American Theme-Individualism :: essays research papers

American Theme-Individualism Literary works reflect the main ideas of the American mind. An American theme that is seen in various works of literature is individuality. Individuality is expressed in three different literary works from Frost, Chopin, and Paine. These works of literature aid us in developing an open mind about what the American people should expect in society. Following others doesn’t guide us in any way because it does not allow for us to express our innermost feelings. Throughout these three works, individualism is expressed in various ways. Although all three works do illustrate the idea of individualism, Paine seems to approach it in a different way. Robert Frost’s poem, "The Road Not Taken", is an insightful idealistic attempt to illustrate the paradox of free will. In the first line, Frost uses the metaphor "Two roads diverged" (1), to establish not only the hard decision the traveler must make in the poem, but life itself. The decisions we make in life, like the traveler in this poem, are not to be taken carelessly. Many have a desire to be adventurous, yet fear possibilities of failing if we are different from others. In this poem, the road that he decides to take â€Å"wanted wear.† This road is not a well-traveled path and no one has taken it before. The central idea of Frost’s poem is individualism. Frost shows that being his own person makes life so much less difficult because he is able to act the way he would like to without worrying about everyone else. Frost shows us that we should all express our feelings and be our own person, even if no one else will follow. He took the path that no one else did â€Å"and that has made all the difference.† Similarly, in Kate Chopin’s short story "The Story of an Hour," the central theme of individuality is also expressed. When Mrs. Mallard received the news of her husband’ s death, she was in a deep state of grief. After she realized that she would now have freedom, she began to rejoice. Even though she loved her husband and will weep for him again, one thought comes to her over and over again: â€Å"free, free, free!†(546). Mrs. Mallard realizes at that instant that her life from now on is her own to live as she chooses; no more will she have to give in to the needs and wishes of her husband.

Cyberspace :: essays papers

Cyberspace Computers and Cyberspace When does reality end and cyberspace begin? Can crimes committed in cyberspace be punished in reality? Can a â€Å"cyber relationship† have the same rules as a relationship in reality? Basically, is cyberspace part of regular life or is it a world created by us with ever changing and moving norms? Often, people make comment that they become so focused on something and it becomes a part of their life, an extension of them. I feel the same can be said of cyberspace. Reality is what you make it, and that can also include the universe that you see on the computer screen. The cyber world is a society just like the outside world we live in is a society. With increasing ways to access this world, the two worlds are now beginning to overlap and some would even say collide. Some have become so enwrapped in this separate existence with instant messenger, e-mail, chat rooms, and message boards, the internet has seemingly replaced get-togethers, night clubs, bars, and meetings as the number one social gathering place. More people are wired to this world than you will ever meet in a club, so why leave home, this is the best way to meet people. However, it is unfortunate that this also involves taking you away from the reality that is around you right now. Many ignore priorities such as family, friends, and even work to be a part of cyberspace. It has almost become a form of addiction for some. Should crimes committed in cyberspace be grounds for punishment here in the real outside world? Well, I think it depends on the level of crime. If you should threaten someone online, you should receive a ban from that location, but not be arrested. If you should continue that activity, then it will be assessed then, but for first time offenders, a strict warning or ban is harsh enough. The thought of losing out on that experience ever again is enough to stop most. More serious and special case offenders such as pedophiles who are putting kiddie porn on the internet or trying to lure children in chat rooms, should be prosecuted to the same extent as those we find in normal society. The same can be said for online embezzlers and hackers, it is no different to break into a company’s front door than it is to steal from them online.

