An Inward Journey - Literature Essay Samples

The journey in Heart of Darkness traverses not only the capricious waters spanning our physical world, but also the paradoxical ocean which exists in the heart of man and all of mankind. Through Marlows somewhat fanatical eyes we view the enigma that is humanity, and the blurred line between light and dark. It is a voyage into the deepest recesses of the human heart and mind, leading to epiphany, enlightenment, and finally spiraling downwards into the crevices of a hell existing within each and every one of us. Although through Marlow Conrad depicts a journey into the Congo, his use of symbolism and wordplay divulge that it is something much more profound.The Heart of Darkness as an entirety is one immense metaphor, whose numerous annexes can be either convoluted or self-evident. Almost every action, object, and character in Conrads book has a deeper, more relevant meaning behind it, serving to bring the reader ever closer to the conclusion that the voyage is indeed an inward one . The first major indication of this is the posture of Marlow as he recounts his journey into the Congo. According to the narrator, he had the pose of a Buddha preaching in European clothes and without a lotus-flower. This lotus position is one typically used for meditation, which is in fact defined as a spiritual journey promoted by a lucidity of thought. Successful meditation leads to a more discerning understanding of human nature and allows one to contemplate the innermost workings of the mind. Therefore Marlows stance capitalizes on his true destination, insinuating from the very first pages that his journey is actually within himself. From the start of Marlows tale there are a myriad of symbols relating to the unchartered places of the subconscious, and the journey intended to discover them. For instance, Marlow is lead to a room by two silent women spinning black wool (The women represent the Fates of Greek mythology, who spin a skein of wool which symbolizes a persons life. The fact that these womens thread is black creates an ominous sense of foreboding.). There his attention is drawn to a map and he finds himself enthralled by a large river coursing through the heart of Africa. He notices that the river resembled a snake, and that it was fascinating. For some odd reason, this long, sinuous river tempted him, despite its reptilian connotations, which already alerts the reader to danger ahead. The river is akin to the serpent in the biblical story of Adam and Eve, offering the unwitting pair a forbidden fruit wisdom, and a dark knowledge of oneself. Also, throughout the journey, there are repeated references to both life and death. Uncannily, these two are always intertwined. For example, there is a theme of bones which is constantly recurring in Marlows story. The Swede mentions a man who died, and whose skeleton was left sprawled on the ground until the grasses began to grow up through his ribcage. The grass represents life, and of c ourse, the skeleton represents death. These two are woven together. Also, there is Kurtzs obsession with ivory (dental bone), and according to Marlow he has the appearance of the object of his fixation. From Marlows description, Kurtz bears a skeletal resemblance even when he is alive. Conrads frequent symbolic combinations of life and death is probably one of his numerous parallels to light and dark, echoing the fact that the two must exist stimultaneously there cannot be without the other.Conrads book is based on the presence of light and dark within everyone, and in Marlows journey the question is often posed of which is predominant. There are times when darkness usurps the light, others when it is the opposite. However, the darkness (evil) usually tends to prevail. Conrad is implying that a sense of evil resides in the core of every human, and therefore reigns at the centre of humanity, however veiled by morals, civilization and refinement. This is one of the main facts Marlow ascertains on his journey, for he sees darkness everywhere, even when there is light.Just as the line between light and dark is indistinct, the barrier segregating civilization from savagery is equally obscure. In Africa, Marlow repeatedly encounters natives, and his crew is comprised of twenty cannibals. As they progress deeper into the heart of the forest, we can take note that black people are dehumanized. They are perpetually referred to in animalistic terms, and are treated as such. However, it is these savages who survive and thrive in the heart of darkness, and whose ways eventually engulf Kurtz. There is also the indication here that technology, civilization, and refinement have been rendered useless. For instance, Marlow encounters a graveyard of dead machinery, rusted over and obsolete. Also, his vessel sinks to the bottom of the river, forcing him to remain at one of the stations for a long period of time. Every character thought to be at the pinnacle of c ultivation and etiquette either dies or becomes corrupted by his surroundings (Kurtz, Fresleven). It is apparent that civilization is utterly futile in such surroundings.Kurtz serves as a prime example of a civilized gentleman who capitulates to his barbaric side due to his environment. Regardless of the respect and admiration showered upon him by his peers, not to mention the jealousy, he was at heart a hollow man, consumed by his greed for ivory. This is probably why he gave in so readily to his primitive instincts, partaking in the horrendous rituals of the natives, and letting his dark essence become the hub of his actions. Kurtz