Family in US and Saudi Arabia

Short - Causes of the Boer Wars essays

Short - Causes of the Boer Wars essays There were significant political conflicts between the two sides. The Boers treated all blacks very badly and did not give basic human rights even to the blacks working for them. They made them pay taxes but could not vote. It was said to be through religious reasons that the Boers treated blacks so badly. This awful treatment infuriated the British, who had abolished slavery in all its colonies as well as at home in 1834. The Dutch wanted to keep its slaves. Europeans working in the Boer territories were also mistreated. These Uitlanders as they were known were key to the Boers economic success, yet were still denied the vote. The war occurred also because of strategic reasons. The British had already seized Swaziland, Bechuanaland and Basutoland, which more or less surrounded the Boers who feared that if the British took any more territory, they could be under siege, particularly if their route to the sea was blocked. The British wanted to control all of Southern Africa, not just small areas that were isolated the Boers were their main opponents. There were economic issues involved in the war. The Boers took control of the Transvaal and set up the Orange Free State. They found gold in the Transvaal and this area became very rich indeed. Later diamonds were found in this area as well, and there was argument between the British and Boers over in which nations territory they lay. Certain individuals had a major role in provoking the war. Cecil Rhodes was probably the most ambitious of Britains leaders abroad. He was a real imperialist, and strove to expand the British Empire further, especially through his dream of a Cape Colony to Cairo railway. He was strongly anti-Boer, and his actions seemed to shape British policy back at home. Also highly influential was Sir Alfred Milner, who was the British High Commissioner and was also strongly anti-Boer. He ...

Lin200 tut Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lin200 tut - Assignment Example Content words refer to words that hold meaning or content of a sentence. They are words that are known as open class words in that they allow for the adding of new other words by derivation, compounding, inflection, borrowing or coining of these other words. On the other hand function words refer to the words that contain ambiguous meaning and are used to put across grammatical relations with added words within one sentence. While content words are open class, functional words are closed class. b. Antonyms refer to two words with opposite meaning for example the words â€Å"clean† and â€Å"dirty†. Gradable antonyms refer to a single word pair with differing meanings and occur when the two meanings are in on an uninterrupted range. An example is in the pair of words â€Å"light heavy†. Complementary antonyms refer to a single word pair with conflicting meanings, and exist when the words meanings do not lie on an uninterrupted range. An example is the pair of words â€Å"dead and alive â€Å".Relational antonyms on the other hand refer single words pair with differing sense, and occur in a situation or a certain context of the relation in the words pair. An example is the words â€Å"patient and doctor† (Baker, 2012). The first is the narrowing semantic change from the subordinate to the super ordinate level to level. For example the word â€Å"skyline† was earlier referred to as â€Å"horizon†. The second semantic change is the widening change where specific words are used to mean a general thing for example the word â€Å"vegetables† and â€Å"tomatoes†. Another semantic change is hyperbole, which is a change from a strong to a weak meaning for example â€Å"†slaughter and â€Å"torment† referring to the process of killing (Baker,

Southwest Airlines Marketing Plan Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Southwest Airlines Marketing Plan Report - Essay Example The company encourages the employees to be creative in their own way while performing at the workplace. Goals and Objectives The company has the goal of ensuring that there is no compromise on the quality when the people fly in Southwest Airlines. The employees are to be trained in such a way that they always come forward to address the needs of the customers whenever required. Safety of the travelers during the flight time is also one of the aspects that South-western Airlines wants to ensure on a day to day basis. The company is popular for its low cost Airline services. South western intends to retain this strategy in the future course of its business as well. Thus it would want to increase the frequency of the flights and would try to maintain the prices at the low cost segment so that it is able to retain a larger market share (Lauer 218). SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is an important marketing analytical tool that helps an organization to determine its key internal strengths, wea knesses and external opportunities, threats. Southwest Airlines is known as one of the leading low cost airlines. This part of the marketing plan will conduct a SWOT analysis for southwest Airlines. Strengths Southwest Airlines is one of the leading and successful low cost airlines around the globe. The organization implemented several key and effective business strategies in order to achieve potential competitive advantages and maximize the business profit. Marketing The organization has a strong General Counsel Department in marketing in order to review each and every marketing material in order to maintain potential target customer base. Effective promotional strategy helped the organization to create huge brand awareness among the target customers. Product The organization uses Boeing 737s as its products. The organization always tries to ensure the quality of the product. As all the planes are Boeing 737s; the turnaround, training and maintenance costs are contained. In additio n to this, the organization has no meals, central reservations, baggage handling and assigned seats (Gittell 137). Financial The financial position of the organization is quite strong with 3 billion US dollar in cash. The organization generates 716 million US dollar in free cash flow in the tear 2012. Figure 1: Free Cash Flow (Southwestonereport 33) In addition to this, the organization returned 422 million US dollars to its stakeholder. Technology Integration of advanced and modern technology increased the business perform ace of the organization. In addition to this, utilization of several modern technological equipments in each and every business operation process helped the organization to reduce its business operation cost. Management It is important for a service providing organization to ensure healthy work place environment in order to enhance effective business performances. Southwest Airlines has an effective, fun loving, strong and employee oriented culture that helps the organization to focus on several business aspects. Synergy Effective customer service helped the organization huge customer preference. 28 years of long reliable and safe operation increase the brand loyalty of the airlines. In addition to this, the route systems of Southwest Airlines have grown significantly. Effective environmental sustainability training program in employees program helped the organi

