Pornography on the Internet Essay - 1710 Words

Pornography on the Internet The Internet is a method of communication and a source of information that is becoming popular among those who are interested in the information superhighway. The problem with this world we know as Cyberspace, the ‘Net, or the Web is that some of this information, including pornographical material and hate literature, is being accessible to minors. Did you know that 83.5% of the images available on the Internet are pornographical? Did you know that the Internet’s pornography and hate literature are available to curious children that happen to bump into them? One of the drawing features of the young Internet was its freedom. It’s ...a rare example of a true, modern, functional anarchy...there are no†¦show more content†¦It was then signed into law by President Clinton one week later on Thursday, February 8, 1996 known as the Day of Protest when the Internet simultaneously went black from hundreds of thousands of Internet citizens turning their web pages black in protest of the Communications Decency Act. The Communications Decency Act which is supposed to protect minors from accessing controversial or sexually explicit material, outlaws obscene..., which already is a crime, and therefore the CDA is not needed, but also ...lewd, lascivious, filthy, or indecent, and even annoying ... comment[s], request[s], suggestion[s], proposal[s], image[s], or other communication using a ...telecommunications device all of which are protected by the First Amendment and therefore cannot be banned. The Act is also unconstitutional because it does not follow the Supreme Court’s decision in Sable Communications Vs. FCC. requiring that restrictions on speech use the least restrictive means possible. The Court also stated that restrictions on indecency cannot have the effect of reduc[ing] the adult population to only what is fit for children. We start with the federal Communications Decency Act of 1996, apiece of legislation signedShow MoreRelatedPornography on the Internet Essay2235 Words   |  9 Pagesalways like this? Not really, as we have seen, the Internet and the pornography industry have come together to make quite an explosion that has brought many issues to the surface. Its a scary fact to realize that 83.5% images available on the Internet are pornographical. And it is even more of a problem when the Internets pornography is available to curious children that happen to bump onto them. One of the more drawing freatures of the young Internet was its freedom. Its #8230; a rare exampleRead MoreEssay on Effects of Internet Pornography1016 Words   |  5 PagesEffects of Internet Pornography It used to be almost impossible for children to get pornography. Comer stores would place adult magazines such as playboy on the top rack behind all the other magazines so that only the title was visible and it was out of reach of children. Movie stores would have separate rooms at the front of the store for their porn videos; this way they could monitor who went into the room. In todays technologically advanced society, pornographic magazines and videos areRead More Got Internet Pornography? Essay1283 Words   |  6 PagesGot Internet Pornography? Pornography is viewed differently by everyone. Is pornography as bad as it is made out to be? What if it is that persons outlet from reality, just like smoking, drinking, snowboarding, skiing. Is it hurting anyone. Some say it is degrading to women. Do those women that do it think it is degrading. If they did they wouldn’t do it. There are several different types of pornography in the world. It started in art where we had sculptures of Aphrodite naked, we had many artistsRead More Internet Pornography and Teens Essay685 Words   |  3 PagesInternet Pornography and Teens      Ã‚   This essay discusses the social impact of exposing teens to internet pornography.    In a report, Generation Rx.com: How Young People Use the Internet for Health Information, the Kaiser Family Foundation says that seventy (70%) of teenagers (defined as ages 15-17) have accidentally come across pornography on the Web. Fifty-seven percent of the teens said being exposed to pornography would have serious impact on kids under 18, while 41% teensRead More Internet Pornography Addiction Essay4347 Words   |  18 Pages Pornography on the Internet is affordable, available, and abundant. One can easily find websites for viewing this type of material. Although the reports on the actual number of these sites vary, the availability and accessibility of the sites are rarely disputed. Some critics of this form of expression or form of obscenity believe that the pornography itself can cause pornography addictions. Internet pornography does not produce addicts, but rather the propensity to be a pornography addictRead MoreEssay on Censoring Internet Pornography2472 Words   |  10 PagesIntroduction Pornography engages people on many levels. Some people enjoy pornography while others believe that the world would be best without it. Some would think that a song like Its Nice to be Nude is a cute song that is celebrating the joys of the human body. Others may think that it is obscene and not worth listening to. Pornography is highly subjective in respect to what it is, how it is defined, and its merits. The intent of this paper is to discuss pornography in a historicalRead MoreThe Effects Of Internet Pornography On College Students1122 Words   |  5 PagesInternet pornography is an easily accessible and highly affordable form of entertainment for anyone and especially the average college student. It is, arguably, a very simple and entertaining way to pass the time between exams, essays, and classes. However, pornography can pose a threat to college students because they do not realize the very powerful underlying danger that is present every time they click â€Å"Yes, I am over 18 years of age.† Much debate exists over whether or not Internet pornographyRead MoreLimiting Childrens Access to Internet Pornography1185 Words   |  5 PagesPornography is one of mankinds most revered, respected, and repulsed pastimes. Adults can use pornography to relieve stress, enhance their s ex lives, or simply as a means of entertainment. One of the easiest and most popular ways of obtaining pornographic material is over the Internet. The only downside is that the Internet is accessible to children; therefore, pornography is accessible to children. While adults should have limitless access to Internet porn, minors should be kept away from thisRead MoreCensorship of Internet Pornography is Unconstitutional Essay2385 Words   |  10 Pageswould say that is only existent in a utopia, and some would say that describes the Internet. Many adults go on to the net and access pornographic material that would be unsuitable for children. This is called cyberporn. The controversy lies in the fact that children are accessing these materials also. Government, activist groups, and concerned parents are fighting to regulate obscene material found over the Internet to protect children. The first amendment is the only thing protecting adults fromRead More Children and the Censorship o f Internet Pornography Essay4060 Words   |  17 Pages The Internet is a global network of vast information. With a few clicks, an individual can have access to up to 200 million web-sites filled with educational and recreational information. The Internet is not regulated in anyway (Carnegie Library 1). It is accessible throughout the entire world from the North to the South, to the early morning sunrise and dark sunsets. Different ethnicity and backgrounds come together linked upon this network resembling a connection of one body in unity. Sadly

Edgar Allan Poe s The Red Death And Cask Of Amontillado

American author and poet, Edgar Allan Poe, was born January 19th, 1809, and died at the age of 40 on October 7th, 1849. Poe had a horrendous childhood. As a child, he was abandoned by his father, David Poe Jr., and later, his foster father, John Allan. His mother, Eliza Poe, died of tuberculosis, along with his foster mother, Frances Allan and Virginia Clemm, Poe’s wife. After the death of his wife, Poe attempted suicide out of grief. The traumatic events of his life affected Poe’s writing style, creating the dark, evil and gloomy works Poe is famous for. These similarities can be seen in many of his writings, including, â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death†, â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† and â€Å"Cask of Amontillado†. In the majority of Poe’s writings, the settings are dark, dreary and bloodcurdling. In â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† the Usher House is described to have a lackluster atmosphere. It is stated in the text, à ¢â‚¬Å"I looked upon the scene before me –upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain –upon the bleak walls –upon the vacant eye-like windows –upon a few rank sedges –and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees –with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The account of the mansion makes the reader envision the house to be old, bland and simply in meager condition. Similarly, in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado†, the plot unfolds in the catacombs of Paris. Poe describes the crypts as Montresor and Fortunato walkShow MoreRelatedThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe1555 Words   |  7 PagesIn his writing, Edgar Allan Poe has multiple uses of direct and indirect characterization. In The Cask of Amontillado, Montresor had rules such as â€Å"I must not only punish but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equ ally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong† (Poe, 2). Poe used indirect characterization to show the reader that Montresor is an unreliable narrator because he justified hisRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s `` The Famous American Poet ``1086 Words   |  5 Pages Edgar Allan Poe, the famous American poet, short-story writer, and critic is best known for his bizarre but transformative horror stories, and for creating genres including detective fiction. The life of Edgar Allan Poe was filled with tragedies and was very depressing; because of this, he was inspired to write such dark stories. He wrote time and time again about his love and his loss. His work collectively illustrates the story of his life. Although he did create original storylines in his workRead More Juxtaposing the Most Similar Contradiction in Edgar Allan Poes Work2077 Words   |  9 PagesThroughout all of Edgar Allan Poes works are common ideas that oppose each such as madness versus sanity, reality versus the imagined reality and life versus death. Usually these sentiments are taken as contrasting ideas with little similarities to each other, like black and white. However, many of these motifs are situated in the grey category. Poe uses the communal thought pathway to hi ghlight its antithesis; the pathway of grey. With the new pathway, he emphasizes the similarities of the opposingRead MoreAn Analysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s Life1497 Words   |  6 Pageswith an Author Framework Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, on January 19th, 1809 and was best known as a writer of dark poetry and short stories. Poe had an interesting and somewhat tragic upbringing , he was orphaned as a young child and then raised by an affluent couple called John and Frances Allan from Richmond, Virginia. Poe spent 5 years in England as a young child and studied different languages , however his universityRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s Father Of American Gothicism1178 Words   |  5 Pages2017 Poe s father of American Gothicism Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. His parents were actors. After he was born, his father abandoned him and his mother died before he was three. This left Edgar Allan Poe a foster child. Poe s father was an alcoholic and an insovent actor. Thus, Poe had a miserable life, starting with his childhood, he lost his parents since he was a little child, and I would say that affected his mind; he became focused on death, becauseRead MoreLane Freeborn. Senior Seminar. 2 May 2017. The Horror Of1355 Words   |  6 PagesLane Freeborn Senior Seminar 2 May 2017 The Horror of Homoeroticism: Homoerotic Encounters in Edgar Allan Poe’s Writing Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality. – from â€Å"The Narrative of Arthur Gordyn Pym† One of Edgar Allan Poe’s greatest contributions to literature is the attention he brought to the short story. It can be argued that Poe was the inventor and also the perfector of this genre in American Literature, which has since rose to popularityRead More Edgar Allan Poes Writing Essay2378 Words   |  10 Pageslives to produce ideas for stories and incorporate them into his or her works. In the gothic times, dark, threatening, horrific, morbid, depressing, bizarre, bewildering, death and insane are just some words that best describe the popular type of literature at that time. One man’s name can summarize these words, Edgar Allan Poe. He is considered to be one of the greatest obscure American authors/poets whom many literary scholars still try to make heads or tails of. People throughout the history oftenRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s Stories And Poems1231 Words   |  5 Pages Edgar Allan Poe once said, â€Å"Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.† A difficult childhood and the many deaths he experienced are reflected in Poe’s stories and poems. Edgar Allan Poe, a gothic horror author, led a controversial life which eventually led to his mysterious death. Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts to David and Elizabeth Poe. Edgar had an older brother, named William, who was two years youngerRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe : The Father Of Gothic Literature1393 Words   |  6 PagesNovember 3, 2017 Edgar Allan Poe Studies say that Edgar Allan Poe was the father of gothic literature. As an American writer and critic, he went through the struggles of living in poverty, having a drinking and gambling problem, and being judge based on his decisions. He was best known as an author of gothic fiction. He had a life of misfortune and indigence. Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19,1809 in Boston, Massachusetts to two striving actors, David Poe Jr. and Elizabeth Arnold Poe. Some studiesRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s All The Senses, And The Symbolic Expression Of Emotion1139 Words   |  5 PagesToday, Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most revered American authors as many consider him the inventor of the detective fiction genre and an influence on the development of the poetic movement of Symbolism, which favored â€Å"the derangement of all the senses† and the symbolic expression of emotion. However, Poe spent most of his life struggling as a full time writer. This is mostly attributed to the fact that he could not stay sober whenever he had a steady job. Poe’s battle with alcoholism led to the

