Philosophy Of The Role And Mission Of Educaiton And Business Education

Philosophy Of The Role And Mission Of Educaiton And Business Education In Secondary Schools Education and Vocational Education have many roles in today's schools. Vocational education focuses on the future employment of the student, by using practical application. Vocational education gives students the opportunity to learn with hands-on experience. This can help in several areas of gaining an education. Most notably, this gives the student the opportunity to find out if this is what they want to do. Students will get a real-world experience very early on in their education. This experience can greatly enrich a student's education by giving them the opportunity to become involved in activities that are relevant to their lives, therefore, becoming a source of motivation. Education provides these same experiences to a certain extent, but the connection to real-world experience is much less defined. I believe it is the obligation of an educator to help create lifelong learners out of our students. Three key elements need to be present for this to take place. Confidence, relevance and motivation must all be present. Students need to have the confidence to try and succeed, or try and fail. This may sound like a trivial example, but I believe it is essential to success. Without knowing and understanding failure, students will not be able to appreciate success and what it takes to succeed. Confidence will be gained through the trial and error that takes place in the successful business educator's classroom. Relevance is the next item. The application of the material in the classroom must be relevant to what the student has set his/her sights on. Business education is all about relevance. Taking the simulations, applications and exercises from real life examples allows the students to see and understand the challenges they face. When the students see they are learning relevant skills they will become motivated to succeed. Motivation can come from a variety of sources, but I believe the business education teacher can aid in this. Students fall into bad habits while at school. I see it on a daily basis. They go through the motions of being a student and miss all the valuable knowledge that is available to them. They see no connection to what they are currently doing, to what they will ?grow up? and do. When that connection is made, the student will become motivated to take advantage of the experience and information presented to them in school. I want to teach business education because I believe the knowledge and skills it provides are essential to all students. Students need to understand the competition they will be facing in their search for that first job. Business education gives them a glimpse of what will be expected of them from day one. They need to learn the skills to enable them to become effective consumers, employees and leaders. Business education teaches students how to work as a team, how to meet deadlines, how to prioritize work and teaches them problem-solving skills. Students of today will become the businessmen of tomorrow. We must prepare them to manage their money, make wise investment decisions and learn to live on a budget. They also need to be exposed to expectations in the work environment. Communication is a must in any profession, including business. Interpersonal skills will be used on a daily basis. Business education prepares students for all of these situations and helps them in their pursui t of lifelong learning. Although there are many classes that can aid in the education of vocational students, I believe there are three mandatory classes. Keyboarding, computer applications and accounting must be present in the business education curriculum. These classes have practical application for students. At jobsites around the world, students will need these skills to succeed. Keyboarding is the most basic of these, but holds the most value. Without this skill, students will not succeed in the business world. The earlier this skill is learned, the better. Computer applications must be introduced at an early age also. With this skill students will be able to make a smooth transition into the workplace. Accounting is another skill that will be helpful for graduating students. They may not choose this specific field, but somewhere along

The Federal Reserve Essays - Monetary Economics, Monetary Policy

The Federal Reserve Essays - Monetary Economics, Monetary Policy The Federal Reserve When you look up the word money in the dictionary, you get this as the definition: A commodity, such as gold, or an officially issued coin or paper note that is legally established as an exchangeable equivalent of all other commodities, such as goods and services, and is used as a measure of their comparative values on the market. Money has three basic functions: a medium of exchange, a measure of value, and a store of value. Goods and services are paid for in money and debts are brought upon and then paid off in money. Without money, economic transactions would have to take place on a trading basis. But who controls all of our countries money? Back in the early nineteenth century our country was experiencing major national banking panics. One of the most remembered of these panics was the Banking Panic of 1907. Abram P. Andrew, secretary of the National Monetary Commission collected nearly two hundred samples of different bank currencies created to stem the 1907 panic, and he provided a description of the banks' problems at that time: [The banks] were so singularly unrelated and independent of each other that the majority of them had simultaneously engaged in a life and death contest with each other, forgetting for the time being the solidarity of their mutual interest and their common responsibility to the community at large. Two-thirds of the banks of the country entered upon an internecine struggle to obtain cash, had ceased to extend credit to their customers, had suspended cash payments and were hoarding such money as they had. What was the result? ... Thousands of men were thrown out of work, thousands of firms went into bankruptcy, the trade of the country came to a standstill, and all this happened simply because the credit system of the country had ceased to operate. (The Region, 1988) With all of the troubles the banking system was experiencing, President Woodrow Wilson passed an act in 1913 that established the Federal Reserve System (the Fed). Passing that act was the most drastic banking reform in the country's history. The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 was made to serve as a lender-of-last-resort in times of crisis and to provide a national currency that would expand and contract as needed. A seven member Board of Governors runs the Fed. They are usually bankers or economic specialists that are appointed by the President to 14-year terms. The terms are so long so that the members are protected from all of the political material that goes on. The President then selects a chairman of the board who is the chief spokesperson of the Fed. The current chairman is Alan Greenspan. The Federal Reserve System is also dubbed with the name The Central Bank of the United States. Today the Fed is comprised of twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks spread across the United States. They are located in New York, St. Louis, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, Philadelphia, Richmond, Minneapolis, and Kansas City. If you look on the left side of a dollar, you can see which branch it was manufactured at. Each branch acts as a central bank for private banks in their region. Back in 1980 The Monetary Control Act resulted that all banks are subject to regulation of the Federal Reserve. Before this act, banks could choose whether or not they wanted to be members of the Fed. After the act was passed, all banks are required to be a member. The Fed has three main policies in which they influence the way banks operate. They are the legal reserve requirement, the discount rate, and open-market operations. Each policy powers the reserve and lending capability of banks. The discount rate is not usually a potent control, but it is important for it may point to the direction that the Federal Reserve policy goes. The legal reserve ratio is a powerful policy, but changes in it are rare. Open-market operations have a direct impact on the market and are one of the most important ways the Fed controls the money supply. The legal reserve ratio is the ratio of cash reserves to demand deposits that banks are required to maintain. When

