Constructivism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Constructivism - Essay Example They all talk of identities and interests in world politics. They believe that for some levels of predictability and orders to be in place in the international politics and domestic society, and then identities must be present. The state must have some intersubjective identities that are sufficiently stable so as to bring some patterns of behavior that are more predictable. They believe that the absence of identity in the world can trigger chaos, pervasive and irremediable uncertainty and the world can be more dangerous compared to anarchy. The importance of the identity is that it implies the state’s preference and consequent actions. They believe that the state’s understanding of others can improve according to the identities it attributes to them. Also when the state produces its own identity through the daily social practice. Ted Hopf contrary to the other authors who believe that the change in the world politics is so easy. He appreciates the power of structures an d believes that actors through ordinary practice are able to produce their own constraints. This in turn strengthens the world politics. He also admit that there can be some rooms for dynamism, though minimal. Therefore by viewing the relationship between the social grounds and agency, he admits that social change is both possible and difficult. These differences are existing due to the differences in their view of the social relationship between the agency and social change. The two factors play a major fundamental role.

Amusement park Essay Example for Free

Amusement park Essay I am relatively small in stature at about 4’11† with dark brown, naturally curly hair and hazel eyes that seem to change color with different lighting.. I currently wear thin, black glasses due to my nearsightedness. I apply cover up everyday to hide my freckles and blemishes on my skin while also wearing black mascara and black eyeliner to bring out my eyes. I dress in a more conservative style with not many outfits accessorized and simple patterns. I tend to wear a majority of name brand clothing because of the quality of the material and the styles. I don’t have a very broad arrangement of shoes and I typically wear one or two different pairs of shoes a week. I also like to wear simple earrings everyday and the necklace I got for Valentine’s Day from my boyfriend. I also typically paint my nails a bright pink on my toes and blue or silver on my fingernails. I enjoy to do many activities. For example: I play softball, flag football, ultimate Frisbee, read, volunteer at the library, hang out with friends, spend time with family, and many other things. Other things I like are friendly people, honest people, school events, summer, carnivals, amusement parks, water parks, holiday parties, and birthdays. Things I don’t like to do are clean, do homework everyday, drive small cars, being too busy, and feeling overworked. Things I don’t like are liars, rude people, winter, the color orange, not having access to the internet, being cold, and more. For example, I find myself cold often so I buy blankets, long socks, and anything I can use to stay warm all the time. I’m good at schoolwork and having plenty of fun. I do well on state testing and I learn a lot when it comes to school and other subjects I can use in my life. I’m always busy having fun with friends and family. I like to make sure everyone has a good time together and that we are never bored. When I’m with my friends, we always use our imaginations to find some way to spend the time. I’m not as good at getting everything done on time and prepared for when I need it; Also, I do not have the motivation to do things I do not want to do but have to do. My description does sound like someone I would like to know because I believe I am, generally, a good person. I try and be someone people wouldn’t mind being around so I’m not a problem to anyone and so I’m someone people can get along with. I care about my personal image and I hope people agree with me. I would change myself by making myself more friendly and outgoing. I believe I’m not as outgoing as I could be and I could make more friends by changing that. I also wouldn’t let my emotions drive what I do; I would use my brain to make a decision before I use my feelings about the subject. I would start putting my happiness into consideration when I try and help others out; however, I wouldn’t become selfish. Personal happiness is just as important as anyone else’s. I would like to be a person who does not worry about problems but puts forth action to eliminate them. I would be more proactive about my problems and make sure I follow through with my decision on how to solve it without letting emotions change my mind. And also, I would stop worrying and accept the things I cannot control. I can bring my wish closer to the now version by having more self motivation and self discipline. I envision my future where I am a happy, educated, person with a successful career and a happy family who has everything they need. I want to supply them with everything they need to become successful individuals and create the best future for themselves.

American History X :: Movies Film

In the opening scene, we see Danny Vinyard, a young white supremacist, sitting in the principal's office, waiting to be summoned. As we move into the office, we hear and see Danny's history teacher (Elliot Gould) explaining to the principal, Dr. Sweeney (Avery Brooks), that Danny wrote a book report on Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf. The teacher tells Dr. Sweeney that he is offended by Danny's gesture and he wants to see him punished, declaring that Danny was pressured into writing the paper by his older brother Derek, although Sweeney assures him that Derek was not involved. Instead, Sweeney asks the teacher to leave and asks Danny to step in.Danny then puts an American flag toothpick in mouth, Danny steps into the office and sits down. Dr. Sweeney begins yelling at Danny, telling him that writing what he did is offensive. Sweeney tells him that he is now his new history teacher. The class is called American History X and the next assignment is due tomorrow morning; a paper on his brothe r, Derek (Edward Norton), analyzing all the events leading up to Derek's incarceration and the subsequent impact on Danny's life. After this, Danny walks out. The next scene opens with three black boys beating up a white boy in the men's bathroom for telling the teacher that one of them cheated. Suddenly, Danny appears out of one of the stalls and blows the smoke from his cigarette into one of the boys' face. As the black boys leave angry, Danny helps the white kid from the ground and tells him that he needs to learn to stand up for himself. Soon we see Danny walking home from school through a park where some black boys are playing basketball. One of the players is the boy from earlier in the bathroom. Danny's voice begins to narrate the scene. Danny says, "Before Derek went to jail, the white kids didn't have to be afraid of the black kids. Derek made it safe." [1] The next scenes are flashbacks explaining Derek's journey from a suburban white teenager to a vengeance-seeking white supremacist. Derek had already been influenced by his father's critical views on African American culture and affirmative action (which his father refers to it as "affirmative black-tion"), and also how he doesn't trust two African-Americans on his squad who scored lower on a hiring test than two whites. He believes they were hired as a result of affirmative action in order to meet racial quotas.

Who do you think is more successful leader Ralph or Jack? :: Free Essay Writer

Who do you think is more successful leader Ralph or Jack? Ralph'sElected the leader of the boys at the beginning of the novel, Ralph is the primary representative of order, civilization, and productive leadership in the novel. While most of the other boys are concerned with playing, having fun, and avoiding work at the beginning of the novel, Ralph sets about building huts and thinking of ways to maximize their chances of being rescued. For this reason, Ralph's power and influence over the other boys are extremely secure at the beginning of the novel. However, as the book progresses and the group succumbs to savage instincts, Ralph's position declines precipitously as Jack's station rises. Eventually, all the boys leave Ralph's group for Jack's, and Ralph is left alone to be hunted by Jack's tribe. Ralph never seriously considers joining Jack's tribe in order to save himself. Ralph's commitment to civilization and morality is very strong, and his main wish is to be rescued and returned to the society of adults. In a sense, this strength gives Ralph a moral victory at the end of the nova, leadership qualities were to inspire confidence by providing hope for the rest of the group (we will get food hunt. Catch things until they fetch us), or example; the fire was used to signal and to attract only attentions he said (you rub two sticks. you rub), to any passing ships or planes. We see many events through Ralph's eyes, and are given many insights into the way he feels about events and people. Ralph was liked thus he was chosen as leader, he was fair, by him giving the group the right to speak whenever they are holding the conch. As always a successful leader needs some courage to face enemies and others who try to intrude, against his followers with his superiority of mind control and not physically has a set of rules; and by definition of LEADER is a person who rules or guides or inspires others. Ralph's character does not only lead the group, but he also attracts us the readers too, to the novel and also makes us, the readers want to know what would happen and if he is going to be successful doing his job as a leader or not. When the little ones do not help out Ralph does not react in a violent way he is calm and relaxed about them building sand castles, because he does not expect them to help. yet because they have had less time learning about the ways of society. By the end of the book, Ralph's position changes and shows that his

Desdemona

I want you to go back in time many years ago, the 16th century in Shakespeare’s time where there was hardly any technology and the society was very different. Now If that’s hard to imagine that’s ok because I’m an actor in the 21st century hear to talk to you about Desdemona. Desdemona was a beautiful, young, white Venetian girl but also she disobeys her father’s expectations by marrying a black man, she also challenges the society that largely disapproves of intercultural marriages and also she gets abused by her husband. In this way, Desdemona’s relationship with Othello speaks to the play’s concerns with the 16th century attitudes about Lust, Defying social standards of the 16th century and also domestic violence. For example in the play it shows this by Othello saying â€Å"She loved me for the dangers I have passed, and I loved her, that she did pity them. † This is an example of a foreshadowing technique used to hint readers a certain plot development that will come later in the story. Also this quote is telling us that this is ardent admiration, which tells us that Desdemona is still not matured. To think about her future and what society’s expectations are. She admired the stories that Othello told about his brave journeys. In nowadays young teenagers are not drawn by personality but by looks and popularity. Also, Desdemona disobeys her father’s wish by refusing to marry any handsome, rich Venetian men and she goes for Othello an old black man, outside of the Venetian society. For example her farther says. â€Å"Look to her, Moor, if though hast eyes to see, She has deceived her farther, and may thee. † This shows that Desdemona is a disloyal character and may disobey her husband as well, she also goes against the societies expectations by defying standards such as not owing the duty to her farther and then a duty to her husband. Also Intercultural marriages where she marries a black man rather than a white man. In modern societies most young people disobey their parents and follow their own will due to their immaturity. Desdemona gets verbally and physically abused by Othello who slapped her and called her a whore in public towards the end of the play, when she was dying she still blames herself for othello’s physical and emotional abuses. In current situations people all around the world especially women get abused by men and usual, stand up for their husbands exactly what Desdemona did back then. Well, there you go even if this plays were written in the 16th century even in today’s time we still have the themes lust, domestic violence and societies expectations in today’s time. It’s easy for us to engage with the character’s in that timeframe due to the setting , the characters are realistic and believable and even this themes are considered in today’s society in different concepts.

