All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarche

All Quiet on the Western Front is a fictional war novel written by Erich Maria Remarque which follows the main character Paul Baumer, a German solider in World War I. Paul, the nineteen year old protagonist, narrates the novel as he and his classmates fight on the German and French front. The young men volunteer to join the German army after being persuaded by the nationalist words of their teacher, Kantorek. After only fighting for two weeks, eighty men remain in the company of the once one hundred and fifty men. Paul, Kropp, and Muller then go to visit Kemmerich, a friend of theirs from school, in the hospital. He was wounded in combat resulting in the amputating of his leg. Seeing that Kemmerich is going to die and no longer needs the new boots that he has, Muller asks to have them but Kemmerich refuses. When Paul later goes back to the hospital, Kemmerich dies and Paul takes his boots to Muller. Because of the large number of soldiers who are dying, new recruits are sent to join the company. Paul is given seventeen days of leave in which he visits his family. When he returns home, he feels out of place and is not comfortable sharing his awful combat experiences with others. His mother is sick and dying of cancer as his father is struggling to pay for her care. Paul also finds out that Kantorek, his teacher from school, was forced to become a German soldier. This pleases Paul because Kantorek now has to actually experience the tragic events of the war firsthand like the

Immigration Reform in the USA and Moral Knowledge Essay

It is often said that the United States of America is a country of immigrants, also referred to as a melting pot. In fact, majority of people today can say that they are children of immigrants. Every year, countless of people arrive from their native land to America, with the hopes of rebuilding a better life and future for themselves and their family. Are they to blame? It is even stated in the national anthem, which is always sung with great pride and passion, â€Å"O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave†. But how free is this country? Free enough to enter at will? For years, immigration laws have remained a problem in the United States, as the government tries to reform such policies in order to control the growth of the†¦show more content†¦Before discussing this passage further, it is important to understand what the word sojourn means. According to Dr. Stephen Steinlight, a senior policy analyst for the Center for Immigration Studies, he stat es that â€Å"sojourn† is a Hebrew term meaning temporary stay (Edwards, 2009). A sojourner in this passage refers to a foreigner, who in this case also means an immigrant. The next question to tackle is what does the bible say about the issue surrounding immigration? The interpretation of this passage is to welcome those who are foreign to this country with open arms, and to care for and love them as our own, for we too were once strangers in this land. In fact, the Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops (2003) declares that, â€Å"the first duty is to welcome the foreigner out of charity and respect for the human person. Persons have the right to immigrate and thus government must accommodate this right to the greatest extent possible, especially financially blessed nations†. 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Tax Law Australian investors

Question: Describe about the Tax Law for Australian Investors. Answer: Solution 1 The difference between the acquisition cost of capital gain tax asset and the capital proceeds is termed as capital gain. There are three manners in which the calculation of capital gain done, they are (Ato.gov.au, 2016): Discount method: application of same is 12 months prior to event of capital gain tax; Indexation method: applied at the time of acquiring of assets prior to September 21and should have been held for at least 12 months prior to the event of capital tax gain; and Residual method: applied when assets have been held for a period less than 12 months. Items which are exempted from gain on capital assets sale are those properties which have been acquired prior to 20th September 1985 being (i) sale of house of residence, (ii) cars, (iii) amount which have been reimbursed for some kind of injury, and (iv) collectable item acquired for an amount being less than $ 500. The losses that arise from Capital Gain can either be set off or carried forward when (a) there is capital loss which is long term, this type of loss is set off against capital gain which is long term, no other type of set off can be done with it; and (b) capital loss that is short term can be set off either from long-term capital gain or from short term. (i) Mr. Dave Solomon in the given situation was a resident for 30 years in the building which had been purchased by him for $ 70,000. Later in 27th June present tax year, he sold it for $ 8, 50,000 which was sold originally at the auction and advance money of $85,000 was paid. Since later the purchase did not go through due to lack of funds . Hence, there was forfeiture of the amount and the $85,000 was therefore charged as "Income from other sources." Capital Gain Calculation Proceed with Sale $8, 65,000 Exemption under CST I.E. Family Income definition Long Term Capital Gain (LTCG) $ 0 (ii) Pro-hart painting purchased for $ 15,000 on 20th September, 1985, sold for $1, 25,000. Calculation of Capital Gain Proceed from Sale $ 1, 25,000 (Minus) Indexed Acquisition Cost 15,000 x 123.4/71.3 $ 25,961 LTCG $150,961 (iii) Purchase of luxury motor cruiser during late 2004 for $ 1, 10,000, sold later for $ 60,000 June present year. Calculation of Capital Gain Proceed from Sale $ 60,000 (Minus) Indexed Acquisition Cost $ 1,10,000 Long Term Capital Loss (LTCP) $ 50,000 (iv) A parcel of shares was sold by him for $ 80,000 of a mining company listed newly in the current year June 5th, later for repurchase he took a loan of $ 70,000 and $5,000 interest thereon was paid by him. Sale brokerage and stamp duty he paid $750 and $250 respectively. Interest on loan under taxation law is not part of acquisition thus, same is not included (Ato.gov.au, 2016). Part I Calculation of Capital Gain Proceed with Sale $ 80,000 (Minus) Brokerage $75,000 (Minus) Stamp duty $250 Short Term Capital Loss (STCL) $ 4,000 Total Capital Gain in the year is: LTCG Residential Property Sale $ 0 LTCG Painting Sale $ 1, 50,961 LTCL Boat Sale $ 50,000 STCL $ 4,000 LTCG $ 1,00,961 The previous year tax return of Mr. Dave indicates capital loss due to the sale of shares . Thus, this amount gets adjusted with LTCG. Therefore: LTCG Net for present years- $ 1, 00,961-$10,000 = $ 90,961 Part II Tax is required to be paid for the gain which arises due the capital assets' sale since capital gain asset is a part of the income assessed of an assessed and this would be for the year of the sale. On the sale of asset Mr. Dove has thus earned a gain. He, therefore, can contribute to the fund of personal superannuation. Relevant records have to be kept of all major and important transactions (Ato.gov.au, 2016). Part III Summation of all the loss due to capital sale asset including that in the previous year is Net Capital Loss. It can only be set off against the capital gain in subsequent years and not income from other sources and thus has to be carried forward. If there is no positive capital gain that Dave has he shall either acquire the loan or continue selling his assets so that contribution can be made to personal superannuation fund (Fund). Later he can rent an apartment, and tax-free income can be withdrawn from the Fund after next year when he is 60 (Ato.gov.au, 2016). Solution 2 Part I There are certain benefits that Periwinkle Private Limited has given to Emma such as a Car that she can use for both personal and professional which the company bought on 1st May 2005 for $ 33,000. Expenses that were incurred by Emma due to this case being $ 550 (for repairs) the company reimbursed. She was also given a loan of $ 5, 00,000 on 1st September 2015 for purchasing a $ 4, 50,000 at 4.45%. The balance of this amount was given to her spouse for buying shares in Telstra. She also purchased a bathtub sold to the public for $2600 at $ 13, 00 and the cost of the company towards the bathtub was $700. The tax that an employer pays for benefits given to the employee is Fringe Benefit tax, and this is applied to benefits that are non-cash. Exemptions to this fringe benefit tax are (i) loan(s), (ii) work-related expenses; (iii) benefits which have less than $ 300 taxable value; (iv) car provided to staff provide that it is used for work-related purposes; (v) housing allowance for house in remote areas; and (vi) expenses for relocation. If the car that has been provided to the employee is used for any personal purposes, then it will be a fringe benefit and will be taxable under Fringe Benefits Tax, and hence, the tax would be computed on this. If however it is only for less than three months that this car is provided then it cannot be calculated under fringe benefit tax. Thus, the car which has been provided to Emily is a fringe benefit; it is garaged not with the employer but with Emma. However at the time when the car is at a garage as per Fringe Benefits, it excluded from being the car used for personal purposes. There are two methods by which Fringe benefit can be calculated (i) Cost Basis Method and (ii) Statutory formula application. Proceed from Sale $ 60,000 Cars Base Value $33,000 Period for which car is provided =335-5 = 3 Base value of the car $33,000 The five days when the car was given for repairing will not be included in days of private use of the car by Emma. However, the time when the car was parked in the airport would be counted as personal use as the keys were with Emma and not the company. It is less than 15000km that the car has run during the fringe benefit period hence the rate would be 20%. Taxed Amount $33000*20%*330/365 $5,967 (Minus) expenses employee incurred $550 Fringe Benefit Tax $5,417 When a loan is given by an employer to an employee at a lower interest rate then the loan which is without interest shall be calculated for fringe benefits tax in the below-mentioned manner: Loan Bench Mark = 5.95% Interest Rate by Company= 4.45% Fringe Benefit Tax = 5,00,000* 1.50% = $7,500 Since only $4, 50,000 was used by the employee for buying the house, and the rest was given to her husband the taxable value would be $ 7,500 only. Part II If however the entire amount has been used by Emma, then the fringe benefits tax would be calculated as follows: Fringe Benefit Tax without the value deductible otherwise = 7,500 5,00,000*1.50% Assuming that the loan was interest free = $29,750 $5,00,000*5.95% In case, interest paid was equal to taxable amount = $ 29,750*10/100 $2,975 Looking at the actual situation where interest is being charged on the loan $5, 00,000*4.45%*10% $2,225 v) Subtract (c)-(d) $ 2,975- $2,225 $750 Value of Tax = i-v 7500-750 $6,750 Debt waiver of Fringe Benefit i.e. the product that Emma purchased for $1,300 sold in the market for $ 2,600 difference would be the fringe benefit liability: $ 2600-$1300=$ 1300 References Capital gains tax | Australian Taxation Office. [online] Ato.gov.au. Available at: https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Capital-gains-tax/ [Accessed 19 May 2016]. Capital gains tax. [Canberra]: Australian Taxation Office. Calculating Capital Gains Tax - the basics for Australian investors | deListed Australia. [online] Delisted.com.au. Available at: https://www.delisted.com.au/capital-gains-tax/basics [Accessed 19 May 2016]. Calculating and paying capital gains tax. [online] Help and guidance. Available at: https://learn.nab.com.au/calculating-and-paying-capital-gains-tax/ [Accessed 19 May 2016]. Global Property Guide. 2016.Australia capital gains tax rates, and property income tax. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.globalpropertyguide.com/Pacific/Australia/Taxes-and-Costs. [Accessed 19 May 2016]. Jin, L., n.d. Capital Gain Tax Overhang and Price Pressure.SSRN Electronic Journal. T., J., 1959. Capital Gain.Science, 129(3363), pp.1583-1583. The taxation of capital gains . 2016.The taxation of capital gains. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.taxpayer.com.au/KnowledgeBase/10080/Individuals-Tax-Super/Capital_gains. [Accessed 19 May 2016] J., 2011.Tax for Australians for dummies. Richmond, Vic.: John Wiley Sons Australia.