Benchmarking for Performance Evaluation Essay Example for Free

Benchmarking for Performance Evaluation Essay In September 2004, Wendy Wiley, the Northlake Bookstore manager, was considering the implications of a shocking development. For the first time in her seven years as the Bookstore manager, textbook sales for this fall had decreased from the prior fall sales. The sales decrease was approximately $180,000, or 3% of annual textbook sales. Wendy wanted to address this problem before it got worse. She found that this sales decrease was due to two emerging technology problems, possibly of equal magnitude: 1) the students’ increasing use of online textbook vendors, and 2) the professors’ increasing use of online textbook publishers. Wendy reported the bad sales news to her boss, Chuck Irwin, the Vice Chancellor of Finance at Northlake University. After commiserating with her, Chuck told her that he was not surprised by this sales problem and that she should consider how to deal with these emerging technologies in her next performance evaluation report by comparing the performance of the Northlake Bookstore against competitors using benchmarking analysis. This analysis would help Wendy find the strengths and weaknesses of the Bookstore. Additionally, Chuck wanted Wendy to develop a few key related short-term performance goals and related measures that could be used in future performance evaluations. He wanted to discuss the situation at their meeting next week, which was the annual review of the Bookstore’s performance for the prior fiscal year 2004 (July 2003 through June 2004). A benchmarking analysis was required by Chuck for the annual review of all the nonacademic departments under his management. Northlake is a private university, located in a major metropolitan area in the Midwest, with an annual enrollment of 12 ,700 students, mostly undergraduates. Northlake is quite dependent upon student tuition, which typically accounts for 60% of its total revenues. However, the Chancellor was concerned because donations and gifts to the University were down, possibly due to uncertain economic conditions and erratic stock market performance. Prior to becoming the Northlake Bookstore manager, Wendy had spent 15 years in retail sales, most recently as a Wal-Mart sales manager. She was an outgoing, supportive individual who really liked being a retail sales manager and enjoyed working with her employees. She strongly believed in continuous improvement of any sales department that she managed. Despite her extensive retail experience in the for-profit sector, this was her first experience working in an academic environment. Wendy occasionally became frustrated working with faculty due to their late or inaccurate book orders. However, she liked helping students and enjoyed working in an academic environment without all the pressures of a for-prof it business with aggressive sales and earnings targets like Wal-Mart. To prepare her benchmarking analysis report required for the upcoming annual performance evaluation of the Bookstore, Wendy had collected income statement, product line, and other performance measures for the last three fiscal years. To aid evaluation, she summarized the various Bookstore operations into five product lines: textbooks, supplies and sundries, clothing, software and accessories, and computers. The textbook product line included new texts, used texts, class notes (course packs), and general reference books. The supply and sundry line included school and office supplies, electronics, food, sundries, greeting cards, and miscellaneous campus department sales. The clothing line included all insignia clothing, gifts, and memorabilia. Wendy knew she needed to act fast to thoroughly analyze all the information needed for the Bookstore’s annual benchmarking analysis that Chuck and the Chancellor required. She had a lot of historical information and was wondering how to analyze this financial information for her benchmarking analysis report. Benchmarking is the process of identifying superior performance of other organizations for products, services, and processes, and then attempting to improve necessary areas with the goal of achieving similar excellence. The benchmarking process first became popular in 1989 after Xerox advertised its success with the tool; however, the tool was initially employed by Xerox in 1972. In fact, more than 70% of the Fortune 500 companies—which includes AT&T, Ford Motor Company, IBM, and Eastman Kodak—reported using benchmarking regularly. Benchmarking is useful in countless decision-making settings including performance evaluation, health and safety management, and supply chain management. To reach for greater standards of excellence, Ford would likely consider foreign automobile manufacturers that have been well known for high efficiency and quality, such as Toyota, the current world-wide leader in automobile sales. Wendy currently benchmarked the performance of the bookstore against other college bookstores and major booksellers. In performing a benchmarking analysis, it was imperative for Wendy to benchmark processes that were aligned with organizational strategic objectives. Since the Bookstore was a profit center, it was imperative that she compare the profitability of the various product lines with other universities. The Bookstore also had an objective to provide service excellence. Thus, if available, it would be beneficial for Wendy to benchmark customer satisfaction data with other universities. Once processes that were consistent with strategic objectives were identified, it was necessary to collect and analyze internal information vis-Ã ¡-vis external information from competitors. The benchmarking process did not stop once areas of excellence and inferior performance were identified. Rather, it was imperative for Wendy to identify how to sustain the areas of excellence and improve the areas of inferior performance. In determining how to improve poor performance, she needed to understand the reason behind the poor performance. Once that was attained, it would be possible to determine a long-term plan for improvement. A key role of the Bookstore was to supply the Northlake University community–which included but was not limited to faculty, students, alumni and parents–with textbooks, supplies, clothing and gifts, computers and software, and much more. The Bookstore’s formal mission statement was as follows: The Northlake Bookstore is an academic resource for the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests of the University. The Bookstore serves the University with a business presence dedicated to providing service excellence that meets or exceeds the needs of each customer and University department. The Bookstore played a significant role in enabling parents of freshmen to participate in getting their children ready for the first day of class. Additional temporary staff was hired to ensure there was adequate assistance available for new students and returning students who were purchasing their textbooks. These staff members were readily available and happy to answer any question that new parents or students might have regarding textbooks or the University in general. Also, congruent with the University laptop requirement for all students, the Bookstore sold computers and software. This was a great way for parents to enjoy onestop back-to-school shopping. Additionally, the Bookstore tried to promote the University as a brand name by selling clothing and accessories with the University logo and/or name. Availability of clothing and accessories was also a service provided to students, parents, and alumni who wanted to show their support for the school. Sales of merchandise with the University logo indirectly promoted the University, but the Bookstore did not try to formally create alumni support nor was that a formal goal. This was the function of the University Alumni Advancement (funding) office. As indicated by the mission statement, by the role taken to familiarize new parents and students, and by the sale of merchandise with the University logo, the Bookstore operated in a manner aimed at achieving high customer satisfaction. To measure customer satisfaction the Bookstore conducted an annual customer satisfaction survey and a separate faculty satisfaction survey. Customer suggestion forms were also readily available on the Bookstore website. In her years as the Bookstore manager, Wendy had developed various financial performance measures to help assess the performance of the Bookstore. Over the last few years, she had used these measures as part of her benchmarking analysis. She felt fortunate to have a fairly comprehensive benchmarking database available to her. It was provided annually to all bookstore members free of charge by the National Association of College Stores (NACS). The only requirement was that each bookstore had to contribute its own data to the benchmarking database in order to use it. The NACS database included income statement, product line, and other types of benchmarks. With the looming threat from online textbook vendors, Wendy had started to benchmark Northlake’s textbook prices against the major online textbook vendors. She also tracked mail orders and Web orders from Northlake’s own website (started in 2000). Her task now was how best to use this benchmark information. She believed that her first step was to compare her current financial and operating results with the benchmark data to pinpoint areas in need of improvement. This analysis would likely uncover some areas that needed her attention, which would be useful in identifying areas in need of improvement. Benchmarking for Performance Evaluation. (2016, Dec 24).