is also symbolic of the evil within our society, for people saw him as the emissary of science and progress. He represents the person found deep within the recesses of our subconscious, the core of darkness ever-present beneath the gauzy layers of refinement and civility. One evening coming in with a candle I was startled to hear him say a little t remulously, I am lying here in the dark waiting for death. The light was within a foot of his eyes. In this quote we can see that, symbolically, Kurtz is so overcome by darkness that he is blind to light. This is also embodied in an oil painting done by Kurtz, depicting a blindfolded woman surrounded by darkness but carrying a torch which casts a sinister light over her face. The blindfolded woman can be taken as a common Western symbol of justice and liberty, things that man has created to differentiate himself from the beasts and savages. The fact that the woman is enshrouded in darkness with only insufficient torchlight to guide her says a lot about the nature of our society.The culmination of Marlows journey leads into the heart of darkness, or in a more worldly sense, Hell. Heart of Darkness fosters the allusion that hell is within us, that it is the evil existing deep inside our souls. Marlow visits this place when he finally encounters Kurtz, and his innocent morals are c hallenged. He views firsthand the inhumanity man is capable of, and the journey begins to take on all the properties of a nightmare. When Kurtz himself is lying on his deathbed, he sees into his own heart, looks his personal hell in full view, and utters things which give Marlow a grim revelation as to what lies within that black abyss. Kurtzs final words, as he ends his voyage into his bitter core, are The horror, the horror! referring to what he sees inside himself.The journey Marlow undertakes is seemingly in our own world, something which we reside in yet know so little about. We delude ourselves into believing that we can tame and subdue it, and that it will readily succumb and be molded to our good intentions. However, just as trying to harness the dark and primal nature within ourselves is impossible, this is an equally unattainable fantasy. Conrads world is an embodiment of humanity, its ocean is its heart, and its impenetrable forest is its mind. Through Marlows epip hany it is revealed that at the mouth of every river, at the core of every grove, subsists a perpetual darkness encased in light.

Essay On Hedging Student Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Hedge funds have grown and deepen their roots in the recent years. At present trillions of dollars of assets are controlled by hedge funds. what happens in the hedge funds market in a matter of concern for every American. In the period of 1998-2008 the amount of hedge funds has increased dramatically. A firm in Chicago said the funds exploded from $374 billions to almost $2 trillion in a hedge fund research. Flushing with money, hedge funds gained enormous air of mystery and soon became the hottest talk about thing on Wall Street. The financial distress gave rise to the increasing hedging practice. Because the markets have become so uncertain that every investor wants to have a safe net so that he doesnt lose out his money. Most of the studies carried out in hedge funds are based on two dimensions, the companies who hedge and the companies who dont. Not every company uses derivatives and not every company hedges and there are some who dont prefer disclosing the amount of hedging practice in papers available to the public. Of late empirical evidences have in a way supported the usage of currency borrowings to be a hedge management tool. What is Hedging? A hedge is a risk management strategy, an arbitrage situation to minimize the loss from fluctuations in the prices of commodities, currencies or securities. It can be said that hedging is like buying an insurance policy to transfer the risk. Moreover, hedging is like a bet in the gambling sense, where you put another bet in addition to minimize the risk of the unsettled bet. The daily nuance of this practice is to gain a protection against the possible unfavorable outcome. It normally takes into consideration equal and opposite situations in a market, such as cash and future markets as an example. In easier words, you will leave early to catch a train. Here, you are hedging a bet to board the train on time. Financial hedges are undertaken to reduce or eliminate the risk of a transaction already taken or an outstanding transaction to be on a safer side. What are the driving factors of hedging for both financial and non-financial firms? As we know, all the businesses these days have become international businesses. Hence, the fluctuations in currency are unavoidable. It affects the cash flow, profitability and asset /liabilities positions. All the firms are involved in import and export activities. And the major risk here arises is the currency exchange risk. A company might be earning in Dollars but will be paying for the costs in some other currency. These values change every day. They are highly volatile, escalating and declining dramatically. Hedge is normally related to financial firms like, traders, banks, investment institutions who are exposed to currency risk or speculative businesses. Practically, there is no way any business can be completely immune from the above mentioned risks. And as a risk management practice, the firms make provisions and hire professionals to carry out hedging so as to safeguard their investments. At present, the hedging market is a flippantly regulated group