Friday, August 21, 2020

A Theory of Cross-Cultural Communication Essay Example for Free

A Theory of Cross-Cultural Communication Essay Societies here are negligibly observed as huge scope frameworks of expected shared references, etymological or otherwise1, utilized for the motivations behind decreasing multifaceted nature. 2 Cultures themselves may glorify one or a few habitats, where the common references are felt to be thick to the point that correspondence would be with no requirement for decreases of complexities. Away from such beliefs, societies have peripheries, where references are meager, or inadequately shared, or blended in with references shared by different societies. The terms â€Å"center† and â€Å"periphery† are not to be seen geopolitically. (cf. Indeed Zohar 1990, Toury 1995) The contrasts among focuses and peripheries are employable fictions instead of essential observational realities. The very conviction that one is in a focal position might be sufficient to reduce unpredictability, similarly as the bogus impression that one is deficient in setting may expand multifaceted nature. (Pym 1998) The distinction among focus and outskirts may likewise be described as far as exertion. At the point when shared references are accepted to be thick (all else being equivalent), the decrease of multifaceted nature requires less exertion than when the references are accepted to be inadequate. Exertion here is comprehended as being on both the sending and accepting sides of messages, just as in any intervening position or interest in the channel. A book sent and got close to an apparent focus will hence require less venture of exertion than a similar book sent from an inside to an outskirts (expecting that the decrease of multifaceted nature is 1. 3. 1. 4. 1. 5. to be to a comparable degree in the two cases). What's more, further valuable exertion will be required if the content is to be gotten in another culture. (Pym 1995) 1. 6. The lines between societies are set apart as traverse focuses where the correspondence demonstration gets advantageous exertion of an intervening and spasmodic nature. Such focuses are normally where interpretations are completed. (Pym 2001a) Cross-social correspondence along these lines denotes the purposes of contact between societies, in spite of the fact that only it won't sign up the focuses to shape any sort of line. (Pym 1998, 2001a, cf. Chatwin 1987) On multifaceted nature and its decrease Texts are engraved articles that can be deciphered in various manners and for various capacities, freely of any unique goals. The majority of potential understandings is the thing that we are calling multifaceted nature. The decrease of unpredictability doesn't infer any perceiving of a valid or base importance. For instance, a peruser now may decipher the term â€Å"reduction of complexity† as â€Å"understanding†, yet such a perusing will ideally be veered off by the accompa nying passages. In this sense, the decrease of multifaceted nature doesn't involve a demonstration of comprehension in any optimist sense. Nor must exertion be consumed distinctly to decrease unpredictability. Exertion can likewise be utilized to make messages increasingly unpredictable, setting them up for a more prominent majority of understandings. Such may be a sure origination of tasteful delight, political uncertainty, or open mechancete. The level of proper multifaceted nature is for each situation reliant on the achievement states of the informative demonstration concerned. On progress conditions Success conditions are models that make the informative demonstration helpful for all or a portion of the members concerned. 4 Such models might be straightforward, as on account of a business exchange to agree on a business value: the achievement condition may be that a cost is consented to by all members.

