Overview Yemen’s Democracy, Military and Politics Essay Example Essay Example

Overview: Yemen’s Democracy, Military and Politics Essay Example Paper Overview: Yemen’s Democracy, Military and Politics Essay Introduction Before anything else, it is necessary to provide a brief background of the country in question. According to a factbook by the Central Intelligence Agency (2008), the Republic of Yemen is located in Southwest Asia’s Arabian Peninsula, having a land area of approximately 530,000 sq. km. Said area is comprised of over 200 islands, the largest being Socotra in its southern region. Its capital city is Sana’a and is governed by a republican government – the only country in the Arabian Peninsula under such an administration.As already noted by the CIA, Yemen is a presidential representative democratic republic. It was formally established on May 22, 1990 via the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic (North) and the Marxist People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (South), with its constitution having first been drafted on May 16, 1991. It is ruled by a president, or the head of state, as well as a prime minister, or the head of government – the current ones bein g President Ali Abdallah Salih and Prime Minister Ali Muhammad Mujawwar, respectively. The country chooses its president every 7 years, the most recent being in 2006. The president, in turn, appoints the rest of the government officials.In terms of military strength, the Republic of Yemen is said to have a sizable military under its command, a sizable portion of which is made up of conscripts. In fact, their armed forces is the biggest in the Arabian Peninsula, second only to the Saudi military; in 2001, for instance, their armed forces personnel alone numbered at 67,000 (International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2001). According to the Library of Congress (2008), this number further balloons by 71,000 when the Yemeni paramilitary force is taken into account. That the Yemeni government places great importance on their military cannot be denied, placing it as one of their three biggest annual expenditures. As of 2006, their defense budget amounted to $2.1 billion – 6% of the country’s GDP. Of course, this does have the unfortunate side-effect of the country’s other important aspects being neglected and getting the short end of the stick.Further compounding its national troubles is that it has gained notoriety for being a sanctuary and breeding ground for the forces of global jihad (BBC News, 2010). Such an issue was first raised just the previous year when Afghanistan and Pakistan – both countries, it should be noted, with their own track record for terrorist turnouts – expressed fears of elements of al-Qaeda raising militancy among Yemeni citizens. Fortunately, good developments have been happening in this regard; the admission of a Yemeni al-Qaeda terrorist cell to a failed attack on a US airliner helped fuel the government’s resolve against Islamic radicals. The recent bilateral truce with the rebels in the northern regions should only help them better focus their attention on these terrorists.Finally, its legal system, while nominally a democracy, also takes some of its aspects from the Shari’a, or Islamic law – as stated in articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of the Republic of Yemen (1994). This may have played a part in its poor track record with regard to human rights. For instance, among other things, the government has been accused of torture, inhuman treatment and extrajudicial execution of suspected enemies of the state. The justice system is likewise marred by corruption, inefficiency and frequent executive interference. Freedom of speech also leaves something to be desired, especially where press and religious freedom are concerned. This then brings the discussion to another issue; namely, that regarding Yemen’s concept of law enforcement and human rights. Such concerns will be addressed in succeeding portions of this research.Human Rights and the Lack of It: Women’s Rights, Freedom of ReligionAs already mentioned, Yemeni citizens often do not have m uch in the way of human rights. It is supposedly a democratic country, yet freedom of speech is horribly inadequate. Women are treated as second-class citizens, often being forced into arranged marriages at age 9 or even earlier – in stark contrast to the equal rights promised by the constitution. Taking into account the numerous human rights agreements Yemen is a party to, such as the 1994 Geneva Agreement, the government really ought to be called on the numerous human rights violations they have condoned.First among the points that should be addressed is the fact that the Republic of Yemen has Islam as an established state religion. While citizens are allowed to be part of other religious denominations, Muslims are forbidden to convert to another religion, nor are they allowed to be proselytized (United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, 2007). Otherwise, though, the Yemeni government is actually rather tolerant of other religions, having diplomatic ties wi th the Vatican for instance. Moreover, they even issue residence visas to priests who wish to minister to their flock.The more problematic issue related to the instatement of Islam as the state religion is that its laws, Shari’a, form the basis of all Yemeni legislation. These laws are quite notorious for their severity, such as their mandate of death for an apostate. Another fact about these laws is that they are quite biased against women and sometimes, despite the surprising lack of religious discrimination, even against people adhering to the tenets of other religions.As already mentioned above, girls can be forced into arranged marriage even before they are physically capable of pregnancy, thanks in part to preconceived notions on female virginity and integrity. The problem here is that when a girl’s anatomy is not yet fully developed, pregnancy can in fact be more dangerous than it already is. In the worst cases, underage mothers may even die giving birth to thei r child, or worse, die with their child (Uzan, Seince and Pharisien, 2004). Coupled with the sometimes less-than adequate conditions in which babies are delivered, multitudes of Yemeni females end up not fully growing up. The limited access women have to medical care only aggravates the situation.Even discounting this, early marriages often come with the unfortunate side-effect of the girl being forced to prematurely drop out of school. According to UNESCO (2005), Yemen has the unfortunate distinction of having the lowest female enrollment rate of all Middle Eastern countries, and the widest literacy gap between adult males and females – a staggering 38 percent (Library of Congress Federal Research Division, 2008). In general, most Yemeni parents are reluctant to send their daughters to mixed-gender schools due to concerns regarding chastity. Such concern, while understandable, should not be prioritized to the detriment of the welfare of these girls.Other factors that hinder women’s education also come into play. For starters, most Yemeni educational facilities are subpar compared to those found in other nations. The number of schools in a given area is usually not many, and even existing educational institutions often suffer from overcrowding and an overall low quality of education. Neither does it help that the teachers, most of whom are male, often exhibit a conservative attitude towards their female students. Coupled with the fairly large distance between schools and rural areas, low-quality teaching materials, and most importantly lack of financial resources, Yemeni families in general have little interest in educating their daughters.The women who have it worst of all are the ones who never wanted to get married in the first place and therefore want out. In contrast to men who can file for divorce anytime and anywhere they like, no questions asked, women have to undergo a lot of scrutiny as to why they want a divorce in the first place. As written by Amal Basha of Freedom House (2005), no thanks to the horribly backward Personal Status Law, women are forced to contend with unnecessary practical, social and financial consequences associated with divorce. The Human Rights Watch (2001) further laments how authorities often turn a blind eye towards violence against women, yet whose hearts bleed for violence against men.Conclusion: Modernization as the SolutionJudging from the previous statements, it can be convincingly argued that the Yemeni government’s excessive fixation on Islamic law as the backbone of its legislation is largely responsible for most of the issues plaguing the country. What is more, the country’s current state and condition can also serve as proof that when the church dictates how the state runs its affairs, disaster happens. Handelman (2009, p.1) explains how such countries â€Å"still show few signs of forward progress†. Thus, this researcher proposes that the Republic of Yemen c an rise up from its current state by means of modernization. More specifically, considering how Islam has a penchant of breeding conflicts described as â€Å"intense and violent† (Handelman, 2009, p.57), the Yemeni government needs to discontinue its reference to Islamic law for its legislation.Modernization, which refers to a society’s transition from a traditional focus to a modern one, has and is being widely used for those countries who wish to accelerate their development. Where developing countries are concerned, says Qian Chengdan (2009), their modernization works best when based on the experiences and lessons gained from the development of other countries. Compared to their more traditional counterparts, modern countries generally enjoy a higher standard of living, with their citizens accorded more rights and freedoms. This is undoubtedly something the Yemeni people are in dire need of.Adam Przeworski and Fernando Limongi (1997) further characterize modernizati on as consisting of a gradual differentiation and specialization of social structures; that is, different social structures are created to perform different functions. This would ideally help in setting apart the political structures in particular. In this process, various sequences are involved, including but not limited to industrialization, urbanization, education, communication, mobilization and political incorporation. Ultimately, the end result would be a true democratic system for the country concerned.It should be noted that such a theory is very much applicable to Yemen’s current state. The social and religious structures must be separated from the political structures; specifically, Shari’a should be abolished as the basis for all other Yemeni laws. This is not only because of how draconian said laws are, but also because while an overwhelming majority of Yemenis are Muslim, there are still a handful who do not belong to the Islamic faith. The state should on ly be concerned with matters of state, leaving religious issues to those more qualified to handle them.Mashhur et al (2003) have said that most Arab countries today badly need to initiate reforms in the system. Unfortunately, due to the overly conservative stance of the Yemeni government, modernization will definitely be something they will find difficult to swallow. Griffiths (2010) also adds how Western nations are most often resented for their habit of intervening (some would say interfering) in the affairs of other nations. This, he says, is the â€Å"fundamental flaw in the West’s strategic thinking† (p.20), which will probably be how the idea of a modernized Yemen will be perceived. Until they learn how to be more open-minded – until they learn that the spirit, not the letter of the law is what matters, and that an unjust law is not a law at all – they will find that accelerating their development will be very difficult indeed. Overview: Yemen’s Democracy, Military and Politics Essay Thank you for reading this Sample!