Loui Vuitton In India Essay Example

Loui Vuitton: In India Essay Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton: Going Global LV the French brand, started entering global markets in 1885 with its first flagship store opened in Oxford street London. LV started with leather products then. LV concentrated then not on further expansion but on the product range. LV participated in the Universal Exhibition in Paris. In 1888 the company came up its registered trademark. In 1896 worldwide patent was created with the signature monogram canvas. After the death of Loui Vuitton in 1892 George Vuitton took over. George Vuitton initiated steps to get the company as a globally recognized corporation. He targeted the European markets by travelling in main cities and selling his products there. After creating a channel of networking in the Europe, George Vuitton shifted his direction to US. He saw huge growth prospects in US and his first step was to participate in Chicago World Fair in 1893. Later, he travelled extensively in US cities selling his product. The patenting of LV products helped in stopping counterfeiting in the global markets. George Vuitton relocated the paris flagship store from N04 Rue Neuve des Capucines to Champs Elys? ©es, in 1914 which is now known as the shoppers paradise for luxury brand stores . This store was then the biggest retail store for travel goods in the world. This was one of the pivotal turning points of making the LV brand, as travellers from US, Europe Asia started to go for it. Paris started going crazy with this store as the rich people from middle east, Rulers of the world including Kings from India became loyalists and the sales was flourishing as a premium brand. We will write a custom essay sample on Loui Vuitton: In India specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Loui Vuitton: In India specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Loui Vuitton: In India specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer All the production was done in France only for every market. No company owned stores were opened but extensive distribution was done on the best markets in Europe and US. It was soon followed to the Asian markets including Bombay. George Vuitton expires in 1936 and his son Gaston-Louis Vuitton takes charge of the company. In 1954 which marked the 100th Anniversary of LV it launched an other flagship store in Avenue Marceau which marked the centenary celebrations of the company. New models were being tried and bought into market with peculiar and luxury designs which included bags. With 100 years of experience LV had created a respect in the market for its excellent craftsmanship and innovations adding to the products. The LV enters the Asian market with the first exclusive store opened in Osaka and Tokyo in Japan in 1978. And then followed by a tore in Singapore in 1979. After having a mark in the Asian Market with the store in Japan and Singapore, it planned its strategy to further enter into the Asian Markets including China. In 1983 the company hosted a yacht race where it was held as the Loui vuitton cup. In 1980s the company got listed in Paris and New York Stock Exchanges. In this decade LV and Moet hennesy formed the luxury conglomerate. By the end of 1980s LV had 130 stores through out the globe and the profit of the company was rising with an average of 40% growth consistently. The product line started including all leather goods from Trunks to small wallets. Monogram Canvas period, big celebrations were hosted in 7 big cities of the world. Its associating with the art even added more loyalists to the brand. Currently LV has 1 500 flagship stores globally with its own e-commerce platform of sale adding to the network. It is the worlds biggest luxury brand and a multi national corporation. The production houses have expanded from France to US, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. But leather goods production houses are only in France and Italy. Aisha Walker who Joins as the artistic director in 1997 brings first line of clothing for both men and women. What ifferentiates L V from its competitors are its product quality and prestige. LVsaw the future of luxury market around the globe. It concentrated on every part of the world. The planning strategy implemented was brilliant when it was taking on globally. The association of its product with the regional artistic and tradition raised the company to heights at a very fast paced then. LV is the first company in luxury industry to see the economic growth of emerging economies such as China and India. Loui Vuitton becomes the tagline of Social Status in the elite classes of the society. Today in China Loui Vuitton is the number one luxury brand. There is no change in the quality of the product irrespective of wherever it is manufactured. Quality benchmarking lays the foundation of LV. On each market, LV takes into account the cultural background and designs the products for the particular region with an influential value of the culture adding to LV. For example, in Japan constant innovation and the involvement of art and culture promotes the product. The price of an LV product remains equal with only a slight variation in changes. By 2001, it enterd into every segment by Joining jewellery industry as well. Loui Vuitton is the biggest luxury brand and is well positioned now Globally. Louis Vuitton in India While casually spending his weekly off, roaming the streets of Delhi, in the busy Connaught place market, Ramnaresh Thorani, the store head of Louie Vuitton, DLF Promenade faced a predicament that he was not hoping to encounter on an off day. It all started when a street hawker who did not look like a salesman offered him a Louie Vuitton wallet for an extremely cheap price, his first thought was obviously that it might be a stolen article, but on closer inspection he could make out that it was a heap knock off which could be felt as soon as he held it in his hand. He took a breath of relief and started moving forward when the hawker again pitched in that he could offer better variants called as the first copies if he was willing to shell in an amount of around 3000-4000 which are the exact replicas of the originals. Thorani couldnt shy away from that offer and followed the hawker into the Palika Bazar where he was shown the much hyped First Copy LW range and to his much displeasure, the wallets were indeed quite similar to the real deal. It was easy for him eing the store manager, to differentiate the fake from the real, by observing the slight dullness in the stamp print or the slight irregularity in the stitching pattern, but apart from that it was very tough for a customer to differentiate the fake and the real, and when there was this cheaper alternative priced at less than 10 percent of the real deal available in the same city, the teething troubles for thorani only his product with the absolute replica of the box that the wallet that Thorani was examining in his hand. Ten minutes later, as Thorani was driving out from the inner circle of the Connaught lace area, his heart was filled with concerned thoughts about his brand in India when LVwas already looking to open more stores in India, especially in Hyderabad and Kolkata. Ever since the brand took its first order from the wife of the then Emperor of the French Napoleon in 1852, the brand has been serving the royal and elite clientele worldwide. Even after over 160 years L V still maintains it image as a powerful luxury brand in the world and for six consecutive years now since 2006 it has been named the worlds most valuable luxury brand. Throughout times LV has een flaunted by big Hollywood celebrities starting from the times of Audrey Hepburn to the more recent times of Kate Moss and Reese Witherspoon. In India, LV used to be the choice of the MaharaJs when over a century ago, they used to order trunks from the French Giant, but now with the demise of royalty in India, the target market has changed. Since, very few people in the country can be dubbed as the super rich apart from celebrities and sportsmen, LV has been eyeing the middle class of the nation as probable buyers and is hopeful that at least thirty three percent of the middle class can be the target market since young professionals and ntrepreneurs have been spending more and more ever since the mall culture evolved in the country. After opening its first store in New Delhi 10 years back in 2003, currently, LV operates 5 stores in India and paved the way for other major brands like Armani, Ferragamo and Gucci in the Indian market and has a record double-digit growth locally making a good profit. Undoubtedly the brand is a big name worldwide and the only way is up Thorani thought to himself, while waiting at the red light. He remembered the words of Yves Carcelle, Chairman CEO of LV, who recently opened the fifth LV store in Chennai nd mentioned that he is well aware that his is the most counterfeited brand in the world but still it is the most ardent when it comes to fighting counterfeiters and the law is adequate to save the interests of LV. Carcelles statement did comfort Thorani a little as he stepped on the gas with the green light but kept on thinking about similar problems that were Just recently discussed at the annual meeting where he was told about other issues being faced by the brand when it came to expansion such as non- availability of store space in hubs like Mumbai where the fashion giant Just has to be ontent with stores in hotels which offers less than 10 percent of the footfall a mall could offer. Even the stores outside the hotels in India on an average are half the average size of a store abroad, where in India the average store size is 3000 square feet as compared to the 6-1 5000 square feet abroad. The counterfeits, the store sizes, the high prices in a country where acoording to a 2010 report still 29. % of the people live below the poverty line were all problems for LV that posed as big threats to sales and with foreign investor norms for single brand retail allowing 100 percent wnership only if 30 percent of the products are sourced locally when the entire portfolio of LV comes from France, the situation only worsened for the fashion giant. parking it and gradually strolled to his house thinking about the rich past, the global and Indian presence of the brand and what might the future hold for the most valuable luxury brand in the world. The case talks about the Journey of Louis Vuitton and its success across the globe. Special emphasis on the Indian presence of the brand as when the company was doing great in its traditional markets of US,Western Europe Japan, it eyed the developing Asian markets as a potential place for investment because of the rising affluence of these markets in terms of growing middle class, developing economy, higher net disposable income of the people, the influence of the West, and India was a hot favourite country as per the expansion point of view. Thus LV entered India with complete expectations of growing in the Indian market in the year 1999. LVs association with the Indian market is from the pre independence time as many maharajas of princely states specially use to place rders to the factories of LV in Paris of leather goods for their cars and leather bags for their vacation purposes so the executives of the brand were of the opinion that this relationship could give them an edge in entering the Indian market as the potential buyers will easily accept the brand variants as they were endorsed by their state kings. Some of the major aspects of the Indian market which were to be considered by LV. India was very firm on not easing or allowing any foreign companies to invest in the country post the privatisation and liberalisation reform of 991, in which a lot of restrictions were eased however the import duties were very high. India was a country of 1 . 3billion people at the time of the entry of LV in the country. Of these 1 . 3billion population more than 70% people use to live in the villages and half of them could not read or write. Another considerable fact was that there was an official ban on leather products in India which was the forte of the brand world over. Moreover the FDI norms were also not eased as the government did not allow 100% Foreign Direct Investment in a retailing venture at that time in multi brand or single brand retailing. It also has to consider the opposition party as they were in the favour of the local retailers and manufacturers and an entrance of any foreign brand will take away the bread and butter of the local producers or manufacturers. Global marketing of LV in India Luxury brands like LV have an advantage of the steadily increasing upper class and an affluent middle class. Moreover another advantage is that more than 50% of the population is under the average age of 25 which gives the brand to educate its future customers and develop their taste for the brand. Another positive aspect for the rand is that the Indian market for luxury brands is growing at a rate of 20% annually. Size of the Indian market Considering the survey done by The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), in the year 2001-02 the number of families with an annual income more than Rs 100 million was around 20,000 and the number was expected to rise up till by 2010. According to another report by the World Wealth Report the number of millionaires in dollar was 83000 in India in the year 2005 and the same report also talked about India being the 2nd fastest to grow In terms of high net segment was the class of the new rich. These were the people who had recently got hold of a lot of cash recently and were looking for avenues to spend it. They could have turned into the loyal customers of LV. Another finding of the report was that the market value of the luxury brands in India was $4 billion by 2005 and was expected to be $40 billion by 2025 which also added to the scope for the luxury brands in the Indian market. Considering the above aspects I believe that the Indian market comprises manifold business opportunities especially in the rapidly developing segment of luxury brands. And with such a name and the value that the brand arries internationally it is all the more easy for the brand to grow in such a potential market. Louis Vuitton: Problem in Indias conservative markets Louis Vuitton is trying to market a high-end brand into a low-income nation. The luxury good marketer has been facing many practical problems in India, such as the challenges of identifying potential customers, the lack of media to build its brand and the absence of high streets to open stores. In Europe and the U. S. hese luxury goods are often sold in through by the company-owned stores itself that cluster themselves in a particular area of the city called as the luxury retail cluster. After coming in India, Louis Vuitton opened up a store each inside the two luxury hotels in New Delhi Mumbai itself. Also it has to team up with other western luxury brands so as to develop a hot spot or cluster of luxury brands so as to get in the attractive customers. Another biggest problem being fa ced in India by these luxury brands is shortage of trained manpower. Its been 4 years that Puducherry has been Louis Vuitton is first manufacturing plant in Asia, but recently the French luxury Louis Vuitton has decided to sell its Indian unit toa Chennai-based firm. The prospect of a change of anagement sparked labour was due to 200-odd Indian employees on LADPs rolls going on strike since June 13 demanding that the firm regularize their services before winding up its operations and handing over the unit to the new owners. LADP is now having its two plants?one in Kurumbapet here and the other in Perambai in Tamil Nadu?to manufacture leather components for Louis Vuitton products. The management made a formal announcement about exiting India on June 13, which triggered the labour problem. It was also declared that LADP has set up Jointly by Louis Vuitton and the Puducherry-based leather fashion brand HiDesign. HiDesign did not take a stake in LADP but Louis Vuitton took a 5% stake in HiDesign. Because of this HiDesign has become the major competitor of Louis Vuitton. LADP, which had regularized the services of its administrative staff, had not confirmed the 240 workers on its rolls in the last 4 years. According to the studies; by 2022, the Indian luxury products services sector would require close to around 1. 76 million trained people to work at all levels. There has been a rising wave of urbanization, that Indians are becoming brand conscious also are ready to invest in luxury products. But the growth of luxury companies is not being able to move beyond its niche audience. Luxury brand industry has not yet been able to establish itself beyond a small a 0-30 lakhs is getting long continuously but the reach of luxury brand is slow because the medium for following this trend is limited to a limited section. That is why except for metros like Delhi, Mumbai Bangalore, there is a risk of not attracting enough customers in other cities. Also most of the builders in the past years have shield away from the idea of setting up luxury malls, it was mainly due to risk actors involved in it i. e. catering only the niche market. Most of the builders were not able to follow the international format of luxury malls in terms of infrastructure and ambience. They were only trying to focus on competitive environment which had been the necessity with top notch restaurants, cafes luxurious guest rooms. There were no big retail spaces being available for such luxurious brands. Also because of this reason the rentals for operating these stores are very high. Because of these reasons Famous French brand Louis Vuitton that was having its seven year old store t The Oberoi in New Delhi has shifted to DLF EMPORIO MALL. Pricing of these luxurious brands was also one of the major factors that created problems for these brands to enter in India which now has become such a potential market. The prices of these luxury products contains 30-40% of import duty on them with further addition of VAT i. e. 12. 5% shoots up the prices of these branded products. That is why the brand KENZO owned in by Louis Vuitton in Joint venture which entered in as a franchisee model way only a couple of years back bid goodbye to India due to poor response of sales.

