Cinematography in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo Essay

Cinematography in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo - Essay Example a kind of a disabling sensation which describes people’s feeling that they (and the world around them) are in the state of constant movement, so is the cinematography of the film (â€Å"Vertigo†, A Dictionary of Nursing). Carefully sequenced and innovative shots, elaborate camera movement, effective use of light and color, as well as other cinematographic tools all contribute to the fact Vertigo’s cinematography ideally fits in the overall vision of the film and effectively serves to create the intended feeling in the audience, namely that of horror. At the same time, the cinematography in Vertigo helps to create hidden meanings and set the story’s tone and mood. My goal in this paper is to discuss how cinematography is used in Vertigo and how exactly it effect contributes to the story unfolding. In particular, I will focus on the film’s techniques of lightning, color, matte shooting, and camera movement used in order to manipulate the audience†™s opinion and produce the scaring effect. First though, I will explore the meaning of cinematography and provide a necessary theoretical background to the research. Cinematography as an Art of Creating Films While cinematography is usually understood in terms of its technical, photographic value for the ‘big picture’ of the film, it is certainly an art. Specifically, the following definition by the American Society of Cinematographers seems appropriate: â€Å"Cinematography is the art and craft of the authorship of visual images for the cinema extending from conception and pre-production through post-production to the ultimate presentation of these images.† (â€Å"Cinematography†, Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers) ... aphy†, Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers) Explaining the vision of cinematography, the author of this definition further states that cinematography is about the effective use of photography in a film subject to a variety of organizational, interpretive, physical, image manipulating, and managerial techniques (â€Å"Cinematography†, Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers). Hence, cinematography is a process both creative and interpretative which results in an authorship of a unique work contrary to mere recording of a given event. Similar understanding of cinematography is expressed by Brown in his recent book Cinematography: Theory and Practice: Image Making for Cinematographers and Directors. Brown links the concept to the literal meaning of the term â€Å"cinematography† based on the Greek root translated as â€Å"writing with motion† (Brown 2). For Brown, cinematography is about creating an original visual world through the use of a cinematic technique. In particular, he explains that at the heart of cinematography is shooting. Yet, cinematography is more than this. It should be seen as â€Å"a process of taking ideas, words, actions, emotional subtext, tone, and all other forms of nonverbal communication and rendering them in visual terms.† (Brown 2). Technically, cinematography is based on photography of moving images while the motion picture is being made. Konigsberg in The Complete Film Dictionary says it is about the use of camera angles, movement, and distance, lightning, color, etc (â€Å"Cinematography†, Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers). Brown, in his turn, identifies the following tools of cinematography: the frame, the lens, light and color, the texture, movement, establishing, and point of view (Brown 4-10). Respectively, a variety of

Electoral Systems Essay Example for Free

Electoral Systems Essay Critically evaluate the argument that electoral systems can produce effective (decisive) government, or representative government, but not both. New Zealand’s current electoral system is MMP or Mixed Member Proportional; this is the system which will be used to evaluate the question. A comparison of MMP and FPP or the First Past the Post system will also be included, since it is being debated as to which is better for New Zealand. MMP is an appropriately representative government which also creates a rather effective government at the same time. On the other hand FPP causes a seemingly effective government but is far less representative. Some electoral systems can create effective and representative government while others may not. This will be shown by; firstly detailing how these systems of governance compare under effectiveness and representativeness, followed by an explanation as to why electoral systems can be both effective and representative and why they cannot. For a government to be classified effective it must sufficiently achieve its objectives as a governing body. It also must create a strong impression on the community (dictionary. om, 2011). MMP tends to have a less efficient form of law making than FPP. Under MMP the major parties must form coalition governments with the smaller parties to form a fifty per cent majority over the house. These coalitions may cause a time delay in passing legislation, as the major supporter of the bill tries to convince their support parties to agree with the legislation. MMP may take time to make decision but this doesn’t mean that the government is less decisive although; Many people argue that proportional forms of government lead to a less decisive and durable government. Their argument is based on the fact that the decisions must gain the support of coalition parties which cause a lower quantity of bills passing. However it is not the quantity of laws which cause an effective government it is the quality. MMP due to its more timely approach to law making allows time for scrutiny within a bill meaning any flaws which lie dormant in a bill may be fixed before the legislation is passed. A contrast to this is FPP with its single party majority which works very efficiently to pass laws rapidly. This is because there is no need for a compromise with its support parties since none are required. The effect of this rapid law making ability gives the community a view of effectiveness however the validity of the laws has been compromised. The laws passed may be riddled with flaws which really show the government is un-effective as the laws have no real impression on the community. Effective government is based around three criteria government durability, decisional efficacy and responsiveness (Boston, Church Bale, 2003). From these three different terms of effective government we can see how different opinions on the idea of effective government can differ. For a government to be classified representative it must consist of many individuals who represent a variety of different constituencies (dictionary. com, 2011). Also there must be some form of diversity among the constituencies such as race or gender differentiation. (Royal Commission, 1986) MMP is a highly representative form of governance as it uses a two votes system; this allows minor party representatives to gain a seat in the house if they gain a majority vote among their constituents. The fact an MP has to win their constituency causes a close link to the electorate as they will more likely than not represent the major view of the region. This single MP vote allows the house to represent the community from a broader aspect while still having the majority party in power with the 2nd vote, the party vote. This causes a greater diversity among the house. When MMP was adopted â€Å"Maori representation increased from 5-7% to 16%† and â€Å"the number of women of women doubled to 34%† (Haddon, 2011). This increasing diversity has continued as the royal commission predicted. New Zealand’s house of parliament has become more representative and diverse as shown by the 39 women, 21 Maori, 4 Pacific Islanders, and 2 Asian MPs out of the 121 in the house (Elections Commission, 2006). Also under MMP campaign promises of minor parties tend to not get placed on the new government agenda. The minor parties must rely on negotiation with party leaders in order to get their main policies on the agenda or must wait for the bill to be drawn from the ballot box in parliament, which may never come. This causes a slight decrease in the diversification of the legislation passed. This lack of diversification can decrease the representativeness of the majority. However this does not decrease the overall representativeness of the government. The diversity of MMP is contrasted by FPPs system where there are only electorate votes so people tend to vote solely for the major parties that are likely to get into parliament. The winning party in a FPP election will get a proportionally larger share of the seats that its share of the votes this has the opposite effect for minority parties whom gain a lesser proportion of the seats that their votes. This lack of proportionality is a major flaw in representation as there is very little diversity among the house. Electoral systems can be both effective and representative, â€Å"The best voting system for any country will not be one which meets any of the criteria completely but will be one which provides the most satisfactory overall balance between them† (Royal Commission, 1986). Although systems cannot be highly representative and highly effective they still can be both. MMP shows this, it may not be highly efficient at creating effective legislation but it creates quality legislation which is effective governing. Also MMP shows its representativeness by having a largely diverse house of representatives but due to the need for coalitions loses some of the broader views of the minor parties. â€Å"A proliferation of minor parties actually increases stability and effectiveness† (â€Å"NRT on MMP threshold,† 2011). This shows how a representative government actually helps to form an effective government. The increase in the number of coalition majorities available will help to reduce the ability for any party to have strong bargaining power over another. This was shown in our most recent parliamentary election by ACT and the Maori party not having a large bargaining power with National as they both had possible coalitions with National. They were acting as a check on the other so neither gained an arbitrary power over Nationals decision. This allowed for national to make what they saw as the best decision. This shows that MMP is representative as well as being effective even if it is not top in each discipline. Many critics of MMP have agreed that MMP does lead to a government reflecting the views of New Zealander’s and supporters of MMP conceded to agreeing that it leads to a more unstable government which can infer that it may be not highly effective (Palmer Palmer, 2004). While FPP contrasts MMP it shows the opposite idea. It shows that there is a tension between effective and representative government. This tension causes a highly representative government to have a very low effectiveness and vice versa. The tension has large effect on how the government operates and this can put a strain on which system will be best. FPP shows how a system cannot be both effective and representative whereas MMP seems to have the balance between being both an effective form of governance while still being rather highly representative. My research has shown that MMP is both an effective form of government and a representative form of government. However it is neither the most representative nor the most effective. The research has identified that an electoral system can be both as I have explained above. This is not to say all electoral systems are. There are always going to be strengths and weaknesses to an electoral system and a compromise between effective and representative will always be required, FPP for example is much more effective than it is representative. The tension between these two disciplines will always have an effect on how the system operates and which system is best suited to the situation. FPP is clearly a system which cannot be both while MMP is the perfect example of a system of governance which is both representative and effective.

