How to Drive Value Your Way Essay Example for Free

How to Drive Value Your Way Essay MGT665 – Individual Assignment HOW TO DRIVE VALUE YOUR WAY Submitted By: Hiten Bachani (129278117) 0 MGT665 – Individual Assignment Main theme The paper revolves around the migration of the value within the supply chain as industries and technologies evolve. The basis of which can be traced down to the changes occurring in the patterns of consumer behaviour. But the changes in consumer patterns does not necessarily result in the value being shifted from one stakeholder to other; rather it is purely a function of the type of industry and how it has evolved over the years. Idea in Brief Argument Successful Companies do four things well: Problem Lessons In turbulent times, profits have a tendency of migrating up or down the value chain, away from the established companies to the upstream or downstream partners. eg: In PC industry, value moved from IBM (manufacturer) to Wintel (suppliers) The trajectory is not witnessed in the Auto Industry, where the incumbent carmakers have maintained a constant share of the industrys market capitalization despite dire predictions to the contrary. 1) Controlling the assets least likely to be commoditized 2) Being the guarantor of quality to end customer 3) Staying in close touch with the changing customers needs 4) Balancing the imperatives of growth and strategic control of the value chain The paper emphasis on four rules to that the companies can practice to influence whether the value migrates – and if so, to where in the chain. Rule 1 : Be the least replaceable player The question of who along the value chain is most replaceable fundamentally affects who can capture surplus  value. It has been argued that the system integrators are most difficult to replace in auto industry but it is not so in the PC industry. However, a company seeking to preserve or gain advantage needs not only to reinforce its own irreplaceability but also ensure that none of its suppliers become impossible to replace Rule 2: Become the Guardian of Quality Value in an industry mostly accrues to the player that customers associate most of the quality with the product. The quality guardian in the value chain, typically carries a disproportionate share of legal liability. Also the cost of liability differs across the industries, for e.g. it is quite high in auto industry since the life of customers are at risk if car crashes while it is low in PC. Rule 3: Follow the Customer When the end customer changes his needs, value may shift across the value chain. Hence it becomes imperative for the companies to link the customers need to the value proposition they offer. But in the absence of a fundamental shift in the end customer, incumbents will be well positioned to 1 MGT665 – Individual Assignment manage even disruptive technology—as long as they retain ownership of distribution and can resist the emergence of open standards. Rule 4: Manage the Growth Story This rule throws light on type of industry such as high growth or low growth and within that how the company changes its market share. It might be the case that a firm has only a small market share in a violently growing sector or a high share in a stable sector. When the high-growth industry in question is relatively small: Incumbents will be less inclined to fight hard to preserve dominance when the absolute profits are limited. The opposite applies, however, when the high-growth market is large. Here, scale often favours stability, because established players are large enough to maintain closed systems of suppliers, eschew open standards, and forestall change. Methodology study The author has tried to look at the problem through the lens of auto industry and PC industry and h as found contrasting differences while comparing. It has been observed that the value has hardly shifted along the value chain in case of Auto Industry while in case of PC industry it has drastically shifted from the hands of system integrators to the suppliers. The reason lies in the very nature of the product which both the industries sell. The paper also throws light on the methodology of how incumbents and challengers shift value across the value chain; both leveraging their strength depending upon their current capabilities. Also, it talks about the new corporate giants like Facebook and Google who do not compete in a sector but on the other hand shape it. This is because they focussed on the latent needs of the customers and came up with a value proposition leveraging the internet space (platform) at the right time making it difficult for the rivals to imitate because of the viral diffusion of the technology. Does it make sense Yes, up to a certain extent it does makes sense and there have been ample examples in the past to prove the hypothesis. Over time the customer needs have changed and successful organizations have reoriented themselves to cater to their needs. Also, they have been cautious to preserve their share of pie by follow ing the rules mentioned in the text. However, the conditions vary from industry to industry due to the different dynamics of the business scenario and the ecosystem in which they operate. It is worth noting that reputation of the player (not factored in the methodology) also plays a major role in some industries viz. Pharmaceutical industries. This may help the incumbents in the short run and give them a buffer time to rethink their strategies and retaliate so that the value does not move away from them. My opinion The author has done justice to his research by quoting right examples at the right place. One factor which has not been factored is the barrier to entry in the industry for a new player or for an existing player to transit from one stage to another within the value chain. Even in today’s world when the technology has become very sophisticated; suppliers also have a chance to build economies of scale and be a crucial member in the value chain of the industry by supplying to many players. This can be achieved by standardization of components at an initial stage and then employing methodologies like SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Dies) in manufacturing industry(Automobiles) which the author had quoted as difficult in terms of replace-ability as compared to PC industry; however thi s can be achieved given the upstream or downstream player has sufficient resources to overcome the barriers of entry. 2

Difficulties Arabic Students Face In English Language Learning

