Aviation Information Technology

Technological progress has been going on in the sector of Aviation from time to time. Since the 1980s, Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) has been transforming tourism globally. This essay will be looking into the matter how ICT in the aviation industry has changed the way costumers book their flight through internet, by looking at various sources. The other issue the essay would be focusing at is what customers demand from the websites of the airlines to help make their work easier by helping them to find the right thing for them. The development of the ICT specially the internet has empowered the consumers and is giving them an exceptional value for money and time (Twenty years on and 10 years after the Internet: The state of eTourism research, 2008). Where internet is helping consumers to save their time on the same time internet is helping the companies to reduce their costs’. Consumers are now able book their paperless tickets online. The fares have been reduced as there are no agents wanting their commission. Sometimes consumers also get financial incentives for self-booking online (eAirlines: strategic and tactical use of ICTs in the airline industry,buhalis,2004). No-frills airlines are using their web sites to attract and communicate directly with consumers (E. Jorgensen, Southwest Airlines: Success Story). This enables them to bypass travel agencies and their commissions. In 2003, both Easyjet and Ryanair achieved more than 92% of their bookings through their web sites, whilst Southwest sold 50% of its tickets on its web site (eAirlines: strategic and tactical use of ICTs in the airline industry). Researching the information is a very significant part of a decision process which has revolutionized by the internet. The more the consumer researches about trip, the more information he has, which eventually helps him deciding the best for him. ICT does not only reduce uncertainty and perceived risks but also enhance the quality of trips (Fodness & Murray, 1997). A well informed consumer is able to interact much better with local people, resources and cultures, to find the services and products that meet his requirement and to take advantage of the reduced prices and special offers(Twenty years on and 10 years after the Internet: The state of eTourism research, Dimitrios Buhalis, Rob Law,2008). Global Distribution System (GDS) is a computer reservation system, typically owned jointly by airlines in different countries, that includes reservation databases of suppliers in many countries. Abbreviated GDS. This term has largely replaced â€Å"computerized reservation system (CRS)† as the term of choice within the industry (www. hotel-online. com). Customer’s loyalty towards an airline has become more important and more threatened as a result of heightened competition because of the number of the number of airlines in the industry. Moreover, the increase in competition has increased the cost of loyalty programs that provide a wide variety of benefits to loyal customers or to keep existing customers from moving to other airlines, such as free or discounted tickets, upgrades to premium cabins, separate reservation telephone numbers and check in counters at airports, use of airport lounges, special boarding priority or seating preferences. In order to meet customer expectations, airlines need to track not only the value provided and received from these loyalty benefits but also the costs of providing such benefits. Internet is one of the most influential things that have changed consumers’ behavior. Internet enables the consumers to interact directly with the airline or the suppliers reducing the role of intermediaries. Today consumers want a dynamic package rather than selected few holiday packages, and internet has made this possible by allowing the consumers going directly to the company they want to deal with to customize their products. The internet has been already been influencing the markets of developing countries like China and India by allowing customers to be dynamic. Moving to the choice for the consumers, internet has given consumers a lot of options and choices. Consumers can now look through number of companies who they might want to go with. They can choose from a single journey to a whole customized holiday package. No-Frills airline like ryanair and easyjet focus only on their websites cutting all the unnecessary costs and allowing the customers to book their flights or packages on very low prices. Personal Information is something which a person is very careful about. But, increasingly consumers are willing to provide their personal information in exchange of better services and products that they want. Complain is another very significant issue for a company, in order to provide a way for the customers to provide a feedback and give a complaint, airline companies have a different section on their websites to handle the complains so that there is a proper channel of communication between management and unsatisfied customers. With numerous advantages of the airline websites, comes many problems as it is a computer based system. A computer system can crash any moment which can cause the airline huge losses. A report by Akamai and Jupiter Research has shown that 28% of online shoppers will not wait longer than four seconds for a web page to load before leaving3. Looking at broadband Internet users alone, the number is even higher. A full one third of those abandon a web page if it takes longer than four seconds to load. Needless to say, if a site is down, 100% of the site visitors are turned away. It’s the equivalent of lock ¬ing the door to the store(press. and1. co. uk). Airlines also try to earn more revenue by unfair means. Ryanair has several different hidden costs which increases the cost of a return flight by treble even though it is a low cost airline. ?20 per person per round trip to check in at desk with hand luggage. ?30 / ? 40 per bag per round trip to check in a suitcase with online check in. ?60 per bag per round trip to check in ski or sports equipment. ?10 per person per round trip to pay with cards except an Electron Card. Many sites had multiple problems. The overall trends of problems within the sector are like misleading pricing has emerged as the biggest problem, found in 58% of the sites, irregularities related to contract terms were found in 49% of those sites (missing or wrong language version, and pre-checked boxes for optional services). Problems in which the advertised offers were missing appeared to be in 15% of the sites (europa. eu) This essay has looked into the matter of the role played by internet and the airline websites which help consumers to decide what they want as their option for a single service or a group of services. Internet also provides a consumer a wide range of options as they can go through everything they want to and they want to know about. Consumers can give their personal details to the websites if they are sure that they will get the maximum from the airlines. Internet has been very successful in changing the demands of the consumers, by letting them research about what they want and the airline companies giving them an option to be dynamic. But, there are some problems too with the websites like hidden costs in them or the crashing of the websites. Till now internet has mostly helped and will be always helping the aviation industry. References: europa. eu, 6/11/2009 eAirlines: strategic and tactical use of ICTs in the airline industry,buhalis,2004 E. Jorgensen, Southwest Airlines: Success Story, in www. novell. com, 8/11/2009 hotel-online. com, 8/11/2009 press. 1and1. co. uk, 7/11/2009 Twenty years on and 10 years after the Internet: The state of eTourism research, Dimitrios Buhalis Bournemouth University, Rob Law Hong Kong Polytechnic University,2008