Childhood Is The Best Part Of One’s Life Narrate Your Experience

Many a time, I have longed for my childhood days. This is especially true at times when I would like to escape from the torture of examinations and homework. Furthermore, my childhood was filled with countless memorable moments that I would love to relive. Many, who have happy childhood memories, would also, I am sure, feel the same.Childhood is a period which is associated with fun and play. The child hardly cares or knows what the adult thinks of him. He frolics with his childhood playmates in the sand, mud or water. Through his mother may chide him for his pranks, she may, secretly in her heart, wish that she too could be as carefree and happy as her child.Children normally do not have any major responsibilities to shoulder. Political, economic, social and family problems do not disturb them. They may be confused because they can not comprehend the problem, but most of them will not go through heartbreaking moments over them.However, the above beautifully painted childhood phase i s not true in the case of all children. There are children who are abused and exploited and who suffer from dire poverty. In Ethiopia and other poor countries, children are afflicted with many diseases and continually suffer the pangs of hunger. They have to shoulder the responsibilities of adults, looking for food and taking care of their younger siblings.These cases, however, may be considered as exceptions. Many still feel that the average child’s life is much merrier. Adult life is filled with responsibilities. Yet, responsibilities need not be viewed negatively. There are many joys that come with responsibilities. For example, I always experience great joy and satisfaction when I do well in my exam after studying hard for it.Therefore, in my view, childhood can be looked back upon as one of the best periods in one’s life. With a positive attitude, a person can experience happiness in any period of his life.

Case Study Lois Quam Essay

1. How does Lois Quam use emotions and moods in her speeches to covey her viewpoint? Cite examples to support your statements. What is emotion and mood? Emotions are a strong set of positive or negative feelings directed towards someone or something. Moods depict positive or negative feelings; moreover, a state of mind. In Lois’s quest for green economy it is quite clear that she is a buoyed, by a positive approach as well as a passionate compulsion of finding solutions to the issues of green economy. This is inferred several times in her dialogue with her audience. The idea that she left her well buttressed, cushy job at a leading investment firm to assumed the leadership of a newly formed company that deals with global problems of green economy indicates she is not only passionate, but she is driven by positive responses and emotional influences. This can be inferred when she openly states â€Å"I am an optimist about our future †¦ which is why I stated Tysvar, the challenges we face from climate change are immense, but so are our capabilities and the rewards and benefits to humanity are even greater in the new green economy† 2. Based on what you have learned about Lois Quam, create hypotheses about the attitudes of her colleagues at Tysvar while using the three basic components of attitudes in your theories. Visionary, professional, informational these three components comprise attitude. Obviously to be a part of Ms. Quam’s team one must be a visionary, as indicated in her bio, Lois left Piper Jaffray to become the founder and CEO of Tysvar LLC in short she took a chance with her vison of stainable new green economy and diversified health care reform and made it all the way to becoming appointed  by President Barrak Obama as the executive director with emphasis on women, children, and new born for the entire country. Therefore, the attitudes of her college must be considered with her drive passion and attitude. Professionally being a CEO of a company she founded Lois; ensured that strict professional attitude was maintained in her Minnesota based company. This is evident when she gave a speech at the University of St. Thomas; on emerging opportunities within the NGE she said then â€Å"I enjoyed sharing how we all can use these key capabilities as platform for doing something you love. Imagine helping to build the NGE with a purposeful passion. It doesn’t it get much better than that.† Conversely one can derive that information is also a key component to attitudinal change and development with in a company that was diverse and being fast track into becoming a s successful fortune five hundred company. 3. Take a moment to research the Global Health Initiative. Why do you believe Lois Quam was chosen to lead this program? Louis Quam was named in 2006 by fortune magazine, one of America 50 most powerful women. Her portfolio indicated that she worked as the head of strategic investment, green economy and health at Pipper Jaffrey a leading international investment bank, including stints as president and CEO of the public, and senior market segment. As well as serving on the Minnesota health care commission taking on industry giants, and bringing insurance to tens of thousands of Minnesotan’s. If that is not an impeccable curriculum vitae then what is? Having come from Norwegian immigrants Lois story must be told and in so doing her vison, her perceptiveness, and passion can be combined to equalize her being chosen to lead this program. 4. Research question: Search news reports, Web sites, and blogs to find out more information on Tysvar. How is the company faring in its quest to make the world cleaner and safer for future generations? What implications might that have on Tysvar’s employees, their attitudes, and job satisfaction? Despite many challenges and unforeseen deterrence’s Tyvsar continues to be a formidable driving force in NGE. Ms. Quan’s vision continues to be the leading force; as well as, a collective positive influence from her entire  team of employees and management making Tysvar a global new green economy force to reckoned with. The company has adapted new measures and is now attached to the Norwegian global initiative. There have been expansion within the global new green economy since Ms,Quam’s recognition by President Obama. The operation at NGE continues to flourish. The company is using AquaFence, a Norwegian manufacturer of transportable flood protection barriers. Quam also announced she will be installing a new CEO of Tysvar early next year. Which brings us back home to our company, Tysvar, and our three areas of focus? †¢ Scaling the New Green Economy. †¢ Staffing the NGE with the best and brightest people anywhere. †¢ Contributing to a successful and on-going Norwegian-American NGE collaborative.

