Fool Chapter 7

SEVEN A BROTHER TRAITOR Am I to be forever alone? The anchoress told me it might be so, trying to comfort me when I felt pushed aside by the sisters of Dog Snogging. â€Å"You're gifted with wit, Pocket, but to cast jibe and jest you must stand separate from the target of your barbs. I fear you may become a lonely man, even in the company of others.† Perhaps she was right. Perhaps it is why I am such an accomplished horn-beast and eloquent crafter of cuckoldry. I seek only succor and solace beneath the skirts of the soft and understanding. And so, sleepless, did I make my way to the great hall to find some comfort among the castle wenches who slept there. The fire still blazed, logs the size of oxen set in before bed. My sweet Squeak, who had oft opened her heart and whatnot to a wayfaring fool, had fallen asleep in the arms of her husband, who spooned her mercilessly as he snored. Shanker Mary was not to be seen, no doubt servicing the bastard Edmund somewhere, and my other standard lovelies had fallen into slumber in proximity too close to husbands or fathers to admit a lonely fool. Ah, but the new girl, just in the kitchen a fortnight, called Tess or Kate or possibly Fiona. Her hair was jet and shone like oiled iron; milky skin, cheeks brushed by a rose – she smiled at my japes and had given Drool an apple without his asking. I am relatively sure that I adored her. I tiptoed across the rushes that lined the floor (I had left Jones in my chamber, his hat bells no help in securing stealthy romance), lay down beside her, and introduced my personage to the nether of her blanket. An affectionate nudge at the hip woke her. â€Å"Hello,† said she. â€Å"Hello,† said I. â€Å"Not a papist, are you, love?† â€Å"Christ, no, Druid born and raised.† â€Å"Thank God.† â€Å"What are you doing under my blanket?† â€Å"Warming up. I'm terribly cold.† â€Å"No you're not.† â€Å"Brrrr. Freezing.† â€Å"It's hot in here.† â€Å"All right, then. I'm just being friendly.† â€Å"Would you stop prodding me with that?† â€Å"Sorry, it does that when it's lonely. Perhaps if you petted it.† Then, praised be the merciful goddess of the wood, she petted it, tentatively, almost reverentially at first, as if she sensed how much joy it could bring to all who came in contact with it. An adaptable lass, not given to fits of hysteria or modesty – and soon a gentle surety in her grip that betrayed some experience in the handling of manly bits – simply lovely she was. â€Å"I thought it would have a little hat, with bells.† â€Å"Ah, yes. Well, given a private place to change, I'm sure that can be arranged. Under your skirt, perhaps. Roll to the side, love, we'll be less obvious if we keep the cuddle on a lateral plane.† I popped her bosoms out of her frock, then, freed the roly-poly pink-nosed puppies to the firelight and the friendly ministries of this master juggler, and thought to burble my cheeks softly between them, when the ghost appeared. The spirit was more substantial now, features describing what must have been a most comely creature before she was shuffled off to the undiscovered country, no doubt by a close relative weary of her irritating nature. She floated above the sleeping form of the cook Bubble, rising and falling on the draft of her snores. â€Å"Sorry to haunt you while you're rogering the help,† said the ghost. â€Å"The rogering has not commenced, wisp, I have barely bridled the horse for a moist and bawdy ride. Now, go away.† â€Å"Right, then. Sorry to have interrupted your attempted rogering.† â€Å"Are you calling me a horse?† asked Possibly Fiona. â€Å"Not at all, love, you pet the little jester and I'll attend to the haunting.† â€Å"There's always a bloody ghost about, ain't there?† commented Possibly, a squeeze on my knob for emphasis. â€Å"When you live in a keep where blood runs blue and murder is the favored sport, yes,† said the ghost. â€Å"Oh do fuck off,† said I. â€Å"Thou visible stench, thou steaming aggravation, thou vaporous nag! I'm wretched, sad, and lonely, and trying to raise a modicum of comfort and forgetting here in the arms of, uh – â€Å" â€Å"Kate,† said Possibly Fiona. â€Å"Really?† She nodded. â€Å"Not Fiona?† â€Å"Kate since the day me da tied me belly cord to a tree.† â€Å"Well, bugger. Sorry. Pocket here, called the Black Fool, charmed I'm sure. Shall I kiss your hand?† â€Å"Double-jointed, then, are ye?† said Kate, a tickle to my tackle making her point. â€Å"Bloody hell, would you two shut up?† said the ghost. â€Å"I'm haunting over here.† â€Å"Go on,† said we. The ghost boosted her bosom and cleared her throat, expecto-rating a tiny ghost frog that evaporated in the firelight with a hiss, then said: â€Å"When a second sibling's base derision, Proffers lies that cloud the vision, And severs ties that families bind, Shall a madman rise to lead the blind.† â€Å"What?† said the former Fiona. â€Å"What?† said I. â€Å"Prophecy of doom, innit?† said the ghost. â€Å"Spot o' the old riddly foreshadowing from beyond, don't you know?† â€Å"Can't kill her again, can we?† asked faux Fiona. â€Å"Gentle spook,† said I. â€Å"If it is a warning you bring, state it true. If action you require, ask outright. If music you must make, play on. But by the wine-stained balls of Bacchus, speak your bloody business, quick and clear, then be gone, before time's iron tongue licks away my mercy bonk with second thoughts.† â€Å"You are the haunted one, fool. It's your business I do. What do you want?† â€Å"I want you to go away, I want Fiona to come along quietly, and I want Cordelia, Drool, and Taster back – now, can you tell me how to make those things come about? Can you, you yammering flurry of fumes?† â€Å"It can be done,† said the ghost. â€Å"Your answer lies with the witches of Great Birnam Wood.† â€Å"Or you could just fucking tell me,† said I. â€Å"Nooooo,† sang the ghost, all ghosty and ethereal, and with that she faded away. â€Å"Leaves a chill when she goes, don't she?† said formerly Fiona. â€Å"Appears to have softened your resolve, if you don't mind my sayin'.† â€Å"The ghost saved my life last evening,† said I, trying to will life back into the wan and withered. â€Å"Kilt the little one, though, didn't she? Back to your bed, fool, the king's leaving on the morrow and there's a wicked lot of work to do in the morning to prepare for his trip.† Sadly, I tucked away my tackle and sulked back to the portislodge to pack my kit for my final journey from the White Tower. Well, I won't miss the bloody trumpets at dawn, I can tell you that. And sod the bloody drawbridge chains rattling in my apartment before the cock crows. We might have been going to war for all the racket and goings-on at first light. Through the arrow loop I could see Cordelia riding out with France and Burgundy, standing in the stirrups like a man, like she was off to the hunt, rather than leaving her ancestral home forever. To her credit, she did not look back, and I did not wave to her, even after she crossed the river and rode out of sight. Drool was not so fickle, and as he was led out of the castle by a rope round his neck, he kept stopping and looking back, until the man at arms to whom he was tethered would yank him back into step. I could not bear to let him see me, so I did not go out onto the wall. Instead I slunk back to my pallet and lay there, my forehead pressed to the cold stone wall, listening as the rest of the royals and their retinues clomped across the drawbridge below. Sod Lear, sod the royals, sod the bloody White Tower. All I loved was gone or soon to be left behind, and all that I owned was packed in a knapsack and hung on my hook, Jones sticking out the top, mocking me with his puppety grin. Then, a knock at my door. Like dragging myself from the grave, was making my way to open it. There she stood, fresh and lovely, holding a basket. â€Å"Fiona!† â€Å"Kate,† said Fiona. â€Å"Aye, your stubbornness suits you, even in daylight.† â€Å"Bubble sends her sympathies over Taster and Drool, and sends you these sweet cakes and milk for your comfort, but says to be sure and remind you to not leave the castle without saying your farewells, and further that you are a cur, a rascal, and a scurvy patch.† â€Å"Ah, sweet Bubble, when kindness shagged an ogre, thus was she sired.† â€Å"And I'm here to offer comfort myself, finishing what was started in the great hall last night. Squeak says to ask you about a small chap in a canoe.† â€Å"My my, Fi, bit of a tart, aren't we?† â€Å"Druish, love. My people burn a virgin every autumn – one can't be too careful.† â€Å"Well, all right, but I'm forlorn and I shan't enjoy it.† â€Å"In that we shall suffer together. Onward! Off with your kit, fool!† What is it about me that brings out the tyrant in women, I wonder? â€Å"The next morning† stretched into a week of preparation for departure from the White Tower. When Lear pronounced that he would be accompanied by one hundred knights it was not as if one hundred men could mount up and ride out of the gates at sunrise. Each knight – the unlanded second or third son of a noble – would have at least one squire, a page, usually a man to tend his horses, and sometimes a man at arms. Each had at least one warhorse, a massive armored beast, and two, sometimes three animals to carry his armor, weapons, and supplies. And Albany was three weeks' journey to the north, near Aberdeen; with the slow pace set by the old king and so many on foot we'd need a crashing assload of supplies. By the end of the week our column numbered over five hundred men and boys, and nearly as many horses. We would have needed a wagon full of coin to pay everyone if Lear had not conscripted Albany and Cornwall to maintain his knights. I watched Lear pass under the portislodge at the head of the column before going downstairs and climbing on my own mount, a short, swayback mare named Rose. â€Å"Mud shall not sully my Black Fool's motley, lest it dull his wit as well,† said Lear, the day he presented the horse. I did not own the horse, of course. She belonged to the king – or now his daughters, I suppose. I fell in at the end of the column behind Hunter, who was accompanied by a long train of hounds and a wagon with a cage built on it, which held eight of the royal falcons. â€Å"We'll be raiding farms before we get to Leeds,† said Hunter, a stout, leather-clad man, thirty winters on his back. â€Å"I can't feed this lot – and they've not enough stowed to last them a week.† â€Å"Cry calamity if you will, Hunter, but I'm the one to keep them in good spirits when their bellies are empty.† â€Å"Aye, I've no envy for you, fool. Is that why you ride back here with we catch-farts and not at the king's side?† â€Å"Just drawing plans for a bawdy song at supper without the clank of armor in my ear, good Hunter.† I wanted to tell Hunter that I was not overburdened by my duties, but by my disdain for the senile king who had sent my princess away. And I wanted time to ponder the ghost's warnings. The bit about daughters three and the king becoming a fool had come to pass, or at least was in the way of it. So the girl ghost had predicted the â€Å"grave offense† to â€Å"daughter's three† even if all the daughters had not seen the offense yet – when Lear arrived at Albany with this rowdy retinue, offense would soon follow. But what of this: â€Å"When a second sibling's base derision, proffers lies that cloud the vision†? Did it mean the second daughter? Regan? What did it matter if her lies clouded Lear's vision? The king was nearly blind as it was, his eyes milky with cataract – I'd taken to describing my pantomimes as I performed them so the old man would not miss the joke. And with no power, what tie could be severed that would make a difference now? A war between the two dukes? None of it about me, why do I care? Why then would the ghost appear to this most irrelevant and powerless fool? I puzzled it, and fell far behind the column, and when I stopped to have a wee, was accosted by a brigand. He came up from behind a fallen tree, a great bear of a fiend, his beard matted and befouled with food and burrs, a maelstrom of grey hair flying about under a wide-brimmed black hat. I may have screamed in surprise, and a less educated ear might have likened my shriek to that of a little girl, but be assured it was most manly and more for the fair warning of my attacker, for next I knew I had pulled a dagger from the small of my back and sent it flying. His miserable life was saved only by my slight miscalculation of his distance – the butt of my blade bounced off his behatted noggin with a thud. â€Å"Ouch! Fuck's sake, fool. What is wrong with you?† â€Å"Hold fast, knave,† said I. â€Å"I've two more blades at the ready, and these I'll send pointy end first – the quality of my mercy having been strained and my ire aroused by having peed somewhat upon my shoes.† I believed it a serviceable threat. â€Å"Hold your blades, Pocket. I mean you no harm,† came the voice under the hat brim. Then, â€Å"Y Ddraig Goch ddyry gychwyn.†[22] I wound up to send my second dagger to the scoundrel's heart, â€Å"You may know my name, but that gargling with catsick that you're doing will not stop me from dropping you where you stand.† â€Å"Ydych chi'n cymryd cerdynnau credid?†[23] said the highwayman, no doubt trying to frighten me further, his consonants chained like anal beads strung out of hell's own bunghole. â€Å"I may be small, but I'm not a child to be afraid of a pretended demon speaking in tongues. I'm a lapsed Christian and a pagan of convenience. The worst I can do on my conscience is cut your throat and ask the forest to count it as a sacrifice come the Yule, so cease your nonsense and tell me how you know my name.† â€Å"It's not nonsense, it's Welsh,† said the brigand. He folded back the brim of his hat and winked. â€Å"What say you save your wicked sting for an enemy true? It's me, Kent. In disguise.† Indeed, it was, the king's old banished friend – all of his royal trappings but his sword gone – he looked like he'd slept in the woods the week since I'd last seen him. â€Å"Kent, what are you doing here? You're as good as dead if the king sees you. I thought you'd be in France by now.† â€Å"I've no place to go – my lands and title are forfeit, what family I have would risk their own lives to take me in. I have served Lear these forty years, I am loyal, and I know nothing else. My thought is to affect accents and hide my face until he has a change of heart.† â€Å"Is loyalty a virtue when paid to virtue's stranger? I think not. Lear has misused you. You are mad, or stupid, or you lust for the grave, but there is no place for you, good greybeard, in the company of the king.† â€Å"And there is for you? Or did I not see you restrained and dragged from the hall for that same offense: truth told boldly? Don't preach virtue to me, fool. One voice can, without fear, call the king on his folly, and here he stands, piss-shoed, two leagues back from the train.† Fuckstockings, truth is a surly shrew sometimes! He was right, of course, loudmouthed old bull. â€Å"Have you eaten?† â€Å"Not for three days.† I went to my horse and dug into my satchel for some hard cheese and an apple I had left from Bubble's farewell gift. I gave them to Kent. â€Å"Come not too soon,† said I. â€Å"Lear still fumes about Cordelia's honest offense and your supposed treason. Follow behind to Albany's castle. I'll have Hunter leave a rabbit or a duck beside the road for you every day. Do you have flint and steel?† â€Å"Aye, and tinder.† I found the stub of a candle in the bottom of my bag and handed it to the old knight. â€Å"Burn this and catch the soot upon your sword, then rub the black into your beard. Cut your hair short and blacken it, too. Lear can't see clearly more than a few feet away, so keep your distance. And carry on with that ghastly Welsh accent.† â€Å"Perhaps I'll fool the old man, but what of the others?† â€Å"No righteous man thinks you a traitor, Kent, but I don't know all of these knights, nor which might reveal you to the king. Just stay out of sight and by the time we reach Albany's castle I'll have flushed out any knave who might betray your cause.† â€Å"You're a good lad, Pocket. If I've shown you disrespect in the past, I'm sorry.† â€Å"Don't grovel, Kent, it doesn't wear well on the aged. A swift sword and a strong shield are allies I can well use with scoundrels and traitors weaving intrigue about like the venomous spider-whore of Killarney.† â€Å"Spider-whore of Killarney? I've never heard of her?† â€Å"Aye, well, sit on that downed tree and eat your lunch. I'll spin the tale for you like it was web from her own bloody bum.† â€Å"You'll fall behind the column.† â€Å"Sod the column, that tottering old tosspot so slows them they'll be leaving a snail trail soon. Sit and listen, greybeard. By the way have you ever heard of Great Birnam Wood?† â€Å"Aye, it's not two miles from Albany.† â€Å"Really? How do you feel about witches?†