Metal Jewelry Stamps Marks

Metal Jewelry Stamps Marks Jewelry made from precious metals often is stamped with a mark to indicate the chemical composition of the metal. A quality mark contains  information about metal content that appears on an article. It is usually stamped or inscribed on the piece. There is considerable confusion about the meaning of quality marks that are seen on jewelry and other items. Here is some information that will de-mystify terms such as plated, filled, sterling, and others.​ Gold Quality Marks karat, carat, Karat, Carat, Kt., Ct., K, C Gold is measured in karats, with 24 karats being 24/24ths gold or pure gold. A 10 karat gold item contains 10/24ths gold, a 12K item is 12/24ths gold, etc. Karats may be expressed using a decimal figure, such as .416 fine gold (10K). The minimum allowable quality for karat gold is 9 karats. Karats are not to be confused with carats (ct.), which are a unit of gemstone mass. One carat weighs 0.2 gram (1/5 of a gram or 0.0007 ounce). A hundredth of a carat is called a point. Gold Filled and Rolled Gold Plate gold filled, G.F., doublà © dor, rolled gold plate, R.G.P., plaquà © dor laminà © The quality mark for gold filled is used for an article (except optical frames, watch cases, hollowware, or flatware) consisting of a base metal to which a sheet of at least 10 karat gold has been bonded. Additionally, the weight of the gold sheet must be at least 1/20th the total weight of the item. The quality mark may specify the ratio of the weight of the gold in the article to the total weight of the article as well as a statement of the quality of the gold expressed in karats or decimals. For example, a mark of 1/20 10K G.F. refers to a gold filled article that consists of 10 karat gold for 1/20th of its total weight. Rolled gold plate and gold filled may utilize the same manufacturing process, but the gold sheet used in rolled gold usually is less than 1/20th the total weight of the article. The sheet must still be at least 10 karat gold. Like gold filled articles, the quality mark used for rolled gold plate articles may include a weight ratio and a statement of quality (for example, 1/40 10K R.G.P.). Gold and Silver Plate gold electroplate, gold plated, G.E.P., electroplaquà © dor or or plaquà ©, silver electroplate, silver plate, silver plated, electroplaquà © dargent, plaquà © dargent, or the abbreviations of these terms The quality marks for gold-plated indicate that an article has been electroplated with gold of at least 10 karats. The quality marks for silver plated indicate that an article has been electroplated with silver of at least 92.5% purity. There is no minimum thickness required for silver plated or gold plated articles. Silver Quality Marks silver, sterling, sterling silver, argent, argent sterling, abbreviations of these terms, 925, 92.5, .925 The quality marks or a decimal figure may be used on articles containing a minimum of 92.5% pure silver. Some metals may be called silver when, in fact, they are not (except in coloration). For example, nickel silver (also known as German silver) is an alloy consisting of about 60% copper, about 20% nickel, about 20% zinc, and sometimes about 5% tin (in which case the alloy is called alpaca). There is no silver at all in German/nickel/alpaca silver or in Tibetan silver. Vermeil vermeil or vermil The quality marks for vermeil are used on articles made of silver of at least 92.5 percent purity and plated with gold of at least 10 karats. No minimum thickness is required for the gold plated portion. Platinum and Palladium Quality Marks platinum, plat., platine, palladium, pall. The quality marks for platinum are applied to articles composed of at least 95 percent platinum, 95 percent platinum and iridium, or 95 percent platinum and ruthenium. The quality marks for palladium are applied to articles composed of at least 95 percent palladium, or 90 percent palladium and 5 percent platinum, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium, osmium or gold.