Holes-Why is it a good novel for teenagers? Essay -- English Literatur

Holes-Why is it a good novel for teenagers? In this essay I intend to look at why the book ‘Holes’, is a good novel for teenagers to read. Written by Louis Sachar in 1998, it is a modern novel telling readers a story about the life experiences of a young boy called Stanley. The story revolves around Stanley being unfairly acquitted for a crime leading to him being faced to cope with life at a juvenile detention centre. Along with this main plot, there are several other underlying smaller plots that contribute towards the success of the story as a whole. I will examine the various reasons for why this book would appeal to teenagers. There are three simultaneous plots, which creates more excitement and suspense for the reader. But the main theme is how young Stanley Yelnats IV comes to redeem the curse which was visited upon his great-great-grandfather and all the Yelnats family, through the generations, by Madame Zeroni. Stanley, the main character in the story, is falsely accused of stealing a pair of trainers, which had been donated to help raise money for the homeless shelter. These trainers weren’t any ordinary trainers; they had belonged to the most famous baseball player in history, Clyde Livingstone. Stanley isn’t too disheartened when he is sent away from his family to a juvenile delinquent’s camp (Camp Green Lake) for a crime he did not commit, due to his family’s long known history of bad luck. Stanley doesn’t blame the judge for falsely convicting him, but he blames the whole misadventure on his â€Å"no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather†. For Stanley, his troubles are just a natural part of being a Yelnats, which is a factor of life that he has become accustomed to. .. ...n different parts of the world, not all teenagers may be treated in the same way Stanley had been. This is why it might be interesting to see what different parts of the world are like. The story isn’t really realistic either, because a teenager wouldn’t really expect such events to take place in this day and age. A teenager may want to read something that could happen to them, but from someone else’s point of view. The finding of treasure may seem to be an old-fashioned task and hence may not create the excitement that it was aimed for. Despite some not so appealing events in the story, I would recommend this book to all teenagers due to its suspense and excitement elements. The reader becomes intrigued to reach the ending, which is very successful in connecting all the sub plots to reveal the conclusion to the treasure and Stanley’s family history.

Accounting Career Paper Essay

There are many jobs that require accounting. Yet, accounting has never been thought of as interesting. Accounting is instead thought of as being tedious and even boring. However, what people may not know is that FBI agents must develop a readiness for accounting to be able to fundamentally do their jobs properly. In addition to accounting, there are many requirements, tests, and processes you must go through to become an FBI agent, which makes it a difficult but worthwhile job nonetheless. FBI agents provide protection to society and also investigate into many different cases, many cases require forensic accountants to analyze and report their findings on specific things such as bank accounts and other information. In order to become an FBI agent, there are many requirements that must be fulfilled. To start, one must have a 4 year degree from a college or university â€Å"accredited by one of the regional or national institutional associations recognized by the United States Secretary of Education† (FBI) and be a United States citizen. There is also an age requirement to become an agent. One must be at least 23 years old, but younger than the age of 37. This is due to the physical strains of the profession. The strains of the tasks given to FBI agents make it harder as one continues to age to work in the field. FBI agents are typically paid around 60,000 annually. If agents are relocated to a high cost area they are given a one time extra bonus of 22,000 dollars. See more:  The Story of an Hour Literary Analysis Essay In addition to the requirements, there are many tests that you must pass in order to become an FBI agent. There are many steps that need to be fulfilled in order to apply to become an FBI agent. First you must apply online or at a designated FBI branch office. Once you are accepted, you must take a couple of tests during the application process before you can become an FBI agent. The tests are comprised of two phases. The first phase test evaluates and determines if you have the critical skills and abilities that are required to perform and handle tasks of an FBI agent. The second phase test requires you to be interviewed by a panel of three special agents to determine if you have the necessary skills in order to handle certain situations and be able to communicate as well. There are many other factors that must be looked into when special agents look at applicants, such as the  honesty and integrity of the applicant. There is also a writing portion that evaluates your writing skil ls and ability to judge and record certain situations in detail. The next test that you must take is the physical portion of the test. You must adhere to the given instructions and also complete a number of physical exercises. In addition to the tests you are required to have a extensive background check done and medical examinations. Before being accepted as an FBI agent you are to â€Å"begin your career at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia for approximately 21 weeks of intensive training at one of the world’s finest law enforcement training facilities. During their time at the FBI Academy, trainees live on-campus and participate in a broad range of training activities.† (FBI.gov) With all the tests and requirements in place, It may not seem as if FBI agents require accounting in the field. But one of the five areas you must qualify for in order to be accepted into a special agent position is accounting. A type of accounting that is most commonly used in an investigation is forensic accounting. Forensic accounting â€Å"is a branch of accounting that not only requires knowledge of accounting and auditing principles but also the ability to work on investigation and litigation teams to look into illegal financial activity and assist in litigation processes.† (Gina L.). Forensic accounting is increasing in demand currently due to the recent increase of crime. This can be seen in the job postings for forensic accounting (http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspxAPath=2.21.0.0.0&job_did=JHP5SX6X761WT9HGW6N&IPat) (http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspxAPath=2.21.0.0.0&job_did=JHV3FS793TPJFYHX382&IPath=JRKV0I) To become a Forensic Accountant you must have a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related subject. Most graduates who earn a graduate certificate or master’s degree in forensic accounting can drastically increase their employment and salary outcome. Forensic accountants are also usually required to have their Certified Public Accountant (CPA). They can also become Certified Fraud Examiners or Certified Forensic Accountants after two years of experience.

Desalination Solution To The Freshwater Crisis Environmental Sciences Essay

The chief ground for drinkable H2O deficit in Singapore is the fact that it is surrounded by sea H2O, unsuitable for imbibing. At present, the state has created sustainable H2O supply from its ‘Four National Taps ‘ , which consists of rainwater reservoirs, imported H2O, reclaimed H2O ( NEWater ) and desalinated H2O. ( â€Å" Water Supply † ) The detonating population is besides increasing the strength of drinkable H2O demand, doing deficits.Problems Associated with Drinkable Water ShortagesThe chief cause of hungriness, disease and poorness is the deficiency of clean, safe imbibing H2O. ( â€Å" Why Water? † ) Crops would be unable to turn doing hungriness. Consumption of contaminated H2O is the chief cause of diseases. Regions missing in safe, imbibing H2O have a higher rate of decease and diseases. Peoples are ill more frequently, and are unable to work. This prevents the part from promotion. Regional struggles over scarce H2O resources may ensue in warfar e. ( â€Å" Water Scarcity † ) Figure 2 shows the H2O deficit around the universe. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.hydrogenambassadors.com/background/images/background/water-shortage.gif Figure 2 – Water Deficit ( Hydrogen Ambassador )Desalination – How does it turn to drinkable H2O deficits?The bulk of H2O on the Earth is seawater and Singapore is surrounded by it excessively. If this H2O was converted into safe, drinking H2O, the job of drinkable H2O deficits would be easy solved. This is where desalinization plays its function. The procedure of taking salt from saltwater to make fresh water is called desalinization. ( Aintablian, † Water Desalination † ) A turning figure of desalinization workss are being built around the universe to turn to the job of fresh water deficits. The two chief methods of desalinization are distillment and the membrane procedure. In the procedure of distillment, a scope of method are used to vaporize saltwater, them condense the vapour, to obtain non-saline H2O. The membrane procedure has two types, viz. rearward osmosis and forward osmosis. Rearward osmosis is the procedure where pre-treated saltwater is pumped through a partly permeable membrane at high force per unit area, which separates dissolved splines from the H2O. Forward osmosis involves the natural procedure of osmosis ; H2O traveling from a extremely concentrated part to a part of low concentration. This procedure allows it to of course happen, alternatively of coercing it through a force per unit area gradient. In this procedure, the saltwater passes through a partly permeable membrane to a concentrated solution of ammonium hydroxide salts, go forthing salt atoms behind. The ammonium hydroxide salts are evaporated and can be reused. ( â€Å" Tuas Seawater Desalination Plant † ) The procedure is shown in Figure 3. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nrdc.org/onearth/04sum/images/saline_diagram.jpg Figure 3 – Seawater Distillation Process ( Glowac )Positive Impacts of DesalinationSupplying fresh water to countries with limited resources is the chief intent of desalinization. Communities get provided with a safe and dependable supply of fresh water. Singapore itself has no direct beginnings of fresh water except rainwater. The state has to import around 2500 gallons of H2O from Malaysia every twelvemonth. To drop the rate of import, it makes usage of the saltwater it is surrounded by. Desalination helps increase the sum of safe drinkable H2O available and saves lessenings import of H2O from states with big sums of fresh water available. This is helps diminish the general cost, since H2O conveyance is an expensive matter. It provides a dependable and readily available beginning of H2O in instances of terrible drouth. It becomes a necessity in the present clime in increasing temperatures, spread outing population and unsustainable groundwater. ( â€Å" The Advantages of De salination † )Negative Impacts of DesalinationEven though desalinization is a utile procedure, it has its general reverses. Disposing of the waste salt solution will increase the concentration of salt in the H2O. This will do the procedure harder and may harm the animals under the sea. The desalinization procedure is an expensive one and requires a batch of energy. Since most energy is derived from fossil fuels, it is said to be a affair of taking one environmental issue over the other. The costs are even higher if parts off from the seashore or at high heights, seek utilizing desalinated H2O. Many resources would be required to transport H2O from the ocean or a organic structure of salty H2O to far distances and high heights. ( Aintablian. â€Å" Water Desalination † )Factors affected by DesalinationEconomic Factor For – Desalination helps states with limited beginnings of fresh water to hold entree to drinkable H2O, without holding to bear conveyance costs. Wealth can be created by desalinization, as it increases the opportunities for development of agribusiness, industry and touristry in states with a scarce H2O supply. These alterations are bound to raise the overall income of a part. Some direct occupations and income can be expected from desalinization workss. Seawater desalinization is a feasible option is coastal parts which find desalinization more cost-efficient so transporting H2O from other parts. ( What is Desalination? – Benefits ) Against – Desalination is an expensive procedure. It becomes more expensive when the salt H2O needs to be transported to regions off from the seashore or those at high heights. Economically stable states like Singapore can afford to construct desalinization workss and change over big measures of saltwater, but other 3rd universe states confronting the fresh water crisis may fight to pay for desalinization workss to be opened and for big measures of H2O to be transported and converted. The ground the costs for desalinization are so high is because heavy-duty machinery and equipment is required to change over salt H2O into fresh water expeditiously. Not all states have the budget or land to construct mills with such expensive equipment. So, even though the desalinization procedure is a great solution to the fresh water crisis, we have yet to get the better of the costs required to run it. Figure 4 shows how engineering is progressing to do the procedure of desalinization less de arly-won. hypertext transfer protocol: //kanat.jsc.vsc.edu/student/glowact/body.h1.jpg Figure 4 – Decline in Seawater Desalination Costs Represents Evolution in Technology ( Hayes ) Environmental Factor For – More than 97 % of the H2O in the universe is seawater, which means there is small H2O for the universe ‘s turning H2O demand. The underdeveloped universe can non trust on a individual beginning of H2O anymore, and holding a dependable solution to the fresh water crisis helps alleviate emphasis on the fresh water available ( What is Desalination? – Benefits. ) The H2O conveyance systems use a great trade of energy and do air pollution. Desalination workss placed strategically helps decrease the environmental impact. Water made available during drouths would protect against H2O deficits. More fresh water would be available for usage in agribusiness. ( Dorward. â€Å" The Benefits of Desalination Plants ) Against – The procedure of desalinization requires a batch of energy. Since most power beginnings are soon derived from fossil fuels, desalinization has a manus in planetary heating. The constructing procedure would be time-consuming. Therefore, it would upset the environment. The waste salt solution is released back into the sea. This increases the concentration of salt in the saltwater and this may harm the animals under the ocean. Since more salt demands to be removed, more energy has to be used and it leads to a higher wastage of fossil fuels. Figure 5 shows the minerals being discharged into the sea and this is what makes the procedure harder and it requires more energy. This discharge may besides incorporate low concentrations of chemicals used in the procedure, which could harm environment-sensitive countries ( Younos, Tamim 11. ) Even though desalinization is the best solution to the universe ‘s fresh water crisis, it has environmental issues have to be solved be fore it can be used around the universe on a big graduated table. hypertext transfer protocol: //t1.gstatic.com/images? q=tbn: ANd9GcSHEXi_HxYsF0cbcqyC6gRNp2i18V0j4QXFTCcwIXO0RrVCFL1bCA Figure 5 – Minerals are discharged into the sea, and the desalinization procedure requires more energy ( MEWR | Desalination ) Word Count – 1, 256