of investment vehicles of similar characteristics. Lately, non-financial firms too have started hedging owing to the fluctuations we just talked about. And in addition there are several benefits as mentioned below: Tax benefits Be it a small or a large firm in the countries where the tax structure is just the opposite to the concave tax structure, then these firms can decrease the tax liability by hedging. Smith and Stulz(1985) showed that the volatility is costly for firms with convex effective tax functions. Like in Canada, they have a statutory progressive tax structure for individuals and to limited corporate firms. Lets take an example, if a firm is expecting a loss of $200000 or earn $200000 and tax rate being 30%. Thus, the firm will have to pay $30000 as taxes even though the expected income is zero, without hedging. Here, we have ignored the tax code like the ability to carry forward losses which reduces the tax convexity and provides with a tax incentive to hedge. It has been found in previous studies; the greater the convexity the greater will be the tax benefits. And the tax function is convex when the marginal rate increases. Graham and smith (1999) have said that existing NOLs(net operating lo ss) provide a disincentive to hedge firms expecting a loss but will offer incentive to hedge for profit expecting firms. Boosting debt capacity If we go through the theories of Stulz(1996) , Ross(1947) and Leland(1998) we get to know that by reducing the volatility of income and/or reducing the probability of financial distress, hedging increases debt capacity and which in return also provides to be a tax incentive to hedge. Leland(1998) in his presidential address to American Finance Association had made clear two things as quoted by him the principal gain comes from the fact that lower leverage volatility allows higher leverage with consequently higher tax benefits and a secondary hedging gain comes from lower expected default rates and distress costs, consequential from unused debt capacity. There have been arguments which suggested that tax shield from increased leverage is of more importance than reducing expected distress cost. Financial distress remedy Dolde(1995), Berkman Bradbury(1996), Haushsalter(1998), Gay and Nam(1999), Howton and perfect(1999) and Graham and Rogers(2002) use the debt ratio to measure expected costs of financial distress and found that higher hedging is observed with increasing debt ratios. Volatility will reduce the firm value if the financial distress is sumptuous. Most researches have suggested that the relation between greater expected financial cost give a rise to hedging which presumes that higher debt capacity faces higher financial distress. What hedging/leverage casualty can do is; hedging may increase debt capacity, but higher leverage can boost up the incentive to hedge. In empirical researches it has been found that the relation between costs of financial distress and hedging are positively correlated with the probability of a firm in financial distress will hedge. Due to the huge cost of bankruptcy, in inevitable for firms to hedge themselves against the huge risks they are exposed to which will lead to a lot of financial distress. Normally these risks are closely relevant to the firms fixed commitments and interest expenses. Agency problems When the decision to hedge is contractive, hedging helps in eliminating the agency problem by diminishing both the risk premium and the equilibrium amount of earnings management. Although hedging does not always solve the problem and instead allowing earnings management is preferable but it does help some firms. The main reason behind it being that if they change the structure of earnings management it might lead to inefficiency. So it has both the pros and cons. Although, with an increased hedge option, the principal may achieve efficiency by stringently forbidding the earnings management, since the cost to eliminate dead-weight loss from earnings management can be lowered significantly by hedging. Restricting shareholder and bondholder interest Shareholders bear the entire cost of investment and hence would expect the investments to be nurturing but the returns accrue towards the debt holders as well such as shareholders will be worse off. Bessembinder(1999) has once argued that as hedging reduces the profitability in situations of financial distress it proficiently moves individual future states from default to non default results. Hedging firm may promise to obligations in conditions where it wouldnt have been able to negotiate contracts with regards to lower borrowing costs otherwise. Inconsistency in investments will be unfavourable, to an extent of diminishing marginal returns to investment. In current asymmetries the cost of marginal funds will increase with increase in funds. And if they available funds run short, the need will met by borrowing from outside institutions and which will result into decreased investment. This will have a negative impact on the npv and the firm value as a whole. Here, the hedging techniq ue may come out as a good idea to manage the internal funds,provding a safe net on the fluctuations and the firm does not have to spend on borrowing from external sources and thus improve the firm value and the net present value. Thus, a firm with higher level of debts, will undertake a hedging programme, if their growth value is highly affected by the value of the firm. Improving managers wealth portfolio If the variability of their compensation is related to the volatility of corporate incomes and cash flows having a convex