DOCUMENTARY CINEMA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

DOCUMENTARY CINEMA - Essay Example This essay will delve into various aspects of the film Dark Days by way of relating them to the broader social, cultural and political contexts. Firstly, homelessness in the United States can be traced back a long way. The direct and circumstancial evidence for this is available in literary and performing arts of the last one and half centuries. Prominent among the artists who dealt with this subject are Walt Whitman, Jack London, Charlie Chaplin, Woody Guthrie, John Dos Passos, Bill Mauldin, Jack Kerouac and John Steinbeck. In the early twentieth century slang, homeless people were casually referred to as hoboes, which is a term of denigration. These so-called hoboes had a reputation for being barbaric, wild, lazy and unscrupulous. The first detailed representation of these people living on the fringes of society started appearing after the end of the Civil War. We further learn that â€Å"following the Civil War, a legion of men traveled the country with no visible means of support. Some earned the sobriquet "hobo," which they embraced it as a nickname for a migrant laborer, that is, a "hoe boy." Whatever the origin, sociologists of the 1920s used the phrase "hobohemia" to describe a subaltern lifestyle embraced by white working-class males. When congregating in places such as Chicagos "main stem," they forged a swaggering counterculture that defied domesticity. They embraced the labor radicalism of the Wobblies, even while they were parodied by vaudeville and motion picture comics.† (Lookingbill, 2005, p.314) During these early days, homelessness in the United States was largely an issue of social class and was caused by the huge disparities in wealth distribution between the top ten percent of the population and the rest. But in the last century, the issue has grown to encompass factors of racial discrimination, drug abuse and homosexuality. Of the half a

Women in a patriarchal society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Women in a patriarchal society - Essay Example In the epoch of Christianity the situation did not change much. Females have been viewed as an inferior sex, prone to sins and temptations. Women have been deprived of numerous rights, like those for education or voting. They have been considered good only for cooking, washing and raising children. Devoting their lives to their husbands, women have not been protected by the law in cases of divorces and abandonment. Having no education and profession, women have often been left below the line of poverty, being made to survive from hand to mouth. Feminist movement has partially changed the situation. However, gender discrimination continues being a reality even in the Western world. Women have fewer opportunities for promotion. They get smaller wages in comparison to males in the equal positions. Women, sacrificing their careers in the name of their families, often have no chance to restore their positions, notwithstanding better education and qualification. Many males express their co ntempt to females. Having more physical power and getting higher wages, husbands often humiliate their wives. Meanwhile, the official church is still against divorces. Women are usually counseled to be patient and continue caring of the men, who beat and taunt them. The Muslim world is even more conservative and cruel. Misinterpretations of the Quran also result in men feeling superior. Muslim women are often deprived even the rights and freedoms viewed as essential in the Christian world. Women can easily be killed by their fathers or husbands in case they are considered to bring ill-reputation on their family. Though is it forbidden by law nowadays, such cases are not rare. The Girls of Riyadh is a book revealing some truth of life of females in the modern Muslim world. Written by a woman and about women, the novel narrates of lives of five girls, studying in the capital of the Saudi Arabia. Almost each of the stories serves as an example

