On the amtrak from Boston to New York City Essay

The situation of the poem is described in the title â€Å"On the Amtrak from Boston to New York City,† was about a white woman and a person with a Native American background who were on a train together. What was being taken place when the speaker is meditating about the â€Å"white† woman they were having a conversations with other passengers, including an older white woman about the brief history of the city as they pass landmarks of the Native American Culture. The subject of the conversation had to do with the frustration the man had with the woman being ignorant about what land was taken away from him and his ancestors. He had brought her orange juice because it was stated right after in the next sentence he respects all elders it could have been out of kindness. That shows that the character is being bigger than himself he himself knows that being rude to this woman will now solve anything. The idea of Don Henley really made Alexie mad do to the fact that Native Americans inhabited the lands long before anyone else. Throughout the poem Alexie continues to talk to himself and use profanity whenever the white women would bring up the â€Å"white† men. For instance, when the woman asks him about Walden Pond. He says, â€Å"‘I don’t give a shit about Walden. I know the Indians were living stories around that pond before Walden’s grandparents were born†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Using profanity here represents Alexie’s outrage at the woman’s ignorance. He continues: â€Å"I’m tired of hearing about Don-fucking-Henley saving it, too†¦ If Don Henley’s family hadn’t come here in the first place then nothing would need to be saved.† Again, the use of profanity shows Alexie’s anger as a Native American whose family had been pushed out of their land. The perspective the speaker makes his judgment about the historicity and values of Thoreau’s Pond from first person from his perspective. The speakers opinion of what he thinks of the â€Å"white† history is that his peoples stories and land were taken away from them they were over powered by the white man and were not able to continue there history. Along with what they had created historically the white man would take credit for it. The poem â€Å"On the Amtrak from Boston to New York City,† by Sherman Alexie was about a white woman and a person with a Native American background who were on a train together. This is an interesting poem, because it provides a new outlook on our country as it is today, from a Native American. Alexie appears to wish other races would leave his country. He refers to all other races as, â€Å"the enemy† and believes his biggest challenge every day is simply dealing with â€Å"the enemy.† Due to all that happened to the Native Americans in the past Alexie believes his people were treated harshly, which I agree with. â€Å"Blue Winds Dancing† The story tells of a young Native American’s struggle with growing up in America. The struggle of the character exists because of the ancient Indian thought conflicting with our American expectations. The attitudes the speakers expresses are frustration or anger and how they both wish they could have there home back but it was taken away by the â€Å"whites.† For blue winds dancing the internal monologues as the narrator searches for his identity and copes with society, respectively. As for â€Å"On the Amtrak from Boston to New York City† the internal monlogues is expressed through frutration from the whites taking away land.

Unconditional Love

Unconditional Love With jolting word choice and the effective application of imagery, the poem My Papa’s Waltz, written in 1948 by Theodore Roethke (1908 – 1963), presents the speaker as a child who is trapped in a world tragically affected by alcoholism and physical abuse yet who relentlessly attempts to attain love and affection from his drunken and violent father. The whimsical lyrics prompt the reader to recognize that although this poem depicts the essence of a child, the implication of a life of patterned torture is in deep contrast to the reality of a carefree childhood. My Papa’s Waltz is written in quatrain form purposely echoing the sing song sound of idyllic childhood rhymes to contrast the meaning of the poem which illustrates a childhood experience with an alcoholic and abusive father who, despite the ongoing pain inflicted, is still loved unconditionally by his son. The speaker relates this experience in his childhood with his drunken father in an almost affectionate tone, yet with the distain of the alcoholism and violence soundly ringing through. He states, â€Å"The whiskey on your breath, Could make a small boy dizzy; But I hung on like death: Such waltzing was not easy,† (lines 1-4). The speaker’s tone reveals that although his father drinks to the point of his breath being intoxicating and that the situation is confusing to the lad, he still â€Å"hung on like death,† grappling with his hope that if he continued â€Å"the waltz† – the relationship with his father – that he would retain his father’s love. In the last line of the stanza, the speaker’s resolute determination of continuing with the difficult waltz lends credence to the optimism of his youth which is evident in his perseverance to experience the father-son relationship. The word choices throughout the poem, such as â€Å"death,† â€Å"battered,† â€Å"scraped,† and â€Å"beat† imply that the speaker’s childhood is certainly not a functional one and, moreover, is filled daily with the cruel interactions of his hardened father. The speaker reflects, â€Å"We romped until the pans, Slid from the kitchen shelf; My mother’s countenance, Could not unfrown itself,† (5-8). This passage suggests through detailed imagery that although this young boy is being abused by his father, with household items being knocked from their places with the shaking of the violence, his mother shamefully remains a silent but disapproving bystander as she witnesses her child’s horrendous beatings. The brutal scene continues to unfold as â€Å"The hand that held my wrist, Was battered on one knuckle; At every step you missed, My right ear scraped a buckle,† (9 –12). In a vivid display of terrifying progression, the father grasps the boy’s wrist with his hand in an attempt to land yet another steady blow, battering his knuckles even more. When his drunken state causes him to stagger, the boy’s ear scrapes against his belt buckle, instead. As the father’s tension and fury explodes from the failed strike, the speaker recounts that his father â€Å"beats time on my head†¦ then waltzed me off to bed,† creating a vision of a frenzied rage as he is repeatedly hit until he is thrown violently into his room at the end of the beating (13, 15). Throughout this instance of abuse it is quite clear that this child’s love for his father is steadfast and unwavering. Regardless of the incessant beating, the last line of the poem is the boy’s emphatic plea for love and acceptance as he was â€Å"still clinging to (his) shirt,† (16). While he notes his father’s â€Å"palm caked hard with dirt,† the excusing tone suggests that he recognizes the hard life his father lives and thus pardons his cruelty. As is often the case with an abused person, no matter the depths of the abuse that is endured, a longing and a resilient hope for a functional, loving and nurturing relationship with one’s parent continues, as is displayed in My Papa’s Waltz. Works Cited Roethke, Theodore. My Papa’s Waltz. Literature for Composition, 8th ed. Eds. Sylvan Barnet, William Burto, William E. Cain. New York: Pearson Longman, 2008. 807.

Enron Weather Derivatives Case Summary Essay

Pacific Northwest Electric was a significant producer of electric power. Seasons are a big deal to electricity companies: the colder the weather, the more electricity consumers use to power their heating. Looking back the last few years, CFO Mary Watts (an incredible electricity pun!) noticed a trend of relatively warm winters which in turn resulted in less-than-optimal financial results. Though the 1990’s are remembered as a time of a healthy economy, PNW suffered from a stagnant earnings-per-share growth during this period. After receiving a report of yet another warmer winter coming, Watts turned to a product offered by Enron Corporation that claimed to minimize weather-related volume risk. There are many reasons derivatives could help PNW’s exposure to weather risk. For example, on a much smaller scale ice cream stores often go out of business because though summer sales are great, managers do not know how to take out loans and insurance to keep paying employees and other expenses during the off-season. PNW works the opposite way, with less demand in the summer, but the loss of demand in the winter months could be compensated for by using the derivatives product and smoothing revenue. The risk of stock-outs and lost-opportunity costs could be hedged. The derivatives could also help stimulate sales and overall diversify investment portfolios with correlation between weather and return, whereas futures were only being used to hedge against price risk by agreeing to deliver or accept a commodity at a certain time and price. The way the product worked is that PNW would be able to determine how much margin it would lose if the weather, measured by temperature, differed from the average readings in their geographic location. How much risk tolerance as far as planned income loss from weather could be set up by the company. In the end, the company would receive a payment to offset lost income from reduced demand if the result was below the original threshold. This would be called a floor, because the variable fell below the threshold though upper potential was still available. Other structures could be a ceiling cap that compensates if variable goes above or a collar which combines attributes of both the floor and ceiling cap and can be great when it essentially. funds the purchase of insurance. A swap can produce similar results, except for its actions are triggered singularly whereas the collar relies on two separate tools. It is important to note that weather derivatives would not be included under an accounting rule that pertained to hedges under a market index rather than customized contracts. Watts took into consideration correlation and geographic differences to realize that PNW needed protection from weather risk. Contracts she would approve to enter into with Enron would require an initial payment for entry, but would mean the company would receive a one-time payment at the end that adjusted to weather results and agreed tolerance levels. Whether or not the premium is worth it depends on the weather which has experienced a bad historical trend but in the end is quite unpredictable. The decision for a conservative company to enter this kind of contract is one that requires thought, but the largest focus should be setting threshold levels.

Classical Social Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Classical Social Theory - Essay Example In Condorcet's historical account of the heroic march of human reason, it is invariably priestly deception and barbarity which threatens future progress or plunges mankind into lengthy periods of darkness and ignorance. Speaking for many of his philosophe peers, Condorcet depicts the Middle Ages as history's bleakest epoch: "Nothing could penetrate the profound darkness save a few shafts of talent, a few rays of kindness and magnanimity. Man's only achievements were theological day-dreaming and superstitious imposture, his only morality religious intolerance." The French enlightenment's special virulence toward the contemporary institutions of organized religion can be attributed to the uniquely powerful position of the French clergy as members of the ruling elite. The resolution of the Gallican controversy in 1682 cemented an especially close relationship between the clergy and the crown in France. Moreover, French religious dissenters and freethinkers confronted an especially hostile and oppressive environment in the aftermath of the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, guaranteeing minimal toleration to Protestants, in 1685. This atmosphere of intolerance and rigid absolutism bred a particularly bitter anticlericalism; the perceived power machinations and profligacy of the clergy encouraged scathing denunciations of priestly hypocrisy and cynical manipulation. In relatively more tolerant Protestant England, such intense animosity was unlikely to arise. Nonetheless, the basic principles of enlightenment thought produced skeptical and crit ical accounts of revealed religion across national boundaries, and English deists were especially active in promulgating the foundation for a more rational, simplified, and less doctrinaire faith. Voltaire, Letters in England , trans. Leonard Tancock (New York: Penguin Books, 1980), 120. In his final letter from England, Voltaire systematically attempts to dismantle the claims of Blaise Pascal in the Pensees. Profoundly disturbed by the "hateful light" in which Pascal appears to depict man, Voltaire proposes to "champion humanity against this sublime misanthropist." Voltaire's crusade against Pascal's misanthropy neatly illustrates many of the central objections which enlightenment thinkers made against religion, and Christianity in particular. Voltaire, Letters in England , trans. Leonard Tancock (New York: Penguin Books, 1980), 120-122. Voltaire, a relative moderate on religious questions, does not actually seek to dismantle belief in God.' Rather, he takes exception to the misery, wickedness, and helplessness which Pascal, attributes to mankind's natural condition, as well as the social disarray which is held to follow from man's corruption. Claiming that Pascal "attributes to the essence of our nature what applies only to certain men," Voltaire does not accept that original sin is a permanent and irrevocable stain on all of humanity.' Rather, he insists that man has both good and bad impulses, and that we can use our reason to govern our passions so as to lead upright lives: "He [man] is, like everything else

