The Perfect Cowboy Birthday Essay Example for Free

The Perfect Cowboy Birthday Essay This party is to welcome this man to adulthood by celebrating it with his favorite theme.   He will enjoy the festivities and appreciate the efforts made by his family and friends.   The strengths of this theme include the readily available props and decorative items for the theme.   There are many places to purchase the items to decorate the bar for this theme.   The weaknesses in this theme include the commonality of it.   It is rather difficult to come up with something new and original in a theme that has been done repeatedly.    The opportunities presented with this idea are to reach back into the days of the cowboy and create a scene from the past.   The threats involved include danger of some guests becoming intoxicated and having accidents after leaving the party.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The party will take place as a surprise party to celebrate Jerry’s twenty-first birthday.   It will be held at the local bar, which h as been reserved by Jerry’s girlfriend for a private party. This avoids issues with other bar patrons who may not like the party atmosphere.   A number of his friends and family will be invited to help Jerry celebrate his birthday.   The party will take place on the Saturday evening following Jerry’s birthday to avoid the need for him to have to go to work the next day.    The bar will be decorated with saddles, blankets, hay, cowboy boots and other items to fulfill the theme.   All of the guests were asked to dress for the part to make Jerry feel like he is part of one of the western movies he greatly enjoys.   In order to maintain a specific budget, a maximum dollar amount was given to the owners of the bar along with a selected menu and estimated number of guests.   The meal of steak, beans, corn bread, hot dogs and other traditional cowboy foods was selected. The food and cowboy themed cake will all be prepared by the staff at the bar within the selected budget.   Games will be included and prepared by planning staff and jerry’s friends.   The activities will include games such as cowboy themed charades and role playing games about Jerry’s favorite cowboy movies and events in his past.   After these a cowboy dance group will come in to do a performance for Jerry and his guests.   The evening will be topped off with a variety of drink selections to end the wine and dine ceremony and officially welcome Jerry to adulthood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The risk assessment team met and expressed a few concerns with the plans.   Originally one of the planned activities was to rent a mechanical bull.   The committee felt this was far too dangerous especially if alcohol was involved with the party.   For this reason this item was removed from the plan.   The committee expressed concern with the younger party guests being present during the alcohol portion of the party and with guests leaving and driving after drinking. Upon taking these suggestions the under-age guests will be taken to Jerry’s home nearby by a friend where they can enjoy activities without concern of drinking or being involved in this activity.   Designated drivers will be present and in charge of all car keys to ensure safety of party guests.   The bar has passed all health and safety inspections and has adequate liability insurance to cover any accidents on the premises.   All applicable copyrights have been applied for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All care has been taken to make sure that Jerry becomes an adult in the most exciting and enjoyable way possible.   He has always liked cowboys and his girlfriend has gone to great lengths to make sure that his party has all of the elements to make sure it is the most realistic cowboy birthday possible.