Paradise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paradise - Essay Example These days, we use it as a getaway since none of the member of my family is interested in hunting. A night in the cabin is a wonderful and peaceful experience, the sound of night birds and sometimes a cool breeze lulls you to sleep gently so that I not I fall asleep feeling as if the wild is inside with me, but not in a fearful but natural and comforting way. The cabin is made of logs, and it has seen better days, however as I said paradise does not have to be perfect in the sense of the word. In the morning, rays of; sun stream merrily trough the some of the crack in the walls and make incredibly beautiful patterns and with dust particle seemingly dancing in the light which appear to be carrying them like long super thing multicolored florescent bulbs. Then there is the music, in the morning here, birds seem to set up an orchestra, and one wakes up to the most melodious and sweet music imaginable, birds crowd the bird feeder at the back of the house. As they feast, on whatever I had put out for them the previous night, their singing more than makes up for the trouble. At the cabin, there is no telephone or electricity and I have to depend on lanterns and a wooden fire, under other circumstances, I would find this tedious, but here it simply adds novelty to the adventure and makes it more romantic. For breakfast, I normally have fried bacon and coffee the latter, which I cook using an old-fashioned skillet that used to belong to my grandfather. Most of the times when I go to the cabin, I spend the day wandering around in the neighboring woods often snapping pictures and enjoying the idyllic life of woodsman. Apart from my camera the only other gadget, I allow myself is an iPod on which I sometimes listen to my favorite songs as I watch the sunset from one of the hammocks at the back of the cabin. While the cabin holds its own unique thrills, the highlight of any visit is in the long walks I take through the woods, my favorite is a path I transverse the wood for about 4 miles and ends up at a beautiful waterfall. I often set off after breakfast at around 7 am as I slowly make my way downwards, I often stop to admire the flowers as they blossom in their thousands of different colors all, which I take in with new wonder each time I see them. The morning dew glistens and the yellow rays of the new sun reflect on them forming kaleidoscopes that simply astound me. The earth is soft since it is rarely trodden on, on the leaves of the many overhanging trees, as a result of deficient sunlight reaching the soil has a sweet dump smell that reminds me of the smell that results when sudden rain hits parched earth. The soil is mostly dark almost blackish and soft enough to make one feel like they are walking on cotton, but not damp enough to be muddy. The flowers different scents added to this make it a cocktail of the sweetest and freshest smells I very get to experience. I often walk this way for a few hour, and I take many pictures, which often end up adorning my desktop others some posters on my walls back home. The woods thin out as I approach the river and by this time the sun is beginning to be a bit too hot, but this doesn’t bother me in the least since I k now I will soon find respite, from the heat. From afar, the waterfall looks almost like a cutout from a Disney world movie, and one almost expects it to fade away and give way to something

