Candide By Voltaire Essays (598 words) - Picaresque Novels

Candide By Voltaire Candide on the surface is a witty, gelastic story. However when inspected deeper it is a philippic writing against people of an uneducated status. Candid is an archetype of these idiocracies, for he lacks reason and has optimism that is truely irking, believing that this is the best of all possible worlds. Thus Voltaire uses a witty, bantering tale on the surface, but in depth a cruel bombast against the ignoramuses of his times. Candide has reason only in the form of a companion upon which he relies for advice. His companion is of course Dr. Pangloss. He consistently dribbles to Dr. Pangloss about what should be done. At last to the happiness of readers Pangloss is killed by being hanged. But this means that Candide's reason is also dead! No problem he just goes finds a new companion, "Lacking him [Pangloss], let's consult the old woman" (37). He soon loses her, gains another, looses him, and then gains another. Thus we see that Candide can only think if he has a companion. Voltaire is thus saying that all the nobles are really idiots and says they are only smart because they have philosophers. This is typically Enlightenment, because nobles, are stupid and must have philosophers to make them Enlightened. For example L'Hospital's a French Noble had in his "possession" mathematicians that developed new ways of taking limits (a Calculus idea). Yet in today's society we call this way "L'Hospital's Rule," not Bernoulli's rule who is the one who "invented" it (Stewart 310). Candide is consistently being brainwashed by reason (Pangloss) saying that we live in"the best of Yet it quite obviously that he does not. For how can there be, in the best of all worlds, war, slavery and many more abominations. Half-way through the book it would appear that Candide has given up his optimism when he looked at the Negro slave. "Oh Pangloss... I'll have to give up your optimism at last" (73). But to the distress of the readers he has not given up his chafing optimism. "Since I found you [an Eldoradian sheep laden with stones], I'm sure I can find Cunegnde again" (79). Thus we see that he has quickly recovered his optimism. Voltaire is using Candide's blatant optimism to relate to the people of his time that also have the same type of optimism. He also bombasts the philosophy that states all actions are a part of an illustrious, benevolent cosmic plan. It is Pangloss who says "it is impossible to for things to be where they are. For all is well" (30). What Pangloss is saying that a thing greater then man (God) has everything laid out, and everything "is for the best" (30). It is here that Voltaire's attack on Christianity begins. He bombasts them for believing that all the world is a stage, and that God has written the script. This idea of predestination is the antithesis of the Enlightenment period, and thus it is only natural that Voltaire, a typical Enlightenment writer, harangue these notions by means of a person who believes in this until his death- Candide. Finally we can see that Voltaire is writing a typical Enlightenment work because Candide is a jeremiad against those people that are lacking Enlightenment knowledge, by this of course, lacking the epitomes of the period: reason, senses and self-interest. Thus Voltaire is using a charming story to attack the people of his time who are against or are not Enlightened. Many other writers also attacked the ignoramuses of their time. For example Montesquie, a French philosopher use The Persian Letters to bombast French culture. Hence one reason that Candide is typically Enlightenment is because it makes fun of the reader who thinks that it is merely a comical story of a man and a quest for his lover.

The Importance of Planning in Self-Publishing

The Importance of Planning in Self-Publishing Fiction writers are sometimes divided into â€Å"plotters† and â€Å"pantsers† depending on how much advance thought they put into the development of their novels. The â€Å"plotters† like to work everything out in advance. They may develop elaborate outlines, timelines, character portraits, diagrams of pivot points in their story, and know, even before they strike the first key, exactly what the story is and how it will develop. â€Å"Pantsers† get their name from â€Å"flying What about self-publishers? They can also be divided in terms of how they approach the publication of their books. Consider: Planners As soon as a planner gets going, they have specific dates for all their events. An author may have booked the blogs on which she’ll be appearing during her book launch several months away. She might locate vendors for the services she’ll need, set up a publishing company, and get all her â€Å"ducks in a row.† Although all this preparation is impressive, planners may be driven Free Spirits Free spirits approach publishing with a less structured approach, and are more concerned with the task in front of them, not with future events. A free spirit author may be so absorbed Although it sounds slower, these authors may be more open to serendipitous meetings and spur of the moment inspiration. Although they dont get the benefits of advance planning, they may have more fun in the process. Questions Arise Most people think that a book is a simple, commonplace object - words on a page, one page after another until you reach the end. What’s complicated about that? But then, when you decide to publish yourself, the picture becomes murkier. You begin to realize there are many decisions that go into making a book. The questions start, and never seem to stop:   Hardcover, paperback, ebook?   How big a book?   Where to sell, and for how much? Then it gets even more confusing:   What should I do first?   How long will it take?   How do I stay on track? Planning to Succeed Many authors are also teachers, business people, retirees, consultants, electricians, military, lawyers, doctors, and so on. They have expertise in their own field, but they don’t know how book publishing works. They have no grasp of the whole book publishing process. Ideally, you could have an expert sitting next to you as you plan your project to explain all the steps and when to do them. Thats a great solution, and some authors end up hiring a book shepherd or publishing consultant. But only a few do that. Most try to figure it out Understanding the sequence of events in publishing a book should be your first task when you decide to self-publish. So if youre thinking of publishing your own books, educate yourself first. Nothing will repay you as much as getting clear in your mind about how the process of turning a manuscript into a book works in the real world. Youll soon be a publishing pro yourself! NOTE FROM HOPE:  A new software program automates scheduling and tracking tasks for book projects. Its called  Book Planner  . A one-year subscription makes a great holiday gift for your favorite indie-publisher! Im a rabid fan of Joel Friedlander products, and this is a great way to jumpstart your own writing.