Working Out Priorities on the Job

Working Out Priorities on the Job Sometimes in the work place our employer's priorities may not be the same as our own. Therefore we must decide which tasks are the most important and need urgent attention. We must also remember that priorities change, and that we may need to reassess them periodically throughout the day. The first thing that we should do is ask for a second opinion if we cannot effectively prioritize the tasks at hand. It is always a good idea to consult with your supervisor if you are unsure as to a pending deadline or if you need clarification as to which task he/she may need to have completed first.Second, you should analyze your work. Start your work day by devising a plan of action. This one step will save you time in the long run. Write down the number of task that you must complete. List them in order of importance.English:

The eNotes Blog Why College Students Today Can’tWrite

Why College Students Today Can’tWrite Todays post is brought to you by   Braintrack.com, an online resource for university, college, and career searches.  You can check out their blog here! College professors have been bemoaning the lack of solid writing skills in their students for decades (see  this article  from 1974 for proof), but statistics gathered over the past few years suggest that student writing skills are in an even more dismal state than they were in 1974. Today, 28% of college graduates produce writing that rates  as deficient, even with tuition reaching record rates and many colleges being more selective than ever. These poor writing skills have had serious ramifications not only in higher education but in the business world, as our information-driven society makes it ever more critical for students to develop the ability to communicate through the written word. While it’s easy to point out the problem, it’s much harder to figure out a solution. A promising first step can be to pinpoint just what is causing students to arrive and leave college without the skills they’ll need to get by in the real world. That’s easier said than done. The decline of writing abilities in students is a multifaceted issue, impacted by teachers, students, and administrators alike and encompassing all elements of writing education from support to motivation. While not comprehensive, this list addresses some of the biggest reasons so many students struggle with writing in colleges today, from freshman year to graduation. Colleges don’t demand high-quality writing. One of the biggest reasons college students can’t write may simply be due to the fact that most college courses and degree programs don’t demand it of them. In the book  Academically Adrift  most freshmen reported â€Å"little academic demand in terms of writing† and half of college seniors reported never having written a paper longer than 20 pages during their last year of college. Students who aren’t being required to submit papers that are academically challenging have little opportunity to learn and grow as writers, which can hold them back academically. In fact, the same study showed that students who took classes with high expectations (those with 40 pages of reading a week and 20 pages of writing a semester) gained more from their courses than their peers in less demanding courses. High schools aren’t preparing students with writing skills. Many students enter college with sub-par writing skills because of inadequate writing instruction in their high school courses. A report by the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2007 found that just 24% of high school seniors could score proficient or better on a writing exam. Things haven’t changed much for the better since then, and many fear that high schools are failing students when it comes to teaching writing. Why is this happening? At some schools, teachers simply don’t have enough time to leave adequate feedback on lengthy student papers when they have 120 or more students in their courses. Another problem that many experts have pointed to is that high schools simply don’t focus on writing instruction. Schools are often so caught up in boosting scores in skills that are tested in state exams like math, science, and reading, that writing simply falls by the wayside.  There are schools  trying to make improvements, with some making writing a central part of their curricula, but there’s still a long way to go before America’s high school students will graduate with improved writing abilities across the board. College professors don’t want to spend time playing catch-up. Whether it’s fair to students or not, many college professors don’t want to dedicate class time to teaching students remedial writing skills they should really already know by the time they reach college. Giving increased attention to writing means that not only do professors have less class time to focus on the true subject of the course, they also have to dedicate hours of time outside of class to rigorously correcting student papers in order to make progress in improving student writing. This kind of grading is time-consuming and frustrating, and with many writing-intensive courses no longer being simply English classes, it’s often a distraction from learning other material. Students don’t get enough feedback. It isn’t just professors and employers who’ve taken note of the dwindling writing skills of college students. Students themselves are also well aware that they need a little more help in their writing. In a national study of 30,000 undergraduates, fewer than 50% felt that their writing had improved over the four years they were in school. A similar study reported that just 27.6% of students saw improvement in their writing by graduation. The reason students cited for the lack of progress? Inadequate feedback and support. Eighty percent of students in the study said they felt they would have become better writers if they had received more feedback and direct interaction from professors. Graduation doesn’t depend on demonstrating writing skills. At the majority of American colleges, writing requirements are fulfilled by passing a couple of courses deemed as â€Å"writing intensive.† Yet that doesn’t always ensure that students will graduate knowing how to write or be any good at it. Some schools, like  Old Dominion University, used to require that students pass a writing test before graduation, but tests like these are being phased out or dropped. Why? Too many students failed them. While they may have represented an outdated model for assessing student abilities, the fact that a significant portion of students couldn’t pass them is troubling to say the least. At most colleges, a C or better in a handful of writing courses is a ticket to graduation, but with grade inflation rampant it’s unclear what degree of writing ability that truly represents. With little motivation to push themselves to learn to improve writing, many students graduate without ever mastering grammar, syntax, or analytical wr iting. Grading isn’t harsh enough. Grade inflation is a very real phenomenon (today,  43% of all grades are A’s, an increase of 28% since 1960) and one that is slowly starting to take a serious toll on what students actually get out of their educational experiences. Students don’t just hope to earn a good grade, many actually expect it, whether their work warrants it or not. Sadly, a growing number of professors are happy to oblige, as student feedback on faculty ratings can be key to helping them keep jobs, get tenure, and get ahead. This has had a serious impact on the level of writing that many college students produce, as those who don’t feel compelled to do more than the minimum to pass courses are getting by with less than ever before. Harsh, strict grading and evaluation of papers used to be common practice. The lack of this same kind of rigor may just be a contributing factor to why students can’t write as well today. Web and text habits seep into academic writing. From the Ivy League to community colleges, read a classroom’s worth of essays and you’re bound to come across a student using â€Å"text speak† or overly casual vernacular in their academic writing. While these kinds of abbreviations and words might work in everyday conversation, they’re generally unacceptable in college level writing. The problem is that many students don’t understand that what works in speech or in a casual discussion doesn’t quite cut it in a college essay. Even worse, many are allowed to get by with these language blunders in their courses, both in high school and beyond. It doesn’t bode well for academic standards or for students who want to earn respect in the workplace. Required writing courses often aren’t writing-focused. Many colleges have done away with the basic freshman comp courses in lieu of courses in the social sciences that are writing-intensive. While writing intensive courses in the social sciences aren’t a bad idea in and of themselves (and many social science professors are great writers), they aren’t really a substitute for writing-focused courses that are designed to give incoming students rigorous foundation in writing. R.V. Young, a professor at North Carolina State, recalls that in 1970, students at the school were required to take a composition course spanning two semesters. During the course, students had to write 25 papers all of which were graded harshly by professors. These kinds of courses have largely disappeared in colleges nationwide and have been replaced with other hybrid courses, with few containing the same rigorous, focused attention on writing. Students aren’t taught the fundamentals. Before students can become great writers, they have to learn (at least) two basic things: the rules of good writing and how to think critically and creatively. Yet many education experts have pointed out that schools fail to adequately teach students either of those things in secondary school and beyond. Students are more often taught what to think, not how to think, and as a result often don’t understand how to expand on ideas, apply rules in a broader sense, or even begin to understand what constitutes great writing. Of course, there’s a line to walk between the structure and creativity that sometimes just doesn’t get through to students. One example? Students learn to format writing in forms that are rarely seen in the real world (how often do you see the five-paragraph essay?), causing them to have to unlearn what they’ve learned just to progress to the level of their college peers. Why does it matter if today’s college grads aren’t great writers? It should matter to college students themselves, as those who enter the working world without writing skills, even those who aren’t working in a writing-centric profession, may find it harder to get a job or to perform the duties their employers require. More seriously, however, poor writing can have a negative effect on the economy. The National Committee on Writing estimates that poor writing costs businesses as much as $3.1 billion annually. If students are pouring tens of thousands into a college education, shouldn’t more than half graduate believing they’ve improved their writing skills? Shouldn’t employers be able to trust that students have basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics if they hold a college degree? While ideally, the answer to both of those questions should be yes, the reality is that neither is a guarantee in today’s world. Featured Image via Unsplash

