of reforms in America, â€Å"there were continuities, shifts, and discontinuities after the Civil War.†Ã‚  During the Civil War and the Reconstruction era, racial issues had a strong impact on society, but the principle of Americanism, as the basis of democracy, had always been one of the major goals of the American struggle in any historical period.   This struggle had always been aimed at establishing democracy and providing equal opportunities to all citizens, both Northerners and Southerners.I completely agree with the fact that being an American in the past has been a matter of heart and mind. American national identity is used to highlight the construction of a unified nation, which includes various raci al and ethnic groups. Americans are unified based on the established principles of Americanism, which reflects democratic ideals. Good Americans are those people who demonstrate loyalty to their country, as well as the desire to live in democratic society, enjoying freedom and equal rights. Multiculturalism is the result of ethnic and racial self-assentation in America. Actually, the national ideology created by Americanism is flourishing now, reflecting the progressive ideas of Americanism and playing an important role in shaping the future of American nation.Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, it is necessary to conclude that being an American in the past has been a matter of heart and mind because of the uniqueness of American ideology and the emergence of Americanism, but being an American in the past has never been a matter of race, gender or ancestry. Revolutionary tradition in America reflects Americanism and the established American ideals. The natio nal ideology is flourishing in the U.S. due to the progressiveness of Americanism. It plays a crucial role in shaping the future of American nation and its ideals.

Memorable Lucille Ball Quotes

Memorable Lucille Ball Quotes Lucille Ball began her career in musical comedy, became a success in radio comedy, starred in several movie comedies, and achieved her greatest popular success with her TV show, I Love Lucy, first airing in 1951 and running until 1957. She also starred in The Lucy Show (1962-68) and Heres Lucy (1968-74). Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, who produced I Love Lucy together as well as starred in the show, were married from 1940 to 1960. Lucille Ball managed Desilu Productions from 1962 to 1967 and Lucille Ball Productions from 1967 to 1989. Selected Lucille Ball Quotations I never thought I was funny. I dont think funny. Im not funny. What I am is brave. Ability is of little account without opportunity. The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age. If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do. Luck? I dont know anything about luck. Ive never banked on it, and Im afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: Hard work - Â  and realizing what is opportunity and what isnt. One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesnt pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself. I think knowing what you cannot do is more important than knowing what you can do. In fact, thats good taste. I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not. In life, all good things come hard, but wisdom is the hardest to come by. I have an everyday religion that works for me. Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world. Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead. My God, Im outliving my henna. Womens lib?...It doesnt interest me one bit. Ive been so liberated it hurts. Politics should be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people and who would preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage. Its a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy. Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. I regret the passing of the studio system. I was very appreciative of it because I had no talent. What could I do? I couldnt dance. I couldnt sing. I could talk. Heaven, no. I was shy for several years in my early days in Hollywood until I figured out that no one really gave a damn if I was shy or not, and I got over my shyness. You see much more of your children once they leave home. Use a make-up table with everything close at hand and don’t rush; otherwise you’ll look like a patchwork quilt. A man who correctly guesses a womans age may be smart, but hes not very bright. What we did on [i[I Love Lucy was not slapstick. I worked with the Three Stooges years ago, and they were masters of slapstick, so I know what slapstick is. The best thing I learned from working with the Stooges was when to duck! Its true. Your timing has to be right so that you dont get hurt in the scene. The Stooges were always teaching people on the set how to duck. You spell Bob Hope C-L-A-S-S. I dont do T A very well because I havent got much of either. Quote collection assembled by Jone Johnson Lewis.

An analysis of the Depreciation Methods in GAAP in the UK

An analysis of the Depreciation Methods in GAAP in the UK Depreciation is the allocation of the cost of a plant asset to expense over its useful (service) life in a rational and systematic manner† (Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, 2003:416). There are three factors affect the calculation of depreciation, which are asset cost, useful life and salvage value (Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, 2003). Accountant in different companies will use various methods to compute the depreciation. There are straight-line method, reducing balance method (double declining balance, sum of digits, reducing percentage), annuity method, and unit of production method (Mike, Ron and Allister, 1994). And in most companies, especially in the large corporations, they will use the straight-line method, because it is the easiest one to compute the depreciation. This essay will illustrate some method that usually used in the companies and contract with each method to find out which one is the most useful. At the beginning, the essay will illustrate the straight-line method , the second one is reducing balance method, the third method is sum of digits, and the last one is the unit of production method. Below each method, the essay will give an example, which is calculated by me. Under the straight-line method, the annual depreciation expense is the same over the asset’s estimated useful life every year. The annual depreciation expense is determined by depreciation cost divided by the useful life of the asset or multiplied by the annual rate of depreciation (Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, 2003). Example 1 An asset costs  ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000, its expected salvage value is  ¿Ã‚ ¡1,000, its estimated useful life is 5 years. Depreciable cost = ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000- ¿Ã‚ ¡1,000 = ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000 Annual depreciation expense = ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000/5years= ¿Ã‚ ¡2,000 OR Annual rate of depreciation =100%à ·5years=20% Annual depreciation expense = ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000*20%= ¿Ã‚ ¡2,000 Year 1 Cost  ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000 Depreciation 2,000 Year 2 Net book value 9,000 Depreciation 2,000 Year 3 Net book value 7,000 Depreciation 2,000 Year 4 Net book value 5,000 Depreciation 2,000 Year 5 Net book value 3,000 Depreciation 2,000 Net book value 1,000 The straight-line method is the simplest way among all the methods; it suitable for the use of asset is unvarying during the useful life; it is popular used by large corporation, such as Campbell Soup, Marriott Corporation and General Mills. However, the reducing balance method has a falling depreciation amount every year during the useful life of the asset. The changing depreciation is depended on the book value (cost less accumulated depreciation). It is calculated to multiply the book value at the beginning of the year and the reducing balance depreciation rate (Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, 2003). Example 2 An asset costs (book value at the beginning of year)  ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000, its expected salvage value is  ¿Ã‚ ¡1,000, its estimated useful life is 5 years. Reducing balance depreciation rate = 100%à ·5years=20%* Calculation o f  ¿Ã‚ ¡901.12( ¿Ã‚ ¡4505.6ÃÆ'-20%) is adjusted to  ¿Ã‚ ¡3505.6 in order to make the book value equal salvage value (Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, 2003). Sum of digits is another kind of reducing balance method, which has the closest connection with useful life and salvage value of the asset. The depreciation cost is multiply depreciation cost (asset cost less salvage value) by digits of each year (Mike, Ron and Allister, 1994). Example 3 An asset costs  ¿Ã‚ ¡11,000, its expected salvage value is  ¿Ã‚ ¡1,000, its estimated useful life is 5 years The digits add up is 1+2+3+4+5=15

