Heaven free essay sample

# 8217 ; s Gate Cult Essay, Research Paper On March 26, 1997, in what has become known as one of the most notable mass self-destructions in history, 39 work forces and adult females affiliated with the Heavens Gate cult took their ain lives by consuming a combination of Sodium thiopentals assorted with apple sauce and intoxicant. Each was dressed all in black, their faces covered by a violet shroud. Those who wore spectacless had them neatly folded following to their organic structure, and all had designation documents for the governments to happen. The house was speckless, tidier even than before the victims had moved in. It was as if, in fixing for their decease, they were minding the words of the prophesier Isaiah: # 8220 ; Set thine house in order ; for 1000 shalt dice, and non live. # 8221 ; And while their disconnected terminal may look instead unusual, the manner they lived is even more perplexing. The group came together in the mid 1970s under the magnetic sermon of Marshall Herff Applewhite, and his comrade, Bonnie Lu Nettles, a former nurse. We will write a custom essay sample on Heaven or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It enjoyed a ephemeral explosion of ill fame, during which clip they referred to themselves as Bo and Peep, before the twosome took it underground in 1976. After bing in deep privacy in assorted Southwestern metropoliss, the group surfaced once more briefly in 1994, when members sought out recruits with a series of public talks. In the group # 8217 ; s paperss, Applewhite and Nettles are described as representatives of an extraterrestrial plane called the Kingdom of Heaven, who have come to Earth # 8220 ; to offer the manner taking to rank # 8221 ; to those who could get the better of their fond regard to money, sex, and household life. Such entire separation, the group preached, was necessary because Earth # 8217 ; s human constructions # 8211 ; governmental, economic and, particularly, spiritual # 8211 ; were under the control of diabolic forces: # 8220 ; Luciferians # 8221 ; and evil # 8220 ; infinite foreigners, # 8221 ; in the group # 8217 ; s footings. In clip, they began naming themselves # 8220 ; the Two, # 8221 ; a mention to the # 8220 ; two informants # 8221 ; of Christ foretold in the Bible # 8217 ; s Book of Revelation. Harmonizing to the Bible, the two informants are Prophetss who will be slain by a animal from the bottomless cavity, so be resurrected and ascend to Heaven. They were both anti-establishment and intolerant, naming for entire separation from society, simple life with shared resources, and attachment to a strict moral codification. Applewhite besides required members of the cult to dress, talk, and look the same. He made them all wear the same apparels, shaved everyone # 8217 ; s caput, and made them forbear from utilizing personal pronouns such as # 8220 ; he # 8221 ; and # 8220 ; she # 8221 ; . They were besides non permitted to get married, hold sex, or imbibe. Members had to give all their ownerships to the cult ; several even voluntarily castrated themselves. Much of the indispensable beliefs of Heaven # 8217 ; s Gate are spelled out in a drawn-out, first-person statement published on the group # 8217 ; s website. Written in 1995 by Mr. Applewhite ( under the rubric # 8220 ; An E.T. Presently Incarnate # 8221 ; ) , it reveals that Ms. Nettles died in 1985 ( or, as he wrote, # 8220 ; separated from her borrowed human container and returned to the Next Level # 8221 ; ) . The remainder of their religion system is detailed in a 200-page book that the members of Heaven # 8217 ; s Gate self-published. One of them wrote that they had spent 17 old ages undergoing a type of re-education, # 8220 ; a # 8216 ; metaphoric # 8217 ; schoolroom experience of altering over their consciousness and behaviour, # 8221 ; germinating to make a phase in which they could come in the higher kingdom that Mr. Applewhite and Ms. Nettles preached. In these and other plants, the group elaborated on its divinity, based on a Christian model, but with a whole n ew set of millennialist beliefs that seems more like the plants of a celebrated scientific discipline fiction author. The beliefs were these: Two thousand old ages ago, the existences of the Kingdom Level Above Human appointed an # 8220 ; Older Member # 8221 ; to direct to Earth a # 8220 ; Representative # 8221 ; ( Jesus ) to learn people how to come in the # 8220 ; true # 8221 ; Kingdom of God. But worlds inspired by diabolic forces killed this person, besides called # 8220 ; the Captain, # 8221 ; and transformed his teachin gs into â€Å"watered-down Country Club religion.† Then a new opportunity was offered to humanity in the 1970 # 8217 ; s, when the Kingdom Level dispatched a 2nd squad of two Older Members to take up human organic structures ( or # 8220 ; vehicles # 8221 ; ) and restart the instructions. The paperss besides make clear that the group # 8217 ; s members took curious new names, another mark of their complete interruption with the outside universe. Applewhite was identified on the Internet site merely as Do while Nettles was Ti. The group # 8217 ; s followings arrived on Earth in # 8220 ; staged # 8221 ; ballistic capsule clangs and were temporarily disembodied before taking human signifier in organic structures particularly designated for that intent by # 8220 ; other crews from the Level Above Human. # 8221 ; The papers is full of predicting about the province of the universe, warning that the Government, the wealthy and # 8220 ; moral # 8221 ; leaders are controlled by evil infinite foreigners, who have besides used all faiths to lead on worlds about God. It warns of a coming apocalypse that will destruct civilisation. Gang wars and cultural cleaning are offered as cogent evidence that the procedure has begun. Later there will be a # 8220 ; Restoration period # 8221 ; in