The Native Boomerang :: Essays Papers

The Native Boomerang Imagine the typical colonial or imperial exploration party as white, rational, glorious civilized male believers encountering dark, irrational, ignoble, savage androgynous heathen. Imagine the currently popular (in policy, not theory) admiration of the native as a centered, serious, balanced, healthy, sane, and enlightened idealized form of the explorer. The first is a mirror in speckled and faded photographic negatives – the other is all that is bad about the subject. In the second the mirror is in 32 Bit True Color Photoshopped splendor – the native is all the subject could aspire to be. In the text of Columbus’ first voyage the boomerang effect of the assumed subject perceiving others’ perceptions of his/her self takes form as a rather unsubtle direct photocopy. While the ‘native’ other usually exists as a foil to define the non-‘native’ ‘subject’, in the case of the first voyage in the â€Å"Digest of Columb us’ Log Book†, the newly encountered native, as a collective and individual, functions as someone radically similar to the subject. In this text, the ‘native’, filtered through a complex circuitry of â€Å"authors† and â€Å"translators†, gives its[1] perceptions and reactions in several varieties: in its self-interest, intrigued by Columbus’ cohort as merchants; in its religious/social nature, awed by the â€Å"men who have come from the skies† (58); and in its â€Å"very simple †¦ not savage† (59) state, reluctant and irrationally attached to native lands and the earth. Columbus’ boomerang vision of his ‘natives’ perception of his expedition explains them as rationally, in both its then-present forms, eager about his presence and held back only by irrational impulse. I call Columbus’ perceptions boomerang vision because they emphasize/generate so much likeness between his expedition and the natives that the text understands the parties not as different people marked by similarities, but as the same sort of folks marked by occasional differences. The explicit justifications[2] used at home for his exploration are what he now ‘witnesses’ abroad as the natives’ response: reasoned excitement for wealth and religious ends balanced against unreasoned hesitancy. Columbus’ seven-year solicitation at the court of Spain included â€Å"repeatedly holding out great prospects of wealth and riches for the crown of Castile† (34), culminating in a â€Å"project for the exaltation of His Church† (103). That, thousands of miles away, he happen to ‘discover’ the precise same appreciation for his project, mitigated only by â€Å"their timidity† (77) is not coincidence, but the circular input and output of images through one filtering lens[3].

Sound Technique in a Sequence from Godards Alphaville :: Godard Alphaville Essays

Sound Technique in a Sequence from Godard's Alphaville What is love? It is an abstract concept, a feeling, a sensibility. Perhaps it is impossible to explain without defining it through observable examples. In film, this is often the way in which the concept of love is explored: definition is established through the words, the looks, and the touches of couples who are engaged in love relationships that are identified as such by a narrative. However, such definitions are bound within the narrative spaces in which they are established; they do not convey a general understanding of what love is. In order to develop a more general definition of the concept, a film must illustrate and discuss it in a manner that transcends narrative boundaries. A sequence in Godard’s Alphaville does this very successfully. Various formal techniques, particularly in the sound track, are employed to remove this sequence from the narrative flow, and the discussion of love that takes place in this part of the film occupies a space that is shared between th e characters, filmmaker, and viewer. The context of this discussion is such that the definition of love is granted a generic currency. The sequence serves as an interlude in the diegesis of the film in which the filmmaker attempts to explore and express a universal truth. The interlude begins with silence. This is the major feature that distinguishes the sequence from the rest of the film: as Natasha turns her gaze to the window all ambient sound dies down, and as it diminishes, so too does the sense of narrative space that has been maintained up until this moment. At this point we experience a suspension of our presence within the narrative space, and we are relocated to a position of distant observation. Soon, a woman’s voice begins to utter lines of poetry. We assume it to be the voice of Natasha, although we do not see her speaking. The voice is rhythmic and languid, and it seems to be very close to us. The voice gives the impression of direct address: it seems to be speaking to us. This sense is supported by the images that compose the visual track: in these, no listener is identified. The images seem to illustrate the information being presented in the audio track. Shots of Natasha and Lemmy are edited together and lit in such a way that they seem to disappear and reappear in a rhythm that mirrors the verbal pulse of the voiceover: ‘Light that goes†¦light that returns. Sound Technique in a Sequence from Godard's Alphaville :: Godard Alphaville Essays Sound Technique in a Sequence from Godard's Alphaville What is love? It is an abstract concept, a feeling, a sensibility. Perhaps it is impossible to explain without defining it through observable examples. In film, this is often the way in which the concept of love is explored: definition is established through the words, the looks, and the touches of couples who are engaged in love relationships that are identified as such by a narrative. However, such definitions are bound within the narrative spaces in which they are established; they do not convey a general understanding of what love is. In order to develop a more general definition of the concept, a film must illustrate and discuss it in a manner that transcends narrative boundaries. A sequence in Godard’s Alphaville does this very successfully. Various formal techniques, particularly in the sound track, are employed to remove this sequence from the narrative flow, and the discussion of love that takes place in this part of the film occupies a space that is shared between th e characters, filmmaker, and viewer. The context of this discussion is such that the definition of love is granted a generic currency. The sequence serves as an interlude in the diegesis of the film in which the filmmaker attempts to explore and express a universal truth. The interlude begins with silence. This is the major feature that distinguishes the sequence from the rest of the film: as Natasha turns her gaze to the window all ambient sound dies down, and as it diminishes, so too does the sense of narrative space that has been maintained up until this moment. At this point we experience a suspension of our presence within the narrative space, and we are relocated to a position of distant observation. Soon, a woman’s voice begins to utter lines of poetry. We assume it to be the voice of Natasha, although we do not see her speaking. The voice is rhythmic and languid, and it seems to be very close to us. The voice gives the impression of direct address: it seems to be speaking to us. This sense is supported by the images that compose the visual track: in these, no listener is identified. The images seem to illustrate the information being presented in the audio track. Shots of Natasha and Lemmy are edited together and lit in such a way that they seem to disappear and reappear in a rhythm that mirrors the verbal pulse of the voiceover: ‘Light that goes†¦light that returns.