Geordie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Geordie - Essay Example The dialect originated from Celtic, the native tongue of the Brythons or Britains, who occupied the British Isles south of what is today Scotland. Although Roman occupation may have had some influence on this ancient language through the introduction of Latin into elite Celtic society, subsequent invasions by the Anglo-Saxons, tribes from the north of what is now Germany and from Denmark, have left little concrete evidence. A clearer picture emerges with regard to the invaders themselves who, despite having evaded Roman occupation, had had considerable contact with the empire, reflected in the linguistic development of their vernacular. Leith points to such words as cheese, which he traces back to the Latin caseus (Leith 1997, p. 15). With this quite considerable Latin component in their ‘undeveloped, oral vernacular’, they either killed, displaced or absorbed the Celtic population of Northern England, with little evidence that the Celtic language was absorbed together w ith the people (Leith 1997, p 17). When Latin eventually did feature more prominently in the Anglo-Saxon language, it was through writing, the preserve of elite scholars, brought via Christianity from Ireland. From this period come such words as Abbot, Choir, Mass, with clear religious origins (Leith 1997, p. 20). Parallel to this development, the Anglo-Saxon language ceased to be oral vernacular and became a written administrative function in support of the various small kingdoms that had begun to form. Among these, Northumberland was of some importance but the written language that developed here was distinctly different from those in other monarchies, to the extent that the difference impaired mutual comprehension and where these ‘dialects’ could be... This report approves that many of the prominent features of Geordie have already been discussed in a more general context, and are common to a number of Northern dialects. Examples of more specifically Geordie features are a sing-song quality to their speech and rising intonation, followed by a sustained pitch, if the first rising syllable is not the final one. Geordie features a significant component of words that bear close resemblance to original Anglo-Saxon words, some of which have already been discussed. Other features of Geordie are less specific to the Tyneside area and form part of Northern dialects in general or at least some of them, giving the impression of a lively ongoing exchange and continual movement within and between dialects. Trudgill has examined this phenomenon and has predicted the continued existence of the Northeast area dialects, with Geordie set to spread to encompass a larger area that includes Newcastle and surroundings. This paper has traced the historical, political and socio-economic influences that have shaped the modern dialect of Tyneside, highlighted some of the more salient points along the way and, above all, has attempted to portray the complex and overlapping nature of transmission of dialectic features. The picture that has emerged is one of general leveling of dialectic elements, brought about in the past by the standardization attempts to which all English dialects have been subjected.

Governor Deval Patrick-Commonwealth of Massachusetts Essay

Governor Deval Patrick-Commonwealth of Massachusetts - Essay Example Patrick is much concerned with education and that is his main reason of funding the public education at the highest level in the history of the common-wealth. Governor Patrick also made his state to be the leading in biotech, biopharmaceuticals and information technology. Issues of infrastructure and expansion of affordable health care were solved by Governor Patrick. Massachusetts home through the Governor managed to be the first state to have offshore wind farm. These amazing performances made the people of his state to describe him as a high (Strong) performing culture leader (Lussier & Achua, 2013). Governor Patrick as a person who grew up in a poor family, he understands in detail most of the problems the members of society are facing. For this reason, he must be strict to issues related to society such as leadership. As a matter of facts, we all see the Governor financing public school education at the top level in the past of commonwealth that later emerged top in the national competition (Lussier & Achua, 2013). Education according to him was the main key point to success to a child into adulthood. Governor Patrick and his administration embraced variety of ideas that could help to boost the living of residents who elected him (Lussier & Achua, 2013). Almost 98% of residents could get access to affordable medical care assistance. The administration through the support of the Governor also ensured that the state is entitled to good leadership, modernized infrastructure and quality education. It is clear evidence that Governor Patrick represents in him some core principles of leadership. First, we get to find Patrick growing up in a broken home and in poverty where most of the advices he got were from his teachers and the grandmother where he was being told to hope for the best and work for it (Lussier & Achua, 2013). Patrick’s academic career in Harvard made ways for him. As a student, he was elected as an assistant attorney general for