Reflective essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 14

Reflective - Essay Example However, my far-reaching plans were overshadowed by the terrible news: one day I learned that my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. My loving parents did not want me to know, yet I learned it accidentally. I just found an abstract of mother’s medical record when looking for my notebook in the drawer. And I was shell shocked. The feelings were as if a bucket of ice-cold water was poured on me. I understood that she wanted to protect me from worries, but I was adamant about what I needed to do as a loving child. When your dearest person finds herself in the mire, there are no other possible options but staying near and doing your best to help and relieve the personal hell she is going though. Therefore, I decided to postpone my study in the U.S., so that my mom could rely on me anytime during her treatment. I have to admit that giving up my dream was very hard, and so was watching mom going through the painful course of chemotherapy, but I do not regret anything. This experience, though rather p stressful, has produced a profound effect on my life and attitude. Usually, I tended to distance myself from thoughts that some of my dearest people and particularly family members can be possible affected by a serious disease, get into an accident or die. Therefore, hearing about other people die of cancer in the news programs, I often thought: â€Å"Well, that is awful, but fortunately it will never affect me, my parents or my friends†. I remember that when I was at school, I read about Kylie Minogue being diagnosed with breast cancer. Well, I liked this singer and was a little upset, but still I perceived cancer as a distanced and abstract thing. However, when I saw mother’s weary eyes after a chemotherapy session and understood that cancer can reach anyone, nobody is completely secure even with healthy lifestyle or strong immune