Sunday, July 12, 2020

Why Cultural Appropriation Is Wrong

Why Cultural Appropriation Is Wrong It is a tricky question because it touches on one’s ability to express themselves.Often, it comes from a good place, where someone truly appreciates the culture and sincerely feels keen interest to incorporate parts of it in their live. For example, when someone wears a cultural dress to an event.Other times it comes from ignorance where they don’t realize the history and symbolism behind things. Like wearing your hair in cornrows, because you saw it in a magazine.And rarely, it comes from a bad place where they want to show superiority over another culture â€" if someone dresses as a Native American for Halloween, implying they are savage and scary.WHAT IS CULTURAL APPROPRIATION?Cultural appropriation happens when a representative of a dominant culture adopts elements from a minority culture, usually without showing appreciation or understanding.Is eating pasta cultural appropriation of the Italian culture? Well, the best answer would be ‘Ask the Italians.’ But no, it does n ot have the classic elements of cultural appropriation.So what are the classic elements of cultural appropriation?The power dynamic. The severity of cultural appropriation lies on a spectrum. Whenever the minority culture has the history (or present) of being oppressed by the majority culture, the more the cultural appropriation is unacceptable.Symbolism.  Pasta does not have any particular symbolism behind it, it is a dish, an everyday part of life. Wearing bindi, for example, (the colored decoration Hindu women wear on their foreheads), stripped off its meaning, just because ‘it looks edgy’ is wrong.Gains. It often sparks the greatest conflict when it is done for profit (in music or fashion) or to purposely further support stereotypes (mostly in movies).Claims. It usually sparks public outrage. People from the minority culture feel they are being exploited and violated, while the defenders say their freedom of expression is being infringed. However, in order to work towards eq uality the feelings of the historically oppressed and/or minority culture today have to be respected.WHY IS CULTURAL APPROPRIATION SO WRONG?It diminishes the significant violations against ethnic groupsPerhaps the most popular example of cultural appropriation is the controversial mascot of the Washington Redskins NFL team.One side of the coin of the discussion is the side of the NFL. They have invested money, time and efforts into building their brand â€" the name, the logo, the mascot bring the image a Native American… The large majority of their fan base endorse this identity and ascribe the spirit of the team to the myth of the fast, strong and savage Indian Tribes…The other side of the coin is the side of Native Americans. The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is leading a campaign, dating back as far as 1968 to fight the stereotypes in media in and popular culture.The NCAI feel using Native American images and symbols for sports is not honoring their culture. Ra ther, they feel those are caricatures that promote racists stereotypes.However, there is more to this discussion than just the two sides of a coin, the two sides of an argument. A deeper look into history puts weight on the position of the Native Americans.The name, when it was given to the team, did not have any positive connotations. ‘Redskins’ was a racial slur given to bounty hunters in the 1800’s to imply they are supposed to bring the government proof of their prey â€" the actual skins of the killed Native Americans.At that point in time the American Indians were restricted to reservations, they were pushed towards assimilation, they were being deprived of their own rights and culture. To justify the viciousness with which they treated the Native Americans, it would be implied they are the ones that are violent, erratic and savage.The ‘redskins’ were to be feared from and avoided. George Preston Marshall, the owner of the club, did not choose the name to show appreci ation. It was to perpetuate the stereotype, associating once again the entire ethnic group with the violent traits of character sport.The U.S. Patent Office found the name disparaging to Native Americans and declared they will not give copyright protection to the team.While the battle is far from being over, public concern grows and the campaign continues.‘Normal’ becomes ‘edgy’It happens time and time again that African American women who wear their natural hair at work are criticized for it, asked to change, seen as unprofessional and encouraged to look ‘more normal’.There is evidence proving the bias against ‘black hair’. 4000 participants have been asked to participate in an implicit association test where they are shown rapidly changing images of black women with different hairstyles.Interestingly enough the study confirms the younger generation perceives less differences between natural and smoother hair, being more accepting. This is proof the prejudice is a l earned behavior and society can therefore ‘unlearn’ it.The bad news â€" the study has proved white women showed the strongest bias against textured hair, indicating they find it the least professional. At the same time, black women showed more anxiety when they had to respond to questions about natural hair.At the same time white women who take on this hairstyle as ‘something fun’ or something ‘something new’ are celebrated for it, for thinking out of the box, for being brave.In 2016 designer Valentino runs a fashion show of predominantly white models, braided in cornrows, wearing African inspired clothes.It shows yet another example of the imbalance of power. Moreover, it adds to the arguments of oblivious employers to reprimand women of color. As soon as being natural is associated with fashion, it is regarded as a choice, which for black women it is not.Cultural theft and benefitThe Jenner/Kardashian family are definitely the most famous culprits of cultural appropria tion.In April 2014 Teenage Kylie Jenner has been celebrated for her wearing part of her hair in cornrows, being called an ‘epic’ and ‘bold’ choice and sparks outrage.What contributes to the amount of public anger is the family is not known for backing claims of African Americans in times of heated social discourse, such as the Black Lives Matter campaign.And in July 2015, Jenner goes all in on the hairstyle again and is hit with public disapproval even harder.Black actress known from The Hunger Games, Amandla Stenberg’s social media response expresses in a very simple and very understandable way why the black community could feel offended from Jenner’s choice of ‘fashion’. Amandla explains why it is NOT just a hairstyle on Twitter.“When u appropriate black features and culture but fail to use ur position of power to help black Americans by directing attention towards ur wigs instead of police brutality or racism #whitegirlsdoitbetter,”Especially indicative is add ing the hashtag at the end. ‘White girls do it better’. It stresses on the fact Kylie’s main motive for action is to explore the black culture for inspiration for her look, while leaving aside all historic and current political background.Interestingly enough, there is another very popular celebrity, accused for appropriating elements of black culture without backing the community when they need to draw public attention to their needs and struggles.Back before cultural appropriation was the popular term that it is today, Elvis Presley’s music was accused of mimicking black art, all the while reaping the benefits the black Americans couldn’t.As The Guardian explains it, Elvis Presley benefitted from the moment in history when black writers and musicians were not acknowledged. While black Americans could not be accepted in society if they were anything else but subservient and non-threatening, they would never be given credit for their art.At the same time, the white all-Ame rican Elvis, taking elements from their culture and art, comes up with dynamic, energetic, crazy music, and is perceived as safe, bold and refreshing.Elvis has never spoken out against the unfair treatment of black Americans.While it is a necessary and natural process for different cultures to borrow elements from each other, accept them and create a new harmony, it is unacceptable to focus narrowly on elements that will bring you benefit and profit, without knowing and SUPPORTING the culture you are adopting parts of.And when those same elements are for different reasons impossible for access by representatives of their own culture, you are not borrowing them, you are taking them away.Rewriting historyThe Everyday Feminism magazine has illustrated quite well one of the most atrocious consequences of cultural appropriation.The example comes to explain why it would be offensive for a little girl to dress as Pocahontas for Halloween. A harmless, fun gesture it seems at first sight. Ju st another form of self-expression banned by cultural appropriation activists?That is, until you look deeper.It often happens that the winners rewrite history, and, this is largely true for the story of Pocahontas.The truth is, she lived a tragic life, romanticized by Disney to where it is almost unrecognizable. Her real given name even, the magazine writes, was actually Matoaka. She was kidnapped as a teenager for ransom, forced to convert to Christianity and married off to an Englishmen at the age of 17.She was used for propaganda purposes â€" as an example of a ‘civilized savage’ in hopes to attract investments for her settlement. She died early, around the age of 20.The propaganda, however, has continued in various forms of art, the most popular of which, the Disney film.The magazine draws an eerie parallel with another little girl, whose tragic story is more well known.They ask the question if it is so bad to dress your daughter as Pocahontas, just because there are misconc eptions about her really tragic life. Isn’t the concept what matters? And they answer it like so:‘You might think it does if she wanted to dress up as someone whose tragic truth is more familiar, like Anne Frank. They’re both girls with harrowing stories. But more of us believe that trivializing Anne Frank’s life is in very poor taste.Can you imagine the outcry if Disney tried to romanticize her diary by aging her into a young woman with a love affair with a Nazi officer and a happy ending?Now imagine if that Disney movie was mainstream culture’s primary reference for the Holocaust. And if it was marketed to Germans, who were told that the historical figures who oppressed the Jewish people were their country’s heroes.’That is why it is wrong. In this particular case rewriting history romanticizes a tragic story to fit the narrative of the winners of history. It not only repeats the wrong story, but it deletes events that could contribute to the better understanding of the hurt of the Native Americans today.HOW TO REACT TO CULTURAL APPROPRIATION ACCUSATIONSHow do you know?Version 1: You are being told.The best way to know if you have offended someone is if they plain out tell you. It is a difficult conversation to have, so be open to anyone who is brave enough to come by and comment.Be respectful. A conversation around cultural appropriation may come from a hurtful place for someone in a marginalized culture. You might have struck a nerve for no fault of your own, but that does not diminish the feelings of the offended.Be patient. Someone hurt by your actions may not choose the best words to address the issue.Listen. If you don’t know how to react, don’t. Keep your ears open and absorb the information. Emotional or factual, whatever they tell you, make sure you understand before you react.Don’t be scared to say you are seeing the subject from that perspective for the first time and you need your time to gather your thoughts.Version 2: You do not feel support for your actions.As explained above, a conversation around cultural appropriation is difficult to start. While public support on the subject is growing, so is the tiredness from the restraints on personal freedoms because of the rules of being politically correct.Some people would prefer to close their eyes to a small violation as opposed to making a spectacle of themselves, they just wouldn’t want to be perceived as too sensitive or weak and will keep their opinion silent.But you can feel heads turn, attitudes change and opinions exchange behind your back. Keep your eyelids peeled.When you ask ‘Do you like my new hairdo?’, was the response unexpected? Don’t be afraid to start the conversation yourself. Don’t expect it to be easy, don’t expect it to be simple.Version 3: You can draw parallelYou are watching the news, browsing Twitter, or surfing on the internet and suddenly you see a cultural appropriation story that sparked public outrage. And you canâ €™t help but think:‘Oh god, that looks an awful lot like something I did once’.You. Are. Guilty.What to doStep 1. Cease and desist.Whatever it is try and stop it as soon as possible. So you bought a nice cultural dress for an event and then you discovered it was offensive to use that piece of clothing. It is not the right setting, location or occasion and someone told you it is inappropriate.What do you do? If you still have several days before the event, the right thing to do is change your plans.Yes, you already bought the dress, you had your inspiration, and you were very excited. You had the best of intentions. You did nothing wrong so far. Nothing intentionally, that is. So you fall in the grey area.Continuing on once you are aware of people’s feelings about your decision would be a clear step in the wrong.Step 2. Analyze.Now is the time for some self-reflection. Assess the damage. Cultural appropriation falls on a spectrum. And the spectrum is everything between EMBRACIN G a culture and USING it.Here are several questions you should ask yourself:Did you know you were borrowing elements from another culture?Did you stay ignorant to the meaning of that element to the culture?If representatives of that culture used those elements in their everyday life could they be punished or frowned upon?Could you have had a representatives of that culture use those elements instead of you, but didn’t?Did you present the culture in a wrong or hurtful way?Did you benefit or profit from it?The more ‘yes’ answers you have, the worse the damage you have done.Step 3. Make amends.It is important to remember that the scope of your actions to fix the situation must be proportionate to the crime.If anyone demanded apologies from you, apologize. A good person can do a bad thing. Just because you made a mistake that does not mean anything bad about your character. Don’t be afraid to admit you were wrong. That is the least you could do.Educate yourself. The difference b etween embracing a culture and using it is often the understanding of the whole picture behind the pieces. Learn the history with all of the facts.Release the profits. If you have profited from your wrong deed and you can afford it, you should give back. There are organizations that take care to protect the dignity, the rights and the integrity of the culture and heritage of different marginalized groups. Big or small, donate.Help fellow culprits. As it became clear, a conversation about cultural appropriation is not always easy.If you see someone overstepping the line, don’t leave them be ignorant.What not to doDo not defend your actions.Most often those accused of cultural appropriation, without the power of foresight, would originally say their actions were led by the need of self-expression, looking for something new and different…Truth is, some communities have heard too much reasoning and too little apologies.They live in the same world as you do and they know there is dif ferent levels of being wrong. They are well aware you might have gone about it with no bad intentions at all. Defending your actions instead of apologizing right away makes you that much more wrong.Do not make a spectacle.Once you have realized you are guilty of cultural appropriation, take a deep breath before you take any action. Remember, your reaction and your self-imposed repercussions need to be proportionate to the crime.If it is possible, try and reverse what you have done, reduce the consequences and speak to whoever it Is that might have told you they are offended. Keep it on the down low.Celebrities are often accused in public of cultural appropriation and that is why their apologies are public. Do not go on social media to explain yourself, unless that is where you got busted.Do not swing to the other extreme.While it is helpful to educate yourself more fully about the culture you are interested in, make sure you keep it sane. It is still not your culture. Misappropriati ng one element of it without the total understanding will not be made better by completely diving in the deep and losing your own cultural identity in theirs.And it is not your fight. Once you have realized how cultural appropriation is wrong and how white people unfairly benefit in situations where people of color are mistreated, you might be tempted to raise your voice against the ignorance.But don’t. Make sure you are supportive of the common efforts towards sensitivity rather than preach a lesson that is not yours to teach. The voices of the mistreated should be the strongest. Support them instead of outvoicing them.CONCLUSIONIt is a complex question.Involving years of history and dynamic international relations. Sometimes, the decisions of a few have triggered events that lead to intercultural conflicts and caused trauma that has lasted for generations and generations.And yet those same events have also brought on a process of globalization where cultures get closer and enric h each other. And there is a way to do it right.It is up to individuals to accept each other and each other’s cultures. And not just in their fault-free movie-magic versions, but also with the history and with the strain it is still putting on its people.To accept the good and the bad from the past and the present, and live together with understanding and harmony.

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Private School Headmasters Compensation

