Shakespeares Views On Love Essays - Romeo And Juliet, Film

Shakespeare's Views On Love Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeares sixteenth century tragedy, remains one of the most famous, timeless pieces of literature yet created. This bittersweet tale documents the forbidden attraction between two impulsive children, and their tragic suicides. The storys incidents, saturated with Shakespeares views and opinions, reveal the playwrights philosophies on love. Many consider Romeo and Juliet the greatest love story of all time, yet when the love between the two main characters is analyzed, it cannot truly be considered love. Instead Shakespeare wrote this play as a testament of the harsh consequences of reckless lust and attraction, and endeavored to send an admonition. Shakespeare meant not for Romeo and Juliet to define true love, rather, to define what true love is not. The balcony scene of Act II, pulsating with the passionate current existing between the Romeo and Juliet, contains some of the richest, most beautiful poetry ever written. However, from a more critical aspect, this scene also contains some of the most impetuous, melodramatic reactions of two attracted individuals ever chronicled. Though they have only known each other for a few hours, and have not yet shared a hundred words of [each others] utterance (II. ii. 64-65), they immediately devote themselves to each other. Both Romeo and Juliet display a dangerously impulsive nature, as well as an inability to control their emotions, characteristic of their age. The reckless actions of Romeo seem especially thoughtless, considering the danger he faces on the territory of his mortal enemies, the Capulets. Yet he insists in stealing alone in the dark night to see his love Juliet. Romeos remarkably recent and compelling obsession over Rosaline, his old desire[,] doth in his deathbed lie, an young affection gapes to be his heir. / That fair for which love groaned for and would die, / With tender Juliet matched, is now not fair. ( Prolougue Act II, 1-4 ). Thus, Rosaline is swiftly replaced. Mightnt Juliet be replaced that quickly? In an elaborate monologue Romeo worshipfully compares his lady to brilliant, heavenly bodies and beings, such as bright angel (II. ii. 28) with eyes as the fairest stars in all the heaven (II. ii. 15). Romeos departure from the darkness in which he has been hiding and his venture to the light of Juliet, his fair sun (II. ii. 4), symbolizes the dawning of a new age in his life, after the dark night of Rosalines rejection. Romeo appears guilty of desperation; his ecstasy in finding a beautiful girl sharing his attractions blinds common sense. Juliets impulsive behavior proves similar to Romeos. They see each other, exchange a few romantic words, and she allows him to kiss her. Then alone on the balcony she pines for him, swearing to renounce her own family and no longer be a Capulet (II. ii. 38), pledging herself to a boy she has just hardly met. She ignores the impulse to fear this sudden and intense attraction, . . . too rash, to unadvised, too sudden, / Too like the lightning which doth cease to be / ere one can say It lightens. (II. ii. 129-130). Juliet does not realize the wisdom in and significance of her own words, the foreshadowing of her own fate. These theoretical mortal enemies, oblivious of the danger and obstacles that impede their future, transform in a single night to mortal lovers who cannot live without each other. They exchange vows on the moonlit balcony, beneath the heavens, vibrant and volatile, symbolizing the explosive nature of the situation. The situation does swiftly explode in Act III, Scene I, the point at which the play rapidly spirals downward. Mercutio, Romeos comical (and often obnoxious) friend, and Tybalt, Juliets fiery, hot-blooded cousin, clash as a result of reckless insults and the thirst for revenge. When Mercutio falls, Romeo in his fury flies after Tybalt, and in turn kills him. Two beloved lives snuffed out because of visceral rage, emotions let wild and unrestrained. Had this play ended happily, it easily could easily be considered a comical masterpiece. However, the tragic end causes viewers to think about the cause of the plays disastrous events: the deaths of Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio, and Tybalt. The deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt were

Free Essays on The (non-) Existence Of God Is A Question Is A Question Of Faith, Not Knowledge.

The (non-) Existence Of God Is A Question Is A Question Of Faith, Not Knowledge. To answer the question above you first need to know â€Å"Who or What is God†. The answer of which would depend on the answerers point of view, which would be largely affected by his or hers religion. My points of view would be Islamic based and would differ quite greatly form the points of view of a Buddhist as they would have a basis towards Islam. To be able to answer the question â€Å"wither the existence of god is a question of faith or knowledge†, you first have to know whom it is that you are discussing. Who or what is God. How can you actually prove wither he actually exists or not? Through out this essay I will look into the reasons to justify my answer to the questions posed above. Who or what is GOD. God is whom you would call the supreme creator, the all mighty. The concept of there being a GOD is something that the Western world (Western World as in the modern Science and Technology) has been trying to prove or refuse for what now seems like thousands of years. Their conclusion on this matter is that the idea of a Supreme Creator is just a figment of mankinds imagination. The reasons behind having a supreme creator were to difficult to navigate for there scene based minds through. For them all the things have to be logical, thus to have the universe emerge from absolutely nothing is totally illogical, thus the idea of have a GOD is out of the question. To me the idea of having a supreme creator is crystal clear, however that isn’t the case with most people. The education system that I am currently going through is a western-based system in which everything has to be able to be proved somehow to be expected. My education system tries it’s hardest to drill into my head the idea that I am an advanced form of apes. I am the product of millions of years of evolution. Which means that us being on this planet just happens to be a coincidence... Free Essays on The (non-) Existence Of God Is A Question Is A Question Of Faith, Not Knowledge. Free Essays on The (non-) Existence Of God Is A Question Is A Question Of Faith, Not Knowledge. The (non-) Existence Of God Is A Question Is A Question Of Faith, Not Knowledge. To answer the question above you first need to know â€Å"Who or What is God†. The answer of which would depend on the answerers point of view, which would be largely affected by his or hers religion. My points of view would be Islamic based and would differ quite greatly form the points of view of a Buddhist as they would have a basis towards Islam. To be able to answer the question â€Å"wither the existence of god is a question of faith or knowledge†, you first have to know whom it is that you are discussing. Who or what is God. How can you actually prove wither he actually exists or not? Through out this essay I will look into the reasons to justify my answer to the questions posed above. Who or what is GOD. God is whom you would call the supreme creator, the all mighty. The concept of there being a GOD is something that the Western world (Western World as in the modern Science and Technology) has been trying to prove or refuse for what now seems like thousands of years. Their conclusion on this matter is that the idea of a Supreme Creator is just a figment of mankinds imagination. The reasons behind having a supreme creator were to difficult to navigate for there scene based minds through. For them all the things have to be logical, thus to have the universe emerge from absolutely nothing is totally illogical, thus the idea of have a GOD is out of the question. To me the idea of having a supreme creator is crystal clear, however that isn’t the case with most people. The education system that I am currently going through is a western-based system in which everything has to be able to be proved somehow to be expected. My education system tries it’s hardest to drill into my head the idea that I am an advanced form of apes. I am the product of millions of years of evolution. Which means that us being on this planet just happens to be a coincidence...

