People v. Sisuphan Essay

Appellant Lou Surivan Sisuphan took $22,600 in cash and $7,275.51 from (Toyota Marin [the dealership] defendant) his employer’s safe on July 3, 2007. He did this in hopes that a coworker would be held responsible for the disappearance of the money and would be terminated. Sisuphan was convicted of embezzlement on April 15, 2008. In June 2008 he appeals from the judgment of conviction, contending that the trial court made a mistake when it failed to instruct the jury that at the time he took the money, he intended to return it before criminal charges were filed. He also states that the trial court excluded evidence on that he restored the money to the company, claiming this evidence proved he never intended to keep it and therefore lacked the requisite intent for the crime. Issue â€Å"The question, before us, therefore, is whether evidence that Sisuphan returned the money reasonably tends to prove he lacked the requisite intent at the time of the taking.† Was his the Fifth Amendment right to present defense and â€Å"all pertinent evidence of significance value to that defense† violated? Rule of Law The Fifth Amendment right to present defense and â€Å"all pertinent evidence of significant value to that defense† was not violated because the â€Å"return of the property is not a defense to embezzlement. Fraudulent intent is an essential element of embezzlement. Although restoration of the property is not a defense, evidence of repayment may be relevant to the extent it shows that a defendant’s intent at the time of the taking was not fraudulent.† Analysis Since Martin Sisuphan was authorized to manage the financing contracts and obtain payments from lenders on behalf of the defendant the lawsuit was effective. It does not matter that there was no intent of stealing the money because Section 508 (of the California Penal Code) states: â€Å"Every clerk, agent, or servant of any person who fraudulently appropriates to his own  use, or secretes with a fraudulent intent to appropriate to his own use, any property of another which has come into his control or care by virtue of his employment is guilty of embezzlement.† Holding The issue is that Susuiphan intended to use the money for a purpose other than to which the dealership entrusted it to him, therefore the evidence that he returned the money before criminal charges were filed is irrelevant. The judgment is affirmed. Plaintiff was sentenced to 120 days in custody and 3 years of probation.

Managing Change

In any organization change is something which is inevitable therefore it is the responsibility of the manager of any given organization to ensure that the change is managed effectively.   One major mistake managers do make is that most of their times they tend to impose the change in the organization such that every employee has to abide by it.   The point is, we have to understand that change does occur but employees have to be made to go through the change gradually. Basically a change cannot take place at once; it is something which has to come gradually.   Therefore managers should not assume that once a change is started then every employee is to use the common sense to know that the change is either taking place or has taken place. What is important before change is adopted and incorporated in daily operating procedures of an organization is the individual differences in the organization.   This will help managers improve their leadership styles especially in institutions where democracy prevails.   In any business environment the main aim is to maximize the profit and minimization of losses.   If the change is going to bring positive results then it is as good as a rest. Before any restructuring or change take place in an organization, I believe it is good to understand why the change takes place, where it is from and the target group of people it is to affect.   This is because in problem solving situation, the root cause of the problem has to be identified is when possible solutions are identified.   Individual employees operating in the organization has to be made aware of the change and things explained to them more widely. The following are some of its methods followed in individual change process according to Robert Bacal(nd).   Generally there are three phases that are followed for change to take place.   The first phase is the preparation phase which is subdivided into two stages, namely: the contact and awareness stage. The contact stage is the beginning of change process. It is the sensing or predicting that change is either taking place or has taken place.   It is the preliminary state of change process.   The awareness stage is where an individual in an organization become well informed about the change.   The change is being contemplated in this stage.   The second phase of change is the acceptance phase which is also subdivided into understanding stage and positive perception stage. The understanding stage is where the individual is to conceptualize the subject matter that is analysis of the change.   This helps one to understand its nature and why it occurs. It can only take place when a detailed research has taken place.   The positive perception stage then takes place.   This is where an individual is made to view the change positively for it will help the organization improve the results it produces. Results in this case may be products produced by a company or services provided.   For this to happen change has to be given positive judgment and perception. The last phase in change process is commitment phase, which is further subdivided into four stages namely: the installation, adoption, institutionalization and internalization stage.   The installation stage is very important because it deals with the implementation of the change.   Question like how are people made to accept the change is very important.   A change which is not effectively managed will be rejected. So this becomes a crucial stage when it comes to change process.   Installation has to do with ensuring the change works in the organization and all the resources has to be used. After implementation, the change is then adopted. In the adoption stage, change now becomes something that everyone in organization is used to.   Could be its positive effects has been seen or   it might have added some value to the organization therefore   it is worthy.   The third stage in this phase is the stage of institutionalization.   The change is now taken to have a long history and regarded to be useful to the organization. It is viewed as durable, having some value and therefore it is incorporated into the daily operating procedures of the organization.   The change is made official and unanimously accepted in the running of the organization.   The last stage is the internalization where each individual is suppose to be dedicated to change.   This is because the change now becomes something which has been tested, experimented, tried and trusted by the organization. Any change should be made clear to the whole group of employees in a business organization.   This is when the employees will have faith in their leader.   It is believed that team work is the key element for good results to be obtained.   So dealing with individuals in an organization means the leader/ manager is trying to use divide and rule method and this will demoralize employees.   So for spirit of team work to be maintained things must just be done together and discussed. The change in this case must be known to everybody so that they can react to it before implementing it or else some members will not be comfortable with the change.   Piloting should be done before the actual implementation to judge whether it will bring negative or positive impact to the organization.   The feelings and interest of employees must just be considered because they always work as a team. Sources of information also matters a lot in any organization.   For example rumors spreading will confuse and misdirect the employees.   This normally occurs when information is leaked to a click of individuals.   The information should be made official from the top most person preferably the manager.   Otherwise when it comes to large companies, top most managers tend to use mass media such as television and radio system this is because the information is targeting  Ã‚   a large number of people and very much effective when the information is to be passed very fast. In conclusion effects of change will largely depend on how effective the change was implemented and the managers’ ability to ensure that the employees take the change more positively.   Therefore, he has to know the feelings and interests of employees before change take place.   He also needs to explain in time why the change is necessary. Bibliography Luecke R. (2003) Managing Change and Transition.Havard Business School press Gianna M., Enach & Herbert W. (1998) Embracing and Managing Change in Tourism.Routledge:Taylor&Francis Group publishers Peter E. & Amanda C. (1999) Managing Change: Changing the Role of Top Public Servants. Commonwealth Secretariat publishers. Ingham, G. (2000) Managing Change: A Guide to British Economic Policy.Manchester

Learning and Degree Program Essay

Describe the information literacy skills you have gained over the entire program and how you use technology and resources to accomplish your goals. Throughout the entire program I have learned to better my writing and compression skills by using multiple types of media and technologies. Earning an education through an online program has made me very independent, to realize on my self for understand and interpreting directions and information using many sources. The sources I have become comfortable with include books, online articles, online videos and media. 2. Relational Learning Describe the ways and list the courses in which you transferred knowledge from life lessons and formal instruction to new situations. By taking time each week to reflect on what I have learned and how the teaching relate to my career and personal life I have developed critical thinking skills. Looking outside of the box, I am now able to stand back from a situation and apply what I have learned to new situations not covered in class. As I take more classes I am able to build my knowledge, applying concepts from earlier lessons to help me understand my current classes. 3. Community and Career Evaluate how your degree program has increased your critical awareness of your responsibility to contribute to society as both a citizen and a professional in your chosen field. My degree program has opened my eyes and made me realize how important my role is in my community as a citizen and as a professional. Many of the classes I have taken have made me realize that I am needed to take care of my future patients. I will do this by ensuring they have an advocate in their corner, embodying both laws and morals. As a citizen I realize that developing my career is my calling to serve my community and contribute to being a productive member of society. 4. Metacognition Describe where in your degree program you can show evidence as to reflective opportunities that demonstrate how your critical thought process and approach to completing course assignments, such as preparing for assessments and completing your portfolio project, has evolved. When I first began at Bryant and Stratton I remember feeling very overwhelmed and would try to complete all of my assignments and lessons at once. I do not feel this is idea for learning or efficiency. Now, as I complete portfolio projects and other assignments, I go about it very semantically. I first develop a plan and goals to complete each day or week depending on the size of the project. I then take the time to learn and research the topics being covered. Taking the time to really complete the project well and truly learn from the research is the key to developing critical thinking and completing the work as best as you can. 5. Communication Skills Demonstrate your proficiency in oral and written communication from various projects within your degree program, and how will those communication skills be of value in the workplace? Working online I have developed excellent oral and written communication skills. Because I am not working face to face with others it has forced me to write more clearly and concisely. I have to communicate through writing and make sure I am understood the first time as email and online discussions are not as fast as real-time communication and not being clear or understood the first time could cause an necessary delay. 6. Quantitative Skills Evaluate how the courses you have taken at Bryant & Stratton College have helped you to demonstrate proficient math skills that are relevant to your life, community and career At Bryant and Stratton I have taken math related classes that will help me in my career. For example, I have taken an accounting class that will help me to run my company’s office budget, payroll and determine revenues. In addition, gaining the knowledge of accounting skills will allow me to better run my own household finances. This is one way I will use math skill in an everyday setting!