Difficulties Arabic Students Face In English Language Learning In educational settings the language is both the medium and content of instruction. Academic success is dependent on proficiency of spoken and written forms of the language used for instruction (Shatz and Wilkinson 2010: 55). Introduction Next to the United States, the United Kingdom receives the biggest number of international students in the world. In 2009, 13 percent of the total undergraduate population enrolled in the UK were international students (UK Council for International Student Affairs 2009). More specifically, college entrants from Saudi Arabia increased rapidly by 42.2 percent from 3,535 in 2008 to 5,205 in 2009 (Times Higher Education 2010). This dramatic rise of the Arabic international student cohort in the UK requires immediate attention especially in relation to the academic adjustments these students make in the school environment. One of the most significant adjustments for Arabic international students is learning the English language, a phenomenon driven by the demands of globalisation and the now widespread use of English as a second language in the educational curriculum even in Arab countries (Tahaineh 2010). While the process of English language learning among Arab students within their hom e countries has gained much academic attention (Khatib, 2000; Tahaineh, 2010; Ghaith and Diab 2008), not enough research focus has been made on the experiences of Arabic international students in the UK. What is known today is too scant to be applied practically in policymaking or in educational practice. This dissertation explores two main points, firstly, it highlights how little we know about the difficulties that Arabic international students face in learning the English language and secondly, it calls for the need to undertake more robust empirical work on the growing Arabic international student cohort in the UK. This mixed methods research will be a valuable contribution to UK educators in helping Arabic students learn effectively at the same time achieving institutional goals as well as meeting the educational expectations and needs of Arabic students in the UK. Research question This dissertation aims to answer the central question, What difficulties do Arabic students in the UK face when learning the English language? There are two sub-questions proposed which will guide the outcomes of this research. What issues do Arabic students face in English language learning? The literature review suggests that the difficulties Arabic international students may face when learning the English language are multi-faceted. It may involve basic structural differences between Arabic and English (Shabbir Bughio 2003), cultural issues (Elyas and Picard 2010), motivation and self-esteem (Al-Tamimi Shuib 2009), and social issues (Shammas 2009). What strategies do they use to overcome the barriers identified? After discovering the issues that Arabic international students face in English language learning, it is important to uncover the strategies that they employ in order to cope with the difficulties faced. Rationale and context The context of this proposed dissertation is of a general and personal nature. ESL literacy has always been an ongoing academic interest of the researcher. While in the past, learning the English language was viewed as a betrayal of the mother tongue for most Arabic students, the demands of free market globalisation has prompted a renewed vigour among Arab universities and Arabic students to become proficient in the English language. On a personal level, I have always been concerned with the skills of Arabic international students in reading and writing. Studying the English literacy experiences of these students will contribute to an increase in our understanding as to what strategies could help Arabic students obtain English proficiency and attain their educational goals. At the same time, it will also address the gap in literature which can inform the policymaking and institutional practice of UK universities in meeting the needs and expectations of Arabic international English learners. By describing the experiences of Saudi students in L2 literacy experience, we can begin to draft useful conclusions, implications, and recommendations to contribute to second language acquisition and proficiency in general and ESL literacy in particular. Literature review A preliminary literature review reveals significant themes related to the difficulties that Saudi international students experience in learning the English language. 1. Basic structural differences of Arabic and English The most common difficulty experienced in English language learning and proficiency among Arab students lies in the basic structural differences between the mother tongue and the second language. For instance, Arabic writing does not use capitalisation and uses different rules in punctuation from English (Shabbir Bughio 2003). Spelling is also a problem since in Arabic, there is only one letter per sound so the spelling part is much more challenging in English. A study revealed that students struggle with spelling silent alphabets located in the middle of English words such as half or knowledge. Pronunciation of English words is also problematic since Arab speakers often use Arabic phonetics to pronounce words (Salebi 2004). As a result, words like stupid are pronounced istobbid while pregnant is pronounced brignent (Shabbir Bughio 2003). The use of commas and conjunctions is also another difficulty for Arabic students because the usage is different in Arabic and English contexts ( Rababah 2002). The same is true on the use of English prepositions; due to the varied nature and usage of prepositions in English, many Arabic students opt to translate each Arabic preposition in English (Shabbir Buhgio 2003). Kambal (1980) documented major syntactic errors in the compositions of Arab students in the Sudanese University particular in verb formation, subject-verb agreement, and use of tenses. 2. Motivation in learning EFL Motivation has been an established predictor of success EFL outcomes (Al-Tamimi Shuib 2006). Consequently, a learners attitude towards the second language affects his or her outcomes in English language learning. Gardner and Lambert (1972:3) explained that a learners motivation to learn is reflected in the latters attitudes towards English speakers as well as towards the English language itself. In fact, empirical research has pointed to a learners general attitude towards knowledge as an influential variable in second language acquisition and proficiency (Arkoudis 2003). Moreover, self-esteem has been shown to be a significant predictor in writing achievement among Arabic secondary students (Al-Hattab 2006). Beliefs on the English language are mediated by culture and social characteristics (Ely 1986). This means that not all people hold uniform epistemological beliefs about L2 language acquisition and that our appreciation of the knowledge process is dependent upon our different co ntexts. Some argue however that while motivation and attitudes towards the L2 language is important, it is not a sufficient condition in language proficiency (Ely 1986). In a survey of Arabic students in Australia, general attitudes towards the English language were positive; most believed that English symbolised technological advancement and modernity (Suleiman 1983). In another study, it was found that positive attitudes toward English language learning were related to EFL outcomes (Ghaith and Diab 2008). 