Human Condition Essay Essay

The human condition is a term which references our complicated existence by highlighting our ongoing ability to adapt and change both our perceptions and values. Through our mental capabilities of both creativity and imagination, humanity is able to achieve a sense of both self-actualisation and liberation, resulting in them acting as the core of our existence where, without them we would become susceptible to the overwhelming flaws of the human condition. Evidencing this are the three texts, ‘Dejection: an Ode’, ‘This Lime Tree Bower my Prison’ and ‘Focus’, which Samuel Coleridge’s â€Å"Dejection: an Ode,† is a poem describing a man’s torment as he attempts to overcome his dispirited state as a result of the loss of a romantic relationship. The poem highlights the importance of creativity within humanity through the persona’s struggle to maintain joyous after the loss of such ability, presenting the fact that without creativity, we would become susceptible to the negative aspects of the world. Beginning the poem using pathetic fallacy, Coleridge relates the persona’s reality to the growing storm, which through describing the â€Å"dull pain† received from his loss, highlights the duality present within our emotions, and hence the idea that we have the ability to experience both love as much as we do despair. The poet again reinforces our vulnerability to reality by using a metaphor to describe how it â€Å"coils around my mind,† presenting the fact that without hope and optimism, reality can hinder our creativity. Describing that he was born with a â€Å"shaping spirit of imagination,† the persona alludes to the idea that humanity maintains the ability to bring about their own happiness, which as a whole, demonstrates to the audience that life can only ever be worth living when we have found our own contentment and joy, as encountered only through our imaginative pursuits. As the poem concludes, the importance of maintaining happiness is reiterated as the persona wishes his lover to rejoice, asking for joy to become the â€Å"eddying of her living soul,† which again expresses the concept of inner contentment, which at times can only be found through creativity, as the core of the human existence. Coleridge’s ‘This Lime Tree Bower My Prison’, is a poem describing a man’s changing views as he contemplates the natural word which he has been prevented from seeing. Coleridge’s poem demonstrates the ability of individuals to modify their morals and values upon receiving a cathartic release from their relationship with nature, as predicated almost entirely on the imagination. Through allowing the persona to visualise the encounters his friends are making with nature along their journey, Coleridge first demonstrates the capabilities of the imagination in allowing us to picture things in certain detail, as shown through â€Å"now my friends emerge,† which in all exemplifies the presence of imagination in our relationship with nature. Furthermore, the description of their journey demonstrates the liberation received from engaging with nature, as shown where they â€Å"wander in gladness,† which relates to the cathartic release obtained from viewing nature that pushes us to reassess our ideas and perceptions. By showing his gradual change in tone, the influence of the persona’s imagination is shown, which when in conjunction with his exclamation of â€Å"yes!† reveals our emotional capabilities if becoming engulfed in our imaginations of nature. Also, by choosing to allow the persona to speak in a melodramatic tone, the poet is able to again explicitly demonstrate his overwhelming feelings from picturing various landscapes, as seen in the alliteration â€Å"silent with swimming sense,† which further reveals nature’s ability to liberate our senses. Similarly, Coleridge’s conclusion to the poem, which involves a reflection of the persona’s realisations as he contemplated the beauty around him, provides a retrospective view of experience and what he â€Å"henceforth shall know,† which ultimately reveals humanity’s capabilities to both adapt and change their morals and values through perceiving new ideas and perceptions. Ari Kruger’s ‘Focus,’ is a 2011 short film depicting the changing perceptions of a young man as he enters and loses a romantic relationship. The film portrays the inevitable presence of flaws within the human existence, while simultaneously recognising the natural beauties that are still present. The concept of being unable to decipher things beyond the obvious is first received by Kruger’s choice to film in black and white, which in conjunction to the man’s struggle to continue to see the positive traits of his partner, highlights humanity’s inability to, at times, see beyond the realm of ‘black and white’ and hence recognise the more ‘colourful’ aspects. The man’s growing blindness over the beauties of his relationship due to an unnamed flaw is successfully conveyed through the use of camera focus to gradually blur the young girl until she is ultimately unrecognisable, which mirrors the consequences of choosing to focus singularly on the imperfections of humanity and overlook the positive attributes. In the shot where the girl looks grumpily along as he uses his computer, the device is seen as a metaphor for the technological advancements or barriers which have hindered his appreciation of all things natural, namely the positive traits of his partner. Parallels with this exist within Coleridge’s ‘This Lime Tree Bower My Prison,’ where the persona is blinded from feeling the beauty of nature by his resentment, describing how it had ‘dimmed mine eyes. ’ The superiority of those who recognise both the beauties and flaws of humanity can be seen through the higher positioning of the girl on the bed as the man sits on the floor, further highlighting the importance for ourselves to similarly do so. Through creating a parallel between the beginning and end of their relationship, Kruger demonstrates that despite the melancholy tones of the last scenes, the man has now achieved liberation by realising his own flaw as the pinnacle of their conflict, which as shown through the repetition of non-diegetic music, allows us to realise the cathartic release we can only achieve from recognising the dichotomised attributes of humanity. Although it is complex, the human condition can be simplified into several key aspects that act as the core of our existence, as outlined in the above texts. It can be seen that through creativity and imagination, humanity is able to reach a sense of self-actualisation which allows them to realise the basic flaws of their existence without overlooking its natural beauty.