Analysis of banks’ performance

Generally considered as the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, the Global Financial Crisis (SGF) was followed by the European sovereign debt crisis, which heavily affected most European nations in early 2010. This report will analyses the impact of the crisis on the performance and risk exposure of two major banks: Alpha Bank (ABA) and Deutsche Bank (DB).. Alpha Bank, the second largest Greece bank, locates in one of the five Euro-zone nations which suffered the most following the global crisis.At the same time, Deutsche Bank (DB) is a German bank which operates in both investment and commercial banking sectors. In particular, this report will study the asset and liability structure, the performance as well as the market and off-balance sheet risk. Also, the annual performance of 2008 to 2010 will be analyses in order to fully capture the impact of the financial crisis on these selected banks. 1. 1 Asset, Liability Structure and Risk Exposures 1. 1. Analysis of Lloy d Banking Group (LAG) Table 1: Capital Raising Activities (Liability Structure) Figure 1 Figure 2 The bank operates in both commercial and investment sections which contents in detail, wholesale, insurance and investment as its main business activities. Deposit is the main source of funding, given that the proportional ways remains above 50%during these 6 years. Generally speaking, Deposits are more reliable compare to other capital raising activities.Noticing that even during 2008 to 2010, the Deposits were lightly effect by SGF, which means retail deposits are less volatile and less sensitive to shocks. In addition, the bank was voted by Reader's Digest the most trusted bank of Britain in the 2008. LAG as a function of commercial bank, a large and versified customer base kept the bank safe during the SGF and European debt crisis. Wholesale is the second major part of their business. Figure 2 has shown that, Debt securities take around 20% during 2007 to 2012, which implies that, L AG raises not enough funds from deposits.However, wholesale is sensitive to changes in the market. As the wholesale depositors are able to transfer the fund if others bank provides better offer to them. LAG have to undertake higher withdraw risk. LAG introduced new pricing management of saving products from 2011 in order to minimize withdraw risk. The benefit for this new plan is increasing deposit balances and reducing the proportion of wholesale. Furthermore, because of LB is a diversified bank in British, insurance division is the third mainly activity for the bank to raise fund.However, insurance may exposures liquidity risk, if policyholder who is seeking to cash in their financial claims immediately or some unexceptional accident occurs, the bank has to get huge fund to pay for them. According to Lag's annual report, the liabilities of insurance remains around 13% from 2007 to 2012, which took up higher proportion of total liabilities. However, since the flood happened in late 2007 and therefore the bank had to pay the claims, the bank had a highest percentage of insurance liability compare to other 5 years.Besides, due to SGF and European debt crisis during 2009 to 2012, higher unemployment rates shrink the Auk's economy, the proportion of liability of insurance policy also affected. Finally, basing on the Figure 2 we can find that, derivative financial insurance only has small proportion in this structure, due to LAG is able to raise enough fund from deposit, wholesale and insurance sections. Table 2: Portfolio Asset Allocation (Asset Structure) Figure 3 As a largest commercial bank in K, the main source of investment of LAG is Loans, which take up over half proportion of its total asset.This type of assets was allocated to households, firms and public sectors. According the annual report of the bank, personal mortgages play an important role in loan. However, these assets are exposed to credit risk and default risk. Therefore, LB engages reverse repur chase agreements for collateralized loans in order to reduce risks. The second main source of investment of LAG is Trading and other financial Asset at fair value through profit or loss.Comparing to loans, debt securities are more sensitive and exposed to the credit risk. However, government and corporate securities are taking larger proportion in total Trading and other financial Asset at fair value through profit or loss. As these types of securities are more stable and reliable, this credit risk is mostly mitigated. 1. 1. 2 Analysts of BIN Paris (BIN) Table 3: Capital Raising Activities (Liability Structure) Figure 4 BIN Paris is a universal bank which participates in retail and investment sectors.According to the chart shown above, the main source of Buns capital raised by raiding derivative instruments in financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss from 2007 and took a Jumped up approximately 25% in 2008 due to Global Financial Crisis(SGF). Generally speaking, de rivatives trading are carrying higher risks than other class of liabilities, such as credit risk, market risk, currency risk and interest rate risk. Because they are sensitive to the market changes and lenders are less loyal to the bank, but respectively this source of funds can generate high returns to make the bank become profitable.However, the liability structure of BIN was not constantly unchanged. In the following next two years 2009 and 2010, the main component shifted to deposits due to SGF which brought an unfavorable economy recession all over the world. This strategy of the bank intended to reduce the risk exposures via decreasing trading of risky financial instruments and more relying on deposits to raise capital in order keep the bank in a safer base during the worse recession time.The capital raising structure changed back again from 2011, noticing that unlike 2007 and 2008, the proportions of deposits and financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss beca me approximately close amounts. However, derivatives trading are still playing an important role in Buns capital raising activities. Another considerable segment of liability structure is debt securities, which mainly content in government bonds, given that the amounts of issued had been increased from Ð ²?157,mom to Ð ²?211 ,mom from 2008 to 2009.Due to the bank changed the major capital raising activity to deposits in 2009 and 2010, meanwhile it had increased issue in debt securities in order to raise more efficient funds. This behavior can be explained that the bank was worrying about only relied on deposits as not enough and trying to diversified risks via shifting liquidity risk (from deposits) to default and credit risk. Table 4: Portfolio Asset Allocation (Asset Structure) Figure 5 The main source of investment of BIN is financial assets at fair value through profit or loss, which accounted more than 50% of total assets through 2007 to 2008.Again, this type of assets mainly consists in trading of derivative instruments, repurchase agreements afterwards and other securities transactions. In practice, derivatives trading can generate higher returns but will carry more risks because they should eave to meet what the customers' needs and generally they are sensitive to the change of market. Therefore, the risk exposures not only content credit risk, but also put the bank faces interest rate risk and currency risk. L The second considerable segment of investment is loans which mainly comprised of loans to customers.Noticing that the amounts started increasing from 2009, which accounted up to 40% of total assets (compared to 2008 was only 25%), the portions are getting close to the main component, trading of financial assets. Throwing back to SGF and debt crisis, increased in loans and decreased in trading risky assets might be considered as a strategy for BIN to diversify its several risks as we mentioned previously but this time default risk would also be raised. However, derivatives trading are still playing an important role over these six years.In addition, available-for-sale financial assets have been significantly increased in 2009, the following year after SGF. It major contents bonds particularly in government bonds. The main reason could be government bonds are the safest investment way, however, default risk may be considered in this case. . 1. 3 Differences in asset, liability structure and risk exposure Comparing the asset and liability structure between LAG and BIN, the significant difference is the main source of the capital raising activities and asset allocations between these two banks are different.LAG is much more relying on customers' deposits, a safer way to raise funds which allows LAG has a reliable capital base and confident level to go through the SGF in 2008 also the European debt crisis in 2010. In contrast, BIN changed its capital raising structure twice from changing the portions between derivatives raidi ng to raise funds on deposits in response to the impacts of SGF and debt crisis. Additionally, the core functions of these two banks are different.LAG is focusing on customers' deposits and making loans to them. However, BIN is much more concentrating on derivatives trading in both asset and liability parts (even though it shifted the main component of capital raising activity from financial liabilities to deposits between 2009 and 2010 but derivatives transactions still played an important role during those two years. ) Overall, BIN is much more sensitive to the economy and surely it carries more risks than LAG. . 1. Impacts of SGF and Debt Crisis on Asset and Liability Structure Lloyd Banking Group (LAG) For the asset structure, due to the financial hardships that many households and businesses are experiencing, as a result of the recent economic decline in the UK. LAG committed to help customers in these challenging times, which reflective of our relationship-based approach. In R etail segment, we maintained strong level of mortgage lending to new lending, and helped thousands of customers to buy new homes. As shown in the diagram above, we can see that the total asset has increased room IEEE,mom to El ,027,mom in two years' time.An increasing of 57. 55% reflects that with a 61. 25% increase in loans and advances to customers. There are strong levels of customer lending growth in commercial banks, corporate markets and mortgages. For the Liability side, the percentage of total liability has greater changed in 2009, which given that increased up to 56. 64%. After the SGF, the total liabilities still stand at a higher level in the following years as long as the European debt crisis occurred in 2010. Deposit, debt securities in issue and the liabilities of insurance are he three main components be affected.As LAG is the largest bank in I-J, it provides more confident for their customers. Even The bank experienced SGF and European debt crisis, deposit still brin g positive effect for the group. Compare 2008 to sass's deposits can be found that, there is 51. 46% shapely increasing during 2008-2009, due to more customers lose confident for others investment companies, also getting less people put the money for investment during such weaken economic period. That is the reason explains that why does deposit continuously grow during this period as en of the good reputation banks in British.Table 5 Besides, according to the table shown above, the issue of debt securities have greater increased due to the medium term notes issues changed, which implies that even LAG has sufficient fund to overcome the challenge during SGF, but they still restrained funds through issuing medium term notes in order to provide more fund to help their customers, Furthermore, the higher unemployment rate in UK due to SGF and European debt crisis, more people were getting to claim their insurance compensations, therefore the liability of insurance policy had also been a ffected.According to the balance sheet has shown, the liability of insurance policy has 60. 