Octavan Construction Inc Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Octavan Construction Inc - Case Study Example Octavans reporting policies are pretty acceptable and would be beneficial to the company in the long term so the only suggestion to make here is that they should stick with these policies even if they are trouble some at the beginning The working capital and the debt to equity ratio has been on the decline which shows that that company is not doing so good on the assets front, the debt to equity ratio has declined and that is not a good sign because the value of the assets has been on the decline and liabilities have grown considerably which is not a good sign for any company, even creditors such as Broadmoor County Bank have started to believe that the company is in trouble and are trying to secure there loans against securities that were not deemed necessary before. Since the company has changed its depreciation method the company will now experience a total change in the depreciation expense and accumulated depreciation, which would definitely have a good effect on the assets beca use the current method which was employed by the company was depreciating the assets too quickly and was unrealistic for the company to use and hence it is a good move to change the depreciation method of the company and this will reap positive out come for the company. The second change that is being implemented by the company is that they have changed the method of long term billing from absolute method to the percentage-of-completed project which initially increases costs but in the long term would help the company build on steadily because there would be a better matching of the costs and revenues which would lead to a better financial report in the bigger picture. Ans 2. Octavans reporting policies are pretty acceptable and would be beneficial to the company in the long term so the only suggestion to make here is that they should stick with these policies even if they are trouble some at the beginning because they would definitely lead to an improvement in the company's financial books. The company shouldn't have placed as collateral its current assets because these assets are the blood line of the company and since octavan is already facing a declining working capital and a debt to equity ratio it is not advisable that this step be taken. Ans 3, The Company has changed the depreciation method due to the non effectiveness of the previous (MACRS) method due to which the company had to face considerable reporting problems but now the company has switched to a more effective and a reporting friendly method, known as the double depreciation method. For long term contracts the company will now be using the percentage-of-completed work to match the expenses and revenues in a better manner. American Physical and Social Programs For Children Inc. Ans1. The implications of such a policy are very clear, because the operations of the company are focused primarily on children activities and as the case points out that the major business period for the company was from September to June it is a good policy to have a June 30th as the end of all financial activities because by then the company would have had completed one major cycle on the business front, plus all the major expenses and liabilities have been realized by that period and the company knows what exactly is expected of it since the major part of its revenue has been earned during that period it can easily match the expenses against the revenues using the matching principle, it is also an excellent policy to do so because companies need to make their financial statement when they consider they would come out the best and given the circumstances that the company operates in it has clearly realized what the best period for preparing financial statements is. Also, using Jun e the 30th as the basis for making the financial reports gives the advantage of having a summer camp during the summer vacations, but more importantly this gives them the time to incorporate the revenues of the summer into the financial books because people have to pay in advance (march) for the summer camp and this is an added advantage of havi

Personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 40

Personal statement - Essay Example A Master’s Degree in Cass business school for Supply Chain Management or Investment Management will not only widen my professional horizon but will also increase my change for professional advancement by being more effective in the business organization. My name is Talal Alajou and I graduated with honors from University of Westminster with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Management. The key areas of study in the University of Westminster involved International Business, Entrepreneurship Theory to Practice, Marketing Management, Operation and Project Management among others. I also took International Foundation Programme in Humanities and Social Science in Kings College where I polished my academic English and engaged myself with international culture. My preparatory high school was spent in Saudi Arabia where I graduated valedictorian at The Kingdom Schools, Riyadh with an almost perfect grade of 98.30% or 3.93 GPA. In addition to my academic undertakings, I also enjoy doing volunteer work. Back home in Saudi Arabia, I am heavily engaged with charity work that looks after the orphans and I intend to continue this fulfilling undertaking for as long as I can do it. I am also culturally agile and bilingual. I have an international background and took formal study about culture at Kings College and this unique background put me in a better situation to easily understand and adjust to different kind of people coming. I believe this is an essential skill in a globalized working place where we have to work with people from different cultural and social background. I chose to pursue my graduate school in UK because of its welcoming attitude towards diversity. UK might have a deep European history but its inclusive environment welcomes people from different nationality particularly those students with Middle Eastern background. I chose to pursue my Master’s Degree in Cass business school in

Artist statement-lost wax casting Personal Statement

Artist -lost wax casting - Personal Statement Example For a top quality casting, one must use the finest materials in the market (Fred 11). The contrast of the poodle curving determination can be guaranteed by the carver’s skills (Richards 16). The poodles contrast should be appealing to everyone, and so it matters a lot. Careful and skilled curving will enhance the outcomes (Richards 18). The body posture in lost wax casting is supremely crucial because it also what determines of the poodles final looks (Richards 22). This simply means would you like the poodle to be in a standing, or lying flat position (Richards 22). The most challenging part in casting will occur in balancing, especially if the casting of the poodle is to occur in an upright position (Slobodkin 4). The reason behind this is that the feet are the one to hold all the body weight of the poodle reasoning that the feet are smaller compared to the body (Slobodkin 4). The feet base should be flat so as to enhance an upright position of a casted poodle (Slobodkin