Supporting Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Supporting Activity - Essay Example th the influx of computer hackers in the market, that information is no longer as safe as earlier thought of and hence it is important to protect it from hackers who sell it to competitor organizations. Confidentiality is also another reason for increasing the security of the information especially from clients (whether high ranking, celebrities or just the local citizen). Unauthorized access to information especially concerning records of medical health or financial records can damage the credibility of the organization and even tarnish the name of the owner and especially if the information is accessed by the wrong people. One of the basic elements is passwords to protect the information. The key to making this effective is in the strength of that password and ensuring that it cannot be easily cracked or hacked into. There is also encryption of most important or sensitive information in the organization. The information is kept in codes whose decryption key lies with the top management or clients of the organization who are the owners of the information (Wilshusen, 2011). There are also asset tracking software and devices that keep track of all the information and where it goes and if it falls to the wrong hands, alarm is raised and hence shut down is necessitated. There are also authentication systems which ensure that only authorized personnel access information and the information is protected from malware like viruses and scam

Sampling and Data Collection Plan Essay Example for Free

Sampling and Data Collection Plan Essay Simple random sampling would be used. The senior, middle, and young customers of the organization would be selected randomly to conduct the survey. Validity and Reliability Validity and reliability is very much important for a research. If the data would not be reliable or valid then the research would be of no use. To maximize the validity and reliability, a pilot testing would be conducted. Moreover, survey would contain questions that support the research question and help to the expected results (Validity and Reliability, n. d). Protection of human subjects The respondents would fill the questionnaire anonymously. Their names would not be leaked out. The questionnaire would also contain the statement that â€Å"All the responses will be treated confidential and used for the purpose of research only†. No one would get a clue that who participated in the study. Data collection The data would be collected with the help of the questionnaire. The questionnaire would be send to the respondents through email. Some of the questionnaire would also be given in person by giving to customers at the same time that they want to try something in the store. Physical collection of the data The questionnaire then would be collected from the respondent after two or three days. Protection and storage of data Hardcopy of the questionnaire would be stored in one box and it would be labeled with key information so that it could be accessed easily. Moreover, the records would be stored in a locked room so that it does not get in wrong hands. The responses that would be obtained through email would also be protected in an effective manner. The computer would have password and it would not be accessed by anyone. Moreover, there would also be the backup copies of all data to prevent any kind of loss (HEI Records Management, 2007). References HEI Records Management. (2007). Retrieved August 10, 2014 fromhttp://tools.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/downloads/bcs-rrs/managing-research-records.pdf Validity and Reliability. (n.d). Retrieved August 10, 2014 fromhttp://www.nationaltechcenter.org/index.php/products/at-research-matters/validity/

The Medicinal Properties of the Papaya, Carica papaya L. :: Botany

The Medicinal Properties of the Papaya, Carica papaya L. Quite surprisingly, historians know little about Hippocrates, the physician often referred to as "the father of medicine". However, we do know that he was a strong advocate of the use of medicinal plants to prevent and cure diseases. He recorded between three hundred and four hundred plant remedies in his writing and during the middle ages herbal remedies were passed down from generation to generation. Although the church emphasized faith healing over other forms of healing, Christian monks would preserve many of the early Greek and Roman medical texts, later growing their own herbs in the monasteries. By the time the colonizers settled in the new world, they brought with them some knowledge of herbal medicine. This in turn was shared with the Native Americans and other indigenous peoples of the new world who practiced ethnobotanical rituals as a daily and integral part of their lives. Most recently beginning in the 1800's, while chemical drugs became popular with the medical establishment and those who could afford it, herbal medicine continued to be practiced by those who could not afford the later or who were strong believers in natural medicine. While chemotherapy has brought us many life-saving drugs, today nearly fifty percent of commonly used drugs are either plant derivatives or contain the equivalent of a chemical imitation of a plant compound. Indeed Digitalis, Aspirin, Reserpine, Quinine, Tetracycline and the ever useful Penicillin are all members of this list. In fact according to the World Health Organization, herbal medicine today is still the primary source of health care for approximately eighty percent of the worlds population. Papaya/Pawpaw Carica papaya L., more commonly known as the papaya, belongs to the Caricaceae. Its classification is as follows: Division: Magnoliophyta, Class: Magnoliopside, Subclass: Dilleniidae, Order: Violales and as previously mentioned Family: Caricaceae. It was first described by the Spanish chronicler Oviedo in 1526, from the Caribbean coast of Panama and Colombia. Soon after it was grown throughout the tropics, its distribution being aided by the abundance of its seeds. The Papaya seed is viable for up to three years under cool, dry conditions and it is a herbaceous , dicotyledonous plant that may produce fruits for more than twenty years. The plant usually has a single trunk with several well developed branches. The melon-like fruit varies in size and shape, and hangs from short, thick peduncles at the leaf axil. The Medicinal Properties of the Papaya, Carica papaya L. :: Botany The Medicinal Properties of the Papaya, Carica papaya L. Quite surprisingly, historians know little about Hippocrates, the physician often referred to as "the father of medicine". However, we do know that he was a strong advocate of the use of medicinal plants to prevent and cure diseases. He recorded between three hundred and four hundred plant remedies in his writing and during the middle ages herbal remedies were passed down from generation to generation. Although the church emphasized faith healing over other forms of healing, Christian monks would preserve many of the early Greek and Roman medical texts, later growing their own herbs in the monasteries. By the time the colonizers settled in the new world, they brought with them some knowledge of herbal medicine. This in turn was shared with the Native Americans and other indigenous peoples of the new world who practiced ethnobotanical rituals as a daily and integral part of their lives. Most recently beginning in the 1800's, while chemical drugs became popular with the medical establishment and those who could afford it, herbal medicine continued to be practiced by those who could not afford the later or who were strong believers in natural medicine. While chemotherapy has brought us many life-saving drugs, today nearly fifty percent of commonly used drugs are either plant derivatives or contain the equivalent of a chemical imitation of a plant compound. Indeed Digitalis, Aspirin, Reserpine, Quinine, Tetracycline and the ever useful Penicillin are all members of this list. In fact according to the World Health Organization, herbal medicine today is still the primary source of health care for approximately eighty percent of the worlds population. Papaya/Pawpaw Carica papaya L., more commonly known as the papaya, belongs to the Caricaceae. Its classification is as follows: Division: Magnoliophyta, Class: Magnoliopside, Subclass: Dilleniidae, Order: Violales and as previously mentioned Family: Caricaceae. It was first described by the Spanish chronicler Oviedo in 1526, from the Caribbean coast of Panama and Colombia. Soon after it was grown throughout the tropics, its distribution being aided by the abundance of its seeds. The Papaya seed is viable for up to three years under cool, dry conditions and it is a herbaceous , dicotyledonous plant that may produce fruits for more than twenty years. The plant usually has a single trunk with several well developed branches. The melon-like fruit varies in size and shape, and hangs from short, thick peduncles at the leaf axil.