Nuisance and Tresspass Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nuisance and Tresspass Law - Essay Example What is important in the determination of private nuisance is the element of infringing the right of enjoyment of property. In nuisance, the interference must be indirect and may result into damages. Some of the nuisance cause here include dust, noise, lose of sleep, destruction of rose and interference with having rest in the family’s garden. Where nuisance has resulted into damages, proof will be easier for the plaintiff (Gearty, 1989). David’s quiet right of enjoyment of his property has been infringed by Advise Harrington & Nephew Ltd. In lodging a case against the company, David will have the obligation f proving that there was unreasonable interference in the enjoyment f his rights on his land. Because the land existing was bought by David and David occupied the same piece of land, he has the right to claim that the actions of the company interfered with his rights on the land. For private nuisance to be acceptable there must be an element of continuity (Pollock, n.d). A onetime interference with a neighbour does not constitute a nuisance. In this case, the company continued with their operation even during the night making their actions unreasonable. The noise from the company made David and his family fail to sleep at night. The court’s decision will therefore be similar to that of De Keyser’s Royal Hotel Ltd. v Spicer Brothers Ltd. ... Moreover, the nature of the neighbourhood will be relevant when coming up with the verdict. In this case, it is David who bought the land next to the company. However, this argument will be impotent in this case because of the nature of damage. Location is only considered to the limit of enjoyment of occupation and not injury to property (Darbyshire, 2010). Because the Rose that was a gift during the family’s wedding die, the nuisance caused injury to property. The chemical emissions from the company further damaged, Wally’s car that was parked outside the house. The case of Esson provides a precedent of the same. In addition, David was not an abnormal claimant as the noise, dust or smell would affect the enjoyment of rights of any normal person. The claimant would therefore succeed in this respect and the court could move ahead to issue an injunction. This will therefore not be relevant n this case. Defendant’s lack of care Harrington & Nephew Ltd failed to care about their neighbours during the production period. The company ought to have taken measures to reduce the impact of dust, noise and chemicals to their neighbours. In a similar case of Andrae V Selfridge (1938) the claimant who was a hotel owner recovered damage from the defendant who caused unnecessary noise and damage during demolition. Harrington & Nephew ltd could claim the following to reduce their liability for nuisance to David. Consent; the defendant can claim that the consent claimant was granted before the commission of the tortuous action. In this case, David’s consent was not sought making this defence irrelevant. Secondly, the defendant can claim that the action being complained about

Entrepreneurs as Business Leaders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Entrepreneurs as Business Leaders - Essay Example On this regards, recommendation are made on how the initiatives taken by the national, regional and local entities can be made better. 1. Introduction Small and Medium-sized enterprises (SME) are considered to be potentially most dynamic in an emerging economy. SMEs are regarded to play an important role in the development process of not only developing but also developed countries. Various advantages can be generated from the rise in SME (Parker, 2004). They are assumed to use more labor intensive technology that may give rise to the employment opportunity. They are established quickly and rapidly that leads to immediate initiation of operation, which in turn generates quick returns. The development of SME may promote the process of intra and inter-regional decentralization that may act as a force in equilibrating the economic power of bigger enterprises. In simple terms, the growth of SMEs is regarded to do major contribution towards the accomplishment of socio-economic and wider e conomic objectives such as poverty alleviation (Cook and Nixson, 2000). Most likely they have chances to move into the region of high-value addition and comparative advantage though they face lots of obstacle in legal, financial, economic and institutional terms. The obstacles include â€Å"limited access to working capital and long-term credit, legal and regulatory restrictions, inadequate infrastructure, high transaction costs, and limited managerial and technical expertise† (Pissarides, 1999, p. 520). However, lack of finance is the main obstacle to the growth of SMEs. This study highlights on the issues faced by the Entrepreneurs or the SME for financing their business in United Kingdom (UK). 2. Methodology The study conducts an in-depth analysis of the factors that influence capital structure of the SME, the various sources of finance for the SMEs and the issues faced and the policies that are there in the UK to support the SMEs. After analyzing the whole scenario the re commendations will be made. In this context, the data of this study has been collected from secondary sources which include various journals, books, newspaper and other electronic sources (Sapsford and Jupp, 2006). The data collected are then analyzed qualitatively to reach the final conclusion. In a qualitative research the study is done by interpreting any phenomenon in terms of what meaning people give to them (Klenke, 2008). 3. Discussion 3.1 Financing pattern While determining the capital structure of the SMEs theoretical framework of the factors may be considered. The theoretical framework generally emphasizes how the size of the firm can affect the capital structure. Many researchers have found the influence of size on the SMEs (Garc a-Teruel and Mart Nez-Solano, 2007; Hernandez-Canovas and Koetter-Kant, 2008; Sogorb-Mira, 2005; Michaelis, Chittenden and Poutziouris, 1999; Kotey, 1999). On analyzing the literature it is found that size affects the capital determination of the firm. The most influential factors are asymmetric information, use of debt tax shield and agency cost. 3.1.1 Asymmetric Information The pecking order theory developed by Myers and Majluf (1984) and Myers (1984) is applied to the financing pattern under this approach. It has been emphasized by various researchers, that the pecking order theory is the most appropriate approach.

Environmental Consultancies And Its Attorneys Firms Essay

Environmental Consultancies And Its Attorneys Firms - Essay Example The Environmental Consultancies and its attorneys firm were formed in 1985 by Ali Al Sulaimani to achieve one goal, for people to live in a healthier, safer, and green environment. Ali Al-Sulaiman was born in 1962 to humble parents. His parents were farmers who lived peacefully in the rural areas of the county. A petrochemical company was built in the area where he lived and hence caused much toxic waste and pollution to the environment. The cause of not handling the toxic waste in a suitable manner, Ali's parents passed away with serious cancer. This incident affected Ali in many ways when he was young. He promised himself to do his level best to ensure that companies such as the one, which was built near their farm never to have a negative effect on the people. The picture below shows Ali Al Sulaimani tossing with President Obama. Environmental Consultancies and its Attorney’s faced many challenges during the past years from lawsuits against companies-due to dumping their to xic wastes materials, including carcinogens to sewage system-to a simple EPA restrictions case. Many industries approach our firm clueless about what EPA means, and how they are supposed to eliminate all their toxic wastes. Having most of our employees graduating from Harvard and Oxford with hazardous and waste management degrees, they are extremely well equipped with solutions and proposals for any industries. As mentioned previously, the roots of the firm were built for people to live in a greener and healthier environment.... For air, a limit is imposed on the exposure of certain air pollutants in all areas. EPA can also ban a certain air pollutant from emission like from chemical plants, mills, and utilities. By limiting the exposure of dangerous air pollutants, EPA helps keep the air clean and livable to all creatures and human beings. EPA takes responsibility for cleaning up land or underground waste that has a threat on the environment. Their well-trained health workers, who carry out frequent inspections and risk assessments, do this. Mostly land is cleaned in industrial areas where as wastes are dumped, and they pose threats to living beings in that vicinity. In order to keep the land free of dangerous chemicals, and provide a healthy diet, pesticides are registered, and tolerance of each pesticide is set for usage. To monitor toxic substances in the environment, EPA conducts tests and gathers relevant data for future analysis other than controlling its exposure. The EPA also regulates waste disposa l and recycling of it. Water is treated for safe and healthy usage and water waste management is also conducted to ensure it remains pollution free. EPA has also set regulations to manage waste or release of hazardous material by accident in emergency conditions. EPA deals with another category termed cross cutting issues. It covers several aspects ranging from environmental justice to climatic change. To make sure the above-mentioned regulations are followed, EPA follows a compliance process. The compliance department assists local bodies by providing tools and training to combat unexpected situations. They also impose penalties to businesses, which fail to comply with the environmental safety regulations. During their audit procedure, they also reduce or eliminate penalties on

Devil Wears Prada case study (Leadership) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Devil Wears Prada case study (Leadership) - Essay Example She has a team of employees under her including a senior and a junior assistant and has authority to hire or even fire. This power is only as a result of the leadership position and could have been lost if Jacqueline had taken over her position as Nigel revealed to Andy when they spent the night together in Paris at the fashion show event. Andy is simply a junior assistant to Miranda and acts according to how Miranda wants as well as fulfilling all the chores dictated by her as well as by Emily who is the senior personal assistant. Her position demands being respectful and an individual who can be trusted and relied upon. Her power is therefore personal and specifically known as referent power (Fairholm 25). Her ability to handle situations is not only proven when she delivers the â€Å"book† but when she got the advance copies of the Harry Porter Novel for Miranda’s children and even had them delivered to where they were. Miranda’s holding of both powers in the 2006 film and trying to juggle both and succeed in them has benefitted her career but negatively affected her family. She is too busy with both powers to be able to juggle family life as well. The argument Andy overhears between Miranda and her husband when she went to deliver the â€Å"book† as well as the confession of a pending divorce by Miranda to Andy is an indication that all is not well and all because of the power base. Andy’s power has benefitted her as her trust from Miranda due to her work and diligence has made her land a job in The New York Mirror magazine. This is her dream job as she wanted to work in a newspaper or magazine as a reporter or writer and this has finally happened all because of her power base. Her relationship with her boyfriend Nate seems to have suffered when she cheats on him and he gets his dream job in Boston as a sous chef. Nigel seems to be the stirring all the problems for Miranda advocating for her to be eliminated and Jacqueline to

Response paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 21

Response paper - Essay Example The value of hemopure at $ 800 is justifiable based on the foundations of psychological pricing. It would be morally wrong to price the product like the Oxyglobin. Andy was wrong to consider first revenues to be obtained would greatly facilitate to the launch of Oxyglobin (Harvard Business School 1). As the president for veterinary Products, Andy Wright had the task of deciding how best the sale and distribution of Oxyglobin was to be conducted. Effective distribution was to be determined by existing distribution practices for products in the veterinary market. The distribution would be local, national or regional. In 1997, the sales team made sales worth $1.2 billion (Harvard Business School 11). The sales were made to 200 independent distributors, two of which were national in scope (within United States), eighteen were regional (New England) and 180 local distributors (e.g., Metropolitan Boston.). Sales representatives, trade publications and shows were also used to promote sales (Harvard Business School 11). These measures were expected to maximize the sales of Oxyglobin to the

MALARIA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MALARIA - Research Paper Example The disease was first effectively managed from the early 17th Century following the understanding of Quinine by Jesuit Priests through their interaction with indigenous tribes of the New World. The cause of the disease remained unknown until 1880. That year Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran, a French army surgeon, became the first person to propose that the disease was caused by organisms he had observed in malaria-infected blood. Further discoveries over the course of the Century yielded that the disease were caused by Plasmodium species and was spread by mosquitoes. During that period, other antimalarial treatments were discovered. From the 1960s onwards, there were global eradication efforts conducted mainly through outdoor and indoor spraying of insecticides by DDT and other insecticides to control mosquitoes and other pests. However, this had detrimental effects on the environment primarily on the climate and on local fauna and increased resistance from insecticides by mosquitoes. In 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 1.2 billion people are at high risk of malaria. They also estimated that from 198 million malaria cases worldwide, the disease caused an estimated 584,000 deaths with Ninety percent of the deaths occurring in Africa (World Health Organization, 2014). Malaria in humans is caused by four Protozoan species: Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium falciparum. Of the four species, the most common forms are P. vivax and P. falciparum with P. falciparum being the most deadly. P. falciparum contributes to 75% of reported cases and deaths and P. vivax around 20%. P. knowlesi causes malaria in primates. An infected female Anopheles mosquito is the primary host for the disease. On fertilization, female mosquitoes feed on blood to support egg development. By feeding on an infected person, the secondary host, the female mosquito is