Chinese martial arts Essay Example for Free

Chinese martial arts Essay Shamis: Way to Shaolin is a traditional dance performed by the Kung Fu Monks of Shaolin. Dance exists in many forms and can fulfil different functions: ritual, social or artistic. This particular dance fits into the ritual and artistic function. When performed and practised, ritual dance serves a strong function in sustaining the life of people through the culture and its procedures. Artistic dance is performed to be looked at and to entertain onlookers. The work itself can also be a means of expressing ones thoughts and feelings (Snook. B, 2004, p47-49). This essay will prove that the ritual function is most predominant in Shamis: Way to Shaolin. The ancient collection of Chinese martial arts referred to as Shaolin Kung Fu was created by a Buddhist Monk called Bodhidharma or Tamo who attempted to teach the monks of Shaolin the discipline of Zen meditation. They were not physically capable for the rigorous regime so he then continued to create a series of exercises to build up their health and increase their stamina (History of Shaolin Kung Fu, N/D, para 2). The exercises were both physiological and physical; the â€Å"goal being to control the body through the power of the mind† (The History of the Shaolin Monastery, 2008, para 1). The martial arts were developed out of necessity as the monks had to defend the monastery from thieves who tried to rob them of their treasures (History of Shaolin Kung Fu, N/D, para 3). Today, Shaolin Kung Fu is still practised and used for self-defence, health, fitness, character development, spiritual cultivation and life enrichment (Aims and Objectives of Practising Kung Fu, ND, para 3, 4 and 6). The ritual function is clearly the most predominant function in the performance of Shamis: Way to Shaolin, because of the great history and meaning of Shaolin Kung Fu to the Buddhist monks and the way it is performed. The dance components in Shamis: Way to Shaolin clearly fulfil the ritual function of dance due to the culture and beliefs represented. The dancers are all male Chinese Buddhist monks and they are wearing traditional outfits. The orange robes are dated back centuries and were originally chosen because of the dye available at the time. They are meant to symbolize simplicity and detachment of materialism (Exotissimo, 2010, para 1). The dancers are respecting themselves and others as they all bow together at the beginning of the performance and stand in a meditation position on one leg before dancing. The thin, wooden poles used in the performance of Shamis: Way to Shaolin are martial art weapons used for defence. The monks are representing themselves as warriors protecting their beloved monastery which is part of their history. This is realised as the stage is representing the outside of their monastery with large doors opening outside to steps which lead downwards and have 2 Chinese statues guarding them. The movements of the Shaolin monks are also very sharp and aggressive. They shout HA! loudly together on particularly strong movements as a warning signal and to show it is their territory and monastery. This is a characteristic of ritual dance as the performance is portraying a function. The dancers engage themselves entirely on the performance using immense concentration and focus. Repetition, a characteristic of ritual dance, is used as the monks repeatedly twirl their poles and bang them on the ground. The ritual function is most predominant as the Buddhist monks are dancing for themselves for enlightenment as well as for their culture and beliefs. There are also dance components that fulfil the artistic function of dance within Shamis: Way to Shaolin. It is choreographed and performed onstage for an audience. The dance begins with a loud gong and then fast-paced, traditional music is played which is whistling and chiming. The music is played to assist the audience in understanding and enjoying the performance. The monks mostly all dance together in sync at the same time, the majority of the time in a 3 straight lined formation facing the audience. This is an artistic element because the dancers have practised their routine so that it would be appealing to watch. A smoke machine is used when the male dancers enter onto the stage and go down the steps which provide levels within the performance. Levels are again used during the dance because they are regularly leaping, crouching and jumping. At the end most of them go to either side and sit while watching 2 monks fight dance with poles in the middle. These components are all used for the benefit of the audience and the overall effectiveness of the dance. Therefore the dance is also clearly fulfilling the artistic function. The ritual and artistic functions are seamlessly combined in this dance. The artistic function includes music, formations, cannons and levels. The ritual function is more complex representing their culture and beliefs with the dancers being Buddhist monks, wearing traditional outfits, doing meditation and Martial Arts/Kung-Fu etc. Together the two functions create an unforgettable production with the ritual being the most predominant. Bibliography Exotissimo Blog (December 21, 2010) [online] Why do Buddhist monks wear orange robes and shave their heads? http://www. exotissimo. com/blog/buddhist-monk/ (13/03/2013) DVD Shamis: Way to Shaolin. 2001. (Live show video recording) South Australia, IMS Entertaining SA. Schaffhausen Book Snook. B, (2004) Dance Count Me In, McGraw Hill PTY LTD (p47-49) Shaolin Kung Fu History (date unknown) [online] ChinatownConnection. com http://www. chinatownconnection. com/shaolin-kung-fu-history. htm (date accessed 2/03/2013) The Aims and Objectives of Practising Kung Fu (date unknown) [online] General Kung Fu Aims http://www. shaolin. org/general/kungfu-aims. html (date accessed 2/03/2013) The Mystical power of Shaolin Kung Fu (2008) [online] The History of the Shaolin Monastery http://www. shaolinmonksinmalta. com/ (date accessed 2/03/2013).