8% increased from 2008 to 2009. Also from 2009 to 2012, the liability of insurance still maintain in higher level. Overall, as LAG is reliable and stable bank in I-J, the main structure of asset and liability did not changed by the Crisis. BIN Paris (BIN) In regards of Buns capital raising structure had been changed twice during 2007 to 2012. The first change was in the year after 2008 SGF, the bank shifted its major capital raising activity from trading on derivatives (financial liabilities at fair value wrought profit or loss) to deposits.Considering the increased in trading financial instruments, which was the core activity to raise both total liabilities and total assets to history high respectively Ð ²?2,016,mom and Ð ²?2,075,mom in 2008. It leaded the bank with higher risk exposures as well as the leverage level had been increased due to derivatives trading is sensitive to the market and risky. Therefore the bank changed the major component of liability structure to deposits in 2009 in order to reduce risking tried to keep the bank in a safer base during the worse recession time.At the meantime, the bank increased issue in debt securities that attempted to raise more efficient funds in case of relying on deposits was not enough. In 2011 after the European debt crisis, the bank changed its core capital raising activity back to trading on financial instruments again. As an investment bank is a function of BIN Paris, the second changed of its capital structure indicated that the bank already passed the hard time and everything went back on the right track. The major component of the asset structure was financial assets at fair value through profit or loss from 2007 to 2012.In 2009 it had been decreased from 60% to 40%,but the bank increased the portions loaned to Global Financial Crisis,and this class of asset kept stable in the next following 3 years. However, tra ding on derivatives is still playing an important role overall. In addition, according to the increase in issue of debt securities especially in bonds had been increased in its liability structure, therefore, the available-for-sale financial assets had a greater Jumped up during the same year and gradually went down later on. Overall, the impacts of SGF on BIN were far worse than the European debt crisis. 2 PERFORMANCE Analysts 1. 2. 1 Return on Equity (ROE) Definition: See footnoted Figure 6 According to the chart, the ROE of LAG deceased seriously from 2007. In 2010 to 2012, it appeared a little recovering signal but still showing a declining pattern over these six years. During 2007 to 2008 both of the net income and total equity were decreased slightly, therefore, ROE decreased. However, even though the net income only had a little increased in 2009, but due to the total equity greatly Jumped up, the ROE decreased further. After 2010, ROE already deceased to history low given at 5. 4%, because of the negative net income as well as the total equity still stayed at higher level. The falling net income was primary to fewer increased in total operating income but greater increased in the impairment cost. The main reason could be the bank need to increase impairment cost to recover credit risk during SGF and European debt crisis. On the other hand, the size of total equity getting larger, this fact implied that, LAG was seeking more capital fund its financial activities in order to go through the poor economic period.Therefore, the ratio shown the bank experienced unfavorable profitability during those two recession periods Regarding to BIN Paris, the Return on Equity ratio dramatically decreased from 19. 6% to 6. 6% in 2008. It gradually recovered back in the next following years after SGF but it slightly dropped gain after the 2010 European debt crisis. Due to the banks main source of finance is making money via trading derivatives, this pattern of changing e xactly responds to the market conditions due to financial and debt crisis, also explains that the bank is very sensitive to the market.However, compare to the regenerates drop off in SGF, the impact of debt crisis was not significant through looking at the chart. Compare these two patterns of ROE; LAG is showing a declining figure which indicates that the bank had a deeper impact by the financial and the debt crisis. On the other hand, the effect on BIN was significant only shown at the SGF period, therefore, BIN seems to has a better performance overall. 1. 2. RETURN ON ASSET (ROAR) Definition: see footnoted Figure 7 In term of Lab's performance can be shown that, the greater decline in ROAR consists in declining of net income and total assets. The central bank cut the interest rate again and again in this recession period that encouraged more people to borrow money from bank to fund their mortgages or businesses. According to the balance sheet, the total assets sharply increased f rom IEEE,mom to El ,027,mom in 2008 to 2009, and then kept staying at a higher level in the following years.However, as we have analyses in the ROE part, net income decreased dramatically to negative percentages, due to total operating income did not change as lower interest rate, but the impairment cost has greater increasing in order to recover the credit risk. As a result, the net income becomes negative. Similarly, ROAR was deceasing dramatically during 2009-2011. According to the ROAR ratios of BIN, it has shown a similar pattern of trend as ROE. The ROAR sharply dropped 0. 32% in 2008 and recovered back in the next two years but slightly went down after the debt crisis.Considering that the net income of BIN in 2008 was incredibly dropped down over 60% from Ð ²?8,311 millions to Ð ²?3,millions. No matter how the total assets had a greater increased in the same year, the fluctuation of net income was the most important reason determinate the hanged in ROAR. Again, due to the b ank is sensitive to the change of market parameters, we can clearly see that the worse market condition due to SGF brought a negative impact to the bank and it was far more worse than the time during the European debt crisis.In conclusion, both of two banks were decreasing in ROAR during the weak economic period in 2008. The main reason was both of them had greater increased in total asset but the net income stayed at a relatively lower level. In the following years, BIN started to recover back and maintained in a stable level, UT LAG was continuously decreasing to negative due to total asset was maintain in higher level in debt crisis period. 1. 2. PROFIT MARGIN (PM) Definition: see footnoted Figure 8 According to the graph above, LAG had strong profitability in 2007 but it declined to 22. 43% due to SGF then slightly recovered in 2009. However, as the European debt crisis developed in late 2009, the PM continuing dropped out to the lowest, shown at -59. 62% in 2011. The reason is during this weaken economic period, interest and similar income decreasing as lower interest rate, and impairment increasing. This unfavorable decreasing during debt crisis period implies that LAG undertake loss.While the PM drives the ROAR to decline in this period. The European debt crisis shrink the bank much more than during the SGF. Comparing to LAG, BIN Paris keeps its ability steady to pay expenses and generates stable net income from 2007 – 2012. According to the main capital raising activity of BIN is trading on derivatives and other financial instruments, even though the amounts of financial liabilities and assets at fair value through profit or loss were Jumped up during the year of SGF 2008.However, the net income and total operating income were historically low through 2007 to 2012, the main reason was due to both the net gains on trading financial instruments and on available-for-sale financial assets had been dramatically decreased, respectively from Ð ²?7,mom to Ð ²?2,mom and Ð ²?2,mom to Ð ²?mom, which means, even though the trading went up, but net gains were limited by the worst market condition during Global Financial Crisis. Overall, BIN is good at controlling on its expenses and net income generation compare to the performance of LAG. . 2. 4 ASSET UTILIZATION (AU) Definition: see footnoted Figure 9 The AU ratio of LAG fluctuated seriously from 2007 to 2012. Due to given the negative impact of SGF, the AU dropped continuously to 0. 71% in 2009. As we mentioned previously, the central bank cut the interest rate to encourage people to take loan from the bank. Therefore, the total asset stayed at a higher level from 2009 to 2012. However, according to low interest rate and also some of customers were default to pay back, the total operating income did not change much.From 2009 to 2010, AU starts to recover to higher level. Unfortunately, the AU decreased sharply again from . 17% to 0. 47% due to the European debt crisis. The AU sti ll maintained at lower level during 2010 to 2012, because the pound was depreciated in this weak economic period, LAG faced loss in their oversea investment property and securities, consequently, the total operating income decreased to about E,mom during the debt crisis. LAG provided a declining pattern over 2007 to 2012, but again, the impact of debt crisis to the bank was greater than the impact of SGF.In term of Buns AU, it had been dropped down to 0. 46% in regards to the history low total operating income, given only Ð ²?3,mom in 2008. It recovered quickly afterwards and went back to 0. 63% in 2010. The AU ratio fluctuated by the European debt crisis again in later 2011 and 2012, however, as we mentioned above in the PM part, the Global Financial Crisis affected the bank much more than the effect on debt crisis. Comparing LAG and Buns All's, both of them had greater effects by SGF but the impact of debt crisis was not significant on BIN. . 2. 5 EQUITY MULTIPLIER (ME) Definitio n: see footnoted Figure 10 In term of Lag's ME, The figure increased nearly half of ME from 28. 4 to 44. 96 in 2008. The higher ME indicated that LAG used more debt to finance its assets which in turn increased the leverage level and risk exposure during SGF 2008. In order to reduce its leverage level, ME quickly dropped down to 23. 29 in 2009 even lower than in 2007 and gradually went down in the following years, noticed that the ME only shown at 20. 69 in 2012.As LAG is one of the reliable and stable banks in British, even though they experienced SGF and European debt crisis, they are able to recover quickly. Regarding to the ME of BIN, it had been increased to 35. In 2008 but had a greater decreased of 10 in the following year and still gradually went down in continuous years. Considering BIN changed its liability structure twice respectively in 2009 and 2011, in which shifted the major capital raising activity between derivatives trading and deposits.BIN attempted the first chan ge in order to minimize the risks and reduce the leverage level due to the high ME in the previous year. In 2011, after the European debt crisis, the bank again changed its major capital raising activity back to trading on financial instruments instead of relying on posits. This change had been reduced its ME ratio continuously which given that only around 20 in 2012 (the lowest from 2007 to 2012) It explains that BIN is good at controlling its leverage level and managing risks very well via adjusting the Banks structure. In conclusion, LAG and BIN have similar performance from 2007 to 2012.The ME of these two banks both had a greater Jump up in 2008 and respectively increased their risk exposures and the leverage ratios. However, the EMUS dropped quickly in later years due to both banks managed the risk via reduce their debt to enhance its assets or maintaining capital structure in order to reduce risks and leverage level. 1. 2. 6 Market Indicators Share Prices LAG Regarding LAG, t he share price stays at EYE per share in 2007 to late 2008. However, due to the SGF happen at the end of 2008, the share price decreasing dramatically to around E per shares.Furthermore, the European debt crisis also happen flow the SGF, the share price decreasing further around E per share. Base on the data shows that, over these six years, the share price of LAG is decreasing around 89. 1 BIN The highest share price of BIN Paris was up to Ð ²?94. 7 per share during mid-2007, it collapsed in later 2008 and down to history low Ð ²?21. 39 per share in early 2009. However, the share price went back on track quickly in the same year, given that volatile at the range around Ð ²?50 per share until mid-2011.According to the share price pattern of BIN, the impact of SGF on the share price was dramatically huge, but the bank effectively reacted on the massive change of market, it adjusted its capital structure in 2009, such as reduced the risk exposure via decreasing the risky derivative s trading and relying more on deposits, meanwhile increased the issue of bet securities particularly in bonds, which indicated to generate more efficient cash flows in case of the deposits was not enough to rely on. Project 2 2. 2 Market Risk 2. . 1 Introduction of market risk Market risk is defined as a risk for those investors to experience economic losses of value from the affected market performances, whether it's treatable or not. It is the risk that cannot be diversified. Some of risk factors could be observed, such as interest rates, exchange rates; there are also some factors may not be observed such as correlations which are based on statistical analysis. It includes interest rate risks, currency risks, and equity risks, see footnotes.