Past - Present And Future Of Australian Bank’s Regulations - Samples

Question: Discuss about the Past, Present And Future Of Australian Banks Regulations. Answer: Introduction Banking is a major sector in the economy of Australia and it contributes significant portion in the countrys economic condition. The financial sector of Australia is extremely liquid strong and sophisticated and therefore it is ranked at the fourth position in the entire world for the size of its pool of assets i.e. the investments funds. The banking sector of Australia constitutes mainly four prime banks which are as follows: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Westpac Banking Corporation National Australia Bank Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Due to the financial stability maintained by the banking companies in Australia and the activities offinance such as lending and borrowing functions, the financial sector of Australia has been rated as the best financial centres in the world. Apart from the activities of financial intermediation, the banks in Australia are also involve in other functions such as stock broking activities, financial market trading, insurance activities etc. The banking regulation includes different areas such as the legislative framework under which the Banks and other financial institutions are working, the regulatory bodies that are controlling the banking sector, the supervisory bodies of financial sector, licensing policies of banking industries etc. History of Australian Banks Regulations The first bank that was started in Australia in 1817 was the bank of New South Wales. The increase in the values of the properties in Australia caused the crisis in Australian bank. In the past, the regulation in the banking sector was not much stringent and there was no tight control of government over the banks of Australia due to which many commercial banks were failed to operate. The country had to face huge depression in 1930 due which there a series of bank failures. But after the depressions end, the banking regulation in Australia was made strict which made it nearly impossible to set up any branch in Australia for the foreign owned banks. Resultantly, the banks in Australia were quite less in comparison to the other countries. With the tight regulation, the Australian banks were bifurcated in two main categories i.e. the Savings Banks and the Trading Bank (Joshi, Cahill Sidhu, 2010). Since the regulatory framework for the banking industry was getting extremely strict, anoth er type ofnon-banking finance organisations in financial system were started getting developed like the credit union and the building societies. As these institutions were not recognised as banks they were free from the strict regulatory policies of banking system it privileged them give and take loans at higher rates of interest but at the same time they were allowed to provide only the limited services. However, the regulatory policies of banking sector in Australia were being removed at a slow pace in 1960 and as a result of which the classification of banks as trading and savings banks was nullified and every Australian bank was given the liberty to work as merchant banks to perform their functioning in the money market (Griffith-Jones Rodriguez, 2016). Moreover, the banks were given the independence to set the rates of interests on their own. As deregulation of banking industry was being carried out, the controls in the foreign exchange areas well also completely abandoned lea ding to the easy float of Australian currency i.e. the Australian dollar in 1983 (Singleton Verhoef, 2010). The changes in the regulatory policies allowed those non- bankingfinance institutions to turn into banks without any requirement of demutualisation. After this, in 1990 the Australian government started with a policy known as four pillars policy in context with the Australian Banking System, through which it restricted the mergers of the four major banks. This act of government was well established policy and not merely a formal regulation. Present Structure of Banks Regulations The regulatory framework for the banking system in Australia that is in existence recently is comprehensive and extensive primarily divide into two parts as shown and discussed below: However, the Australian banks are generally self-regulated. The Reserve Bank of Australia is also an important constitute of Australian banking regulatory framework. APRA is a statutory body formed for the regulation offinance industry in Australia. It was established in July, 1998. It was formed to regulate institutions like banks, insurance companies, building-societies, credit unions etc. so as to ensure they are financially stable to fulfil their obligations towards their depositors, policy holders. APRA is responsible for the supervision and providing the licenses to operate to various superannuation funds and the insurance companies (Dollery, Kortt Grant , 2013). The institutions of finance to whom APRA is regulating, are required to provide the report of their operations to APRA on a regular basis. APRA has announced certain guidelines on capital adequacy ratio to be maintained by banks, which are in line with the BASEL II guidelines. ASIC is an independent body with the key responsibility of regulation of certain financial companies and banks. Along with that it also has the responsibility of ensuring the protection of the consumers right, imparting financial literacy, overseeing the corporate governance practices, managing the financial services etc. As the regulators of Australian banks ASIC assesses the efficiency with which the banks are complying the regulatory requirements applicable on the Australian banks. Reserve Bank of Australia: The reserve bank is given the responsibility to formulate the banking policies and to issue of norms of operations of Australian banks. It is the central bank of Australia and the powers are assigned to it through the Reserve Bank Act. RBA also provides various services relating to banking to the government of Australia and to the other financial institutions and banks operating in Australia. The RBA seeks to encourage the maintenance of stability in the financial system of banking institutions and it also ensures the safety in the system of payments deployed by the banks. The currency notes of Australian country are also issue by the Reserve Bank of Australia. There is a drastic increase in the number of inquiries and investigations of the Australian banking institutions over last few years as the regulations towards the banking sector is getting stringent gradually. The bank regulators of the banks are requiring the banking institutions to be more compliant towards the rules framed therein. The violations of which includes heavy fines and penalty provisions. The regulations are quite tight in certain areas such as the money laundering activities, breach of banks code of conduct, activities of insider trading and other crimes in the financial areas are involving heavy litigations to prevent such an unethical conduct in banking sectors as public invests their huge funds in these financial institutions therefore a greater level of transparency is required to be maintained by the banks. Moreover, the current reforms that have introduced in the banking sector all over the globe have the objectives of enhancing the quality and quantity of capitals of banks and to instigate its consistency in the liquidity position of banks. These reforms are also targeted to achieve the greater level of transparency in banking sectors through the proper and necessary disclosures thereby strengthening the banks performance (Uddin Suzuki, 2011). In the past the original Basel Original accord 1988 was implemented and then in 2008 the new Basel Capital Framework was introduced. As with the new reform as Basel III, the compliance requirements have also increased (Eubanks, 2010). The committee which is handed over the function of implementation of Basel III is required to ensure the consistent delivery of outcomes in the banking sector. The proposal of APRA for the implementation of the Capital Reform Basel III was passed in the month of September 2011. And the banking institutions in Australia have to comply with the reform requirements at the soonest. At the same time APRA has refused to accept any alternative accounting treatment for particular items in the calculation of regulatory capital (Angelini, et al., 2015). The requirements of Basel III were applicable globally on the financial institutions, as a whole. However there is an element which is exclusively applicable to certain countries since Australia is one among those countries as it has very intense system of banking. The name of that element is D-SIB which the framework for dealing Domestic Systematically Important Banks. Future of Banking Regulations in Australia The banking in future will not be the same banking in current period as there are extensive forces which are influencing the Australian banking sector behaviour of customers, changes in democracy, technological advancements, governmental regulations and the depression in the global economy. To create the financial gains for the shareholders, the Australian banks needs to be remove the complexities of banking sectors and to be more compliant towards the regulations made by the government for the financial industries. According to Bill Clinton, the time of moderate or negligible regulations is now passed and the regulators of Australian banks have restarted to impose stringent regulatory requirements to the banking sectors. To improve the operations and the financial performance the banks in Australia will have to be re-focussed on their approach towards the compliances of regulatory requirements made by the Australian regulators of banking industry (Bologna, 2010). Not only the maintenance of transparency in banking functions is required out for better compliance of regulations but also the serious commitment of firm towards the goodwill maintenance in the market through excellent credit ratings. The eminent credit rating of a bank itself is the valuable asset for the banks as it will have positive influence on the regulators thereby helping the banks to avoid the unpleasant interventions of the regulators. Since the quality of any banks compliance practices towards the regulations is shared publically through the annual reports and the governmental mediums therefore the banks must not consider these regulations as the management of external risk on business rather these requirements should be assumed as the management of a most vital asset of the banks which is needed to be fostered. The privileges of having good or excellent credit ratings are enormous for any financial institution. The banks must accept that the major regulatory bodies such as APRA, ASIC and RBA are in the exclusive position to deal with the antitrust concerns that may prevent the banking company to incorporate the changes which are in public interest. The Australian regulations will still continue to remain focused on the corporate governance requirements for the banking and the other financial sectors. But the introduction of new capital requirements through the implementation of Basel III capital reforms will strengthen the banking industry and at the same time will provide the industry with the key challenges. In spite of the numerous global uncertainties such as delayed implementation of new capital reforms, APRA and ASIC are closely checking and monitoring the developments that are going on in the banking industry in todays era. The Australian regulators have to cope with the international standards otherwise it would lead to inefficiencies in the banking sector with increased level of risks. Even after the stricter regulations the banking sectors are encountering the issues of failures in the compliance requirements, violations of code of conduct with in the regulatory framework are being reported which requires holistic att ention of the regulatory bodies for Australian Banks (Jeucken, 2010). The banks top level management such as the Board of Directors etc. are required to define the corporate culture within their banking organisations so as to have a strong compliance framework. Therefore the Australian regulations needs to be more attentive towards these corporate values and must make the required rules in such areas. The regulations must also be extended towards the business strategies formulated and implemented by the Australian banks and the financial institutions and they should also provide for the interest of banks interests i.e. the banks must be regulated to not perform anything prejudicial in the public or the customers interests. The new standard on financial institutions are soon to be introduced in near future i.e. 2018 and they will put higher regulatory requirements to be complied with in accordance with the IFRS 9. Moreover, the new payment platform is also developed collectively by many financial institutions so that it will lead to detection of fraud done by the banking institutions, money laundering practices and will manage the liquidity and credit limits of the banks. From 2017 the Australian regulators together with the other international regulatory bodies will necessitate the collaboration with new participants to deal with requirements of daily margin maintenance. Recommendations for future regulation in Australian Banks Supervision over regulations The financial stability cannot be attained only through tight regulations as it also requires good amount of supervision at a higher level for the same. Regulations cannot be assumed as the alternative solution of supervision. As supervision has its own importance it must be considered and the drawback of extremely tight regulations on the banking industry must be analysed by the regulators. As APRAs has already been serving the Australian banking industry with the focus on supervision approach it must be retained further by the regulators with the implementation of new rules that are agreed upon (Brmer Gischer, 2012). Regulations and financial innovation The innovation that is being carried out in the banking or the financial system over several years has made it easy for the public to raise funds from banks at flexible loan terms and at lower interest rates. Innovation has helped the financial systems to maintain the risk involved in their banking business more efficiently and effectively. However, with such practices of innovation in their functions and services, it is difficult to frame the regulations for the new services as it is not very clear in the initial stage as to what the bank products actually are. So the Australian regulators must consider as to how to deal with the financial innovations coming up in the banking sector of Australia. However, the supervisor of banking industry must track the areas of financial innovations to supervise the banking companies to manage the risks in new areas of service. Conclusions It is well demonstrated from the above research that the Australian banks have performed much better than the banks in the other countries over a period of time. The main reason for the same is the APRAs strict regulations and supervision for the banking sector in Australia and also because of the sound economic position of Australian markets. The performance also indicates Australian banks higher standards of operations than that of other countries. International regulatory bodies along with the major regulators of Australian financial markets viz. APRA, ASIC and RBA have provided consistent and comprehensive regulatory frameworks to the financial institutions to adhere on and the Australian banks have responded to the regulatory requirements in an adequate manner. The regulations imposed by the governmental authorities have both positive as well as the negative impacts as these are good enough for the safety and transparency point of view, at the same time the banks tends to lose t heir key focus on the operations when they are much concerned about the compliance requirements. References: Angelini, P., Clerc, L., Crdia, V., Gambacorta, L., Gerali, A., Locarno, A., Motto, R., Roeger, W., Van den Heuvel, S. and Vl?ek, J., 2015. Basel III: Long?term Impact on Economic Performance and Fluctuations.The Manchester School,83(2), pp.217-251. Bologna, P., 2010. Australian banking system resilience: What should be expected looking forward? An international perspective. Brmer, P. and Gischer, H., 2012.Domestic systemically important banks: An indicator-based measurement approach for the australian banking system. Univ., Faculty of Economics and Management. Dollery, B.E., Kortt, M.A. and Grant, B.J., 2013. Funding the future: Financial sustainability and infrastructure finance in Australian local government. Eubanks, W.W., 2010.Status of the Basel III Capital Adequacy Accord. DIANE Publishing. Griffith-Jones, S. and Rodriguez, E. eds., 2016.Cross-conditionality banking regulation and Third-World debt. Springer. Jeucken, M., 2010.Sustainable finance and banking: the financial sector and the future of the planet. Routledge. Joshi, M., Cahill, D. and Sidhu, J., 2010. Intellectual capital performance in the banking sector: An assessment of Australian owned banks.Journal of Human Resource Costing Accounting,14(2), pp.151-170. Singleton, J. and Verhoef, G., 2010. Regulation, deregulation, and internationalisation in South African and New Zealand banking.Business history,52(4), pp.536-563. Uddin, S.S. and Suzuki, Y., 2011. Financial reform, ownership and performance in banking industry: The case of Bangladesh.International Journal of Business and Management,6(7), p.28.

