Namaz Kit free essay sample

Namaz has been made compulsory for Muslims 5 times daily the five times  . Some things which are considered necessary before performing Namaz and also become the cultural norm of Pakistan are jaye namaz (prayer mat), tashbeeh, hijab, topi (prayer cap). Hijab and prayer cap are essential or religious obligation for namaz but prayer mat and tashbeeh are cultural norms of Pakistan. Here we will be discussing all of them in aspect of Pakistan: Jaye namaz The place of prayer is required to be free from dirt, as Muslims prostrate themselves during prayer with their hands, Knees, toes, forehead and nose coming into contact with the ground. To ensure this cleanliness Muslims use a small prayer mat for prayer. Structure/style: A prayer rug is characterized by a niche at one end, representing the place in every mosque, which directs or points the worshipper towards Mecca. The prayer mat is traditionally woven with a rectangular design, made asymmetrical by the niche at the head end. We will write a custom essay sample on Namaz Kit or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Within the rectangle one usually finds images of Islamic symbols and architecture. Decorations not only are important but also have a deep sense of value in the design of the prayer rug. When praying, the niche at the top of the mat must be pointed to the Islamic center for prayer, Mecca. In most tribal and village weavings the Jaye namaz is more angular in nature while the formal or city Jaye namaz can be very ornate and flowing in design. In the last 100 years is has become more common to see larger size Jaye namaz woven using the directional prayer rug motifs. Many jaye namaz also show one or more  mosque lamps, a reference to the Verse  in the  Qur’an. Specific  mosques  are sometimes shown; some of the most popular examples include the mosques in Mecca,  Medina, and especially  Jerusalem. Decorations not only play a role in imagery but serve the worshipper as aids to memory. Some of the examples include a comb and pitcher, which is a reminder for Muslims to wash their hands and for men to comb their hair before performing prayer. Another important use for decorations is to aid newly-converted Muslims by stitching decorative hands on the prayer mat where the hands should be placed when performing prayer. The size of jaye namaz are varying but the one mentioned a lot is: â€Å"  Typical prayer rug sizes are approximately 2. 5  ft ? 4  ft (0. 76  m ? 1. 2  m) 4  ft ? 6  ft (1. 2  m ? 1. 8  m). Purpose:-Although prayer mats to kneel on are not compulsory they are way of making sure you are kneeling on a clean space. Any mat will do but mats in Pakistan have geometrical design or pictures of famous mosques. They never have design including living things or representation of God, angels or the prophets. When not in use they are folded up and put away. Th ey not used for walking on as fireside rugs or general room decoration. Types of prayer mats by texture: Leather and wood: Despite from stone leather and wooden pieces are also used for prayer purpose in pakistan minorly. They are also shaped like stone. Leather is sometimes colored or preserved with vegetable oil. Wooden blocks are used for prayer and kept upright to wall after offering prayer. Wooden blocks are also colored. Stone: At the beginning when people didn’t find cloth or any other stuff to ensure cleanliness of their place they fixed a solid stone in the corner of the home. The stone is often 1. 5 meter long and rectangular in shape. Sometimes the front end of the stone crushed to make a pointed end. The stone may be plain or have devotional phrases impressed in its surface or the plain surface stone is discovered or made from big rocks. People cover them either with leaves or anything available to make sure cleanliness. â€Å"These plaques are periodically washed by their owners and, due to their propensity to dissolve, may be reconstituted by them. † If the stone is not solid it can be destructed with time so people usually discover solid stone or rebuild it after some time. Chitai: In pakistan there is trend of offering prayer with in group called jammat behind the imam. chitai or mat rolls are laid on the ground and Muslim stand side by side to offer prayer. These mat rolls are made from grass, date leaves or now a days plastic. Mat rolls are long carpets of rectangular shape with mihrab printed on them. These mihrabs are individually like prayer mat or the jaye namaz but collectively they form a chitai. Some chitai are also made for individual purpose. Wooden beds: Small wooden beds are made for namaz offering purpose. These are same like normal beds. The Prayer stand on the backend of the bed facing back of bed. In Islam when Muslim is offering prayer if somebody passes in front of him his namaz will be considered makruh so small hurdles are placed in front of namazi. To compete this problem these wooden beds were introduced because namazi will be facing the back of the bed and any one can pass easily in front of namazi and no extra hurdle need to be placed. Carpet stuff: Now a day’s most common used for jaye namaz purpose is carpet stuff. Weavers make prayer mats from wool, camel fur, goat hair and silk. They wash and dye the materials, then them for six weeks before weaving. They choose materials for their strength and durability; many prayer mats last several generations. Weavers dye the wool with vegetable pigments from recipes handed down from generation to generation. Weavers decorate prayer mats with geometric designs and small stylized flowers and plants because Islam forbids any idolization. Detailed geometric borders with plain centers are featured in plain prayer mat designs, but many are far more lavish. They feature stylized flower motifs and geometric patterns in borders and forming the mihrab. The mihrab is the place where the Muslim places his head when he is kneeling in prayer. It represents the doorway of the revered sacred mosque in Mecca. Tribes and villagers often make mats famous for their floral designs, and many old prayer mats are valuable collectors items. Hijab If we look at the meaning of the word Hijab in the dictionary we learn that the word means veil, screen, covering or curtain. Hijab literally means â€Å"screen†, â€Å"curtain†, â€Å"partition† and â€Å"concealment. † In the verb form, it means â€Å"to conceal oneself† or â€Å"hide from the view. † In the Shari‘a, it means to cover, conceal or hide oneself from view of those men with whom marriage is or may become permissible. Hijab for both men and women: The Hadith also includes rules for dressing. Both men and women are directed to cover themselves when they are in public areas. For men, following hijab means that the body should be covered at a minimum from the navel to the knees in loose, opaque clothing. Some interpretations of the Hadith suggest that the covering should be longer, from the navel to the ankles. All agree that the modest covering should be worn at all times, including prayer. Types of Hijab: Some Muslims interpret hijab as a minimal covering of the face and body, while others believe that hijab requires a complete securement of the entire body in opaque garments. More strict interpretations of hijab include an understanding that the face should be covered as well. Square scarf: The most commonly worn is a square scarf that covers the head and neck but leaves the face clear. Al-Amira: The al-amira is a two piece veil. It consists of a close fitting cap and an accompanying scarf. Shayla: The shayla is a long, rectangular scarf. It is wrapped around the head and tucked or pinned in place. Khimar: The Khimar is a cap-like veil that hangs down to just down the waist. It covers the hairs, neck and shoulders completely, but leaves the face clear. Chador: The chador is a full body cloak. It is often accompanied by a smaller headscarf underneath. Chador is mostly viewed in rural areas of balochistan and Punjab. Nikab: The Nikab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear. It is the most common type of hijab practiced in Pakistan. Burqa: The Burqa is the most concealing of all Islamic veils. It covers entire face and the body. Burqa is practiced mostly in kpk. Tasbeeh Tasbeeh? in its literary meaning is Glorification?. The Holy Qur? aan says, â€Å"Whatever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah S. W. T. † I would like to share some knowledge in regard to realities of Tasbeeh. In order to understand the origins, significance, and importance of Tasbeeh e Fatima (S. A). Tasbeeh  ( ) is a form of  dhikr  that involves the repetitive utterances of short sentences glorifying  God, in  Islam. To keep track of counting either the  phalanges  of the right hand or a  misbaha  is used. The tasbih is similar to the  prayer rope  of the  Eastern Church  and the  rosary  in the  Roman Catholic Church. It is stated that one who recites this Tasbeeh after Namaaz gets the Sawaab of one thousand Rak? at. Imaam Ja? afer Saadiq A. S. aid that whoever is punctual in reciting this Tasbeeh shall never become one amongst the unfortunates. Tasbeeh is taken as reciting God’s name on beads. It’s also called Tasbeeh Fatima(Ra), since there is a hadees that he advised her so. People normally use a 100 bead Tasbeeh, but some use a 1000 one. Some do on millions of seeds or grain. They keep uttering some Arabic words without knowing the mean ing, lips moving and fingers on beads and think it is a great obedience. It’s not only Muslims, other religions also have adopted this practice, or vice versa. . But Tasbeeh means to perform as ordered or to obey God. Everything, living or material is doing tasbeeh, means doing their assigned jobs. â€Å"Tasbeeh  of Allah ( ? )  is to declare His perfection and to glorify Him  by removing any fault, deficiency, weakness or similarity to creation  from Him. † â€Å"Whatever is in the heavens and earth exalts Allah , and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise. † [Al-Quran-Surat Al-Hadid  (The Iron):01]  Ã¢â‚¬ . Structure and Style: Tasbih are most commonly made of various stones or wooden  bead, but also of olive seeds, ivory, amber, pearls or plastic. Stone beads (mineral and animal based) are made of; carnelian, amber, tortoiseshell, glass, meerschaum, ivory, pearl, coral, coconut, pebble, mother of-pearl, jade, rhino horn, etc. whereas wooden beads are made of; ebony, agalloch, rosewood, olive wood, etc. Besides 99 beads, tasbih also consists of: the nisane, a disc which separates each 33 beads, the pul, a small bead that marks the seventh position, the tassel, which is a long piece marking the beginning of the string, and the tepelik at the top of the tassel. In 33 bead tasbih, nisane separates 11 beads and there is no pul. . Method of Tasbeeh: Two methods of keeping count of Tasbeeh are generally employed. They are: 1) Tasbeeh or Rosary 2) Joints of the fingers Canonical form Tasbih of Fatima: 1. SubhanAllah  ( ) (Glory be to  Allah) – repeated 33 times. 2. Alhamdulillah  ( ) (Praise be to  Allah) – repeated 33 times. 3. Allahuakbar  ( ) (Allah  is the Greatest) – repeated 34 times. 