Stories Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stories - Assignment Example I learned that supporting characters are important to the plot. They lend intrigue to the main characters. The conflict is not always what it seems through supporting characters. These essays have made me want to develop my fiction essays through rich supporting characters. 2. The original story is very different from the film version. In the movie version of Tarzan, the brute force and violence is emphasized more. Tarzan is a super human that saves a weak woman in the jungle. However, in the story Tarzan is not only strong, but intelligent as well. â€Å"For a moment he scrutinized the ground below and the trees above until the ape that was in him by virtue of training and environment, combined with the intelligence that was his by right of birth† (Burroughs 47). I think the reason for the conflict is the nature versus nurture debate. Burroughs used the nature for Tarzan’s intelligence and nurture for his strength. However, in today’s society everybody is into t he nurture theory. Thus Tarzan’s strengths are put forth in the movies instead of his intelligence. I have already read the book. 3. Emily poisoned Homer. She went to the druggist and stated â€Å"I want poison† (Faulkner 60). Since she lived to be an old woman, the poison must have been used for Homer. â€Å"Thus she passed from generation to generation† (Faulkner 61). ... 4. My feelings about â€Å"Saving Sourdi† were sympathetic to the little sister, Nea. She wanted to save her sister from an arranged marriage. Mr. Chhay is a good husband. â€Å"Slowly the room came into focus. It was a mess. Baby toys on the carpet, shoes in a pile by the door, old newspapers scattered on an end table anchored by a bowl of peanut shells† (Chai 83). If he was a bad husband, the house would have been spotless. After Duke hit him â€Å"Mr. Chhay kept repeating, ‘No problem, don’t worry’† (Chai 83). If he had a bad temper, Mr. Chhay would have thrown both Nea and Duke out. He would have beaten Duke up. Mr. Chhay was a good husband. Nea’s relationship to her sister was one of protector. Nea tried to protect Sourdi even if she did not need protection. I would have done the same thing for any of my siblings. 5. 5. The family in â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† is a typical American family. The Grandmother lives with a n only son and his family. This situation is a conflict itself. The Grandmother wants to do things her way, but the family goes about their life with little interest in what the Grandmother wants. â€Å"The grandmother didn't want to go to Florida. She wanted to visit some of her connections in east Tennessee and she was seizing at every chance to change Bailey's mind. Bailey was the son she lived with, her only boy† (O’Connor 261). The Grandmother gives advice throughout the trip, but Bailey did not listen. This is familiar. Many younger people do not take their elders’ advice. The title suggests that people should not trust each other because good men are hard to find. Older people have learned that lesson, but younger people feel invincible. The theme is younger people should

Criminal Justice System Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Criminal Justice System - Term Paper Example There has been the tremendous interest of late into the political, social and commercial realities of the victims of crime. This is encompassed within a broad-ranging view concerning the changing role of victims within the criminal justice process, their needs and rights, as well as victimological theories which help to explain and understand the process of victimization.   In tandem to this, there has been a parallel interest in the political, social and commercial realities of the perpetrators of the crime which lead to a set of factors that spurred the happening of the crime events.   These augmenting factors if tackled and resolved effectively would help reduce crime. This, in fact, is the preventive approach to crime. Different criminal justice systems the world over have different core orientations. For instance, the US criminal justice system views itself as following a â€Å"systems" approach to criminal justice, with improved coordination among law enforcement, courts, and correctional agencies. (Walker,1992) The 1967 President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice termed the criminal justice system as the means for society to "enforce the standards of conduct necessary to protect individuals and the community".(President’s,1967) The criminal justice system in the United Kingdom ,on the other hand, focuses on the post-crime concepts of the quantum and justice meted out and the quality of such justice   and has the objective of crime reduction   â€Å" by bringing more offences to justice, and to raise public confidence that the system is fair and will deliver for the law-abiding citizen.†(Criminal Justice) Whereas in the neighboring nation to the US i.e. Canada, the criminal justice system has been oriented and balanced to attain the goals of crime control and prevention, and dispensation of predefined justice (equity, fairness, protection of individual rights) (Schmolka) A British counterpart in Europe, i .e. in Sweden, the focused goal for the criminal justice system is to reduce crime and increase the security of the people.

Beneficiary Interest Vs. Trustee Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Beneficiary Interest Vs. Trustee Power - Essay Example Trustees, having legal title to the property can exercise control over the property via the powers and rights bestowed on them by the settlor, who himself may be a beneficiary or trustee. These rights and powers arise from their office; they are to be exercised in their capacity as trustee and in the interest of beneficiaries who have beneficial ownership. With this beneficial title comes in equity, rights in respect of the trust rights themselves although not direct rights to possession of the trust property, (Law Commission 2011, P.227).These rights vary with the kind of trust created. The separation of ownership is one of the defining features of trusts .These powers pertain particularly in the trustee’s duty to invest the trust funds, duty to keep trust accounts and a duty to distribute trust assets according to the specifications of the trust. For breach of his duties, a trustee is liable for breach of trust for which the beneficiaries can sue for a money judgement. Benef iciaries have a right to due performance of the trust and to be considered. Powers of Investment The duty of investment has two major components: a duty to invest trust fund so as to be fair or even-handed between the different beneficiaries classes and a duty to invest the trust rights in such a manner as to protect them risk but also ensure reasonable returns.What amounts to investment is a matter of case law. In Re Powers, the court rejected the purchase of a house as residence for the beneficiaries as an investment because there would be no receipt of income from this. As pertains to even-handedness, the benefit of trust property is often divided into income and capital beneficiaries and it accrues as rent, dividends and so on. The guiding principle being that the character of an expense or receipt determines who bears it, hence capita for capital beneficiaries and expenses of an income nature are borne by income beneficiaries, (Penner 2008, P.275). Where such divisions cannot b e made, for example where all investment is income as in cases of wasting assets or where the investment doesn’t generate any income a trustee may favour a capital over an income beneficiary or vice-versa. Courts thus impose a duty of fairness requiring the trustee to equally weigh the capital in the making of his investment decisions. As demonstrable by the New Zealand case, Re Mulligan (1998), the duty to invest is a fiduciary one and only by being even-handed can he be said to have acted in the best interests of all beneficiaries. In the case the trustee investment choice maximised the income of the life tenant but there was little capital left in the fund on her death. Interestingly, Cowan v Scargill (1985) Megarry V-C held that trustees’ refusal of an investment plan amounted to a breach in trust. The standard of prudence required is subject to reasonableness, a trustee isn’t expected to overcome the market or save the fund from declining economic woes. The higher the risk of an investment the higher the returns to it. Historically, courts favoured safer options and until recently confined trustees to fixed interest government securities despite the broadness of investment clauses as designed by the settlor of the estate. Once interpreted restrictively, investment clauses are now given their plain meaning, Re Harari’s Settlement Trust, (1949). The Trustee Act gives the legal investment in the absence of clear instructions on the settlor’s part. The law gives a trustee limited powers to delegate investment-making decisions as is the power to appoint