The Consumer Buying Decision Marketing Essay

The Consumer Buying Decision Marketing Essay Introduction In this assignment I have employed as a business marketing advisor for the Sheffield Business Support Council where John Ryan from Window World has made contact with. He has been in replacement window industry for fifteen years. Early years of business was doing successfully. Window World had been a focused on upon replacing old windows and doors and constructing and installing new conservatories for customers. First he had resisted and purposely declined approaches from local business. Then he realised move into seeking and accepting orders from business. But overall business over past fourteen months had declined by 25%. The reason why he is seeking advise from us is there is something wrong with their approach in business marketing and sales. So I have allocated to visit the company and offer advise and assistance to them. Task 1. Making money is one part of selling product or service in most businesses. However, it can be much more complicated than that simple model; some businesses serve as the middle man from manufacturer to customer; others sell to other businesses, and some organizations do not follow a financial model that generates a profit for them. All of these business models lead to different types of business transactions. There are three buying decisions consumer goes through. These are limited problem solving, habitual decision making, and extended problem solving. Limited problem solving happens during a purchase decision that calls for, at most, a moderate amount of time. Limited problem solving usually based on past experience more than an external information. Habitual decision making describes a purchase decision process in which consumers engage little effort. Marketers strive to attract and maintain habitual purchasers by creating strong brands and store loyalty. Extended problem solving is a common when the customer thinks that purchase decision causes a massive risk. To reduce risk, customer does lots of information. Also there are factors that affects consumer decision process which are psychological factor, marketing mix, social factor, situational factor. Psychological factors Although marketers themselves can influence purchase decisions, psychological factors affect the way people receive marketers message. There are motives, attitudes, perception, and learning Social factors The decision process is also influenced by the external, social environment , which consists of customers family, reference groups, and culture. Family Many purchase decisions are made about products or services that the entire family will consume. So, firms must consider how families can do the purchase decisions. Reference group One or more person whom an individual uses as a basis for comparison regarding beliefs, feelings, and behaviour. Culture Defined as the shared meanings, beliefs, morals, values and customs of group people. Business Purchase The process of selling products or services to buying organisation. Therefore, Business to Business marketing involves manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. Some firms find it more productive to focus on their efforts and resource on key business customers rather than on ultimate customer. Manufacturers or Producers One of the biggest business-to-business buyers are manufactures and producers. They buy raw material s, components and parts to supply for the product. Resellers They are marketing intermediaries that resell manufactured products without significantly altering their form. Institutions Institutions, such as school and hospitals purchase all kinds of goods and services. Government In most countries, the central government tends to be the one of the largest purchasers of goods and services. The distinction between a B2B and a B2C transaction is not the product or service itself; rather, it is ultimate user of that product or service. Task 2. A  buying center  (also known as a  decision making unit  or  DMU), in  marketing,  procurement, and  organisational studies, is a group of employees or members of any type of organization responsible for finalising major decisions, whether to purchase. These DMU participants can range from employees who have a formal role in purchasing decisions to members are specifying the highly technical purchases, such as information systems or production equipment, also require the expertise of technical specialists. All these employees are likely to play different roles in the buying process, which vendors must understand and adapt to in their marketing and sales efforts. These roles compromised of 6 different roles: -Initiator the person who first suggests buying the particular product or service, often associated with the user -Influencer anyone outside of DMU with influence on its members, has knowledge about potential suppliers -Decider the person with the authority to make the decision to buy-whether to buy, what to buy, how to buy, or where to buy -Buyer the person who is tasked to make actual purchase for doing paperwork etc. (handle the paperwork) -User the person who is consumes or uses the product or service -Gatekeeper the person who controls information or access, or both, to decision makers and influencers All these roles tend to be more formal and by job title. Degree of influence may still be affected by a strength of personality. Also these specialised buying centres typically receive information about the product or service from commercial sources, peers, publications and the experience. The number of individuals involved in purchasing will relies on the complexity of the need, the value of the purchase and the level of risk held to be connected to the decision.  The people taking on the different roles of the DMU vary with each purchasing occasion, but it is important for suppliers to identify the members of the DMU and recognize their particular needs so that communication efforts can be customized in each single case. According to Morris et al (2001), the mechanism of the DMU is of critical importance to the B2B marketer. Morris (1992) states that  one approach to clarify what takes place among  the participants in the purchasing decision process is to focus on the structure of the DMU. Since the DMU is normally not a formal group, its structure is not formally established by the organisation. Task 3. Buying process begin when consumer recognize that they need unsatisfied need. Research suggests that customers go through a five-stage decision-making process through before, during, and after making purchases. This five-stage decision-making process summarised in the diagram below. The Consumer Buying Decision This model is important for anyone making marketing decisions. It forces the marketer to consider the whole buying process rather than just the purchase decision (when it may be too late for a business to influence the choice!) The model implies that customers pass through all stages in every purchase. However, in more routine purchases, customers often skip or reverse some of the stages. Need Recognition The buying process starts with need recognition. At this stage, the buyer has an unsatisfied need and want to go form their actual, needy to state to a different, desired state. Information Search The second step, after a consumer recognises a need, is to search for information about the various options that exist to satisfy the need. Customer can get information from internal and external research for information. Internal research is customer uses own memory and knowledge about the product or service, gathered through the past experiences. For the external research, buyers seek to information outside of own personal knowledge base to help make the buying decisions. These are can be personal source -friends, family; commercial source- advertising, salespeople; public source- newspapers, radio etc. Alternative Evaluation Research has shown that a consumers mind organises and categorise the alternatives to a support their decision process. When consumer begin to evaluate different alternatives, they often base their evaluations on a set of important attributes or evaluative criteria. Purchase Value is a strong driver of consumers purchase decisions. Customers seek out and purchase the products and services that they believe provide them with the best value. Then, after consumers have access to the product or service, they usually consume it. Post Purchase The final step of the consumer decision process is post purchase behaviour. It is common for customers to experience concerns after making a purchase decision. For the business decision process occurs to include six different stages. Though it differs many ways from consumer decision process, both started with need recognition. Information search and evaluation of alternatives steps are more formal and structured in B2B process. Typically, B2B buyers specify their needs in writing and task potential suppliers to submit formal proposals, whereas B2C buying decisions usually made by individuals or families. The diagram below has shown business decision process. Business-to-Business Decision Process Need Recognition In the first step of the B2B buying process, the buying organisation recognises through either internal or external sources, that has a drained need. Product Specifications After recognising the need, the organisation considers alternative solutions and come up with potential specifications that suppliers might use to develop their proposals to supply the product. RFP Proposals The request proposals (RFP) is a common process through which buying organisation invite alternative suppliers to bid on supplying their required components. The purchasing company may simply post its RFP needs on its Web site, work through various B2B linkages. Proposal Analysis and Supplier Selection The buying organisation, in conjunction with its critical decision maker, evaluates all the proposals it receive in response to its RFP. Firms are likely to narrow the process to a few suppliers, often those with which they have existing relationships, and discuss key terms of the sale, such as price, quality, delivery, and financing. Order Specification In the fifth stage, the firm place its order with its preferred supplier. The order will include detailed description of goods, prices, and delivery dates. Vendor analysis An organization that supplies specific goods or services to the business markets. Before that firm analyse their vendors performance, strengths and weakness of current and prospective suppliers in terms of their capacity, sales revenue, reputation, stocks, service etc. The Business DMP and the Consumer DMP looks similar but its really quite different because of its formality. The table below shows differences between Business DMP and Consumer DMP. Business DMP Consumer DMP High priority problem solving mode Low priority solving mode Interested in features Interested in advantages of product Risk factor is greater Risk is not high Not spending their own money Spending own money Sales cycle is longer Sale is instant Narrow segment for the product Entire sales market of customers Task 4. The type of buying situation also affects the business to business decision process. Most B2B buying situations can be categorised into three types: A new task buying  situation appears when the company has no earlier experience of the product or service and is buying it for the first time (Smith Taylor, 2002). In this kind of situation, the greater the cost or risk, the larger will be the number of decision contributors and the greater will be their efforts to collect information (Kotler et al., 2002). A modified rebuy  situation emerges when the buyer has some previous experience of the product or service(Smith Taylor, 2002), but wants to modify product specifications, prices, terms or sup-pliers  (Kotler et  al., 2002).   Finally, a straight rebury  situation appears when the company  buys on a regular basis (Smith Taylor, 2002). In this situation, the buyer reorders something without any modifications. It is generally handled on a routine basis by the purchasing department (Kotler et al., 2002).   These varied types of buying situations call for very different marketing and selling strategies. The most complex and difficult is the new task buying because it requires the buying organisation to make changes in current practices and purchases. In new buying situations, the buying center members spend more time at each stage of B2B buying process. Modified buying is probably using existing criteria. Straight re-buys often happens when the buyer recognise the firms need and skipping all the buying process and go directly buy. So new task buying is more intense than modified buying and straight re-buying situations. What we missing at Window World are: Window World need to engage the business, marketers need persuasive content that appeals to both logic and emotion. The communication strategy should serve prospective buyers as well as their current customers with lifetime value. What they need is make customers to open Window Worlds web site and take their phone and calls. Strategic approach to build long-term relationship with buyer, it is mutually beneficial. Answering why and how would be start of new buying situation, telling them why they need their product and how it solves their business problems. Also doing the re-enforcing value and purchase satisfaction with exiting customers . One of important thing is that their product can be easy to purchase. More importantly, key account management (KAM) changes in selling  . KAM is a completely different organizational process used by business-to-business suppliers to manage their relationships with strategically-important customers, and it produces measurable business benefits. Role of sales people in KAM Customer Partner Buyer Behaviour Expert Buyer-seller Team Coordinator Customer Service Provider Information Gatherer Service Provider Market Analyser and Planner Market Cost Analyser Technologist Task 5. Window world has been delivering excellent returns with consumers. Marketers are particularly interested in post purchase behaviour because it causes actual rather than the potential customers. Satisfied customers, whom marketers hope to create, become loyal, and spread word of mouth, so they are quite important. There are three positive post purchase outcomes as illustrated in table 1; increased customer satisfaction, decreased post purchase dissonance, and increased customer loyalty. Customer satisfaction is the state of mind that customers have about a company when their expectations have been met or exceeded over the lifetime of the product or service. The achievement of customer satisfaction leads to company loyalty and product repurchase. Setting unrealistically high consumer expectations of the product through the advertising, personal selling, or other types of promotion may lead to higher initial sales, but it eventually will result in dissatisfaction when the product fails to achieve the high performance expectations. This failure could lead to dissatisfied customers and the potential for negative word of mouth. On the other hand, setting customer expectations too low is equally dangerous strategy. So marketers can take several steps to ensure post purchase satisfaction, such as these: -Build realistic expectations, not too high and not too low. -Demonstrate correct product use-improper usage can cause dissatisfaction. -Stand behind the product or service by providing money-back guaranties and warranties. -Encourage customer feedback, which cuts down on negative word of mouth. -Periodically make contact with customers and thank them for their support. Because customers appreciate human contact, even it is expensive than e-mail or mail contacts. Also it gives you opportunity to correct mistakes. Post purchase dissonance Post purchase dissonance is basically an after purchase cognitive  behaviour. While evaluating the  benefits after a purchase it is common for customers to be concerned about their purchase decision. It is caused by  cognitive dissonance. Here the customer thinks that if customer had purchased some other item it would have been better than the one customer bought. Simply customer is not  completely  satisfied with the purchase and is most likely to switch brands. Marketers can avoid post purchase dissonance the below: Under promise and over deliver. You dont need to under promise, but just make sure you deliver on the promises you make. The sale doesnt end with the sale.  As in, the sale is the start, not the end of the relationship so make sure that you behave in that way.   Follow up on the sale, ask for feedback (and act on it).   Do the nice little unexpected things that you didnt promise this could be a message a week into the sale with a voucher for money off a complementary product or even just a little card to say, thanks for your purchase, we really appreciate it., although I might then think, If you appreciate it show me the money! so an offer or freebie would be appreciated more. Anticipate what might go wrong.  Think through the customer journey and try to remove any of the pain-points they might hit.  Take that approach to every stage of the user experience and youll continue not to disappoint your customer. If something does go wrong, act accordingly.  Sometimes things go wrong. Say sorry and then fix the problem.   Sometimes the best relationships start this way. Loyalty In the post purchase decision making process, marketers attempt to solidity in relationship with their customers. They want customers to be satisfied with their purchase and buy from same company again. Loyal customers only will buy certain brands and shop at certain stores. Firm build loyalty by keeping touch with customers using e-mail marketing, thank you cards and more. treating own team well so they treat your customers well. showing that you care and remembering what they like and dont like. Firm build it by rewarding them for choosing you over your competitors. Firm build it by truly giving a damn about them and figuring out how to make them more success, happy and joyful.

