The Second Coming :: Second Coming

The Second Coming In his poem "The Second Coming," Yeats predicts cataclysmic changes about to be wrought upon human kind. He states, "Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;/Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world," (1511). This statement is in line with Modernistic thought of this time period. Modernistic writers felt that traditional teachings left something to be desired, and that it was time for change. There was a huge upheaval in religious beliefs and current religious convictions were being challenged with new scientific knowledge. Yeats foresees spiritual changes in the words, "Surely some revelation is at hand;/Surely the Second Coming is at hand..."(1511). The Modernistic period was also a time when questions were asked about the old, established, and customary beliefs. Writers attempted to challenge people to think about archaic ways of conduct, and to check the motivations behind their beliefs. Joseph Conrad stated in Heart of Darkness, "Black shapes crouched, lay, sat between the trees leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth, half coming out, half effaced within the dim light, in all the attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair,"(1377). He portrays in these lines the ugliness of Europeans treatment of another culture. He is challenging his reader to adopt another attitude, but does not ever tell his reader how to feel, another defining feature of literary Modernism. Conrad tells us about a Black man with a white cloth tied about his neck. Again he does not interpret this white cloth, but leaves it open to our interpretation, "He had tied a bit of white worsted round his neck - Why?"(1377). Conrad questions the motives o f white Europeans in Africa, repeatedly referring to their greed: ". . . weak-eyed devil of a rapacious and pitiless folly..."(1377). Conrad, in his statement about their building of a railway, "The cliff was not in the way or anything but this objectless blasting was all the work going on"(1376), asks his reader to observe the violence against a country, not only its people, but the actual land.

arranged marriage: for america? Essay -- essays research papers

Arranged Marriage: For America? Both arranged marriages and romantic marriages have good and bad points. Cultures such as India, Japan, and Ethiopia have had arranged marriages since the dawn of time. In America we allow our young adults to make their own decisions on whom to marry. Would Americans accept the practice of parents deciding whom they are going to marry without considering their wants or feelings? The answer is an emphatic NO! Americans are hopelessly romantic and fiercely believe in freedom of choice. Arranged marriages would never be accepted in American culture. Most of the time, if not all, the decisions we make concerning marriage are based on the concept of â€Å"romantic love†. Most young people tend to believe the only way to choose a mate is to date until you fall madly in love, plan a wedding, and get married. We follow our hearts even if it is impractical and doesn’t really make any sense. We do not feel that we need the wisdom and experience of anyone, let alone our parents, to make such an important decision. Love is more important and powerful than practical issues. However, by relying on our hearts, and not the wisdom and experience of others, we risk what could be the disastrous consequences of making an emotional decision instead of a rational one. Go back a few years (for some of us, many years) and think about how much stress we felt trying to make ourselves attractive to the opposite sex. We spent most of our days worrying about our looks and w...

Indus valley civilizations Essay

The Indus Valley civilization is an ancient civilization that prospered along the Indus River and Ghaggar-Hakra River in present day Pakistan and India. The Indus valley civilization is sometimes called the Harappan Civilization in reference to the first excavated city called Harappa. The Indus Valley civilization was discovered in the 1920s. The existence of the Indus Civilization is only proved by excavations and maybe some Sumerian writings, e. g. The Mehulan, which is said to correspond with Indus Valley civilization. The Indus Valley Civilization extended from Balochistan to Gujarat, with an upward reach to Punjab from east of the river Jhelum to Rupar on the upper Sutlej. Coastal settlements extended from Sutkagan Dor in Western Baluchistan to Lothal in Gujarat. Besides the western states of India, the Indus Valley Civilization encompassed most of Pakistan. An Indus Valley site has been found on the Oxus River at Shortughai in northern Afghanistan, at Sutkagen dor (Western Baluchistan, Pakistan), at Mandu on the Beas River near Jammu, and at Alamgirpur on the Hindon River, only 28 km from Delhi. Indus Valley sites have been found most often on rivers, but also on lakes, the ancient sea-coast and on islands. There is no documentary evidence that the Indus civilization really existed. What is known of it is the archeological evidence. The assumption that a civilization once existed and prospered in that valley is based on what was found there at the at the excavation sites. It is a well known fact, through out history, ancient Civilizations always started along the banks of rivers or water bodies. Archeologists create theories out of their findings. Most of the artifacts found on archeological sites are explained away with out any substantial recorded facts to back their explanations. The discovery of the Indus valley civilization proves that indeed there has been some human presence around there but the question is: is the Indus valley civilization exactly what we are being told it is today? Are the facts acceptable for scholarly pursuits? It has being recorded that the Indus valley civilization had elements of urbanism such as advanced sewerage systems, dockyards, warehouses, granaries such as we have today. One could clearly conclude from these facts that a great form of civilization indeed existed which might be the basis of what we have today. The lack of authoritative and verifiable written materials on the Indus civilization makes it very difficult to study. This is because the proof of it does not exist in writing in the first place so that at least they can serve as other sources for referencing when in doubt. Good scholarly conclusions can only be drawn from authentic facts which can be proven over time and this is not a very strong point of the Indus civilization.