utility of function then, corporate volatility can be costly (stulz(1984). The Within the hedge fund industry it is the skill of the manager (alpha), rather than the performance of a market or asset class (beta), that should principally determine how well they perform. As quoted in a publishing by the National Association of Pension Funds Limited 2009. The infamous 2 and 20 formula of compensation has gained a lot of majority and appreciation in hedge funds currently in operation. It means that a hedge fund manager receives 2% of assets and 20% of profits each year out of the hedge funds operating agreement. In short, if they lose the money, at least a guarantee 2% return with negligible problems will be given. Hence, we can say that a manager earning 1 billion pound may take home 20 million pound by just investing the companys funds in the bank. Its very obvious that with such returns, the client may defect before long and is in the best interest of the fund manager to boost up his returns. Firms facing currency exchange risk As almost all the firms these days are engaged in import and exports. There is not just one currency they are dealing with. They might be producing their product in dollars or yen but the remuneration is in different currencies with different exchange rates which fluctuate every day. In such a scenario, its very difficult to maintain the cash flows and the investments and the accounting of the same. Any company wouldnt like to risk their funds and profits to an uncertain market. So they buy forieng currency derivatives and hedge them. So that they dont lose out their profits. It is practically unavoidable for any international firm to not hedge. There are different risks which come as a package with currency exchange risk. The firm is operating in a different currency country, exporting in a different currency, outsourcing the managerial work to another country. The whole world has become a market but the currency is not universal. The financial firms deal with different currencies. They deal in commercial papers, loans, borrowings, equity, bonds etc. So they are ought to hedge no matter what as a risk management practice. But the firms who in a way have the same need to hedge like these firms also jump into the world of hedge funds. The cost of hedging is no less. But the cost is comparatively less than the risk exposure. Hedging is a necessity of small and medium firms, big companies have a bigger risk appetite. They will be able to raise funds and reinvest and recover their losses which is not the case with small firms. Hedging has other benefits too like they make the financial statements and more detailed and revealing to the investors and stakeholders which might improve the firms value in the market. Any investor would prefer a company who is making provisions for future uncertainties and not just presuming things to go their way when it comes to exchange rate. If a firm is ready to face their risks by taking prior precautions then it can concentrate on its main aim of profit earning and growth. In 1999, Mian studied the annual reports of 3002 companies in 1992 and found that 771 companies did some risk hedging in the course in that year. And out of these 543 firms disclosed their hedging activities in the financial statements and 228 mentioned the use of hedging as a risk management strategy but didnt disclose the details about the extent of hedging. Larger firms were hedging more as compared to smaller firms, because it was relevantly less costlier due to the economies of scale. In 1996, Tufano made several interesting observations: Almost 85% of the industries hedged gold price risk between 1990-1993. UK firms have a better incentive than the US counterparts ? US firms basically hedge currency exchange risk and commodity risk more than any other risk. George soros rose to fame and fortune when the British pound was going through a rough phase. Hedge fund managers are now looking for ways to earn out of the financial distress in the European countries. it is unlikely in Europe, because the way Europe works is incremental crisis, incremental recovery, London-based Robert Marquardt, founder of funds of hedge funds Signet said. The Euro went down to 3.3% percent against the US dollar this year. Brynjolfsson and several other US money managers trying to expect a gain from European crisis say that expect a lot of winners out of Europes misery. Seeing the rise in the global transactions secondary transactions which was expected reach an aggregated value between 25 euro billion to 30 euro billion, was true. As compared to 20 million euros in 2010 and 25 euros in 2011 it seems Europe will continue to host the bulk of secondary transactions. The pro minent Uk and French markets have continued to fuelled in by the Banks and Insurance companies, whereas public pension funds represent the largest category of sellers in US, says Nicolas Lanel, managin director and head of European secondary market advisory at UBS. Marleen Groen, CEO and founder of Greenpark Capital, agreed: Many pension funds are also waiting for further clarity on the implications of the occupational pension funds directive upon their private equity holding. She adds that funds fear renewed recessions in some European countries. The dominance of the EU in the management of speculative funds is seen to be irresistible. although the dominance will have to be put into a viewpoint: British represent $212 bn compared with a total of $1000 bn for funds locared in the US making the London hedge fund market no more than a Trojan horse for the US hedge funds.