Existence of God Argumentative Paper Essay

There are many different types of arguments for the existence of God. With each argument there is a conception presented of God. For each argument there are different approaches. I will be focusing on the Cosmological and Teleological Arguments. Teleological Arguments are known to be arguments from divine, arguing from order in the universe to the existence of God (1).With the ordering of the universe, created by an intelligent being, they hold that it is ordered towards a purpose or an end. The Cosmological Argument â€Å"is the argument that the existence of the world or universe is strong evidence for the existence of a God who created it. It is a first caused argument where the existence of the universe, the argument claims, stands in need of explanation, and the only adequate explanation of its existence is that it was created by God† (1). Behind this argument, it holds that though the universe still needs explanation for its existence, the existence of God Himself does not. In the article McCloskey is critical of these arguments for God’s existence supporting his stance by offering the problem of evil as reasoning to not believe. He believes the belief in the existence of God is not a source of strength and security (2). However, if we are to use the Cumulative Case approach we can have successive truths. This case cumulates the Cosmological, Teleological, as well as, the Moral Arguments together. It gives us the conclusion of a personal, moral, intelligent creator of the universe as the best explanation for the universe we experience (3). McCloskey maintains that the Teleological Argument is not satisfactory and that it can be rejected simply by rejecting its premise. The premise holds that there is in fact evidence of purpose and design. McCloskey says though, that there were many things that were considered evidence or proof, prior to evolution, but those very things are now not being considered as so. Thus, in order to be a proof, there has to be given indisputable examples. Given that the Teleological Argument, presenting disputable examples, says McCloskey, there is no proof. There can be no form of argument with evidence of an intellectual design and/or designer. I would have to argue with McCloskey by using the â€Å"fine-tuning argument.† Within the universe is nothing short of precision, not only of natural laws, but the beginning stages and state of the universe. These both are pointers to an intelligent Creator. The universe is finely-tuned maintaining physical constants of nature (5).The strength of gravity should be considered. With the occurrence of the Big Bang. The gravity had to have precision because even with a little more force used on either side, it would not have occurred as the Big Bang, but the Big Crunch. Even with the slightest change in gravity, it could change the world into something completely other than what we know. That which is being offered as evidenced cannot be questioned. If we were to give to evolution as truth, there is still no grounds for believing it is true. It does nothing but in the end support the theist position, and shows that evolution needs teleology. McCloskey’s main objection to theism is the presence of evil in the world, â€Å"No being who was perfect could have created a world in which there was unavoidable suffering or in which his creatures would(and in fact could have been created so as not to) engage in morally evil acts, acts which very often result in injury to innocent persons† (1). With this problem on McCloskey’s mind, he holds it to the theists. He still wonders how the theist does not take this to mind seeing that it goes against the perfection of the divine purpose. There can be no grounds in a belief of a perfect being. Even if all reason was thrown out, he says the theist at best could only present a pool of beings full of â€Å"concern, dismay, and anxiety, rather than comfort and security† (1). There is a logical problem of evil and there is logical inconsistency when there is both the existence of God and of evil. The atheist holds that there is severe contradiction between claiming God is good, yet evil exists. Mackie, an atheist, says â€Å"†¦the contradiction does not arise immediately; to show it we need some additional premises†¦these additional principles are that good is opposed to evil, in such a way that a good thing always eliminates evil as far as it can, and that there are no limits to what an omnipotent thing can do. From these it follows that a good omnipotent thing eliminates evil completely, and then the propositions that a good omnipotent thing exists, and that evil exists, are incompatible†(8). There exists two kinds of evil. There is â€Å"human evil,† and â€Å"natural evil† in which atheist claim are both forms of needless suffering. The logical problem of evil claims the â€Å"tension† between simultaneously having evil in the world, while also having a perfect God. This would without a doubt be a logical contradiction according to the atheist. There is also the evidential problem of evil. With this claim, there is not contradiction, but the fact that evil exists, if give grounding evidence for being able to reject that God is all-powerful. It is a weaker version of the former, and claims that it is highly unlikely that an all-perfect God exists. Plantinga responds with trying to defend that it is reasonable to believe in God, even without evidence. His positio n is known as â€Å"Reformed Epistemology†. In order for his view to hold he would have to reject the Evidentialist Credo., which he claims rests on Classical Foundationalism. This led him to his positive view, or â€Å"Reformed Epistemology.† This holds that a belief in God is â€Å"properly basic.†Some object to these claims, saying that evil is logically required for good and is needed for us to see the good. Evil is a means and will cause good. There is given the â€Å"free will† defense that is meant to try and answer the problem of evil. Either this would come about by humans free will resulting in a greater good and that evil is ascribed the humans and not God. However, those who oppose this, bring up the issue of natural evils. Mackie stands his ground that God should have given human beings free will in such a way that we always chose the good. The atheist propose God did not create men to choose between right and wrong, and that God is morally inconsistent. In response, the free will theodicy attempts to defeat the former by claiming the suffering of the innocent is justified because of the existence of free will. We as humans have misused our free will, thus what is known as ‘moral evil.’ Other sufferings from evil come from the natural evils. While McCloskey challenges the free will defense, Plantinga proposes the law of non-contradiction. He argues for there could be logically possible affairs whereby God would be unable of creating a world of both evil and autonomous humans (9). Evans puts it simply, â€Å"It does not seem to be true that a good being always eliminates evil as far as it can. What is true, perhaps, is that good being always eliminates evil as far as it can without the loss of a greater good or the allowance of a worse evil† (1). McCloskey objects to the cosmological argument claiming, â€Å"mere existence of the world constitutes no reason for believing in such a being†(1). There has been great objection to this however because of the fact of contingent objects. God is the â€Å"first cause,† the one who began it all. Because there is not explanation for contingent beings, if God is a necessary being, He is the necessary cause of the existence of creation and we as beings. God has no cause, otherwise He would not be God. It is the very existence of the world that implies the existence of God. The â€Å"laws of nature† imply the existence of a lawgiver, God. This position was held by Aristotle, holding firmly against the possibility of infinite regress. The argument from contingency suggests that it is possible the universe might not have existed, thus needing explanation of why it does in fact exist. In essence, it must have a cause. This leads to the belief in â€Å"necessary being,â⠂¬  meaning a being that needs no explanation. The temporal cosmological argument holds that the beginning of the universe was either caused or uncaused. However, objectors to this say we cannot actually claim whether the universe â€Å"had to exist.† Also, a â€Å"necessary being† comes into question. The refuters say this line of argument does not give enough explanation of why there could not be more than one cause. There is no ground for putting God as the first cause or prime mover. Time and causality as we know it cannot be grounds for explaining the beginnings of the universe. However, those objecting to McCloskey, hold if there were a being like the universe, then he would exist in time, thus he himself came into existence. But, the ultimate cause must not have come into existence. For it to be an ultimate cause, the ultimate Creator must be outside of time. (10).What McCloskey fails to realize, is that not every argument is going to capture every aspect of God. There are many different arguments that go abo ut doing that. If God does not exist, then all has no hope of immortality. Life, the world, and everything in it is meaningless. There would be no purpose or significance to anyone or anything. This leaves us with no ultimate meaning without immorality and God. Would we be able to say there was any purpose or meaning to someone who lived just to die? To be born just to pass out of existence? Lane says that it is not just each individual person that is headed towards the grave, but the universe itself is headed for extinction. This all in all is hopeless. Dying man, in a dying world. If this is the case, the small details in life do not matter, it does not make a difference. Our behaviors, our choices do not matter. Dotoyevsky said â€Å"If there is no immortality then all things are permitted† (11). Without God, there is no accountability, morality, or sense of right and wrong. Even more so, in a universe without God, good and evil do not exist (11). However, if we were to say there were no God, we would still be without purpose because we would just be accidental. We would just be accidents of chance. The only view that can save the human race from itself is a theistic view (11). The only thing going for an atheist is living with the fact of the absurdity of life. Such a view makes it impossible to live a fulfilling, happy life. For the atheist, absurdity of life and creating meaning for one’s life is a contradiction. A major disadvantage of atheism is that no one has hope or faith for reward of good or and punishment of evil. A believer’s hope is this, Christ. Ephesians 3:11 tells us that God had a purpose I mind before He created. Man within his own voluntary will would be able to love and choose God. Nature alone points to God. Humanity and the universe itself does not have to exist. Both are not self-existent but caused. There is no explanation for their existence. Within a Christian world view, life is not meaningless and pointless ending at the grave. We have hope in the resurrection and of eternal life. God and immortality are both necessary for a meaning full life (11). Bibliography 11- Craig, William Lane. â€Å"The Absurdity of Life without God.† In Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics, by William Lane Craig, 71-90. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2008. 1-Evans, C. Stephen, and R. Zachary Manis. Philosophy of Religion: Thinking About Faith. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2009. 8- Kunkle,Brett. â€Å"The Logical Problem of Evil.† Truth Never Gets Old. April 21, 2009 2- McCloskey, H. J. â€Å"On Being an Atheist.† Question (1968): 63-69. 5- Biologos. â€Å"What is the â€Å"fine-tuning† of the universe, and how does it serve as a â€Å"pointer to God?† 9- http://kevinfannystevenson.blogspot.com/2012/07/on-being-theist-response-to-h-j.html 10- http://www.existence-of-god.com/first-cause-argument.html

Event management strategy plan RE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Event management strategy plan RE - Essay Example Organizing a trade fair is not quite complicated owing to the fact that there are effective event management practices which play a crucial role in determining the protocols. Furthermore, through the role of event management it becomes easier to organize trade fairs since such firms specialize in the task of organizing events. However, organizing an international trade fair is not an easier option since the international element adds to the involvedness of the event management process. Since international trade fairs involve a much wider audience, diverse practices, products, businesses and people, organizing an international event will be quite challenging. Great caution ought to be taken when dealing with international events to ensure that they are successful. This paper aims at providing a report outlining an event strategy plan for an International trade fair. The report will outline the relevant plans, events and activities that constitute the overall strategy plan of the international trade fair that is to be organized. In line with the relevant aspects of the plan strategy, the paper will include the following parameters that are paramount to the project; Strategic aims, objectives with actions, opportunities and Risks associated with the international dimension, evaluation methods to be utilized, pre- and post –event and summary along with recommendations. The paper also presents the Gantt chart and Risk Assessment Form which underscore the distribution of responsibilities, identification of risks along with their respective action plan; this represents the evaluation criteria for the international trade fair. The strategic aims of the international trade fair are quite diverse and involve the relevant parameters that constitute business and performance. The international event will serve several purposes all in one so as to take full advantage of the opportunity availed.

Examining the literary devices used in the novels Homage to Catalonia, Essay

Examining the literary devices used in the novels Homage to Catalonia, For Whom The Bell Tolls, and As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning to portray the Spanish Civil War - Essay Example One of the most important elements about these accounts of the civil war period in Spain is the fact that every author has approached and treated the civil war experience in his particular style. Thus, one gets three beautiful accounts of the same background in the subtlest manner, and a reflective analysis of the works proves the individual narrative techniques of every writer as most distinct. The authors of these literary pieces employ different literary devices in their works such as adjectives, hyperbolic language, use of allusion, etc and each of these devices has immense significance as the authors depend greatly on these in narrating their experiences of the civil war. The contrasting methods of the writers find most valuable in an understanding the different accounts of the experiences in the Spanish Civil War, and the authors have been effective in portraying the picture of the civil war. This paper makes a comparative analysis of the accounts of the civil war experiences b y the three authors Orwell, Hemingway, and Lee, focusing on their use of different literary devices to portray the Spanish Civil War. Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls narrates the story of Robert Jordan, a young American in one of the anti-fascist guerilla groups during the Spanish Civil War. Jordan is proficient in the use of explosives and he undertakes the task of demolishing a bridge in an attack on the city of Segovia. The narrative techniques used by Hemingway have resulted in wide readership. In the narrative, Robert Jordan reflects the author’s own experiences in the Spanish Civil War and the novel develops chiefly through the thoughts and experiences of this character. The narrator is an American who passes through distinctive experience in Spain and he combats the fascist forces in his own specific ways. The novel attracts many readers as the specific narrative

Discussion Questions WK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Questions WK - Essay Example If we were to measure over a specific period of time, we would see that these two variables could be measured in the environment and to have sustained about an equal amount of pollution over time, considering that the amount of pollution to each variable would be constant. These variables would then be said to be correlational. In that sense, one sees that these variables are good examples. Question 2: ?If a researcher were studying the effects of a teaching method on patient learning outcomes, how must he or she word the research question (different from the hypothesis) to use a t-test to test for statistical differences? What type of data must he or she collect ( interval, ratio, ordinal, nominal)? Why? *Hint: An example of a research question is: Will drug B do a better job of curing acne then drug A? (250 words) In order to do any kind of experiment, one must have a control subject. In order to keep this particular study viable for the control part of the experiment, a t-test mus t be conducted. According to Allen (2004), â€Å"Under a set of assumptions that are usually referred to as the Gauss-Markov conditions, the t test can be used to test the significance of a regression†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pp. 66).

