Thursday, October 31, 2019

Benito Mussolini Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Benito Mussolini - Research Paper Example While going to school, Benito rebelled against various issues. Rosa, his mother had insisted he go to this school which was operated by Catholic Monks. However, Benito’s behavior ridiculed the school’s rules and as such he was expelled. Benito’s father believed that the Roman Catholic Church was Italy’s biggest enemy, and he embedded this belief into his son which he solely agreed with. Benito showed improvements at his other school and continued on this pathway and became a teacher. Despite this, Benito’s passion was in politics. At the tender age of 19, Benito fled Italy for Switzerland to avoid military service. There in Switzerland, he met other Italian socialists and gained employment as a bricklayer and became a member of the Trade Union. Just one year later, at the age of 20, in 1903, Benito was expelled from Switzerland for suggesting a general strike. Benito then travelled to France but eventually went back to Italy to complete his military service. To be more precise, he went to Trentino north of Italy which was ruled by the Austrians. However, sooner than later, Benito’s beliefs caused him to be kicked out of Trentino in 1909. Austrian authorities described him as a trouble maker because he encouraged trade unions and launched attacks on the Catholic Church. Afterwards, Mussolini travelled south to Po Valley, where he advocated for farmers to get better salaries. He was appointed Secretary of the local Socialist Party in Forli and Editor of the socialist newspaper â€Å"La Lotta di Classe†. Since his return from Switzerland, Mussolini worked extensively as a journalist and a social activist at the same time. Later he became an Editor for the Avanti. Mussolini resigned his post as Secretary for the Socialist Party in Forli because they advocated support for the allies in World War I. Benito served in the Italian Military when Italy entered the First World War and Benito held the rank of Corporal in the Army. Mussolini was injured during the war and immediately upon his return to Milan; he decided to edit the right-wing â€Å"Popolo d’Italia†. It is probably safe to assume that the effects of the war transformed him from a socialist to a ruthless fascist. He was hungry for power and he was going to get by freewill or by force. Following the war, Mussolini carried out a myriad of activities influenced by Fascism and his many other beliefs. â€Å"The defining features of fascism are nationalism (including economic nationalism), corporatism (including economic planning), totalitarianism (including dictatorship and social interventionism), and militarism†. 1 He attacked Vittorio Orlando (Italy’s Prime Minister at the end of World War I) for his futile efforts in pursuing Italy’s objectives at Versailles Peace Treaty and aided in the compilation of the right-winged groups into the Fascist Party. Right-winged political individuals are a form of governme nt who believe that the individuals are more important than the country. â€Å"Right wingers believe in formal equality. They believe that everyone should be treated equally under the law and should be treated equally by government. Examples of right wing formal equality include equal pay for equal work and civil and political rights.† 2 Out of fear for more bloodshed, he was appointed Prime Minister by King Victor Emmanuel III in 1922 after the â€Å"March on Rome†. Mussolini’s fascist party â€Å"Black Shirts† made his rise to power rapid. By the time of Hitler’

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Globalization - Essay Example hibited throughout Germany; one in which personal privacy and the belief in national sovereignty trumps any mutual or shared interests that the United States or Angela Merkel might seek to promote. The article itself is indicative of the power and impact of globalization for a number of reasons. Firstly, it underscores the ramifications that governmental actions can have on business and/or profitability that a multi-national company can hope to achieve. Secondly, it underscores the way in which the growth of a reputable and well known US telecommunications giant can eventually create a situation in which international pressure and disagreement, some might even argue illegal actions, create a situation in which the entire business model falls in jeopardy. Although the reader might assume that the NSA snooping scandal is somehow separate from the issue of international business or globalization, the fact of the matter is that it is not; instead, the NSA was using these snooping practices to gain a strategic advantage over German firms and not necessarily as a means of stopping or intercepting

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Development of Translation Studies and Approaches