Diversity in the media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Diversity in the media - Essay Example They may derive from any number of aspects of the communication content. â€Å"They may be considered as psychological or political or economic or sociological. They may operate upon opinions, values, information levels, skills, taste, or overt behavior† (Heibert, 2001). According to Don Rojas (2002), â€Å"News organizations help shape the perceptions of millions and, through these influences, even determine the destiny of our people. The media can either tell our stories accurately or misrepresent our experiences.† One media organization that is dedicated to reporting the news of the day with an alternative slant that purposely calls into question the one-sided viewpoint typically presented in more traditional programs is The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Although it doesn’t at first seem to have any particular slant toward a gendered or racial audience, closer examination of the text and its associated advertising will reveal that this show is geared mostly to the traditional WASP (white anglo-saxon protestant) upwardly-mobile male viewer. The Daily Show is a 30-minute late night television program that airs each weeknight and bases its humor on the news events of the day, occasionally making biting observations on policymakers and other issues. It takes a decidedly and unapologetic liberal stance to the more conservatively reported news and events reported elsewhere. In the show, a single ‘news anchor’, Jon Stewart, recaps the headline news stories of the day through the use of actual news footage, previously taped field interviews, in-studio guest appearances and live coverage of events when possible. The show employs approximately five other individuals, most of them male, who are placed in a ‘reporter’ type position to cover in-field interviews or other features of the show. It is produced by Jon Stewart and Ben Karlin with co-executive

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 96

Assignment Example The wind gust will be in the excess of 140 mph. The forecast also predicts an average snowfall probability forecast of 8 inches. There is also a probability 0f freezing rain reaching a minimum of .25 inch. The National Weather Service uses satellites to forecast the weather by analyzing cloud cover and heat waves to predict the weather. They also use radar to forecast the weather. The use of satellites is an extremely accurate method of analyzing the weather. The weather forecast carried out by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s claims that there will be a colder and wetter than average winter season. Currently a storm is bringing hurricane force winds is being felt in Michigan. These strong winds carry the snow and spread this precipitation all over Plains of Michigan. This is due to La Nina, which is accompanied by water temperatures below normal in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean. This plays a major role in the winter weather of this area. A type of forecasting methodology used is Forensic & Historical Meteorology that requires specific weather information to forecast the weather. So far, the accuracy of the 2011 winter season has been quite accurate from all sectors. Past forecasts carried out especially for the year 2010-2011 has been very accurate. This forecast was carried out by the Climate Prediction Center, which is a sub-division of the National Weather Service. My own winter season forecast I predict high precipitation of snow and very cold weather. The snow will be at least 8 inches and the temperature about

Early modernist art movements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Early modernist art movements - Essay Example Futurism is clearly an innovative movement which was launched in Italy in 1909. Nonetheless, there were parallel art movements in Russia, England, and other regions. It is one of the first and among the most critical early modernist art movements that were not centered in Paris-this is evidently the reason why France does not take the movement seriously. Futurism was responsible for exalting the modern world dynamism, particularly in the field of science and technology. Futurism had begun in literature but spread its wings covering painting, industrial design, sculpture, and so on and their ideology influenced all other types of art. This piece, The City Rises, is considered to be the first painting in the futurism movement. The artist, Boccioni, illustrates a modern city in construction. In the image, it is clear that the artist depicts chaos and movement that resembles a war scene. Some people state that this work shows that the futurism movement believed that war was the only viab le means toward culture progress. The racing horses into the work’s foreground as workers are seen struggling to gain control indicate a struggle between animals and people. Animals shown are not very clear indicating movement while other objects are painted more realistically. Boccioni also shows the influences of Impressionism, Cubism, and Post-Impressionism as seen in the broken exemplification of space. Constructivism happened in Russia and was the most influential in the 20th century, it was also the modern movement.