Lyndon Bains Johnson Was Born On August 27, 1908 In A Small Town Near

Lyndon Bains Johnson was born on August 27, 1908 in a small town near Johnson City, Texas. He went to school at Southwest Texas State Teachers Collage where he learned compassion for the poverty of others when he taught students of Mexican descent (Kearns 2). He graduated in 1930. Four years later he married a woman named Claudia Taylor and together they had two children, Lynda and Lucie. Johnson became President at the age of 55 when President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed. When he took oath, he had twenty six years of political experience and he was ready to take on the job of the President of the United States of America. It was at this time that he introduced to the American people the concept of a Great Society (Evans 4). The Great Society was a government sponsored set of programs that had and still has a distinct effect on our lives today. In the spring of 1964, he had begun to use the phrase "great society" as a way to describe his goals. In 40 years, he wanted to rebuild the entire urban United States. He wanted to prevent an ugly America which was full of polluted air, water and food, disappearing fields and forests, and crowded recreational areas (Wicker 1). President Johnson wanted to start a society that would soon become a Great Society. He had a vision of a society that was problem free and he spent most of his life dedicating himself to this goal. His agenda was to aid education, attack on disease, start a medical care program fight poverty, control and prevent crime, and the push for people's right to vote (Fitch 1). He wanted America to be a society that was better than any other (Cayton 778). One of the many problems that Johnson wanted to fix was poverty. Kennedy had begun to start a poverty program, but since he was unable to continue it, Johnson had to finish it. The Economic Opportunity Act was passed in the summer of 1964. This act created Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), which sent volunteers to help people in poor communities. It also set up something called Community Action Program. This was to give the poor a voice in determining housing, health, and education policies in their own neighborhoods (Cayton 778). Even though the war on poverty was one of his biggest challenges, the Civil Rights Act was also one of his biggest issues. The Great Society had its greatest successes in its first years. There were two Acts that helped the Great Society. One of them was the Voting Rights of 1965. This ensured the right to vote for all (Cayton 779). Congress passed the Voting Rights Act to assure minority registration and voting. The other was the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It outlawed racial discrimination in public accommodations. Despite the beginning of new antipoverty and anti-discrimination programs, distress and disturbance in black ghettos troubled the Nation. President Johnson steadily put forth his influence against segregation and on behalf of law and order, but there was no early solution (Evans 24). Another act called the Immigration Act eliminated the amount that had discriminated against all immigrants from areas outside northern and western Europe. Another area Johnson wanted to address was Medicare. Before Johnson, Harry Truman came up with a plan that was a medical assistance plan, but it had never been passed into a law. In 1965, Johnson orchestrated the passage of the Medicare amendment to the Social Security Act. Medicare provided hospital coverage to persons over the age 65 and allowed them to participate in a program that shared the cost of other medical expenses. Medicare coverage for the people with disabilities was implemented in 1973. Johnson did not want older Americans to be denied the use of medicine. He also did not want them to have to spend all the money they had in the bank to pay for their medical bills if they became ill (Cayton 780). There was another program called Medicaid. It was like Medicare, except that it was for people of all ages who could not afford their own private health insurance. This demonstrated the government's commitment