which another civilisation will be born. The group # 8217 ; s stiffly autocratic codification is besides revealed. # 8220 ; The lone manner an person can turn in the Following Degree is to larn to be dependent on his Older Member as that beginning of limitless growing and cognition. So, any younger member in good standing forever remains wholly dependent upon ( and looks to ) his Older Member for all things. # 8221 ; The most recent ( and concluding ) posting on the Heaven # 8217 ; s Gate Internet site declared that the attack of the Hale-Bopp comet provided # 8221 ; the # 8216 ; marker # 8217 ; we # 8217 ; ve been waiting for # 8212 ; the clip for the reaching of the ballistic capsule from the Level Above Human to take us place to # 8216 ; Their World # 8217 ; # 8212 ; in the actual Heavens. # 8221 ; Heaven # 8217 ; s Gate left no deficit of hints as to its negative thought about the value of this secular life. The group held fast to a Gnostic spiritual position of the psyche as a separate and superior being, temporarily populating a physical signifier. Bodies, wrote Do, were simply # 8221 ; the impermanent container for the soul. # 8221 ; A psyche, he added, could germinate to a higher degree of being, at which point it would have a new physical signifier to house it. # 8221 ; The concluding act of metabolism or separation from the human land, # 8221 ; he wrote, # 8221 ; is the # 8216 ; unplug # 8217 ; or separation from the human physical container or organic structure in order to be released from the human environment. # 8221 ; In another papers posted on its Internet site, Heaven # 8217 ; s Gate ironically declared itself # 8221 ; against self-destruction # 8221 ; # 8211 ; but yet subtly left open the possibility. Yes, the group said, its members expected to go out Earth in their # 8221 ; physical vehicles ( organic structures ) # 8221 ; when a starship arrived to take them to the # 8221 ; Next Level. # 8221 ; But should the forces of the universe turn violently against them, it added, the group would be # 8221 ; mentally prepared # 8221 ; for whatever came its manner. They besides allude to the illustration of the Jews at Masada who killed themselves instead than subject to Roman hosts in A.D. 73. Furthermore, the group said its apprehension of self-destruction was non at all conventional: # 8221 ; The true significance of # 8217 ; suicide # 8217 ; is to turn against the Following Degree when it is being offered. # 8221 ; In the group # 8217 ; s thought, a starship, thought to be following in Hale-Bopp # 8217 ; s aftermath, would be offering merely such an chance. In decision, the full aura of the Heaven # 8217 ; s Gate cult seems like something straight out of a late dark Television film. Like most millennialist groups, members held a steadfast belief in an onset apocalypse and that merely an elite few would accomplish redemption. The spread of their philosophy on the Internet brought about widespread concern over the power of the web. The statement has subsided, nevertheless, with the transition of clip. I, for one, find the supposed nexus between the Internet and cult activities instead absurd. Extreme credulousness and brainwashing, I believe, would be the lone ways a recruit would of all time accept such an bizarre set of beliefs. Heaven free essay sample I’m not sure that heaven exists. But sometimes I imagine what would be like if it . In the book by Mitch Albourn, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, each person lives forever in a memory or experience that brought him or her peace in life. If heaven is anything like Albourn’s model, I already know where my heaven is going to be: 1152 Haverstraw Road, Suffern New York. This is the address of Ramapo Equestrian Center. More specifically, my heaven will be the trail that runs around the back of the barn along the stream. I will be riding my favorite horse, Dutch, cooling down like I have done so many times after a good ride. Under the stretching blue sky, with a gentle breeze playing in my hair, I will walk round and round, scratching Dutch’s shoulder, gazing up at the beautiful tree covered mountains that crouch protectively over the valley. We will write a custom essay sample on Heaven or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is where my mind slows down, at 1152 Haverstraw Road in Suffern New York. On the weekends, I come here to breathe. Monday through Thursday, my life is a blur, a nonstop marathon of incomprehensible math problems, rushing bodies in the hallway, tests, quizzes, alarm clocks, responsibilities, SAT’s, ACTs, and more afterschool activities than I can count on one hand. I would kill to get a many hours of sleep per night as I have clubs on my resume. But if my life is the Daytona 500, the cars grind to a halt and the crowds disperse on Friday, when I drive up to the barn. The roaring engines in my mind shut off and for a brief moment, it is quiet in my head. Most people find peace lying on beaches for hours or relaxing on the couch, but the stiller my body is, the faster my thoughts race. Horseback riding is as much a mental game as it is physical, and concentrating on my body position and my horse’s movements absorbs my full attention unlike anything else; due dates, t rigonometry, and gnawing anxieties gallop away. Tightly packaged in the suburbs, I never really experienced the outdoors until I started riding. I’ve always felt an emptiness that should have been filled with fresh air. If my childhood was largely nature-deficient, horseback riding has been my multivitamin. Stress can be a poison that eats you up, but the blue sky, the air, the mountains, and the sun-drenched grasses at 1152 Haverstraw Road are the perfect antidote. While I can’t be sure where I’ll go when I die, I do know that heaven exists. Maybe it’s not in the sky, maybe it’s not in another dimension, but heaven exists at 1152 Haverstraw Road.