Economics Portfolio, Microeconomics, EXTERNALITIES Essay

Economics Portfolio, Microeconomics, EXTERNALITIES - Essay Example "However, it must be remembered that such campaigns will not change attitudes overnight. These are the early stages, and we hope to see more progress made in a further round of a dozen or so campaigns this summer." "We have squads out working seven days a week. They start at the top of Royal Avenue, down one side of the street to Donegal Place, then across the place to the other side of Royal Avenue and back up to the top. Councils involved in the campaign are: Belfast, Blackburn with Darwen, Bradford. Brighton and Hove, Cardiff, Crawley, East Herts, Edinburgh, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Leeds, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Nottingham, Oldham, Oxford, Slough, Stoke-on-Trent, Swindon and Westminster An externality in economics occurs when one action causes another action and the side effects of this cause and effect is not accounted for in market prices. A good example is demonstrated by the cost of gum to the ultimate consumer and the consequential costs of pollution to the government. `It costs 3p a stick to buy, but 10p to prise off the pavements. And councils across Britain are getting sick of having to foot the bill for cleaning it up. (See source article ) As demonstrated by the source article, the government, via council members are uninterested third parties to the gum industry. The obligation to keep the city streets clean and pollution free (as far as reasonably possible) is imposed on the government by tax payers and the democratic process. As a result, the government is unwittingly a stakeholder in the gum industry. According to the source article the costs to the government is more than three times larger than the cost to the consumer. Both Friedrich Havek and Milton Friedman, economists, when alluding to the term `economic externalities have described the phrase as neighborhood effects and spillovers interchangeably.(Cordato. 1992) Pollution is the `spillover

CIPS Legal Aspects - Assignment Two Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

CIPS Legal Aspects - Assignment Two - Essay Example The letter of intent sent out by QSC may not initially be binding upon the parties in their entirety. However, it could be interpreted as binding on the parties if it closely resembles a contract. The letter of intent in this case has clearly specified that the binding terms of the contract would be QSC’s and the formal contract prepared by the procurement team is also in accordance with QSC’s terms. Letters of intent have traditionally been held to be non binding. For example, in the case of Turiff Construction Ltd v Regalia Knitting Mills Ltd2 it was held that a letter of intent will have two characteristics (a) it will express the intent to enter into a contract in the future and (b) it will itself create no liability in reference to the future contract. This would at the outset, suggest that QSC’s letter of intent specifying that its own contractual terms will prevail, may not have binding force. But in the Turniff Construction case, the Court nevertheless up held the contractual obligations associated with the letter of intent, on the basis of the facts in the case. In the case of British Steel Corporation v Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Co Ltd3, while it was held that while no contract was created based on the letter of intent itself, liability was nevertheless imposed. The Court in this instance pointed out that both the parties had expected a formal contract to eventuate, therefore work commenced after the issue of the letter of intent - if followed by a contract - â€Å"will be treated as having been performed under that contract.†4 This was also affirmed by Neill LJ in Monk Construction Ltd v Norwich Union Life Assurance Society5, in making a general statement that a contract may come into existence following a letter of intent, depending upon the individual circumstances of the case. According to HH Judge Thornton in A.C. Controls v British Broadcasting Corporation, â€Å"in construing and giving effect to a letter of intent,

My Neighbor Has Guns Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My Neighbor Has Guns - Essay Example Based on these statistics, there has been an intention of reducing violence by restricting guns. However, the issue generates immense controversy in the country. For example, some opines that there should be control on guns as they lead to increased rate of violence. On the other hand, others believe that the increased rate of violence calls for increased gun ownership in the society as it will help give protection. In United States, most of the private citizens own handguns. For example, statistics shows that, in 1990, there were over 200 million guns in private hands of which a third were handguns (Kleck 1). Various reasons resulted to increased gun ownership in the 1960s to 80s. First, there was increased gun ownership in the country was the formation of new households and growing wealth enabling gun owners to get more guns (Kleck 1). Second, there was increased rate of crime among people who previously had no title for guns. Ownership of guns in the neighborhood and homes should be regulated as it leads to unintended accident, intimidation, increased rate of violence, and abuse by weak in society. Guns promote weaker adversaries to attack stronger ones (Kleck 1). Therefore, there should be tight restriction on gun ownership and operation. This occurs as the weak and vulnerable finds it easier to commit a crime that would have been dangerous difficult to carry out, or physically or emotionally difficult (Kleck 1). In fact, guns make the individuals involved having impression that they wield considerable influence that cannot be matched by anyone else. The attacker feels having greater power as compared to the victim. Moreover, gun might make it possible for the aggressor to feel that the planned attack will be advantageous to the points that the victim would not be able to counteract its effect (Kleck 1). Furthermore, the aggressor may have a feel that the victims accumulate enough fear that would make it impossible for them to strike back even if they have physically capability (Kleck 1). Therefore, this relates to the statistics that show that women attack men mainly by use guns (Kleck 1). Moreover, there is more likely that an individual will attack a group rather than a group attacking an individual. Likewise, the immense courage to attack is gained from the fact that one attack from a distance. Moreover, guns lead to unintentional accidents in both homes and neighborhood. Some of the accidents may lead to death or injury of an individual with disastrous consequences. For example, a gun may go off and shoot a family member, and this may lead to guilt and emotional breakdown. A survey carried out from 3003 to 2007 showed that over 500 Americans were killed per year unintentionally with firearms (Hemenway 2). In fact, more of the deaths occurred in homes. Moreover, most of the victims were below 25 years and family or friends accidentally shot the victims (Miller, Hemenway and Barber 1). Consequently, most of the accidental shootings deaths in the homes are due to guns kept in the home. There appears that accidental gun deaths are more vulnerable in areas with more guns (Miller, Hemenway and Barber 1). The result correlates with the statistics that show that accidental firearms deaths are high in states with a high level of guns ownership (Hemenway 2). Moreover, increased access to guns by children leads to

