A Discussion on Multimedia Essays - Digital Technology, Free Essays

A Discussion on Multimedia Essays - Digital Technology, Free Essays A Discussion on Multimedia Nic Singh December 96 A Discussion on Multimedia Multimedia, or mixed-media, systems offer presentations that integrate effects existing in a variety of formats, including text, graphics, animation, audio, and video. Such presentations first became commercially available in very primitive form in the early 1980s, as a result of advances that have been made in digital compression technology particularly the difficult area of image compression. Multimedia online services are obtainable through telephone/computer or television links, multimedia hardware and software exist for personal computers, networks, the internet, interactive kiosks and multimedia presentations are available on CD-ROMs and various other mediums. The use of multimedia in our society has it benefits and its drawbacks, most defiantly. Some of the more computer-related uses of multimedia, such as electronic publishing, the internet, and computers in education will be discussed in depth thought this paper. Electronic publishing is the publishing of material in a computer-accessible medium, such as on a CD-ROM or on the Internet. In a broader sense of the term it could also include paper products published with the aid of a desktop publishing program, or any form of printing that involves the use of a computer. Reference works became available in the mid-1980s both in CD-ROM format and online. Increasingly, in the 1990s, magazines, journals, books, and newspapers have become available in an electronic format, and some are appearing in that format only. Companies that publish technical manuals to accompany their other products have also been turning to electronic publishing. Electronic books have been recently introduced to the world as a whole. This new concept is the use of internet or otherwise computer technology to electronically convert books to a digital, readable format viewed on a television set or computer screen. This would most likely be done by scanning in individual pages in a book, arrange them in orderly fashion, and have users be able to cycle back and forth between the photo-identical pages. This method would be very quick, and very easy to accomplish- that is- scanning pages as opposed to re-typing millions of words is preferred. This brings us to another method in electronic book production- the interactive method. In digital format, the books pages can only be viewed, just like a book. If a reader would want to take notes from a book, he/she would have to write down the notes by hand, or would be forced to photo-copy the page(s). If the book was typed out entirely as would be done by an electronic word processor such as Microsoft Word, users would greatly benefit. The ability for the computer to recognize the words on the screen as actual words as opposed to mere bitmaps is often unrealized to the computer non-familiar. This recognition allows the page to be edited with complete interactivity and ease- again like Microsoft Word. Books can be updated or corrected in real time, without having to re-upload corrected pages, or compensate for unalignment in words and page breaks. Perhaps the most beneficial to the user is the interactivity- the ability to interact with the words in the book. By highlighting letters on the page, copying them, and pasting them in personal clipboards or other word processing programs, the tedious task of note-taking can be eliminated. This idea, on the other hand, can raise issues with the author and publisher of the book. Plagiarism, already a problem, would run wild in this area. Users would theoretically be able to copy entire books or magazines to their personal files, and be able to use them as their own reports or writings. Additionally, the ability to view a book and its contents at no charge obviously will not agree with some publishers. This also brings up the idea of charging people for time online. Users could be charged money for use of electronic books/magazines on a time basis. This, however, will not go over well in the public domain. We would rather take on the trouble of taking manual notes than be charged for something that is otherwise free at a library. In a very short time the Internet has become a major vehicle of worldwide communication and an unrivaled source of information. One of the Internet's fascinations is that its resources are limited only by the number of computers participating in the World Wide Web and the imaginations of their users. The Internet is an international web of interconnected government, education, and business computer networks- in essence, a network of networks. From a thousand or so networks in the mid-1980s, the Internet had grown to about 30,000 connected networks in mid-1994. By

Overview of the Op Art Movement

Overview of the Op Art Movement Op Art (short for Optical Art) is an art movement that emerged in the 1960s. It is a distinct style of art that creates the illusion of movement. Through the use of precision and mathematics, stark contrast, and abstract shapes, these sharp  pieces of artwork have a three-dimensional quality that is not seen in other styles of art. Op Art Emerges in the 1960s Flashback to 1964. In the United States, we were still reeling from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, encapsulated in the Civil Rights movement, and being invaded by British pop/rock music. Many people were also over the notion of achieving the idyllic lifestyles that were so prevalent in the 1950s. It was a perfect time for a new artistic movement to burst on the scene.   In October of 1964, in an article describing this new style of art, Time Magazine coined the phrase Optical Art (or Op Art, as its more commonly known). The term referenced the fact that Op Art is comprised of illusion and often appears to the human eye to be moving or breathing due to its precise, mathematically-based composition. After (and because of) a major 1965 exhibition of Op Art entitled The Responsive Eye, the public became enraptured with the movement. As a result, one began to see Op Art everywhere: in print and television advertising, as LP album art, and as a fashion motif in clothing and interior design. Although the term was coined and the exhibition held in the mid-1960s, most people who have studied these things agree that Victor Vasarely pioneered the movement with his 1938 painting Zebra. M. C. Eschers style has sometimes caused him to be listed as an Op artist as well, though they dont quite fit the definition. Many of his best-known works were created in the 1930s and include amazing perspectives and use of tessellations (shapes in close arrangements). These two certainly helped point the way for others. It can also be argued that none of Op Art would have been possible- let alone embraced by the public- without the prior Abstract and Expressionist movements. These led the way by de-emphasizing (or, in many cases, eliminating) representational subject matter. Op Art Remains Popular As an official movement, Op Art has been given a lifespan of around three years. This doesnt mean, however, that every artist ceased employing Op Art as their style by 1969. Bridget Riley is one noteworthy artist who has moved from achromatic to chromatic pieces but has steadfastly created Op Art from its beginning to the present day. Additionally, anyone who has gone through a post-secondary fine arts program probably has a tale or two of Op-ish projects created during color theory studies. Its also worth mentioning that, in the digital age, Op Art is sometimes viewed with bemusement. Perhaps you, too, have heard the (rather snide, some would say) comment, A child with the proper graphic design software could produce this stuff. Quite true, a gifted child with a computer and the proper software at her disposal could certainly create Op Art in the 21st century. This certainly wasnt the case in the early 1960s, and the 1938 date of Vasarelys Zebra speaks for itself in this regard. Op Art represents a great deal of math, planning and technical skill, as none of it came freshly-inked out of a computer peripheral. Original, hand-created Op Art deserves respect, at the very least. What Are the Characteristics of Op Art? Op Art exists to fool the eye. Op compositions create a sort of visual tension in the viewers mind that gives works the illusion of movement. For example, concentrate on Bridget Rileys Dominance Portfolio, Blue (1977) for even a few seconds and it begins to dance and wave in front of your eyes. Realistically, you know  that any Op Art piece is flat, static, and two-dimensional. Your eye, however, begins sending your brain the message that what its seeing has begun to oscillate, flicker, throb and any other verb one can employ to mean, Yikes! This painting is moving! Op Art is not meant to  represent reality.  Due to its geometrically-based nature, Op Art is, almost without exception, non-representational. Artists do not attempt to depict anything we know in real life. Instead, it is more like abstract art in which composition, movement, and shape dominate. Op Art is not created by chance. The elements employed in a piece of Op Art are carefully chosen to achieve maximum effect. In order for the illusion to work, each color,  line,  and shape must contribute to the overall composition. It takes a great deal of forethought to successfully create artwork in the Op Art style. Op Art relies on two specific techniques. The critical techniques used in Op Art are perspective and careful juxtaposition of color. The color may be chromatic (identifiable hues) or achromatic (black, white, or gray). Even when color is used, they tend to be very bold and can be either complementary or high-contrast.   Op Art typically does not include the blending of colors. The lines and shapes of this style are very well defined. Artists do not use shading when transitioning from one color to the next and quite often two high-contrast colors are placed next to each other. This harsh shift is a key part of what disturbs and tricks your eye into seeing movement where there is none. Op Art embraces negative space. In Op Art- as in perhaps no other artistic school- positive and negative spaces in a composition are of equal importance. The illusion could not be created without both, so Op artists tend to focus just as much on the negative space as they do the positive.