Bestow Is a Transitive Verb

Bestow Is a Transitive Verb Bestow Is a Transitive Verb Bestow Is a Transitive Verb By Maeve Maddox The following use of the verb bestow in an article about Harper Lee in The Washington Post caught my attention: But for Christmas 1956, a wealthy couple who doted on the struggling young writer bestowed her with enough money to take a year off and write. The verb bestow has been in the language since Chaucer’s day. It derives from an Old English verb meaning â€Å"to place† or â€Å"to put.† The meaning that survives in modern speech is â€Å"to confer as a gift or as an honor.† The thing being conferred will be the direct object of bestow. Here is the Harper Lee quotation rewritten: But for Christmas 1956, a wealthy couple who doted on the struggling young writer bestowed enough money on her to take a year off and write. Here are two more examples that demonstrate the correct use of bestow: In 1938, Harvard  bestowed an honorary degree  on Walt Disney.   The object of bestowed is â€Å"an honorary degree.† The prior year, the Belgian  government bestowed a  set of six medals on the pair for their work with undernourished children. The object of bestowed is â€Å"a set of six medals.† One source of error is in the use of bestow is to treat it as if it were an exact synonym for give: The village has also  bestowed her a  new clinic The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce  bestowed her a  star on the Walk of Fame. Each of these sentences uses her as if it were the indirect object of bestow, but bestow does not take an indirect object. Note: An indirect object stands between a transitive verb and its direct object. Either the preposition to or for is â€Å"understood† when an indirect object follows a transitive verb: She sent me a letter. She sent [to] me a letter. He built the child a tree house. He built [for] the child a tree house. The preposition that goes with bestow is on. The previous sentences may be rewritten in one of two ways: The village has given her a new clinic. or The village has bestowed a new clinic on her. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce gave her a star on the Walk of Fame. or The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce bestowed a Hollywood Walk of Fame star on her. Another error with bestow may result from confusing it with endow: Incorrect: Johnny Carson  bestowed him with  the nickname â€Å"Excitement.† Correct : Johnny Carson endowed him with the nickname â€Å"Excitement.† Incorrect: And this genetic trait  bestowed him with  a gorgeous, spicy-colored ginger coat and big, bright sapphire eyes. Correct : And this genetic trait  endowed him with  a gorgeous, spicy-colored ginger coat and big, bright sapphire eyes. I can’t think of any explanation for this example I found on LinkedIn: Her experience has  bestowed her a  notable leader as a seasoned Real Estate Professional. The intended meaning seems to be â€Å"Her experience has  transformed her into a notable leader as a seasoned Real Estate Professional.†Ã‚   Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a SentenceThe Four Sounds of the Spelling OUGlimpse and Glance: Same or Different?

Critical Paper of Was the CIA's fake vaccination program in Essay

Critical Paper of Was the CIA's fake vaccination program in Abottbad,Pakistan a justifiable method in the effort to capture Osama bin L - Essay Example In April, nurses gained access to the unusually-security-conscious compound, using the ploy of giving free hepatitis B vaccine (Shah). This news upset numerous healthcare and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), because it can create a major setback in their campaign against polio in Pakistan and other countries (Rauhala, 2011). Supporters of the program claim the CIA confirmed that the vaccination program was not fake at all. For them, it served a greater end of capturing a very influential terrorist group and it gave justice to all victims of the September 11 attacks. However, despite whatever good this program might have done, the CIAs vaccination strategy was not justified, because it produced hard-to-reverse effects on an already-ailing integrity of public health programs in Pakistan and other developing countries, on the security and credibility of NGO personnel operating in conflict-ridden areas, and on expanding conspiracy theories. The CIA cleared that the vaccination program was not fake at all, and this clarifies the underlying credibility of the vaccination program. This statement supports the justification of the program, because it stresses the responsibility of the Pakistan government in ensuring that the vaccination program continued, not the CIA. A senior U.S. official pointed out that the vaccinations were real: â€Å"Dr. Afridi was asked only to continue his program. The vaccinations were real, and he never harmed a soul in the course of this campaign† (Ignatius, 2011). Though it is claimed that the vaccination doses were not completed in some target areas of the program, this shows that the CIA did not derail or concoct any health public campaign. The CIA is not responsible for Pakistan’s success or failure in its healthcare programs. The CIA is only accountable for the success of its vaccination strategy, so that it can attain its primary objective of eliminating Osama bin Laden. Henc e, the CIA did not malign all

Critically evaluate how the recession has affected Natwest's Essay

Critically evaluate how the recession has affected Natwest's motivational methods - Essay Example Motivation theories such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Herzberg’s dichotomy of hygiene factors and motivating factors, McGregor’s theory ‘X’ and theory ‘Y’ people, Edgar Schein’s assumptions based approach, Tailor’s scientific management approach, Elton Mayo’s theory, Adams equity theory and Vroom’s expectancy theory have been in used for long time. These models propose circumstances under which employees will be internally motivated to do their tasks effectively according to Hackman and Oldham (1976). However practical situations in the organizational setting can be an admixture of some or all of these theories. There was a time when employees were assumed as only another input into the process of manufacturing of goods and services. According to Lindner (1998) what probably changed this notion was research, known as the Hawthorne Studies, performed by Elton Mayo in between 1924 to 1932. Maslow (1998) used a pyramidal hierarchical structure to depict the needs of employees at the work place. According to him self-actualization occupies the top-most rung in the hierarchy of needs. Secondly self-esteem needs come as of importance. Thirdly needs of love and affection come and fourthly safety related needs are of importance to the employee. Finally at the base of the pyramid there are those physiological needs. Individual employees who are more likely to need self-actualization benefits would display some individual characteristics. For example acceptance and realism are associated with such employees. This is due to the fact that such employees regard themselves as more realistic and accordingly adjust themselves to the work environment with a degree of ease. Secondly their problem solving behavior endears them to many higher officials outside their own work environment. Their motivation basically comes from a