How to Add and Subtract Fractions 3 Simple Steps

How to Add and Subtract Fractions 3 Simple Steps SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Adding and subtracting fractions can look intimidating at first glance. Not only are you working with fractions, which are notoriously confusing, but suddenly you have to contend with converting numerators and denominators, too. But adding and subtracting fractions is a useful skill. Once you know the vocabulary and the basics, you’ll be adding and subtracting fractions with ease. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know for adding and subtracting fractions, including some example problems to test your skills. Key Vocabulary for Adding and Subtracting Fractions Before we can get into the math for adding and subtracting fractions, you need to know the terminology. We’ll be using these terms throughout, so brush up on them to be sure you always know what part of the fraction we’re referring to. Fraction: A number that is not a whole number; a part of a whole. For our purposes, a fraction will refer to a number written with a numerator and a denominator, such as $1/5$ or $147/4$. Numerator: The top number in a fraction, reflecting the number of parts of a whole, such as the 1 in $1/5$. Denominator: The bottom number in a fraction, representing the total number of parts, such as the 5 in $1/5$. Common Denominator: When two fraction share the same denominator, such as $1/3$ and $2/3$. Least Common Denominator: The smallest denominator two fractions can share. For example, the least common denominator of $1/2$ and $1/5$ is 10, because the smallest number both 2 and 5 go into is 10. Pies make great fractions. How Do You Add and Subtract Fractions? Now that you have the vocabulary, it’s time to put that into action. You can’t simply add or subtract fractions as you would a whole number $1/4 - 1/2$ doesn’t equal $0/2$, for example. Instead, you’ll need to find a common denominator before you add or subtract. There are many ways to find a common denominator, some of which are easier or more efficient than others. One of the easiest ways to find a common denominator, though not necessarily the best, is to simply multiply the two denominators together. For example, a possible least common denominator for $1/2$ and $1/12$ would be 24, which you find by multiplying the 2 denominator by the 12 denominator. You can solve a problem using the common denominator of 24 using the steps below, but if you do, you’ll run into a problem- your fraction will need to be reduced. To eliminate the need to reduce once you’ve added or subtracted, instead try to find the least common denominator. Sometimes that will be the same as multiplying two denominators together, but it often won’t be. However, finding the least common denominator isn’t hard- you’ll just need to be familiar with your multiplication tables. For example, let’s try to find the least common denominator, rather than just a common denominator, for the same fractions we used above: $$1/2\: \and \: 1/12$$. To do this, list out a few multiples of each denominator Multiples of 2: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 Multiples of 12: 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 Then, look at both lists of multiples and find the lowest number both share. In this case, both 2 and 12 share the multiple 12. If we kept going, we would end up with other multiples they share, such as 24, but 12 is the smallest, meaning it’s the least common multiple. You can do this with any pair of numbers, though larger numbers may present more of a challenge. For adding or subtracting, you can always return to simply multiplying one denominator by the other if you’re having trouble finding the least common denominator, but do keep in mind that you will likely have to reduce. Fractions are the tastiest part of math. How to Add Fractions - Method 1 Now that you know how to find a common denominator, you’re ready to start adding and subtracting. Let’s return to the example of $1/2$ and $1/12$- in this case, let's look at this problem: $$1/2 + 1/12$$ Remember, you can’t add straight across; $1/2 + 1/12$ does not equal $2/14$. #1: Find a Common Denominator We’ll find the least common denominator first, since that’s generally the best way to go about it. We already did the work above, but as a reminder, you’ll want to write out a series of multiples of each number until you find a match. In this case, both 2 and 12 have a multiple of 12. #2: Multiply to Get Each Numerator Over the Same Denominator Always remember that anything you do to the denominator must also be done to the numerator. So let’s take a look at these two fractions we need to get over the denominator 12. $1/12$ is easy- it’s already over the denominator of 12, so we don’t have to do anything to it. $1/2$ will need some work. What number multiplied by 2 will equal 12? To rephrase that question as a problem we can solve, $2*?=12$. Or, even simpler, we can invert the operation to get $12/2=?$, which we can easily solve. So now we know that to go from a denominator of 2 to a denominator of 12, we need to multiply by 6. Again, remember that everything you do to the denominator needs to be done to the numerator as well, so multiply the top and bottom by 6 to get $6/12$. #3: Add the Numerators, but Leave the Denominators Alone Now that you have the same denominators, you can add the numerators straight across. In this case, that will mean that $6/12 + 1/12 = 7/12$. Ask yourself if you can reduce the fraction by diving both the numerator and the denominator by the same number. In this case, you can’t, so your answer is a simple $7/12$. How to Add Fractions- Method 2 Alternatively, we could simply multiply the two denominators together to find a different common denominator. This is a different way to solve the problem, but will end up with the same answer. #1: Multiply the Denominators Together No fancy tricks here- simply multiply 2 by 12 to get 24. That will be your common denominator. #2: Multiply to Get Each Numerator Over the Same Denominator Just as we did when we found the least common denominator, we’ll need to multiply both the top and bottom number of each fraction. In this case, use inverse operations to find out what number you’ll need to multiply. If $1/2$ needs to be $?/24$, you can do $24Ã ·2$ to figure out what number you’ll need to multiply by- 12. Multiply the top and the bottom by 12 to get $12/24$. Repeat the process with $1/12$. If $1/12$ needs to be $?/24$, solve $24Ã ·12$ to get 2. Now multiply the numerator and denominator of $1/12$ by 2 to get $2/24$. #3: Add the Numerators Together Now you can simply add straight across. $$12/24 + 2/24 = 14/24$$. #4: Reduce Here’s where the extra step comes in. $14/24$ is not a fraction in its lowest form, so we’ll need to reduce it. To reduce, we need to divide both the numerator and the denominator by the same number. To do so, we’ll need to find the greatest common factor. Much like finding the least common multiple, this means listing out numbers until we find two factors that both the numerator and the denominator have in common, excluding 1, like so: 14: 2, 7 24: 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12 What number do they have in common? 2. That means that 2 is our greatest common factor, and therefore the number we’ll be dividing the numerator and denominator by. $14Ã ·2=7$ and $24Ã ·2=12$ giving us the answer of $7/12$. The answer is the same as when we solved using the least common multiple, and can’t be reduced any further, so that’s our final answer! If you ever find yourself writing out lots of factors without much luck, there are some quick ways to figure out potential factors. If a number is even, it can be divided by 2. If you can add a number's digits a number that is divisible by 3, the number is divisible by 3- such as 96 ($9+6=15$ and $1+5=6$, which is divisible by 3). If the number ends in a 5 or a 0, it is divisible by 5. If you’re not sure when to stop looking for factors, subtract the smaller number from the larger one. That number will be the largest possible common factor, but not the greatest common factor itself.For example, let’s take 50 and 32. Sure, we could just divide both by 2 and keep reducing from there, but if you do $50-32$ you get 18, telling us to stop looking for the greatest common factor once we hit 18.In practice, that looks like this:50: 2, 5, 1032: 2, 4, 8, 16Instead of continuing on, we know to stop when the next factor would be 18 or above, stopping us from spending more time figuring out factors we don’t need. We can see a lot quicker that the greatest common factor is 2 and move on with the problem! $1/1 - 1/? = yum$ How to Subtract Fractions Once you’ve mastered adding fractions, subtracting fractions will be a breeze! The process is exactly the same, though you’ll naturally be subtracting instead of adding. #1: Find a Common Denominator Let’s look at the following example: $$2/3-3/10$$ We need to find the least common multiple for the denominators, which will look like this: 3: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30 10: 10, 20, 30 The first number they have in common is 30, so we’ll be putting both numerators over a denominator of 30. #2: Multiply to Get Both Numerators Over the Same Denominator First, we need to figure out how much we’ll need to multiply both the numerator and denominator of each fraction by to get a denominator of 30. For $2/3$, what number times 3 equals 30? In equation form: $$30Ã ·3=?$$ Our answer is 10, so we’ll multiply both the numerator and denominator by 10 to get $20/30$. Next, we’ll repeat the process for the second fraction. What number do we need to multiply by 10 to get 30? Well, $30Ã ·10=3$, so we’ll multiply the top and bottom by 3 to get $9/30$. This makes our problem $20/30-9/30$, which means we’re ready to continue! #3: Subtract the Numerators Just as we did with addition, we’ll subtract one numerator from the other but leave the denominators alone. $$20/30-9/30=/30$$. Since we found the least common multiple, we already know that the problem can’t be reduced any further. However, let’s say that we just multiplied 3 by 10 to get the denominator of 30, so we need to check if we can reduce. Let’s use that little trick we learned to find the greatest possible common factor. Whatever factors and 30 share, they can’t be greater than $30-$, or 19. : 30: 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 15 Since they don’t share any common factors, the answer cannot be reduced any further. $1/10$pizza is still $10/10$ tasty. Adding and Subtracting FractionsExamples Let’s go over a few more sample problems! $$8/15-4/9$$ #1: Find a common denominator 15: 15, 30, 45, 60 9: 9, 18, 27, 26, 45 #2: Multiply to get both numerators over the same denominator $$45/15=\bo3$$ $$8Ã ·3=24$$ $$15*3=45$$ $$24/45$$ $$45Ã ·9=\bo5$$ $$4*5=20$$ $$9*5=45$$ $$20/45$$ #3: Subtract the numerators $$24/45-20/45=\bo4/\bo45$$ $$6/+3/4$$ #1: Find a common denominator : , 22, 33, 44 4: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44 #2: Multiply to get both numerators over the same denominator $$44Ã ·=\bo4$$ $$6*4=24$$ $$*4=44$$ $$24/44$$ $$44Ã ·4=\bo$$ $$3*=33$$ $$4*=44$$ $$33/44$$ #3: Add the numerators $$24/44+33/44=\bo57/\bo44$$ or $$\bo1 \bo13/\bo44$$ $$4/7-/21$$ #1: Find a common denominator 7: 7, 14, 21 21: 21, 42, 63 #2: Multiply to get both numerators over the same denominator $$21Ã ·7=\bo3$$ $$3*4=12$$ $$3*7=21$$ $$12/21$$ $/2$ is already over 21, so we don’t have to do anything. #3: Subtract the numerators $$12/21-/21=\bo1/21$$ $$8/9+7/13$$ #1: Find a common denominator 9: 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, 90, 99, 108, 7 13: 13, 26, 39, 52, 65, 78, 91, 104, 7 #2: Multiply to get both numerators over the same denominator $$7Ã ·9=\bo13$$ $$8*13=104$$ $$9*13=7$$ $$104/7$$ $$7Ã ·13=\bo9$$ $$7*9=63$$ $$13*9=7$$ $$63/7$$ #3: Add the numerators $$104/7+63/7=\bo167/\bo7$$ What’s Next? Adding and subtracting fractions can get even more simple if you start converting decimals to fractions! If you're unsure what high school math classes you should be taking, this guide will help youfigure out your schedule to be sure you're ready for college! Now that you're an expert in adding and subtracting fractions, challenge yourself by learning how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit!

HUM112 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HUM112 - Essay Example What he is basically doing here is to avoid prior philosophical prejudices and embark on his journey with something fresh. It is the accumulation of his thought process that he summarizes the direction he takes as ‘I am thinking, therefore I exist’. He cannot doubt this knowledge which makes it easy for him to vouch for this fact. So the direction of his thoughts is built on ‘clear and distinct perception’; headed in a direction towards things that are purely impossible to doubt. This is when I was sure that the ending would be very different from the way that the reading had begun. And I was correct in the way the surprise ending was Descartes ends up confirming that God formulates the truth of apparent and distinct perceptions. 2) Since you were expecting a different ending, evaluate how successful the author was in convincing you to accept the validity of the â€Å"surprise ending† that was not clearly suggested at the beginning. Well while I appre ciate the interesting conclusion that the reading takes there are certain points that lead me to think that the evidence and argument that Descartes has put up to validate God are neither original nor very satisfying.

While the Budget factored in a decline in Australias terms of trade, Essay - 2

While the Budget factored in a decline in Australias terms of trade, the fall in global commodity prices over recent months has been larger than anticipated - Essay Example A rise in this economic measure will enable Australia to buy more imports for fewer amounts of exports which in turn will increase the domestic real income. The volatility in terms of trade will induce volatility in the expenditures of the consumers as well as investment. Throughout history, Australia has been subjected to declining as well as volatile terms of trade. The situation changed after 1986. Since this year the country has been subjected to less volatile terms of trade while it is slightly upward rising trend. The terms of trade of the country has been positively correlated with economic growth of the globe. When the economic growth was strong, the terms of trade rose while the situation was just the opposite when the economic growth was slow. In the year 2000, the terms of trade of the country increased in spite of slowing down of the world economy. There are two key components on the terms of trade of the country namely the global prices of the exports and imports of the country and the goods basket of the exports and imports. The country has the ability to affect the global prices the developments within the country also have the potential to influence the terms of trade. An increase in the global prices of coal compared with ICT goods will contribute in raising the terms of trade as the country is net exporter of coal and importer of ICT goods. There has been a wide positive correlation between the terms of trade and the exchange rate prevailing over that period. The nominal or the real exchange rate has fallen since the financial crisis of mid 1998. The import prices tend to be affected by the regional influences but the export prices are influenced by world prices. In the short run the prices of imports floored more swiftly than the export prices. The exchange rate got boosted. The uneven growth in productivity in tradable or in non-tradable goods sector contributed to

Menu Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Menu Analysis - Research Paper Example In essence, the prices are placed some point in the midst of a description, which does not appeal to the client. The menu design should be able to capture the client’s eyes and mind to enable quick but correct decision-making. A well-designed menu such as a letter fold format helps the customer to follow, the description as given by the hotel aide. As per the price menu under consideration, the hotel check indicates that, the hotel lies in the class of tourist, the lowest class in the hotel rating. The pricing and the foods offered indicate the class of the hotel must be low. For instance, the cost of the garden griller, which is $8.75, is relatively low compared to one or two stars hotels. The first flaw in this menu is the lack of the name of the hotel. The name of the hotel is a critical component on the menu. It adds confidence to the clients. The other flaw explicit in this menu is the use of plastic cover. This is really disorienting to the clients who judge the quality of the foods and beverage from the appearance and quality of the menu. A good menu should have a canvas or hard cover. This makes it appealing to the clients. In the case of pricing, the foods and beverages should be priced accordingly to ensure that appropriate profit margins are achieved. The dollar sign used should be avoided. Overpricing or under pricing should be avoided by first assessing the industrial average prices per a certain type of food or beverage. In addition, the anticipated profit margin should be calculated relative to the buying price of the material and the labour used. This will ensure that the hotel does not run on losses and at the same time, it does not loose customers due to exorbitant prices. This implies that, despite the menu being an internal instrument of a hotel, it should be well compared with the rest within the same industry. In essence, pricing methods such as those based on competition, factor