Media Ethics IssueFinal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media Ethics IssueFinal - Essay Example In other words, ethics is internally self determined rather that externally enforced. But ethics itself is written down as a guide on the practice of different professions such as journalism, medicine and law. This is done to avoid excesses in the practice of the profession. Law, on the other hand, is itself a set of laid down ethics. The basic difference between law and ethics is, therefore, that one is determined by government legislation while the other is determined by practitioners of journalism, or other trade, themselves. The laws that are of most concern to journalists are definitely defamation and libel. The former differs from the latter in that it is concerned with the spoken word while the other deals primarily with the written. Both laws govern against publication of material or information that is detrimental to the reputation and standing in society of individuals, provided that such published material is either false or cannot be proved beyond reasonable doubt to be true. Where such information is published, the individual mentioned adversely in the publication has a right to sue the journalists concerned, and if successful, is entitled to compensation relative to the extent of damage done as determined by a court of law. Members of the journalism profession are faced with the dilemma of choosing between telling the truth and the imminent danger of being sued legally for libel or defamation. Where there isn't sufficient evidence to support an adverse story, editors may be left with no choice but to stop publicizing of a story. Even the fact that journalism is the only private trade that is explicitly recognized by the constitution in many countries, such as the first amendment in the US constitution, the relationship between the fourth estate and government remains a thorny one. In most cases, individuals who bring up libel cases are public figures involved directly in governance. Matters of public interest such as official misappropriation of public funds and corruption may not see the light of day through the media since there is a difficult choice between the potential damage it can do to the persons mentioned if in the end proved not to be true. Journalists in some cases advocate for objectivity in reporting a story as sufficient ground for exemption from legal proceedings, a view that is seen as self- serving government. All the same, the media holds a privileged status in society since it is the most effective way of checking excesses in government; but is austerely governed by both its internal ethics and the long arm of the law. Most journalists prefer the former to the latter. 2. Advertisers influence media content and the resultant ethical issues. Adverts form a large part of media content, since the media depend on advertisers for their income. It is estimated that more than a third of the content carried by the media is adverts. This puts the media in direct conflict with the government time and again. One ethical issue that brings the government into direct conflict with the media is the impact of advertisement on minors who are still not old enough to make fully informed choices. Such an impact on the formative and highly impressionable minds of children is critically examined. The interest of the advertisers is to influence children to buy products by creating the impression that their lives are incomplete without

Senario Recommendation Memos Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Senario Recommendation Memos - Essay Example Many of the employees who used to get injured while using the heavy machines were now safe and steady in their work. The manager of the company also commented that the productivity of the company had increased by 49%. This is because the rate of absenteeism of employees fell notably, and also the rate of breakage of company’s expensive instruments was low (Dixon, 2012, P. 16). Thus, many of the losses were now avoided. I also conducted my research on a factory by the name, Greeley’s Chemicals and Pills. One outstanding advantage that the company mentioned was the improved image to the outsiders. Its integrity had just found another level the moment the drug testing system was started. The employees were more focused on their work such that they could attend to their clients and customers in a professional and disciplined manner (Lucy, 2012, P. 57). Many people claim that the procedure will be costly and inappropriate but in my opinion, I would recommend that it be carried out. This is because; in fact on the contrary it reduces costs. When the employee accidents are reduced, (Dixon, 2012, P. 16) costs such as medical insurance covers are incredibly lowered. Other costs such as costs arising from careless spillage of chemicals will also be avoided. Workers safety is also increased in the process since they do not get injured while working. Employees can also be efficient with their work without making unnecessary mistakes. I would also recommend that the drug testing program on the grounds that the productivity of the company will definitely increase and the company will be able to compete favorably with other companies that are in the same market. (Lucy, 2012, P. 57) I would also like to dismiss the claims that the reputation you have built with the company will be ruined. In my opinion, this is just but a fallacy made up by those employees who are not in support of the procedure. With the many benefits that the

The primary objective of this course has been to prepare your writing Essay

The primary objective of this course has been to prepare your writing skills for academic success in the university's net-level - Essay Example One of the most difficult parts in writing an essay is how one starts. For this problem, one can save so much trouble by making a draft. This is the skeletal view of the essay which simply shows how one is to go about the essay. First, there should be an introduction which contains the hook or lead sentence. This is very important because as they say, â€Å"first impressions last† and since this is the first sentence, it should catch the attention of the reader. Informative sentences should follow which are related to the lead sentence as well as the thesis statement. The thesis statement is often the last sentence and it states what is supposed to be discussed in the following paragraphs. The next paragraphs should have definite topics and if needed, they should also contain subtopics. The importance of each topic can be arranged from the least important to the most important depending on how the writer wants to present his ideas. The most important thing to consider in makin g a draft is to write the lead sentence and thesis statement in complete sentences. The other information could be phrases or just words. This will serve as a guide for the writer, making his task a lot easier. Sentence construction is another important thing that I have learned in writing. In this area, I could say that I improved a lot and I know that I need to improve further because I can use this skill in my future writing experiences. Before this class, I had very bad sentence constructions. They were often short but others had difficulty understanding me. However, through hard work and determination, I improved on my grammar and I could say that the people I deal with are now able to understand me better. I am now very careful with my subject and verb agreement as well as with other rules that I should follow in making my sentences. I also use vary the length of my sentences, using short and long sentences alternately to make a better paper. In addition, I also improved in my vocabulary. I am have grown the number of words I know and I try to gain more by using the new words I learn in my daily dealings not only in school but also at home. Equally important that I have learned is the making of paragraphs. I understand that this is not simply a group of sentences that make up a formatted paragraph. Rather, they are sentences which are related to each other. Therefore, it is important that a writer’s ideas should be well-organized in order for the sentences to give a clear picture of what is being discussed. I have learned to organize my thoughts with the help of the draft and also through critical thinking. I also bear in mind that the sentences should give a smooth flow of ideas so that readers will be able to follow my train of thought. Moreover, I learned that transition sentences are important in making paragraphs because they help readers expect that the writer is about to change the subject matter. With the help of this class and the Interna tional Writing Community, I have improved with my writing skills and I could say I am now competent in this area. I have learned to make a draft to make my task easier. I also learned to write my sentences correctly with the use of the right words in order to effectively communicate my thoughts. My paragraphs are now substantial, containing informative sentences that have a smooth flow of transitioning from one topic to another. I believe that I am now ready

The White Tiger Essay Example for Free

The White Tiger Essay The significance of the Darkness and the Light in the book The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga The contrast between the Darkness and the Light is often mentioned in this book. The darkness is described as the poor and miserable areas of the rural India, while the light is the opposite. In the light there are often flourishing cities crawling with entrepreneurs and hard workers. In The White Tiger one gets to follow Balram Halwai’s journey from the darkness to the light. Needless to say, India is far from the American dream. Once you are born into a certain type of caste you will probably spend your entire life with a fixed position in the social hierarchy. When Balram refers to the darkness he often mentions the poverty, ignorance and most importantly, the lack of education. â€Å"Me, and thousands of others in this country like me, are half-baked, because we were never allowed to complete our schooling† -Balram Halwai Primarily, what separates the light from the darkness is the level of education. Many people from the darkness end up being servants or drivers for their masters from the light. Balram describes the other servants as ignorant and unengaged. Nonetheless, what separates Balram from the others is his willingness to learn. While driving, he picks up a lot of interesting information by eavesdropping on his master, Mr. Ashok. With knowledge comes the ability to question and increased ambition, I think his increased knowledge is what inspires Balram to take the leap from the darkness to the light. Unlike the other servants he does not feel inferior to his master. â€Å"†¦ The tale of how I was corrupted from a sweet, innocent village fool into a citified fellow full of debauchery, depravity and wickedness.†- Balram Halwai In the big cities the traditional moral values do not apply anymore, instead money talks. Corruption is widespread, ranging all the way from the bottom to the top in the social hierarchy. Most cities in the light are clashes of  western and indian cultures. This means that materialism has gained the upper hand in these parts. Over time, Balram slowly transforms from the innocent village boy to the more egocentric city denizen. This is clearly shown when he abruptly stops sending payments to his family and spends this money rather on alcohol and debauchery. â€Å" I was looking for the key for years/ but the door was always open†- Iqbal, Pakistani poet I think this quotation is one of the most thematic for the book. Balram was discontent with his present situation and wanted a way out of the rooster coop that he was trapped inside. He eventually realized that the change originated within him, the door out of the coop was always open. All it took was someone who stood out from the rest/ a white tiger to break out of the coop, which took the form of killing his own master. However, by doing so, Balram fulfilled his journey from the darkness to the light and thus becoming his own master. Finally, the darkness and the light divide India in two very different categories, extreme poverty versus wealth, or â€Å"small bellies and big bellies† as Balram puts it. The contrast between the darkness and the light is so big that in the same country people can live in mansions with luxury cars and multiple servants while others can only afford a water buffalo in order to get nutrition to survive. Albeit, India has at this time a growing middle class and a developing economy it still has its social problems. Just look at what’s going on right now, women and children get raped and left to die whithout judicial priority. Although I think these problems are hard to deal with since moral values are hard to change, but by solving problems like these and the educational gaps that are brought forth in â€Å"The White Tiger†, India can take a step towards a more equal society and hopefully erase the world that Balram refers to as â€Å"the Darkness†.