Causes of the Russian Revolution

Causes of the Russian Revolution Russia in the late 19th and early 20th century was a massive empire, stretching from Poland to the Pacific. In 1914, the country was home to approximately 165 million people representing a diverse range of languages, religions, and cultures. Ruling such a massive state was no easy task, especially as the long-term problems within Russia eroded the Romanov monarchy. In 1917, this decay finally produced a revolution, sweeping the old system away. While the turning point for the revolution is widely accepted as World War I, but the revolution was not an inevitable byproduct of war and there are long-term causes that are equally important to recognize. Peasant Poverty In 1916, a full three-quarters of the Russian population was comprised of peasants who lived and farmed in small villages. In theory, their life had improved in 1861, before which they were serfs who were owned and could be traded by their landowners. 1861 saw the serfs freed and issued with small amounts of land, but in return, they had to pay back a sum to the government, and the result was a mass of small farms deeply in debt. The state of agriculture in central Russia was poor. Standard farming techniques were deeply out of date and there was little hope for real progress thanks to widespread illiteracy and lack of capital.  Families lived just above the subsistence level, and around 50 percent had a member who had left the village to find other work, often in the towns. As the central Russian population boomed, land became scarce. This way of life contrasted sharply with those of rich landowners, who held 20 percent  of the land in large estates and were often members of the Russian upper class. The western and southern reaches of the massive Russian Empire were slightly different, with a larger number of reasonably well-off peasants and large commercial farms. The result was, by 1917, a mass of disaffected peasants, angry at increased attempts to control them by the people who profited from the land without directly working it. The vast majority of peasants were firmly against developments outside the village and desired autonomy.Although the vast majority of the Russia population was made up of rural peasants and urban ex-peasants, the upper and middle classes knew little of real peasant life. But they were familiar with the myths: of down to earth, angelic, pure communal life. Legally, culturally, socially, the peasants in over half a million settlements were organized by centuries of community rule. The mirs, self-governing communities of peasants, were separate from elites and the middle class. But this was not a joyous, lawful commune; it was a desperate struggling sy stem fuelled by the human weaknesses of rivalry, violence, and theft, and everywhere was run by elder patriarchs. Within the peasantry, a break was emerging between the elders and the growing population of young, literate peasants in a deeply-ingrained culture of violence.  Prime Minister Pyor Stolypin’s land reforms of the years before 1917 attacked the peasant concept of family ownership, a highly-respected custom reinforced by centuries of folk tradition.  In central Russia, the peasant population was rising and the land was running out, so all eyes were on the elites who were forcing the debt-ridden peasants to sell land for commercial use. Ever more peasants traveled to the cities in search of work. There, they urbanized and adopted a new, more cosmopolitan worldview- one that often looked down on the peasant lifestyle they left behind. Cities were highly overcrowded, unplanned, poorly paid, dangerous and unregulated. Upset with class, at odds with their bosses and elites, a new urban culture was forming.   When the free labor of the serfs disappeared, the old elites were forced to adapt to a capitalist, industrialized farming landscape. As a result, the panicked elite class was forced to sell off their land and, in turn, declined. Some, like Prince G. Lvov (the first democratic Prime Minister of Russia) found ways to continue their farm businesses. Lvov became a zemstvo  (local community) leader, building roads, hospitals, schools and other community resources. Alexander III feared the zemstvos, calling them overly-liberal. The government agreed and created new laws that attempted to reel them in. Land captains would be sent out to enforce Tsarist rule and counter the liberals. This and other counter-reforms ran right into the reformers and set the tone for a struggle that the Tsar would not necessarily win. A Growing and Politicized Urban Workforce The industrial revolution came to Russia largely in the 1890s, with ironworks, factories and the associated elements of industrial society. While the development was neither as advanced nor as swift as in a country like Britain, Russia’s cities began to expand and large numbers of peasants moved to the cities to take up new jobs. By the turn of the nineteenth to twentieth centuries, these tightly packed and expanding urban areas were experiencing problems like poor and cramped housing, unfair wages, and dwindling rights for workers. The government was afraid of the developing urban class but more afraid of driving foreign investment away by supporting better wages, and there was a consequent lack of legislation on behalf of the workers.  These workers swiftly began to grow more politically-engaged and chaffed against government restrictions on their protests. This created a fertile ground for the socialist revolutionaries who moved between cities and exile in Siberia. In ord er to try and counter the spread of anti-Tsarist ideology, the government formed legal but neutered trade unions to take the place of the banned but powerful equivalents. In 1905, and 1917, heavily politicized socialist workers played a major role, although there were many different factions and beliefs under the umbrella of ‘socialism’. Tsarist Autocracy, A Lack of Representation and a Bad Tsar Russia was ruled by an emperor called the Tsar, and for three centuries this position had been held by the Romanov family. 1913 saw the 300-year celebrations in a vast festival of pomp, pageantry, social class and expense. Few people had an idea the end of Romanov rule was so close, but the festival was designed to enforce a view of the Romanovs as personal rulers. All it fooled were the Romanovs themselves. They ruled alone, with no true representative bodies: even the Duma, an elected body created in 1905, could be completely ignored by the Tsar when he wished to, and he did. Freedom of expression was limited, with censorship of books and newspapers, while a secret police operated to crush dissent, frequently either executing people or sending them to exile in Siberia.The result was an autocratic regime under which republicans, democrats, revolutionaries, socialists and others were all increasingly desperate for reform, yet impossibly fragmented. Some wanted violent change, others peaceful, but as opposition to the Tsar was banned, opponents were increasingly driven to more radical measures. There was a strong reforming – essentially westernizing – movement in Russia during the mid-nineteenth century under Alexander II, with elites split between reform and entrenchment. A constitution was being written when Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. His son, and his son in turn (Nicholas II), reacted against the reform, not only halting it but starting a counter-reform of centralized, autocratic government.The Tsar in 1917 - Nicholas II - has sometimes been accused of lacking the will to govern. Some historians have concluded that this wasn’t the case; the problem was that Nicholas was determined to govern while lacking any idea or ability to run an autocracy properly. That Nicholas’ answer to the crises facing the Russian regime – and the answer of his father - was to look back to the seventeenth century and try to resurrect an almost late-medieval system, instead of reforming and modernizing Russia, was a major problem and source of disc ontent which directly led to the revolution. Tsar Nicholas II held to three tenants drawn on earlier Tsars: The tsar was the owner of all of Russia, a fiefdom with him as lord, and all trickled down from him.The Tsar ruled what God had given, unrestrained, checked by no earthly power.The people of Russia loved their Tsar as a tough father. If this was out of step with the west and emerging democracy, it was out of step with Russia itself. Many Russians objected to these tenets, embracing western ideals as an alternative to the tradition of tsarism. Meanwhile, the tsars ignored this growing sea change, reacting  Alexander II’s assassination not by reforming but by retreating to medieval foundations. But this was Russia, and there wasn’t even one kind of autocracy. ‘Petrine’ autocracy derived from Peter the Great’s western vision, organized royal power through laws, bureaucracy, and systems of government. Alexander III, heir of the murdered reformer Alexander II, tried to react, and sent it all back to Tsar centric, personalized ‘Muscovite’ autocracy. Petrine bureaucracy in the nineteenth century had become interested in reforming, connected to the people, and the people wanted a constitution. Alexander IIIs son Nicholas II was also Muscovite and tried to turn things back to the seventeenth century to a greater extent. Even dress code was considered. Added to this was the idea of the good tsar: it was the boyars, the aristocrats, the other landowners who were bad, and it was the tsar who protected you, rather than being an evil dictator. Russia was running out of people who believed it.Nicholas was not interested in politics, was poorly edu cated in the nature of Russia, and not trusted by his father. He was not a natural ruler of an autocracy. When Alexander III died in 1894, the disinterested and somewhat clueless Nicholas took over. Shortly after, when the stampede of a huge crowd, lured by free food and rumors of low stocks, resulted in mass death, the new Tsar kept partying. This did not win him any support from the citizenry. On top of this, Nicholas was selfish and unwilling to share his political power. Even able men who wished to change the future of Russian, like Stolypin, faced in the Tsar a man who resented them. Nicholas wouldn’t disagree to people’s faces, would take decisions based weakly, and would only see ministers singly so as not to be overwhelmed. Russian government lacked the ability and effectiveness it needed because the tsar wouldn’t delegate, or supportable officials. Russia had a vacuum that would not react to a changing, revolutionary world.The Tsarina, bought up in Britain, disliked by elites and felt to be a stronger person than Nicholas also came to believe in the medieval way to rule: Russia was not like the UK, and she and her husband did not need to be liked. She had a strength to push Nicholas around, but when she gave birth to a hemophiliac son and heir she drifted harder into church and mysticism looking for a cure that she thought she found in the con man mystic, Rasputin. Relationships between the Tsarina and Rasputin eroded the support of the army and aristocracy.