Myth of Individual Opportunity

The concept of American identity involves many contradictions, and one of them is a denial of existing disparities in cultures, traditions, and language dialects. Therefore, the American model of assimilation and the formation of new identity created many challenges for different ethnic groups scarifying their beliefs for the sake of creating equal opportunities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Myth of Individual Opportunity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More All these tensions are explicitly illustrated in Studs Terkel’s C. P. Ellis, James McBride’s The Boy in the Mirror, and in Rereading America by Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle. The readings prove that creating a myth of equal and individual merits for the American people was set as a kind of compromise for people to escape from the emergent ethnic conflicts and create a single identity, a new state for the sake of better future. However, renouncement of previously established traditions and identities, people’s reluctance to reconcile with their origins to defend their opportunities, and fear of racial and ethnic superiorities create an illusionary vacuum that is not congruent with the reality of that period. While striving to equality and freedom of human rights and creating individual opportunities for development, the American people rejected the previously established traditions and existing identities. The priority of human rights over culture is depicted in Terkel’s C. P. Ellis where the protagonist, a white man, tries to perceive himself and surrounding people as individualities, but not as cultural stereotypes for sustaining justice and equality. At the same time, joining the Klan provides Ellis with a chance for personal self-recognition and becoming a part of identity: â€Å"They said they were with the Klan and have meeting close-by. Would I be interested? Boy, that was an opportunity I really looked fo rward to! To be part of something† (Terkel 202). Like the majority of people, the hero prefers togetherness to separation and solitude, which endows him with more individual opportunities. The case is a shining example of how the myth of individual merits can be dispelled. Similarly, McBride’s story also underscores the character’s feeble attempts to affiliate himself to a particular identity whose ethnic background presents a great mystery: â€Å"Now, as a grown man I feel privileged to have come from two worlds. My view of the world is not merely that of a Black man, but that of a Black man with something of Jewish soul† (McBride 79). In this way, the author gives tribute to his mother and creates a new identity for himself.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Being embedded within an imaginary world prevents the American people from understanding th eir origins and defending their individuality. In this regard, the idea of the American identity embedded in a commitment to the principal values reveals several misconceptions, denying the existence of heterogeneous society. Pursuing these ideological ideals, â€Å"the drama of becoming an American has deep roots: immigrants take on a new identity – a new set of cultural myths – because they to become†¦equal members with all the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of their fellow citizens† (Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle 374). Similar tragedy can be viewed in McBride’s deliberations on ethnic origins and identity. In particular, the author views the world in which his mother lived: â€Å"White folks, she felt, were implicitly evil towards blacks, yet she forced us to go to a white school to get the best education. Blacks could be trusted more, but anything involving black was probably slightly substandard† (McBride 22). The author, nevert heless, manages to strike a balance between ideological identity existed in America in the first of the past century and his individual goals and aspirations. McBride deliberations on identity are also reinforced by the assumption that people yield their origins and traditions to creating a fair and equal state that distinguish people according to their virtues, but not according to their ethnic and cultural affiliation. However, the assumption is false because â€Å"instead of the equal and harmonious blending of cultures, it proposes a racial and ethnic hierarchy based on â€Å"natural superiority† of Anglo-Americans† (Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle 374). Being under the influence of â€Å"melting pot† ideologies, people forgot about their roots and significance of reconciling cultural identities. The myth about a new state with ideas and rules can be easily dispelled if taking into consideration the existence of those superiorities in the 40s of the twenties cent ury. By proving the contrary, Terkel discloses the protagonists’ decision to be guided by individualistic approaches rather than by stereotypes within â€Å"the American Dream context† context. Criticizing these influential mechanisms, the author states, â€Å"[p]eople are being used those in control, those who have all the wealth†¦But those who have it simply don’t want those who don’t have it to have any part of it.† Interpreting this, the concept of the American identity was created by the prevailing majority that strived to suppress any displays of heterogeneity. In conclusion, all the novels withdraw the idea of the American identity enabling people to fulfill their goals. Indeed, rejecting the ethnical identities and heterogeneity, desire to get equal opportunities for development, and fear of racial superiority contributed greatly to the creation of false identification. Terkel and McBride, together with Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle have managed to debunk the myths about individual opportunities through revealing a true picture of the hegemony of the White class dominating over marginal groups.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Myth of Individual Opportunity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Works Cited Colombo, Gary, Cullen Robert, Lisle Bonnie. Rereading America. US: Bedford/St. Martins, 2007. Print. McBride, James: The color of water: a Black man’s tribute to his white mother. US: Riverhead Books. 1996. Print. Terkel, Studs. C. P. Ellice. In American Dreams: Lost and Found. US: The New Press. 2005. Print. This essay on Myth of Individual Opportunity was written and submitted by user Kingsley A. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

There isnt Much Time

There isnt Much Time This is a "reflection" type of essay. Needs better proof-read, and some awk sentances need to rephrase.There isn't Much TimeIt is Monday morning and I have slept in, thanks to Thanksgiving. In fact, it's twelve o'clock and I am free for the afternoon. As usual, I sit in front of the . television after I clean myself up, staring endlessly at the screen with my finger clicking on the remote. I realize that I have a draft due on Thursday, but I justify my procrastination with reasons like: "there is still lots of time."Life is faster now, and people in the 90's are supposed to organize and plan in order to keep up; however, it seems to me that more people are procrastinating than ever before. When I ask people why they procrastinate, they often supply reasons like: this task won't take me a long time; the pressure makes me to work more efficiently; there were emergencies; and there were other important things.2013 Asia Pacific Cities Summit - media scrum with...Some of these reasons sou nds legitimate, but I think these reasons are just excuses for people's fear of failure, fear of lost security, and need for pressure.Back high school, I had a friend, Eric, who dropped out of school because of bad grades. As his friend, I knew he was doing fine until the period of final exams. He was a smart and responsible person which laziness is not a factor of his bad grades. Eric could not pick up the books soon enough before the exam because he was afraid of failure. Since Eric's older brothers had achieved excellence academic records and great careers, Eric' parents expected him to follow his brothers' foot step. As the result, Eric was afraid to try because he feared to fail his parents' expectation. When...

PLOT and visual Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PLOT and visual - Essay Example Tron legacy is a science fiction movie which shows tremendous use of computer visual effects. The movie was shot in 3D and ten companies were involved in the enormous visual effects work. Chroma keying is a film technology for compositing two images or video streams together based on color hues (color range), this technology has been incorporated in this movie hence bringing out an exciting and thrilling 3D effect in the movie. Artificial intelligence is also a technology used in the film. This is a technology where machines are perceived to be autonomous and tend to have human like intelligence. Visual effects is a term used in describing imagery created, altered or enhanced for a film or other motion pictures production That can’t be done during actual shooting of a film. Visual effects can also be incorporated in to live action capture through techniques like mate painting, miniature or forced perspective sets, computer graphic objects, characters and surroundings, compositing of disparate images recorded in any number of ways. These are some visual effects that have been used in the Tron legacy film, and have contributed very much in modern film production and technology (Zwerman, 2010). Computer technology was vastly significant in the production of this film whereby some scenes in the movie were very graphic and could only be achieved through computer graphic techniques (Mitchell, 2004). Love and hamburgers is a short film about two neighbors that leave short messages for each other on each other door steps. Before the first scene a note written question is left on the front door step of the lady. Here the exposition is an apartment scene where neighbors live next door to each other. The rising action occurs where the two neighbors start leaving sweet notes on each other’s door steps trying to court each other by asking interesting questions afterwards the man asks the lady out for a date only to come back home the

A Life Journey of Mao Zedong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Life Journey of Mao Zedong - Essay Example Mao was born when the Qing Dynasty was on the course of the breakdown of its powers over the ruling of China. For two hundred fifty years, Qing Dynasty ruled China with strictness. But they were in a quandary as to how to hold on to their authority. The rulers were in a difficulty over the peoples’ unrest. For over thirty years the Qing rulers had been trying to reorganize their land and naval forces and to equip them with modern Western weapons but Japan easily won in the war of 1894. (1) Foreign nations colonized the different parts of China. Powerful nations like Japan, France, Germany and Great Britain were interested in dominating China. Rebels tried to fight to regain Beijing in 1900, killing foreigners and Christian Chinese. This brought about more foreign invasions. Authorities in the other parts of China beheaded rioters and rebels. Qing Dynasty crushed down in October 1911 by the uprising of militant rebels. Though Spence briefly skimmed historical events during the early years of Mao’s life, significant dates, events, and persons were included. The book is a brief but close up portrait of Mao Zedong from his childhood years to the time when he ruled China. Spence combined history and storytelling on Mao’s climb to power. From a common villager without extraordinary talents to a learned man, Spence connected the series of events that led Mao to the peak of his rule. An interesting biography to read and understand this man with a great vision of China’s social and economic change.

Impact of E-commerce on Business Systems Dissertation

Impact of E-commerce on Business Systems - Dissertation Example Various attempts have been made to make specific distinctions of the e-business models that exist across the globe but this has resulted in new theories and propositions. But simply understood an e-business model implies to an approach taken by a company to become a profitable venture on the electronic media commonly referred to as the electronic commerce. It spells out how a firm generates revenue by specifying the position of the firm in the value chain. E-business has impacted all aspects of business processing with the use of appropriate technology and trends. Business trends such as total quality management, business process re-engineering and global outsourcing have led to increased automation of work processes, integrated systems for the purpose of greater customer service efficiency. Increased connectivity and customer service approach has re-defined the way businesses are operating today. The research study provides a deeper assessment of how e-commerce has impacted business systems. The findings of the research suggest that e-commerce business models have contributed to creating operational efficiencies and increased focus on exploiting the power of information to drive competitive advantage for firms. Introduction This section provides an introduction to the research study and a background overview of the research topic. ... ch context Business models and systems have undergone rapid transformations over the past few decades with organizations adapting to innovative applications and evolving market trends. Managers have focused their strategies on creating an enabling environment for business processes by adopting new business models that provide the organization with the flexibility and efficiency to venture into new markets and increase revenues. Businesses are set of activities or processes that help in the creation of goods or services for generating revenues. The objective of business is to generate revenues and profits for the owner. Since ancient times, businessmen have adopted new and enterprising means of making money by producing something of value for which people in general are ready to pay money. The business strategies over the decades have evolved to encompass more complex and innovative systems that help in creating business efficiencies and boosting profits. Managers constantly seek diff erential approaches and re-engineer existing processes to support increased productivity and extended market outreach. The advances in infrastructure, communication, and technology tools have played an important role in supporting business objectives and shaping business systems toward increased profits and market shares. Business systems refer to the processes and operational framework that help in conducting the business. The business processes reflect the extent to which the enterprise has been successful in meeting its business goals and objectives. The key processes in any business involve production, accounting, marketing and human resource management. Managerial functions focus on achieving excellence and streamlining work processes to support high level employee performance and