Greek Art in Ancient Greece and Faraway Lands Essay Example for Free

Greek Art in Ancient Greece and Faraway Lands Essay The classical period of Greece (490 – 323 B. C. ) saw the artists perfecting their style. Following Alexander’s conquests, ancient Greece entered the Hellenistic period (323 – 31 B. C. ) (â€Å"Timeline of Ancient Greece†). Of course, Alexander the Great was not the only god of the ancient Greek civilization. Ancient Greeks worshipped plenty of gods that were believed to have appeared to them in human form with extraordinary strength and beauty (â€Å"Culture†). Professor Harris describes Euhemerus as the philosopher responsible for presenting Greek myths as simple stories to his readers. Euhemerus’ interpretation of Greek mythology was considered radical in his times. It was he who wrote that Greek gods and goddesses were human beings to begin with. Because of their extraordinary feats or the cultural and/or social value that they added to life in ancient Greece, their ordinary humanity was turned into godhood in the minds of ancient Greeks (Harris). Thus, ancient Greek gods and goddesses were portrayed in painted scenes on stone, vases, and also with bronze and terracotta sculptures for the sake of remembrance. Although many of the ancient Greek temples honored multiple gods and goddesses, certain places showed greater reverence to a sole deity or a pair of gods, e. g. Olympia’s Zeus, and Eleusis’ Demeter and Persephone (â€Å"Culture†). For reasons described above, the ancient Greeks downplayed the divine aspects of their gods by giving them a typically human form, as the example of the Torso of Apollo reveals (See Appendix I). Made in 2nd century AD, the Torso of Apollo of marble shows young Apollo, â€Å"the Greek god of light, music, archery, healing, atonement, prophecy, and flocks and herds† (â€Å"Torso of Apollo†). The figure was popular with both Greeks and ancient Romans. It is an unclothed manifestation of perfection, splendor and courage with Apollo wearing a belt over one of his shoulders to which a case for holding arrows was fastened at his back (â€Å"Torso of Apollo†). By showing the god as distinctly human, the artist inspires into viewers the spirit to take Apollo for a courageous model and turn into heroes themselves. After all, Apollo was not only a gentle lover of the arts but also domineering to the extent that he was cruel to those who challenged his supremacy among ordinary mortals (Ingfei, 2002, p. 9; â€Å"Apollo†). What is more, he was intelligent and handsome enough to be taken as a model by the ancient Greeks. With the sun as his special symbol, Apollo did not only show physical courage but was also a supporter of intellectual pursuits (Leadbetter, 2004; Regula, 2009). He was known as the god of poetry, medicine, and intellectually enquiry to boot (Leadbetter). In other words, he was next to perfect. Athena Parthenos, too, was considered immaculate in ancient Greece. The Parthenon is a classical temple dedicated to the woman, considered the goddess of wisdom (See Appendix II). The temple was built between 447 – 432 B. C. on the Acropolis, which is in the capital city of ancient Greece, Athens. It has survived despite severe damage over the centuries (â€Å"Art,† 2008). Perikles, the famous politician of Athens, had championed the construction of the Parthenon (â€Å"The Parthenon†). Some of the architectural features of the temple have been described thus: †¦[R]ectangular floor plan with a series of low steps on every side, and a colonnade (8 x 17) of Doric columns extending around the periphery of the entire structure. Each entrance has an additional six columns in front of it. The larger of the two interior rooms, the naos, housed the cult statue. The smaller room (the opisthodomos) was used as a treasury. (â€Å"The Parthenon†) The temple was constructed with marble, and mainly represented the Doric order with features of the Ionic order incorporated in its sculptural program (Kerr, 1995). The Doric order gave Parthenon its series of ninety two metopes (with panels of sculptured reliefs depicting law and order and struggle); and triglyphs on its entablature. Additionally, the Doric order made the temple a peripteral, simple-looking structure with short and thick columns (â€Å"The Parthenon†). The â€Å"continuous sculpted frieze† of the Parthenon represents the Ionic order, however (â€Å"The Parthenon†). There are four tall and slim columns of the temple, too, that represent this architectural order which happens to support the opisthodomos’ roof at the Parthenon. The capitals or the columns’ tops that are built using the Ionic order have volutes, which are the names of the curlicues special to this order (â€Å"The Parthenon†). Above the metopes and triglyphs of the temple lie the pedimental sculptures, one of which shows the birth of Zeus – yet another god for the ancient Greeks (â€Å"The Parthenon†). The frieze of the temple, running â€Å"around the upper edge of the temple wall† and inside from the metopes and the triglyphs shows day to day life in ancient Greece, the rituals of the Greeks, processions, musicians, gods and goddesses, and much more (â€Å"The Parthenon†). Indeed, the place of the frieze in the sculptural program of the temple is unique, seeing as it does not only portray real life and beliefs of the ancient Greeks, but also gives the Parthenon a central place in the life of Athens. The temple was, after all, a place where religious festivals as well as sacrifices were held. Moreover, this temple gave Athena Parthenos a special place to stay for the protection and welfare of the Athenians (â€Å"The Parthenon: Religion, Art, and Politics†). Whether or not the ancient Greeks would consider it Athena Parthenos’ blessing that took ancient Greek art styles to faraway lands, the fact is that even the ancient art of the Nabataeans and the Arabs experienced the influence of Greek artists. Vries Osinga (2005) state that â€Å"[t]he Nabataeans at their height spread as far north as Damascus, to the coast of the Mediterranean at Gaza in the east and to Madain Salih in the south. † But, the Nabataean kingdom came under Roman rule in the year 106 A. D. It became an Arabian province at the time (Vries Osinga). The Nabataeans were caravan drivers on a large scale. Roman traders visited Petra even before the Nabataean kingdom was taken over by the Romans. These traders came to conclude transportation agreements with the Nabataeans. The latter traveled around the world with merchandise – â€Å"between the Red Sea and the Nile, and sometimes as far away as the Delta† (Sartre, Porter, Rawlings, 2005, p. 268). Unsurprisingly, therefore, their temples expose a variety of influences on the hearts and minds of the Nabataeans (Vries Osinga). Vries Osinga write: The many structures are so diverse that it is difficult to categorize them, at least without oversimplifying or overlooking what may be important details. Philip Hammond, who excavated the Temple of the Winged Lions, concludes that it might be more faithful to the diversity of the temples to see them not as derivatives of Iranian temples, Roman temples or other, but to recognize the borrowing of constructional and decorative technique and to concentrate on why each was unique. (Vries Oringa) Sartre, Porter Rawlings write that Nabataeans were so influenced by Greek art – following the Roman invasion – that they spread that influence in many parts of Arabia. Nude heroes of the Greeks have been found in Arabia and believed to have been conveyed there by the Nabataeans (Sartre, Porter Rawlings, p. 269). However, Vries Oringa have uncovered Egyptian influence in the temples of Nabataeans to boot. Describing one of the most significant temples left by the Nabataeans, the authors state: [T]he Wadi Rum temple took its layout from Egyptian models, specifically the Egyptian Temple Dayr Chelouit. The only reference to the Roman world would be columns of the Wadi Rum Temple. Dharih might also be kin to the Egyptian Temple of Coptos, while the Qasr al-Bint and the Temple of the Winged Lions find construction parallels there also (Vries Oringa). Then again, Greek and/or Roman influence seems to be most profound. Although temple plans of the Nabataeans do not appear typically Roman, decoration outside of the temples may be recognized as distinctly Roman and/or Hellenistic. As an example, the external decoration of Khasneh makes it appear as though it was built in Alexandria (Vries Oringa). Even so, Vries Oringa believe that the Nabataeans did not simply copy the designs that were handed down to them by Romans. Instead, they took influence in their stride, sometimes appropriating â€Å"the general structure,† but modifying and adapting it as time went on (Vries Oringa). In other words, they were open to influence, but also believed in maintaining their local traditions. Taylor (2001) agrees with this view. In her book, Petra and the Lost Kingdom of the Nabataeans, she explains that the Nabataeans did not make copies as slaves would. Rather, Greek ideas were amazingly transformed by the Nabataeans into works of art keeping â€Å"a distinctively Nabataean flavor† (Taylor, p. 92). No wonder, Petra remains as an incomparable feast for the eyes for all lovers of art. Vries Oringa write that the art of Nabataeans, in particular the sculptures they made, also changed from era to era; that is, even before the Romans came to rule the Nabataean kingdom, the Nabataeans went on altering their artistic style (Vries Oringa). Perhaps their visits to foreign lands brought such changes to the art of the kingdom. But, once the Romans had arrived on the scene, the Nabataeans did not only borrow the artistic styles of the Greeks but also others’. The sculptures of deities in Tannur, for example, appear both Hellenistic and Oriental. The Nabataeans also seem to have been influenced by the Syrian artistic style, as revealed through sculptures at both Dharih and Tannur (Vries Oringa). Although Hellenistic artistic style â€Å"of classical proportions† is most often cited as an influence on Nabataean art, there were plenty of sculptures made by the Nabataeans that did not appear Greek at all even though they were made while the Nabataeans were living under Roman rule (Vries Oringa). Vries Oringa cite â€Å"the simple standing block† as an example of such artwork. The fact that the Nabataeans maintained their local flavor in their artistic style shows that these people did not wholly lose their cultural identity at the time. Even the Romans may have delighted in the diversity revealed through Nabataean art, simply because the Nabataeans mingled with many peoples at the time. What is more, the adaptation of Greek art to new cultures must have been viewed as a triumph of ancient Greek artistic styles. After all, ancient Greek art continues to be celebrated around the world to this day. References Apollo. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://felc. gdufs. edu. cn/jth/myth/Greek%20Online/5Apollo. htm. Art. (2008). Ancient Greece. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://www. ancientgreece. com/s/Art/. Culture. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://www. crystalinks. com/greekculture. html. Harris, W. Euhemerus. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://community. middlebury. edu/~harris/SubIndex/greekmyth. html. Ingfei, C. (2002, Aug 2). The Sun also Heals; Some believe. International Herald Tribune. Kerr, M. (1995, Oct 23). The Sole Witness: The Periclean Parthenon. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://people. reed. edu/~mkerr/papers/Parth95. html. Leadbetter, R. (2004, Jan 31). Apollo. Encyclopedia Mythica. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://www. pantheon. org/articles/a/apollo. html. Sartre, M. , Porter, C. , Rawlings, E. (2005). The Middle East under Rome. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Taylor, J. (2001). Petra and the Lost Kingdom of the Nabataeans. London: I. B. Tauris. Timeline of Ancient Greece. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://www. aspasiaproject. com/timeline. htm. The Parthenon. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://academic. reed. edu/humanities/110Tech/Parthenon. html. The Parthenon: Religion, Art, and Politics. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://employees. oneonta. edu/farberas/arth/ARTH200/politics/parthenon. html. Torso of Apollo. (2000). The Detroit Institute of Arts. Retrieved Feb 27, 2009, from http://www. cartage. org. lb/en/themes/arts/scultpureplastic/SculptureHistory/GloriousScul