Progress report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Progress report - Essay Example The discussion on the stock price performance of Samsung and Apple, for instance, shows that while Samsung’s prospects seem stable, the prospects for Apple seem less secure and sure. One notes that stock price is an indicator of how investors see a firm and that firm’s future prospects for profit and growth in revenues. The downward spiral of Apple stocks of late seems to reflect waning confidence in Apple’s ability to continue to lead in smart phones as well as tablets. On the other hand, the stable prospects for Samsung are reflected in its share price also being relatively stable, after enjoying a substantial appreciation over the past two years. At any rate, it seems that Samsung will fare well even with the results of the case finding it has infringed on vital Apple patents relating to its smart phone products (Yahoo! Finance, 2012; Google Finance, 2012). Newer data and analysis on the prospects of Apple show cause for concern. The company, after winning the patent lawsuit, has been seen as having committed some serious errors and mistakes in strategy and product implementation over the past few weeks. First was its debacle in its mapping technology, after having ditched Google as a provider of mapping services for its own homegrown but seriously flawed mapping application. Next is what analysts see as flawed pricing with regard to its new iPad Mini product. Third has to do with how Apple is seen by analysts as having a crisis of leadership. Some analysts have come to view all these as signs that Apple is in decline (Lappin, 2012; Chang, 2012). There is progress too, with regard to the details of the verdict having become public knowledge since the writing of the first parts of this paper, owing to the jury coming out and releasing their explanations for the verdict, and the warring parties coming out in the open with the documents that were used as evidence for the case. The outpouring

Adolescent Suicide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Adolescent Suicide - Essay Example First three things explain the 100% increase in suicides since 1960. However since 1997, despite the proliferation of guns, less parental attachment and more access to alcohol and drugs, the suicide rates are coming down. The anti-depressant medicine is considered responsible for this improvement (Berger). Similarly, a combination of medicine and cognitive-behavioral therapy has been found to be most effective for combating suicidal tendency (Berger). The availability of guns increases chances of fatal injuries/ completed suicides. This fact has been corroborated by the fact that about 52% of all suicides were with firearms (Jason, 2011). It should however be noted that guns may not be considered responsible for creating suicidal tendencies. Firearms are just instruments which are used for suicide. As long as there is the desire to commit suicide, more and more ways will become available. Despite the proliferation of guns over time, the suicide rates have been coming down since 1997 (McIntosh, 2011). The mix of suicidal ideation and availability of drugs is the most fatal combination as the suicidal ideation might lead to the use of drugs and the use of drugs might precipitate the suicidal tendencies. Malcolm Lowry (1909-1957), the British novelist and short-story writer was left by his parents at the mercy of â€Å"sadistic nannies or indifferent foster-parents† during his early childhood and later he developed emotional problems as a result of which he became alcoholic by age 13 (Day, 1973). A combination of factors precipitated his suicidal tendency resulting in his finally shooting himself (Shulman, 2011). The inappropriate or absence of parental supervision precipitates the desire to commit suicide. The fractured married life of the parents of John Berryman, the American poet, led to Berryman’s father shoot himself. While still a child, Berryman used to ask his mother as to why his father

Progress report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Progress report - Essay Example The discussion on the stock price performance of Samsung and Apple, for instance, shows that while Samsung’s prospects seem stable, the prospects for Apple seem less secure and sure. One notes that stock price is an indicator of how investors see a firm and that firm’s future prospects for profit and growth in revenues. The downward spiral of Apple stocks of late seems to reflect waning confidence in Apple’s ability to continue to lead in smart phones as well as tablets. On the other hand, the stable prospects for Samsung are reflected in its share price also being relatively stable, after enjoying a substantial appreciation over the past two years. At any rate, it seems that Samsung will fare well even with the results of the case finding it has infringed on vital Apple patents relating to its smart phone products (Yahoo! Finance, 2012; Google Finance, 2012). Newer data and analysis on the prospects of Apple show cause for concern. The company, after winning the patent lawsuit, has been seen as having committed some serious errors and mistakes in strategy and product implementation over the past few weeks. First was its debacle in its mapping technology, after having ditched Google as a provider of mapping services for its own homegrown but seriously flawed mapping application. Next is what analysts see as flawed pricing with regard to its new iPad Mini product. Third has to do with how Apple is seen by analysts as having a crisis of leadership. Some analysts have come to view all these as signs that Apple is in decline (Lappin, 2012; Chang, 2012). There is progress too, with regard to the details of the verdict having become public knowledge since the writing of the first parts of this paper, owing to the jury coming out and releasing their explanations for the verdict, and the warring parties coming out in the open with the documents that were used as evidence for the case. The outpouring

American economy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

American economy - Research Paper Example The government plays an important role in the economy, as is the case in all countries. From the founding of the Republic, the United States federal government has strongly supported the development of transportation. It financed the first major canal system and later subsidized the railroads and the airlines. It has developed river valleys and built dams and power stations. It has extended electricity and scientific advice to farmers and assures them a minimum price for their basic crops. It checks the purity of food and drugs, insures bank deposits and guarantees loans. America’s individual 50 states have been most active in building roads and in the field of education. Each year the states spend some $33,31 million on schools and provide a free public education for 29.1 million primary-school pupils and 11.4 million youth in secondary schools. (In addition, 8.3. a million youths attend private primary and secondary schools.) Approximately 60 percent of the students who graduate from secondary schools attend colleges and universities, 77,2 percent of which are supported by public funds. The United States leads the world in the percentage of the population that receives a higher education. Total enrollment in schools o higher learning is 13.4 million. (Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2003) Despite the fact the United States government supports many segments of the nation’s economy, economists estimate that the public sector accounts for only one-fifth of American economic activity, with the remainder in private hands.

The HTML page Essay Example for Free

The HTML page Essay HTML which stands for Hyper Text Markup Language is a scripting language which is primarily used for building web pages (W3C. org, 2007). The language is an interpreted language and used extensively to build a standard website. The web pages are linked together using the features of the HTML alone where it creates hyperlinks to join pages. All these combined web pages are hosted to the internet and is registered under a domain that facilitates it to have an Internet Protocol address to access it over the internet domain. The HTML can be explained as follows: †¢ Hyper Text – It usually implies several variants of text that can be used for displaying information over the web page to the internet users. It can also embed objects like pictures, static and moving graphics and video in the web pages using the options available for its representation. †¢ Markup Language – It is called so as it belongs to the family of markup languages which puts or assigns tags to the text so that their representation is enhanced (W3Schools.com, 2007). For example, representing text in paragraphs, tables and others. Internet browsers use the HTML in a very unique manner. The process is as follows: †¢ To generate a web page, a request for the page requires to be made. The IP address or the domain name is typed in the address bar and pressed enter. †¢ The request now travels across the network and hits the nearest DNS (Domain naming service) server where the domain name is resolved. †¢ The web page request is done at this moment. †¢ The HTML page once fetched is interpreted by the browser and displayed in the browser using the tags specified. †¢ The page layout is according to the instructions in the HTML source. Internet browsers provide an excellent facility to interpret the HTML page with the specified instructions. References W3Schools. com (2007). Retrieved 10, November 2007 from http://www. w3schools. com/html/html_intro. asp. W3C. org (2007). Retrieved 10, November 2007 from http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/