The Importance of Computers in Childrens lives :: Technology Education Argumentative Papers

The Importance of Computers in Children's lives Humans are making new inventions every day. Since the beginning of time, man has been inventing. Homo habilis started by inventing tools and weapons so he could survive. The inventions never stopped and something new is being invented each day: cars, computers, and even spacecrafts. We started inventing things like computers not just for survival, but to make everyday life as easy as possible. In today's society computers have become very important part of our lives. Many educators believe that the use of computers in school answers most of the important "learning" questions: This means test scores would go up, the individual pace of students would make it possible for the "slower" students to catch up, but of course there are many more who oppose to this idea. The introduction of computers in schools in poorer neighborhoods would mean more, because, unlike the upper and middle-class school districts, these kids would have little or no access to computers in their homes after school. A question that needs to be addressed is whether the novelty of computers makes a difference. While the better-off students were already "bored" or "surfeited" with the use of the computer, and their attention was no longer drawn to this technology as a "novelty", this "novelty" might just create interest and study improvement with lower-income students who may not have had the advantage of computer use before. What needs to be examined is both sides of the argument that computers somehow improve learning, sharpen minds, and get students more interested in learning. For example, is it true that, while there are many who feel there are educational and motivational advantages to this technology, we know that there are others who complain that it tends to make the students lazy, isolates them, dampens their creativity, and oversimplifies information. The question that arises in my mind is that can computers replace teachers? In other words, a computer's input-output is constant. On the other hand, you may have a good and inspiring teacher, or one who is just waiting out his time for a pension. Should we let our brains rely on someone else's technology, so that all we have to do is press few keys, and the computer does our "thinking" for us? If computers in schools are meant to improve our grades, as we enter this 21st Century are grades still that important?