The Electoral Collegers Structure - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1107 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/05/23 Category Politics Essay Level High school Tags: Electoral College Essay Did you like this example? The Electoral College is a medium established by the founding fathers between the United States Congress and the people in order to agree on a new president. It replaced direct ballots in order to prevent a tyrant. The process involves five hundred thirty eight electors, which consist of two senators for each state and one person for each member in the House of Representatives. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Electoral Collegers Structure" essay for you Create order Together, these people decide the next American president by majority vote. This essay will examine the Electoral Collegers structure as well as itrs rationale and impact on the government and its citizens throughout the development of the nation. The foundations of the Electoral College lie within the idea of preventing tyranny a concept that America has strived to keep out of the government, as seen through its history with Britain. Another concern of the founding fathers is that the citizens wouldnt be involved or informed enough to make the appropriate decision. Although only qualified citizens are allowed to vote, the average American does not have the same experience as a senator or representative of the House would have. For these reasons, the Founding Fathers made the executive decision to give the States the authority to appoint educated and experienced electors to vote on behalf of citizens that share their views. The concept of an Electoral College was opposed by an anonymous source in Federalist Paper No. 72, and was famously argued for by Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist Paper No. 68. The founding fathers were afraid, not only of tyranny, but of the extremes of democracy. James Madison was worried about what he coined factions, which are populations of people with common interests which might potentially harm others, or even the nation. As a solution, Madison proposed a republic and integrated representation within the government. The function of the Electoral College is to preserve the essence of the American citizens, while ensuring that a president is chosen by men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station, and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice. (Miller) Although this was the original intention in creating the Electoral College, today, this process is a formality at most due to the loyalties of most electors and those bound to vote according to the popular vote, decided by the people. President Trump, a modern day f igure, says that the Electoral College is different and that he prefers the popular vote because itrs much easier to win the popular vote. Purpose A concern in utilizing the process of the Electoral College is the fear of losing the essence of the popular vote. This has happened four times throughout American history, and most recently in the Election of 2000 when Al Gore lost despite having 48.4% of the popular vote, opposed to 47.9% for George W. Bush. Statistics show that this was about a 500,00 vote margin. There was also a struggle over the count in Florida that reached the Supreme Court. Ultimately, Bush was declared the winner with 271 votes through the Electoral College one more than the minimum to declare a majority vote. The Electoral College process begins with the people, who vote for presidential electors by popular vote. These electors are then sent by each state to the United States capital to directly vote for the presidential candidates themselves on the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December. In general, the winner of the each staters popular vote receives all of the votes in the Electoral College and each state is assigned two Senate seats in addition to its reserved seats in the House of Representatives. Due to the popularity and distribution of support required to become elected as president, the Electoral College does contribute to the unity of the country.Some believe that this distribution should carry more weight than just the popular vote due to saturation in any one state or area. The process also enhances the interests of minorities and special interest groups in the government since it allows them to make an impact on decisions being made. Minorities have more potential to impact they state they reside in, in comparison with the entire country. This in turn protects these groups and creates a leverage effect, forcing the presidency to give more consideration to these populations due to their impact. Aside from that, the Electoral College supports the political stability of the United States through its preservation of a two-part system, and thus defending a federal system of government and representation for the people. Despite the advantages, the fault in the Electoral College arose from its foundation, which demonstrated a distrust in the people, and is therefore essentially against the democracy. Because of this lack of trust, even qualified American citizens are kept from having a direct say in their nationrs leader, and will potentially lead to a president that the majority doesnt support. Aside from this issue, presidential candidates have always been encouraged to concentrate their campaigns and keep their time and resources saturated in a handful of battleground states. Generally, all of these states are more heavily populated states where neither party has an overwhelming advantage. This means that some mega-states, such as California, Texas, and New York, are largely neglected due to their predetermined support for a certain party. States such as Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio are typically more exposed to running candidates and their surrogates compared to the rest of the country combine d. Due to political insight, smaller states that have electoral votes in the single digits are often left off campaign itineraries altogether, despite the fact that each citizenrs vote is supposed to have the same worth. Some candidates feel as if these states barely have any impact and are a waste of time and resources. The Presidential Election of 1860 is a good representation of the difference between the Electoral College and the popular vote. During this election, John C. Breckinridge was the candidate representing the Southern Democratic party and Stephen A. Douglas was the Democratic representative. With votes concerning just these two, the popular vote favored Douglas with 1,380,202 votes against Breckinridge, who only had 847,953. Despite public opinion, Breckinridge ultimately had the upper hand because of his domination through the Electoral College. Breckinridge received 72 electoral votes, which trumps over the 12 electoral votes Douglas received. Aside from that, Abraham Lincoln was able to win against both of them, due to the controversy and split opinions on the topic of slavery. The Electoral College was split into those that supported slavery and those that didnt and Lincoln ultimately acquired more votes than both of the Democratic candidates.