Canterbury Television Building Collapse Assignment

Canterbury Television Building Collapse - Assignment Example vely under-productive for the first 5 months until February 22, 2011, when an aftershock occurred 7 km northwest of the city of Christchurch and caused 185 deaths and over 7,000 injuries. A major part of the 185 confirmed deaths are due to the collapse of the mid-rise reinforced concrete (RC) office building in the CBD known as Canterbury Television Building (CTV). 75% of the occupants in this 6 storey building died. 2. Analysis of Case Study This is a report on the key role players and stake holders in the Canterbury Television Building (CTV) collapse incident. The report concludes with conclusions and recommendations. 2.1 Key Role Players The following is a list of persons/institutions that played a pivotal role in the creation of the CTV building. 2.1.1 Consulting Engineer Mr. Reay, the Consulting Engineer, should have paid more attention to the work that was undertaken viz. the construction of the CTV building. Though he had high academic qualifications he did not spend reasonabl e time in the project i.e. he had a hands-off approach to it. 2.1.2 Structural Engineers Mr. Henry and Mr. Harding were employed by Mr. Reay in the capacity of structural engineers. Mr. Reay wanted them to design medium height multi-storeyed buildings. Mr. Henry was with Mr. Reay for a year, whereas Mr. Harding had two stints with Mr. Reay. 2.1.3 Structural Draughts men Many draughtsmen worked on preparing structural drawings for the CTV building project. After the engineer made the architectural drawings, the draughtsmen worked out the dimensions. 2.1.4 Deputy Building Engineer - 1 Mr. Graeme Tapper, was the deputy building engineer for Christchurch City Council (CCC). He raised the structural issue of the connection of the floors (diaphragms) to the north wall complex with Mr. Reay’s... This is a report on the key role players and stake holders in the Canterbury Television Building (CTV) collapse incident. The report concludes with conclusions and recommendations. The following is a list of persons/institutions that played a pivotal role in the creation of the CTV building. Mr. Reay, the Consulting Engineer, should have paid more attention to the work that was undertaken viz. the construction of the CTV building. Though he had high academic qualifications he did not spend reasonable time in the project i.e. he had a hands-off approach to it.Mr. Henry and Mr. Harding were employed by Mr. Reay in the capacity of structural engineers. Mr. Reay wanted them to design medium height multi-storeyed buildings. Mr. Henry was with Mr. Reay for a year, whereas Mr. Harding had two stints with Mr. Reay. Many draughtsmen worked on preparing structural drawings for the CTV building project. After the engineer made the architectural drawings, the draughtsmen worked out the dimension s. Mr. Graeme Tapper, was the deputy building engineer for Christchurch City Council (CCC). He raised the structural issue of the connection of the floors (diaphragms) to the north wall complex with Mr. Reay’s firm. Mr. Bryan Bluck was the building engineer for CCC at the time of the CTV Building. Reay convinced him that Tapper’s objections (see 2.1.4) were unfounded. Tapper was asked to sign on the design at Bluck’s behest. As found in the Summary and Recommendations in Volumes 5-7 & Section 6: Technical discussions on structure, Mr. Leo O’ Loughlin was the building inspector for CCC in the central city area at that time. He received the building permit application for the construction of the CTV building. He would check the documents provided with the application for missing information. He would also review parts of plans for legal compliance.

Financial Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial Management - Assignment Example ..13 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.14 Part I 1 Cash 60000 Common Stocks 60000 2 Cash 32000 Bank Loan 32000 3 Truck 12000 Notes payables 2000 Loan payables - truck 10000 4 Office equipment 6000 Cash 6000 5 Office equipment 400 Cash 400 6 Office equipment 3600 Cash 3600 7 Inventory 60000 Cash 60000 8 Cash 340000 Account Receivables 60000 Sales 400000 CGS 240000 Inventory 240000 9 Inventory 200000 Cash 200000 10 Advertising expenses 20000 Cash 20000 11 Rent expense 7200 Utilities expense 4800 Telephone expense 1200 Employee salaries 112000 Cash 125200 12 Loan 3333 Interest expense 699 Cash 4032 13 Loan 8000 Interest expense 4160 Cash 12160 Cash Common Stocks 60000 60000 32000 6000 Bank Loan 400 32000 3600 8000 60000 Bal. 24000 340000 200000 Loan payable – Truck 20000 10000 125200 3333 4032 Bal. 6667 12160 Truck Bal. 608 12000 Office Equipment Notes Payable 6000 2000 400 3600 Bal. 10000 Inventory 60000 Account receivables 240000 60000 200000 Bal. 20000 Advertising expenses 20000 Sales Utilities expense 400000 4800 Rent expense Employee salaries 7200 112000 Telephone expense Interest expense 1200 699 4160 Cost of goods sold Bal. 4859 240000 Projected Income Statement Revenues 400000 Cost of goods sold 240000 Gross Profit 160000 Expenses Interest expense 4859 Telephone expense 1200 Employee salaries 112000 Utilities expense 4800 Rent expense 7200 Advertising expense 20000 Total expenses 150059 Net Income 9941 Projected Balance Sheet Current Assets Cash 608 Account receivables 60000 Inventory 20000 Total current assets 80608 Equipment, machinery Truck 12000 Office equipment 10000 Total equipment, machinery 22000 Total Assets 102608 Liabilities & Stockholders equity Current liabilities Notes payable 2000 Long-term liability Bank Loan 24000 Loan payable – Truck 6667 Total liabilities 32667 Common stocks 60000 Retained earnings 9941 Total equity 102608 The projected income statement of Garden Place showed the company is going to have good profitability during the upcoming year. The projected net income of the company is $9,941. The gross profit of the company is $160,000, while its gross margin is 40%. Gross margin is calculated dividing gross income by total sales. The gross margin is a measure of broad profitability (Garrison & Noreen, 2003). The net margin of the company is 2.48%. Net margin is a measure of the absolute profitability of the company. The net margin ratio is calculated dividing net income by total sales. The return on assets of Garden Place is projected to be 9.68%. Return on assets measures how profitable is a firm in relation to its assets (Investopedia, 2012). The return on equity of Garden Place is projected by be 14.21%. â€Å"Return on equity reveals how much profit a company earned in comparison to the total amount of shareholder equity found on the balanc e sheet† (Kennon, 2012). The total assets of the firm are projected to reach $102,608, while its total equity is projected to be $69,941. The current ratio of the company is projected to be 40.34. The firm’s current ratio is outstanding considering the fact that a good current ratio is one that is above the 1.0 threshold. The purpose of the current ratio is to demonstrate the ability of the company to pay off its short term debt (Investorwords, 2012). The formula to calculate current ratio is current assets divided by current liabilities. The debt

Exotic Opera in the 19th Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exotic Opera in the 19th Century - Essay Example Thereafter, the researcher will conduct a brief literature review that will analyze the dissimilarities between Verdi’s music and Marico’s music which is used in their operas. Similar studies will also be evaluated before making a conclusion on the differences between the two operas (Locke,  Musical Exoticism, p, 154). There are three chief trends that exhibited exoticism all through the nineteenth century. These trends includes; the utilization of western music alongside exotic elements in operas, the introduction of romantic exoticism through music and dance and relying on the audience to make a decision on the extent of exoticism (Locke,  Musical Exoticism, p, 157). The most apparent dissimilarity between the two operas is based on the reality that; II trovatore uses more melodical inventions with tunes which are quotable in nature, that are not shown in Verdi’s opera. For this reason, different people such as Edord Hanslich said that the music used in II trovatore was shot from a pistol because it is both direct and encompasses attractive melodies. For instance, in the start of act II where there is a movement from the Anvil chorus of gypsies into the Azucena chorus, there is richness of melodies that ensures that the drama is moved in an electrifying way through the opera (Locke,  Musical Exoticism, p, 155). These differences brings out different stereotypes concerning Europeans and gypsies. Thereby creates a conflict among different people and characters, this conflict are apparent in the two operas. For instance, Julian Budden points out that European music is more eminently expressive, aspiring, has high quality content, and features long-breathing phases that make the audience to relate effectively with what is being sung in the opera. On the contrast, Gypsies uses music which is composed of short and common phrases and repetitive rhythmic patterns whose overall totality is

Dostoevsky crime and punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Dostoevsky crime and punishment - Essay Example The wise saying goes—howsoever powerful may be the waves of an ocean their real nature is mere water! Once the crime is committed, a series of thought-currents related to the incidents begin to tax the brains of the perpetrator of the crime. They challenge his decision. In the introduction to the book it is observed, â€Å"†¦.it is precisely from such an attempt to grapple with the moral implications of the social and cultural realities of the day that Dostoevsky produced a work whose timeliness increases rather than diminishes with the years.†(Introduction vi†¦) All murders are not calculated. Most of them are done at the time when one is seized with spontaneous anger and loses the mental equilibrium. As a consequence, the murderer has a life-time to regret. Even after undergoing the legal punishment for the heinous act committed, the trace of that action remains within the portal of the mind. For every murder, it is possible to detail the negative and positive consequences. The consequences of murdering a known criminal, the doer of many dastardly acts, can not be compared to the murder a Professor by a student, who failed him in the paper. Utilitarianism intervenes in such cases and makes an attempt to differentiate between right and wrong by measuring a decision based on its calculated worth. Having murdered the landlady, Raskolnikov tries to reason out the positive benefits that her money would do to the society. But this is just wishful thinking. Murder is a murder and the one who does not have the capacity to give life, has no right t o stifle out any life. The one who understands the concept of utilitarianism in its true spirit, would find it difficult to accept and will resent the claim of Raskolnikov that his action of murdering the old woman can be accepted as morally right. A performer of the action can not be the judge of the merits/demerits of that action. One can’t be the lawyer and the judge for the

ANALYTICALLY Compare The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald and Ceremony by Essay