The Death Penalty Essay Example for Free

The Death Penalty Essay The death penalty is a capital punishment that is put into effect for major crimes. The death penalty is a very controversial topic in the United States and throughout the world. There was a time period were the death penalty was banned for about four years in 1972-1976. Many feel that the death penalty is justice because it is retribution toward criminals who have committed heinous crimes. However the death penalty is inhumane and should be abolished in the United States. The death penalty has been around since the beginning of civilization. â€Å"Capital Punishment has been practiced in most known societies over the course of humans history† (Garland 30). The website Introduction to the Death Penalty states that the death was first established for 25 different crimes, however, over the years the laws have changed. Fortunately, only one-third of the world still uses this type of punishment. There are only a few developed countries that have the death penalty, such as Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. The most recent countries that have abolished the death penalty because they deamed it inhumane are Burundi, and Togo in 2009, and Gabon in 2010. Unfortunately the U. S. is one of the few developed countries that still have the death penalty. Writer Scott Christianson says, â€Å"In the United States, however, serious consideration of abolition was slower in the coming, for political reasons. On the one hand, capital punishment had been used since the earliest days of exploration and Colonization; it was still legal in all but a few states† (176). In the U. S. nly fourteen states have abolished the death penalty, the most recent states to abolish the death penalty are New York in 2007, New Mexico in 2009, and Illinois in 2011. Writer Michael Meranze says, â€Å"Europe redefined itself as a death penalty- free zone and seventy countries around the globe abolished the death since 1976, where us the United States not only reinstated capital punishment but thirty-six states and the federal government expanded its use and provenance† (Garland et. all 73). â€Å"Since 1977, 611 people have been executed in the United States †¦. xecutions in the U. S. have been carried out at an increasing rate, with more than half of the executions since 1976 having occurred in the last five years† (Barry). The United States has used many different methods to execute prisoners over the years. Two of the first methods were hanging and firing squad. Although these methods are considered archaic now, there are still some states that allow the use of hanging and firing squads. These states that can still use hanging are Delaware, New Hampshire, and Washington. States that can still use firing squads are Idaho, Oklahoma, and Utah. Another method of execution that was used for years in the U. S. is the electric chair. There is currently only one state that still uses the electric chair as its main method of execution, which is Nebraska. Another method that is rarely used but is still on the books for some states is the gas chamber. Writer Scott Christianson says, â€Å"The earliest gas chamber for execution purposes was constructed in the Nevada state penitentiary at Carson city and first employed on February 8, 1924 †¦(1). States that still have the gas chamber are Arizona, California, Missouri, and Wyoming. The main source of execution for all states with the death penalty [with the exception of Nebraska is lethal injection. Lethal injection is puts poisonous drugs into a person’s bloodstream to kill them. However because the poisonous drug is so expensive some states are starting to use the same drug to put down animals for human beings. Advocates claim that having the death penalty for crimes deters crime because they think people are scared of punishment; however, the death penalty does not deter crime. The death penalty is useless because the criminals committing the crime are not thinking about the death penalty but rather how to stay alive. â€Å"The attempt to reduce murders in the drug trade by threat of severe punishment ignores the fact that anyone trafficking in illegal drugs is already risking his life in violent competition with other dealers. It is irrational to think that the death penalty – a remote threat at best – will avert murders committed in drug turf wars or by street-level dealers† (Bedau). This shows that the death penalty is not stopping murders from occurring. The introduction to the death penalty conducted a survey were top criminologists stated that the death penalty does not deter homicide rates (Introduction). â€Å"For 2009, the average Murder Rate of Death Penalty States was 4. 9 [Murder rates by the 100,000], while the average Murder Rate of States without the Death Penalty was 2. 8† (Introduction). Not only does the death penalty not deter crime but it is also very expensive. The death penalty costs so much because of the appeal process. The appeal process is a very long and expensive process that can go on forever and costs the government millions. Many assume that abolishing the death penalty is wrong because it becomes unfair to the taxpayers because they think the cost is less than that of life in prison without parole. However life in prison is less expensive than the death penalty (Bedau). The death penalty is actually three times more than keeping a prisoner in prison for life without parole (Messerli). Death penalty trials are costly as well. â€Å"[S]tudies estimate that death penalty trials cost $1 million more than trials in which the prosecutors seek life without parole† (Introduction). Therefore the government needs to stop executing people because it is unfair to the taxpayers. The death penalty costs one-hundred thirty-seven million dollars annually. Writer John Van De Kamp says, â€Å"With California facing its most severe financial crisis in recent memory—with draconian cuts about to be imposed from Sacramento that will affect every resident of the state—it would be crazy not to consider the fact that it [The Death Penalty] will add as much as $1 billion over the next five years simply to keep the death penalty on the books. Therefore the government needs to rid of the death penalty in order to put taxpayer’s money to better use. One of the biggest problems with the death penalty is that it is racially imbalanced. Juries assign the death penalty more often to minorities than to Whites. â€Å"Capital punishment opponents argue that racial bias on the behalf of prosecutors, judges, and juries results in disproportionately high numbers of convicts and death penalties for African-American defendants† (â€Å"Issues†). The defendant who is a person of color is much more likely to get the death penalty if the victim is white. [A]s of 2002, 12 people have been executed where the defendant was white and the murder victim was black, compared with a 178 black defendants executed for murders with white victims† (Bedau). There are still these uneven numbers in death row to this day. There has been evidence in murder cases that juries have been racist and have sentenced some people to prison while others, mostly black, have been given the death penalty (Bedau). Minorities are disproportionately given the death penalty with a 43% of executions since 1976 and a 55% awaiting the death penalty (Bedau). These facts are shameful to the country. Another big reason why the U. S. shouldn’t have the death penalty is the financial imbalance among defendants. People who have money have a better chance of being proved innocent because they can afford better attorneys than poor people. Professor Scott Philip from the University of Denver says, â€Å"Defendants who hired counsel for the entire case were never sentenced to death. Even defendants who hired counsel for a portion of the case were substantially less likely to be sentenced to death than defendants with appointed counsel† (American). These who can’t afford attorneys have to rely on public defenders, who are incredibly overburdened in their jobs and are sometimes in competent. â€Å"Poor people accused of capital crimes are often defended by lawyers who lack the skills, resources, and commitment to handle such serious matters. This fact is confirmed in case after case† (Bright). This unfortunate act committed in this country leads to people being wrongfully sentenced. Because of the racial and financial imbalances, even proponents of capital punishment should recognize that the system is broken. A part of the death penalty that people tend to avoid is the fact that woman and men are executed (Messerli). Wrongly sentenced people are one of the biggest problems with the death penalty. â€Å"How many innocent people will the United States execute before we stop this barbaric punishment? † (Dicks 31). The number of people that have been executed, that were later found innocent is not the ideal numbers that people want to hear. â€Å"Total of 69 people have been released from death row since 1973 after evidence of their innocence emerged† (Dieter). In the Bedau-Radelet report on ‘Miscarriages of Justice in Potentially Capital Cases,’ it was reported that 350 people have been wrongfully sentenced, twenty-three of which were actually killed by the state before they were found to have been innocent† (Dicks 79). There is no way to ensure that this won’t sometimes happen, so the U. S. can’t ethically use the death penalty. The biggest reason that there should not be a death penalty is that it is morally wrong. â€Å"It violates the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights† (Abolish). It also can’t undo what’s already been done. It is useless in that it doesn’t bring the victim back to life† (Messerli). The death penalty doesn’t help anybody and doesn’t show that killing is ok. Therefore, â€Å"It sends the wrong message: why kill people who kill people to show killing is wrong† (Messerli). The United States is one of the most elite nations in the world; however, people in the U. S. don’t have the sense to get rid of the death penalty. The penalty is inhumane and should be abolished in the United States. This punishment goes against everything the U. S. stands for and it is a denial a humans rights to live. Throughout our history, critics have tried to brand the death penalty as the vestige of a mad primitive age, a practice that an enlightened society would reject. And each time they have advanced their case—but only so far† (Kay). People need a government that is fair to all and does not deny people their rights to live. People need a government that will not just settle with just, but will fight for what is right for the people of the United States of America. â€Å"Why should a nation that casts itself as a leader in the battle for human rights resist so tenaciously the elimination of a practice so self-evidently a holdover from darker times? †

The Debate Over Abortion Essay example -- Informative Essay

With the ongoing debate and the advancement of technology in determining the viability of a fetus, abortion, the ending of a pregnancy by removing a fertilized egg, has become increasingly controversial. The morality of abortion has caused many to separate into opposite sides of the spectrum, pro-life and pro-choice. The arguments over abortion has stirred a continuous debate between a pro-choice stance such as that presented by the analogical reasoning of Thomson or Glover’s examination of social context and a pro-life position argued by a moral view of personhood by Noonan. The ethical arguments presented by the conflicting views in the abortion debate has caused others to taken into consideration a sociological account visible in Luker’s examinations of world views in order to discover underlying motivations. The debate has caused many to argue either in support of or against abortion. In the article â€Å"A Defense of Abortion,† Judith Jarvis Thomson uses analogical reasoning (such as the case of the sick violinist) to support and convince a right to abortion. Thomson presents the argument that all people are entitled a right to life and that a person’s right to life outweighs any person’s right to decide what happens to their body (1, Thomson, CC p.188).Thomson proposes a hypothetical situation in which the reader is kidnapped and their circulatory system is linked with that of a sick violinist in order to prevent his kidneys from failing. If the person agrees to offer his or her kidneys, they would have to remain plugged for nine months or even more. However if the person refuses, the violinist would die. By using the sick violinist example, Thomson seeks to undermine the argument that an abortion cannot be performed because ... ... pro-choice activists leads to a re-evaluation of the moral arguments such as those given by Thomson, Noonan, and Glover. Luker’s explanations enlarge our capacity of reasoning by appealing to social beliefs and values that help us to understand the social behavior and the motivations behind pro-choice and pro-life activists. Luker’s account ultimately expands the level of ethical reasoning to generate moral insights concerning the ethics of abortion because it helps us to look beyond the surface of the arguments about abortion and search into the roots and causes of the debate. Once these motivations are exposed, one can assess the complex relationship between differing social values and the arguments of conflicting views on abortion. Works Cited â€Å"A Defense of Abortion,† Judith Jarvis Thomson â€Å"Abortion & the Politics of Motherhood,† Kristen Luker