4. †Å"Laa Ilaaha Illallaah† once. †. Benefits of Tasbih: There are many benefits of a taseeh, if one seriously recites it, it will give incredible outcomes both in this world and the hereafter. Some of the advantages of tasbeeh e Fatima includes increase in sustenance, deliverance from misfortunes, forgiveness of one’s sins, one becomes worthy of paradise, protection from tragedies and one receives gift from the angels. One should recite this tasbeeh after every prayer and before going to sleep. One can also recite a tasbeeh of astaghfirullah to seek forgiveness from the Lord. It is highly recommended to recite the tasbeeh of seeking forgiveness from Allah. Some common ways of remembering Allah after prayers is also highly recommended. Authentic Hades states that one who is regular reciter of this tasbeeh shall be considered the one who has remembered Allah S. W. T. the most. Imam Muhammad Baqir A. S. said that Whoever recites this Tasbeeh and at the end beseeches Allah S. W. T. for forgiveness he shall be surely forgiven. Numerically there are only one hundred holy words but in the scale of Deeds it will be considered to be one thousand. This Tasbeeh-e-Fatima Zahra S. A. keeps Shaytaan away from us and makes our Creator to be pleased with us. Imaam Ja? afer Saadiq A. S. aid that whoever recites this Tasbeeh after Wajib Namaaz his/her sins shall be forgiven even Before he/she steps out of the place of prayers and shall be rewarded Jannat. He also said it to be better than a thousand Rak at prayers. Namaz is like a beautiful flower while Tasbeeh-e-Fatima S. A. is a fragrance to that flower†. Critical Analysis Is namaz kit necessary for Namaz? Not necessarily jaye namaz and tashbeeh â€Å"The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said in hadith that all place of prayer for him and his people may pray anywhere they find themselves at times of prayer†. Prayer rugs are not universally used by Muslims, nor specifically required in Islam. But they have become a traditional way for many Pakistanis to ensure the cleanliness of their place of prayer, and to create an isolated space to concentrate in prayer. Same for tashbeeh which is also not necessary for performing namaz but become a traditional part of Pakistani culture to perform tashbeeh. Apart from jaye namaz and tashbeeh hijab is necessary obligation to perform because namaz and here we are taking hijab for covering face and all body except hand, feet and face. It is also necessary to fold jaye namaz in proper manner that the head side of jaye namaz never come on foot side if it do it is considered a disrespectful thing, Many muftis are saying don’t read namaz on the jaye namaz with khana kabha or masjid print on it, better hang that on wall as decoration and read namaz on plain jay e namaz, because years gone people read namaz on the jay e namaz got khana kabha on it so it’s difficult to tell all the only way is if they don’t print them, they can make and sell wall hanging more wide and the jaye namaz simple. The reason the Ulema have said you shouldnt pray on a jay namaz with a masjid on it is on the basis of respect. You can read on it however you must make sure that your feet don’t be placed on top of the masjid otherwise you will get gunnah. same case is with tashbeeh and hijab don’t make tashbeeh and hijab with printed scared palces because can often break and beads of it may roll in our feet and we will earn gunnah. Hijab also have restriction because the girl wearing hijab may torn,lose or wear that printed hijab in uncleanliness time. There has been much debate over hijab in the Muslim and non-Muslim world. Some critics feel that hijab is very restrictive for women, while some Muslim women say they actually feel more comfortable in hijab. Does Islamic dress imply that women are submissive or inferior to men? Modest clothing is worn in obedience to our Creator and has nothing to do with submission to men. Hijab is actually the purity of human being and the soul as well. In Quran, Allah says: â€Å" And when you ask them( the Prophet’s wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen, that is purer for your hearts and their hearts. † Quran (33:53) Hijab is reffered as a shield according to one hadith. The Prophet (S. A. W. W. ) says: â€Å" Allah , most high, He loves Haya and sittr†(Abu Dawod, An-Nissaee) At another time, The Prophet (S. A. W. W. ) says: Each religion has morality and the morality of islam is Haya† (Imam Maalik) Some women argue that modesty is a state of mind and has nothing to do with clothing. When talking about modesty we should talk about the purpose of clothing. Modesty is also humility. A modest woman is a humble woman and in a way our clothes should reflect that. When I want respect I act like I deserve that respect and I dress like it too. Dressing for pleasure of Almighty Allah. What is written in the Qur’an and in hadiths cannot be deniedthat Muslim women must cover up. Woman, as taught by Islam since the light of Prophethood, is a precious and most valuable treasure of this world. She is to be protected, honoured and valued. Like a precious stone, her beauty should be respected, hidden in security and safety so as not to be abused by unworthy eyes. Hijab is empowerment for the Muslim woman. It is her right to preserve her modesty, to guard herself from the corruption of society. The veil or Hijab is that distinctive symbol which identifies her as a woman of God; humble, modest.. When discussing Hijab, the question often arises; why is emphasis for covering up placed upon the women instead of the men? Firstly, it should be noted that men definitely have a degree of Hijab to observe. In addition to modest clothing and following the ways of the noble Sunnah, men must also lower their gaze and protect themselves from their desires in regards to women. This is commanded upon them in the Qur’anic verse: â€Å"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them. And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. [Qur’an 24:30] The first glance is allowed however the second glance is not. This means that a man may look once but he should then turn away: The Beloved Messenger of Allah said to his cousin Sayyidina Ali,â€Å"O Ali, do not follow a glance with another, for you will be forgiven for the first, but not for the second. †[Tirmidhi, Hadith no. 2701] Men must lowe r their gaze and avoid looking at women at all times, except for sound and legitimate purposes, namely testimony, medical treatment, proposing marriage, buying a slave girl, buying and selling, etc. In these cases it is permitted to look only as much as is necessary and no more. And Allah knows best. Y tashbeeh is important to held person can recite tashbeeh without tashbeeh? The most obvious reason is remembrance. When person are sitting alone or in gathering they kept on randomly thinking or gossiping respectively but if they are holding a tashbeeh they might use it in a productive way. Conclusion People of Pakistan respect namaz kit as sacred thing an place them on clean or high place. They are not just considered to perform their primary obligation instead they are considered itself as a part of the obligation which is not necessary. They also wash them carefully and separately. It is disrespectful for one to place a namaz kit in a dirty location or throw them around in a disrespectful manner. Manufacturing namaz kit is important industry in pakistan and pakistan also export namaz kit to other muslim countries including Saudi Arabia. Pakistani also buy jaye namaz, tashbeeh and hijab from Saudi Arabia when they go there to perform Hajj or Umra. They use these by their own and also gift to their relatives. The Hijab is a protection and for of purity for both genders and is ruled according to the nature of each. Since woman is made naturally soft-hearted, modest and humble, she is asked to cover up and protect herself; and since man is created weak, he is taught to exercise self-restraint. If both genders fulfil their individual duties, their faith is protected and their purity is preserved. Women should not be the moon which everyone sees uncovered, but women should be the sun which makes everyone eyes bow down before seeing it. Let not the opinions of man interfere with the directions given to you by Allah. Precious things are always kept covered for their protection muslimahs are the pearls of this ummah and that’s why we’ve been gifted hijab Bibliography 1. Voice of System  By Ahmed Hulusi page no 18 publishing year 1999 published by Kitsan, Istanbul,Turkey 2. Pakistan Kit by Cornell University South Asia Program page no 40 3. http://www. prayerrugs. com/ accessed on 7th May, 2013 4. Islam by Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood page no 56 publishing year 1995 publishing house Maetu cromo Spain 5. http://www. tradekey. com. pk/prayer-mats. htm acessed on 4th May ,2013 6. Photopack Artefacts for Worship By Gill Rose, David Rose page no 68 publishing year2003 published by Folens Limited,Itlay 7. ttp://www. ignitumtoday. com/2012/06/06/lets-have-a-talk/, access date: 16th May,2013 8. http://baharemadinah. com/basics-of-religion/128-modesty-and-the-hijab, access date: 16th May,2013 9. Muhammad ismail memon madani (September 28th 1996), hijab The Islamic Commandments of Hijab, access date: 17th May,2013 10. Abdul Aziz Addwesh , The hijab of muslim women [ PDF document], Retrieved http://www. sunniport. com/masabih/showthread. php? t=78 83 11. from: http://www. sultan. org/books/hijab. pdf , access date: 19th May,2013 12. Abu Awwad (oct,2007) , The Hijab [ PPT document], Retrieved from: http://www. slideshare. net/moh12/the-hijab-why, access date: 6th May,2013 13. David Ripley (2010), Headscarves [ PPT document], Retrieved from: http://www. slideshare. net , access date: 10th May,2013 14. http://www. sunniforum. com/forum/showthread. php? 12573-Tasbih-for-Fatima-Az-Zahra-(ra) ,access date: 16th May,2013 15. http://www. 123muslim. com/hadith/5773-collection-various-forms-dhikr-tasbih-sunnah. html 16. Mufti Muhammad Faiz Ahmed Owaisi Damat Barkat-u-hum-Aalia,tasbeeh ki raye, Retrieved from: http://www. ultan. org/books/hijab. pdf , access date: 25th March,2013 17. Photopack Artefacts for Worship By Gill Rose Retrieved from: http://www. sultan. org/books/hijab. pdf , access date: 17th March,2013 [ 1 ]. Voice of System  By Ahmed Hulusi [ 2 ]. Pakistan Kit by Cornell University South Asia Program [ 3 ]. http://www. prayerrugs. com/ [ 4 ]. http://www. loupiote. com/photos/3728069433. shtml [ 5 ]. Islam by Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood [ 6 ]. http://www. tradekey. com. pk/prayer-mats. htm [ 7 ]. Al Mawrid:- A Modern Arabic English Dictionary, 1992 p. 453 [ 8 ]. David Ripley (2010), Headscarves [ PPT document], Retrieved from: http://www. slideshare. net [ 9 ]. Photopack Artefacts for Worship By Gill Rose [ 10 ]. Photopack Artefacts for Worship By Gill Rose [ 11 ]. Photopack Artefacts for Worship By Gill Rose [ 12 ]. Photopack Artefacts for Worship By Gill Rose [ 13 ]. Photopack Artefacts for Worship By Gill Rose [ 14 ]. http://www. ignitumtoday. com/2012/06/06/lets-have-a-talk/ [ 15 ]. http://baharemadinah. com/basics-of-religion/128-modesty-and-the-hijab