Development of Translation Studies and Approaches Introduction The present monograph is an attempt to demonstrate the fact that Translation Studies is not a mere branch of linguistics but an extensive discipline with many branches and very significant results. In the next pages, there will be four main parts: the first part will focus on the development of translation studies from writings on translation to translation studies as an academic discipline. The second part will deal mainly with the Islamic culture and its principles, and will try to give an answer to the question Is the Islamic culture translatable? The third part will be an introduction to the different types of culture and will show their different levels of untranslatability. The same part will also focus on the translators skills introducing them as major factors leading to a better target text. As a final step, the fourth and last part will link translation to the Islamic culture, in an attempt to highlight the untranslatability of the Islamic culture in the Quranic discourse, especially the material side of it, and also to state the comments of Muslim scholars on the translations of the holy Quran. Translation is a process based on the theory that it is possible to abstract the meaning of a text from its forms and reproduce that meaning with the very different forms of a second language. Translation, then, consists of studying the lexicon, grammatical structure, communication situation, and cultural context of the source language text, analyzing it in order to determine its meaning, and then reconstructing this same meaning using the lexicon and grammatical structure which are appropriate in the receptor language and its cultural context. (Larson l998, p. 3) In practice, there is considerable variation in the types of translations produced by translators. Some translators work only in two languages and are competent in both, while others work from their first language to their second language, and still others from their second language to their first language. Depending on these matters of language proficiency, the procedures used will vary from project to project. On the development of translation studies I see translation as an attempt to produce a text so transparent that it does not seem to be translated. A good translation is like a pane of glass, you only notice that its there when there are little imperfections- scratches, bubbles. Ideally, there shouldnt be any. It should never call attention to itself. Introduction First, it has to be clearly asserted that there exist many traditions concerning the first writings on translation, and as it is impossible to mention all of them, the focus will be about Europe and the Arab world. This chapter deals with the emergence of the earliest writings on translation and also the birth of the new discipline translation studies in the last few decades. Writings on Translation Europe Among the first writings on translation were Ciceros[1] Libellus de optimo genere oratorun, Horaces[2] Ars poetica of circa and the translation of the Bible as a practical side. For this reason, Europeans believe that translation started with the Romans and the Greeks, but it is very important to bear in mind that translation might have started so long before. And there are proofs for that in many parts of the world. Hung and Pollard (1998:366) claim that there were government officials with responsibility for translation in China 9th century BC. But Cicero and Horace gave much importance to the problems of translation, produced different theories and highly influenced the next generation of translators. It is they who initiated the distinction between word to word and sense for sense translation, which retains its significance till now[3]. It is a fact today that India, china, Iraq and Spain have in many ways shaped the European culture. In the ninth and tenth century in Baghdad the scientific and philosophical works of ancient Greece were translated into Arabic, with the emergence of the famous library called beitu al hikma established by the Abbasside khalifa Al Mamoon. Those translated into Arabic books which transmit the Greek Culture, including religions, mythology and philosophy, spread to Europe through Spain which was at that time under Muslim governance. Later on, with the school of Toledo, translations were made from Arabic to Latin and helped in the European Renaissance. Another important tradition that was influential in Europe is Bible translation. It is believed that with the translation of Bible started the first thoughts about translation theory. It was very important, for Bible translators, at that time, to respect the sacred scripts, and at the same time to guarantee that the target text would be understandable after translation. The first translator to complete the translation of the Bible into English is John Wycliffite who believed that everyone in the world should have access to the word of God in ones language. After that came the translation made by forty-seven scholars and translators, eight years after the accession of King James to the English throne[4], which is the principle version adopted in many Christian countries. The modern period of Bible translation started by the revisions of the Bible, and new translations have been made. Nida (1998:27-28) says that Bible translators (in the modern period) often work in teams of three to five full time translators. One notices that Bible translators in the modern period made great efforts to make the target text as clear and understandable as possible, without neglecting the addition of the necessary background information using the footnote system and other techniques in order to respect the original text. The Arab World The early translations in the Arab world date back to the period of Syrians. They translated into Arabic a large heritage. Syrians were highly influenced by the Greek translations. Syrians translations were more literal and faithful to the original claims Ayad (1993:168, qtd by Addidaoui, 2000)[5]. According to Addidaoui, Jarjas was one of the best Syrian translators; his famous Syrian translation of Aristotles book In The World was very faithful and close to the original. In addition to that, the coming of Islam was very significant to the development of translation in the Arab world; Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him tried to spread Islam through different means. One of those means was communication; he communicated with Jews, Romans and others, and that is what pushed him to encourage the learning of others languages and to look for translators to help in communication. At that period of time, Prophet Mohammed exchanged letters with kings of Persia, Syria, Jews and Rome, and Zaid Ibn Tabet was the Prophets translator. The history of translation in the Arab world highlighted also the name of Al Jahid; one of the important theorists in translation. The theories of Al Jahid are still used today by many professional Arab translators. Al Jahid (1969:75) says: the translator should know the structure of the speech, habits of the people and their ways of understanding each other.[6] In addition to the structure and the habits, Al Jahid talked also about the significance of re-translating and put a wide range of theories in his two books Al-Hayawan (1969) and Al-Bayan WA Attabyyin (1968). In short, the history of translation in the Arab world knew many changes, and became very rich in theories. New theorists appeared in each era with new perceptions and new ways of analyzing. Translation in the Arab world, today, started to develop, and new fields of research in translation appear each year, especially with the efforts of the Arabic Academia in Translation studies. Translation Studies: An academic Discipline Translation studies is an academic discipline which concerns itself with the study of translation[7]; the term today is understood to refer to the study of the academic discipline at large, including non literary translation, interpretation, pedagogy and other issues. As an academic discipline, translation studies is just a few decades old. Starting from 1950, scholars and experts were interested in forming coherent theories and conducting research on translation, but it is also true that not so much had been done within the framework of this new discipline, and there are still issues to be analyzed and discussed. That is because scholars went deeply in relating translation studies to other disciplines such as psychology, anthropology and, very recently, cultural studies. One has now to acknowledge the fact that translation studies as a discipline found its place among other academic disciplines and has become independent. Thanks to the Dutch scholar James S. Holmes, translation studies is defined as a discipline being concerned with the complex problems clustered round the phenomenon of translating and translations (Holmes 1988b/2000: 173) Mona baker, in 1997, stated that the new discipline is very rich and it brings together scholars from a variety of more traditional disciplines.[8] The Islamic culture If everybody is looking for it, then nobody is finding it. If we were cultured, we would not be conscious of lacking culture. We would regard it as something natural and would not make so much fuss about it. And if we knew the real value of this word we would be cultured enough not to give it so much importance. Introduction In the present chapter, several points are to be accentuated. First, the notion of culture; what is meant by the word culture from different points of view. Second, I will try to relate culture to Islam; I will define the Islamic culture and discuss its levels and I will mention some principles of the Islamic culture and hopefully clarify them. The last point to be dealt with is the translatability of the Islamic culture; to what extent is the Islamic culture translatable? The notion of culture Culture is the customs, ideas, civilization, etc. of a particular society or a group of people[9]. It is a set of ideas, beliefs and ways of behaving of an organization or a group of people[10]. The notion of culture is quite very hard to define. The two meanings stated above are the most widespread; they define culture as a summary of human gaining in its interaction with its physical and social environment and religious sources[11]. It is extremely necessary to keep in mind that there are some dominant cultures, may be for the reason that they are powerful, and as a result influential. Translation, involving the transposition of thoughts expressed in one language by one social group into the appropriate expression of another group, entails a process of cultural de-coding, re-coding and en-coding. As cultures are increasingly brought into greater contact with one another, multicultural considerations are brought to bear to an ever-increasing degree. One is not just dealing with words written in a certain time, space and sociopolitical situation; most importantly it is the cultural aspect of the text that should be taken into account. The process of transfer, i.e., re-coding across cultures, should consequently allocate corresponding attributes vis-à  -vis the target culture to ensure credibility in the eyes of the target reader. Indeed, correct translation is not word for word substitution from one language into another, but it requires some understanding of the way people live and think. The meaning of a word in a language is derived from its culture and represents the main connection between language and culture. Religion and culture It is universally acknowledged that religion represents the very first element in a group of peoples culture which noticeably influences their way of living. For this reason, peoples cultures differ as the religions differ. It is a fact that most of the expressions used, by a group of people, in the language of everyday life is generally based on religious vocabulary. One may discover the culture of the others only through their speeches, especially those people who keep on being faithful to the religious language. Muslims, for instance represent the most noticeable case for there are many Quranic expressions in Muslims daily life; in Moroccan Arabic it is common to say: . This expression is derived from the Quran they said pray to your Lord for us, that He may make clear to us what kind it should be. They said pray to your Lord for us, that He may make clear to us what its color should be.[12] This expression is used in the Moroccan Arabic to express how difficult it is to do or possess something. The principles of Islamic culture One of the dominant cultures today in the whole world is the Islamic culture. This culture has two main aspects: the first is stable (Sacred Sources) and the second is changing (the interaction with environment).[13] The Islamic culture, as all other cultures, has principles most of which are shared with other human communities: Respect of the other. Co-operation with others. Reliance on science and knowledge. Mutual help and support. Disapproval of wrong deeds. These are considered the most important principles of the Islamic culture. The Islamic culture: Translatable? The question that can be raised, in this part, is: to what extent is the Islamic Culture Translatable? It is a fact that the Islamic culture shares a lot in common with other cultures with different religions. E.g. the word exists in some other languages, the speakers of which also believe that there is one  «God ». As a result, the word Allah is translatable. But there are words and senses which are specific to the Islamic culture, and which will be dealt with in the last part of this paper. This highlights the fact that the terms dealing with the religious aspects of a culture are the most difficult, both in understanding the SLT and providing the best equivalence in the TLT, Larson (1984:180). The second point which is important as well is that sameness cannot exist between two languages, Bassnett (1991:30), for the reason that the TL reader is not aware of the different aspects of meaning involved. Cultural untranslatability A translation is no translation, he said, unless it will give you the music of a poem along with the words of it. Introduction Modern linguistic studies showed that language is not a mere physiological, but also a cultural phenomenon, and translation is by nature a very important aspect in cross-cultural communication. The role of translation, therefore, is to introduce one culture to another by means of translating. But very often cultural factors become the barrier in translation and result in untranslatability. Types of cultural untranslatability According to some translation scholars, such as Nida, there exist five distinct types of culture: historical culture, geographical and psychological culture, material culture, customs and traditions as well as religious culture. Historical Culture It refers to the culture settled and formed during a nations development. The historical culture differs from one society to another because the historical development differs as well. This kind of difference impedes intercultural communication. To best illustrate this impediment, Adams apple, which refers to the lump on the front of a mans throat, can never be translated into Chinese except by its literal meaning because this term is originated from a Biblical story. Geographical and psychological culture Different nations geographical and psychological culture is also a main barrier in translation. Because of the different geographical environments and different nations mentalities, the same word will have totally different meanings in two different cultures. East wind in Japan and English is a vivid example. Japanese people favor the east wind, for it is always a symbol of spring and warmness while people in Britain dislike the east wind, because the east wind is from the northern part of the European continent, so it always symbolizes coldness and sadness. In Britain the favorite wind is the west wind. That is the reason why word for word translation never works. Also meanings of some colors are different. In English, green is always connected with envy and blue with moon, so there are such expressions green with envy and once in a blue moon. Those expressions cannot be translated into Arabic using the words green and blue. Thus, they are translated as - instead. Material culture One should pay much more attention when translating words which reflect the material culture. For example, the word cricket is an important word in the English language, for it is a popular outdoor game in Britain, and plays an important role in peoples daily life. The following saying It is as significant as a game of cricket. best illustrates this point. If we want to translate this sentence, we should add some background information for the TL reader considering that playing cricket is not widely spread in other countries. Another example is the term meat technologist. Moroccan readers may feel confused if the term is translated as . While according to its cultural background, this term simply means the butcher, because meat technologist is a euphemism for the butcher in western countries. By using this term, butchers may think highly of their profession. Food is for many the most sensitive and important expression of national culture; food terms are subject to the widest variety of translation procedures (Newmark, 1988:97). The terms coming under this category are further complicated due to the foreign elements present. One such case is the reference to the brightly colored pà ¢tisseries tunisiennes. Translating according to the French idea of pà ¢tisseries would imply using the English cakes or pastries yet in the context of Tunisian culture this hardly seems appropriate, bearing in mind the difference in form of the TL reference. This illustrates the theory developed by Mounin (1963) who underlines the importance of the signification of a lexical item claiming that only if this notion is considered will the translated item fulfill its function correctly. In this case the translation as sweets seems to correspond to the idea of the original signification, even if it is a more abstract translation of the French original, and is the refore more appropriate concerning its function in the TT than a translation of formal equivalence. Another example of material culture includes an eponym, namely bouteilles de Sidi Brahim. In France this low-quality, Algerian wine is widely known and is the traditional drink with North African dishes, therefore widely sold in supermarkets as well as this type of small shop. This example can be seen as corresponding to the new ideal reader as described by Coulthard, having different cultural knowledge (Coulthard, 1992:12) as an English-speaking reader would not necessarily know the name of this wine and even less its associations. By using strictly formal equivalence, all meaning would be lost. It would however be possible to neutralize the original term Sidi Brahim by translating as wine or else to introduce a form of componential analysis, translating as cheap, Algerian wine. Sidi Brahim being the area where the wine is produced, it seems appropriate to keep the original term in the TT but it is necessary to add a qualifier, here wine. In this way, although the cultural implicati ons are not as strong as for an initiated French reader, the information is passed on and elucidated by a qualifier. The cultural implications automatically understood by the ST reader, namely the notion of cheap, low-quality wine, are not however conveyed, the emphasis in this context being on the exotic nature of the product as conveyed by Sidi Brahim and not on the low cost. Customs and traditions The different customs and traditions in the daily activities around the world reflect the different cultural mentalities. For instance, In China, when people meet each other in the street, they always greet like this where will you go or what will you do. In fact, this kind of greetings is very rude and impolite in western countries, for it is an interference with privacy. Instead, they are translated as hello good morning or how are you. Religious culture Religious culture means the culture formed by a nations religious beliefs and common sense. This type of culture usually impedes the transfer of meaning to a TL since different peoples have different religions. The phrase ( ) is an Arabic term God willing or If it is Gods will is a good example. It derives from Islamic scripture, Surat Al Kahf (18):24: But only If God wills! And remember your Lord when you forget This phrase is now used excessively in Moroccan Arabic. Unfortunately, it is often used to delay events or to avoid giving a definite answer. Levels of Cultural untranslatability Catford states that Cultural untranslatability takes place when a relevant situational feature in the SL is absent in the TL. This cultural untranslatability has different levels. The level changes for the reason that some words are completely untranslatable whereas other words are very hard to find equivalence to in the TL. For this specific reason, the translator has to be skillful and experienced. The translator has to be bilingual as well as bicultural in order to have a better TLT. The translators skills: an important factor It is now a common belief that the translators skills play a major role in delivering a good translation. A good translation is one that carries all the ideas of the original as well as its structural and cultural features. Massoud (1988)[14] sets criteria for a good translation as follows: A good translation is easily understood. A good translation is fluent and smooth. A good translation is idiomatic. A good translation conveys, to some extent, the literary subtleties of the original. A good translation distinguishes between the metaphorical and the literal. A good translation reconstructs the cultural/historical context of the original. A good translation makes explicit what is implicit in abbreviations, and in allusions to sayings, songs, and nursery rhymes. A good translation will convey, as much as possible, the meaning of the original text. Enani (1994:5)[15] defines the translator as a writer who formulates ideas in words addressed to readers. The only difference between him and the original writer is that these ideas are the latters. Another difference is that the work of the translator is even more difficult than that of the artist. The artist is supposed to produce directly his/her ideas and emotions in his/her own language however intricate and complicated his/her thoughts are. The translators responsibility is much greater, for s/he has to relive the experiences of a different person, states Antar S. Abdullah[16]. To conclude, the above analysis shows that translating is an activity which inevitably involves at least two languages and two cultural traditions (Toury, 1978: 200)[17]. As this statement implies, translators are permanently faced with the problems of how to treat the cultural aspects in a source text (ST) and of finding the most appropriate technique to successfully convey these aspects in the target language. Translation and the Islamic culture Indeed, there has come to you light and a clear book from Allah; with it (the Quran) Allah guide him who seeks His pleasure into the ways of safety and brings them out of utter darkness into light by his will and guides them to the right path. (Almaidah V: 15-16) Introduction The Quran, for the Muslim, comprehends the complete code for all human beings to live a good, chaste, abundant and rewarding life in obedience to the commandments of Allah. It is the chart of life for every human being, and it is the constitution of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. The Quran was an oral text throughout the lifetime of Muhammad. It was also a fluid text. The complete text resided only in the memories of Muhammad and his followers. As he added verses and reorganized the text, his followers would rememorize the text in the light of the additions or edits. This means that the Quran was a living text during the lifetime of Muhammad. Certain verses revealed to Muhammad were later repudiated by him as satanic verses revealed not by Gabriel but by Satan. These verses were expunged from the text that so many had memorized. The untranslatability of the Quran Because the Quran is for every human being, it transcends the boundaries of the Arab world and goes beyond it. The Quran is addressed to all peoples without exception. It carries a universal message to all human beings regardless of their race or color. It is true in our days that the translation of the Quran represents one of the most important elements in the Quranic studies, mainly, because it is the first book non-Muslims encounter when attempting to well understand Islam. The Quran exists in its original language, i.e., Arabic. Some Muslim scholars agree that the true Quran is in Arabic, in its original wording as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him); therefore, it should only be recited in the Arabic language. The translations however are the work of humans. And since these translations subtly change the meaning, they are often called interpretations. For instance, Pickthall (1930) called his translation The Meaning of the Glorious Koran rather than simply The Koran. Part of the miracles of the Quran is said to be based on Ijaz , or Inimitability. Even for native Arabic speakers, the Quran is a difficult document. Its archaic language and verse structure are difficult hurdles to cross. People always admitted their inability to produce something similar to the Quran. And the translations of the Quran are considered, by some scholars, to be one form of trying to produce a similar Book. Translators of the Quran, it is important to note, encounter many difficulties in the process of translation. Those difficulties encountered are due to different reasons. First, some verses in the Quran complement each other, for that reason the translator of the Quran has to go back to the related verses in order to translate one verse; this stresses the idea that word for word translation is not to be used, especially in this context. The verse best illustrates this difficulty. This verse has two meanings: an internal meaning which is, trading is licit while usury is illicit, and it has also an external meaning: the two terms are different; they are not the same. This second meaning is not included in the text, but understood when one goes back to the previous verse: The external meaning, it has to be clear, is necessary in order to understand and translate a verse of the Quran. And that is the reason why some of the early translators of the Quran fell in ambiguities. The second problem that impedes the translation of the Quran is that some verses may be general; the form used in those verses includes everything, but the meaning of the verse is related to another verse which is specific. The verse: is considered a vivid example in this case. The reader cannot know the religion of the slave to free. But, if the translator goes back to the verse 92 of Surat Anissà ¢: The question of whether or not one should attempt to translate the Quran should be seen, mainly, in the context of translatability in general, instead of always relating it to the Arabic language. The Material Culture of the Quran Material culture includes all of the physical objects that people create and give meaning to. Clothing, architectural elements, and handmade carpets would be examples. An object only becomes part of culture after meaning has been given to it. Human beings perceive and understand the material things around them as they have learned to from their culture. In Arabic, there exist many terms that, even if they have their equivalence in other languages, they cannot be easily translated because they have a particular connotative meaning. Larson (1984: 132) warns the translator of the problems of the SL connotative meaning. In some verses of the Quran, there is reference to the donkey and the dog. Those two words have a negative connotation in Arabic, but they are neutral when translated into English for instance. The two words, in English, have a different connotative meaning. For example, the word dog is a symbol of loyalty (the dog is the mans best friend), whereas the donkey is considered, in the Islamic culture, a symbol of utter stupidity. Translation of the Quran and the Muslim scholars Because the Quran stresses its Arabic nature, some Muslim scholars believe that any translation cannot be more than an approximate interpretation, intended only as a tool for the study and understanding of the original Arabic text. They argue that the Quranic text cannot be reproduced in another language or form. Furthermore, an Arabic word may have a range of meanings depending on the context, making an accurate translation even more difficult. This factor is made more complex by the fact that the usage of words has changed a great deal between classical and modern Arabic. They argue also that the task of translation is not an easy one; some native Arab-speakers will confirm that some Quranic passages are difficult to understand even in the original Arabic. As a result, even Quranic verses which seem perfectly clear to native speakers accustomed to modern vocabulary and usage may not represent the original meaning of the verse. The original meaning of a Quranic passage will also be dependent on the historical circumstances of the Prophet Muhammads life and early community in which it originated. For this reason, one finds a detailed historical background in the introduction of any interpretation of the Quran. Conclusion The four parts discussed in this research project are not to be viewed as complete products, but they need to be polished and enriched further with other examples. The four main parts of this monograph seem to be very distinct, but, at near scrutiny, these parts are so closely linked because they share the same aim which is to highlight the fact that translation, as a field of knowledge, is very rich, and may be related to many other fields. As an interdisciplinary discipline, translation studies borrows much from the different fields of study that support translation. These include comparative literature, computer science, history, linguistics, philology, philosophy, semiotics, terminology, and so forth. The present monograph, being an attempt to relate translation to other fields, tries to bring together translation and Islam in an attempt to show the untranslatable side of the Islamic culture, starting with a definition an