Amado V Hernandez Works

Amado V Hernandez Works Amado V. Hernandez lived in a nationalist milieu that witnessed a range of Filipinos that were determined to prove to colonizers that they were capable of governing themselves. Hernandez was born on September 13, 1903, Ka Amado as he is called, together with the nationalist leaders and intellectuals in government, the academe, and among the Filipino masses perceived in the postwar agrarian problems in Central Luzon the powerful roots of social alienation that would lead to discriminating pressures.  [1]  He was married to zarzuela actress and queen of kundiman Honorata Atang dela Rama and began his writing career as a journalist, and later, editor of several pre-World War II Tagalog news papers.  [2]   Moreover, Ka Amado was known for his active participation in the socio-political realm through his literature and his political involvement. During WWII, he served as intelligence officer for the resistance.  [3]  The discussion of his involvement and participation pre, during and post war will be traced through an account of his life and works, his writings, the Congress of Labor Organization, his wife Atang dela Rama, and the essence of Philippine and Hernandezs literature. Life and Works From 1926 to 1932, Amado V. Hernandez wrote Sariling Hardin a column in verse which was a calendar of happenings and observations on human weaknesses and social background. Meanwhile in 1928, he had a running balagtasan in his column Pagkakaisa against Jose Corazon de Jesus, Huseng Batute in Taliba. Ka Amado defended independence movement and Huseng Batute called him the poet of the administration and was included by Julian Cruz Balmaseda among the poets of the heart.  [4]   Instead of serving under the Japanese administration, Hernandez chose to leave for the hills. He was a major when the American forces returned in October 1944. He was appointed by President Osmeà ±a as councilor of the City of Manila and in 1947, he ran for councilor in the first post-war local elections and won in all four districts of the city. At this time, he was popular for being a pre-war poet laureate and journalist as well as an organizer of the Philippine Newspaper Guild of which he became vice-president. He also helped organize and later on became acting national chairman of the progressive Congress of Labor Organizations or CLO which he said the objective was to help the worker achieve economic security and to help in his cultural uplift.  [5]   In 1955, Hernandez wrote prison and detention center poems when he was transferred to Muntinlupa from Camp Murphy while waiting for the final ruling of the Supreme Court in his pursuit of the Lower Court decision of lifetime imprisonment due to rebellion complexed with other crimes. His appeal lasted for thirteen years before he was totally acquitted.  [6]  Even before he was acquitted, Ka Amado was already writing for the vernacular magazines, particularly Liwayway. He wrote Bayang Malaya which is a historical poem that he started and finished inside the little detention room in jail which is commonly called bartolina. It is a historical account of defending the nation and the ordinary citizens against the dominance of the Imperial Japanese Army. When the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) was overpowered in Bataan and Corregidor and were compelled to surrender, guerrillas emerged from the country and continued the strife and defense (Hernandez). USAFFE broke into several minor commands and waged guerrilla war against the invaders.  [7]  The main characters of this poem although not real personas, were symbols of real constructs of the war that created a history in its time.  [8]   Ka Amado was imprisoned for five years and six months in Muntinlupa and five other military camps namely: Camp Murphy, Camp Crame, Fort McKinley, Panopio Compound and another camp which he did not know due to a forcible arrest at midnight while he was blindfolded with shackled hands. He has several reasons as to his in-jail poetry and literature. One, he writes to exclaim the greatness of the Filipino guerrillas which were the glory of World War II (MSB) for he believes that if this splendor would soon be long forgotten by the contemporary heroes, history wont. Another reason that he posited as to why he pursued his literature is that he wanted to prove that the real essence of a poet cannot be incarcerated. Hernandez has a body of literature that stretches nearly three generations of Philippine literature  [9]  . He wrote in the introduction Isang Dipang Langit that he was able to write over 170 poems in different periods and in different situations. Some he wrote before 1930, others during his life as a journalist and some he wrote after the war where he was in the middle of different movements in politics and labor. Writing about Hernandez in 1947, journalist Jose A. Lansang, observed that Hernandez had fine speaking styles in Tagalog which developed during his pre-war poet laureate days which goes over with working class audiences. Lansang notes that Hernandez had aptness in anecdote and fire of delivery which shows Hernandezs being well-read in the English language especially in progressive literature and had developed knowledge of the labor mobilizations in various nations through intensive reading. The novel Mga Ibong Mandaragit which was first written by Hernandez while in prison is the first socio-political novel that, like Jose Rizals Noli Me Tangere, exposes the grave social cancer achieved in society post-war to the early open conflicts in Central Luzon in the 1950s.  [10]   The Congress of Labor Organization Amado V. Hernandez sponsored ordinances aimed at promoting workers rights and freedom. As he immersed himself in the labor movement in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Hernandezs compassion for the working class grew into a strong empathy for their struggle for social justice and liberation. He represented the Newspaper Guild of the Philippines in the countrys largest and most militant labor federation, the Congress of Labor Organizations (CLO) and in 1947, he was elected president of CLO.  [11]   In 1948, Labor Day witnessed one of its largest rallies of workers under CLO, the Peoples United Peasant and Labor Organizations held at Plaza Sta. Cruz. The mobilization was said to have been attended by 15,000 workers. Conversely, a rally that was held on the same day was attended by only 10,000 government workers in Rizal Stadium addressed by President Quirino.  [12]   CLO kept organizing workers in the years that followed and at the same time, opened up health clinics and nurseries in Manila as a social action project. As councilor, Hernandez retained the regard for him by the workers but at the same time, as the acting national chairman of the CLO, he gained the distrust and doubt of the political authorities faced with the problems of insurgency in Central Luzon.  [13]   The CLO headquarters was raided by the military authorities on the 20th of January 1951 and Ka Amado was held incommunicado in Camp Murphy on charges of rebellion complicated by several other charges such as arson, robbery and murder.  [14]   The Literature There have been a good number of discussions about Filipino poetry and literature, it has made for itself a good reputation but have received as well criticisms. Hernandez writes about literature always as a rising up or revolt from a generation put behind except for fanatic conformist.  [15]   Julian Cruz Balmaseda, poet, researcher and editor of the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa who considered Hernandez as among the poets of the heart divided the Tagalog poetry into three: Panahon ng Dalit, Panahon ng mga Pagbabago and Panahon ng Pagpapalaganap. He used not just the ages and personalities of poets in these divisions but as well as the kind, topic and outline of their poems.  [16]   Balmaseda acknowledged that there was a significant development of the Filipino poetry during the third period. This was caused by the manner by which Filipinos were more or less capable of mention and we will not be embarrassed to say that our poems could be at par with other remarkable poems in different languages.  [17]   During the period of conquest (1942-1945) up to this particular moment, poetry has been accessed by the paralysis caused by its weakening. Amado V. Hernandez is questioning why is it that when we now have reached the fulfillment of a lifelong objective which is to have our language, the Filipino poetry started declining?  [18]   One of the major problems that Philippine literature has according to Hernandez (especially poetry) is sentimentalism and he recognizes that not even the famous Balagtas was able to avoid it. He quotes and agrees with a critic who said that [sentimentalism] is the greatest fault of art. The straightforwardness of expressing ones feelings is not just a bygone phenomenon but is also vulgar and rough as it is.  [19]   Meanwhile, the historian Teodoro A. Agoncillo described the prison (where Hernandezs poetry flourished) as crucible of the new Filipino poetry. He was imprisoned for five years and six months and he was able to write 40 poems, one long narrative poem Bayang Malaya and the draft of the novel Mga Ibong Mandaragit within that period.  [20]  All of these have contributed to the social consciousness that Amado V. Hernandez was pushing for through his works as noted by Agoncillo himself: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ngunit gayon may dapat tanggapin na mabibilang sa daliri ng isang kamay ang mga manunulat na may budhing talusaling o nag-aangkin ng tinatawag na social consciousness (we should accept that the number of authors who own what we call social consciousness can only be counted by the fingers of one hand).  [21]   Agoncillo remarks the war that made the world succumb and set long-standing stagnant minds in motion werent even sufficient for our authors to be moved even after the 1941-1945 tragedy. Even after this, they remained complacent and trusting in their own hopeful motherlands. This land for Agoncillo is a sterile land and Hernandezs literature particularly his Bayang Malaya is likened by the former as a surprising growth and emergence of a strong-willed kind of literature with sturdy branches that sprouted out of these barren soils.  [22]   Amado V. Hernandezs literature, whether poem or prose, in a few ways deliberately presents themes that are socio-political in nature or that which are capable of raising social consciousness. Some of the titles of his poems that clearly represents this are as follows: Sariling Hardin (My Own Garden), Isang Dipang Langit (A Stretch of Sky), Panata sa Kalayaan (Oath to Freedom), Bartolina (Solitary Confinement), Ang Dalaw (The Visit), Kung Tuyo Na ang Luha Mo Aking Bayan (When Your Tears Dry Up, My Country). His Short Stories include: Wala ng Lunas (No More Remedy), Kulang sa Dilig (Needs Watering), Langaw sa Isang Basing Gatas (Fly in a Glass of Milk), Dalawang Metro sa Lupang Di-Malipad ng Uwak (Two Meters in Land That Stretches Forever), Ipinanganak ang Isang Kaaway sa Sosyedad (An Enemy of the Society is Born), Isang Ulo ng Litson (Head of a Roast Pig), Kislap ng Utak,Pawis ng Noo (Sparkle of Brain, Sweat on the Forehead).  [23]   His experiences as a guerrilla, labor leader, and a political detainee were shaped into the novels Mga Ibong Mandaraggit (Birds of Prey), 1969, and Luha ng Buwaya (Crocodiles Tears), 1972 Bayang Malaya One of the major works of Amado V. Hernandez was the epic Bayang Malaya and he wrote the said piece while he was behind bars. It is a historical poem which, according to the historian Teodoro A. Agoncillo, is a strong piece of art that sprouted out of the barren soils that is our literature and it opened the blinds that were blocking the beauty of the East. Ka Amado was painting a picture not just of a single town but of the Philippines.  [24]   The main characters of this piece although as mentioned are not real personas, they were symbols of real constructs of the war that created history. Some of the main characters were Tala and Magtanggol among others. It narrated the news about the emerging World War and the Japan-U.S. conflict that was surfacing as well as the start of the war itself when Japanese forces started entering Manila which caused the entire nation to be enveloped in fear. A concept like the Co-Prosperity Sphere was tackled in Bayang Malaya although those engaging were mere fictional characters. The epic also tackled the different oppression mechanisms being employed by the Japanese as well as the punishments that one receives in the event of revolting.  [25]   Issues like the emergence of guerrillas were also described in Bayang Malaya. Attempted rapture of Tala for example led to her taking of the hills and joining of guerrilla groups.  [26]  Amado V. Hernandez was indeed changed by his imprisonment and in Agoncillos words, the poet of hopes in Hernandez died in prison but the same prison gave birth to the critical poet and author who was just and was for workers rights.  [27]   Atang dela Rama The wife of Ka Amado; this queen of Kundiman and zarzuela in the same way as her husband, used her craft in promoting nationalism through the art that was performing. Honorata Atang dela Rama did not perform only for a living or for the good pay she received for her talent. She held a strong belief that the zarzuela and the kundiman expressed the Filipino identity and she did her best to popularize these among her fellow Filipinos.  [28]   She believed that kundiman contained the heart and soul of the Filipino especially if she gets to introduce the art to foreign audiences. Atangs enduring faith in the Filipino heritage and the sariling atin was intensified and deepened when Amado V. Hernandez became part of her life. The columnist and poet who was to become a labor leader in the future, pursued the actress for three years. They were married in 1932 and the actress was integrated into a whole new world with Ka Amado.  [29]   Because of Ka Amados involvement in the guerrilla movement during the Japanese occupation, his generous support of the labor movements in his writings and organizing of activities, and his unjust detention for five years and six months for the alleged rebellion complex, Atang developed a social consciousness that opened her eyes to the reality of the oppression in society.  [30]   Later on in her life, she remained to show that her real purpose is not yet over. She hoped that young artists and intellectuals will wake up and realize the necessity of having a culture that is genuinely Filipino which colonial regimes had made us abandon. Furthermore, she gave lectures to young actors and groups that wish to study the past in order to shape Filipino drama that would mean more in the contemporary period. She has also been invited many times by militant organizations of youth, women, writers and workers to speak and help promote the nationalist cause and strife that not even Ka Amados death in 1970 could put into an end.  [31]   Conclusion Amado V. Hernandez is an important figure in the Philippine literature. He wasnt just simply a writer but also, he was a work leader and a freedom fighter. He used the literary art as a means to fight for social consciousness and liberation. His master pieces are encircled in the different socio-political beliefs which were considered to be due to brought about by his experiences as an intelligence officer during the Japanese regime in the Philippines.  [32]   He was not just a guerrilla who chose to take it to the hills, but he was as well a labor leader who exerted his energies towards the betterment of the Philippine work force after the war. He was a significant icon who fought for freedom and social equality and a poet and a writer who used his craft in increasing awareness and social involvement in the country.  [33]  He wrote based on prison experiences and just like how his wife emulated his principles, in these works, he uncovered what he perceived to be the neocolonial nature of Philippine Society and pushed for nationalist and progressive agenda to end the long history of the workers and peoples oppression.  [34]  He was able to expose the social cancer that was taking over the Philippines during his time and both his and his wifes craft helped transform literature and performing arts respectively. Sources: Abinales, Patricio N. and Donna J. Amoroso. State and Society in the Philippines. Anvil Publishing, 2005. Amado V. Hernandez: A National Artist, http://www.shvoong.com/humanities/1762958-amado-hernandez-national-artist/ (accessed 15 February 2010) Amado V. Hernandez, Bayang Malaya: Tulang Kasaysayan/ Paunang Salita ni Teodoro Agoncillo (Ateneo de Manila University, 1969) Amado V. Hernandez, Isang Dipang Langit (Tamaraw Pub., 1961) Commemorative folio on national artist : Fernando Amorsolo, Francisca Reyes Aquino, Carlos V. Francisco, Amado V. Hernandez, Antonio J. Molina, Juan F. Nakpil, Guillermo E. Tolentino, Jose Garcia Villa and internatioal artist Van Cliburn Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila, 1974 Nicanor G. Tiongson, Atang dela Rama: Unat Huling Bituin (Cultural Center of the Philippines, 1987) The National Artists for Literature. http://nationalartists.panitikan.com.ph/avhernandez.htm/ (accessed 15 February 2010)