Education professionals often earn significantly less than what they could earn in the business world or in other professions. However, there is  a group of leaders of private schools who are actually seeing surges in their salaries that pack quite the financial punch: the Head of School. What are these leaders really making and is it justified? The Head of School's Job Compensation Averages A head-of-school is a job that comes with enormous responsibility. At private schools, these high powered individuals have to run not only a school but also a business. Many people dont like to think of schools as businesses, but the truth is, they are. A Head of School will actually oversee a multi-million dollar business, some schools are billion dollar businesses when you consider endowments and operating budgets, and they are responsible for the well-being of hundreds of children every day. Boarding schools add another level of responsibility when it comes to leadership and oversight of children, as they are essentially open 24/7. The head is involved in not only the aspects of academics and ensuring students receive quality educations, but also hiring and HR, fundraising, marketing, budgeting, investing, crisis management, recruiting, and enrollment. The person who sits in this role must be a part of every aspect of the school.   When you consider the enormous expectations made of these dedicated individuals, most head of schools compensation is far below comparable levels in other fields. How far below? Significantly. The average compensation of the top 500 CEOs is in the millions according to Executive Paywatch. According to NAIS, the average compensation for a head of school is about $201,000, with boarding school heads edging out their peers with about $238,000. However, some schools also have presidents, which at the day school level are making comparable salaries, but are making an average of $330,000 at boarding schools.   But, thats not to say that Heads of Schools are hurting. An interesting note is that many private school heads also tend to receive extensive benefits, such as free housing and meals (even some day schools offer this), school vehicles, housekeeping services, country club memberships, discretionary funds, strong retirement benefits, and even expensive buyout packages should the school not be thrilled with his or her performance. This can easily equate to another $50,000-$200,000 in benefits, depending on the school.   Comparison to Public School College Compensation While many claim heads-of-schools make less than their corporate counterparts, the truth is that many actually  earn more than some  public school superintendents. The average salary without benefits for a superintendent is about $150,000 nationally. But some states, like New York, have superintendent salaries exceeding $400,000. In general, the salaries at Urban Schools tend to be greater for superintendents. Now, college presidents, by contrast, make significantly more than private school headmasters. Reports vary from source to source -- some claiming presidents average about $428,000, while others show the average is more than $525,000 annually with many earning well over $1,000,000 in annual compensation. The top 20 highest-paid presidents all earned over a million dollars annually, even in 2014.   Why Do Head-of-School salaries vary so much? Location significantly affects the salaries of these top-level positions, as does the school environment. Heads of schools, historically referred to as headmasters when the positions were held primarily by men, at junior schools (middle schools and elementary schools) tend to make significantly less than their secondary school counterparts, and boarding school heads tend to make the most due to a large amount of responsibility the school has in providing an appropriate homelife for students from around the world. Schools in small towns tend to offer smaller salaries, although many New England private schools buck that trend, with schools that are centuries old in small towns offering some of the top salaries in the country. A couple of years ago, the Boston Globe came out with a story about the surge of salaries in New England, uncovering several heads with salaries ranging from $450,000 to over a million dollars. Fast forward to 2017, and those heads are making even more, with increases equating to 25% raises in only a few years. School financials also play a role in head-of-school compensation. Naturally, those institutions with higher endowments and annual funds also tend to pay their leaders higher salaries. However, tuition doesnt always indicate the level of a head-of-schools salary. While some schools with high tuitions will indeed offer some of the most competitive compensation packages, those are usually schools that dont rely on tuition to cover the bulk of the operating budget. In general, the more tuition-driven a school in annually, the less likely it is that their head of school will be pulling the biggest dollars.   Compensation Information Sources The Form 990, which non-profit schools file annually, is similar to a tax return. It contains information about headmasters compensation, as well as other high paid employees. Unfortunately, to make sense of figures you have to examine several different pages of the filing. The elements of the compensation packages are complex and are contained under many different expense headings. If the school is a 501(c)(3) not for profit educational institution, it must file a Form 990 with the IRS annually. The Foundation Center and Guidestar are two sites that make these returns available online. Note: the cash salaries are somewhat misleading as most of these key employees receive significant allowances for housing, meals, transportation, travel, and retirement plans apart from their cash salaries. Figure an additional 15-30% for allowances and/or non-cash compensation. The gross amount in many cases exceeds $500,000, with some exceeding $1,000,000 with other compensation factored in. A sampling of head-of-school  and president base salaries ranked from highest to lowest, based on Form 990 submissions from 2014, unless otherwise noted: Episcopal High School, Alexandria, VA $605,610 with $114,487 in est. other compensationMilton Academy, Milton, MA $587,112 with $94,840 in est. other compensationPhillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH -  $551,143 with $299,463 in est. other compensationPhillips Academy, Andover, MA - $489,000 was reported in 2013, with no head of school compensation listed in 2014Choate Rosemary Hall,  Wallingford, CT $486,215 with $192,907 in est. other compensationHarvard  Westlake School, Studio City, CA - President $483,731 with $107,105 in est. other*Rye Country Day School, Rye, NY - $460,267 (down from $696,891 in 2013)Hackley School, Tarrytown, NY - $456,084 salary and $328,644 in est. other compensationDeerfield Academy, Deerfield, MA - $434,242 with $180,335 in est. other compensationWestern Reserve Academy, Hudson, OH - $322,484 with $128,589 in est. other compensationHarvard  Westlake School, Studio City, CA - Head  $320,540 with $112,395 in est. other*   *Figures from the 2015 Form 990 Some older 990 forms have revealed the following headmaster salaries, from highest to lowest. Well continue to update this information as we obtain it.   Greensboro Day School, Greensboro, NC $304,158The Brearley School, New York, NY $300,000Lancaster Country Day School, Lancaster, PA $299,240Poly Prep Country Day School, Brooklyn, NY $298,656Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC $296,202Culver Academies, Culver, IN $295,000St. Marks School of Texas, Dallas, TX $290,000Hathaway Brown School, Shaker Heights, OH $287,113Madeira School, Maclean, VA $286,847The Dalton Schools, New York, NY $285,000Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT $283,920Punahou School, Honolulu, HI $274,967Far Hills Country Day School, Far Hills, NJ $274,300Groton School, Groton, MA $258,243North Shore Country Day School, Winnetka, IL $250,000Avon Old Farms School, Avon, CT $247,743The Peddie School, Hightstown, NJ $242,314Kent School, Kent, CT $240,000Episcopal Academy, Merion, PA $232,743Cranbrook Schools, Bloomfield Hills, MI $226,600University School of Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI $224,400McCallie School, Chattanooga, TN $223,660Middlesex School, Concord, MA $223,000Sidw ell Friends School, Washington, DC $220,189Ransom Everglades School, Miami, FL $220,000The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, NY $216,028Greenwich Country Day School, Greenwich, CT $210,512Harvey School, Katonah, NY $200,000The Hill School, Pottstown, PA $216,100Taft School, Watertown, CT $216,000Shore Country Day School, Beverly, MA $206,250Miami Country Day School, Miami, FL $200,000Village School, Pacific Palisades, CA $210,000Lake Forest Country Day School, Lake Forest, IL $188,677Hillel School of Metropolitan Detroit, Farmington Hills, MI $156,866Annie Wright School, Tacoma, WA $151,410Foxcroft School, Middleburg, VA $150,000Ravenscroft School, Raleigh, NC $143,700Forman School, Litchfield, CT $142,500 Are Headmasters' Compensation Packages Justifiable? A good headmaster deserves to be well-paid. The head of a private school must be a top-notch fundraiser, a superb public relations person, a fine administrator and a dynamic community leader. How lucky we are to have talented educators and administrators who lead private schools rather than manage a Fortune 100 enterprise. Many of them could make 5 or 10 or even 20 times as much as they currently do. Trustees need to review their key employees compensation packages annually and improve them as much as they can. Its extremely important to attract and retain talented administrators in our private schools. Our childrens future depends on it. Resources:Pay Soars For Headmasters at Mass. Prep SchoolsHeadmasters Salaries On The Rise

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Oni throughout Pop Culture Literature and Art

The Oni throughout Pop Culture Literature and Art: The similarity throughout all folk tales involving the oni is that they are villains of the humans. An Oni is a yokai which is a strange and supernatural being from Japanese folklore. yo means attractive, bewitching, and calamity. Kai means mystery and wonder. It can also be translated to be demon, goblin, spirit, or monster. The folklore of japan is a collaboration of different traditions from the isolated tribes that lived on Japans isles who had different beliefs but could be alligned with the others. The traditions changed form with the arrival of Shinto and Buddhism which brought Chinese and Indian folklore into the mix. Today the yokai can be seen throughout most manga and anime even video games and on clothing. The japanese believe that the oni were created from peoples fear of natural phenomenon such as earthquakes and storms including thunder and lightning. Thunder and and lightning are usually associated with the oni. Oni have either one or several horns, they can have a third eye in the middle of their forehead, they can have a repulsive smile that can spread from ear to ear showing their gnarled teeth, they can have many different colored skin like red or black blue and even yellow. They are usually seen in a loin cloth, oni can are seen as men in most paintings and pop culture but there can be female oni. â€Å"The encyclopedia of shinto published by kokugakuin university distinguishes 3