Friday, October 25, 2019

Describe The Roles Of Government In The Present Business Environment :: essays research papers

Describe The Roles of Government In The Present Business Environment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the present business environment governments have the power to change and make laws, having a major role and influence on the business environment. There are three levels of government; federal, state and local.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The federal government has power over such areas as; company law, income tax, trade etc. State government has power over pollution, price controls, state courts etc. and local government has power over rates, building approvals and zoning. Through zoning the local government can decide where businesses are located, or how many similar businesses should be built in a particular area. The power of the government can have direct or indirect influences on the business environment, encouraging or forcing businesses to comply. The federal government has the greatest effect over the macroeconomic business environment through the making of policies. The government has a number of economic objectives. They aim to have consistent economic growth, low rates of inflation, a sound international trading situation and low unemployment. To meet these objectives the government must place policies such as fiscal, monetary, trade and income policies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fiscal policy is the deliberate action of the government to change its levels of income and expenditure, through the annual budget. By budgeting for a deficit or surplus, the government will contract or expand the economy. e.g If the government needed to cut unemployment they would budget for a deficit so more money is injected and less money is taken from the economy by less taxes and higher expenditure raising employment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Monetary policy can also raise the level of economic activity. It controls the availability of money by influencing the level of interest rates. Lowering interest rates encourages people to spend and borrow while higher interest rates encourages people to save and not borrow. By lowering interest rates the government encourages spending thus increasing the level of economic activity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Income policies influence wage outcomes by negotiating with the unions and the employers and putting arguments before the industrial relations

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The man we call Benjamin Franklin