Japan Index Fund

Japan Index Fund When we talk about Japan we think of one of the most affluent technological and industrial leaders in the world. We think of high-end electronics and highly educated and expertly trained professionals. Throughout the last few years, financial eyes have been on the Japanese stock market as it slowly makes its economic recovery. ‚“Japan‚s stock market has been locked in a bear market since 1989,‚” (Waggoner, 2004) hitting its peak in January 1990. In 2003, the Tankan survey found that ‚“business confidence had weakened‚” with much of the blame on rising oil prices and a stronger yen. Despite all of this, their stocks have risen 12.4% in 2004 while unemployment fell. Financial analysts also reported that Tokyo‚s real estate prices were rising.BBC News reports ‚“Japan owes its change in fortune to booming export demand from China.‚” Toyota, who gets most of its sales from the United States have been seeing higher revenues.United Sta tes

What Does a College Acceptance Letter Say Expert Guide

What Does a College Acceptance Letter Say Expert Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Whereas fall means college application season, spring means admission notifications time. All high school seniors want to get a college acceptance letter to their top-choice school. But what exactly does an admittance letter look like? And what does it say? In this article, we go over what information a typical college acceptance letter includes and show you real college acceptance letter samples so you can get an idea of what they look like. We also give you our top four tips for what to do after you get an admittance letter. What Does a College Acceptance Letter Say? A typical college acceptance letter usually says exactly what you’d expect it to say: that you've been admitted to the school and offered a place in the incoming class. Most of the time, a college acceptance letter will get straight to the point: it’ll start off clear and congratulatory so you’ll have no doubt about whether or not you’ve been admitted. Below are examples of the types of words and phrases commonly used in the first paragraph of an admittance letter: "Congratulations!" "I am delighted to inform you that you have been admitted to †¦" "We are pleased to inform you that you have been admitted to †¦" "We are pleased/happy to offer you admission to ... " "It is my/our pleasure to offer you admission to †¦" "It is with great pleasure that I/we offer you admission to †¦" Naturally, there’s a lot of variation with the phrases here, but the examples above are fairly representative of what you’ll see in the opening of a college acceptance letter. After the paragraph containing the offer of admission, you'll typically get a couple of sentences (which are really just compliments) about how your application stood out, how competitive the applicant pool was this year, and/or how you should be proud of yourself for getting in. The next paragraph or two will vary depending on the school. Many colleges inform admitted applicants of an admittees-only event on campus, which is usually a weekend similar to freshman orientation. These events teach you more about the campus and what kinds of opportunities and support the school offers; they also encourage you to attend the school. The ending paragraphs in a typical college acceptance letter give you details about the deadline by which you must make and submit your college decision (i.e., whether or not you’ll be attending the school). This deadline is almost always May 1. By that point, you should have gotten admissions decisions from all the schools you've applied to (unless you’ve been waitlisted somewhere and are waiting to see whether you’ll get off the waitlist). This is just the gist of what you can expect a college acceptance letter to say. But what exactly does an admittance letter look like? 4 Real College Acceptance Letter Samples Now that we’ve gone over what a typical admittance letter says, you’re probably wondering what this letter can look like. We’ve published four real college acceptance letter samples for you to look at. These show you what acceptance letters look like overall, how they’re often worded and organized, and what kind of information they generally include. Click the links below to see each college acceptance letter sample and to learn more about what these top colleges say to admitted applicants: Harvard Acceptance Letter Princeton Acceptance Letter Stanford Acceptance Letter MIT Acceptance Letter Oftentimes, after you receive an admittance letter, you'll get subsequent letters from the school giving you more information on admittees-only events, how to submit your decision, and so on. Click here to see a real follow-up letter to a college acceptance letter from NYU. When Can You Expect a College Acceptance Letter? These days, most colleges will first and sometimes only notify applicants of their admissions decisions electronically, either through an online portal or by email. That said, most colleges will also follow up their online offer with a formal college acceptance letter that is mailed directly to the applicant. When you can expect to hear back from colleges regarding your admission decisions can vary. The vast majority of colleges get back to applicants with their admission decisions by the first week of April, with many releasing their decisions in mid- to late March. If you applied early action or early decision to a school, you’ll most likely hear back in December, January, or February. For more info about when you can expect to receive an admissions decision, check out our guide to when college acceptance letters arrive. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Got a College Admittance Letter? 4 Steps to Take Next If you’ve gotten a college acceptance letter, congratulations! You've just been admitted to a college you applied to- a great accomplishment. Once you've celebrated a little, though, what should you do next? Here are four critical steps to take after you get a college acceptance letter. Step 1: Wait for Any Other Decision Notifications to Arrive Most students apply to multiple colleges at once, so even if you’ve received one college acceptance letter, it’s a good idea to wait to make your decision about where to go for college until after you’ve gotten all the admissions decisions from the colleges you applied to. This means that you should expect to wait, latest, until the first week of April, as most colleges should have sent out (electronically, by mail, or both) their decision notifications by this time. The only exception to this rule is if the school from which you got your college acceptance letter is your top choice. In this case, you already know you for sure want to attend this school, so go right on ahead to Step 3! Step 2: Choose a College to Attend Once you've gotten responses from all the colleges you applied to, it’s time to tally your results. You obviously can’t attend any colleges you’ve been rejected at, so this leaves you with only the schools you’ve been admitted to and waitlisted at. You now have to make an important decision: of the colleges you’ve been accepted at, which one do you want to attend the most? In other words, where do you see yourself thriving? If you're struggling to decide, ask yourself what you’re looking for in terms of the school campus, academics/majors, extracurriculars, overall atmosphere, location, cost, etc. We offer more tips in our guide on how to choose the best college for you. Step 3: Confirm Your Spot and Submit Your Deposit After you’ve figured out which college you want to attend, it’s time to confirm your spot in the new freshman class. To do this, you’ll usually need to fill out a form and return it to the college letting them know you intend to enroll in the fall. The deadline for your response will most likely be May 1, so be sure to contact your chosen college by this date. At this time, you should also submit your non-refundable deposit to the college. This college tuition deposit ensures you’ll have a spot in the new class. Note that this deposit may not be refunded under any circumstances, even if you change your mind or get admitted off the waitlist for a different college you’d rather attend. Step 4: Decline Your Admission Offers From Other Colleges Once you accept your offer of admission to your top-choice school, it's time to decline any other offers of admission you received. All you'll typically have to do is fill out a form letting the school know whether you intend to enroll. Again, this usually needs to be done by May 1. Recap: What to Know About the College Acceptance Letter If you’ve been accepted to a college, you’ll receive a college acceptance letter from that school, most likely at first electronically and then later as a hard copy in the mail. Most college decisions are released in the spring, typically no later than the first week of April. However, if you applied early action/early decision, you can expect to hear back in either December, January, or February. If you’ve received an admittance letter, that’s wonderful! Once you’ve finished celebrating, it’s time to figure out the next steps to take. First, you'll need to wait to hear back from all the colleges you applied to, as you might get accepted to other schools as well. After you’ve heard back, it’s time to make a decision about where you want to go for college. Once you’ve decided, you must confirm your enrollment at the school you've chosen, usually by May 1. You’ll also need to submit a non-refundable tuition deposit. Around this time, you can get started on declining any other acceptances you received from colleges. What’s Next? You know what a college acceptance letter looks like- but exactly when will your decision notification arrive? Check out our guide to college acceptance letter arrival dates to learn more. In order to snag an admittance letter to a college, you need to have a great application. Get tips on how to put together a great college application and learn how to estimate your chances of admission with our college acceptance calculator. Aiming for the Ivy League? Our expert guide explains how you, too, can get accepted to Harvard, Princeton, and more! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Resort Management - Economic Impact on Resorts Assignment