A Moments Indulgence by Rabindranath Tagore Essay

A Moments Indulgence by Rabindranath Tagore was written in 1910 as part of the Gitanjali collection, 157 poems in the original language of Bengali, and 103 in English translated by Tagore himself. Contents [hide] 1 A Moments Indulgence 1.1 About the Author 1.2 Gitanjali 1.3 The Poem 1.3.1 Synopsis 1.3.2 See Also 2 References About the Author[edit] Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7th May 1861 in a wealthy family in Calcutta. He was the youngest of the thirteen children born to Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi. His father was a great Hindu philosopher and one of the founders of the religious movement, Brahmo Samaj.His grandfather Dwarakanath Tagore was a rich landlord and social reformer. In 1886, he moved to Brighton, East Sussex, England, to read law. During his stay in England, he attended University College London for some time, following which he started to independent study the works of Shakespeare. He returned to Bengal in 1880 without a degree, but with the aspiration of fusing elements of European traditions in his literary works.[1] Tagore is the most eminent Bengali renaissance poet, philosopher, essayist, critic, composer and educator, who dreamt of a harmony of universal humanity among the people of different origin through freedom of mind and spiritual sovereignty. Tagore started writing poetry when he was a child, and in the course of his life was often hailed as the Shakespeare of the East due to generating thoughts on: society, religion, aesthetics, education, rural welfare, nationalism and internationalism in his literary works, essays and poetry. [2] One of his most well-known and famous collections of poetry is Gitanjali [Song Offering] which generates thoughts on religion. Tagore died on 7th August 1941 in Jorasanko, the mansion he was raised in. The years before his death were riddled with periods of illness and pain, which eventually rendered him in a comatose state. Gitanjali[edit] Gitanjali (Bengali: à ¦â€"à §â‚¬Ã  ¦ ¤Ã  ¦ ¾Ã  ¦Å¾Ã  § Ã  ¦Å"à ¦ ²Ã  ¦ ¿) is a collection of poems by the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. First published in 1910, Tagore’s collection containing mystical and devotional song poems, was translated to English by Tagore in 1912 before he embarked on a visit to England. The poems were extremely well received, and would be the first of many volumes that earned him much acclaim in the East and West.[3] The English Gitanjali, or Song Offerings, is a collection of 103 English poems of Tagore’s own translations from his Bengali poems. This was first published in November 1912 by the India Society of London.[4] At the time of publication, the collection was profoundly praised by the best of Tagore’s literary contemporaries in England; including W. B. Yeats and A. C. Bradley.[5] With the enthusiastic assistance from major western poets such as Yeats and Ezra Pound, the volume made an appearance in England.[6] The collection was tremendous success and caused a literary sensation, its impact was so great that in the following year, 1913, Tagore became the first Asian poet to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for his translated version of his cycle of song-poems, Gitanjali.[7]. The translations of Tagore’s work were once a craze, but as Sisirkumar Ghose discusses, Tagore in translation is riddled with problems. His own translations†¦ (have) been criticised and have been faulted.[8] Robert Frost stated that poetry is that which survives translation. When looking at Tagore’s poetry, it is questionable how much of his original work survives throughout the process of translation. It is evident that the nuances of rhythm, imagery, verse form, and most importantly language, are inevitably lost. The main criticisms of the Gitanjali’s translations were for: often not translating the original poem in full, leaving chunks out, and in one instance fusing two separate poems. The Poem[edit] A Moments Indulgence I ask for a moment’s indulgence to sit by thy side. The works that I have in hand I will finish afterwards. Away from the sight of thy face my heart knows no rest nor respite, and my work becomes an endless toil in a shoreless sea of toil. Today the summer has come at my window with its sighs and murmurs; and the bees are plying their minstrelsy at the court of the flowering grove. Now it is time to sit quite, face to face with thee, and to sing dedication of life in this silent and overflowing leisure. File:To upload.jpg Gitanjali 71. An example of poem 71 from Gitanjali written in Bengali, its original language, with the translation of English beside it. Synopsis[edit] The central focus of A Moments Indulgence is about dedicating ones time to God, which clearly brings the devotee joy. The speaker is aware that his soul has been engrossed in worldliness, thus putting aside worldly pleasures that man is often disillusioned by, the speaker begins devoting his time to God. The poem begins with the speaker seeking a moment’s indulgence from his creator. This is evident as he says, he ‘will finish afterwards’ he task he was doing, in order to connect with his creator. Analogy is used in both verse one and verse two, when he suggests that having to give up your work is a small price to pay to reach the almighty. The second stanza shows the extent of the speaker’s devotion to his creator. This can be seen through the way he says that when he is away from God, mentally or physically, his heart remains restless, and the tasks at hand seem like they will never end. The metaphor of the shoreless sea reinforces that when away from God, one cannot be content. It portrays a clear distinction between the pleasure one receives from worldliness, and the true spiritual joy one gains from devoting time to God. In the third stanza the speaker is talking about the present day, and describes the beauty of the world which is a gift from God. He uses nature imagery to describe the beauty of the day which is being enjoyed by both animals, the ‘bees’, plants, and ‘the flowering grove’. The speaker also uses sound descriptions of: ‘sighs and murmurs’ to describe the present day, this has connotations of peace and being at peace in the environment one is in, adding to the spiritual vibe of the poem. This implies that nature is close to God as it is content, reinforcing the second stanza’s idea that when away from God a person can not be content. The fourth stanza shows that the speaker believes that the present time is the best time to dedicate himself to God; he does this by singing to God and  sitting quietly. Surrounding himself with nature, and the speaker believes the silence and free time is the perfect time to devote time to his creator because he is not distracted by worldly tasks and is surrounded by a gift, the beauty of nature, which is from God.