The aim of this paper is to compare and contrast the websites on Ben Franklin’s biography and his autobiography. While disseminating the life of Benjamin Franklin through his autobiography, one learns much about the man. However when disseminating information found in the three websites below, another man slowly creeps out from behind the man already revealed. Which one is the real Benjamin Franklin? While observing the cornucopia of a man one learns that only by the process of comparing and contrasting will one be able to fix a solid face on the man we call Benjamin Franklin. All the websites addressed in this paper share common subject matter yet are different in terms of analytical approach and main focus. The biography by Edmund S. Morgan calls upon the reader to reconsider traditional assumptions about Benjamin Franklin and move away from standardized cliches. While he is best known as the author of the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Peace with Great Britain, and the Constitution, these weren’t his main achievements; furthermore, the documents (with the exception of the Declaration of Independence) didn’t reflect his views and beliefs.However, this shouldn’t lead to the conclusion that Franklin was a not-so-important figure in the American history. Rather than that, the author suggests that Franklin should be applauded for other achievement and traits of character: ‘His was probably the most brilliant mind that most people who knew him had ever met, but he seldom showed it in public†¦[H]is mind would be quietly at work, trying to understand the world and the people he found in it, thinking of ways to make their lives easier’ (Morgan, 2005, para. 4). Edmund S.Morgan believes that one of the major contributions of Benjamin Franklin was through his writings. Also, more attention should be paid to Franklin’s role as an advocate for American interests in England. In general, the biography tries to present a softer side of Franklin’s personality: ‘It may be well at first to dispel the image of him as an overweight scholar peering from his desk over the bifocal glasses he invented’ (Morgan, 2005, para. 8). PBS website also tries to reveal Ben Franklin’s personality to the readers. The website focuses on multiple identities Franklin possessed — both as a public figure and personality.The website glorifies Franklin as Abolitionist, Almanac maker, Advertiser, Balloon enthusiast, Bifocals inventor, Composer, Cartoonist, Civic Citizen, Chess Player, Deist, Diplomat, Daylight Savings advocate, Enlightenment thinker, Electricity pioneer, Experimenter, Entrepreneur, Founding Father, Flirt, Fire fighter, Glass Armonica creator, Gulf Stream mapper, Genius, Humorist, Health nut, Inventor, International celebrity, Insurer, Junto creator, Journalist, Kite flyer, Librarian, Lightning rod inventor, Londoner, Medical Engineer, Militia member, Mathematician, M ason, Natural philosopher, Organizer (militia, fire dept., street cleaning), Odometer maker, Printer, Public relations master, Publisher, Prankster, Questioner, Quartermaster, Quintessential American, Revolutionary, Reader, Scientist, Swimmer, Self-made man, Traveler, Treaty signer, University builder, Volunteer, Visionary, Vegetarian (temporarily), Writer, Weight lifter, Xenophile, Young prodigy, Yankee, Yarn spinner, and Zealot. Perhaps the most interesting out of all these epithets is ‘Quintessential American.’ The website tries to paint a picture of Franklin as a typical representative of the American nation and a symbol of all its virtues and achievements, such as Self-education, Physical Activity, and Moral Perfection. At the same time, the website acknowledges that Benjamin Franklin was no ordinary man, since he possessed outstanding qualities and skills. It is suggested that Ben Franklin helped define the concept of ‘good citizenship’ through his in volvement in and commitment to community on the local level and the nation on the global level:‘Ben Franklin believed that people volunteering together in a spirit of cooperation could accomplish great things. Driven by a strong sense of civic duty, he involved himself in his community and his nation’ (PBS, 2002, ‘Citizen Ben,’ para. 1). The website presents Franklin’s biography in an interactive and engaging way without compromising accuracy and objectivity. The only limitation of this resource is that the information is not well-structured and far from presenting a comprehensive picture.The third website present the most, in my opinion, consistent and informative version of Franklin’s biography. It is structured according to the major periods of Franklin’s life, i. e. ‘Humble Beginnings: Franklin in Boston,’ ‘A True Journeyman: Franklin in Philadelphia,’ ‘A Promise Unfulfilled: Franklin in London,â€⠄¢ ‘Sprouting Roots: Back in Philadelphia,’ ‘A Busy Retirement,’ and ‘The American Patriot: Franklin and Independence.’ Each section of the biography presents all the necessary information without going into unnecessary detail. Another compelling feature of this biography is that it is accompanied with abundant graphical aid. Yet it would be a mistake to say that ThinkQuest presents a dry and scholarly biography of Benjamin Franklin; it offers human touch through little entertaining details about this great man:‘Inspired by his namesake uncle Benjamin, young Ben composed historical ballads (one was about the pirate Blackbeard) that were printed by his brother James in his fledgling print shop. The poems sold well’ (ThinkQuest, 1998, ‘Interesting Facts’). In order to determine how credible a certain piece of information is, it is necessary to analyze the source of this information in terms of legitimacy and possible bia s. Edmund S. Morgan is a well-established historian specializing in early colonial history of America:‘Edmund Morgan has authored dozens of books on Puritan and early colonial history, which are acclaimed for both their scholarly focus and their appeal to a general audience†¦ Morgan, who joined the Yale faculty in 1955 and retired in 1986, has received many†¦honors during his long teaching career at Yale†¦Currently the chair of the board of The Benjamin Franklin Papers—the University's massive project publishing materials related to the Founding Father and inventor—Morgan is now at work on a study of Franklin, who, he believes, is one of the most interesting people who ever lived’ (Gonzalez, 2001).However, excessive admiration with Benjamin Franklin might come as a detriment to impartiality and objectivity — the two essential characteristics of any biographical writing. PBS website has little bias of this kind, however, it is often un clear where the information they are using comes from. There are no references or acknowledgements; no links to any works of Franklin or credible historical evidence is present. While Edmund S. Morgan extensively refers to Franklin’s own works, PBS website presents a simplified and pared-down version of Franklin biography. ThinkQuest is the only website that cites its references in an appropriate way.The authors of the biography acknowledge that they based their writing on such publications as Benjamin Franklin by Carl Van Doren, The Man Who Dared the Lightning-A New Look at Benjamin Franklin by Thomas Fleming, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Ben Franklin Laughing by P. M. Zall, Benjamin Franklin: Founding Father and Inventor by Leila Merrell Foster, and a number of other books and media resources. ThinkQuest is also an interesting information resource since it provides a sound general overview of the historical conditions existing in America in Franklin’s time s.The website offers definition of different historical phenomena that are important for the general narrative, such as King George I, French and Indian War (1754-1763), and other. All the biographies present a certain picture of colonial America: through the life career of Benjamin Franklin, it is possible to understand tense relations between Europe and America, heated debate around the issue of slavery, and the rise of American identity and civil consciousness. However, the most credible source of information on Franklin’s life and times is his autobiography.This autobiography is of great relevance to the modern reader, and not merely for the reason that it provides an insight into the life of Benjamin Franklin. In his autobiography, Franklin shares his thoughts as to the organization of state and society, role of the citizens, position of America on the world’s stage and other matters of great interest and importance even for the modern reader. For example, he expr esses concerns over the clash between religion and civil notion of citizenship, as he recollects that English were trying to plant certain religious ideas in America:‘[S]ince not a single moral principle was inculcated or enforc'd, their aim seeming to be rather to make us Presbyterians than good citizens (Franklin, 2003, p. 66). ‘As for additional and types of sources, that would give greater confidence in your understanding Franklin, it is necessary to mention Franklin’s writings in the first place. As Edmund S. Morgan (2005, para. 5) correctly points out, ‘[i]n the awesome bulk of his papers, equivalent of 47 fat volumes of print, all available on this website, we can see Franklin whole.’ Additional insight can be gained from reviewing resources dedicated to the American colonial history: greater understanding of conditions and developments of that era can aid the process of enhancing knowledge about Benjamin Franklin as a statesman, scientist, and outstanding public figure. References Franklin, Benjamin. (2003). The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New York: Touchstone. Gonzalez, Susan. (January 12, 2001). ‘Edmund S. Morgan: Sterling Professor Emeritus. ’ Retrieved September 5, 2007, from http://www.yale. edu/history/faculty/morgan. html Morgan, Edmund S. (2005). ‘Introduction to the Papers of Benjamin Franklin. ’ Retrieved September 5, 2007, from http://www. franklinpapers. org/franklin/framedMorgan. jsp;jsessionid=86AD99C9931B8DF535D2C1CD6A1E6923 PBS. (2002). ‘Benjamin Franklin. ’ Retrieved September 5, 2007, from http://www. pbs. org/benfranklin/ ThinkQuest. (1998). ‘The Biography of Benjamin Franklin. ’ Retrieved September 5, 2007, from http://library. thinkquest. org/22254/home. htm

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Kate Chopin and her influence on women’s rights Essay