3. Cultural issues Culture plays an important role in the English language learning process, especially in relation to language instruction (Elyas and Picard 2010). In Saudi Arabia, classroom instruction is delivered in a different manner from Western schools. The classroom is a place where the teacher is an established head and the students role is defined in terms of quietness of loving to listen (Jamjoom 2009, as cited Elyas and Picard 2010). Teacher-student relationships in the Saudi context are feudal; teachers and instructors occupy a high tier in the classroom and so-called student-centred pedagogy is not a common practice (Gallagher 1989). The implication of this is that most Saudi students are not accustomed to interactive teaching processes, one that cultivates proficiency in the English language. Arabic students only learn English from formal instruction and the classroom itself does not provide a venue wherein they could practice their English communication skills (Rababah 2002). This class room acculturation creates potential problems in the context of English language learning in a UK university where classroom interaction is a popular teaching model. Most Arabic students become unsociable in class, do not recite as often as needed, and speak English only when directed formally (Ghaith and Diab 2008). Moreover, teacher attitudes and behaviours towards Saudi students may also count against EFL. Cross-cultural differences have been shown to affect classroom sociability of Arabic students (Rababah 2002). 4. Social issues Alienation in the university setting has been found to influence the academic outcomes of Arabic international students in the USA (Shammas 2009) particularly after the 9/11 terror attacks. The same alienation was reported by Arabic students when the school climate became hostile in some universities within the UK (Rich and Troudi 2006). The level of integration that Arabic international students experience in their universities is helpful in enhancing motivation to learn the English language (Shammas 2009). Feelings of isolation due to the loss of social capital increases sociability among Arabic international students and may result to loss of self-esteem and motivation. Those who are able to renew their social capital by connecting with new friends Arabic or not have a greater chance of being successful in being proficient in the English language. Research approach Empirical work examining the processes of second language acquisition and the effectiveness of strategies focused on learning English as a second language has utilised both quantitative and qualitative research approaches (Ghaith and Diab 2008; Al-Hattab 2006; Rabab-ah 2002). This study proposes a mixed methods approach integrating both qualitative and quantitative elements to more adequately explore the English language learning process among Arabic international students in the UK. Considered a bridge between the quantitative and qualitative realms of research, mixed methods research draws upon the strengths of both paradigms to generate a more complete and thorough investigation of a topic or phenomenon (Johnson and Onwuegbuzie 2004). To this end, mixed methods research supposes that the two research paradigms can be reconciled, maximising the strengths of both while minimising their weaknesses at the same time (Tashakkori and Teddlie 2003). In deciding what research approach best suits the purposes of this study, I considered two ontological positions constructivist and positivist on the topic. Firstly, I consider that Arabic students are differently situated and construct their realities from their own experiences and values. In this regard, there is no one version of reality that could be gleaned (Denzin and Lincoln 1994) on how Arabic international students experience English language learning. Secondly, however, I believe that it is possible to establish what a causal relationship (Creswell 2003) or the particular factors predict English language proficiency among Arabic students in general. In other words, we can determine what specific difficulties can influence English language proficiency among Arabic students. From a pragmatic point of view, both ontological positions are useful in this investigation, hence, a mixed methods paradigm. Why use a stand-alone paradigm when you can use two paradigms and in the pro cess, capture the phenomenon being studied more fully? Mixed methods research is a methodologyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ philosophical framework, method, and techniques of data collection and analysis which combines both quantitative and qualitative processes throughout the entire research cycle (Creswell and Plano Clark 2007:5). The benefits of conducting mixed methods research are three-fold: 1) it allows a holistic investigation of a phenomenon; 2) it enables a macro- and micro- investigation of the phenomenon; and 3) it has validating capacity of quantitative with qualitative methods and vice versa (Onwuegbuzie and Leech 2004). This study proposes a research approach consisting of two phases. The first phase is the quantitative phase; the goal is to determine what specific issues Arabic students face in learning the English language and how these variables are related to each other. The second phase builds on the results of the quantitative phase and explains the outcomes more fully. The quantitative phase will utilise a web-based survey questi onnaire to be followed by face-to-face interviews for the qualitative phase. The idea of this research technique is that by integrating both numerical data (survey questionnaire) and textual data (interviews), the difficulties Arabic international students phase in English language learning can be captured more completely and comprehensively. Research Design There are several variations in design to a mixed methods study. Three issues are considered in the selection of the specific mixed methods design for this particular research: priority, implementation, and integration (Creswell and Plano Clark 2007). Priority specifies which method is emphasised; implementation identifies whether data collection and analysis is done sequentially (different stages) or concurrently (parallel stages); and integration defines the connectedness between the results of the two phases. This study uses the sequential explanatory design to investigate the experiences of Arabic international students in English language learning. Sequential explanatory design A sequential explanatory design is chosen. The data collection and analysis will consist of two phases (Creswell, 2003; Onwuegbuzie and Teddlie 2003). The first phase