The Holy Quran

The Holy Quran is divided into 30 parts, each one is called â€Å"Seepara†. It has 114 sections or chapters which are called â€Å"Surahs†. Each Chapter of unequal length, consists of individual â€Å"Ayat† or verses. These verses are not decided by human beings, but dictated by God. There are in total 6,666 verses in the Holy Quran. Surah al Baqarah (Ch.2 ) is the longest Chapter comprising 287 verses while Surah al Kauthar( Ch. 108) is the shortest with only four verses including the tasmia. Out of the 114 Surahs, 85 Surahs were revealed in Mecca while 29 Surahs were revealed in Madinah.? Introduction of Surah Al Fatiha: Surah al-Fatiha is the first chapter of the Quran. The word â€Å"Fatiha† comes from the verb â€Å"Fataha† which means â€Å"to open†. â€Å"Al† is a defined article and Fatiha means the opening Surah.It consists of 7 verses, 29 words and 139 letters. It belongs to Juz? 1.There are various names of Surah Al Fatiha such as Umm al-Qur'an, the Mother of the Qur'an, and Umm al-Kitab, the Mother of the Book because the meaning of the entire Qur'an is summarised therein. It is also named Sab'ulMathani, (the Seven Often Repeated Verses), Al-Hamd, (the Praise), Al-Shifa (The Cure) and ArRuqya, the Spiritual Cure. Its recitation is a condition for the effectiveness of the prayer.It is mecci surah and It was initially the 5th chapter to be disclosed but after Furqan e Hameed was assembled together, it was put at the beginning. Al-Fatiha itself means â€Å"The Opening† as this chapter comes right at the start of the Holy Book and serves as a Gateway to read Quran Majeed further. Theme of Surah: The Surah is prayer to Almighty Allah for guidance from bad deeds and to guide us to the straight path, the path of authentic and true muslims which only Allah can grant us. Allah is the most magnificent and bountiful He alone should be asked for help and He has bestowed countless favours on His creation. He is supreme justice and everybody will have to answer Him of their every good or bad deed on the Day of Judgment. Supplication is the core to worship and The Holy Quran encourages the believers for petitioning. â€Å"And your Lord said, Invoke me, I will respond to your supplications. Allah always protect His creation from going on the path of evils.? Virtues of Surah Al Fatiha: †¢ It is a Pillar of Salah;This Surah is very important because without its recitation of prayers become invalid. †¢ The greatness of this Surah is described in the following Hadith;†Do you want me to teach you a Surah the like of which has not been revealed in the Torah, the Injeel, the Zabur, nor the Quran?†, and also asked what He recited in His prayers. He replied Umm-ul-Quran (Surah Fatiha) the Prophet (PBUH) proclaimed, ‘By Him in Whose dominion my soul is, nothing like it has been revealed in the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, or the Quran and it is seven of the oft-repeated verses in the Mighty Quran which I have been given.† (Tirmidhi) †¢ It is Cure of diseases and cure for Heart;†You (Oh Allah) we worship and from you do we seek help†. (Ibn Qayim). †¢ Hazrat Abu Saeed al-Khudri narrates;†While on a journey we halted at a place. A girl came to us and said: â€Å"The chief of this tribe has been stung by a scorpion and our men are not present, is there anybody amongst you who can recite something upon him to treat him?† Then, one of our men went along with her although we did not think that he knew any such treatment. However, our friend went to the chief and recited something upon him and the chief was cured. Thereupon, the chief gave him thirty sheep and gave us all milk to drink. When he returned, we asked our friend: â€Å"Did you know anything to recite upon him to cure him?† He said: â€Å"No, I only recited Umm al-Kitab (i.e. Surah al-Fatiha) upon him.† We said that do not do anything until we reach Madinah and ask the Prophet regarding this (practice and rewardwhether the sheep were lawful or not for us). Upon reaching Madinah, we narrated this to the Prophet (PBUH), whereupon he remarked: â€Å"How did he come to know that Al-Fatiha can be used as a cure? (PBUH) Distribute your reward amongst yourselves and a lot a share for me as well†.† (Sahih Bukhari).†¢ Light sent from heaven;An Angel addressed the Prophet (SAW) saying,†Rejoice in two lights brought to you which have not been brought to any prophet before you, Al-Fatiha and the last verses of Al- Baqarah†. Ibn ‘Abbas narrated:†While Jibril was with the Messenger of Allah, he heard a noise from above. Jibril lifted his sight to the sky and said: â€Å"This is a door in the Heavens being opened, and it has never been opened before now.† An Angel descended from that door and came to the Prophet and said: â€Å"Receive the glad tidings of two lights that you have been given, which no other Prophet before you was given: the Opening of the Book (Al Fatiha) and the last verses of ‘al-Baqarah. ‘ You will not read a letter of them except that you will gain its benefit.† (Sahih Muslim).B. Tafseer of Surah Al Fatiha The Verses of the Surah areâ€Å"In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"(All) praise is (only) Allah's, the Lord of the Worlds.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Beneficent, The Merciful.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Master of the Day of Judgement.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thee (alone) do we worship and of Thee (only) do we seek help.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Guide us (O' Lord) on the Straight Path.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"The path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed Thy bounties, not (the path) of those inflicted with Thy wrath, nor (of those) gone astray.â€Å"In The Name Of ALLAH:The first ayah of Surah Fatiha is: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Most Merciful. (Al-Fatiha: 1) This phrase is known as the bismillah. It is good to recite it before doing any action. The meaning of letter Baa:The Baa in the Arabic language can have three different meanings:With – With / In th e name of AllahSeeking help – Seeking help of the name of AllahSeeking blessing – Seeking blessing with the name of AllahThe meaning of Al Rehman and Al Raheem:Both these names are derived from the same root letters: raa, haa, meem; which means to have mercy. They are thus similar in meaning and both are connected to Allah's (SWT) Mercy.The fact that Allah (SWT) mentions two of His Names which have to do with Mercy, rather than Might and Power or so on, shows just how important this Attribute is. The difference between al-Rahman and al-Raheem is that al-Rahman refers to Allah's (SWT) Mercy to all of creation. It is His Mercy which is extended to both believers and disbelievers; animals, and everything that exists. He says in the Qur'an: My Mercy encompasses all things. (Al-A'raf: 156) Al-Rahman therefore indicates the extreme vastness of Allah's (SWT) Mercy. It is mentioned in a hadith that Allah (SWT) divided Mercy into 100 parts and sent down only one part to this dunya. It is from this one part of His Mercy that animals show mercy to their offspring (Sahih Muslim).Al-Raheem refers to Allah's (SWT) Mercy which is specific for the believers. He says in the Qur'an: And He is Full of Mercy to the Believers. (al-Ahzab: 43) al-Raheem therefore indicates the doing of an action.All praise is due to ALLAH:The second ayah is: All praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. (Al-Fatiha: 2) The Meaning of Hamd and the Difference between Hamd and Shukr Hamd means praise and also thankfulness. The scholars differed as to the relation between the words hamd and shukr. Some said that they both have the same meaning. So, the meaning of hamd, in their view, is the same as shukr (thankfulness, gratitude). Hamd is something which must be done with love and reverence, but shukr does not need this. Shukr is done in response to a favour which is done to a person but hamd is done simply because the one being praised and thanked is worthy of that.The meaning of Rabb:Rabb is usually translated as Lord but it is much more encompassing than that. It also includes the meaning of Nurturer, Sustainer, Cherisher and so on. The Rabb is the creator, king, master and the one who controls everything. It comes from the root letters raa, baa, baa: which means to have mastery and control over something.The Beneficent and Most Merciful:The explanation of these two names has already been given. Why then is it repeated? This is to once again emphasis the importance of the quality of mercy. Also, when something is repeated in the Qur'an, then you should look at the ayah before it and after it, to see how they are related. In this case, the previous ayah mentioned that Allah (SWT) is the Rabb of all the worlds. So, His repeating the words, al-Rahman al-Raheem after that, shows us that His being the Rabb – His taking of and sustaining and providing for us – is all part of His Mercy towards us. Master of Day of Judgement:God is the Lord of the Day when all generations of mankind gather together on order to render an account of their conduct, and when each person will be finally rewarded or punished for his deeds. The description of God as Lord of the Day of Judgement following the mention of his benevolence and compassion indicates that we ought to remember another aspect of God as well-namely, that He will judge us all, that He is so absolutely powerful, that on the Day of Judgement no one will have the power either to resist the enforcement of punishments that He decrees or to prevent anyone from receiving the rewards that He decides to confer. Hence, we ought not only to love Him for nourishing and sustaining us and for His compassion and mercy towards us, but should also hold Him in awe because of His justice, and should not forget that our ultimate happiness or misery rests completely with Him.Guides us on the Straight path:This ayah is a dua which we make to Allah (SWT). We ask Him to show us the Straight Path and to guide us on it, so that we will get His Guidance which draws us closer and nearer to Him. We need to struggle towards Allah (SWT) by doing good deeds and by staying away from all bad deeds which will distance us from Him.The meaning of Siraat and mustaqeem:Siraat is a road or path. The conditions are that it must be straight. It must reach the goal and it must be the shortest route to get there. It must also be wide and spacious enough for everyone who wants to travel it.Mustaqeem is derived from istaqaama, which means to be straight, upright, correct. We already said that for a road to be a sirat it must be straight, so this adjective of mustaqeem again emphasis the straightness of this Path. Another meaning of mustaqeem is to remain firm or to stand firm without tilting. For example, a tree that is firmly grounded when the wind blows it is not affected by it. So, the Straight Path is a path on which people are firmly grounded.The Path of Those:The path of those you have blessed, not of those with anger on them, nor of those who are astray. (Al-Fatiha: 7) Who are the people who have been blessed by Allah (SWT) and whose Path we ask to guide to? This is explained by Allah (SWT) in another ayah where He says: Whosoever obeys Allah, and the Messenger, they are with those whom Allah has favored, the Prophets, the sincere, the martyrs and the righteous, and these are the best company. (Al-Nisa': 69) So, the favored and blessed people are the Prophets, the righteous, the martyrs and the pious. And who are the people with anger on them and those who are astray? This is explained by the Prophet. ‘Adi ibn Hatim (RA) asked him about those with anger on them and he replied that it refers to the Jews. He then asked him about those who are astray and he replied that it refers to the Christians. This is reported by al-Tirmidhi and is authentic.C. Impact of Surah Al-Fatiha on the life of a Muslim as servant of Allah.We start all our deeds with the name of Allah Almighty. Since he is the most merciful and beneficent.We should ask Allah Almighty for his mercy and benefits.So a believer becomes solely dependent of Allah Almighty and does not seek help or refuge from anybody else.We should praise Allah Almighty for he is our creator and of the universe. So a believer praises Allah Almighty since he is the creator of everything.Since Allah Almighty is the master of the Day of Judgment so a believer asks Allah Almighty for forgiveness.A Believer asks Allah Almighty to put him on the path of pious people and help be among the ones who were rewarded and not the ones who went astray.