ANALYTICALLY Compare The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald and Ceremony by Leslie Silko and how they pertain to the so called American Dream - Essay Example (Taylor, 1998) It is pertinent here to understand the genesis of the American dream. Warshauer (2003) defines American dream, â€Å"Traditionally, Americans have sought to realize the American dream of success, fame and wealth through thrift and hard work. However, the industrialization of the 19th and 20th centuries began to erode the dream, replacing it with a philosophy of ‘get rich quick’.† Gatsby owed his idea to achieve American idea to Benjamin Franklins autobiography. Whereas , Ceremony, by Leslie Silko is a narrative of resilience and the protagonist overcomes the hardships and a series of challenges to reach the stipulated goal. Ceremony reminds us of the Grail stories where protagonist must prove his/her worth to be the worthy to be its presence. Allen , while discussing in her article, Special Problem in Teaching Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony, has the point to make that reading the works of Native American writer without understanding ethnographic and historical sheen is an exercise in futility, â€Å"because texts either derived from or directly connected to tradition, are firmly embedded within the matrix of their cultural base.† (Allen,1990) The protectiveness of the native people towards their tradition is legendry . The Pueblos are expected to know no more than is necessary, ‘sufficient and congruent with their spiritual and social place.† (Allen,1990) F. Scott Fitzgerald is the author of The Great Gatsby. He writes as if he is Nick Carraway. Gatsby’s fascination for Daisy is a reflection of a woman Fitzgerald loved in his own life. He combines the personality of Nick Carraway and Gatsby. He speaks as if he is Nick and he writes about Gatsby on the basis of his own experience. The Great Gatsby is an example for dreams and their interpretations. Every character in this novel has a certain dream. The

A fundamental objective of the Land Registration Act 2002 Essay

A fundamental objective of the Land Registration Act 2002 - Essay Example The Land Registration Act 2002 aims at allowing prospective buyers of land know the existence of any equitable interests that may be attached to the land1. The basic assumption of the law is that prospective buyers should not take the burden of verifying the adverse interests attached on the land, but should rely on the land register that reflects any equitable interests attached to the land2. The Act also eliminates most of overriding interests in land by ensuring the duty of disclosure and reasonable inspection of interests attached to land3. This paper will mainly focus on the main provisions of the Act that has ensured accurate and timely reflection of the status of title of land. The enactment of the act provided a new breakthrough in the land title registration and verification since it changed the mechanism of sale and purchase of registered land from paper based transactions to electronic transactions. The Act followed the three principles articulated by Thoedore Ruoff, a for mer Land registrar of England. The principles are ‘mirror principle, curtain principle and insurance principle. For unregistered land, the title of the land must be inspected under the old rules and seller must prove 15 years unbroken chain of the title from the root of the title. The purchaser has the duty to register his title to the register within the stipulated time, failure to which he or she will lose his legal estate in the land. The Land registry provides a description of the piece of land, the legal owner and any other interests that may affect the value and ownership of the land. ... The electronic network capturers all transactions related to the land including the registration of the title by the parties. The Act has laid down formalities relating to electronic conveyance such as time and date when the electronic dispositions should take effect. All the electronic signatures must be authenticated and such electronic documents must be signed by all involved parties. Section 4 (1) (g) of the Act requires registration on the creation of a protected first legal mortgage that is protected by the deposit of title deeds and also registration of leases with a term remaining of more than seven years. The Act also grants the land registrar powers to use transaction information on the network in order to monitor and disclose such appropriate information to other parties in electronic conveyance chain5. The Act also facilitates electronic settlement by granting the Land registrar the powers to form or assist in formation of a company or invest in a company with this system of electronic settlement. In the case of Abbey National Building society v, Cann, the main concern was the registration gap that occurs when an interest is created at the point of registration but before completion6. However, The House of Lords ruled that a party must have actual occupation of the land at the date of completion of registration of any interest to land in order to attain an overriding status to the land. In practical basis, the purchase of the land is not completed on the day the purchaser makes official search, but after few days has lapsed. Provided the purchaser lodges a registration within the stipulated period, he or she is not bound by notices or restrictions that may be made within the intervening period7. Section 7 (1)

M5A2-Corporate Social Responsability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

M5A2-Corporate Social Responsability - Essay Example I conquer with Hawkins (2006) that the business must appreciate diversity, engage in social initiatives such as philanthropic contributions towards development of the communities and reduce the negative impacts of its operations on the ecological environment. Schwartz (2011) acknowledges that technology plays a critical role in managing business risks, enhancing the reputation of the organization, building employee trust and improving the allocation of resources in the organization. At the same time, communication technologies will enable the organization to establish cordial relations with stakeholders and exploit market opportunities that aim at enhancing the welfare of all stakeholders (Hopkins, 2012). The course has enabled me understand that technology facilitates product innovation thus leading to high quality products that meets the changing needs of consumers and need to conserve the ecological environment through minimization of pollution and wastage of natural resources (Crowther & Aras, 2008). Technology facilitates good governance and safeguard of stakeholder interests especially the suppliers, lenders of capital and the government (Crowther & Aras, 2008). In this case, modern technologies have streamlined the supply chain processes and enabled the companies to easily store and retrieve information that is essential in decision-making. Computer information systems will store information on customer preferences, obligations to suppliers and employee information thus facilitating the fulfillment of the social obligations of the business (Crowther & Aras, 2008). Indeed, I have understood that companies that ignore the social and environmental concerns in their technology will suffer from negative brand image and high employee turnover (Schwartz, 2011). For instance, I agree that technology presents several challenges such as the need to safeguard the health and safety of employees in the production departments and

Memoirs of C K Janu Against the Hegemony of the Ruling Class Essay Example for Free

Memoirs of C K Janu Against the Hegemony of the Ruling Class Essay C K Janu’s unfinished autobiography â€Å"Mother Foster: The Unfinished Story of C K Janu† which is translated by N Ravi Shankar is an eloquent testimony to her courage and her convictions. It is the recounting of her experience in her past. C K Janu is the prominent organic woman leader who managed to gain land for the tribals who were stamped under foot by the elites and the government. She is the leader of the Adivasi tribes who dedicated her youth for the betterment of the tribes. In the beginning she became a member of the communist party. Later she realised that the party cheated the tribal people and she left the party in1982. Later she organised a tribal meeting in South India in 1992 as a part of the reclamation of the land of the tribe. She incited and led the agitation by the tribal people. For this she was physically and mentally assaulted nine times by the Kerala police. In 1994 she was awarded as the best tribal social worker by the Government of Kerala. But she returned the award. She became the only Indian ambassador of India in the UN tribal conference. Even though illiterate she gave speeches in 120 countries. Later in 2001 the Government of Kerala signed an agreement with the tribal people, but did not keep it. The tribals protested against this in the land at Muthanga . This ended with a massive violence. Till now the cases are going on against her. She cooperated with national and international organisations for some time and now she spends time serving the tribes.