Melodrama And Film Noir In Mildred Pierce

Melodrama And Film Noir In Mildred Pierce Film noir first appeared when The Depression ended with society feeling the lack of material objects, in response to the end of the Second World War. The American Dream was coming under threat due to women being forced back into their domestic roles. It uses textual structures and style to show the nightmare that is the American Dream. Mildred Pierce (Michael Curitz, 1948) attempts to modernise a post-war economy by showing how important gender roles are in supporting a balanced family to the audience of the film. Mildred Pierce sheds light on the historical need to reconstruct an economy based on a division of labour by which men command the means of production and women remain within the family, in other words the need to reconstruct a failing patriarchal structure (Cook, 2005, p. 69). The film also touches on a fear of women by men returning from the war. Women were more independent and less feminine that before the war. The films themselves seem to indicate just how threatened and unsure hegemonic patriarchy was during the post-war years (Benshoff, 2007, p. 264).This film deals with the deterioration of a family in post-war America. While birth rates did soar after the war, so did divorce ratesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦men and women had very different experiences of the war, and the two often did not easily mesh (Benshoff, 2007, p. 262). Warner Brothers released the film in 1945, a year many American soldiers returned from World War II. It left millions dead, but the calamitous event also boosted womens place in society. During the WWII period, women became the main providers for their families while American men were at war, a situation that lead to increased independence for American women. Popular slogans and icons of the time, like Rosie the Riveter, encourage women to work and take charge of their lives. However, when men returned and re-entered the workforce, society expected women to step aside and rejoin the cult of domesticity. This background knowledge adds many layers of meaning to the movie and is vital to understanding the message of the movie. The protagonist of the film Mildred Pierce does everything in her power to help her children. Mildred is determined that her children will have greater opportunities in life than she and Bert have had (Lloyd Johnson, 2003, p. 14). Mildred dreams that one day her daughters will be prima donnas and concert pianists, and pursues these fantasies to the best of her abilities. Mildred attempts to shoulder fatherly responsibilities, which makes her the worst kind of mother possible. The matriarchal coup ends in disaster, and reveals the filmmakers message: a womans place is in the household, and she cannot hope to thrive in a mans world. Mildred replaces men with women she chooses her female daughters over her male husband, which reinforces the idea of a matriarchy. Only Veda and Kay, who are female, can inherit from Mildred. The marriage dissolves on account of the Mildreds unbalanced, smothering, obsessive, insistent maternal love for her female children. Mildreds first flashback within the film has two distinct points of view: Mildred, the woman, and the detective, the man. The basic split is created in the film between melodrama and film noir, between Womans Picture and Mans Film, a split which indicates the presence of two voices, female and male (Cook, 2005, p. 72). Mildreds flashbacks are evenly lit, but cannot be trusted. The viewers process of picking up cues, developing expectations, and constructing an ongoing story out of the plot will be partially shaped by what the narrator tells or doesnt tell (Bordwell Thompson, 2008, p. 92). The detectives perspective explains the truth of the narrative, but is presented in shadows and low-key lighting. Mildreds discourse is the discourse of melodrama, her story is the stuff of which the Womans Picture was made in pre-war and war years when woman were seen to have an active part to play in society and the problems of passion, desire, and emotional excess (Cook, 2005, p. 71). The melodr amatic tone to Mildreds narration helps to pull the woman in the theatre into the storyline. Elizabeth Cowie suggests that the voiceover narration in Mildred Pierce is associated with melodramas because it markedly lacks a hard-boiled style (Cowie, 1993, p. 138). It isnt quite as simple as this however. Mildreds melodramatic narrative is put into doubt due to the film signalling her out as a possible suspect who manipulates people to get her way. On the other hand though her melodramatic story has a film noir style thats impossible to avoid and noirs dystopian feeling dominates this melodramatic narrative. Cook sees this as the point at which Mildred Pierce becomes a Mans Film because the womans discourse of melodrama has been taken away and replaced with noir (Cook, 2005, p. 71). One of the key messages in the film presents the idea for women to stand behind their men and to go back into the kitchen and cook pies. The detectives discourse is a representation of the mans role to find the truth through hard evidence. The detective is simply concerned with establishing the Truth, with resolving the enigma, while Mildreds story contains complexity and ambiguity, showing a concern for feelings rather than facts. (Cook, 2005, p. 71). Mildreds legs are fetish sized in order to control her sexuality. One part of a fragmented body destroys the Renaissance space, the illusion of depth demanded by the narrative, it gives flatness (Mulvey, 1975, p. 26). By the man taking a small part of the woman and focusing in on it, the woman, as a whole, is no longer a threat to the man. This entire scene sexualizes Mildred. Men in post-war America were threatened by the womans sexual prowess and often tried to repress it. The film gives an example of the brutal and enforced repressi on of female sexuality, and the institutionalization of a social place for both men (as fathers and husbands) and women (as mothers and wives) which rests uneasily on this repression (Cook, 2005, p. 69). Mildreds sexuality is repressed by the realization later in the film that it is Monte who is using Mildred and not the other way around. The filmmakers provide this devastation through three negative constructions of women in the film. Veda emerges from her childhood as a femme fatal, a sure sign that something went terribly wrong in her upbringing. The filmmakers imply that if Bert had been around he would have put her in her place. Bert says that he is so fed up with the way [Veda] high hats him that he would eventually cut loose and slap her right in the face. His attitude towards Veda contrasts sharply with Mildreds attitude, but in the end, Mildred hits their daughter first. Although he admits that he does not have the maternal connection that Mildred has with her daughters, he knows that her method of raising the kids isnt right. These lines are also important because they show that Bert, the patriarch, knows more about being a mother than the Mildred. She is too busy making pies to provide for her children to see what has gone wrong. Interest in business already makes her blind to domestic problems. While the role reversal between Mildred and Bert does not become apparent until the end, a hint of Berts predi ction about Veda shows up in the scenes following his departure. Veda, the next matriarch in the line of inheritance, already tries to control her mother after Wallys visit by trying to trade Mildreds dignity for a new house. Mildreds character is paralleled by Vedas character. The film asks us, through the device of metaphorical substitution , to confuse the wicked Veda with the honest Mildred, thus establishing Mildreds innate guilt, even though she is not guilty of the actual murder (Cook, 2005, p. 71). Through their intimate happenings with the same man at the same location, Mildred later discovers Veda and Monty kissing at the beach house, it is clear that cinema setting can come to the forefront; it need not be only a container for human events but can dynamically enter the narrative action (Bordwell Thompson, 2008, p. 115). Although Mildred did not kill Monte, she is guilty of an even bigger crime in post-war America: pursuing a career and becoming the head of a family. Mild reds take-over of the place of the father has brought about the collapse of all social and moral order in her world (Cook, 2005, p. 75). Mildred works her way up the socio-economic ladder. She possesses the traits of the ideal all-American man: hard work, self-reliance, and perseverance. Her labours pay off in the Horatio Alger tradition and she reaps a handsome profit from her chain of restaurants. There are two messages in this sequence of events that contradict the ominous predictions of the kitchen scene first; her success demonstrates that if women leave their husbands, they are not condemned to lives of poverty and misery. Second, her successes with the restaurants show that women are also capable of being entrepreneurs in the business world. Ida also enters Mildreds world, and becomes another affirmative theme in the film. As the two bond they create a relationship that is an equitable partnership, devoid of the power structure present in Mildreds relationships with men. These positive elements build audience empathy for Mildred. They celebrate along with Mildred when her restaurant does well and cheer when she opens the new branches of her dinner. The audience becomes Mildred through this empathy and lives through her vicariously. But these positive themes are later used to manipulate the female audiences emotive response. The heroine, who momentarily enjoys business success, is destined to fail as a career woman as well as a mother. Mildred Pierce was, after all, designed as a lesson to the women of the post-war period in both its theme and its narrative. The empathy created from Mildreds success resounds as strongly during her fall from happiness. By manipulating the emotive response in this way, the film reaffirms patriarchal cultural values. The first of the negative themes begins Kays death. It warns of what happens when the nuclear family falls apart: while Mildred frolics at the beach with a new lover, her daughter is dying of pneumonia. Sylvia Harvey has argued that film noir contains a critique of the nuclear family so devastating that no narrative can resolve it (Harvey, pp. 22-34). The film constructs this scene as what happens with the decay of the nuclear family unit. While Mildred is off having an affair with Monte, her daughter is dying. The film teaches its audience how to avoid such a failed family ideal. The first sign of deterioration comes when Mildreds one night of illicit passion with Monte is followed by Kays death (Cook, 2005, p. 74). This film establishes ideal gender roles for the redevelopment of society while defining the fear of women present in post-war America. This ultimately sends the message of the importance of the family unit: a woman must stay true to her family as a whole even if it mean s living an unhappy life. The film implies that an ideal mother would have been on call, always ready to care for her children. Of course Kay dies; she is a sacrificial lamb for Mildreds excesses. Her death also makes it possible for Mildred to concentrate on Veda and Monte, two key figures in Mildreds destruction. The second negative theme deals with Mildreds maternal failure. As Mildred becomes more heavily invested in her business, Veda drifts further and further away from her, and buys into Montes materialistic values. Veda ultimately becomes the femme fatale of the movie, and serves as an example of why women cannot be successful businesswomen and mothers at the same time. Juggling two things at once does not work for Mildred because she can only focus on one thing at a time. Her obsession with making money forces her not to notice the unsavoury developments in her daughter Veda, which Bert forecasts earlier in the kitchen: The trouble is, youre trying to buy love from those kids and it wont work. One of the most powerful images in the movies occurs simultaneously as the couple steps into the dawns sunrise. Two cleaning women kneel scrub the floor as Bert and Mildred leave. A silhouette shot ensures that they scrub in anonymity and no discerning features of their faces can be seen. These two lowly scrub women are symbols of the two ambitious women of the film: Mildred and Ida. They wash floor as if trying to be cleansed of their sin: the sin of gaining a foothold in society. Truly repentant, they can no longer stand on their feet but only kneel down. Ultimately, this sends the message that female economic power must not be powerful at all only humble and faceless. In post-war America woman were unceremoniously fired from their jobs in order to create employment opportunities for returning men (Benshoff, 2007, p. 262). Society demanded that woman be in the home and that men be at the workplace. Mildreds involvement with a man that doesnt fit this mould consequently ends in her downfall and the deterioration of her family. The message presented in the film clearly outlines gender roles and what is expected of each sex in order to restore patriarchal order to America at this time. In 1947, America was recovering from an economic crisis, altered gender roles, a deteriorated male population, and high divorce rates. Leave it to Hollywood to instruct Americans on how to set everything straight again. Not only does this film present a number of messages detailing the womans place in the home and the mans place at work, but it also reflects a fear that woman had gained too much control, become too masculine, and would no longer be a link in healthy family units. The melodramatic ending that Mildred Pierce presents shows that the womens threat to the patriarchy of men cannot simply be resolved by love (Gledhill, 1987, p. 24). It uses extreme representations of women trying to step out of their domestic roles and reassures the women watching the film that although they might be discontented with being forced back into the home after the Second World War, their lives are considerably better than what is being shown on screen.