Resort Management - Economic Impact on Resorts - Assignment Example A slow economy in the region implies that business trips increase tremendously, thus positively affecting profits. Cost containment has been another hiccup facing the Grand Floridian and thus reducing the productivity (Miller 55). The resort management has come up with ways to lower the cost without negatively affecting the quality standards. As a result of cost containment, the management has cut down cost of products and services leading to low revenues. According to a research study by Choi, taxes, and deductions play a vital role in the hospitality industry. Higher taxes and lower tax deductions in Florida have negatively affected the Grand Floridian’s revenues. For instance, high energy taxes will lead to fewer trips while high corporate taxes result in less net profit after tax. On the other hand, increased guest sophistication has also posed a significant challenge to the Grand Floridian Resort. As a result of increased consumer preferences, the resort has been forced to undertake renovation of recreational facilities, business hubs, and guests’ rooms in order to match customers’ expectations. Lack of adequate number of employees working in the resort has led to reduced productivity. Labor shortage is triggered by the increased services offered at the Grand Floridian resort (Choi 68). Therefore, the resort management needs to handle the aforementioned hiccups in order to improve on the number of guests, and increase efficiency. There are also favorable economic factors that have facilitated the growth and expansion of the Grand Floridian resort. For instance, the organization has received benefits from the federal government through subsidies and reduced taxes resulting in higher profits and revenues. Therefore, the government has enhanced the organization’s operations by offering tax breaks, and incentives to the entire hospitality and tourism industry. On the other hand, rising competition in the industry has led to increased creativity

Aker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Aker - Essay Example xample in the case of a sales manager, the head department has given the sales manager the authority to sell the products of the company, but then eventually the head department has decided to put an end to the authority that was previously given without giving information to the customers. In this scenario the sales manager still has apparent authority, since the basis of apparent authority is the consumer’s assumption of who has the authority and not the current relationship status of a principal and an agent (Rasmusen, 2004, p. 5). Aker has served a total of 200 clients that is from the start up to his final day at Potters agency. The agency was then abolished at the same year of Akers termination. Since the 200 clients to whom Aker has rendered his services do not have an idea that he and the agency no longer exist, Potter is now burdened with the responsibility to handle future complaints, but that will only happen if Aker continues to do business with the 200 clients despite the fact that he is no longer connected with the agency. Potter stopped from creating any arguments towards any agreements or transactions made by Aker, not unless Potter will inform the clients that Aker no longer has the authority to act in behalf of the agency, and that the agency has already been terminated. The clients (third party) are only allowed to ask Potter (the principal) to compensate for the losses if it was a result of Potters negligence to inform them of Akers (agent) termination. It does not make the agreement in a contract null and void as it only refers to the principal’s responsibility to pay for the damages, but the clients may only claim for damages if there is ratification or when the principal affirms to an agreement that is entered into by one who no longer has the authority to do it, as in the case of Aker (Rasmusen, 2004, p. 22-25). Pete Principal instructs Al Agent, his employee, to repossess some property owned by Ted Turner. Al knows that the

Religious Interview with a Protestant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Religious Interview with a Protestant - Essay Example He is a youth ambassador in the local church, a mission that has nurtured him into a spiritual leader who inspires other youngsters into the ways of God. In matters of religion activities, Georges father always arranged special events at the church apart from the normal Christian holidays such as the Easter holiday and Christmas. The events involved different churches camping at the church and exchange of ideas in terms of building spiritualism, living in the ways of the Almighty as well as attempting examinations on the most important tenets of Christian life. The underlying mission for these events was to inculcate young and adult Christians with the virtues of the Lord that would bring to track the Christians who were shaken in spirit. The events were also important in venerating the name of the Lord and thanking Him for the gift of life. The events were enjoyable since there were musical instruments to play; feasting of all kind and the general euphoria of socializing was just intriguing. George was the lead youth in the youth group present at the event. The youngsters enjoyed in playing the different musical instruments while the elderly people read the Bible interpreted it and passed the interpretation to the youngsters. The examinations were taken by the youngsters present at the event after being taught and receiving the interpretation of the Bible verses from the elderly. The general mood was joyous, and so everyone enjoyed the activities according to Georges confessions. Georges current religious view is simply Christian. He is a staunch practicing Christian, who follows the Christian principles in all spheres of life. He is proud of being Christian and reveres the Almighty God according to the ways of Christianity. He is a believer in Christianity. George did not change in his religious affiliation since he was brought up in a Christian way of life.

Computer systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Computer systems - Essay Example Software enables the computer to perform the computing functionalities and performing numerous tasks. Computer software entails system software (the operating system and all utilities that enable computing functionalities), applications software (these are programs that assist the users to perform specific tasks such as word processors, spreadsheets, database management system).Computer systems handle the execution of instruction through selection, iteration and sequencing a set of instructions. They execute binary instructions; hence, any kind of instructions given to the computer must be first converted into binary form (number base 2) before any computing action takes place (Blundell, Khan, Lasebae, and Jabbar, 2007). The advancement of digital technology has enabled the development of complex computing systems in the recent decades to encounter the changing and dynamic needs of the processing and dissemination of information in various organizations. There has been an improvement in the functionality and processing powers of computing machines lately and this has enabled vast quantities of information processing and storage. Computer systems have evolved from the older mainframes, which were bigger in size with low processing speeds, to now personal computers, which are smaller, cheaper, efficient, and easily portable. The tasks performed by the humans have been taken by computer systems that have increased the speed and efficiency of performing various tasks within a short period due to their multitasking nature (computers can perform various tasks at the same time). The operating systems of computers have been designed in a way that allows numerous tasks to be accomplished, and individuals can switch between tasks without waiting for any of the tasks to be completed (Dhotre, 2009). Monitoring The medical field has employed computer-monitoring technology on the functionality of the human body. The human body produces heat because of the metabolic activitie s that take place in the living cells. Modern thermograph machines are used to detect heat changes in the body; they convert such pulses to thermo grams fed into the computers, which are used to give images of the body parts that are unusually hot and cold. The images are used to investigate such defects as arthritis, breast cancer. Medical imaging is a technique that is used by physicians to observe the internal organs and functioning of the body. Imaging enables detection of causes of illness; such techniques include X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, and tomography. They send beams of waves into the body and later receive the reflections from the body. Computerized tomography uses extensive scans from different angles and sends to the computer, which arranges the images. Magnetic resonance imaging uses magnets and radio waves to form images. A computer analyzes the radio waves coming from the patient to produce a detailed image. Ultrasound scans pressed against the b ody, relay waves into the body and receive back the waves, sends them to the computer, which processes an image on the screen, is used especially on pregnant mothers to detect the position and the overall development of the baby in the womb. Electrocardiographs are used to record signals originating

Linguistics - English relative clauses in dialects of the GB isles Essay

Linguistics - English relative clauses in dialects of the GB isles - Essay Example Herrmann builds her theory will be examined. In part two, I will examine the basic premise upon which Mr. Sag builds his theories. Part three will examine Ms. Herrmanns theory of grammatical construction and part four will examine the commonalities that the two theories have, by paying special attention to the concept of pied-piping. To begin, one must examine the basic premise upon which Ms. Herrmann built her grammatical constructs. In the â€Å"Relative Clauses in Dialects of English,† the author describes an extensive study of the British Isles. She divided the Isles into six broad sections - Central Midland, Central north, Central Southwest, East Anglia, Northern Ireland and Scotland. She concentrated on the prototypical relative clauses, or adnominal clauses, and she compared these clauses across the different dialects of the sections listed above, with an eye towards identifying the features that have become commonplace across different dialects, and also identified how the commonalities and differences across different dialects identified certain dialects as more closely related to Standard English than other dialects. Her study also can identify where different dialects intersect, which is known as dialectical levelling. (Herrmann 22). In the process, she also identified broad characteristics of the various dialects she studied. Central southwest, Central North and Northern Ireland have broad dialectical speech, ie, the speakers in these regions tend to speak in one dialect, while the speakers in East Anglia, Central Midland and Scotland have more heterogenous speech. (Herrmann 24). Central Southwest and Northern Ireland are almost entirely broad speakers. Broad speakers tend towards more non-standard features, which is gradually transforming into traditional features, and these are influencing Standard English as a whole. (Herrmann 22). The basic findings of the study were that the relative particles (zero, that, what