The Time Machine by HG Wells Paper Essays

The Time Machine by HG Wells Paper Essays The Time Machine by HG Wells Paper Paper The Time Machine by HG Wells Paper Paper Essay Topic: Literature The Time Machine In the novel The Time Machine by H. G. Wells, there are numerous adventures that the main character, the Time Traveler, experiences in his quest for knowledge. From his ideas of an fourth dimension, to is search for a modern utopia, and his ever relenting question of what the future is going to be like. In the novel the Time Traveler tells his acquaintances about his idea of a fourth dimension and his time machine. He believes that there is a fourth dimension running next to all the other three. This fourth dimension is the dimension of time. He believes that if one understands this dimension then one will be able to travel in it just like everyone travels in the rest of the three. That is the main principle for the idea of time travel and there is no difference between Time and any of the three dimensions of space except that our consciousness moves along with it(Wells 3). He is also very interested in the idea of time travel and long ago he had a vague inkling of a machine(Wells 6). His main and very sound reason to build this machine and experiment with his fourth dimension is one of wonder and one of curiosity. The Time Traveler wants to know what is going to happen to the human race during the future of society. He is also searching a modern utopia, one of happiness and delightfulness, where people can live in harmony. However on his quest this fantasy becomes a nightmare when he learns of the world in the future. Which is one of a failed utopia but is rather a dystopian nightmare(Partington 4). What he has been looking for has not been answered in the future and he must keep on going which will not help his search for answers any more than his time her in the year eight hundred two thousand, seven hundred and one. During his ride into the future he sees many interesting and astonishing things that totally astonishes him. From his machine he sees huge buildings with intricate parapets and tall columns(Wells 27). He also watches towers collapse, the sky turn gray, watch it rain and snow and also watch things grow all from the comfort of his time machine. Eventually he realized that he should witness this first hand. So he entered a new world, an utopian society(Partington 3) but to his amaze he found nothing like he expected to witness. He panicked and went back to his machine because the Time Traveler was overwhelmed with this new civilization. Eventually when he arrives in the year 802,701 he finds these humanoid like creatures, which he, the Time Traveler, calls Eloi. They are frail and have a certain childlike ease(Wells 30) and have small red lips. They however, are weird to look at, but are extremely friendly and they realize that the Time Traveler has no cruel intentions toward these frail childlike creatures(McConnell 5). The Time Traveler believes that these creatures are direct descendants of humans and rule this planet. However he comes soon to find out that there are creatures that the Eloi call Morlocks. They are cruel, vicious and uninhibited creatures with a burning desire for the flesh of the Eloi. (Kumar 3), these disgusting creatures have hardly any eyes, a big flat nose, and long dreaded hair, almost ape like features. They are also nocturnal hunters and the Eloi are very afraid of them, the Time Traveler is however amazed by them. He believes that these Morlocks are indeed subterranean races, which are fast, strong and incredibly agile. During the novel the Tim Traveler comes across these creatures of this new world, which are the Eloi and the Morlocks. His first hypothesis is when he first encounters the Eloi he believes that they are the sole descendants of the modern human race. The reason he believes this is because of the fact that they look like modern day humans and they have all the signatures of a human being in a pastoral community(Huntington 4). From their eyes, nose, lips and hair they look very similar to the modern human of today. His second hypothesis is a sound one but flawed because of the fact that he does not know the nature of this new world. He after somewhat proving that indeed the Eloi were descendants of the human race is that he then considers the Eloi the lords of a class divided earth in which they hold the subterranean Morlocks in subjection. The reason he believes this is because at the time he does not know how powerful the Morlocks truly are and how they use the Eloi as food for there survival, and how they engage in a cannibalistic right(Beilharz 2) for the survival of this much under civilized race and but highly physically developed race. His third hypothesis is that in fact then he realizes that this world is a class divided earth on the verge of Morlockian uprising. The reason he believes this and also the other hypothesis, which is that the Morlocks were the ascending race on the earth at that time, is because he sees all the carnage that the Morlocks bring. He finally realizes that indeed these Morlocks are the superior race and also finds it ironical that the Eloi are the weaker of the two but are living atop the Morlocks. The reason the Morlocks are superior, at least in the Time Travelers mind, is because of the pure and simple fact that the Morlocks are stronger than the Eloi. The only thing in the Time Travelers mind that the Eloi have over the Morlocks is that they are a much more intelligent race who can think for themselves who in the Morlocks case seemed to be controlled by something much different. Also the Time Traveler also believes that he is witnessing a battle between good of the upper earth, with all its beauty and simplicity, against the darkness and cannibalistic nature of the evil underground of the earth. The Eloi in the Time Travelers mind are the good and righteous people that the Time Traveler was looking for in a utopian society(Partington 2). While he believes that the Morlocks are the cruel monsters that are destroying the stunning planet and so called utopia that he has arrived at. In the Time Travelers mind he believed that this was a fight between the strong and the weak, which the strong were winning. He after finding his time machine traveled far more into the future. He would witness and be attacked by these huge giant crabs that had huge claws, mouths, eyes and who were very violent towards him. He however escapes from this violent place and then he goes farther into the future. Where to his amazement is a barren and hot wasteland with a huge black blob wit tentacles in his eyesight. Also as he looks up he sees that another planet was eclipsing the sun and that it seemed to be falling towards the earth. After he sees this he returns home because he cannot bear to go any further because he fears that there will be no planet left to explore. As he returns his guests are waiting him for dinner. He is very rude towards them and is very hungry and thirsty and refuses to tell them where he has been all this time. He then tells them that he needs to go clean up and then continues to tell them his tales. Afterwards everyone leaves and he gets on his machine and goes into the future and never again returns to his time. All in all the Time Traveler was a strong and very curious genius who in his search for truth came across agony, pain and also a sense of truth. He figured out his question and also proved everyone wrong who doubted him by traveling in his fourth dimension of time.

Hypothesis testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hypothesis testing - Essay Example There is a procedure followed in hypothesis testing. The first step involves the stating of both the null and alternate hypothesis. The hypothesis is stated in a manner that they are mutually exclusive. The second stage is the determination of the level of significance (Lehmann, 2004). The higher the level of significance, the higher the precision attained. The sample size is then determined to allow for the collection of data. The size of data will determine the type of test conducted. After the collection of data, one moves to the stage of data analysis. In this stage, the value of test statistics is calculated e.g. z-value or the t-value (2012). The analysis of the calculated value is made by use of the statistical tables. The table is used to determine if the calculated score falls within the acceptance or rejection region (Lehmann, 2004). The final stage is then made depending on the location of the score. If the calculated value falls in the rejection region, the null hypothesis is rejected implying that there is significant variation in the observation made. Two kinds of error can be made in hypothesis testing: type one and type two errors. Type one error is that which leads to the rejection of null hypothesis which is true whereas type two error is the error of accepting a false null hypothesis. In conclusion, the stages in hypothesis testing if well followed makes the hypothesis testing easy to comprehend and make statistical decisions. Hypothesis testing is therefore essential in analyzing data to determine its validity and truthfulness hence important in making statistical

Risk Management and Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Risk Management and Investment - Essay Example Barclays has been able to acquire assets of the most competitive banks such as the Absa Group Limited in South Africa and bought about 54% of Juniper Bank (Davidoff 2012, p.42). On the other hand, Standard bank acquired Union Bank of Pakistan taking more than 81% of its assets. This strategy is not only aimed at perpetuating return on investment but also increasing the competitive advantage of the bank. Barclays bank has however been through some of the most difficult moments since its inception. In 2011, the bank suffered a loss of about 1.04 billion pounds (Treanor 2012, p. 4). This loss prompted the company to take objective measures aimed at minimizing the cost of operation. Between 2011 to-date, the bank cut more than 6,700 jobs as a way of addressing its challenges. Currently, market capitalization stands at about 54.75 billion. The dividends and earning per share have been dwindling since 2007 (Shankleman 2009, p.78). The management understands the role played by such factors as far as attracting investors and customers is concerned. This explains why the management has maintained its dividends at 6.50p and EPS at 34.50p despite the financial challenges. Risk management factors such as a focus on return on investment, customer satisfaction, leadership, and cutting on the cost of operation will be imperative. This will enable the bank to realize its objectives and become one of the most performing financial institutions in the world.The Barclays bank is one of the oldest of all banks that still stands strong. It has among the top 10 most active and performing banks in the world. Founded in 1690, the bank has subsidiaries in about 50 countries worldwide (Werdigier 2007, p.61). The old mutual on the other hand commenced its operations in 1845, making it one of the oldest financial institutions in Africa. With its headquarters in London, the Standard Bank serves more than 70 countries worldwide and millions of customers. On the other hand, Barclays Bank empl oyed thousands of professionals throughout the world to provide services to its more than 48 million customers.