Plato’s Theory of Forms Essay

Qu.1. A] Explain Plato’s concept of the Forms. B] Evaluate carefully Forms as a way of understanding the world. Plato, Socrates’ famous pupil, created the Theory of Forms. This essay will explore the ideas of Plato’s theory, the strengths and weaknesses of his thoughts, and how they affect our understanding of the world. The Theory of Forms states that everything has a Form- whether it is a chair, a bed, an animal etc; absolutely everything has a Form. Plato also states that ‘Forms are perfection’. Plato says there are four Forms for ethical values; these are Truth, Justice, Beauty, and Goodness. Plato believes there is a hierarchy of Forms, with the Form of Goodness being at the top. Plato believes that True Knowledge comes from knowing the four values, and using them to achieve Ultimate Reality. The way to achieve True Knowledge is ‘Only through the mind’ according to Plato. You have to separate body and soul, and concentrate on mind, to accomplish Ultimate Reality. Plato says we are born with the knowledge of Form, and through education, we recollect this knowledge. For example, we say ‘that is a beautiful flower’, but what is beauty? As we grow up, we are told what objects are beautiful; Plato states that we learn of Forms through experience and learning. Plato uses the ‘Analogy of the Cave’ to explain his Theory. The sun in the analogy represents the Form of Goodness; it gives life to everything, and is the source of all. In Christianity, the Form of Goodness is God, as He is the creator and leader. Plato believes to become a true philosopher you must attain knowledge of Forms, and to accomplish true enlightenment you must have true awareness of the Form of Goodness. Plato’s ‘Analogy of the Cave’ also shows that Forms are in a world beyond shadows and beyond appearance, they are the truth within our souls. Saint- Exupery agrees with this by saying ‘What is essential is invisible to the eye’. Plato suggests there is another reality, a reality that is invisible and beyond our senses. Plato says that facts (sight, touch, smell etc) assist in Forms, for example, we look at things to see if they are good. However, Plato says senses are unreliable and relative, and do not give an absolute view on anything. Plato’s ‘Analogy of the Cave’ also explains that although everyone knows the Forms, many refuse to accept them as it can take away the security of illusions, and the world as you know it. Plato believes Forms cannot be taught, only valued, and utilized. Plato’s Theory of Forms has had many criticisms, one being that it is not really a theory. It relies on the ‘Analogy of the Cave’ to support and explain its’ details. This suggests that Plato is unsure of Forms himself, or at least how to explain them. It is suggested that the Theory is unsure of the extent of the Forms, for example, is there a Form for humanity or each individual? This is important as the answer could change the concept of Form, and alter how the concept is used to understand the world. Another criticism is that Plato states that each Form is unique, but does not explain why this is. Plato also tells us about the Forms but does not say what they actually are. This suggests he has little evidence behind his assumptions, and perhaps does not fully understand Forms himself. Plato’s Theory also has many strong points. It is true that we know Forms- such as beauty etc, and learn about them throughout our lives. This suggests that we are born with knowledge of Forms within our minds, and understand the world using these Forms. It is also true that our senses are unreliable and ever-changing, for example we say something is ‘big’ but compared to something else it may be ‘small’. The way we believe things are true, is by using our senses. This suggests that the way we understand the world is untrustworthy and false, as it is based on unreliable sources. Another strong point is how many of us are secure in our world, and do not want to believe another world exists. We are comfortable in believing what surrounds us is true, and do not want our reality to be shattered. Overall, Plato’s theory is complicated and based on the fact that everything has a Form, and we all have an innate knowledge of Forms. Plato’s theory is criticised because it is unclear and imprecise, with little evidence to back it up. Nevertheless, it offers us a different way of thinking and a new light to see things. We have no idea whether it is true- how can we really know anything? Plato’s Theory of Forms is comprehendible and definitely possible and allows us to broaden our mind and consider another reality.