Athens in the Time of Pericles †Religion Death and Burial Essay

Pericles lived from 495-429 BC. During this time, religion was inextricably linked with Athenian society. It contributed to a lot of Athenian culture and the many aspects of religion were depicted through buildings, artworks, festivals and every day rituals. Gods and Goddesses In Greek mythology there were 12 main gods, that were prayed to and worshipped by the Athenians. It was said they lived on top of Mount Olympus. They resembled human form and through their stories of love, war and passion they were also viewed to have human feelings. The Greeks believed that the gods were immortal. The gods were associated with three main domains, Heaven, sea and earth. The 12 gods were: God/Goddess name Aphrodite Apollo Ares Artemis Demeter Hephaestus Hera (Queen of heaven and wife of Zeus) Hermes (Messenger of the Gods) Hestia Poseidon Zeus (Lord of the Gods, Spiritual father of the Gods and the people) Heaven Heaven Heaven Heaven Earth Heaven Heaven Heaven Heaven Sea Heaven Domain Specialty Love, romance and beauty Sun, light, medicine, poetry and music War Hunting, the forest, wildlife, childbirth and the moon Agriculture Fire Marriage and magic Business Home and Homelife The sea, horses and earthquakes The sky. Dio Crysostomos (97 A.D) declared the image of Zeus so powerful that, â€Å"If a man, with a heavy heart from grief and sorrow in life, will stand in front of the statue, he will forget all these.† Athena (Patron goddess of Athens and daughter of Zeus) Heaven War, wisdom and crafts. Evidence of Athena being the patron goddess is the Athenian silver tetradrachm from 454-404 BC. Like on the coin, she’s generally depicted wearing a helmet and shown with an owl or olive tree as they were sacred to her. According to mythology, she gifted the olive tree to the city of Athens. Tara Heaslip Wednesday, 19 June 2013 6:12:56 PM Australian Eastern Standard Time Attica. Athens, c. 454-404 BC. Silver â€Å"old-style† tetradrachm. Head of Athena right, wearing crested helmet ornamented with olive leaves / Owl standing right, olive sprig and crescent moon behind. Apart from the main 12 gods and goddesses there were many others that were just as popular and worshipped just as much, for example, Dionysus. There is much evidence of the belief in these gods such as paintings, artworks and inscriptions, for example, a vase that has been dated back to 470-460 BC which depicts Zeus. Amphora, 470-460 B.C. This vase depicts Zeus aiming a lightening bolt at a giant with an eagle perched on his hand. Beliefs, practices and organisations Religion was a fundamental aspect of Greek life and the Athenian people incorporated it into their everyday lives as they believed their lives were dependent on the gods. It was believed that gods could interfere in the lives of men, so prayer was used by the people, so the gods would take favour and act kindly towards them. Xenophon said â€Å"The gods know everything and they give forewarnings to anyone they choose through sacriï ¬ ces, omens, voices and dreams.† The Athenians used sacriï ¬ ces, temples and prayers to honor particular gods and goddesses. They believed in the three ‘Fates,’ Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. Clotho was the youngest, she spun the thread of destiny with a distaff and determined the time of birth of an individual. Lachesis measured the thread length to determine the length of life and Atropos cut the thread of life, determining the time of death. Worship of the gods consisted of rituals and ceremonies. The relationship between human beings and deities was based on the concept of exchange; Gods and goddesses were expected to answer prayers and humans were expected to give gifts and sacriï ¬ ces. Tara Heaslip Wednesday, 19 June 2013 6:12:56 PM Australian Eastern Standard Time Evidence of the sacriï ¬ ces made by the Athenians came from Lysias (around 400 BC) who stated, â€Å"By performing the proper sacriï ¬ ces, our ancestors left our city the most powerful and prosperous in Greece. It is therefore right that we offer the same sacriï ¬ ces as they did, if only for the sake of the good fortune which has resulted.† Sacriï ¬ ces were the central ritual act performed by Athenians. Animals sacriï ¬ ced had to be willing, therefore they would sprinkle water on it so it’ll lift it’s head and ‘nod’. The richer families gave a blood sacriï ¬ ce almost everyday, however the poor couldn’t afford it. Treasuries were built at Olympia and Delphi to store generous offerings. Evidence of this is part of a female face with inlaid eyes which has been dated back to 4th cent. BC. Ancient Greek Votive offering, 4th cent. BC, set in a niche of a pillar in the sanctuary of Asclepios in Athens Athenian religion was characterised by a diversity of cults. People joined cults because they wanted a closer connection with one particular god. Although everyone believed and worshipped all 12 Olympian gods there were cults to speciï ¬ c gods, especially those not apart of the Pantheon. Evidence of the cults was the Votive plaque which dates back to the mid-4th Century BC and depicts elements of the Eleusinian Mysteries, which was a cult which celebrated Demeter and Persephone. Tara Heaslip Wednesday, 19 June 2013 6:12:56 PM Australian Eastern Standard Time Votive plaque, discovered in the sanctuary at Eleusis (mid-4th century BC) Private worship included family prayers and wine offerings. In the home, there were household shrines and many people offered daily libations to different gods. Private rituals included prayers, meals and storytelling. This god would be chosen depending on the families needs and lifestyle. E.g. Demeter, if they were a agricultural/farming family. They would pay this god special honor but made sure they didn’t exclude any of the others. Worship of the gods also took place publicly. Public meetings opened with recognition of the gods, festivals were dedicated to the gods as were temples, statues and artworks and many sacriï ¬ ces made to the gods were a public event. Mockery of the gods wasn’t regarded as blasphemy and was accepted in athenian life. Evidence of this is Aristophanes play, The Frogs, which depicts Dionysus as cowardly, gluttonous and morally depraved, was acted at Athens at the Lenaean festival (B.C. 405). Temples and Sanctuaries The Acropolis is the oldest part of Athens, it’s the sacred hill and during the reign of Pericles it became the place of the most famous Athenian temples, shrines and statues dedicated to the Gods. Pericles’ building program further evidences the Athenian’s devotion to the gods in all aspects of daily life. Pericles built many temples in honour of the various gods and goddesses, particularly to Athena, to thank her for Athens’ success in the Persian wars. The Parthenon was a temple built on the Acropolis in 448-432 BC. It was built in dedication to Athena for the salvation of Athens and Greece in the Persian wars. It was also used as a treasury. A statue of Athena was built, by Phidias, inside which stood 10 meters tall, made of ivory and gold. A big part of the Parthenon is the Panathenaic Frieze, which was made to depict the Panathenaic festival. Metopes were sculpted into the Parthenon. On the east side the struggle between the gods and the giants was depicted, on the west side was an Amazonomachy, on the south side the battle between the lapiths and the centaurs was shown and depicted on the north side was the Trojan War. There were also many pedimental sculptures which depicted images such as the contest between Poseidon and Athena. Tara Heaslip Wednesday, 19 June 2013 6:12:56 PM Australian Eastern Standard Time South Metope 31, Lapith and Centaur, 447-432 B.C. The Erechtheum is a temple on the northern side of the Acropolis and was dedicated to Athena and Poseidon. It was built between 421 and 407 BC and was designed to accommodate the Plynteria and the Panathenaia. Within the temple lived the sacred snake, which represented a spirit who was thought to keep the city safe. The snake was fed honey-cakes by the priestesses of Athena Polias. The snake’s occasional refusal to eat the cakes was seen as a bad omen. Festivals The Panathenaia is a festival held annually and is the most important as it was dedicated to Athena. It’s held on the 28th day of Hekatombaion which is believed to be Athena’s birthday. Every four years the festival would be extended with many games and a contests being held, this was known as the Greater Panathenaia, whilst the festival held every other year was known as the lesser Panathenaia. The festival holds great religious signiï ¬ cance however it was used to implement the power and political supremacy of Athens. A large part was the Panathenaic games included solo and group contests. The games began with individual activities such as wrestling, horse drawn chariot races and the pentathlon. The individual contests were open for all greek citizens however the group contests were reserved for Athenian citizens. The group contests consisted of a beauty contest between athletes, military dances and a mock combat. Participants from all over Greece were also invited to participate in musical and poetry competitions. A torch race took place in the evening and was then followed by a night of dancing and singing. Evidence of these competitions was the Panathenaic amphoras, which were given to the winners of competitions as a prize. Panathenaic Amphora, depicting foot races at the games, 530 B.C. Tara Heaslip Wednesday, 19 June 2013 6:12:56 PM Australian Eastern Standard Time Amphora, depicting a musician performing with a music instrument used in festivals, 490 B.C. The next day held one of the most important aspects of the festival which was the Panathenaic procession. During this procession a peplos was given as a gift to Athena. A new one was woven and decorated for her every year. It was an honor to be chosen as one of the Ergastinai to make the peplos. Many offerings were brought on to the life size statue of Athena at the end of the procession. Only citizens were allowed to the Acropolis, everyone else remained at the gateway. The Hecatomb was made at the Acropolis. Upon the altar of Athena meat from sacriï ¬ ced animals such as cows and sheep was used in a ritual meal to end the festival, however only certain people were invited to this. Evidence of the Panathenaia and the procession is the Parthenon frieze depicts many aspects of the festival such as the procession and the games.