Implementation Plan for the Solution Personal Statement

Implementation Plan for the Solution - Personal Statement Example Blais (2002) argues that â€Å"changes in power structure are particularly difficult to manage† (p.  24). The Corporate Compliance Officer will encourage a collaborative effort from all management personnel to ensure the objective of this project proposal is met. A weekly formal written report shall be done to document the weekly initiatives taken to address concerns during the weekly meetings. Managers report to the Compliance Officer the progress of their staff training. Before proceeding with the implementation of the proposal, it should gain the approval of the organizational Board of Directors. Such proposal shall be reviewed every 90 days. The Board will meet for two sessions in the duration of the project. The preliminary proposed project is designed to last for six months after which, a request for permanent approval will be sought from the Board of Directors. At the start of the project, information on the organization’s customer service will be collected from many sources on a weekly basis. Evidenced-based practice together with the basic scorecard will be utilized ( see appendix A) in the promotion of quality services across the organization, within many departments promoting quality customer services. The sources of information will include referral process; self-administered questionnaires that will be distributed to members, family, and the guardians or other parties responsible for the care of the member receiving services; medical records; management systems; and internal processes used by management. This information will be collected and analyzed weekly by the different responsible managers. The QAPI committee as a whole will review and analyze all data monthly. All data will be assessed using quality indicators identified in the BSC and CARF Quality Indicators.  