Han China and Gupta India Essay

Han China differed from Gupta India politically, developing a strong bureaucratic system while India allowed local rulers to stay in control, but the Guptas focused more on trade and made more intellectual achievements than China, especially in mathematics. They established empires that were successful, but also distinct in their own ways. Although these two civilizations were notably different politically, economically, and intellectually, both were successful in bringing prosperity to their empires. During the Han dynasty, China successfully improved its bureaucracy, but in India local rulers maintained regional control. India’s territory never grew to be as large as China’s, so different forms of government were needed for each civilization. Han China retained the centralized government formed by the Qin, and expanded the bureaucracy. The bureaucratic system suited China, because it was able to support the civilization as it expanded into a large empire. The emperor Wu Ti created civil service examinations for his bureaucrats, which could be taken by any male. Wu Ti also urged Confucianism in order to gain support, as it urged respect for the government. On the other hand, India lacked an extensive bureaucracy, and local rulers were allowed to keep control as long as they remained loyal to Gupta authority. Because of its separated regions, it was very difficult to politically unify India. Similar to China, the Gupta rulers turned to religion to strengthen support for the government. In contrast to China, they favored Hinduism because they claimed to be appointed by Hindu gods. Additionally, Hinduism encouraged the rigid caste system. The empires were also similar because political power was given to landowners. Although the Gupta period is considered the golden age of India, providing its greatest period of political stability, it never developed the solid bureaucracy that Han China did. Although trade is vital to any civilization’s success, India emphasized trade far more than China did. China’s economy focused on extensive internal trade, while India developed more maritime trade. Trade gradually became more important during the Han dynasty, focusing on luxury items for the upper class such as silks, leather, and jewelry. Internal trade was made easier by the standardization of currency and circulation of copper coins. Han rulers expanded the empire, which allowed trade with more places. Some merchants even took profitable trips to India. Even though they were important, trade and the merchant class did not become the focal points of Chinese economy. This was due to the emphasis on Confucianism, which frowned upon a life devoted to moneymaking. On the other hand, the Guptas established a strong economy. It was partly based on technological sophistication, new inventions, and production. For example, Indian artisans were the first to manufacture cotton cloth, calico, and cashmere. In these areas, India and China were rivaling, but the India’s economy became more vigorous. Merchant activity was greater in India than in China, with merchants at a relatively high caste status. They traveled by land, and also by sea, increasing maritime trade. Han China and Gupta India’s economies can be compared as firmly agricultural, both relying on a large peasant class, organized into cooperative close-knit villages. Han rulers regulated agricultural supplies by storing extra grain and rice in good times, preventing price increases when harvests were bad. The Gupta period in India was known for its wealth, which was due to extensive trading both internally and by sea, as opposed to Han China’s economy, which relied more on technological innovations. The Hans and Guptas both made many important intellectual achievements, but there was more academic success in India, especially in mathematics. The Chinese studied astronomy, calculating the movement of planets, as well as observing sunspots. During the Han dynasty, scientists invented a seismograph to register earthquakes. In addition, they actively researched medicine, studying principles of hygiene that would support longer lives. Generally, the Chinese focused their studies on practical findings, such as discovering how things worked. They studied the mathematics of music that led to advances in acoustics. Like China, Indian scientists also progressed in astronomy and medicine. Many astronomical discoveries were made, such as the calculation of the solar year, the circumference and daily rotation of Earth, a theory of gravity, and the discovery of seven planets. In medicine, hospitals also stressed cleanliness, like China. India surpassed China in mathematical discoveries. Scholars created a numbering system and the concepts of zero and negative numbers. Mathematicians also calculated square roots and a more accurate value of pi. These advances in both civilizations were possible because of support from the government. In China, the government sponsored intellectual life, organizing research in astronomy. The Guptas had a vast university center in Nalanda featuring lecture halls, libraries, and an observatory. This supported the new discoveries that were being made. Both civilizations made important intellectual achievements that were advanced by world standards, but Gupta India especially excelled in mathematics. The Han and Gupta dynasties were both successful periods in China and India. Their success was due to different causes, because their societies were very unlike each other. China’s government centered on its strong bureaucracy developed during the Han dynasty, while India never advanced a decent bureaucratic system. Both civilizations had strong economies, but India focused more on over-sea trade than China did. Also, Gupta India made more intellectual achievements particularly in science and mathematics. The Han and Gupta periods were similar in some ways, but their civilizations showed distinct differences politically, economically, and intellectually.