Our aim is to investigate how varying certain key factors will affect the time taken for marble to react in Hydrochloric Acid Essays

Our aim is to investigate how varying certain key factors will affect the time taken for marble to react in Hydrochloric Acid Essays Our aim is to investigate how varying certain key factors will affect the time taken for marble to react in Hydrochloric Acid Essay Our aim is to investigate how varying certain key factors will affect the time taken for marble to react in Hydrochloric Acid Essay Key Factors ?Temperature of Acid ?The Catalyst ?The Concentration of the Acid ?The Surface Area of The Marble I am going to investigate the difference in the time taken for marble to react in Hydrochloric Acid depending on the temperature of the acid, and attempt to discover any patterns. 2HCl + CaCO3 H2O + CO2+ CaCl2 This will be a good reaction to test as one of the products is Carbon Dioxide so we can measure the time taken for the gas to be produced, using a relatively simple experiment. Prediction I predict that the warmer or hotter the reactant (In this case Hydrochloric acid) is, the quicker the reaction between the marble and the acid will take place. I think this because the more heat is applied, the more energy the molecules of the Hydrochloric Acid will have, therefore making the reaction occur much faster. Low Temperature High Temperature Method Apparatus List ?Basin filled with tap water ?Burette ?Conical Flask with side arm and bung ?G-Clamp with Stand ?Marble (Calcium Carbonate) ?2.5m Hydrochloric Acid ?Thermometer ?Bunsen Burner ?Tripod, Gauze and Heat-Proof Mat Diagram of Apparatus We weighed out the Marble into groups weighing 1g and then put them to the side. We then turned the Bunsen burner on and heated up the acid in the conical flask until it was at the desired temperature. We decided to test the reactivity at 40à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, 50à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, 60à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, 70à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, 80à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, 90à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C and 100à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C. We filled the burette up to 50cm3 and then turned it upside down with our hand over the end. We filled the basin half full with tap water and placed the burette upside down in the water, and then removed our hand. We used the G-Clamp to hold the burette in position just off the bottom of the basin. When the Acid was heated to the desired temperature we took it of the tripod and place the end of the sidearm into the bottom of the burette. We dropped the marble into the conical flask containing the acid and quickly placed the bung on the top. We then timed how long it took for the carbon dioxide being produced to be pumped into th e burette and force all of the water out using a timer. Results Temperature Experiment 1 Experiment 2 Mean Time 40à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C 34.0 secs 35.0 secs 34.50 secs 50à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C 8.8 secs 8.7 secs 8.75 secs 60à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C 7.0 secs 7.3 secs 7.15 secs 70à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C 5.5 secs 5.4 secs 5.45 secs 80à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C 4.2 secs 4.0 secs 4.10 secs 90à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C 3.0 secs 3.2 secs 3.10 secs 100à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C 2.1 secs 2.3 secs 2.20 secs There was a big decrease in the time taken to produce 50cc of carbon dioxide between 40à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C and 50à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C. After that there was a slow and fairly steady decrease in the time taken to produce 50cc of Carbon Dioxide. Conclusion The reaction rate between the amylase and the hydrogen pyroxide increased as the temperature was increased because this gave the Hydrochloric Acid molecules more energy, so a greater percentage of the collisions between Calcium Carbonate molecules and the Hydrochloric Acid molecules produced reactions than at lower temperatures. This agrees with my prediction, as the time taken to empty the burette of water decreased with higher temperatures. Evaluation I feel we could have improved our results by doing lower temperature acid, to produce moà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e accurate results. This would help as we could test the time taken to produce 50cc of Carbon Dioxide at room temperature, and even at much colder temperatures. We also could have done intermediate temperatures between our existing temperatures, such as doing a test every 5à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, e.g.20à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, 25à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, 30à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, 35à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C and so on until 100à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C. If we had been able to keep the acid at the acquired temperature this would have made our results even more accurate, as the acid probably dropped greatly in temperature as the reaction was taking place.