Overview of the Social Security Scheme in India: ESIC Scheme Essay

Social Security is both a concept as well as a system. It represents basically a system of protection of individuals who are in need of such protection by the State as an agent of the society. Such protection is relevant in contingencies such as retirement, resignation, retrenchment, death, disablement which are beyond the control of the individual members of the Society. Men are born differently; they think differently and act differently. State as an agent of the society has an important mandate to harmonise such differences through a protective cover to the poor, the weak, the deprived and the disadvantaged. The concept of social security is now generally understood as meaning protection provided by the society to its members through a series of public measures against the economic and social distress that otherwise is caused by the stoppage or substantial reduction of earnings resulting from sickness, maternity, employment injury, occupational diseases, unemployment, invalidity, old age and death. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) defines Social Security as â€Å"the security that society furnishes through appropriate organization against certain risks to which its members are perennially exposed. The ILO concept of social security is based on the recognition of the fundamental social right guaranteed by law to all human beings who live from their own labour and who find themselves unable to work temporarily or permanently for reasons beyond their control. At the international level, the preamble of the Constitution of ILO also referred to the need and protection of workers against sickness, disease and injury arising out of their employment, pension for old age, and protection of the interests of the workers who were employed in countries other than their own. Thus, the right to Social Security was recognized officially for the first time. Subsequently, the UN General Assembly, while adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights also recognized the right to Social Security by stating that every member of the society has a right to social security. â€Å"Social Security† has been recognised as an instrument for social transformation and progress and must be preserved, supported and developed as such. Furthermore, far from being an obstacle to economic progress as is often said, social security organised on a firm and sound basis will promote progress, since once men and women benefit from increased security and are free from anxiety, will become more productive. There is considerable controversy about the social and economic effects of social security, and most of the current debate is focused on its supposedly negative effects. Social Security is said to discourage people from working and saving to reduce international competitiveness and employment creation, and to encourage people to withdraw from the labour market prematurely. On the other hand, social security can also be seen to have a number of very positive economic effects. It can help to make people capable of earning an income and to increase their productive potential; it may help to maintain effective demand at the national level; and it may help create conditions, in which a market economy can flourish, notably by encouraging workers to accept innovation and change. Social security measures are generally income, maintenance measures intended to provide a minimum living to the people when they are deprived of the same due to invalidity, unemployment or old age. The two basic elements of social security are provision of a ‘minimum living to those who are deprived of the same and ‘selective redistribution of income’ to a target group to reduce inequalities. Thus Social security is an instrument for social transformation and good governance. According to the ILO- World Labour Report-2000, the total security expenditure in India as percentage of GDP in 1996 was 1.8 whereas for the corresponding period the Social Security expenditure in Sri Lanka was 4.7, Malaysia 2.9 and China 3.6. In Argentina, the social security expenditure for the same period as a percentage of GDP reached the level of 12.4 and in case of Brazil 12.2. In comparison to Argentina and Brazil, the expenditure on social security in India is much less. The expenditure on social security cannot be directly related alone to the economic development. Intervention of the State would be essential and a co-relationship may have to be established for faster economic d evelopment. Social Security in India was traditionally the responsibility of the family/community in general. With the gradual process of industrialization/urbanization, breakup of the joint family set up and weakening of family bondage, the need for institutionalized and State-cum-society regulated social security arrangement to address the problem in a planned manner in wider social/economic interest at national level has been felt necessary. Currently, on-going measures towards transformation process for trade and industry, increasing role of market forces and increase in longevity, in general world over has added a new dimension to the issue and enhanced the requirement further towards a planned and regulated institutionalized measure in the form of social security in its common understanding. Social Security in Organised Sector in India The social security schemes in India cover only a very small segment of the organised work force, which may be defined as workers who are having a direct regular employer-employee relationship within an organization. Out of an estimated work force of about 397 million, only 28 million are having the benefit of formal social security protection. The Social Security Laws in India at present can be broadly divided into two categories, namely, the contributory and the non-contributory. The contributory laws are those which provide for financing of the social security programmes by contributions paid by workers and employers and in some cases supplemented by contributions/grants from the Government. The important contributory schemes include the Employees State Insurance Act, 1948 and the Provident Fund, Pension and Deposit Linked Insurance Schemes framed under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1948. The three major non-contributory laws are the Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923, the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 and the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972. Social Security in Unorganised Sector in India. As already mentioned, the coverage under Social Security is about 10% of the working population mostly in the