How Virgil Integrates Myth and History in The Aeneid

How Virgil Integrates Myth and History in The Aeneid How does Virgil integrate myth and history in The Aeneid? Discuss with reference to specific passages. Written as Rome faced a new era, and as its politics and society rapidly evolved, The Aeneid is essentially Virgil’s own reflection on these transformations. The narrative, interwoven with numerous historical and mythological elements, highlights his political and moral concerns regarding the new empire, his blurring of boundaries, between past and present, and myth and reality, bookmarking this exploration. As these worlds collide and blend throughout the narrative, our reading of Aeneas’ journey is expanded; this epic foundation myth can be read as Virgil questioning the new empire, how it would affect the Roman identity and its traditional values, whether Rome was truly free from the violence and corruption of the Civil Wars, and his hope for peace under Augustus’ rule. By analysing the text we may infer the extent to which he integrates myth and history in his political commentary. This interweaving of reality and fiction for such effect is seen instantly in Jupiter’s prophecy in Book 1 where the very real figure of Augustus is linked to the mythological figure of Aeneas. This link, as mapped out by Jupiter, passes from Aeneas, the first founder of Rome, through the legendary twins Romulus and Remus, central characters in Rome’s foundation legend, and onto ‘a Trojan Caesar’(1.287), Augustus’ own uncle and adopted father, Julius Caesar. Commonly seen in Julian propaganda of the 1st century BC, this association highlights the link between the ‘gens Iulia’ and the ‘eponymous figure of Iulus-Ascanius’[1], Aeneas’ son, and explicitly places Augustus in the line of ‘noble stock’ ‘the rulers of the world’ (1.282-286) originated from. Decreed to be a direct descendent of these two legendary characters by the father of the gods, Augustus is instantly cemented as the rightful rul er and depicted as the next piece in Rome’s foundation myth; that he too is a legendary figure. Furthermore, these characters themselves embody the blurring between myth and reality. For example each is of both divine and mortal descent: Aeneas is the son of Venus and Anchises, Romulus the son of Mars and Ilia the priestess queen and Augustus too, according to Jupiter’s prophecy, can trace his lineage to both these legendary figures, and a ‘Caesar’, Rome’s first imperial figure. This not only gives Augustus further gravitas and legitimacy as a ruler, but also suggests that he is re-establishing the Rome as it was prophesised, and the Roman identity as it should be. Also it suggests that Rome’s foundations are equally legendary, born from the combination of myth and reality, and equally endorsed by the gods. While Aeneas’ overall journey in The Aeneid also sees this close relationship between myth and reality, we may also see it as mirroring Rome’s own growth as a nation.[2] For example, Aeneas’ time in Carthage, between Books 1 and 4, represents the Punic Wars, a series of wars fought between Rome and Carthage between 264 BC and 146 BC which saw more than a century of conflict, thousands of deaths, and Rome succeeding Carthage as the most powerful state in the Western Mediterranean. This section is steeped in historical allegory: Dido’s suicide and Carthage seemingly burning with ‘the flames of poor Dido’s pyre’ (5.3-4) represents Carthage’s own defeat at the hands of Rome, and its decline as Rome’s power grew. Following this Aeneas’ progress encapsulates the narrative and in Books 5 to 8 we see him get gradually closer to Italy. This part of his journey however also sees many allusions to the Odysseus myth and is litt ered with Homeric motifs as Aeneas encounters a number of supernatural creatures, such as journeying to the Underworld, contact with the Harpies and Cyclops, close encounters with the sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis and with the lands of the Sirens and Circe. By translating a Homeric and mythological world onto the well-charted, and well-traversed, Mediterranean, Virgil continues to interweave reality and fiction, and, in doing so, blurs what is true and what is false. This also creates tension between the two as contemporary readers, recognising the places Aeneas visits and passes, sees these familiar lands as the homes of legendary creatures. While on one hand this section can be seen as portraying Aeneas as an equal hero to Odysseus, it can also be seen as reflecting Rome’s journey and growth, from Trojan foundations to an identity of its own. Virgil continues this tension in Books 9 to 12 as Aeneas’ battles with the Latins closely reflect the recent Civil Wars, a nd Aeneas and Turnus’ one-to-one combat represents the Battle of Actium where Augustus defeated his last rival, Mark Antony. While gradually reflecting Rome’s past with Aeneas’ journey, Virgil strives to remind Rome of the destruction it has faced, externally such as in Carthage, and internally such as during the civil wars, and in doing so he attempts to show Romans that they must learn from their past. Like many other historical epics, both Greek and Roman, The Aeneid is used to define a national identity in opposition to an ‘other’, as evidenced by the vast historical skeleton the narrative is built upon.As J. D. Reed suggests, it aims to present Rome as distinct to all other nations: from ‘the Trojans with whom it originated, the Greeks whom the Trojans had fought and [who] the Romans were to conquer’ by distancing Aeneas from the Homeric and Greek world; ‘the Carthaginians who threaten Roman ascendancy’ with the death of Dido; and ‘the Italian peoples among whom Rome arose’ with Aeneas’ war with the Latins.[3] Virgil continues to merge the past and present in Book 8 and, in Aeneas’ visit to Pallanteum, images of Virgil’s contemporary Rome bleed into the descriptions of Evander’s archaic settlement. For example, as Evander guides Aeneas, we see ‘cattle†¦ lowing in the Roman forum’, and the ‘Capitol, now all gold’ now ‘bristling with rough scrub’ (8.349-362). Also, throughout the description, many landmarks recognisable to Virgil’s contemporary readers, such the ‘Alter of Carmentis and the Carmental Gate’ (8.338) are seen. These images appear to transcend time itself, and by warping the familiar with the historical, Virgil’s narrative continues to run on underlying tension. However these images are also accompanied by those of a bucolic paradise: the site is described as the ‘haunt of native fauns and nymphs ’and Saturn’s first ‘Golden Age’ (8.315-325). Hence, with thi s blurring of past and present, and by translating images of contemporary Rome onto those of pastoral peace, Virgil is linking Aeneas’ coming, and therefore Augustus’, with Saturn’s; he hopes that Augustus is bringing the second Golden Age of ‘peace and serenity’ (8.326). However, Evander’s account is also greatly pessimistic, detailing a ‘worser age of base material’ as the time of peace disintegrated and the ‘madness of war’ and ‘the lust for possessions’ (8.327-328) consumed all. While this is clearly representing the recent civil wars that tore apart Rome, it also reveals Virgil’s own hopelessness for the future of Rome; like Evander he views the Golden Age, and the empire, as ‘only an intermission from continuous fighting and invasions’.