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 12

Economics - Essay Example The second step entails getting training that may help an entrepreneur to identify the most suitable sources of business financing (U.S.Small Business Administration, 2013). Therefore, Sonny Erriccsson phone was identified as a product of study, whereby, its life cycle and future market scope has been discussed under the following subheadings. a). Specifically identify the product; its life cycle and the initial and future scope of the market intend to serve. The product in this case entails Sonny Erriccsson phone, this product falls under electronic and communication industry. Sonny Erriccsson phone entails five phases of product life cycle development namely; development phase, introduction phase, growth phase, maturity phase and finally, decline phase. The introduction phases focuses at creating awareness to both new and existing customers about the existence of Sonny Erriccsson phones. However, this stage tends to experience numerous challenges such as low sales volumes, low prof its, higher marketing and advertising expenses. On the contrary, is the growth phase, this phase involves creation of brand preference and market share. In addition, sales and profits tend to be higher in this phase as compared to the introduction stage (Grieves & Michael, 2006). In the fourth phase (maturity phase), marketers focuses at maintaining the already established market share through modification of Sonny Erriccsson phones to make its product more competitive. The final phase is declining phase whereby, the market has become saturated and the product start losing customer causing a decline in sales volume and profitability to decline significantly. Therefore, marketing managers may respond to this stage by either selling the business to a market niche or carryout phase withdraw before incurring losses (Grieves & Michael, 2006). b). Recognize and evaluate the market structure, degree of competition and the availability of substitutes initially and in the future, locally and globally for the proposed product. Sonny Erriccsson mobile is a wholly owned subsidiary of the parent company known as Sonny Corporation. Sonny mobile become part of Sonny Company through acquisition of Telefonaktiebolagate shares on 15th February 2012. The market structure for Sonny Erriccsson has been highly restructured with an aim of increasing future operational efficiency. For example, Sonny moved its operation structure from Sweden to Tokyo Japan. Additionally, the company CEO announced that sonny his company had integrated all its subsidiaries located in different regions to increase market share as well as to reduce operating cost. The CEO further issued a notification that to the Sony authorities in Sweden that the company was aiming to enhance efficiency by eliminating redundancy in the entire company (Sony Inc, 2012). The degree of competition in this market tend to be very stiff due to globalization and new scientific innovation hence, making different phone manufactur ers such Samsung, LG, Nokia, Motorola among other competitors who are continuously modify their products by adding more features to make their products more attractive before the eyes of the customers. In addition, there are numerous substitutes available in the market that can serve the same purpose as Sonny Erriccsson phones. For example; I pads, I phones and Samsung galaxy phones may act as a good substitute. The above substitute may not only serve the local meets but also

Social Capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Capital - Essay Example Parents have been known to use their wealth to gain social capital for their children over the years through various ways such as donating large amounts of funds to the school that their children attend among others. The question remains however whether this is right or wrong and should be acceptable within the society. The answer to this can be derived from looking at the pros and cons of this subject. There are a number of arguments that can be used to defend this act. One of them is the fact that by attaining this social capital for their children, the parents are ensuring a better future for them as they are guaranteed help with the trials they may face in the future (Putnam, 2006). Ensuring a better future for one’s offspring can be considered to be the right of every parent and is expected off them. Another pro is that the social capital gained by these children technically does not hurt anyone although it may give them an advantage over others in certain situations, it is not against the law to cultivate relationships that will be beneficial to an individual (McNamee & Miller, 2009). As there are two sides to every coin, there are also cons in assisting one’s child in gaining social capital. The main con can be considered to be the fact that by doing this, the child will not learn essential values such as the importance of independence and the virtue of hard work as they will not have to struggle for the things that they want (Doob, 2013). This can be considered to be a sort of negative education on the part of the parent as it does not help in building up a child’s character. Another con is found in the fact that by teaching a child that what they want can be achieved by money, they risk instilling a devious/delinquent attitude within the child as they are aware that the social capital gained will get them out of trouble (Brown & Iyengar, 2008). For example, a child