organised sector. The vast majority of the workforce is in the unorganised sector, which includes agricultural labour, cultivators, small traders and hawkers, artisans and other self-employed persons, porters, auto-rickshaw drivers and other transport workers etc. Bringing them under formal social security coverage has been found difficult due to the following reasons: a) Seasonal and intermittent nature of work, leading to difficulties in meeting the qualifying conditions. b) Low level and irregular pattern of earnings and employment; c) Absence of employer-employee relationship leading to difficulties in determining the principal employer and in assessing and recovering contributions. d) Relatively weak administrative structure, particularly in rural areas. Under the Employees State Insurance Scheme and Employees’ Provident Fund Scheme a very small segment of workers in the unorganized sector are covered. The huge gap in coverage in the unorganized sector requires for a fresh strategy to extend coverage of both the schemes to the unorganized sector. The unorganised workforce is characterised by scattered and fragmented areas of employment, seasonality of employment, lack of job security, low legislative protection because of their scattered and dispersed nature, lack of awareness and high unemployment levels, perceived mis-match between the training requirements and the training facilities available, low literacy levels, outmoded social customs like child marriage, excessive spending on ceremonial festivities leading to indebtedness and bondage, etc., primitive production technologies and feudal production relations are further impediments not facilitating these workers to imbibe and assimilate higher technologies and better production relations. The unorganised Labour can be categorised broadly into four categories as follows:- a) Occupation : Small and marginal farmers, landless agricultural labourers, share croppers, fishermen, those engaged in animal husbandry, in beedi rolling beedi labelling and beedi packing workers in building and construction, etc. b) Nature of Employment: Attached agricultural labourers, bonded labourers migrant workers, contract and casual labourers come under this category. c) Specially distressed categories: Toddy tappers, scavengers, carriers of head loads, drivers of animal driven vehicles, loaders and unloaders belong to this category. e) Service categories: Midwives, domestic workers, fishermen and women, barbers, vegetable and fruit vendors, newspaper vendors etc. come under this category. The unorganised nature of the workforce, dispersed nature of operational processes and lack of institutional back up reduces their bargaining power and their ability to take full benefits from the Acts and legislations enacted for their benefits. Further, low skill levels of this workforce provides little scope for them to move vertically in the occupational ladder to improve their financial situation. The growth of informal, unprotected work with shrinking formal employment compels the workers to bear an increasing direct burden of financing social needs, with adverse effects on their quality of life. That burden may also undermine the capacity of enterprises to compete with global economy.

Kite Runner Essay Redemption Essay

Thesis Statement- The protagonist, Amir, must atone for the sins of his past to enable the creation of new relationships in the future. First Body Paragraph Q1 â€Å"I never thought of Hassan and me as friends†¦ history isn’t easy to overcome. Neither is religion. In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was Sunni and he was Shi’a, and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing† (Hosseini 27) Despite the fact that Amir has spent his entire life in Hassan’s company he does not consider Hassan to be his friend. This is because of social status. Hassan religion is seen to be below Amir and this is why they will never be able to be friends. Hassan does not understand this and takes every opportunity to please Amir, to make him happy. The two boys grew up together, they learned to crawl together, and they later taught each other how to ride a bicycle. But history and religion override all of the mitigation factors in this relationship, and Amir has decided that he doesn’t value this relationship to be anything more than a master and his servant. Q2 â€Å"I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan- the way he’d stood up for me all those time in the past- and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran† (pg 82) Amir was always trying to please Baba, to make him proud, to seek his approval. Amir was finally able to do this when he won the Kite Flying tournament. Baba had never been so proud. The only task left was for Hassan to run and find the winning kite. After a period of time Amir went to look for Hassan. He found him in the alley with Assed, and other bullies. Hassan had the winning kite, but there was a price to pay for this kite. Nothing is free in this world. Amir witnessed an act of unwavering loyalty from Hassan, as Hassan was being raped in order to keep the kite. Amir had the opportunity to step in and protect his companion, but instead chose to close his eyes. This was the  price he had to pay to receive Baba’s affection, and this haunts Amir for his entire lifetime. Q3 â€Å"Mostly, I remember this: His brass knuckle flashing in the afternoon light; how cold they felt with the first few blows and how quickly they warmed with my blood†¦ for the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace. I laughed because I saw that, in some hidden nook in a corner of my mind, I’d ever been looking forward to this† (302) Amir has found Hassan’s son with Assef, leader of the Taliban and rapist. Assef issues a challenge for the boy and Amir accepts, this is Amir’s way of forgiving himself for all of his past sins. He is finally being punished for never stepping in and trying to protect Hassan because of his cowardice. With each physical injury that Assef inflicts Amir is forgiven more and more. This incident will make it possible for Amir to atone himself of his sins and create a future relationship with Sohrab, Hassans son and his part nephew. Second Body Paragraph Q1 â€Å"Maybe he would call me Amir Jan like Rahim Khan did. And maybe, just maybe, I would finally be pardoned for killing my mother† (60) Baba, Amir’s father, loved his wife. When she died during child birth it broke his heart. This created initial discord between Amir and Baba. One that was never able to abolish itself. Amir had different interests than Baba; this made it difficult for Amir to please Baba, which made it impossible for Amir to forgive himself for killing his mother at birth. Q2 â€Å"That was when I understood the depth of the pain I had caused, the blackness of the grief I had brought onto everyone, that not even Ali’s paralyzed face could mask his sorrow† (113) Ali grew up with Baba from childhood, and although Ali was their servant they had a long history together. Amir unable to express his feelings to anyone about watching Hassan be raped due to his loyalty has depleted his ability to function. The only way for Amir to rid himself of this guilty is to eliminate its source despite the pain and  anguish it may bring to others. When Ali and Hassan left, Babe cried. This created yet another emotional barrier between Baba and Amir. Q3 â€Å"It’s the happiest day of my life, Amir, he said, smiling tiredly†¦ he watched me joking with Shariff, watched Soraya and me lacing our fingers together, watched me push back a loose curl of her hair. I could see his internal smile.