will use a web-based survey questionnaire to be answered by a manageable random sample of Arabic international students enrolled in one UK university. Data collected will be analyzed through descriptive statistics and chi-square. The second phase of the study will proceed after the completion of the first phase. It will build on the findings of the first phase and use individual semi-structured interviews of five Arabic international students. The goal of the second phase is provide a more in-depth explanation of the difficulties experienced by Arabic students and the strategies they use to overcome these difficulties. Through the integration of data from both the quantitative and qualitative phase, the results will be refined and the phenomenon explored in a more holistic manner. More specifically, this explanatory mix ed methods research uses the follow-up explanations variant in an attempt to understand more fully the process in which Arabic students learn English in foreign universities. The follow-up explanations model is selected because the qualitative phase means to explain and expand on quantitative results (Creswell 2003: 43). The priority phase of this study is the qualitative phase because of its capability to provide a more complete picture of the phenomenon being considered. Using a pragmatic ontological position which values positivist and interpretivist assumptions, the study uses two general instruments and triangulation methods to establish validity and reliability of research findings. Phase 1: Quantitative (Survey questionnaires) A self-constructed online survey questionnaire will be used to gather data on the difficulties experienced by Arabic students in English language learning. Items in the questionnaire will be drawn from the literature review and will measure difficulties in five aspects: 1) structural adjustments from Arabic to English (spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc.), 2) motivation, 3) cultural issues, and 4) social issues. After the selection of participants, a URL will be sent via email to participants advising them to read the consent form and to indicate their compliance. The survey will also be available on Facebook and other social networking sites. After gathering data, results will be analyzed using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics. Phase 2: Qualitative (Face-to-face interviews) After the first phase of data collection and data analysis, in-depth interviews will be scheduled with six Arabic international students in order to gather information that will further explain the results of the survey questionnaire. A semi-structured interview guide will be developed in order to allow the participants to discuss their answers in a more flexible manner. The semi-structured nature of the interview guide will also allow the researcher to clarify or ask follow-up questions that can further refine the data. Interviews will be audiotaped with the participants consent and transcribed immediately afterwards. Qualitative analysis will be used to gather recurring themes from the interview data. Validity and Reliability To establish the validity and reliability of the outcomes of this study, content validity and triangulation through multiple sources will be used. To establish content validity, the survey instrument will be evaluated by a panel of specialists. Multiple sources such as documents and academic papers will also be requested from interviewees. Member checking will be done to verify the accuracy of the transcribed interviews. Ethical Issues The following ethical considerations are identified. Institutional requirements will be met before data collection. Permission to conduct the study will be obtained by securing approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University. The researcher will complete the ethics form and wait for approval before beginning the collection of data. Consent will be secured. An informed consent will be drafted to explain to participants the purposes and objectives of the study as well as the rights of participants regarding confidentiality and voluntarism. The same form will be attached to the online survey as proof of compliance with ethical requirement for research. Anonymity and confidentiality of information will be guaranteed. Procedures will be done to protect the rights of human subjects. Every completed questionnaire will be coded in order to hide the identity of participants. For the personal interviews conducted, each participant will be informed that the interview will be audiotaped for documentation. Transcript of the interviews will use pseudonyms instead of real names. Data storage requirements will also be complied with. Transcripts and hard drives will be secured in a locked cabinet to be destroyed after the study is published. Bias will be bracketed to minimise prejudicial interpretation of data. Ethics requires the researcher to fully disclose any potential conflicts of interest. Bias is acknowledged to arise from data collection until the final phases of the study. Risk of bias will be minimised through bracketing and a written reflection log to trace subjectivities. Research schedule 2011 Activities May Completion of dissertation proposal June IRB form completed and passed July Additional literature review Survey questionnaire developed August Methodology chapter finalised Survey questionnaire piloted and evaluated Revisions to questionnaire finalised September Selection of participants October First phase of data gathering Analysis of results quantitative phase November Write up of results and advising December Refining of literature review Drafting of interview guide and approval 2012 January Selection of interviewees Conduct of interviews Transcription and qualitative analysis February Integration of findings from Phase 1 and Phase 2 Meet with supervisor Pass first draft of findings and conclusions March Check references. Finalise draft. April Final proofreading and revisions. Send to binders. May Submit bound copies by May 2012. Reflective commentary Writing this dissertation proposal has not only been a significant educational experience for me; it was also a reflexive opportunity. I was given an avenue with which to consider my own perspectives about obtaining higher education in a foreign university and the experiences which have so far brought me to the level I am now situated. Preparing the literature review was the most rewarding part of all because it enabled me to acknowledge the multifaceted and complex nature of the English language learning process. Simply put, acquiring a second language is not a simple feat. It is influenced by multiple factors and influences. While I was able to gather the most significant themes associated with English language learning among Arabic international students, I look forward to constructing the more detailed literature review in the future.