Discuss the linguistic differences between the spoken and written modes Essays

Discuss the linguistic differences between the spoken and written modes Essays Discuss the linguistic differences between the spoken and written modes Paper Discuss the linguistic differences between the spoken and written modes Paper Discuss the linguistic differences between the spoken and written modes and consider the ways in which both are perceived in terms of social prestige For both the spoken and written mode it is possible to recognize different linguistic characteristics. Speech is a useful social tool, helping to develop communication and express attitudes and opinions. Writing is useful for documenting facts and ideas, making notes and organising information; it is a more permanent mode than speech which can be revised or reread. The first point to be taken into consideration for each mode is the audience. Spoken encounters more often than not are personalised and happen face to face with a particular individual. While written language can either be intended for one individual reader or directed at a wider unknown audience. The lexis for both the written and spoken mode is somewhat different. Informal and colloquial is the language used during speech whereas Standard English applies for the written. It is very uncommon; except for during personal correspondence that informal lexis would be acceptable in the written mode. Due to the personal nature of speech it is customary to use personal register, for example, current jokes or nicknames, and colloquial idioms e. g. the thing is, as far as I can see. Abbreviations may also be used when a high level of familiarity is established. It is highly unlikely that you will come across such familiar terms in the written mode. Grammar within spoken language tends to be more relaxed and fairly simple, while grammar in the written mode is a key element and requires thought. Speech usually includes minor sentences and straightforward noun phrases. In contrast, written language is more formal which introduces both complex sentences and noun phrase. This is the reason why speech is a quicker and brief method of communication. Due to the spontaneity of speech there is likely to be non-fluency features. The most common of these features are voiced hesitation and fillers. Voiced hesitations are pauses used for many different reasons; firstly to provide thinking time. As speech is impulsive the speaker may frequently need to think about what to say. Secondly, written language uses punctuation to signify the end of a sentence, spoken language uses a pause. These are known as utterances. Also, it is very likely that the speaker may need time to breathe! Speech has a loose structure which results in the use of fillers. Once again these are mostly used to give the speaker time to search for a word and to fill awkward gaps in speech. Another non-fluency feature is false starts and these can be due to nervousness, or simply recalling the situation differently. In general, speech is much more repetitive than writing which leads to a lot of self-correction. Once spoken, errors are not possible to be withdrawn. Correction within writing is usually not seen due to draft copies, despite this, crossings out are the written equivalent of self-correction. A speaker who is aware of their listeners response is able to make amendments before communication falters. Expressions such as you know are a speakers method of encouraging the listener to respond that communication is effective. Such expressions are called discourse markers. The listener may also use backchanneling to prove they are paying attention. There is no need for either of these within the written mode as the communication is one way. The reader may be able to respond but the reply is rarely instantaneous. To lure the listener into the conversation a direct address can be used. Phrases such as and you know what I said? require the listener to show encouragement to continue. The speaker and the listener may also use backchanneling. The speaker would use it to check people are listening and the listener would use it to show that they are paying attention. By monitoring the listeners behaviour communication is prevented from being broken down. As well as words the spoken mode uses paralinguistic features to aid communication and ensure that it is expressive. An example of this is body language, facial expressions or posture; these can either strengthen or contradict the spoken word. Prosodic features are another feature of the spoken mode; these are all the observable aspects of behaviour that accompany speech, apart from the words themselves. A prosodic feature includes the following; pitch, volume, pace, rhythm, tone and stress patterns. Changes in pitch when speaking are more often than not linked to meaning and the speakers relationship with the topic. A high pitch suggests that the speaker is enthusiastic or excited whereas a low pitch indicates a disappointment of some sort. The volume manipulates the meaning of the speech while pace is related to the speakers attitude towards the subject they are talking about. When emphasis is placed on key words it highlights their importance; a change in stress can change the meaning. In the written mode, prosodic features are replaced with punctuation. The written mode tends to include and explain references within the text, as writers must ensure that there is no unintended ambiguity. Alternatively, in the spoken mode context dependence leads to much use of deictic features. There also needs to be the assumption that the audience shares the speakers knowledge of the topic. Deictic expressions, for example just now or over there, which refer to the present situation are common in the spoken mode. With the spoken mode there is likely to be little or no planning of the speech. Because of this it is probable that there will be much multiple co-ordination (the repetitive use of and). This is not apparent in the written mode, instead complex sentence structures and sub-ordination is used. Many people consider the written language to be of a higher prestige than the spoken. This is true in a broad, general perspective yet sufficient examples exist of formal spoken language; radio, television, legal circles. The written language mainly uses accurate Standard English and is an important medium used within education. Spoken English is often spontaneous whereas written texts are much more tidy and structured. Despite this, there are instances of informal correspondence, for example, email. However, if either mode deserves to be called the original form of the language it is the spoken. For centuries when many people were considered illiterate it was speech that helped them conduct their daily business. It is the spoken mode rather than the written that dominates everyday society and it is speech which is historically prior to writing. According to Sarah Thorne, We all assimilate the rules of the spoken language from an early age, most speech encounters take place within a co-operative framework (Thorne, Mastering Advanced English Language, 1997, p228). At any age, we are able to make judgements about the kind of language suitable for various people and different contexts. Nevertheless, in linguistic terms neither the written nor the spoken mode is considered as superior.