† (175) Amir and Baba left Afghanistan, they went to America. Together they went, leaving behind their part and moving forward together. Both creating new relationships, Baba at the flee market and at his new job, and Amir with Soraya. Leaving their homeland allowed them to forgive each other for the previous mistakes in their own relationship and move forward together in a fresh start. Third Body Paragraph Q1 â€Å"The car jerked forward and I felt a tiny hand on my forehead†¦ Sohrab was sobbing† (306) The relationship between Amir and Sohrab is just beginning to develop. They have no past behind them and this will allow them to create their relationship from scratch, no former life holding them back. Amir has redeemed himself and can now create a meaningful future with Sohrab. The memory of Sohrab’s father, Hassan, is not forgotten, but is transformed into a new opportunity to learn from the past and make the right choice. Q2 â€Å"A kinship exists between people who’ve fed from the same breast. Now, as the boy’s pain soaked through my shirt, I saw that a kinship had been taken root between us too. What had happened in that room with Assed had irrevocably bound us† (336) When Amir found Sohrab with the Taliban men he was determined to finally do the right thing, he would leave that building with the child. He was finally receiving the retribution that he deserved for all the times he didn’t stand up to protect Hassan that he just stood and watched. Amir needed to feel punished for all of his buried sins, then he would be redeemed. Amir was able to rescue Sohrab, however ultimately he was rescuing himself. Now a relationship between the two of them is starting to kindle. Q3 â€Å"It was only a smile, nothing more†¦ But I’ll take it. With open arms. Because when spring comes, it melts the snow one flake at a time, and maybe I just witnessed the first flake melting† (391) Amir was finally able to transport Sohrab into America. Amir is learning the roles of a friend, as well as a parent. This relationship between Amir and Sohrab has not been a smooth development, as many relationships are not. There have been roadblocks and situations which have been difficult to remedy, but eventually as time continues to roll on, they will have developed a meaningful relationship. One that was built on trust, friendship and love

Bangladeshi Constitution Changes over Time but It Don’t Reflect the Demand of the People of Bangladesh

Question: Bangladeshi constitution changes over time but it don’t reflect the demand of the people of Bangladesh. Introduction: Bangladesh Constitution changes over time in different government regime. There have been ongoing controversies and debates on some aspects of the current Bangladesh Constitution, especially every government came to power and amend the constitution according to their will. No specific and written proposal has ever been published by those governments; so we are unaware of the benefit of those Amendments which are intended.In my study, I tried to discuss about some important amendment about Bangladeshi Constitution. Especially I focused on reflections of the demands and choices of people on these changes. First Amendment: In 1973, the Constitution Act 1973 was passed inserting sub-art (3) in Article 47 whereby law can be enforced over war criminal and then fundamental human rights will be inapplicable. Flaws of this amendment: Govt. an misuse this amend ment and accuse someone as war criminal. As a result that accused people will not be able to have any kind of fundamental human rights. This amendment is not reflecting the need of mass people rather some political people. Third Amendment: The Constitution (Third Amendment) Act 1974 was passed to give effect to the agreement with India giving up the claim in respect of Berubari and retaining Dahagram and Angorpota. Flaws of this amendment:An Enclave is a geographical territory which is completely surrounded by foreign territory (including foreign territorial water) such a territory is called an enclave in respect to the surrounding foreign territory, and an exclave in respect to the territory to which it is politically attached. So after the exchange, the control of the corridor rested with the Indian authorities, and the problems of connecting other enclaves continue as before. Moreover the primary sufferers of this controlled corridor are the people of Bangladesh. Fifth Amendment: The Constitution (Fifth Amendment) Act was passed by the Jatiya Sangsad on 6 April 1979. This Act amended the Fourth Schedule to the Constitution by adding a new Paragraph 18 thereto, which provided that all amendments, additions, modifications, substitutions and omissions made in the Constitution during the period between 15 August 1975 and 9 April 1979 (both days inclusive) by any Proclamation or Proclamation Order of the Martial Law Authorities had been validly made and would not be called in question in or before any court or tribunal or authority on any ground whatsoever.The expression ‘Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim’ was added before the Preamble of the Constitution. The expression ‘historic struggle for national liberation’ in the Preamble was replaced by ‘a historic war for national independence. ’ One party system was replaced by multiparty parliamentary system. Fundamental principles of state policy were made as ‘absolute trust an d faith in the Almighty Allah, nationalism, democracy and socialism meaning economic and social justice. ’ Flaws of Fifth Amendment [1]:The Fifth Amendment was passed by a military government in the consequences of a series of murderous coups, counter-coups and government change. That period was very painful, undefined and critical for the ‘sovereign existence’ of Bangladesh as it faced hosts of political, economic and security challenges from both within and outside. One may have hesitations about some aspects of this or any other Amendment but it is important also to consider the overall situation prevailing at the time.And it is wrong, in my opinion, to condemn any or all the Amendments if the existing conditions demanded it, but we have a right, in fact obligations, to look at them critically and reassess the situation [2]. The leaders want to change the present Constitution, because according to them, the Constitution was made ‘Communal’ by intr oducing the words ‘Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim’ in the preface and by making ‘Islam’ the ‘state religion’ at the cost of the principle of ‘Secularism’.This brought about fundamental modifications to Constitution, which is true in my judgment, but I am not sure whether this made Bangladesh ‘more Islamic’ or ‘communal’ than before. It is noted that equal rights, including freedom to exercise all religions, are guaranteed in the Constitution. There may be some uncertainty and it is true that some fringe groups have been mixing for introduction of ‘Sharia Law [3]’. This, of course, is shocking the religious minorities for the potential loss of their religious rights and freedom under an ‘Islamic Republic’ in the style of Pakistan or Afghanistan under Taliban rule.Majority Muslims of Bangladesh are also concerned since such activities may encourage the extremist groups to adopt violen t and terrorist activities for a change of the government and the system. The word ‘Socialism’ was not omitted completely from the Constitution by the subsequent amendments but redefined by saying that it meant ‘economic and social justice’. This assured the West and pro-capitalist elements that Bangladeshi Socialism is not socialism in the real sense; it was not the socialism as it was then accomplished in China or Soviet Russia, and that there is no reason to be frightened.In the light of the major changes in the world economic and power relations over the last decades (especially since the collapse of Soviet model, end of Cold war, amendments in the Chinese model), debates on this ‘modernizing socialism’ in the Constitution is rather muted. Some of our former ‘Socialist revolutionary leaders’ are happily co-habiting with semi-feudal, pro-capitalist parties. The debate on ‘Nationalism’ (Bangali vs Bangladeshi) seems to be driven by emotion. Individually, I feel quite comfortable being known as a ‘Bangladeshi’ national with ‘Bangali’ cultural and linguistic tradition and with a Muslim faith.Citizens who are not Bangali but of other ethnic and cultural roots and profess any of the non-Muslim faiths should feel quite relaxed if their nationality is ‘Bangladeshi’. I find no contradiction in this kind of arrangement. But it is wrong to define all the citizens of Bangladesh as ‘Bangali’; they would not feel comfortable with is this classification. Those who raise controversies and unnecessary debates on this issue are not helping Bangladesh to establish its individual national identity. The issue of ‘Secularism’ is more complex as it is supposed to be more rogressive and all embracing as opposed to the word ‘Islam or Muslim’ in the Constitution. Whether the present Bangladesh Awami League government really wants to delete t he words ‘Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim’ from the preface and ‘Islam is the state religion’ from the Constitution to reinstate the word ‘Secularism’, remain to be seen. Still we may create a few comments for general conversation.[1] http://thetrajectory. com/blogs/index. php/2009/05/the-fifth-amendment-crisis-in-bangladesh/ [2] http://www. scribd. om/doc/2599618/12-Amendment-in-Bangladesh-Constitution [3] Sharia, or Islamic law, influences the legal code in most Muslim countries. A movement to allow sharia to govern personal status law, a set of regulations that pertain to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and custody, is even expanding into the West. Tenth Amendment: The Constitution (Tenth Amendment) Act 1990 amended, among others, Article 65 of the Constitution, providing for reservation of thirty seats for the next 10 years in the Jatiya Sangsad exclusively for women members, to be elected by the members of the Sangsad. Flaws of this amendment :The tenth amendment reflects the right of women regarding the participation in Jatiya Sangsad. But there are biasness regarding the female candidate selection procedure. Moreover some female member of parliament is worse then male MP, this unjustified selection makes the public representation procedure vague. Thirteenth Amendment: The Constitution (Thirteenth Amendment) Act 1996 provided for a non-party Caretaker Government which, acting as an interim government, would give all possible aid and assistance to the Election Commission for holding the general election of members of the Jatiya Sangsad peacefully, fairly and mpartially. The caretaker government, comprising the Chief Adviser and not more than 10 other advisers, would be collectively responsible to the President and would stand dissolved on the date on which the Prime Minister entered upon his office after the Constitution of the new Sangsad. Flaws of this amendment: The introduction of caretaker government is not as effec tive as it was thought. The caretaker govt. forms after a political party handover the power to the caretaker govt. and the duty of caretaker govt. is to make necessary procedure to arrange a free and fair election.But the previous political party can easily influence the caretaker govt. and then caretaker govt. will tilt the election procedure towards them. As a result the previous political party remains in the govt. position for nest 5 years. So there must be more clauses in the 13th amendment to rectify the behavior of caretaker govt. member. Analysis and Comments: It is observed from the above, that the Amendments made at one time under certain circumstances were replaced by another Amendment, and also that majority of these had a broad nationwide debate.But a few of those Amendments were enacted without proper debates and discussions. Whereas, people from different political view, religion should be involved in this process. Amendments that were the result of autocratic though t obviously come under severe criticisms, sometimes for valid reasons and sometimes for political purposes. Constitution is the superlative law of Bangladesh . It is the reflection of people's demands and needs. The government should think very carefully before making any fundamental changes in it.It should refrain from making major changes unless a national harmony is attained. History tells us fundamental changes of the Constitution by the one-sided action of the government have not brought successful result. Rather, it created hostility and division within the country when stability and unity were greatly needed for national prosperity. In any event, if any fundamental changes are to be made in the current Constitution, the prescribed procedure outlined in the very Constitution must be followed.Reference ; Bibliography: †¢Daily ittefaq, Article on ‘Contemporary debates for fundamental changes of the Constitution’, [online, retrieved on February 27, 2010], availa ble at:  http://www. ittefaq. com/issues/2010/02/27/news0888. htm†¢Bangladesh Strategic ; Development Forum, Article on ‘Strategic Relations Between Bangladesh And India’, [online, retrieved on October 9, 2007], available at: http://www. dsdf. org/forum/index. php? showtopic=32551;st=75;gt;†¢The Daily Star, Article on ‘The Tin Bigha corridor 15 years on’, [online, retrieved on October 13, 2007], available at: †¢Council on Foreign Relations, Article on ‘Islam: Governing Under Sharia’, [online, retrieved on October 5, 2010], available at: †¢RESDAL, Article on ‘The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ’, [online, retrieved on October 12, 2010], available at: ;lt; http://www. esdal. org/Archivo/ban-pIII. htm;gt;†¢Daffodil University, Article on ‘THE CONSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH’, [online, retrieved on October 11, 2010], available at: †¢Wikipedia 1, 2010, Indo-Bangladesh enclaves. [online retrieved on October 8, 2010], available at:   http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Indo-Bangladesh_enclaves†¢YUDU, Article on ‘Current Changes in Constitution’, [online, retrieved on October 11, 2010], available at: †¢Bangladesh: Constitution, Law and Justice by Nagendra Kr Singh †¢Kamal, M. Bangladesh Constitution: trends and issues. 1994 †¢Islam, M. Constitutional law of Bangladesh. 1995†¢Rahman, L. The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh: with comments ; case-laws. 1994 †¢Ahemd, R. Religion, nationalism, and politics in Bangladesh. 1990

Swisher Mower Case

Swisher Mower and Machine Company Problem: Wayne Swisher the new president and CEO of Swisher Mower Company (SMC), is unsure of what the future holds for his firm. He was contacted by a major national retail merchandising chain about a private-brand distribution arrangement. Wayne Swisher needs to determine if he should accept the offer that was proposed by the national retail merchandising chain or reject it and continue on normal business. SWOT: Strengths: †¢Facilities have an annual production capacity of 10,000 riding mower units on a single 40-hour-per-week shift. †¢Developed great loyalty with dealers and distributors. Produced the first zero turning radius riding mower. †¢Produce high-quality mowers that are reliable and have great longevity. †¢Remained profitable since its founding. Weaknesses: †¢Limited distribution channels to only nonmetropolitan areas. †¢Produce mid-engine riding mowers while front engine mowers are more powerful and can hand le the bigger jobs. †¢Relies heavily and their Ride King and their T-44 trail mower only accounted for 8. 2 % of SMC’s total sales. Opportunities: †¢Plans to develop a walk behind trimmer and edger. †¢Have distributor arrangements in parts of Europe and the South Pacific which made up 5% of total sales. SMC could develop a riding snow thrower with their zero turn radius for the winter months. †¢Private brand distribution. †¢Sales projections for 1995 and 1996 are increasing from previous years. Threats: †¢Sales trends seem to be up and down. The sales are currently on the rise but history shows they could drop. †¢Ten manufactures make up the major competition in the riding lawn mower market. †¢Private label riding lawn mowers have captured a growing percentage of unit sales. †¢Developing a new product, the trim-max, shows that the riding lawn mower is in the mature or decline phase of the product life cycle. Critical Issues: †¢Industry statistics show that the riding mower sales are up and down. Currently, the market is on the rise but history shows it could drop. †¢SMC is a customer oriented company and Max Swisher’s wants to maintain a small company image. †¢The Ride King mower is in its mature or decline stage. †¢SMC produces high quality products that have a simple design for easy customer use and maintenance. †¢Private-label riding lawn mowers sales account for 40% of SMC sales. Private-label mowers account for 65 to 75% of the total industry sales. †¢75% of SMC’s sales are made in nonmetropolitan areas. Alternatives: AlternativeProsConsCost †¢Accept the offer from the major national retail merchandise chain for distribution of a private-brand. †¢The chain will cover all freight costs †¢The chain will do all advertising †¢The chain wants a sample order of 700 units and will place an order of approximately 8,200 units per year. †¢Distribution will broaden to metropolitan areas. †¢Chain wants to purchase the mowers at a price 5% lower than SMC’s manufactures. †¢No seasonal or promotional discounts. †¢SMC is liable for all personal injury claims. †¢Sales of SMC mowers by the chain could cannibalize existing sales. See Exhibit 1 †¢Reject the offer from the major national retail merchandise chain for distribution of a private-brand. †¢This would remain at the status quo. †¢Net Income is $430,200. †¢SMC could concentrate on developing the Trim-Max. †¢Will not get the exposure to the metropolitan areas. †¢If SMC rejects the offer, the chain may present the offer to some one else and this would increase their competition. †¢Private label mowers currently account for 65 to 75% of the total industry sales. SMC will maintain status quo and profit around $400,000 †¢More aggressively advertise the Ride King to try to gain market share in the metropolitan areas. Not necessary†¢This would gain a bigger percentage of the market share. †¢75% of SMC’s sales are made in non-metropolitan areas. SMC has this area covered pretty well. Could be the right time to move to metropolitan areas. †¢Advertising costs will go up. †¢Will need to produce more mowers therefore labor costs will go up. †¢Will need a bigger sales force. †¢Produce the new trimmer and edger product. Not necessary. The major decision is accept or reject the offer. †¢Ride King is in the mature or decline stage of product life cycle it may be time to introduce a new product. Walk behind trimmer is not on the market yet. †¢Labor costs will go up. †¢Storage costs may go up. †¢R&D will go up. †¢New products are sometimes tough to get on the market. Recommendations: I would recommend that SMC reject the offer put on the table by the major national retail merchandising chain that was asking about private band distribution for SMCà ¢â‚¬â„¢s line of riding lawn mowers. As shown in exhibit 1 net income decreases by a great deal. SMC’s current gross profit margin is 15% and this would decrease to 2%. There are also a few other negatives to accepting the offer that will cost SMC money. Sales of SMC mowers by the national chain merchandiser could cannibalize some of their existing sales and this is projected to be about 300 units per year. Also, the liabilities will go up on the SMC balance sheet because the chain wants SMC to assume all liabilities if any worker is hurt while using the mowerproducing the mowers. There are a few good reasons to accept the offer by the chain but I think the cons out weight the pros in this case. I think that SMC should try and advertise their Ride King more aggressively to the metropolitan areas while they are developing their new trimmer and edger product. Firms want to develop new products to stay profitable. Each product has a life cycle and when one product reaches its mature stage and starts to decline it is the best time to introduce a new product. This is the situation that SMC is looking at right now. I think the Ride King is mature and will start to decline. If SMC introduced the Trim-Max they will still be gaining profits because it will be going through its growing stage. They would be the first to the market with a walk behind trimmer. SMC is known for making high quality products and they should not have a problem introducing a trimmer to the market. Based on the information in the case SMC produces many different mowers that are mid-engine riding mowers. These are less powerful mowers and are great for use in metropolitan areas. This would be a great way to market their mowers and get them into the metropolitan areas easier. The national merchandising chain thought that there was a demand in the metropolitan areas for riding lawn mowers but the terms of their contract were not benefiting SMC. If SMC can get their mowers into these areas through their distributors without the national chain putting a private label on them they will become much more profitable.

Benefits of Social Media

In today’s society, communication is somewhat effortless with as much as a cell phone or computer. A text or instant message, via one of the various social networking sites, is how the majority of people today interact with one another. Social media has allowed new unconventional means of education to thrive amongst students of all ages and facilitated new means of easier communication among family and friends. However, along with a broadened network of communication there are precautions and concerns that many have taken in response to the vulnerability of this vast cyberspace. Although social media has its pitfalls, it has also changed the world for the better because it has introduced new innovative methods of education, facilitated easier communication, and has created a new environment for self-expression. Social networking, such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Formspring, and Instagram, has virtually enabled students around the world to create online study groups and chat rooms to enhance their learning experience. In an article by Paulette Stewart, an author for Feature magazine, a group of high school library volunteers are brought together by their librarian to test out an online literature study group on Faceboook. The students mingle and begin to become thoroughly engaged as they read one book each month and then converse about the literature they had read. Throughout the simulation, the students begin to come forward and speak more openly about their opinions and literary views of the novels they had read (29). This example shows how Facebook, a social networking site, proved to be a productive educational outlet for students to engage socially with each other in a virtual classroom which resulted in authentic research and easier communication amongst students via a social media outlet. Although social media such as Facebook, has helped broaden education into different outlets other than the traditional classroom, there are some questions many people have about how safe these online environments are. Dr. Stephanie Huffman, an Associate Professor at the University of Central Arkansas with a PhD in Leadership Studies, reveals that â€Å"social networking increases the likelihood of new risks to the self†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"†¦loss of privacy† are very prominent aspects of joining a social networking site (154). There are many disputes today that debate whether social networking is safe because it allows, not only friends and family, but an entire network of people, most of whom are strangers, to see personal information, interactions with others, and individual thought. Although there are some risks of putting information on the web that reveals ones identity, as Stewart mentioned in her article previously, there are many privacy settings that are enabled to the user of the account (30). For example, on Facebook there are settings that allow the user to limit their profiles to be viewed by only people that they are friends with, which are called â€Å"Privacy Settings†. Websites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and other social media are very beneficial in many ways that are helpful for education and introduces new styles of education to educators. Even though these new forms of learning are not traditional and physical forms of a classroom setting, these virtual classes still provide all the necessary components of learning. For example, Stewart conveyed activities such as social camaraderie amongst students by working together, researching subjects in more depth due to access to more information, and students having more honest opinions in a non face-to-face environment versus an online group chat (32). However, students are warned to remain aware that â€Å"once information is released into cyberspace, it becomes a part of a global network† (Huffman 155). On the other hand, students do have the choice to take full advantage of privacy settings and monitoring the status of their information that they release to the web, friends, and potentially unknown viewers of their information. Overall, when using social media for educational purposes there are many benefits that, when taken advantage of, enhance educational experiences because of modern-day advancements in social media and networking. Over the last decade, social media has undoubtedly changed the way people communicate. Two people no longer have to be face