Software Engineering- Processes & Methods Free-Samples for Students

Questions: 1. Provide a name and logo for your Organisation. Write 2 paragraphs describing the objectives and vision of the organisation.2. Provide a list of definitions for Keywords related to the Organisation and System. List the Major Stakeholders that might be involved in this Project. 3. Choose two different Potential Users of the Proposed System, and for each user role, Describe the User Profile and give an Example High Level Scenario of how they would use the New System.4.Write a Paragraph titled Scope and Constraints, in which you describe at least 4 high level broad Objectives of the Project. 5.Prepare a detailed, Prioritised list of User Stories describing part of the New System. 6.Sketch a high-level draft Concept of the user Interface for the Component of the System you anticipate being developed in Sprint Cycle 1 described in part 5. Answers: Introduction The report explains background information of the specified project. Definitions of the keywords as well as list of the stakeholders associated with the project are also provided in the present report. In addition, potential users for the proposed system are identified along with major stakeholders involved in the project. Moreover, prioritized list of the user stories and profile as well as high-level concept of user interface for component of the system are presented in the study. 1.Name of the company: Web Solutions Logo of the company: Being employed in Web Solutions, it is required to provide a project brief that will be helpful for the client in order to understand the project and identify the possible outcome that can be resulted at the of the project, which can fulfill their demand. As the client organization has 50,000 visitors in every year, it is difficult to manage them, keep their database and update the system in order to provide modern facilities (Sudha et al. 2016). In addition, the organization is looking to develop their income through selling tickets as well as accommodation online. There is nearly 20 % of total number of visitors like to come from overseas. Along with these, no bank details are presently stored in the office. Therefore, it is required to provide new system that can allow the visitors to register for a membership. The proposed system would assist to facilitate online tickets as well as accommodation along with special deals to the customers. Moreover, the new system allows the visitors to get membership status (Bronner, 2016). On the other hand, returning visitor can be defined as the person visited the site already in past 12 months. In this perspective, it is required to have login system that helps the users to buy tickets through online. In addition, the business would prefer to enable the customers to pay through online and help the customers to avail the service easily (Nagadapally et al. 2015). In this aspect, it is required to include secured payment system in the new proposed system and allow the customers to save their payment details securely. It assists to make the process easier for future purchasers. Moreover, it is important to provide on-site accommodation, which is required by the customers. In this aspect, the accommodation manager has indicted to provide foully electronic room booking system (Neelamegam Murugan, 2016). There will be also facilities to contact with the accommodation manager through pho ne in order to finalize the arrangements for accommodation arrangements. Thus, it is required to have calling facilities in the proposed system that can be helpful to contact with the accommodation manager. Inclusion of all these functionalities would be helpful to accommodation and improve the entire system. 2.In the present study, several keywords are used such as potential users, sprint cycle, user interface and SCRUM. Potential users are those who are the end users of the system. The users can avail their facilities and contribute to provide feedbacks towards the system. There are generally common people and persons associate with the client organization are potential users of the project. On the other hand, SCRUM is an incremental as well as iterative agile framework for software development that is used to manage development of the project. It is flexible and holistic strategy for product development where team works within the strategy. In addition, it is the unit in order to reach the common goal of the project (Kucukusta et al. 2015). There are traditional as well as sequential approaches for development of the products that can be applied in the present project. The key principle of Scrum is to recognize development of the products and changing minds of the customers for meeting their needs at the time of development. The unpredicted challenges cannot be addressed easily with traditional manner. Scrum has two to four week Sprint cycle in the team that delivers work and driving towards the potentiality, which is shippable in the organization (Abdullah Kadhim, 2016). It is also important to consider the shippable challenges for Scrum, a project management framework. However, there are some overlaps between Scrum and XP. The practices can be generally implemented through making practices that is considered as mandatory for making sustainable pace, collective code ownership, development of test-driven a and constant integration. In the present case, potential stakeholders can be identified as end users, investor and shareholders. Mohapatra (2013) commented that end users have an important role to select the potential users involved in the project. They contribute with the proposed new system through booing online tickets and avail on-site recommendation that would be helpful for the organization to increase their profit. In addition, one of the potential stakeholders involved in the project is investor for the new system. In the present case, the client organization invests money in order to grow their business and increase profit. However, the stakeholders involve in the project are advertisers on the particular sites. 3.One of the potential users of the new system is the customers. Lee (2015) stated that visiting the portals would increase the trafficking of the audience for the organization. As a matter of specification, logging into through a user ID and password helps the personnel of the organization to maintain the privacy of the customers. Provision of hanging password averts the situation of hackers intervening into the personal records of the customers. Apart from this, logging into through the individual ID and password directly onsets the customers to the company websites, from where they an make online bookings. This facility proves beneficial for the customers, as they do not have to stand in long queues for booking tickets. User ID and password takes the customers to the exclusive offers, discounts and schemes, which makes their vacation a memorable one. For this, registration through membership is an essential consideration (Norrid, 2016). This registration helps the management of the organization to keep track of their customers and their personal details. Utilization of templates for this purpose safeguards the security of the personal data and belongings of the customers. This contradicts the paper based system, which if lost might bring losses for the organization. Regular surfing of the website makes the organizational personnel aware of the customer approaches towards the delivered services. This step brings efficiency in the services of the organization. Along with this, it enhances the stability in the relationship between the customers and the organizations, which is necessary for achievement of large sale customer satisfaction. Adoption of proper communication channel, such as social media, onsets the organization with the customers on an internal perspective (Pandey, Vashisht Sharma, 2015). The provision of financial details within registration mitigates the instances of illegal activities; which might deceive the customers of their personal data and belongings. Tagging of the visitors as new and running is an additional assistance for the organizational personnel towards maintenance of the internal and external stakeholders. 4.Effective adherence to the IT legislations would help the organizational personnel t maintain the safety and security of the personal details and belongings of the customers. Along with this, compliance to the standards and norms of the regulatory framework would result in the utilization of the communication channels for providing prospective services to the customers. Vyas (2014) stated that arraying out market research would make the organizational personnel aware of the software, which directly onsets the customers to the services offered by the organization. Onsite testing would help the personnel to detect any virus or hacker intervention that might at as an obstacle for the customers in online booking or searching for online accommodation (Kharwade et al. 2014). This step would reserve the quality of the services. Onsite installation of the technologically advanced software in the personal computers and laptops of the customers would establish direct connection with the organization. This connection would bring technological advancement for the organization. On the other hand, exclusion of data migration from the objectives would add to the personal sentiments of the customers. Exposure of negligence in this direction would bring compel the organization to bear with the questions of the customers regarding derives and false promises. This would, in turn, adversely affect their purchasing power and decision, for which the personnel have to take pains to restore (Gautama et al. 2014). Hiring experts for the detection of virus within the parts of the software helps the personnel to ensure its smooth functioning. Ensuring the financial flexibility before searching for technologically advanced software contradicts the intensity of the term constraints (Xu et al. 2016). Joint ventures with the stakeholders and shareholders and discovering financial instability is a shame for the organization in terms of achieving customer satisfaction. Emerging useful in overcoming the constraints would be an innovative concept for the organization. Along with this, it would enhance the reputational status of the organization among the customers, one of the key stakeholders. Smooth flow of the urgent helps the customers to get an uninterrupted eases to the organizational websites, which aligns with their ease of online booking and onsite accommodation. 5.The requirements of proposed system are to avail the online system for ticket booking and on-site accommodation. It is required a way that helps to allocate resources for the online ticket booking system. In the present case study, the user stories are explaining the part of proposed system. This provides the needs of unique REQUIRMENT ID. The users of online booking system need to register in the system at first. After that, they would ask to provide the system that can allow the users to access their profile with security. The new system likes to have advanced functionalities that offer secured login facilities to the users (Chen et al. 2016). Moreover, it is important for the system to store the database system that is capable to store the data of the customers. REQUIREMNT ID of the users would be unique numbers and letters. It presents a clear format with ID of the users. The functional users have an important role in the present case that helps to identify the key stakeholders and target audience of the proposed system. The functionality of the system would serve purposes of different persons. The end users would access the system with their unique ID and password. The client organization has an important role to control the process and access credentials of the users. Moreover, the server site application would be controlled by the Web Solution. However, advertisers and third party security provider for payment system are also associated with the system. 6.The proposed system of online booking and payment system has friendly user interface that can provide several combinations of search criteria that can be helpful to the users to aces several options like registration, sign in, online booking and availing onsite accommodations. Generating the corresponded database of search statements is provided through the interfaces of the system. On the user interface of the proposed system, new users are asked to provide their personal details step by step and login after authenticating through email ID or mobile phone verification method (Chen et al. 2016). After completion of the process, the users can avail and choose onsite accommodation and book tickets. In addition, the users can pay through online system with the support of third party security providers. After completing the booking, the users can sign out from the system. Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be concluded that a proposed system need to meet the demands of end users as well as assist the organization to generate their revenue. Scope and constraints are explained with high level broad objectives of the project that would be helpful to achieve target of the organization. In this aspect, the organization or provider of the system require to make a proper plan, which can be helpful to meet objectives of the organization. It is also important to provide user-friendly interface that can assist the organization to access the functionalities and gain advantages for the organization. References Abdullah, M. N., Kadhim, E. H. (2016). Airline Mobile Reservation Development.development,3(10). Bronner, J. S. (2016).U.S. Patent Application No. 15/183,684. Chen, B. C., Yeh, H. T., Yu, T. H. (2016). The Construction of Integrated Online Ticketing Systems.1 (3), 551-558. Gautama, I., Ongowarsito, H., Aryanto, R., Andrew, E. (2014, May). Optimizing sales using mobile sales ticketing application. InTechnology Management and Emerging Technologies (ISTMET), 2014 International Symposium on(pp. 6-13). IEEE. Kharwade, P., Gujarkar, I., Holey, S., Datey, V., Sharma, V., Gupta, V. (2014). Smartphone Application for Railway Ticket Reservation and Validation Using Mobile Network. Kucukusta, D., Law, R., Besbes, A., Legohrel, P. (2015). Re-examining perceived usefulness and ease of use in online booking: The case of Hong Kong online users.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,27(2), 185-198. Lee, M. C. (2015).U.S. Patent Application No. 14/811,819. Mohapatra, S. (2013). E-commerce Strategy. InE-Commerce Strategy(pp. 155-171). Springer US. Nagadapally, A. S. R., Krishnaswamy, B. B., Shettap, C. A. R., Prathika, D. D., Lee, E. R. (2015, January). A Step Ahead To Connect Your Bus-With GPS. InProceedings of the International Conference on Software Engineering Research and Practice (SERP)(p. 171). The Steering Committee of The World Congress in Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Applied Computing (WorldComp). Neelamegam, R., Murugan, P. (2016). A Study on Passengers' Problems in Online Ticket Booking in Indian Railways with reference to Virudhunagar Junction, Madurai Division.TSM Business Review,4(1), 35. Norrid, J. A. (2016).U.S. Patent Application No. 14/986,761. Pandey, D. K., Vashisht, A., Sharma, A. (2015). An empirical study of customer confidence after big billion day sale 2014.South Asian Journal of Marketing Management Research,5(4), 97-105. Stephens, S. P., Tucker, P. C., Boruff, K. J., Zurliene, C. M. (2014).U.S. Patent No. 8,862,487. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Sudha, L., Salian, S., Roy, N., Sarma, N. (2016). Online Ticket Booking System for Mumbai Local Trains.International Journal of Computer Applications,135(8), 19-22. Vyas, P. (2014). The Growth of Online Bus Ticketing Industry: Redbus Route to Success in the Indian Market. Xu, J., Li, Z., Chi, H., Wang, M., Guan, C., Reiff-Marganiec, S., Shen, H. (2016, June). Optimized Composite Service Transactions through Execution Results Prediction. InWeb Services (ICWS), 2016 IEEE International Conference on(pp. 690-693). IEEE.