Valuation Methods of Collateral Mortgage Obligations Dissertation

Valuation Methods of Collateral Mortgage Obligations - Dissertation Example ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  __________________ Jeremy Moreland, PhD Date  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dean, School of Advanced Studies University of Phoenix Abstract Begin Dedication Begin Acknowledgments Begin Table of Contents COLLATERALIZED MORTGAGE OBLIGATION VALUATION METHODS i COLLATERALIZED MORTGAGE OBLIGATION VALUATION METHODS iii Abstract iv Dedication v Acknowledgments vi Table of Contents vii List of Tables x List of Figures xi Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Background of the Problem 2 Statement of the Problem 3 Purpose of the Study 5 Significance of the Problem 6 Nature of the Study 8 Research Questions 10 Hypotheses 10 Theoretical Framework 11 Definition of Terms 14 Assumptions 14 Scope, Limitations, and Delimitations 15 Summary 15 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature 18 Historical Overview 18 Lit erature Review 27 Securitization and the Mortgage Market 31 The Evolution of Financial Exploitation 32 From the Margins of the City to the Core of Global Finance 33 Balanced Discussions and Alternative Viewpoints 34 Identified Research Gaps 35 Conclusion 38 Summary 40 Chapter 3: Method 1 Research Method and Design Appropriateness 1 Population, Sampling, and Data Collection Procedures and Rationale 4 Informed Consent, Confidentiality, and Geographic Location 5 Data Collection 5 Appropriateness, and Reliability and Validity of the Instruments 6 Internal Validity and External Validity 8 Data Analysis 8 Hypotheses 11 Description of Questionnaire Formulation 11 Findings of the Research (CMO Valuation Model) 13 Summary 13 14 References 14 Appendix A: Title 21 List of Tables List of Figures Chapter 1: Introduction The proposed quantitative descriptive research study involves the various valuation methodologies of prepayment speeds within collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO) tranches. The study involves analyzing how the prevalent valuation methods are useful in current complex economic scenarios. The objective of the proposed study is primarily to examine the applicability of various methods of valuation for pricing the CMOs so as to determine their validity in the present economic conditions. Collateralized mortgage obligations are derivative debt instruments that can be aptly defined as the claim that arises out of cash flows from large pools of home mortgages. The advantages of the CMO structure is that once mortgage holders receive principal and interest, the principal and interest is distributed to tranches. The principal amount, the coupon rate, the prepayment risk, and the maturity date differ among the tranches (Economy Watch, n. d.). Collateralized m

Linguistics - English relative clauses in dialects of the GB isles Essay

Linguistics - English relative clauses in dialects of the GB isles - Essay Example Herrmann builds her theory will be examined. In part two, I will examine the basic premise upon which Mr. Sag builds his theories. Part three will examine Ms. Herrmanns theory of grammatical construction and part four will examine the commonalities that the two theories have, by paying special attention to the concept of pied-piping. To begin, one must examine the basic premise upon which Ms. Herrmann built her grammatical constructs. In the â€Å"Relative Clauses in Dialects of English,† the author describes an extensive study of the British Isles. She divided the Isles into six broad sections - Central Midland, Central north, Central Southwest, East Anglia, Northern Ireland and Scotland. She concentrated on the prototypical relative clauses, or adnominal clauses, and she compared these clauses across the different dialects of the sections listed above, with an eye towards identifying the features that have become commonplace across different dialects, and also identified how the commonalities and differences across different dialects identified certain dialects as more closely related to Standard English than other dialects. Her study also can identify where different dialects intersect, which is known as dialectical levelling. (Herrmann 22). In the process, she also identified broad characteristics of the various dialects she studied. Central southwest, Central North and Northern Ireland have broad dialectical speech, ie, the speakers in these regions tend to speak in one dialect, while the speakers in East Anglia, Central Midland and Scotland have more heterogenous speech. (Herrmann 24). Central Southwest and Northern Ireland are almost entirely broad speakers. Broad speakers tend towards more non-standard features, which is gradually transforming into traditional features, and these are influencing Standard English as a whole. (Herrmann 22). The basic findings of the study were that the relative particles (zero, that, what

Which structural form, if any, is most suitable for an SHRM approach Essay

Which structural form, if any, is most suitable for an SHRM approach - Essay Example Management theorists and researchers have emphasized the difference between, and importance of, strategic HRM and human resource strategy, in achieving organisational goals. Therefore, strategic HRM decisions are incorporated into the strategic plan from which HR strategies are derived. According to Price (2007), strategies are means used by organisations to achieve their objectives, in the form of decisions taken well in advance to meet the long-term goals of the organisation. Strategic HRM focuses on widespread aspects of organisation such as organisational culture, individual career development, having right people for the right job, etc. In relation to this, Mabey, Salaman and Storey (1998) have proposed four different perspectives: firstly, SHRM entails complex activities that are beyond the responsibilities of personnel or HRM managers and extend to all aspects of managing people including social and economic context of management of internal and external environments impacting the organisation and its people; secondly, it includes impact of strategies on business performance, and thus emphasizes on measurement of performance; thirdly, management styles are more defined and according to the existing people and goals; and lastly, development of organisational capability is encompassed through strategic knowledge management. Much work on SHRM field has resulted in various models and types of SHRM, which can be broadly classified into two groups, the general and prescriptive approaches. Delery and Doty (1996) and Richardson and Thompson (1999) have framed ‘best practices, ‘best fit’ and the ‘configurational’ approaches (cited by Armstrong, 2000); another perspective by Armstrong (2000) includes high-commitment, high-performance and high involvement models. In the ‘best practice’ approach, organisations adopt best HRM practices such as employment

The Unforgiven Essay Example for Free

The Unforgiven Essay For the final essay, the movie I will be writing about is based on the Clint Eastwood’s movie â€Å"Unforgiven.† Clint Eastwood portrays a story of William Munny, a killer and aging outlaw who has taken up one more job after years of external and internal peace. In the movie, the plot begins as to why William does decide to come back for one last rendez-vous with death. Taking place in Big Whiskey, Wyoming, a group of prostitutes, led by Strawberry Alice, offer a $1,000 reward to whoever can kill â€Å"Davey-Boy† Bunting and Quick Mike. The reason that these bounties were places is because these two individuals disfigured Delilah Fitgerald, a prostitute who is one of their own. An important factor to keep in mind in this situation is that the prostitutes greatly exaggerated the factual events that transpired, and the story that was sent out to the public â€Å"bounty hunters† was based on a major over exaggeration and so much to that point that it was not factually based. However, the idea of these bounty that was sent out by the prostitutes upsets Little Bill Daggett, the local sheriff, who himself was a former gunfighter but is not a converted keepers of peace who has taken the law upon himself and has dis-allowed guns and criminals in his town. What Little Bill does in this town is take the law into his own hands. While there is some sort of legal system in place in this town, the prostitutes have no rights under the system and according to Little Bill, it is up to him to decide what should be done in this situation. He is always taking the laws in his own hands. In this specific case, Little Bill gives these two men leniency despite the crime that they have committed. Will, hearing the over exaggerated version of the factual events, decides to come to this town and hunt and kill these two men not only for retribution for the prostitutes but to also collect the reward money. Using the reasoning of Kant, Mill, and Aristotle, I will analyze this entire current situation in the movie and using these different thinkers then compare and contrast who would agree with each other and who would disagree with each other. The first thinker I will bring up is Kant. The first issue that comes up in the state situation is justice which then leads into the rest of the problems presented in the beginning of the story. What the prostitutes did  to Will is actually manipulate him because what the factual events was greatly differed that the story that was presented to him. As a result, Mill was manipulated into making his decision to help solve the prostitute’s problem, and by him being manipulated into making this decision the prostitutes took away his free choice. Immanuel Kant is against taking away people’s free choice. There are three imperatives that are used by Kant to determine if a certain deed should be done. The three imperatives include the universal law based on principle, the means end formula (never treat anyone as a means but always as an end), autonomy formula (act in accordance to the maxim of a member that legislates the law)or the people who make the law are moral and thus the laws must be followed. When taking in consideration the universal law, what Kant is saying is that the acts act according only to maxim and thus must be applied to everybody. In this situation, the following maxim could be read as â€Å"if a prostitute is attacked, then it is ok to pay for someone to come in and seek vengeance.† The maxim for the prostitutes is to pay for justice and if applied to everyone this maxim would definitely not work and the world would become more chaotic and dangerous if this were a true maxim. The second part of the imperative deals with the means end formula. This states that one should never treat anyone as a mean but always as an end. In other words, do not use someone just for your benefit at the expense of another person’s but at the same time the other person should be getting something back in return that they need. All information needs to be presented in a factual way to help the person make a decision that they really want. With this being said, the prostitutes are using Will merely as a mean because what they did was lie to him. By exaggerating the truth, the prostitutes manipulated Will and use him as a mean to get justice among themselves. While there was indeed a reward for him, his decision to do this for the money was based on a wrong assumption because he was told a lie. His free will was taken away to make this decision because he was told the truth about what happened and if he did know the actual true events he may not have made the decision that he made. The last part of Kant’s three imperative is the autonomy formula. The autonomy formula talks about how acts should be followed according to the maxim that regulates law because the people that make the law are moral thus they should be followed because moral acts will help build a moral society.  However, the prostitutes would not have to follow the law based from Little Billy because this certain law was made from an immoral person and thus since it comes from an immoral person that only means that the law will be immoral. The next thinker that we will use to examine the following situation is the great mind of Mill. Mill says that a right is an expectation that society will help protect other people’s rights. Just can vary from each person and that the difference that does exist in society means that there is a different kind of equality. Utilitarianism is what brings the ideas all together. This states that if the majority of the people are happy then the act or deed should be done. The idea presented my Mill in utilitarianism is to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. In the following situation from Clint Eastwood’s movie, Mill would don’t condone what has occurred because it is unjust to deprive anyone of anything that is legally their liberty or property. It is unjust to kill the two cowboys because he was never convicted of the crime that he did commit. The prostitutes should have had rights, and the two cowboys should have their voice heard in a trial. Mill would say that there is a bad law in place towards these prostitutes and the sheriff has rights in this town that he should not have. According to utilitarianism, it is wrong to harm certain individuals in order to make other people happy. In this instance, Will is killing these two individuals because this will make the prostitutes happy. John Stuart mill would be against this and so for Will to go and kill these two men is wrong in the eyes of the great philosopher Mill. The final thinker that will be used to examine the following situation is the great Greek philosopher Aristotle. To Aristotle, the law should be respected and if you do not respect the law then what you are doing is rejecting the government. The sheriff in town has placed un-just laws to the people. However, if these laws are not followed then what the people are doing is doing un-just to the community. To Aristotle, in order to have properly fixed the problem is that there needs to a mediator, one whom is un-biased and will look at each individual case down the middle and determine whether or not a disciplinarian action needs to occur. There needs  to be the right to a trial for a person to be properly convicted. This directly relates to the two cowboys who were punished without the mediator and â€Å"their day in court.† Aristotle would also say that the prostitutes should have right and the males who committed the crime should be trialed by law and a proper punishment, if any, would be warranted by an un-biased mediator of who would not include Little Bill. He is a very biased individual and Aristotle would be very against him and the actions that he is placing on society. To Aristotle, it will be no surprise to have heard that Will would take this job and to go back to killing. To Aristotle, it is very hard to break a habit that one did for so many years. Aristotle would not say that Will does an evil behavior, but instead Will has bad character traits. The habits he grew up with were not very good with the constant killings he did. As he killed more and more he got into the habit of killing, and for him to break this bad habit of killing is only going to get harder and harder as he not only kills but gets older continuing to kill. Deep down he already knew how to kill, and when the situation presented him his old habits came out and decided to go back and kill again. Aristotle would be against Will’s killing because it is not adding to his own happiness . These acts are immoral and his happiness is not reaching his full potential with the action that Will has done to these two other cowboys. After going over what the three great philosophers have said about the same situation, in my opinion Aristotle and Mill agree with each other the most because they both say how you need the community to be happy. They both correlate with each other. Aristotle is about the action itself and this directly disagrees with as to what Kant believes. This is why Aristotle and Kant both disagree with each other the most. As Aristotle is more about the action itself, Kant is all about the intent of the action. Aristotle and Mill would again agree because he says that the prostitutes should have rights and that the males should have been held on a fair trial. This eliminated the sheriffs and what he feels right according to himself and instead there would be a non-biased individual who will not already be prone to one side or the other like Little Billy was evident by his actions in the movie. In conclusion, Mill, Aristotle, and Kant all have some similar but different points about how the same situation should have been handled. Some were similar, and others were very different. It is my opinion that I agree most with Aristotle. He talks about having a non-biased individual (the judge in today’s society) and how everyone deserves rights including the prostitutes who had no rights in the movie. He is against Will going to kill for vengeance and also agrees with how people who have too much power and make immoral laws should lose that power for the benefit of the community. Ultimately, I agree with all of them because they bring up different but valid point. In the end, I agree the most with Aristotle because what he says is very similar in what steps would be taken in modern society today. With this being said, justice is still very unfair in today’s society. There are still these bounty killings and many of them do get away because of a lack of evidence or some other cause that prevents a judge from getting a conviction. Nevertheless, justice is many times unfair in today’s modern world, but improvements are being made and the judicial systems are doing the absolute best job they can do to bring justice to criminals and to get modern bounty hunters off the streets to make society a better and nicer place to live in.