Stories Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stories - Assignment Example I learned that supporting characters are important to the plot. They lend intrigue to the main characters. The conflict is not always what it seems through supporting characters. These essays have made me want to develop my fiction essays through rich supporting characters. 2. The original story is very different from the film version. In the movie version of Tarzan, the brute force and violence is emphasized more. Tarzan is a super human that saves a weak woman in the jungle. However, in the story Tarzan is not only strong, but intelligent as well. â€Å"For a moment he scrutinized the ground below and the trees above until the ape that was in him by virtue of training and environment, combined with the intelligence that was his by right of birth† (Burroughs 47). I think the reason for the conflict is the nature versus nurture debate. Burroughs used the nature for Tarzan’s intelligence and nurture for his strength. However, in today’s society everybody is into t he nurture theory. Thus Tarzan’s strengths are put forth in the movies instead of his intelligence. I have already read the book. 3. Emily poisoned Homer. She went to the druggist and stated â€Å"I want poison† (Faulkner 60). Since she lived to be an old woman, the poison must have been used for Homer. â€Å"Thus she passed from generation to generation† (Faulkner 61). ... 4. My feelings about â€Å"Saving Sourdi† were sympathetic to the little sister, Nea. She wanted to save her sister from an arranged marriage. Mr. Chhay is a good husband. â€Å"Slowly the room came into focus. It was a mess. Baby toys on the carpet, shoes in a pile by the door, old newspapers scattered on an end table anchored by a bowl of peanut shells† (Chai 83). If he was a bad husband, the house would have been spotless. After Duke hit him â€Å"Mr. Chhay kept repeating, ‘No problem, don’t worry’† (Chai 83). If he had a bad temper, Mr. Chhay would have thrown both Nea and Duke out. He would have beaten Duke up. Mr. Chhay was a good husband. Nea’s relationship to her sister was one of protector. Nea tried to protect Sourdi even if she did not need protection. I would have done the same thing for any of my siblings. 5. 5. The family in â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† is a typical American family. The Grandmother lives with a n only son and his family. This situation is a conflict itself. The Grandmother wants to do things her way, but the family goes about their life with little interest in what the Grandmother wants. â€Å"The grandmother didn't want to go to Florida. She wanted to visit some of her connections in east Tennessee and she was seizing at every chance to change Bailey's mind. Bailey was the son she lived with, her only boy† (O’Connor 261). The Grandmother gives advice throughout the trip, but Bailey did not listen. This is familiar. Many younger people do not take their elders’ advice. The title suggests that people should not trust each other because good men are hard to find. Older people have learned that lesson, but younger people feel invincible. The theme is younger people should

Beneficiary Interest Vs. Trustee Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Beneficiary Interest Vs. Trustee Power - Essay Example Trustees, having legal title to the property can exercise control over the property via the powers and rights bestowed on them by the settlor, who himself may be a beneficiary or trustee. These rights and powers arise from their office; they are to be exercised in their capacity as trustee and in the interest of beneficiaries who have beneficial ownership. With this beneficial title comes in equity, rights in respect of the trust rights themselves although not direct rights to possession of the trust property, (Law Commission 2011, P.227).These rights vary with the kind of trust created. The separation of ownership is one of the defining features of trusts .These powers pertain particularly in the trustee’s duty to invest the trust funds, duty to keep trust accounts and a duty to distribute trust assets according to the specifications of the trust. For breach of his duties, a trustee is liable for breach of trust for which the beneficiaries can sue for a money judgement. Benef iciaries have a right to due performance of the trust and to be considered. Powers of Investment The duty of investment has two major components: a duty to invest trust fund so as to be fair or even-handed between the different beneficiaries classes and a duty to invest the trust rights in such a manner as to protect them risk but also ensure reasonable returns.What amounts to investment is a matter of case law. In Re Powers, the court rejected the purchase of a house as residence for the beneficiaries as an investment because there would be no receipt of income from this. As pertains to even-handedness, the benefit of trust property is often divided into income and capital beneficiaries and it accrues as rent, dividends and so on. The guiding principle being that the character of an expense or receipt determines who bears it, hence capita for capital beneficiaries and expenses of an income nature are borne by income beneficiaries, (Penner 2008, P.275). Where such divisions cannot b e made, for example where all investment is income as in cases of wasting assets or where the investment doesn’t generate any income a trustee may favour a capital over an income beneficiary or vice-versa. Courts thus impose a duty of fairness requiring the trustee to equally weigh the capital in the making of his investment decisions. As demonstrable by the New Zealand case, Re Mulligan (1998), the duty to invest is a fiduciary one and only by being even-handed can he be said to have acted in the best interests of all beneficiaries. In the case the trustee investment choice maximised the income of the life tenant but there was little capital left in the fund on her death. Interestingly, Cowan v Scargill (1985) Megarry V-C held that trustees’ refusal of an investment plan amounted to a breach in trust. The standard of prudence required is subject to reasonableness, a trustee isn’t expected to overcome the market or save the fund from declining economic woes. The higher the risk of an investment the higher the returns to it. Historically, courts favoured safer options and until recently confined trustees to fixed interest government securities despite the broadness of investment clauses as designed by the settlor of the estate. Once interpreted restrictively, investment clauses are now given their plain meaning, Re Harari’s Settlement Trust, (1949). The Trustee Act gives the legal investment in the absence of clear instructions on the settlor’s part. The law gives a trustee limited powers to delegate investment-making decisions as is the power to appoint