â€Å"I would give the essential, I would give my money, I would give my life for my child; but I wouldn’t give myself† (Chopin). The rights that women enjoy today were not always as equal to that of males. The women’s rights movement transitioned America’s views of them from the way they were pre-nineteenth century to now. Novelist Kate Chopin’s literary works was a crux that aided in the strength of the movement. Women faced many hardships, and Kate Chopin, a literary genius, contributed to a lot to the movement. To begin, in the nineteenth century people married at a very young age and women did not work in that time. They were denied employment outside of seamstresses and mid-wives; therefore they couldn’t always realistically support themselves. Women had to get married so that someone could support them. Women were also not their own person; they were the property of their husbands and it was expected for them to get married and have babies. Women were not allowed the freedoms men enjoyed such as that of the law, the church or the government. Married women could not make legal contracts, divorce her husband or win the right to custody of their children. The History Education sector of the university of Maryland states: â€Å"The role of women in the nineteenth century was viewed as ‘’subordinate to males’’ and was therefore subject to the laws and regulations imposed upon them by men.’’ (Hoffberger 2) Moreover, for centuries there has always been a struggle for women to find equality and respect from men. Kate Chopin, a great writer of nineteenth century, had written novels that assisted in the upheaval of the previously stated rights of women, or lack of rights. Kate Chopin’s literary works often include male and female gender roles that are sometimes challenged by the female protagonists in the stories. Her literary works include themes about liberation and conformity in society. In Kate Chopin’s fictional short stories, â€Å"†The Story of an Hour,† and â€Å"Desiree’s Baby†Ã¢â‚¬  both show examples of the lack of freedom in the role of women in society. Kate Chopin’s viewpoints in that time period helped her influenced how other women perceived women’s rights; she was a woman far ahead of her time. At the same time, Kate Chopin was an author who was underappreciated by those in her generation. Much of this was due to the fact that she was a contemporary  author, who primarily wrote about women’s sexuality and their roles in the world. She had strong, independent women as role models in her youth so it is not surprising that these same attributes would blossom, not only in her personal life, but in her character’s lives as well in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and â€Å"Desiree’s Baby.† While these two works do share some similarities there are also vast differences and a few parallels from Chopin’s own life. Katherine O’Flaherty, later Kate Chopin, was born in St. Louis, Missouri on February 8, 1851. She was born to stable and publicly known parents, Eliza and Thomas O’Flaherty. Eliza O’Flaherty was of French-Creole descent, while her father was a native of Ireland. Unfortunately, when Chopin was only five years old , her father was killed in a train accident. As a result, Kate Chopin lived her preteen years in a female-centered household. She lived with her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, all of whom were widows. Her great-grandmother encouraged artistic growth by teaching her piano and storytelling. Chopin got married when she was twenty year olds and had six children till her husband passed away. She was 39 years old when she began to write fiction, her earlier life being consumed with education, marriage and children. Without the backing of the feminist movement, which had barely begun in certain areas of the country, the sexual and scandalous events in her second and final novel â€Å"The Awakening† were cause for the majority of readers to ban it from the shelves of great literature. It was not until the mid-1900’s that the book was promoted in a new light to a more accepting audience. In addition, Peggy Skaggs, the author of Kate Chopin a critical Bibliography, states that â€Å"Chopin’s development as a writer reflect in microcosm the larger movement in American literature from romanticism and local color to realism and naturalism’’ ( Skaggs 10). Furthermore, Chopin’s works have reflected to American literature because of her focu s on love within race and ethnic aspect. In many of Chopin’s stories she has exceeded simple regionalism and portrayed women who seek spiritual and sexual freedom against the more restrictive southern society of nineteenth century. Kate Chopin has emerged as one of the greatest as well as most admired American short story novelists, poet, and essayists. Critic Cynthia Griffin Wolf exclaims: â€Å"The vision in all of Chopin’s best fiction is consummately interior, and it draws for strength upon her willingness to confront the bleak fact of life’s tenuous stabiles’’ (Griffin 6). One of the  greatest sample is ‘’ Desiree’s baby’’ which is ‘’perhaps one of the world’s best short stories’’ (Griffin 1) Assuredly, the actual settings of â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† are the first instance where the two stories differ. In â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, the entire piece takes place in Mrs. Mallard’s home or the scenery outside the house. In fact, the outside scenery plays an important role to the story, paralleling the new spring with Mrs. Mallard’s new found freedom. Whereas the inside of the house does not play as major of a role, not even revealing what room Mrs. Mallard was in when she was notified of her husband’s passing. In â€Å"Desiree’s Baby†, the main factors of the setting include the Louisiana Bayou, the gates of Valmonde mansion, and L’Abri, a vastly larger group of settings than the prior. As in â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, one setting is described more clearly and most of the story takes place in L’Abri. The homestead is described as making Madame Valmonde shudder at the first site of it and it being â€Å"a sad looking place, Big solemn oaks, branches shadowed it like a pall† (Chopin, 243). The description of L’Abri foreshadowed events to come and symbolized the relationship of Armand and Desiree. Even though the two stories do not share a setting you can see the similarities that there is some obscure background with one major setting paralleling the main character in some way. This, in part, could be due to Chopin wanting to have a writing style of her own. Also the two main characters, Mrs. Mallard and Desiree, benefited from concentrating on the one main setting, largely because this setting was a reason of conflict in the character’s lives. In the same way that the settings shared likenesses and differences, the plot and theme of the two stories also do. The plots of â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† obviously have to be different for the most part. In â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, the plot is a woman who finds out her husband is dead and after an initial shock she feels free to finally live her life. Thus when she has finally come to grips with all of the events and looking forward to her new life her husband comes in and she dies of shock attributed to a pre-existing heart condition (Chopin, 77-79). In â€Å"Desiree’s Baby†, the plot involves a woman named Desiree. As a child she was abandoned, and taken in by the Valmondes, but as a woman fell in love with Armand, a wealthy plantation owner. They get married and have a baby together, and after a short lived bliss come to find that the baby has  African American heritage. Armand turns against Desiree, assuming she is the one with African blood in her. As the story goes on Desiree kills herself and the baby only for Armand to find out he is the one who actually has African heritage (Chopin, 1-5). These two plots at first glance do not seem to share anythin g in common, however, there is one similarity gleaming through; the women’s relationships with their husbands. Both women do love their husbands, but the relationships are not on an equal level. In each case the women are looked upon as possessions. Mrs. Mallard’s thoughts were â€Å"There would be no powerful will bending her.† She openly felt controlled, while Desiree did not seem to care about the controlling attitude of Armand, which is shown in the line â€Å"When he frowned she trembled, but loved him† (Chopin, 2). While it is evident that the plots are for the most part different, one woman relishing the loss of a husband, and the other so fearing abandonment from hers that she kills herself, the themes are quite similar. Following this further, the themes of the two stories are also shared with many other works by Chopin, women in search of themselves (Korb, 1). Mrs. Mallard from â€Å"The Story of an Hour† can see her life finally beginning after the death of her husband, as illustrated by the line â€Å"Free! Body and soul free!† (Chopin, 79). She was looking forward to a life by herself, getting to know herself as an individual. Desiree, on the other hand, was searching for an identity, or herself, from the beginning when Monsieur Valmonde found her at the gate. While the Valmondes did take her in she did not feel like she had an actual identity until Armand gave her his name and she became his wife. After it became evident that the baby had African blood and the identity she had as Armand’s wife was taken away, she could not handle the idea of finding a new identity. Another similarity shared by Mrs. Mallard and Desiree is their death, in both instances provoked by their husbands. The similarities and differences are important because while people might be experiencing the same thing in real life, their attitudes towards it may not be the same along with the outcomes, which could have been a goal of the author’s. As stated earlier, many of Chopin’s works concentrate on women trying to find themselves and in these two cases after the ending of their relationships with their husbands. Whe n reading the biography of Chopin, there is a striking similarity with these two stories in particular. Kate O’Flaherty met and wed a man named Oscar  Chopin around 1869. She lived a happy life with him and had six children and as stated when Kate was only thirty-six year old, her husband died of swamp fever. While she loved her husband dearly, it is believed that she only first begun writing after her husband’s death (Kirszner & Mandell, 77). In a way this resembles the way that Mrs. Mallard only thought her life was beginning after her husband’s death. On the other hand, she could have been portraying her sense of abandonment by her husband in Desiree’s character in â€Å"Desiree’s Baby.† Another reason Chopin writes her characters only release from their troubles as death is because of the time period she lived in. Divorce was often unheard of or taboo. It is easy to see that one of the only main differences is the way that each of the women traveled the path to self-discovery and their outcomes. This in a large part could be from Chopin’s own marriage and life. However, all of her woman characters relate to her own life which helped shape America into a place where freedom and equality for women is possible. Although the women that she created were different, their challenges and accomplishments inspired different aspects of the feminist movement. Chopin’s literary works became highly popular in the late twentieth century and remain popular today. Thus Chopin did not quite spark the flame of the women’s rights movement, but it was tinder that fueled it into what it became. Her literary works will outlive her as a testament of the strength of women and what they can accomplish. Her contributions will survive to inspire women for generations.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

dklkflk fwlkw Essay

dklkflk fwlkw Essay dklkflk fwlkw Essay How does mobile phone impact today’s society Create an annotated bibliography. Each entry should consist of three sections: an MLA-format citation, a summary/paraphrase of the source's contents, and an evaluation of the source. Annotations of short sources must summarize the sources' entire contents, but annotations of long sources (i.e., books) should focus on the relevant section. Annotations should (but don't absolutely have to) include paraphrases or quotations that you plan to use in your paper. Evaluations must discuss the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources. Each annotation must be at least 150 words long, not including the citation. Your annotated bibliography must include a minimum of five good-quality, preferably scholarly sources. It can also include popular sources if they're very high quality, credible, and relevant. Ling, Richard Seyler., and Scott W. Campbell. Mobile Communication: Bringing Us Together and Tearing Us Apart. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction, 2011. Print. In the extract â€Å"Here and now in a virtual kind of way† from the book Communication:bringing us together and tearings us apart, The author describe the arguments of Kathleen Cumiskey about â€Å"mobile symbiosis† she explain how mobile phone communication individualize us by taking us away from the present situation. She also describe our attitude when we are in communication with an interlocutor. We focus on the conversation that we are having and pay less attention to other people around us. After some interviews she conclude that people have the needs to stay in touch with their parents and family, therefore they give priority to these contact over the social and sometimes physical risks. And finally she highlights the fact that people use mobile phone conversation as a stratagem to avoid some interaction by pretending that they are in communication. This source support my topic by revealing a few aspect of the mobile phone impact on people’s behaviour and lives. The author remain objective in his writing. His arguments are supported by evidences. Indeed he relies on other professionals arguments. Glotz, Peter, Stefan Bertschi, and Chris Locke. Thumb Culture: The Meaning of Mobile Phones for Society. Bielefeld: Transcript, 2005. Print. In this extract the author develop the social benefits of the mobile phone, he explains that mobile phone allow people to plan and organize their everyday life. He share the result of the Kigali survey that allowed them to identify people communication partner and find out that people talk more frequently to the family and friends that they have than new family members or friends. One of the evidence that he uses is â€Å"As sociologist have observed with the landline in other settings (Balls 1968; Thorngren 1977) mobiles are increasing the frequency of contact with existing friends and family†. He develop the idea that cellphone are used for