Emerging Themes In A Country Doctor English Literature Essay

Emerging Themes In A Country Doctor English Literature Essay A Country Doctor is a short story written by Franz Kafka (1883-1924), a Polish Jew renowned for his distinctive literature. It is the story of a rural doctor who is called upon to attend to a patient in circumstances of perfect difficulty-deep in the night, amid a severe snowstorm, to travel ten miles when he has lately lost to the cold the life of his horse that draws his carriage. His maids efforts to search around for a borrowed horse are fruitless-as the doctor himself anticipates. Acting in frustration he kicks open an old disused pigsty, and from it proceeds help: a groom and two horses to his aid-or so he believes-only for the groom to set him up for the journey and then unexpectedly remain to embark on fulfilling his violent lust on the doctors defenceless maid, as he has wickedly proclaimed intent. The doctor arrives in no time and is briskly shown to the patient, who immediately makes his desire to die privately known to the doctor, causing this journey to reveal itself to the doctor as an exercise in futility, especially as he recollects the desperate situation he has left his maid in on account of his own imprudent departure, and as he initially fails to see what is ailing the invalid youth. He rejects the old hosts courtesy of a drink of rum offered, feigning attention to the patients case in spite of his foregone conclusion. It soon becomes clear that he plans to leave the young man unattended, but amid all the unease this realisation causes on the hosts, he is helped by a maidens holding of a bloody cloth to see the patients wound near his hip-a festering ugly rose-like wound with large worms wriggling inside. The hosts soon strip off his clothes and cast him beside the patient on the wounded side as children sing strangely outside, and the two are left alone together. The doctor is forced to calm the patient to tranquil death with somewhat self-excusing arguments. He is keen to escape this situation and hurriedly climbs a horse naked, dragging the other one, the carriage and fur coat along, but the horses make no haste, painfully suspending him in the moment of feeling empty and wasted. Challenged first with the requirement to be capable of responding urgently to a patients call in spite of inconvenient timing, distance and weather; secondly with the requirement to procure means in a situation of unanticipated lack which highlights his precarious unsociability (or that of his neighbours); thirdly, the requirement to protect his vulnerable maid from an explicit threat of a sex predator at a time when duty calls elsewhere; and fourthly, the requirement to make a correct professional decision, faced with a patient who wants to be helped to die and amid feelings and thoughts of guilt, the doctor is dismayed to find himself failing too often. Even after he finds these challenges daunting, he is left to wallow in frustrations he encounters: one being his ultimate inability to rescue his maid; he is incapable of being urgently helpful to her despite meaning to be all along since he left for duty. Things do not work out for him as he had hoped, though initially it is a frustration to him as well that she is abandoned to this vile groom who prefers to delight himself in her misery over accompanying the doctor as the doctor had expected. Yet another is that he finds himself unable to treat his patient-he does not end up curing him. Furthermore, the patient does not even wish to be cured; he wishes to die, and is hostile to the doctors attendance. The doctor finds the whole journey amounting to a response to a false alarm, with added professional frustrations, which rubbed it in how truly unhappy and humiliated it makes his life. Initially, the death of his faithful old horse was a frustration that he hoped to overcome, but it persists as he finds that the horses he is newly experiencing only serve to complicate his predicament, as if by some conspiracy of circumstances, in the manner which they ride him off when he wishes to stay and help his frightened maid; and they walk him ever so slowly back whereas he wishes to escape his unpleasant ordeal and return to redeem his already his already molested Rosa. Perhaps we can call this short story a nightmare. Perhaps it is a literal nightmare-that is plausible-owing to the psychological intensity of the narrated experience. The author almost seems to rush and club together the doctors experiences, giving him such little control, and all along portraying how intense the doctors emotions and thoughts are over the whole ordeal. Or it may be viewed as a metaphorical nightmare; a narration of events that anyone would hate to experience in real life as they fictionally occurred to the country doctor, the main character of the story. Arguably, though, some events in the story occur in a manner somehow fraught with mystery, such as the plot-convenient and plot-rescuing presence of the pigsty, from which come this groom and these horses which serve to deepen the doctors personal crisis; the mischievous and uncharacteristic but highly aware songs which the children sing and the intelligent behaviour of the horses. But there are themes which emerge in this story. One is the dilemma of professional occupation and domestic or private obligation. This theme is demonstrated especially in that moment when the doctor helplessly witnesses his maid being ambushed by the groom, as he is ridden off in his carriage to work. The predicament haunts him throughout his call of duty, and is regularly brought to stark remembrance as he works, causing in him an inner restlessness and emptiness. Some commentators have shown this theme as being pertinent in Kafkas life-he is torn between happiness in relationships and his writing career. Another is the moral complexities professional ethics face, as in the case of euthanasia in the medical profession. Is it right to cure a patient who wishes to die? Should a doctor have to make such a decision? Might a doctor sometimes lack the will or form to be helpful to a patient owing to a personal or private crisis? What happens then? Should he be forced to work-is such compulsion successful anyway? Moreover, there is an apparent thematic conspiracy of circumstances, and its potential to change a persons perspective to life. Is it an ordinary thing-and is it good? Especially because we see another theme: the doctor is plunged into an existential crisis. All what he values in his life -both private and professional-is under attack, and he fails to satisfy his own standards and expectations of himself. Is private life worth sacrificing for profession-particularly if profession is potentially life-saving? Could it be that sacrificing private life ends up destroying ones professional competence? Clearly though, the choices sometimes may have to be mutually exclusive, and the individual risks suffering helpless regret whichever way. Kafka, Franz. A Country Doctor. Trans. Ian Johnston. Nanaimo, BC: Malaspina University-College, 21 Feb. 2009. Web. 18 May 2010. Soman, Ebey. Literary analysis: The Country Doctor, by Franz Kafka. Helium, Inc. Web. 21 May 2010. Bernardo, Karen. Franz Kafkas The Country Doctor. www.storybites.com. Web. 21 May 2010.