A Brief Description Of Singapore

A Brief Description Of Singapore A Journey into Singapores Past While the earliest known historical records of Singapore are shrouded in the mists of time, a third century Chinese account describes it as Pu-luo-chung, or the island at the end of a peninsula. Later, the city was known as Temasek (Sea Town), when the first settlements were established from AD 1298-1299. During the 14th century, this small but strategically located island earned a new name. Legend, Sang Nila Utama, a Prince from Palembang founded a city The Lion City or Singapura, from the Sanskrit words simha (lion) and pura (city). At this time, the city was then ruled by the five kings of ancient Singapura. Located at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, the city served as a flourishing trading post for a wide variety of sea crafts, from Chinese junks, Indian vessels etc. The next important period in the history of Singapore was during the 19th century, when modern Singapore was founded. At this time, Singapore was already an upcoming trading post along the Malacca Straits, and Britain realized the need for a port of call in the region. British traders needed a strategic venue to refresh and protect the merchant fleet of the growing empire, as well as forestall any advance made by the Dutch in the region. The then Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen (now Bengkulu) in Sumatra, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles landed in Singapore on 29 January 1819, after a survey of the neighboring islands. Recognizing the immense potential of the swamp covered island, he helped negotiate a treaty with the local rulers, establishing Singapore as a trading station. Soon, the islands policy of free trade attracted merchants from all over Asia and from as far away as the US and the Middle East. In 1832, Singapore became the centre of government for the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the advent of the telegraph and steamship, Singapores importance as a centre of the expanding trade between the East and West increased tremendously. By 1860, the thriving country had a population that had grown from a mere 150 in 1819 to 80,792, comprising mainly Chinese, Indians and Malays. But the peace and prosperity of the country suffered a major blow during World War II, when it was attacked by the Japanese aircrafts on 8 December 1941. Once regarded as an impregnable fortress, Singapore fell under the Japanese invasion on 15 February 1942. It remained occupied by the Japanese for the next three and half years, a time marked by great oppression and an immense loss of lives. When the Japanese surrendered in 1945, the island was handed over to the British Military Administration, which remained in power until the dissolve of the Straits Settlement comprising Penang, Melaka and Singapore. In March 1946, Singapore became a Crown Colony. In 1959, the growth of nationalism led to self-government, and the countrys first general election. The Peoples Action Party (PAP) won a majority of 43 seats and Lee Kuan Yew became the first prime minister of Singapore. In 1961, Singapore joined Malaya and merged with the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and North Borneo to form Malaysia in 1963. However, the merger proved unsuccessful, and less than two years later on 9 August 1965, Singapore left Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign democratic nation. On 22 December that year, Singapore finally became an independent republic. Today, you can experience Singapores rich historical heritage by visiting many of the national monuments, museums and memorials located around the city. On your trip here, remember to take a walk along one of the many heritage trails or visit the well-known landmarks for a complete Singapore journey. ECONOMY OVERVIEW Singapore has a highly developed and successful free-market economy. It enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a per capita GDP higher than that of most developed countries. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in consumer electronics, information technology products, pharmaceuticals, and on a growing financial services sector. Real GDP growth averaged 8.6% between 2004 and 2007. The economy contracted 1.0% in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis, but rebounded 14.8% in 2010 and 4.9% in 2011, on the strength of renewed exports. Over the longer term, the government hopes to establish a new growth path that focuses on raising productivity, which has sunk to a compound annual growth rate of just 1.8% in the last decade. Singapore has attracted major investments in pharmaceuticals and medical technology production and will continue efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asias financial and high-tech hub. ECONOMIC SITUATION OF THE COUNTRY Singapore is widely acknowledged as having one of the best business environments in the world one of the worlds most competitive (Institute for Management Development World Competitiveness Year book), most profitable (Business Environment Risk Intelligence Report), most transparent (Transparency International Survey), with world-class intellectual property protection and enforcement (World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report). The presence of many leading global companies and local enterprises here is a testimony to Singapores excellence in manufacturing and services. There are more than 7,000 Multi-National Corporations in Singapore now days. Singapore is an attractive and competitive manufacturing location, possessing world class capabilities in the design, development and manufacture of cutting edge products for the world. As MNCs are always looking for the most cost efficient for its investment, Singapores high labor rate loses out to other developing countries e.g. Vie tnam and China. As some manufacturers have left Singapore to other countries with cheaper labor, we can see the transformation from the manufacturing activities into trading and services. In addition, by leveraging on its strength as the regional hub for services such as logistics and education, Singapore is poised to become Asias leading services hub, providing an array of world-class services. The following sections will analyze the factors (Politic, Economy, Social and Technology) that influence the business environment in Singapore and also its limitation. PEST ANALYSIS POLITICAL/LEGAL Singapore is an enterprise friendly country. The government has set up several organizations in helping the business in a very systematic way. Regulation Structure Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has its vision to make Singapore a leading global city of talent, enterprise and innovation. Its mission is to promote economic growth and create jobs, so as to achieve higher standards of living for all. It was tasked with anticipating problems ahead, identifying opportunities for growth, rationalizing existing policies and giving broad directions for the economy. The main tasks are categorized as below:- Growing economy Expanding trade Developing industries Fostering pro-enterprise environment Statutory boards are semi-independent agencies that specialize in carrying out specific plans and policies of the Ministry. One of such agencies under the MTI is SPRING Singapore. SPRING Singapore (Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board) is the enterprise development agency for growing innovative companies and fostering a competitive SME sector. SPRING works with partners to help enterprises in financing, capabilities and management development, technology and innovation, and access to markets. As the national standards and accreditation body, SPRING also develops and promotes internationally-recognized standards and quality assurance to enhance competitiveness and facilitate trade. It has many programmes to encourage