Asset and liability management

Asset and liability management ASSET AND LIABILITY MANAGEMENT In banking, asset and liability management (ALM) is used to manage the risks that arise due to mismatches between the assets and liabilities (debts and assets) of the bank. Banks face several risks like the liquidity risk, market risk, interest rate risk, credit risk and operational risk. Asset Liability management (ALM) is a strategic management tool to manage interest rate risk and liquidity risk faced by banks, other financial services companies and corporations. Banks manage the risks of Asset liability mismatch by matching the assets and liabilities according to the maturity pattern or the matching the duration, by hedging and by securitization. Asset and liability management remain high-priority areas for bank regulators, with an emphasis on management of market risk, liquidity risk, and credit risk. Asset/liability managers face the challenge of keeping pace with industry changes as new areas of risk are identified and new tools and models are developed to help measure and manage risk. In other words Asset-Liability Management (ALM) can be known as a risk management technique designed to earn an adequate return while maintaining a comfortable surplus of assets beyond liabilities. It takes into consideration interest rates, earning power, and degree of willingness to take on debt and hence is also known as Surplus Management. But in the last decade the meaning of asset liability management has evolved. It is now used in many different ways under different contexts. ALM, which was actually pioneered by financial institutions and banks, are now widely being used in industries too. The Society of Actuaries Task Force on ALM Principles, Canada, offers the following definition for ALM: Asset Liability Management is the on-going process of formulating, implementing, monitoring, and revising strategies related to assets and liabilities in an attempt to achieve financial objectives for a given set of risk tolerances and constraints. Basis of Asset-Liability Management Traditionally, banks and insurance companies used accrual system of accounting for all their assets and liabilities. They would take on liabilities such as deposits, life insurance policies or annuities. They would then invest the proceeds from these liabilities in assets such as loans, bonds or real estate. All these assets and liabilities were held at book value. Doing so disguised possible risks arising from how the assets and liabilities were structured. Consider a bank that borrows 1 Crore (100 Lakhs) at 6 % for a year and lends the same money at 7 % to a highly rated borrower for 5 years. The net transaction appears profitable the bank is earning a 100 basis point spread but it entails considerable risk. At the end of a year, the bank will have to find new financing for the loan, which will have 4 more years before it matures. If interest rates have risen, the bank may have to pay a higher rate of interest on the new financing than the fixed 7 % it is earning on its loan. Suppose, at the end of a year, an applicable 4-year interest rate is 8 %. The bank is in serious trouble. It is going to earn 7 % on its loan but would have to pay 8 % on its financing. Accrual accounting does not recognize this problem. Based upon accrual accounting, the bank would earn Rs 100,000 in the first year although in the preceding years it is going to incur a loss. The problem in this example was caused by a mismatch between assets and liabilities. Prior to the 1970s, such mismatches tended not to be a significant problem. Interest rates in developed countries experienced only modest fluctuations, so losses due to asset-liability mismatches were small or trivial. Many firms intentionally mismatched their balance sheets and as yield curves were generally upward sloping, banks could earn a spread by borrowing short and lending long. Things started to change in the 1970s, which ushered in a period of volatile interest rates that continued till the early 1980s. US regulations which had capped the interest rates so that banks could pay depositors, was abandoned which led to a migration of dollar deposit overseas. Managers of many firms, who were accustomed to thinking in terms of accrual accounting, were slow to recognize this emerging risk. Some firms suffered staggering losses. Because the firms used accrual accounting, it resulted in more of crippled balance sheets than bankruptcies. Firms had no options but to accrue the losses over a subsequent period of 5 to 10 years. One example, which drew attention, was that of US mutual life insurance company The Equitable. During the early 1980s, as the USD yield curve was inverted with short-term interest rates sky rocketing, the company sold a number of long-term Guaranteed Interest Contracts (GICs) guaranteeing rates of around 16% for periods up to 10 years.Equitable then invested the assets short-term to earn the high interest rates guaranteed on the contracts. But short-term interest rates soon came down. When the Equitable had to reinvest, it couldnt get even close to the interest rates it was paying on the GICs. The firm was crippled. Eventually, it had to demutualize and was acquired by the Axa Group. Increasingly banks and asset management companies started to focus on Asset-Liability Risk.The problem was not that the value of assets might fall or that the value of liabilities might rise. It was that capital might be depleted by narrowing of the difference between assets and liabilities and that the values of assets and liabilities might fail to move in tandem. Asset-liability risk is predominantly a leveraged form of risk. The capital of most financial institutions is small relative to the firms assets or liabilities, and so small percentage changes in assets or liabilities can translate into large percentage changes in capital. Accrual accounting could disguise the problem by deferring losses into the future, but it could not solve the problem.Firms responded by forming asset-liability management (ALM) departments to assess these asset-liability risk. Techniques for assessing Asset-Liability Risk Techniques for assessing asset-liability risk came to include Gap Analysis and Duration Analysis. These facilitated techniques of managing gaps and matching duration of assets and liabilities. Both approaches worked well if assets and liabilities comprised fixed cash flows. But cases of callable debts, home loans and mortgages which included optio.ns of prepayment and floating rates, posed problems that gap analysis could not address. Duration analysis could address these in theory, but implementing sufficiently sophisticated duration measures was problematic Accordingly, banks and insurance companies started using Scenario Analysis. Under this technique assumptions were made on various conditions, for example: * Several interest rate scenarios were specified for the next 5 or 10 years. These specified conditions like declining rates, rising rates, a gradual decrease in rates followed by a sudden rise, etc. Ten or twenty scenarios could be specified in all. * Assumptions were made about the performance of assets and liabilities under each scenario. They included prepayment rates on mortgages or surrender rates on insurance products. * Assumptions were also made about the firms performance-the rates at which new business would be acquired for various products, demand for the product. * Market conditions and economic factors like inflation rates and industrial cycles were also included. * Based upon these assumptions, the performance of the firms balance sheet could be projected under each scenario. If projected performance was poor under specific scenarios, the ALM committee would adjust assets or liabilities to address the indicated exposure. Let us consider the procedure for sanctioning a commercial loan. The borrower, who approaches the bank, has to appraise the banks credit department on various parameters like industry prospects, operational efficiency, financial efficiency, management qualities and other things, which would influence the working of the company. On the basis of this appraisal, the banks would then prepare a credit-grading sheet after covering all the aspects of the company and the business in which the company is in. Then the borrower would then be charged a certain rate of interest, which would cover the risk of lending. * But the main shortcoming of scenario analysis was that, it was highly dependent on the choice of scenarios. It also required that many assumptions were to be made about how specific assets or liabilities will perform under specific scenario. Gradually the firms recognized a potential for different type of risks, which was overlooked in ALM analyses. Also the deregulation of the interest rates in US in mid 70 s compelled the banks to undertake active planning for the structure of the balance sheet. The uncertainty of interest rate movements gave rise to Interest Rate Risk thereby causing banks to look for processes to manage this risk. In the wake of interest rate risk came Liquidity Risk and Credit Risk, which became inherent components of risk for banks. The recognition of these risks brought Asset Liability Management to the centre-stage of financial intermediation. Today even Equity Risk, which until a few years ago was given only honorary mention in all but a few company ALM re ports, is now an indispensable part of ALM for most companies.. Some companies have gone even further to include Counterparty Credit Risk, Sovereign Risk, as well as Product Design and Pricing Risk as part of their overall ALM. * Now a days a company has different reasons for doing ALM. While some companies view ALM as a compliance and risk mitigation exercise, others have started using ALM as strategic framework to achieve the companys financial objectives. Some of the business reasons companies now state for implementing an effective ALM framework include gaining competitive advantage and increasing the value of the organization. Asset-Liability Management Approach ALM in its most apparent sense is based on funds management. Funds management represents the core of sound bank planning and financial management. Although funding practices, techniques, and norms have been revised substantially in recent years, it is not a new concept. Funds management is the process of managing the spread between interest earned and interest paid while ensuring adequate liquidity. Therefore, funds management has following three components, which have been discussed briefly. A. Liquidity Management Liquidity represents the ability to accommodate decreases in liabilities and to fund increases in assets. An organization has adequate liquidity when it can obtain sufficient funds, either by increasing liabilities or by converting assets, promptly and at a reasonable cost. Liquidity is essential in all organizations to compensate for expected and unexpected balance sheet fluctuations and to provide funds for growth. The price of liquidity is a function of market conditions and market perception of the risks, both interest rate and credit risks, reflected in the balance sheet and off-balance sheet activities in the case of a bank. If liquidity needs are not met through liquid asset holdings, a bank may be forced to restructure or acquire additional liabilities under adverse market conditions. Liquidity exposure can stem from both internally (institution-specific) and externally generated factors. Sound liquidity risk management should address both types of exposure. External liquidit y risks can be geographic, systemic or instrument-specific. Internal liquidity risk relates largely to the perception of an institution in its various markets: local, regional, national or international. Determination of the adequacy of a banks liquidity position depends upon an analysis of its: * Historical funding requirements * Current liquidity position * Anticipated future funding needs * Sources of funds * Present and anticipated asset quality * Present and future earnings capacity * Present and planned capital position As all banks are affected by changes in the economic climate, the monitoring of economic and money market trends is key to liquidity planning. Sound financial management can minimize the negative effects of these trends while accentuating the positive ones. Management must also have an effective contingency plan that identifies minimum and maximum liquidity needs and weighs alternative courses of action designed to meet those needs. The cost of maintaining liquidity is another important prerogative. An institution that maintains a strong liquidity position may do so at the opportunity cost of generating higher earnings. The amount of liquid assets a bank should hold depends on the stability of its deposit structure and the potential for rapid expansion of its loan portfolio. If deposit accounts are composed primarily of small stable accounts, a relatively low allowance for liquidity is necessary. Additionally, management must consider the current ratings by regulatory and rating agencies when planning liquidity needs. Once liquidity needs have been determined, management must decide how to meet them through asset management, liability management, or a combination of both. B. Asset Management Many banks (primarily the smaller ones) tend to have little influence over the size of their total assets. Liquid assets enable a bank to provide funds to satisfy increased demand for loans. But banks, which rely solely on asset management, concentrate on adjusting the price and availability of credit and the level of liquid assets. However, assets that are often assumed to be liquid are sometimes difficult to liquidate. For example, investment securities may be pledged against public deposits or repurchase agreements, or may be heavily depreciated because of interest rate changes. Furthermore, the holding of liquid assets for liquidity purposes is less attractive because of thin profit spreads. Asset liquidity, or how salable the banks assets are in terms of both time and cost, is of primary importance in asset management. To maximize profitability, management must carefully weigh the full return on liquid assets (yield plus liquidity value) against the higher return associated with less liquid assets. Income derived from higher yielding assets may be offset if a forced sale, at less than book value, is necessary because of adverse balance sheet fluctuations. Seasonal, cyclical, or other factors may cause aggregate outstanding loans and deposits to move in opposite directions and result in loan demand, which exceeds available deposit funds. A bank relying strictly on asset management would restrict loan growth to that which could be supported by available deposits. The decision whether or not to use liability sources should be based on a complete analysis of seasonal, cyclical, and other factors, and the costs involved. In addition to supplementing asset liquidity, liability sources of liquidity may serve as an alternative even when asset sources are available. C. Liability Management Liquidity needs can be met through the discretionary acquisition of funds on the basis of interest rate competition. This does not preclude the option of selling assets to meet funding needs, and conceptually, the availability of asset and liability options should result in a lower liquidity maintenance cost. The alternative costs of available discretionary liabilities can be compared to the opportunity cost of selling various assets. The major difference between liquidity in larger banks and in smaller banks is that larger banks are better able to control the level and composition of their liabilities and assets. When funds are required, larger banks have a wider variety of options from which to select the least costly method of generating funds. The ability to obtain additional liabilities represents liquidity potential. The marginal cost of liquidity and the cost of incremental funds acquired are of paramount importance in evaluating liability sources of liquidity. Consideration m ust be given to such factors as the frequency with which the banks must regularly refinance maturing purchased liabilities, as well as an evaluation of the banks ongoing ability to obtain funds under normal market conditions. The obvious difficulty in estimating the latter is that, until the bank goes to the market to borrow, it cannot determine with complete certainty that funds will be available and/or at a price, which will maintain a positive yield spread. Changes in money market conditions may cause a rapid deterioration in a banks capacity to borrow at a favorable rate. In this context, liquidity represents the ability to attract funds in the market when needed, at a reasonable cost vis-Ã  -vis asset yield. The access to discretionary funding sources for a bank is always a function of its position and reputation in the money markets. Although the acquisition of funds at a competitive cost has enabled many banks to meet expanding customer loan demand, misuse or improper implementation of liability management can have severe consequences. Further, liability management is not riskless. This is because concentrations in funding sources increase liquidity risk. For example, a bank relying heavily on foreign interbank deposits will experience funding problems if overseas markets perceive instability in U.S. banks or the economy. Replacing foreign source funds might be difficult and costly because the domestic market may view the banks sudden need for funds negatively. Again over-reliance on liability management may cause a tendency to minimize holdings of short-term securities, relax asset liquidity standards, and result in a large concentration of short-term liabilities supporting assets of longer maturity. During times of tight money, this could cause an earnings squeeze and an illiquid condition. Also if rate competition develops in the money market, a bank may incur a high cost of funds and may elect to lower credit standards to book higher yielding loans and securities. If a bank is purchasing liabilities to support assets, which are already on its books, the higher cost of purchased funds may result in a negative yield spread. Preoccupation with obtaining funds at the lowest possible cost, without considering maturity distribution, greatly intensifies a banks exposure to the risk of interest rate fluctuations. That is why banks who particularly rely on wholesale funding sources, management must constantly be aware of the composition, characteristics, and diversification of its funding sources. Procedure for Examination of Asset Liability Management In order to determine the efficacy of Asset Liability Management one has to follow a comprehensive procedure of reviewing different aspects of internal control, funds management and financial ratio analysis. Below a step-by-step approach of ALM examination in case of a bank has been outlined. Step 1 The bank/ financial statements and internal management reports should be reviewed to assess the asset/liability mix with particular emphasis on. * Total liquidity position (Ratio of highly liquid assets to total assets) * Current liquidity position (Minimum ratio of highly liquid assets to demand liabilities/deposits) * Ratio of Non Performing Assets to Total Assets * Ratio of loans to deposits * Ratio of short-term demand deposits to total deposits * Ratio of long-term loans to short term demand deposits * Ratio of contingent liabilities for loans to total loans * Ratio of pledged securities to total securities Step 2 It is to be determined that whether bank management adequately assesses and plans its liquidity needs and whether the bank has short-term sources of funds. This should include * Review of internal management reports on liquidity needs and sources of satisfying these need.. * Assessing the banks ability to meet liquidity needs Step 3 The banks future development and expansion plans, with focus on funding and liquidity management aspects has to be looked into. This entails. * Determining whether bank management has effectively addressed the issue of need for liquid assets to funding sources on a long-term basis. * Reviewing the banks budget projections for a certain period of time in the future. * Determining whether the bank really needs to expand its activities. What are the sources of funding for such expansion and whether there are projections of changes in the banks asset and liability structure. * Assessing the banks development plans and determining whether the bank will be able to attract planned funds and achieve the projected asset growth. * Determining whether the bank has included sensitivity to interest rate risk in the development of its long term funding strategy. Step 4 Examining the banks internal audit report in regards to quality and effectiveness in terms of liquidity management. Step 5 Reviewing the banks plan of satisfying unanticipated liquidity needs by. * Determining whether the banks management assessed the potential expenses that the bank will have as a result of unanticipated financial or operational problems. * Determining the alternative sources of funding liquidity and/or assets subject to necessity. * Determining the impact of the banks liquidity management on net earnings position. Step 6 Preparing an Asset/Liability Management Internal Control Questionnaire which should include the following Whether the board of directors has been consistent with its duties and responsibilities and included o A line of authority for liquidity management decisions. o A mechanism to coordinate asset and liability management decisions. o A method to identify liquidity needs and the means to meet those needs. o Guidelines for the level of liquid assets and other sources of funds in relationship to needs. Does the planning and budgeting function consider liquidity requirements. Are the internal management reports for liquidity management adequate in terms of effective decision making and monitoring of decisions. Are internal management reports concerning liquidity needs prepared regularly and reviewed as appropriate by senior management and the board of directors. Whether the banks policy of asset and liability management prohibits or defines certain restrictions for attracting borrowed means from bank related persons (organizations) in order to satisfy liquidity needs. Does the banks policy of asset and liability management provide for an adequate control over the position of contingent liabilities of the bank. Is the foregoing information considered an adequate basis for evaluating internal control in that there are no significant deficiencies in areas not covered in this questionnaire that impair any controls. Guidelines on Asset-Liability Management (ALM) System -Amendments Reserve Bank had issued guidelines on ALM system vide Circular dated February 10, 1999, which covered, among others, interest rate risk and liquidity risk measurement / reporting framework and prudential limits. As a measure of liquidity management, banks are required to monitor their cumulative mismatches across all time buckets in their Statement of Structural Liquidity by establishing internal prudential limits with the approval of the Board / Management Committee. As per the guidelines, the mismatches (negative gap) during the time buckets of 1-14 days and 15-28 days in the normal course, are not to exceed 20 per cent of the cash outflows in the respective time buckets. 2. Having regard to the international practices, the level of sophistication of banks in India and the need for a sharper assessment of the efficacy of liquidity management, Reserve Bank of India has reviewed guidelines on 24th October 2007 and decided that : (a) the banks may adopt a more granular approach to measurement of liquidity risk by splitting the first time bucket (1-14 days at present) in the Statement of Structural Liquidity into three time buckets viz. Next day , 2-7 days and 8-14 days. (b) the Statement of Structural Liquidity may be compiled on best available data coverage, in due consideration of non-availability of a fully networked environment.Banks may, however, make concerted and requisite efforts to ensure coverage of 100 per cent data in a timely manner. (c) the net cumulative negative mismatches during the Next day, 2-7 days, 8-14 days and 15-28 days buckets should not exceed 5 % ,10%, 15 % and 20 % of the cumulative cash outflows in the respective time buckets in order to recognise the cumulative impact on liquidity. (d) banks may undertake dynamic liquidity management and should prepare the Statement of Structural Liquidity on daily basis. The Statement of Structural Liquidity, may, however, be reported to RBI, once a month, as on the third Wednesday of every month. 3. The format of Statement of Structural Liquidity has been revised suitably and is furnished. The guidance for slotting the future cash flows of banks in the revised time buckets has also been suitably modified and is furnished at Annex II. 4. To enable the banks to fine tune their existing MIS as per the modified guidelines, the revised norms as well as the supervisory reporting as per the revised format would commence with effect from the period beginning January 1, 2008 and the reporting frequency would continue to be monthly for the present. However, the frequency of supervisory reporting of the Structural Liquidity position shall be fortnightly, with effect from the fortnight beginning April 1, 2008. Asset Liability Management in Indian Context The post-reform banking scenario in India was marked by interest rate deregulation, entry of new private banks, and gamut of new products along with greater use of information technolog.To cope with these pressures banks were required to evolve strategies rather than ad hoc solutions. Recognising the need of Asset Liability management to develop a strong and sound banking.system, the RBI has come out with ALM guidelines for banks and FIs in April 1999.The Indian ALM framework rests on three pillars. Â · ALM Organisation (ALCO) The ALCO or the Asset Liability Management Committee consisting of the banks senior management including the CEO should be responsible for adhering to the limits set by the board as well as for deciding the business strategy of the bank in line with the banks budget and decided risk management objectives. ALCO is a decision-making unit responsible for balance sheet planning from a risk return perspective including strategic management of interest and liquidity risk. The banks may also authorise their Asset-Liability Management Committee (ALCO) to fix interest rates on Deposits and Advances, subject to their reporting to the Board immediately thereafter. The banks should also fix maximum spread over the PLR with the approval of the ALCO/Board for all advances other than consumer credit. Â · ALM Information System The ALM Information System is required for the collection of information accurately, adequately and expeditiously. Information is the key to the ALM process. A good information system gives the bank management a complete picture of the banks balance sheet. Â · ALM Process The basic ALM processes involving identification, measurement and management of risk parameter.The RBI in its guidelines has asked Indian banks to use traditional techniques like Gap Analysis for monitoring interest rate and liquidity risk. However RBI is expecting Indian banks to move towards sophisticated techniques like Duration, Simulation, VaR in the future. For the accrued portfolio, most Indian Private Sector banks use Gap analysis, but are gradually moving towards duration analysis. Most of the foreign banks use duration analysis and are expected to move towards advanced methods like Value at Risk for the entire balance sheet.some foreign banks are already using VaR for the entire balance sheet. Conclusion ALM has evolved since the early 1980s.Today, financial firms are increasingly using market value accounting for certain business lines. This is true of universal banks that have trading operations.Techniques of ALM have also evolved.The growth of OTC derivatives markets has facilitated a variety of hedging strategies. A significant development has been securitization, which allows firms to directly address asset-liability risk by removing assets or liabilities from their balance sheets. This not only eliminates asset-liability risk; it also frees up the balance sheet for new business. Thus, the scope of ALM activities has widened. Today, ALM departments are addressing (non-trading) foreign exchange risks as well as other risks. Also, ALM has extended to non-financial firms. Corporations have adopted techniques of ALM to address interest-rate exposures, liquidity risk and foreign exchange risk. They are using related techniques to address commodities risks. For example, airlines hedging of fuel prices or manufacturers hedging of steel prices are often presented as ALM. Thus it can be safely said that Asset Liability Management will continue to grow in future and an efficient ALM technique will go a long way in managing volume, mix, maturity, rate sensitivity, quality and liquidity of the assets and liabilities so as to earn a sufficient and acceptable return on the portfolio.