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Last Night I dreamed of Peace

Introduction Dang Thuy Tram Last Night I Dreamed of Peace is a captivating informative chef-d’oeuvre demonstrating the author’s love for his country based on the sorrowful situation that the country undergoing.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Last Night I dreamed of Peace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As young as 23 years, she associates with the communists party in her quest of ensuring that people of Vietnam do not go through what they goes through (National Library Board Para. 3). The American soldiers’ inhumanity and killings of the Vietnam citizens leaves her disturbed and therefore puts on spirited heart of ensuring that the people are liberated, a decision purely founded on her love for her people. Love and Idealism Dr. Dang makes the decision to go to the South Vietnam because of her love and youthful idealism she has for her kindred. Despite the deadly circumstances and appalling conditions that her patients undergo, she opts to make the dreadful decision. She is a young and youthful woman who in spite of the deadly conditions vows or is ready to sacrifice her own life to secure the lives of the patients who have faced attacks and injuries from the America soldiers and the soldiers themselves. Her idealistic nature also plays a vital role in her decision to move to the South Vietnam. She is determined to see her country in peace despite her age. She aligns herself with the communists’ party. She joins the ideology of the party just to ensure that their values and their rights as citizens of the Vietnam remain respected rather than being infringed on by other people. She condemns the killings and shootings of Vietnam locals on streets by the American soldiers. It proves a very difficult and trying time especially when the war rages on, kills, and destroys people without valid reasons. Therefore, Dr Dang makes the choice of moving to South Vietnam to ex tend her hand in saving the lives of those injured. The courageous decision surrounded by much risk to her own life seems further founded on the sense of shared humanity. Sense of Shared Humanity She also makes her decision to move to South Vietnam because of her spirited heart of humanity and love and long for an end of the war and the sufferings and pains subjected to the citizens of Vietnam. Since she is a physician, she offers herself to assist the people who are shot and who fall victims in the course of the war (Dang 47). She succumbs to her death in the course of her service to the people of Vietnam.Advertising Looking for essay on biography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This therefore demonstrates her sense of shared humanity in saving the lives of others while placing her own in danger. Her compassion and urge or wish to see the war end also makes her risk her own life to go to the South Vietnam. She wishes that th e war and the fighting in South Vietnam ended allowing the people to have their peace and unity. For instance, in the diary, she expresses her intimacy and love showing how she misses her mother and lover whom she refers to â€Å"M†. She yearns for the time that she will go back home and meet her mother who is in the Northern Vietnam (Guthrie 105). This therefore shows how the Doctor is concerned and optimistic that finally the war and the shootings will end. Tram in the Current Vietnam Though dead, Tram speaks volumes and volumes through the marks she left to the people of Vietnam. She has contributed significantly towards the making of the country’s history, as it stands today. It seems quite unfortunate that she succumbed to death at that tender age. If she were alive to date, she would automatically qualify as one amongst the liberators and the heroes of Vietnam history, who assertively sacrificed not only their time, money, relationships, but also their own self s olely to cultivate freedom to the Vietnamese citizen. Dr. Tram stands out as a liberator who from the evidence of her diary and documentations, shows that she had a vision and a great concern to her country. She, although at a younger age, associates herself with politics by becoming a party of the communists. She is a woman who puts her country in front by sacrificing her own life. She knows the dangers that will beget her by making a decision to go the South Vietnam to provide humanitarian assistance to the soldiers who are shot and injured in the course of the war knowing very well the dangers that faced her. She, despite of the dangers, travels to the South Vietnam. Furthermore, she is worth acknowledging based on her thought and wish for an end of the inhumanity and brutalities that people of the Vietnam were going through. It proves rather sad as Tram expresses her sympathy and concerns by noting that the people of Vietnam remain subjected to invalid pains and sufferings despi te their innocence.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Last Night I dreamed of Peace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, Dr. Tram passes for a hero and if she could be alive, she could have gone on the record for understanding and having the courage to liberate the people of Vietnam from the unnecessary pains and killings (Guthrie 106). She refers the Americans people to as merciless and thirsty of other people’s blood, descriptions that she notes bitterly and with sorrow. It therefore sounds unfortunate that the people of Vietnam went through the pain that they went through. Therefore, in no doubt, Dr. Tram stands out as a true hero, whose tireless work stands remembered and appreciated by the Vietnamese who enjoys the freedom of today acknowledging the cost attached therein: It cost the lives of protagonists for instance Dr. Tram. Conclusion Based on the expositions made in the paper, it suffices t o declare it a rather touching experience, for Dr. Tram, a young woman, to take such a serious life-threatening decision for the sake of liberating the people of Vietnam. It brings to light the sorrows, pains and sufferings faced by people who seek to achieve a certain risky objective for instance fighting for freedom, as the case stands for Dr. Tram. Therefore, Last Night I Dreamed of Peace comes in as a rather fascinating masterwork, heavy-laden with touching message that reveals the need to have a shared sense of humanity by avoiding wars based on the agony and pain that come as a result. Works Cited Dang, Tram. Last Night I Dream of Peace. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2007. Guthrie, John. Last Night I Dream of Peace by Dang Thuy Tram. Web California Literary Review, 13 Aug. 2007. Web. National Library Board. Last Night I Dream of Peace: The Diary of Dang Thuy Tram,  2008. Web.Advertising Looking for essay on biography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This essay on Last Night I dreamed of Peace was written and submitted by user Harmony W. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

The Meaning of Nani in Japanese

The Meaning of 'Nani' in Japanese The word nani  Ã¤ ½â€¢ (㠁 ªÃ£  «) in Japanese means what. And depending on the situation, you might, instead, use  nan (㠁 ªÃ£â€šâ€œ). Which term you use depends on the context, in particular, whether you are speaking or writing formally or informally. The sentences below are listed first in a transliteration of the Japanese phrase or sentence, followed by the spelling in Japanese characters- using  kanji,  hiragana, or  katakana  as appropriate- followed by the translation in English. Where indicated, click on the link to bring up a sound file and hear how to correctly pronounce the word or sentence in Japanese. Using Nani or Nan in a Sentence Nani is the more formal and polite term to use when asking a question, as in: Nani  wo  suru  tsumori  desu ka? (㠁 ªÃ£  « ã‚’ 㠁™ã‚‹ 㠁 ¤Ã£â€šâ€šÃ£â€šÅ  㠁 §Ã£ â„¢ 㠁‹)   What do you intend to do? or What are you planning to do? In more casual situations it would  be  fine to use nan. As a general rule,  if the word following what begins with a syllable from the t, n, and d groups, use nan, as in: Nandeshou? (㠁 ªÃ£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã£ â€"ょ㠁†) What do you want? More on Using Nan vs. Nani Nan is used before  particles.  A particle is a word that shows the relationship of a word, phrase, or clause  to the rest of the sentence.  Particles are added to the end of sentences to  express the speaker  or writers  emotions, such as doubt, emphasis, caution, hesitation, wonder, or admiration. You might use  nan   with a phrase such as /㠁 ®, /㠁 § (which means of the and is pronounced no de)  and verb da/desu (打㠁 §Ã£ â„¢ ), meaning it is hitting or it is striking. Nani is used before: /㠁‹ (meaning or and pronounced as ka)  and /㠁 « (meaning into a and pronounced as ni). Be careful when you use nan because, for example, if you use  nan  before ka  (/㠁‹), which means or, it would sound like the word nanka  (㠁 ªÃ£â€šâ€œÃ£ â€¹), which means things like. Another example would be if you were to use  nan with  ni (/㠁 «), it would be nanni  (㠁 ªÃ£â€šâ€œÃ£  «), meaning why, but this sounds very much like nannimo  (㠁 ªÃ£â€šâ€œÃ£  «Ã£â€šâ€š), which translates as nothing at all. Using Nani or Nan in Context You might use  nani  or  nan  in a restaurant. Depending on whether you are at a formal business luncheon or a casual eatery, you might use either of these terms. For example, at fast food eatery you might say: Osusume wa nan desu ka.  (㠁Šå‹ §Ã£â€š Ã£  ¯Ã¤ ½â€¢Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹) What do you recommend?Are wa nan desu ka. (㠁‚ã‚Å'㠁 ¯Ã¤ ½â€¢Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£â‚¬â€š) What is that?   If you are at a more formal eatery, but you dont know what to order, you might ask a fellow diner: Nani ga oishii desu ka. (ä ½â€¢Ã£ Å'㠁Šã â€žÃ£ â€"㠁„㠁 §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£â‚¬â€š) What is good? If you are traveling on a train and need to ask for help from a stranger or train conductor, that would be considered a more formal situation in Japan. Thus, you would use  nani  and might say: Tsugi  wa  nani  eki  desu ka.  (æ ¬ ¡Ã£  ¯Ã¤ ½â€¢Ã© §â€¦Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£â‚¬â€š) What is the next station? However, if you are traveling with a friend, you might use   the informal  nan, as in: Nan-ji  ni  demasu  ka.  (ä ½â€¢Ã¦â„¢â€šÃ£  «Ã¥â€¡ ºÃ£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£â‚¬â€š)   What time does it leave?

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Why Some Red Japanese Maples Have Green Leaves

Why Some Red Japanese Maples Have Green Leaves Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) are a small ornamental tree much prized in the landscape. Several cultivars have been developed based on  native species, and the  ones used in landscaping are  chosen for their distinctive colors- bright green, dark  red, or reddish  purple. Red Trees That Turn Green It can come as something of a shock, then, when a tree we picked because of its color begins to change to another color over time. Japanese maples are one such tree in which this frequently happens. Usually, it is a red or purple cultivar that gradually begins  to transform into a green tree, and this can be disappointing if youve selected the tree specifically because of its color.   The Biology of Color Change in Japanese Maples To understand how a trees color can shift, you need to understand how horticulturists obtain those unusual colors in the first place. All true Japanese maples are variants of the sturdy green  Acer palmatum. If you happen to have one of these pure species types, theres almost no chance that your tree will change colors. To produce tree  cultivars with unusual  colors, horticulturists may begin with the original species root-stock, then graft on branches with different characteristics. (There are other ways in which tree cultivars can be created, but this is a common technique used for Japanese maples.)   Many tree cultivars  originally start as a genetic accident or an aberration that appeared on an otherwise normal tree.  If that aberration  was appealing, horticulturists  may then seek to propagate that mistake and create a whole line of trees that duplicate that unusual characteristic. Many trees with variegated  leaves or unique leaf colors or unusual fruits began their lives as sports, or genetic mistakes that were then deliberately cultivated through different methods, including grafting new branches onto hardy rootstocks. In the case of red or purple Japanese maples, branches from trees with desired colors are grafted onto hardier rootstocks that are more durable in the landscape.   On a  Japanese maple, harsh weather or other factors sometimes kill off the grafted branches, which are usually attached to the rootstock near ground level. When this happens, the new branches that sprout (sucker) up from the ground will have the genetic makeup of the original rootstock- which will be green, rather than red or purple. Or,  its possible that new branches may sucker up from below the graft in addition to the red-leaved branches that are grafted onto the tree. In this case, you may suddenly find yourself with a tree that has both green- and red-leaved branches.   How to Correct or Prevent the Problem You may be able to catch the problem before it becomes severe if you periodically inspect the tree and pinch off any small branches that appear below the graft line on the tree. This may result in a tree thats somewhat asymmetrical for a time, but steady work getting rid of the green branches sprouting from below the graft line will eventually return the tree to its desired color. Japanese maples, though, do not tolerate heavy pruning, and because this is a slow-growing tree, it takes patience over time to allow the tree to form a natural shape.   Should your tree lose all its grafted branches- as sometimes happens when Japanese maples are planted in the northern limits of their hardiness zone range- your tree cannot be returned to its red color. All branches that sucker up from below the graft will be green in color. You can either learn to love the green Japanese maple or replace the tree.