Time-division multiplexing

A user of a home telephone picks up her phone and makes a telephone call to a friend's home telephone in another part of town. Which of the following is likely to be true about this call? A. It uses a single pair of wires on the local loop at each end of the call 2. Which of the following are services that telcos have offered as WAN services over the years? A. Switched analog circuits B. Dedicated digital circuits 3. This chapter claims that IP routers work well as devices that connect to many different types of interfaces, including LANs and WANS.Which of the following answers list the reasons why routers do well in this role? A. Routers have much faster CPUs and can do the hard work to translate the incoming datalink header into the outgoing data-link format D. Routers discard old data-link headers and insert new data-link headers as part of their logic, which treats each Interfaces lower-layer detallds as Independent from each other 4. An enterprise network has many routers that c onnect to both a LAN as well as the WAN. Which of the following statements best describe how routers typically use and think about their WAN connections?B. As a transport service to deliver IP packets to the next Ip router 5. An enterprise builds a WAN design on paper. The main site, where all the servers sit, is shown in the center ofa network diagram. The WAN has a leased line from that site to every remote site, with the remote sites drawn around the edges of the drawing In a big circle. None of the remote sites have a leased line directly between them. Which of the following terms is most typically used to describe this WAN topology? D. Hub-and-spoke 6. A U. S. based company wants to order a leased line between two sites, with the eased line using the traditional T-carrier DSO, DSI, and DS3 types of lines. Which of the following answers describes the speed and distances for the leased line? A. No faster than 43,736 Mbps (T3) D. No literal distance Ilmltatlon 7. A telco customer has purchased a Tl leased line between two sites. The customer has already bought a router for one site, with a serial interface card with a built-in CSU/DSU. Which of the following answers lists other physical parts that the customer will need for that sites installation of the Tl leased line?B. A serial cable 8. A telco customer has a Tl leased line between two sites, called sites A and B. he telco has several switches between sites A and B that use T3 trunks. These switches use the T3 trunks along with time-division multiplexing (TDM) to create the leased line from site A to B. which of the following answers is true about how TDM works in this design? C. The switches map the Tl customer lines to one of 28 different frequencies in the T3 trunks 9. A telco network has TDM switches in the CO, ready to support Tl leased lines to customer sites.Two such switches have a single T3 trunk connecting the two switches, set aside to support T Is that run Just between those two co swltcnes. n lcn 0T tne Tollowlng answers Dest aescrlDes tne numDer 0T customer T Is the telco can support with these switches and the trunk? C. 28 10. A customer ordered a full Tl leased line between two sites. The telco implemented that leased line in its network using the T-carrier technology discussed in this chapter, with DSI, DS2, and DS3 lines plus switches that use time-division multiplexing (TDM) logic.Into which of the following general WAN categories does this service fit? B. Packet switching 1 1 . A telco customer orders a leased line between sites A and B, with requested speed of 1. 024 Mbps. The customer plans to use an external CSU/DSU at each site. The telco uses only T-carrier technology and none of the more modern options like SONET, ATM, MPLS, or Metro Ethernet. Which of the following answers is true about the speeds used on this link? B. The physical line between the telco CO and site B uses a line speed of 1. 2544 Mbps 12.A telco customer orders a leased line between sites A and B, with requested speed of 512 Kbps. The customer plans to use an external CSU/DSU at each site. The telco uses only T-carrier technology and none of the more modern options like SONET, ATM, MPLS, or Metro Ethernet. Which of the following answers is true about the speeds used between the router and the CSU/ DSU? A. THe CSU/DSU controls the router's sending and receiving speeds using clocking 13. Which of the following answers are true about DSI framing and channels? A. Each frame has 193 bits C.The frame groups 8 bits together for each of 24 channels, plus overhead 14. Which of the following data-link protocols was created to be used on leased lines, with support for multiple Layer 3 protocols by including a Type field that identifies the type of packet inside the data-link frame? C. PPP 15. Which fields that exist in both the HDLC and PPP headers have such relatively small use in point-to-point leased lines today, to the point that the PPP standards actually allows the nodes t o simply not bother to include these fields when sending PPP frames?B. Address C. Control 16. Think about the differences in a circuit switching the T-carrier system (ignoring analog circuit switching) versus packet switching. Which of the following answers are true about packet switching, but not about circuit switching? B. The telco switch can queue the data waiting on the congested outgoing to trunk to become available D. The switches look at the bits to find an address, and use that address to make a choice where to send the bits 17.In a Frame Relay network, which of the following terms refers to the customer router that connects to the Frame Relay network? D. Access link 18. Which of the following answers is not true about a Frame Relay network? B. Defined by the telco ahead of time, when the customers orders the service 19. A new Frame Relay customer is considering two competing Frame Relay design for his WAN. One design uses a full-mesh topology of PVCs between the 20 routers . The second design uses a partial mesh that looks like a hub-and-spoke design.Assuming that all other technical details not mentioned in this question are the same when comparing the two designs, which of these answers are true about the partial-mesh design but not true about the full-mesh design? A. Not all routers can send a Frame Relay frame alrectly to eacnotner B Frame Relay Trames, wlll De Torwaraea Dy tne network Dasea on the DLCI field in the Frame Relay 20. Which two of the following WAN services make good use of protocols that enterprise have used for many years, with those protocols being expanded and enhanced to create new types of WAN services?

Three stages of financial crisis within the US Essay

Three stages of financial crisis within the US - Essay Example In September 2008, Lehman Brothers announced that it was facing bankruptcy which created an overall panic all across the board. US government and other western government started injecting money into the banking system to stop big banks from going bankrupt. Moreover, credit flows to the private sector also stopped causing US economy and other economies to slow down. Interest rates were also increased in order to adopt a cautious approach in such difficult circumstances. Later in the winter season of FY09, US and other G20 countries started to cut dwon interest rates, so it could stop economy going into slump (Elliott, 2011). Later, when risks of bank’s solvency reduced, the focus shifted on government issues. High fiscal deficits caused governments to face severe problems as the economies were going through an overall slowdown. Different European countries like Spain and Greece went into deep trouble due to the ballooning fiscal deficit. IMF and EU had to inject money into their system in order to maintain smooth

Infectious diseases among inmate populations Essay

Infectious diseases among inmate populations - Essay Example As this problem escalates, the monetary costs to society continues to rise and are much greater than if the diseases were discovered and treated at an earlier time, in the prison system prior to release. Prisons are in a unique position to treat inmates while the infectious condition is still in its earliest stages thus ultimately less costly to taxpayers. Though considerable economic, logistical and political barriers must be overcome to genuinely improve health care in the prison system, there are methods by which to begin solving this worsening health crisis in the prisons and wider community. The U.S. prison system has undergone a transformation over the past quarter century as a result of and a response to extensive studies that have been conducted to determine the consequences of the rising inmate population. In just 20 years, the number of persons held in U.S. prisons jumped substantially. The nation’s ‘war on drugs’ included mandatory sentencing guidelines which were principally responsible for the increase of 216,000 total prisoners in 1974 to 2004’s figure of 1.4 million. During this period, in just a 10-year span, the percentage of prisoners convicted of drug offenses nearly tripled. â€Å"In 1985, only 38,900, 8.6 percent, of State prison inmates were serving time for drug offenses as their most serious crime committed. By 1995, that number had increased almost six-fold to 224,900, 22.7 percent of all inmates† (Skolnik, 1994). Today, the U.S. houses nearly two million inmates. In 1978, the number of persons in the entire penal sy stem, those in prisons, jails and on probation or parole totaled 1.5 million. In 2004 this number stood at almost seven million. The overall correctional population, including persons in prison, jail, and on parole and probation, has jumped from 1.5 million in 1978 to nearly 7 million in 2004 (â€Å"Ethical†, 2006). Approximately

In Search of Excellence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

In Search of Excellence - Essay Example They claimed that excellent organizations had created methods that enabled them to strike a balance between the soft-s and hard-s factors achieved in a business. Maintaining and finding an applicable balance in these business factors was a vital issue in making an organization successful. According to Peters and Waterman (1982), then, the modest slippage of commercial America was to be observed as an imbalanced product in the American approaches to organization. They went on to argue that these imbalanced products had advanced in the organization approaches that had begun in America for the period of 1950s and 1960s. According to Peters and Waterman (1982), in the post second world war period, many managers in America were obsessed upon the hard-s business factors; structure, systems and strategy. In addition, the managers had not realized the significance of skill, style, superordinate goals, and staff which were the soft-s business factors needed in breathing life into systems, str uctures and strategies. Peters and Waterman (1982) recommend a more balanced management approach. The approaches considered balanced to business would hinge upon the energy, skills and imagination of managers. They are, therefore, charged with the duty of safeguarding the productive arrangements of the soft-s and hard-s business factors. ... They also stated that these companies would have a culture showing the eight aspects of excellence as shown in their research (Frost, Moore, Louis, Lundberg & Martin, 1985). Peters and Waterman listed the eight aspects of excellence. The first one was a bias for action. Exceptional companies engaged in planning activities that were traditional. However, the traditional activities did not bind the companies from other vital managerial approaches. They went on to argue that an excessive dependence on planning done traditionally and dependence upon the hard analysis of data, delayed decision making in many companies. It also discouraged risk taking. Exceptional companies avoided paralysis by analysis (Peters and Waterman, 1982). This was by evading using committees and refusing to agree that all decisions made have to be supported by hard analysis of data. Instead of using committees, these exceptional companies preserved a bias for action which explains the willingness in trying out in novative ideas and taking risks (Peters and Waterman, 1982). Peters and Waterman (1982) affirmed that the commitment in action was preserved by exceptional companies. This is because the exceptional companies form groups of people who like to experiment and innovate. This trend to action might be compared with approaches being adapted by other companies. These companies form committees that engage in briefs talks on experimentation (Peters and Waterman, 1982). The second aspect of excellence is a company’s in proximity to the customers. The exceptional companies have to improve their strategies, systems, structures and innovation in meeting and exceeding the customers’ expectation. Incase a product or a system did not satisfy the customer, exceptional