Technical aspects of tourism

Technical aspects of tourism Executive summary: This report deals with the introduction and usage of ICT (Information and communication technology in the field of tourism. This report discusses all the technical aspects of the tourism industry and its impact on consumers. First it discusses various basic factors relate to the ICT and how it has been used by the customer and the tourism sector to interact with each other and also stress on various other benefits arising out of it. It discusses the topic of e-business in detail and explains how it has affected the consumers across the world. The topics like decision making by the tourist and various models by different analysts have also been taken into consideration to assess the topic in depth. Competitive advantage of E- commerce has been brought into light. To analyse the impact of ICT on the tourism industry, we have taken an example of a tourist agency called Thomas Cook. It one of the premier tourism agencies in the word, that has achieved a lot of success through effective implementing the ICT system in their firm. This report has analysed the strategies adopted by Thomas cook for their success in tourism sector. One of the major factors called mySAP consumer relations management has been discussed in detail. This paper also deals with the advantages of the benefits that a consumer has through e-commerce as well as the barriers of e-commerce. Introduction: Information and communication technology (ICT) is the Contemporary style of doing business in an effective manner. This process was being used since the early 1930s but in recent times i.e., the past 15 years this system is been followed extensively in various sectors. Major sectors like retail, banking, telecommunication, governments of various countries, Tourism, etc is using this system effectively. This concept covers vide rang of appliances like internet, wireless, Digital Cameras Wi-Fi, VIOP, GPS, Digital Radio, etc. Every sector is trying to implement this process through one way or the other to improve their business performance. It is been so extensively these days that an article in the Daily Telegraph IT supplement said that, many large organisations would not survive 24 hours without the help of ICT. This attitude change towards ICT was always expected and is of no wonder. This development was inevitable as this made the work easier and faster. This is the main reason why outsourcing of work began. The cost of production was reduced and so was the cost of goods. This technological development has eliminated the national boundaries and helped various businesses to go global, thus integrating markets as well as economies across the world. This rapid growth in the technology has lead to the concept of E-Business and E-Commerce. With e-business there are various advantages due to the presence of global audience, online transaction, etc. This is playing a major role in reshaping the tourism sector across the world. This concept of ICT has brought people much closer to the tourism service providers. Now, customers do most of their holiday or travel plans online. Many tourism companies are adopting this technology. The tourism sector being one of the traditional sectors it was not a smooth ride in taking up this technological advancement. Many small could not afford this kind of investment. They had to terminate a lot of workers as after this advancement there was minimal response to the traditional high street travel agencies. Although physical services are the core products of industry, it is dominated by information systems. (Shankar, 2008) ICT and tourism sector: Tourism is a fast growing and information intensive sector. In traditional tourism sector the customer has to all the way to the travel agency to get the information about the journey or trip. Now, it has become easy for the customers to just sit in their home and browse through various sites and compare different packages provided by different travel agencies. The ICT tools for organising, Marketing, Managing the customer is known. Advertising, promotions, managing sales, use of GIS and GPS to monitor and manage the customer can be considered as some of the ICT tool among many. There are various reasons as to why the tourism industry is adopting this approach: (According to Avison and Fitzgerald, 1995) To expand the industrial boundaries. Reduce expenses. Improve relations with the customers. To deter the new entrants in the market. With the ICT technology been used in various sectors like Airways, Railways, Tour operators, Hotels etc has made is essential for the tourism sector to adopt this system and later an advantage for the sector (Inkpen and Sheldon, 1997). Various kinds of business are using social media to do their business through networking sites and other ways: Web 2.0: It has gained immense popularity in the web world and its users. This is been extensively used by the tourism industry. It has brought a new face to the industry. It has a lot of technological web applications like social networking groups, blogs, podcasting, online video, etc. RSS: RSS (Really Simple Syndicate) is used by the tourism industry to communicate with its customers in person. This simple syndicate enable the customer to receive information on the relevant tourism topic of his choosing. Through this a customer receives the links of different or best travel deals. (Nelson, 2006) Blogging: A person creates a blog and updates it with all the information and text. Then the blogger encourages a discussion on his blog by posting comments. This system of blogging is been used by tourism firms, where they post some information and encourage discussion between customers and keep their customer attracted. Social networking: This is the most accessed or most popular mode of sharing information on internet. As the majority are youngsters this has flourished. The most known social networking sites are Facebook, Hi5, Orkut, Twitter, etc. A person has access to various communities and has a chance to be part of different groups and to enter into discussions online (Boyd and Ellison, 2007). One of the fastest growing travel web sites is WAYN. It helps people to exchange information on their travel experiences and to share their interests online. Online videos and podcasting: When it comes to this mode the most famous site that pops in our mind is YouTube. It is of great help in the tourism as a visual is provided so as to inform/communicate with the customer in an effective manner. A social networking provides called metaverses enable the customers to interact while doing business. Virtual websites are also coming into existence where we can create a personalised avatar and go for a virtual holiday on web. (Hay, 2008) Tagging: This process saves a lot of time for the customer as many travel agencies are tagging different item from different sites so that the customer doesnt have to search in multiple places. Like tourism website may tag the location of the place from Google maps, information taken from encyclopaedia and video from YouTube. (Oconnor et al, 2008) Tourist Decision Making: This is important factor on how a tourist thinks and what are the factors that determine or influence the decision making of the tourist? There were many models which tired to explain the consumer behaviour but failed as they were regarding the tangible goods and did not take into consideration the intangible factors or the feeling part of the customer. (Gilbert, 1991) All the models were criticised that they were just an extension of other models. Let us take into consideration Schmoll (1977) which is based on decision making process in tourism. Motivation, desires/needs, and expectations are said to influence the final destination. There are other factors also which influence the decision making that is, travel stimuli, external and internal variables. (Swarbrooke and Horner, 1999) The process of decision making includes 5 points as proposed by Mathieson and Wall (1982). A desire to travel. The potential of the customer in obtaining information from the respective tourist agency, broachers, advertisements, etc. Other factor like cost of the trip, availability of alternative tours, facilities available in that region, etc. Accommodation type, travel mode and ultimately the final destination. Travel preparations like packing of clothing and equipment and the travel begins. Evaluation of past travel experiences and the result of this will obviously effect future tours. All these models have tried to analyse the behaviour of the tourist and the factors (tangible and intangible) that affect their decision making. Competitive Advantage of E-Business: There are a lot of competitive advantages that arise out of e-business and information technology. The customer can find out about the product, its various uses and compare with other products online sitting at home rather than going all the way to the store. Sometime lot of product comparison may go against the firm so they can adopt the method of product bundling. As various services can be added to the bundle and keep the customer away from individual product comparison. (Schiesel, 2001) Innovation and introduction of niche products which deals with the issues related to product substitutes and new entries into the market. (Sinha, 2000) Consumer centric strategy that is, gathering of information from the customer and developing the packages or products accordingly. (Viehland, 2000) Transfer of skills and sharing of activities and be exploited via extending to related product lines. (Porter, 1980) Price lining and smart pricing: Selling the same product at different price levels to reach people of different standard is price lining. In smart pricing, different price is charged at different market and also according to the value of the product in that region. (Sinha, 2000) Price discrimination must be done to save the profit margins, so that when the competition intensifies then they dont have to lower their prices. Dialogue based marketing must be done in order to explain the customer about the product as well as to obtain a feedback on the packages and upgrade accordingly. (Sealey, 2000) Establishing revenue sharing strategies with other web sites so as to provide customer with subsidiary requirements and fulfilling their needs to the maximum extent. For eg, dell computers is already doing this and has been successful in providing better services. (Hoffman and Novak, 2000) Completely automated delivery system so as to meet the customer desires. About Thomas Cook: It is a leading leisure travel group with 22.1 million customers. It operates around 21 countries across the word. It operates with 31,000 employees all over the world with a fleet 95 aircrafts and 3400 franchised office all over the world. (Thomas Cook Group). It has captured 30% of the UK, Ireland, India and Middle East market, with a fleet of 43 planes and a controlled distribution of 68.6%. Their strategy is to focus on their main business that is, the travel agency and to strengthen it. They also want to invest in travel related sectors and financial sectors through mergers, acquisitions and investing with partners. Ultimately their aim is to become the largest individual travel service provider in the world. They are also planning on becoming independent financial service provider in the world market. To attain this they are with the implementation of highest standard of corporate governance to have an effective decision making mechanism. (Thomas Cook Group Ltd.) Challenges for Tour Operators: All the major tourism companies after 1980 are focused