The Tibetan Book of the Dead Essay Example for Free

The Tibetan Book of the Dead Essay Introduction All the teaching of Buddha, known all over the world as Buddhism, is based on the ideas of karma and reincarnation. Buddhists believe that after death the person is reborn and gets another incarnations in order to pay his karmic debts and get a chance to become enlightened of liberated. That is the reason they regard death as nothing but a pass to another physical incarnation and try to use this chance to get better conditions of life. The Bardo Thodol, also known as the Tibetan Book of the Dead belongs to the secrete texts of Buddhism and describes the experience of the death and gives guidelines how to pass from one incarnation to another. The name Bardo means the period between the death and next birth. The Tibetan Book of the Dead contains practical guidelines on the way to the next incarnation. In addition to ancient rituals and rites, it also contains main philosophical doctrines of Buddhism. The study of this book can give a better understanding of fundamental ideas of Buddhism and key concepts of this religion. General features of Tibetan Buddhism Buddhism is one of three major world religions. It was founded about 2.500 years ago by Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. Its main idea is a salvation from the world sufferings with the help of meditation. There are more than 350 million of followers of Buddhism in the modern world. Most followers of Buddhism live in India, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Tibet. Buddhism came to Tibet and 12 centuries later it appeared in India. It became widespread in Tibet beginning from the 7th century. It came in conflict with local religion called Bon, despite their main concepts agreed on many points. Tibetian Buddism assimilated a lot from Bon and The Tibetan book of The Dead is a perfect example of synthesis of these two religions. Buddhist term for awakening is nirvana. Nirvana means liberation from samsara – cycle of rebirth and entering another mode of existence. Buddhism states that all human beings are born in life full of sufferings and pain. Desires make people unhappy, as our mind can’t be satisfied with anything it gets and always asks for more. Making true one wish people start longing for something else and this vicious circle never ends. Existence full of sufferings and pain doesn’t stop after death as Buddhists believe in rebirth – the repeated process of life and death conditioned by the karma law. The only way out of this misery and pain is nirvana, which can be achieved through meditation and following the principles of Buddhism and to achieve the enlightenment or awakening of selfhood. Reaching enlightenment means reunion with one’s true Self. The state of nirvana is hard to define, as it lies beyond words and notions, but the most appropriate categories used to define it are emptiness, space and openness. In other words, reaching the state of nirvana means realization the emptiness of the true Self. Buddha is a Sanskrit term that means â€Å"awakened one† and it describes Buddha’s nature. Buddha was the first person who achieved liberation or awakening and could pass his experience to other people. He teaches people that all of them have the potential to become Buddha, reaching the state of nirvana. Tibetan Perspectives on Death and Dying The concept of death accepted in Buddhism is fundamentally different from the one, which exists on the West. Eastern people believe in reincarnation and that is why the death for them is not an end of existence but just an interesting journey and great opportunity. Buddhist teaching pays special attention to the death experience as a transitional state from one incarnation to another. Death rituals, described in the Book of the Dead derive from Bonism, traditional Tibetan religions, which preceded Buddhism. Ideas from Bonism naturally supplement new Buddhism concepts and together they combine an organic combination of religion, philosophy and practical rituals. The concept of death in Buddhism has two meanings and The Book of the Death speaks about two of them. In the first interpretation the death is regarded as a physical death, the cease of earthy existence. The first part of the Book of the Dead, The First Bardo deals with this death. Another meaning of death is a death of ego. It’s an esoteric meaning of death and it stands for inner transformation. This inner transformation is the ultimate goal of Buddhism and The Book of Dead deals with this kind of death too. As Tibetan Lama Govinda states in his introduction to this book, It is a book for the living as well as for the dying. (The Tibetan Book of the Dead: or, The After-Death Experiences on the Bardo Plane, according to Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdups English Rendering) The book contains a lot of layers of meaning and can have several levels of interpretation. For centuries this book was kept in secret and only separate religious authorities could access it. Bardo Thodol – the Guidance for the Death and Life The Bardo Thodol was used by lamas. Literary translation of the name of the book means â€Å"liberation while hearing being in the intermediate state†. Lamas use this intermediate state as a mean to appeal to the true self of the person, when his physical body is passing away and thus give him an opportunity to stop the endless chain of births and deaths and get final liberation, or nirvana. There are three intermediate states described in the Book of the Dead. They are: the chikhai bardo, or bardo of the moment of death; the Chonyid bardo, or bardo of experiencing of reality; and the sidpa bardo, or bardo of rebirth. (The Book of the Dead) The Chikhai bardo makes the person ready to meet the very moment of the death. This moment is very important because the moment when vital force leaves the body and last directions if heard in time can help the person to pass the intermediate state correctly. As the Book of the Dead states, â€Å"When the expiration hath ceased, the vital-force will have sunk into the nerve-center of Wisdom and the Knower will be experiencing the Clear Light of the natural condition . Then the vital force, being thrown backwards and flying downwards through the right and left nerves the Intermediate State (Bardo) momentarily dawns.â€Å" (The Book of The Dead) In his commentaries, to The Tibetan Book of the Dead Evans-Wentz explains that â€Å"never centers† mentioned in the book mean psychic centers or cakras and the Center of Wisdom mentioned in the book is located in anahata cakra in the center of the chest. (Evans-Wentz) The Knower mentioned in the same passage stands for the mind in the state of impartial observer. The Chikhai bardo explains the changes in the energetic structure of the body with the coming of death. It doesn’t only describe physical changes, which occur in the body and the way energy leaves the body, but also stresses on the necessity to remain in the state of observer, in order to get the liberation. As Detlef Ingo Lauf states in his commentaries to the Secret Doctrines of the Tibetan Book of Dead â€Å"This is the very content and substance of the state of liberation, if only the soul can recognize it and act in a way to remain in that state.† (Lauf, 254) Special words, repeated several times, must help the dying person to fulfil the main purpose of his pass and help him find the right way in Bardo, where â€Å"wherein all things are like the void and cloudless sky, and the naked, spotless intellect is like unto a transparent vacuum without circumference or centre.† (The Book of the Dead) During the reading lama must change the body position of the dying person in order to create the right flow of energy in the body. The main purpose of all rites and ceremonies, described in The Book of the Dead, is to make the person stay conscious during the very moment of the death. This will enable him to remain conscious in the Bardo, and this way â€Å"From the union of the two states of mind, or consciousness, is born the state of Perfect Enlightenment, Buddhahood. The Dharma-Kaya (Body of Truth) symbolizes the purest and the highest state of being, a state of supramundane consciousness (The Book of the Dead). The person should overcome fear and his own egoistic desires and meet the moment of death pure and full of compassion to all living beings. The Book of Dead states that most of the people fail to remain consciousness at the very moment of the death. This can be explained by the weight of their past karma, fear and selfishness. â€Å"According to the wisdom of Buddha, we can actually use our lives to prepare for death† and that is why this moment is so important ( Ringpoche, 45) In this case they fail to see â€Å"Clear Light of Ultimate Reality† and should pass to the next stage. The Bardo Thodol gradually describes next steps of the process of passing away and stresses on the different opportunities to get liberation on the different stages. Conclusion The main message of The Bardo Thodol is to be conscious at the moment of death. The book describes different techniques used by lama in order to â€Å"awake† the person at the very moment of death or afterwards. At the same time, if we think about our life carefully, we will understand that we approach death with every second of our life; and being conscious in everyday life can be also the way to get liberation. As Sogyal Rinpoche states in The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying: â€Å"In the Buddhist approach, life and death are seen as one whole, where death is the beginning of another chapter of life. Death is a mirror in which the entire meaning of life is reflected.† (Rinpoche, 45) This holistic approach peculiar to Orinatal religions and philosophical systems illustrates their attitude to the death as a natural continuation of life and vice versa. Sources Rinpoche, Sogyal. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1992. Sogyal Rinpoche is a Tibetan Teacher. He did a perfect job adapting ancient texts, which compose â€Å"The Book of the Dead† for the modern reader. Original book even with commentaries and comments was very hard to comprehend for the unprepared reader. Sogyal Rinpoche made this text easy to read. At the same time he managed to write his book in such a way that the text did not lose its original meaning and those, who are interested in studying sacred Buddhist text, can read â€Å"The Book of the Dead†, which is one of central texts of Tibetan Buddhism in easy and comprehensive interpretation. The book investigates the topics of death and dying, which are central notions of Buddhism. The author introduces Buddhist concepts of karma, mediation, reincarnation and bardo in interesting and understandable manner. The book also contains practical guideline of dealing with the death. Reading this book transforms one’s attitude to the question of death and to life. Overcoming the fear of death can become that turning point, which changes the whole life, and Rinpoche’s book helps to deal with this fear. The author gives practical advice, which can help both – experienced seekers and people, who only start their acquaintance with Buddhism. The Tibetan Book of the Dead: or, The After-Death Experiences on the Bardo Plane, according to Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdups English Rendering. Ed. W. Y. Evans-Wentz, Oxford University Press, 1949 This book gives Buddhist vision of the process of death and dying. This book teaches not only the process of dying, it also centers on the process of living and uncovers new levels of meaning of our earthy existence. The text produced in this addition is Lama Kazi Dawa Sammdup’s interpretation of the Bardo Thodol edited by the famous specialist in this field and first translator of this book to English Evans-Wentz. Their creative tandem gave birth to new interpretation of classical text. Commentaries of C.G. Jung, the representative of the New School† psychology helps Western people to get prepared for dealing with such complicated issues as death and dying, which is a very difficult topic for Westerners. Introduction written by Lama Anagarika Govinda, a modern religious authority, helps to understand the ancient texts. All those, who contributed to this book, made a great job by making an ancient Orintal wisdom understandable for western audience. General information about Buddhism, which makes the third part, can be useful for those, who want to penetrate deeper into this religious teaching. Comments and commentaries presented in the book make it not only ancient classics, but also a comprehensive book about self-improvement and coming in terms with your life. Detlef Ingo Lauf. Secret Doctrines of the Tibetan Books of the Dead. (Trans. by Graham Parkes) Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1989. Detlef Lauf is a famous German religious scholar and Tibetologist. In his â€Å"Secret Doctrines of the Tibetan Books of the Dead† he provides his own commentaries about the famous text. He introduces different variants of The Book of the Dead and uncovers their deep symbolism. Religious concepts are supplemented by historical information, which makes their comprehension easier. The book written by Detlef Ingo Lauf is a necessary addition to the information, presented in the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The book is a deep survey of Buddhist and pre-Buddhist relations’ teachings, which attributed to the Buddhist concepts of death and dying. The author makes a research of the different deities, Buddhist doctrines and principles created a necessary basis for the right understanding of the classical texts of the Bardo Thodol or the Book of the Dead. The author goes even further and compares the concepts of death discovered in the Book of the Dead with views on death applied in different religious doctrines of Rome, Greece, Eqypt, India and Persia. Information about the death and dying received by modern Western scholars help to understand the basic ideas of the book. References 1. Evans-Wentz, W.Y. (ed.) The Tibetan Book of the Dead. London/Oxford/New York; Oxford University 1960. (Trans. by Graham Parkes) Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1989. 2. The Tibetan Book of the Dead: or, The After-Death Experiences on the Bardo Plane, according to Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdups English Rendering. Ed. W. Y. Evans-Wentz, Oxford University Press, 1949 3. Rinpoche, Sogyal. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1992. 4. The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Liberation Through Hearing in the Bardo. By Guru Rinpoche according to Karma-Lingpa. (Translated Francesca Fremantle, Chogyam Trungpa). Boston and London: Shambhala Pocket Classics, 1992. 4. Detlef Ingo Lauf. Secret Doctrines of the Tibetan Books of the Dead.