entrepreneurship and assisting the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME). These are two available financial incentive schemes:-i) Business Angels Scheme (BAS) where they will provide Innovative Singapore-based young companies a matching dollar for every dollar invested by pre-approved angel groups, up to $1.5 million. ii) Young Entrepreneurs Scheme for Startups (YES! Startups) Where they will provide youths with grants of up to $50,000 to start their innovative business. SPRING also provides business leadership and capability development where a number of training courses are conducted to improve leadership and business management skills. Several available programs are:-i) Advanced Management Programme (AMP) where it will help tobuild management capabilities of SME leaders through postgraduate and executive development courses that focus on the business management needs of SMEs. ii) Management Development Scholarship (MDS): Designed to Nurture the leadership of tomorrow for growth-oriented enterprises where it provides MBA scholarship to help the SME to develop their talent for the future. Enterprise One (One Network for Enterprises) is a multi-agency initiative managed by SPRING Singapore. Enterprise One aims to help local enterprises find the answers they need to start, sustain and grow their businesses. Its resources pose:- Rich and Deep Content Over 20 sections covering a comprehensive range of topics such as venturing abroad, hiring people, Government tenders, loans, taxes and regulations. It pulled together information from different Government agencies so the business owners dont have to trudge from agency to agency to look for answers. Industry Guides Topics are grouped by industries and organized in sections so that the business owners can easily find information relevant to your sector. The Competition Commission of Singapore (under MTI) who is a statutory body established to enforce the Competition Act and ensure a fair competition environment. Any unfair business practice can be prevented and this can ensure a healthy competition and business growth. Another MTI agency is Public Service for the 21st Century or PS21 It is about the Singapore Public Services commitment to Anticipate, Welcome and Execute change, influencing developments in order to provide Singapore with the best conditions for success. One of its main objectives is to cut red tape to achieve service excellence and efficiency. Red tape reduction definitely will encourage entrepreneurship, foreign investment and positive growth of the business sector. Ministry of Finance (MOF) The main regulatory statutes under MOF are the Companies Act, Business Registration Act, Currency Act and Accountants Act. The emphasis of the regulatory policy is on development, rather than control. MOF aims to collaborate with industry experts to make Singapore a world-class financial and business hub. The main strategy in helping the business in the Singapore is building a Conducive Business Environment by Facilitate growth of businesses and nurture an entrepreneurial environment Under the MOF, the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Directorates role is: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To drive the development of a holistic and cross directorate/ agency approach to the FTA issues à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To shape and balance the outcome of the issues in the FTA negotiations to align with MOFs policies and goals à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To function as a centralized focal point within MOF for information on all FTA issues. The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) is one of the statutory boards under the MOF with mission to provide a responsive and forward looking regulatory environment for companies, businesses and public accountants, conducive to enterprise and growth in Singapore. The focus of the statutory board will be on issues concerning businesses, such as developing the corporate law framework, accounting and corporate governance. Government E-Business Portal In an effort to promote transparency, the Singapore government has setup GeBIZ (Government E-Business Portal) who is the Singapore governments one-stop e-procurement portal. All the public sectors invitations for quotations and tenders are posted on GeBIZ. Suppliers can search for government procurement opportunities, download tender documents, and submit their bids online. Enforcement Singapore is a country where the enforcement units are very efficient and with very low corruption rate. The Singapore Police Force enjoys a relatively positive public image, and is credited for helping to arrest Singapores civic unrests and lawlessness in its early years, and maintaining the low crime rate today. Another example is the taxi services where the drivers collect fares by using the meter and do not cheat the passengers. Taxi in Singapore is regulated by the Land Transport Authority. This gives the passengers especially tourist peace of mind in using taxi service. Any bad taxi service may hamper the tourism industries. Corruption Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) Singapore is reputed to be one of the few countries in the world where corruption is under control. This is due mainly to the strong political will to curb corruption, firm actions taken against the corrupt regardless of their status and background, and the general public who do not accept corruption as a way of life. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) is an independent body which investigates and aims to prevent corruption in the public and private sectors in Singapore. The bureau is responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the public service and encouraging corruption-free transactions in the private sector. Deregulation Liberalization Singapore has deregulated several markets, e.g. the electricity and telecommunication. The government no more monopolized these markets, but it is open for competition among the industry players. Even since 1989, the government of Singapore started eliminating restrictions on the sale of telecom consumer goods to make businesses more competitive. From this we can see the competitive telecommunication markets nowadays, which benefit to the end consumer and the business as well. Singapore is reliant on foreign direct investments and exports so competition from countries with lower costs such as China and India is exerting pressure on the government to reduce the costs of doing business here. Electricity cost is one of these. Deregulation is believed to be able to bring about lower electricity costs due to the various efficiency gains possible. Since corporatization the power industry has become more efficient and more reliable. Customer service has improved. Investments in new power pl ants and transmission network infrastructure have increased significantly. The industry is also making healthy profits through efficiency and productivity gains, and lower cost of purchase of power equipment and cables. One of the deregulation result is YTL Power of Malaysia has acquired 100% interest in Power Seraya Limited recently. Also the China Hua Neng Power has acquired100% stake in the Tuas Power Ltd. We can see the deregulation has attracted foreign direct investment into the countries and thus accelerate its economic growth. Being Asias first liberalized electricity market, the Singapore government has liberalized the electricity wholesale and retail market. This means contestable consumers will have greater choice about how they purchase their electricity. Non-contestable consumers continue to buy electricity from SP Services Ltd at regulated tariffs. Eventually, all consumers in Singapore will become contestable. This certainly has reduced the electricity bills for the i ndustrial/ business user and consumer. The government must be very careful and