Psychological Analysis Of Michael Henchard s The Mayor...

A psychological analysis of Michael Henchard, the protagonist of Thomas Hardy’s novel, The Mayor of Casterbridge, determines that Henchard suffers from numerous forms of distress. This analysis allows me to agree with Jeff’s statement that Henchard is the most psychologically complex character in the novel. The character’s complexity is discerned through his unstable judgments, beliefs and actions which will be considered and dissected in this essay. Henchard’s ambiguity makes it difficult to place him in one specific category of psychological distress. In this essay, I shall examine Michael Henchard’s character to argue that he fits the description of having Borderline Personality Disorder. Jeff stated in class that Henchard’s consideration and loyalty to his vow increases the reader’s respect for him. Although there may be some truth to Jeff’s statement, I would suggest that the recognition of Henchard as someone who suffers from uncontrollable distress has more of an impact on the reader’s attitude towards him. In order to analyze Henchard’s character, I must first qualify my statements by saying that there is no single disorder that encapsulates Henchard’s distress. Also, it is not a given that a person suffering from a particular disorder will have all the symptoms. With that being said, the assertion of this essay is that Henchard suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder. Henchard meets the diagnostic criteria for this disorder because the traits he displays are

Career And Interest Self Assessment Results - 935 Words

Self Assessment I. Career and Interest Self-assessment Results This self-assessment test was something that narrowed down possible interest and helped the participants open their mind to new careers. In-fact when I finished my test I was able to view the different careers that feel in my interest category. Taking a survey and calculating the different likes each field had accumulated determined my test outcome. After gathering the likes that had accumulated I was able to determine which inventory category was strongest. My top inventory was conventional which states, I am one who likes to follow set rules and procedures, and prefers detail and clear lines of authority (Self-Assessment, n.d.). My second strongest inventory category was Social, which states, I like work activities that promote learning and development (Self-Assessment, n.d.). Not only did I learn what my strongest inventory was I also had the ability to learn which jobs fell under those categories. Out of each category within the level 5-education requirement, I had one job that s tood out over the others; category one conventional had Math Professor. This job is something that would be interesting, but I am not sure if I would want this job as a career. The social category had one job that also caught my eye, health educator. After all the research and looking at each one of the categories and the possible job opportunities I have come to the realization that the test are estimates. I personally do not thinkShow MoreRelatedCareer And Interest Self Assessment Results952 Words   |  4 PagesI. Career and Interest Self-assessment Results This self-assessment test was something that narrowed down possible interest and helped the participants open their mind to new careers. In-fact when I finished my test I was able to view the different careers that feel in my interest category. Taking a survey and calculating the different likes each field had accumulated determined my test outcome. 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According to the National Career Development Association (2009), when considering career options you will want to learn more about yourself and how to carry out decisions and plans for your lif e and future career opportunities. Career decision assessments can help individuals identify interests, make decisions, and increase personal self awareness. Counselors in mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling, social services counseling, etc. will work withRead MoreAnalysis of Three Interest Inventories Essay example1748 Words   |  7 Pagesinterested in student interest inventories. Working in the classroom, it can be very difficult to assess interest of students when choosing thematic units or classroom project. As a college advisor, I am constantly searching for resources to help my students choose a future career path. I completed research and found three popular interest inventories- the Strong Interest Inventory, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Clifton Strengths Finder. Each of the three assessments analyze the same generalRead MoreSample Resume : The Livecareer Skills Assessment1440 Words   |  6 PagesThe LiveCareer skills assessment gives the i ndividual the opportunity to complete an assessment to determine which occupations match the skills of the individual. In taking this assessment, the reader was able to gather information on careers that are of interest. Most people select careers that they are interested in or have the skills to perform certain jobs. According to the text, a career is defined as the pattern of work-related experiences that span the course of a person’s life (Werner DeSimone

Kylinn Boyer #4. Octa 242 Productive Aging . Instructor

Kylinn Boyer #4 OCTA 242 Productive Aging Instructor: Witsken 2 March 2017 Smoking Cessation and Elder Wellness General Overview of Topic As we age, it affects overall functioning and our organ systems. By smoking cigarettes, elders can increase their risk for getting a life threatening disease or progressing one they may already have. It is important for elders to stop smoking cigarettes and focus on their overall health. Elders can achieve smoking cessation by receiving occupational therapy services promote healthy habits, recognize triggers, and balance daily occupations properly. According to The American Heart Association, older adults were smoking cigarettes long before there was any extensive research on the effects of†¦show more content†¦Older adults tend to have more surgeries. Therefore, quitting smoking prior to surgery would be beneficial because smokers have a more difficult time recovering. Overall, individuals who smoke cigarettes are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop cataracts, which is the number one cause of blindness in the United States and world wide. For older women, after menopause the bones become weak. Smoking in addition to having weaker or less dense will progress and worsen the process. Therefore, it is easier to break weak and brittle bones, making an increased risk for hip fractures. For older men, intimacy may be affected by smoking (Polito, J. R., 2015). There are approximately 4,000-7,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke. Chemicals included are: nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, acetone, benzene, butane, Cadmium and DDT. The chemicals previously listed are typically found within nail polish remover, hair dye, rat poison, rubber cement, active ingredients in battery acid, embalming fluid, and materials for paving roads. Forty-three of the chemicals within a cigarette are known cancer-causing compounds, and over 400 other toxins. In addition, depending on the type of cigarette that is smoked, the effects could be even more harmful to one’s body by containing more additives and chemicals than others (Kleinman, L., M.D., D. M., M.P.H., 2016). Promoting Wellness in Elders â€Å"Cigarette smoke damages the cells lining the

Top Source Countries of Tourists †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Top Source Countries of Tourists. Answer: Introduction Kuala Lumpur was established in 1880 to replace the state capital, Selangor so that residents and businesses could be safe from calamities such as floods and diseases following the occurrence of such events in a mining center. Kuala Lumpur was curved out from the Selangor State, however, in 1974, Kuala Lumpur got separated completely and given to Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur has a rich culture based on the national heritage(DBKL, 2018). This kind of tourism fascinates travelers who are interested in this kind of tourism. Kuala Lumpur is also famous for its traditional and modern cures using herbs. The country also takes pride in having some of the best doctors and medical facilities in the world encouraging people from other parts of the world to visit Malaysia for medication. Kuala Lumpur has many places designated for shopping purposes with items such as artifacts, Malaysian clothing, and fashion all portraying Malaysia diversity and culture. Malaysia has experienced a boom in the hotel industry over the past few decades, with more and more global companies staking claims, in particular, Kuala Lumpur(Smarter travel, 2016). The Accor hotel dominates the industry and has brands in multiple price ranges with Pullman and Ibis included. The InterContinental represents the IHG group while Sheraton and Marriott also have a presence in Malaysia. A one-star hotel provides a room without air conditioning, and people share a bathroom. Two stars have air conditioning and Wi-Fi, but still, chances of sharing a bathroom are high. Three stars, on the other hand, have a TV, a phone, and other special amenities. The four-star hotel, on the other hand, is spacious enough with more amenities and services. Five-star hotels, on the other hand, are exceptional as they have 24-hour room service, unique facilities such as spa and perks that include limo services. The range here is overwhelming as one can choose from the old colonial hotels to boutique mansions in places such as George Town and Melaka(Smarter travel, 2016). There are also shophouses which are ancient buildings that have storefronts on the ground floor and family quarters upstairs. People that are more independent or like spending a lot of time in one place are favored by a vacation rental. TripAdvisor and VRBO have listings that range from the basic rooms to condos and beach villas(Smarter travel, 2016). iBilik a Malaysian listing agent has a database of apartments and rentals on short-term. The terms guesthouse and homestay are used interchangeably in Malaysia, so it is important that a tourist be specific in what is needed(Smarter travel, 2016). The Malaysian culture entails living in longhouses that can accommodate the entire village. Such structures are found in rural areas of Borneo specifically near rivers. Malaysia has accommodations that are affordable to the common man and such facilities range from dorms to hostels that are accredited by the