A Swot Analysis Of Google Android Computer Science Essay

A Swot Analysis Of Google Android Computer Science Essay The Google EFFECT Google is counted as one of the most reputed and respected companies of this era. The fact that Google is behind the Android OS platform gives it a great sense of credibility and viability in the eyes of the consumers, potential partners, and application developers. Furthermore Androids team has all the possible resources from Google such as financial, intellectual to make it a major player in the mobile industry. Device Options As oppose to the Apple iPhone where one doesnt have any options for mobile device vendor other than Apple, the Android OS is an open-source and any Mobile manufacturer who wishes to use Android can do so on their mobile device. This feature provides the consumers a large number of options from which to choose from and also decreasing the time to use the new and latest hardware and technological advancement in micro electronics. Competitive Pricing The Android platform is very cost effective to develop as it is an open source platform and the licensing arrangements are hassle free for the hardware manufacturer. Thus, handsets using the Android platform are priced very suitably. Google applications and services integration As the Android platform includes a number of the Google services and applications as its core functionality only to reinforce its capability and effectiveness. Google services such as GMAIL, Calendar, Listen, Reader, GPS, Maps and many others integrate effortlessly with the Android platform thus making it trouble-free for users to synchronize their data from one platform to the other. Moreover it also a competitive edge on its rivals in the internet search and you tube as Google is the leader in these fields Open Source The Android platform is built from a Linux using the JAVA programming. One can search on google to find all the essential information and source code one needs to manufacture an Android compatible device. Moreover, Android is an integral part of the Open Handset Alliance which is a cartel working together to develop Android as a free mobile platform system. WEAKNESSES Multimedia Support As oppose to Apple iPhone which has the extremely popular iTunes application and marketplace, Android doesnt have a fundamental or organized source of neither multimedia data nor an integrated multimedia player. Although there have been constant improvements in the field of apps on the Android platform, but still at this time there is no place to go that comes remotely close to what Apple is offering on this front. Reliance on device manufacturers to upgrade -Unlike, Apple controls when and how iPhone costumers will get new hardware and software upgrades and upgrades core functionality. On the other hand even when google releases a newer android version the costumers still have to wait till the device manufacturers of their respective devices comprehensively test and adapt to the new code to make sure that it works fine on their hardware configuration. Google is working on this issue according to their announcements, as they plan to integrate more of their core features of their services into the Android Operating System itself. Less Mature Android is not as established or as refined as the iPhones OS at this point, But constant improvement is seen with every new release of the android, still a lot more is required to reach the same level of sophistication as the Apple IPhone. Lack of Enterprise Support Blackberry and Microsoft still have most of their support from Enterprise usage. Although Android has made some inroads in this market, but Android still has very small market share here. It needs to continue developing Google Applications and better its integration abilities with Microsoft Exchange to gain market share. OPPORTUNITIES The Android Operating System has an amazing opportunity to get into the Tablet market right now. Google cannot afford to play a waiting game watch Apple take over the tablet market and eat up major chunk of the market share as it had done before with the release of iphone. An Android based tablet is a fantastic opportunity if executed properly. There have been quite a few inconsequential releases of Android tablets over the last year, but none of them are what someone would consider a noteworthy product. Either Google itself or a big name such as HP, Sony, Dell, ASUS, ACER need to release an amazing Android tablet in order to get a huge market share. Not to forget Samsung galaxy tab with android is good but still more sophistication is required to beat apples I pad Developer Friendly Unlike the recent actions of Apple which has alienated the developer community by distancing with them. Moreover the development tools of Iphone are difficult to use and the application approval process seems to be terribly subjective at times. This makes iPhone application development very tedious and non rewarding for developers On the other hand developing for Android is very open and hassle free for the developer as Android development tools use Java and even C/C++. This allows developers to write applications for Android using languages they already know and widely used. Furthermore Android Software development kit also provides an emulator so that application developers can test their applications without relying on the physical hardware. Google needs to take this opportunity and help developers for their efforts through better advertising revenue and app sales into financial gains for the developer. Developing Countries Google has an opportunity to develop cheaper devices using Android platform in developing countries of Asia and Africa. The licensing for android is exceptionally manufacturer friendly and the start up cost is considerably less when compared to other mobile operating systems. The integration with so many of Googles other free services it would be a sure success in these markets. Smart phone market on the rise The smart phone market is still very young and there is huge scope of growth to take place over the next several years to a decade. The market for smart phone apps will benefit from growth of nearly 50% in 2011, according to new research. The International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker estimates that the worldwide smart phone market is expected to increase 49.2% in 2011, growing more than four times faster than the overall mobile phone market( Kay Ewbank, 2011, http://www.i-programmer.info/news/83-mobliephone/2203-smartphone-survey.html)   Ã‚  . The integration of cloud computing applications and services to support the Android OS is the key to a maintained growth rate and increased market share potential for the Android operating system. Embedded electronic devices The Android OS is perfectly poised to be the major player in the embedded electronic devices market as a leader in embedded devices operating system. With upsurge of new devices becoming embedded with smart technologies and connectivity to the mobile networks and the internet, the Android OS is in position to be the leader in this segment. THREATS Apple dominance The biggest threat to google android is the Iphone and its ever growing popularity with the consumers as it has more smoother and sophisticated interface. Moreover Apples bigger market share gives them an influence over developers who like a revenue model that works for them. The ever growing Apple market share allows them to charge users for access to premium content. Apples recent policy changes shows its influence over developers and makes their huge market share very difficult to walk away from, even when they adopt very unfriendly developer policies. Increased Competition Obviously, companies like RIM Blackberry and Microsoft are not going to let go of their market share. In particular,  the Blackberry platform which has very huge support in the enterprise market. Moreover Nokia is also not giving up their hopes on the symbian platform and might cause an upset to androids hopes of capturing the market if they develop a new and sophisticated smart phone interface which provides their customers the ease of access for which Nokia is known for. Platform Fragmentation This is a huge threat to the Android platform. Although I have listed the more options of hardware devices as strength above, the risk of fragmentation is real as well. This is why Google is committed to developing ways to reduce this problem. Google does not want different custom version of Android to emerge from their basic platform, which is something we saw with Linux. This was one of the primary reasons for linux not making to the big leagues when comparing the market shares. As Google itself controls the Android Market so they have considerable influence over device manufacturers to meet their compatibility requirements. Financial Implications Google android is an open source Operating system for mobile phone and embedded electronic devices so at this time there are no direct financial implications for Google at the moment as still most of the apps on its marketplace are free. But as android becomes more popular Google can charge android users for different apps available on its market place. Although what Google wants to do is to make sure that there is an open source mobile OS large enough in the market for its advertising business. Google is not about selling Android devices. Google is all about search and advertising. Google is doing a pretty good job of it if we see the numbers. Last year alone Android accounted for over $130 million from marketing revenues on android out of its total $850million from mobile advertising, which is good for $5.90 average revenue per user. Furthermore Google is expecting to reap up $1.3 Billion from its advertisement revenues from android in 2012 at $ 9.85 average revenue per user with about 133 million android users by then. Moreover Google is expecting to reach over 300,000 Android activations per day very soon, which will also help them to reach the goals set by Google CEO Eric Schmidt for android to become a $10 billion business with 1 billion users of the platform, at $10 Average Returns Per Unit. Future looks to be bright Android Os Though Android is a young Mobile Os and is still improving with its newer releases so it can be said that it is in a stage of Growth, this statement can be supported by a Gartner Survey which expects Android to reach about 30 % of total market share by 2014. As Android all ready Commands about 29 % of smart phone market according to the latest data released by Neilsen and have already surpassed RIMs market share so it is on the right track to dominate the overall mobile market in the near future. Moreover overall smart phone market is also on the rise as it is expected by The International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker estimates that the worldwide smart phone market is expected to increase 49.2% in 2011, growing about four times quicker than the overall mobile phone market. Furthermore According to Googles CEO Eric Schmidt they are combining their Platforms for mobile phones (gingerbread) and tablets (honeycomb) together and make it in to one OS for both kinds of devices. In conclusion I feel that Android is perfectly poised for capturing a huge market share and should help googles advertising revenues a lot in the near future, as it has all the necessary features required to be one of the best Operating System in its category.

Overlooked Renassaince Painters :: Baccio della Porta Fra Bartolommeo Art Essays

Overlooked Renassaince Painters Even the average person with little or no background in art may have heard the names Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo, or Raphael. Not only because they are the most famous and noteworthy painters, sculptors, draughtsmen, designers, and inventors of the high renaissance, but also because of the countless stories and movies, fact and fiction which included these men and at least mentioned their importance, relevance, and influences on today'7s world. Many children have grown up already knowing these names, and perhaps that they were artists however simplistic that may be, after the explosion of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the late eighties. Perhaps there is one high renaissance artist who does not always recieve due credit, but who was influencial just the same. One such artist was Baccio della Porta, a Florentine renaissance painter. Baccio della Porta was born in Florence, Italy in 1472. As historians know, most artists went into apprenticeship at about the age of eleven or twelve at this time in Florence. Taking this into account, it is assumed that Baccio did become an apprentice of Cosimo Rosselli at that age since he was well known in his workshop by 1485. Baccio della Porta's master or teacher, Cosimo Rosselli, had probably just returned from his work in Rome in the Sistine Chapel. It is also known that the average length of time for an artist's apprenticeship was about six to eight years, putting Baccio on his own around 1490. According to many modern art historians, Vasari is the most reliable source of information on the life and works of Fra Bartolommeo after he entered the Dominican Order and became a brother.3 Baccio della Porta and a pier of his, as well as a fellow student of the arts, Mariotto Albertinelli became intimate friends during their apprenticeships. Following their apprenticeship the two decided to work proffesionally together at the home of Baccio della Porta. They made this decision to work together in 1491, but their "partnership" and friendship apparently ended when they went their own ways in styles and choices of schools to follow and associate with. Baccio della Porta joined the followers of Savonarolas, Mariotto associated with the Medici followers, specifically working for the patron Alfonsina Orsini who was the wife of Piero de ' Medici.