Essay --

The Day of Infamy By Spencer Niemann December 7th, 1941. This was the date of one of the most important attacks on the United States in the history of America. This was the date of the Japanese attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor was the last straw that led to the United States joining World War II as part of the Allied Power. The bombing was in reaction to many economic sanctions that were placed on Japan, so the bombing was not just to make the United States mad. We can see many reasons as to why Japan would bomb Pearl Harbor. There were many events that led up to Japan making the decision to bomb Pearl Harbor. It all started with Japan wanting to expand their power. Japan started trying to take over Asia, they landed in the east coast of China in Manchuria and stationed troops there in order to try and take over northeastern China. ("Japan Launches A Surprise Attack on Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941"). In reaction to Japan’s landing and hostility towards China the United States, who wanted to keep the open-door policy with China, placed economic sanctions of Japan to slow down Japan’s advances in China. (Higgs). President Roosevelt hoped that these sanctions that the united states put on Japan would lead them to making the mistake of declaring war on the United States (which would also bring Italy and Germany into the attack too since they were all allied) the reason why Roosevelt would want to go to war was that Roosevelt didn’t like the Japanese and the Germans. However Roosevelt d id like China, although we don’t know for sure why but many think it was because his ancestors made money in China . (Higgs). Japan was angered by the United States putting these ... ...ly men began to form long lines at army and navy recruiting centers to enlist for the army and navy, mainly for the need to get revenge on Japan. (â€Å"Pearl Harbor Attack.†) Although Pearl Harbor was the main naval base to be attacked on December 7th 1941, it was not the only base attacked, the Japanese government launched an attack against Malaya, and Japanese forces also attacked Hong Kong, Guam, the Philippine Islands, Wake Island and Midway Island. (Rose 213-215). The Japanese attacking these islands were important because they were allies to the United States and also if Japan was to take over these islands they would have a lot of control of the Pacific and of course the United States didn’t want this to happen. So the Americans knew that they didn’t have many options other than engaging into war with Japan, which lead to the United States joining World War II.

Selfless Service Definition Essay -- Expository Essays

Selfless Service When one sees the word selfless service, he/she literally sees the words self and less, followed by service. Self refers to an individual (in this case, it refers to one’s own interests) and less indicates a lack of, or without. Service can be a synonym of the word volunteering or duty. Therefore, the term selfless service must literally mean the lack of the pursuit of one’s own interests for the betterment of others. There is no measurement of selfless service. No matter what the scenario or who is involved, everyone who is involved benefits from one’s selfless acts. The one who shows selflessness may benefit by receiving a â€Å"thank you,† or even just a good feeling of helping others. Of course, the ones who receive the selfless acts benefit from obvious reasons. Selfless service can be shown by anyone and everyone, including a soldier putting his/her life on the line to save a fallen comrade, a husband and father protecting and spending time wit h his wife and children, someone donating his/her time by volunteering as a tutor or with the American Red Cross or some other goodwill charity, and the teamwork of two or more athletes. Those four examples provide different scales in which selfless service can be displayed. Selfless service can be displayed in regards to one’s nation/military, one’s family, one’s community, and any team sport. The U.S. Army’s definition of selfless service is â€Å"to put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own† (â€Å"Selfless Service,† GoArmy.com). The Army consists of teams, in which those teams form a larger size unit, etc. If a team fails, the unit fails. One reason that a team may fail could have something to do with selfishness, which is of cour... ...less service by displaying humble teamwork in an effort to win as a team. Works Cited -Famous Quotes at QuoteDB - Interactive Database of Famous Quotations. 16 Feb. 2009 -Medtrng.com. 11 Feb. 2009 . -Quotesea.com. 16 Feb. 2009 . - â€Å"Selfless Service.† GoArmy.com. 11 Feb. 2009 . -â€Å"Selfless Service.† Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 11 Feb. 2009 . - â€Å"Selfless Service and Service to Others.† Our Ultimate Reality. 16 Feb. 2009 . -ThinkExist.com Quotations. 16 Feb. 2009 .