governing the deregulated market and not to repeat the failure encountered by the US deregulated energy market, where expenditures become higher and consumers suffered from the higher energy cost and was a failure in the USA energy policy. Another example is the liberalization of the civil aviation industry where the flyers can fly at lower cost. Tiger Airways, the major airlines also reduce the air fares significantly and this help in driving down business expenses and accelerated growth especially in the tourism related industries e.g. hotel, FB services and local retail business. Licensing Singapore government has been very careful in allowing foreign hyper market to operate in Singapore. So far only the Malaysians Giant (4 outlets) and Frenchs Carrefour (2 outlets) are allowed to operate on the island. Strict control has been taken to protect the retailer especially. Non Government Organization (NGO) NGO play an important role as pressure group in the government policy and implementation. As part of an effort to bolster tourism as more manufacturing jobs shift to countries with lower labor costs and in view of the possibility that Singapore would lose out in its status as a tourist hub as well as the economic benefits from tax revenues, Singapore government has revisited the idea of building casino in Singapore in 2004. This had generated substantial and intense public debate and objection from the NGOs as this was not just a socio-economic policy dilemma, but has potential to touch the sensitive nerves of social identity, public morality and values and has bad implication on Singapore as a clean, sterile, corruption-free and crime-free city. Further the NGOs protested that this development will be at the expense of the environment as the developer has to reclaim the sea for extra land where ecology system will be spoilt. However, after much debate about the tangible and intangib le facts and costs, the government finally approved the casino plan and it is now under construction. The completion of this casino together with the entertainment resort and other infrastructure will certainly attract more foreign tourists and boosting the domestic economy once the plan is completed. ECONOMY The Singapore economy is an example of a vibrant free-market economy that is developing at a rapid pace 1. The per-capita income of the country is the highest in ASEAN. The business sector has been supported and strengthened by a corruption-free environment, an educated and motivated workforce, and well-established legal and financial business framework. In recent years, the Singapore government has invested heavily in diversifying the economy. This has led to growth in the tourism industry, the pharmaceutical industry with a particular focus on biotechnology, financial services, business consultation services, education, multimedia, retail and leisure, and the medical technology industry. Productivity Significantly from 2008-Q3 onwards, economic growth was rapidly slowing down because of the financial crisis, while commodity prices hit unprecedented heights, creating sharp inflationary pressures in Singapore and other economies. The data for this section are for the year 2010. Singapore achieved GDP (current market value) of S$257,419 million, which is a 2.3% increment from the previous year. In the fourth quarter of 2008, the economy contracted by 4.2 per cent, after posting flat growth in the third quarter. Unemployment rate as of end 2008 is 2.3%, which is a 0.2% increment from year 2007. However, the retrenchment rate has almost doubled from year 2009s 7,700 to year 2010s 13,400 workers. This is certainly the consequence of the global economic crisis, where almost not a single country can be escaped. Gross national income per capita was S$51,739 which is the highest per capita income in ASEAN and making its citizen income on par with the developed nations. In fact, the city st ate is the only developed country in ASEAN. The services producing industries made up 68.8% of the overall economy and manufacturing weighted at 19.4%. Financial services and business services has become more and more important and made up 13.1 and 14.0% respectively of the overall economy. We can observe a transition from the manufacturing based into services oriented and this demands more professional and intellectuals. The government spends a lot of effort to attract foreign professional and talented individual to work and migrate to Singapore to support the local business. Of course they do not left out to attract foreign direct investment. However the drawback will be the outflow foreign exchange. Petroleum refined products top the export list with 23.7%. This can be attributed to the petrochemical complexes in Jurong Island. This initiative has boosted the heavy petrochemical industries in the country and has attracted foreign direct investment like the Exxon-Mobile Refinery. The limitation will be the pollution to the environment which will increase the social cost like healthcare services. Exchange Rates Currency exchange rate is about US$1.00 to S$1.50 range lately. Due to its high exchange rate to the Ringit Malaysia (S$1.00 = RM2.40 approximately), many Singapore residents like to cross the Tebrau Straits to Malaysia for weekend spending. Additionally, the comparative cheaper petrol price in Malaysia has attracted Singaporean to fill up their vehicle fuel tank in Malaysia. These have directly affected the Singapore domestic businesses and the petrol retailers. Therefore the government has set the rule for the car owner to have at least the fuel tank  ¾ filled when travelling outbound to Malaysia. On the other hand, the high exchange rate to Ringgit Malaysia and Indonesian Rupiah has attracted many white and blue collar labors from these two neighboring countries. Especially the high numbers of skilled workers from Malaysia has contributed to Singapores GDP growth but on the other hand remarking loss in foreign exchange. On the other hand, construction and heavy industries in Sin gapore are over dependant on foreign workers which in one hand has become a threat to the social identity and safety. Monetary and Fiscal Policies The success of Singapores fiscal policy over the years lies in the governments prudent expenditure patterns and conducive taxation policies that have complemented monetary policy in promoting sustained and non-inflationary economic growth. Singapores tax policies, although providing the main source of funding for the government, seek to enhance its economic competitiveness and attract foreign investments to Singapore. In its Budget 2009, the Singapore government has announced The Resilience Package totaling $20.5 billion to help Singaporeans preserving their jobs and helping viable company stay afloat. The government spent S$5.8 billion to stimulate bank lending. It also would spend S$2.6 billion to enhance business cash flow and competitiveness. Further, it also allocated S$4.4 billion to develop Singapore as a global city and best home for Singaporean. Under the severe global economy crisis, Singapore government has justified withdrawal from its past reserves to fund the Jobs Credit Scheme and Special Risk-Sharing Initiative to ensure that the Resilience Package will stimulate the business sector. This combination of fair tax policies and prudent expenditure programs, augmented by high economic growth has enabled Singapore to enjoy consistent budget surpluses over the years. Singapore is one of the very few countries who enjoy surplus in its economy nowadays. In 2008, as part of the governments move to share the nations surpluses with its citizens, the government has allocated S$1.06 billion as growth dividend for this purpose which benefited about 2.4 million Singaporean, especially those of the lower income. This allocation has help the lower income group to cope with the higher living cost and in turn has stimulus the