How Does War Affect The United States National Debt and Economy

How Does War Affect The United States National Debt and Economy Since the establishment of the colonies, that later became the United States, we have experienced the various influences that war has had on the national debt, economy, and more importantly, on individual lives. Before, national debt could be paid out gradually, it now increases with every second and is $12.4 trillion and rising. The effects can be clearly seen throughout American history, especially in times of war. The national debt is monitored by the U.S. treasury and its financial departments. It is predominantly made up of corporate and government stocks and bonds, T-bills, and notes, which are also referred to as securities. The trading of securities to raise money for infrastructures, developments, benefit programs, and also for the purpose of financing the wars that we can recall, such as the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and World Wars I and II, has brought us through periods of economic boom and depression, during and following these wars. War bonds were the main securities issued by the government to pay for military operations. War bonds raise capital for the government and make the general population feel involved for a national and a military cause. This system was useful as a means of controlling inflation, which is an increase in the supplies of money in the marketplace relative to its demand, especially in a wartime overstimulated economy by removing the money from its circulation until the war is over. The government issues war bonds that have a yield which is the interest payment on the bond sold that is often below the value of many bonds found in the marketplace, which made it attractive and affordable to all citizens. The Revolutionary War began as colonists protested the high taxes that colonial Britain imposed on the colonies and the profits they amassed through the practice of mercantilism without fair share. Once the war began, the British blocked the seas that interrupted trade and made goods more expensive. Further, inflation occurred as the Continental government continued to print currency, backed only by the guarantee of Congress and the States behind it. Congress also funded the war with loans from Britains competitors, such as France, the Netherlands, and Spain to purchase arms and supplies. The continental government also used domestic sources by selling bonds to individuals at a low and competitive interest rate. People such as Robert Morris and Haym Salomon took money out of their personal funds to finance the revolutionary effort as a form of patriotism. When the colonies won the war, high taxes and other limits on trade and industry ended. The new Americans could build new industri es and expand in the West. Britain was no longer a trade partner with the new country, agricultural prices fell, and there were high unemployment rates. The war ended with the U.S. accumulating $37 million of debt on the national level and the value of the dollar quickly declined as a result of inflation. These problems were later solved when Alexander Hamilton established the First Bank of the United States. The First Bank unified the nation by creating a national bank instead of separate ones for each colony, ran an excise tax which taxed imported goods, and established financial order in the United States and credit for itself within the country and overseas. The Bank would be prohibited from purchasing government bonds and issuing notes beyond its supply of capital. Before and during the Civil War, the North and South had their own reliable industries. The North was home to many factories which produced manufactured goods such as guns, bullets, cannons, boots, and uniforms. It had four times as many free citizens than the South. More than 70% of the countrys rail lines ran throughout the North. They even benefited from a strong navy and fleet of ships. The South was underdeveloped in its industry and had several economic weaknesses, such as financial and political problems and few forms of transportation. They also had a small population of about 9 million citizens, therefore, fewer soldiers to prepare for the war. Nevertheless, the South maintained strong agriculture, cotton mills and textiles products. Much of the success they gained was built on the labor of slaves. The two sides had many disagreements and threats to leave the Union ultimately led to the Civil War. Despite advantages