Biography of Spiro Agnew, Vice President Who Resigned

Biography of Spiro Agnew, Vice President Who Resigned Spiro T. Agnew was a little known Republican politician from Maryland whose unlikely ascent to the vice presidency prompted many Americans in the late 1960s to wonder Spiro who? Agnew  was an unremarkable figure known to speak in a deadening monotone who was nonetheless notorious for his combative relationship with the press and unwavering loyalty to his boss, President Richard M. Nixon. He once referred to journalists as a tiny, enclosed fraternity of privileged men elected by no one† and to Nixons critics as â€Å"nattering nabobs of negativism.†Ã‚   Agnew is perhaps most well-known for the end of his career. He was forced to resign from office after being charged with extortion, bribery and conspiracy and pleading no contest to income-tax evasion in 1973.   Early Years Spiro Theodore Agnew (also known as Ted)  was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on Nov. 9, 1918. His father, Theophrastos Anagnostopoulos, had immigrated to the U.S. from Greece in 1897 and changed his surname. The elder Agnew sold produce before entering the restaurant business. His mother was American, a native of Virginia.   Spiro Agnew attended the public schools in Baltimore and entered  Johns Hopkins University to study chemistry in 1937. He transferred out of the prestigious school after struggling academically and enrolled at the  University of Baltimore Law School. He earned his law degree, but only after being drafted into the Army during World War II.  He returned to law school after being discharged and received his law degree in 1947, then went on to practice law in Baltimore. Early Career in Politics Agnew was little known outside of his home state of Maryland before Nixon chose him as a running mate. His first foray into politics came in 1957 when he was appointed to  the Baltimore County zoning appeals board, on which he served three years. He ran and lost for a judgeship in 1960, then won the Baltimore County executive position two years later. (The position is similar to that of mayor of a city.) During Agnews tenure, the county enacted a law requiring restaurants and other establishments to be to be open to customers of all races, built new schools and increased teacher salaries. He was, in other words, a progressive Republican. After creating a name for himself in the populous Maryland County, Agnew sought and won the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 1966. He beat a Democratic candidate,  George Mahoney, who supported segregation and campaigned on the slogan  Your Home Is Your Castle- Protect It. Charging Mahoney with racial bigotry, Agnew captured the liberal suburbs around Washington and was elected governor, Agnews Senate biography reads. But he would serve as governor for fewer than two years before he caught to eye of his partys presidential hopeful, Nixon. Rise to the Vice Presidency Nixon chose Agnew as  a running mate in the campaign of 1968, a decision that was controversial and unpopular with the Republican Party. The GOP viewed the progressive urban politician with suspicion. Nixon responded by describing Agnew as  one of the most underrated political men in America,  an old fashioned patriot† who, having been raised and elected in Baltimore, was a master strategist on urban issues. â€Å"There can be a mystique about a man. You can look him in the eye and know hes got it. This guy has got it, Nixon said in defense of his choice for running mate. Agnew was elected vice president in 1968; he and Nixon were  re-elected to second term in 1972. In 1973, as the Watergate investigation was churning toward a denouement that would force the resignation of Nixon, Agnew ran into legal trouble. Criminal Charge and Resignation Agnew was facing possible impeachment or criminal charges in 1973 for allegedly accepting payoffs from contractors when he served as Baltimore County executive and vice president. But he remained defiant in the face of a grand jurys investigation.  I will not resign if indicted! I will not resign if indicted! he proclaimed. But evidence that he  evaded  paying his income taxes- he was accused of failing to report $29,500 in income- soon led to his downfall. He resigned from office on Oct. 10, 1973, under a plea deal that allowed him to avoid prison time. In a formal statement to  Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Agnew stated: I hereby resign the office of Vice President of the United States, effective immediately. A judge sentenced Agnew to  three years of probation and fined him $10,000. Nixon became the first president in U.S. history to use the  25th Amendment  to appoint a successor to the position of vice president,  House Minority Leader  Gerald  Ford. The amendment establishes the  orderly transfer of power  for replacing the president and vice president in the event they die in office, quit or are  impeached. The prosecution of the case removed Agnew from the presidential line of succession, which turned out to be a fateful decision. Nixon was forced to resign less than a year later, in August 1994, amid the Watergate scandal, and Ford took over the presidency. Agnews resignation was only the second by a vice president. (The first took place in 1832, when Vice President John C. Calhoun resigned the office to take a U.S. Senate seat.) Marriage and Personal Life Angew married  Elinor Isabel Judefind in 1942, whom he met while employed at an insurance company during his law-school years. The couple went to a movie and for chocolate milkshakes on their first date and discovered they had grown up four blocks apart. The Agnews had four children: Pamela, Susan, Kimberly, and James. Agnew died of leukemia in Berlin, Maryland, at the age of 77. Legacy Agnew will forever be know for his rapid ascent from obscurity to national prominence and his scathing attacks on the news media and polemics on society and culture. He was critical of efforts to lift Americas economically disadvantaged out of systemic poverty and of civil-rights protestors in the tumultuous late 1960s. He frequently used derogatory slurs, such as,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"If youve seen one city slum, youve seen them all.† Agnew reserved much of his ire for members of the news media. He was among the first politicians to accuse journalists of bias.   Spiro Agnew Fast Facts Full Name: Spiro Theodore AgnewAlso Known As: TedKnown For: Serving as vice president under Richard M. Nixon and resigning for tax evasionBorn:  Nov. 9, 1918 in Baltimore, Maryland, USAParents Names:  Theophrastos Anagnostopoulos, who changed his surname to Agnew, and  Margaret Marian Pollard AgnewDied:  Sept. 17, 1996 in  Berlin, Maryland, USAEducation: Law degree from the University of Baltimore Law School, 1947Key Accomplishments: Enacted a law in Baltimore County requiring restaurants and other establishments to be to be open to customers of all races, built new schools and increased teacher salariesSpouse Name:  Elinor Isabel JudefindChildrens Names:  Pamela, Susan, Kimberly and JamesFamous Quote:  In the United States today, we have more than our share of the nattering nabobs of negativism.  They have formed their own 4-H club  -   the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history.   Sources Hatfield, Mark O.  Vice Presidents of the United States, 1789-1993. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1997.Naughton, James M. Agnew Quits Vice Presidency And Admits Tax Evasion In 67; Nixon Consults On Successor. The New York Times. 11 October 1973.  https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/1010.htmlSpiro T. Agnew, Ex-Vice President, Dies at 77. The New York Times. 18 September, 1996.  https://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/18/us/spiro-t-agnew-ex-vice-president-dies-at-77.html