The Red Tent: My Reaction :: essays research papers

In her book, The Red Tent, Anita Diamant attempts to expound upon the foundations laid by the Torah by way of midrashim. In doing so, parts of her stories tend to stray from the original biblical text. The following essay will explore this and several other aspects of the book as they relate to the Torah and modern midrash.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the first differences I recognized was the description of Leah’s eyes. In Genesis 29:17, Leah’s eyes are described as weak. Diamant dispels this ‘rumor’, saying that Leah’s eyes, one blue and one green, â€Å"made others weak† because most people had difficulty looking her in the face. By making this small adjustment, Diamant is able to create a connection between Jacob and Leah that the Bible neglects. The Bible says only that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, which tends to give the impression that Leah was unloved. Diamant says that Jacob was able to look Leah in the eye without any trouble and never made any comment regarding them. This is significant because it shows that Jacob overlooked a flaw in Leah that most others seemed unable to ignore, and the physical attraction between them that she later addressed in the seven days following their marriage (which was a single night in the Bible) seems to make more s ense. In addition, their discussion in the tent concluding that Jacob was to emerge after the week â€Å"feigning anger â€Å" is a midrash provides an explanation as to why Jacob slept with Leah and still complained to Laban that he had been tricked. Diamant makes Jacob appear to be more of a gentleman than the Bible does, and thus, a more likeable main character in her novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In The Red Tent, Diamant created people not mentioned in the Torah. One such person was Ruti, Laban’s last wife. Laban beat Ruti badly and frequently for no apparent reason. In Diamant’s book, Ruti’s fairly small role serves as a clear reason for the reader to dislike Laban. Until Ruti is introduced, besides being a drunk and making love to sheep, we find Laban to be little more than pathetic. Including Ruti in the story adds another dimesion to Laban’s character; one of cruelty and aggression. At this point, Diamant makes Laban begin to fit the novelistic â€Å"bad guy† mold quite well, and the reader finds him more repulsive than ever before. His daughters pay little attention to Ruti and ignore the evidence of their father’s abusiveness because Ruti is â€Å"the mother of their sons’ rivals, their material enemy.