The Turkish Soap Operas Media Essay

The Turkish Soap Operas Media Essay Why do people at the last past years prefer TV shows? Why do people have different thoughts about tv shows? . May be because they are express their daily lives and affecting their behavior. also as they introduce different cultures of different societies., the soap operas and TV series are the most discussed nowadays TV shows People argue about Turkish soap operas that spread nowadays on Arab TV, the aim of that research is the airing of these soap operas and its effects in Arab countries people on the social, religious, tourism and cultural levels, while others disagree with that operas that it causes problems such as women rights and romance in Arab world What is a soap opera? And what is the difference between a soap opera and a traditional TV series? according to Dorothy Anger in her book Other Worlds: Society Seen Through Soap Operas is a long TV series more than hundred of episodes, these TV shows are present culture style , life style , traditions and educational life of the societies, but the traditional TV series are short ones. They do not exceed thirty episodes and they have many details than soap operas. The history of TV series in the Arab world is in relation with the Ramadan series. There are some Arab TV series which like soap operas as layaly elhlmiya that attract the Arab viewers for years at different seasons waiting to know what the next action.. Fadi Ismail says in the article Turkish Soaps Bubbling in the UAE that were trying to see if there are new story lines. This means that people need a new stories that affect their daily life related to their life style and their cultural experience. According to the viewers demands, people responsible for TV shows starts to express new shows that is connected with peoples real life ,Layal Abu Rahal expressed in her article Noor, A Soap Opera to Test The Moral Compass that Arab men were fascinated by the Turkish actress Noor and women were also fans of the Turkish actor moaned. Turkish soap operas and TV shows which began recently to be showed on the Arab TV channels, Ismail says we saw an opportunity in turkey. (Qtd in Abuzeid The opportunity is based on the high percentage of people watching the soap operas and the dramatic story lines as well. It was a hit success when the first Turkish soap opera started showing on Arab TV. Percentage of people watching it started to increase People became addicted to it and even it became a kind of turning point in their own lives. People in Arab world get attached to the characters, events and the new style in the Turkish soap opera. They are affected by their new culture. They are also influenced by the Turkish people. They start search the differences between Turkish society and the enclosed Arab society. People start to express their own opinions, defending their thoughts and ideas. There are positive social effects that appear in the Arab society due to watching Turkish soap operas such as the effect of it on Arab women.. They believe that those Turkish soap operas are the best, as they have things which we dont have in our Arab society. As a result to these soap operas some women recently became aware of their rights. Some women started to look for themselves on the levels of business and financial life, while other took the side of liberal life searching for freedom. In the Turkish soap opera the women appear as model of liberal independent women who have their own career and job, financial freedom and even their own houses far away of their families. They reflect the ideas of Turkish women in freedom in Islamic society. Arab women stated to take Turkish women to encourage themselves never stop fighting for their lives that they believe in. Women in Arab world have the courage to loud her voice as They look at the Turkish women as an example of free women, although they are Muslims living in Islamic society too. Women compare the male characters of Turkish soap operas to their men in Arab society. They are full of love and romance and not harsh in their decisions, Arab women started to compare every thing as female characters and to look over many problems that we lack. On the social level, the Arab women are not the only ones affected by the Turkish soap operas, but the whole family as well. The Arab families watch the two series Noor and Lost Years and notice the family gatherings of Turkish families and they are close to each other. The reason that leads Arab families to compare themselves to Turkish ones Muslim society tooand they much of arab culture. Where family members are living all in one house. These features seem to be a part of their Arab society. Also on the social level, the Turkish society has a liberal view that is not present in the Arab society. The dressing code which Arabs have stress on it. Turkish people wear whatever they wanted with no limits or borders. They looks good and they are fashionable society . Tamiko says in the article Noor, Has a Turkish Soap Opera Fueled Change for Women in the Arab World? that Noor fashion knock-offs were snapped up in boutiques. The Arab people are impressed by this look so they started to take what suits them and live with Turkish style . The latest effect of Turkish characters of soap operas on Arab society is that the statistics refers that the newly born babies named after the stars increased in the Arab world. Tamiko discussed in his article that the number of Arab babies named Noor and Muhanned is doubled. This reflects the major effect of Turkish soap operas on our Arab countries Not all the social effects on Arab society are positive ones. People in Arab society some negatives of the Turkish society. People believe that Turkish society isnt the best but they have also some defects such as There is a lack of segregation between men and women, which dont appear in Arab society traditions. Married women are allowed to have male friends and that is legal and the relation between men and women at work. Another aspect which raises the anger of the Arab world and its against the religion is the allowable informal relationships between male and female. They are allowed to live together without marriage These features dont match our Arab culture and habits. This is refused on the social level not only on the religious level. Also one of the major negative effects is that incites crime. It has been shown in the soap operas. The crime appears to be an ordinary thing to the society according. Respected society figures are kidnapping people in order to fulfill their aims from their enemies many types of crimes such as stealing, drug dealing by high authorities and even the presence of paid assassins.. Abu-Rahal expresses the presence of crimes and threats of kidnapping with a big rate in those soap operas. This means a perfect proof of social disorder. Among the positive social effects of the Turkish soap operas on the Arab society, there are positive cultural effects. They are main methods to introduce a new culture to the Arab society. It is an image of the Turkish society, thoughts, ideas, traditions and habits, They are trying to give the world image about turkey modern civilized country and its fight against all its national and international problems which might be a kind of smartness of the Turkish people.. May be they mean to raise the attention about turkey and give themselves a higher rank in world. . Arab tourism is affected heavily by those soap operas. The number of Arab tourists visiting Turkey is doubled, the number of flights targeting Turkey is doubled The Turkish diplomat Yasin Temizkayn points that the number of Saudi tourists visiting Turkey never increases more than forty thousands, until the soap operas are showed, which raise the number of tourists up to one hundred thousand this year (qtd in Mokhtar). The Arab tourism companies increased the amount of their money invested in Turkey. Increase of air lines in turkey. The ambassador says we used to have only two flights a week from Riyadh to Istanbul, today we have four air bus flights a day and they are all packed. (Qtd in Zawawi) The number of Arab people learning Turkish language increase and the Arab sociologists direct their attention to Turkish society figuring positives and negatives. Despite the hit success of those Turkish soap operas, they appear to be a double edged weapon its a kind of entertainment that targets its damage towards the religious beliefs and moral ideas. It disturbs the peace of the Arabic social and religious. Arab denies the way Turkish people behaving against all the religious and personal ideas. They almost break the major rules of the Islamic religion. People start to ask said in articles how they could have sex without marriage. How that is socially accepted although they are supposed to be an Islamic society? And its said that it is fatal mistakes against whole Arabs. On the other hand, this contradiction causes damaging thoughts and results in the Arab society. That is not the only problem but its wine that became something ordinary and that is reused habit that breaks every rule that put by god against his religion. And negative aspects like adoption of kids to be legal their kids and the abortion all of that which is considered an Isl amic crime, repeated several times in those shows. All these contradictions and fatal mistakes are an evidence are showed on air to be ordinary in that society and confirmed by different social and governmental authorities. Worth by his article assures that when he stresses on the point of drinking, informal relationships and abortion. He discusses briefly the major differences between Arab people and Turkish People. Responsible religious authorities refuse the shows and. religious People start to look at these shows as evil ones spreading immoral and refused ideas,. They try to protect the Arabs society from bad aspects informal relationships, , abortion, drinking ,adoption and independence freedom of women and her dress. voices begin to protest against what was happening in the Arab society addiction of these shows. Mokhtar discusses The grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheik Abdul Aziz Al-Sheik, has condemned Turkish soap operas, which have charmed millions of people across the Arab world, and prohibited people from watching them. Al Sheik was referring exactly to the most two successful shows Noor and Lost Years. Some religious views ban watching these shows and apply certain a legal punishment on the Arabic channels. Worth points that the high cleric of Saudi, Sheik Luhaidan, gave his permission to prosecute the owners of those TV channels. Some take serious decisions banning the shows and stop showing it on Arab TV. Tamiko reflects that point saying Did the viewers listen? Nope the fans of that TV shows increased and even the channels showing it increases private and local. After the discussion of the positive and negative ideas, values of that Turkish tv and its affect on Arab TV channels. some people liked that TV shows and other hated it from the first sight and said its something far from our culture and some people became neutral they like positive aspects and hate negative ones although religious people banned it but it still addicted by people . The question is the Arabic addiction these shows will continue forever? And what are its far consequences? The end statement may be you stay neutral influenced by the culture and benefit from the positive side only and dont look for the negative one.