menopause Essay -- essays research papers

 ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when the function of the ovaries ceases. The ovary, or female gonad, is one of a pair of reproductive glands in women.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The process of menopause does not occur overnight, but rather is a gradual process. This so-called perimenopausal transition period is a different experience for each woman.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The average age of menopause onset is 51 years old. There is no single method to predict when a woman will experience menopause.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The age at which a woman starts having menstrual periods is not related to the age of menopause onset.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A women is in menopause when she has had no menstrual periods (menses) for 12 months and has no other medical reason for her menses to stop.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Symptoms of menopause can be divided into early and late onset symptoms. Early symptoms include abnormal vaginal bleeding, hot flashes, and mood changes. Late symptoms include vaginal dryness and irritation, osteoporosis, and heart disease.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Treatments for menopause are directed toward alleviating the symptoms present in the particular woman affected. *What is menopause? Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when the function of the ovaries ceases. The ovary, or female gonad, is one of a pair of reproductive glands in women. They are located in the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus. Each ovary is about the size and shape of an almond. The ovaries produce eggs (ova) and female hormones. During each monthly menstrual cycle, an egg is released from one ovary. The egg travels from the ovary through a fallopian tube to the uterus. The ovaries are the main source of female hormones, which control the development of female body characteristics such as the breasts, body shape, and body hair. The hormones also regulate the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. The process of menopause does not occur overnight, but rather is a gradual process. This so-called perimenopausal transition period is a different experience for each woman. Scientists are still determining all the factors that affect when this transition begins and the details of how it occurs. The average age of menopause is 51 years old. Although women tend to undergo menopause at an age simil... .... HTML1DocumentEncodingutf-8What is menopause? When does a woman know she is in menopause? Are hormone levels or other blood tests helpful in detecting menopause? What are the symptoms of menopause?  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hot Flashes  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mood Symptoms  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vaginal Symptoms  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Osteoporosis  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heart disease What are the treatment options for menopause?  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hot Flashes  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mood Symptoms  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vaginal Symptoms  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Osteoporosis  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heart Disease