Ratio Analysis †Yum! Brands Essay

Yum! Brands’ consolidated net profit margin lies within the industry average and for 2 years have shown slow yet steady growth. While sales from US operations declined by 5%, the company continued to gain momentum in China, where operating profit increased at an average of 26% year-on-year. Meanwhile, their Return on Assets fairs better than competitors such as McDonald’s and Domino’s Pizza, showing that management efficiently manages its asset base. The company’s efficiency can be seen in its Cash Conversion Cycle, with -49. 2 in 2009. This number is much lower from its competitors, which suggests a liquid working capital position. Yum generates sales from its inventory and cash from its sales at a faster rate than the time its pays its suppliers. This means that it utilizes the average 60-day period before it has to fully purchases with suppliers, giving them â€Å"free cash† in principle. However, while this suggests less need to borrow, the comp any still received cash by issuing long-term debt in 2008 and 2009. Due to the nature of the business, on average, 56% of its total assets are fixed. And as Yum ventures into Asian countries, especially China and India, it allocates part of its cash to capital spending. However, in utilizing its fixed assets to generate sales, Yum scores lower compared to Wendy’s and McDonald’s. This may be due to its focus on aggressively adding new stores, with 2008 and 2009 serving as introduction years, before sales can fully pick up. One could also note, however, that sales in the US and International Divisions (ex-China) have decreased from 2007 to 2009. The company’s solvency, however, provides another story. As mentioned, Yum reported negative equity in 2008 mainly due to repurchase of sales. The company used its cash surplus to repurchase sales at a time when its stock price decreased, making it gain economic profits. This may also show the company’s belief and commitment that the stock price will increase again, especially because of the surge in opportunities in China. In addition, it reported accumulated other comprehensive loss in 2008 and 2009. As stated in its 2008 annual report, this loss was attributable to a decline in the â€Å"unrecognized funded status† of U. S. pension plans and foreign currency translation adjustments brought by the strengthened position of the U. S. Dollar. What is alarming in this situation is that the company is riding on a debt level that is 30% higher than its competitors. Majority of its liabilities are long-term debt, with some maturing in 30 years. Moreover, its current ratio appears to be very much lower than its peers, due to its massive use of cash for buybacks, and which suggests increasing risks to the company. It is hence surprising to note that despite this, the company still continues to distribute dividends with an average payout ratio of 36% year-on-year. This then hints at a possibility that Yum is inflating its dividends to continue attracting investors, at the expense of paying their debt position. Source: YUM! Brands Annual Report 2008 & 2009

Strategic Management planning and execution Essay

Strategic Management planning and execution - Essay Example In other words strategy defines where an organization is, where it heading to and how is it going to reach there. As a formalized business process, strategy planning has been in place for as long as four decades ago. However it is commonly observed that most organizations have no idea of where to head to and even if they know that, they don't know how to conduct the planning process effectively. This has led to the failure of most strategic plans which are no less than sitting un-used puppet. Actual implementation is barely observed. Luckily, since the past decades, steps have been taken to make strategy planning and execution more effectively. As the organizations are subjected and exposed to the pains of recession in this crippling world economy, tradition business models need to be turned inside out. It is very important to turn the traditional business models upside down and shape new ways of for strategy implementation and formulation. There are two ways in which strategy can be defined in every company. These are both independent and simultaneous processes through which strategy is defined. In the first strategy making process, the formulation is conscious and analytical in nature. It involves the assessment of market nature, competitive edge, the weakness, customer needs and the main agents of market grown. In this kind of process, strategy is formulated with a concrete beginning and end. Such processes are mostly managed by the top management. The end result of this process is an intended strategy. Intended strategy is also called deliberate strategy. Intended strategy is made a process which is called strategy formulation. In intended strategies, a pattern of decisions are formulate before an action can be undertaken. It is prior to action. It is known to be implemented provided that three conditions are met. One, all those associated with the organization should be able to comprehend each and every clause in the management's intended strategy. Two, if a collective action needs to be undertaken to implement there should be common understanding throughout the organization keeping in line the views of the top management. Thirdly, the actions must take place, irrespective of the political, technological or market conditions outside. Because it is very rare to find circumstances where all three conditions can be met, intended strategy is rarely implemented. Emergent strategy formation . A strategy gives a company the opportunity through which it can align itself and be able to exploit its potential to the maxim. While doing so, the environment and other factors are continuously accounted for and changes apportioned to the strategy accordingly. In other words strategy defines where an organization is, where it heading to and how is it going to reach there. The second strategy making process is called the emergent strategy making process. Emergent strategy is on the actions itself. It is a result of every day priority decisions made by different stake holders in the organization. They could be middle managers, engineers, sales people, financial staff etc. The decisions are independent of the intentions. The decisions are made despite the absence of "intentions". Most managers do not consider this decision a strategic decision but call it tactical in nature and character. For instance, Intel's decision to try out Unicom order. This was a second tier