Where Should I Take the SAT

Where Should I Take the SAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While you're doing a lot to prepare for the SAT, you probably haven't given that much thought to the physical location of your test. However, that location could definitely affect your performance. Think about it – have you ever had to take a test in a cramped classroom or in room without air conditioning? It probably didn’t exactly help your performance. So why would you take the SAT in sub-optimal conditions? Read our guide to choosing the best possible test location so you can do as well as possible. Two Search Methods Before we worry about choosing locations, you have to find out what those locations are. We will go over two methods to finding SAT locations – one that’s easy to use but less informative, and one that’s harder to use but contains more info. Method One: College Board’s Test Center Search College Board’s Test Center Search lets you look up test centers by state or by city. Depending on where you live, this may give you all you need to know. The Test Center Search page allows you to search for SAT locations by state and city. Image via College Board. For example, I’m from Utah. In the entire state, there are just nine testing locations for the next SAT, mostly at area colleges. So just seeing these nine locations will give me all I need to know. Likely any student in Utah will have just one or possibly two options based on location. Some of Utah's nine SAT locations. Image via College Board. However, if you live in a state like Massachusetts with dozens of potential test sites, you may want to do a more fine-grained search. You can search by city, but remember to look up towns and suburbs near to you to see the most options. If you’re in a state with tons of choices, the second search method, which allows you to look by zip code, will likely be easiest†¦ Method Two: Begin to Register for the SAT For whatever reason, College Board’s test location search within its registration process is more informative than its basic test search option. So to get access to the most efficient SAT location search, you have to go through the SAT registration system. Move through College Board's SAT registration process until you get to step 3, "Select Test Center." Image via College Board. You can enter your zip code (rather than search by only city or state) and see the options closest to you, including neighboring cities. This is much more efficient if you there are a lot of potential test sites near you. Image via College Board. You can also see who still has seats available for the test, which is important info if you know you need to register soon. You don't have to complete the registration to use the search tool. Also, live close to a state line? Consider options over the border, especially if rules/laws are different (some states require scores be reported to talent searches). Choosing a Test Site Now that you know how to search for a test center, you probably fall into one of two camps. In the first camp, let’s call it the Utah camp, your test location is entirely determined by proximity. This means that you have only one or two options based on where you live, so unfortunately you can’t optimize your test center beyond location. But if you’re in the second camp, let's call it the Massachusetts camp, you have many choices. So how do you make sure you pick the best possible test center? Your choice of test location depends on a few important factors, which we will cover in order of importance. How Far Do You Have to Travel? Basically, the closer you live to a test center, the better. You don’t want to risk having a morning-of traffic or weather crisis. Many students test at their high school if they can, but if you live far away from your high school, it might actually be better to see if there is a location closer to your home. Also consider that parking and drop-off around the center is likely going to be congested on the morning of the test, and plan accordingly. Add at least 10 minutes onto predicted travel time to account for this. Are You Familiar With the Test Site? Once you’re inside the center, you’ll be less stressed if you know how to get around. For example, if you’re testing in your own high school, even if you’re headed to a room you’ve never had a class in, you’ll likely be able to find it easily. However, if you’re in a university building and have to go looking for the room, or take a wrong turn, that could add unnecessary stress the morning of the SAT. If you’re heading to a new building on test day, either scope it out before test day or arrive early to give you ample time to get to your test room. Getting lost and ending up in a lonely hallway that looks like something out of The Shining probably won't help your test day jitters. Who's Going to Be There? Don't just think about where you're taking the SAT. Think about who is going to be there, too. If you’re taking the SAT at your high school or at a location with students from your high school, that could be good or bad, depending on your personality. Will seeing friends or classmates relax you, or stress you out? For some students, seeing their friends could help calm them down. Seeing familiar faces and having a moment to joke around before the test could alleviate stress. But for others, seeing their classmates could remind them of their competition for college and make them more stressed. Or seeing friends could be more distracting than helpful. There’s no right answer here. Just take your personal preferences into account. If you know that having your friends around will help, don’t worry about heading to your local high school. If you think it will be stressful for you, consider going to a test center more out of the way so you can focus better on the test. Any Test Center Problems? You should also consider some of the more nitty-gritty details of the testing center before making your choice. There are many factors that could make the test center itself good or bad. Are there windows in the test rooms? For some students, sitting by a window is distracting. For others, being in a windowless room feels suffocating. Are there heating/cooling issues? Taking a test in the sweltering June heat without A.C. would be miserable, but so would taking it in a freezing room in November. If you’re signed up for a winter or summer test date, in particular, make sure you’re in a room with decent temperature control. Any there issues like nearby construction? For example, if there is a noisy construction project going on by your high school, you might elect to go to farther location to make sure your test center will be quiet. Finally, think about desk size. Generally, the more space, the better, because you’ll be balancing the test book and the answer sheet. This can be tricky on those tiny desks some college rooms have. If you’re sensitive about your work space, try and sneak a peak at the test room before you sign up. Should I Just Test at My High School? After reading through all these possible factors, you might be thinking you should just test at your high school, since you know the most about it. For many students, this is a great option. Make sure to consider the following factors, though. Will familiar faces distract you? Like we discussed above, for some students, seeing friends and classmates on test day can be stressful. If you would prefer to be with a crowd of strangers, look into different locations. Is there a closer location you could go? Keep in mind the Saturday morning SAT commute is typically earlier than your high school commute. There might be unexpected traffic and parking issues at the school. If your high school is a ways away, see if there are closer testing locations. Are there known issues with your high school, like small desks or a nearby construction project? If anything about your high school is distracting for you, think about other locations. Finally, do you tend to lose focus in environments you’re used to? Some people prefer the â€Å"blank slate† environment of a new testing center. Others like being in familiar environments for stressful, high-stakes testing. If none of the above are true, your high school could be the best option since you’re familiar with the location. You’ll be less likely to run into morning-of problems simply because you know the building well. Other Tips Be aware of test center closings. Sometimes College Board has to close test centers due to weather or other reasons. Check your email carefully in the weeks and days leading up to the test in case something happens to your location. Drive to the testing location before the morning of the test if you’ve never been there. Make sure the route you’re using (or the route Google Maps is telling you to use) is accurate and gets you there. You don’t want to risk getting lost the morning before the test. If you have a long drive the morning of, pack breakfast with you to save time. You can also listen to music in the car (relaxing music if you need to calm down, pump-up music if you want to get amped) or review some notes to get your brain in gear. (But don't review notes if you're the one driving!) Finally, recognize you can change your location after registering, but there’s a $28 fee and locations fill up the closer you get to the test. What’s Next? Not feeling 100% ready for the SAT yet? Consider reading our guide to a 1600 by our full scorer. Even if you’re not going for a perfect score, the skills described in this post will help you in your last studying push. We also recommend doing full SAT practice tests, with strict timing, to get used to SAT pacing and help build your stamina. Get access to free, official online practice tests here. Curious about what else you should do the morning of the test? Get our advice on the best routine. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Canadian history pre-confederation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Canadian history pre-confederation - Essay Example The treaties sought to create peace between the British and the Aboriginal people in the country thus making the country easy to exploit for the British colonial masters and conducive for the habitation of the aboriginals as the discussion below portrays. Between 1700 and 1867, Canada survived on a series of treaties that earned segmented peace to the country and its inhabitants thus enhancing the existence of the various people who occupied the land1. Key among the treaties in pre confederation Canada was the Niagara treaty signed in 1764, the Selkirk treaty in 1817 and bind head treaties of 1836 among many others. A treaty refers to an agreement between two parties involved in a conflict. The agreement provides effective structures for the resolution of a conflict by safeguarding the interests of all the conflicting parties. This explains the numerous treaties signed in pre confederation Canada. The country had numerous inhabitants al of who felt entitled to the land and its resources. This often led to wars and conflicts such as the 1812 war. Such sectarian wars were obvious portrayal of the conflicts in the country as the various inhabitants fought for the resources. The creation of the numerous treaties within such short periods was a portrayal of the weaknesses of the treaties. Treaties are always contemporary and seek to provide short-term resolutions to the prevailing conflicts. As such, the treaties provided short-term ways of sharing the resources among two or more conflicting societies but the parties often rescinded the treaties in case their interests faltered. Signed in 1817, Selkirk treaty was one of the treaties that lasted the shortest in pre confederation Canada. Thomas Selkirk, a British aristocrat wanted to create a colony by purchasing a vast land previously owned by the Hudson Bay Company. The land extended into areas occupied by the Cree and Chippewa nations.