John Locke Paper

Throughout the 17th century, John Locke presented society with his teachings and theories that clarified the order of natural law and fulfilled humanity’s divine purpose for living. It all began in 1647, as a young boy when he attended the prestigious Westminster School in London under the sponsorship of Alexander Popham. During his years at the Westminster School, he found the work of modern philosophers more interesting than the material being taught at the university.Much of Locke's influence and later work was characterized by opposition to authoritarianism, which focused on both the level of the individual person and on the level of institutions such as government and church. Locke wanted each of us to use reason to search after truth rather than simply accept the opinion of authorities or be subject to superstition. He wanted us to proportion go along with the proposition to the evidence for them. Locke came to the conclusion that there must be a balance and mutual under standing between individuality and social institutions where society will not feel suppressed under man made law and restrictions.John Locke believed that all knowledge comes from experience. Experience is composed of two parts: external and internal. External experiences are ideas of supposed external objects. These objects enter our minds through sensation. Examples of sensations would be hot, cold, red, yellow, hard, soft, sweet and bitter. Internal experiences are reflections that make us understand the operation on the objects of sensation. Examples of reflections are thinking, willing, believing, doubting, affirming, denying, and comparing.Once again Locke goes back to his foundation of principles by reaffirming that in order to achieve success and sensation there must be a working relationship between individual goals and the law of society. Sensation and reflection are called the two fountains of knowledge. All of our ideas we can naturally have or have so already come from these two experiences. Sensible qualities convey into the mind, and they produce most of the perceptions and most of the great sources of ideas we have.Sensation and reflection differ from each other because sensation is what happens outside the body, and reflection has to do what happens inside the body with our mind. Also reflection has to do with the ideas it affords being such only as the mind gets by reflecting on its own operations within itself, the mind takes over its own operations and the manner of them. Besides having sensible qualities one also contains primary and secondary qualities. Locke explains that these qualities are two kinds of properties that an object could have.Primary qualities contain solidity, figure, extension, motion and number. They are properties that are objective and independent on senses. On the other hand, secondary qualities consist of color, smell, taste, sound and touch. They are properties that are subjectively perceived. In Locke’s, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, he states, â€Å"sensible qualities; which, whatever reality we by mistake attribute to them, are in truth nothing in the objects themselves, but powers to produce various sensations in us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (John Locke, 77).In other words, secondary qualities are dependent on the primary qualities. According to Locke, ideas are anything that is â€Å"the immediate object of perception, thought, or understanding† (William Lawhead, 91). Locke states that sensation and reflection are classified as simple and complex ideas. Simple ideas are red, yellow, hard, soft, etc and for example, you touch an ice cube, your mind is telling you its cold and it’s hard, you learn that from experience. Locke believed that the mind cannot know an inexperienced idea or create a new simple idea.Although the mind cannot create simple ideas, it can process them into complex ideas. Complex ideas are made up of several simple ideas, such as beauty, gratitude, a man, an army, the universe. Complex ideas are also broken down into three parts: ideas of substance which is a constant collection of simple ideas, ideas of mode which is a combination of several ideas, which form a mode, like a triangle, last but not least ideas of relationship, which is a comparison of one idea to another.From experience it goes to sensation and reflection, and those are based on simple ideas and that’s all contained in the passive mind, after simple ideas it goes to complex ideas and that’s located in the active mind. Overall in Locke’s theory he uses epistemological dualism, which is the mind that consists of knowing and its ideas. He also states the object in the external world is known by ideas, and our ideas represent those objects. After researching about Locke’s theory of knowledge I would have to agree with what he has stated.Locke states that you go through an internal and external experience and I feel that today’s y outh do go through the motions of the internal and external experiences. As a result the youth are able to gain the knowledge from those experiences by allowing the mind to willingly accept these new ideas. For example, when I was younger I put my hand near a hot stove and from the heat irritating and pressuring my hand my mind told me it was a negative stimuli and it was essential to remove my hand from the stove and to keep that memory as a basic instinct.Society goes through experiences throughout life of internal and external and eventually gains knowledge through these experiences. John Locke also stated that the mind does all the knowing and its ideas are known. I agree with what he is saying because your mind is always working, it’s always active, we receive ideas internally through our mind and we receive ideas from the outside that goes into our mind. The balance is necessary between internal and external factors to keep society and individuals stable and yet progres sive to adapt to new changes that rise up.