buying power in the market. However, the effectiveness for the market stimulation is only for the short term. Th e Official Foreign Reserves at Feb 2009 is US$163,549.4 million and Singapore government does not bear any foreign debt. This again proves that Singapore economic and financial performance is well managed and the local business can enjoy strong support and enterprise friendly policies from the government. International Trade International Enterprise (IE) Singapore is the lead agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry spearheading the development of Singapores external economic wing. Its mission is to promote the overseas growth of Singapore-based enterprises and international trade. At the same time, IE works to position Singapore as a base for foreign businesses to expand into the region in partnership with Singapore-based companies. In championing international trade, IE Singapore contributes to the Singapore economy through active promotion of export of goods and services, and offshore trade. Singapores Global Trader Program (GTP) which provides incentives to attract international trading companies to set up their base in Singapore. The IEs Enterprise Group manages and develops a range of broad-based services for Singapore-based companies wanting to export internationalized goods. In 2007, Singapore was ranked the 14th largest trading nation in the world, amounting to total of $846.6 billion of external trade, with Malaysia remained as the biggest trade partner, followed by EU. The Port of Singapore is the world busiest port in term of total shipping tonnage. It is also the world busiest container port and transshipment port. The Port of Singapore is not only a mere economic boon but an economic necessity as it is lack of natural resources and land. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore was established with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre. The establishment of Malaysias Port of Tanjung Pelepas has threaten the Singapore Port status as the rival has attracted prestigious maritime companies like Maesk and Evergreen to switch over to Tanjung Pelepas. Surely, the Singapore Port operator will be facing more fierce competition ahead. The Singapore Tourism Board aims to triple tourism receipts to $30 billion and double visitor arrivals to 17 million visitors by 2015. It is working closely with international in vestors to develop new world-class attractions (e.g. the casino), and attract strategic business and leisure events to Singapore. SOCIAL CULTURAL Singapore is an eastern country who still follows the traditional family values, but the younger generation has started to adopt to western culture and values. Society Values and Principles As nowadays, many Singaporean have the mindset of Kia-su which means afraid of lose out to others. Many Singaporean works very hard to retain or fulfill their materialism desire. In some extent this has positively increased the nation productivities and the business sectors can expect a higher purchasing power from the consumers. On the other hand, some family and social values have to be sidelined. Demographic Profile The current population is about 5,353,494 (July 2011 est.). Singapore ethnic mix is Chinese 76.8%, Malay 13.9%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4% (2000 census). Most of the Singaporean dislikes blue collar works like construction and other works in hard environment. These are considered hard and dirty works and therefore not welcome especially by the younger generation. This created the window for importing foreign workers to fill up blue collar vacancies. With the cheaper labor from neighboring countries, the business sector has enjoyed cost saving and therefore more can be reinvested for further expansion. Education Singapore has codified compulsory education for children of primary school age, and made it a criminal offence if parents fail to enroll their children in school and ensure their regular attendance. English is the primary language used in Singapores education systems. Good command of English has given Singapore an edge advantage for attracting foreign investment and international trade. Further the Chinese language proficiency among the Chinese ethnic has attracted the investor from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong and on the other hand enable investing ventures into these countries easily. The latest statistic shows that the literacy rate stands at 92.5% whilst secondary or higher qualification holders are 89%. This is the driving force for the government to promote knowledge. Economy which is less labor incentive but more talent and intellectual are on demand. Besides, owing to the kia-su mindset, the parents here are very concerned about the performance of the kids in school. This has led to blossoming of tuition centers and other arts/musical learning classes. TECHNOLOGY Technology is the power behind to change our life style and improve out quality of life. The Internet Comprehensive infrastructure setup has been a fundamental attractiveness for foreign investment and local business establishment, not to mention about the IT infrastructure. Currently, the household broadband internet penetration rate has achieved more than 70%. The successive of e-commerce and e-B2C model highly relies on the broadband internet. As of latest, 10 Mbps of broadband internet service is available. The comprehensive IT infrastructure also has encouraged MNC to setup their regional operation in Singapore. The successful of the financial and IT services business are highly rely on the state of the art IT infrastructure. On the other hand, the Singapore government is moving towards an electronic government era. Many useful resources and information are available in the relevant ministries/ department or government agencies website. For instance, the Customs Office of Singapore has provided e-service, these are few examples:- Application for: Manufacturers Registration New Product Line(s) Application for Registration of Companies/ Firms and Signatories for Customs and/ or GST Transactions Application for GST relief on household articles and personal effects. This approach enables to cut red tapes and enhanced the efficiency. Water Due to its lack of water resources and the government would like to reduce its dependence on the Malaysian supplied water, the Singaporean has ventured into water recycling and desalination. NEWATER is the brand name given to reclaimed water produced by Singapores public utilities. More specifically, it is treated wastewater (sewage) that has been purified using dual-membrane (via microfiltration and reverse osmosis) and ultraviolet technologies, in addition to conventional water treatment processes. Many experts suggested that Singapore could become the worlds water hub for water recycling and desalination technology and could export this technology to the world including China. With the new technology in water reclamation, waste water would become the most important sustainable water resource in the future. Singaporeans expertise in the water recycling will definitely give its edge advantage if its exports this expertise and technology in the future. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTH Manufacturing constituted 26% OF Singapores GDP in 2005. The manufacturing industry is well diversified with significant electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, mechanical engineering and biomedical sciences manufacturing sectors. Singapore has been rated as the most business-friendly economy in the world, with thousands of foreign expatriates working in multi-national corporations. As of 2009, Singapore has 16 bilateral and multilateral trade agreements with 24 trading partners. Singapore is a popular travel destination, making tourism one of its largest industries. About 10.2 million tourists visited Singapore in 2007.