[4] This hopelessness for the future appears to stem from Virgil’s own cynical view of human nature, as can be seen in the myth of Hercule s and Cacus. In essence a tale of a hero and a monster, and of archetypal good and bad, Virgil’s description casts an unnerving similarity between the two as both are described as incredibly violent and rabid with furor. This, therefore, causes us to question whether Virgil truly endorses Aeneas, who is also seen as incredibly violent in battle, and the new emperor he represents. Supporting this is the description of Aeneas and Mezentius’ battle in Book 10 where the tale of Hercules and Cacus is literally mirrored as ‘Mezentius rode around [Aeneas] three times’ (10.886), recalling Hercules’ three trips around Mount Aventine in anger (8.231-232). This similarity disturbingly places Aeneas, our supposed hero, in the place of the monster Cacus and contradicts the many positive descriptions of Aeneas, causing us to believe that Virgil had mixed opinions about Augustus and the new empire: this use of myth shows he had hopes for the peace one ruler could bring, yet was cynical of the destruction human nature could cause. Book 8 also sees the pinnacle of Virgil’s use of myth and history in the description of Aeneas’ resplendent shield. Crafted by the fire god Vulcan it is a clear echo of Achilles’ own shield from The Iliad and another allusion to Homer. However, on one hand, while Homer chooses to depict the entire world, including the earth, oceans, heavens, stars, and human life; Hephaestus engraves Achilles’ shield with the pleasures of peace as Homer strives to remind his hero of what he is fighting for. Virgil, on the other hand, chooses to engrave Aeneas’ shield with a memorialization of Rome’s military victory, and her success in conflict as well as peace, as he prophesises Rome’s history.[5] This is due to the context of The Aeneid. Written soon after the Battle of Actium where Augustus put an end to the strife of civil war in Rome, becoming the first emperor, The Aeneid reflects this recent shift in power; the description of Aeneas’ shie ld in particular. Primarily, Virgil’s language choice, namely in characterisation, is important in establishing this Homeric relation and political undercurrent. For example, his description of Augustus sees the new emperor’s association with the divine increasingly emphasised; the gods themselves are listed in the description of his followers, indicating that he has the divine right to rule, and his recent success at Actium as determined by the gods. Also, Augustus is physically elevated in this image, and is therefore physically closer to Olympus. Similarly he is described as wearing a ‘double flame’ and ‘his father’s star’ (8.682). On one hand this associates him with Ascanius who, in Book 2, is blessed by the gods with a halo of holy fire, this portent followed by a second: a star sent by the gods. This similarity, while supporting Jupiter’s prophecy in Book 1 that Ascanius will establish the seeds of a power that, eventually , will become Rome, further emphasises Augustus’ right to rule. Also, the inclusion of ‘his father’s star’ alludes to his adoption of Julius Caesar’s name, and emphasises his legitimacy. Essentially, the description of Augustus is steeped in social and political context with the intention of establishing his sovereignty, suggesting that there was possible unrest in his early years of power. This description, notably Augustus’ relationship to the gods, sees Virgil’s focussing on highlighting Augustus’ power, and the legitimacy of that power. Similarly, Virgil’s description of Antony informs us of the social and political background of The Aeneid. Introduced as ‘in triumph from the shores of the Red Sea’ (8.688-689), Antony is portrayed positively, which, as Augustus’ rival, is peculiar. Also, he describes their conflict as ‘mountains were colliding with mountains’ (8.694), associating both with the seemingly-immortal strength of Homeric heroes, and indicating that they are equals in power. Also, contextually, there was no honour in fighting a fellow Roman, and Virgil avoids this in his glorification of Augustus by undermining Antony’s involvement. Virgil achieves this by using active verbs to describe Cleopatra, and while she is described as ‘summon[ing] her warships’ and ‘calling for winds’ (8.698-708), her role in the battle eclipses Antony’s. This has the effect of giving Rome a common enemy: the woman and the foreigner. This in itself ass ociates Cleopatra with Dido, also a foreign queen, who, throughout her relationship with Aeneas, is portrayed as deterring his progress, and therefore, deterring the progress of Rome. Furthermore, Cleopatra’s description echoes that of Dido. Called ‘his Egyptian wife’ or the ‘queen’ (8.689-698), she is denied a name, and the autonomy of self, just as Dido, who is defined by her relationship with Aeneas so much so as to take her own life when he leaves. By giving the Romans a common enemy, the civil war is instead turned into that with a foreign power, and creates a sense of Roman unity, unity that perhaps was not as assured in reality, and notably, unity brought by Augustus’ success. The gods too are purposely characterised for effect. While on one hand, the Roman gods are named and recognisable, the Egyptian gods are described as ‘monstrous’, Virgil even highlights the dog form of Anubis who ‘barked†¦ at Neptune and Ve nus’ (8.699-700). This emphasis on the animalistic qualities of the Egyptian gods serves the purpose of establishing a divine hierarchy; the Roman gods, as human in shape, naturally come before the ‘dog god’, an animal typically obedient to man. This hierarchy serves to assert Roman superiority, culturally and spiritually, as well as militarily. Virgil’s description of the shield in itself is important too; throughout the passage, there is fluidity between narrative and object. This is achieved by the subtle blurring of the mythical world, as depicted on the shield, and the ‘real’: Aeneas’ story. For example, as the passage flows through the narrative, certain words and phrases alluding to the material of the shield, how it’s made and the maker, such as ‘the God of Fire’ who had ‘fashioned the Nile†¦ with every fold of drapery beckoning’ (8.709-714), disrupt the flow and pull the reader sharply to reality. Also, there is a prevalent dichotomy of senses; we are told that Anubis ‘barked’ while the Roman gods ‘swooped’ and ‘strode’ (8.699-703). This sense of motion and sound brings a still image and object alive, and reflects the power of well-crafted art; just as Aeneas’ shield seems to come to life in his hands, the poem does in the reader’s mind. Ultimately, through his integration of myth and history, Virgil is able to blur truth and fiction, transforming The Aeneid into accepted fact. This not only establishes his account into the foundation myth of the Roman identity, but also establishes Augustus into the pantheon of Rome’s mythological founders. On a deeper level though it also allows him to explore complex issues such as the effect the civil wars had on the Roman identity, his hopes for Augustus’ rule, and his fears that human nature, greed and violence will plague the new empire. Essentially, through the merging of the two worlds, whether this be between the mythological and realistic, classical allusion and historical context, or narrative and material object, he achieves the ultimate contrast; between a piece of literature, and a political message. Bibliography Bell, K. K. 2008. ‘â€Å"Translatio† and the Constructs of a Roman Nation in Virgils â€Å"Aeneid†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, Rocky Mountain Review 62: 11-24. J. D. Reed, ‘Vergil’s Roman’, in J. Farrell and M. C. J. Putnam (ed.), A Companion to Vergil’s Aeneid and its Tradition. Oxford 2010: 66-79. J. E. G. Zetzel, ‘Rome and its Traditions’, in C. Martindale (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Virgil. Cambridge 1997: 188-203. Johnson, W. R. 2005. ‘Introduction’, in S. Lombardo (Trans.), Aeneid, Indianapolis. lxi-lxxi. R. D. Williams, ‘The Purpose of The Aeneid’, in S. J. Harrison (ed.), Oxford Readings in Vergil’s Aeneid. Oxford 1990: 21-36. S. Casali, ‘The Development of the Aeneas Legend’, in J. Farrell and M. C. J. Putnam (ed.), A Companion to Vergil’s Aeneid and its Tradition. Oxford 2010: 37-51. Virgil, The Aeneid, trans. D. West [Penguin Classics] (London: Penguin Books, 2003) Williams, R. D. 1965. ‘The Mythology of the â€Å"Aeneid†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, Vergilius 11, 11-15. ID number: 1335307Words: 2,426 [1]Casali 2010: 49. [2]Zetzel 1997: 189. [3]Reed 2010: 66 -76. [4]Zetzel 1997: 191. [5]Johnson, W. R. 2005. ‘Introduction’, in S. Lombardo (Trans.), Aeneid, Indianapolis. lxi-lxxi.