Lead and the laws governing it in the UK Case Study

Lead and the laws governing it in the UK - Case Study Example It has numerous industrial and domestic purposes because it has a low melting point and can easily be moulded into any shape or form. Nevertheless, despite the advantages of lead, it has many disadvantages. The effects of lead include lead poisoning resulting in "chronic effects on the nervous system - paralysis of motor nerves, poor aptitude (especially in children) and other effects on cognitive functions." ( Agius R 2006). Moreover, a study (Ferguson D & Horwood J L) has proven that hildren with high levels of lead in their blood score less on tests than those with lower levels of lead. Therefore, it is crucial to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the use of lead. Alternative methods to lead exist hence it is not worth risking the prejudice to human health and safety. The problem of the effects of lead has caused alarm in the United Kingdom. Numerous employees are affected or have the potential to be affected by lead. These include plumbers, glass manufacturers, construction workers, painters and petrol attendants. This has resulted in the enactment of legislation in order to control this problem. The Control of Lead at Work Regulations Act of 2002 stipulates that "an employer shall not carry out work which is liable to expose any employees to lead unless he has made a suitable and sufficient of the risk..." (Section 5(1)). The Act further regulates the conditions under which lead may be used. These conditions are very stringent and absolute. The Government has enforced a number of measures in order to curb the drastic effects of the use of lead. One of these measures was to ban the sale of lead fishing weights in 1986 as this had a negative impact on fish as well as humans who would eventually consume the fish. Moreover, the Department of Environment introduced a consultation paper in March 1997 in order to ban the use of lead shot in wetlands. The Code of Good Shooting Practice has been introduced to ensure that non-lead shots are used when hunting. Therefore, in terms of the environmental impact of lead, the Government and the Department of Environment have had a general success rate of curbing the effects of lead. There are of course problems with violators of the law; however, close monitoring and penalties have eased this problem. The environment is one element of the problem. On the other hand, the health impacts of the use of lead are devastating. According to the 2009 Berkeley Report, "Decreased brain function in adults has been associated with blood lead concentrations of 20 to 50 ug/100ml." The report further states that Government removes workers from exposure when their lead level exceeds this amount. It appears at first glance that this is an ideal remedy. However, studies have shown that exposure to lead has a cumulative effect. The affected person will still suffer from lead poisoning when re-exposed to the lead environment. This solution thus has a yo-yo effect. The Health and Safety Executive of the United Kingdom adheres to various legislation on the use of lead and also implements various campaigns to control the problems associated with the use of lead. However, the Health and Safety Executive is diverse and deals with health and safety issues in general. Thus the problem associated with lead is not addressed in isolation. It is merely treated as one of the health and safety problems in the country. Indeed, the Health and S

Project Goals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project Goals - Essay Example One of the simplest concepts from project management that I learned that is very important for the functionality of a project is the fact that projects are tracked based on deliverables. The sequence of deliverables determines the project map. In the first round of the simulation I had to create a sequence of deliverables needed to transport the elephants from Zaminaka National Park to Ungoba National Park. The exercise of creating a sequence of activities was an example of a work breakdown structure. I learned from the simulation that project managers have to adapt to the situations based on circumstances and that minimizing risks is important in order to improve the possibilities of successfully completing a project. Project managers must make decisions based on tradeoffs between time, cost, and performance. The simulation shows that despite all the planning unforeseen circumstances occur. A reality about the business world is that a lot of projects are going to fail. In the pharma ceutical industry it takes approximately $800 million dollar to develop a new drug due to the cost of all the failed new drug projects the company has to absorb. The expenses that a company incurs in a failed project are considered sunk costs (Economist). The use of work breakdown structures is an advantage of the application of project management. WBS enables the project manager to accurately track the time of completion of many deliverables. Even if a project has over 100 deliverables to be completed the correct implementation of a work breakdown structure will ensure that the project manager can manage time and cost of the project effectively. A major limitation that was illustrated throughout the simulation was time. When a project gets delays it causes a ripple effect that affects all future deliverables of a project. Time becomes more sensitive when dealing with the health of live creatures. It is the responsibility of mankind to protect the animal kingdom and the endangered s pecies. Another advantage of the use of project management is that it provides a flexible leadership structure that employees understand. The project manager is the person responsible of the project, but he depends on the self-discipline and leadership skills of all the team members. Project management also offers advantages to a corporation such as the ability to separate special projects away from the normal operations of the firm. A project manager can focus on the performance of a specific project without worrying about the implication the project has on the corporation as a whole. A way to minimize the effects of bottlenecks on an operation is by performing adequate preparation. It is important to categorize the different types of bottlenecks. Seven types of bottlenecks are staffing, budget, people issues, client dependencies, vendor dependencies, task completion, and process dependencies (Sisco). Once bottlenecks are identified the project manager can develop contingency plans to deal with different scenarios based on each bottleneck category. All the alternative solutions to deal with different types of bottlenecks must be documented by the project manager. As a project manager if I was required to crunch a project and I had to select between sacrificing risks or time I would sacrifice the risk variable. Once a risk is identified even if a company incur in the risky behavior there are ways to minimize the e