Feasibility study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Feasibility study - Research Paper Example The new business venture will be called Pizzeria Inn. It will be located at the northern Mexico. The new industry will, therefore, feature Dine in, Take Out and also Delivery services. Most economists and researchers agree that entrepreneurship is one of the significant ingredients for stimulating economic growth as well as offering job opportunities to the jobless members of all the societies. According to Jacksack & Start (2003), globally, successful SMEs have become the primary engines of job creation and poverty reduction in the marginalized communities. As a business entrepreneur, a business plan is the only tool which can help the small business expand. It is the road map an entrepreneur needs to follow in order to realize the set goals and objectives. It is, therefore, the initial step to a successful business venture. Any business entrepreneur should, therefore, provide a business plan which acts as a guide to the whole business process. The paper, therefore, endeavors to conduct a business plan for New Antoniou Pizzeria. The new business venture will target the middle income pizza in Sparks. Pizza inn is thought to be conveniently accessible to over 90,000 targeted market consumers in this region. This includes one of the most attractive market opportunities for this venture. The competitive analysis of the business venture has identified significant market place gaps to serve as the base for the industries competitive advantage. This business venture would help Mexican middle class residents around the beach as well as far residents who come to the beach to benefit from low priced delicious dishes which maybe could not have afforded from other huge restaurants. It would also help other entrepreneurs to venture in innovative business ventures hence gain the managerial and entrepreneurial skills needed to run such

Decision in paradise part II Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Decision in paradise part II - Case Study Example The People of Kava settle down but within a short while, they are quickly disoriented by yet another catastrophe that they all too well expected to happen. Our company is here to improve the well being of the people of Kava. The already established company intends to change the island a found paradise. It is so lost in a series of confusing and intertwined events to realize that it is a have by itself. The majority of Kava Island's population is aged 15 years and below. It is a culturally diverse island with a combination of people with 50% coming from indigenous tribes, French, Americans, Africans, and Spanish. The people of Kava are basically of indigenous belief. As a matter of, 50% of the people have an indigenous faith while the rest is a mixture of English, French and Spanish. The main economic activity is farming of spices, cocoa bananas and coffee. They also are involved in extraction of petroleum. The company will step by step take full advantage of these terrible disasters in Kava and turn them into opportunities. Whatever it is that we have to do however must be beneficial to both our company and the population of kava. After all, that's what intelligent business people do. As on employee of this company, I will have to adopt a decision making model that will help me turning this around. The main source of our strength is that the management of t... It is particularly impressed by the company's progress and development. The organization is efficient in all the operative departments, this includes the HR, Finance, Strategic planning, Marketing among others. The organizational structure and process is also reputable. For instance, the departments are decentralized for fast and effective decision, making. The threat is mainly the catastrophic nature f this land. Projects can be cut short or even destroyed try the numerous natural disasters. This however is our greatest opportunity as we will capitalize on re-carpeting, renovating and rebuilding the mess left behind by the calamities. Our only weakness is the workforce we have. The employees are not well versed with disaster management; the workers also require more expertise. To make a greater impact in the island and reap even more benefits, the company's human resources department intends to recruit more workers who must also be experienced. Various training and development measures will be put in place to empower the employees that we are currently having. To implement this the manager in the human resources department will organize for both on-the-job and off-the-job training. The employees who are based in the technical departments will be scheduled for on-the-job training while the rest will settle for seminars, workshops and other forms of training. To motivate the workers, the management will make a point of consulting them when doing the performance appraisal; they will also be consulted when making important decisions. To ensure that they do not resist organizational change, the workers will be involved actively in proposing the necessary changes in the company's management, strategic options and business expansion. In

Mathlab Simulink Project Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mathlab Simulink Project - Lab Report Example Communication toolbox is the boundary of matlab simulink is a graphical building block, diagramming tool, improved to resemble set of slab libraries. The matlab environment associates itself with the matlab and the engaging patterns of the two offers a tight and integrated move with the rest of the matlab environment. Additionally, this establishes matlab and can either be driven from the matlab itself or be scripted from it. Moreover, simulink, majorly used in control theory and error correction digital gesture dispensation of multidomain model and model-based plan helps in improving the performance and ability of matlab usage in determining error correction and coding methods. In conclusion, matlab simulink integrates its functions in order to have its performance at the best productive level for correcting errors and improving coding methods within a communication toolbox (Cassandras, 22). The reference signal operates from the coding methods. It moves in a graph line from 1 time offset all through frequencies as shown above in a upward and downward movements to give a graph of the above nature, therefore, confirming the principle of error correction and coding methods of up and down movements based on the wavelength of the signal and frequency. The control signal also operates almost in the same design but the movement and frequency of the graph is much more different as shown in the diagram below. The control signal has an upward steady movement with the wavelength up to 2, then a steady movement across the time offset meaning it’s the control signal that manipulates and confirms the idea of error correction and the coding methods of the communication tool box. It corrects the signal by allowing for steady flow of the signal within the communication toolbox. The developers and instructors of matlab have made an improving through the knowledge of the product developers and other stakeholders of the engineering field