Time and Attendance Management

AcknowledgmentsI owe a great many thanks to great many people who helped and supportedme during the project. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my mentorsDr. Hiral Shah, Dr. Ben Baliga, and Prof. Gary Nierengarten for all their support and encouragement at every step throughout my course of study at St. Cloud StateUniversity. First and foremost, my deepest thanks to my advisor, Dr. Hiral Shah, myGuide for this project. I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for herguidance and support throughout the project.I would also like to express my thanks to Dr. Ben Baliga, Prof. GaryNierengarten, and Dr. Balsubramanian Kasi for their precious time in carefullyreviewing my project. I am grateful for their valuable suggestions and comments.Finally, I would like to thank my family and all my friends for constantlyencouraging and supporting me in this endeavor. It is with their help that I have beenable to successfully complete my Master's Program in Engineering Management.IntroductionChapter I: IntroductionEmployee time and attendance is a vital part of the workplace as it allows forbetter workforce management. Time and attendance management facilitates HumanResources to better understand employee attendance, and are necessary forcollecting information for payroll (Time Well Scheduled, n.d.). It is important forcompanies to assemble, categorize, and utilize workforce data, which will allow themto make critical decisions (Data Management Services, Inc., n.d.). In this ever evolving and technologically savvy century, companies are oftenforced to adapt to the needs and requirements of the market. Companies preferportability, flexibility and access to applications they use from anywhere and across all platforms, so that work and management become easier and less complex.Agile methodology is the most widely used project management technique by several organizations for their software development projects. This methodologyworks great in environments where requirements change rapidly throughout theproject scope and has been proven to achieve high project success rate for manyorganization (Battagiri, 2015). There are several software development techniqueswithin the agile methodology. This project demonstrates the use of agile methodologyto create web-based reports for employee Time and Attendance. Problem StatementABC application is currently a desktop applicationwhich facilitates clients to use the software on the local system where theserver is located. This is a drawback8since the client cannot access the application on a remote device. Clients nowrequire flexibility to use the application from across any platform and any devicewithout having to personally be present at the location and the local system wherethe Application is hosted. This can significantly reduce time and effort and increasethe productivity of the workforce.Nature and Significance of the ProblemFor any company, it is necessary to manage its time and attendance and thework schedules of the employees who are the number one capital expense. Improperscheduling and attendance management can lead to a host of issues, includingoverscheduling a shift, costly overtime pay, and even litigation (Data ManagementServices, Inc., n.d.). With the change in dynamics of the work environment in the present day world, employees have the option to work from remote locations. A lot of companiesallow their employees to work from remote locations and to manage their time andattendance, it becomes an arduous task to keep track of the Human resources, whichcan lead to billing issues and corrections which can become costly.Currently, ABC company TC-1 software is only limited to systems that have the database running on theirservers. If employees of any of the clients are requiredto work from a remote location, or if the manager wants to access employeeinformation, payroll, scheduling, they have to be physically present at theirworkstation where this application is hosted. An effective solution which can provideaccess to the application on any device would help the management in accurately9tracking employee work time and also reduce managerial time spent on timekeepingand payroll tasks.Objective of the ProjectTo identify the tools and technologies required for the development of thisapplication and create a web enabled application that interfaces with theserver on the backend and presents a browser-based client interface to theuser in an agile environment.2. Identify the core areas of business and implement them in phases andrelease for production.Project QuestionsAfter successfully accomplishing the project, the following questions wereanswered based on the results obtained from the project:What current drawback s of thedesktop application have been resolved in the Web based application and up to what extent?How was Scrum agile methodology useful in developing this project?How effective would the proposed solution of bringing in a web basedinterface help in resolving the clients' needs?What are the factors of Scrum which were helpful in identifying any threatsin this project?Can new changes and modifications be made during the implementation of the web-application? 11evolutionary development, early delivery, and continuous improvement,and it encourages rapid and flexible response to change (Wikipedia, n.d.).c)Scrum methodology:Scrum is a management and control process thatcuts through complexity to focus on building software that meets businessneeds. Management and teams are able to get their hands around therequirements and technologies, never let go, and deliver working software, incrementally and empirically (Scrum.org, n.d.). d) Socket Programming: Sockets provide the communication mech anismbetween two computers using TCP. A client program creates a socket on its end of the communication and attempts to connect that socket to a server. When the connection is made, the server creates a socket objecton its end of the communication (Tutorialspoint.com, n.d.).e) Server:A server is a computer program or a machine capable of accepting requests from clients and responding to them. Their purpose may be to share data or hardware and software resources among clients(Quizlet.com, n.d.). f) Web Application:A Web application (Web app) is an application program that is stored on a remote server and delivered over the Internetthrough a browser interface (Jdsofttech.com, n.d.).g) Desktop Application:A desktop application is a self-contained programthat performs a defined set of tasks under the user control. Desktopapplications run from a local drive and do not require a network or 