The Forlorn Loves in James Joyces novel, Ulysses Essay -- Joyce Ulyss

The Forlorn Loves in Joyce's novel, Ulysses Greek has words for four kinds of love: agape, or spiritual love; storge, or familial love; the love between friends, or philia; and sexual love, the familiar eros. All four figure in Joyce's novel Ulysses, yet all eventually evade the two male protagonists, Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom: Ulysses proves ultimately to be a love-less work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Agape -- spiritual love, the charitable love among coreligionists or between Man and God -- seems sure to appear, given Ulysses' protagonists' backgrounds and the host of Christian symbols that flock about them. Yet Stephen Dedalus is torn with doubt in his Catholicism, and we find in the course of the novel that Bloom renounced his Judaism, first to convert to Protestantism with his father and then, conveniently, to convert to Catholicism to marry Molly: both have fallen from their original faith. Within two paragraphs of Ulysses' opening we see a mock Mass -- "Introibo ad altare Dei" (p. 3) -- and hear the lurking Stephen scornfully called a "fearful jesuit" by mocking Mulligan. Stephen is certainly no recipient of agape here! Interestingly, Simon Dedalus identifies Mulligan as Stephen's "fidus Achates" (p. 73), a glancing Virgil image to set Stephen up as "pius Aeneas", "pious Aeneas", Virgil's hero of proper behavior to gods and men. B ut, as we see, home-stealing, ever-jeering Mulligan is no more "fidus" than whoring, drunken Stephen is "pius".   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stephen Dedalus is a prolix speaker, an engaging theorist and theologian, well versed in ecclesiastical history, particularly in the Church's early heresies. Yet, for all his knowledge and cogent arguments, he shows little inclination for belief. His arguments on ... ...9), yet that is exactly what Bloom does -- kiss her buttocks, the most anonymous and androgynous part of her body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In fact, Molly's final thoughts in Ulysses only underscore the lack of eros that has afflicted Bloom throughout the book. She begins to menstruate ("this bloody pest of a thing" (p. 642)) even as she considers trying to re-establish sexual relations, and moves in her thoughts to their tryst on Howth Hill -- the same rendezvous Bloom has recalled so fondly before. Yet, like all too many of the happy occasions in Ulysses, this one is in the past, dead and gone. Indeed, the book ends in Molly's "yes I said yes I will Yes." (p. 644), but the "Yes" is in the past, only another sad comment on Bloom's lack of love. Love is a thing of the past, dreams are sick counterfeits and cheats: agape, storge, philia, eros, the four loves, are forlorn.

The Star Spangled Banner

English 101 November 21, 2012 The Star Spangled Banner The Star Spangled Banner is a very powerful and moving song that not only defines our country as a free and independent nation, but it also presents us with the struggles we went through to become who we are. The Star Spangled Banner originated as the poem â€Å"Defense of Fort McHenry† in 1814 by Frances Scott Key. The national anthem was not written during the American Revolution, contrary to popular belief. It was, in fact, written in the War of 1812. Although the poem has four unique stanzas, we normally only recognize the first one, and sometimes the second stanza as well.Our anthem, regardless of its patriotic values, is a great example of rich English literature that symbolizes our people even after 200 years. But, in reality, the song has a wide variety of meanings and interpretations deeply embedded in the historical significance it represents. The first line of the song reads, â€Å"O say can you see by the dawn ’s early light? What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? † Translated in to today’s contemporary language, this means, â€Å"hey there, can you see by morning what was there before the sun set yesterday evening? Frances Scott Key introduces the topic of this song by grabbing the reader’s attention. This first line of the song makes readers wonder what Key is referring to, making them want to read the poem on further. When Key mention’s the â€Å"dawn’s early light† he is referring to an early morning; a new day and a new beginning. The â€Å"twilight’s last gleaming† suggests a very special time of day; right before the sun is setting and there is a tiny streak of light that appears in the sky. These two verses show a lot of symbolism.Once again, we must use the historical context of this poem to make meaning of the lyrics. The War of 1812 was a war fought by the British and Americans. Key was on a British ship when he wrote this poem, negotiating with the officers to release some of the American hostages. He was watching the battle of Fort McHenry in Baltimore. The battle took place in the late evening, when the American flag was still up and flying. In these lines, Key is asking himself, â€Å"Will the flag still be up tomorrow morning? † The twilight’s last gleaming could represent hope.Key still has faith and trust in his country. Even in the midst of a bloodthirsty battle, Key hoped that he would see the American flag the next morning. He hoped he would see a sign of perseverance and strength instead of weak downfall. He wanted his country to reign through the peril it oversaw. If the American flag was still not up by â€Å"the dawn’s early light†, it would signify defeat the British. The second two lines of the Star Spangled Banner places emphasis on the American flag. Today, our flag is commonly referred to as the stars and stripes.Key not iced these two distinct features and decided to define the American flag by â€Å"the stars and stripes†. History has it that there were two flags that were flown over Fort McHenry, one of them being a â€Å"storm flag†. This was the flag that was flown during the rainy day and the â€Å"perilous night† and the flag that was described in the first part of The Star Spangled Banner. This line reflects the determination of the American army. The flag is a key symbol of our nation. Key