Germans children Essay Example for Free

Germans children Essay The children of the Jewish Holocaust during the Nazi era were placed under very unjust, cruel, and exacting circumstances. Education, a basic right of children in developed nations of that era, was denied to Jews in areas of Europe where Hitler’s rule and influence were adopted. During the time of transition during which the exclusion of Jewish children from schools was being implemented, non-Jewish children were formally taught that their Jewish counterparts were inferior. In order to do this, Jewish youth were used to demonstrate the appearance of inferiority by placing them in front of the class and pointing out their characteristic phenotypes as being undesirable. Occurrences like this placed severe limitations on the ability of Jews to learn in these schools, as they were constantly mistreated, neglected, and abused because of their race. Growing restrictions were also placed upon these children’s accessibility to the resources within the schools, until finally they were prevented altogether from attending schools, which were open now only to Germans children (FCIT). Fred Spiegel describes his first weeks of school (shul) in Dinslaken, Germany, where he had to attend a Jewish shul, as the German schools were no longer open to Jewish children (Spiegel 27, 29). The alternative Jewish schools were understaffed and unsupported by the state. Spiegel himself recalls his school’s having only one teacher (29). Later, Arnold Blum recalls an even more frightening occurrence in which his school was being burned before his very eyes (Blum, 20). He immortalizes this event in his memoir â€Å"Kristallnacht† (20). More than just restricting these Jewish children’s ability to attend state schools, they were being stripped of their right to any education at all in the burning of their Jewish school. The parks were also an area in which Jewish children felt the abuse of Nazism. German children, who were armed with the idea that Jews were inferior, played in the parks and discriminated against the Jews they found there. The Jewish children were called names, spat upon, and otherwise abused by non-Jewish children. Spiegel also describes his time spent in the park behind his house in Dinslaken. The last time he remembers going there, he was cursed and called a â€Å"Dirty Jew† by the other children (Spiegel, 28). His grandfather too was cursed by his friends. Kristallnacht, which occurred on November 9-10, 1938, ushered in the destruction of all that was Jewish. Beyond the burning of schools came the burning and destruction of Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues (Blum, 20). Fred Spiegel recalls the night he was forced to leave his home and the abuses even he as a child faced. He was already emotionally crippled by the sight of his community being gutted by fires. He further recalls being cursed and spit upon by the non-Jews as he and his family were being forced from their homes. Some Jews were evicted to concentration camps and ghettos. Others were turned out of the country altogether. Spiegel writes about the events he witnessed upon entering his home, which had been destroyed, for the last time as a child: â€Å"My mother, sister, and my Aunt Klara were standing on the balcony crying. My grandfather had been arrested and taken away by two policemen. [†¦] Soon the two policemen returned. We were told we could not stay in our apartment and had to go with them. On the way out we passed by the downstairs apartment that was empty because the Abosch-family, a Jewish family who had rented it from my mother, had been expelled to Poland a few weeks earlier. Their apartment too was totally destroyed† (Spiegel, 30). Children were also abused through the mandate that they live in the ghettos. Because the ghettos were sequestered from the rest of the German civilization and restrictions were placed on items that could be brought into the area, children often suffered hunger. Many of them were reduced to smuggling food into the ghettos in order to aid in the support of their families. While these were very risky actions, some Jewish children were left even more vulnerable as their parents were killed or taken away to concentration camps. These orphaned children were left alone in the ghettos to make a living under doubly cruel circumstances.