12connectivity to operate or function properly, though if attached to a networkdesktop application might use the resources of the network (Socmedtech,2014).f) TheSoftware Development Life Cycle (SDLC)is the process of developing or modifying software systems by following softwaredevelopment methodologies. People, process and technology play a vitalrole in success of the software development lifecycle (Battagiri, 2015).g) Pair programmingis an agile software development technique, where twoor more programmers work together on a software development task. One,thedriver, develops the code while the other, theobserver, reviews thecode developed by the driver. The driver and the observer switch roles to achieve better results (Battagiri, 2015).h) Best practicesare the set of rules followed in software developmentwhich can help in developing software which is effective as well as efficientand within the budget. A combination of best practices can be used to bestfit a specific software development environment. The core agile softwareprogramming practices (versionone.com) are the following:Iterative development,Test driven development,Quality testing,Requirement change management,Following standard coding practices,13Software version control.Project management best practices help us successfully initiate,plan, execute, monitor, control and close our projects.Best practicesrepresent the practical application of the concepts, processes, andtools defined in the project (Battagiri, 2015).SummaryThis chapter introduces the problem statement and objective of the project.The nature and significance of the project are discussed. Limitations of this projectimplementation are also addressed. Important terms and keywords are brieflyexplain ed, which are necessary to understand the project. The next chapterdiscusses the framework and research methodologies used to conduct the project in detail.

Did the wall street crash cause the great deppression?

In the commencing essay, I will be evaluating whether the Wall street crash caused the Great Depression or not. I will be discussing whether is has played a major part in the Great Depression, whether it was just a minor incident. The Wall Street Crash was a defining moment in the American economic history. It occurred on October 29, 1929. Before this, the American economy was booming. During the 1920's, share prices were rapidly increasing and businesses were doing very well. The image the world received from America was that that everyone was rich, which wasn't. The farmers were given very small amounts of money for their work. This meant that people had more money so more products were being sold. There was a lot of speculation that share prices would continue to rise. However, in 1929, the stock markets began to fall dramatically and caused devastating effects on the American economy. This was the beginning of long-lasting consequences for the whole country, and the world. The Great Depression was a long gradual period in which America suffered great economic depression, during which financial activity slowed down and unemployment was high. America had a high rate of starvation, homelessness and poverty. P eople were living in poor conditions with very little money. There were a few causes of the Wall street crash. One was overproduction. Throughout the 1920's there was a man known as Henry Ford began to produce cars at an extremely rapid rate. The amount of goods produced by the industry was increasing especially these auto mobiles,l and consumer goods. However, this was stopped from the 1930's. As a result of overproduction, there was not enough wealth for people to keep on buying. The second cause was the weakness in banks. At the start of 1920, there were 30,000 independent banks. Most of these were small banks, in rural areas. They were liable to being withdrawn loans by their customers in large amounts. 10 years later, 5000 banks were gone, which was 1/6th of the country's banks. Another main reason was the extremely uneven distributions in income. In 1929, a staggering 1/3 of the country's wealth belonged to just 5% of the population. Meaning that just 2/3 belonged to 95%. This was a factor of overproduction as limited amount of people in the country could afford new products. Probably the main reason why the Wall Street Crash happened was that there was an international problem with the economy. The ability of the European country's being able to sell goods to America and helping them out with debts, was limited by a Tariff policy which was introduced. This policy (Smoot-Hawley Tariff) was increasing the tax on imports. As a result they were not helped and assured by European countries with trades. This Wall Street Crash impacted many things. As well as the economic downfall, it also caused banks to come to bankruptcy. People borrowed money from the banks, and when the Wall Street crash happened, they were unable to pay the banks back. More than $8.5 billion was loaned out, which is even more than the entire American economy. This great crash also affected the everyday lives of the American citizens. Over 20 million American citizens lived on $2000 per year. People lost their jobs because the business they worked for couldn't afford their wages. So people began to work in the agriculture. Also, all businesses were struggling to survive in this crash. Share prices increased rapidly, and the businesses were unable to pay for their stock. This was a cycle which inflicted on each other, and each one started from the other. The Wall street Crash itself was not the sole reason of the Great Depression. There was very severe drought in the 1930 in the USA, which impacted America even more. If the farmers were unable to grow crops, how would they receive money, and feed their families? If the businesses do not receive the crops, how would they be able to keep receiving profits? As a result, these farmers had to sell their land. This was when famous author John Steinbeck wrote the book ‘The Grapes of Wrath', which was based on this drought. Also, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff as mentioned above, was a vital part in this depression, as trades were limited. In conclusion about whether the Wall Street Crash caused the Great Depression, personally I believe that the Wall Street Crash was not the sole reason for the Great Depression, but was definitely the main reason. If there was no economic downfall, the Great Depression would not have happened. The Wall street crash opened doors for many different problems, such as bankruptcy. If the Wall street crash itself did not happen, these things would not have occurred.