Plane Crash :: essays research papers

I woke up with a loud scream which took over the silence that filled my room. My mom came running to my room just to check on me. It was a very unusual dream and I couldn’t remember anything of it. At that moment it seemed as if it was reality and I hated that awkward feeling that I kept getting. The shirt that I was wearing was stuck to my body and my face had turned all red. I got up to wash up telling my mom that I would be ok. As I opened the door to my room I could smell something burning, and it seemed like my mom had forgotten the brownies in the oven. It was very unusual of her to do such a thing because she was always precautious with everything she did, and she would be extra careful today because her sister was coming after not seeing her for 3 years. This day had started off very badly and I didn’t like where it was heading. My mom ran down stairs, and I so did I so that I could be some kind of help for her. I had forgotten to wear the gloves and as I opened the oven I burnt my hand, and a lot of smoke came out of the oven. Instead of being any kind of help I was being much more trouble for my mom because she had to run off and get me medicine for my fingers. Now I would be unable to help my mom with anything for I was disabled, all I could do was open the windows of the kitchen so that the smoke would go away. The smoke that came out of the oven filled the kitchen and it smelled horrible, we had to wait for half an hour until some of the smoke had gone away. I tried helping my mom with some of the cooking but I really couldn’t do much. As I stood in the kitchen watching my mom preparing dinner, I got flashbacks of the dream that I had. I tried not thinking about it but it kept coming over and over. I thought of how the smoke came out of the oven, did all this mean anything? I began to get very wo rried and I really couldn’t do anything about it, all I could do was pray and hope that nothing would happen.