Quality of Work Life Essay

Employees at any level many time experience a sense of frustration because low level of wages, poor working conditions, unfavourable terms of employment, inhuman treatement by their superiors & the like whereas managerial personnel feel frustrated because of alienation over their condition of employment , interpersonal conflicts, role conflicts, Job pressure , lack of freedom , absence of challenging work, etc. QWL means different things to different people, J. Richard & J. Loy define QWL as † the degree to which members of a work organization are able to satisfy mportant personnel needs through their experience in the organization. † In the search for improved productivity, manager & executives alike are discovering the important contribution of QWL. Hackman & suttle describe QWL from varied viewpoints. From a professional view point , it refers to industrial democracy, increase workewrs participation in corporate decision making , or culmination of the goals of human realations. In terms of management perspective, it relates to a variety of efforts to improve productivity through improvements in the human , rather than he capital or technological inputs of production. From standpoint of the characteristics of individual workers , it refers to the degree to which members of a work organization are able to satisfy important personal needs through their experience in the organization. From the unions, perspective , it is a more equitable sharing of the income and resources of the work of organization, and more human & healthier working conditions. DIMENSIONS OF STUDY : Quality of work life improvement are defined as any activity which takes place at very level of organization which seeks greater organizational effectiveness through enhancement of human dignity and growth a process through which the stockholders in the organization management, union and employees- learn how to work together to better to determine for themselves what actions, changes & improvements are desirable and workable in order to achive twin & simultaneous goals of an improve quality of life at work for all members of organization & greater effectiveness for the company and unions. Trade union claim that they are responsible for the improvements in various facilities to workers hereas management takes credit for improved salaries, benefits & facilities. However, HR manager has identified specific issues in QWL. Klott Mundick& Schuster suggested major QWL issues. They are: (1) Pay & Employment on permanent basis: Good pay still dominates most of the other factors in employee satisfaction. Various alternative means for providing wages should be developed in view of increase in cost of living index , increase in levels & rates of income tax & profession tax. QWL must be build around an equitable pay programs . in uture more workers may want to participate in the profits of the firm. Employment of workers on casual, temporary, probationary basis gives them sense of insecurity. On the other hand , employment on the other basis gives them security & leads to higher order QWL. (2) Occupational Stress : Stress is a condition of strain on one’s emotions, thought process ; physical condition . stress is determined by the worker’s abilities & nature and match with the Job requirements. Stress is cause due irritability, offering prestigious designation to the Jobs, providing well furnish amp; decent work places, offering membership in clubs or association , providing vehicles, offering vacation trips, or means to recognize the employees hyper- excitation or depression unstable behaviour, fatigue, stuttering, trembling psychometric pains, heavy smoking & drug abuse. Stress adversely effects on employee’s productivity. The HR manager, in order to minimize the stress has to identifiy, prevent ; tackle the problem. He may arrange the treatment of problem with the health unit or provide some stress buster activities during the hectic work schedule. 3) Organizational Health programs : Organizational health programs aim at educating employees about health problems means of maintaining ; improving health etc. These programme covers drinking and smoking cessation ( if it is affecting the productivity of employee ) , hypertension control , other forms of cardiovascular risk reduction, family planning etc. Effective implementation of these progrme results in reduction in absenteeism, hospitalization ,disability, excessive Job turnover ; premature death. It should also covers relaxation, physical exercise , diet control etc. 4) Alternative work schedule : Alternative work schedule including work at home , flexible working hours, staggered hours , and reduced work week, part time employment which may be introduced for the convenience ; comfort of the workers as the work schedule which offers the individual the leisure time , flexible hours of work is preferred. 5) Participative Management ; control of work : Trade unions and workers participation in management and decision making improves QWL . workers also feel that they have control their work, use their skills ; make a real contribution to the Job if they re allowed to participate in creative and decision making process. (6) Recognition : recognizing the employee as a human being rather than as a labourer increases the QWL . Participative management , awarding the rewarding systems , congratulating the employees for their achievement , Job enrichment, offering prestigious designation to the Jobs, providing well furnish and decent work places,offering membership in club or associations , providing vehicles , offering vacation trips, or some means to recognize the employees . (7) Congenial Worker- supervisor Relation : Harmonious supervisor- worker relations give the worker essence of social association , belongingness, achievement of worker results etc. This in turn led to better QWL. 8) Grievance procedure : workers have a sence of fair treatement when the company gives them opportunity to ventilate their grievances and represent their case succinctly rather than settling the problems arbitrarily. (9) Adequacy of resources : Resources should match with stated objective ; otherwise , employee will not be able to attain them . This results in the employee dissatisfaction and lower QWL. 10) Seniority ; meri t in promotions : seniority is generally taken as the basis of promotion in case of operating employees . Merit is considered as the basis for advancement for managerial people whereas seniority cum- merit is preferred for promotion of ministerial employees. The promotional policies ; activities should be fair 7 Just in order to ensure higher QWL. (11) Welfare Benefits : Since workers are now better organized , educated ; vociferous, they demand social security ; welfare benefits as a matter of right which were once considered a part of bargaining process.

A drama in play format Essay

Gerald is not a member of the Birling family but he is still caught in their ‘web of sin’. He found Eva in a bar where he was hoping to pick up a mistress; he found her in the clutches of Alderman Megarty. Alderman was harassing Eva. When Gerald, like her knight in shining armour, made Alderman go away, they started to talk and became friends and eventually lovers. This all happened during the time that Sheila and Gerald were lovers. This is the largest part of the immoral act committed by Gerald, which was in fact not against Eva but against Shelia. Eventually he decided that their relationship had to end so he gave her some money and they went their separate ways. It is my belief that for a time Gerald and Eva were in love, as when it sinks in that she is dead he says, page 35: ‘Sorry – I – well, I’ve suddenly realised – taken it in properly – that she’s dead. ‘ Gerald was the only member of the group to show some love and compassion to Eva. Later, Gerald appears to be indifferent to the death of Eva especially after the inspector has left and he believes it was all a hoax. Indifference is also shown to the fact that he sinned. Mrs Birling denied Eva benefits from a charity of which she was the chairman. This was for several reasons, but the main one was the fact that Eva fabricated a name when it was her turn to be interviewed by the charity’s committee. Her name of choice was Mrs Birling, this was because it was Eric who had made her pregnant, and the real Mrs Birling obviously did not know this fact, and seemed to think that Eva was personally insulting her. Eva therefore received no benefits. This was a highly immoral act, as the members of the committee are not meant to be prejudiced towards any appeal. Mrs Birling thought that what she did was acceptable because Eva had lied. However, it was in fact not a lie as it was Eric’s child, also a Mr Birling, and he did propose to marry her but she had refused, as she knew it would not work. Eric was in a bar one night and he got talking to Eva, he also got drunk. He then walked Eva home and forced himself upon her, page 52: ‘Well, I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty’. After she told him she was pregnant he began to steal money from his father’s business to help her. This was the only unintentional act of cruelty to happen to Eva, as all the others were purposeful acts of cruelty. He was not cruel to her but still he brought her suffering. He was another member of the group actually affected by the events. As he seems to have been changed for the better by the death of Eva. The Inspector’s name is Goole. Pronounced the same as the ghost, or ghoul. This makes me think that he is a ghost or a spectre of some kind, sent to the Birling family to show them the errors of their ways. A lot like the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future from Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’. He appears to know about Eva’s death before it has even happened: perhaps he has some kind of sixth sense. He says towards the end of the third act, page 54: ‘And my trouble is – that I haven’t much time. ‘ Is this because he knows the real police will soon call the house to ask their questions? We know in retrospect that at this point there is no dead body at the mortuary, because Gerald Croft rings the mortuary to ascertain this soon after Goole has left. I do not believe that Inspector Goole is a real police inspector. His mannerisms are unlike those of a real police officer, although he does refuse a drink at the beginning, page 11: ‘No thank you, Mr Birling. I’m on duty. ‘ I think he says this because he is acting the role of a policeman. He becomes too emotionally involved in the situation; a real policeman would keep the questioning on an official level. For example, he says to Mr Birling, page 46: ‘Don’t stammer and yammer at me again, man. I’m losing all patience with you people. ‘ This story is told as a drama in play format. The end of each of the three acts, including the final one, is completed with a moment of suspense. The audience is left anticipating the next act, wondering what will happen. The audience also become emotionally attached to the characters and want to know whether Sheila and Gerald will remain engaged, they want to know what the Birlings will do with Eric, and will there be a public scandal? They are drawn in to the rights and wrongs of the characters’ actions, and they pass judgement upon Gerald and Eric’s behaviour, Mrs Birling’s snobbery, Mr Birling’s self righteousness. The audience listens to the moral of the story, that we are individuals in a society, who should look after each other, and not be merely out for what we can get. The final few words of the play are unexpected. We have had the feeling that the Inspector is not all he seems, but now that the real police (presumably) have telephoned, things become clearer. I wanted to see a continuation of the play, with real events, real police, and see how much the characters changed when faced with the information again. No doubt Sheila and Eric would approach the situation differently, they seem to have learned a lesson from events. On page 70, Sheila says: ‘ Everything we said had happened really had happened. If it didn’t end tragically, then that’s lucky for us. But it might have done. ‘ and on page 71: ‘You’re pretending everything’s just as it was before’. She and Eric have moved on from their original viewpoints, and this gives us hope for the future, it is to be hoped that they would not behave so badly again in their future relationships with people. Unfortunately, we are unable to know the real ending.