Gerontology and Social Exchange Theory Essay

Introduction The fundamental biological problem that all theories of aging seek to explain was stated very elegantly in 1957 by Williams when he wrote, â€Å"It is indeed remarkable that after a seemingly miraculous feat of morphogenesis, a complex metazoan should be unable to perform the much simpler task of merely maintaining what is already formed.† The difficulty in attempting to establish an understanding of aging is that it is not a single physiological process. It is multifaceted and hierarchical in its expression with subtle changes occurring simultaneously at the molecular, cellular, tissue and organ levels. The variety of characterizes many species, particularly humans, and the complexity of environmental interactions results in an enormous phenotypic variability being associated with aging. This variability is frequently confounded by the symptoms of underlying pathology and invariably increases between individuals with aging. First Transformation of Theory The beginning of social gerontology began as general perspectives on aging rather than as actual scientific theories. Prior to 1961, social gerontology attempted to explain how individuals adjusted to aging from role and activity perspectives. Growing old was seen as an inevitable process that led to the development of problems an individual experienced overtime. It wasn’t until 1961, with the development of disengagement theory, that there was an actual theory being used as a basis for scientific research. A basic assumption of the theory was that all societies have to transfer power from an aging population to a younger one. Disengagement attempted to explain this process of power transfer and complimented gerotrancendence, another theory from what is considered to be the first transformation of theory. Gerotrancendence follows the beliefs of Jung and Erikson that as a person ages, they withdraw from the external world to an internal world focused on spirituality, wisdom, se lf-acceptance and purpose. Both disengagement and gerotrancendence theories attempted to explain what social gerontologists thought aging should be. They did not try to develop a universal theory to explain the variety of experiences of people as they age (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2011). In the case of disengagement, this withdrawal from power was  believed to be a universal experience that transcended gender and culture. Death was inevitable; decline in abilities was probably. It was only natural that others would have lowered expectations for aging individuals. In the case of gerotrancendence, this withdrawal resulted from an individual not achieving ego identity. An individual would either attain this ego identity, a positive regard for their life, or withdraw as a symptom of despair (Andrus Gerontology Center; University of Southern California, 2005) A third theory of the time period was continuity theory, which postulated that â€Å"individuals tend to maintain a consistent pattern of behavior as they age, substituting similar types of roles for lost ones and keeping typical ways of adapting to the environment† (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2011, p. 319). Individual satisfaction was dependent on how consistent a person was able to maintain the same patterns of behavior. Though attempting to challenge previous theories based on activity and disengagement perspectives, it also did not address any personality differences among aging individuals, nor did it address any political, social, historical or cultural influences on the experience of aging (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2011). It is interesting to note that though continuity theory attempted to challenge the activity theory, it was similar to the activity perspective that that was a positive relationship between social roles and life satisfaction (Howe, 1987). Alternative Theoretical Perspectives Alternative theories based on a symbolic interaction perspective were developed to address external issues affecting aging while also attempting to connect the disparate theories of activity and disengagement. Symbolic interaction perspective is based on the premise that as an individual interacts with his environment; his experiences of aging are shaped by these interactions. Three of these alternative theories are: age stratification theory, social exchange theory, and the political economy of aging. There are many similarities and differences between these theories. Age stratification and political economy theories are based on the belief that as people age, the differences in their aging experience is significantly influenced by stratification. Age stratification acknowledges the differences experienced by those sharing a similar history. Similarities among life events and societal changes experienced by these historical  cohorts affect these individuals in similar ways. In contrast, political economy theory rejects all previous theories and posits that differences between individual experiences of aging are determined by social class. Socioeconomic and political factors determine the disparity between different groups in an aging population. Social exchange theory is based on an economic cost-benefit model of social interaction. It could be said that there is a similarity between social exchange and political economy in that disparities experienced are social in nature. Whereas in social exchange theory, an individual is thought to be able to influence or change one’s environment as one adapts, political economy believes that inequalities are built into the political system. Political economy critiques the current system which lulls the individual into believing one has to adapt to circumstances, rather than changing society’s structural inequalities. Of the alternative theories, social exchange is the only one to address the influence of culture on the experience of aging. Social exchange theory believes that people interact with those whom they believe the rewards outweigh the costs of the relationship (Taylor, Peplau, & Sears, 2006). Though social exchange theory acknowledges that though a person may no longer have the same economic value when older, that the older individual possesses other non-materialistic assets such as wisdom, love, and time for service. As our society modernized, these assets have been overlooked by a culture that now places importance on efficiency and productivity (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2011). The Second Transformation The second transformation was developed in the early 1980’s. This transformation includes the following approaches: social phenomenology, social constructivism, and social constructionism. Both of which discuss the influence of social perceptions, rather than actual facts. Social phenomenology is an interpretative approach to an individual’s social life on a day to day basis. The purpose is to gain a better understanding of the aging process and how it is influenced by social definitions and social structures. This approach can be a very helpful guide when gaining understanding of an individual’s social life, depending on how the information is obtained. The outcomes for this approach will be solely based on the interpretations of the individual (s) obtaining this information. Not  everyone has the same social definition and or social structures, which could result in numerous interpretations (Hooyman& Kiyak, 2011). Social Constructionism and Social Constructiv ism are both phenomenological approaches that focus on social phenomena development, but are very different. Social constructionism is the sociological perspective and focuses on the social contexts and structural development. This approach would view how an individual structures their life which shapes their old age experiences. Social constructivism is interpreting the meaning of an individual’s social context, psychologically. From this approach the researchers want to know more information on why a person chooses a specific context and how an individual does decide a specific social context (Hooyman& Kiyak, 2011). Critical Theory and Feminist Perspectives are also influenced by phenomenology. Critical theory refers to the biomedical model of aging, but focuses on structural and institution factors. This theory is suggesting that those (older people) participating in research studies should be allowed to come up with the questions they are requested to answer. For instance, research conducted regarding retirement would recommend a series of questions complied by other retirees (Hooyman& Kiyak, 2011). The Feminist Theory concludes that age related research outcomes involve inequalities against wom en. This theory suggests that women haven’t been included in research studies as they should be. It’s even been stated that men have been favored over women. Due to these inequalities all other theories of aging are insufficient. These inequalities also include gender with race, social class, sexual orientation, and disabilities, all of which aren’t discussed as much as they should be (Hooyman& Kiyak, 2011). These theories are all based on assumptions, rather than actual facts. The text states, â€Å"To positivist, phenomenological theories may seem impossible to test and closer to assumptions about meanings than propositions that can be proved or disprove† (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2011, p. 326).Society has a huge impact on our perceptions of life, which aren’t consistent and change over time. A huge factor of perception is that it’s not necessarily reality and lacks proven facts. If the information being evaluated isn’t consistent, lacks factual information, and is based on assumptions it shouldn’t be used for practice, but could be a beneficial guiding tool (Hooyman& Kiyak, 2011). Postmodernist Theory Postmodernist theory represents a decisive break with modernity or a positivist scientific approach to an â€Å"objective† truth (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2011, p. 331). Postmodernism focuses on how our world appears today, rather than focusing on how an individual wishes for the world to be seen. Postmodernist theory reviews the whole of a person’s experiences during their life time and examines the body not from a biological standpoint, but rather by everyday social and cultural practices built overtime to construct the identity of the individual. The individual will physically change overtime, but their essential identity develops based on achievements and future goals. An area that continues to develop in postmodernist theory focuses on biomedical technology that can provide options for reconstructing failing body parts to slow the process of aging. Postmodernist and social constructivist theories share the link of knowledge as a socially constructed element and each indivi dual’s social life events create who they are. This diversity of perspectives alerts social gerontologists to be concerned with the connections between scientific inquiry and the social milieu at particular influential points in time (Putney, Alley, & Bengston, 2005, p. 95). Both areas focus on an individual’s construct based on a cultural framework of customs, traditions, and beliefs. Social constructionism and postmodernist take into account how individual experiences alter an individual’s aging process allowing the person to develop their own reality. Each area stresses the importance of the individual’s social framework to help sustain their self-worth as they age. In contrast to political economy of aging, postmodernists focus on the well-being of an individual not from a social class or political standing, but from their life experiences. Structural factors of gender, sexual orientation, functional ability, race, age and class can have negative effects that limit an individual’s later opportunities. According to Hooyman & Kiyak (2011), these structural factors—often institutionalized and reinforced by public policy—limit the opportunities and choices of later life, resulting in cumulative disadvantages in o ld age, which are further exacerbated by retirement (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2011, p. 323). These differences force aging individuals to change themselves and their lifestyles to fit income, health and physical care policy constraints forced  on them. Increased reduction in public health and social services creates a barrier for individuals to affectively age and receive proper care. Postmodernist theory follows the same framework of individual aging. It develops with the individual to meet their needs on a personal level and takes into consideration what the body and mind have both gone through as they have aged. According to Powell (2011), older people are usually ‘fixed’ to roles without resources which does not do justice to the richness of their individual experiences and multi-facets of their personalities (Powell, 2001, p. 6). Postmodernism clearly focuses on the importance of an individual’s ability to develop overtime through experience and uses biomedicine to provide options for maintaining an individual’s physical body. This provides a solid framework for aging that meets the needs of an individual from both physical and mental capacities. Conclusion While these are the dominant theories, many other theories are in varying stages of development. In addition, theories are constantly being tested and modified as new data from aging research emerges. It is only in the last half-century that researchers have begun to focus their attention on older adults as a population worthy of special consideration. While earlier theories of aging were few in number, narrowly focused, and generally negative, recent theories have emerged that establish aging as a multidimensional process. These theories view aging as characterized by positive as well as negative qualities and are more interactive in nature. They emphasize the interaction of biological, physical, and social factors in each individual’s age trajectory, and attempt to explain how older adults can minimize the negative and maximize the positive aspects of aging, in order to more fully enjoy the increased life span that comes with living in the 21st century. References Andrus Gerontology Center; University of Southern California. (2005). The Psychology of Aging: Lecture Part II. Retrieved from http://gero.usc.edu/AgeWorks/core_courses/gero500_core/psychology_lect/index_a.htm Hooyman, N. R., & Kiyak, H. A. (2011). Social Gerontology, ninth edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Howe, C. Z. (1987). Selected Social Gerontology Theories and Older Adult Leisure Involvement: A Review of the