Capital Budgeting for Equator Ltd

Equator Ltd. is looking at expanding its operations into manufacturing tablet computers. The company has two options to consider from, one being Plant A which is highly automated and the other being Plant B which is more labour intensive. The cash inflow and outflow for both the options have been analysed using capital budgeting techniques, the results of which are presented below: Both the options have favourable results where the NPV is positive, IRR is more than the cost of capital and the payback period is within the project period. However, the company should go ahead with Plant A as it has higher NPV and IRR. Even though Plant B has lower payback period, but for mutually exclusive projects, the project with highest NPV followed by IRR is selected. Hence the company should go for Plant A. The cost of capital considered here is 13.35% as this the WACC used by the Computer tablet industry and hence is a better discounting factor as it takes into account all the risks associated with this project. The fixed allocation cost has not been considered in the analysis as it is not an incremental cost. The increased working capital is assumed to be recovered at the end of the project life for both the projects. There is risk inherent in a project because no one can accurately predict the future outcomes. It is due to the variability of the future cash flows of the project. Market risk – the economic growth rate is assumed to 5.5% for the project and the sales have been projected on the economic growth rate basis. However, if the economic growth rate does not take as projected, the analysis of the investment may go wrong i.e. if the growth rate decreases, the sales will decrease and the NPV will reduce (Drake, NA) Also there is a risk of a change in the inflation rate. An increase in the inflation rate may increase the operating costs, thus making the project less profitable. Project specific risk – The management may predict wrong cash flows for the project. If the prediction goes wrong, then the whole investment may go for a toss. Industry specific risk – an abrupt change in the industry specific regulations may increase the industry specific risk. Also technological advancement in the industry may increase risks. Like if a better product comes in the market than tablet computers, the market for tablets will decrease, thus causing loss to the company (Dontigney, NA) Company specific risk – this risk may arise due to company specific factors like change in the management of the company, any strikes or lock outs by the employees which may disrupt the operations of the company and thus the revenue might be affected. Efficient Market Hypothesis is a proposition that the stock prices in the market perfectly reflect the true value of the firm from the available information. The theory believes that no investor can gain from identifying undervalued stocks using technical and fundamental analysis. Any new information available in the market about the stock is immediately adjusted in the stock price and hence the stocks become accurately priced. Therefore all investors whether uninformed or experts will obtain the same rate of return (Malkiel, 2003). Also the theory believes that if any trader identifies a undervalued or overvalued stock, this will motivate the trader to undertake trading in order to make abnormal profits and in the process the prices of the stock will move towards the its intrinsic value, making the stock price efficient which reflects its fundamental value. Intrinsic value of a share is the present value of cash flows in the form of dividends and the cash flow from the sale of stock . There are three forms of capital market efficiency i.e. weak efficiency, semi strong efficiency, strong form efficiency. Under the weak form efficiency, it is believed the stock prices fully reflect all the past information of the security. Thus an analyst cannot make gains using technical analysis as it is based on past prices. Under semi strong form efficiency, the stock prices fully reflect all public information about the stock. Hence, traders with access to non public information can make abnormal profits. Under strong form of efficiency, the markets are very efficient and quickly react to the new information to adjust stock prices thus making it impossible for any investor to make excess profits. Capital markets are channels through which the idle funds of a potential investor are put into effective use. A company can raise funds through equity or bonds in a capital market. A company generally raises funds in a capital market for long term projects. It is very convenient for the companies to raise funds if the capital markets are efficient because efficient capital markets ensure the funds flow to the highest valued projects. The stock prices at which the stocks would be issued is determined by the market and the market ensures that the stock prices fully reflect the fundamental value of future cash flows. Thus, if the project of Equator Limited promises to maximise the shareholder value, the future value of all cash flows would be incorporated into the stock prices at which the company would raise the new capital. Also efficient markets enable the company to focus on long term projects instead of short term because the funds are easily available from potential investors for high value long term projects (Jones, Netter, NA) We see that tablet computer is a growing industry and hence the outlook for this industry is good. This will help the company in attracting capital easily as the investors would be willing to invest in an industry which has high growth prospects (Dudley, Hubbard, 2004). And moreover since the company is already an established player in the computer market, these will double the ease with which it can raise the funds. Drake, P., (NA), Capital Budgeting and Risk, accessed online on 22 nd January, 2017, available at https://educ.jmu.edu/~drakepp/principles/module6/cbrisk Dontigney, E., (NA), What Factors Increase the Riskiness of a Capital Budgeting Project? accessed online on 22 nd January, 2017, available at https://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/factors-increase-riskiness-capital-budgeting-project-26421.html Malkiel, B.G., (2003), The Efficient Market Hypothesis and Its Critics, CEPS Working Paper No.91 Jones, S.L, Netter, J.M., (NA), Efficient Capital Markets, accessed online on 23 rd January, 2017, available at, https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc1/EfficientCapitalMarkets.html Dudley, W.C., Hubbard, R.G., (2004), How Capital Markets Enhance Economic Performance and Facilitate Job Creation, Global Market Institute, Goldman Sachs