Asian Countries

Asian countries are strong in culture values and intelligent minds. It have given birth to popular celebrities, famous priests and good politicians, (Sweetman, K. 2012). However, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia are multi-ethnic societies with Malays, Chinese and Indians, (Commisceo Global. 2018). These countries are on ethnicities retain their customs, religions and lifestyles. In Malaysia, people are maintain face and avoid shame. This makes Malaysian strive for harmonious relationships. Indonesia is large diverse nation which have great deal of attention from it government to maintain a cohesion, (Commisceo Global. 2018). Singapore have concepts of group, harmony and mutual security are more important than individual. They also emphasize loyalty, unity and respect for elder.POWER DISTANCEAccording to Geert, power distance is attitude of culture towards inequalities in the society, (Hofstede, G. 2011). Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia are scores higher than 71 which is average score of Asian countries, (Sweetman, K. 2012). This shows that Asian culture is more paternalistic, hence people expect and accept different incomes and privileges, (Fanggy, P and Brian, S. 2014). Subordinates maintain a distance from the bosses and have sense of respect and fear, (Fanggy, P and Brian, S. 2014). In education system, teachers are treated with respect and class is strict order. Moreover, Parents have big authority and respect to parents and elderly lasts during whole life. Therefore, children are not supported to be initiative. In comparison, Malaysia has higher power distance compare to Singapore and Indonesia. This is because of Malay feudal system and the influence of British, (Fanggy, P and Brian, S. 2014). Thus, Malay culture is very respectful of a complex of titled classes and untitled ‘commoners' and to great power to top of organisation.INDIVIDUALISMMalaysia, Singapore and Indonesia are geared towards a collectivism culture, meaning that the group is more important than individual, (Merkin, R. 2015). Responsibility exists and when one participant breaks the rule then the whole group feels disgraced. Therefore, these countries give more importance to family. Furthermore, harmony is very crucial and open conflict is avoided, (Globig. 2010). ‘Saving face' for other is always a goal and bosses always calm and respectful, (Globig. 2010). In comparison, Indonesian are highly collective comparing with Malaysia and Singapore. This is because they hold their traditions tightly. The principle of Bhineka Tunggal IKa (unity in diversity) was adopted for the republic, (Rahmawati, M. 2010). Moreover, they idea regarding belief in God, humanity, tolerance, democracy and justice are incorporated in the Pancasila (five principle) which reflects country's way of life as the reflection of collectivism, (Rahmawati, M. 2010).MASCULINITYMasculinity focus on societies with assertiveness, materialism and achievements whereas femininity refer to societies of caring, modesty and quality of life, (Blog on Linguistics. 2013). According to Geert, there are slightly differences between Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Despite, Malaysia is in middle, that consensus and sympathy are important, as are being modest and humble. However, Singapore and Indonesia have low masculinity which consider as femininity. These countries are social relationship oriented and give importance to quality of life rather than money. Also these give high priority for environmental protection rather than economic growth.UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCEUncertainty avoidance is the way society handles with the things that will happen in future, (Hofstede, G. 2011). According to the chart, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia are low preference for avoiding uncertainty which are willing to take risk and try new in life. Furthermore, the countries are prefer to maintain more relaxed attitude and punctuality do not come naturally. In addition, these countries are comfortable with ambiguity and chaos and there is no problem when change jobs. In comparison, although all countries are weak in uncertainty avoidance, Singapore has very low uncertainty avoidance. In other words, Singaporean accepts the change easily and they state their country as Fine country, (Hofstede, G. 2011). Another reason, they also maintain greater level of tolerance towards unorthodox ideas. Therefore, Singapore is more creative than other countries.LONG-TERM ORIENTATIONLong term orientation prefer future more importance than past and present, (Hofstede, G. 2011). According to the Geert, Singapore and Indonesia are long term orientated culture which known as ‘pragmatism', (Hofstede, G. 2011). Basically, it support long term investment, respect to knowledge, honesty, openness to new thought, responsibility and self-discipline, (Blog on Linguistics. 2013). Therefore, Singapore and Indonesia have strong propensity to save and invest for future, at the same time also focuses on quick result. In other hand, Malaysia is short term orientated culture which have more focus on their personal well-being and spend very low on environment, (Blog on Linguistics. 2013). Malaysian are primarily respect tradition especially Malays. An addition, they also more concern with ‘face saving' and fulfil social obligations. Therefore, they are more independence and focus on quick result compare to Singapore and Indonesia.INDULGENCEIndulgent societies allow free gratification related to enjoying life and have fun, (Globig. 2010). Therefore, Malaysia is indulgent country which majority are happy and most of them are obese. Malaysian have perception of personal life control and focuses more on leisure. Moreover, they educated population with higher birth rates. In other hand, Indonesia have restrained societies that suppress of needs and regulate them by strict social norms, (Globig. 2010). Hence, Indonesian give lower importance for the leisure. Only few people involved in sports. Country with enough food but less obese people. However, Singapore falls in the middle on this dimension.RECOMMENDATIONAs a recommendation, Malaysia should improve on long term orientation. Long term working towards future goal and maintain harmonious relationship for future. Moreover, in business, long term investment will get more profit. Thus, can build strong market position. Singapore should improve on higher uncertainty avoidance. Therefore, Singapore could have more structure and rule, which people do not make mistakes. For example, can reduce car collisions. It also will increase security rather than taking risks. Indonesia should improve on individualism. It brings respects on individual rights and do not require people to change their true personalities for society. Furthermore, individual society motivated people to strive for success. Moreover, individualism can reduce the country's tax pay.

Free Essays on Langston Hughes Role In The Harlem Renaissance

Langston Hughes’ Role in the Harlem Renaissance? Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was born in Joplin, Missouri and educated at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. He published his first poem, â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers,† in Crisis magazine in 1921 and studied at Columbia University from 1921 to 1922. He lived in Paris for a time and after his return to the United States, he worked as a busboy in Washington, D.C. there in 1925, his literary skills were discovered after he left three of his poems beside the plate of American poet Vachel Lindsay who recognized Hughes abilities and subsequently helped publicize Hughes work. Hughes never married and several of his friends were homosexual, among them Carl Van Vechten, who wrote the controversial novel Nigger Heaven (1926) therefore causing an unrelevant speculation about his sexuality. Hughes wrote in many genres, but he is best known for his poetry in which he disregarded classical forms in favor of musical rhythms and the oral and improvisatory traditions of black culture. h ttp://myhero.com/hero.asp?hero=langstonHughes Langston Hughes earned a place amongst the greatest poets America has ever produced. The literature he created became part of the Harlem Renaissance Movement. The term Harlem Renaissance refers to an artistic, cultural, and social growing of writing about race and the African American's place in American life during the early 1920s and 1930s. Hughes' poetry announced to the world that the streets of black America were culturally rich, vibrant and fiercely poetic. This announcement became his life's mission and was foretold in different pieces written long before his name became a beloved household name. http://myhero.com/hero.asp?hero=langstonHughes One of the most characteristic aspects of the Harlem Renaissance was the diversity of its expression. From the mid-1920s through the mid-1930s, some 16 black writers published more than 50 volumes of poetry and fictio... Free Essays on Langston Hughes' Role In The Harlem Renaissance Free Essays on Langston Hughes' Role In The Harlem Renaissance Langston Hughes’ Role in the Harlem Renaissance? Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was born in Joplin, Missouri and educated at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. He published his first poem, â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers,† in Crisis magazine in 1921 and studied at Columbia University from 1921 to 1922. He lived in Paris for a time and after his return to the United States, he worked as a busboy in Washington, D.C. there in 1925, his literary skills were discovered after he left three of his poems beside the plate of American poet Vachel Lindsay who recognized Hughes abilities and subsequently helped publicize Hughes work. Hughes never married and several of his friends were homosexual, among them Carl Van Vechten, who wrote the controversial novel Nigger Heaven (1926) therefore causing an unrelevant speculation about his sexuality. Hughes wrote in many genres, but he is best known for his poetry in which he disregarded classical forms in favor of musical rhythms and the oral and improvisatory traditions of black culture. h ttp://myhero.com/hero.asp?hero=langstonHughes Langston Hughes earned a place amongst the greatest poets America has ever produced. The literature he created became part of the Harlem Renaissance Movement. The term Harlem Renaissance refers to an artistic, cultural, and social growing of writing about race and the African American's place in American life during the early 1920s and 1930s. Hughes' poetry announced to the world that the streets of black America were culturally rich, vibrant and fiercely poetic. This announcement became his life's mission and was foretold in different pieces written long before his name became a beloved household name. http://myhero.com/hero.asp?hero=langstonHughes One of the most characteristic aspects of the Harlem Renaissance was the diversity of its expression. From the mid-1920s through the mid-1930s, some 16 black writers published more than 50 volumes of poetry and fictio...