Why Switzerland and the United Kingdom Are Not Part of the European Union

Why Switzerland and the United Kingdom Are Not Part of the European Union Since World War II, Switzerland and Great Britain have gone through many political changes by reinforcing the foreign policy in their constitutions to protect the borders. When comparing these two governmental actions on policy, one can see the fate of the citizens in the two nations. The political powers these countries have are greatly interconnected with the world. It can be determined that the active role the United Kingdom plays in foreign affairs is superior to Switzerland in terms of creating economic political power and respect. However, Switzerland has had a long history of neutrality and has tried its best to not involve itself in European politics. This country has taken a neutral stance in regards to military action by maintaining and utilizing the Swiss military air force mainly for their protection. This is why these two rich and powerful countries are not part of the European Union. Recently, The European Union crisis has affected financially many different countries around the world. Therefore, the European Union has implemented the Euro as a common currency among seventeen countries.   Although there are many countries in Europe that may be part of the Euro zone, they will give very poor exchange rates.   Since 2008, the European Union has accumulated a lot of debt.   It has been struggling to pay their debt back to the Central Bank. This debt has damaged the European currency and has pushed many nations into recession.   This has lead to high unemployment rates and widespread poverty.   Countries like Switzerland do not want to be part of the European Union because the Swiss government feels that they will have to use their financial stability to help the economics of other countries. Switzerland has been an independent country since 1291; it is located between Germany, Italy, France and Austria.   The capital of Switzerland is Bern and the largest city is Zurich.   Switzerland has been considered to be one of the strongest countries in the middle of the European Union.   This is because a political institution that protects the nation maintained it aligned with the vision of its founders. â€Å"The Federal Assembly† is the primary seat of power. Although in practice the executive branch has been increasing its power at the expense of the legislative branch, the Federal Assembly has two houses:   the Council of states and the National Council.   In order for Switzerland to become part of the European Union, the Swiss government has to renounce their neutral power and financial stability. In 1992, the Swiss government applied for membership in the European Economic Area (EEA).   In a referendum on December 6, 1991, at a â€Å"historically high† turnout of 78.7%, the Swiss population narrowly rejected membership in the organization even though the liberals strongly supported membership†.   Subsequently to this, the Swiss government and the European Union permitted Switzerland to incorporate with the European Union without joining.   Switzerland’s foreign relations have avoided coalition that might involve military, political or monetary action. The Swiss constitution declares the preservation of Switzerland’s independence and welfare as the supreme objective of the Swiss foreign policy.   The structure laid down precise foreign policy to diplomatic consistence of the country to encourage high opinion for human rights, equality and the policy regulation. This was established to promote the Swiss economic interest around the world.  Ã‚   All through history, the Swiss have been known for their banks. There are many reasons for this, including privacy and good interest rates.   Europeans had accounts in the Swiss banks way before the war.   Jewish people in Germany put their money in the Swiss banks because they did not want Germany to steal it. This made many problems that are still trying to be solved today.   The Swiss government feels that they have an ethical responsibility to undertake social, monetary and humanitarian actions that contribute to world peace and harmony. Switzerland feels that they are able to participate without compromising their neutrality.   Switzerland is not part of the European nation which gives it its currency and economic power. Even though Switzerland’s view of isolation keeps it out of the European Union, it is not considered part of Europe.   Its solution to helping its neighbors with economic and security issues, is to do so in the most passive way possible. That is why the United Nations meets in Switzerland because of its state of neutrality and its constant involvement in peace with NATO.   According to a 2001 referendum, this can be done by the public in Switzerland.   Seventy percent of Swiss voters rejected any political movement towards European Union Membership.   Even with these numbers, the Swiss government is heavily divided over entering the European Union.   British and Switzerland voters see little benefits in the struggling European Union. The involvement of Great Britain in the Middle East along with other foreign affairs has secured many of their economic ventures, especially those in opening markets like British Petroleum oil companies. The economy gains and by doing this Switzerland influences the world. This world influence comes with more long term gains than that of short term and can have both positive and negative effects. Switzerland has very few enemies, receives less pressure from the world to get involved, and spends a large percentage of its budget on their military affairs.     The downside is that then Switzerland has to live by the rules of those who are more heavily involved in world affairs.   British foreign relations which mostly were inherited from England, originally pay to achieve stability of power from the inside of Europe.   No other country has achieved control over the relationships of the continent.      The British government relies heavily upon its foreign affairs policies.   The United Kingdom’s policy of being involved in world affairs greatly benefits the nation when it comes to monetary stability, world power, respect, and national security. The United Kingdom has a good relationship with Europe since the Second World War. Since then, Great Britain has become a member of the European Economic.   Even though Great Britain does not use the Euro and is not a member of the Euro zone, it still plays a leading role in the day to day working of the European Union. Great Britain had doubts when it came to being a part of the European Union and taking care of European Nations at the cost of the United Kingdom.   Great Britain was constantly pushing policies that furthered themselves from the European Union, including that of not using the Euro as their currency but rather keeping the British Pound, which was significantly stronger.   Joining the European Union was an uncharacteristic action by Great Britain.   In 1951, when the European Coal Steel Community was created Great Britain did not participate in it.   In 1957 it declined to join the six founding nations of the European Economic Community and in the signing of the treaty of Rome. Jean Monnet, one of the founders of the European Economic Community, said â€Å"I never understood why the British did not join†.   The conclusion that it must have been because it was the price of victory, the illusion that â€Å"You could maintain what you had, without change† as the United Kingdom constantly pushed itself away from Europe, it considered itself closer to the United States and maintained a special relationship with them. The laws of the land between the United Kingdom and Switzerland are drastically different. The United Kingdom’s common of formality with no real written down and unified constitution to Switzerland specifically states every right and liberty of the people and limitation of government power.   The United Kingdom’s constitution has evolved over the centuries, having a foundation of common law, Acts of Parliament, treaties, historical documents, and case law. It is not set out in any one clear and concise document which according to Justice Secretary â€Å"most people might struggle to put their finger on where their rights are† this is the problem with this type of law and rights of the United Kingdom.† However, the European Union has a concrete stone way to protect the economy of the European Union as well. The economy is integral in the European region which aims to unify its members.   The Economic and Monetary Union offers the exclusiveness of the single currency. This explains the gains, costs and qualifications of joining the European Union and the European Central Union Bank, its policies and implications with regards to the regional economic integration into the single currency. The gain and cost are very important to cover because the European region is not the only region that is trying to implement regional economic integration. The European integration policy relies within the members of the European Union.   The members themselves are the ones who make and decide policies. Members of the states are the ones who will either make the European Economic Monetary Union to succeed or fail and are the key of the regional economic integration’s progress.     They are the ones who know what is right and what is wrong regarding the policies to which the European Union stands. The European Union has a very particular way of selecting who can qualify for the European Economic and monetary union.   Criteria which was based on that the country satisfy the public deficit, interest rate and pass the qualifications. For countries to qualify for adopting the Euro, they have to sustain an inflation rate high enough to put up to the standards of others countries. Of course qualifications are not bias to just those counties that have high inflations.   The countries that qualified do not only have an increasing inflation rate but the need to sustain it.   At least every two years the European Central Bank Commission calls for a meeting to see the progress made and if the member’s states are fulfilling their obligations with regards to the standards of the Economic Monetary Union. These are stages they have to go through before they qualify for adopting the single currency. These criteria are all part of the stability and growth of the European Union.   A pact also covers the government deficit, which is the amount by which government spending exceeds government income within a given year.   The stability and growth pact requires ensuring their yearly deficits to not exceed 3% of their total annual production, thus keeping their economic balance. By keeping economic balance, the European Union would not have a problem when they implement the single currency. Countries who adopted the single currency and members of the European Union submit their budget plans to the European Commission who assesses them annually. There is also the public debt which is the total amount of accumulated government deficit which exceeds government income; the government concerned has borrowed money or raised taxes to fill the gap. The government ensures that they do not exceed 60 percent of their GDP (Gross Domestic Products) these rules are approved by all members of the European Union to demonstrate that the economic decision making is a matter of common concern and shared responsibility of all members of the European Union. According to the author Henseler Stephan (2008); â€Å"Reviewing European monetary unification† he stated that suppression of exchange rates would eliminate any risk regarding currency exchange, thus reducing interest rates.   This means that there will be no more conversion of money between countries that are members of the European Union. With the economic integration on route, the single currency could most likely be a very massive dream to come true. When crossing the borders of Europe, residents from the countries who adopted the single currency would most likely not be harassed by changing their currency.   In addition to this, economic and monetary union would project a push and pull scenario between all member states.   If the currency would increase its value it would be better for those who have less economic growth.   The playing field of integration of financial markets would be even. With this the currency of the European Union would be most the most independent with the US dollar. The independency on the US interest rate would be likely to fall with a strong European currency and economic area.   In conclusion, the political powers these countries have are greatly interconnected with the world. It can be determined that the active role the United Kingdom plays in foreign affairs is superior to Switzerland in terms of creating economic political power and respect. Excluding the fact that there are still areas to be changed by the European Union, as also the standards they set for the regional economic integration.   The European Economy that was created to protect the countries has been a success for them and it is still progressing up to this date.   In the future we can surely foresee that there will be more countries who will adopt the single currency offered by the economic union. The European Economy has been a great achievement for the members of the European Union, there are still a lot of adjustments that need to be done regarding the policies of the Economy until then Switzerland and the United Kingdom will remain independent from the European Union. References Henseler, Stephan  (2008)  Reviewing European monetary unification.   Diplomarbeit University of Vienna.  Fakultà ¤t fà ¼r Wirtschaftswissenschaften   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt_crisis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland_during_the_World_Warshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_the_United_Kingdom Policy Exchange Home http://www.conservapedia.com/Switzerland