John Rawls Theory of Justice Summary

John Rawls Theory of Justice Summary A Theory of Justice (1971), by John Rawls, is one of the most influential works in moral and political philosophy written in the twentieth century, according to Samuel Freeman in the Collected Papers of John Rawls (1999). A Theory of Justice is Rawlss attempt to formulate a philosophy of justice and a theoretical program for establishing political structures designed to preserve social justice and individual liberty. Rawls writes in reaction to the then predominant theory of utilitarianism, which posits that justice is defined by that which provides the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Rawls proposes a theoretical person who, shrouded in a veil of ignorance, must design a just society without foreknowledge of his or her own status in that society. Rawls asserts that from this objective vantage point, which he calls the original position, the individual will choose a system of justice that adequately provides for those positioned on the lowest rungs of society. The ind ividual will do so because he or she may end up in such a disadvantaged position and will want to be adequately provided for. Rawls draws from earlier theories of political philosophy that posit a social contract by which individuals implicitly agree to the terms on which they are governed in any society. Rawls concludes that such a social contract, formulated from the perspective of the original position, will guarantee a just society without sacrificing the happiness or liberty of any one individual. Rawls addresses issues of liberty, social equality, democracy, and the conflict of interests between the individual and society. A Theory of Justice Summary: Justice as Fairness In A Theory of Justice, Rawls begins with the statement that, Justice is the first virtue of social institution, meaning that a good society is one structured according to principals of justice. Rawls asserts that existing theories of justice, developed in the field of philosophy, are not adequate: My guiding aim is to work out A Theory of Justice that is a viable alternative to these doctrines which have long dominated our philosophical tradition. He calls his theory-aimed at formulating a conception of the basic structure of society in accordance with social justice-justice as fairness. Rawls sets forth to determine the essential principles of justice on which a good society may be based. He explains the importance of principles of justice for two key purposes: first, to provide a way of assigning rights and duties in the basic institutions of society; and secondly, to define the appropriate distribution of the benefits and burdens of society. He observes that, by his definition, well-ordered societies are rare due to the fact that what is just and unjust is usually in dispute. He further notes that a well-ordered and perfectly just society must be formulated in a way that addresses the problems of efficiency, coordination, and stability. Critique of Utilitarianism A brief synopsis from Wikipedia: In A Theory of Justice, Rawls argues for a principled reconciliation of liberty and equality. Central to this effort is an account of the circumstances of justice (inspired by David Hume), and a fair choice situation (closer in spirit to Immanuel Kant) for parties facing such circumstances. Principles of justice are sought to guide the conduct of the parties. These parties face moderate scarcity, and they are neither naturally altruistic nor purely egoistic: they have ends which they seek to advance, but desire to advance them through cooperation with others on mutually acceptable terms. Rawls offers a model of a fair choice situation (the original position with its veil of ignorance) within which parties would hypothetically choose mutually acceptable principles of justice. Under such constraints, Rawls believes that parties would find his favored principles of justice to be especially attractive, winning out over varied alternatives, including utilitarian and libertarian accounts. In 1974, Rawls colleague at Harvard, Robert Nozick, published a defense of libertarian justice, Anarchy, State, and Utopia.[3] Because it is, in part, a reaction to A Theory of Justice, the two books are now often read together. Another Harvard colleague, Michael Walzer, wrote a defence of communitarian political philosophy, Spheres of Justice,[4] as a result of a seminar he co-taught with Nozick. In a related line of criticism, Michael Sandel (also a Harvard colleague) wrote Liberalism and the Limits of Justice,[5] which took Rawls to task for asking us to think about justice while divorcing ourselves from the very values and aspirations that define us. Sandels line of argument in part draws on critiques of Rawls advanced by both Charles Taylor and Alasdair MacIntyre who argue for the importance that moral ontologies have on ethical arguments.[6] Robert Paul Wolff wrote Understanding Rawls: A Critique and Reconstruction of A Theory of Justice[7] immediately following the publication of A Theory of Justice, which criticized Rawls from a roughly Marxist perspective. Wolff argues in this work that Rawls theory is an apology for the status quo insofar as it constructs justice from existing practice and forecloses the possibility that there may be problems of injustice embedded in capitalist social relations, private property or the market economy. Feminist critics of Rawls, such as Susan Moller Okin,[8] largely focused on the extent to which Rawls theory could account for (if at all) injustices and hierarchies embedded in familial relations. Rawls argued that justice ought only to apply to the basic structure of society. Feminists, rallying around the theme of the personal is political, took Rawls to task for failing to account for injustices found in patriarchal social relations and the gendered division of labor, especially in the household. The assumptions of the original position, and in particular, the use of maximin reasoning, have also been criticized (most notably by Kenneth Arrow[9] and John Harsanyi),[10] with the implication either that Rawls designed the original position to derive the two principles, or that an original position more faithful to its initial purpose would not lead to his favored principles. In reply Rawls has emphasized the role of the original position as a device of representation for making sense of the idea of a fair choice situation for free and equal citizens.[11] Rawls has also emphasized the relatively modest role that maximin plays in his argument: it is a useful heuristic rule of thumb given the curious features of choice behind the veil of ignorance.[12] Some egalitarian critics have raised concerns over Rawls emphasis on primary social goods. For instance, Amartya Sen has argued that we should attend not only to the distribution of primary goods, but also how effectively people are able to use those goods to pursue their ends.[13] In a related vein, Norman Daniels has wondered why healthcare shouldnt be treated as a primary good,[14] and some of his subsequent work has addressed this question, arguing for a right to health care within a broadly Rawlsian framework.[15] Philosopher Allan Bloom, a student of Leo Strauss, criticized Rawls for failing to account for the existence of natural right in his theory of justice, and wrote that Rawls absolutizes social union as the ultimate goal which would conventionalize everything into artifice.[16] Recent criticisms of Rawls theory have come from the philosopher G.A. Cohen. Cohens series of influential papers culminated first in his book, If Youre An Egalitarian, How Come Youre So Rich?