A Case Study of Joint Venture Banks in Nepal Essay

Using the data set published by joint venture banks in their annual reports, and NRB in its supervision annual reports, this paper examines the financial health of joint venture banks in the CAMEL framework. The health check up conducted on the basis of publicly available financial data concludes that the health of joint venture banks is better than that of the other commercial banks. In addition, the perusal of indicators of different components of CAMEL indicates that the financial health of joint venture banks are not so strong to manage the possible large scale shocks to their balance sheet and their health is fair. THE HISTORY OF MODERN commercial banking industry dates back to 1937 A.D in which year Nepal Bank Ltd. was incorporated. Till 1984, financial sector was closed to private sector and foreign investors. HMG/Nepal started to liberalize the financial sector in the first half of the 1980s. But it speeded up this process only in early 1990s. Private sector rushed into the finance industries especially after the restoration of democracy in 1990. Most of the commercial banks came into operation during the decade of 1990s. Government of any countries highly monitors and controls the finance industry even in the liberalized market economy. Government does so due to its high gravity in the national economy, and to build up the confidence of private sector in its financial system. Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) as an apex monetary authority of the country started to monitor and control the finance industry especially at the end of the 1990s by issuing the directives to the financial institutions (FIs). It initiated the offsite and onsite supervision of FIs to maintain their sound financial health and to build up  the confidence of private sector in the liberalized financial system and protect the interest of the investors. It has adopted the CAEL (capital adequacy, asset quality, earning and liquidity) system to check up the health of FIs. It has yet to use the CAMELS to evaluate the financial performance and check up the financial health. Independent outsiders also can not use all components of CAMELS to check up the financial health of FIs in Nepal due to the full disclosures of required financial information to outsiders. NRB dictated FIs to disclose the financial information in uniform way only in the fiscal year (FY) 2001/02. In this paper, attempt has been ma de to check up the financial health of joint venture banks in the framework of CAMEL. 1. Rationale of Regular Health Check up of Commercial Banks Not only the commercial banks but also any FIs require regular health check up to maintain the confidence of private sector in financial system of the country and protect the interest of depositors, lenders, shareholders and other stakeholders. The gravity of the importance of sound financial sector has increased tremendously after the international financial turmoil of the second half of the 1990s. International monetary authorities such as International Monetary Fund and international FI like the World Bank have underpinned the need of healthy financial sector to build up the confidence of private sector in the liber41 The Journal of Nepalese Business Studies alized financial system. Therefore, they have directed their member countries to reform the financial sector and conduct the regular health check up of FIs through onsite and offsite supervision. International FIs like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) are supporting the projects run in the vein of reforming process of the financial sector of different countries. For example, the World Bank is constantly providing the technical and financial support to reengineer NRB and restructure Nepal Bank Ltd. and Rastriya Banijya Bank (NRB 2005). Health of financial sector depends on the health of individual FIs. In addition, individual FI’s health counts on the myriad macro and micro factors. Among the macro factors, political stability and the real sector growth are vital. The financial health of FIs can not sustain without the political stability and sustainable real sector growth with sound health. However, the intensity of contagious effect of these macro variables may vary from one individual FI to another. Therefore, health of individual FI should be checked up regularly to know the intensity of such effect. Health of an individual FI is a function of multiple factors such as quality of its assets, liquidity position, capital base, management quality, market sensitivity and earnings. All these factors affect the different types of risk to an individual FI. Different types of risks: credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk, market risk, off-balance sheet risk, foreign exchange risk, sovereign risk, technology, operational risk, insolvency risk, affect the health of an individual FI adversely if they are not managed in sustainable manner (Saunders and Cornett 2004). A number of factors such as quality of assets, financial market condition, foreign exchange market, composition of assets, financial health of its clients, profitability, capital adequacy, affect the degree of these risks. Financial health check-up of an individual institution should be made regularly to detect the adverse effect of these risks on its health. Micro-prudential indicators such as capital adequacy, asset quality, management soundness, earning and profitability, liquidity, sensitivity to market risk, and market based indicators like market price of financial instruments, credit ratings are used as indicators of the sound health of an individual FI (Evan and others 2000). These indicators are explained at length in the ensuing section of this paper. 2. Theoretical Prescription of CAMELS Framework The Basle Committee on Banking Supervision of the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) has recommended using capital adequacy, assets quality, management quality, earnings and liquidity (CAMEL) as criteria for assessing a FI in 1988 (ADB 2002). The sixth component, market risk (S) was added to CAMEL in 1997 (Gilbert, Meyer and Vaughan 2000). However, most of the developing countries are using CAMEL instead of CAMELS in the performance evaluation of the FIs. The central banks in some of the countries like Nepal, Kenya use CAEL instead of CAMELS. CAMELS framework is a common method for evaluating the soundness of FIs. This system was developed by regulatory authorities of the U.S banks. The Federal Reserve Bank, the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation all use this system (McNally 1996). Monetary authorities in the most of the countries are using this system to check up the health of an individual FI. In addition, International Monetary Fund also is using the aggregated indicators of individual FIs to assess the financial system 42 Health Check-up of Commercial Banks soundness of its member countries as part of its surveillance work (Hilbers, Krueger and Moretti 2000). 2.1 Capital Adequacy CAMELS framework system looks at six major aspects of an FI: capital adequacy, asset quality, management soundness, earnings, liquidity, and sensitivity to market risk (Hilbers, Krueger and Moretti 2000). The first component, capital adequacy ultimately determines how well FIs can manage with shocks to their balance sheets. Thus, it tracks capital adequacy ratios that take into account the most important financial risks—foreign exchange, credit, and interest rate risks—by assigning risk weightings to the institution’s assets. For the purpose of capital adequacy measurement, bank capital is divided into Tier I and Tier II. Tier I capital is primary capital and Tier II capital is supplementary capital. In Nepalese context, Tier I (core/primary) capital includes paid-up capital, share premium, non-redeemable preference share, general reserve fund, accumulated profit, capital redemption reserve, capital adjustment fund, and other free reserve. Amount of the goodwill, fictitious assets, investment in the financial instruments issued by an organized organization in excess to the limit specified by NRB, and investment in the financial instruments issued by the organizations having the own financial interest is deducted from the sum of all elements of the primary capital to arrive at the core capital. Similarly, Tier II (supplementary) capital comprises of general loan loss provision, assets revaluation reserve, hybrid capital instruments, subordinated term loan, exchange equalization reserve, excess loan loss provision, and investment adjustment reserve. Thus, the total capital of commercial banks is the sum of core capital and supplementary capital (NRB 2005). Leverage ratio can be used to measure the capital adequacy of a bank. This is the ratio of bank’s book value of core capital to the book value of its assets. The higher ratio shows the higher level of capital adequacy. The U.S.A. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act (FDICIA) of 1991 has fixed the five target zones: i. 5 percent and above ii. 4 percent and above iii. under 4 percent, iv. under 3 percent, v. 2 percent and less, of leverage ratio. The leverage ratio falling in the first zone implies that bank is well capitalized. Similarly, the leverage falling in the second zone shows that bank is adequately capitalized. The leverage falling in the last three zones indicates that bank is inadequately capitalized and regulators should take prompt corrective action to bring the capital to the desirable level (Saunders and Cornett 2004). The leverage ratio stated in the foregoing discussion is simple capital to assets ratio. In other words, assets are not risk adjusted. The 1993 Basel Accord enforced the capital ratio to risk adjusted assets of commercial banks. According to this accord, core capital must equal to or exceed 4 percent of the risk weighted assets of the commercial banks. Similarly, the amount of the supplementary capital should not exceed the amount of the core capital and the total capital must equal or exceed 8 percent of risk weighted assets (Saunders and Cornett 2004). NRB initially fixed the core capital at the level of 4.5 percent of the risk weighted assets and total capital at the level of 9 percent of risk weighted assets of the commercial banks (NRB 2058). For the current FY2005/06, the mandatory levels of core capital and total capital are 6 percent and 12 percent of risk weighted assets of commercial banks. But NRB has strictly directed all commercial banks that the amount of the supplementary capital should not be in excess to the amount of the core capital (NRB 2005). 43 The Journal of Nepalese Business Studies 2.2 Asset Quality Credit risk is one of the factors that affect the health of an individual FI. The extent of the credit risk depends on the quality of assets held by an individual FI. The quality of assets held by an FI depends on exposure to specific risks, trends in non-performing loans, and the health and profitability of bank borrowers—especially the corporate sector. We can use a number of measures to indicate the quality of assets held by FIs. ADB suggests these measures—loan concentration by industry, region, borrower and portfolio quality; related party policies and exposure on outstanding loan, approval process of loan, check and balance of loans; loan loss provision ratio; portfolio in arrear; loan loss ratio; and reserve ratio—of checking the quality of assets of an FI (ADB 2002). NRB uses composition of assets, nonperforming loan to total loan ratio, net nonperforming loan to total loan ratio as the indicators of the quality of assets of commercial banks (NRB 2005. NRB has directed the commercial banks in regards to the concentration of the loan. Any licensed FI can grant the fund base loan to a single borrower or borrowers related to the same business group up to the 25 percent of its primary capital. In the same vein, it can provide the non-fund base loan up to 50 percent of its core capital (NRB 2005). Similarly, it has directed FIs to classify the loans into performing loan and nonperforming loans. The loans that are not due and 3 months past due fall in the class of performing loans/performing assets and others do in the non-performing loans. Further, non-performing loans are classified into three groups: substandard, doubtful, and bad debt/ loss (for detail classification see NRB directive 2/061/62). Commercial banks have to make 1 percent provision for pass loan/performing loan, 25 percent for substandard loan, 50 percent for doubtful loan and 100 percent for bad loan (NRB 2005). Non-performing assets in the total assets of commercial banks was 22.77 percent in the FY 2003/04. But the percentage of non-performing assets of an individual commercial bank varies from 0.76 percent to 57.64 in the same fiscal year. But the normal international standard of the percentage of non-performing assets is 5-8 percent of the total assets. 2.3 Management Quality Sound management is key to bank performance but is difficult to measure. It is primarily a qualitative factor applicable to individual institutions. Several indicators, however, can jointly serve as an indicator of management soundness. Expenses ratio, earning per employee, cost per loan, average loan size and cost per unit of money lent can be used as a proxy of the management quality. ADB recommends cost per unit of money lent as a proxy of management quality. But this can not be used as an indicator of management quality in Nepal. Since the data on amount of the total loan mobilized during a particular FY is not available in published financial statements and annual reports. As stated earlier, NRB has skipped up this component of CAMELS in the performance evaluation of commercial banks (see NRB 2005). 2.4 Earning Performance Earning capacity or profitability keeps up the sound health of an FI. Chronically unprofitable FI risks insolvency on one hand and on the others, unusually high profitability can reflect excessive risk taking of an FI. There are different indicators of profitability. Return on assets, return on equity, interest-spread ratio, earning-spread ratio, gross margin, 44 Health Check-up of Commercial Banks operating profit margin and net profit margin are commonly used profitability indicators. NRB uses return on total assets as an indicator of profitability of a commercial bank. In addition, it uses the absolute measures such as interest income, net interest income, noninterest income, net non-interest income, non-operating income, net non-operating income and net profit, to evaluate the profitability of a commercial bank (NRB 2005). 2.5 Liquidity Liquidity risk threats the solvency of FIs. In the case of commercial banks, first type of liquidity risk arises when depositors of commercial banks seek to withdraw their money and the second type does when commitment holders want to exercise the commitments recorded off the balance sheet. Commercial banks have to borrow the additional funds or sell the assets at fire sale price to pay off the deposit liabilities. They become insolvent if sale price of the assets are not enough to meet the liability withdrawals. The second type of liquidity risk arises when demand for unexpected loans can not be met due to the lack of the funds. Commercial banks can raise the  funds by running down their cash assets, borrowing additional funds in the money markets and selling off other assets at distressed price. Both liability side liquidity risk (first type risk) and asset side liquidity risk (second type risk) affect the health of commercial banks adversely. But maintaining the high liquidity position to minimize such risks also adversely affects the profitability of FIs. Return on highly liquid assets is almost zero. Therefore, FIs should strike the tradeoff between liquidity position and profitability so that they could maintain their health sound. Commercial bank’s liquidity exposure can be measured by analyzing the sources and uses of liquidity. In this approach, total net liquidity is worked out by deducting the total of uses of liquidity from the total of sources of liquidity. Similarly, BIS maturity laddering model can be used to measure the liquidity of a commercial banks. In addition, different liquidity exposure ratios such as borrowed funds to total assets, core deposit to total assets, loans to deposits, and commitments to lend to total assets are used to measure the liquidity position of a commercial bank (Saunders and Cornett 2004). NRB uses total loan to total deposit ratio, cash and equivalents to total assets ratio, cash and equivalents to total deposit ratio, NRB balance to total deposit ratio to measure the liquidity position of commercial banks in the course of the performance evaluation of commercial banks (NRB 2005). 2.6 Sensitivity to Market Risk Commercial banks are increasingly involved in diversified operations such as lending and borrowing, transaction in foreign exchange, selling off assets pledged for securities and so on. All these are subject to market risk like interest rate risk, foreign exchange rate risk, and financial asset and commodity price risk. The health of an FI more sensitive to market risk is more hazardous than that of less sensitive. Foreign exchange risk, interest rate risk, equity price risk, and commodity price risk are the indicators of sensitivity to market risk. 3. Methodology At present, all together 17 commercial banks are in operation. Out of this, Rastriya Banijya Bank is fully owned by HMG/Nepal while in case of Nepal Bank Ltd, HMG/Nepal is the major shareholder. There are six joint venture banks in collaboration with the foreign investment partners and remaining are fully owned by Nepalese investors. For the purpose 45 The Journal of Nepalese Business Studies of this study, the population has been defined in term of joint venture commercial banks. So the population of this study is six. For the purpose of this study, 3 banks—Nabil Bank Limited (Nabil), Nepal SBI Bank Ltd. (NSBI) and Standard Chartered Bank Nepal Limited (SCBN), were selected randomly (for sampling frame and sample refer to Appendix 1). This study is based on the historical data disclosed by annual reports of commercial banks. NRB has dictated the commercial banks to disclose the financial information in the prescribed format since the FY 2001/02. So, the comparison of financial performance of commercial banks each other is only possible only the FY 2000/01 onward.1 Most of the commercial banks have yet to hold the annual general meeting and publish their annual report for the FY 2004/05. So, it is not possible to include this FY in the study. Therefore, this study covers the last four consecutive fiscal years—from the FY 2000/01 through FY 2003/04. The analysis of this study is entirely based on the CAMELS framework. As stated in theoretical prescription, health check up of any FIs in this framework is concentrated in the six components: capital adequacy, asset quality, management quality, earning, liquidity and sensitivity to market. But in this study, the last component has been dropped due to the presence of much more complication. So, analysis of financial health of joint venture banks is carried out in the framework of CAMEL. Indicators of each component also have been used according to the financial data disclosed in annual reports of sampled joint venture banks. So, complicated indicators of each component of CAMEL framework of checking up the health of the banks have been skipped up in this study (for the indicators of each component refer to Appendix 2). 4. Analysis of Financial Health of Commercial Banks This section of this paper analyses the indicators of the financial health of sampled joint venture banks in the CAMEL framework. As stated in methodology, all indicators of the financial health of FIs have not be worked out and analyzed, only the indicators permitted by the publicly available comparable financial data have been used to analyze the financial health of the sampled banks. The ensuing section presents the analysis of different indicators of sound health of an FI in the context of joint venture banks in Nepal. 4.1 Capital Adequacy As stated earlier, leverage ratio, core capital ratio, total capital ratio and supplementary capital ratio are used as the indicators of capital adequacy of an FI. Leverage ratios of sampled banks, in general, show that joint venture banks are well capitalized and they are strong enough to mange the shock to balance sheet. Since the leverage ratios of sampled banks during the study periods are greater than 5 percent. Conventionally, leverage ratio of 5 percent or greater than 5 percent indicates that commercial banks are well capitalized. The indicators: TCR, CCR and SCR, of capital adequacy of joint venture banks also corroborate with the implication of leverage ratio. In general, all banks under study have met the capital adequacy ratio as directed by NRB. Only NSBI has not met the minimum capital requirement as directed by NRB in the FY 2000/01 and FY 2003/04. In these fiscal years, its TCR and CCR are lower than that of minimum ratio specified by NRB. Similarly, in the Financial information for the FY2000/01 were extracted from the annual reports of the sample banks. But this was not possible in Nabil Bank Ltd. Capital of commercial banks in Nepal is negative due to the heavy amount of negative capital of two public sector banks: Nepal Bank Ltd. and Rastriya Banijya Bank. Capital of these two banks is negative due to the heavy accumulated losses. Thus, the public sector banks have yet to meet the capital adequacy requirements as required by NRB. But private sector banks have, in general, met the capital adequacy requirement. The comparison between the capital fund to risk weighted assets ratio of each individual joint venture bank with the aggregate capital fund ratio of private sector commercial banks (IAR) implies that joint venture banks have stronger capital base than that of other private sector banks in general. In addition, average capital fund ratio of joint venture banks during the study period hovers around 14 percent. This is higher than the minimum ratio specified by NRB. This clearly implies that joint venture banks are complying with the directive of NRB on the requirement of the capital base of commercial banks. As stated in the foregoing analysis, banks under study are well capitalized and they are complying with the directive of NRB on capital adequacy ratio. But their capital base relative to the risk weighted assets is not so strong. According to the international rating convention, total capital should be greater than 19.5 percent of the total risk weighted assets of commercial banks in order to be a strong capital base. But none of the banks under study has the capital fund greater than 19.5 percent of the total risk weighted capital. As indicated by TCR, on the average, capital adequacy of joint venture banks is fair during the study period. Total capital adequacy ratio less than 15 and equal to 12 indicates that capital adequacy is fair and on the average this ratio falls within this range. 47 The Journal of Nepalese Business Studies 4.2 Asset Quality It is obvious from the theoretical prescription that the health of commercial banks largely depends on the quality of assets held by them, and quality of the assets relies on the financial health of their borrowers. As stated earlier, many indicators can be used to measure the quality of assets held by commercial banks. But, here, only two simple indicators— non-performing asset ratio and loan loss reserve ratio—are used to measure the quality of assets being held by banks. The increasing trend of these ratios shows the deteriorating quality of commercial bank assets. In general, 5 percent to 10 percent of non-performing assets is considered as satisfactory level of quality of bank assets, Table 2: Indicators of Asset Quality of Sampled Banks