Employment practices of wal-mart

Employment practices of wal-mart Introduction In the current global business world, companies are required to take consideration about its employees values and to follow ethically sound practices. Business ethics is the term people use in dealing with proper business behavior and is related to being fully aware of the consequences of the companys actions. Being aware means two things: first, adhering to the rules, laws, principles of morality, and other concerns regarding fairness and the needs of others; and second, taking responsibility of the effects to the customers, employees, and the society as a whole of the processes by which the company uses in making and rendering products and services. Founded in 1962, Wal-Mart is the worlds leader in sustainability, employment opportunities, and corporate philanthropy. It ranked first in Fortune Magazines 2010 Most Admired Companies survey and is now employing 2.1 million people worldwide (Wal-Mart, 2011). With competitive prices it sets for its products, Wal-Mart was able to destroy competitors such as Kmart and thousands of small businesses. Moreover, through profit savings from their exceptional relationship with the suppliers and operational efficiency, Wal-Mart was able to pass on its cost savings to its customers, thereby attracting them and expanding their market share in the retail industry. However, to maintain its profitability and sustainable growth, the company needs to reevaluate its strategies through internal environmental scanning. This paper will deal with the business ethics of Wal-Mart particularly its employment practices and how its organizational leadership comes into play. The writer believes that Wal-Marts employment practices are unattractive to peoples minds and include discrimination, inhumane practices, and undocumented workers. The paper will touch these ethical dilemmas, provide evidences to support each practice, and identify the principles in conflict under the Global Business Standards Codex. The paper will come into conclusion by proposing strategies on how these ethical standards can be changed in order to resolve the problem. Arguments and Discussions The Global Business Standards (GBS) Codex is a benchmark for businesses wanting to develop their own world-class code (International Monetary Fund, 2009). It comprises of simplified picture of the expected conducts of todays corporations. The authors of GBS identified eight principles (Carroll and Buchholtz, 2008) that companies must follow in creating new codes of conduct or assessing existing ones, namely, the principles of fiduciary, reliability, fairness, dignity, transparency, responsiveness, and citizenship. The creating or assessment of the code of conduct is the preliminary step for companies attempting to deal with global business ethics. The first conflict of Wal-Marts policies with the GBS Codex is with regard to the principle of fairness. Individuals finding jobs in work organizations may find that some companies incorporate opportunities for advancement while others do not. Jobs lacking in career path are less likely to offer promotions and salary increases. The common people taken out from then managerial career path are the women and minorities (Konrad, 2006). The companys old-fashioned culture reflects to the store policies. Many policies have been implemented that somehow discriminate employees especially women and strict employee to employee relationships. Women are rarely seen in management positions and at most they are not allowed to be in the top management. The federal class suit Dukes et al. v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Spangler et al. 2008). in 2001, is the largest civil rights suit regarding discrimination based on gender. It was represented by 1.6 million women workers of Wal-Mart who were employed from 1998-2001. The plaintiffs challenged the recruitment, promotion and payment policies of the company as a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Title VII, which prohibited workplace discrimination (Cq Researcher, 2009). The women claimed that Wal-Mart and its Sams Club division deny equal pay and promotions especially for managerial positions against women who were working on hourly and salaried bases. Moreover, according to them, during conversations about promotions or assignment to another department, they receive friendly and casual reminders or suggestions, yet in reality, these are discouragements. Despite the debates on the legality of the class suit, maintaining the ruling in Dukes will force Wal-Mart in complyi ng with the provisions of Title VII (Sherwyn, 2009). Other evidence of discrimination were the categorization of men and women into homogeneity by deciding on what is beneficial for them rather than asking them about their preferences (Bessen and Kimmel, 2006). For instance, the top management assumes that women employees would not be interested in the meat and sports goods department so they assign men on those departments instead. The departments where women are assigned at also consist of more walks and problems as well as lesser opportunities for advancement. Furthermore, most women experienced being assigned to a second shift for the reason that they have to continue the unfinished woks of their male colleagues. These practices of the company are not limited during work hours but also after in places beyond the companys premises which create anomic situations against women. The second unethical employment practice of Wal-Mart is the inhumane treatment of employees, a violation of the principle of dignity under GBS Codex. One instance of this was the locking up of two workers in order to clean the stores overnight (Mayhew, 2008). This issue was featured in the movie Wal-Mart and was written on the front page in New York Times.The justification of the company was to prevent these people from stealing goods since it is logical that when employees are locked off, it would be difficult for them to get away with the merchandise (Fishman, 2006). There were also reports that two nongovernmental organizations in the United States filed a suit against the company for subjecting factory workers to inhumane conditions and hazardous chemicals, and in Bangladesh for letting the factory workers work at 19-hour shifts (Kline, 2010). Other inhuman practice of the company involves forcing the employees to work even after they had punched out because according to the mana gement, they havent finished effectively their jobs yet. Critics view this as an excuse of the company to drive down overtime payment costs (Fishman, 2006). The third conflict against GBS Codex by Wal-Mart is with regard to the principle of transparency by failing to document the true names and numbers of workers. The U.S Immigration and Naturalization Service arrested 250 undocumented workers during their inspection in some Wal-Mart stores (Glicken, 2010). In 2003, the federal government arrested 300 undocumented workers and in March 2005, the company gave a settlement fee of $11 million for utilizing undocumented workers in its 21 stores (Atkins, 2008). Profit making is likely the primary motivation of Wal-Mart in hiring these undocumented workers (Hing, 2010). The use of these undocumented workers gives the company high labor savings since the former have lower wage rates and are not given fringe benefits. Conclusions Taking care of employees is more than giving them fair compensation. It also touches on the companys concern for the nurturing of their skills, mental and emotional health. In other words, the company should deal with the totality of their being as it strives to attain their financial goals. Wal-Mart failed these by practicing discrimination against women, employing inhumane practices especially to their factory workers, and utilizing undocumented workers. Women already won the debate over working equally with men. A lot of women are working as effectively as the men in the same job. To motivate Wal-Marts employees in terms of policies, the company should revise those policies that show discrimination and unequal opportunities. One way to resolve this is to increase the number of managerial positions or create a more stringent basis of promoting employees. With regard to the inhuman practices of the company, they should support and enhance unionism to give the workers stronger voice in enforcing their rights against such unethical practice. The company as well should revise its policy of giving low prices to consumers yet sacrificing employees welfare. There should be a balance between profit maximization and enhancement of employees well-being. On the issue of undocumented workers, the workers should first obtain a legal status in order to represent themselves. Moreover, the governments where Wal-Mart operates should have a more efficient documentation of the workers coming to and fro the country. In this way, the use of undocumented workers will easily be detected and addressed. On the part of Wal-Mart, it should review its delegation of tasks so that there would be no way to exploit undocumented workers.

Cleopatra Essays -- essays research papers

When you think of Cleopatra you tend to think of Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile. Which isn’t far from the truth. Cleopatra was queen of Egypt, which is located on the Nile River. In her lifetime she had every luxury imaginable, which she used to gain the popularity of the roman authority. She was very important in terms of Egyptian history. However she was also very well known in terms of Roman history. She seduced some of most well known Roman men of her time. Cleopatra was a seductress. Who used her fame and fortune to seduce these men. Some of these men included such men as Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. Cleopatra was born in 69 BC She was the last Ptolemaic ruler. Her father was the Ptolemy XII. She was very, which added to her popularity of the Egyptian and Roman world. Cleopatra t...

Western Civilization Essay -- essays research papers

Western Civilization from 1589 to 1914 had many specific changes that contributed to the structure of the western world before World War I. In the absolutism state sovereignty is embodied in the person of the ruler. Kings were absolute kings and were resposible to no none except god. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries absolute rulers had to respect the fundamental laws of their land. They had to control competing jurisdictions, institutions or groups that were interested in their territory. They regulated religious sects. France of Louis was the classic model of absolutism. Louis XIV, " the sun king," was a devoted Catholic who believed that god had estalblished kings as rulers on the earth. The French language and culture became an international style because of him. People liked what he was doing, people really liked him. He effected the western world in a good way. He made them see that absolutism could indeed be very productive. Constitutionalism is the opposite of absolutism. Tis is the limitation of the state law. Under the constitutionalism, the state must be governed according to law, not by royal decree. It implies the balance of power of the government and the rights of the subjects. Constitutional governments may be either be republics or monarchies. Between 1603 and 1649 absolutism ran along second to English beliefs. This is when costitutionalism began to rise. This was also during the English civil war. This was a messy period for England. After this period however, the English monarchy was restored. The Stuart kings were stored in 1660. This did not however, help religion of the relationship between king and parliament. The test was passed in 1673. This stated that those who joined the church of England could not vote, hold office, preach, teach, attend universities or assemble, and these restrictions could not be upheld. Fear of a catholic monarchy led to the expulsion of James the 2nd and t he glorious revolution. Constitutionalism was the way of the future and in my own personal opinion it was the best way to go. Shortly after absolutism and constituionalism the scientific revolution came into effect. The scientfic revolution of the seventeenth century was the major cause of the change in world view and one of the key developments in the evolution of the weste... ... The American Revolution was fought from 1775-1789. The British wanted Americans to share the imperial expenses. The Americans did not like that so they fought for there freedom and they won. They won their independence. America’s greater political equality was matched by greater social and economic equality. By the time the American revolution ended in 1789 the French revolution began and went on until 1791. The French were influenced by the Americans so they decided to revolutionize too. By the 1780’s France’s government was nearly bankrupt as was the banking system. The French raised bread prices and prices on other essentials. France had to do something so they went to war. France did not endure the immediate successes the way the America did. Theirs was a more slow moving process but eventually they got there. These revolutions reinforced the enlightenment idea that a better life is out there. Everything that happened shaped western civilization in one way or another. None more so then the American Revolution. The western world looked at was going on and learned from it. Western civilization has come along way and yet has a long way to travel.