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal Statement Example Family background influences the career choice of one, especially in traditional societies like China. For example, a doctor’s children tend to study medicine; a bureaucrat’s children opt for civil service qualifications; a carpenter’s son learns carpentry from childhood, and so on. My father runs a factory-supported business enterprise, and it was but natural for me to pursue education and training courses, which would help me in future to participate in managing the family business. Quite honestly, I am as much responsible for this decision as my parents have been, since that is how it is in my country – the elders exert considerable influence in matters of education. Fortunately, my own positive inclination towards economics as the major subject sealed the issue. Our factory in China employing nearly 600 persons produces a wide variety of stainless steel cookware items. This is a fairly large business and it inevitably creeps into our everyday Shen 2 li ves, all the time. Family discussions or little talks around the dining table or even while on holidays always end up in business matters, and I was thus exposed to the affairs of our business since childhood. This has kindled an interest in me – first in general factory affairs, and later as I grew up, in the nitty-gritty of running a profitable business venture. I was often to be seen at my father’s office and factory, observing at firsthand how he handled his routine work, how he interacted with his staff and workers, and how he dealt with his clients. It is an invaluable experience for me to become aware of the practical world of business, and for my father’s staff and workmen to recognize me as one among them. This was my informal internship and background to my choosing economics as the academic option. Since completing high school studies, I have been attending working in my father’s office and factory more formally. I do this even now, whenever, I travel home on vacation. I have been assigned work in different departments, under the guidance of senior staff. I have worked in the factory assisting the manager and learning the production processes, staff deployment, order processing and dispatches; in office duties, I have done document preparation and presentation, raising bills and follow up for collecting payments; in the human resource department, I have come to know of staff management, salary administration and training; in the finance department, I was exposed to the different aspects of the relationship between a business and the banks like capital investments, working capital and stock/bills hypothecation, cash flow issues etc. All in all, I should say that I have just begun to appreciate the intricacies of business management and felt the need for a proper professional qualification for a fuller understanding of the processes, especially relating to the economics and financing of a running business. As a first step i n this direction, I have selected the subjects of macro and micro-economics, statistics, Shen 3 social sciences and business for my major at the SBCC. I have begun to enjoy solving problems in the economics subject. After completing my graduation/post-graduation in University of California, I wish to return to China and play an important role in the development of our enterprise. 2. What character or attitude

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Equities and Fixed Income Investments Assignment

Equities and Fixed Income Investments - Assignment Example While the analysis of the free cash flow will indicate if the company enjoys an unobstructed flow of cash. The analysis of the free cash flow to equity will indicate if the company is in a position to service the equity holders after clearing all the expenses, reinvestment and repayment of debt. The analysis of the EBITDA indicates the cash flow from the operations (Hatten and Ruhland, 2005). The cash flow from the operations will indicate if able to optimize its operational performance. With the increase in the efficiency of the operations the cash flow of the firm will increase. Table 1: Tabulation of different ratios    2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 Gearing ratio 0.95 0.91 0.90 0.90 0.90 EBITDA 492.2 469.8 497.7 507.4 451 FCFE N/A -86.8 -89.9 -376.6 -162.1 FCFF N/A 252,286.60 239,185.37 220,906.19 2,284,070.11 Source: (Severn Trent Annual Report, 2013) Fig 1: Gearing ratio Source: (Severn Trent Annual Report, 2013) The gearing ratio increased considerably in the last 5 years. This in dicates that Severn Trent increasingly resorted to debt financing. The increase in the debt financing puts Severn Trent in a risky state, since higher the debt, higher the chance of insolvency, if the company is not able to finance the debt with the revenue (Jang and Namkung, 2009). This also indicates that the company has already resorted to huge amount of debt financing Severn Trent is in a highly leveraged position due to the presence of significant percentage of debt in its capital structure. Being in a highly leveraged position indicates that the company has a strong credit score otherwise the investors would not have taken Severn Trent into confidence (Kutner, Nachtsheim and Neter, 2004.). The highly leveraged position of Severn Trent also puts enormous pressure on the company to finance the debts. Fig 2: EBITDA Source: (Severn Trent Annual Report, 2013) The EBITDA does not indicate a linear increasing trend or decreasing trend. It is a mixed trend of intermittent ups and down s. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization are highest in year 2010, while it is lowest in the year 2009. The increasing trend in the EBITDA is an indication that the company is in a position to finance the interest payments quite efficiently (Miravete, 2003). Although the previous graphs already indicate that the company is already in a highly leveraged state. This means that although the EBITDA shows an increasing trend but the highly leveraged position of the company are putting severe pressure on the EBITDA due to the need to clear the interest payments (Pinhanez, 2001). Fig 3: FCFE Source: (Severn Trent Annual Report, 2013) The free cash flow to equity showing a constant negative trend for the past 4 years, which is a cause of concern. The negative value of the ratio indicates that the company has been suffering cash crunch for the past 4 years. This clearly indicates that the company faced trouble trying to clear the dividend for the equity holders (Stumpf , Dunbar and Mullen, 2001). This is because of the reason that the equity holders are paid only after clearing the expenses for reinvestment and debt repayment. The negative ratio of the free cash flow to the equity shareholders is a clear sign of the fact that the expense due to the reinvestment

Friday, January 24, 2020

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Essay -- Philosophy, Political Science

The concepts of liberty and individuality experienced a critical change in meaning and understanding as Europe shifted from the 18th century Enlightenment era to the age of political economy and utilitarianism of the 19th century. This clear distinction can be seen when comparing the works of enlightenment thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau to authors of the 19th century, including utilitarian John Stuart Mill and communist Karl Marx. The fundamental differences in the ideas of liberty and individuality between the two centuries can be attributed to the political, economic, and social climates of each author’s time. Rousseau’s interpretation of liberty was that of true, unlimited freedom. However, this form of liberty only exists in the state of nature, and thus termed natural liberty. Rousseau maintains that "the law of nature" is the law of self-preservation and individuals have no moral duty toward each other. In order to protect themselves and their property from others, individuals may agree to a social contract in order to form a society that is beneficial to all. The contract functions on the basis of a mutual obligation between society and each individual, and is fulfilled by a surrender of natural liberty in exchange for a moral and political freedom. The general will, which is the will of society as a whole, always desires the common good, says Rousseau. Civil society is thus governed by the general will of the body politic that desires the common good. It is interesting to note that Rousseau’s social contract theory essentially abolishes the ideas of the individual, and instead adopts only ideas common amongst all. This is a key factor that distinguishes 18th century philosophy with that of following century. Rousseau’... ...rkets. The nature of Capitalism makes this so, since the primary goal is to increase efficiency and profit. By taking over other markets, the consumer and labor pool populations are both enlarged. The constant advancement and revolution of technology was also a pattern Marx had noted. With increased productivity resulting from changing technologies also came instability and anxiety, since improvement of machines meant the replacement of human work and job insecurity. These largely negative aspects of capitalism motivate Marx to write the critical The Communist Manifesto. By closing analyzing each authors work, it can be said that the contents of their respective books were indeed a result of the environment the author had been exposed to. As a result, the ideas of liberty and individuality changed as times changed, leading to the differences between the centuries.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Reading in the English Literary Heritage-response to Shakespeare Essay