Accounting assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accounting assessment - Essay Example Therefore, Direct Labor Hours Rate (DLHR) is preferred for use in calculation the full cost of production. Costs based on DLH solely depends on how human labor is handled hence to improve on such costs, the direct human labor must be accorded the welfare it deserves so that they are efficient in their operations. Costs based on machine hours on the other hand can be managed based on how efficient and effective the machines are allowed to operate hence reducing the costs or making them manageable. If these costs are not improved, they may inflate cutting into the returns of the operations. a. It is not possible to classify all costs in either an organization as fixed or variable costs. This is because depending on the context in which the resource is used, there are many costs, which display a multitude of cost behavior (Bhimani 2012). Hence, the categorization of a cost is dependent on the assumptions made by the analyst. b. Fixed costs are costs, which remain constant irrespective of the activity level while variable costs will often change depending on the level of activity (Bhimani 2012). The classification of any of the above costs wrongly will mean that the costs calculations by the organization will be based on wrong data. This may in turn lead to wrong decisions being made by the management, which is detrimental to the operations of the organization. c. Contribution and profits are majorly different most so when they are taken from the income statement due to two major reasons. One, cost of goods sold may include both fixed and variable costs while the calculation of contribution is only based on sales revenue minus variable costs. Secondly, the calculation of contribution should include both selling and administration expenses which in the case of the income statement they come after gross margin

Alternative energy source Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alternative energy source - Research Paper Example Hydroelectric power technology is currently the least expensive source of electrical power. Moreover, it is much cleaner as opposed to the power that is generated using fossil fuels. Water that is flowing, and falling has potential energy whereby hydropower is generated by converting energy into the flowing water using a waterwheel or via a turbine into practicable mechanical energy (International Renewable Energy Agency, 7). Water potential energy could be used directly without converting it because of the different in elevation-diverted water through pipelines to supply the water in the day-to-day usage. The research paper is focused on first examining a brief background overview of hydropower technology in the world and how the technology has evolved over time. Then it will be followed by discussing the history overview of the technology. The description of the technology will briefly be discussed while examining the current state of the technology. Hydropower technology is the most flexible and coherent renewable energy resource, which is capable of meeting primary load electricity necessities. In addition, with pumped storage technology, it is capable of meeting peak and unexpected demand because of the shortage or the use of sporadic power sources. According to Gatte and Kadhim, researchers have conservatively estimated that only one-third of the total world’s capacity of the hydroelectricity power has been developed, with most of this growth and development been seen occurring in Europe (96). Hydropower is produced from water that is moving in the hydrological cycle that is driven by solar radiation. The potential energy embedded in this cycle is thus enormous; however, only a very limited amount can be technically developed. It is the water flow in rivers, which can be used in generating hydropower, or more specific, the energy of water, which is moving from