Complete Guide to Peer Recommendations

Complete Guide to Peer Recommendations SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Choose your friends wisely, they say...because they might be getting you into college. Granted, that phrase probably didn't originate in the world of competitive college admissions, but it applies to Dartmouth and Davidson, both of which require peer recommendations along with the traditional teacher and counselor recs. Your peers can (and are expected to) give a different perspective than your teachers and counselors. This guide will go over the exact requirements for peer evaluations, along with advice on who you can ask and how to ensure a strong peer recommendation for your college applications. To start, which schools want a peer letter of rec, and what are they looking for? Requirements for Peer Recommendations The only two schools that require peer recs so far are Dartmouth and Davidson (well, Dartmouth just "strongly encourages" that you send one, but that's the same as required when you're applying to such a selective school). Some students also opt to provide supplemental peer evaluations to other colleges, especially if their teacher or counselor rec letters are lacking in deep insight or information. I would advise caution about this- admissions officers usually don't enjoy too much extra material unless it really adds an important dimension to The Story of You. For Dartmouth, your peer evaluation can come from much pretty much anybody, whether it's a friend, fellow student, co-worker, or sibling. Dartmouth says, "You might ask a friend from school, or camp, or your neighborhood. It might be a teammate, someone from your community of faith, or a co-worker. Perhaps a cousin, a sibling: it doesn't matter. We don't want another letter from a teacher, coach, or other supervisory presence in your life; we have enough of those. Ask a peer who can provide fresh insight into your interests and your character. Davidson, on the other hand, seems to prefer that the peer remain outside the family and be a classmate or friend. They say, "This Peer Recommendation is to be completed by a classmate or close friend who knows the applicant well and can evaluate the applicant's strengths. This recommendation can provide useful information in ascertaining the competitiveness of the applicant. You, as a close friend or classmate, know the applicant in a different way than do teachers, counselors, principals, and advisors. Your insights will help us to understand the nature and extent of the respect accorded to the applicant by peers. Since Davidson can select only a small number of the total applicant pool to fill each year's entering class, your assessment of this applicant's strengths and weaknesses will be important in our decision." Both Dartmouth and Davidson are hoping the peer evaluation will provide fresh insight into the applicant's character and personality. Rather than speaking to your academic achievement and potential, peer recs can discuss your personal qualities and passions, along with who you are as a friend and how you'll interact and contribute socially on campus. This is an important and distinct shift from teacher and counselor recommendations, which tend to be more formal and focused on past achievements and future potential. Before delving deeper into exactly what admissions committees are looking for in peer recommendations, let's conclude these logistics with information on how to submit. Dartmouth will have you add your peer recommender using the "Other Recommender" tab on the Common Application. Your friend or relative will upload his/her letter onto the Common App. Davidson asks peer recommenders to upload their letters here. In addition to the statement of support, recommenders are asked to rank you on a number of character traits and personal qualities, such as your leadership, energy and initiative, self-confidence, concern for others, and reaction to criticism. While the additional statement seems optional, simply saying, "We welcome any additional statement you wish to make about the applicant," it's important that your peer recommender give a thoughtful response. That's the main part of the peer evaluation. Apart from getting a sense of who you are as a peer rather than as a student, what do admissions officers hope to learn from the peer letter of reference? The drama! The intrigue! The heartfelt support of a close friend! What Do Admissions Committees Look For in Peer Recommendations? Admissions officers like to emphasize that their process is a "holistic" one, meaning they're not just looking at grades and test scores, but rather trying to get a sense of who the student is as a person. Some of a student's motivations, interests, and commitments can be gleaned from their involvement in and out of school and accomplishments over the years. A student active in her school's Gay-Straight Alliance and Amnesty International likely cares about activism, social justice, and the promotion of human rights. However, one student might be involved in these clubs because she aspires to be a human rights lawyer, while another student might be driven to use social entrepreneurship to promote causes she believes in. Both these goals speak to different interests and future fields of study and plans. Recommendation letters can shed more light on why a student does what she does. They can describe what drives a student and what personal qualities make her stand out. Peer recommendations are unique, because they can speak to your character and personality from the perspective of a friend and sibling. They're not expected to be formal or to try to emulate how a teacher or counselor might write. Instead, they can reflect the relationship you and your recommender have together. Admissions officers want to know what kind of friend, roommate, and peer you'll be when you come to campus. Some skills that might impress them include strong communication, collaboration, passion, focus, resourcefulness, humor, friendliness, compassion, and resilience. Your peer is in an especially good spot to comment on your qualities as a friend, whether it include your openness, emotional intelligence, maturity, loyalty, creativity, and supportiveness, to name a few. The strongest recommendations will highlight and dive deeply into a few significant qualities. They'll also use specific examples and stories to demonstrate those qualities. Rather than simply calling you a supportive friend, for instance, your recommender could write about the care packages you put together for her every day for a month when her family was going through tough times. As the old adage of creative writing goes, your recommender should remember to "show, don't tell." Given all this, who can you ask that will write you a thoughtful, insightful, and colorful letter of recommendation? Decisions are hard. Who Should You Ask for a Peer Recommendation? The best peer recommendations come from people who know you well. Your recommender should be able to write about meaningful, touching, funny, or poignant experiences that illuminate positive aspects of you. Of course, you also want to make sure there's no conflict of interest that could potentially compromise your recommendation. If your friend is also applying to Dartmouth, has been planning her whole life to go there, and is worried about how selective it is, you might want to ask yourself if there's any chance she doesn't have your best interests at heart. Hopefully no one would purposely sabotage your application for her own gain, but just something to consider! A third important consideration is how strong of a writer your friend is, and how much time and effort she can give to your letter. While she may have the best intentions of helping you, if she has subpar writing skills or is juggling her own insanely busy schedule, then your letter might not end up as the powerful statement of support you need for selective schools like Dartmouth and Davidson. Finally, I would say that your friend's openness to suggestions and advice could be another helpful factor. Assuming your friend isn't a Dartmouth or Davidson admissions expert, you could help her out a lot by telling her about the school's culture and about what goes into a strong letter of recommendation. You can share information and advice with her, and she can learn about peer recommendation letters in her effort to write a strong one. A friend who's open to learning about the key content, structure, and techniques that go into making a rec letter stand out will likely provide a more valuable reference than one who just wants to wing it! In addition to gathering information about yourself, your college of choice, and peer recommendation letters, what else can you prepare to ask your friend for this favor? This is serious preparation (or a bad case of freshman backpack). How Should You Ask for a Peer Recommendation? Assuming you're taking my first piece of advice and asking someone with whom you're close and who knows you well, then hopefully it's easy to request this favor. In the asking, I would recommend describing exactly what it entails and all the key information. For instance, you should talk to your friend about the school you're applying to, whether it be Davidson or Dartmouth, so she knows about its profile and expectations. You should share your application with her, so that her recommendation can complement it or add a new dimension. If you've spoken in length about your commitment to volunteer work in your community, for example, then your friend could zoom in on your caring, compassionate, open nature and skill at connecting with people from all walks of life. Remind your friend that the recommendation is meant to reveal your personal qualities and indicate what kind of peer you'll be on campus. Your friend should indicate how they know you, in what contexts, and what makes them qualified to recommend you. For instance, this example shows that the recommender and recommendee have been friends for a long time, as well as gives an example to demonstrate Susie's adventurous spirit: Susie and I have been attending Happy Pine Tree Summer Camp since we were ten, first as campers and now as counselors. I knew from the first summer, when Susie eagerly volunteered to be the first to zipline over the valley, that she had a fearless, adventurous, and bold spirit. It's that spirit that drew me to her on that first day of camp and that continues to inspire me and everyone around Susie to live life to the fullest. This letter could focus on Susie's fearless nature and her leadership and motivational skills. It could also discuss her goals for the future and how these qualities will ensure that she achieves them. In addition to describing your relationship, highlighting a few specific strengths, and telling specific stories, your recommender should also know the value of using powerful language. Words like compassionate, brilliant, and energetic are usually more impactful than nice, smart, and fun. To make sure your friend knows the importance and purpose of rec letters, you could discuss these tips with her, as well as give them guides like this one. Teaching her about rec letters will both make your final letter stronger and help her approach it from a knowledgable and purposeful standpoint. Reference letters are typically confidential, so it's up to your peer whether she wants to share it and get your feedback. Even if she chooses to keep it private, you can help shape what goes into it by sharing all this input. Finally, I would encourage your friend to be creative and write in the style that's most authentic for her. Peer evaluations don't have to be formal- they can be funny or heartfelt, conversational or serious. The most important thing is that they clearly and convincingly present your outstanding qualities and show that you have a friend eager to go to bat for you. Your friend can choose how she can best communicate exactly what makes you so awesome. Since the rec letter takes time and thought, I would recommend asking your friend at least a month before your deadline. You can remind her again about a week before your deadline. Finally, make sure to thank her afterwards with hugs, cupcakes, or whatever token of appreciation she'd like best. To sum up, let's go over the key steps that got you to this point of gratitude cupcakes. Key Takeaways for Peer Letters of Rec Ask someone who knows you well, has strong writing skills, and 100% supports you and your college plans. Give your recommender plenty of time before your deadline, and educate him or her on the college, your goals, and what makes a great rec letter, like meaningful stories and examples. You may also share the rest of your application so your peer can complement it in the letter. Check in with him/her to see about any questions or if (s)he wants to brainstorm ideas. Finally, make sure your peer knows exactly how and when to submit your recommendation. A mediocre peer recommendation probably won't sink your application, but a stellar one could go a long way towards making you come alive for admissions committees as a student they want on their campus come fall. Especially at a highly selective Ivy League school like Dartmouth, every aspect of your application counts. So if you do ultimately get the thick acceptance letter welcoming you to the class, make sure to celebrate with your recommender and let him/her know s(he)'s your BFF for life. What's Next? Maybe you're not the applicant, but the writer of a peer letter of recommendation (or both! Stranger things have happened...). Read all about how to write an outstanding peer recommendation here. Are you interested in this topic because you're hoping to don Dartmouth green in a few years? This article goes in depth about how to get a great peer recommendation specifically for Dartmouth College. If the Ivy League is in your sights, you might also be seeing crimson (bear with me). Learn what makes an impressive recommendation letter for Harvard here. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: