Monday, December 30, 2019

Women Have Always Seen A Gap In Pay, But Recently The Dispute

Women have always seen a gap in pay, but recently the dispute about the gender wage gap has aroused and angered many in the U.S. Many Americans have labeled businesses as sexist due to the gap in pay among men and women. As many people know, men and women have many differences such as caring for children, different interests when it comes to the workforce, and many others. Naturally men and women have many differences that cause a bit of a gap when it comes to pay. While gender is most definitely a factor in how much a person in paid, saying that women get paid less than men due to gender alone is not completely accurate. There are a variety of  ¨gender related ¨ reasons as to why men and women are not being paid the same amount. The†¦show more content†¦However, according to Jennifer Wadsworth many women within this major choose a job like teaching or other low-paying jobs. So whenever statistics are done on men and women s earning within the same college major it show s a significant wage gap. If this sort of action is true for STEM careers, then it can be assumed that this is common in other fields of study as well. This is one significant cause of why it appears that men and women get paid very differently, but this is not caused because of sexism in the workplace. According to Jane Farrell the occupation chosen by men and women makes up 27% of the wage gap. It is unknown exactly why women go into fields that pay less than the ones men do. Some people suspect that it is simply due to what women are more interested in. Regardless of the reason women do this, it is clear that this is one significant cause of the apparent wage gap. Not only do men and women chose different jobs within an industry, but they also tend to choose industries altogether. Typically the industries men choose have higher-paying careers than the ones that women tend to choose. According to Jane Farrell the industries that employ men are mining, manufacturing, and constructi on. These industries tend to pay more than the typical women dominated industries like service-sector and clerical jobs. Looking at the different jobs involved in eachShow MoreRelatedVictims of Rape and Torture in India1272 Words   |  5 PagesNo woman should ever have to feel scared or threatened every single day of her life. No woman should have to look over her shoulder while walking down the street. No society should turn the other cheek when they see something wrong happening. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, no one has the right to hurt you or torture you. Laws like this exist everywhere yet there are women having to face the danger of being attacked at any moment. There are big threats such as rape and otherRead MoreThe Role Of Subjectivity And Its Impact On Identity1847 Words   |  8 Pagesthrough individual and shared experiences, everyday life and power. The subject closely examines ways in which a person’s identify is shaped by their enco unters with people, texts, institutions and overall understanding. Over time many cultural theorists have put forward many ideas and notions surrounding culture and its affect on one’s self identity, social identity and therefore subjectivity. Theorists such as, Michel Foucault, Pierre Bourdieu and Judith Butler are a minor fraction of academics that believeRead MoreDiscrimination Against Women s Rights Essay2443 Words   |  10 PagesDISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN IN KENYA DESPITE THE GOVERNMENT’S EFFORTS TO ADDRESS THE PLIGHT OF THE GIRL-CHILD CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Discrimination against women is; any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedom in the political, economic, social, culturalRead MoreGender Pay Gap14271 Words   |  58 PagesGender Pay Gap | Are women paid fairly in the workplace? | March 14, 2008 †¢ Volume 18, Issue 11 | By Thomas J. Billitteri Introduction Former Goodyear manager Lilly Ledbetter won more than $3 million in a pay-discrimination suit against the tire firm, but the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the verdict in 2007 for filing her complaint too late. (AFP/Getty Images/Fannie Carrier) | More than four decades after Congress passed landmark anti-discrimination legislation — including the Equal Pay ActRead MoreDiversity: Women in the Boardroom3076 Words   |  13 Pagesproverb says, â€Å"Women hold up half the Earth.† The corporate world is on the forefront of believing these words. Women of the world today are being acknowledged as the key to economic success. Organizations all over the globe are learning the opportunities of opening up to diversity and adding women to their boardrooms. Ignoring talent in half the population is not the best method for an organization to create a successful and effective board. Urban Outfitters Inc. has not always been a top contenderRead MoreThe Issue Of Discrimination Against Women Essay2739 Words   |  11 Pages Discrimination against women is; any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedom in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field (CEDAW, 1979). Women being the fairer sex, empowerment notwithstanding and its capabilities not underestimatedRead MoreHrm in Japan, Usa and Europe9900 Words   |  40 Pagesbeen on its prescriptive value for the survival of organizations in a turbulent and a volatile business environment. More recently, the issue of whether to situate the HRM debate in the organizational or the international context has arisen. This is because organizational responses such as delayering, empowerment, work intensification, flexibility and redundancy appear to have gained as much weight as the macro-environmental drivers of HRM such as competition, technology, economic recession and politicalRead MoreEssay on Feminist Criminology3530 Words   |  15 Pagessuch as Thomas and Pollak were not only very damni ng of women but were also very condescending, choosing to stereotype them as either Madonna or whore (Feinman). Law abiding women were described as passive, obedient, chastic, childlike whereas the deviant as aggressive, defiant, sexually impulsive, becomingly adult and even masculine in nature. (Law.jrank.org/pages1218/feminist criminology) It is argued by feminists that these views have stayed in the psyche of those in the criminal justice systemRead MoreRacism As Poor Treatment Of Or Violence4883 Words   |  20 Pagesstill have a racial bias towards groups of people. In a classic study a group of people were shown a photograph with a white man fighting another white man who had a knife. After shown the photograph people were able to identify the correct person wielding the knife. When shown another photograph of a white man with a knife and a black man unarmed most people answered the black man had the knife, this was a mixed group of black and white. This alone shows the bias many people unconsciously have towardsRead MoreMarks Spencer Case Study6101 Words   |  25 Pagesservices. MS has enjoyed a consistent record of success and profitability since its origins, with a worldwide reputation for its innovative, high quality products and competitive prices. However, MS ´ prestige and outstanding long-term perform ance have been hit in recent years by falling sales and declining customer satisfaction. The aim of this report is to identify the key factors that allowed MS to outperform its competitors up to the mid 1990s. This assignment also explores the reasons behind

Sunday, December 22, 2019

The Stamp Act Of 1765 - 1517 Words

When the Stamp Act of 1765 was passed in the Thirteen Colonies, the colonists were compelled to rethink their loyalty and standing with the British monarchy. The Stamp Act would be the first actual tax levied upon the colonists, which caused outrage in the Thirteen Colonies. The act would place a tax on any document and printed paper that they used: such as legal documents, newspapers, and licenses. All thirteen colonies did not agree that the tax was passed with legality and refused to acknowledge that such tax existed. They would all band together to ensure that the Stamp Act would be repealed and would become nonexistent. Two important cities within the colonies that aided and became a huge influence in the battle against the Stamp Act were New York and Boston. These cities, which had already contributed significantly in political and cultural means, led the battle against the Stamp Act. With the passing of the Stamp Act, the citizens of New York and Boston would respond with rio ts that included destruction of property, fires, effigies and protests. While the citizens of these two cities would become voices against the tax, the power of the Sons of Liberty cannot be undermined. Within the Stamp Act Crisis, the organization of the Sons of Liberty would be formed and emerge to become powerful in these two cities, and would aid in the struggle against the tax and the monarchy with strategic plans and guidance. Furthermore, the Sons of Liberty had their own qualms withShow MoreRelatedStamp Act of 17651867 Words   |  8 PagesS. History It can easily be said that the Stamp Act of 1765 was the beginning of the revolution for the colonies of North America. Before the Stamp Act, there were other failed attempts to tax the colonies by the British parliament. Each attempt to gain money from the colonies was unlawful because there was a lack of representation from Parliament. The Stamp Act of 1765 was very detailed and expensive for the colonists. The Stamp Act was the final act of taxation by Parliament before the coloniesRead MoreWhat the Stamp Act Really Meant Essay1639 Words   |  7 PagesThe central thesis of my paper is the Stamp Act and how it was brought about and what it meant to the American Colonies. As well as why it was necessary. February 6th, 1765 George Grenville came forth in Parliament to propose his Stamp Bill. Not knowing that it would forever be a significant part of history. The Act was a tax on every piece of printed paper the colony used. Including, legal documents, licenses, and even playing car ds. The tax also had to be paid with British currency. Colonial paperRead More The Causes of the Revolutionary War Essay999 Words   |  4 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Many events crucial the Revolutionary War took place in the 1760’s, such as the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Declaratory Act. The Sugar Act of 1764 set an import tax on foreign sugar, molasses, and rum entering Britain’s American colonies. Colonial merchants, ship owners, and rum distillers who profited from foreign trade angrily protested the law, but that did little of anything. The Sugar Act was the answer to the British’s question of how to raise revenue for their war debt. Laws had beenRead MoreBritish Taxation On The American Revolution956 Words   |  4 Pageswere many taxes that took place during 1764-1765. The Sugar Act of 1764 was the first attempt to finance the defense of the colonies by the British government through taxes on molasses. A three cent tax on foreign refined sugar and in creased taxes on coffee, Indigo, and certain kinds of wine. It banned importation of Rum and French wines. The Act established a court in Canada to hear smuggling cases with the presumption of guilt and without jury. This Act led to many protests by the colonists thatRead MoreThe Road Of The Revolutionary War853 Words   |  4 Pagesof the revolution is about the navigation act of 1660, French and Indian war 1754-1663, Pontiac’s Rebellion and proclamation of 1763 {May 1736},The Sugar act 1764, The Stamp act 1765, Declaratory act 1764, The Boston Massacre 1770, Boston Tea party 1773, The Intolerable act 1774, are all components of the road of the revolutionary war. Each playing a vital role in the outcome of America its independent. While each conflict was important, The Navigation Act started it all. In 1650-1696 the BritishRead MoreThe Many Causes of the American Revolution Essay848 Words   |  4 PagesThere were many causes that brought on the start of the American Revolution. A great deal of the civil unrest was brought on by the acts that followed the end of the French and Indian War. At the end of the war, most of which was fought on American soil, England had incurred a dept almost double that of when William Pitt took office. Because the war was fought for the colonists, much of England believed that that they should be the ones to recoup the great financial loss that England had sufferedRead MoreA Lot Happened Between 1760 And 1776 Essay1371 Words   |  6 Pagestheir fair share for the administration of the Kingdom. Some of these policies were; the Sugar Act of 1764, the Stamp Act of 1765, the Townshend Act of 1767, the Tea Act of 1773, and the Intolerable Act. The main policies that triggered American rebellion and a movement towards independence were the Stamp Act of 1765, the Tea Act of 1773, and the Intolerable Act of 1774. According to the Stamp Act of 1765, all legal documents including newspapers, advertisement bills, licenses, bond, almanacs, to mentionRead MoreThe American Revolution And American History953 Words   |  4 PagesIn the year 1765 the American colonists in the thirteen colonists had an upheaval with Great Britain. The colonists were tired of British Parliament’s rules and taxes that Parliament was placing on imported goods; such as tea. Historians believe that the beginning point in American History really started with the American Revolution. Britain was trying to force their culture onto the colonists. However, the colonist wanted no part in changing their whole cultural background that they created to theRead MoreTaxation and The Stamp Act Essay590 Words   |  3 PagesTaxation and The Stamp Act The Stamp Act was introduced by the British Prime Minister, George Grenville and passed by the British Parliament in 1765, by means of raising revenue in the American colonies. The Stamp Act required all legal documents, licenses, commercial contracts, newspapers, pamphlets, and playing cards to carry a tax stamp. The money collected by the Stamp Act was to be used to help pay the costs of defending and protecting the American frontier near the Appalachian MountainsRead MoreThe Revolution Of The United States Of America1714 Words   |  7 Pagesmeans of one relatively simple concept: the act of protest. The colonial protests that occurred between 1764 and 1775 over unfair acts imposed upon the American colonists by the English monarchy are what sparked the American Revolution. Without these protests, the American colonists would not have been able to garner enough support to win their independence from British rule. The initial stirrings of colonial protest first occurred as a result of two acts passed by Parliament twelve years before the

Saturday, December 14, 2019

The Crystal Shard 2. On the Banks of Maer Dualdon Free Essays

string(67) " a comfortable living could be made with a minimum amount of work\." Regis the halfling, the only one of his kind for hundreds of miles in any direction, locked his fingers behind his head and leaned back against the mossy blanket of the tree trunk. Regis was short, even by the standards of his diminutive race, with the fluff of his curly brown locks barely cresting the three-foot mark, but his belly was amply thickened by his love of a good meal, or several, as the opportunities presented themselves. The crooked stick that served as his fishing pole rose up above him, clenched between two of his furry toes, and hung out over the quiet lake, mirrored perfectly in the glassy surface of Maer Dualdon. We will write a custom essay sample on The Crystal Shard 2. On the Banks of Maer Dualdon or any similar topic only for you Order Now Gentle ripples rolled down the image as the red-painted wooden bobber began to dance slightly. The line had floated in toward shore and hung limply in the water, so Regis couldn’t feel the fish nibbling at the bait. In seconds, the hook was cleaned with no catch to show for it, but the halfling didn’t know, and it would be hours before he’d even bother to check. Not that he’d have cared, anyway. This trip was for leisure, not work. With winter coming on, Regis figured that this might well be his last excursion of the year to the lake; he didn’t go in for winter fishing, like some of the fanatically greedy humans of Ten-Towns. Besides, the halfling already had enough ivory stocked up from other people’s catches to keep him busy for all seven months of snow. He was truly a credit to his less-than-ambitious race, carving out a bit of civilization in a land where none existed, hundreds of miles from the most remote settlement that could rightly be called a city. Other halflings never came this far north, even during the summer months, preferring the comfort of the southern climes. Regis, too, would have gladly packed up his belongings and returned to the south, except for a little problem he had with a certain guildmaster of a prominent thieves’ guild. A four-inch block of the â€Å"white gold† lay beside the reclining halfling, along with several delicate carving instruments. The beginnings of a horse’s muzzle marred the squareness of the block. Regis had meant to work on the piece while he was fishing. Regis meant to do a lot of things. â€Å"Too fine a day,† he had rationalized, an excuse that never seemed to grow stale for him. This time, though, unlike so many others, it truly bore credibility. It seemed as though the weather demons that bent this harsh land to their iron will had taken a holiday, or perhaps they were just gathering their strength for a brutal winter. The result was an autumn day fitting for the civilized lands to the south. A rare day indeed for the land that had come to be called Icewind Dale, a name well-earned by the eastern breezes that always seemed to blow in, bringing with them the chilled air of Reghed Glacier. Even on the few days that the wind shifted there was little relief, for Ten-Towns was bordered on the north and west by miles of empty tundra and then more ice, the Sea of Moving Ice. Only southern breezes promised any relief, and any wind that tried to reach this desolate area from that direction was usually blocked by the high peaks of the Spine of the World. Regis managed to keep his eyes open for a while, peering up through the fuzzy limbs of the fur trees at the puffy white clouds as they sailed across the sky on the mild breezes. The sun rained down golden warmth, and the halfling was tempted now and then to take off his waistcoat. Whenever a cloud blocked out the warming rays, though, Regis was reminded that it was September on the tundra. In a month there would be snow. In two, the roads west and south to Luskan, the nearest city to Ten-Towns, would be impassable to any but the sturdy or the stupid. Regis looked across the long bay that rolled in around the side of his little fishing hole. The rest of Ten-Towns was taking advantage of the weather, too; the fishing boats were out in force, scrambling and weaving around each other to find their special â€Å"hitting spots.† No matter how many times he witnessed it, the greed of humans always amazed Regis. Back in the southern land of Calimshan, the halfling had been climbing a fast ladder to Associate Guildmaster in one of the most prominent thieves’ guilds in the port city of Calimport. But, as he saw it, human greed had cut short his career. His guildmaster, the Pasha Pook, possessed a wonderful collection of rubies – a dozen, at least – whose facets were so ingeniously cut that they seemed to cast an almost hypnotic spell on anyone who viewed them. Regis had marveled at the scintillating stones whenever Pook put them out on display, and, after all, he’d only taken one. To this day, the halflin g couldn’t figure out why the Pasha, who had no less than eleven others, was still so angry with him. â€Å"Alas for the greed of humans,† Regis would say whenever the Pasha’s men showed up in another town that the halfling had made his home, forcing him to extend his exile to an even more remote land. But he hadn’t needed that phrase for a year-and-a-half now, not since he had arrived in Ten-Towns. Pook’s arms were long, but this frontier settlement, in the middle of the most inhospitable and untamed land imaginable, was a longer way still, and Regis was quite content in the security of his new sanctuary. There was wealth here, and for those nimble and talented enough to be a scrimshander, someone who could transform the ivorylike bone of a knucklehead trout into an artistic carving, a comfortable living could be made with a minimum amount of work. You read "The Crystal Shard 2. On the Banks of Maer Dualdon" in category "Essay examples" And with Ten-Towns’ scrimshaw fast becoming the rave of the south, the halfling meant to shake off his customary lethargy and turn his new-found trade into a booming business. Someday. * * * Drizzt Do’Urden trotted along silently; his soft, low-cut boots barely stirring the dust. He kept the cowl of his brown cloak pulled low over the flowing waves of his stark white hair and moved with such effortless grace that an onlooker might have thought him to be no more than an illusion, an optical trick of the brown sea of tundra. The dark elf pulled his cloak tighter about him. He felt as vulnerable in the sunlight as a human would in the dark of night. Two hundred years of living many miles below ground had not been erased by five years on the sunlit surface. To this day, sunlight drained and dizzied him. But Drizzt had traveled right through the night and was compelled to continue. Already he was overdue for his meeting with Bruenor in the dwarf’s valley, and he had seen the signs. The reindeer had begun their autumn migration southwest to the sea, yet no human tracks followed the herd. The caves north of Ten-Towns, always a stop-over for the nomadic barbarians on their way back to the tundra, had not even been stocked to reprovision the tribes on their long trek. Drizzt understood the implications. In normal barbarian life, the survival of the tribes depended on their following the reindeer herd. The apparent abandonment of their traditional ways was more than a little disturbing. And Drizzt had heard the battle drums. Their subtle rumblings rolled over the empty plain like distant thunder, in patterns usually recognizable only to the other barbarian tribes. But Drizzt knew what they foretold. He was an observer who understood the value of knowledge of friend or foe, and he had often used his stealth prowess to observe the daily routines and traditions of the proud natives of Icewind Dale, the barbarians. Drizzt picked up his pace, pushing himself to the limits of his endurance. In five short years, he had come to care for the cluster of villages known as Ten-Towns and for the people who lived there. Like so many of the other outcasts who had finally settled there, the drow had found no welcome anywhere else in the Realms. Even here he was only tolerated by most, but in the unspoken kinship of fellow rogues, few people bothered him. He’d been luckier than most; he’d found a few friends who could look beyond his heritage and see his true character. Anxiously, the dark elf squinted at Kelvin’s Cairn, the solitary mountain that marked the entrance to the rocky dwarven valley between Maer Dualdon and Lac Dinneshere, but his violet-colored almond eyes, marvelous orbs that could rival an owl’s in the night, could not penetrate the blur of daylight enough to gauge the distance. Again he ducked his head under the cowl, preferring a blind run to the dizziness of prolonged exposure to the sun, and sank back into the dark dreams of Menzoberranzan, the lightless underworld city of his ancestors. The drow elves had actually once walked on the surface world, dancing beneath the sun and the stars with their fair-skinned cousins. Yet the dark elves were malicious, passionless killers beyond the tolerance of even their normally unjudging kin. And in the inevitable war of the elven nations, the drow were driven into the bowels of the ground. Here they found a world of dark secrets and dark magics and were content to remain. Over the centuries, they had flourished and grown strong once more, attuning themselves to the ways of mysterious magics. They became more powerful than even their surface-dwelling cousins, whose dealings with the arcane arts under the life-giving warmth of the sun were hobby, not necessity. As a race, though, the drow had lost all desire to see the sun and the stars. Both their bodies and minds had adapted to the depths, and luckily for all who dwelt under the open sky, the evil dark elves were content to remain where they were, only occasionally resurfacing to raid and pillage. As far as Drizzt knew, he was the only one of his kind living on the surface. He had learned some tolerance of the light, but he still suffered the hereditary weaknesses it imparted upon his kind. Yet even considering his disadvantage under daytime conditions, Drizzt was outraged by his own carelessness when the two bearlike tundra yetis, their camouflaging coats of shaggy fur still colored in summer brown, suddenly rose up before him. * * * A red flag rose from the deck of one of the fishing boats, signaling a catch. Regis watched as it moved higher and higher. â€Å"A four-footer, or better,† the halfling mumbled approvingly when the flag topped out just below the mast’s crosspiece. â€Å"There’ll be singing in one house tonight!† A second ship raced up beside the one that had signaled the catch, banging into the anchored vessel in its rush. The two crews immediately drew weapons and faced off, though each remained on its respective ship. With nothing between him and the boats but empty water, Regis clearly heard the shouts of the captains. â€Å"Ere, ye stole me catch!† the captain of the second ship roared. â€Å"You’re water-weary!† the captain of the first ship retorted. â€Å"Never it was! It’s our fish fairly hooked and fairly hauled! Now be gone with your stinking tub before we take you out of the water!† Predictably, the crew of the second ship was over the rail and swinging before the captain of the first ship had finished speaking. Regis turned his eyes back to the clouds; the dispute on the boats did not hold any interest for him, though the noises of the battle were certainly disturbing. Such squabbles were common on the lakes, always over the fish, especially if someone landed a big one. Generally they weren’t too serious, more bluster and parrying than actual fighting, and only rarely did someone get badly wounded or killed. There were exceptions, though. In one skirmish involving no less than seventeen boats, three full crews and half of a fourth were cut down and left floating in the bloodied water. On that same day, that particular lake, the southernmost of the three, had its name changed from Dellon-lune to Redwaters. â€Å"Ah little fishes, what trouble you bring,† Regis muttered softly, pondering the irony of the havoc the silvery fish wreaked on the lives of the greedy people of Ten-Towns. These ten communities owed their very existence to the knucklehead trout, with their oversized, fist-shaped heads and bones the consistency of fine ivory. The three lakes were the only spots in the world where the valuable fish were known to swim, and though the region was barren and wild, overrun with humanoids and barbarians and sporting frequent storms that could flatten the sturdiest of buildings, the lure of quick wealth brought in people from the farthest reaches of the Realms. As many inevitably left as came in, though. Icewind Dale was a bleak, colorless wasteland of merciless weather and countless dangers. Death was a common visitor to the villagers, stalking any who could not face the harsh realities of Icewind Dale. Still, the towns had grown considerably in the century that had passed since the knuckleheads were first discovered. Initially the nine villages on the lakes were no more than the shanties where individual frontiersmen had staked out a claim on a particularly good fishing hole. The tenth village, Bryn Shander, though now a walled, bustling settlement of several thousand people, had been merely an empty hill sporting a solitary cabin where the fishermen would meet once a year, exchanging stories and goods with the traders from Luskan. Back in the early days of Ten-Towns a boat, even a oneman rowboat, out on the lakes, whose waters year-round were cold enough to kill in minutes anyone unfortunate enough to fall overboard, was a rare sight, but now every town on the lakes had a fleet of sailing vessels flying its flag. Targos alone, largest of the fishing towns, could put over a hundred vessels onto Maer Dualdon, some of them two-masted schooners with crews of ten or more. A death cry sounded from the embattled ships, and the clang of steel on steel rang out loudly. Regis wondered, and not for the first time, if the people of Ten-Towns would be better off without the troublesome fish. The halfling had to admit that Ten-Towns had been a haven for him, though. His practiced, nimble fingers adapted easily to the instruments of the scrimshander, and he had even been elected as the council spokesman of one of the villages. Granted, Lonelywood was the smallest and northernmost of the ten towns, a place where the rogues of rogues hid out, but Regis still considered his appointment an honor. It was convenient as well. As the only true scrimshander in Lonelywood, Regis was the sole person in the town with reason or desire to travel regularly to Bryn Shander, the principle settlement and market hub of Ten-Towns. This had proved to be quite a boon to the halfling. He became the primary courier to bring the catches of Lonelywood’s fishermen to market, for a commission equaling a tenth-piece of the goods. This alone kept him deep enough in ivory to make an easy living. Once a month during the summer season and once every three in the winter, weather permitting, Regis had to attend council meetings and fulfill his duties as spokesman. These meetings took place in Bryn Shander, and though they normally broke down into nothing more than petty arguments over fishing territories between villages, they usually lasted only a few hours. Regis considered his attendance a small price to pay for keeping his monopoly on trips to the southern marketplace. The fighting on the boats soon ended, only one man dead, and Regis drifted back into quiet enjoyment of the sailing clouds. The halfling looked back over his shoulder at the dozens of low wooden cabins dotting the thick rows of trees that comprised Lonelywood. Despite the reputation of its inhabitants, Regis found this town to be the best in the region. The trees provided a measure of protection from the howling wind and good corner posts for the houses. Only its distance from Bryn Shander had kept the town in the wood from being a more prominent member of Ten-Towns. Abruptly, Regis pulled the ruby pendant out from under his waistcoat and stared at the wondrous gem he had appropriated from his former master a thousand miles and more to the south, in Calimport. â€Å"Ah, Pook,† he mused, â€Å"if only you could see me now.† * * * The elf went for the two scimitars sheathed on his hips, but the yetis closed quickly. Instinctively, Drizzt spun to his left, sacrificing his opposite flank to accept the rush of the closest monster. His right arm became helplessly pinned to his side as the yeti wrapped its great arms around him, but he managed to keep his left arm free enough to draw his second weapon. Ignoring the pain of the yeti’s squeeze, Drizzt set the hilt of the scimitar firmly against his hip and allowed the momentum of the second charging monster to impale it on the curving blade. In its frenzied death throes, the second yeti pulled away, taking the scimitar with it. The remaining monster bore Drizzt to the ground under its weight. The drow worked his free hand frantically to keep the deadly teeth from gaining a hold on his throat, but he knew that it was only a matter of time before his stronger foe finished him. Suddenly Drizzt heard a sharp crack. The yeti shuddered violently. Its head contorted weirdly, and a gout of blood and brains poured over its face from above its forehead. â€Å"Yer late, elf!† came the rough edge of a familiar voice. Bruenor Battlehammer walked up the back of his dead foe, disregarding the fact that the heavy monster lay on top of his elven friend. In spite of the added discomfort, the dwarf’s long, pointed, often-broken nose and gray-streaked, though still-fiery red beard came as a welcome sight to Drizzt. â€Å"Knew I’d find ye in trouble if I came out an’ looked for ye!† Smiling in relief, and also at the mannerisms of the ever-amazing dwarf, Drizzt managed to wriggle out from under the monster while Bruenor worked to free his axe from the thick skull. â€Å"Head’s as hard as frozen oak!† grumbled the dwarf. He planted his feet behind the yeti’s ears and pulled the axe free with a mighty jerk. â€Å"Where’s that kitten o’ yers, anyway?† Drizzt fumbled around in his pack for a moment and produced a small onyx statue of a panther. â€Å"I’d hardly label Guenhwyvar a kitten,† he said with fond reverence. He turned the figurine over in his hands, feeling the intricate details of the work to ensure that it had not been damaged in the fall under the yeti. â€Å"Bah, a cat’s a cat!† insisted the dwarf. â€Å"An’ why isn’t it here when ye needed it?† â€Å"Even a magical animal needs its rest,† Drizzt explained. â€Å"Bah,† Bruenor spouted again. â€Å"It’s sure to be a sorry day when a drow – and a ranger, what’s more – gets taken off ‘is guard on an open plain by two scab tundra yetis!† Bruenor licked his stained axe blade, then spat in disgust. â€Å"Foul beasts!† he grumbled. â€Å"Can’t even eat the damn things!† He pounded the axe into the ground to clean the blade and stomped off toward Kelvin’s Cairn. Drizzt put Guenhwyvar back into the pack and went to retrieve his scimitar from the other monster. â€Å"Come on, elf,† scolded the dwarf. â€Å"We’ve five miles an more of road to go!† Drizzt shook his head; and wiped the bloodstained blade on the felled monster’s fur: â€Å"Roll on, Bruenor Battlehammer,† he whispered under his smile. â€Å"And know to your pleasure that every monster along our trail will mark well your passing and keep its head safely hidden!† How to cite The Crystal Shard 2. On the Banks of Maer Dualdon, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Arranged Marriages Essay free essay sample

It’s a tradition Some might say arranged marriages are the right way to marry a person. Why you ask, because it’s a tradition. In many countries arranged marriages has been a tradition for hundreds of years, and it doesn’t look like changing. India is one of these countries among with Pakistan, countries in South America, Japan and Iran. These are countries with a big contrast between poor and rich. In a long time arranged marriages has been the way to keep down these differences. Most of the arranged marriages in the past were scheduled because a family did not have the needed amount of money to raise all of the family members. A lot have changed; the most common reason for arranged marriages today is because the parents’ experiences to chose the right mate for him or her. Lower divorce rate Though you might think a random marriage isn’t healthy, Statistics place the divorce rate for arranged marriages much lower than for a normal marriage in the western world. We will write a custom essay sample on Arranged Marriages Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This may be because the woman in the relationship often has lower influence in the relationship in the countries with arranged marriages, Or because the parents that choses the partner has a lot more experience than both of the spouses. Against: Money and social status is influencing Event though arranged marriages has changed a lot in the last years, money and social status still got an influence on who the parent want to marry their kid to. This is something that will never change. A parent may never be able to choose a mate for their child totally objective. It’s close to impossible to choose the destiny for a person you care about, and not to be influenced the other part’s horoscope, physical fitness, vocation, wealth, reputation, religion and caste and culture. Love or not love? Though the statics shows that the divorce rate for the arranged marriages is lower than the normal marriages, a normal marriage is more â€Å"real† than an arranged marriage. In a marriage both parts agree to love each other till the death splits them. In arranged marriages this can’t be the case. Both parts in an arranged marriage don’t necessarily love each other, but they agree to marry. This isn’t good. All the relationships should be based on love not something else. Conclusion: Arranged marriages would not work An arranged marriage isn’t something to re-introduce to the western society. If it still will be re-introduced to the western society, it would be like going hundreds years back in time. An arranged marriage isn’t the right way to marry a person. It is like a declaration to show your social status. I don’t think this type of marriages would work in any western European country, because of the active usage of human rights. I personally believe arranged marriages will disappear, but we’ve lived with it in hundreds of years, and we might live with it in a hundred years more. Before it eventually will disappear.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Tips for Cover Letters! Know How to Write Impressive Cover Letter

Catchy Cover letter is the primary brief summery of your academic and professional success. Job candidates always dissatisfied from their cover letter quality and often search for the solution. Better quality and impressive cover letter is important for the candidate impression, as it increase the sales pitch of job candidate. Cover letter writing is brief summery of your academic and professional expertise and all the relevant information that makes toy suitable for particular job you are applying for. One of the most important thing that needs to be considered while writing a cover letter is to keep in mind the audience. Audience for a cover letter is usually employers or companies you are seeking employment in. Therefore, it is important it is important to keep audience or company you are applying for in mind. Odds are there were a couple of things you preferred about the organization before choosing to apply. For instance, in the event that you were searching for an occupation at the mechanical outline firm IDEO, you may have become energized when you found out about the mammoth plane wing projecting from one of their workplaces or maybe you simply preferred what you saw when they overhauled the shopping basket for an ABC news exceptional. Whatever made you like the organization, or got you amped up for the employment, likely discloses to you some things about the corporate culture. This data is extremely important when composing your introductory letter. Note:- Checkout details about US Based Top Academic Writing Services Above all else, knowing the way an organization works will indicate the level of custom they will anticipate from a letter. On the off chance that you were applying for an occupation at Life hacker, for instance, you would need to compose something more easy-going. At a bank, convention would likely be more valued. Configuration firms and other imaginative organizations largely fall some place in the center. They demonstrate that you know insight about the organization, so you are not simply applying arbitrarily. They demonstrate that you value the work the organization does and they give understanding into your identity and what you care session. When you are composing your introductory letter, knowing your group of onlookers can help you do this. You might apply for an occupation since you need any occupation, yet that does not mean you cannot do a little research foracademic paper and discover something you like and regard about your planned boss. Doing as such will give you the c hance to interface with them in an exceptionally short minute and help you abstain from getting stacked in a heap of nonexclusive candidates. outshines within the field of academic writing with its 24/7 reliable writing services. Its experienced writers go extra miles to deliver the best because they work with a mission to deliver nothing but the work of paramount quality.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Free Essays on Making Weed Legal

Marijuana is not a dead animal, it’s a plant, and it won’t kill a person if the person uses it responsibly. It is from the earth, just like oil, gold, trees, and various plants. It is legal in some parts of the United States such as California for medicinal purposes. People are dying younger compared to Biblical times when a man could live to be 500 years old. There are people killing themselves as well as others. Many are dying very early in life due to heart attacks and various other illnesses. One of the main reasons for this is an overload of stress, anger and frustration in their lives. If humans had something to take that would relax them, and had no real harmful side effects, I think the entire globe would be a better place. Many people’s lives were destroyed because they had a small amount of marijuana in their possession, and went to jail because of it. No matter what age, gender or race, there is always someone with more stress in their lives than they can handle. If marijuana were legalized, it would minimize the need for drug tests at schools and at companies. Young people would not be expelled from school and have their futures messed up, workers would not be fired from the work place and have their family’s lives messed up because their source of income was gone. During certain time periods of America’s past, alcohol was illegal throughout the country. This period was called Prohibition. Regardless of age, it was still illegal to drink. That law was changed because no matter how hard the government tried to stop it, bootleggers would still find a way to make it, sell it, and profit from it. Just like Prohibition, marijuana is illegal but a person can obtain it by making a simple phone call. Many believe that if it wasn’t illegal, many people, such as children and young adults would probably not even use it simply because it is legal, and everyone could utilize it without getting arrested.... Free Essays on Making Weed Legal Free Essays on Making Weed Legal Marijuana is not a dead animal, it’s a plant, and it won’t kill a person if the person uses it responsibly. It is from the earth, just like oil, gold, trees, and various plants. It is legal in some parts of the United States such as California for medicinal purposes. People are dying younger compared to Biblical times when a man could live to be 500 years old. There are people killing themselves as well as others. Many are dying very early in life due to heart attacks and various other illnesses. One of the main reasons for this is an overload of stress, anger and frustration in their lives. If humans had something to take that would relax them, and had no real harmful side effects, I think the entire globe would be a better place. Many people’s lives were destroyed because they had a small amount of marijuana in their possession, and went to jail because of it. No matter what age, gender or race, there is always someone with more stress in their lives than they can handle. If marijuana were legalized, it would minimize the need for drug tests at schools and at companies. Young people would not be expelled from school and have their futures messed up, workers would not be fired from the work place and have their family’s lives messed up because their source of income was gone. During certain time periods of America’s past, alcohol was illegal throughout the country. This period was called Prohibition. Regardless of age, it was still illegal to drink. That law was changed because no matter how hard the government tried to stop it, bootleggers would still find a way to make it, sell it, and profit from it. Just like Prohibition, marijuana is illegal but a person can obtain it by making a simple phone call. Many believe that if it wasn’t illegal, many people, such as children and young adults would probably not even use it simply because it is legal, and everyone could utilize it without getting arrested....

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Unemployment In America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Unemployment In America - Research Paper Example Moreover, tax remission declines because the unemployed group includes individuals who have lost their employment for some reasons. Unemployment also increases the expenditures of the federal government. In the long run, the unemployed experience erosion of their skills which causes productivity when they get employed in the future (Bluestone, 2013). Researchers indicate that those who stay unemployed for long periods of their youthful years end up earning lower wages because it takes them a long time to adapt to the work environment, as well as acquisition of skills. Working conditions and rate of salaries have forced a significant number of employed Americans to drop out of their jobs. Part-time jobs, on the other hand, are deceptive to the statistics of unemployment rates since most of the part-time jobs are not satisfactory to the needs of the part-time workers. Only about 47.7% of adults in the United States work in full-time jobs. These are the only American adults working on jobs that are not satisfactory enough. It implies that most Americans would like to work on better paying jobs under proper working conditions Declines in the demand for services and goods are a major contributor to unemployment. Products and services create employment through the many transactions needed to deliver them to consumers. The production of products and services requires a significant number of employees. If the demand for goods is weakening, firms producing goods and services are forced to lay off some employees to reduce extra costs. Therefore, some people lose employment when demand for goods and services they were producing becomes lower (Bluestone, 2013). Most goods and services go through many processes before reaching the consumer. These processes create employment for many people as well. For example, some industries manufacture goods and deliver them to other industries for further processing.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

FISH TRANSPORT DESIGN Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

FISH TRANSPORT DESIGN - Assignment Example This investigation is aimed at delineating criteria to transport fish followed by three concept level models. These models will be evaluated against the delineated criteria and the most suitable model will be chosen to transport fish over long distances. The business viability of the chosen model will be evaluated in terms of investment and operational costs to help fish owners and transporters decide if they wish to install such a system. NUMBERS OF FISH AND TIME FOR TRANSPORT The current problem clearly states that fish will have to be transported in numbers between 5 and 200 and that the fish can stay on the road for up to 2 days. The most expensive fish in the lot is the Koi Carp. The Koi Carp is potentially a very sensitive fish and needs to be cared for excessively. For the purpose of this investigation, the baseline of water quality will be taken as that for the Koi Carp. If the water quality for the Koi Carp falls below certain constrained levels, then a major loss or failure will be assumed. Constraint 1 maximum transportation time will be 2 days (48 hours) As mentioned before, the baseline will be taken for Koi Carp. Thus aeration constraints will be developed along the lines for the Koi Carp. The density of Koi Carps should be kept at 80 cm length of fish for every 1 m3 volume. (Koi Carps, 2009) The average size of the Koi Carp is between 24 and 36 inches. If these values are averaged, the size of an average Koi Carp comes out to be 30 inches (76.2 cm). (Davis, 2011) Constraint 2 ? fish density based on average size 76.2 cm Water Quality The largest problem in maintaining healthy fish is the dissolved oxygen level. Any variations in the oxygen level can spell disaster for fish especially if the oxygen levels are not replenished after half an hour to acceptable levels. (FAO, 2011) Any and all factors that affect dissolved oxygen levels in water must be considered and dealt with accordingly. Generally the aeration system is constrained by: efficiency of the aeration system; transport duration; temperature of water; fish size; fish speci es. It is essential that the water used to house fish is kept clear. Any turbidity should be avoided and filters should be installed in the system to remove any particulate matter. Constraint 3 ? turbidity clarity Moreover, the pH level must be checked regularly to ensure that it keeps around 7. The acceptable pH levels for housing fish are 6 to 8.5. Constraint 4 ? pH level average at 7 Water temperature has a direct bearing on the amount of oxygen dissolved in water. Oxygen solubility in water decreases exponentially as the temperature of water increases. Therefore, if the water temperature rises significantly as the fish are being transported, the oxygen levels in water will suffer significantly. (Engineering Toolbox, 2011a) The variations of oxygen levels with water temperature are graphed in Appendix A. Constraint 5 ? water temperature should not vary significantly Moreover, the oxygen content of the water needs to be checked regularly to ensure that it does not fall below the d esignated threshold of 5 mg / litre. The variation in oxygen levels is between 8 and 9 mg / litre. Constraint 6 ? oxygen levels in water averaged at 5 mg / litre Moreover, the water quality should be maintained within the constraints listed above and no value should be allowed

Monday, November 18, 2019

What About Bob Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What About Bob - Essay Example Bob Wiley from the film What About Bob? displays several distinct features of psychological disorders described and identified in the DSM-IV Manual. Among the mental illnesses Bob exhibits Agoraphobia, Germophobia, Panic Attacks, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Histrionic Personality Disorder, and Factitious Disorder. These disorders all manifest themselves separately and, according to the Axes of the DSM-IV, completely or partially fulfill the criteria of the previously mentioned disorders. In the beginning of the film, Bob describes his disorder as a fear of germs, and a nervous feeling whenever he leaves the confines of his home. He describes his compulsive need to fake illness to hide his disorders, and that he often â€Å"blacks out† or â€Å"loses consciousness†. He exhibits germophobia when interacting with public telephones, along with a general agoraphobia shown when he stepped out of his home and fell into a crouched position as a large truck goes by. These phobias are compounded by a general anxiety that extends to all other of his activities. The agoraphobia is perhaps the clearest of Bob’s diagnosable problems. Bob avoids public and confined situations (which may hint at an element of claustrophobia), such as the elevator, which is an experience he endures as he screams at the top of his lungs. Whether it is the elevator or the bus, Bob pushes through it saying â€Å"Baby steps to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and following the Doctor’s advice. Bob exhibits pathological nervousness when in situations where getting away can be difficult or where getting help may be difficult if his anxiety occurs. He states this quite clearly when he tells Dr. Marvin about his fear of his heart exploding, or about his fear that he will not find a bathroom in time and his bladder will explode. Nevertheless, Bob’s agoraphobia does not inhibit him from going out in public. Even

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Malaysias Microeconomic And Macroeconomic Environment Marketing Essay

Malaysias Microeconomic And Macroeconomic Environment Marketing Essay This chapter will discuss Malaysias microeconomic and macroeconomic environment to help the proponents know how much market potential they could have as they launch their product in the country. This chapter includes the countrys economic conditions, business environment and the consumer expenditure of Malaysians. In addition, this chapter also discusses the market segment that the proponents would like to target to fit as the users of the product. An analysis for the industry and the competitors are also discussed to determine the probabilities of success of the product. Malaysia practices a federal parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy in which the monarch is elected every five years from among the tribal elders of peninsular Malaysia. Malaysia has three branches of government including the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. These authorities serve as the separation of powers for a division of tasks to be performed in the country. The Executive branch consists of the Head of State and referred to as the King for having ceremonial duties. The Legislative branch consists of the bicameral parliament which comprises the House of Representatives. The member-parties of the National Front coalition form the government. The Lower House is composed of 222 members elected for five years from single member districts. 70 members of the Senate serve 3-year terms, with 26 of them elected by the state legislatures and 44 of them being appointed by the monarch or the King in the Prime Ministers recommendation. The Judicial branch consists of the Federal Court, Court of Appeals and high courts. Source: http://www.malaysia.gov.my and Euromonitor International Malaysias subdivisions comprise of 13 states and three federal territories including Kuala Lumpur, Labuan Island and Putrajaya. A chief minister heads each state for having its own assembly and government. Nine out the states have hereditary rulers titled sultans and four states have governors in counterpart positions. Source: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2777.htm The Constitution of Malaysia was established on the 31st of August in the year 1957, which commenced on the date of the nations independence. The Federal Constitution of Malaysia has its basis from the Constitution of the Federation of Malaya. This will serve as a way to protect the country in having laws as basis to follow, connected to the authorities of the branches of the government. Source: http://www.malaysia.gov.my The king of Malaysia is Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin who has been the Head of State starting December 2006. 140 seats were won by the National Front while 31 seats went to The Peoples Justice Party. 28 seats were won by the Democratic Action Party and 23 seats by the Islamic Party. Najib Abdul Razak has been Malaysias Prime Minister since April 2009. Source: Euromonitor International Economic The economy of Malaysia according to Global Market Information Database is in a strong condition and expected to have faster progress where the officials are hoping for its performance boost when it comes to developments in manufacturing activities with a 60% target by 2020 in Gross Domestic Products for services. Economic Prospects According to Global Market Information Database, real GDP is expected to increase 6.7% in 2010, showing its fastest growth yet in several years for the first half of the year but the growth is expected to remain above 5.0% as domestic demand grows stronger to continue recovery. This increase got its support from stronger exports, particularly to China. The demand domestically will increase sooner due to better market conditions when it comes to labor, thus having an effect to increase the spending of the private consumers. Malaysia, just like in the Philippines, is known for their workers providing labor services. The countrys unemployment rate decreased to 3.4% in 2010 from 3.6% in 2009. Most of the workforces are sent in manufacturing division. However, the performance for workforce is poorly trained but workers from Indonesia and Vietnam are cheaper if to be compared, making the government work on this for improvement. In this case, the government has been investing heavily to improve income disparities in several regions. This activity will be continued until 2025. The progress for the projects during period of economic weakness may be slowed due to prioritizing of activities. Government Finance and Market Potential According to Global Market Information Database, government deficit rose to 7.5% of GDP due to programs they implement. In return, their spending with the help of fiscal consolidation will work together to lessen then 2010 deficit. Public debt will have its tendency to rise during the next several years, jumping from 52.5% in 2009 to 41.5% in 2008, equivalent to RM 354,266 million in 2009. However, interest rates would ease and found to be manageable. To withstand all the expenses, the government has the oil and gas industry of the country to support almost half of the revenues of the government. They also invest to achieve developments when it comes to manufacturing by having higher value added activities, encouraging service sector expansion. As an overview, Malaysias economic performance is impressive due to private investment recovery and offsetting expenses of the government. However, Total trade (exports plus imports) exceeded GDP, leaving the country especially vulnerable to the effects of the global recession. To boost economic growth and to attain stock market stabilization, the government acts by having two stimulus programs implemented and the funds will be used to help credit-starved firms, boost spending, support equity investment and fund off-budget projects. The indicators of business environment shows Malaysias rank when it comes to ease of doing business, together with different information relevant and needed to be considered when opening a business in the country. From the table, it shows time or duration estimates as you open or closes a business, duration for permits and taxes, importing and exporting and tax rates. These estimates may vary from time to time for these factors are considered to be uncontrollable and are changeable, depending on the government of Malaysias decisions. From the table, it shows an increase and a decrease of percentage throughout the years in Malaysias economic performance. If the inflation rate rises, this means that prices of goods are subject to change and rise, resulting as a factor to lower expenditure or consumption of consumers. Between years 2007 to 2008, there is an abrupt change in the percentage with a difference of 3.4%, resulting to change of high prices. But for the last two years for 2010 to 2011, there is an increase in percentage but not as bad as the performance over the former years to ease better consumption of the consumers. The table above shows Malaysias GDP performance. Malaysias GDP rose starting from 2009 to 2011 which is a great value if to compare to the value from former years. Higher GDP connotes a good performance in monetary value of all the goods and services being produced in the country. In this case, Malaysian citizens have the ability to procure or spend goods as the government takes its toll to improve and develop the countrys overall performance in goods and services. Malaysias Gross National Income performance in the latest years managed to increase except for the year 2009 where it decreased. GNI is the wealth in terms of monetary value of a country that it earned from all its economic activities, either products or services, throughout the world. In this case, even if it decreased in 2009, it managed to recover as it increased in 2010 which is even greater than the year before it stumbled down. This shows that the economy of Malaysia managed to do well not only covering the country alone itself but also with its transactions all over the world. The data above shows the consumption expenditure of Malaysians and the expenditure by resident households that can serve as a basis and information for La Me Sa. The consumption expenditure of Malaysian citizens increased consistently, which means that as years go by, they still have the ability to spend goods for either their needs or wants. La Me Sa is categorized as a furniture yet it has a function which supports high technology electronic gadgets specifically desktop and portable computers used at home. The data above shows the consumer expenditure of Malaysians in household goods and services where home furniture enters in this category. The way Malaysians spend for home furnishings increased consistently as well which shows a good demand indicator for La Me Sa. Since the product is connected to computers, possessions of computers by households shown in Table 2.11 shows that it also increased consistently due to changes in high technology which make life easier, faster and more productive. Investment According to GMID, Malaysias performance shows a low level when it comes to investments. The government then suggests having a remedy for such deficiencies for the investment division by thinking of other roles for public companies in order to compete with private sectors and to fit to investment climate. However, the foreign investment in manufacturing began to recover in 2010 as manufacturing covers 28.2% of GDP and employs 7.7% of the workforce and US$2 billion is expected to be committed in the next two years, including nearly US$300 million in retail investment.   To encourage investment, the government has granted a ten-year exemption on venture capital and introduced investment incentives in certain regions. This was followed in 2009 by the elimination of local-equity requirements for investors in various parts of the service sector. Foreign Trade According to GMID, Exporters struggled as a result of the global slowdown, particularly due to its effects on the worlds electronic markets. Total exports contracted in 2009 for the first time in eight years. Policy makers are working to boost domestic demand and wean the economy off its dependence on exports. Exports of machinery and transport equipment accounted for 46.5% of total exports in 2009. Singapore, the USA and EU-27 are Malaysias largest export markets, making up 14.0%, 11.0% and 10.9% respectively in 2009. The current account surplus in 2010 will be 14.7% of GDP and slip to 13.8% in 2011. Demographics According to Global Market Information Database, the population of Malaysia grew at an average rate of 2.3% per year and reached 28.6 million in 2010. This is an increase of 10.5 million in two decades. The median age is gradually rising in between ages 24-26 while the mean age is also gradually rising in between ages 27-28. According to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, The rank of Malaysia is 43 when categorized in the number of population of countries in the world. Its rank among ASEAN countries is 6. Over the review period, the countrys population increased by more than 31% with solid growth recorded in all age groups, and that growth is expected to continue over the forecast period. By 2015, the projected population of Malaysias will reach more than 30.7 million. A lot of factors can affect a countrys population. These factors include the net migration of people from a country into another country and even the birth and death rate of the country. Aside from these, the lifestyles of people living in a country changes rapidly as well due to changes of preferences may it be about healthy living or the environment itself that they live in to. From the data above about the changes in population, there is a great shift in number of deaths in between years 2006 to 2011 for increasing consistently. However, in live births, numbers are both increasingly and decreasingly changing as well as in net migration. Live births decreased due to the decision of the people when it comes to marriage where they decide to marry in their later years and have just enough or fewer children. According to Global Market Information Database, Malaysias population continued to undergo an aging process during the review period. From the data above about the population of Malaysia by age, the number of people with ages 80 and above also grew. One of the reasons for a longer life expectancy is because of the improvement about the health care system in the country. There has been an increase in awareness in the country when it comes to healthier products and healthier lifestyle. The government also makes great efforts to ensure that they know the medical resources and alternatives available to them. In this case of increasing numbers in old age, consumer behavior also changes and the products entering the market change to fit for what the old-aged people would need. Obviously, products differ through ages. Middle-aged people would be into fashion, portable consumer electronic products due to rapid changes when it comes to technology and fast food. This just means that every age category has different preferences in which the market should offer something to consumers to fit their needs and wants The ratio for the population of males and females remains substantially the same. The population for males is increasing consistently, as well as for the females. Even though the population for both genders increases throughout the years, the number doesnt really change too much when it comes to differences. Men and women have totally different buying behavior due to needs and wants but changes have been occurring because most marketers and manufacturers are now seeking to sell products that would fit for both genders such as gadgets and other electronic products. The population for urban area is increasing consistently from 2006 up to 2011 while the population for rural area is decreasing consistently starting 2007 up to 2011. This is because of a lot of job opportunities booming in the cities of Malaysia especially urban areas where different industries are starting to get expansions. Just like any other countries, the population is undergoing urbanization rapidly. If a place has a lot of people and a lot of businesses are opening in a place in different industry types, these just mean that the place will have much more to offer for the people residing in the place. These people could either be in need of jobs or will serve as consumers who will choose in a wide range of varieties offered in the market. In this case, there are lots of differences between urban and rural areas, and the people living in the areas. Moreover, people residing in urban areas are most likely to influence and give exposure to the people residing in rural areas. After showing the demographics of Malaysia in general and totality as categorized by age, gender, urban and rural areas and key factors that affect changes of population, the data above shows the number of households in Malaysia and followed by percentages of households that possess computers that would fit as the possible users of the La Me Sa. It shows that the rates are consistently increasing throughout the years because of abrupt changes and upgrades when it comes to technology. This contributes as a great factor for the benefits and usage of La Me Sa. In Malaysia, the cultures present are adapted from different cultures from other countries including Malay, Chinese, Indian, Eurasian and even groups from North Borneo. In effect, a unified Malaysian culture is emerging in the country and the celebrations come together such as Chinese New Year, Moon Cake Festival and Hari Raya Puasa. Just like in the Philippines, they also celebrate Christmas but their celebration is only celebrated in a small scale due to a lesser number in populations who are Christians. Christmas is still treated as a public holiday as they also perk up their homes and business establishments with colorful decorations to experience the holiday atmosphere. Source: http://www.worldtravel4indians.com/malaysia/festivals-in-malaysia.html http://allmalaysia.info/msiaknow/festivals/christmas.asp Since a lot of cultures influenced the culture in totality of Malaysia, Malaysias cuisines are blended from different classes. Meals such as rice and noodles are the popular dishes in the country. However, since there are different religions, Muslims in particular are forbidden to eat pork but are a favorite dish for the Chinese and Buddhists are mostly vegetarian. Just like in the Philippines, Malaysians are also known for their hospitality with their guests as they offer food as a welcome. The usual drink offered is tea or coffee with small snacks. Religions Almost all the religions present in the world are present in Malaysia including Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism. Each religion shows different presence in the society, having strong sense in terms of practices, making it easier for the people to identify having the same religion. In Malaysia, the government is concerned with Muslim practices for having Islam as the highest percentage of all the religions in the country with 60%. Muslims holy place is called the National Mosque located in Kuala Lumpur in the year 1965. For the Christians who cover 10% in percentage, there are churches built for prayers, built as their holy place while temples are also built especially for Buddhists. Source:  Culture of Malaysia history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family  http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Malaysia.html#ixzz1DjTxtna0 Technology as a Culture According to Global Market Information Database, the Malaysian government has been active with the updates about high technology, specifically computers and the internet for bringing these to schools, businesses and government agencies as tools to be used to introduce them to modern information age. Usage of internet is also sorted for either public use or just home connectivity, since most of the households have their computers with enabled internet services. This caused the increase in computer and internet users and business establishments offering services that would cater the needs of the consumers. These services include internet service providers, wireless services and developed broadband services. Because technology is now a part of the culture of the country just like in any other countries, La Me Sa would fit well as a product to be used together with these updating technology and in demand use for gadgets and computers, may it be for school, for business or even government purposes. Technological When it comes to technology, Malaysia makes it sure to be updated with the latest updates when it comes to gadgets and other electronic products. According to Global Market Information Database, Malaysias consumer expenditure when it comes to communications, televisions, media, telephones, computers, the internet and electronic gadgets increased in percentages. One of the fastest growing mobile telecommunications market in Southeast Asia belongs to Malaysia for reaching 71.2% in 2008 when it comes to total telecom revenues compared to 51% in 2003. Communications is an important role for a country especially to fill in business relationships in different industries. Through high technology services, it will be easier to do business transactions for faster services and results. Aside from the normal calls and sending SMS to other subscribers, telecommunications companies now offer mobile internet to easily communicate for either personal or business purposes. In this case, a persons work would be more productive for saving time to do something more important. Expenses for this category in totality have increased but for individual benefits, each of the users gets to save money, especially when it comes to habitual communications and international uses. Aside from telecommunications, the use of computers and the internet increased abruptly as well just like in any other countries in todays generation. The number of computer and internet users in Malaysia grew from nearly 5 million users in 2000 to more than 12 million users in 2007. This growth is about 144% and is consistently increasing throughout the years. Aside from the computers and the internet, more high technology electronic products are being in demand in the country such as portable electronic products, laptops and different kinds of on the go gadgets and easy keep gadgets due to wireless, portability and convenience features offered by service providers where competition in the said industry is starting to grow. Just like what the proponents discussed about technology being a part of the culture of the Malaysian, La Me Sa is a good choice of product to introduce in the market of Malaysia featuring technology and furniture industries. Target Market Profiling Description of Target Market The proponents would like to focus on households, residing a 25-34 year old male or female in Kuala Lumpur with a disposable income above $15,000 as their target market segment for La Me Sa. The proponents will not base or focus their target market to students. The students may be some of the end users of the product but the age range preferred are the people who are able to buy the product. Furthermore, businessmen or businesswomen, people with jobs such us for office works are also fit as users and are capable of buying the product. The population of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia consistently increases. The proponents choose Kuala Lumpur as the target market city not only because of the consistently increasing number of population or being the highest in terms of population, but also because it is the city where most business opportunities are present. If a lot of business establishments are present in Kuala Lumpur, this just means that there will be a lot of jobs to be offered for the Malaysian citizens, making them earn money to be able to spend for their needs and wants. Given the population for Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur, the proponents used the data to get the percentage of Kuala Lumpur in the country. Since the population for different age ranges in Malaysia is also given, the proponents used the percentage of Kuala Lumpur to multiply it with the population by age to set apart the data only for the city. Even though the percentage of Kuala Lumpur as a whole is decreasing, the population for the age range chosen by the proponents as target market is increasing consistently. The data for the population density in Malaysia or the population per unit area is also shown where throughout the years, it boosts constantly in terms of number of people in an area. Consistently increasing number of population could mean greater possibility or chance to have more consumers fit for the product. Connected with this factor, a greater impact would be present if these people in the given age range are earning money for having jobs. The technology nowadays, based on everyday experiences and lifestyles are seen to be a necessity already and according to Global Market Information Database, middle-aged consumers are mostly to spend their money in high technology gadgets and products. The proponents will focus on households with annual disposal income of over $15,000 and above. Due to lack of data where the disposable income corresponds to specific ages, the proponents considered the data for Malaysia in totality as a basis. It shows that households with the chosen disposable income are not increasing consistently. Between years 2008 and 2009, the disposable income of Malaysians dropped abruptly but managed to increase for the year 2010. The good thing about the given data is that the performance in terms of income got better because it will increase well for the present year which is 2011. This means that it is getting more progressive if to be compared with the past years, making them able to spend more of what they need and want. Psychographic and Behavior 25-34 year olds in Malaysia are increasing in number not only for the whole Malaysia but for Kuala Lumpur itself, which is what the proponents have chosen. It is forecasted to increase and would cover 25% in total population by 2015. From the Euromonitor Internationals report in their Population and Homes category for Malaysia, it has been mentioned that the said age range would increase further in the future. Another report under categories of Technology, Communications and Media and Consumer Trends and Lifestyles, there is a significant increase in number of middle aged consumers together with their disposable income. They served as a positive influence when it comes to sale of products including in-home consumer electronic products in particular. Being bachelors or bachelorettes and having a job while living in the city, middle aged consumers are also those people who tend to spend time with their families or deciding to start a family. Because of these behaviors and lifestyles, the middle aged consumers are known to be investing well when it comes to household durables, appliances and different home-related and home-improvement products and services. Middle-aged Malaysians are already far more conservative in their spending habits than younger consumers, and the thought that new economic hard times are on the horizon could prompt many to curtail their spending even more. To connect this with the product of the proponents, La Me Sa will serve as a furniture that is good for lesser space but has a lot of features and benefits and would fit to users as they wish for high technology gadgets even more because of the fast-paced lifestyle nowadays, together with other communication industries such providing internet, specifically wireless, to be used with the gadgets are starting to grow and the smaller but more powerful, much better thought counts. The table above shows market shares of companies in home furnishings industry in Malaysia. It shows that there are a lot of companies competing with each other in the same industry. However, the IKEA leads the market share together with the next three companies. The rest of the companies mentioned are far from the shares the company leaders have. For the Philippines, there are no companies indicated in Global Market Information Database but it shows an article about Cebu as a pre-recession furniture manufacturing center and is dependent on exports to US by exporting well-designed middle to high-end furniture. Cebu has been producing some of the finest furniture on the market, and manufacturers there introduced many of the industrys most celebrated very Filipino designs innovations, including the use of indigenous Cebu raw materials like rattan, buri, stone craft (using Cebu limestone), cane and iron and, most recently, abaca. Furniture made in Cebu was highly prized, and for many years manufacturers reaped the benefits associated with the booming US housing market. However, looking to meet demand in their fast-growing domestic market, players in the Middle East have now built new manufacturing facilities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Dubai and have lured away many of Cebus out-of-work finishers/polishers, craftsmen and other highly skilled workers. Home Furnishing Companies in Malaysia IKEA Malaysia Strategic Direction Grand Teak is planning to improve its sales, competitiveness and increase its brand image among consumers by aggressively promoting new products and introducing new trends and innovative ideas with better functions from its range of products to suit every customers needs. Capabilities The company specializes in producing innovative and quality house ware and home furnishings, targeting every consumer with low prices. Production The company has no production facilities in Malaysia and most of the products are imported to cater the demands of the Malaysian consumers. Competitive Positioning The company has a wide product portfolio specializing and innovating unique ideas in house ware and home furnishings. It maintains a well-established worldwide distribution network with expertise to constantly listen and understand consumers requirements and demands. The company is expected to increase its sales and improve its performance by introducing and retailing better varieties of products in its stores. Market Segmentation As a manufacturer and a retailer, Grand Teak positions itself in the middle and lower segments of the market for both house ware and home furnishings. Market Share Grand Teak is the market leader in home furnishings in Malaysia with a share of 6% and is expected to grow steadily due to its unique and innovative designs, ideas and the affordable prices of its products. Its current rank in home furnishings in Malaysia is number 1. Source: Euromonitor International Macy Home Furnishings Strategic Direction Macy Home Furnishings is expected to display better sales and demand due to its brand name and its establishment in Malaysia as one of the pioneer brands in home furnishings and retailing by seeking to capture a bigger share of the market as it improves further its brand name and expand its range of products offered to consumers. IKEA is Macy Home Furnishings main competitor which retails similar products. The company is now introducing better varieties and lower prices with promotions for its products Capabilities Beside fabrics, the company also offers a comprehensive range of home furnishings accessories and provides services including interior consultancy, expert advice and practical guides to professional tailoring. Production As an importer and retailer company, the company mostly imports its products from neighboring countries to minimize costs. The company distributes imports and retails various home furnishing products throughout Malaysia from its outlets and does not produce any products of its own in Malaysia. Competitive Positioning The company not only specializes in home furnishing products but it also has other interests. It is also involved in providing new trends, home decoration ideas and solutions for interior decoration in order to cater to a wider range of consumers with its products and services. Market Share The company currently ranks second in terms of home furnishings shares in Malaysia with an overall 5.8% share. Its share has been growing due to high demand and the success of its strategic ideas in boosting its overall sales. Source: Euromonitor International Lumbermart Strategic Direction The company has its reputation as a renowned quality floor specialist for homes. The companys objective is to establish itself as the leader in providing quality floor boards and floor furnishings made from quality wood for both commercial and non-commercial use. Capabilities The company is exclusively tied to the Swedish company Bona, and can access to the latest equipment and technology in floor materials and maintenance and continuous RD and international training. Production The company has manufacturing facilities located in Selangor in Malaysia. The primary function of the manufacturing plants is to manufacture high quality wooden floor and materials for the residential and commercial building sectors. Competitive Positioning The company is the only one that deals with wooden flooring at all stages and has customized installation and precision manufacturing facilities that

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Essay --

YHWH gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments. These Ten Commandments â€Å"set the Israelites apart and enabled them to mold a distinctive culture† as said in the text book The Human Records sources of global history volume 1: to 1500. The Human Records mentioned that â€Å"Israelites evolved the idea that they enjoyed the special protection of god (YHWH)†. The Ten Commandments are the exact words of God which were engraved on a stone that was given to Moses by god. As mentioned in the text book The Human Records , in return for protection of the YHWH, the Israelites deity demanded their sole devotion. They were going to success in Canaan, a land the YHWH had promised them and had to maintain religious and cultural distance from all other people. First commandment lets the Israelites know that they should not have any other god before him, he should be everyone priority. Second commandment says that there should not be any other image of God and God should be worshiped. Third commandment says that Gods name should only be used with respect and nothing else. Fourth commandment is the Sabbath day Sunday, the seventh days where you shall not do any work and remember that you were a servant and god brought you out with a mighty hand. Fifth commandment says that you should respect you parents both mother and father. Sixth commandment says that â€Å"you should not kill â€Å"straight forward as the commandment says. Seventh commandment says that couples should be faithful in their marriage and not cheat. Eighth commandment says that you should never steal. Ninth commandment says that you should not lie. At last the tenth commandment says that you should not be envious of other people don’t say I’m going to buy thi s because they have that . The Hammur... ...ne that was given to Moses by god. Their differences show there unique distinction from the Ten Commandments and the Hammurabi code. Both are very important because both are still used today. The Ten Commandments up to this day I still use and believe in them and know that they will always show up and not disappear. The Code of Hammurabi probably had some modifications done to the code but some laws can still apply today. The Code of Hammurabi is far more detailed then the Ten Commandments .The Ten Commandment is written straight forward and addressing god. At the end there differences brings them apart the Hammurabi as the stricter than Ten Commandments. At the end there differences brings them apart the Hammurabi as the stricter than Ten Commandments. Ten Commandments a religious belief that many fallow counting myself and Code of Hammurabi set of punishable laws.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Do Voilent Video Games Cause Violence in Children?

Carolina Hernandez Do Violent Video Games Cause Violence In Children? 1. Introduction A. Attention Catcher: Imagine you’re in your room, all the lights are off, and you TV is on, you sit there holding a game controller, the words GAME OVER are flashing on the screen. The game was hard, you killed as many zombies as you could, and this is what you get?! A game over screen?! You play the level again. Mid-way through the level, someone opens the door to your room.The light stings your eyes, momentarily forgetting about the game, your character dies because a zombie ate his brains. You get so angry; you punch the person who made you lose the game! B. Listener Relevance Link: Most of you in this room play video games, right? Do you ever feel†¦angry after playing a violent video game? If you’re one of the people who don’t, it’s mostly because of your personality. If you’re an angrier person by nature, these video games should affect you more if you a re. C. Speaker Credibility Statement:Let me start this off by saying I love video games. I have a video game in my backpack right now. Most of the video games I play are adventure games that involve fighting. Usually I’m not affected by them, unless I get competitive about it. My brother and I used to fight after playing a game if one of us lost, and sometimes it would result in fist fighting. My brother and I don’t play video games together that much anymore. Still, after playing a particularly violent game, I will not be angry, but my brother will.This is because we’re different types of people with different personalities, which results in different reactions. Video games never made me want to kill someone. D. Thesis Statement: All this results in one questions, do violent video games affect the player’s violent tendencies? E. Preview: In this speech, I’ll talk about the research done on this topic, and it’s results on how it affects chil dren and teen’s violent tendencies. 2. Body A. First Main Point These days, video games about violence are the most popular types of games.The rating system the games are put through should be the answer, but when states have tried to keep underage children from playing â€Å"M† games, they are often challenged in court in favor of the said child who wants to play the game. Though video games DO cause violence, they are over-dramatized to how MUCH violence they cause. In one of my sources, the mild-manner personality types were least affected, while angry people by nature where affected more. 1. Sub Point Professor Patrick Markey Says â€Å"Their personality made a big difference.People who are extremely angry tend to be much more affected by violent videogames than people who are not angry and of course the opposite is true that people who are not angry are virtually unaffected by violent videogames. So it’s both the person and, in essence, the situation. â₠¬  B. Second Main Point In 2003, teenager Devin Moore shot and killed 3 people in a police station in Alabama. After being found and caught by the police, Moore told them in a police interview â€Å"Life is like a video game. Everybody’s got to die sometime. This resulted in a lawsuit against the advertisers of Grand Theft Auto, the game that two of the families of the victims claimed compelled him to do what he did. (The game is like a simulated cop-killer. ) 1. Sub Point What I just told you was an extreme case of violent video games gone wrong. Most of the people who do play Grand Theft Auto play it for fun. Nicholas Hammer, a law student at the time who was demonstrating the video game for the source, says he, like every other person who plays violent video games, plays them for fun.But did you ever think that the reason a person did this was not just the video game, but the person itself and their environment? 2. Sub Point Moore was compelled to do what he did is based on his environment. Moore came from a troubled home and bounced from foster family to foster family. When you are a teenager, the part of your brain that manages things like impulse control and urges, is under development during teen years, not fully developed until our early twenties.David Walsh, a Children’s psychologist says â€Å"†¦ when a young man with a developing brain, already angry, spends hours and hours and hours rehearsing violent acts, and then, and he's put in this situation of emotional stress, there's a likelihood that he will literally go to that familiar pattern that's been wired repeatedly, perhaps thousands and thousands of times,† So it was not really the video game in this scenario, but the type of person and their respective environments.C. Third Main Point Many states have tried to ban sales of rated â€Å"M† video games to those under 17; Minnesota even tried to make a law that would fine children caught with â€Å"M† video games that was unsuccessful. I believe that there should be certain laws made against minors buying â€Å"M† video games. 1. Sub Point I believe that there should be a law that prohibits minors from buying rated â€Å"M† games unless there is a parent or guardian there with them.This would make it harder for children to buy video games that are â€Å"M† because their parents would most likely not approve of them. 2. Sub Point Demos of the video game should be offered to parents for the parent to play before buying it for their child. If a parent is offered a demo, they are more likely to play it to see if they want their child to be playing this before they give them the actual game. 3. Sub PointVideo game stores should have a mandatory ID or Driver’s License check when a minor is buying a rated â€Å"M† video game. 3. Conclusion A. Thesis Restatement Video games don’t really have a large part in violent tendencies, but it still depends on the type of person or their environment. But there should still be laws not allowing minors to buy rated â€Å"M† games. B. Main Point Summary These main points are all about how video games, and how to stop minors from buying rated â€Å"M† games. C. ClincherWhether or not, in the end, video games have a large affect on a certain type of person’s mindset, something should be done to stop minors from playing games that are inappropriate for their age. 4. References Campell, Colin. â€Å"Games Do Cause Violent Behavior (But Not Much). † business week. 25/4/07. Web. 22 Nov 2009. . â€Å"Can A Video Game Lead To Murder?. † 60 Minutes, Web. 22 Nov 2009. .

Friday, November 8, 2019

Toltec Empire - Semi-Mythical Legend of the Aztecs

Toltec Empire - Semi-Mythical Legend of the Aztecs The Toltecs and the Toltec Empire is a semi-mythical legend reported by the Aztecs that appears to have had some reality in prehispanic Mesoamerica. But the evidence for its existence as a cultural entity is conflicting and contradictory. The empire, if thats what it was (and it probably was not), has been at the heart of a longstanding debate in archaeology: where is the ancient city of Tollan, a city described by the Aztecs in oral and pictorial histories as the center of all art and wisdom? And who were the Toltecs, the legendary rulers of this glorious city? The Aztec Myth Aztec oral histories and their surviving codexes describe the Toltecs as wise, civilized, wealthy urban people  who lived in Tollan, a city filled with buildings made of jade and gold. The Toltecs, said the historians, invented all the arts and sciences of Mesoamerica, including the Mesoamerican calendar; they were led by their wise king Quetzalcoatl. For the Aztecs, the Toltec leader was the ideal ruler, a noble warrior who was learned in the history and priestly duties of Tollan, and had the qualities of military and commercial leadership. The Toltec rulers led a warrior society that included a storm god (Aztec  Tlaloc or Maya  Chaac), with Quetzalcoatl at the heart of the origin myth. The Aztec leaders claimed they were descendants of the Toltec leaders, establishing a semi-divine right to rule. The Myth of Quetzalcoatl The Aztec accounts of the Toltec myth say that Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl [reported by the Aztecs in the 15th century to have been born in the year 1 Reed, 843 AD and died 52 years later in the year 1 Reed, 895], was a wise, old humble king who taught his people to write and measure time, to work gold, jade and feathers, to grow cotton, dye it and weave it into fabulous mantles, and to raise maize and cacao. He built four houses for fasting and prayer and a temple with beautiful columns carved with serpent reliefs. But his piety excited anger among the sorcerers of Tollan, who were intent on destroying his people. The sorcerers tricked Quetzalcoatl into drunken behavior that shamed him so he fled east, reaching the edge of the sea. There, dressed in divine feathers and a turquoise mask, he burned himself up and rose into the sky, becoming the morning star. Aztec accounts dont all agree: at least one says that Quetzalcoatl destroyed Tollan as he left, burying all the marvelous things and burning everything else. He changed the cacao trees to mesquite and sent the birds to Anahuac, another legendary land at the edge of the water. The story as recounted by Bernardino Sahagunwho certainly had his own agendasays that Quetzalcoatl fashioned a raft of serpents and sailed across the sea. Sahagun was a Spanish Franciscan friar, and he and other chroniclers are today believed to have created the myth associating Quetzalcoatl with the conquistador  Cortesbut thats another story. Toltecs and Desirà ©e Charnay The site of Tula in Hidalgo state was first equated with Tollan in the archaeological sense in the late 19th centurythe Aztecs were ambivalent about which set of ruins was Tollan, although Tula was certainly one. French expeditionary photographer Desirà ©e Charnay raised money to follow the legendary journey of Quetzalcoatl from Tula eastward to the Yucatan peninsula. When he arrived at the Maya capital of Chichà ©n Itz, he noticed serpent columns and a ball court ring that reminded him of those he had seen at Tula, 1300 kilometers (800 miles) northwest of Chichen. Charnay had read the 16th century Aztec accounts and noted that the Toltec were thought by the Aztecs to have created civilization, and he interpreted the architectural and stylistic similarities to mean that the capital city of the Toltecs  was Tula, with Chichen Itza its remote and conquered colony; and by the 1940s, a majority of archaeologists did too. But since that time, archaeological and historical evidence has shown that to be problematic. Problems, and a Trait List There are lots of problems trying to associate Tula or any other specific set of ruins as Tollan. Tula was fairly large but it didnt have much control over its close neighbors, let alone long distances. Teotihuacan, which definitely was large enough to be reckoned an empire, was long gone by the 9th century. There are lots of places throughout Mesoamerica with linguistic references to Tula or Tollan or Tullin or Tulan: Tollan Chollolan is the full name for Cholula, for example, which has some Toltec aspects. The word seems to mean something like place of reeds. And even though the characteristic traits identified as Toltec appear at many sites along the Gulf Coast and elsewhere, there isnt much evidence for military conquest; the adoption of Toltec traits appears to have been selective, rather than imposed. Traits identified as Toltec include temples with colonnaded galleries; tablud-tablero architecture; chacmools and ball courts; relief sculptures with various versions of the mythical Quetzalcoatl jaguar-serpent-bird icon; and relief images of predatory animals and raptorial birds holding human hearts. There are also atlantean pillars with images of men in the Toltec military outfit (also seen in chacmools): wearing pillbox helmets and butterfly-shaped pectorals and carrying atlatls. There is also a form of government that is part of the Toltec package, a council-based government rather than a centralized kingship, but where that arose is anybodys guess. Some of the Toltec traits can be traced to the Early Classic period, of 4th century AD or even earlier. Current Thinking It seems clear that although there is no real consensus among the archaeological community about the existence of a single Tollan or a specific Toltec Empire that can be identified, there was some sort of inter-regional flow of ideas throughout Mesoamerica that archaeologists have named Toltec. Its possible, perhaps likely, that much of that flow of ideas came about as a byproduct of the establishment of inter-regional trade networks, trade networks including such materials as obsidian and salt which were established by the 4th century AD (and probably much earlier) but really kicked into gear after the fall of Teotihuacan in 750 AD. So, the word Toltec should be removed from the word empire, certainly: and perhaps the best way to look at the concept is as a Toltec ideal, an art style, philosophy and form of government that acted as the exemplary center of all that was perfect and longed for by the Aztecs, an ideal echoed at other sites and cultures throughout Mesoamerica. Sources This article is part of the About.com guide to Aztecs, and part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. The collected articles in Kowaleski and Kristan-Graham (2011), based on a Dumbarton Oaks symposium, are highly recommended for getting a grasp on the Toltecs. Berdan FF. 2014. Aztec Archaeology and Ethnohistory. New York: Cambridge University Press. Coggins C. 2002. Toltec. RES: Anthropology and Aesthetics 42(Autumn, 2002):34-85. Gillespie S. 2011. Toltics, Tula, and Chichà ©n Itz: The Development of an Archaeological Myth. In: Kowalski JK, and Kristan-Graham C, editors. Twin Tollans: Chichà ©n Itz, Tula and the Epiclassic to Early Postclassic Mesoamerican World. Washington DC: Dumbarton Oaks. p 85-127. Kepecs SM. 2011. Chichà ©n Itz, Tula and the Epiclassic/Early Postclassic Mesoamerican World System. In: Kowalski JK, and Kristan-Graham C, editors. Twin Tollans: Chichà ©n Itz, Tula and the Epiclassic to Early Postclassic Mesoamerican World. Washington DC: Dumbarton Oaks. p 130-151. Kowalski JK, and Kristan-Graham C. 2007. Chichà ©n Itz, Tula and Tollan: Chaning Perspectives on a Recurring Problem in Mesoamerican Archaeology and Art History. In: Kowalski JK, and Kristan-Graham C, editors. Twin Tollans: Chichà ©n Itz, Tula and the Epiclassic to Early Postclassic Mesoamerican World. Washington DC: Dumbarton Oaks. p 13-83. Kowalski JK, and Kristan-Graham C, editors. 2011. Twin Tollans: Chichà ©n Itz, Tula and the Epiclassic to Early Postclassic Mesoamerican World. Washington DC: Dumbarton Oaks. Ringle WM, Gallareta Negron T, and Bey GJ. 1998. The return of Quetzalcoatl: Evidence for the spread of a world religion during the Epiclassic period. Ancient Mesoamerica 9:183-232. Smith ME. 2016. Toltec Empire. In: MacKenzie JM, editor. The Encyclopedia of Empire. London: John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Smith ME. 2011. The Aztecs, 3rd edition. Oxford: Blackwell. Smith ME. 2003. Comments on the historicity of Topoilzin Quetzalcoatl, Tollan, and the Toltecs. Nahua Newsletter.