5 Arabic Words in the News

5 Arabic Words in the News 5 Arabic Words in the News 5 Arabic Words in the News By Daniel Scocco An article in this morning’s newspaper contained the following Arabic words: bidoon djellabah Salafists Shiite Sunni â€Å"He was identified as a member of the country’s large stateless population known as bidoon.† 1. bidoon The word does not appear in either the OED or M-W. I found this definition in an article at PBS: Bidoon refers to a diverse group of people [in Kuwait] who at the time of independence were not given Kuwaiti nationality. The term comes from the Arabic phrase  bidoon jinsiya, â€Å"without nationality.† A Wikipedia article spells the word Bedoon and defines it as â€Å"an ethnic group in Gulf Arab states and Iraq.† â€Å"[He] was wearing jeans, a knee-length djellabah robe [sic] and a loose towel over his head† 2. djellabah I didn’t find this word in either the OED or M-W, but I did find it at Dictionary.com: djellabah: a loose hooded cloak, typically woolen, of a kind traditionally worn by men in North Africa. â€Å"French authorities say Salhi had links to radical Salafists- who preach an ultraconservative form of Islam† 3. Salafists A Salafist is an adherent of Salafism. I found this definition of Salafism in an article at PBS: Salafism  is an ideology that posits that Islam has strayed from its origins. The word salaf is Arabic for â€Å"ancient one† and refers to the companions of the Prophet Mohammed. Arguing that the faith has become decadent over the centuries, Salafists call for the restoration of authentic Islam as expressed by an adherence to its original teachings and texts. â€Å"The Sunni extremists of Islamic State consider Shiites to be heretics† 4. Sunni The OED defines Sunni this way: The orthodox Muslims who accept the Sunna as of equal authority with the Quran, considered collectively. Note: The OED defines Sunna as â€Å"the body of traditional sayings and customs attributed to Muhammad and supplementing the Quran.† â€Å"Authorities said he flew into Kuwait’s international airport at dawn on the day of the noontime attack at one of the emirate’s oldest Shiite mosques.† 5. Shiite In this sentence, Shiite is the adjective form of Shia, a Muslim sect whose name derives from Shiat Ali, â€Å"the party of Ali.† When Muhammad died in 632 CE without naming a political successor, some of his followers thought his son-in-law Ali should be their leader; others declared for his father-in-law, Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr served as the first caliph (632-634); Ali served as the fourth caliph (656- 661). Today, the majority of Muslims are Sunnis- somewhere between 85% and 90%. Shiites represent only about 10% of Muslims, but in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, and Azerbaijan, they are in the majority.   Note: Caliph is from an Arabic word meaning successor. After the death of Muhammad, it became the title given in Muslim countries to the chief civil and religious ruler. The last caliph in Istanbul was killed by Mongol conquerors in 1258. The Ottoman caliphate was abolished by Kemal Ataturk in 1924. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:List of 50 Great Word Games for Kids and Adults50 Musical Terms Used in Nonmusical Senses