[17] and then in his later work, Rescuing Justice and Equality. Cohens criticisms are leveled against Rawls avowal of inequality under the difference principle, against his application of the principle only to social institutions, and against Rawlsian fetishism with primary goods (again, the metric which Rawls chooses as his currency of equality). Philosopher and Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen, a former student of Rawls, critiques and attempts to revitalize A Theory of Justice in his 2009 book The Idea of Justice. He defends the basic notion of justice as fairness but attacks the notion that the two principles of justice emerging from the Original position are necessary. Sen claims that there are multiple possible outcomes of the reflective equilibrium behind the veil of ignorance. A Theory of Justice (1971), by John Rawls, is one of the most influential works in moral and political philosophy written in the twentieth century, according to Samuel Freeman in the Collected Papers of John Rawls (1999). A Theory of Justice is Rawlss attempt to formulate a philosophy of justice and a theoretical program for establishing political structures designed to preserve social justice and individual liberty. Rawls writes in reaction to the then predominant theory of utilitarianism, which posits that justice is defined by that which provides the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Rawls proposes a theoretical person who, shrouded in a veil of ignorance, must design a just society without foreknowledge of his or her own status in that society. Rawls asserts that from this objective vantage point, which he calls the original position, the individual will choose a system of justice that adequately provides for those positioned on the lowest rungs of society. The individual will do so because he or she may end up in such a disadvantaged position and will want to be adequately provided for. Rawls draws from earlier theories of political philosophy that posit a social contract by which individuals implicitly agree to the terms on which they are governed in any society. Rawls concludes that such a social contract, formulated from the perspective of the original position, will guarantee a just society without sacrificing the happiness or liberty of any one individual. Rawls addresses issues of liberty, social equality, democracy, and the conflict of interests between the individual and society. A Theory of Justice Summary Justice as Fairness In A Theory of Justice, Rawls begins with the statement that, Justice is the first virtue of social institution, meaning that a good society is one structured according to principals of justice. Rawls asserts that existing theories of justice, developed in the field of philosophy, are not adequate: My guiding aim is to work out A Theory of Justice that is a viable alternative to these doctrines which have long dominated our philosophical tradition. He calls his theory-aimed at formulating a conception of the basic structure of society in accordance with social justice-justice as fairness. Rawls sets forth to determine the essential principles of justice on which a good society may be based. He explains the importance of principles of justice for two key purposes: first, to provide a way of assigning rights and duties in the basic institutions of society; and secondly, to define the appropriate distribution of the benefits and burdens of society. He observes that, by his definition, well-ordered societies are rare due to the fact that what is just and unjust is usually in dispute. He further notes that a well-ordered and perfectly just society must be formulated in a way that addresses the problems of efficiency, coordination, and stability. Critique of Utilitarianism Throughout the twentieth century, the dominant philosophical theory of justice in Western philosophy was utilitarianism. Utilitarianism was first developed in the nineteenth century by the great utilitarians, whom Rawls lists as David Hume, Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart Mill. Utilitarianism essentially posits that a just society is one based on achieving the greatest good, or happiness, for the greatest number of people. However, many theorists have found this principle ultimately unsatisfactory because it implies that the  » Complete A Theory of Justice Summary I fondly recall arguing about Rawls theories in John Singers Values and Institutions class at Colgate, so it was interesting to finally try reading it.   It turns out, the revolution that Rawls created was based on a simple but totally specious change in the assumptions about human nature, and upon this rotten foundation he built up a shaky edifice to justify Liberal yearnings.   The book is reminiscent of a treatise by a Medieval scientist, working out the elaborate orbital patterns that planets would require if the Universe actually were geocentric. In order to accomplish his revolution, Rawls posited a counterintuitive and antihistorical starting point for the discussion of political theory. The great political philosophers, Hobbes, Locke, etc., had used the state of nature as the starting point for their theories.   In this state of nature, men were assumed to be completely self-centered and dedicated only to their own interests, with the result that life was nasty, brutish and short and only the strongest survived.   But gradually men tired of this blood sport and entered into a social contract wherein they surrendered some personal sovereignty to a central governing entity, which, in whatever form, would enforce a set of impartial laws in order to protect men from one another.   This is a pretty minimalist position, the social contract and the government that it creates serve only to provide a certain level of physical security, leaving men free to pursue their own fortunes and taking no interest in the degree to which they succeed.   But it conforms with our intuitive understanding of human nature, our observations of our fellow man and, most importantly, it has proven a workable basis for understanding politics for some 300 years. The essential change that Rawls made was to replace the State of Nature with his Original Position, wherein, when it came time for primordial man to enter into a social contract, because he would be ignorant of his own capacities (the veil of ignorance), he would pursue a low risk strategy and choose a social contract based on egalitarianism; he would seek the most equal distribution of wealth and power possible, just in case it turned out that he was the least fit of the species. If Rawls is right, if men acted on the assumption that they would be one of the ones left behind once the race of life begins, then the rest of his theory might be worth examining.   But, of course, this assumption runs counter to everything we understand about ourselves and our fellow human beings.   It is a fuzzy headed liberals view of the appropriate strategy for lifes losersmake political decisions on the basis of the likelihood that you are a loser and need help.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   But look around a casino or a Lottery Ticket line and you will see that the losers think that they too are winners.   Look at polls about taxation levels and you find that the lower class does not want the upper class taxed too heavily, because they assume that they, or their children, are headed for that bracket eventually.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   It turns out that people act very much as the great philosophers expected them to; they act out of naked self interest and the belief that t hey are capable and deserve whatever they can achieve.   The justice that men seek is in fact little more than an impartial application of a set of laws that are fair to all, not an equal distribution of goods and power, which would necessarily impinge on the freedom of all. Rawls great error is to try to base his theory on a generalized yearning for happiness.   