on increasing their profit margins by vertical integration. Although this did not produce anticipated results as the tourism companies expected due to high costs of integration and less returns on their investment or expenditure. Due to rapid growth of travel eMediaries and commission erosion at that time had a negative impact on the travel industry. (Dombey, 2005) Due to this Crisis Thomas cook changed its strategy from an ideal integrated leisure travel group as this model was outdated. In 2006 CEO of Thomas cook announced a new business model where they will be offering optimum flexibility to the customer at the expense of low investment. (Karstadt Quell, 2006) With the vast usage of internet by the consumers and the presence of eMediaries in the market, Thomas Cook had to rethink its strategies. Although not completely abandoning of the traditional integrated vertical system, the advantages of the traditional system were integrated with that of the new dynamic and flexible system that is the system of ICT. This model was also known as hybrid model. (Chaffey, 2004) Changes in organisation as a whole: Thomas cook had to go through a lot changes on the organisational level as they have now opted for a new model of performing their business. The traditional system was more human with minimal technological involvement in the process of customer service. Now, the new model was highly sophisticated and technical so the whole organisation had to go through a change in terms of structure, work culture, workers mind set, technical changes etc. Structural changes: The traditional system followed a hierarchical structure where everything was strictly departmentalised. But as they went for e-business this kind of traditional structure was considered as barrier in performing e-business. So, they went for a system which was more like an informal networking (Shand 2000). For eg the number of directors was reduced to 8 from 40, to ensure that decisions were taken quickly in the organisation. Cultural changes: With adoption of internet and a highly technical based system it changes the whole organisation, how it thinks, how it does things and it completely effects the organisational. When a company is about to adopt e-business then it must take into consideration the two most important factors that is, the organisational culture and technical skills. The high level management was up for the rapid implementations of e-business techniques but the annual report was suggesting that it would take some time to completely adopt. It was found was part of the organisation was running fast and the rest of the organisation jus looked like they were trying to catch up. With e-business they were able to concentrate more on the consumer and their need therefore, by obtaining the loyalty and also deepening the relationship with the customers. (Siegel, 2000) Technical Changes: E-business required knowledge of skills at both the managerial as well as the operational level. Now in this scenario there will more knowledge based jobs available and there is a possibility that the manager could be less competent than his employee as he may be update with all the new technological skill. (Mahesh and Hartman, 2005) It was also observed that some of the junior managers were training or giving suggestions to their superiors. As a result 80% of the recruitments in the e-business section were made outside the organization as they didnt have the ability as they lacked technical knowledge. One of the biggest challenges to Thomas Cook was to make the technological changes that is, updating or installing new softwares, purchasing of high end computers, etc. Thomas Cook has announced a  £64 million replace it s legacy reservation systems to multi channel reservation platform. Thomas Cook and ICT: We have discussed on the information and communication system, its implications in tourism sector and the competitive advantages arising when then system is followed. Now, let us take an example of a tourism agency and analyse how the ICS has benefited them. Thomas Cook has started using the ICS from February 2000. It has made huge investments on the technical development of the firm. After they entered the online system their business was up by 15% and 30% of the customers were using the online services. It has invested a lot in e-business development and training and is now reaping the benefits of it. Thomas cook adopted the strategy of direct marketing which is nothing but an interactive use of the advertising media to stimulate and to modify in such a way that the behaviours can be recorded, tracked, understood, stored for the future use of the information. (Jacobs R. and Stone B., 2001) They first adopted the Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP) which was then proposed by the IT project manager in the firm. This is a Formal Language that was used to describe patterns in interaction between concurrent systems. It was a failure because of the following reasons: CSP complicated the process for error search and made it very tedious. It delayed the process of generating the campaigns and market segment reports as, by 2004 its database was full and was unable to accommodate or manage further data/information. In travel world each customer has a different choice and the CSP database was not sophisticated enough to handle these issues as it was an outdated method. The cost of campaign was increased due to the use of CSP as it was outdated and did not serve the purpose of the dynamic future needs. As cost of maintenance was increasing and thus were unable to use the profits for various aspects of their business. They were now looking for a cost effective, and a system which could enable the smooth processing of the information, effective campaign, etc. Their answer to all these problems was one solution