The most common factors causing therapeutic compliance Research Paper

The most common factors causing therapeutic compliance - Research Paper Example The study problem is a discussion of therapeutic compliance among patients. This means that the research has to do with pharmaceutical issues. Coincidentally, all four researchers have professions relating to pharmacology. With a research problem that relates to the professional background of the researchers therefore, it was highly expected that the researchers would display personal pre-understandings of the research problem. Reading through the research article however, it can be seen that almost all ideas, findings and philosophical analysis presented in the research work were taken from secondary sources without any prelude to researchers’ existing knowledge or experience. The researchers worked around three major pharmaceutical terms, which were treatment refusal, patient compliance, and patient dropouts. All these are terms that relates to everyday patient-pharmacists interactions. It was expected therefore that the researchers would give broader overview of their perso nal understandings and previous experiences as practicing professional in this regard but this did not happen. Generally, the quality of the literature review will be said to be outstanding. The general approach adapted by the researchers was to conduct research searches to come out with expected results on factors leading to the achievement of the research purpose. In this regard, it was expected that the researchers would conduct a thoroughly researched literature review. On the whole, â€Å"a total of 102 articles was retrieved and used in the review from the 2095 articles identified by the literature review process† (Jin, Sklar, Oh and Li, 2008). A critical assessment of the 102 articles that were eventually selected and used by the researchers show that most of the articles were not more than a decade old. Some of these include Benner et al 2002, Apter et al 2003, Opolka et al 2003, Spikmans et al 2003, Butterworth et al 2004, Kaplan et al 2004, Dominick et al 2005, Horn e and Weinman 1999, Ghods and Nasrollahzadeh 2003 and Senior et al 2004. With such current literature works, the researchers were sure to have an updated portfolio of information to work with. In pharmaceutical circles, research on drugs and patient behavior keep changing by the day. For this reason, when

Constitutional and Administrative Law Assessed Corsework Essay

Constitutional and Administrative Law Assessed Corsework - Essay Example he principle of separation of powers assumes that certain functions should be carried out by different institutions with neither impinging the other’s authority. As Montesquieu argued; â€Å"All would be lost if the same man or the same ruling body†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦were to exercise these powers.3† Furthermore, Lord Acton commented that â€Å"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely4†. Accordingly, the preservation of separation of powers is essential as a check on autocratic power. As part of this, judicial review of the legality of acts of the executive represents the central method by which courts control exercise of governmental power; which in turn operates as a central underlying facet of the separation of powers. As such, the doctrine of ultra vires is theoretically vital in serving as a testament to the independence of the judiciary in its role under the fundamental constitutional separation of powers in ensuring that public bodies, such as government departments, local authorities, tribunals, agencies have not acted ultra vires5. Moreover, the ultra vires doctrine is cited as the first principle of natural justice and the rule of law that public bodies are required to act within the scope of the powers allocated to them by Parliament6. With regard to the UK position, the doctrine of the separation of powers has traditionally been limited and criticised for being somewhat unclear in comparison to other democracies7. Nevertheless, it has been commented that the doctrine does in fact influence everyday operations of the executive, legislature and judiciary8 and Barnett argues that â€Å"Separation of powers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ runs like a thread throughout the constitution of the United Kingdom9.† Nevertheless, in the UK there has not been a clear separation of the branches of the state10, but rather a fusion, which in turn has created polarised debate with regard to the need to reform the British constitution. For example, the executive clearly carries out

The Practice of Sharing Housework Among Spouses Essay

The Practice of Sharing Housework Among Spouses - Essay Example According to Selle (2002), â€Å"The Family: A Proclamation to the World teaches that fathers and mothers have specific, God-ordained responsibilities within an equal partnership, with neither husband nor wife seeking to dominate the other.† (par. 1) It is actually a matter of taking the time to talk about the equal division of housework to ensure a smooth, stronger, happier and positive long-range relationship within the family. In USA Today (1998, 1), the discourse proffered that â€Å"while the roles of females outside the household have changed dramatically as more women get jobs, responsibilities in the home have shifted only slightly, maintains Vicki Fitzsimmons, a professor of family economics.† A survey of 450 married university employees and their spouses revealed that â€Å"women are reluctant to give up territory to spouses or to lower their standards of cleanliness. Thus, the view of a wife as homemaker continues even though many women are the primary or co-breadwinners.† The dilemma can actually be addressed by the spouses’ participation in the decision making regarding the division of housework. It is actually not a matter of the number of household tasks divided, but the quality of tasks both spouses agree to do. Further, commitment is tested on both parties’ ability to perform their responsibilities to the best of their abilities. After all, marriage is a longtime commitment in life to supplement and complement each other – especially in sharing housework.

Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management Accounting - Essay Example However, contrary to this, the visual arts platform of the society constantly remains under the financial pressures and vulnerability even in the sound economic conditions of the country. The proponents of the visual arts, on this vulnerable situation of the visual arts platform have been raising constant voices over the matter. One the of such voices claim that visual arts organisations in order to successfully meet the societal requirement and expectation of educational and entertainment development shall maintains the system that provides it sound financial strength. However, despite the consensus on the need of the sound financial muscles for the visual arts organisations, there have been contrary views on the system to be employed for achieving them. One dominant view on the matter is pertaining to Royce (2011) view who insists that visual arts organisations shall develop a system similar to the business organisations. According to Royce (2011), well defined systems or more appr opriate to state that conduct like a business is mandatory for the effective results generation from the visual arts organisation. In this perspective, Royce (2011) stated that ‘Sound business models are a necessary component in healthy visual arts ecology and essential for most publicly funded organisations’. Royce (2011), for its concern over the detrimental and vulnerable condition of the visuals arts organisation shall proposed that all such organisations shall also have system for achieving the profitability. Viewing in the context of the definition for the arts in general and among definitions developed for the purpose, Shaw (2000) defined arts and creative industry activities as one that can be determined on the basis of its sustainable impact. As already reported, this impact is spread not only the social aspects but at the same time wide economic impact is also identified in many studies (Landry et al, 1996); hence, it is important to understand the fact that a n organisation in order to fulfil such responsibilities requires strong system. Royce (2011) assessment report was based in reference to the Arts Council England and the Turning Point Network but reflects the overall industry requirement. Visual arts organisation’s financial vulnerability, according to the Royce (2011), is due to the three main factors. First, the culture of organisational conduct prevailing at the visual arts organisations’ is in clear contrast to the economic principle mainly in terms of productivity. This practice is despite the proven facts that visual arts have always played an important role in the economics of the country and society (Reeves, 2002). More importantly, this practices is also in contrast to the development early in the history where since 1980s all cultural activities have been seen in the main context of their contribution the economic development and restructuring as well as revival of the manufacturing industry (Reeves, 2002). S econd factor that is responsible for this vulnerability is the tradition of free entry offered to audience in the many of the

Anotatted Bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Anotatted Bibliography - Essay Example The author comes up with a mode of describing the child; â€Å"Description. The criterion is however based on the child’s figuration. This is as regards oppositional theories of the subject matter. It is an emphasis brought about by the argument that there will always be theories produced in such an increasingly changing world using the context of Australia. In his argument, the author categorically takes a look at the history of childhood. He says this can only be studied through historical conception, that is, through inclusion of such sources as the Philippines Aries. The article uses a quantitative research methodology using results made on based on the insights of demographic historians. The author stresses on the fact that the youth is a constitution not of instinctive acquisition, but rather purposefully processed. This involves social constructs from childhood all the way to adulthood. Youth culture is examined on a historical perspective through the use of a sociological research approach. In this context, a close look and examination of the youth culture is achieved. Castaneda, C. (2002) The Child in Theory: post-structuralism, feminism, and psychoanalysis. In University of Sydney Library (ed), Figurations: child, bodies, worlds, Duke University Press, Durham, Chapter 5,

Polar Bear Crisis Essay Example for Free

Polar Bear Crisis Essay Bear Crisis In May 2008, the U. S listed the polar bear as a  threatened species  under the  Endangered Species Act. The Arctic is one of the most discussed on climate change, due to the fact that warming is greatest there and because what happens in the Arctic has the can eventually impact the rest of the Earth. So far, not only has it affected the way the ice is melting and the weather is changing, but it is mainly affecting the animals that are living there (for example, polar bears). Although, there are many environmentalists, and companies tried to solve, or at least help the situation (like Coca-Cola and WWF), the problem is not getting any better. As sea ice is being reduced in the area, the polar bears basis for survival is being threatened, said John Laird, WWFs Nunavut regional conservation director. The sea ice is melting earlier in the spring which is sending the polar bears to land earlier without them having developed as much fat reserves for the ice free season. By the end of the summer they are skinny bears, which in the worst case can affect their ability to reproduce. Also, The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that, . . . extensive scientific studies have indicated that the increased observation of bears on land is a result of changing distribution patterns and a result of changes in the accessibility of sea ice habitat. It is crazy to think that all of these things are all being affected because we are not taking care of our planet; even though it’s happening thousands of miles away. Because we put trash on the ground, pollute the air etc. animals are being affected, especially the polar bears. Since bears use the sea ice to hunt for their main prey, seals, without the sea ice, their range are drastically reduced. On top of it all, the oil and gas development along the edges of the land mass and you have more problems. It has been said that two thirds of polar bears will disappear by 2050.