Resistance to Imperialism and the Zulu War Essay -- African History Es

Although it is usually 19th century European imperialism that appears in Western literature, Africans have felt pressure from outside powers for over a thousand years. By the year 1200, most of Northern Africa had adopted Islam, and the population consisted mainly of a blend of Arab and Berber peoples. It was at this time that the enslavement of black Africans along the eastern coast of the continent by Arabian pirates began. This slave trade, however, met fierce resistance from the flourishing African kingdoms of Kush and the Somali king, Nagus Yeshaq, who was a Christian Becker). Because the strength of the Arabic incursions was based mainly on conversion, the Islamic armies never penetrated deeply into sub-Saharan Africa. In the middle of the 15th century, Portuguese explorers began to establish trading outposts along the western coast of Africa, thus beginning the first steps toward imperialism by European nations. It is estimated that the first trading of Africans as slaves by the Portuguese began in 1444. The West African kingdom of Benin, however, still suc...

Poem Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

To read and understand the literature, it must be read slowly and using all the senses in it. Literature could teach us several things to understand life and their situations. The purpose of this writing is to discuss a literary work through a personal experience. The poem that will be discussed in this essay will be â€Å"Still I Rise† by Maya Angelou. This is her famous poem ever known. This author is a very good writer, I am reading her poems for the first time and I liked her poems so much. This poem suggests that we can overcome difficulties in life, despite rejections and injustice. It also discusses racism and all the problems black people could have because of the discrimination and all the things that involve racism. It is a call for the blacks to be proud of their origin. The black person (the author), seems liberated from her color. This poem also tells to us the importance of being strong in front of the worst circumstances. And no matter the situation, you can overcome and learn from it. In this case, the author exposes the racism in the time of slavery. The poem has a very positive tone. Also, it is written for all type of people, I mean that anyone could read it and would understand its purpose very easily and quickly. The author says that no matter what, she will still rise. This poem has a lot of feelings; you can feel it when you are reading it. I think that the author had a painful past to have written this poem. Also, it is written for all type of people, I mean that anyone could read it and would understand its purpose very easily and quickly. You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise. † Maya Angelou in this verse openly shows the white people discrimination towards black. Everyone has had a moment of discrimination in life, where we have spent many negative things. I have being identified personally with the author. Although I was not present at the time of sla very, I have been a victim of much other discrimination. I have been a victim of many other negative things that I have passed. About a year and a half ago, I lost my boyfriend because of a chronic disease. Now, my dad has the same disease and that makes me feel very sad, because I'm living the same situation. It is a very difficult situation, because I am reviving all the things that I passed along his disease. But I have been overcoming and willing all of it with my Lords help. Sometimes, we feel that we can’t live with a very strong emotional charge. That is when we have to be reborn and rise as the author says in her poem. We have to rise and overcome all the problems and situations in our life even worse than the most. In conclusion, life is not easy as it seems. Life is full of obstacles and setbacks that we couldn’t avoid because fate wants it that way. I think that people have always to believe in themselves and don’t let other people to put them down. As the author, Maya Angelou has rise despite all the bad and painful that ever happened her life. We need to learn from this poem and take example. I think it's a very good poem to enhance and analyze the meaning of life and our purpose in it.

Free Essays on 1860s-1960s

There have been many times when present day America has been affected by its past but the past of the 1860’s and the 1960’s especially effected present day America. There are three major ways that America was affected because of the 1860’s and the 1960’s. The first way is the start of civil disobedience in the 1860’s. Another way is how women started to get treated in the late 1960’s. And the third way is what blacks started to accomplish in the 1960’s. There are other ways that these two years affected America but these are the major ones. In the 1840’s Henry David Thoreau came up with an idea that is called â€Å"civil disobedience.† Civil Disobedience is when someone breaks the law when they do not believe in something and they do it in a civil manner and take the consequences. Once this was created many times after in the near or late future to this the United States citizens have felt the need to revolt against the government. There were such cases during the time of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They used civil disobedience to eventually get what they felt is right. It was important to Thoreau to get the public informed about the concept of civil disobedience so, when war’s broke out it would make people think maybe the war is wrong and do not have to support it. Thoreau never rallied thousands of people together to get reactions. Instead he went to jail to protest and wrote his essay â€Å"Civil Disobedience.† Dr. Martin Luther King took the same idea of passive resistance to protest t he injustices brought upon the African American race in the United States. Dr. King, like Thoreau, was willing to suffer for his views, especially when he found himself faced with disciplinary laws denying civil rights to all citizens. So with Thoreau creating this it affected great leaders (Dr. Martin Luther King) and even great leaders now. Women though were not treated fair at all from 1860 to the early 1960’s. In the e... Free Essays on 1860's-1960's Free Essays on 1860's-1960's There have been many times when present day America has been affected by its past but the past of the 1860’s and the 1960’s especially effected present day America. There are three major ways that America was affected because of the 1860’s and the 1960’s. The first way is the start of civil disobedience in the 1860’s. Another way is how women started to get treated in the late 1960’s. And the third way is what blacks started to accomplish in the 1960’s. There are other ways that these two years affected America but these are the major ones. In the 1840’s Henry David Thoreau came up with an idea that is called â€Å"civil disobedience.† Civil Disobedience is when someone breaks the law when they do not believe in something and they do it in a civil manner and take the consequences. Once this was created many times after in the near or late future to this the United States citizens have felt the need to revolt against the government. There were such cases during the time of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They used civil disobedience to eventually get what they felt is right. It was important to Thoreau to get the public informed about the concept of civil disobedience so, when war’s broke out it would make people think maybe the war is wrong and do not have to support it. Thoreau never rallied thousands of people together to get reactions. Instead he went to jail to protest and wrote his essay â€Å"Civil Disobedience.† Dr. Martin Luther King took the same idea of passive resistance to protest t he injustices brought upon the African American race in the United States. Dr. King, like Thoreau, was willing to suffer for his views, especially when he found himself faced with disciplinary laws denying civil rights to all citizens. So with Thoreau creating this it affected great leaders (Dr. Martin Luther King) and even great leaders now. Women though were not treated fair at all from 1860 to the early 1960’s. In the e...