Tomco-Hll Merger

Mumbai: Tata Chemicals, a Tata group company, and Hindustan Lever’s (HLL) Hind Lever Chemicals (HLCL) are merging together to form what would be the second-largest fertiliser company in India. This is the third time that the Tatas and HLL are coming together and this time it is in the fertilisers and chemicals businesses. Previously the two came together in the Hindustan Lever-Tomco deal in 1993 and Lakme-Lever in 1998. The Tatas hold 30 per cent and financial institutions hold 26 per cent stakes in Tata Chemicals.HLL holds 50-per cent stake in HLCL and the institutional holding is at over 9 per cent as on 31 December 2002. The boards of the two companies are meeting separately on 24 January 2003 to ratify the merger and the share-swap ratio. Sources close to the deal reveal that the valuation of Tata Chemicals is much higher than HLCL’s, hence the latter’s shareholders will be issued shares of the Tata group company. Analysts estimate the share-swap ratio will b e in the range of 2. 5 to 3:1 — that is, 2. 5 to three shares of Tata Chemicals for every share of HLCL held.The analysts say the merger between the two companies makes good business sense given its complementary qualities. The Rs 1,516-crore Tata Chemicals manufactures soda ash, salt and fertiliser. Its fertiliser production primarily comprises urea. The Rs 1,285-crore HLCL’s fertiliser business covers di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) complex NPK fertilisers and single super phosphate (SSP). With this merger Tata Chemicals will be present in all fertiliser product categories such as urea-ammonia, NPK and DAP and will also assume a leadership position in soda ash, salt and fine chemicals.Post-merger, Tata Chemicals will have an estimated turnover of about Rs 2,750 crore, profits of over Rs 170 crore and reserves of over Rs 1,600 crore. Sources say HLL, which holds a 50-per cent stake in HLCL, will see its holding dip to under 10 per cent while that of the Tatas in Tata Chem icals may go down to around 20 per cent from their present holding of around 30 per cent. HLL is also likely to keep some representation on the Tata Chemicals board to ensure a continued arrangement for sourcing the chemical STTP, a key ingredient for its detergents business.HLCL produces 80 per cent of India’s STTP output, of which HLL consumes 90 per cent. At present in India there are only two players in STPP, which makes it likely that the business of manufacture of the bulk chemical can turn into a cartel. Therefore, outsourcing the ingredient is not advisable. Moreover, the Haldia facility of HLCL is well integrated with STPP, DAP and sulphuric acid, among others. STPP also goes into DAP, fertiliser and soda ash, which will fit well into Tata Chemical’s business plan.HLL’s move in moving out of the chemicals and fertiliser business is in line with its corporate strategy to exit from its non-core activities, and in the past few years the company has been lo oking for a buyer for this business. Also HLL will move out of a non-core business at a time when its power-brand strategy is at a critical trajectory of growth. Some analysts feel that its important for HLL to retain a presence in the fertiliser business as HLCL’s fertiliser network provides a good backbone for its large-scale operations in the rural areas. HLL gets about 50 per cent of its revenues from the rural markets.Others say that in the long run it does not make good business sense for HLL to continue with its fertiliser business, which has achieved 100-per cent capacity expansion, and for which there is need for consolidation. In the era of size and scale, it makes sense to merge HLCL with a company that can provide the needed focus and thrust. Financially, both HLCL and Tata Chemicals are cash-rich. However, an unclear government policy on fertilisers, over-capacity in the soda-ash market and increasing competition in the branded salt market has led Tata Chemicals to look at future avenues of growth.This merger will give Tata Chemicals a borrowing power of Rs 300-400 crore at a crucial time when National Fertilisers (NFL) is coming up for divestment. Tata Chemicals, understood to have put in an expression of interest for two state-owned fertiliser companies, NFL and Madras Fertilisers, was said to be in talks with a number of fertiliser companies for a suitable ally. Talks of a possible merger with Tata group company Rallis India was put off after the latter severed the marketing arrangement with Tata Chemicals. There were also talks of a possible tie-up with an AV Birla group company, Indo Gulf Fertiliser, to jointly bid for NFL.Reacting to the merger announcement, the Tata Chemicals scrip jumped 9. 81 per cent to close at Rs 66. 60 on the Bombay Stock Exchange on 22 January 2003, while the HLCL scrip closed at Rs 187, up Rs 17 over its previous day’s close. The Rs 1,433-crore Tata Chemicals posted profits of Rs 126 crore last year an d had reserves of Rs 1,370 crore. The debt-free HLCL, on the other hand, posted a profit of Rs 47 crore on a turnover of Rs 1,284 crore the previous year. Moreover, Tata Chemicals reported an increase of 8. 3 per cent in net profit to Rs 47 crore n the second quarter ended September 2002, and a 13-per cent increase in sales to Rs 439 crore. Urea, which contributes 45. 9 per cent to the company’s total revenues, is under government control and a lack of clarity in the fertiliser policy has been a contributing factor to the ambiguity. HLCL reported a 47-per cent rise in net profit to Rs 7. 40 crore in the second quarter ended September 2002, mainly due to higher topline growth and a sharp reduction in interest expenses. Total sales during the quarter rose by 11 per cent to Rs 300. 59 crore

Analyses of Love in a Fallen City and the Golden Cangue

For the bulk of the mid- to late-20th Century, Eileen Chang’s name and literary prowess fell into obscurity as a result of events related to the Cultural Revolution and her own reclusion. In C. T. Hsia’s A History of Modern Chinese Fiction, he praised Chang for her use of â€Å"rich imagery† and â€Å"profound exploration of human nature. † In his book, he also claimed Chang to be â€Å"the best and most important writer† of mid-twentieth century China. Hsia’s remarks and Ang Lee’s film adaptation of her novella, Lust, Caution, have helped to bring Chang’s name back onto the literary scene. Two of her most well-known and highly praised novellas are Love in a Fallen City and The Golden Cangue. On the surface, the stories describe the details of family activities, love relationships, and marriages that occupy mundane life in places like Shanghai and Hong Kong, but beneath the simple plot lines, the stories personify the struggles of strong-willed women within the family arena during a tumultuous time of change in China. Love in a Fallen City is a love story between a divorcee, Bai Liusu, and a playboy businessman, Fan Liuyuan. As a divorcee, Liusu is forced to return to her father’s home where she is an unwelcome fixture and an added economic burden. In a turn of events, the man, Fan Liuyuan, who was supposed to be her niece’s suitor, chooses her over the niece, exacerbating her situation at home. With nothing to lose, she follows Fan to Hong Kong where their love blossoms amidst the beginnings of the Japanese occupation of the city. The Golden Cangue follows the story of Cao Qiqiao, a widow who lives in anguish as a powerless daughter-in-law in a wealthy family. She was forced into an arranged marriage with a sickly man and treated poorly by her husband’s family. After the death of her husband, she gains independence and a small amount of wealth, but after years of torment, she turns her own repressed anger towards her children. The two stories share similar sentiments in that they depict the different struggles of women in the family setting. For Liusu, her struggle was to gain the acceptance of her family and love and affection from Liuyuan. In Qiqiao’s case, her struggle was her search for an escape from her oppressive family life. Eileen Chang’s use dialogue shows the strength of the women and her descriptions within the stories help to depict the inner turmoil each woman faces. The story of Love in Fallen City starts in the household of the Bai family. News concerning the death of Bai Liusu’s ex-husband arrives from a family acquaintance. The news stirs up the issue of whether or not Liusu should return to her late ex-husband’s home for mourning, as dictated by traditional family values. The possibility that her family would send her back to her in-laws infuriates her but she still remains composed. While she is in the weaker position in terms of family hierarchy, she holds the power in dialogue because of her sharp tongue: Liusu had now reached the height of fury, but she simply laughed. â€Å"Yes, yes, everything is my fault. You’re poor? It’s because I’ve eaten you out of house and home. You’ve lost your capital? It must be that I’ve led you on. Your sons die? I’ve done it to you, I’ve ruined your fate. (Chang, 114) While obviously upset, she remains composed. Rather than allow her emotions to show physically, she translates those emotions into words. Liusu’s sharp retorts are common throughout the book and they show the strength of her character. She does not allow herself to become the victim and she responds with dagger-like words that show her anger and disappointment. The position Liusu finds herself in is a result of her family’s lack of concern for her general wellbeing and happiness. As one of the younger female members of the family, she holds no power. Everything in her life happened because her family dictated her fate. She never had a choice in which direction she should take her life and she has become embittered because of her lack of independence. When she meets Fan Liuyuan, she takes her chances and follows him to Hong Kong. Her decision to leave Shanghai has two implications. Firstly, she wants an escape from her family. After years of following their rules and hearing their complaints about her presence, she finally has a chance to leave it all behind to find her own independence. Secondly, she is strangely attracted to Liuyuan and securing his love and attention is a conquest for her. After leaving Shanghai, Liusu stays in a hotel in Hong Kong and spends more and more time with Liuyuan. The two of them develop a relationship but their intentions are different. For Liusu, getting close to Liuyuan was a way for her to leave the Bai family. Liuyuan, on the other hand is seeking spiritual love. He professes his love for her on many occasions, but she rejects him each time. Her goal in being in a relationship with Liuyuan is to have security and Liuyuan’s words hold no meaning to her, but instead are examples of his playboy behavior: Liusu was silent for a while, but finally she burst out: â€Å"Why not go ahead and just say, flat out, that you don’t want to marry me, and leave it at that! Why beat around the bush, with all this talk of not being able to decide things? Even a conservative person like me can say, ‘First marriage for the family, second marriage for oneself. ’ If someone as free and unburdened as you are can’t decide for himself, then who can decide for you? † (Chang, 149) In her scolding of Liuyuan, Liusu states her views of marriage which are defined by her real life experiences. Her first marriage was an arranged marriage that was to the benefit of her family, but for her second marriage she wants it to be for herself. She is seeking stability in her life and she does not think Liuyuan is apt to fill that void. As much as she is attracted to him, she cannot see past his playboy charm. Her defenses and words show how she is strong-willed and determined to make right what went wrong in her life. Throughout the novel, Fan Liuyuan expresses his love to Liusu. He claims she is a â€Å"real Chinese woman† and continues on to say, â€Å"Real Chinese women are the world’s most beautiful women. They’re never out of fashion. † (Chang, 135) Liuyuan loves Liusu and thinks of her as the ideal Chinese woman, yet he worries that she is part of the trap of Chinese culture that wants him only for a convenient marriage. Therefore, he tries to take her away from China to Hong Kong the colony; he even considers taking her to Malaysia and Africa, to primitive lands. By attempting to remove her from her native home, he is essentially taking away her power over him. He wants to force her into the spiritual love that he wants, undermining her position as a strong woman. In the end, the marriage does go through, but only because the war forced the two of them together. The two people both have selfish tendencies and neither could have been together in any other situation: Hong Kong’s efeat had brought Liusu victory. But in this unreasonable world, who can distinguish cause from effect? Who knows which is which? Did a great city fall so that she could be vindicated? Countless thousands of people dead, countless thousands of people suffering, after that an earthshaking revolution†¦ Liusu didn’t feel there was anything subtle about her place in history. She stood up, smiling, and kicked the pan of mosquito-repellent incense under the table. Those legendary beauties who felled cities and kingdoms were probably all like that. (Chang, 167) Because of all that she had to go through, she likens herself to other strong women in history who brought down cities and kingdoms. She secured her place in the world by overcoming all the obstacles that were presented to her. She managed to leave her oppressive family and find a second husband who will accept her as she is. Achieving her goals at the end validates her as a strong Chinese woman. The Golden Cangue presents a different story about a woman and her struggles with her family. Similar to Liusu, Cao Qiqiao is stuck in an unhappy family situation. As a daughter from a poor family, she was married off to the son of a wealthy family. In her husband’s family, she suffers from ridicule and repression. As time progresses, she slowly loses her mind because of all that she has had to endure within the family. When she finally gains some independence, she completely loses all sanity and takes out her pent up anger on her daughter and daughter-in-law. Qiqiao, in many respects, is a strong woman. She had to put up with constant ridicule from her husband’s family and she had no independence. Her resilience is characterized in her attitude and actions towards her family. As a daughter-in-law, she suffered at the hands of her husband’s family, once she becomes a mother-in-law she perpetuates this cycle of torment and directs her bitterness towards her own children and daughter-in-law. In one instance, she believes her daughter’s feet need to be bound in order to attract suitors: As she looked at them [her feet], something occurred to her and she said with a cynical laugh, â€Å"You may say yes but how do I know if you’re sensible or silly at heart? You’re this big already, and with a pair of big feet, where can’t you go? Even if I could control you, I wouldn’t have the energy to watch you all day long. Actually at thirteen it’s already too late for foot binding, it is my fault not to have seen to it earlier. We’ll start right now, there’s still time. † (Chang, 208) Qiqiao has reached a point where she lacks reasoning. All of her thoughts are convoluted and in her mind she has convinced herself that torturing her own children will be for their benefit. She is lost in her own misery because of the restraints placed on her by her husband’s family. She understands that her daughter has much more freedom than she did when she was younger. The actual decision to bind her daughter’s feet seemingly comes as a result of jealousy. Since she had to suffer, so should her children. What makes Qiqiao a strong woman is her lucid insanity. She calculates and plots every action to her own benefits and pleasure. She understands that money and power run the world, and she does what she can within her means to feel superior over others. So the golden cangue is a symbol of power and money. She wears the golden cangue as a burden on her conscience and she used it to get whatever she needed: For thirty years now she had worn a golden cangue. She had used its heavy edges to chop down several people; those that did not die were half killed. She knew that her son and daughter hated her to the death, that the relatives on her husband’s side hated her, and that her own kinsfolk also hated her. (Chang 243) The golden cangue tainted her moral being and she had become a much hated person. She was driven by power and money but in the end, her actions and effort were all for naught. She loses power over her children and she is left to die in her misery. Both characters, Liusu and Qiqiao, were products of their respective environments. The difference in the two women comes in how they take hold of their future. For Liusu, she knew she wanted an escape from her family and she took the reins of her life and got what she want with Liuyuan. Qiqiao on the other hand, attempted to get control of her life, but instead she got caught in the madness of being an opium addict. One woman was able to break free from the social constraints placed on her while the other was not. Qiqiao perpetuates the vicious cycle of family tradition that damaged her in the first place. So while she is strong in the sense that she is calculating and conniving, she fails to break the cycle that caused her misery and she is no better than other petty men. The two stories both capture the essence of Eileen Chang’s works. Through her writing, she was able give voice to the thoughts of women. She shows a great range in her depiction of women, from the weak to strong, cruel matriarchs. The works give insight into the condition of women during the early 20th century but on a larger scale they also reveal the way in which women are affected by their family life.