Memory Units And Memory Hierarchy

Memory Units And Memory Hierarchy Memory organisation is combination of several memory devices efficiently. Memory devices are combined and organised based on their characteristic such as access time, speed, storage capacity, physical size and cost per byte. Memory devices organised in such a way that computer system should operate at highest speed, provide bulky storage capacity, smaller in size and less in a cost. Memory organisation uses primary memory devices and secondary memory devices. 3.2 Memory Unit Memory unit is storage unit of the computer system. It stores content such as instructions (codes) and data for temporary or permanent purpose. It is used to stores content and to retrieves the content when needed by CPU or user. Memory unit includes two types of memory: primary (main) and secondary. Instruction or data given by input devices is first getting stored in the primary memory. Further users saves processed (executed) data in the secondary memory. Primary memory is volatile (temporary). It is faster than secondary memory. It includes RAM and ROM. It is directly accessible by CPU. Secondary memory is non-volatile (permanent). It includes several secondary storage devices such as Hard Disk Drive (HDD), Floppy Disk Drive (FDD), CDROM, and DVD and so on. Figure 3.1 shows memory unit and communication line with other units. Note: Volatile memory loses its content when computer loses power. In non-volatile memory power loss of computer does not affects content. Input Unit Process Unit Output Unit Primary Memory Secondary Memory Memory Unit 3.3 Memory hierarchy Memory organisation includes various memory devices. These devises are structured in a hierarchy based on the characteristics of memory devices. Memory hierarchy explains the sequence of accessing memory device while processing, in the computer system. Memory is structured in the hierarchy in such a way that computer system should give excellent performance. Figure 3.2 shows Memory hierarchy. Hierarchy is made on the basis of characteristics of memory, they are listed as follow: Access Time Time taken by memory to read or write data. It is measured in milliseconds (ms) or in nanoseconds (ns). Memory size It is amount of memory. Measured in KB, MB, GB or TB. Cost per byte It is cost required to access per byte. Transfer bandwidth It is speed of the memory. It measured in MHz, GHz. Unit of transfer Data transfer rate. Measured in Kbps, Mbps or Gbps. Increasing speed and cost per bit dcreeasing sisize Registers in CPU Level one cache Level two cache Main memory Virtual Memory Increasing Size, decreasing speed and cost capacity Secondary Storage devices Figure 3.2 Memory Hierarchy Memory hierarchy includes CPU registers on the top. Register provides fastest data access and it is one of the most expensive memory location. Second and third levels are level-1 and level-2 cache respectively. The level one cache is small in size (4 KB to 32 KB) though much larger than register. It is fixed on CPU chip so user can not expand. The level-2 cache is present on some CPUs only. It is much larger than level-1 cache. User can not expand it as it is fixed on CPU chip but it is cheaper than level-1 cache. Virtual memory is part of disk drive, which simulates to Random Access Memory (RAM). Disk drives are less expensive; so cost per bit is significantly less. Secondary storage devices are such as Hard Disk Drive (HDD), Floppy Disk Drive (FDD), Compact Disk Read Only Memory (CDROM), Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) and tape drives. It is bit slower. 3.4 Memory types Basic purpose of memory is to store content. Still memory is available in different types. Basic type of memory is primary memory and secondary memory. Types are made based on memory characteristics and its role in the computer system. Primary memory is the first memory used by CPU, so it should be faster and easily accessible. To make primary memory as per the requirement, memory organisation includes RAM and ROM as primary memory. The main use of secondary memory is use to store users data permanently. Speed of secondary memory can be compromised, but storage capacity should be excellent. So memory organisation includes HDD, FDD, and CDROM and so on as a secondary memory. Figure 3.2 shows types of memory. 3.4.1 Primary Memory Primary memory is access directly by CPU. Primary divided in to two types RAM and ROM. Primary memory should be faster and easily accessible. RAM RAM is a primary memory used in the computer. RAM is the main memory of the computer system. It is volatile since its content is accessible only as long as the computer is ON. The content of RAM is cleared as soon as computer is powered OFF. It is at third place in the memory hierarchy. Operating system, application program and running data are loaded in the RAM. CPU directly accesses the RAM. Types of RAM are as follows: Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) SRAM is made with several transistors, usually four to six, for each memory cell. It does not require refresh time as capacitors are not used. It is much faster and costlier than DRAM. Computer system use SRAM as cache memory. DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) It has memory cells with a paired transistor; it uses capacitor, as capacitors slowly leaks with as they stared discharging, so need periodic refresh. It is slower and chippers than SRAM. It is much denser (stores many bits per chip). It requires less power and generates less heat as compared to the SRAM. DRAM is available in several forms such as SDRAM, then DDRAM to RDRAM. Read Only Memory (ROM) ROM is non-volatile primary memory. Data written on ROM can not delete or overwrite. Data is burned on the ROM as firmware. ROM memory is used in the computer system to write firmware for example BIOS program. Types of ROM are as follows: Programmable read-only memory (PROM) This type of memory is one time written memory. Once program is written can not be change. Erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) Data written on EPROM can be erased. Ultraviolet is used to erase the data written on PROM. Electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) It is same as EPROM but to erase data entirely it requires electrical signal. So not require to remove from computer. Data can be erased or over written it the computer itself. 3.4.2 Secondary Memory A secondary memory is non-volatile. Secondary memory used to save users data permanently. Devices used as secondary memory are HDD, FDD, CD, DVD, Tape drives and so on. Secondary memory is at sixth place in the memory hierarchy. Devices used as secondary memory are listed as follows: Floppy Disk Drives (FDD) Used as magnetic, portable memory device. It stores maximum 1.44 MB data. Earlier it used to transfer data among computer systems. Hard Disk Drives (HDD) HDD is fixed, magnetic memory device. It is vital in the computer system because Operating System and users data is saved on the HDD. Storage capacity of HDD is vendor specific. CDROM and DVDROM Are optical memory units used for transferring data and programs among the computers. CDs are available in the size 650MB, DVDs are available up to 4 GB in a size. Tape drives Are usually used for data backup purpose. 3.6 Cache Memory The cache is small amount of memory with high speed. Cache memory keeps data and code (introductions) that are used by CPU often. Use of cache memory reduced the waiting time of CPU that makes CPU more effective. SRAM is used to create cache memory. SRAM does not required refresh as it does not use capacitors as DRAM, it is 10 times faster than DRAM. Cache is of two types Level-1 that is placed ion the CPU. Level 2 cache is optional some processors have this type of memory that is some time placed inside the CPU or placed near by CPU. To execute next instruction, CPU first check cache memory for the same instruction if that instruction is not available then it goes further. Note: DRAM is made up of capacitors which need constant refreshing to preserve data. SRAM uses flip-flop circuit that does not require refresh. 3.6.1 Cache line replacement Algorithms While a new line is loaded in the cache, one of the existing lines must be replaced. Direct mapped cache, same block from line is removed take place for new one. In associative cache, it can search for another place. Four of the most common line replacement algorithms are as follows: LRU (Lease Recently Used) the cache line that was last referenced in the most distance past is replaced. FIFO (First In First Out) the cache line from the set that was loaded in the most distant past is replaced. LFU ( Least Frequently Used) the cache line that has been referenced the times is replaced. Random a randomly selected line from cache is replaced. Note: The most commonly used algorithm is LRU. Cache Terminology Cache use few terminology for operation are as follows: Hit A cache access finds data the cache memory Miss A cache access does not find data or instruction, forcing access to next memory down in memory hierarchy. Miss ratio Percent of misses to data compared to all accesses. Hit access time Number of clocks to return a cache hit Miss penalty Number of clocks to process a cache miss. Virtual Memory Operating system enables a process through which space of hard disk drive can be simulate to RAM. The HDD space used as RAM is known a Virtual Memory. As cost per byte of HDD is less, so virtual memory is beneficial to run many large programs that need more memory. Access time of RAM is in nanoseconds but virtual memory gives access time in milliseconds. It is much slower than RAM. Figure 5.1 shows operation of virtual memory. Virtual memory uses paging and segmentation terminologies. Terms used by paging are as follows: Virtual address- Address used by application program from virtual memory. It is composed of page number and page offset. Physical address Address of physical memory. Page virtual space divided into fixed-size pages. Frame Physical memory divided into fixed frames size. MMU Memory Management Unit (MMU) used to map virtual address to physical address. Page table Each process has its own page table. Each page table entry contains the frame number of the corresponding page in main memory Figure 3.4 Virtual memory operations 3.8 Chapter Review Questions Which of the following is primary volatile memory? (A) RAM (C) ROM (B) HDD (D) FDD Ans: A Which among the following are magnetic storage devices? (A) HDD (C) FDD (B) CDROM (D) DVDROM Ans: A and C Maximum storage capacity FDD is - (A) 2GB (C) 2.44 MB (B) 1.44MB (D) None of these Ans: B A  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­____ is used as cache memory in the computer system. (A) SRAM (C) DRAM (B) SDRAM (D) ROM Ans: A Which of the following is primary non-volatile memory? (A) Cache (C) ROM (B) Virtual (D) None of these Ans: C Which of the following ROMs content can be deleted using ultraviolet? (A) PROM (C) EPROM (B) ROM (D) EEPROM Ans: C Virtual memory is concept of (A) Using HDD space as RAM (C) Using FDD space as a RAM (B) Logical based (D) Protocol based Ans: A 8. In the memory hierarchy which memory is at first level? (A) Register (C) L1 cache (B) L2 cache (D) None of these Ans: A 9. Which memory takes second place in the memory hierarchy? (A) L1 cache (C) L2 cache (B) ROM (D) HDD Ans: B 10. MMU stands for (A) Memory Mixture unit (C) Memory Management Unit (B) Memory measurement Unit (D) None of these Ans: C 3.8.1 Answers 1. A 2. A and C 3. B 4. A 5. C 6. C 7. A 8. A 9. B 10. C Summary In the chapter, Memory Organisation, you learnt about: Different memory units and its types. Memory hierarchy based on memory characteristics. Cache and its replacement algorithm. Virtual memory and paging.