Battle of the Coral Sea in World War II

Battle of the Coral Sea in World War II The Battle of the Coral Sea was fought May 4-8, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945) as the Allies sought to halt the Japanese capture of New Guinea. During the opening months of World War in the Pacific, the Japanese won a string of stunning victories which saw them capture Singapore, defeat an Allied fleet in the Java Sea, and force American and Filipino troops on the Bataan Peninsula to surrender. Pushing south through the Dutch East Indies, the Imperial Japanese Naval General Staff had initially desired to mount an invasion of northern Australia to prevent that country from being used as base. This plan was vetoed by the Imperial Japanese Army which lacked the manpower and shipping capability to sustain such an operation. To secure the Japanese southern flank, Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue, commander of the Fourth Fleet, advocated for taking all of New Guinea and occupying the Solomon Islands. This would eliminate the last Allied base between Japan and Australia as well as would provide a security perimeter around Japans recent conquests in the Dutch East Indies. This plan was approved as it would also bring northern Australia within range of Japanese bombers and would offer jumping off points for operations against Fiji, Samoa, and New Caledonia. The fall of these islands would effectively sever Australias lines of communication with the United States. Japanese Plans Dubbed Operation Mo, the Japanese plan called for three Japanese fleets sortie from Rabaul in April 1942. The first, led by Rear Admiral Kiyohide Shima, was tasked with taking Tulagi in the Solomons and establishing a seaplane base on the island. The next, commanded by Rear Admiral Koso Abe, consisted of the invasion force that would strike the main Allied base on New Guinea, Port Moresby. These invasion forces were screened by Vice Admiral Takeo Takagis covering force centered around the carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku and the light carrier Shoho. Arriving at Tulagi on May 3, Japanese forces quickly occupied the island and set up a seaplane base. Allied Response Throughout the spring of 1942, the Allies remained informed about Operation Mo and Japanese intentions through radio intercepts. This largely occurred as a result of American cryptographers breaking the Japanese JN-25B code. Analysis of the Japanese messages led the Allied leadership to conclude that a major Japanese offensive would occur in the Southwest Pacific during the early weeks of May and that Port Moresby was the likely target. Responding to this threat, Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Fleet, ordered all four of his carrier groups to the area. These included Task Forces 17 and 11, centered on the carriers USS Yorktown  (CV-5)  and USS Lexington  (CV-2) respectively, which were already in the South Pacific. Vice Admiral William F. Halseys Task Force 16, with the carriers USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Hornet (CV-8), which had just returned to Pearl Harbor from the Doolittle Raid, was also ordered south but would not arrive in time for the battle. Fleets Commanders Allies Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher2 carriers, 9 cruisers, 13 destroyers Japanese Vice Admiral Takeo TakagiVice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue2 carriers, 1 light carrier, 9 cruisers, 15 destroyers Fighting Begins Led by Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher, Yorktown and TF17 raced to the area and launched three strikes against Tulagi on May 4, 1942. Hitting the island hard, they badly damaged the seaplane base and eliminated its reconnaissance capabilities for the coming battle. In addition, Yorktowns aircraft sank a destroyer and five merchant ships. Steaming south, Yorktown joined Lexington later that day. Two days later, land-based B-17s from Australia spotted and attacked the Port Moresby invasion fleet. Bombing from high-altitude, they failed to score any hits. Throughout the day both carrier groups searched for each other with no luck as cloudy skies limited visibility. With night setting in, Fletcher made the difficult decision to detach his main surface force of three cruisers and their escorts. Designated Task Force 44, under the command of Rear Admiral John Crace, Fletcher ordered them to block the probable course of the Port Moresby invasion fleet. Sailing without air cover, Craces ships would be vulnerable to Japanese air strikes. The next day, both carrier groups resumed their searches. Scratch One Flattop While neither found the others main body, they did locate secondary units. This saw Japanese aircraft attack  and sink the destroyer USS Sims as well as cripple the oiler USS Neosho. American aircraft were luckier as they located Shoho.   Caught with most of its aircraft group below decks, the carrier was lightly defended against the combined air groups of the two American carriers. Led by Commander William B. Ault,  Lexingtons aircraft opened the attack shortly after 11:00 AM and scored hits with two bombs and five torpedoes. Burning and nearly stationary,  Shoho  was finished off by  Yorktowns aircraft. The sinking of Shoho led Lieutenant Commander Robert E. Dixon of Lexington  to radio the famous phrase  scratch one flattop.   On May 8, scout planes from each fleet found the enemy around 8:20 AM. As a result, strikes were launched by both sides between 9:15 AM and 9:25 AM. Arriving over Takagis force,  Yorktowns aircraft, led by Lieutenant Commander William O. Burch,  began attacking Shokaku  at 10:57 AM. Hidden in a nearby squall,  Zuikaku  escaped their attention. Hitting Shokaku  with two 1,000 lb. bombs, Burchs men caused severe damage before departing. Reaching the area at 11:30 AM,  Lexingtons planes landed another bomb hit on the crippled carrier. Unable to conduct combat operations, Captain  Takatsugu Jojima  received permission to withdraw his ship from the area.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Japanese Strike Back While the US pilots were having success, Japanese aircraft were approaching the American carriers.   These were detected by  Lexingtons CXAM-1 radar and F4F Wildcat fighters were directed to intercept.   While some of the enemy aircraft were downed, several commenced runs  on  Yorktown  and  Lexington shortly after 11:00 AM.   Japanese torpedo attacks on the former failed, while the latter sustained two hits by Type 91 torpedoes.   These assaults were followed by dive bombing attacks which scored a hit on  Yorktown  and two on  Lexington.  Damage crews raced to save Lexington and succeeded in restoring the the carrier to operational condition.    As these efforts were concluding, sparks from an electric motor ignited a fire which led to a series of fuel-related explosions. In a short time, the resulting fires became uncontrollable. With the crew unable to extinguish the flames, Captain Frederick C. Sherman ordered Lexington  abandoned. After the crew was evacuated, the destroyer USS  Phelps  fired five torpedoes into the burning carrier to prevent its capture. Blocked in their advance and with Craces force in place, the overall Japanese commander, Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue, ordered the invasion force to return to port. Aftermath A strategic victory, the Battle of the Coral Sea cost Fletcher the carrier Lexington, as well as the destroyer Sims and the oiler Neosho. Total killed for the Allied forces was 543. For the Japanese, the battle losses included Shoho, one destroyer, and 1,074 killed. In addition, Shokaku was badly damaged and Zuikakus air group greatly reduced. As a result, both would miss the Battle of Midway in early June. While Yorktown was damaged, it was quickly repaired at Pearl Harbor and raced back to sea to aid defeating the Japanese.

Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Research Paper - Essay Example Step 2: Sharing My Knowledge In order to get some information, I visited the website of walmartstore.com. In this website, a sufficient amount of information is available regarding health and wellness, careers and so on. I decided to know a finance opening at Wal-Mart. In this website’s career portal, Wal-Mart has comprehensive plan for young and new workforce. Step 3: Devising Research Questions I have insufficient information about Wal-Mart. To get further information, I have formulated following questions: When Wal-Mart came into existence? What is the current financial strength of Wal-Mart? What is the customer base of Wal-Mart? After devising the research questions, it is important to find some resources to get the answers of these questions. It is important to have reliable source to answer these questions. Step 4: Finding Sources First and most reliable source is the official website of Wal-Mart. The main page of the website has different links. These links connect to d ifferent templates. A sufficient amount of information is available on these provided links. Particularly, the link for â€Å"About Us† gives information regarding the purpose of Wal-Mart and a brief history note is also mentioned. Step 5: Answering Research Questions Following are the answers which I found. ... What is the current financial strength of Wal-Mart? Wal-Mart is a financially stable and sound company. In the year of 2010, the company posted the sales figure of $405 billion (â€Å"About Us†). The Fortune Magazine ranked Wal-Mart as first among retailers in the year of 2010. The rank given by the Fortune Magazine gives me the idea of the company is financially strong and sound. This is encouraging factor for me to become an employee of Wal-Mart. What is the customer base of Wal-Mart? Weekly, more than 200 million times these customers are served at the stores of Wal-Mart. Also, a huge chain of 8,838 retail units is always ready to serve the customers. And to serve the customers, Wal-Mart has employed 2.1 million associates worldwide (â€Å"About Us†). I think Wal-Mart serve more than any other company in the world. And this is mainly the company’s service quality that attracts so many customers. Step 6: Presenting the Research Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. In the year of 1962, Wal-Mart came into existence (â€Å"About Us†). It launched its business operations by opening the first Wal-Mart discount store in Rogers, Ark. And in the year of 1969, Wal-Mart was incorporated as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Wal-Mart opened its first Sam’s Club membership warehouse in 1988. With the continued business success and business growth, Wal-Mart became an international entity in 1991 when it launched and opened its very first Sam’s Club near Mexico City. Wal-Mart is a financially stable and sound company. In the year of 2010, the company posted the sales figure of $405 billion (â€Å"About Us†). Additionally, Wal-Mart has a huge figure of customers, associates and members. Weekly, more than 200 million times these

Divorce and Remarriages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Divorce and Remarriages - Essay Example For the divorce option to be accepted the church need to consider the divorce’s ground according to scriptures. The main grounds for divorce according to the New Testament are on either desertion by an unbeliever or sexual sin features (Adams 1986, p.24).   These features comprise of sexual sin like homosexuality, incest, bestiality and adultery. In the case one of the partners violates the intimacy and unity of marriage by any of the sexual sins, thereby forsaking the covenant responsibility the faithful member is left in a very difficult situation. Under such condition, the bible permits the release of the faithful partner via divorce. After divorce has occurred the faithful partner is free to remarry if at all the divorce took place on biblical grounds. However, in case of people divorce on other grounds, they have sinned against both their partners and God. In mark 10:11-12, if these partners remarry, they will be considered to have committed an act of adultery. Paul made an explanation for this and proposed any person who divorces sinfully should remain unmarried for the rest of their life unless either of them reconciles with her or his partner (Cherlin 1992, p.54). The Jesus’ teachings on the issues of divorce should be read repeatedly in both the church and at home. It should be done in every part of the world in the essence of spreading the gospel. The society has witnessed an increase in the number of remarriages and divorces in the present days. The main reason of this problem facing the society is that people tend to ignore the instructions that are provided in the bible. Some people also tend to listen to what other men think about the teachings of Jesus rather that reading for themselves in the bible (House & Laney 1990, p.76).