Beta Decay Definition in Chemistry

Beta Decay Definition in Chemistry Beta decay refers to the spontaneous radioactive decay where a beta particle is produced. There are two types of beta decay where the beta particle is either an electron or a positron. How Beta Decay Works ÃŽ ²- decay occurs when an electron is the beta particle. An atom will ÃŽ ²- decay when a neutron in the nucleus converts to a proton by the reaction:ZXA → ZYA1 e- antineutrinoHere X is the parent atom, Y is the daughter atom, Z is the atomic mass of X, A is the atomic number of X.ÃŽ ² decay occurs when a positron is the beta particle. An atom will ÃŽ ² decay when a proton in the nucleus converts into a neutron by the reaction:ZXA → ZYA-1 e neutrinoHere X is the parent atom, Y is the daughter atom, Z is the atomic mass of X, A is the atomic number of X.In both cases, the atomic mass of the atom remains constant but the elements are transmuted by one atomic number. Practical Examples Cesium-137 decays to Barium-137 by ÃŽ ²- decay.Sodium-22 decays to Neon-22 by ÃŽ ² decay.

My Opinion on the Movie Titanic

My Opinion on the Movie Titanic The essay is an analysis of the movie Titanic written and directed by James Cameron and was released on 19 December 1997 and runs for 194 minutes. The movie is a flashback an epic romance and tragedy, telling a story of Lovett who hunts for treasure. Together with his squad, he looks for heart of the ocean; a necklace they deemed was in Cal’s safe. What they found was a portrait of a woman dated 1912 14 April.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on My Opinion on the Movie Titanic specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Upon the knowledge of the portray, Dawson Calvert contacted Lovett, she was asked if she knew about the necklace and she said that indeed she was the one Rose DeWittone of the passengers deemed to have die when the ship sunk after hitting a iceberg. She retells how she boarded the ship in a first class with her fiancà © Cal a son of Pittsburgh rich man. The latter’s parents stressed the importance of the two to marry. Being disturbed, Rose contemplated committing suicide. Just before she slips off the ship, Jack comes into the scene and convinces her not to do that. The two later established developed a mutual relationship. Cal together with his mother did not approve of this kind of friendship but Rose defied this kind of orders (‘Titanic’). One moment she and jack found their way out of sight of Cal’s bodyguard, they went to room where Rose told Jack to draw her nude but putting on the necklace. It is later that thy made love. Cal discovered the portrait drawn by Jack. Cal framed Jack by lacing the necklace in Jacks coat who was later arrested. He was handcuffed. At this moment the ship had hit an iceberg and the ship was sinking, Cal, his mother and Rose were on board, the later escape to go and try to save Jack. The two later managed to get back to the deck, at this point, Cal made Rose to board the lifeboat again with a promise that both Jack and Cal wil l be safe, the later then double-crossed Jack. Seeing this Rose found her way out to be with Jack in the sinking ship. With frustration, Cal ran after them while shooting. Shortage of ammunitions made him return and boarded the lifeboat. While Jack and Rose were at the top of the deck people were dying since all life boats had disappeared. A panel that could support one person is what helped them, Jack died as a result of hypothermia. With the return of a lifeboat, Rose signaled the crew using a whistle; she is saved and goes to New York where she changed her name to Dawson Rose. She later went to Lovett’s ship and dropped the necklace. This is one movie I like due to the romance, music soundtrack, the issue of social class. The kind of music played in the movie left me more connected with it, the song from Celine Dion â€Å"my Heart Will Go On† is in line with the love theme. Additionally, when the ship had hit an iceberg, the bandleader Henry called up his eight man team and started playing waltzes and ragtime.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They all perished while sinking this was very touchy (‘Titanic’). Another music that made me glued and really felt what was happening in the movie is a track titled, â€Å"Death of Titanic† this was an anticipation of what would happen later in the ship. The loud cries of those falling for death after the departure of all the lifeboats are the climax. The romantic scenes in the movie were a blast in my opinion. Romance started when Jack arrived just in time to persuade Rose not to commit suicide by falling from the ship. After that scene, it is evident that the two crafted there way out of Cal’s bodyguard. In a room, Rose demanded to be drawn while putting on nothing other than there necklace. Similarly, there are other brief scenarios where the two made love, in the deck. It is indeed this love that makes each open yearn for the safety of the other. On the same note, the incident where jack and rose dance was also full of romantic expression. This made me and I bet more individuals who hold the same opinion like that of mine to love this movie. The death of Jack while with Rose is another memorable moment in this movie. Lastly, the issue of social stratification did come out clearly as it was well planned by Cameron. In any given set of a society, it is apparent that all individuals who constitute that society cannot be in the same class. It is for this reasons that most of those aboard the ship lost their life. Majority was third and second class who could not be allowed to enter the lifeboats, those individuals in first class were saved (‘Titanic’). Additionally, Jack’s relationship with Rose was not approved just because he was from a lower class than that of Cal whose marriage with Rose was purported to solve the financ ial problem her family had. From the review of what makes me love the movie Titanic, are three main things the romantic scenes, the issue of social class and the sweet sound tracks and music. ‘Titanic’. Dir. Cameron, James. Prod. Sanchini, R. Videocassette. Paramount Pictures, 1997Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on My Opinion on the Movie Titanic specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