Monday, October 21, 2019

Exploring the Discipline of Geography as a Science

Exploring the Discipline of Geography as a Science Many secondary education institutions, particularly in the United States, include very minimal study of geography. They opt instead for separation and focus of many individual cultural and physical sciences, such as history, anthropology, geology, and biology, which are encompassed within the realms of both cultural geography and physical geography. History of Geography The trend to ignore geography in classrooms does seem to be slowly changing, though. Universities are starting to recognize more the value of geographic study and training and thus provide more classes and degree opportunities. However, there is still a long way to go before geography is widely recognized by all as a true, individual, and progressive science. This article will briefly cover parts of the history of geography, important discoveries, uses of the discipline today, and the methods, models, and technologies that geography uses, providing evidence that geography qualifies as a valuable science. The discipline of geography is among the most ancient of all sciences, possibly even the oldest because it seeks to answer some of man’s most primitive questions. Geography was recognized anciently as a scholarly subject, and can be traced back to Eratosthenes, a Greek scholar who lived around 276-196 B.C.E. and who is often called, â€Å"the father of geography.† Eratosthenes was able to estimate the circumference of the earth with relative accuracy, using the angles of shadows, the distance between two cities, and a mathematical formula. Claudius Ptolemaeus: Roman Scholar and Ancient Geographer Another important ancient geographer was Ptolemy, or Claudius Ptolemaeus, a Roman scholar who lived from about 90-170 C.E. Ptolemy is best known for his writings, the Almagest (about astronomy and geometry), the Tetrabiblos (about astrology), and the Geography – which significantly advanced geographic understanding at that time. Geography used the first ever recorded grid coordinates, longitude and latitude, discussed the important notion that a three-dimensional shape such as the earth could not be perfectly represented on a two-dimensional plane, and provided a large array of maps and pictures. Ptolemy’s work was not as accurate as today’s calculations, mostly due to inaccurate distances from place to place. His work influenced many cartographers and geographers after it was rediscovered during the Renaissance. Alexander von Humboldt: Father of Modern Geography Alexander von Humboldt, a German traveler, scientist, and geographer from 1769-1859, is commonly known as the â€Å"father of modern geography.† Von Humboldt contributed discoveries such as magnetic declination, permafrost, continentality, and created hundreds of detailed maps from his extensive traveling – including his own invention, isotherm maps (maps with isolines representing points of equal temperature). His greatest work, Kosmos, is a compilation of his knowledge about the earth and its relationship with humans and the universe – and remains one of the most important geographical works in the history of the discipline. Without Eratosthenes, Ptolemy, von Humboldt, and many other important geographers, important and essential discoveries, world exploration and expansion, and advancing technologies would not have taken place. Through their use of mathematics, observation, exploration, and research, mankind has been able to experience progress and see the world, in ways unimaginable to early man. Science in Geography Modern geography, as well as many of the great, early geographers, adheres to the scientific method and pursues scientific principles and logic. Many important geographic discoveries and inventions were brought forth through a complex understanding of the earth, its shape, size, rotation, and the mathematical equations that utilize that understanding. Discoveries like the compass, north and south poles, the earth’s magnetism, latitude and longitude, rotation and revolution, projections and maps, globes, and more modernly, geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), and remote sensing – all come from rigorous study and a complex understanding of the earth, its resources, and mathematics. Today we use and teach geography much as  we have for centuries. We often use simple maps, compasses, and globes, and learn about the physical and cultural geography of different regions of the world. But today we also use and teach geography in very different ways as well. We are a world that is increasingly digital and computerized. Geography is not unlike other sciences that have broken into that realm to advance our understanding of the world. We not only possess digital maps and compasses, but GIS and remote sensing allow for an understanding of the earth, the atmosphere, its regions, its different elements and processes, and how it can all relate to humans. Jerome E. Dobson, president of the American Geographical Society writes (in his article Through the Macroscope: Geographys View of the World) that these modern geographic tools â€Å"constitute a macroscope that allows scientists, practitioners, and the public alike to view the earth as never before.† Dobson argues that geographic tools allow for scientific advancement, and therefore geography deserves a place among the fundamental sciences, but more importantly, it deserves more of a role in education. Recognizing geography as a valuable science, and studying and utilizing progressive geographical tools, will allow for many more scientific discoveries in our world

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Carbon Neutral Alternative Fuels

Carbon Neutral Alternative Fuels Carbon neutral is a term used to describe carbon-based fuels that when burned will not increase carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. These fuels neither contribute to nor reduce the amount of carbon (measured in the release of CO2) into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is plant food, which is a good thing, and it also helps keep our planet warm. However, too much CO2 can lead to what we now call global warming. Carbon neutral fuels can help prevent too much CO2 from accumulating in the atmosphere. It accomplishes this when the released carbon is absorbed by plant crops that will help produce tomorrow’s next gallon of a carbon-neutral fuel. Every time we travel in a gasoline or diesel-powered vehicle, we add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. That’s because burning a petroleum fuel (which were created millions of years ago) releases CO2 into the air. As a nation, 250 million passenger vehicles are currently registered, about 25 percent of all passenger vehicles in the world. In the U.S., our vehicles burn around 140 billion gallons of gasoline and 40 billion gallons of diesel a year. With those numbers it’s not difficult to see that every gallon of a carbon-neutral fuel that is burned can contribute to the reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere, thus helping to reduce global warming. Biofuels Many people believe the future lies with carbon-neutral alternative fuels made from crops and waste products that are known as biofuels. Pure biofuels such as biodiesel, bio-ethanol, and bio-butanol are carbon neutral since plants absorb the C02 released by being burned. Biodiesel The most common carbon neutral fuel is biodiesel. Because it is produced from such organically derived resources as animal fats and vegetable oil it can be used to recycle a wide range of waste material. It’s available in a range of blend percentages- B5, for example, is 5 percent biodiesel and 95 percent diesel, while B100 is all biodiesel- and there are biodiesel filling stations throughout the U.S. Then there’s the small number of drivers who homebrew their own biodiesel and some who convert their diesel engines to run on straight vegetable oil recycled from restaurants. Bioethanol Bioethanol is ethanol (alcohol) that is produced by the fermentation of plant starches such as grains like corn, sugarcane, switchgrass and agricultural waste. Not to be confused with ethanol that is a by-product of a chemical reaction with petroleum, which is not considered renewable. In the U.S. most of the bioethanol comes from farmers who grow corn. Many American passenger cars and light-duty trucks can operate on either gasoline or a bioethanol/gasoline blend called E-85- 85 percent ethanol/15 percent gasoline. While E-85 is not a pure carbon neutral fuel it does produce low emissions. The big downside to ethanol is it is less energy-dense than other fuels, so it reduces fuel economy by 25% to 30%. With gasoline prices hovering around $2 a gallon E-85 is not competitively priced. And good luck finding a gas station that sells it outside the Midwest farming states. Methanol Methanol, like ethanol, is a very strong alcohol made from wheat, corn or sugar in a process similar to brewing, and is considered the most energy-efficient fuel to produce. A liquid at normal temperatures, it has a higher octane rating than gasoline but a lower energy density. Methanol can be mixed with other fuels or used on its own, but it is slightly more corrosive than traditional fuels, requiring engine fuel system modifications on the order of $100-$150. During a brief period of time in the early 2000s, there was a small growing market for methanol cars in California until the state’s Hydrogen Highway Initiative Network took command and the program lost support. Sales of these cars were sluggish due to the low price of gasoline at the time and the lack of service stations that pumped the fuel. However, the short program did prove the reliability of the vehicles and garnered positive feedback from drivers. Algae Algae- specifically microalgae- is a source for a carbon-neutral alternative fuel. Since the 1970s federal and state governments along with private investment firms have poured hundreds of millions into algae research as a biofuel with little success to date. Microalgae has the ability to produce lipids, which are known as a potential source for biofuels. These algae can be grown on non-potable water, perhaps even wastewater, in ponds so it is not using arable land or massive amounts of water. While on paper, micro-algae seems like a no-brainer, formidable technical issues have flummoxed researchers and scientists for years. But the algae true believers aren’t giving up, so maybe someday you’ll be pumping an algae-based biofuel into your car’s fuel tank. Diesel Fuel From Water And CO2 No, diesel fuel from water and carbon dioxide is not some Ponzi scheme intended to fleece dim-witted investors. Last year Audi, together with German energy-company Sunfire, announced it was able to synthesize a diesel fuel from water and CO2 that can fuel automobiles. The synthesis creates a liquid known as blue crude and is refined into what Audi is calling e-diesel. Audi claims that e-diesel is sulfur-free, cleaner burning than standard diesel and the process to make it is 70 percent efficient. The first five liters went into the tank of an  Audi A8  3.0 TDI driven by Germany’s Minister of Research. To become a viable carbon-neutral fuel, the next step is to ramp up production. A Complex and Difficult Challenge Our addiction to oil has had dire consequences. It seems that the logical solution would be to develop or discover an alternative carbon-neutral fuel not derived from petroleum. However, finding an alternative that is abundant, renewable, economical to produce and environmentally friendly is a complex and difficult challenge. The good news is, as you read this, scientists are working hard on this difficult challenge. Updated by Larry E. Hall