The Online Shopping In Malaysia Marketing Essay

The Online Shopping In Malaysia Marketing Essay Whether we like it or not, the Internet and World Wide Web are increasingly becoming important in Malaysian life. Online shopping may be a novel trend in Malaysia but it is fast catching up among Internet users due to rising Internet penetration. Besides, online shopping avoids with the crowd and its easier to compare prices of comparable products online, which translates into better savings (Leong and Lee 2009). As for the Internet penetration in Malaysia, 356.8 % growth is seen for the period of 2000-2009. Thereby, for instance, in 2000 it was accounted 3,700,000 subscribes, or just 15% of the population. In 2005 the amount of subscribers doubled and reached 26,500,699, 37.9 %. Currently, over 60% of Malaysians can use Internet connection actively, with almost 17 million subscribers accounted. (eCommerce Journal 2009). According to the Nielsen Company 2007 research, online travel is a favourite e-commerce activity for Malaysians, with 55% of Internet users buying airline tickets or made flight reservations online, while 41% said they had made hotel or tour reservations online and 22% computer hardware. 21% purchased book and 18% tickets to concerts and events. (eCommerce Journal 2009). A significant part of purchasing has moved to the Internet. But Malaysia is still in the infancy stage when it comes to online retail, which makes e-commerce still relatively weak in Malaysia. According to comScore (2009), the online retail (or dubbed as total online spending in the retail industry) in Malaysia is lowest compared to many other countries. The list (in Asia) goes: 1) Japan, 2) South Korea, 3) Australia, 4) Taiwan, 5) Singapore, 6) New Zealand, 7) Hong Kong, 8) China, 9) Vietnam, 10) Philippines, 11) India, 12) Indonesia, and 13) MALAYSIA. Next, the growth of Internet usage in Malaysia has been steadily growing but a far smaller percentage has actually made purchases online. According to comScore (2009), Entertainment is most popular category in Asia Pacific (includes Music, Movie, TV, Multimedia, Entertainment News, and Humor) and Email is still very important to Internet user. Therefore, visiting to retail sites is weak in Malaysia. Besides, Malaysian online retailers face the challenges with Internet users who still like to see and hold products before buying, and who have the same concerns about security issues as well as after-sales service. Is it the impact of factors attributed to large Internet users but not many shop online. Therefore this research study will contribute meaningfully to this area of research. (b) Rational of Study The Internet is no longer a niche technology. It is mass media and an utterly integral part of modern life. A major appeal for setting up online businesses is that its convenient, easy to do and cheaper (no rental fee, to state the obvious). (Leong and Lee 2009). The economic downturn has turned up the pressure on Malaysian companies, it is imperative to find new customers for their products and services for declining sales and financial constraints. Extending their marketing and advertising reach by venturing into e-commerce is a logical move. (Laalitha 2009). E-commerce in retailing has enormous potential. An organization can reach such a large number of consumers via e-commerce; it is possible to develop the business that could be profitable. The continued success for online retailers will depend for the willingness of consumer to make purchase online in the view of online shopping is still relatively weak among Malaysian. Therefore this study is clear identifying consumer attitudes toward online shopping in order to help sales and marketing department to identify the potentiality of online shopping and evaluate the future growth of e-commerce that useful for the local companies in Malaysia to have a good understanding of the dynamic online markets before to venture into online retailing. Although research predict growing internet users in Malaysia and online shopping has many distinct opportunities and advantages, but the question lingers: Why do internet users avoid online shopping? Therefore this research study will contribute meaningfully to this area of research. (c) Objective of the Study Objectives The objective of this study is to examine the online shopping in Malaysia. For this purpose, three specific scopes will be examined, that is: To identify the characteristics of online shopping in Malaysia To identify Malaysian Internet users attitudes towards online shopping To identify why Internet users do not shop online. Hypotheses: Hypotheses developed for this study are: H1: There is no relationship between internet usage and buying via internet. H2: There is no relationship between online shopping and demographic variables. H3: There is no relationship between online shopping and the traditional shopping. H4: There is no significant correlation between future online purchase variables and current issues and areas of concern variables. Research Questions: This research has aimed to explore the following questions: Why do internet users avoid online shopping? (d) Research Methodology A self-administered questionnaire will be used to collect the necessary research questions and objectives pertaining to online shopping in Malaysia. The questions are mostly present in close-ended style with well-structured questions. The survey questionnaire consists of seven distinct sections, each of which contains questions pertaining to different parts of the study. Due to time and cost constraints and also large population of Internet users in Malaysia, therefore it is more appropriate to conduct the research by using a convenience sampling method will be used to collect data mainly from the current Internet users at Klang Valley which is indicated highest penetration of Internet users. Indeed, sampling method has limitations in terms of generalisation if compared to other method of sampling, but it is assumed that the sample represent the whole population of Internet users in Malaysia. The survey will be conducted through the combination method: face to face interviews, email and postage questionnaires. Each of the method has its uses and none is superior in all situations due to email and postage questionnaires save both time and cost and can cover a wide geographical area which supplemented by personal interviews will yield more reliable results than either method alone. Once the primary data collected, several of statistical techniques will be used in the data analysis. Frequency Distribution Analysis will be used to determine a demographic profile of the survey respondents and the current internet users of online shopping. Besides, the frequency distribution analysis will also be used to determine method of payment, level of satisfaction and dissatisfaction, issue and area of concerns, reasons for shop and do not shop online. (Adeline et al. 2006). Chi-square Test in Cross-tab will be used to determine the relationship between online shopping and other conventional methods of shopping such as shopping via physical stores. The Independent Samples t-test will be adopted to compare mean differences between online shoppers and non-online shoppers. Finally Pearson Correlation Coefficient Matrix will be employed to determine the degree of correlation between future online purchases and issue of concern for current Internet users. (Adeline et al. 2006). (e) Expected Contribution from the study This study is clear realizing consumer attitudes toward online shopping in order to help management, the industry and government to predict the online shopping trend and evaluate the future growth of online commerce. Besides, online retail has enormous potential. Thus, this study is important for the small and medium enterprise (SEMs) in Malaysia to have a good understanding of the Internet as a new business strategy for driving business growth as well as to understanding what Malaysian Internet users really desire and why they are not shopping online. (Laalitha 2009). (f) Sample Questionnaire The questionnaire is adapted from Adeline (2006) with some modification to suit the context of this study. The questionnaire consists of eight sections as shown in Appendix. Section 1 is to request the respondents to complete information related to demographic profile. Section 2 is to request the respondents to provide the information related to internet usage whereas Section 3 is about the information of Internet users experience on online shopping. Section 4 is to request the respondent to provide information about the factor influencing their shopping decision. Factors include: product price and quality, more options and wider selections, ease of research, customer review availability, after-sales service, entertaining/fun, convenient, good customer service, promotion, fast delivery time, website providing sufficient product information and explanation, an item no available elsewhere. Section 5 is to request the respondent to provide information about the current purchase pattern in terms of types of goods and services, spending amount, purchasing frequency, payment method and spending time. Section 6 is to request the respondent to rate the satisfaction level and areas of dissatisfaction for their shopping experience with 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest. Section 7 also request the respondent to rate to the future online purchase pattern (purchasing in the same retailers, types of good and services, spending amount, purchasing frequency and is important for the retailers nowadays have an online shopping facility) with 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest. Last section is to request the respondent to provide information about the issues and areas of concerns toward online shopping, which include disclosure of personal information, security of credit card transaction, do not physically seen and touch a product, trust on online retailers and adequacy of consumer protection laws and regulations. References Adeline Chua Phaik Harn, Ali.Khatibi and Hishamuddin bin Ismail. 2006. E-Commerce: A Study on Online Shopping in Malaysia. J. Soc. Sci., 13(3): 231-242 (2006). http://www.krepublishers.com. (accessed January 31, 2011) comScore. 2009. State of the Internet with a focus on Asia Pacific. http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Presentations_Whitepapers/2009/State_of_the_Internet_with_a_focus_on_Asia_Pacific. (accessed January 17, 2011) eCommerce Journal. 2009. Internet and e-commerce industry in Malaysia. http://www.ecommerce-journal.com/articles/18271_Internet_and_e_commerce_industry_in_malaysia. (accessed January 18, 2011) IDC. 2007. IDC Reports 70% Growth in Malaysia eCommerce Spending in 2006. http://www.idc.com.my/PressFiles/IDC%20Malaysia%20-%20eCommerce.asp. (accessed January 10, 2011) Internet World Stats. 2009. Malaysia Internet Usage Stats and Marketing Report. http://www.Internetworldstats.com/asia/my.htm. (accessed January 10, 2011) Laalitha Hunt. 2009. SMEs Eager to Tap E-commerce. The Star online. December 12. http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/12/12/business/5281516sec=business. (accessed January 10, 2011) Leong H. Y. and Lee L. S. 2009. Buying via Internet. The Star online. April 11. http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/4/11/business/3620542. (accessed January 10, 2011) Malaysia Crunch. 2009. Malaysias E-Commerce Statistics. http://malaysiacrunch.blogspot.com/2009/09/malaysias-e-commerce-statistics.html. (accessed January 15, 2011) Nielsen. 2008. Over 875 Million Consumers Have Shopped Online The Number of Internet Shoppers Up 40% in Two Years. http://my.nielsen.com/site/20080414.shtml. (accessed January 25, 2011)

Mountain Meadows Massacre and the Supernatural :: Juanita Brooks Historian History Essays

Mountain Meadows Massacre and the Supernatural Works Cited Missing Juanita Brooks has her work set out for her: she needs to explain a historical event that has long been ignored and lied about. She must avoid sounding biased and present herself as a reputable historian. One of her challenges in this undertaking is how she should deal with the large amounts of supernaturalism surrounding the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Although she does periodically use some supernatural accounts for dramatic evidence and to support her own hypothesis in small amounts, Brooks typically discredits the supernatural aspects (both folkloric and religious) of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, While Brooks is capable of dismissing the supernatural in folklore traditions, and also in her own religion, she does sometimes lapse into giving ear to supernaturalism. Frequently this is for effect, such as while describing a Mormon woman living in fear of the mobs in Illinois who feels a "heavy foreboding of evil" and flees, joining "other wagons†¦all impelled by the certainty that to remain long would mean death" (8). Brooks doesn't dismiss this prompting as a superstitious story but as a factual experience. Likely for the same dramatic effect, she includes that Brigham Young, whom she later evaluates as a man and not a prophet, "had predicted that 'if our enemies would give us ten years unmolested †¦ we would never be driven again.' Well, the ten years were up, ten years to the day" (18). As a historian writing a book for lay people, Brooks may be excused for these inclusions of dramatic intent; however she makes the mistake in including supernatural evidence in her defense of John D. Lee. She relates how when a little girl was gravely sick, Lee "kneeled by her bed and prayed for her. He promised her that she should live and become a mother in Israel. She was instantly healed" (203). Brooks relates a second related account. Lee promised another sick girl that she "should live to be a mother in Israel. She grew up to womanhood†¦and has sixteen children" (204). These supernatural stories are not qualified at all, but left to stand on their own before Brooks informs us that descendents of Lee "feel that he was a great and good man-a martyr" (204). These two recollections may also serve a dramatic purpose, but the acceptance of faith healing by an individual she defends weakens Brooks' objectivity as a historian.

A Modern Black Arts Movement through the Instrument of Hip-Hop Essay ex

A Modern Black Arts Movement through the Instrument of Hip-Hop Since the decade of 1920, America has been the setting for a progressive "Black Arts Movement." This African-American cultural movement has taken shape in various genres, gaining mass appeal, through multiple capitalistic markets. Even with the use of capitalism this cultural arts movement has stayed set upon its original purpose and direction, by aiding in cultural identity awareness. The knowledge of the duel-self through community awareness as it pertains to economic perceptions and other social boundaries or the metaphysical-self; what W.E.B. Du Bois coined as "twoness," or a division of one’s own identity as a African-American. (Reuben 2) A realization of the existence of two beings within one’s mental identity, where time alters attitude and identity through environmental influence of passing events. The discovery of the "New Negro" in the Harlem Renaissance marks the beginning of this essential philosophy contributing to the 1960’s Black Arts Movement and the Civil Rights Movement; continuing to be evident in current forms of black art, such as within the lyrics of hip-hop music. These revolutionary Ideals of reform have been voiced in the lyrics of many rappers of urban realism, like the New York M.C.’s Rakim, Run-D.M.C. and west coast rapper Tupac Shakur. Though this form of expression is opposed by most academic elitists and fundamental conservatives due to their vulgar expressions of sex and violence depicted within the genre of Hip-Hop; it in opposition actually presents an internal cultural conflict revealed through the redefinition of one’s own identity with poetic lyrical expressions of realism. This art form known as rap developed due to the in... ...Working Hip-Hop Chronology." Professa Rap’s Working Hip- Hop Chronology. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. . Reuben, Paul P. "PAL: Appendix F: Elements of Poetry." PAL: Perspectives in American Literature-A Research and Reference Guide. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. . Reuben, Paul P. "Chapter 9: Harlem Renaissance-An Introduction." PAL: Perspectives in American Literature-A Research and Reference Guide. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. . Salaam, Mtume ya. "The aesthetics of rap." African American Review. 29.2 (1995): 303-316. Shakur, Tupac. "Words of Wisdom." OHHLA.com. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. . Toure. "Rap-up." Rolling Stone. Apr. 1995: 78.