The Goals And Ideals Of Les Six Film Studies Essay

The Goals And Ideals Of Les Six Film Studies Essay Les Six is a name given in 1920 by critic Henri Collet to a group of six composers working in Montparnasse whose music is often seen as a reaction against the musical style of Richard Wagner and impressionist music. (Owen 2011.) The works of Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud and Francis Poulenc all play an important part in French music and the 20th century. Research question What were the goals and ideals of Les Six? Consider the works of Honegger, Milhaud and Poulenc. 2. LES SIX Members A younger group of composers absorbed the strong influence of neoclassicism but sought to escape the old political dichotomies. (Grout 2009: 880.) Les Six was a group of young avant-garde French composers. Initially Les Nouveaux Jeunes, the name was changed along with the line-up to crystallize as Les Six in 1923. With Jean Cocteau as the spokesman and Satie as the guru, the group was formed and the name was given by French critic Henri Collet. With this identifying label, the individual composers gained public attention as a group in force. (Owen 2011.) Despite the elements the six composers had in common, their differences were far greater. In the 1920s each of them was pursuing solo careers (Latham 2002: 10). Best remembered today, are Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc and Arthur Honegger. Few pieces by Louis Durey and Georges Auric are performed. Germaine Tailleferre was probably still best remembered because she was the only woman of the group. (Kelly 2003: 51.) The group was officially launched in January 1920 by a series of two articles by the French music critic and composer Henri Collet in the French journal Commedia. While it seems apparent that Cocteau was behind these articles, the actual name of the Group was selected by Collet who decided to compare Les Six with the Five Russians. (Kelly 2003: 4.) The members of Les Six were: Georges Auric (1899 1983) Louis Durey (1888 1979) Arthur Honegger (1892 1955) Darius Milhaud (1892 1974) Francis Poulenc (1899 1963) Germaine Tailleferre (1892 1983) Although Honegger was a member of Les nouveaux jeunes and, subsequently of Les Six, he shared with the other members a stimulating companionship rather than a group aesthetic, the existence of which he always denied. (Sadie 2001: 680.) Darius Milhaud was a pioneer in the use of percussion, polytonality, jazz and aleatory techniques. Few of his works of the 1920s are in the spirit of Les Six, however one might seek to define it. Le boeuf ser le toit had nothing to do with Les Six until it was hijacked and turned into a ballet by Cocteau. (Sadie 2001: 679.) Ironically, in the only work to which all members of the group contributed, the Album des six, Milhaud is represented by a Mazurka he wrote in 1914. More important to his music of the 1920s was the confirmation of opera as a major and continuing thread. (Kelly 2003: 89.) During the first half of Francis Poulencs career the simplicity and directness of his writing led many critics away from thinking of him as a serious composer. Gradually, since World War II, it has become clear that the absence from his music of linguistic complexity in no way argues corresponding absence of feeling or technique. (Sadie 2001:227.) Georges Auric was a child prodigy and at age 15 he had his first compositions published. Before he turned 20, he had orchestrated and written incidental music for several ballets and stage productions. (Owen 2011.) His participation in Les Six led to writing settings of poetry and other texts as songs and musicals. Louis Durey was primarily self-taught. From the beginning, choral music was of great importance in Dureys productivity. After the Les Six period, Durey continued with his career. (Owen 2011.) Germaine Tailleferre was the only female member in the group Les Six. She studied piano with her mother at home, composing short works of her own. (Owen 2011.) Music by Les Six The only musical project in which all six composers participated in was Lalbum des six (published in 1920) and it is a solo piano music collection, which were all dances. Prà ©lude (1919) by Auric Romance sans paroles, Op. 21 (1917) by Durey Sarabande, H 26 (1920) by Honegger Mazurka (1914) by Milhaud Valse en ut, FP 17 (1919) by Poulenc Pastorale (1919) by Tailleferre Les six has a lot of compositions under their names but none of them included all six composers, except for Lalbum des six. Each of these individual composers has contributed to the group Les Six in their own unique styles and ways. Their styles are most certainly equally different and with such diverse styles they were able to come as one and compose many pieces while they were still known as Les Six. The goals and ideals of Les Six was to create an individual style of its own, because of the great differences in style and techniques each of them had, but in the end, they were all able to work as one to create Lalbum des six which has gained wide popularity. 3. WORKS OF HONEGGER, MILHAUD AND POULENC Arthur Honegger Arthur Honegger (1892 1955) was a Swiss composer, who was born in Le Havre, France. His serious-minded musical aesthetic was entirely different from that of others in Les six. He developed unusual musical and dramatic forms in large-scale works for voices and orchestra, and was one of the 20th centurys most dedicated contrapuntalists. (Sadie 2001: 679.) It is very clear that Honeggers compositions are tonal but characterized by a highly individual use of dissonance, if you listen to his compositions very carefully you will be able to hear the dissonances that occur. His music was first heard publicly in Paris in July 1916 (Sadie 2001: 680). The series of large-scale dramatic works and major symphonic scores he composed during the following 30 years established him as one of the most significant composers of his generation. His symphonic movement Pacific 231 (1923), a translation into music of the visual and physical impression of a speeding locomotive, was hailed as a sensational piece of modernist descriptive music. (Grout 2009: 881.) It was said that his symphonic movement Pacific 231 was misinterpreted by the public as specifying programmes, rather than sources of musical inspiration (Spratt 1987:69). This movement is a great example of the goals and ideals of Les Six, they all had a very different approach to music but all their ideas combined became a great masterpiece of its own individual style. Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (1892 1974) was a French composer, who was born in Marseilles. He was associated with the avant garde of the 1920s, whose abundant production reflects all musical genres. Though his sources of inspiration were many and varied, his music has compelling stylistic unity. (Sadie 2001: 675.) There is scarcely a genre not represented in Milhauds output. From grand opera to childrens piano pieces, everything seems to be there in extraordinary profusion. He found his musical voice very early on, and there was neither anguish in creation, nor any problem of language or expression, let alone of technique. (Sadie 2001: 677.) It was also apparently said that he could compose anywhere and at anytime, he was not bothered by the disturbance around him. The decade of the 1920s ended with Christophe Colomb and Maximilien, the former and justly celebrated work, the latter one of Milhauds mot riotously noisy scores. (Collaer 1988: 176.) The works of the 1930s are characterized by a greater tendency towards through-composition, in comparison with the clearcut sectional divisions of the earlier works. The opera Mà ©dà ©e is perhaps his finest work of this period: a fascinating study of a woman scorned, graphically portrayed in some of the composers most angular, expressionist music. (Sadie 2001: 679.) Then in the course of the 1950s emerged what might be called his final style. This development can be seen by comparing the operas David and Fiesta, though it comes out especially in the chamber music which, in his late years, he produced abundantly. (Kelly 2003:56.) Despite the impression his music usually gives, he had at times, and especially during the early years, a distinctly theoretical turn of mind, a feature that sets him quite apart from his contemporaries (Sadie 2001:678). Francis Poulenc Francis Poulenc (1899 1963) was a French composer and pianist, who was born in Paris. Poulenc regarded this dual heredity as the key to his musical personality: he associated his deep Catholic faith with his Aveyronais roots and attributed his artistic heritage to his mothers family. It is certainly the case that two strands, profane and religious, co-exist in his work. (Sadie 2001:227.) Poulenc destroyed his first attempts at composition, dating from 1914. He made his public dà ©but in Paris in 1917 with his first work, Rapsodie nà ¨gre, dedicated to Satie and performed at the Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre du Vieux Colombier at one of the avant-garde concerts orgnaized by Jane Bathori. (Mellers 1993: 37.) Poulenc learnt a clear but colourful style of piano playing, based on a subtle use of sustaining pedal, and in his own piano music he was insistent on there being beaucoup de pà ©dale. (Sadie 2001: 228.) In his earlier pieces such a style gives body to the often arrogantly popular tunes that abound, softening the ostinatos in the Sonata for piano duet (1918) and the quasi-Alberti bass in Trois mouvements perpà ©tuels (1918). (Sadie 2001: 228.) Poulenc admitted that his reliance on past formulae (long pedal notes, arpeggios, repeated chords) was not always free of routine and that in this regard his familiarity with the piano could be a hindrance; his most inventive piano writing, he claimed, was to be found in his song accompaniments. (Buckland 1999: 346.) His own favourite pieces were the 15 Improvisations ranging in date from 1932 to 1959 and in dedicatee from Marguerite Long to Edith Piaf. This confirms that the piano was not always a vehicle for his deepest thought, he called the Thà ¨me varià ©e (1951) an oeuvre sà ©rieus and included a retrograde version of the theme in the coda to show that he was up with the latest serial idea, but it is hardly the best of him. (Sadie 2001: 228.) 4. CONCLUSION Through my research on Les Six, I have concluded that each of these six composers were very different in style, and had their own unique technique. Each of them made huge contributions to Les Six and keeping the title going for a long time before they embarked their separate careers. But it is very evident that they all had different musical backgrounds but could each collaborate with one another to make music work. The composers that influenced and created the group Les Six have clearly made a mark in 20th century music. It is very clear that the goals they aimed for were achieved through their music and the talent that each one of them brought to this versatile group. It is remarkable that the different ideas they all had could be compiled into one idea as a group. SOURCES Buckland, S. 1999. Francis Poulenc: Music, Art, and Literature. United Kingdom: Ashgate Publishing Limited. Collaer, P. 1988. Darius Milhaud. San Francisco Press. Grout, D. 2009. A History of Westerm Music, eighth edition. New York: Cornell University. Kelly, B. 2003. The Tradition and Style in the Works of Darius Milhaud. United Kingdom : Ashgate Publishing Limited. Latham, A. 2002. The Oxford Companion to Music. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Mellers, W. 1993. Oxford Studies of Composers: Francis Poulenc. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Owen, P. 2011. Les Six. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Peter Owen Publishers. http://www.britannica.com/EBcheck/topic/547009/Les-six. 10 September 2011 Sadie, S. 2001. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition. New York: Macmillan Publishers Limited. Spratt, G. 1987. The Music of Arthur Honegger. Cork: Cork University Press.