cleverly used this patriotic symbol to show how persistent our soldiers were; they kept fighting through the sanguine fighting of the night.When Key woke up by morning, a new flag was hoisted up, apart from the storm flag that he saw the previous night. Fort McHenry was proudly flying its much larger â€Å"garrison flag†. This flag measured 30 ft. by 42 ft. , larger than a modern day school bus. Key believed this was the same flag that was flown the previous night, when the Bri tish had attacked. Regardless of whether it was the storm flag or not, the sight of the American flag flying over the fort after a gory battle gave hope and confidence to its citizens.It once again stated the power of America as a powerful independent nation. The flag indirectly told the world to never underestimate the potential of America. The third line of the poem is very awkwardly phrased and positioned, once again reflecting the time period Key wrote the poem. â€Å"O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming† is referring to the previous line. Ramparts are protective walls. In this context, Key is referring to the walls of Fort McHenry. He very cleverly uses the word â€Å"ramparts† to describe the walls.The ramparts were built in 1776 to protect the city of Baltimore in case the British tried to attack through the Chesapeake Bay. After the War of 1812 was brought to attention, a local committee raised over $400,000 to strengthen the walls t o protect the citizens in case of an unexpected British attack. The word rampart suggests that the citizens were able to watch the battle with a sense of security as the soldiers risked their lives for their country. It solidifies the expression of sacrifice. Over the whole scene, Key once again mentions the American flag â€Å"gallantly streaming†.This gives the notion that this concept of sacrifice is very much American. It is an American soldier’s duty to lay his life down for his country. The next few lines start to intensely invoke emotions from the reader: â€Å"And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there† During the battle of Fort McHenry, the British had more than 15 battle ships, each armed with heavy artillery and one armed with a rocket launcher. Through the night, as the rockets were fired in to the air, they illuminated the sky with a bloody red glow.That red glow showed th e British where the American flag was so they would know where to aim. But, here comes the notion of good that comes out of evil. While the British threw the bombs in the air to destroy the flag, they ended up illuminating the flag, giving hope to all the patriotic soldiers to keep fighting. The motive of the British was to destroy the American flag, according to the poem by Frances Scott Key. The American flag was the symbol of America. It was the identity of the United States of America, because it represented the journey of America.The alternating 13 red and white stripes showed represented the moments of bloodshed and light in America. The fifty stars represent each of the strong independent states. By placing the stars in the same box, it shows unity among the various states. By destroying the flag, the British are stripping away the identity of the Americans. The final line of the first stanza summarizes the whole message of the song: â€Å"Oh, say that Star – Spangled Banner yet wave? O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave! † This line clearly states that the flag of the United States represents liberty and independence for all.As long as the flag shall wave, it will mark America as â€Å"the land of the free and the home of the brave†. Throughout the song, Key expresses a hero journey; a journey through hell and back in to the light. This is the story of Fort McHenry. The Americans were plunged in to a world of blood and gore. But the outcome of the battle was very significant. The American flag became a physical representation of good over evil. It was the marking of the victory of America, once again. The battle was a memory of the importance of our â€Å"Star- Spangled Banner†.

Finding Inner Peace Essay

Being at peace with one’s inner self sounds inviting but some aspects of many different religions can be hard to grasp at times. While most religions influence others, some have ideas and beliefs from sources unknown. Hinduism and Budhism are two of many religions. Having many similarities, their differences are what make them unique. Hindus have many gods, polytheism, and Buddhist believe in finding one’s inner peace. They both focus more on one’s inner self rather than on religion it’s self. The word Hinduism came from a Persian word â€Å"Sindhu† that relates to the Indus River that is located in northwest India. Arabs, Persians, and Afghans were the first to use the word Hindu to describe those coming from the area around this river. (Tillman and Cason 09) Some historians say that Hinduism can be traced back to the ancient Indus Valley civilization which would make Hinduism over 4,000 years old, which makes it extremely hard to say when it actually began. Most historians divide Hinduism into many overlapping periods in history. The first period is pre-Hindu. Pre-Hindu dates around 2000 B. C. and not much is known other than evidence says that is religion was centered on fertility gods and water quality. Between 2000 and 1500 B. C. , a new religion began to emerge in India, Vedas. This religion was sacrificed-based and centered around fire. They gave up animals as sacrifice for in turn their gods, devas, and would give good crops and wealth. The next era of Hinduism is called classical Hinduism and began sometime around 500 B. C. During this period is when many new gods, goddesses, and rituals emerge that are based on earlier practices. At this time is when being devoted to the god or goddess of ones liking started. (patheos. com, Hinduism Beginnings) Hindus believe in multiple gods and reincarnation. With that said, a god can be any living organism. A god can be even a fire or storm. It is said, that in the Hindu religion there are 330 million gods (Tillman and Cason 09). There is no one that can worship all these gods at once, so the