Free Essays on Learning The Web

The world in which we live is becoming based solely on computers as technology grows. Businesses have their organization’s finances, records, and information on the World Wide Web (WWW). On this network formally called the Internet, any person with a home computer or even one at their place of business, can access data, information, records, logs, and databases of organizations’. With this ability come those who would exploit it; they call themselves hackers. There have been many cases in our world where someone has broken into a company electronically through the Internet with very highly sophisticated equipment. Some can see any information you have on your computer if your computer is connected to the Internet. I will try to give you examples and make you aware of this terror that has come upon this world. In the March 15th, 2002 issue of Newsweek there is an article on how a young man named Adrian Lamo hacked into the New York Times database. â€Å"Adrian Lamo is a 21-year-old high school dropout with no job and no permanent address. So how did he get to be listed alongside such luminaries as Bill Gates and Robert Redford in The New York Times' Op-Ed database? By hacking into the newspaper's supposedly secure corporate intranet-and then listing himself as an expert in "computer hacking, national security and communications intelligence.† (Fragala, Newsweek 1) To know that there are people out there that are able to accomplish these unimaginable feats of computer and electronic genius boggles my mind. The New York Times is a very distinguished and respectable newspaper. When there is a corporation of that magnitude, you expect that they have the best computer scientists on their staff developing web pages and databases that are more secure than Fort Knox. Well, there is a say ing somewhere by someone that I cannot remember right now that goes, â€Å"Nothing in this world is completely secure.† That theory in my mind and most ... Free Essays on Learning The Web Free Essays on Learning The Web The world in which we live is becoming based solely on computers as technology grows. Businesses have their organization’s finances, records, and information on the World Wide Web (WWW). On this network formally called the Internet, any person with a home computer or even one at their place of business, can access data, information, records, logs, and databases of organizations’. With this ability come those who would exploit it; they call themselves hackers. There have been many cases in our world where someone has broken into a company electronically through the Internet with very highly sophisticated equipment. Some can see any information you have on your computer if your computer is connected to the Internet. I will try to give you examples and make you aware of this terror that has come upon this world. In the March 15th, 2002 issue of Newsweek there is an article on how a young man named Adrian Lamo hacked into the New York Times database. â€Å"Adrian Lamo is a 21-year-old high school dropout with no job and no permanent address. So how did he get to be listed alongside such luminaries as Bill Gates and Robert Redford in The New York Times' Op-Ed database? By hacking into the newspaper's supposedly secure corporate intranet-and then listing himself as an expert in "computer hacking, national security and communications intelligence.† (Fragala, Newsweek 1) To know that there are people out there that are able to accomplish these unimaginable feats of computer and electronic genius boggles my mind. The New York Times is a very distinguished and respectable newspaper. When there is a corporation of that magnitude, you expect that they have the best computer scientists on their staff developing web pages and databases that are more secure than Fort Knox. Well, there is a say ing somewhere by someone that I cannot remember right now that goes, â€Å"Nothing in this world is completely secure.† That theory in my mind and most ...

The Interior Monologue of Gregorio Samsa from Franz Kafka's novel, The Essay

The Interior Monologue of Gregorio Samsa from Franz Kafka's novel, The Metamorphosis - Essay Example However, I know believe that many people in the town played a significant role â€Å" OOH, why are so many people, including my parents and family living a life of want, why does the society appear to create economic divisions, I have never really had money. I have to always meet the monetary needs of family members, who I did not sire in the first place, Could it be that past events are against my success and growth as a person. How could I ever know, now that I am insect with no brain or intellectual power? I despise my family and wish that I had a different father. How could they have abandoned me after turning into an insect? Their attitude is reminiscent of crushing a moth once it outlives its usefulness; I am so tired of them Once again, my mind cannot get rid of the thought that my family abandoned me after transforming into an insect. I think I have to accept the seclusion in order to move forward. Why have they locked me in a room alone? Is it possible that they are now a shamed of me? Of course, I have no hope, I am lost, If my family can attack me for showing up in a public event, what else are they capable of doing. I firmly believe that my family no longer find me useful because of the transformation. I pity the hopelessness, shame and mixed feelings felt by people like me. Their lives are empty, empty, empty. Nothing good can be deduced from it. Many people, especially, all insects live empty lives with no contribution to the society. Why should I worry? My loneliness applies to all insects and many people in the society, again, why should I worry? I believe that abandonment is a representation of people or insects who were discriminated against because of their ethnic backgrounds. Regardless of my loneliness, I have to keep to myself. I cannot stand my pretentious family and their greed. Why don’t they value me like they did before? I have to distance

Compare the logic of Mill's utilitarianism with what he references as Essay

Compare the logic of Mill's utilitarianism with what he references as its compliance with the golden rule of Jesus of Nazareth - Essay Example The philosophy of utilitarianism is a theory found in the subsection of normative ethics. The theory proposes that every course of action taken by an individual is governed by the outcome of the result. In most cases, as the theory proposes, the action is justifiable if it has a positive impact to the lifestyle of an individual. The rationale behind this impression made by the theory is based on the fact that if a specific course of action makes one happy then the action is justifiable. The action may not fall in line with the ethics of the society but it is valid in the theory of utilitarianism. Such justifications are what that make the theory dismissed by most people in the society. This is because the members of the society hold high levels of ethics in relation to the action of different individuals. As long as a specific course of action negatively affects the lifestyle of another person, then the action should be considered as unjustifiable and unethical. Basically, utilitaria nism is a self centered concept that focuses on the on the impact of the action on the person taking the action (Meredith 2011). It tends to overlook the impact of the action to the recipient. ... The comparison of the theory to this rule to the theory of utilitarianism shows that the two concepts are in line with each other. This is based on the fact that Jesus proposes that one should unto others what he/she would like others do unto them. In this case one would tend to do unto others things that bring happiness. In this case, the course of action taken by an individual would be focused on the impact that the action has on personal life. Therefore, if a specific action would evoke feelings of happiness to oneself, the person would tend to take the course of action towards the people around him/her with the rationale that he/she would have wanted the same course of action to be directed towards his personal life. On the concept of love your neighbor as you love yourself, the same rationale applies. This is where one would engage in actions that show love to those around him because of the sense that it is the same thing that he or she would want from the person affected by th e action. Utilitarianism is solely focused on the maximization of happiness to the lifestyle of an individual. This is the base line for any course of action taken by an individual. The theory may appear to be self centered because the actions of an individual are not focused on the affected parties by the action. The theory’s main focus is on the lifestyle of the person engaging in the act. Therefore, the affected party by the course of action is not of great significance in the theory. This therefore is the reason as to why the theory is dismissed by most members of the society because it only focuses on one side for a specific course of action taken by an individual. Many societies