The Computer Aided Process Planning

The Computer Aided Process Planning Process planning is common task in discrete manufacturing. It is performs the task of determining the sequence of individual manufacturing operations needed to process a given part or product. The resulting operation sequence is documented on a form typically referred to as a route sheet. The route sheet is a listing of the production operations and associated machine tools for a workpart or assembly. In traditional process planning, there arises a problem of variability among planners. In addition to this, there are often difficulties in the conventional process planning procedure. New machine tools in the factory render old routings less than optimal. Machine breakdowns force shop personnel to use temporary routings and these become the documented routings even after the machine is repaired. For these reasons and others, a significant proportion of the total numbers of process plans used in manufacturing are not optimal. Because of the problems encountered with manual process plann ing, attempts have been made in recent years to capture the logic, judgment, and experiences required for this important function and incorporate them into computer programs. Based on the characteristics of a given part, the program automatically generates the manufacturing operation sequence. A computer aided process planning (CAPP) system offers the potential for reducing the routine clerical work of manufacturing engineers. At the time, it provides the opportunity to generate production routing which is rational, consistent, and perhaps even optimal. (Groover) Computer-Aided Process Planning (CAPP) Modern manufacturing is characterized by low volume, high variety production and close tolerance high quality products. Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) is recognized as an effective platform for increasing manufacturing competitiveness. Computer Aided Process Planning is an essential key for achieving CIM. The integration of design, computer aided process planning (CAPP) and production planning and control (PPC) is becoming essential especially in a concurrent engineering environment where many product life cycle factors are of concern. An overview of the major development thrust in CAPP is presented along with some of the evolving trends and challenges such as rapid, generic, dynamic and/or distributed process planning. Related issued of quality and evolving standards are also discussed. CAPP works at the interface between CAD and Cam. It takes Cad data, converts it to production data, and feeds the later to a production system. Fig shows a CAPP model based on this interface concept. The CAPP model utilizes the flow shown in the fig. to convert Cad data into production data. After the CAD model is created, it is prepared for transfer into CAPP model. This preparation step is performed by a preprocessor, and it could involve producing an IGES or STEP file that the CAPP model can read. This step is necessary because both the models are independent of each other. CAD data also needs to be prepared to obtain the proper product definition as required by the CAPP model. The CAPP model applies its knowledge and rules to the prepared CAD data to produce its output, the process plan. The CAPP model performs necessary post processing operations on its output to produce output that production and scheduling systems can read and utilize in their own activities. Fig. shows that the components of the CAPP model are independent of both the CAD and production system. Thus the model requires two conversion steps: one to convert Cad data, and the other to convert the CAPP output itself. (Mastering CAD/CAM, Ibrahim Zeid) CAD system Pre-processor Production planning and scheduling Postprocessor Planning rules Input Output CAPP Knowledge CAPP model CAPP Approaches: (1) Variant CAPP (also called as Retrieval-type approach) Retrieval type CAPP systems use parts classification and coding and group technology as a foundation. In this approach, the parts produced in the plant are grouped into part families, distinguished according to their manufacturing characteristics. For each part family, a standard process plan is established. The standard process plan is stored in the computer files and the retrieved for new workpart which belong to that family. Some form of parts classification and coding system is required to organize the computer files and to permit efficient retrieval of the appropriate process plan for a new workpart. For some new work part, editing of the existing process plan may be required. This is done when the manufacturing requirements of the new part are slightly different from the standard. The machine routing may be the same for the new part, but the specific operations required at each machine may be different. The complete process plan must document the operations as well as the seque nce of machines through which the part must be routed. Because of the alterations that are made in the retrieved process plan, these CAPP systems are sometimes also called by the name variant systems. Part family matrix file Part family search User enters part code number. Machine routing file Standard machine routing retrieve Operation sequence file Standard operation retrieve/edit Other application programs Process plan Process plan formatter Figure will help to explain the procedure used in a retrieval process planning system. The user would initiate the procedure by entering the part code number at a computer terminal. The CAPP program then searches the part family matrix file to determine if a match exists. If the file contains an identical code number, the standard machine routing and operation sequence are retrieved from the respective computer files for display to the user. The standard process plan is examined by the user to permit any necessary editing of the plan to make it compatible with the new part design. After editing, the process plan formatter prepares the paper document in the proper form. If an exact match cannot be found between the code numbers in the computer file and the code number for the new part, the user may search the machine routing file and the operation sequence file for similar parts that could be used to develop the plan for the new part. Once the process plan for a new part code number has been entered, it becomes the standard process for future parts of the same classification. In figure the machine routing file is distinguished from the operation sequence file to emphasize that the machine routing may apply to a range of different part families and code numbers. It would be easier to find a match in the machine routing file than in the operation sequence file. Some CAPP retrieval systems would use only one such file which would be a combination of operation sequence file and machine routing file. The process plan formatter may use other application programs. These could include programs to compute machining conditions, work standards, and standard costs. Standard cost programs can be used to determine total product costs for pricing purpose. A number of variant type CAPP systems have been developed. These include MIPLAN, one of the MICLASS modules, the CAPP system developed by Computer Aided Manufacturing-International, COMCAPP V by MDSI, and systems by individual companies. (2) Generative process planning systems Generative process planning involves the use of the computer to create an individual process plan from scratch, automatically and without human assistance. The computer would employ a set of algorithms to progress through the various technical and logical decisions toward a final plan for manufacturing. Inputs to the system would include a comprehensive description of the workpart. This may involve the retrieval of part code number to summarize the workpart data, but it does not involve the retrieval of existing standard plans. Instead, the generative CAPP system synthesizes the design of the optimum process sequence, based on an analysis of part geometry, material, and other factors which would influence manufacturing decisions. In the ideal generative process planning package, any part design could be presented to the system for creation of the optimal plan. In practice, current generative-type systems are far from universal in their applicability. They tend to fall short of truly generative capability, and they are developed for a somewhat limited range of manufacturing processes. The integration of process planning and scheduling. Kumar Rajotia, (2003, p.297) contend that existing CAPP systems fails to consider scheduling while developing a process plan. It is done separately after the process plan has been generated, and therefore, it is possible that process plans so obtained may not be most favourable from the scheduling point of view. If process plans are generated without careful thought of machine shop floor information, many problems arise within the manufacturing environment. Some of the difficulties encountered are as follows: (i) Process planners assume that there are unlimited resources on the shop floor. Hence they plan for the optimum alternative process. Hence there is reputation in the selection of desirable machines by the process planners. When these process plans are executed, it results into an ideal machines and overloaded machines at shop floor and thus these optimal process plans become infeasible. (ii) Basically process plans gives importance to the technological requirements of the task while scheduling involves the timing feature of it. This results into the conflicting objectives of the two. (iii) The flow of the orders through the workshop suffers from disruptions caused by bottleneck machines, non-availability of tools and personnel, or breakdowns of machines and equipments. Hence the ready schedule becomes invalid and it has to be recreated. (iv) In many cases for both CAPP and scheduling, a single criteria optimization should be used to obtain desirable solutions. However, the real time production surrounding is best represented by considering simultaneously more than one criterion. (v) The time difference between the planning phase and execution may lead to difficulties. Due to the dynamic nature of production surroundings, it is very likely that when the design is prepared to manufacture, the constraints used in developing the plan have already been altered greatly, thus making the plan sub-optimal or totally disabled. Many researchers have tried to integrate process planning with scheduling. Some of the important contributors are by Torri et al. Halevi and Weill , Chryssolouris and Chan , Sundaram and Fu, Tonshoff et al., Khoshnevis , Khoshnevis and Chen , Liao et al., Usher and Fernandes ,Gu et al. and Yang et al. Methodology The method to integrate scheduling with CAPP by including the shop floor conditions of machines, i.e., initial cost, availability, operating cost, cycle time and breakdown conditions while allotting machines to various processes to obtain process plan is explained in this paper. This assists in developing feasible plan. This method may be called on-line process planning. On-line machine scheduling This step involves the alteration of the process to ensure that machine assigned is the best possible option among the others to perform the task after the scheduling criteria is considered. The selected machine should not violate the process planning criteria i.e. it should be capable to achieve the required tolerance and surface finish for the particular operation. The expected result of integration is to response rapidly and closer adherence to deadlines by reducing the mean time flow and the number of tardy jobs. In this system a scheduling factor, Â µ, is obtained as: Where C = cost of the machine, Co= operating cost of machine per unit time, T= the average cycle time for performing the operation on a machine, N= the number of alternative machines that can prepare the job. X1-X4 are the important ratings given to respective variable on a scale of 1-10 (1-least important and 10-most important). The machine with the highest value of scheduling factor is selected for a particular operation. This factor is directly proportional to C and inversely proportional to Co, T and N. The rationale for the direction of proportionality in this equation is explained below. Cost of machine (C): the purchasing value of the machine. It is important to utilize the companys investment effectively. Thus, scheduling factor prefers the expensive machines more. Operating cost (Co): the assignment of operating cost of the machine is an important factor and a machine with lower operating cost is preferred. Cycle time (T): the number of machines with lower cycle time is preferred since they reduce the mean flow time and the number of tardy jobs. The scheduling factor optimizes when the cycle time for regarding machine decreases. Number of alternative machines (N): the machine with lower number of alternatives improves the scheduling factor. Initially, the ideal scheduling factor is calculated under ideal working conditions known as ideal scheduling factor (Â µI). Ideal working conditions includes ideal tools, machines, cycle time etc. However, in a real time, the working condition may be distinguishable. The scheduling must try to include the actual number of machines with their capacities and features, tools, etc. Based on actual conditions, the actual scheduling factor (Â µA) is calculated. Thus: Ideal scheduling factor Where CIo is the ideal operating cost, and TI the ideal cycle time Actual scheduling Where CAo =actual operating cost TA= actual cycle time. The actual scheduling factor is calculated for all machines competent to do the required operation and the machine with larger value is opted for that operation. The procedure can be summarized as follows: Step 1. Verify for the breakdown condition of machines. A machine under breakdown or maintenance is not selected for assignment. Step 2. Check for the availability of each machine. A machine is considered unavailable when the cycle time of an operation (T) is longer than the time available on the machine (unassigned slots of time on the specific machine). Operation is not assigned for the unavailable machine. Step 3. Check capability of available machines by verifying its accuracy and surface finish produced, available feeds and speeds, dimensional limits and attachments. Step 4. Based on the scheduling factor, transform the ideal process plan into an actual process plan. A hybrid approach to CAPP: The various advantages, disadvantages, features, nuances of a certain type of system are a function of the application more than an inherent quality. This is primarily because we are trying to replicate the human brain of the production planner with an Artificial Intelligence unit. When a person designs the algorithm for a certain type of process, the same might not apply for another process or even the same process but under a different circumstance. Thus this algorithm is clearly at a loss when we use any one structured and rigid format, and is extremely vulnerable to make critical mistakes to changes. This might very well be expensive enough a mistake to offset the cost of automation of the process. Hence, the Hybrid Approach was designed in an attempt to make the algorithm a bit more flexible. This might not have the outright simplicity and speed of a variant approach or the reliability of the generative approach, but it attempts to make up for that by incorporating a high degre e of flexibility as far as adaptation is concerned. The concept is that if we manage to eliminate the demerits of both or other approaches and form an adaptive approach with the merits of all, we should have basic layout of a much more efficient approach to planning of CAPP, or in effect the integration of the processes right from design (CAD) to manufacture (CAM). This is attempted primarily by associating the work-piece in a family like the variant approach, however not as a rigid classification, but only as a generic classification. Here on the approach leans towards the generative approach and accesses predetermined information of all the aspects of manufacturing the particular family of parts. This leaves the designer to make the critical yet quick changes to the essential variables that are involved with the manufacture of the part. The goal is not to generate a definitive path or plan, but to quickly make available an efficient, reliable and feasible skeleton of the required ideal process plan. Hybrid approaches generally follow a heuristic approach where the critical input is the previous output, also known as discovery based decision making. This gives a good opportunity to learn from past experience and results. Thus, as the volumes of production are increased for similar parts, the data available is increased and as a consequence the efficiency of the hybrid approach also increases. Hybrid CAPP Systems: There are many different hybrid approaches applied to production processes in order to gain a seamless flow between CAD, CAM, CAPP and such elements of production process. Pham and Gologlu (2005) designed a hybrid system of CAPP called Proplanner, which adapted the hybrid method of knowledge representation. According to Xun Xu (2009), ProPlanner is restricted to prismatic parts with 2.5-dimensional features. Parts are also assumed to be machined from a near net form, and only simple geometric tolerance (straightness and parallelism) is implemented. Gologlu (2004) extended the ProPlanner system, by using an efficient heuristic algorithm (in the system operation sequencing module) for finding near-optimal operation sequences from all available process plans in a machining set-up. In the adopted approach, a four-level hierarchy was used: feature-level, machining scheme level, operation-level and tool-level Liu, Duan, Lei and Wang (1999) used the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) a mathematical decision modelling tool to solve complicated process planning problems by decomposition, determination and synthesis. (Xun Xu, 2009) Future adaptations of CAPP related to Hybrid approach: The future adaptations of CAD-CAM integration will be largely driven by the requirements of future and the remnant disadvantages of the present systems. The major current challenges that are attempted to be overcome are: Requirement of many post processors for every level of local customization for a part Lack of standardization of syntax Lack of co-operation and common platform development due to commercial environment The potential of the Hybrid Approach to overcome the above: The inherent nature of hybrid systems gives us an advantage to bridge the gaps between non-standard communication lines and to force various independent systems to work together. This in itself is an advantage, however true synchronization can only be achieved with a common effort in the larger interest of more efficient CAPP frameworks. Various efforts to overcome barriers of independent non-standard systems: APT A general purpose language NC program that is independent of the manufacturer. This was a public domain code post-processor that is defined by the ANSI standard. APT was one of the early attempts to drive the machining process on the basis of geometry (Xun XU, 2009). BCL BCL is the numerical control data format standard initiated by North American Rockwell in the mid-1970s, and later became EIA Standard RS-494 in 1983 (Xun Xu, 2009) The co-ordinate system of a tool remains focused on the information that was originally used as the input. Though the system was relatively capable of achieving its goals, at was mainly restricted to the shopfloor. Common platform languages for programming automation tools There have been efforts to make CNC programs portable by use of coding languages that use basic G-codes, which in itself fail to match the merits of higher level languages. APL (Otto, 2000) and OMAC (Michaloski, Birla, Yen,Igou Weinert, 2000) are examplesof such efforts. This concept is based on the common platform on which all decision making processes are based on when planning a process, a typical example of which is entailed as follows: PREDICTING FUTURE TRENDS IN HYBRID APPROACH TO CAPP The problem remains largely to be the lack of synchronization among independent hardware and software elements of the entire system and this force the prospective improvers of CAPP systems to again focus on the ideal framework of a production process and then work their way to try and develop a practical, economical and commercially viable system. It is our belief that in a hybrid approach, such a production engineer will be breaking down the entire integration of CAD and CAM into smaller ideal flowcharts. This ideal flow of processes would be similar to the following example of a post design flowchart PART REQUIREMENTS RAW WORKPIECE MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS AND SEQUENCES MACHINE TOOLS TOOLS/WORKHOLDING DEVICES MACHINING CONDITIONS (Figure 1, Ideal flow chart of post-design sequence) Conclusions and Inferences: This is not to say that the conventional approaches contain demerits and have to be phased out. In fact, the hybrid approach is based on the above for a foundation. It is merely adaptation of techniques based on past experience, changing situations and increasing research. The changes will be incorporated on to present techniques and the same will be done to the hybrid approach based on need. This heuristic approach of adapting continuously and seamlessly with the workflow that integrates design and manufacture is believed to be the future of process planning, which will surely continue to undergo many further changes. However the tendency of one defined system to dissociate itself with the algorithm of another will be drastically reduced in the future. This will make the production process act as one harmonic set of functions rather than various scattered processes which may do well in their own right, but are not functioning in symphony with the rest of the processes.