Les Miserables :: essays research papers

Les Miserables known in English as â€Å"The Terrible† is a musical portrayal of the French Revolution. It is a musical tragedy, which served as a major powerhouse competitor for Andrew Lloyd Weber musicals in the early eighties and nineties. When first debuting on Broadway in 1987 it traveled a long hard road to compete with musicals of the decade. However, in time many well-known performers were proud to associate themselves with this wonderful work of art. The musical play begins with its lead character named Jean Valjean. Jean Valjean was released on parole after 19 years on the chain gang. In this initial scene the audience can almost immediately feel the tonality of the play with the constant reference to the number 24601. 24601 were the prison number that became Jean Valjean’s identity for 19 years. The dark and dreary ambiance set the tone for the first song of the libretto, â€Å"Look Down. The lyrics to look down coincide with the chain gang, overseen by brutal wanders, working in the hot sun. It is this series of songs in Act one that take the audience through many turns of feelings and emotions. These emotional songs are used to portray poor men and women working in low class factories, women selling their bodies and more importantly a class of people struggling to scrape by. The most vivid songs used to identify the various themes of poverty and prostitution are Lovely Ladies, A Heart Full of Love, and Master of The House. Moreover, it is a song titled Do You Hear the People Sing? That prepares th e audience for the ending of Act one. Most if not all of Act one uses song, tonality, character, pitch and tone to depict the various themes of the play while the story is beginning to unravel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the second and final act the musical content within the play acts as a story of it’s own through theme and variation. Each separate song represents a feeling and or mood and is enhanced as it is varied throughout the act. Like the first act, the songs are used to portray poverty, suffering, hardships, and even death. However, unlike the first act, there is also a theme of love and happiness. Closure is brought about with a sense of warmth and this is often heard through the display of the tempo. When the times were tough the tempo decreased and was often slow and morbid like. Les Miserables :: essays research papers Les Miserables known in English as â€Å"The Terrible† is a musical portrayal of the French Revolution. It is a musical tragedy, which served as a major powerhouse competitor for Andrew Lloyd Weber musicals in the early eighties and nineties. When first debuting on Broadway in 1987 it traveled a long hard road to compete with musicals of the decade. However, in time many well-known performers were proud to associate themselves with this wonderful work of art. The musical play begins with its lead character named Jean Valjean. Jean Valjean was released on parole after 19 years on the chain gang. In this initial scene the audience can almost immediately feel the tonality of the play with the constant reference to the number 24601. 24601 were the prison number that became Jean Valjean’s identity for 19 years. The dark and dreary ambiance set the tone for the first song of the libretto, â€Å"Look Down. The lyrics to look down coincide with the chain gang, overseen by brutal wanders, working in the hot sun. It is this series of songs in Act one that take the audience through many turns of feelings and emotions. These emotional songs are used to portray poor men and women working in low class factories, women selling their bodies and more importantly a class of people struggling to scrape by. The most vivid songs used to identify the various themes of poverty and prostitution are Lovely Ladies, A Heart Full of Love, and Master of The House. Moreover, it is a song titled Do You Hear the People Sing? That prepares th e audience for the ending of Act one. Most if not all of Act one uses song, tonality, character, pitch and tone to depict the various themes of the play while the story is beginning to unravel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the second and final act the musical content within the play acts as a story of it’s own through theme and variation. Each separate song represents a feeling and or mood and is enhanced as it is varied throughout the act. Like the first act, the songs are used to portray poverty, suffering, hardships, and even death. However, unlike the first act, there is also a theme of love and happiness. Closure is brought about with a sense of warmth and this is often heard through the display of the tempo. When the times were tough the tempo decreased and was often slow and morbid like.

Culture and education in the development of Africa Essay

Some of the colonial power portrayed Africa as primitive in their descriptions, for instance, Cecil Rhodes Social Darwinism advocate states, â€Å"I contend that we are the finest race in the world and that the more of the world we inhabit the better†¦Ã¢â‚¬  King Leopold of Belgium assertion on civilization, â€Å"To open to civilization the only part of the globe where it has yet to penetrate †¦is, I dare to say, a crusade worthy of this century of progress.† From the above assertions, it is prudent to note that, colonial powers thought Africa to be devoid of the organization in social, political and economic perspective and therefore they wanted â€Å"to make Africa, England.† In that thought of naivety of the Africans, there were societal structures and organizations which British did not care to observe. However, it was not going to be easy as where two or three cultures interact a conflict is inevitable. Although Africa was not a plain or bear continent, Africans had their way of life, structure of government, religion, economic activities, education, systems of marriage and development plans for their societies, nevertheless the British brought their systems which conflicted with Africans established way of life, this was because the British, as many other European powers were economically depressed and Africa appeared to be the only way out. The British wanted to pass the three C’s; Commerce, that is to make money through an acquisition of free labor form Africans, raw materials for their industries as industrial revolution back in Britain was rapidly taking place, the market for their surplus production; Christianity to save Africans.Explorers such as David Livingstone, Vasco Da Gama, Portuguese Diego Cam and Arabs with Muslim faith had missionary zeal. The last C is for Civilization, they wanted to civilize Africans in terms of education, culture and many other aspects. Th us, to a larger extent, the activities of British heartened conflicts. African traditional religion is rooted in the African culture, it was difficult for Christianity to penetrate through. Portuguese tried in the fifteen century and failed. For Christianity to take the course the Africans had to abandon their culture which was hard so to say. The Missionaries in the nineteenth century, however, came up with an elaborate plan for them to spread Christianity. They introduced through religion, education and health centers which contradicted informal learning and the institution of medicine men. Africans gradually began to embrace Whiteman’s way of life but not without several clashes. These battles are seen in various forms such as spiritual, doctrinal, cultural and practical. The African religion has been given several definitions by different scholars, for instance, Dr. John Mbiti has elaborated aspects of African religion. In his book African Traditional Religion, Mbiti (1991) African religion is very pragmatic and realistic (p2), he explains that it is applied in circumstances where need arises. In addition he states that religion is rooted in the local language, so to comprehend religious life of an African society one has to understand the local dialect. He further affirms, â€Å"To be an African in traditional setup is to be truly religious.† (p30) He states that the religion can be seen in five aspects of culture; beliefs, practices, ceremonies and festivals, religious objects and places, values and morals and religious officials and leaders. He defines African religion as: â€Å" The product of the thinking and experiences of our forefathers and mothers that is men and women of their generations. They formed religious ideas, they observed religious ceremonies and rituals, they told proverbs and myths which safeguarded the life of individual and his community.(pp 13-14) Mbiti notes that Af rican religion has no scriptures as compared to Christianity and other religions, it is written in peoples history ,hearts and experiences of the people.(p14) Awolalu in his book Sin and its Removal in the African Traditional Religion defines African religion as â€Å"†¦largely written in the people’s myth and folktales, in their songs and dances, in their liturgies and shrines and in their proverbs and pithy sayings. It is a religion whose historical founder is neither known nor worshipped; it is a religion that has no zeal for membership drive, yet it offers persistent fascination for Africans, young and old.† The African traditional religion was not homogeneous as the communities had different ethnic background thus the religious practices such rituals varied one community to the other. It is worth noting that it was oral not scripted or written and was passed from one generation to the other by word of mouth, as I earlier alluded in the definitions of religion. Within their organized societal structures, Africans believed in supernatural beings together with ancestral spirits.The ancestral spirits were believed to li nk the living societal members to the gods. Therefore, the African traditional religion was and still is interweaved to the African culture. From the above insights, one cannot talk of African religion without African values as they are intertwined and inseparable. African religion was embedded in moral values or codes or standards which were believed to originate from god through the ancestral spirits, these values when observed one would be rewarded with maybe good harvest from their cultivation of land or increased number of flock of cattle. When these values were violated the culprits were reprimanded. The concept of values is a vital point as one talks of the African religion. For that reason African religion is drawn from the African values and Culture. African Culture was the source of law through the moral codes and values passed from generation to generation. From the above description we can see that law or rules of conduct were embedded in religion and that African religion was interweaved in the African culture.The African religion had some institutions as Mbiti points out in the aspects of African religion, w ho presided over religious functions, these institutions were believed to communicate directly to ancestral spirits (living dead) who in turn would communicate to the gods and grievances of the living societal members would be heard. In the Kenyan context, these institutions include Orkoyot of the Nandi, Oloibon of the Maasai, Seers, Diviners, and Rainmakers depending on the ethnic communities which they came from. These institutions apart from veneration of the ancestors, they blessed warrior before going for war, advised the political leaders, offered sacrifice to god and conducted rituals for the culprits who violated moral values in the community. The gods had some specific names for instance, in Kenyan context, we had Enkai for the Maasai, Engoro for the Abagusii, Mulungu for Akamba, Asis the Nandi, Ngai for the Agikuyu and Nyasaye for the Luo. There were specific worship places which were regarded as holy, this places included shrines, mountaintops some special trees such as m ugumo, hills and some caves. The diversity of the names given to gods and places of worship, show the lack of uniformity in the African Religion. Thus Africans were of different ethnic background and had their own religion, gods and religion as a community. The clashes can be seen in the five aspects as earlier alluded in Mbiti’s work that is beliefs, practices, ceremonies, festivals, religious objects and places, values and morals, religious officials and leaders. These aspects of African religion differ from those of Christianity. I) Source/origin of Religion The Africans believed that their religion was sourced from god, who they believed long before their ancestors’ existence. The British Missionaries conflict with Africans by telling them about the existence of a God who had a son and lived among them many years ago. The religion of British was written (Bible) thus one had to have the ability to read and write in order to understand it, whereas that of African was passed from generation to generation by oral tradition. There is an introduction of a new system of identifying the origin of religion which conflicts with the African system. II) Places of worship The Africans revered in special caves, Mountaintops, hills, Forests, Special trees (mugumo) and shrines. The British tell Africans that they should worship God places called Churches. This encounter shows that there is a bit of clashing as the African places were very clearly defined and preserved by the community members. The British also seized African land to construct churches or chapels, Africans as a result became very hostile as they had distinct worship places which occurred naturally. They believed that their land was for cultivation and a gift from their gods. III) The Practices of Religion The Africans practiced their religion by reverence to their ancestors, offering human and animal sacrifices and invoking the ancestral spirits. They offered sacrifices in order to get favours in terms of harvest. The African worship was communal that is, all community members used to convene to pray for rain and ask for wellness of the community. The British religion had an aspect of confession of one`s sins before worship, repentance and forgiveness of sin is granted. This aspect of forgiveness of sins lacks in the traditional African religion, one had to be punished for wrong doing. British missionary religion brings out an aspect of offerings in terms of money and tithe which is ten per cent of one`s total earnings. IV) Religious leaders In African religion, worship was led by Diviners, Rainmakers, and Seers who were considered righteous. The work of religious leaders was taught through apprecentiship and was hereditary from specific clans in the community. There were certain clans from whom diviners would descend. They were highly respected in the community. The British Christian religious leaders attend school to be trained mainly on theology. They study formalities of worship and nature of God. Any member of Christian family can become a religious leader although there are some myths which say one has to be ‘called’ by God. A Christian leader has to have the ability to read and write so as to pass the scriptures to his congregation. V) Uniformity of Religion As I handled earlier in this essay, the African traditional religion was diverse from one ethnic community to the other due to the linguistic differences, migration patterns and origin. Christianity is introduced as a homogeneous religion as the author of it is Jesus Christ, a common ancestry and reference point for all Christians. The diversity of worship is dismantled by the British introduction of this even religion. Africans were notoriously religious as it was found in each group. Africans who lived as per the traditional way of life were regarded as very religious.it is also worth acknowledging that Africans are at crossroads due to the fact that religion is imbedded in the African culture. It is thus difficult for Africans to fully be committed to Christianity as being fully whole-hearted means they will have to abandon some of the partaking of African culture. This has already happened as some dedicated African Christians refer to traditional religion as paganism, fetish, and animism. References. Mbiti J.S (1999) African Religion and Philosophy, Oxford, England, Heinemann Educational Publishers. Mbiti J.S (1991) Introduction to African Religion Oxford, England, Heinemann Educational Publishers. Awolalo J.O (1976) Sin and Its Removal from the African Traditional Religion Uchenna O (2008) African Crossroads: Conflict between African Traditional Religion and Christianity, The International Journal of Humanities volume 6 Number 2 History and Government Form One to Four, KLB Fourth Edition. Kwasi W. (1998) Towards Decolonizing African Religion and Philosophy, African Studies Quarterly volume 1 Issue 4. NAME: MUNYALO, DANIEL MUTHENGI REG.NO: G34/102614/2017 COURSE: GPR 109 LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING

Essay about Madagascar Essay

Madagascar is the worlds one-quarter largest island fit(p) 20 N and 47 E, just off the shore of Mozambique (Southern Africa). The domain of the island is 587,040 kilometers , with 4,828 kilometers of boundline, and it is slightly larger than twice the size of it of Arizona. Madagascar is a high plateau with a narrow coastal plain and mountains on the top. Their main natural resources consist of graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, mariner sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, and hydropower. The land is 4.41% arable land, .093% is steadfast crops, and 94.66% early(a).Madagascar has a commonwealth of 16,979,744 citizenry, which means in that respect is 30 wad per squargon kilometer. Of the world 45% of people are surrounded by 0-14 age, 51.9% of people are between 15-64 twelvemonths, and 3.1% of people are 64 and over. The population developing rate is 3.03% per year, the birth rate is 42.16 births per guanine population per year, and the death rate is 11.88 deaths per megabyte population per year. The life expectancy for people of Madagascar is 53.86 for males and 58.53 for females. The rate for the number of people over 15 who can read and advanced is 68.9%The positive name of Madagascar is the Republic of Madagascar. The official languages are French and Malagasy (Native). The main religions are 52% Local-Traditional Beliefs, 41% are Christian, and 7% are Islamic. Their type of governmental science is a republic, in which their capital is located in Antananarivo. Madagascar divides the country into 6 provinces they are, Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, and Tol transmita.Madagascar was formerly an mugwump kingdom before the 1880s. Madagascar became a French colony in 1886, but regained its independency in 1960. During 1992-93, free Presidential and matter Assembly options were held, ending 17 years of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second presidential race, Didier Ratsiraka, the leader dur ing the 1970s and 1980s, was returned to the presidency. The 2001 presidential election was contested between the followers of Didier Ratsiraka and Marc Ravalomanana, about causing secession of half of the country. In April 2002, the amply Constitutional Court announced Ravalomanana the winner.Their constitution was approved August 19, 1992 by national referendum. The Madagascar constitution establishes separation of powers among executive, legislative, and judicial branches with a multi-party political system. The president is choose by universal suffrage (anyone 18 or over) for a five year end point with a two-term limit. Prime attend is nominated by bicameral fantan composed of Senate and National Assembly, and approved by the president. Supreme Court has eleven members and forms heyday of other judicial bodies. Local government consists of twenty-eight regions with de keyized powers in sparing field. In the number 1 legislative elections of deuce-ace Republic in 1993 m ore than long hundred political parties entered 4,000 candidates for 138 seats. Proportional representation magnetic inclination system encourages candidacies.Madagascar is a member of confidence for the French-Speaking Community (ACCT), African, Caribbean, and Pacific root of States (ACP), African Development stick (AfDB), sparing Commission for Africa (ECA), Food and Agriculture system (FAO), Group of 77 (G-77), world- gigantic nuclear Energy Agency (IAEA), foreign Bank for Reconstruction and Development ( realness Bank) (IBRD), planetary polite Aviation presidential term (ICAO), world-wide savage Court (ICFTU)(Signatory), International red-faced crabby and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM), International Development Association (IDA), International parentage for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International finance Corporation (IFC), International partnership of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), International Labor brass section (ILO), International fis cal Fund (IMF), International Maritime giving medication (IMO), Indian Ocean Commission (InOC), International Criminal Police organic law (Interpol), International Olympic Committee (IOC)International Organization for Migration (IOM), Nonaligned Movement (NAM), Organization of African Unity (OAU), unify Nations (UN), United Nations convocation on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), solid ground Confederation of Labor (WCL), World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), World Intellectual space Organization (WIPO), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), World Tourism Organization (WToO), and World TradeOrganization (WTrO).Having discarded ancient well-disposedist economic policies, Madagascar has since the mid mid-nineties followed a World Bank and IMF lead policy of privatization and liberalization, which has placed the country on a slow and steady maturement path. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is a mainstay of the economy, method of accounting for one-fourth of GDP and employing four-fifths of the population. Export dough primarily are earned in the sm wholly industrial sector, which features textile manufacturing and cultivation processing. Deforestation and erosion, aggravated by the uptake of firewood as the primary source of provoke are serious concerns. The separatist political crisis of 2002 undermined macroeconomic stability, with the estimated drop in make being subject to a wide margin of error.Poverty reduction result be the centerpiece of economic policy for the next few years, seines how the 71% of the population are below the poverty line. Of all final goods and services produced in spite of appearance a nation in a attached year, the value comes from 63% services, 25% agriculture, and 12% industry. S ervices consist of the telephone system, air and rail transportation, tourism, and retail sale. Industry consists of nucleus processing, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly, paper, vegetable oil. Agricultural produces mostly coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar, cotton, mining, and petroleum products.A unique blend of African and Asian landscapes and cultures is usually one of the first things recognized by first-time travelers to Madagascar. In the zebu cattle-raising regions of the to the south and west, for example, the savannas resemble those of East Africa. In the central highlands, however, irrigated and terraced rice fields evoke images of south eastsideward Asia. These contrasting images lie at the knocker of an ongoing debate over the origins of the Malagasy people.harmonize to one theory, peoples from the Indonesian archipelago migrated along the coast of south Asia, across the Arabian Peninsula into the east coast of Afric a and, finally, across the Mozambique Channel into current Madagascar. This movement occurred over several generations and, because of the tardy interaction between Asian and African populations, led to thearrival and eventual nidation of a distinct Malagasy people and culture. A second theory emphasizes the diversity of the peoples inhabiting Madagascar. apparently put, proponents argue that the Malagasy resulted from a series of migrations by different peoples over time. According to this theory, migrants from the Indonesian archipelago arrived first and eventually settled in the central highlands, followed by the arrival of African peoples as a result of everyday migrational trends and the rise of the slave trade. modern scholarship has suggested that perhaps the theories are complementary, with owing(p) emphasis being placed on the first.Scholars traditionally have described Madagascar as being divided into eighteen or twenty heathen chemical groups, each with its let distinct territory political developments in the contemporary period are practically described in terms of social conflict. Yet ethnicity is potentially misleading in the Malagasy context because it con musical notes a more or less self-sufficient and unique cultural, socioeconomic, and historically united group that perceives itself as being different from other groups.Another potentially valuable method of analyzing Malagasy society is to come apart between the so-called cotiers, or peoples animation in coastal areas, and those who live in the central highlands. Indeed, scholars have noted in recent years that the salience of ethnic group identity has declined, while the divider between the central highlands peoples and the cotiers continues to be of great importance in understanding social and political competition. Although many observers equate the term central highlander with the Merina ethnic group (once again suggesting the importance of ethnicity), it is important to n ote that the Betsileo people also live within this region, and the Merina themselves have settled in other regions of the country. Equally important, many cotiers do not live anywhere near the coast. In this sense, the central highlands/cotier split is best unsounded as the historical outcome of the command of the Merina empire, the original center of which was Imerina (around the city of Antananarivo) and was located in the central highlands.