Rawls was seeking a positive definition of Mans aspiration in the original position, but the inevitable result, because we will all define happiness differently, is to create a foundational quagmire for his theories.   After all, you may define happiness as having a lot of stuff, but I may define it as spiritual enlightenment.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   The classic understanding, basing the social contract on the avoidance of death, is obviously universal, we are all agreed that our own deaths are to be avoided, and, therefore, more sound.   . Finding the basic supposition that props up Rawls whole theory to be fundamentally incorrect, it behooves us little to examine the superstructure he seeks to construct upon this error.   Suffice it to say, no system of government has ever achieved a more equal distribution of wealth and power than has the American Constitutional Republic and it is based on the classic understanding of human nature found in Hobbes and Locke.   Nuff said. (Reviewed:) John Rawls is perhaps the most significant intellectual in philosophical ethics to have written in the past hundred years. It is nearly impossible to address ethics in contemporary philosophy without saying something about John Rawls. Central to his theory of justice are the concepts of fairness and equality from behind what he terms a veil of ignorance. Rawlss veil of ignorance is a component of the way people can construct society. He refers to an original position in which a person is attempting to determine a fair arrangement for society without any preconceived notions or prejudices. In this original position, people are behind what Rawls calls a Veil of Ignorance and do not know where they will fall in the social hierarchy in terms of race, class, sex, disability, and other relevant factors. Rawls is a Kantian liberal in that he believes that principles of justice should be universalizable, and so the only way to ensure that people will select fair principles of justice is to be certain that they do not know how the principles they select might affect them as individuals. A person behind the veil of ignorance does not know which side of a social contract he or she will be on, does not know his or her race, class, sex, or status in society. A person who does not know what privileges he or she will be born with (or without ) is, in Rawls view, more likely to construct a society that does not arbitrarily assign privilege based on characteristics that should have no bearing on what people get. Rawls believes that a society cannot be just without fairness and equalit y and believes this veil of ignorance both reveals the biases of In A Theory of Justice, Rawls attempts to make a rational study of social ethics by using reason to determine what a just society should look like and how a rational group of people would organize themselves. One major  topic of interest that Rawls presents is the veil of ignorance concept and its role in the creation of original position. Two further concepts of importance to the theory of a just society are the difference principle and the concept of individual liberty in society. Together, these three concepts provide a basis for the discussion and critique of Rawls theory and its implications for the pursuance of justice. Current society and can help to prevent biases in establishing future social arrangements. Rawls method to justice as a theory proposes that principles of justice can be determined through the rational thinking of individuals shrouded by a veil of ignorance. In a purely hypothetical situation, the veil of ignorance creates an original position of equality in which persons under the veil have no knowledge of status, position in society, personal wealth or natural abilities. From behind the veil of ignorance, a rational, objective and disinterested group of people would choose a system of justice that ensures an equal distribution of rights and duties. The term reflective equilibrium was coined by John Rawls and popularized in his celebrated A Theory of Justice as a method for arriving at the content of the principles of justice. Abstract John Rawls Theory of Justice (1971) is the single most important philosophical work of the Left since Marx. Rawls A Theory of Justice can be understood as two theories addressing two different subjects. The split can also be seen textually. The first half of the book deals almost exclusively with the hypothetical theory of justice founded in the original position. The second half of the book addresses how actual institutions should operate given the findings of the initial theory. There are many instances, such as Rawls distinction between fair and formal equal opportunity, where Rawls claims that the purely speculative arguments of his theory can justify his claims concerning actual situations. However, as Sher argues, it is not necessarily the case that Rawls can make the connection. Rawls hypothetical theory can operate on its own. Rawls theory of just institutions is a stronger argument if he does not try and connect the two theories. The problem of desert is one example of how R awls theory of justice as fairness should be read as two theories. Rawls offers a theory of a just and well-ordered society which would distribute wealth, income, liberties, opportunities and positions of authority. He considers justice as fairness as a political -moral conception of justice. The principles of justice are two according to Ralws and these would justify a given body of social, moral and political ideas since they are congruent to our ferments convictions. Utilitarianism was first developed in the nineteenth century by the great utilitarians. Utilitarianism essentially posits that a just society is one based on achieving the greatest good, or happiness, for the greatest number of people. However, Rawls rejects Utilitarianism, for it fails to take into consideration, the distinction that exists between individuals. Since it aims at the greatest happiness and tries to maximize greatest welfare, it fails to secure individual rights. Rawls relies on the social contract tradition in its Kantian form to account for principles that would guide individuals noumenal selves, secure equal basic liberties to all and account for social values and community. In A Theory of Justice, Rawls begins with the statement that, Justice is the first virtue of social institution, meaning that a good society is one structured according to principals of justice. . Rawls asserts that existing theories of justice, developed in the field of philosophy, are not adequate: My guiding aim is to work out A Theory of Justice that is a viable alternative to these doctrines which have long dominated our philosophical tradition. He calls his theory-aimed at formulating a conception of the basic structure of society in accordance with social justice-justice as fairness. He claims that justice as fairness provides a practical political procedure, which satisfies the demand of modern democracies societies. Pluralism entailed by industrial societies is presumed to be the permanent features of modern democracies, which challenges the priority of philosophy over democracy. However, Rawls theory has received large scale attention by some well-known Academicians. Some of them have disagreed and challenged its basic assumptions. These critical appraisals, but, indicate the importance of his work if one wants to deliberate on problems of contemporary social and political theory. In this thesis will try to excavate the philosophical understanding of the Rawlsian theory of justice and also try to identify the philosophical shift in his position under the light of some of major critiques.