Capital structure

Capital structure Does capital structure affect firm value? Hypothesis: H0 : There is no a significant relationship between capital structure and their total market value in the stock exchange Thailand. H1: There is a significant relationship between capital structure and their total market value in the stock exchange Thailand. Research question Are there any optimal capital structure of firms in stock exchange Thailand and to examine for the relationship between capital structure and company value. Does capital structure affect firm value? An empirical analysis of firms listed in energy and utilities sector in stock exchange Thailand (SET) 1.Introduction 1.1 Background of study Capital structure plays an important role in financial management of the company. Every firms can mix of debt and equity in different way in order to increase the wealth of ordinary shareholder. There are several type of debt and equity such as common share, preference share ,hybrids ,convertible bonds and so on. Therefore the firms can raise debt and equity finance in countless combination because they need to find the best combination that minimize the weigh average cost of capital and to achieve the objective of management is to maximize the firm value. Basically better management can increase the shareholders wealth by considering the investment project with optimal gearing ratio. From that point of view nevertheless the positive investment project increase the wealth of shareholder , the financial decision is also the key to prospect company future. Groth and Anderson (1997)stated that â€Å"understanding capital structure and its practical implications is important to the professional manager regardless of functional area of expertise. The seminal work in the area of capital structure earned the researchers Nobel Prizes†. Therefore the financial managers would have a duty to determine which debt and equity are used in the capital structure could increase wealth. Typically each company is seeking for profitability by use any strategies that can bring down low cost and gain the company return and value for the operating side. In additional to the financial side is to get the efficiency combination of debt and equity because it reduces the cost of capital. However there are several debates for which capital structure do effect the company value. Is it possible to increase shareholder wealth by changing the gearing ratio or level? How can we find an optimal capital structure? Hence, in this paper will mostly discuss the literature reviews and the research methodology for answering that question. 1.2 Statement of problem Over the past decades, there have been a large number of theoretical and empirical studies appeared. The first famous theory that has been issued by Modigliani and Millers in 1958 was known as proposition 1mention that where the firms are running in the same type of business at the same particular operating risks their capital structure is irrelevant to shareholder wealth. Therefore the firm must have the same total value and they can issue any mix of fund. However the proposition 1 is based on the perfection of capital market and ignore tax , the costs of bankruptancy, financial distress and so on but in the real situation the market is seem to be imperfect. Myer(2001) argued that capital structure theory depend on some circumstances . Each theory can give us the different result regard the cost and benefits from financial strategies. This study will therefore answer the question to what extend different theories of capital structure can identify the impact on the company value in stock exchange Thailand market and are there any relationship between the capital structure and the financial performance of the company. 2. Literature Review 2.1 Modiglini and Miler Theory of capital structure Nowadays most of literature review and article have examined and expanded from the famous theory of Modiglini and Miller theory of capital structure. Start with the theory published in 1958 under assumption that in a perfect market the value of the firm is unaffected by its choice of capital structure. Therefore the total value of the firm is stable regardless of debt to equity ratio. To give support under this assumption imagine that two firm with the same operation of business but different in capital structure. Where firm U is unlevered ,the total value of its equity (EU) is the same as the total value of the firm (VU) . Additionally where the firm L is levered, thus the total value of the firm L is equal to the value of the debt less value of the equity of the firm L. As a result the total value for both company will be the same. Because Modiglini and Miler (1958) believe that when there are no taxes and capital markets function well , it makes no different whether the firm should borrow or individual shareholders should borrow . The market value of a company does not depend on its capital structure. They proved the assumption by represent that the arbitrage opportunity would emerge if the total value of the firm relevant to capital structure. The arbitrage should not be in the practical and real situation. The proposition 1 can be illustrated as VL = VU or Value of the levered firm = Value of unlevered firm In order to prove that their proposition (1958) was viable , They make assumption that there are no tax and transaction cost exist in the market. Individual and corporation can borrow at the same rate. However there are a large number of articles argued with his article because it seems to be unrealistic. Thus, in 1963 Modiglini and Miller published second literature which is known as preposition 2 to modify and fix proposition 1 by considering the corporation tax. It stated that the expected rate of return on the common stock of a levered firm increases in proportion to the debt-equity ratio. While proposition 1 says that financial leverage has no effect on shareholder wealth. In contrast to proposition 2 says that the expected rate of return increases as the firms debt to equity ration increases. This means that when the debt-equity ratio increases the risk is also increases and therefore shareholders expect the high rate of return according to the level of risk they face. Hence, the firm can take benefit as levered firm rather than keep the status as unlevered firm because the corporation can deduct interest payment as an expense but dividend payment are non deductible. As Modiglini and Miller theory stated that the optimal capital structure will exist where the cost of capital or weigh average cost of capital (WACC) minimize and the total market value of the firm maximize. Modiglini and Miller theory with tax illustrated that gearing up by raising debt finance rather than equity finance reduces the WACC and the value of the firm rise. Finally an optimal capital structure does exist at point where debt is 100% The proposition 2 can formulate as: Value of levered firm = Value of un-levered firm + Value of tax saving It is used under assumptions that there is corporation tax in the market but without transaction cost exists. The individual and corporation can still borrow money at the same rate. Therefore the best of capital structure should be 100% debt finance because of tax deductible on interest. Under criticism of theory there are a great amount of articles expanded due to can not used in the real world. 2.2 Trade off Theory of capital structure The trade off theory explains the idea how the firm chooses to raise equity and debt finance by balancing the costs and benefits. Brealey and Myer (2008) presented that each firm should set their own target debt ratio which is vary from firm to firm. The firms with safe tangible asset and plenty of taxable income to shield ought to have high target ratio. Unprofitable companies with risky intangible assets ought to rely primarily on equity financing. Trade off theory has been used widely for study corporate of capital structure because it justify the fact that to raise part of debt finance the company obtain benefit from tax saving nevertheless the firm face with the cost of capital such as cost of financial distress including bankruptcy cost and financial distress without bankruptcy mostly related to customers and suppliers because they are extra cautious about for the firm that may not be around for long. Potential employee leaving or difficult to recruit is also costly for financial distress. In addition to the firm increase gearing result in an increased level of financial risk. So that the shareholder require higher expected return in order to compensate that financial risk. However there are several articles has been question about the relevance of trade off theory. Brealey and Myer (2008) stated that the trade off theory of capital structure can explain how company actually behave because this theory successfully explains many industry differences in capital structure. High technology growth companies whose asset are risky and mostly intangible normally use relatively little debt. Graham and Harvey(2001) pointed out that Airlines can and do borrow heavily because their assets are tangible and relatively safe. There is some evidence that in contrast to the trade off theory of capital structure in real life that the most profitable companies commonly borrow the least (Ward ,1999). Because under this theory it stated that high profits should mean more debt capacity and more tax saving as a result give a higher target debt ratio. 2.3 Bankruptcy cost Corporate bankruptcies concept does exist when stock holders exercise their right to default. Where the firm is coping with the problem but the limited liabilities allows stockholders to diminish and leaving all trouble to their creditor. The former creditors then become the new stockholders and the previous stockholder left with nothing (Brealey and Myer 2008) Warner (1977) classify two type of bankruptcy costs which are direct and indirect. Direct costs include lawyers fee , accountants fee and the value of the managerial time spent in administering the bankruptcy cost. Indirect costs include lost sales, lost profits and possibly the inability of the firm to obtain credit or to issue securities except under especially onerous terms. He did the research by investigate 11 railroads to seek the relationship between bankruptcy costs and the market value of the firm. The evidence shows that while the higher market value railroads generally did incur higher bankruptcy cost, the cost do not appear to be directly proportional to market value. While Warner supported the direct bankruptcy cost, Baxter(1967) introduced the indirect bankruptcy cost. He developed optimal capital structure models which incorporated bankruptcy cost. These model show that the value of a firm is maximized by increasing the level of debt financing to a point where the marginal present value benefit of the tax shied equal the marginal present value of the cost of bankruptcy. Extentions of the Modigliani-Miller theory have been provided by many researchers. Titman(1984) refers the idea of indirect bankruptcy cost . He argues that stakeholders not represented at the bankruptcy bargaining table, such as customers, can suffer material costs resulting from the bankruptcy. He shows that the bankruptcy status may occur according to the firm ‘s liquidation decision. He pointed out that the firms end up with the cost that can impose on their customers, suppliers and workers by liquidating are relevant to their capital structure decision. Titman and Wassels (1988) refer there are plenty of authors have suggested that leverage ratio may be related to the firm size. They proved that direct bankruptcy costs seem to constitute a larger proportion of a firms value as that value decreases. The large firm tends to be more diversified and less prone to bankruptcy. As a result , large firm should be more highly leverages 2.4 The Pecking order Theory There is an argument that there is not necessary to find an optimal capital structure through the theory. Therefore the pecking order Theory refer to the idea that the investment is financed first with internal funds, reinvested earnings primarily and then by new issues of debt and finally with new issues of equity. New equity issue are a last resort when the company runs out of debt capacity. (Brealey and Myer 2008) In contrast to the static trade off theory Myers(1984) summarizes the concept of pecking order theory as follow: 1. Firms prefer internal finance. 2. They adapt their target dividend payout ratios to their investment opportunities, while trying to avoid sudden changes in dividends. 3. Sticky dividend policies, plus unpredictable fluctuations in profitability and investment opportunities mean that internally generated cash flow may be more or less than investment outlay . If it is less,the firm first draw down the cash balance or marketable securities. 4. If external finance is required, firms issue the safest security first. That is ,they start with debt,then possibly hybrid securities such as convertible bonds,then perhaps equity as a last resort. Base on the theory,there is no well-defined target debt-equity mix because there are two kinds of equity,internal and external,one at the top of pecking order and one at the bottom. Each firms observed debt ratio reflects its cumulative requirements for external finance. Brealey and Myer (2008) explain why the most profitable firms generally borrow less not because they have low target debt ratios but they dont need outside money. In the opposite way ,less profitable firms issue debt because they do not have internal sufficient fund for investment and debt financing is first resort for external financing following to the pecking order theory 2.5 The agency cost Previously Modiglini and Miller theory(1958) ignored taxation. Since then 1963 they amended the model by implication corporation tax. From that point it is suggested that the higher the level of taxation, the lower the combined cost of capital. That means if the firm use higher level of the gearing ,the higher the value of the company. The company financial strategy should choose a 99.9% gearing level However in practice most of the firm can not go for high levels of gearing because according to Modiglini and Miller theory is still far from perfect. They distort the problems which can occur from raising high level of gearing such as bankruptcy risk. There is the possibility of bankruptcy as gearing increase result in increase the WACC and the value of the share price reduce. Agency cost is also the main problem does not exist in Modiglini and Miller theory. Jensen and Meckling (1976) argued that the combination of debt and equity does affect the cost such as agency cost, bankruptcy cost and so on. The benefit of tax saving of raising debt produces an optimal capital structure less than a 100% because the benefit form tax is traded off offset the likelihood of incurring the costs. Jensen and Meckling(1976) define an agency relationship as a contract under which one or more persons (the principal) engage another person (the agent) to perform some service on their behalf which involve delegation some decision making authority to the agent. If both parties to the relationship are utility maximizes, there is good reason to believe that the agent will not always act in the best interest of the principal. In addition, they identify and examine the concept of agency costs by generating the existence of debt and outside equity. They found that bondholders agency cost move in reverse direction. It is falling when the level of debt increase. Thus,it follows that at some point the minimum cost of agency will exist by combined the firms debt and equity securities. 3. Research objective The main objective for the corporate finance to study capital structure is to review the literature of capital structure in different theories according to their effect on company value and test the implication of theories that seek to justify an optimal capital structure Since 1958 Modigliani and Miller model stated that the value of the company is irrespective to the capital structure. Based on that model MM make assumption for the perfect market so they ignore the tax issue , losses from bankruptcy cost , the agency cost and so on. As a result there are several literatures have been expanded from Modigliani and Miller model. Thus, this study paper is seeking for investigation and gives the explanation for the existence of optimal capital structure and the financial performance. The aim of this research is to answer the question whether the relationship between the capital structure and the value of the firm. 4.Research Methodology In order to answer the question of the project . It is necessary to set up the hypotheses then answer them. The hypotheses to be tested for this project are as follow: HO : There is no a significant relationship between capital structure and their total market value in the Stock Exchange Thailand (SET) H1 : There is a significant relationship between capital structure and their total market value in the Stock Exchange Thailand (SET) Sampling Method Additionally, this study also gain the data from sampling method. It is very practical and to prove that the project is reliable by identify the group of data which is the listed firms of energy and utilities sector in the stock exchange Thailand (SET). The project represents 25 listed companies ,the total amount of the share is 287,181,000 and the market value is 8,551,158,000 baht. It can be stated that the market value of the share for group representative is significantly more than half of the whole total market value(19,130,000,000baht). Therefore they can be good sample of the project. Explanatory Variables It is important to justify the variables that do affect the company value In this study there are as follow: 1.Earning per share (EPS) Earning per share is widely used to measure company success therefore it is the basic tool to indicate the company performance. Earning per share = profit after interest, after tax and after preference dividends/number of ordinary share in issue 2. Gearing Gearing is used to measure of risks. High gearing mean high risk . Gearing = Total Debt/shareholder equity 3. Dividend per share (DPS) The dividend per share is calculated to show the shareholder how much of the overall dividend payout they are entitle to Dividend per share = total ordinary dividend/total number/total number of share issued 4.Return on equity (ROE) Return on equity measures how much profit a company generates for its ordinary shareholders with the money they have invested in the company. ROE = Profit after tax and preference dividends/Ordinary share capital plus reserveÃâ€"100% 5.Data collection Methods Research design mainly focuses on data collection and sources. Therefore to research for this project will use the quantitative analysis by use the secondary data that has already been researched because of limited resources. The second data can collect from the journal of finance Economics, Journal of Banking and Finance, textbook from library, the stock market data, the financial annual report and so on. Most of the source of data such as financial statement , dividend payout ,the data from stock market to use calculate the variables is mainly available from website http://www.setsmart.com. It is the source of data open public for the investor who interested to buy the share in stock exchange Thailand (SET). However to acquire the information must have the username and password. 6. Project Planning Process Aug09 Sep09 Oct09 Nov09 Dec09 Jan10 Revised literature review * Data analysis procedures customization * * * Development of the detailed methodology * * * Secondary data collecting * * * Secondary data analysis and interpretation * * Preparing questionnaire for interviews * * Carrying out interviews * Transcribing interviews * Chapters writing and coordinating with supervisor * * * Summarized analysis of findings * * Draft Conclusions * Draft Recommendations * Final conclusions, recommendations * Project Final submission * 7. Bibliography and References Brealey,R.A.and Myers,S.C.and Allen,F.(2008) ‘Principle of Corporate Finance.9th edition.Boston:Mcgraw-Hill/Irwin Graham,J. and Harvey, C. The theory and practice of corporate finance : evidence from the field.Journal of Financial Economics 60 (May/June2001),pp.187-244. Groth, J. and Anderson, R.(1997), capital Structure: Perspectives for Managers,Management Decision Jensen,M.C.and Meckling,W.H.(1976) Theory of the firm: Managerial Behavior, Agency Costs and Ownership Structure. Journal of Financial Economics, Vol. 3, No. 4,(July 1, 1976).Available at SSRN:http://ssrn.com/abstract=94043 10.2139/ssrn.94043.(accessed:24/08/09) Modigliani, F.; Miller, M. (1958). ‘The Cost of Capital, Corporation Finance and the Theory of Investment. American Economic Review 48 (3): 261-297. Available at http://www.jstor.org/stable/1809766.(accessed:21/08/09) Modigliani, F.; Miller, M. (1963). ‘Corporate income taxes and the cost of capital: a correction. American Economic Review 53 (3): 433-443. Available at http://www.jstor.org/stable/1809167. (accessed:22/08/09) Myers, S.C., 1984, The Capital Structure Puzzle, The Journal of Finance, Vol. 39, No. 3, Papers and Proceedings, Forty-Second Annual Meeting, American Finance Association, July, pp. 575-592 Myers,S.C.(1984)The capital Structure Puzzle. The journal of finance,Vol.39,No.3,(July 1984),pp575-592. Available at http://www.jstor.org/stable/2327916.(accessed:23/08/09) Oscar,B.U shaped cost of equity function? Digging into Modigliani-Miller(1958)Mistake'(September2006). Available at SSRN:http://ssrn.com/abstract=934550(accessed:21/08/09) Titman,S.(1984).The effect of capital structure on a firms liquidation decision.The Journal of finance Economics 13 (March 1984),pp.137-151. Titman,S.and Wessels,R.(1988) ‘The Determinants of capital structure choice.The Journal of finance Economics43 (March 1988),pp1-19. Available at http://www.jstor.org/stable/2328319?seq=6.(accessed:23/08/09) Wald,J.K.,How firm characteristics after capital structure : An International comparison.Journal of Financial Resarch22 ( Summer1999),pp.161-187. Warner,J.B.(1977)Bankruptcy Costs:Some evidence. The Journal of Finance,Vol32,Issue2, (May,1977),pp337-347.