The Destruction of our Environment :: essays research papers

One of the greatest arguments of philosophy and the scholastic disciplines of the sort has been the debate on the degree of influence that nature has on the growth and development of human beings and the civilizations that define them. By examining the interactions of the environment and the living creations that reside within, one is able to examine and define the type of relationship in place between nature and the creatures of the world. Upon first glance, one will notice that the fundamental roles of the environment and the creatures within respectively are that of a cyclical reciprocity wherein the environment serves as a primary provider in a great cycle of life and death, a cycle that all of the living creatures, especially humans, are a part of on a daily basis. The first premise is that the environment’s role in the cycle of life is that of a provider, wherein all possible forms of energy and sustenance derive. All of the environment’s facets, the air, the water, the verdancy, serve as the primary commodity with which the basic order of life on this planet employ for their means of sustenance. Most animals in nature directly receive their means of sustenance directly from consuming articles of the earth, namely plankton, field grass, and the lowest forms of animals and receive their obligatory elements from the water and the air. All animals are entangled in the reciprocation of water and air, for all animals consume water and then replete the water supply via digestive process wherein water is returned to the Earth, and all mammalian animals transfer air amongst their environment wherein the plants are able to internalize this discharge and return back into the environment viable source of breathable air. These basic roles help to foster the more complex roles that are found in the environment between the different forms of life, the different types of animals and plants. The more complex roles that one will see in play in nature include the hierarchy of the predacious wherein animals comport their existence to the animals and plants that they rely on for food, energy, and maintenance. It is by this process of comporting to the environment that becomes the predication on which a species’ evolutionary track progresses, towards prosperity and towards stagnancy. It has been refuted by many, but accepted by most that it is due to a harmonious and contemporaneous existence between the environment and those who depend on the environment that results in the prolonged existence and evolution of a species. The Destruction of our Environment :: essays research papers One of the greatest arguments of philosophy and the scholastic disciplines of the sort has been the debate on the degree of influence that nature has on the growth and development of human beings and the civilizations that define them. By examining the interactions of the environment and the living creations that reside within, one is able to examine and define the type of relationship in place between nature and the creatures of the world. Upon first glance, one will notice that the fundamental roles of the environment and the creatures within respectively are that of a cyclical reciprocity wherein the environment serves as a primary provider in a great cycle of life and death, a cycle that all of the living creatures, especially humans, are a part of on a daily basis. The first premise is that the environment’s role in the cycle of life is that of a provider, wherein all possible forms of energy and sustenance derive. All of the environment’s facets, the air, the water, the verdancy, serve as the primary commodity with which the basic order of life on this planet employ for their means of sustenance. Most animals in nature directly receive their means of sustenance directly from consuming articles of the earth, namely plankton, field grass, and the lowest forms of animals and receive their obligatory elements from the water and the air. All animals are entangled in the reciprocation of water and air, for all animals consume water and then replete the water supply via digestive process wherein water is returned to the Earth, and all mammalian animals transfer air amongst their environment wherein the plants are able to internalize this discharge and return back into the environment viable source of breathable air. These basic roles help to foster the more complex roles that are found in the environment between the different forms of life, the different types of animals and plants. The more complex roles that one will see in play in nature include the hierarchy of the predacious wherein animals comport their existence to the animals and plants that they rely on for food, energy, and maintenance. It is by this process of comporting to the environment that becomes the predication on which a species’ evolutionary track progresses, towards prosperity and towards stagnancy. It has been refuted by many, but accepted by most that it is due to a harmonious and contemporaneous existence between the environment and those who depend on the environment that results in the prolonged existence and evolution of a species.