individual choose just one god to serve. Triune godhead is the name given to the three aspect of the Supreme Reality. The Supreme Reality is the Brahma, Vishnu and the Shiva. The Triune godhead is also known as the Trimurti or the trinity. The Trimurti godhead is the head of all the gods because of what it represents. The Brahma is the creator god, Lord and Father of all things and represents birth. Vishnu is the preserver of the universe and represents life and the Siva is the creator of power and represents destruction and death. Reincarnation means rebirth or how the soul leaves the body and begins a new life in another body. The Samsara, the cycle of life is said to be the core religion belief of the Hindu religion. Under the cycle of life there are four ways that you can reap the Samsara. There are the Dharma, Artha, Kama and the Moksha. Dharma is the moral code that sustains the Hindu ociety. The Dharma is thought to be a duty and righteousness and observes the caste which is the social group of one’s’ birth. The Dharma is the natural universe of law that enable human to be happy and to save one self from suffering and degradation. It is also known as the Law of being that things cannot exist without. Artha is the life cycle of material profit or possession. This cycle of life have to do with politics and commerce which is the means to sustain human activity. In the Hindu society they do not believe that the pursuit of wealth corrupt the soul. A ouse holder requires wealth, because he has to perform many duties for his family. The life cycle of Artha includes achieving widespread fame and elevates social standing for the individual. Kama is the life cycle of desire; it is understood to also mean sexual desire. Kama can mean liberation and happiness in life or it can lead to great hindrance for the individual. Sexual activity is an obligatory duty and not to be use for just enjoyment. The sensual nature of human is important to the Hindus for they do not believe that sex is bad. Sexual relationship outside of arriage is not permitted. Kama is not only for desire but it can also be for other pleasure in your life such as culture art (Jayaram 09-10). Moksha is the spiritual release of life. Moksha is the end of death and rebirth. Hindus believe that the soul passes through this cycle and how you live the previous life will determined your incarnation. Moksha can be achieve through many lifetimes, this process require a loss of life and things in life. Karma is also needed for this cycle to balance the fulfillment of a person duty (Tillman and Cason 09). Buddhism, however, beliefs are enlightenment, personal peace, and love and compassion without attachment. Buddhism evolved from the beliefs and teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. Siddhartha Gautama, who was originally a Hindu, was born a prince in 623 B. C. in Lumbini, India and became â€Å"the Buddha†. He began to see that his only obstacle was his own self. His first sermon was in deer park near Benares, now called Varanasi (Tillman and Cason 09). There are 2 main expressions of Buddhism; Theravada expression and Mahayana expression which represent the north and south’s adaption to Buddhism. Theravada expression, the lesser vehicle, is the southern viewpoint. This expression comes directly from Buddha and his original followers. Theravada Buddhist’s main goal is to reach arhat. Arhat means perfect saint. Theravadas do not believe in a god. They believe that the universe creates and recreates itself a million times a second (Tillman and Cason 09). Theravada expression also teaches that not every one can practice Buddhism. Mahayana expression, on the other hand, believes anyone can reach enlightenment and reach it in one lifetime unlike many as the Theravadas believe. Mahayana help people become bodhisattva, living saints. Both Theravadas and Mahayanas accept the Pali canon and Tripitaka as scripture. One of the core beliefs of Buddhism is the belief in the Four Noble Truths. These truths, laid out by Siddhartha, are the beginning of understanding. According the the Four Noble Truths, life is suffering. Suffering begins at birth, illness is suffered through life, and fear of death also brings suffering. The cause of human suffering is desire, or â€Å"tanha. † Our desires cause us suffering because we want what we cannot have. In order to remove suffering, one must remove desire. The way to remove desire is another doctrine of Buddhism – the Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path provides a eioght parts that allow a human to remove their misery. The eight parts are as follows: right understanding, mindedness, speech, action, livelihood, effort, meditation, and emancipation. Another doctrine of Buddhism is the Golden Mean, a philosophy expressed by Siddhartha. It is the middle of the path of no extremes, and focuses on moderation. Hinduism and Buddhism have many similarities, having both originated in India. Hinduism and Buddhism are more philosophical than religious, and describe an all encompassing philosophy and define existence itself. Both religions have their own versions of Tantra, and believe in certain spiritual practices like meditation, concentration, cultivation of certain bhavas or states of mind. The cycle of death and rebirth, governed by Karma, is referred to as samsara. According to Hinduism, the soul is immortal, while the body is subject to birth, decay, old age and death The Buddhist definition of right conduct and personal obligations, dharma is the path which must be taken to escape the suffering of worldly life. Dharma defines correct living for a Hindu. The practice of Yoga is intimately connected to the religious beliefs and practices of both Buddhism and Hinduism. They both emphasize compassion and non violence towards all living beings. Alike and different all at one time; the main point is to find one’s true self and find inner peace. Hinduism dates back thousands of years and Buddhism can be pin pointed. Yet, each religion has a very similar message. Doesn’t every religion have a similar message when it comes to life? Live in peace and harmony, and find happiness in whatever you do.