Causes of the Fenian Movement :: Essays Papers

Causes of the Fenian Movement Irish history is one that is filled with many successes, but heavily out weighted by tragedies and failures of all types. Beginning in the 1840’s, Ireland was faced with many occurrences that lead up to a movement that changed the history of Ireland’s nationalism. â€Å"Beginning with 1847, the potato blight left famine and death on every hand; emigration was excessive and disaffection wide spread yet the British government did little to relieve the deplorable conditions.† (Walker 2) One of the largest events of the time was the Fenian Movement. This movement was led by the people in order to take back what was theirs, their land and rights. While many occurrences might have contributed to the Fenian Movement, which was named after the legendary Gaelic hero, Finn Mac Cumhail (de Nie 215), the four large contributors were The Great Potato Famine; The Young Ireland Uprising; the Civil War; and Britain’s tightening oppression. In 1845, the main crop of the Irish was coming under attack. A blight that slowly killed the potatoes from the inside out, hit the country hard. With the devastation of the dying potatoes, much of the population was found to be in starving situations. Disease that already existed in the country, attacked those left weak by the starvation they were facing, and many died. The disaster of the Famine radicalized a generation of mainly catholic young men of modest social origin, some of whom eventually succeed in assembling an almost open and extremely widespread conspiracy to subvert British rule in Ireland (Gavin 471) This lead to the emigration of many to other countries in order to leave the diseased country. The Famine also caused many Irish to question the control that Britain had over their country. Britain granted no form of help to the devastated Irish population. Since potatoes were Ireland’s top export, the British decided to tax and bill for the potatoes that they never received. They also used religion as a tool to discourage the Irish. English Catholic’s prevalent concern: that Irish nationalism would supersede Catholicism in the hearts and minds of England’s Catholic population, which was predominantly composed of working-class Irish migrants†¦ Most Irish classified their Catholicism with nationalism while English Catholics considered themselves a refined Catholic minority in a vulgar Protestant land (Dye 358).

Federalists :: American History, Madison, Factions

James Madison was a very intelligent man and was one of the forefathers for our country. In Madison’s Federalist Paper Number 10 he describes the need to control factions in the United States and how the government is to do so. The Federalist papers are a key point in describing how to control â€Å"factions† that are so dangerous to the young government, or so Madison feels. In Madison’s paper he clearly lays out his idea on the sources of factions, his feelings on democracy versus a republic, and how to control factions. To Madison factions, or groups of citizens with mal-intent for the new government, are a threat to the new government and it is impossible to find an acceptable remedy. Madison considers both liberty and the idea of having opposing opinions to be the key sources to factions. This also proves to be the reason why factions can never be eradicated completely. To Madison there are â€Å"two methods of removing the causes of faction: the on, by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence; the other, by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests.†(pg. A21) Of course both of these ideas are completely preposterous because they are impossible to be had. Removing liberty in the words of James Madison would be â€Å"worse than the disease† (pg. A21) because of the pure fact that to abolish liberty would be to abolish everything fought for in the American Revolution. Madison compares liberty to air in that removing it would rid of the fire, factions, but also kill every life, so basically it is a lose-lose situation. The latter idea of Madison is to basically have everyone think in a homogenous manner, which of course is impracticable. As Madison puts it â€Å"As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed† (pg. A22) Men will always have a difference of opinion because we are always influenced by reason and self-love. Madison continues saying that the causes of factions are â€Å"thus sown in the nature of man† (pg. A22) and all we can do is try to control factions but it is impossible to rid of them completely. The federalist paper continues on to Madison’s feelings about having a democracy versus a republic and which he feels is a better decision. Federalists :: American History, Madison, Factions James Madison was a very intelligent man and was one of the forefathers for our country. In Madison’s Federalist Paper Number 10 he describes the need to control factions in the United States and how the government is to do so. The Federalist papers are a key point in describing how to control â€Å"factions† that are so dangerous to the young government, or so Madison feels. In Madison’s paper he clearly lays out his idea on the sources of factions, his feelings on democracy versus a republic, and how to control factions. To Madison factions, or groups of citizens with mal-intent for the new government, are a threat to the new government and it is impossible to find an acceptable remedy. Madison considers both liberty and the idea of having opposing opinions to be the key sources to factions. This also proves to be the reason why factions can never be eradicated completely. To Madison there are â€Å"two methods of removing the causes of faction: the on, by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence; the other, by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests.†(pg. A21) Of course both of these ideas are completely preposterous because they are impossible to be had. Removing liberty in the words of James Madison would be â€Å"worse than the disease† (pg. A21) because of the pure fact that to abolish liberty would be to abolish everything fought for in the American Revolution. Madison compares liberty to air in that removing it would rid of the fire, factions, but also kill every life, so basically it is a lose-lose situation. The latter idea of Madison is to basically have everyone think in a homogenous manner, which of course is impracticable. As Madison puts it â€Å"As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed† (pg. A22) Men will always have a difference of opinion because we are always influenced by reason and self-love. Madison continues saying that the causes of factions are â€Å"thus sown in the nature of man† (pg. A22) and all we can do is try to control factions but it is impossible to rid of them completely. The federalist paper continues on to Madison’s feelings about having a democracy versus a republic and which he feels is a better decision.

Hong Kong Post-colonial Cinema Essay -- Post Colonial Hong Kong Cultur

The Construction of the ‘Western Other’ in Hong Kong Post-colonial Cinema Hong Kong has always remained a very unique city, one which is said to have ‘a Western past, an Eastern future’. Since its colonisation by the British in the 1860s, it has maintained to a very large extent its Chinese identity and its connection to its Motherland, while at the same time, has frequent contact with the Western world, politically, economically, and culturally. Hong Kong’s unique position has made the city a vibrant international metropolis that acts as a bridge between East and West. Yet after it was returned to China in 1997, this former British colony has been constantly reassessing its British past, struggling to find its new position and redefining its identity. The quest for identity quickly finds its place in the construction of the notion of ‘Hong Kong-ness’ in films. The local cinema has remained as a powerful cultural institution, both reflecting and intervening in the discourses of alterities and selfhood. It is therefore not surprising that in local films, the cinematic representations of Hong Kong have been seen as inextricably interwoven with the triangular relationship between the British coloniser, the Chinese motherland, and Hong Kong itself. Since its inception in the 1910s, the Hong Kong film industry has enjoyed much independence from colonial control, yet simultaneously much association with Western culture. Many films openly deal with the theme of ‘East meets West’ in which ‘Hong Kongese’ identity is often expressed in "transnational settings" against the existence of a Western Other, in particular through the portrayal of Westerners visiting Asia, and vice versa. After the handover, "H ong Kong" as a geopolitical en... ...a journey of discovery/rediscovery of what the Western world comes to mean, while at the same time, negotiating the redefinition of selfhood and national identity of Hong Kong. The will to search for a reconciliation with the West in these films is certainly deeply embedded in Hong Kong’s search for its own identity in the post-colonial era. After its return to its Chinese motherland, Hong Kong consequently takes up the important position as the bridge between China and the West. Many recognize that its success to find its identity as part of China in the future depends on its ability to come to terms with its colonial past. Indeed, as we have seen, both films positively insist on the possibility of fulfilling such an aspiration. The process is not a comfortable one, and it is often one of pain and risks. Yet the films assure that it is also one of promise and hope. Hong Kong Post-colonial Cinema Essay -- Post Colonial Hong Kong Cultur The Construction of the ‘Western Other’ in Hong Kong Post-colonial Cinema Hong Kong has always remained a very unique city, one which is said to have ‘a Western past, an Eastern future’. Since its colonisation by the British in the 1860s, it has maintained to a very large extent its Chinese identity and its connection to its Motherland, while at the same time, has frequent contact with the Western world, politically, economically, and culturally. Hong Kong’s unique position has made the city a vibrant international metropolis that acts as a bridge between East and West. Yet after it was returned to China in 1997, this former British colony has been constantly reassessing its British past, struggling to find its new position and redefining its identity. The quest for identity quickly finds its place in the construction of the notion of ‘Hong Kong-ness’ in films. The local cinema has remained as a powerful cultural institution, both reflecting and intervening in the discourses of alterities and selfhood. It is therefore not surprising that in local films, the cinematic representations of Hong Kong have been seen as inextricably interwoven with the triangular relationship between the British coloniser, the Chinese motherland, and Hong Kong itself. Since its inception in the 1910s, the Hong Kong film industry has enjoyed much independence from colonial control, yet simultaneously much association with Western culture. Many films openly deal with the theme of ‘East meets West’ in which ‘Hong Kongese’ identity is often expressed in "transnational settings" against the existence of a Western Other, in particular through the portrayal of Westerners visiting Asia, and vice versa. After the handover, "H ong Kong" as a geopolitical en... ...a journey of discovery/rediscovery of what the Western world comes to mean, while at the same time, negotiating the redefinition of selfhood and national identity of Hong Kong. The will to search for a reconciliation with the West in these films is certainly deeply embedded in Hong Kong’s search for its own identity in the post-colonial era. After its return to its Chinese motherland, Hong Kong consequently takes up the important position as the bridge between China and the West. Many recognize that its success to find its identity as part of China in the future depends on its ability to come to terms with its colonial past. Indeed, as we have seen, both films positively insist on the possibility of fulfilling such an aspiration. The process is not a comfortable one, and it is often one of pain and risks. Yet the films assure that it is also one of promise and hope.