How to Use Italian Definite Article Forms

How to Use Italian Definite Article Forms The Italian definite article (articolo determinativo) indicates something well defined, which is assumed to be already acknowledged. If, for example, someone asks: Hai visto il professore? (Have you seen the professor?) they are alluding not to any professor, but to one in particular, that both the speaker and listener know. The definite article is also used to indicate a group (luomo à ¨ dotato di ragione, that is, ogni uomo- man is endowed with reason, every man), or to express the abstract (la pazienza à ¨ una gran virtà ¹- patience is a great virtue); to indicate parts of the body (mi fa male la testa, il braccio- my head hurts, my arm), to refer to objects that belong strictly to oneself mi hanno rubato il portafogli, non trovo pià ¹ le scarpe- they stole my wallet, I cannot find my shoes), and is also used with nouns that signify something unique in nature (il sole, la luna, la terra- the sun, the moon, the earth) and the names of materials and matter (il grano, loro- wheat, gold). In certain contexts the Italian definite article functions as a demonstrative adjective (aggettivo dimostrativo): Penso di finire entro la settimana- I think Ill finish by the end of the week (or later this week); Sentitelo lipocrita!- Listen to him the hypocrite! (this hypocrite!) or a demonstrative pronoun (pronome dimostrativo): Tra i due vini scelgo il rosso- Between the two wines I choose the red, (the one thats red); Dei due attori preferisco il pià ¹ giovane- Of the two actors I prefer the younger (the one thats younger). The Italian definite article may also refer to individual members of a group: Ricevo il giovedà ¬- I receive it Thursday (every Thursday); Costa mille euro il chilo (or al chilo)- It costs a thousand euro a kilogam (per kilogram), or time: Partirà ² il mese prossimo.- Im leaving next month (in next the month). Italian Definite Article FormsIl, iThe form il precedes masculine nouns beginning with a consonant except s consonant, z, x, pn, ps, and the digraphs gn and sc: il bambino, il cane, il dente, il fiore, il gioco, il liquorethe child, the dog, the tooth, the flower, the game, the liquor The corresponding form for the plural is i: i bambini, i cani, i denti, i fiori, i giochi, i liquorithe children, the dogs, the teeth, the flowers, the games, the liqueurs Lo (l), gliThe form lo precedes masculine nouns that begin: with s followed by another consonant: lo sbaglio, lo scandalo, lo sfratto, lo sgabello, lo slittino, lo smalto, lo specchio, lo studiothe mistake, the scandal, the evicted, the stool, the sled, the enamel, the mirror, the office with z: lo zaino, lo zio, lo zoccolo, lo zuccherothe backpack, the uncle, the clog, the sugar with x: lo xilofono, lo xilografothe xylophone, the engraver with pn and ps: lo pneumatico, lo pneumotorace; lo pseudonimo, lo psichiatra, lo psicologothe tire, the collapsed lung, the pseudonym, the psychiatrist, the psychologist with the digraphs gn and sc: lo gnocco, lo gnomo, fare lo gnorri; lo sceicco, lo sceriffo, lo scialle, lo scimpanzà ©the dumpling, the gnome, to play dumb; the sheikh, the sheriff, the shawl, the chimpanzee with the semivowel i: lo iato, lo iettatore, lo ioduro, lo yogurtthe hiatus, the evil eye, the iodide, the yogurt NOTE: Nevertheless, there are variations, especially before the consonant cluster pn; for example, in contemporary spoken Italian il pneumatico tends to prevail over lo pneumatico. Also, before the semivowel i the use is not constant; in addition to lo iato there is liato, but the elided form is less common. When preceding the semivowel u, its necessary to distinguish between Italian words, which take the article lo in the elided form (luomo, luovo), and words of foreign origin, which take the form il: il week-end, il whisky, il windsurf, il walkman, il word processorthe weekend, the whiskey, the windsurfer, the Walkman, the word processor. With plural nouns the forms gli (gli uomini) and i (i walkman, i week-end) are used respectively. For words starting with h use lo (gli, uno) when preceding an aspirated h: lo Hegel, lo Heine, lo hardwarethe Hegel, the Heine, the hardware. And use l when preceding a non-aspirated h: lhabitat, lharem, lhashishthe habitat, the harem, the hashish. NOTE: In contemporary colloquial Italian there is a preference for the elided form in all cases, since even foreign words with an aspirated h (for example the aforementioned hardware, as well as hamburgers, handicap, hobbies, etc.) usually have an Italianized pronunciation in which the h is muted. However, in adverbial phrases the form lo (instead of il) is common: per lo pià ¹, per lo meno, corresponding to the use of the definite article in early Italian. The form lo also precedes masculine nouns that begin with a vowel, but in this instance it is elided to l: labito, levaso, lincendio, lospite, lusignolothe dress, the fugitive, the fire, the guest, the nightingale. As previously noted, before the semivowel i there is typically no elision. The form corresponding to lo in the plural is gli: gli sbagli, gli zaini, gli xilofoni, gli (or also i) pneumatici, gli pseudonimi, gli gnocchi, gli sceicchi, gli iati, gli abiti, gli evasi, gli incendi, gli ospiti, gli usignoli NOTE: Gli can only be elided before i: glincendi (but more frequently the entire form is used). The gli form is used instead of i before the plural of dio: gli dà ¨i (in obsolete Italian gliddei, plural of iddio). La (l), leThe form la precedes feminine nouns starting with a consonant or the semivowel i: la bestia, la casa, la donna, la fiera, la giacca, la ienathe beast, the house, the woman, the fair, the jacket, the hyena. Before a vowel la is elided to l: lanima, lelica, lisola, lombra, lunghiathe soul, the propeller, the island, the shadow, the fingernail. The form corresponding to la in the plural is lei: le bestie, le case, le donne, le fiere, le giacche, le iene, le anime, le eliche, le isole, le ombre, le unghiethe animals, the houses, the women, the fairs, the jackets, the hyenas, the souls, the propellers, the islands, the shadows, the nails. Le may be elided only before the letter e (but this happens rarely, and almost always as a stylistic device in poetry): leliche- the propellers. With nouns starting with h, unlike the masculine form, the non-elided form predominates: la hall- the hall, la holding- the holding company.