Revisiting The Golden Era Of Hindi Cinema

A country of 1.2 billion people, the ancient civilisation of India is a melting pot of cultures and juxtapositions. It is a land that will assault your senses all around. The vibrant colours, exotic aromas, cacophony of sounds, and the amalgamation of flavours will both enchant and offend. Within it more than 20 native dialects are spoken. But in this diversity there is unity found in the common language of their movies. Such is the power and hold over audiences of Indian films. In the space of a darkened cinema, everyone is equal momentarily.The social and economic divides that separate rickshaw driver from the IT engineer are broken and ignored. It provides an escape from reality, the ultimate dream factory where for those three hours, you can be whoever you want to be. The restraints of status, social standing, wealth, religion, education are for a moment forgotten as the audience are compelled to lose themselves in the world playing out before them on the large screen.As the larg est producer of films, the Indian film industry beats both Hollywood and China in terms of the number of films churned out each year. Having accrued such a status through the production of more than 2000 films in India’s various languages, it is no wonder that the magical spell cast upon Indian cinema goers is a hard one to break.The Golden Era Of Films : 1940s to 1960sThe Indian film industry is one of the most well-known film industries in the world today. Indian films are regularly being featured in the top film festivals and Indian actors/actresses are being flooded with offers from Hollywood. Much of the credit for this popularity goes to the film makers of the 1940s to the 1960s who made some evergreen classics that made the world sit up and take notice of Indian films. This era marked the beginning of evolution of Indian Cinema though various genres. We had mainstream film makers like Raj Kapoor who, in the most conservative and formulaic era, made some of the most inv entive, personal and entertaining films such as Awara  (1951) and Shree 420 (1955).Mother India, which many consider the greatest movie of Indian cinema, was made in 1957. The film got India its first nomination to the Oscars as the best foreign film. Some of the other must-watch movies of this era are Mahal (1949), Do Aankhein Barah Haath (1957), Madhumati (1958) and Mughal-e-Aazam (1960). Movies of various genres, including romance, drama, comedy and tragedy, were made, each with great depth in storyline, memorable characters and heart-touching narration. Another acclaimed director and writer of this era was Mr. Kamal Amrohi. His movies had an expressionist direction with a firm structure and poetic style throughout, that is missing from the modern Bollywood movies. He only made four movies altogether and seeing Mahal it’s clear that his main career was as a poet.The film is full of lyrical images, depth of distance and contour and characterisations that inter-relate on s everal levels at once — the logical, the psychological, the emotional and the metaphysical. The Golden Age of Hindi cinema that blossomed with the studio era of the 1950s and ebbed by the early 1970s is one of India’s greatest artistic achievements. A lot of Hindi films made during that time, could hardly be called Hindi films.Rather, Hindustani, a mixture of Urdu and Hindi, was the lingua franca of the silver-screen—a reflection of a country unified by a fascinatingly diverse heritage with linguistic influences from Sanskrit, Farsi, Bengali, Arabic, Panjabi, and a myriad of others. Urdu in films was remarkably accessible—holding a place for any viewer in every genre. True, it is unlikely the entire audience understood each word in those songs. However, in this manner, film and music could be educational for those who did not–a unique way of preserving the culture they reflected back on. As parallel cinema diva Shabana Azmi aptly quipped,â€Å"If you compare today’s songs with the songs of the 1960s and 1970s, then definitely today’s songs are according to the demand. But if you see, Hindi films used to protect the Urdu language as they used it, but it is slowly dying and I feel bad for it.† The legacy of Urdu will continue to add to the allure and nostalgia of old films for generations to come. For the loss of Urdu is more than the mere loss of vocabulary. Without Urdu in Hindi films, we have lost our own andaaz –the manner with which we once communicated our thoughts and feelings, our decorum, and a rich, meaningful ornamentation in  expressing ourselves that can never be replaced. Famous movies of this era being Mughal-e-Aazam, Pakeeza etc.Some of the most critically acclaimed Hindi films of all time were produced during this period. While commercial Hindi cinema was thriving, the 1950s also saw the emergence of a new Parallel Cinema movement. Though the movement was mainly led by Bengali cine ma, it also began gaining prominence in Hindi cinema. Early examples of Hindi films in this movement include Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar (1946) and Bimal Roy’s – Do Bigha Zameen -Two Acres of Land (1953).Some of the internationally acclaimed Hindi filmmakers involved in the movement included Mani Kaul, Kumar Shahani, Ketan Mehta, Govind Nihalani, Shyam Benegal and Vijaya Mehta. These films won several awards nationally and internationally and Their critical acclaim, as well as the commercial success, paved the way for Indian neorealism and the Indian New Wave. Subrata Mitra, who debuted as a cinematographer with this film, has been a great influence on India and the world in the field of cinematography.Ray is considered as one of the greatest directors of all-time. Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak went on to make many other great art films, and other talented directors such as Mrinal Sen, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mani Kaul and Buddhadeb Dasgupta followed suit. In the 1960’s, Indira Gandhi, as the Information and Broadcasting Minster, further promoted offbeat cinema with the official Film Finance Corporation supporting such movies. The films received great commercial success as well as critical acclaim. Guru Dutt’s Pyaasa (1957) and Kagaz Ke Phool (1959) are among the finest movies ever made.This era was a golden age for Indian music as well, giving us melodious music that continues to inspire music directors till date. Playback singers such as Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, Kishore Kumar, Mohd Rafi and Manna Dey reached the zenith of their careers during this era. We had some of the most amazing and charismatic actors like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand who cast a spell on the Indian audiences with their fresh style and acting talent. The most beautiful women ever seen on celluloid, such as Madhu Bala, Vyjayanthi Mala, Meena Kumari and Waheeda Rahman, graced the screen during this period. They had not just beauty but great acting  talent, which helped them play the most challenging roles with utmost ease and perfection.Overall, the 1940s – 60s was a period that revolutionized Indian cinema. Prior to this period, most movies centered around mythological, historical or family related themes. Romance was portrayed in the most beautiful and sensitive manner during this period, and in a society where almost everyone had arranged marriages, it brought about a fresh wave of thought among the youth. The films depicted everyday lives as well as larger social issues in a subtle, yet highly impactful manner, and remain as inspiration for generations of film makers to come.Parallel Cinema : Rise and Fall What is Parallel Cinema?The Indian New Wave, commonly known in India as Art Cinema or Parallel Cinema as an alternative to the mainstream commercial cinema, is a specific movement in Indian cinema, known for its serious content, realism and naturalism, with a keen eye on the socio-political climate of th e times. This movement is distinct from main stream Bollywood cinema. The term â€Å"parallel cinema† has started being applied to off-beat films produced in Bollywood, where art films have begun experiencing resurgence. This led to the emergence of a distinct genre known as Mumbai noir, urban films reflecting social problems in the city of Mumbai. In contemporary cinema, the term â€Å"parallel cinema† is being used to describe any out of the box movie.Parallel cinema essentially is made up of the non-mainstream films that are not made for commercial successes or garnering profits. These are usually low-budget movies, and focus on the social or political issues prevalent in our nation. The tradition of parallel cinema can be dated long back into the 1920s and 1930s. The history of Indian Cinema cannot be told without the mention of India’s biggest director ever, Guru Dutt. He has been time and again accredited with ushering the golden era of Indian cinema. His work was purely artistic and lyrical in terms of content and enjoyed commercial success. He was loved by the audience despite the fact that his work was based on subjects that were considered taboo at that time.Fall Of Parallel Cinema : Some Hindi filmmakers such as Shyam Benegal continued to produce realistic Parallel Cinema throughout the 1970s, alongside Mani Kaul, Kumar Shahani, Ketan Mehta, Govind Nihalani and Vijaya Mehta. However, the ‘art film’ bent of the Film Finance Corporation came under criticism during a Committee on Public Undertakings investigation in 1976, which accused the body of not doing enough to encourage commercial cinema. The 1970s thus saw the rise of commercial cinema or the so called â€Å"popular cinema†. Many movies from â€Å"popular cinema† never actually become popular; then why such movies are called popular? They are out of mind as soon as they are out of sight.Cinema critics have euphemistically termed such movies, which are primarily intended to entertain and make big bucks, though commercial, as â€Å"popular†. â€Å"Popular† cinema, the term used for cinema which is â€Å"less† thought provoking but is more leisurely and mellow-dramatic. Popular cinema emerged in the ‘60s and ‘70s and since then has been successful. Popular may be less in intellectual content, but enjoys more commercial success than parallel cinema. It has always been loved by the masses for the escape it offers from the gruelling daily life. There have been fewer times when parallel cinema has enjoyed the kind of success and acceptance popular cinema does and gets. Parallel cinema has always been liked by a particular kind of audience, a trend that fortunately seems to be changing now.â€Å"Parallel† cinema, a category of cinema very advantageously crafted for the inclusion of realistic movie; a kind of realism that doesn’t get mass acceptance because of how hard hitting it can be. Parallel cinema has been in existence since the emergence of Indian cinema. It all started when no specific category existed and all kinds of movies were given equal importance. Unapologetically, the audience showed preference to a certain category which had elements of fantasy and mushiness. As a result, a new class of cinema emerged which promised to be real and thought provoking; a cinema that was proud of being â€Å"artsy†.The reason why parallel cinema is not an equally blessed child might lie in the fact that it is â€Å"real†. It shows the reality and truth behind things. Cinema is considered a means to escape from reality and paying money to see that same reality in a more vivid manner doesn’t appeal to many. In today’s Bollywood scenario, quantity (of moolah) finds precedence over quality (of scripts) and slapstick, verging-towards-obscene  comedies and typical love stories with the boo-hoos and item songs are the super-mega-blockbusters.The films nowadays cater to multiplex audience and they are bound to make a film which sells, no matter even if it is rubbish. The advent of numerous channels, the consumerist culture and the expansion of urban India has given birth to urban-centric audiences. The cinema which once portrayed class struggles and protests against hypocrisy, has given way to more ‘entertaining’ cinema. The situation is rather bleak for the lover of serious and meaningful cinema. The filmmakers who make serious films have failed to make the cut in today’s times and the classics are lost.The Changing Times : In these 100 years of cinema, one can see how society has developed because cinema in some way or another reflects society. Cinema is seen like any other industry now. The acceptance of different film genres surely doesn’t seem like a big thing now as it was in its early years. Even the mindset of the audience is changing with the evolution of cinema. Film makers thus have the courage to make such movies now, and people are more than willing to see and appreciate these films for their intriguing content.There are now a number of directors which enjoy â€Å"popular† success with films that are high on â€Å"intellectual† content too, like Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee to name a few. Actors are more than willing to take the risk and be a part of the kind of cinema that has a number of constraints involved. It’s not going to be long when the lines will be blurred between what is â€Å"popular† and what is â€Å"parallel† cinema. . Both commercial and parallel cinema can co-exist, but only if we want!Today’s Need : We need a platform for both these cinemas i.e Commercial or parallel cinema to co-exist. Both these genres need equal recognition. A lot of people are not aware of the less popular, art or parallel cinema. We need to educate people about the existence/history and idea of such cinema. The common masses need to be educated about the various aspects that go behind the making of a film. To encourage and promote young talent to make more meaningful cinema : more and more youths are taking up a career in films.They do not have a common platform to showcase their talents or get enough  credit or recognition for their films. We need a common platform for an exchange of ideas to take place. We need to promote today’s generation and encourage them to watch and learn from the film legends of the past, who were the pioneers of various genres of Indian cinema and brought international fame to the Indian film industry. Preserve, Promote, showcase and educate the common masses today, about the golden era of classic cinema , that brought India, international recognition back in the day.Aim : To design a mixed use public space showcasing, preserving and promoting the cinematic heritage of the Golden Era Of Hindi film industry i.e from 1940’s- 1970’s.Object ive : To design a unique tourist attraction for all visitors coming to Mumbai to experience various aspects of Hindi cinema and understand the process of film making in an entertaining way. To bridge the gap between the film industry and the general audiences and to promote young artists and talent by creating a common platform for the exchange of thoughts and ideas and educating them about the rich Cinematic heritage of Hindi cinema.To develop a Hindi Cine-museum to Preserve, Promote, showcase and educate the common masses today, about the Golden Era of classic cinema along with the parallel cinema that co-existed during that time, through exhibition, articles, posters, sets etc. To create platforms to showcase both Commercial and parallel cinema and their co-existence. We need to educate people about the existence/history and idea behind such cinema.