Resort Management - Economic Impact on Resorts Assignment

Resort Management - Economic Impact on Resorts - Assignment Example A slow economy in the region implies that business trips increase tremendously, thus positively affecting profits. Cost containment has been another hiccup facing the Grand Floridian and thus reducing the productivity (Miller 55). The resort management has come up with ways to lower the cost without negatively affecting the quality standards. As a result of cost containment, the management has cut down cost of products and services leading to low revenues. According to a research study by Choi, taxes, and deductions play a vital role in the hospitality industry. Higher taxes and lower tax deductions in Florida have negatively affected the Grand Floridian’s revenues. For instance, high energy taxes will lead to fewer trips while high corporate taxes result in less net profit after tax. On the other hand, increased guest sophistication has also posed a significant challenge to the Grand Floridian Resort. As a result of increased consumer preferences, the resort has been forced to undertake renovation of recreational facilities, business hubs, and guests’ rooms in order to match customers’ expectations. Lack of adequate number of employees working in the resort has led to reduced productivity. Labor shortage is triggered by the increased services offered at the Grand Floridian resort (Choi 68). Therefore, the resort management needs to handle the aforementioned hiccups in order to improve on the number of guests, and increase efficiency. There are also favorable economic factors that have facilitated the growth and expansion of the Grand Floridian resort. For instance, the organization has received benefits from the federal government through subsidies and reduced taxes resulting in higher profits and revenues. Therefore, the government has enhanced the organization’s operations by offering tax breaks, and incentives to the entire hospitality and tourism industry. On the other hand, rising competition in the industry has led to increased creativity

Positive Effects of Martial Arts on Bullying Among the Youth Annotated Bibliography

Positive Effects of Martial Arts on Bullying Among the Youth - Annotated Bibliography Example The source is bias free since it discusses the pros and cons of martial art on bullying. The information from this source will provide information that will support my arguments during the research. Maekoya, Dussich J. P. and. "Physical Child Harm And Bullying Related Behaviors: A Comparative Study In Japan, South Africa, And The United States." International Journal Of Offender Therapy And Comparative Criminology 51 (2007): 495-509. The journal is written based on research done in South Africa USA and Japan. The aim of the writers is to evaluate the behavior of different students on bullying. The source is reliable since the conclusions are many researches and hence the probability of accuracy is high. The research focuses on how martial art skills can help prevent children from being bullied and also prevent them from bullying others. The research concludes that martial art education is only positive when training is done based on the traditional theories and concepts. The research argues that martial art can be as a way of controlling the rates of bullying among the youths. The source has reliable information since the accuracy level of its assumptions is high. The journal is available in the university library and online. The author is a psychology specialist, and he discusses the psychological effect that martial art has on children. He says the effect of martial art on a child depends on the perception they are made to have. He compares the martial experts of the past and those of the current day and makes a conclusion that perception of martial art is important in dictating the kind of effects it has on children. From his research, he finds out that different children view martial art differently, some use it for self-defense while others view it as a tool to exploit others. He accentuates on the need to have the correct perception for martial art. The information provided will be