The great Voyages of discovery

The great Voyages of discovery What was the economic significance of the Great Voyages of Discovery during the late fifteenth century? Compare the consequences for the Venetian Republic and Portugal. The Great Voyages of Discovery dates back to the late fifteenth century and this period can be termed as the Age of Discovery. The Portuguese navigators had a major role during this period. The voyages had a long run impact on global economy, thus it can be inferred that the voyages had great economics significance. They had significant consequences on both the Venetian Republic and Portugal. It is also worth noting that the Economic significance of the voyages of discovery were two folds: Opening up of new routes to east around southern tip of Africa broke the Venetian monopoly of trade between Europe and East. Discovery of New World opened up new possibilities of international specialisation between the New world and Europe. It is important to note that during that period Venice played a major role in opening the Mediterranean economy to West European commerce. It had important connections with North Europe. In building up its trade, Venice created a political empire. Between 1388-1499, Venice acquired territory on Italian mainland, by 1557, total population of these territories was about 1.5 million. It developed types of ship suitable for venetian commerce and the conditions of trade in the Mediterranean. The biggest enterprise in Venice was the Arsenal, a public shipyard . The other big sectors of Venetian economy apart from international trade were banking, book production, sugar production, trades in timber, carpentry, rope etc. There were also considerable manufacturing activities producing goods for local use and export. It was a leader in glass blowing. Venice traded with Asia in raw silk and silk products, but eventually this led to import substitution in Europe. The Venetian government regulate d production of silk and related products. The products were of very high quality and they made a substantial contribution to Venetian exports. They also traded in spices. For trade with east, they relied on Mediterranean followed by Egyptian and Syrian middlemen. Thus briefly stated, Venice had a political empire and it also had trade monopoly with the east. Europeans wanted direct access to the spices and trade with Asia, thus discovering a route to east was not a new idea. By 15th century, it was clear that such a venture would be very expensive and highly risky, but developments in eastern Mediterranean made it clear that the old Venetian route through Egyptian and Syrian middlemen was under threat, and the benefits from a new route would be enormous and rewarding. Therefore, there were preparations for this venture. It started when Prince Henry established a marine research station in Portugal. There had been developments in ship design, rigging and seamanship which made it possible to undertake long distance trips in deep waters. Further the Portuguese undertook trial voyages to explore possible route and wind patterns, like the one by Bartolomeu Dias. He discovered the Cape of Good Hope (May 1488). The Portuguese strategy of doing by knowing made good sense. Each trip built on the one before; each time they went a little farther. All these finally led to the voyage of Vasco da Gama around Africa to Calicut, India during 1497-99. The voyage itself was not very feasible, but he had proved the feasibility of the route and found a new source of gold in east Africa. He also confirmed that there were no maritime fleets in the Indian Ocean which could impede Portuguese access to spice trade. Following da gamas first voyage, Padro Cabral set sail to improve on the route, bring back a significant cargo and establish a base on Kerala coast. Cabral went farther west in the Atlantic than da Gama, and accidently found Brazil, which was within the boundaries allotted to Portugal in the Treaty of Tordesillas. It was further followed by da gamas 2nd voyage to India. All these developments led Portuguese Kingdom discovering and mapping most of the Globe. It is also worth noting that Europeans also went west. In 1492, Spain financed Columbus for his venture, he set sail and sighted West Indies. Later, to protect the respective interests, Spain and Portugal negotiated for a line of demarcation to divide the world into two halves for purposes of further exploration, with western half reserved for Spain and eastern for Portugal. The demarcation line even gave Brazil to Portugal. The Venetian role in spice trade was greatly reduced at the beginning of the 16th century because of restrictions on trade with Syria and Egypt imposed by the new Ottoman authorities, and competition from direct Portuguese shipments from Asia. Venetian spice import fell from 1600 tons a year towards the end of 15th century to less than 500 tons a year by the first decade of the sixteenth century. Thus the leading role of Venice in trade had declined. Its sugar industry in Crete and Cyprus also declined because of competition from Portuguese production in Madeira and later in Brazil. There were changes in shipbuilding technologies because of which the Venetian galleys became obsolete, because of which there was a sharp decline in the main product of the Arsenal. The Venetian merchants increased their purchase from abroad. Venice could not adapt to technological change because it did not have access to cheap timber unlike other Atlantic economies. The great old mercantile and industrial city state of Venice eventually lost out. Venetian republic along with other city states had been at the forefront of the medieval commercial revolution and had led the way into international trade and division of labour, but they never really capitalized on the opportunities opened by the great discovery; there was no Italian ship in Indian Ocean or crossed Atlantic. It was entered and caught in the great inland sea. It is also worth noting that over the 16, 17, 18th centuries Venice did not expand much in population and per capita income, but it remained one of the richest parts of Italy and Europe until overtaken by the Dutch in the 17th century. After da gamas second voyage, he returned to Lisbon with 13 of his ships and nearly 1700 tons of spices i.e. about the same as annual Venetian imports from the middle east at the end of the 15th century. However, the Portuguese margins on this trade were much bigger than the Venetian. Portugals primary commercial objective in the east was to obtain pepper and other spices and ship these directly to Europe, bypassing the intermediaries that the traditional traffic faced across Asia into the Mediterranean. The Portuguese did this by purchase or seizure. The Portuguese displaced Asian traders who had supplied spices to Red Sea and Persian gulf ports for onward sale to Venetian traders. Initially, these measures were a huge success and earned a large share of trade i.e. 40 percent of the pepper imported into Europe was going around the cape of good hope. This significantly hurt the venetians. But as time progressed, the older trade routes were being reused. The direct Portuguese share fell back to about 20 percent. To make up for the shrinking spice trade, the Portuguese foot into intra Asia exchange. There was trade within the Asian waters in textiles, porcelain, precious metal, carpets, perfume, jewellery, horses, timber, salt, raw silk, gold, silver, medicinal herb s and many other commodities. In the 1550s to the 1630s this kind of trade between China and Japan was a particularly profitable source of income for Portugal. Silk and porcelain played an increased role, and in the 17th and 18th century, cotton textiles and tea became very important. The Portuguese completely controlled the Indian Ocean. All merchant vessels were required to purchase a Portuguese trading license. Those who did not abide by the rules were liable to seizure. This domineering had another positive effect for Portugal: many fewer ships went out from Europe to Asia. In 1570, the crown gave up its monopoly of trade between Lisbon and Goa. This led to decline of Portugal as a trade leader. The various voyages by Portuguese navigators (Dias, Cabral, da Gama) had laid the foundations of the Portuguese trading empire in east Africa and Asia. Portugal maintained a monopoly of traffic round the Cape of Good Hope until the last decade of the 16th century. Thus it can be comfortably said that without advances in shipbuilding and navigation, journey to far east would not have been successful. Overall, the costs of trade were much low for Portugal as compared to the Venetian method-through Mediterranean and by land across Asia. Thus, the great voyages of discovery completely transformed European trading with the east, breaking the monopoly held by the venetians and making many of the goods found in Asia more accessible to rest of Europe. References: Maddison, A.(2001).The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective. Paris: OECD Maddison, A.(2007). Contours of the World Economy, 1-2030 AD: Essays in Macro-economic History.Oxford: Oxford University Press Landes, D.(1998). The Wealth and Poverty of Nations: why some are so rich and some so poor .Little, Brown and Company Winius, G.(2007). Portuguese Indian Ocean Exploration Voyages, 1497-1515,The Oxford Encyclopaedia of Maritime History. Ed. John B. Hattendorf. (online) (http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Mainentry=t232.e0659). Oxford: Oxford University Press(Accessed 06 December 2009)