to face to communicate and can now receive responses within seconds. In an article written by Nafaa Jabeur, Sherali Seadally, and Biju Sayed, authors for the Communications of the ACM journal, called â€Å"Mobile Social Networking Applications†, GPS tracking systems in Mobile Social Networking (MSN) devices allows users to locate other users, areas and amenities nearby that concern the same interests as them (74). Social media has assisted communication by facilitating the means of connecting multiple individuals. Examples include Jabeur, Zeadally, and Sayed’s article’s claim that news is easier spread using the technology of MSN, which helps notify copious amounts of people in an urgent manner, of incidents in their local areas (Jabeur. Zeadally, Sayed 76). However, there are questions about if social media is taking over society in a negative aspect rather than helping it. In a study called â€Å"Problematic Use of Social Networking Sites†, documented by Dr. Parth Singh Meena, Pankaj Kumar Mittal and Ram Humar Solanki, Psychiatrists for the Industry Psychiatry Journal, research shows that social media is greatly increasing in, mainly, teenagers and young adults to somewhat of a dangerous high (94). Studies have shown that â€Å"from April 2008 to April 2009, the total minutes spent on Facebook in the U. S. , in particular, has increased from 1. 7 billion minutes to 13. 9 billion minutes† (Meena, Mittal, and Solanki 95). Although these numbers of the increased amount of social media users is shocking, there are many beneficial reasons for taking advantage of new technology. A positive example of why excessive use of social media may be helpful is received through an article called â€Å"Targeted Social Mobilization in a Global Manhunt† where Alex Rutherford, data scientist at the UN Global Pulse Research Center, and many other researchers followed a simulation to track down five individuals in many different cities and states based on just a headshot, using nothing but social media sites for urgent information (1). Using websites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Google search engine, the simulation found three out of the five individuals only used social media (Rutherford, et. al. 2). This example shows how using social media can be helpful in communicating with people around the world in urgent situations. Social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Formspring, and Myspace make it capable to talk to people’s next-door neighbors or to talk to someone halfway across the world. These sites allow individuals to create profiles and custom pages that showcase personal information, interests and hobbies for virtually anyone to see. For example, Twitter has a certain section of the website that allows users to see â€Å"Trending Topics† around the world that involve the most popular topics of conversation to be shared with the entire Twitter community. By using the Trending Topics the user is connected with, virtually, the entire world by communicating with people from different countries, backgrounds, languages, and cultures. Dr. Stephanie Huffman, as mentioned earlier, believes that social networking allows users to broaden their experiences â€Å"through presentation of self, learning, building relationships, exposure to other diverse groups† and many more valuable attributes (154). An important issue to be made aware of in social media is cyber-bullying. There have been numerous studies and extensive research about the effects of cyber-bullying and speculation of how to put an end to this phenomenon. Neal Geach, a professor and extensive researcher at the University of Hertfordshire, and Nicola Haralambous, a researcher and professor of Criminal Law at Coventry University, produced an article, â€Å"Regulating Harassment: Is the Law Fit for the Social Networking Age? †, that discusses the dangers of cyber bullying and the laws that are being put into place to regulate it. Their article exhibits many laws, some of which do pertain to the Internet and social media. There are laws being put into place specifically dealing with harassment that occurs on online social media sites (Geach and Haralambous 248). Dr.  Peter Kiriakidis, a professor of research at the University of Queens and has a Ph. D. in Educational Leadership, and Dr. Demarques Lakes performed a case study on student-to-student bullying to gain insight from teachers and educational staff on what they have observed about online bullying. Their research found that â€Å" most teachers also reported that they associate academic underperformance of certain students to be the result of some form of cyber bullying† which supports the idea that educator’s are becoming more aware of this issue and it’s side effects and trying to find helpful solutions (Kiriakidis and DeMarques 109). The Internet can be a productive and innovative outlet for positive self-expression if used correctly and cautiously. Social networking sites help users gain insight for themselves and others by discovering new interests and groups of people that enjoy the same pastimes as them (154). Although these freedoms come with a price, there are many ways to cut down online obstacles such as bullying, harassment, and negative pressures of society. There are several privacy settings on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace that eliminate the chance of an unknown user viewing your profile and personal information (Stewart 30). Also available to all users on every social networking site is a â€Å"Block Report† button that allows the user to block as many other users as they want from their page so that none of their information, comments, or personal information is released to that certain user. If a certain user is becoming an issue with violent or irrational behavior over the Internet, every user also has the option to report another user for inappropriate behavior to the site to resolve the issue. In conclusion, society has benefitted greatly from social media networks and offers a multitude of advantages for many reasons. Education has been greatly impacted by the numerous and endless possibilities of transforming the concept of learning into a more modern and experimental structure. Social media has facilitated a new form of open communication that has made long distance relationships possible and global communication easier. Social networking has also introduced a new era of presentation of self by allowing online users to share their monumental, life moments through pictures, status’, comments, and interests. When all is considered, social media among children, teens, college students, and other adults is overall beneficial and innovative to society.