Role of Rapid Economic Growth in Resolution of Social and Political Essay

Role of Rapid Economic Growth in Resolution of Social and Political Tensions Between China and India - Essay Example The existing social and political tensions have been addressed in cases where both China and India have shared the same level of interest in their economic relations (Mitter, 2008, p. 56). In cases where the two countries have differed in their social and political objectives which could be funded by their economic growths, the tension in the political and social sphere between China and India has aggravated. The two countries India and China have close cultural, social and political linkages for long time in the history. The review of the political and the social tensions between China and India have come at a time when these two countries have started to undergo a period of socio-economic transformation and have been eager to modify their political linkages in the best interest of their economic progress. Arguments and facts In this piece of work, I would argue rationally that the rapid economic growth rates of China and India have offered a new source of political and social tensi on and have also been able to address the existing tensions in the social and political relationship domain between the two countries. In order to understand the underlying reasons of the impacts of relative economic growth of China and India on the social and political tensions between the two countries, a review of the political and socio-economic structural differences between these two countries need to be explained as follows. India is the largest multi-party democracy which has pulled the demands of democracy and has been able to achieve modest growth in its economy. China on the other hand is the largest single party ruled economy. Due to the existence of a single party... This paper outlines the importance of strengthening economic cooperation between China and India in respect to resolution of their historical political and social tensions. Historically, the countries have enough linkages in the social and cultural domain and hence, the rapid economic growth of the two countries largely impacted the social and political tensions between the two countries. The rapid growth of economy of China has seen the country to dominate the Asian economy and take on the US to challenge its economic dominance. This has resulted in the growth of China and attained a commanding position in the Sino-Indian relationships. India made rapid progress to develop as a regional superpower in Asia and was looking to expand its strategic relationship with the East in order to be able to influence the social and political tensions with China. The social and political relations between China and India and the underlying social and political tensions is explained with the help of framework of international relations. Functionalism theory of international relations explain the fact as a result of the rise of the countries, China and India have been fighting for dominance while maintaining relations between them and this also took form of militarization. After the rapid growth of economy of the two countries, the society of both China and India have developed an increasing nationalist sentiment due to which the expectations from the government and the social demands from the economic policies are even higher.