Response to Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are Essay

Amy Cuddy was an intelligent young woman who was known to be smart and gifted until the age of 19, when she had encountered a horrific car accident. After this accident, Amy woke up in a head injury rehab ward. Her head injury had caused her IQ to drop by two standard deviations and she had to withdrawal from college. From having a core identity as being smart to the knowledge of her decrease in IQ had left Amy completely powerless. She felt as if her identity had been taken away from her and had lost the confidence that she once had. She tried several times to get back into college and to pursue her education but they kept telling her that college was no longer meant for her and that she should consider another path. However, she kept trying without giving up. After struggles and chances, Amy had eventually graduated from college, 4 years later than her peers. She later spoke with an adviser, whom had helped her get into Princeton University. Amy Cuddy possessed certain qualities that allowed her to be successful after the car accident. From the intrapersonal or self-awareness realm, the quality that Amy contained was self-regard. Self-regard is to not only notice all the positive aspects of oneself, but to be fully aware of the less positive aspects as well and the individual continues to keep their head held high at the same time. Although knowing that her IQ level had dropped drastically, Amy Cuddy still held herself on high regards and kept trying to get back into College. This was emotionally and academically hard for Amy, but even when she was told that college was not meant for her and that she should consider following another path, she did not give up but kept trying. Although it was four years later than her peers, she still did manage to graduate from college. From the Intrapersonal realm that focuses on relationships with others, Amy contains the quality of developing a meaningful intrapersonal relationship with her adviser. This means to have healthy boundaries, to have a good intimacy and to use dynamic communication skills. Amy had good intimacy with her adviser and had convinced her adviser that she was qualified and that she had potential to attend Princeton University. Amy also contains the adaptability realm. This realm focuses on how an individual is able to handle different situations. Individuals who are strong in this field are able to be managing when things go unexpectedly. When Amy had finally gotten into Princeton University, at first she was afraid and was not as confident. She even consulted her adviser the day before her Princeton presentation and told her that she quits. Her â€Å"angel† adviser had given her this unique advise and told her to fake confidence, to fake it even if she was terrified and to do it until she gets to the point in which she realizes that she is actually doing it. Amy followed her adviser’s guidance and with success had continued her education. Through research, Amy recognizes stress-reducing skills. People who are more familiar and experienced in this area often discover stress-reducing skills. They come up with certain ways to soothe and calm themselves from the stress that they encounter. She learns about the cortisol levels and how body language plays an important role on the confidence and success level of an individual. After performing an experiment, Amy concludes that people with high power have a 25% decrease in the amount of cortisol while people with low power have a 15% increase in the amount of cortisol. She also concludes through the experiment that changing posture for a few minutes can actually change your life in meaningful ways. Performing high power poses tends to increase the confidence level of individuals, which leads them to perform their task successfully. From the general mood realm, Amy possesses the quality of optimism. Optimism allows individuals to analyze their situation realistically and in a positive manner. This trait gives them a sense of hope that there will be benefits without believing that unrealistic conditions may occur. In my opinion I believe that Amy was initially an optimistic person and even after her car accident, deep down she still was. Without being optimistic, Amy wouldn’t have been able to convince herself to go back to college and to pursue her education. She was told that she wasn’t meant for college but she did not give up. When speaking to her adviser, her adviser must have seen great potential in Amy for her to make the decision of making arrangements for Amy to attend Princeton. Amy showed her adviser the potential she had and proved to her that she was qualified. Without the optimism she wouldn’t have been able to convince her adviser. Amy did however want to give up right before the Princeton presentation, but that’s because she doubted herself and she felt out of placed, but what brought her through college and to the adviser was the optimistic trait that she possessed. She could of gave up right after her car accident when she was told that college was not for her, but she did not. By analyzing the emotional intelligence and academic realm, it can be said that Amy contains the quality of reducing impulsivity. Amy wanted to go to college although she was told that college was no longer an option for her. She knew that college might be more challenging for her and that she would finish college later than her peers. However, throughout the struggles, Amy knew that the outcome would be positive. When told to find another option than college, she could of easily found another way, but her determination to go to college and to pursue an education helped her begin her journey. She had a clear sense of what she wished to accomplish and chose to sacrifice time to reach her goal.

Free Essays on Shoplifting

A raising trend among many teenagers now a days has become shoplifting. The temptation of simply not paying for an item, just casually hiding the item away or stuffing it in your purse and saving your own money is a large factor for many teenagers. One might just think he or she’s getting a product for free but doesn’t realize all the affects of his or her actions, all of which are negative to themselves and others. One who chooses to steal affects not only themselves and the store they stole from but everyone around them as well. Some of these affects cause problems emotionally with parents and the person who stole, with friends, and their whole community. Stealing of any kind is not okay. When one shoplifts and gets caught his or her actions are always going to come with a punishment. When one gets caught stealing they soon come to learn how wrong it is and how it is not only a disadvantage to themselves but everyone else as well. Shoplifting effects the community in a big way. The stores get about three cents per every dollar purchased for an item. Therefore if one steal an item they are not only stealing the item but they are taking money away from the stores, when the stores don't make a whole lot of money from the profit of an item in the first place. Every shoplifter that takes a product also is taking away from the company that made the product, which costs money by the store so that also is a set back and puts the store more in dept. Some stores might even eventually have to close down because of shoplifters making the store go bankrupt. When a store is shoplifted from often the store is forced to raise their prices which then causes more people to resort to shoplifting. The people that don't shoplift just end up having to pay more money for the product or choose to go somewhere else to shop. If the customer decides to go to a different store because of the rising prices the store will also lose a lot of business and... Free Essays on Shoplifting Free Essays on Shoplifting A raising trend among many teenagers now a days has become shoplifting. The temptation of simply not paying for an item, just casually hiding the item away or stuffing it in your purse and saving your own money is a large factor for many teenagers. One might just think he or she’s getting a product for free but doesn’t realize all the affects of his or her actions, all of which are negative to themselves and others. One who chooses to steal affects not only themselves and the store they stole from but everyone around them as well. Some of these affects cause problems emotionally with parents and the person who stole, with friends, and their whole community. Stealing of any kind is not okay. When one shoplifts and gets caught his or her actions are always going to come with a punishment. When one gets caught stealing they soon come to learn how wrong it is and how it is not only a disadvantage to themselves but everyone else as well. Shoplifting effects the community in a big way. The stores get about three cents per every dollar purchased for an item. Therefore if one steal an item they are not only stealing the item but they are taking money away from the stores, when the stores don't make a whole lot of money from the profit of an item in the first place. Every shoplifter that takes a product also is taking away from the company that made the product, which costs money by the store so that also is a set back and puts the store more in dept. Some stores might even eventually have to close down because of shoplifters making the store go bankrupt. When a store is shoplifted from often the store is forced to raise their prices which then causes more people to resort to shoplifting. The people that don't shoplift just end up having to pay more money for the product or choose to go somewhere else to shop. If the customer decides to go to a different store because of the rising prices the store will also lose a lot of business and...