Pachycephalosaurs - The Bone-Headed Dinosaurs

Pachycephalosaurs - The Bone-Headed Dinosaurs Pachycephalosaurs (Greek for thick-headed lizards) were an unusually small family of dinosaurs with an unusually high entertainment value. As you can guess from their name, these two-legged herbivores were distinguished by their skulls, which ranged from the mildly thick (in early genera like Wannanosaurus) to the truly dense (in later genera like Stegoceras). Some later pachycephalosaurs sported almost a foot of solid, albeit slightly porous, bone on top of their heads! (See a gallery of bone-headed dinosaur pictures and profiles.) However, its important to understand that big heads, in this case, didnt translate into equally big brains. Pachycephalosaurs were about as bright as the other plant-eating dinosaurs of the late Cretaceous period (which is a polite way of saying not very); their closest relatives, the ceratopsians, or horned, frilled dinosaurs, werent exactly natures A students, either. So of all the possible reasons pachycephalosaurs evolved such thick skulls, protecting their extra-big brains certainly wasnt one of them. Pachycephalosaur Evolution Based on the available fossil evidence, paleontologists believe that the very first pachycephalosaurssuch as Wannanosaurus and Goyocephalearose in Asia about 85 million years ago, only 20 million years before the dinosaurs went extinct. As is the case with most progenitor species, these early bone-headed dinosaurs were fairly small, with only slightly thickened skulls, and they may have roamed in herds as protection against hungry raptors and tyrannosaurs. Pachycephalosaur evolution really seems to have taken off when these early genera crossed the land bridge that (back during the late Cretaceous period) connected Eurasia and North America. The largest boneheads with the thickest skullsStegoceras, Stygimoloch and Sphaerotholusall roamed the woodlands of western North America, as did Dracorex hogwartsia, the only dinosaur ever to be named after the Harry Potter books. By the way, its especially difficult for experts to untangle the details of pachycephalosaur evolution, for the simple reason that so few complete fossil specimens have ever been discovered. As you might expect, these thick-skulled dinosaurs tend to be represented in the geological record mainly by their heads, their less-robust vertebrae, femurs and other bones having long since been scattered to the winds. Pachycephalosaur Behavior and Lifestyles Now we get to the million-dollar question: why did pachycephalosaurs have such thick skulls? Most paleontologists believe male boneheads head-butted each other for dominance in the herd and the right to mate with females, a behavior that can be seen in (for example) modern-day bighorn sheep. Some enterprising researchers have even conducted computer simulations, showing that two moderately sized pachycephalosaurs could ram each others noggins at high speed and live to tell the tale. Not everyone is convinced, though. Some people insist that high-speed head-butting would have produced too many casualties, and speculate that pachycephalosaurs instead used their heads to butt the flanks of competitors within the herd (or even smaller predators). However, it does seem odd that nature would evolve extra-thick skulls for this purpose, since non-pachycephalosaur dinosaurs could easily (and safely) butt each others flanks with their normal, non-thickened skulls. (The recent discovery of Texacephale, a small North American pachycephalosaur with shock-absorbing grooves on either side of its skull, lends some support to the head-butting-for-dominance theory.) By the way, the evolutionary relationships among different genera of pachycephalosaurs are still being sorted out, as are the growth stages of these strange dinosaurs. According to new research, its likely that two supposedly separate pachycephalosaur generaStygimoloch and Dracorexin fact represent earlier growth stages of the much bigger Pachycephalosaurus. If the skulls of these dinosaurs changed shape as they aged, that may mean that additional genera have been classified improperly, and were in fact species (or individuals) of existing dinosaurs.

Assessment of the Overall Impact of Colonialism in the Philippines Research Proposal

Assessment of the Overall Impact of Colonialism in the Philippines - Research Proposal Example The strong resistance of the Filipinos to colonial rule paved the way to its national independence in 1946 from the American rule (Weightman 483). Today, the Philippines remarkably is trying to run its own government under a democratic procedure which gives more freedom for all Filipinos to exercise their right for citizenship. Today, 65 years passed after the Philippine independence from American rule, it is still important to look at the following aspects as a particular way to assess the overall impact of colonialism in the Philippines: leadership in governance, political, economic and culture. In 1972, Ferdinand Marcos proclaimed martial law which placed the entire nation under the military authority. Once again, Filipinos had proven that oppression is a significant triggering factor as far as their level of resistance is concerned. Based on these, it is clear that the Philippines together with its people have remarkable characteristics that are in line with its momentous history particularly its experience with colonialism. It is therefore important to asses at this point the level of impact colonialism brought to the Philippines particularly in the country’s leadership in governance, politics, economy, and culture. For instance, corruption in the Philippines is something Filipinos observed from Spaniards, which today became its major and significant problem. In fact, to alleviate if not eliminate it is the very goal of the recent administration.  

Financial Analysis about PepsiCo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial Analysis about PepsiCo - Essay Example Today the PepsiCo has a wide and diverse range of edible products and it is one of the largest multinational corporations of the world. As per the financial statements of the company for the financial year 2011, the company has more than 22 mega brands which accounts for more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. The company has been working diligently on focusing on its strategic targets and has been able to add several brands in the last decade. During the financial year 2011 the company was able to post revenue of 14 percent through its food and average business. The global snack portfolio of the company accounts for around $34 billion. In this particular niche, the company has been able to diverse immensely and through active innovation, the company has been able to add new products such as bread snacks and refrigerated dips. In addition, Lays, one of the world’s leading brands is also owned by PepsiCo and accounted for $9 billion in sales during the financial year 2011.On the other hand, the global beverage portfolio of the company amounts for $34 billion which has shown an impressive increase of 5% growth from the previous financial year. Considering the current strategies and innovation, the company is actively working on brining new experiences to its customers all across the globe. The fact that the company is committed in expanding its operations all across the globe can be identified from the fact that during the 2011 financial year 50% of the revenue of the company came from outside of the America. The company has actively started marketing one of its major beverages Gatorade and Pepsi MAX outside of the America. ... rands is also owned by PepsiCo and accounted for $9 billion in sales during the financial year 2011.On the other hand, the global beverage portfolio of the company amounts for $34 billion which has shown an impressive increase of 5% growth from the previous financial year. Considering the current strategies and innovation, the company is actively working on brining new experiences to its customers all across the globe. The fact that the company is committed in expanding its operations all across the globe can be identified from the fact that during the 2011 financial year 50% of the revenue of the company came from outside of the America. The company has actively started marketing one of its major beverages Gatorade and Pepsi MAX outside of the America. No matter how strong the asset base of a company is and how prudent and effective the management of its resources is, there are always certain business risk lurking. As per the latest financial statement of the company, a great quantu m of its sales pertains to outside of America to countries such as Mexico, United Kingdom, China, India etc. However, the markets in these countries are still emerging and there is no certainty and surety that the products manufactured by the company will be accepted in the coming future. In addition, the political instability or severe economic meltdown can cause serious affect on the profitability of the company. Serious competition from any of the local brand in the aforementioned countries can also give difficult time to the company in achieving its desired sales target and revenue level. Change in the legal and regulatory requirement in any of the country can adversely affect the operations of the company. The overseas operations and conduct of the business including production,