Hosteling International a Malaysian agent(Smarter travel, 2016). Some hostels are located in some of the Malaysian national parks. The tourism sector in Malaysia has been ranked as the 6th largest contributor to the nations GDP and contributes a sum of RM 150 billion which is approximately about14.9% of the Gross Domestic Product as per 2014(The Star, 2017).As per the data that was released by Tourism Malaysia, the government had targeted close to 31.8 million tourists who were expected to generate revenue amounting to RM 118 billion(The Star, 2017). Tourism is considered as one of the key economic areas that will help the government achieve the vision of transitioning, Malaysia to become a high-income country by 2020.By 2020, Malaysia has projected to attract more than 36 million tourists and the expected revenues from tourism have been projected at RM168 billion(The Star, 2017). The MasterCard Global Cities Index published some of the most visited cities in the world, and Kuala Lumpur was ranked as the eighth in the list(Malaysia, 2017). This was great news for Malaysia as the country has worked to promote tourism numbers over the years. Kuala Lumpur received approximately 12.1 million international tourists in 2017. There were signs of recovery of the tourism industry in Malaysia in 2016 as the projected figures indicated that more tourist arrivals in Malaysia following a slowdown in 2014 and 2015.In 2016, the number of arrivals recorded was 25.7 million compared to 2015 indicating a 4% increase in growth of arrivals. Malaysia has been badly affected by publicity by the disappearance of Malaysian Airline Flight 370, and it was reported that there were 239 people on board. Singapore and Indonesia were the top two sources of tourists visiting Malaysia in 2016 recording 13 million and 3million respectively(Misachi, 2017). The ASEAN region has been attributed as the most significant contributor of the Malaysian tourism recording 76% of the total arrivals. Thailand recorded the highest growth from 1.3 million to 1.7 million arrivals in 2016 and represented an uptrend of 32.5% increase(Misachi, 2017). Other nations such as Brunei followed with 22.7 growth, Indonesia and Singapore recording 9.4% and 2.6% growth respectively(Misachi, 2017). On the other hand, the number of tourists that came from countries such as France, Vietnam, and India decreased. The boom experience in the tourism sector in Malaysia can be linked to the cheap air flights and availability of many flights as a result of the expansion of low-cost carriers in Malaysia. Malaysia is preferred as a tourist destination since the country has hundreds of tourist attractions and destinations all distributed across the country. The important attractions involve historical structural buildings such as Stadhuys and the Malacca Christ Church(Tourist Destination, 2017). Other famous destinations include museums, beaches, numerous national parks, towers, and resorts. Malaysia is also famous for being a shopping destination with many services to offer to the different kind of shoppers. Medical tourism is also popular in Malaysia as per the Malaysian healthcare travel agency; it was reported that there were more than 640,000 foreign patients in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is a historical and cultural city thriving as the capital city of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is listed as the top tourist destinations in Malaysia(The Tourist, 2018). Kuala Lumpur has several attractions that it should showcase for instance, the city has some of the highest buildings in the world such as the Petronas Twin Towers. Kuala Lumpur also has scenic and unique natural sites such as The Lake Gardens that is worth viewing. Conclusion Kuala Lumpur offers many tourist attractions and destinations worth visiting. The accommodation facilities are numerous and depend on an individuals pocket. The political stability of the country has boosted the tourism industry. References DBKL, 2018. Tourism. [Online] Available at: https://www.dbkl.gov.my/pskl2020/english/tourism/index.htm [Accessed 30 March 2018]. Malaysia, 2017. Kuala Lumpur No.8 Most Visited City In The World 2017. [Online] Available at: https://blog.malaysia-asia.my/2017/09/kuala-lumpur-no8-most-visited-city-in.html [Accessed 30 March 2018]. Misachi, J., 2017. Top Source Countries Of Tourists to Malaysia. [Online] Available at: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-source-countries-of-tourists-to-malaysia.html [Accessed 30 March 2018]. Smarter travel, 2016. Where to Stay in Malaysia: Lodging Tips. [Online] Available at: https://www.smartertravel.com/2017/06/19/stay-malaysia-lodging-tips/ [Accessed 30 March June]. The Star, 2017. Tourism sector to remain third largest contributor to economy. [Online] Available at: https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2017/09/26/tourism-sector-to-remain-third-largest-contributor-to-economy/ [Accessed 30 March 2018]. The Tourist, 2018. 25 Best Things to Do in Kuala Lumpur. [Online] Available at: https://www.thecrazytourist.com/top-25-things-to-do-in-kuala-lumpur/ [Accessed 30 March 2018]. Tourist Destination, 2017. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. [Online] Available at: https://www.tourist-destinations.com/2011/12/kuala-lumpur-malaysia.html [Accessed 30 March 2018].