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Parents vs. Peers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Parents vs. Peers - Essay Example They cast it off like the dorky sweater their mother made them wear. The behavior of a child is both dependent on the internal genetic influence that he gained from his parents and the external influence that he has from his association with peers. Modern developmentalists admit that children are born with distinctive characteristics that make certain developmental outcomes more likely. In fact, the word heredity is rarely used nowadays; it has been replaced by words like nature and genetic, which acknowledge childrens genes without acknowledging their source. Children share 50% of their genes with each of their biological parents. Also not proved is the proposition that children learn things from one relationship or in one context that they automatically carry with them to new ones. If parenting behaviors do have lasting effects, the effects are specific to the context in which the behaviors were experienced. Because children are destined to play out their adult lives in other contexts, what they learn in these other contexts will be more important in the long run (Harris, 2000). Judith Rich Harris, in her book "The Nurture Assumption," is challenging the conventional wisdom of both Academic psychologists and parents alike: that parent have a large influence on how their children turn out.   Harris challenges this wisdom. If one can combine her points with some knowledge about temperament, it is most likely this synthesis will help in explaining the role of parents in raising their children.  Ã‚   She points out that trying to separate the effects of inheritance (genes) and the parents environmental effects is extremely difficult to do with any large degree of scientific validity.   In reality, the effect of childhood environment on the development of the individual to mature adulthood is still mysterious and is not understood. Peer groups can have a large influence in behavior while the child is in

Friday, October 18, 2019

Organisational Profile of Treatment Center for Cancer Assignment

Organisational Profile of Treatment Center for Cancer - Assignment Example As such, it is able to meet its common purpose- the provision of hope to patients through best care is given by the best people who have done the best research in cancer care. The organization is located at Outram Medical Campus, 11 Hospital Drive in Singapore. This is about 500 meters from Outram Park Station. It also nears the New Bridge Road bus terminal. During weekdays, services are offered from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm while on Saturdays, the facility is open from morning until 12.30 pm. Guided by the vision of becoming a leading global cancer center, the organization targets not only the Singapore population but also overseas patients. The environment in health care provision refers to the impact of different related factors as an institution endeavors to give out the best care to its patients. In the development of health care programs, the main objective lies in giving participants an in-depth understanding of the changing environment in the health sector (Caldwell, 2001). Armed with this knowledge, they are now in a better position to develop responses to tackle the challenges as posed by the environment. This results in successful organization strategies. It is important to note that the environment in the healthcare system is dynamic which implies that its state today may be very different in the future. The challenges encountered therefore are different with regard to specific time frames (Ulrich & Zimring, 2004). Critical issues, concerns, and developments must be in line with the environment in order to ensure that the strategy put in place in a healthcare organization are met. The cost of health provision in Singapore is high compared to the country’s total expenditure. In fact, it is among the most expensive health care systems of the world. A lot is spent on the healthcare by the country which impacts on the country’s economy.  

International Human Resources Management Presentation Speech or - 1

International Human Resources Management - Speech or Presentation Example Nevertheless, how do these Union responses to the aging workforce? In order of these trade unions to come up with a clear and realistic tool for identifying the best practice to initiate, advocate and implement in their respective area of operation, methodological and theoretical approaches are used in relation to empirical evidences and findings from other Europe countries. For example, the UK and German trade union tries to design their responses to the aging workforces based on the research conducted from multiple dimensions. However, how do they arrive at the best resolution? According to Matthew Flynn & Martin Upchurch (2012) methodological approach for the aging workforce, the UK, and the German trade union relies on the Companies’ case studies, institutional case studies, international literature reviews and contextualization of the best workforce practices from reports and interviews conducted. Based on the hypothetical specificity and sensitivity of the studies conducted by the trade union in response to their aging workforces, understanding the patterns and trends in which these trade unions response to the aging workforce becomes quite apparent. For example, when adapting to the pension system or regulating employees by norm setting, the UK trade union intend to raise the retirement ages for 68 years enclosing the withdrawal routes. In this regard, they increase the number of old workers in its workforce by 1 million in conjunction to enacting laws that prohibit discriminative working by age. In response, the UK government initiates welfare systems as well as tax initiatives that encourage the old generation to return to work. Comparatively, how do German trade union response to the aging workforce? The German trade union is directly opposite of what happens in the UK trade unions. German trade unions systems are inclusive providing negotiation

Environmental Effects of Global Warming in Florida Research Paper

Environmental Effects of Global Warming in Florida - Research Paper Example This paper talks about the phenomenon of the global warming and its effects in Florida. Through undertaking this research the various environmental effects of global warming within the state become clearly understood. The experiences within other are reviewed through the research. The research will become essential in seeking to provide solutions to the adverse effects presented to the environment by global warming, upon the state of Florida. This exploratory research will seek to gather information regarding environmental effects of global warming in Florida. The information is gathered through review of existing environmental publication, exploration of the region and interviews with some interest group members. The average temperatures across the world have been observed to rise over a long period of time. These rising temperatures have continuously presented various effects upon the environment and other social systems across the world. Greenhouse gasses have been identified as presenting the biggest challenge in contributing towards global warming. Physical effects include the increased occurrence of extreme weather cases, which have been observed. These include hurricanes, which have been associated with global warming. Oceans have also been identified as becoming more acidified by the absorption of gases causing global warming. The temperature rise has also been observed within the oceans. The state of Florida has an extensive coastline, and the global warming effects from the oceans could be available.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Macro Economic Policy in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Macro Economic Policy in Australia - Essay Example As a result of this, it attained the benefit of full employment and lower inflation level. The macro economic policy in Australia is focused on its monetary and fiscal policy and it aims to attain a sustainable developmental growth by mitigating certain problems in the areas of unemployment, inflation and other trade difficulties. "A macroeconomic policy framework conducive to growth can be characterised by five features: a low and predictable inflation rate; an appropriate real interest rate; a stable and sustainable fiscal policy; a competitive and predictable real exchange rate; and a balance of payments that is regarded as viable. Countries with these macroeconomic characteristics tend to grow faster than those without them."(Andersen and Gruen 2007). The term fiscal policy is related with two major concepts like allocation of resources and proper distribution of income. Proper implementation of fiscal policy is essential for maintaining a constant price level, elimination of job redundancy, and thereby the fulfillment of effective economic growth. So, the fiscal policy can be seen as playing a very important role in the accomplishment of economic objective. The approach towards both fiscal and monetary policy is quite different. ... nder circumstances in which annual budgets are strictly balanced, the irregular character of the within-year flow of expenditures and of revenues inevitably means that for some shorter periods within the annual time period, there will be 'deficits', albeit offset by 'surpluses' during other shorter periods, within the annual cycle. To the extent that the annual budget time-frame is ultimately arbitrary, this means that those who are committed to strict annual budget balance, in fact, as much acquiesce in the acceptability of temporary budget deficits, as do those who would argue instead for allowing some annual budget deficits, to be offset at other times by annual budget surpluses." (Approaches to Fiscal Policy. 2007). As far as the present economic situation prevailing in Australia is taken in to consideration, it is very clear that for the overall development of the economy, there should be a better resource allocation and income distribution is crucial. It is very important to make an understanding about the system of fiscal policy and its effectiveness. By taking this concept in the practical point of view, the fiscal policy may be short term, medium term and long term as far as the different situation is taken in to fact. "Fiscal policy is now directed firmly towards maintaining sound public finances over the medium term, based on strict rules. Where possible fiscal policy supports monetary policy over the economic cycle. This approach, together with the new monetary policy framework, provides the platform of stability necessary for achieving the Government's central economic goal of high and sustainable levels of growth and employment." (Fiscal Policy in the UK. 2007). For the effective imple mentation of an economy, the fiscal policy gives emphasis on certain

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Strategic management of human resource Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Strategic management of human resource - Essay Example Competitive advantage in the case of employees comprises of unique talents including innovation, flexibility, high productivity, superior performance and personal customer service. These are ways employees provide critical ingredients in giving a firm an edge over its competitors in the market. HR departments can improve decision making of organisations on human capital. First HR can improve organisation’s compliance with labour law rules and regulation. HR can help improve talent management decisions with respect to how talent is selected, developed and managed. This can be done by providing unique insights about the connection between human capital and strategy and identifying key strategic success factors that facilitate attainment of organisational goals. HR should fully understand the direction an organisation is taking and should be able to provide support using competent HR tools. For organisations moving towards expansion, the HR department should create an organisation culture capable of absorbing diversified manpower with strong learning attitude as these are a necessary tool for competitiveness in the global market. For new organisations, HR strategy should focus on effective manpower acquisition and placement objectives as new organisations are inevitably driven by employee turnover both from recruitment and attrition point of view till they stabilise. The HR strategy can involve creating a more informal environment that will help build close knit teams with strong bonding between them to address attrition issues. New organisations may not be able to pay high salaries or devise reward schemes to retain manpower thus building teams with cohesive relationships will increase employee retention. Relatively stable organisations are not very vulnerable to small competition threats, and can afford to spend more time on employee development,