Bulgarian Identity and Folklore

The tapestry of a Bulgarian’s life is interwoven with the country’s rich and colorful folklore, songs and dances, varied festivals and witty proverbs. The folk culture which has been preserved through the centuries is an intrinsic part of a Bulgarian’s daily activities. The spirit and identity of a Bulgarian is entwined with the folk traditions and customs, as it influences and shapes his way of thinking.Also, a history of suffering under the Ottoman rule and coming through it with their identity intact, adds a special dimension to the people of Bulgaria, packing power to the motto â€Å"unity makes strength. † The courage that the peasant community displayed in clinging to their cultural identity, under the â€Å"Turkish yoke,† united them to fight for their freedom. The determination that they displayed in preserving their identity under extremely oppressive conditions, tells us why the modern Bulgarian army never lost a flag.This essay will first learn what â€Å"identity† means to a Bulgarian and then move on to study the historical facts that shaped the Bulgarian identity as it is today. It will explore how Bulgarian identity has survived over the centuries and how the folklore traditions in its entirety, bonds Bulgarians scattered all over the world to their motherland. This essay will also provide a glimpse into the Bulgarian folk culture including festivals, rituals, proverbs mythology and music, which have kept the Bulgarian identity and spirit alive round the world even today.Shaping the identity In 19th century Eastern Europe, the emerging nation-states depended on their peasant traditions, which had survived foreign invasion and dominance, to form an definite idea of what they stood for. According to Herder, every nation is an organic entity with its own native cultural institutions and pure spirit which are best reflected in the folk poetry of the peasants. If a nation is to seek political sovereignty, it m ust find its pure spirit and build its future on the cultural traditions of the past.The native peasants were thus viewed as the soul of the nation, and folklore their legitimate expression. For the people of Bulgaria, their folk culture was also a weapon, which they used as an inspiration to unite and fight for their freedom. The Haidouk folk songs – about the heroes who hid in the mountains and formed a band of guerilla fighters – influenced the people of Bulgaria to join the bands and fight against the oppression of the turks, which tells us how powerful folklore is.Today, folk culture in Bulgaria is carefully preserved and taken forward with government-sponsorship, through various organizations and festivals. The government understands that folk culture, with its vital music and traditions, is what keeps Bulgarians together, no matter where they are. For the Bulgarian community, the traditions will always remain a part of life. The beliefs, knowledge, traditions an d value system still plays a major part in social and cultural interaction.This explains why ethnic discourse is so often â€Å"objectified† in folk culture events in Bulgaria, and why folk texts of various kinds are so widely used in it. In fact everyday life is dominated by the folklore traditions because they are regarded as a system of values, norms, texts, patterns and technologies. According to William R Bascom, ethnomusicologist, folklore serves to sanction and validate religious, social, political and economic institutions and plays an important role as an educative device in its transmission from one generation to another.He therefore suggests that folklore must be examined in better detail and care, because it gives us a clearer picture of the facts that shapes the destiny of a culture. Through the oral traditions of folklore, hundreds of songs, legends, rituals and tales are handed down to the present. Traditions that go back to Slavic antiquity are still alive tod ay, for example, the ritual sharing of sweetened wheat to commemorate the death of a loved one, forty days after his decease.Another tradition, this one peculiar to the Bulgarians, is the exchange of â€Å"martenici. † According to which, the year begins on March first (mart is Bulgarian for March). As part of the tradition, a red string, is attached to children’s wrists as well as animals’ necks and tails – to combat evil. This is one of the most popular custom among Bulgarians world-wide. On this day a string is offered to each member of the family and to all of one’s friends, in order to bring them health and happiness throughout the year.Another unique aspect of Bulgaria which differentiates it from the rest of the world is its special voice. It is said that there is nothing in this world to match the Bulgarian voice, which is why a Bulgarian folk song performed by Valya Balkanska was recorded on a gold CD and sent aboard the Voyager to be the earth’s ambassador in alien worlds. Bulgarian folksongs too are singular in nature.There might be a folk song for every occasion from field work to harvest, from birth to a funeral, for any stage of life that you can think of, but they are not repetitive and Bulgarian music remains exceptional. The folk songs and the dances afford a rich background for the understanding of the spirit, that kept alive, the spark of national feeling for over five hundred years under foreign occupation.The unconscious pictures that people create of themselves are more authentic and more accurate than any other source that we can secure and the Bulgarian peasant through the medium of folklore has painted a picture of what he considers important. Folklore customs aside, in Bulgaria the official historic pillars of identity are three, chosen by the government, for their various positive and shining qualities. First of all the Protobulgarians – warriors, who defeated the superpower Byzantium and established a state on its land in the 7th century.Secondly the Slavs – industrious, egalitarian, freedom-loving people, useful in times of pro-Russian orientation and finally the Thracian ancestors – ancient, wise, peaceful. It was the Thracians who contributed the Kukeri traditions and the ever-popular day of Baba Marta. The Slavs are said to have created the traditional circular Bulgarian folk dances and the lucky number three. Without knowing it, these centuries-old civilizations worked together to create a modern culture for their descendants.Today, Bulgarians consider both the Slavs and the Thracians to be their ancestors. However, history proves that the more primitive Thracians were here first. If we look into the symbols that can be associated with the Bulgarian identity, the Balkan mountains and the Balkan lion stand out, both for obvious reasons. The Balkans appear as symbols of shelter in many folk songs for the haidouks, the venerated resistance-fighte rs, who in turn were the symbol of Bulgaria's urge for national liberty.The â€Å"Balkan lion† as the epitome of Bulgaria's victorious spirit too appeared in the first national hymn of the country, composed by Nikola Zhivkov . Despite decades of oppression or maybe because of it, the Bulgarians have an identity that is rich and vital. The concept of this identity stands on the stable foundation of a folk culture which incorporates strength, humor, wisdom, music as well as a unique and varied mythology.But, there is another school of thought which begs to differ in the matter of Balkan stability and provides a different point of view. Always traumatic and unstable, Balkan reality invites discourses of domination. Within this asymmetrical system of antagonisms and co-operation, stereotypes of Balkan character emerge as identities. It is said that the Balkan identity has been a potent channeling tool in the cultural exorcism of civilized Europe.The challenge for Balkan scholars, though they desire a modern non-ethnic identity, is to resist the lure of globalization. But, since the Balkan countries lack what it takes, the region’s best resistance to globalization is to foster an alliance of cultural critics across ethnic and professional lines. A window to the Bulgarian history History tells us that the Bulgarians are Asiatic in origin. Kinsmen of the Huns and Avars whose earlier raids had greatly disturbed the peace-loving Slavs.The Bulgarians were the first Asiatic people who established a permanent home in Balkania. They effected the conquest of the Slavs, but in the course of about two centuries were absorbed by the more numerous race, and largely lost their identity. Intermarriage and mixture of blood modified the physical type of the Bulgars. They lost their language and were converted to the same type of Greek Orthodox Christianity as the Slavs. They adopted the same Cyrillic alphabet and became thoroughly Slavicized.Nothing but the name Bulga rian remains to associate them with their Asiatic forebears. In the tenth century, Bulgaria came under the direct control of Byzantium, but recovered its independence in 1197 after a long struggle. The Bulgarian ruler at the time, Kalojan, set the seal on this victory in 1204 by having himself crowned the King of Bulgaria by a papal envoy. The second Bulgarian state thus inaugurated lasted until the Ottoman conquest, which took place in 1393. After that, the country ceasedto exist as a separate entity until the nineteenth century. Whatever Bulgarian culture survived through this period did so ‘behind the protective walls of monasteries. ’ Turkish rule lasted five centuries and is viewed by Bulgarian scholars as â€Å"the darkest period in the history of the Bulgarian people. † The Bulgarians were the last of the Balkan peninsula to attain their liberation. Perhaps because of the proximity to Constantinople, the hand of the Turk was felt more heavily in Bulgaria t han elsewhere.The only thing that continued was the village system in which the peasants were allowed to handle their own affairs. Oppressive, too, was the domination of the Phanariote clergy. This was even worse than the civil oppression of the Turks, because the clergy pursued a systematic policy of obliterating all evidences of Bulgarian culture and literature. In 1825, Illarion, the Greek Metropolitan of Tirnovo, made a bonfire of the old library of the Bulgarian Patriarchate, which till then had survived all the vicissitudes of the Turkish era.So thoroughly was this accomplished that the Bulgarians had actually passed out of the consciousness of Europe till the beginning of the nineteenth century. Bulgarian schools were closed, manuscripts were destroyed, and with the extinction of the Bulgarian archbishopric of Ochrida, the last stronghold of the old national Church, to which the Bulgarians had clung tenaciously, disappeared. It seemed that nothing could save the Bulgarians fr om complete Hellenization.Early in the nineteenth century, however, signs of a literary and cultural renaissance, the invariable prelude to a revival of nationalism, began to appear in Bulgaria. From the study of their past, the Bulgarians discovered their true identity and then went on to fight for it. Bulgaria’s chequered history, the points where it differs from the rest of the Europe and the fact that it serves to protect Europe from the imminent Islamic invasion also shapes its identity.Bulgarian historians, who also serve as national ideologists, always point out that it shields and protects Europe – a role that Europe is expected to understand and appreciate. Also the point here is to prove that Bulgaria was a cradle of European culture and that its history is intrinsically connected with Europe's development. Interestingly enough, at the same time historians take pride in matters that actually separate Bulgaria from the West European cultural tradition – the fact that it adopted the Cyrillic alphabet, and did not accept Roman Catholicism.The history of the country, which was conquered by the Turks in 1396, but managed to preserve its specific Slavic cultural and national identity throughout the five centuries, until 1878, when its European identity re-emerged, is stressed repeatedly. Folk culture In the field of culture, a long hard battle had to be waged against the Greeks, who by reason of their domination of the Church, gained a stranglehold on Bulgarian culture and even on the Bulgarian language.There was thus very little cultural advance until the end of eighteenth century, and it is small wonder that until recently Bulgaria was regarded as a very backward country. After the collapse of the Bulgarian Empire and its subsequent absorption into the Ottoman lands, the cultural level of Bulgaria reached an impasse. But soon a striking development of folk songs was noticed throughout the region. In the western part of the country th ese were largely epic, connected with the Serb epic cycles.These songs have a greater connection with the historical events that they purport to recount. The songs of the western region were less poetic, sober and realistic. In the east, however lyrical songs predominated. It was in such a condition, where traces of the popular language were slowly making their way into the written forms of Church Slavonic, that modern literature came into being and inspired national resurgence. Bulgarian folklore, mythology and festivals Bulgarian folklore exhibits a certain duality in nature.On the one hand, folklore is displayed as a spiritual expression of an agrarian type of society, where the central point is to recreate the annual farming cycle and the human life cycle in a tradition, based on folklore ritualism. On the other hand, it is permeated by the historical time of the Bulgarians. The interpretation of this time has found its most imposing expression in the Bulgarian heroic epic, simi lar to the epical sagas of other cultures.Furthermore, mythology too pops out from every nook and cranny in Bulgaria, in seemingly unlikeliest of places. Bulgarian mythology, with its in vampires and goblins, samodivi and dragons, endless tales with fantastic plots, for example in – A Lad Outruns the Sun, A Maiden Outshines the Sun – makes the Bulgarian culture