How the Houses in Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights Compare :: Emily Bronte Literature Essays

How the Houses in Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights Compare Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange are two exact opposites separated by the neutral territory of the moors, a dreamlike place thought of as heaven by Heathcliff and Catherine. Although both estates are wealthy, there is a definite difference in class between them and this bears greatly on the characters from both estates ability to socialise with each other. The two different buildings have their own strengths and weaknesses and the characters reflect their features. On the one hand there is Wuthering Heights with its stark and intimidating appearance but strong magnetism representing savagery and Thrushcross grange with its refinement and pleasant appearance representing civility. Wuthering heights has the characteristics of being a very strong, prominent structure and is described by Mr Lockwood as being a misanthropists heaven. It is a very desolate and lonely place up on a hill exposed to stormy weather with no real beauty and can be seen as an uncivilised place to live. Thrushcross Grange is a very classy, civilised estate and living in a place like this would bring a lot of status with it. It is quite a sheltered place down in the valley and this is something that is common with its children - they tend to be sheltered and spoilt. Thrushcross grange is comfortable and decorative whereas Wuthering Heights is basic and down to earth. Whilst Wuthering Heights has great power in its commanding position up on the hill, it will never be in the same class as the Grange. The features of the estates have a strong association with the people who live in them in terms of mood, emotion and appearance. Heathcliff is a very dark and stormy character of Gypsy blood and is the person who has the greatest association with Wuthering Heights. Mr Earnshaw who found him alone and starving introduced him to the place as a child where he grew up with Catherine and Hindley as an interloper. In adulthood he becomes more and more antisocial and puts up a stone barrier when it comes to showing his emotions. He and the building suit each other as though they were one and the same because whilst he displays all the strength and pride of the Heights, he also has the roughness. Isabella is Edgar Linton's sister and although being a pleasant, well-educated person has the soft and civilised traits of Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff marries her as a way of revenge against Cathy and Edgar and as part of his overall plan to own both estates. Not realising Heathcliffs intentions she is taken in by his magnetism and strength but is too soft a character to stand up to his might and

Passing: Debut Albums and Best Friend Essay

What is going to happen now that the deed is done? What is the future for Irene? Did she push her or did she just fall? Clare was supposed to be Irene’s best friend. How could she push her? Clare has been passing through and now was spending a lot of time with Irene and Brian. Irene has now started to think that Clare and Brian are together. This hurt Irene her husband with her best friend how could they do that to her. Now she is spending all her time trying to find a way to save her life and family. Clare is having fun keeping her husband from knowing that she is half black. Clare’s husband finds out and goes to the party that they are at, and Irene knows that if Clare gets freed from her husband. She will take Brain for sure. It all happened so fast Clare fell. Irene pushed her out the window. She didn’t think she just pushed. What is going to happen to Irene was she seen and will she get in trouble? Irene has been upset for a week before the party. Clare, Irene’s best friend, was spending a lot of time with Brian and she is still hiding the fact that she is half black from her over racist white husband. All he does it insult black people constantly. Clare was beautiful as Irene would say. Irene didn’t start to think there was anything wrong until a week ago. Irene was sure that Brain was mad at her. He had been is a bad mood all that last week. Then when Clare came over it was all good. This is what told Irene the truth she knew right then and there that Brian had been cheating on her with Clare. Irene was hurt but what could she do. How was she going to be able to keep Brian? What was going to be her next move? Irene was thinking a lot she was not sure what to do. She thought about telling Clare’s husband, but she didn’t know how to tell him. That wouldn’t work if Clare was free from John then what is holding her back from taking Brian away. No she couldn’t let that happen. She couldn’t lose Brian she just couldn’t. That night they were going to go to a party Irene didn’t really want to go she and Brian had just had a fight. She got ready to go. On the way up to the party Brian had Clare and Irene on his arms. It was bothering her the way they acted around each other. Clare was standing by the window when John started pounding on the door. All Irene could think was John found out. Irene couldn’t let her get freed. She just couldn’t let it  happen. She ran for Clare and grabbed her arm. Then it happen it was so fast Clare fell out the window. How did it happen? What will happen next? Did she push her? Did she fall? Irene was freaking out, knowing what she had done. Then she had a terrible thought. What if she is still alive? She would lose Brian for sure if she was alive. She was going to have to go down. â€Å"Should she put on her coat? Felise had rushed down without any wrap. So had all the others. So had Brian. Brian! He mustn’t take cold!†(pg.178) So she went down the stairs. When she got down there she went to Brian. She gave him his coat, but he rapped it around her. People were asking what happened. Someone asked Irene what she saw, did Clare get pushed by her husband. â€Å"You’re sure she fell? Her husband didn’t give her a shove or anything like that?†(pg.181) Irene’s answer was short and sweet. Irene told them that Clare just fell. She said no one pushed her. I bet that Irene was going crazy after that. Would they find out? All Irene wants was to be free of Clare and live happily with her husband. Now her life is unpredictable what’s next what going to happen to her family. It is mostly going to be like this. Now that Clare is died Irene and Brian will be happy again. For a while then Brian will get sad again and maybe he will want to leave Irene but won’t because of their kids. Jack will feel the loss for a while but then he will go back to his racist way he will leave and go home to his daughter and he will tell her that he hates her and that her mother was have black and a lot of other horrible things. He will try and kill her or he will send her away to a boarding school. He will never want to see her again. He will find a racist white women and marry her. Irene will be scared and looking over her shoulders her rest of her life. Always worrying if they found out. Irene will want to start over and forget. She will never get too thought she will have to ask Brian to let them move. Irene will want to leave or at least move to a different house. She will never want to think about Clare again. That won’t be possible because every party ever event she goes to she will think of what she has done to her best friend. She pushed her best friend out of a window after all she been though thou it still does not seem right and the biggest reminder of all is Brain.  Every time she looks at Brian she will remember that her cheated on her with her best friend. Irene will never get away from the fact. She killed Clare. She was the one that pushed her out that window! Irene went through a lot. I was still not right for her to push Clare out of the window though. Irene was cheated on with her best friend. Brian was always miserable when he was with her and then when he saw Clare his mood did a flip. Clare was beautiful and Irene was not there was no way else to get Brian. She couldn’t tell Clare’s husband he would have freed her and she would have taken Brian away. Then she would have been left with nothing at all. She had to keep Brian. So she pushed Clare out the window. That when her life changed she would never be the same. She would be worried all the time and unhappy. She would have never been happy again she had killed her best friend I know she was with her husband. It was still not right of her to push Clare out of a window. She did not deserve to die and for killing her Clare will suffer more then she has ever before. She will live the rest of her life with regret, and sorrow. She killed her best friend even if it was for the right reason. It was still wrong to kill her. Irene will never again have a happy family. She will always have the pain that she didn’t deserved in a way it was Clare’s last way of making her suffer.

Think Before You Act

Think Before You Act Everyday someone loses a person dear to them. You never know if it will be your last day here in this world. We all just live day to day and don’t realize tomorrow could be our last. It’s even worse when it could have been prevented. Choices we make can impact our lives and individuals around us. People say things happen for a reason, and that God has a plan for all of us. We won’t know the truth until something tragic happens each of us. June 24, 2011 was the day that I lost a close friend forever. I remember that day like it happened yesterday.You don’t forget days like that when your life changes forever. The night of the accident, a young man decided to leave a bar and drive with his blood alcohol content over three times the legal limit. He ended up driving the wrong way on the highway and collided head-on with another vehicle. Both drivers were pronounced dead on the scene. My friend was a victim of a drunk driver. He graduated f rom high school two weeks before his death. Not even eighteen years old and still had a life to live. Bryant Hernandez was an individual who left a mark on everyone he came in contact with.You wouldn’t think a seventeen year old would have a huge impact on people he came across, but he did. Bryant did everything he could to put a smile on your face. He seemed to always know what to say to cheer you up. I met Bryant when I was a senior in high school. Since I had to have an elective I ended up taking a child development class. Walking through the class I noticed that we were all girls except for one. He was sitting at a table alone and looking very uncomfortable. I would feel awkward to taking a child development class with a bunch of girls.Bryant looked in my direction when I started to approach him. â€Å"Do you mind if I sit with you? † I asked. â€Å"Well you are already sitting down so I guess I don’t have much of a choice. † Bryant said with a smirk on his face. I couldn’t help but laugh. I knew from that moment I was going to like having him in this class. Eventually it turned out to be one of my favorite classes. He was my go to guy for everything. Bryant knew how to make me feel better when things got tough. At the time small things like that weren’t that important.But now I would give anything to go back and cherish those moments with him. It’s been over a year since the accident and I’ve realized choices you make can have major consequences. When I was a teenager I made stupid decisions like the guy who killed my friend. I didn’t think about anyone else. All I cared about was having fun and living in the moment. I didn’t care when people told me not to drive home drunk. Well living in the moment doesn’t get you anywhere. You may get away with it a couple of times but eventually it will catch up to you.After his death I thought a lot about my actions. Watching his parents say there last words to him and how tired they looked, I couldn’t imagine what they went through and what they are still currently going through. I imagined how my parents would react. I can’t help but want to cry. It makes me sick to know how selfish I was when I was younger. Bryant’s death was a wakeup call for me and hopefully several others. Driving drunk will never cross my mind again. With everything I do now I take a moment to think about it and to make sure that it is the right decision to make.I know Bryant is looking down smiling and saying â€Å"About time you changed, you hard headed girl! † My friend may not be here anymore but him passing on made his family and friends realize things you love can easily be taken away from you in a flash. Selfishness is very common and realizing that our actions can affect our own lives and the people we love so dearly. If moments can be prevented then prevent them. Teaching others to think before they act can i mpact a lot of people from making the wrong decisions. In time everyone with have their own personal reality checks some faster than others.