Clamence from The Fall by Albert Camus Essay -- Jean-Baptiste Clamence

Clamence from The Fall by Albert Camus The Fall, a 1957 novel written by Nobel Prize winner Albert Camus, is a story based on confession. The main character, Jean-Baptiste Clamence, portrays himself to be the epitome of good citizenship and acceptable behavior and now he has come to face the reality that his existence has been deeply seated in hypocrisy. Clamence also openly enjoys the wealth of cheap dreams that the prostitutes and bars his Amsterdam home has to offer. In a bar called Mexico City, Clamence begins to recall his life as a respected lawyer, supposedly immune to judgment. There are different theories on whether Clamence recalls his life to himself or to another person, but it is in fact a random acquaintance from the bar that Clamence shares stories of his life’s triumphs and failures. While Clamence is in the bar, he asks another person who is trying to order a drink if he "may offer his services without running the risk of intruding" because unless the man authorizes him to perform his services, the bartender will not guess that he wants gin. The service Clamence is referring to is his ability to speak Dutch, the only language the bartender speaks and understands. What suggests that Clamence is speaking to another person in the bar is the fact that if someone wants to do something, they do not need to be given permission by himself. If a person feels they are not allowed to do something, it is because one of two reasons. One, the person might feel the action is inappropriate and that would directly deal with that persons set of morals and discipline. Secondly, the person might not be allowed to perform the task by the person it would deal with and that would have to do with power of authori... ...nce states that he is "embarrassed to be in bed when you arrive." This quote clearly states that Clamence is in one location and another person enters this place unexpectedly and catches him by surprise, thus causing the embarrassment of possibly an unkempt house or a unattractive personal appearance due to the sickness. The reason why there are two people present is because Clamence says "you" which means he is addressing some one else. Although different theories on whether or not Clamence is alone when he recalls his life may exist, it is in fact an acquaintance that he shares his life with. In order for Camus' choice of wording that deal with ownership and possession and by definition of key words such as "secret" to be used in accordance with rules of proper grammar, another person must be present for the meaning of the words to be applied correctly.