Essay Interpreting one Art By Elizabeth Bishop :: essays research papers

Essay Interpreting "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop In "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop, the speaker's attitude in the last stanza relates to the other stanzas in verse form and language. The speaker uses these devices to convey her attitude about losing objects. The verse form in "One Art" is villanelle. The poem has tercet stanzas until the last, which is four lines. In the first three stanzas, the poem is told in second person. "Lose something every day." seems to command one to practice the art of losing things. In the three stanzas, first person is used, and the speaker relates how she "lost her mother's watch" and other life incidents. However, the speaker addresses her beloved "you," and then in the last line, herself. Language in "One Art" is simple, yet many literary devices are used. The last line repeated, to the effect of "The art of losing isn't hard to master" suggests that the speaker is trying to convince herself that losing things is not hard and she should not worry. Also, the speaker uses hyperboles when describing in the fifth tercet that she lost "two cities...some realms I owned." Since she could not own, much less lose a realm, the speaker seems to be comparing the realm to a large loss in her life. Finally, the statement in the final quatrain "Even losing you" begins the irony in that stanza. The speaker remarks that losing this person is not "too hard" to master. The shift in attitude by adding the word "too" shows that the speaker has an ironic tone for herself in her loss or perhaps her husband or someone else close to her. Language and verse form show in "One Art" how the losses increase in importance as the poem progresses, with the losses in lines 1-15 being mostly trivial or