A QA Interview With Film and TV Critic Troy Patterson

A QA Interview With Film and TV Critic Troy Patterson Troy Patterson wears many hats, though hed hate that cliche. Hes a book critic for NP, TV critic at Slate.com and the film critic at Spin magazine. He also written for a host of other publications including The New York Times Book Review, Mens Vogue, Wired, and Entertainment Weekly. Patterson, who calls Brooklyn home, is a wickedly funny and nimble writer who crafts sentences like this one about Jon and Kate Gosselin, the feuding couple at the center of Jon Kate Plus 8: She is a moaning 34-year-old harpy with highlights as wide as mountain-bike tires sporting an asymmetrical haircut suggestive of a wounded stork. He is a sullen 32-year-old layabout whose skate-punk sideburns and gelled forelocks signal boring bad news. And, on the show, both struggle to act half their age. Or read his take on The X Factor: People like to talk about how reality TV attracts exhibitionists. This was literalized last night when a pervert at the Seattle audition dropped his pants, inspiring Paula Abdul to discreetly vomit. If we set him aside, the most memorable rejectees were the geriatric husband-and-wife team of Dan and Venita. They warbled off key through Unchained Melody, wore clothes too transfixingly tacky to rate as vintage, and were mildly lobotomized in manner. If this were a tryout for a dinner-theater adaptation of a David Lynch film, they would have definitely gotten a callback. Heres a QA with Patterson. Q: Tell me a little about your background: A: As a kid and teenager in Richmond, Virginia, I was a big reader Twain, Poe, Hemingway, Vonnegut, Salinger, Judy Blume, detective novels, out-of-town newspapers, Cheerios boxes, whatever. I got hooked on magazines by way of Tom Wolfe and Spy. I went to college at Princeton, where I majored in English Lit and edited the campus weekly. After graduating, I lived in Santa Cruz, California, for a little while, working in a coffee shop and freelancing for the local alt-weekly. Those were the clips I used when I applied for a magazines jobs in New York. I worked at Entertainment Weekly for seven years, where I started as an assistant and later became a book critic and staff writer, and I left EW on my 30th birthday to freelance and to fool around writing fiction. In 2006, I went to Slate, where Im on contract, and subsequently picked up regular gigs reviewing movies for Spin and books for NPR. Q: Where did you learn to write? A: I think that all writers educate themselves through practice, practice, practice. It helps to have good instructors along the way (mine include nursery-school teachers to Toni Morrison) and to hunker down with the usual guidebooks (Strunk White, William Zinsser, etc). Q: Whats a typical workday like for you? A: I dont have a typical workday. Sometimes I write all day, sometimes I write for 90 minutes. Sometimes its all reading and reporting and research. Some days Im running around watching movies or recording podcasts or schmoozing with editors. Then theres keeping up with the news, fending off publicists, replying to hate mail, and staring at the ceiling trying to come up with ideas. Q: What do you most like/dislike about what you do? A: May I quote Dorothy Parker? I hate writing; I love having written. Q: Is it hard being a freelancer? A: You betcha. And success, though dependent on hard work, is also contingent upon pure luck to a ridiculous degree. Q: Any advice to aspiring writers/critics? A: Forget it; go to law school. But if youve got too much passion to resist becoming an arts journalist, then try to learn something about a broad range of history and cultureShakespeare, horror flicks, fashion, philosophy, politics, everything. And dont worry about developing your voice; if you study your elders closely and try to write naturally, itll develop itself.

Naked Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Naked Economics - Essay Example Wheelen has stressd the importance of innovation in his opening chapter. He says that trade is like innovation. Imagining larger goals such as turning corn into stereo, soybeans into cars and Windows software into French wine, he says that such a large context innovation is happening in trade in both rich and poor countries. According to him trade makes people richer and brings in more specialization in production. Wheelen's argument is that trade is mutually beneficial as it is based on the concept of voluntary exchange. In today's global trade order innovation has a greater role and helps in the value addition of global trade. The growing competitive environment and emergence of new industry houses from developing markets are compelling industrial houses world over and ambitious nations to give shape a solid action plan for the long term existence. With the opening up of economies, the capital flow has now become freer and margins have come down significantly. Most of these compani es are now working on shoe string margins or carrying out specific cost saving measures to increase their competitive advantages. Companies from developing nations are also aggressively entering into the markets in developed world such as United States, European Union and United Kingdom. While industry has to decrease the cost of production, it was necessary to improve technology and product quality to sustain in this highly competitive global trade scenario. It is in this scenario that multi national companies are thinking of a new approach for growth. Innovation is considered as the major factor deciding the competitive power of industries and nations. Wheelen says that trade makes the world richer by allowing greater specialization in production. According to Wheelen the trade will also help the customers products and services are lower cost. Not yet finished extolling the virtues of international trade, Wheelen turns to saying the myths of "sweatshop labor" and a trade-fostered environmental "race to the bottom." In the chapter "The Power of Markets", he portraits the power of markets to improve the consumer's life. He describe in the work about how markets use "prices to allocate scarce resources," how "markets are self-correcting," and how "every market transaction makes all parties better off." Trade is an unavoidable necessity in today's economics. Wheelen is successful in evaluating the strength of market and trade in improving living standards. He portraits how politics is influenced by trade related issues. Providing a in-depth analysis of public choice field of economics, he says that even smaller groups can make political impacts in the economic interest. In the chapter "The Power of Organized Interests," he says that farmers and ethanol producers were able to wrangle beneficial legislation with their collective bargaining power. It also gives an idea of rent seeking and explains how regulations such as occupational licensing can become powerful tools for self-interested individuals to extract rewards that they would be unable to in the marketplace. After illustrating how free markets are virtually always superior to markets regulated by government intervention, he suggests ways that governments can improve things by intervening in those markets. It may seem that Wheelan is a leftist economics. But his actual success is that he was able to give a clear picture of how market performs in the new economic order. His says that wages

Nature of management and new technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nature of management and new technology - Essay Example To begin with, management has to co-create value with customers (Hill & Jones 2009, p. 96). This is because organizations are existing an age whereby consumers possess considerable information about given products and services. Organizations should utilize this awareness to collaborate with customers on the creation of products. In the current set up, organizations can use various tools in communicating with customers. For instance, the e-mail messaging system is helpful in sending information and receiving immediate feedback In addition, the management will consider an open administration framework. Innovation in communication media has given rise to various tools, which can be employed for correspondence (Arthur 2009, P. 56). This allows the enlargement of departments since it is easy to have correspondence among a large group of people. The management has become more visible to employees, as managements can easily utilize communication applications such as WhatsApp groups in communicating information to a large group of individuals simultaneously. It also becomes easy to immediately receive feedback from a corresponding number of people. More essentially, managements will have to form collaborative partnerships with stakeholders in suppliers in achieving