Hrm 300 Week 1

Human Resource Management Overview Introduction Human resource management (HRM) has evolved into a huge industry in the business arena. The evolution and advancement of technology has created a global platform for HRM. The effect of globalization in many organizations has opened the door for HRM, and it is a crucial component for a successful business strategy and plan. This paper will define HRM, and discuss HRM’s primary function and role in an organization’s strategic plan. What is human resource management? HRM is comprised of the staffing, development, motivation, and maintenance functions. Each of these functions however is affected by external influences† (DeCenzo & Robbins, 2007, p. 50). In HRM, staffing involves strategic human resource planning, recruiting and selection. It is important to select the right people for your organization. Recruiting is critical because it can make or break your business. Training and development consists of equipping th e employees with the necessary skills and knowledge. Successful businesses have a vested interest in the employees.Inquiring about employee goals, family, strengths and weaknesses, and using that information to assist him or her in reaching their potential can improve productivity in your organization. For example, my company offers tuition reimbursement. That is an excellent benefit to take advantage of because I value education. I have a personal goal to obtain a MBA. Because my company is paying for my education, it serves as an incentive for me to continue working for the company and strive to move up the corporate ladder.In turn, my company reaps the benefit of the skills and knowledge achieved from the training and development. The maintenance aspect of HRM involves communication and safety and health. This portion of HRM is concerned with the well being of employees, and enhances the nature of the job and personal life of the employees (DeCenzo & Robbins, 2007). OSHA was implemented under the government to protect the employees in regards to his or her physical safety. The contract on which I work at the U. S.White House consist of several constructions projects that Some people have to wear steal toe boots, safety glasses and ear plugs in order to prevent possible injuries. This is mandated in areas that could be hazardous. What is the primary function of HRM? The primary function of HRM has changed drastically because of Federal and State laws, new requirements with employment practices, and involves hiring the right people. Because of the changing technology the primary function of HRM is recruiting people with higher skill sets.Organizations now need people with higher level degrees and certifications in the computer field. The reason for this mandate is because information systems are becoming more complex and ever changing. New recruits must be trained on new software programs. Employees have to be able to adapt and be critical thinkers in ord er to stay up-to-speed. In addition, employees have to be trained and specialize in various fields. What is the role of the HRM in an organization’s strategic plan? HRM has various roles in an organization’s strategic plan. HRM must therefore balance two primary responsibilities: assisting the organization in it strategic direction and representing and advocating for the organization’s employees† (DeCenzo & Robbins, 2007, p. 34). HRM has a vital role in an organization, and â€Å"must be forward thinking† (DeCenzo & Robbins, 2007, p. 34). HRM must work with management in order to accomplish the strategic plan. They must be in line with the company’s vision and mission statement in order to assist the organization. Determining ways to cut cost, but still maintain higher productivity is one way to help the business.HRM can also perform inspections throughout the organization to weed out weaknesses in operations or functions, and unprodu ctive employees (DeCenzo & Robbins, 2007). Making a few necessary adjustments by holding weekly meetings can make a big difference in implementing and monitoring the progress of the strategic plan in an organization. My company performs weekly productivity checks to keep the organization strong and fluent. We are required to report to the supervisor each week providing status on our tasks and progress, and share our ideas on how we can improve.Conclusion In conclusion, HRM is a crucial component in today’s business arena. Technology and globalization have broadened the scope of HRM. Information systems and global recruitment efforts increase the complexity of HRM. Throughout this paper, we have defined HRM, discussed its primary function, and determined how it impacts the strategic plans of companies all over the world. Reference DeCenzo, D. , & Robbins, S. (2007). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (9th ed. ) by DeCenzo & Robbins. (9th ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Manchurian Candidate – Film Theory Paper