such a rich and interesting one. It is amazing the way in which the Bulgarian folklore, mythology and festivals along with dance, music and assorted rituals come together in a holistic manner.They connect the spiritual growth of the Bulgarians with the cultural traditions of the other Balkan nations, irrespective of their religious identification and independent ethnic history. It could be said that when all these three elements come together, it reveals, a profound relationship with the Bulgarian daily experience and historical destiny. Somewhere the smaller events of life fall together in harmony to make the b ig picture.Among rituals and ceremonies, marriage and the continuity of the community is arguably the most important theme in the Bulgarian calendar, along with farm-related rituals. All festivals stress on these two points one way or the other. The most popular marriage-related ritual is the contrasting mid-winter and spring- time ceremonies for males and females respectively. For example, unmarried young lads, on 24 December, after midnight, visit each and every house, forming bands called ‘koledari or survakari’ and sing songs with an intricate mythical content.Similarly in the springtime, the maidens form ritual groups of girls, known as lazarki , perform a specific repertory full of tragic themes. In this context, the Bulgarian masquerade ritualism is very rich. The lazarki and koledari rituals are female and male life cycle initiations respectively. They prepare the males and females for the stage of matrimony. To elaborate on the theme, let us list a few festival s and rituals that allows us a glimpse into the two big wheels of folk life – life and farm cycle.The festivals in Bulgaria are innumerous and definitely merit a section of their own. According to ethnographers, the overall number of Bulgarian festive rites exceeds 11,000 – a plentitude of customs accompanying Bulgarian people's lives from the cradle to the grave. Here are a few popular festivals celebrated in Bulgaria. The Martenitsa Tradition – Baba Marta, Grandma Marta This is by far the most popular festival of Bulgarians and is celebrated world-wide by Bulgarians. This is a unique Bulgarian custom which originates from the ancient Thracians.The earliest martenitsas were made of white and red woolen threads to which a silver or gold coin was occasionally tied. Other rituals observed on March 1 include women dressing all over in red and in North-eastern Bulgaria, the lady of the house would toss a red cloth over a fruit tree or spread red wool onto a field to secure fertility. In stock-breeding areas, a white-and-red thread was commonly tied to the livestock. The tradition is still alive and widely respected.Every year on March 1, Bulgarians all over the world present each other with martenitsas, thus introducing and spreading this very Bulgarian custom, to a broader canvas of people. New year celebrations The most colorful set of winter calendar customs is that of New Year's celebration. From time immemorial, the fireplace and the table spread have been symbols of generosity and abundance. The richer the spread, the more fruitful the coming year is expected to be. It is a custom observed nation-wide.The koledari would go from house to house singing carols and wishing health and prosperity to the family. The koledari's dress and costume ornaments differ from region to region. This custom is characterized by extremely colorful rituality involving songs, blessings, and dances. The koledari perform on Christmas Eve as well. Having to do wi th the Julian and the Gregorian calendar, the customs have preserved their original vitality and are related to the anticipation of fertility. Ladouvane or Singing to RingsThis is another New Year's custom, expressing an young girls' eagerness to get married and enjoy a happy family life. Ladouvane or koumichene is a maidens' rite performed on the day before New Year only in the areas of Western Bulgaria, Central Balkan Range and in some regions along the Danube River. In the rest of the country, it is celebrated on Midsummer’s Day. Koukeri – the mummers tradition Koukerovden marks the beginning of the spring calendar. Everybody makes his own mask competing to show greater personal skill and craftsmanship.Therefore, no two ritual masks are alike and the men take great pride in displaying their masks. Young men in masks, visit houses and distribute gifts as part of the tradition. Todorovden – St Theodore's Day St Theodore's Day is celebrated six days after Shrove tide. It is also known as â€Å"Horses' Easter† because of the horse races commonly held on that day. According to folk tradition, newly married women would make a ritual Theodore's round loaf of bread decorated with a dough-modelled image of a horse's head.The ancient roots of this folk festival lie in Thracian mythology. The horse is a sun symbol, while the horseman is known in the Bulgarian lands through the cult of the Thracian Horseman. Trypon Zarezan – Vinegrower's Day Trypon Zarezan is celebrated during the first half of February. It is an old occupation-related custom. On this day, observed throughout the country, the vines are pruned and sprinkled with wine. In some areas, a Vine King is chosen and he is crowned with a wreath of wine twigs.Blagovets – Annunciation Day The festival of Blagovets, celebrated on March 25, symbolizes the beginning of spring – swallows returning from the southern lands. Popular Christian mythology associates the day wi th the story of Virgin Mary sitting in the garden and sewing, then leaning and smelling a sprig of basil and thus getting pregnant. Being an ancient festival, Blagovets is laden with old-time rites shrouded in popular Christianity. Easter Easter is the most revered festival in the Church calendar of Orthodox Christians.Making Easter cakes was introduced in Bulgaria as late as the 1920’s, but nowadays it has a very important place in the Bulgarian people's customs. Typical of the festival is the dying of eggs, a custom much enjoyed by all. St George’s Day St George’s Day is among the most important folk festivals. It is observed on May 6 and marks the beginning of trading activity and stock-breeding for the year. Its expressive rituality has been preserved to date.On the night before St George's Day, young boys would pick blossoming willow twigs to decorate the house, the pens, and the livestock for health. During the night, the sheep were turned out to feed beca use that night's dew on the grass is believed to have a curative powers. Bulgaria could easily be called the land of festivals, with almost every other day in the calendar being a festival of sorts. But it is the very same festivals, in all their abundance and glory, which prove to be at the core of the Bulgarian identity.Festivals are as a rule, a time when people socialize and bond, thus the plentiful festivals may explain the strong ties that Bulgarians world-wide share with their motherland. Story telling in Bulgarian culture Humor mixed with huge dollops of wit and a fine appreciation for life is what endears the native Bulgarian story-telling to the world. Bulgaria’s Nasreddin Hodja is a name everybody recognizes. This witty character is always getting the better of his rival comical character Hitar Petar.In fact Hodja can be termed the classic Bulgarian who endures hardship with loads of humor, wit and resourcefulness. As regards story-telling, the Bulgarian folk tale is characterized by its interest in the magical, its commitment with various everyday life events, confronting the rich and the poor, the clever and the fool, as well as by its abundance of candid and natural humor. The Bulgarian has a feeling for the legendary, most often associated with an old-testament imagery, and a live sense of historical narrative.Storytelling in Bulgaria is particularly enticing because the folklore memory travels into the realm of magical creatures, buried treasures, heroes who save the world, vampires, angels and healing spells†¦all fantastic and captivating. It also reminds us of the remote roots of the Bulgarian folk culture. Chase two rabbits and you catch none†¦ Classic proverbs like this one are as much a part of the everyday experience of the Bulgarian peasant as are his folk verse, song and tale.The proverb plays a more important role in the life of the Bulgarian than it does in the peasant civilizations of other European countries. As wit nessed in many other cultures of the world, the proverb is a focal point in conversation, argument or rhetoric. It is widely used to express compactly an idea or to create a mental image. It is a true mirror on the inner life of the people, of the conditions which prevail in their lives, of their morals and of their manners.Many Bulgarian proverbs are crudely expressed, internal evidence that they stem from the folk and are thus authentic. The proverbs also help in understanding the psyche of the man who uses a particular proverb. Here is a good one – An idle man makes a good prophet. Bulgarian music, folk songs and theater A Bulgarian can never be separated from his music. A character shared by the rest of the world you could say, but it is not all who share the fine appreciation for music that Bulgarians instinctively have.For a Bulgarian, life is a musical, with all its accompaniment. For him there is no plateau in life – joy, sorrow, loneliness or death that exists without music and suitable lyrics. Internationally, the Bulgarian music fascinates both the general public and the experts. At the turn of the century, the Bulgarian folklore tradition was given some new impulses, mainly in Macedonia and Thrace. Influenced by the revolutionary reality, a considerable number of songs were created.The musical expression of this cultural system has its regional and general characteristics for example, the Rhodope song, Thracian song, Shopp song, Macedonian song, among others. But the specific Bulgarian two-voice songs, and the phenomenon of irregular beats are unique. Regional variations are not strictly delineated, but certain typical characteristics have formed several musical dialects: North-Bulgarian, Dobroudjanian, Thracian, Shopp, the Pirin Mountains area, the Sredna Gora region, and Rhodopian.The distinguishing features of the Bulgarian folk song can be traced along three lines – homophonic, rhythm and vocal wealth. Today the Bulgarian f olk tradition is revived in the context of the specific new phenomena in music, where various styles and forms of genre meet as is witnessed in all parts of the world, in almost all cultures. In Bulgaria at the same time, there is a growing presence of performers coming from different ethnic groups, chiefly Gypsies, whose musical art has been exerting its influence on the Bulgarian folklore for a good while.What makes the Bulgarian folk song special is its rhythm and vocal wealth. They are of a caliber described by the experts as ranging from fantastic richness to primitive monotony. The extended time inherent in the folksongs are its distinguishing feature, as it is non-existent in the rest of the European music. Theater too is part of the Bulgarian love for expression. Once Bulgaria was free, its natural aptitude and love for music, drama, song and dance came to the fore.It is a fact that the musical theater in its informal form has always played a major role in Bulgarian culture. But after independence, classical operettas, revues, vaudeville, children's plays, and modern musical comedies flourished under the indulgent eyes of the Bulgarians. In a deliberate move to bring professionals together to explore this genre, the government established the State Musical Theater in 1948. The Bulgarian involvement with operetta, goes back to about seventy-five years.The State Musical Theater is the heir to a tradition that reached its high point during the 1930s. At that same time, private ensembles such as the Free Theater of the Renaissance, the Cooperative Theater, and the Odeon performed numerous works for enthusiastic audiences. An impressive standard was established which is appreciated all over the world today. The Bulgarian talent in the area of music, voice and opera is legendary, with people flocking to enjoy what the masters have in store for them.Bulgarians Abroad While there were no Bulgarian political institutions during the Ottoman era, the Bulgarian cu lture and language were well preserved as a result of Ottoman policy, which made no real attempt at cultural, religious, or linguistic assimilation. Gradually, both the formation of crafts guilds called esnafs, whose members underwrote the promotion of Bulgarian culture, and through the medium of education, Bulgarian cultural and ethnic consciousness spread.By the 1870s, there were thousands of Bulgarians living outside of their homeland in such places as Vienna, Bucharest, Odessa, Bessarabia and Constantinople and were to be a major influence on the Bulgarian Revival. The interest toward Bulgarian folk songs and dance has been sustained in the past two decades by a number of highly professional and amateur groups – American, Japanese, Dutch, Danish, among others and has culminated in the success of the Swiss recording of â€Å"Le mystere des voix bulgares,† followed by a worldwide tour of the Bulgarian vocal ensemble.The craving for Bulgarian folklore in the West is a basically urban phenomenon. For the foreigners, the representations of Bulgarian folklore music – the sound icon of Bulgarians is a fascinating one. During the 1970s, interest in Bulgarian female polyphony exploded in the wake of the American folk revival and the women's liberation movement.Groups began springing up all over, at colleges and community centers, often incorporating dance as well as singing. Although in the early years, instructors were mostly Americans, in the past decade, since the fall of the Bulgarian communist government in 1989, more and more Bulgarian instructors have been able to come to the United States to teach vocal and instrumental skills. Bulgarian folk songs and performers are liked and praised ar