in the war, the North needed money. They issued a massive bond measure asking its citizens and financial institutions to purchase bonds to support the war. This effort did not raise the capital needed, so the government started to print paper money, which were called greenbacks. They were backed by gold and later bonds which the government guaranteed. The increase of greenbacks in the economy caused inflation to rise and was worth as much as a third less than its intrinsic value. The government, as a means to stabilize the rapid rise of inflation, raised the interest rate and made everyone accept it for goods and services, or legal tender for all debts public and private, as stated by the Department of Treasury ustreas.gov. The government also introduced its first income tax in 1862 to find more ways of gathering money and established the Bureau of Internal Revenue, later known as the IRS. The Union never dealt with an inflation rate of more than 80%. The South was even more desperate for money as its trade was cut off by the North and its banking system lost. They resorted to printing more money which was backed by their low reserves of gold. The South could not collect taxes because it was forbidden in its Confederate Constitution. The Confederacy was on the verge of bankruptcy and in 1864 it levied its first income tax. Nevertheless, the damage was already done with too much supply of money in the market and high inflation rates rose to as much as 9,000%. The South could not manage its short supply of food and ammunition, thus, many of its citizens starved. Robert E. Lee, Confederate general, realized this and withdrew from the war by surrendering for the Confederacy. During the Civil War, the national debt was $65 million in 1860 and surpassed $1 billion in 1863. This amount gradually decreased after the end of the war. Before World War I began, the United States was in recession. During the war, the United States became involved, and its economy thrived on trade with Europeans producing war goods, and maintaining a neutral status that strengthened their economy. The U.S. entered the war three years later as a result of instigation from the Central Powers, threats to trade with their allies, and a sense of separation in the United States as of whether to be involved in the war. Entering the war in 1917 advanced our total debt to about $22 billion and increased federal spending to a total that would later amount to $112 billion; however, the U.S. enjoyed many benefits such as its competitive position in the world, agricultural boom, profit for many companies, and a decrease in the unemployment rate. Its success led the way for abundance in the Roaring 20s. For example, new technologies such as mass production automobiles, moving pictures, and radios became an indispensable part of American homes. The Great Depression of the early 1930s devastated our country and even the world. It caused personal incomes, tax revenue, profits, and prices to drop and international trade plunged by 50% to 65%. The recovery from this economic depression was caused by World War II. It tremendously boosted the U.S. economy as we began to produce weapons, uniforms, and other supplies for war. It created jobs and increased wages throughout society. Much of our production was shipped overseas. Americans soon spent their money on things such as newspapers, movies, and entertainment. The War Advertising Council was formed and held more than 100 campaigns to sell war bonds, donate blood, conserve food, and enroll enlisters. Involvement in World War II and social programs during the presidencies of Franklin Roosevelt and Truman caused a sixteenfold increase in the total war debt, amounting from $16 billion in 1930 to $260 billion in 1950. In conclusion, we can see the effect that money supply and war have on the United States national debt. It has caused dramatic decline and exponential growth in the economy during and following wartime. We have seen the effects of inflation and the outcome of the many battles from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War to our great World Wars. The national debt is a concern not only to the government, but also to its citizens. When the government debts increase, they use taxpayers money to handle the increasing costs in the economy. Some consequences are higher individual taxes, reduced benefits and programs, higher interest rates, and a weak dollar, which ultimately reduces the individual purchasing power and increases inflation.