Write an essay, which focuses on the character of Lady Macbeth as presented in act five, scene one and the scenes leading up to the murder of King Duncan. In act five, scene one the audience sees one of the many facets of Lady Macbeth’s complex character as she is seen to be sleepwalking, while being carefully observed by her waiting gentlewoman and a doctor of physic. Her gentlewoman introduces this deranged behaviour, when she says, â€Å"Lo you, here she comes. This is her guise and, upon my life, fast asleep.† There are many possibilities to be explored that could be found to be the impetus bringing Lady Macbeth to sleepwalk. The first being that in Shakespeare’s time a person found to be sleepwalking meant that evil spirits and demons possessed them. Lady Macbeth played a forceful role in the scheming, leading up to the murder of Duncan and was heavily involved in the event itself. In act two, scene two; exasperated with Macbeth, Lady Macbeth takes the daggers to smear Duncan’s blood on his servants’ faces. The sight of Duncan’s blood has had a profound effect on her and in act five, scene one this becomes apparent when she says in her sleep, † Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.† In saying this line she is remembering and reflecting on the moment of when she placed the bloody daggers next to the guards. She is thinking about how much Duncan bled. The image of Duncan’s blood on the daggers and on her hands has stuck in her mind and is plaguing her thoughts, so much so that she is desperate to be cleansed. The crime is lying very heavily on her conscience and her heart and she longs to be cleansed of the blood, which is symbolic of her guilt at the deeds she has committed. While in a frantic, frenzy she says, â€Å"Out damned spot! Out, I say!† Whilst delivering this line, Lady Macbeth excessively rubs her hands in a washing motion. Although this is not a stage direction in the play, it is implied by the gentlewoman’s line, â€Å"It is an accustomed action with her, to seem thus washing her hands.† This action of Lady Macbeth suggests that her conscience and imagination are deceiving her causing her to have an illusive image of her hands covered in blood. She is trying to erase herself of the guilt she now feels at murdering Duncan. Although in Act two, scene two Lady Macbeth, says to Macbeth, â€Å"A little water clears us of this deed.† By this she means that with water the blood will wash off and they can forget that the murder ever happened. However, in act five, scene one she is distressed because she can’t get rid of the vision of blood and the feeling of guilt. She says, â€Å"What, will these hands ne’er be clean?† This rhetorical question is almost a statement from Lady Macbeth in a state of desperation questioning whether she will ever be able to be rid of the guilt at what she has done. All throughout this scene Lady Macbeth is in a state of mental turmoil and most of her deepest, most private thoughts and feelings are revealed. Subtly this illustrates how men and women in Shakespeare’s time had vastly different roles. Lady Macbeth has no one to talk to with a head full of anxieties, regrets and confusion. She is isolated and alone. Her thoughts about the murder and how distant Macbeth has become are driving her mad, which is manifested by her sleepwalking. Whereas Macbeth’s fears are displayed in act three, scene four at a banquet, when Macbeth is unnerved at his mind’s illusion of Banquo’s ghost. These feelings of Macbeth are shown at an extremely public event, a banquet surrounded by all his lords and important men in society. However Lady Macbeth’s fears are revealed in the private setting of her bedroom. She has to be much more conservative than Macbeth as it is her role to be publicly stable. Macbeth is permitted to expose his true sentiments, because he is king and furthermore because he is a man. In the time before the murder, Lady Macbeth loved life and she and Macbeth had the perfect partnership. They saw each other as equals and were both ambitious and secure in their relationship and their position in society, although Lady Macbeth was continuously striving for more. Despite all this, after the murder they have drifted apart. They no longer control things together and the emotional distance between them means Lady Macbeth fears what her tyrant husband will do next because she feels she no longer knows him as she once did. Evidence of this can be found in the fragmented language she uses when sleepwalking, that echoes her own and Macbeth’s words about past murders: Duncan, Lady Macduff and Banquo. Her tortured imagination peregrinates over past conversations she has had with Macbeth. At first she ponders on the murder of Duncan, â€Å"One, two. Why then ’tis time to do’t.† Which is referring to what Macbeth says to her in act two scene two, just before he goes to carry out the murder, â€Å"I go and it is done. The bell invites me.† Then she turns her attentions to the murder of Lady Macduff and her children, she says, â€Å"The thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?† Following this she relives what she says to Macbeth at the banquet in reassurance to convince him that he can’t see Banquo. â€Å"Banquo’s buried; he cannot come out on’s grave.† However, Lady Macbeth continuously goes back to the murder of Duncan, which implies that compared to the other murders she was most affected by it. This is because she was heavily involved so it was when her state of mind and all the different aspects of her life changed suddenly and dramatically. Repeatedly Lady Macbeth restates lines that she said to Macbeth in a desperate attempt to re-establish the connection that she and Macbeth once had. As Macbeth no longer seems to exist for her, she has become extremely isolated and in saying lines such as, â€Å"Come, come, give me your hand.† She is yearning for the security of her own marriage. While sleepwalking, Lady Macbeth carries with her a candle. As suggested in her gentlewoman’s line, â€Å"She has light by her continually, ’tis her command.† Lady Macbeth is frightened of darkness and always needs the security of light around her. This may be because Duncan’s murder was committed at night in darkness and she is frightened of his ghost or of being murdered herself in darkness. However it is a strong contrast to the start of the play, Act 1 Scene 5 where she pleads for darkness, so she and Macbeth can murder Duncan. â€Å"Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it make.† It is also a contrast of the personality and state of mind of Lady Macbeth; at the beginning of the play she is a strong, confident, motivated and ambitious woman and the driving force behind Macbeth. However as the play develops she becomes less assertive, and more unsettled. Lady Macbeth thought that once the murder of Duncan was accomplished and completed, it would be finished and she and Macbeth would become successful rulers of Scotland. She reflects on this thought in act five, scene one, by saying, â€Å"Who knows it, when none can call our power to account?† Nevertheless only one part of this dream of the future has come to life and that is that she and Macbeth are rulers of Scotland. Duncan’s murder was far from the end of that series of events for Lady Macbeth; instead it has provoked lots and changed everything. The sleepwalking portrays this and shows that she is unsettled, maybe because of her unfulfilled dreams. The audience is shown another feature of Lady Macbeth’s character in act five, scene one. Her sentiments are expressed with a simplistic use of language, with the use of prose as opposed to verse. For example, â€Å"Here’s the smell of blood still; all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. O, O, O.† This uncovers what Lady Macbeth is truly feeling in her heart and head. Her human emotions are also demonstrated about her regret at the amount of bloodshed, and the audience sees her as not just a manipulator but as scared, vulnerable and confused woman. Her gentlewoman says in sympathy for her, â€Å"I would not have such as heart in my bosom for the dignity of the whole body.† The presence of the doctor and the waiting gentlewoman add to the effectiveness of this scene by the way they react to what Lady Macbeth is doing and saying. When the doctor realises what Lady Macbeth is reliving and saying about the murders he is unsure, horrified and can’t make sense of it. Whereas the waiting gentlewoman already knew about the murders from Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking in the past and she knows she could be in serious trouble if the doctor tells anyone what he has discovered. She says to the doctor, â€Å"Neither to you, nor anyone, having no witness to confirm my speech.† However the doctor and the waiting gentlewoman are both innocent onlookers on the situation and have mixed emotions. Whereas they are both horrified at what they hear, they can’t make sense of it and feel pity for Lady Macbeth and how troubled she is. The doctor says, â€Å"My mind she has mated and amazed my sight.† And, â€Å"The heart is sorely charged.† This all adds to the effectiveness of the scene because it shows a normal person’s reaction to what has happened to Lady Macbeth, which also shows a contrast to the audience between her uneasy and almost insane character and that of a sane, rational person. This enhances Lady Macbeth’s character for the audience. Further more when the doctor says, â€Å"This disease is beyond my practice. More needs she the divine than the physician.† There is a feeling of sadness and sympathy from him. This provokes the same feelings from the audience. In the first half of the play the audience saw Lady Macbeth as a strong, female character, (relative to Shakespeare’s times) and now they see that she has a tyrant of a husband, who has no conscience and she is bearing all the guilt of their actions for both of them. I believe that Shakespeare wanted to affect the audience in this scene and make them have some sympathy for Lady Macbeth. The dramatic function of the presence of the doctor and waiting gentlewoman in this scene is to narrate to the audience the scenes events and explain to them what is happening. The doctor gives detailed descriptions of what is happening, for example, â€Å"Look how she rubs her hands.† It is then the waiting gentlewoman who commentates further and emphasizes the events, and also adding some further information, beyond the scene, such as, â€Å"It is an accustomed action with her, to seem thus washing her hands; I have known her continue in this a quarter of an hour.† This gives the audience additional information about the events, which increases the effect of the scene because it is delving into the reasons of Lady Macbeth’s increasing uneasiness. One could consider that Shakespeare’s dramatic purpose of placing this scene at this point in the play is to show the transformation and variation in Lady Macbeth’s character. Prior to this scene in the play the audience sees Lady Macbeth as a strong, ambitious, female. Throughout act five, scene one Shakespeare reminds the audience of the past events leading up to the murder of Duncan and how Lady Macbeth has come to be so disrupted, unsettled and disturbed. The scene summarizes previous events, while also depicting Lady Macbeth’s state of mind to the audience and showing the transformation of her character. Act five, scene one’s dramatic purpose is to be in a position to be able to be a conclusive scene of the beginning of the plays events, before moving on to the downfall of Macbeth. The opening scene of the play grabs the audience’s attention as three witches appear on stage. The witches would have scared an audience in Shakespeare’s times because they was a strong belief in superstition but nowadays it takes a lot more to scare an audience. In act one, scene one; briefly the witches arrange a meeting with Macbeth on a heath. â€Å"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?† To which the reply is, â€Å"Upon the heath. There to meet with Macbeth.† In act one, scene two Macbeth is instantly introduced as a heroic, strong character by the Captain of a battle, in which Macbeth defeats the rebel enemy Macdonald, personally killing him against the odds. â€Å"For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name-disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution.† Reflecting on this King Duncan sentences a traitor, the Thane of Cawdor and awards this title to Macbeth. â€Å"No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive. Go pronounce his present death and with his former title greet Macbeth. What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.† The witches are re-introduced to the audience in act one, scene three, this time on the heath in foul weather, which serves to increase the dramatic effect. They are waiting for Macbeth to come. The witches are evil women, who plan to use their power. As they wait for Macbeth they plot to torment a sea captain whose wife has tormented them, by describing terrible things, which makes the start of the scene quite violently disturbing, with a threatening atmosphere. Macbeth’s arrival is signalled by a drum, â€Å"A drum, a drum; Macbeth doth come.† Says the third witch. As Macbeth enters for the first time in the play, with fellow warrior Banquo, his initial words are, â€Å"So foul and fair a day I have not seen.† Immediately this establishes a connection between Macbeth and the witches, as their lines in the opening scene were, â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair.† Also the witches are called the weà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rd sisters, and in Anglo-Saxon mythology, weà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rd sisters were the goddesses of destiny who predicted the future. When Macbeth and Banquo enter they are puzzled as to what these beings are with such a revolting appearance, Banquo describes them, â€Å"So withered and so wild in their attire, that look not like th’inhabitants o’th’earth. Each at once her choppy finger laying upon her skinny lips; you should be women and yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so.