Environmental Terrorists (Development or Destruction?) – A proposal for a 40 minute documentary

After decades of methodical environmental damage, it has become apparent that our vital life support system (Mother earth) is getting worse and in a general state of decline. One question on the minds of many people is: What happens at the end of this decline? We are often told that we can adapt to the present state of the environment. But this assumption is increasingly being shown up to be false, as we observe the effects of global warming, the pollution of the eco-systems, potential changes in the food supply, ocean currents, costly weather changes, the destruction of raw materials (such as timber) and much more. In any effort to educate the public and politicians towards action concerning the environment, three questions must be answered honestly and convincingly: ? Are we heading for a collapse of the world's ecosystems that sustain us? ? What are the effects of man made environmental damage on local and global communities? ?Can we restore the environment and work alongside Nature instead of against Her? For some, the answers to these questions are fundamental to their very existence. How long are we prepared to wait and watch as the environment rebels and fights back against Nature's ‘terrorists'; whilst people, communities and populations are destroyed by mankind's insistence on taking more than we are willing to put back? In this verity documentary my team and myself, will focus and examine the devastating effects environmental neglect and over consumption of raw materials has had on a small village on an Indonesian Island named Bukit Lawang. Background On the 2nd November 2003, a flood hit Bukit Lawang, North Sumatra. Approximately 300 people have been killed, with 1400 made homeless. The village was a popular tourist destination, close to Sumatra's main town, Medan, known for a relaxing friendly atmosphere, and famous for the orangutan rehabilitation centre. The flood hit in the evening, around 10pm, while many people were asleep prior to their 4am awakening for Ramadan. The rain had been falling for a couple of weeks, and the river was already high. However on the evening of Sunday 2nd November the waters began to rise sharply, giving some people precious seconds to get onto higher grounds. For most people, however, there was no time to escape. A torrent of water came flooding down mixed with debris and uprooted trees from the constant illegal logging in the jungle, leaving the village in ruins. Bukit Lawang is now unrecognizable. The entire bank of the river has been destroyed, simply washed away, along with many of the inhabitants, and tourists unfortunate enough to be caught up in it all. It has been commonly reported that the flood was the direct result of illegal logging, in an area were people rely on the river to provide their drinking water, bathing and sewage system. Film I would like to shoot the film using classic verity style, with the use of interview (interpreter required), narration voiceover and music (where relevant). Our aims are to educate the viewer on the wider implications of acts against the environment/nature, and the local/global consequences of these actions. By highlighting the hidden dangers often overlooked or disregarded by governments, companies and individuals, we aim to produce a piece that will illuminate the necessity to cooperate with Nature and its Laws. Or face a backlash that may result in a very live threat to the very existence of mankind. We will attempt to take a comprehensive, observational journey through the country and its terrestrial surroundings, highlighting the rich environmental and cultural diversity within the Island/village. We will explore the anthropology of the village (and near by villages) and it's inhabitants in an attempt for the audience to get a feel for the way of life of the populace and also their reliance and subsistence of Nature. (For example: the use of timber/plants for building homes, fishermen and their activities within the rivers, the use of plants for medicinal purposes, their Spiritual/symbolic beliefs, their farming/hunting/cultivating techniques and economic systems. Example scenes: We follow a group of fishermen out one dawn onto the rivers .A fisherman is cut whilst out casting nets into the river. We see how the men/women of the village use leaves and barks as an antiseptic, as opposed to westernized medicine. A young couple in a nearby village are getting married. We see the preparations being made and the different roles undertaken by the males and females of the village. We also get a look at the symbolic nature and spiritual aspect of the festivities. The next phase of the documentary (will be observational, but include narration) focusing on the rapid destruction of Indonesia's forests, and the local effects of ‘logging' on the environment. The area is hit by floods every year, but environmentalists claim that illegal logging has stripped the area of much tree cover and other vegetation which would normally protect and absorb water during rainy season. We will attempt to define and clarify what ‘logging' actually is (using computer generated graphics and on-site filming) and also interview both legal and illegal loggers (through the use of an interpreter) if possible. We shall also contact and get the views of local and global environmentalists and environment scientists to give views, research and scientific evidence to support any claims made. We then progress to the actual flooding of Bukit Lawang, using archive video footage (with permission) from BBC News, CNN and Lonely Planet of the tragedy. This first section will be heavily narrated, and will include video footage, newspaper clippings, sound bites and photographs (again with permission) of the event. Example scene: Video footage of total havoc and devastation: the villagers piling the bodies of the dead high into a pile. Children crying, clinging to mothers, homes being washed away and destroyed in front of the very eyes of the owners, and the clean up operation undertaken by the army in trying to rescue survivors. (The mood will be very somber and frightening; the music chosen will also reflect this.) Footage will be included of Environment Minister Nabiel Makarim claiming the disaster was â€Å"Exacerbated by extensive illegal logging in the hillside area.† And also describing the illegal loggers as â€Å"terrorists, with the consequence of the disaster being as dangerous as a nuclear bomb!† This will also be tied up with filming the effects of the flood on the villagers who have lost family and loves one's in the flood, children who have been orphaned, schools destroyed and homes lost (1400 people are believed to be homeless, although the kindness of the families and others means that most have somewhere to stay). This section will also include narration and interviews with those willing to talk on camera. (Voice over will be added in post production). I have discovered three eye witnesses to the event; a Mr Anthony Hurford, who was living in Bukit Lawang for the last two months doing volunteer work, Mr Agun Jungle (and baby daughter), who is a villager and one of the survivors of the flood, who is now trying to make a living organizing trekking trips around the Island, and Dutch tourist, Leo Zwetsloot, staying at the Bukit Lawang Cottage Hotel. I endeavor to interview the subjects and get their similar or contradicting (as the case may be) experiences of the flood, who/what they felt was to blame for the tragedy and the after effects on their lives. Example scenes: (Voice-over alongside archive video footage) Eye-witness and survivor, Anthony Hurord, gives his live account of the panic, terror and devastation of the flood. â€Å"Houses, people and trees were swept down the river†¦A massive pile, maybe the size of a football pitch; of huge tree trunks personal belongings, bodies and the odd tin roof†¦There simply is no village.† We speak with one of the ‘Elders' of the village, an old man, who survived the flood by quick thinking and helpful neighbors, who dragged him up the village and into safety. The man used to survive on his son's income from illegal logging, and now must rely on the kindness of the other villagers, as his son's have both been killed in the disaster. We see his shame at having played a passive role in the disaster, and the other villager's reactions and treatment of him since. He valued the income at the time, but was oblivious to its catastrophic consequences. We get a sense of the community's resentment at the Government (and the ‘elder!'), for not doing enough to stop the illegal logging trade which benefited a few, yet ultimately cost him the lives of many. A council is also called to decide on the fate of the known illegal loggers and their supporters within the community, (These scenes will be spread out to conclude during the duration of the documentary.) The film will progress (using observation, narration and interviews about the immediate and government aid necessary for the up building of the village. The attempt of the community to rebuild itself, its schools, homes, environment and economy. An attempt will also be made to conduct government interviews with the environment Minister and the President and get their opinion/views on the current situation. (We will aim to ask hard hitting questions about the government's knowledge of the illegal logging trade. Asking who knew of these activities and why wasn't more down to police the issue? Who benefited most from this illegal trade? Does the government feel even partially responsible for the deaths of hundreds of its populace? And question what it intends to do to prevent a situation like this occurring again? Example scene: President getting increasingly uncomfortable at the barrage of questions, resulting in a refusal to answer anymore and the termination of the interview. Resolution We will conclude with the final statements of the environmental scientists, and their opinions for the future, of not just Bukit Lawang, but of the globe in general. Scientific evidence for greater action is becoming clearer, but it is yet to become incorporated into an effective economic action plan for preserving and restoring the environment. In fact we seem to be going in the opposite direction, while environment researchers continue to gather evidence indicating that powerful action must be implemented at all levels of government and in communities all around the world. Using computer technology we will visually replicate images of the deterioration of the planet if we continue on our present course. We will use facts from various environmental agencies on the present state of affairs globally, and their predictions/solutions for the future. Example Scenes Our last shots are of a ‘council of elders' debating, and finally reaching a decision on the future of the illegal loggers within the community, and of Agun Jungles attempts at attracting tourists onto his tours (with little success). Agun realizes he has to leave the village if he is to carve out a life for himself and his young daughter. We see him on a small boat traveling to nearby Malaysia, waving goodbye to his bith land. We see the pain in his eyes, but also the steely determination to provide a better life for his child. The elder previously interviewed has been granted pardon of responsibility and allowed to live within the village, provided he actively participates in the rebuilding of the community. Whilst the illegal loggers are allowed to stay within the village on the condition they help the army (and other environmental agencies) in their attempt to re-forest the land.