Violent Music Lyrics Increase Aggressive Thoughts and Feelings :: violence, music, agression, psychology,

Music, a popular outlet amongst the teen community for exploring emotions and blowing off steam. Times have changed, and the way music and lyrics are perceived has developed in a violent fashion. According to new studies, that have occurred, violent music lyrics increase aggressive thoughts and feelings. I chose this topic because music is such an influential part of our lives that it often dictates the mood we seize to exist in. If violent thoughts occur, what can come of it? Teens and the human populous have been draw to music, and the relief it gives off. As recent as the 1990’s, we’ve seen an increase in explicit and violent lyrics and deviant behavior in the music industry surrounding such genres as heavy metal, rock, rap, and gangster rap. During this past decade, lyrics are becoming more violent and sexually explicit. It is approximated that teens listen to an average of 40 hours of music a week, and somewhere along the way, a child will hear something derogatory, or cruel. Along with this, teens don’t necessarily interpret what is said through lyrics in the right manner. In one study, only 30% of those somewhat questionable lyrics by popular bands were comprehended by the teen population. Although lyrics are seen as the most likely reason for teen violence to occur, it is questionable as to why? Lyrics allow the listener to interpret the music in any which way they so choose, and for the majority of the time, the listener doesn’t process the lyrics effectively. Lyrics are under the most scrutiny due to explicit content, but when rapper ‘Precise’ was interviewed, he said he didn’t feel the need to kill any one, or bring harm to anyone. Video games, where are actually interactive, force the participant to do the killing, punching, or any other method of violence the game brings, which is what should raise concern to parents and media across the nation. In order for this problem to adjust over time, much work will be necessary. I believe that our country as a whole should focus not so much on the content of the lyrics, but who the musical artists themselves are. Just because lyrics are profound doesn’t mean that the artist believes in them, they could be relating to previous acts that have occurred in their lives, or speaking freely on the problems our society is faced with. It would be beneficial for our country if a sensor council or committee was founded to screen all songs and albums before they’re released, in order to identify them with a warning label or not

Existentialism & Fight Club Essay

From an existentialism point of view, there is no right or wrong choice, since one gives an action value by the virtue of choosing it. Choices can only be judged on how involved the decision maker is when making it. Judging by this standard, the narrator is justified in killing Tyler, since he fully became involved in choosing to both accept and reject Tyler’s values by that action. â€Å"Existentialism’s first move is to make every man aware of what he is and to make the full responsibility of his existence rest on him.† In my essay, I shall first discuss how shooting Tyler is crucial in allowing the narrator to achieve the first move in embracing existentialism. He acts as the catalyst for the narrator to make the first move in existentialism: being aware of what he is by acknowledging all his primal instincts and assuming responsibility for his existence. Tyler does so through his acts of escalating violence and atrocity to provoke the narrator to confront both who he is and his responsibilities, culminating finally in his own death. I shall also discuss the theme of consumerism as portrayed in the movie, and how the decision of shooting Tyler relates to the narrator’s interpretation of this theme. The narrator had been hesitant to assume full responsibility for his existence at the start of the movie. He dislikes his present circumstances- he is jaded with his current job and lacks a clear purpose, as illustrated by the quote †A single serving package, a single serving†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Once he consumes the single serving, he is done. He makes a fleeting impression in someone else’s life before he fades from their memory. He feels his existence is meaningless because he has no connections with anyone. He is not content with the present state he is in, but makes no active effort to consciously define his own existence. He shows bad faith in this respect, because he deceives himself into believing that he lacks complete freedom of involvement in making this decision. He is a coward by Sartre’s definition: â€Å"Those who hide their complete freedom from themselves out of a spirit of seriousness or by means of deterministic excuses.† He possesses the desire to redefine his existence by rebelling against the values in society, but this conflicts with his conscious mind (the ego), which restraints him from doing anything socially unacceptable. His conscious mind hides these unacceptable desires in the subconscious mind, coming up with excuses that prevent the narrator from fulfilling these desires. Eventually, the repressed energy from these unconscious desires resulted in the fracturing of the ego itself- into two conscious minds, hence resulting in the manifestation of Tyler. Tyler represents everything that the narrator subconsciously wishes to be. He is the personification of the ID itself, representing the narrator’s repressed death instincts (our innate instinct for survival), aggression instincts (instincts for violence), and the libido. Before he meets Tyler, the narrator is defines his existence though furniture he purchases and assembles from IKEA. He attempts to make himself into a being-in-itself, believing his perfect state of existence can be reached by purchasing that last piece of furniture he needs. When the narrator’s house was bombed, annihilating the means by which he defines his existence, the narrator felt as though his existence itself was erased. â€Å"Every stick of furniture in there was my life.† Tyler teaches him not to rely on material goods but to define his existence by his actions. The fight club thus became the new means through which the narrator could define himself through acts of fighting. The narrator learns to revel in violence and physical pain as a means of defining his existence and to transcend the physical limits of the body. He achieves the first step of self-awareness by satisfying his primal instincts for aggression. His first epiphany occurs when he realizes Tyler is himself. In a sense, he realized that he (as Tyler) is free and capable of inventing and creating himself as whom he chooses to be. This is an important step because he now wants to assume responsibility for his existence. His second epiphany occurs when he shoots Tyler, and thus himself. On the first level, the narrator acknowledges his death instincts by confronting his fear of pain and death. He accepts Tyler’s ideas of experiencing death so as to be fully conscious of his physical existence. When he shoots Tyler, he does so with the awareness that he is shooting himself. This is the final step he needs to take in order to be fully aware of what he is. On the second level, by rejecting Tyler’s nihilistic ideas of destroying institutions and value systems, he chooses what values to stand for and thus creates his own purpose for himself. â€Å"In choosing his ethics, Man makes himself.† He also translates the belief in these values into the actual action of shooting Tyler, thus defining his existence through actual action. On the third level, by shooting Tyler, he assumes responsibility for all of Man, not just himself. He assumes responsibility for Man because he invents what Man bshould be: one who does not act in an uncaring and destructive manner towards others. On the fourth level, shooting Tyler allows the narrator to be defined in a way he wishes to be defined in the eyes of the â€Å"other†. Shooting Tyler is crucial towards removing the existence of Project Mayhem. He does not want Marla to find out about Project Mayhem because he will then lose his connections with her. It is important to the narrator to have a close relationship with Marla. Firstly, she is the only surviving real human being he has a close relationship with in the movie. Secondly, Marla, playing the role of the â€Å"other†, allows him to seek out knowledge about his existence and she is the condition for his existence. By shooting Tyler, he prevents the loss of this â€Å"other† that is crucial for his existence. Important themes discussed in the movie include consumerism. To be specific, it shows how the modern consumerist society affects Man’s determination of his existence. In Sartre’s words, how a change in the â€Å"a priori limits which outline man’s fundamental situation in the universe† affects Man’s determination of his existence with respect to these limits. According to Sartre, all configurations â€Å"either appear as attempts to pass beyond them or recede from them or deny them or adapt to them†. Consumerism imposes limits on Man to work and to consume, because only if Man works can he consume, and he can consume only if he works. He is emasculated because he is unable to fulfill h is natural role as a hunter-gatherer as dictated to him by biology. Man is limited or restricted in the sense he is unable to fulfill his primitive instincts. As seen in the movie, Tyler tries to pass beyond these limits by destroying symbols of consumerism, such as credit card companies, so as to â€Å"return to Ground Zero†. Since many people define their existence by numbers in their bank accounts, destroying the bank records will erase their previous existence and allow them to create their existence anew, much like how the narrator’s apartment was bombed so that he could create his new existence through Fight Club. Tyler’s ultimate goal seems to be changing the limits by which people define their existence by. He envisions the destruction of modern civilization, and a regression back to a more primitive hunter gatherer state. â€Å"In the world I see you are stalking elk through the same canyon forests around the ruins of Rock feller Centre†. In the world he envisions, the new limits by which people will define themselves with respect to are undoubtedly physical strength and prowess. On the other hand, the narrator, like so many of us today, adapts to these limits by embracing consumerism as indoctrinated into him by society through advertisements. He avidly purchases IKEA furniture and defines his existence by these material goods. In Tyler’s words, he works jobs he hates so he can buy shit he doesn’t need. He assumes that his furniture uniquely defines him as a person, from the â€Å"glass bowls with imperfections made by the simple and honest people of wherever† to â€Å"his yin-yang coffee table†, while missing the irony that IKEA is a chain-store that mass produces furniture. He is no other different from many other consumers of IKEA who believe that their furniture is unique on virtue of it being selected by them. At the end of the movie, the narrator realizes he needs to strike a balance between the two opposing configurations, one that is in the pre-consciousness state, afraid to confront his freedom, and the other that embraces existentialism and freedom to the point of reckless destruction. Shooting Tyler thus allows him to reunite his opposing configurations and strike a middle balance. Ma rla is an example of how a person recedes from limits that outline the human condition. She does not know what values to choose to define her existence. As a result, she adopts a nihilistic attitude and attempts to hit rock-bottom by trying to court death. Lastly, another important theme in the movie is that of mental pain. Many characters in the movie experience mental pain because they are unable to reject the â€Å"being in itself† others force upon them. Thus, they cannot achieve a true state of â€Å"being for itself† This is because we â€Å"perceive others as a condition of our own existence†, as how Sartre puts it. According to Sartre, once we realize we exist, we realize the existence of others who are free to define us according to how they view us. We are objectified in the eyes of others because others view us as a â€Å"being in itself†. We lose our freedom through their perception of us. Only we looking back and viewing others as objects can we regain our freedom. Bob is viewed as a man who has lost his masculinity. He accepts this â€Å"being in itself†, believing that he is condemned to this fixed and unchanging physical body. Thus, he suffers mental pain because he does not reject the attempts of â€Å"being in itself† others force upon him by realizing his freedom to create his own existence. The narrator similarly suffers from accepting the â€Å"being in itself† society forces upon him- as a member of society whose purpose is to work, to consume and to obey his superiors. His ideal self-image is that of a strong and ruthless primal human being. However, he dares not embrace his freedom to reject this â€Å"being for itself† and work towards the transcendent goal of his ideal self-image. Thus, his mental pain caused Tyler to manifest, who violently abuses the narrator to symbolize the mental pain the narrator is experiencing. Tyler tries to push the narrator to be fully aware of his unconscious desires, and to assume responsibility for his freedom. Only when he confronts this mental pain (Tyler’s physical abuse) can he reject â€Å"being for itself† and achieve true â€Å"being-for-itself†, the state where he is constantly and freely choosing his future. His decision to shoot Tyler was justified-because he is freely choosing to reject Tyler’s destructive ideas, and to transcend his initial transcendent goal of becoming Tyler. In conclusion, the movie has strong themes of existentialism running through it. The act of shooting Tyler was justified because it signifies the first step of existentialism for the narrator- he becomes fully aware of what he is, and assumes full responsibility of his existence. It also shows how human beings may choose to define themselves with respect to the limits of the world they exist in. Lastly, shooting Tyler allows the narrator to confront his mental pain and reach the true state of â€Å"being for itself†.