Antigone Minor Character Essay

The play Antigone tells the story of one of Oedipus’ daughters standing up to the law in order to honor her brother. The story begins after Polyneices and Eteocles have killed each other and King Creon issues an edict forbidding the burial of Polyneices. In the prologue Antigone’s sister Ismene is introduced. Ismene while a minor character serves a great purpose in the play. In the opening lines of the play a dialogue is occurring between Ismene and Antigone. In lines 14-29 Antigone is telling Ismene of her plan to bury Polyneices even though Creon forbids it. Ismene tells her â€Å"We are only women; We cannot fight with men†¦. We must give in to the law†. Ismene’s refusal and fear of breaking the law serves to emphasize Antigone’s stubbornness and hardheadedness. In scene 2 when Ismene tries to take partial blame for the burial of Polyneices, Antigone refuses her. This shows Antigone’s pride for her actions and her protectiveness and loyalty to her family. Ismene is included to act as a foil to Antigone’s character. Where Ismene not included in the play, the play would not have such a great effect. Ismene represents the average women in this Greek society. Had her character not been introduced the reader would assume that all women in that society were as hardheaded and stubborn as Antigone. If Antigone would have represented the average woman the theme of loyalty to family would be lost. Through out the prologue Ismene refers back to the fact that they are just women and have no power against the laws or what is done about them. In scene 2 Creon is convinced that it was a man who buried Polyneices and not a woman this serves to verify the gender roles in Greek society. Ismene’s shy, hesitant, and reluctant behavior is typical of a woman of that society since after all they had no rights and were treated as property. In conclusion Ismene while a minor character serves the role of a foil to Antigone by emphasizing Antigone’s hardheaded stubbornness. She is included to show how typical women in Greek society acted and what they believed. If it weren’t for Ismene several themes in the story would not appear.

Cultural Geography Overview

Cultural Geography Overview Cultural geography is one of the two major branches of geography (versus physical geography) and is often called human geography. Cultural geography is the study of the many cultural aspects found throughout the world and how they relate to the spaces and places where they originate and then travel as people continually move across various areas. What Is Cultural Geography? Some of the main cultural phenomena studied in cultural geography include language, religion, different economic and governmental structures, art, music, and other cultural aspects that explain how and/or why people function as they do in the areas in which they live. Globalization is also becoming increasingly important to this field as it is allowing these specific aspects of culture to easily travel across the globe. Cultural landscapes are also important because they link culture to the physical environments in which people live. This is vital because it can either limit or nurture the development of various aspects of culture. For instance, people living in a rural area are often more culturally tied to the natural environment around them than those living in a large metropolitan area. This is generally the focus of the Man-Land Tradition in the Four Traditions of geography and studies human impact on nature, the impact of nature on humans, and people’s perception of the environment. Cultural geography developed out of the University of California, Berkeley and was led by Carl Sauer. He used landscapes as the defining unit of geographic study and said that cultures develop because of the landscape but also help to develop the landscape as well. In addition, his work and the cultural geography of today is highly qualitative rather than quantitative - a main tenant of physical geography. Today, cultural geography is still practiced and more specialized fields within it such as feminist geography, childrens geography, tourism studies, urban geography, the geography of sexuality and space, and political geography have developed to further aid in the study of cultural practices and human activities as they relate spatially to the world.

Free Essays on Planning Management

Planning in Management While reading an article called, Leadership/Management. I discovered how leadership and planning skills are important qualities for managers to possess in any organization. Hoppe (2001) said, â€Å"A company called Robery Half Internationals conducted a survey, they found that most managers know that leadership and planning skills are important, but very few of them couldn’t claim that they had either skill.† The article states that the owners and top executives of an organization need to employ management staff that possesses these qualities to increase their likelihood for success. Hoppe explained that when hiring a coach for a sports team they look at what system they grew in. Meaning, where did this individual begin and how did they start off. Did they grow threw the ranks by being an assistant or any other positions that would make a successful manager. The same approach should be used when selecting an effective leader for an organization. Every organizati on has a mission that they set out to accomplish and every organization needs effective leadership and effective planning to accomplish this mission. Hoppe also discusses that once an organization finds their leader; the leader needs to be held accountable. The person in charge of the organization is the one making decisions that will directly impact the organization and it is their job to put there best foot forward for the good of the organization. Hoppe closes by talking about planning, spending time with the ones you lead. This concept will assist with others within the organization to develop their own leadership styles that will later benefit the organization. The more leadership qualities are shared within the organization productivity will increase and will ultimately benefit the entire organization. Managers cannot do it alone; they are only as good as the employees that surround them. Therefore, effecti... Free Essays on Planning Management Free Essays on Planning Management Planning in Management While reading an article called, Leadership/Management. I discovered how leadership and planning skills are important qualities for managers to possess in any organization. Hoppe (2001) said, â€Å"A company called Robery Half Internationals conducted a survey, they found that most managers know that leadership and planning skills are important, but very few of them couldn’t claim that they had either skill.† The article states that the owners and top executives of an organization need to employ management staff that possesses these qualities to increase their likelihood for success. Hoppe explained that when hiring a coach for a sports team they look at what system they grew in. Meaning, where did this individual begin and how did they start off. Did they grow threw the ranks by being an assistant or any other positions that would make a successful manager. The same approach should be used when selecting an effective leader for an organization. Every organizati on has a mission that they set out to accomplish and every organization needs effective leadership and effective planning to accomplish this mission. Hoppe also discusses that once an organization finds their leader; the leader needs to be held accountable. The person in charge of the organization is the one making decisions that will directly impact the organization and it is their job to put there best foot forward for the good of the organization. Hoppe closes by talking about planning, spending time with the ones you lead. This concept will assist with others within the organization to develop their own leadership styles that will later benefit the organization. The more leadership qualities are shared within the organization productivity will increase and will ultimately benefit the entire organization. Managers cannot do it alone; they are only as good as the employees that surround them. Therefore, effecti...