u.s justified in dropping atomic bomb Essays

u.s justified in dropping atomic bomb Essays u.s justified in dropping atomic bomb Essay u.s justified in dropping atomic bomb Essay Many people today could argue their side and reasons on why they think the United States was Justified in bombing Japan. But was Osama in Laden Justified in orchestrating 9/11? No one in their right mind would support the killing of innocent civilians on 9/1 1 on the basis of the argument that Osama Bin Laden and his cohort wanted to end the war between radical Islam and the U. S. So why is it acceptable for the U. S. to have incinerated tens of thousands of civilian men, women, children and babies to end the War, when there was a military alternative? The U. S. ould have ontinued the war against the Japanese armed forces instead of targeting Japanese civilians. If the Japanese civilians who were killed are not deemed to have been innocent because they may have supported the Imperialist Japanese Government, then neither was those who died in the World Trade Center or any Americans, because they support the U. S. Government! Yes, the Japanese did bomb the U. S first but didnt more than half of the America people tell them they werent right for doing it on pearl harbor ? So if their wrong, what makes it okay for the United States? The United states was mad because Japan came to their land and killed their innocent people and destroyed everything that they worked so hard to form, but now its suddenly not okay for Japan to be Just as upset? Its not even about who wanted the war to end and who was going to do what! Was killing thousands of innocent women, and children, really worth the satisfaction of being able to say you won? okay sure Japan did awful things, but America lowered themselves to a incredibly low level with this evil action. And were in no way right for their actions at all.

Firefighter Politics A Essays - Arbitration, Arbitral Tribunal

Essay/Firefighter Politics A Essays - Arbitration, Arbitral Tribunal Essay/Firefighter Politics A Every election year brings on the same hurdle for the firefighters union. The mayoral candidates approach the union and ask for their support throughout the election. This is a major decision the union (union representatives) has to make. The representatives of the union have to approach the membership with their recommendation for whom to support so that the candidate will have full support from the union. Hopefully, the candidate chosen by the representatives of the union wins the election. If the candidate chosen does not win the election, the elected candidate not supported by the union, understandably, he has little or no respect for the union at that time. In the 1993 election year the union had to make a major decision on whom to support for mayoral position, the one we chose was defeated. Because he did not win, there was a struggle between union and management. This did not come about because the union was looking to control the new administration, but the town wanted benefits given back which were negotiated with the mayor that we were supporting. The unions main goal during this time frame was to get the new administration to have some kind of respect for us when we went down to the town hall to resolve issues that arose. For the first few years, the only way the town would see it our way was when the arbitrators decision was in our favor. This was quite often. Since 1993, I have been either on the executive board or vice president of the union and received experience in grievances, arbitration and negotiations. The town is forever taking us to arbitration and seldom winning. We have a contract that protects us. Our contract was negotiated collectively by the union and management. When a new administration controls the finances of the town, their first goal is usually to attack the benefits in our contract. The administration now, which is running the town of Johnston, took over in 1994. They thought that the firefighter contract was a lucrative one. The town leaders thought that they would win many benefits back by just taking us to arbitration. Along with this attitude, the town leaders had little respect for the union and the leaders of the union because of the reasons mentioned before. The town of Johnstons first task with the firefighters union was to negotiate a contract. They came after our Blue Cross insurance, pension, pay, and our promotional exam. They would soon find out that the firefighters union was in no position to just give benefits back to the town. They were in for a fight. These negotiations went on for an extensive amount of time. Being part of negotiations in the past, I knew that most concessions the town was asking for were part of negotiations and immaterial to them. After weeding out the non-essential proposals we were down to the bottom line. The raise was the last item left that would make or break the agreement. The negotiation team, which I was a part of, came up with a unique way to receive a raise. We were to receive no raise for eighteen months then go from a bimonthly payment schedule to biweekly a payment schedule, which gave the union a eight percent raise that year and a total of thirteen percent over a three year period. The town agreed and the contract was signed. The union and town ended the negotiations, with the union not conceding to any issues we felt were significant to us. This would be our first major victory. The towns next fight was not to pay the union members their longevity the way it was calculated in the contract. We went to the town leaders to rectify the situation but the administrators would not negotiate anything but what they thought the contract said. Since the town and the union could not reach an agreement, the union filed a grievance with the American Arbitration Association (this association will schedule a date and an arbitrator to hear the case) so that the two parties could resolve the issue. This was another major mistake the town made, in not having any respect for the unions advice in

Foundation of business thoughts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Foundation of business thoughts - Assignment Example The second time he implied to show the selfishness of the rich people as they pursue their interest. Thirdly, time he was trying to show how the rich tries to support the interest of the public so that they can increase security of their wealth (Boardman, Calvin, Alan and Harris, pp.50-65). This is so because the desire to acquire wealth does not have an end because there are limitless want. This may further leads to war as one tries to balance between limitless wants and the available resources. Additionally, unlimited wants may cause one to overstep the necessary boundaries (Boardman, Calvin, Alan and Harris, 70-98). The society will view the current American society as a state that is highly dominated by capitalism while still surrounded by communist world. Rand further indicates that the current constitution seems not to be functional whereby; she kept referring to the legislature (Boardman, Calvin, Alan and Harris, pp.110-159). The statement aims to promote justice and fairness to lower social economic groups in the American society. Justice in courts and all spheres of life should prevail. Whereby, just like in the past catholic the statement implies that one should do good to others in the same way one would like other to good unto you (Boardman, Calvin, Alan and Harris, 160-185). 32. Explain Rand’s statement: When Money Ceases to be the tool by which men deal with one another then, men become the tools of men. Blood whips and guns-or dollar, taken your choice-there is no other-and your time is running out’ The statement tries to explain that, for one to get money one must work for rather than obtaining it with force from other people. This means that one must use his/her efforts to work hard and earn money. In addition, one must create value or deliver service or a product to other to earn money in a most justifiable means (Boardman, Calvin, Alan and Harris,pp.180-204). The three ethical dilemmas include: in

Family Counseling Approach Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Family Counseling Approach - Research Paper Example paid closer attention to some of the details and this allowed them to evolve the concept of the family into a more descriptive entity where strong supportive bonds and long-term roles and relationship help people build their lives around (Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 2013). These relationships may or may not be even by blood or by marriage but the fact that they count in the overall organization of the family makes them essential. The report herein will look at one of the many approaches that were developed as a way of dealing with this context and its point of view delved into to help understand its principles and theorems. This approach is the Bowen family systems approach or the intergenerational approach. Coined by psychiatrist Murray Bowen, this theory views the family as an emotional unit and utilizes the symbolism of a systems’ thinking to describe the intricacy of the interactions therein. As a family, connections are very intense and mostly border on the emotional perspective. Family members are profoundly attached to the other’s thoughts actions and even feelings naturally making it seem like they are one and the same thing. It is at the family level that children grow learning some of the basic attribute such as love, belongingness, need for attention and approval, and the way people react and support each other’s expectations and needs and how the lack of these may affect their growth later on in life (brown, 1999). However, when some of these are lacking, the child may not understand and will grow thinking that they way they are was meant to be. Their interactions create emotional interdependence which is presumed to be a significant factor in the promot ion of cohesiveness and cooperation in the family. It is expected that the family is the only unit that is supposed to provide all the basic requirements such as shelter, clothing and food as well as protection for its members (Guerin et al., 1996). Despite these expectations, any heightened