† What happens next is very significant for the rest of the play. The witches’ prophecy about Macbeth and his future and then at his request, Banquo, † All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis. Thane of Cawdor. That shalt be king hereafter.† They predict that Macbeth will have these titles and that Banquo’s descendants will be kings, but he himself will not. â€Å"Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.† Then refusing to answer Macbeth’s questions the witches vanish in front of Macbeth and Banquo, leaving them shocked, bewildered and discombobulated. The witches come to Macbeth at exactly the right moment and place to shock him. He is fresh from the killings at the battle and his raw ambition is hungry for greater things. The witches introduce these things to him by speaking his innermost thoughts and tempting him with his own aspirations and predilections. Macbeth and Banquo are both left to reflect on what the witches have just said to them and to try to make some sense of it when Ross enters, telling Macbeth of his new title, Thane of Cawdor, â€Å"He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor: In which addition, hail most worthy thane, for it is thine.† This shocks Macbeth, as he says, almost accusingly, â€Å"Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?† Then, later in the scene three, Macbeth exposes his initial thoughts in an aside to the audience about the witches’ prophecy and how there moral implications have affected him. Macbeth’s mind is in turmoil, as he battles with his conscience and his desires over how he should behave in response to the witches’ prophecy. He is disturbed and horrified at the thought of killing Duncan, as they have great respect for each other, but he desperately wants to become king, that is his deepest ambition and desire, â€Å"Why do I yield to that suggestion, whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my seated heart knock at my ribs against the use of nature?† However he resolves with himself to accept the future and the changes it will bring, â€Å"If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me without my stir.† Whereas Banquo uses the imagery of clothes to elucidate Macbeth’s, â€Å"rapt†. He says, â€Å"New honours come upon him like our strange garments, cleave no to their mould, but with the aid of use.† During act one, scene four, Duncan reveals and announces that his own son, Malcolm is to be heir to the throne. This irritates and appalls Macbeth; if Duncan had not named Malcolm as his heir, the thanes would have elected the next king after Duncan’s death, and as Macbeth is a honoured warrior, there was a possibility he would have been elected. The audience sees another facet to Macbeth’s character when in an aside he says about his annoyance, â€Å"That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, for in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires, let not see my black and deep desires, the eye wink at the hand.† These lines really seal Macbeth’s evil intentions and it is maybe what makes him decide, definitely that he will be king, whatever the consequences are for others and him. When the audience first sees Lady Macbeth in act one, scene five, she is reading Macbeth’s letter in which his meeting with the witches is described to her, â€Å"They met me in the day of success, and I have learned by the perfectest report they have more in them than mortal knowledge.† In reading the letter further, Lady Macbeth learns of the witches’ prophecy and that the first, that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor has been fulfilled almost right away. Previously Macbeth has demonstrated his disgust at the thought of the murder of Duncan and the consequence and repercussions it would have. After reading the letter Lady Macbeth reinforces these emotions and thoughts by saying in her first soliloquy, â€Å"Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be what thou art promised.† Lady Macbeth knows her husband is ambitious and passionate about his dreams of kingship, but she also knows and feels that he is too fair and conscientious about what is wrong and what is right. She says, â€Å"I do fear thy nature it is too full o’th’milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way.† We know Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are great partners, who share everything, and know each other inside- out, and this is confirmed in Macbeth’s letter when he refers to her as, â€Å"My dearest partner of greatness.† However, taking this into account Lady Macbeth realises that to become queen of Scotland and to realise her own and Macbeth’s dreams she will have do or sacrifice anything to get this. She says, â€Å"What thou wouldst highly, that wouldst holily; wouldst not play false, and yet wouldst wrongly win.† Saying this it appears as though Lady Macbeth’s naked ambition is almost stronger than her husbands. She seems to disregard morals in order to get what she wants and has unbelievably strong willpower and determination. Once she has decided Macbeth will be king, then she starts to introduce supernatural forces and the idea of inviting in evil spirits to help her succeed. â€Å"That I may pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valour of my tongue.† It is when Lady Macbeth is told of Duncan’s plans to visit the castle that her ambition and wickedness bloom and become very apparent. She knows that this is her chance to seize the moment and facilitate Macbeth’s future role as king of Scotland. In her second soliloquy she summons up her evil spirits in the form of magic to assist her with her murderous plans for Duncan. She refers to a raven, which is a bird, seen as an evil omen and then she says, â€Å"Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe top full of direst cruelty; make thick my blood, stop up th’access and passage to remorse.† In saying this, it is clear that she no longer just wants to be an ambitious and dominant woman, her desire is to become evil personified, pitiless and with no sense of morals. She says, â€Å"Come to my woman’s breasts and take my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers.† She is saying that she wants her breasts to be full of poison, rather than â€Å"the milk of human kindness.† Which is what she described Macbeth as having. Lady Macbeth closes her speech with triumph, summoning night, death and hell. She pleads for a disguise for the crime that she and Macbeth will commit. â€Å"Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark.† Lady Macbeth almost seems to have changed from an ambitious, forceful woman into an evil woman, harbouring evil spirits and thoughts. However in reality she is still a mortal woman, whose actions will cause her to suffer great consequence and remorse. As Macbeth enters, Lady Macbeth greeting echoes that of the witches. â€Å"Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor, Greater than both by the all-hail hereafter.† This suggests that she now has formed a connection with the dark side and that evil spirits really are deeply entwined in her thoughts and actions. The instant she starts a conversation with Macbeth, she makes it clear what is going to happen to Duncan that night, â€Å"O never shall sun that morrow see.† She is implying in her words that after that night Duncan will never see sunlight again, because he will be dead. Lady Macbeth instructs Macbeth to, â€Å"Look like th’innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.† She makes an analogy, in which she compares Macbeth to be a serpent, which is biblically an evil creature. Then she takes control of the situation and Macbeth with a strong sense of purpose and character that is ruthless, â€Å"To alter favour ever is to fear. Leave all the rest to me.† When Duncan arrives at the castle in scene six Lady Macbeth confidently leads him inside and to his death with a sense of triumph. â€Å"Your servants ever have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs in count to make audit at your highness’ pleasure, still to return to your own.† However during this time, leading up to the murder Lady Macbeth continuously has to reinforce her plans, courage and strong will onto Macbeth, who shows reluctance in accepting it. At the start of scene seven, Macbeth is seen to be agonising relentlessly with his conscience over killing Duncan and the consequences it will incur. He wrestles with his conscience, saying, â€Å"If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well it were done quickly.† Then he has a change of heart saying, â€Å"He’s here in double trust: First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed; then as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the k nife myself.† This private reasoning continues until, finally Lady Macbeth appears and puts a stop to it. At first Macbeth refuses to do the murder, saying, â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business.† However his efforts are wasted on her as she turns angrily on him and we see her become a manipulating, strong willed woman again. Immediately she turns things around on Macbeth and simply points out that he implied that the murder was the only thing to do. â€Å"Was the hoe drunk? Hath it slept since? And wakes it now to look so green and pale at what it did so freely? From this time, such I account thy love.† She also says that if he is taking back all the things he said, she will assume that that is true about how strongly he loves her. This would hurt Macbeth and also come as quite a surprise as they have such an intense and loving relationship. Then more effectively she torments Macbeth about his masculinity by calling him a coward. â€Å"Live a coward in thine own esteem.† She knows Macbeth well enough to know that will upset him because he is publicly known as a heroic warrior, however it doesn’t get the reaction she wants as he points out to her that he is merely a man. I dare do all that may become a man; who dares do more is none.† Furthermore Lady Macbeth makes the ultimate taunt to persuade her husband to kill Duncan by saying she would kill their child. â€Å"I have given suck and know how tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I sworn as you have done this.† In saying this Lady Macbeth is playing her womanliness against Macbeth’s manliness by saying she would make the ultimate sacrifice to keep the promise he has made. She makes the point that she once was a mother, and she could remember the overwhelming love she felt for her child, but she would have given it all up to make Macbeth king. Lady Macbeth is also clever in realising she needs to use violent, disturbing, grotesque imagery for Macbeth as a shock tactic to convince him to murder Duncan, as this night is their perfect opportunity. At this point Macbeth offers no resistance to his wife’s strength and force over him, as he knows he will not overcome her determination and extreme assertiveness, â€Å"Bring forth men-children only, for thy undaunted mettle should compose nothing but males.† He only questions what should happen if they were to fail, which she replies in an extremely optimistic, self assured and almost over confident manner, â€Å"Who dares receive it other, as we shall make our griefs and clamour roar upon his death!† The plan for the murder is organised and in act one, scene seven Macbeth leaves to complete it saying, almost wearily and sadly, â€Å"I go and it is done. The bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan, for it is knell that summons thee to heaven or hell.† In act two, scene two, exhilarated by alcohol and anticipation Lady Macbeth awaits her husband to confirm that the murder is done. â€Å"That which hath made them drunk, hath made me bold; what hath quenched them, hath given me fire.† She has drugged Duncan’s bodyguards, but is afraid that Macbeth may have been too cowardly to carry out the murder. â€Å"I have drugged their possets, that death and nature do contend about them, whether they live, or die.† It is then, when Lady Macbeth reveals her single weakness up until this point, which is why she couldn’t or wouldn’t murder Duncan herself, â€Å"Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done’t.† This is another facet of her character shown, as we start to see her humane side exposed and vulnerable. Following this Macbeth returns to Lady Macbeth to say he has completed the murder in a terrible state of remorse and fear of what will punish him of the crime he has just committed. â€Å"Wherefore I could not pronounce ‘Amen’? I had most need of blessing, and ‘Amen’ stuck in my throat.† He is obsessively panicky because he cannot say ‘Amen’. It is then, that Lady Macbeth regains control of the situation and transforms into an iron willed woman again in order to hold Macbeth together. She says to him in an ironic and impatient manner, dismissing his hallucinations of a voice crying he had murdered sleep, â€Å"These deeds must not be thought after these ways; so, it will make us mad.† It is then when she sees that Macbeth has brought the bloody daggers back from the scene of the murder that she implicates herself and gets further involved with the murder; Macbeth refuses to return the daggers so she says, â€Å"Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead are but as pictures; ’tis the eye of childhood that fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, I’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal, for it must seem their guilt.† From this point onwards Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s relationship starts to change as they drift apart emotionally and physically. Their personas are dramatically reversed as Lady Macbeth who was once an iron willed, passionate, ambitious woman becomes extremely deranged and depressed. Her character develops and changes throughout the play as she is transformed from an ambitious, powerful woman to someone is full of regret and with a heart full of foreboding, which lies very heavily on her conscience. Paradoxically, Macbeth’s characteristics, his strong sense of morals and fairplay and a clear conscience are replaced with a tyrant personality and where little or no remorse at the taking of other people’s lives.