American Franchisers in China Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American Franchisers in China - Case Study Example Foreign franchisers invested in Europe, Asia, South America and some parts of Africa. In Asia, China has the biggest market and starting businesses in this country is very strategic. However, the political, social, and cultural conditions in China are not the same with the United States. This paper tries to analyze the different strategies that the KFC franchisers took to make KFC one of the most successful franchises in China today. This paper also mentions the problems the managements encountered and the measure they took to remedy those. It also analyzes how successful KFC franchises are in China that they reached a total of 2,200 KFC branches4 in China alone. Johan Olsson cites several reasons why an international business strategy such as joint venture is recommended for China: (1) solves many logistic problems such as access to good quality chicken and other supplies, (2) eases the access to the Chinese market, (3) shares risk with local entity, and (4) serves a sign of commitment to the host government increasing goodwill.5 Pei Liang and Sun Zhixian examine which of the three (3) business strategies: (1) direct franchising, (2) master franchising, and (3) joint ventures is effective in the Chinese market. For direct franchising, the success of this strategy relies on establishing a good relationship between foreign investors like the Americans and local partners in China. Local partners know and understand much about the political, economic, and social conditions of the country. They are also in "much better position(s) to negotiate with government agencies as well as required suppliers."6 The authors also add that direct franchising for American franchisers will be difficult without local partners in a culturally-different state like China.7 Olsson adds that franchising is not suitable for China because of the strict foreign investment laws. For master franchising, the main problem that exists why this strategy has lower success rate compared to joint venture is the availability of a qualified master franchisee. Liang and Zhixian describe a master franchisee to have not only an abundant capital but also "a favorable social relationship as well as the entrepreneurial skills and the ability to communicate easily with a franchisor." If the master franchisee fails to maintain "franchise quality or reverse engineer and duplicates the franchisor system, he franchisor could, as a practical matter, face considerable difficulties in enforcing the terms of the master franchising agreement or terminating the relationship."8 For the master franchising to work in China, the master franchisee must possess the qualities of leadership and a lot of public relation skills. For Liang and Zhixian, they recommend the joint venture as the best choice for starting a business in China. They also mention that choosing a good and qualified local partner is the critical point for the success of any foreign business in China. Working with unqualified local partners may incur more management costs than management benefits because it weakens the performance of the business.9 Olsson supports these arguments by saying that "a potential partner with sufficient contacts [and] networks with government agency officials may smoothen the process of setting-up operations in the nation."10 Olsson also adds that joint ventures produce

Marketing Communication Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Communication Strategy - Case Study Example The essay will analyze and evaluate the buying behavior and perceptions of each segment. Communication objectives and strategies will also be included. A marketing communication plan will follow till the conclusion. 3TM is a simple structure that is low in specialization and formalization but high in centralization. Such organizations have few rules and the authority rests with the owner who in this case is the company's President/Executive Director; Shawn A. Wray. Such organizations are flat with two or three vertical levels and a loose body of empowered employees in whom decision making is centralized. Social factors: These include changes in demography and consumer's buying patterns. 3TM has to deal with people's changing attitudes towards charity and the company needs charity since it is the fuel to its engine. Also the public's perceptions of the different projects the company takes up is important since people support have different opinions to different projects and purposes to collect charity. Technological factors: All organizations have to keep up to date with the constant changes in technology. New developments in technology must be adopted for better management but they are expensive and funds are a problem for charity organizations. Internal marketing is a process within the organization that aims to empower and motivate employees at all levels in order to increase consumer satisfaction. The key concepts of internal marketing include alignment of the company's purpose in a way that it integrates with employee behavior in order to motivate employees to work for the betterment of the company. It is a problem but a necessity. Internal marketing is an essential communication tool since it helps to wipe out any resistance to change in the organization. It aims to involve employees at all levels in new initiatives and strategies. This motivates and empowers the employees and they feel like an important and valued part of the organization which further motivates them to work for the organization. This also eliminates high turnover and absenteeism since employees like to work for the organization. Internal marketing is a necessity since organizations are changing and growing continuously, renaming and re-branding is common, relationship marketing is the emerging field in marketing and it can be done with the help of employees only, Contract employment is more common then full-time employment so a brand vision and value is important for success, internal marketin