The Manchurian Candidate, adapted from Richard Condon’s novel of the same title, was released in 1962, and directed by John Frankenheimer. Brief Plot Summary The central concept of the film is that the son of a prominent, right-wing political family has been brainwashed as an unwitting assassin for an international Communist conspiracy Thesis Statement The Manchurian Candidate was noted for its breakthrough in cinematography, as the scenes were shot in a creative manner that was new and different in that era.It also made use of different editing techniques to seamlessly piece the story together, along with the use of certain recurring Motifs to effectively deliver the story to the audience. This paper would examine how the groundbreaking use of cinematography, editing help to bring across the theme of surrealism, and delivers a thrilling effect while the motifs help bridge the Theme of The Manchurian Candidate with the use of visual elements. Cinematography The Manchurian Cand idate made use of several different brilliant cinematography aspects to bring forward the theme of surrealism and thrill to the audience.According to the Dictionary, the term â€Å"surrealism† refers to â€Å"an avant-garde movement in art and literature that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, characterized by the evocative juxtaposition of incongruous images in order to include unconscious and dream elements. † This theme was highlighted in several scenes in the film. Particularly in a scene where Major Marco was having a nightmare, the camera tracked from the end of Marco’s bedroom towards Marco, who was lying on the bed sleeping.The tracking shot ended with a close up of Marco’s face, with his brows furrowed as he began to experience his recurring nightmare. The close up shot of Marco’s troubled face was then superimposed onto his nightmare shot. From the tracking to close up shot, it creates a sense of mystery and suspense, which intrigues the audience and builds up the anticipation. After which it would lead up to the film’s most noted scene- the Ladies in Garden Club scene.In this scene, the director made use of a 360 degrees panning shot to showcase three different points of view- the â€Å"Reality†, the â€Å"brainwashed white man’s imagination† and the â€Å"brainwashed black man’s imagination†. These three different points of view in a dream add up to one big surrealistic nightmare scene. It is also important to note that this scene was considered to be â€Å"notorious† (Chung, 2006, p. 129) during that era, for its unconventional use of camera work. During and after the 1950s, there is an â€Å"increase in the number of dark, provocative and original films. (Mann, 2008, p. 12) and The Manchurian Candidate was one of them. It was â€Å"stylistically ambitious† (Mann, 2008, p. 12) and can be considered a breakthrough in cinematogr aphy during that era. This scene alone had to be shot 3 different times, as each individual point of view comprised of different elements and actors. The platoon was captured and brainwashed into thinking they were attending a ladies horticulture club meeting, when in fact they were present and sitting in a Communist meeting. The camera then does a 360 degrees slow panning shot from the lady speaking, Mrs.Whittaker, to everyone present in the scene, listening to the talk. However, as the camera makes a full round and returns to the start, gone was Mrs. Whittaker, and in her place stood an East Asian doctor giving the Russian and Chinese generals a speech about the brainwashed American soldiers. This panning shot builds up suspense, as the camera slowly pans around the venue, showing that there were only ladies present. It delivered a shock to the audience, who expected to see Mrs. Whittaker after the camera makes a full round, to find out that the lady was gone and replaced by a man instead.This slow panning movement also gave the scene a dream-like quality, which is a characteristic often associated with the theme of surrealism. The scene with the doctor and Communist generals reflected the â€Å"reality† of which the soldiers are unaware of, as they were brainwashed. The camera used a low-angle shot to reveal the amphitheatre filled with Communists. It was positioned behind the soldiers, as if they were looking up to those seated. This is to show that the American soldiers caught were at the mercy of those Generals present, to show authority from those seated above and around the amphitheatre.Even though they are under the mercy of the Communists, the soldiers showed no sign of fear as they were brainwashed into thinking they were facing a group of women instead. Hence the use of camera angle here provides a sort of contradiction to reality, it showed Communist authority even though the soldiers displayed no fear. Another groundbreaking use of cinemat ography can be found in the scene where Johnny Iselin was confronting the Secretary about the â€Å"number of Communists in the Defense department† with Eleanor Iselin manipulating her husband.In this scene, the Secretary was giving a press conference and Johnny Iselin stood up, and demanded to know why are there communists present in the Defense department. The scene was constructed such that the Secretary was at one end of the room, while Johnny was the other end. Yet they were able to appear in one frame, with the use of juxtaposition. As the press conference was broadcasted live, the confrontation between both parties were filmed and showed on television screen.Whenever the Secretary is in frame, Johnny Iselin would appear on the screen of a small television at the corner of the frame, thus making both parties visible onscreen even though technically, they are at different ends of the room. This use of framing and juxtapose imagery echo them theme of â€Å"surrealismâ₠¬ . Surrealism often uses incongruous juxtapositions to highlight conflicts (Strom, 2003). In one particular scene, the mastermind of this confrontation, Eleanor Iselin, appeared in the foreground, with Johnny in the background, and the Secretary reacting angrily on the small little television screen at the corner of the frame.Every action was combined in one frame capturing the whole shot, filled with conflict and movement. This framing brought the tension of the film up a few notches and audiences were able to feel the impending explosion of anger between the characters. The unconventional use of cinematography aspects in this film successfully brings forward the theme of Surrealism, with its â€Å"unusual framings and camera movements† (Strom, 2003, p. 8), which are styles indebted to Surrealism. Editing The different use of editing was also one of the most noted aspects of The Manchurian Candidate.According to Carroll (2003), â€Å"editing, or montage, was generally cel ebrated as the most important, essential characteristic of cinema† (p. 153). Hence the right choice of editing technique would set the pace and coherency of the film. This would bring us to the editing pace of the film- the long takes versus the accelerated montage. The scene that showcased a long take, happened when in Major Marco’s train ride from Washington to New York. Marco was feeling jittery and nervous, thus he decided to leave his train seat and go to the back of the train for some fresh air.He arrived at the last carriage, and stood with his back leaning against the wall. A woman followed Marco and entered the same carriage. She had observed Marco from before, and decided to follow him into the back. Marco and the woman began to strike up a conversation, with random small talks that made no sense. This whole scene involved no cuts at all, all shot at one go and thus showcasing the aspect of a â€Å"long take†. The long take builds on the tension between the meeting of two strangers, showing the entire conversation between Marco and the woman, despite it being nonsensical and weird.The audience took in the scene at one go, after which it leaves them wondering â€Å"what lies underneath this exchange of words between the Major and this woman? † The long take establishes a fact that this scene is important, as it â€Å"intensifies† a shot (Goldberg, n. d), contradictory to the fact that the content of the scene is random and consist of small talks only. As opposed to a long take, which consists of virtually no cuts, an accelerated montage consists of shots with increasingly shorter lengths.With regards to The Manchurian Candidate, the accelerated montage editing aspect occurs during the â€Å"Convention† scene, where Raymond Shaw was sent on a mission to assassinate the President. In this particular scene, Sergeant Raymond Shaw was instructed by his mother to shoot the newly elected President at the Madison Squar e Garden, with Major Marco scrambling to stop Shaw from accomplishing his mission. The establishing shot of Madison Square Garden showed Raymond walking through rows and rows of empty tiered seats, arriving at a small room high above the arena.He positioned his rifle as he prepares for his mission to assassinate the elected President while he was giving his speech. As crowds filled the arena, Major Marco struggles to locate Shaw in hopes of stopping him. The whole sequence was edited with the cross-cutting technique. Through cross-cutting, it helps to create tension and delivers the sense of thrill when the audience sees Shaw preparing to fire his rifle, as Marco runs frantically to stop him. From the first few shots of Shaw preparing his rifle and locating his target to Marco searching frantically for Shaw, was edited with shots and cuts that got shorter and shorter.It adopted the technique of Accelerated Montage, which serves to create tension and keep the audience at the edge of their seats. As this is the climax of the film, by using cross-cutting and accelerated montage, the film manages to capture the audience’s attention and builds a highly thrilling and exciting sequence. Motifs The Manchurian Candidate makes use of several motifs in this film to drive home its message and to develop its theme. One of the most glaring motifs used in this film would be the Red Queen, or the Queen of Diamonds.The Queen of Diamonds card had appeared several times in the film, particularly during scenes that involved Raymond Shaw being brainwashed. In this film, the Communists had conditioned Shaw’s brain into receiving commands and fulfilling them like a robot would. However, this brainwash condition can only be activated when Shaw hears the line â€Å"Why don’t you pass the time by playing a little game of solitaire? † After which, Shaw would proceed to take out a stack of cards robotically and began playing.As he plays the game, he would even tually draw out the Queen of Diamonds card, and upon seeing the card it would fully activate Shaw’s brainwashed condition. At first glance, it may seem that the Queen of Diamonds motif is played out to trigger Shaw’s mental condition. However, as the film progresses, the intent of using the Queen of Diamonds began to clear up- that the Queen of Diamonds was linked to Shaw’s mother, Eleanor Iselin and later in the film, his soon-to-be wife, Jocie (Blakesly, 2007).According to Blakesly (2007), the Queen of Diamonds card represented â€Å"an adamant woman, his mother, someone Raymond would rather not see†. During the first few scenes, Shaw admitted that he â€Å"despised and loathed his mother†. It was eventually revealed that Shaw’s mother was also part of the Communist conspiracy, and a woman hungry for political power. Hence, the card that would trigger Shaw’s mental condition was picked out to be the Queen of Diamonds, which signifie s his mother and hinted that his mother had a connection with the Communists. As mentioned above, the Queen of Diamonds is also known as the Red Queen.In this case, it represented Communism as this film was shot and based on the Cold War, which was ongoing during that time. Blakesly’s analysis surmises that: Another triggering device for Raymond’s conditioning is when he looks upon the Queen of Diamonds, the Red Queen, with the concomitant relationship of â€Å"red† to the â€Å"Red scare†, the communism from which the left in North America, with rare exceptions, still recoils. (p. 218) Besides being a figure representation of Shaw’s mother, the Queen of Diamonds also took on the representation of Communism.Hence it would make sense to why Shaw would fall into a state of â€Å"brainwashed condition† upon seeing the Queen of Diamonds card- he was being controlled by the Communists, with the card serving as a reminder that Communism took over his mind. Other than the Queen of Diamonds motif, the film also adopted Abraham Lincoln as a motif. The use of Abraham Lincoln ranges from obvious pictures of Lincoln himself, hanging in the Iselin house to a more subtle form, where Johnny Iselin dresses up at Abraham Lincoln in a masquerade party.The Iselins were from the Right-Wing, or Republican party. The use of Lincoln signifies the stand that the Iselins take within political context and also to serve as a kind of contradiction between right and wrong. Abraham Lincoln was a prominent leader of the Republican Party. According to Redding (2008), the film was â€Å"mediating symbolically on the political heritage of Lincoln’s republic among a corrupted public sphere†. Lincoln was used a symbol to represent America, and the director’s portrayal of the Iselins served as a satire of the America politics during that time.Johnny Iselin, the Senator, was portrayed as a drunk, impulsive and rash person. He often con fronted the government with issues concerning the communist, when in fact; he is also part of the communist conspiracy to take over the American government. This is a parody of â€Å"McCarthy†, who was a rash and impulsive Senator from the Republican Party. During the time he acted as a Senator, he often appeared drunk and caused a lot of controversy. Thus the portrayal of Johnny Iselin based on McCarthy, and the images of Lincoln all served to fuel the director’s satire on the political situation.During the masquerade party scene, Johnny Iselin dressed up as Abraham Lincoln, a contradiction as he is working with the communists whereas Lincoln was regarded as a righteous politician in the past. To further highlight the contradiction, Johnny’s wife, Eleanor Iselin dressed up as Bo Peep, a character which symbolizes innocence and naivety. However, as mentioned previously, Eleanor was anything but innocent. She worked hand in hand with the communists in order to ga in political foothold. Thus, this portrayal also serves to show a contradiction between right and wrong, righteous and evil.Portraits of Abraham Lincoln decorated the Iselin house, and in a particular scene, where Eleanor was confronting Raymond about his love interest with the daughter of a Senator from an opposition party, Lincoln was â€Å"staring† down at the confrontation. This is yet another example of contradiction between right and wrong, the mother being an evil influence was threatening Raymond to give up his love and Lincoln’s portrait in the background serves to remind us light will prevail, as the portrait was hung above of Eleanor as she speaks.The different motifs of this film helped shaped the entire plot and provided audience with clues; when they see the Queen of Diamonds they immediately would know that Raymond Shaw would be brainwashed. It also helped to bridge certain morals or theme of the story with visual elements, like the battle of right and e vil was shown through the portayal of the Iselins versus Abraham Lincoln iconography. Conclusion This paper discussed how use of cinematography, editing helped bring across the theme of surrealism, and delivered a thrilling effect while the motifs helped bridge the Theme of The Manchurian Candidate with the use of visual elements.In conclusion, The Manchurian Candidate made use of highly unconventional cinematography and editing aspects that successfully showcased the theme of â€Å"surrealism† and effectively created tension and thrill, for the audience. Not forgetting the effective use of motifs, which helped developed the main theme with the use of visual elements and provoked thought from the audience as they watch the film, while trying to piece the puzzles together.Bibliography * Blakesly, David (2007) The Terministic Screen: Rhetorical Perspectives on Film. Illinois: SIU Press * Carroll, Noel (2003) Engaging the Moving Image. USA: Yale University Press * Chung, H. S. ( 2006) Hollywood Asian: Philip Ahn and the Politics of Cross-Ethnic Performance. USA: Temple University Press * Goldberg, * Mann, Denise (2008) Hollywood Independents: The Postwar Talent Takeover. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press * Redding, A. F. (2008) Turncoats, traitors, and fellow travelers: culture and politics of the early Cold War. USA: University Press of Mississippi * Strom, Kristen (2003) Resurrecting the Stylite Simon: Bunuel’s Surrealist Film. P. 8