The Impact of the Subprime Mortgage Crisis on the UK Economy Literature review

The Impact of the Subprime Mortgage Crisis on the UK Economy - Literature review Example The huge amount of non-conventional mortgages has deepened the existing housing market slump. The subprime mortgage crisis has already influenced the overall economy. The fall in home demand as well as the subsequent increase in home inventories has places the housing construction business into a decline (Taylor, 2009, p. 78). Housing began to drop 45 percent during the past 2 years, in accordance with the Commerce division, and fresh home sales plunged 36 percent, driving fresh home inventories to more than 450,000. This drop in fresh residential construction cut 2 percent GDP growth during the fourth quarter of 2011, and it is doing the same in the first half of 2012. However, the housing market influences more than simply the housing construction division of the financial system. Rising and falling home costs in the past couple of years generated huge capital benefits for households, which produced a sturdy wealth outcome for consumer expenditure and facilitated in decreasing the national investments rate (Morgenson and Rosner, 2011, p. 103). From 2008, the standard annual growth rate of actual buyer expenditure was a sturdy 4 percent, with buyer durable expenditure going up to 6 percent per annum. In view of the fact that personal spending costs creates over 80 percent of the entire economy, increasing home costs were a main medium for general financial development. Increasing home costs were as well a contributing aspect to the almost negative UK household investments rate during the last two years. If countrywide home costs drop by 6 percent during 2012, a negative capital effect will reduce utilization costs, boost the national investments rate and lessen economic movement. Policies have stepped in to try to mitigate the economic blow of the subprime mortgage crisis and the weakening housing division. A wide range of suggestions have been established and / or implemented. Some of these are particularly significant (McLean and Nocera, 2011, p. 132). Recen tly, government help thousands of individuals by refinancing their mortgages. With this initiative, more or less 75,000 borrowers will be directly affected. Whereas this will facilitate to hold back the existing sub-prime mortgage market crisis, a large majority believe that a much more extensive reaction is required and that this is an insufficient effort at facilitating the people. This issue is important to global political economy, as the management’s treatment of the crisis will begin to come under better inspection because of uncertain sub-prime loans that have been prepared during the past two years rearranging to their higher interest rates. This will carry on to be a concern because supported by the data from the credit union, there are more or less 4 million citizens with outstanding sub-prime mortgages along with about 1.5 million borrowers are following their loans, with more than 2 million maybe dealing with foreclosure within the subsequent two years. Because of the existing situation of the subprime mortgage crisis, the UK pound has declined against other currencies during the last few months (Forrest and Yip, 2011, p. 193). This is important because, now, the outcomes of this crisis are gradually being felt overseas. For instance, in the US, the Euro has naturally appreciated against the dollar because of the dollar’s decline. â€Å"At first glance, this would not typically send up any type of red flag for investors in the UK, but when examined more

Business Merchandising Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Merchandising Management - Assignment Example During spring-summer time, sunglasses would account for huge spend budget. Hence they are allocated the maximum amount of sales plan. During summers the demand for sunglasses goes up and hence it is important that a large percentage of media spend is on promotional activity for this particular product. These promotional activities would include fashion shows, different offers and schemes such as 'point-of-purchase promotion', discounts etc. The media spend has been allotted keeping in mind that the promotional activity would be spread over a period of 10 weeks from mid May until the end of July. However, not all promotional activities would be carried out for so long. Such as fashion shows would be held about 2 times over the period. Summer time is associated with beaches. This is time of the year when people go for long holidaying trips to various beaches across the globe. Clearly, this is also that time of the year when the demand for swimwear rockets up. Hence it is important to have well-defined promotional strategies to match up to the market demands of the product. The promotional activity would be carried out for a period of 10 weeks again which is from mid May up to end of July. ... The promotional activity would be carried out for a period of 10 weeks again which is from mid May up to end of July. This is because if people are planning for long holidays, they would mostly start buying somewhere in advance and hence mid of May is the optimum time to start the promotions of swimwear. Since summer time goes on for a good 2 and a half months, the promotional activity should be in full gear for the full of June and July, which is when the holidaymakers plan their visits to beaches. Fashion Accessory Promotional Activity Period (Duration in Weeks) Spend (in million ) Jewellery Fashion Shows, Exhibitions, Discounts, Mannequin display, Various offers and schemes. 6 7 Jewellery as a product does not really have a relatively high demand during any particular season and its sales depends mostly on occasions. Hence its promotional activities will not be targeted keeping in mind the spring-summer season, and rather the onset of any occasion or festival. The amount that has been allocated for the sales plan, 7 million, will be required for activities such as fashion shows, exhibitions, mannequin displays and other schemes and offers. The duration for which the promotional activity will be carried out is 6 weeks. Jewellery will not be much in demand during the summer, but in the spring season. Hence the promotions would take place from mid March up to the end of April. Fashion Accessory Promotional Activity Period (Duration in Weeks) Spend (in million ) Lingerie Fashion Shows, Discounts, Mannequin display, Various offers and schemes. 6 7 Unlike Jewellery, lingerie is a fashion accessory which is a must-have. Irrespective of the season, it continues to have a good demand and attractive promotional activities can