Macro Economic Policy in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Macro Economic Policy in Australia - Essay Example As a result of this, it attained the benefit of full employment and lower inflation level. The macro economic policy in Australia is focused on its monetary and fiscal policy and it aims to attain a sustainable developmental growth by mitigating certain problems in the areas of unemployment, inflation and other trade difficulties. "A macroeconomic policy framework conducive to growth can be characterised by five features: a low and predictable inflation rate; an appropriate real interest rate; a stable and sustainable fiscal policy; a competitive and predictable real exchange rate; and a balance of payments that is regarded as viable. Countries with these macroeconomic characteristics tend to grow faster than those without them."(Andersen and Gruen 2007). The term fiscal policy is related with two major concepts like allocation of resources and proper distribution of income. Proper implementation of fiscal policy is essential for maintaining a constant price level, elimination of job redundancy, and thereby the fulfillment of effective economic growth. So, the fiscal policy can be seen as playing a very important role in the accomplishment of economic objective. The approach towards both fiscal and monetary policy is quite different. ... nder circumstances in which annual budgets are strictly balanced, the irregular character of the within-year flow of expenditures and of revenues inevitably means that for some shorter periods within the annual time period, there will be 'deficits', albeit offset by 'surpluses' during other shorter periods, within the annual cycle. To the extent that the annual budget time-frame is ultimately arbitrary, this means that those who are committed to strict annual budget balance, in fact, as much acquiesce in the acceptability of temporary budget deficits, as do those who would argue instead for allowing some annual budget deficits, to be offset at other times by annual budget surpluses." (Approaches to Fiscal Policy. 2007). As far as the present economic situation prevailing in Australia is taken in to consideration, it is very clear that for the overall development of the economy, there should be a better resource allocation and income distribution is crucial. It is very important to make an understanding about the system of fiscal policy and its effectiveness. By taking this concept in the practical point of view, the fiscal policy may be short term, medium term and long term as far as the different situation is taken in to fact. "Fiscal policy is now directed firmly towards maintaining sound public finances over the medium term, based on strict rules. Where possible fiscal policy supports monetary policy over the economic cycle. This approach, together with the new monetary policy framework, provides the platform of stability necessary for achieving the Government's central economic goal of high and sustainable levels of growth and employment." (Fiscal Policy in the UK. 2007). For the effective imple mentation of an economy, the fiscal policy gives emphasis on certain

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

The efforts required in an intercultural marriage Essay Example for Free

The efforts required in an intercultural marriage Essay In an intercultural relationship there are more efforts and dedication that are required from the two individuals. This is due to the fact that miscommunication is a common scenario. Even the simplest factors can be the cause of misunderstandings. What is the norm of a person can be unacceptable to the other. These aspects are not limited to significant issues such as religion, norms, values, financial issues, social status, and the outlook in like specially those dealing with the nurturing and developing of the children. Issues also revolve around simple subjects and points of discussion such as the food, the duties of the couple, the clothes, the priorities, and even the friends and the social activities (Romano, 1997). These factors describe every aspect of the life that is being shared by the couple. In this view that defines a variety of facet that has a high percentage of divergence, it can be viewed that misinterpretation is inevitable. Thus, the couple exerts an extra amount of work to be able to completely understand each other and attain a successful marriage. Success in terms of marriage can be equated to the contentment and fulfillment that an individual can achieve from a relationship. Intercultural relationship is a complex process due to the fact that the success of the relationship is a product of the interplay of the complex factors associated with the dissimilar origin. This can be supported by the study conducted on the achievement of intercultural marriages taken the effect of religion. Results generated showed that even in cases wherein the couples are of the same religion, which lessens the incurred differences, the coupes that are belonging to the same race and culture are comparatively more successful. Thus, in terms of the observable parameter used, these couples have less arguments and misunderstandings (Fu, Kendall, and Tora, 2001). Another significant consideration is the pressure that can be generated by the relationship to the women. This is in relation to the roles that they have to carry out in an intercultural marriage (Fu, Kendall, and Tora, 2001). Women are commonly the one to conform in the culture and tradition of the men. The society is composed of an intricate web of interpersonal relationship. In cases such as this, the norms and traditions even in an advanced era oftentimes dictate that the women are the one to adjust to the tradition of the society from which the men belong. Women appease to this set-up due to the strong sense of duty that is given to the norms of the family (Romano, 1997). Although as the results of the study have shown that women usually take a bigger role and experience a higher degree of change in their personal life, both parties have to sacrifice a part of their well being to be able to attain a compromise and achieve a successful life together. Norms and traditions are essential part of every person’s well being and compromising in an intercultural relationship may also mean losing a part of one’s way of life. Thus, it is a struggle to maintain this type interpersonal relationship. One of the struggles that can be encountered is unconventional traditions than can be unacceptable and detestable to the partner. In cases such as this additional communication and ultimately understanding is required. Communication is necessary due to the fact performing such activities and practices are common to the partner and cannot be viewed negatively, thus, any harm done to the other person was not consciously performed. Intercultural communication is an essential and vital element in the relationship of individuals in the society and the world. It applies to every conversation, every transactions and every variation in character and culture, thus, it is worth a try to be able to attain the wanted intercultural marriage success and contentment (Casmir, 1997). Conclusion Based on the result of the research conducted, there is an increase in the efforts that is required from couples of different norms and traditions to be able to attain success in an intercultural marriage. This means a comparatively more trials and obstacles to overcome on every aspect of the relationship and each individual’s personal being. This can be trying and tedious endeavor but success is not impossible and achieving a lasting and worthwhile relationship is worth all the risk. References Bacas, J. L. (2003). Cross-border marriages and the formation of Transnational Families: A case study of Greek-German couples in Athens WPTC-02-10. Transnational Communities Programme. Retrieved July 3, 2006 from http://www. transcomm. ox. ac. uk/working%20papers/WPTC-02-10%20Bacas. pdf Casmir, F. L. (1997). Ethics in Intercultural and International Communication. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Constable, N. (2003). Romance on a Global Stage: Pen Pals, Virtual Ethnography, and Mail-Order Marriages. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Fu, X. , Kendall, H. , and Tora, J. (2001) Marital Happiness and Inter-Racial Marriage: A Study in a Multi-Ethnic Community in Hawaii. University of Calgary. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 32 (1), 47. Romano, D. (1997). Intercultural Marriage: Promises Pitfalls. Washington, DC: Intercultural Press.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Financial History of the American Airlines

Financial History of the American Airlines American Airways was incorporated in 1930, becoming American Airlines in 1934. Operating as a passenger and cargo carrier, they also offer freight and mail services. With 9 hubs functioning throughout the country, they average around $522 million a month. In 1939, they began trading stock on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol AAL. (Yahoo Finance, November 2013) American Airlines began trading stock publicly on December 9, 2013. In 1970, American Airlines gained its first Caribbean routes, merging with Trans Caribbean Airways. The agreements of the merger were that American Airlines would aid Trans Caribbean in obtaining a total of $10 million in financing. Also, for 100 shares of Trans Caribbean, American Airlines exchanged 17Â  shares. This merger would make for airlines first merger under its current name. (NY Times Archives, 1970.) January 10, 2001, it became public that American Airlines had acquired bankrupt Trans World Airlines (TWA) for $4.2 billion. This transaction made American Airlines the worlds largest airline carrier. American acquired all of TWAs assets, as well as saved the jobs of thousands of TWAs employees by integrating them into their family. (Biz Journals, 2001) In 2003, talks of possible bankruptcy arose for American. Labor unions eventually approved economizing contracts to avoid the bankruptcy, in which employees agreed to accept intense pay cuts in attempts to save the airline. Joy came in 2007, when American reported an annual profit of $231 million for fiscal 2006, its first reporting since around 2000. But, the glory didnt last long, as shareholders announced at their annual meeting that due to soaring jet fuel costs, they would have to lay off thousands of workers, park at least 85 aircraft, cut domestic capacity by 25%, and increase baggage fees and other service offered to customers. An official bankruptcy protection was filed November 29, 2011, after the airline reported a net loss of $471 billion, bringing their total losses to exceed $10 billion since 2001. American had acquired $29.6 billion in debt. Required to run all their future financial decisions across a judges desk, they were permitted to purchase fuel, pay for labor, and other expenditures, to maintain business. In July 2011, they received approval to place the largest plane order in history, buying 460 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus, replacing older planes. The newer models would cut down on fuel and maintenance costs. (Yahoo Finance, 2011) The year of 2012 introduced talks of a merger with US Airways. Agreements were made to exchange financial information so that the companies can research the potential merger. The merger eventually passed February 2013, officially announced on the 14th day of the month, thus the creation of the worlds biggest airline. (Yahoo Finance, 2013) As of December 31, 2015, American Airlines gross profit was approximately $29 billion, with a net operating income of $6.2 billion and a net income of $7.6 billion, all driven by lower fuel costs, American could benefit from the decline on fuel prices. (2015 Form 10-K, AA.com) References American Airlines Investor Information, 2015 Form 10-K. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=117098p=irol-reportsannual History of American Airlines. https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-service/about-us/history-of-american-airlines.jsp A timeline of events in American Airlines history, November 12, 2013. The Associated Press. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/timeline-events-american-airlines-history-011902886.html American Airlines acquires TWA. December 23, 2001. Biz Journals. http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2001/12/24/focus3.html Koenig, David. November 29, 2011. American Airlines files for bankruptcy protection. https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-airlines-files-bankruptcy-protection-121438848.html