an thaw was mySAP CRM. This was a product of SAP global for customer relations management (CRM). What is mySAP CRM? This software unlike other CRM software helps in not only in formulating and achieving the short term imperatives but also in the process of decision making and in reducing the cost of managing or maintenance. It can also help a company in achieving differentiated capabilities to compete in the market. SAP CRM covers various aspect of the tourism industry and helps them in various ways like: (According to SAP Global) Marketing: It helps in achieving the organisational goals. Better understanding of market spending and the returns on them. Visibility and control of operations is increased which accelerates the process of marketing. High value customers can be identified and retained with the help of Customer loyalty programmes. A central marketing platform could be established. Sales: Profits can be increased. Customer interaction and be initiated and their demands could be met more efficiently. The focus on sales is increased Enterprise sales process can be initiated across channels. Personalised experience to the customers can be provided. Service: With the help of in spot information and other resources there shall be an improvement in first contact resolution. Service employees are provided with tools and the information that is requires to retain the customer and to prevent a churn. Easy access to resources and information boosts field utilization. Product based services are provided to the customer to increase the revenue. Issues related to product defects can be handled effectively. A unique and consistent user experience is possible with various interaction channels like voice mails, text messages, e-mails, etc. Contact Centre: The number of relevant calls can be increased. Personalised telemarketing campaigns can be initiated. Customer services can be improved from the first call itself. A proper analysis on contact centre is possible and insight is attained on the current trends. E-Commerce: Improving sales and to extend market with relevant offers. Personalised and targeted e-marketing campaign to attain the customer loyalty. Intuitive self services could be provided to increase customer convenience. The cost of sales can be reduced by following proper and consistent ways of pricing and customer information across channels. Reliable commitments are made using streamline end to end order to cash. Possibilities of analyzing the actions and trends of e-business. IT Services: IT service agents and track and solve the problems easily through streamline service desk. Management of IT financials by the use of native integration of SAP ERP financial solutions. Built in analytics and add on tools enable to get a insight into the IT service desk. Both the customer and the stakeholders are satisfied as there is a transparent process in defining and enforcing agreements on service levels. Web 2.0 supports native integration with SAP solution manager so all the SAP and non SAP related IT support services are managed appropriately. With all these advantages of mySAP CRM in providing effective services in the tourism industry has enabled Thomas cook to attain a superior level in the tourism sector then its counterparts in the same sector. The major competitive advantage that Thomas Cook attained from mySAP CRM are: To integrate campaign between various departments and partners this in turn helped in maintaining the brand consistency. The marketing department have streamlines and standardized the process for creating or approving a particular campaign. Complex segmentations and database operations have become faster with the use of high speed segmentation and also provide new insights into customer behaviour. Thomas Cook was able to provide campaign relevant data for the execution of a campaign due to highly flexible customer structure. It reduced the cost of reaching the targeted customer and now Thomas Cook and reaches more customers without any increase in spending. (Reiner Wegmann, IT Project Manager, Thomas cook, 2006) Thomas Cook was now independent and not relying on any other IT department for third party subscription. Interactive drag and drop phase and graphic visualisation has speeded up the process of market segmentation and listing. The process of decision making was faster due to personalised portals. This also enables the players to take wise and quick decisions as important information is already there in there portals. Thomas cook was able to make long term business propositions as well as to focus on the operational business objectives. (SAP customer success story retail, Thomas cook, 2006) Benefits of E-commerce to Customers: From the above analysis we can say that there are a lot of benefits to the customers: The web provides ample information about every destination and the facilities over there. Through e commerce the tourism agencies are able to provide all the information about the desired destination. The products or packages can be compared and the customer can take a decision accordingly. The customer can use the social networking and discuss the tour experiences or enquire about them or to know about them. It provides flexibility to the customer. The customer no longer has to go all way to the agency to gather information about his desired destiny. E-commerce provides various packages and concessions online which are not available otherwise. E-commerce has user friendly web sites that are designed for the targeted customers. Barriers of E-Commerce: We have discussed all the various factors that influenced the tourism industry to adopt ICT system and e-commerce played an important role. There also some barriers associated with e-commerce that has to be taken into consideration by the tourism industry and to work on them to get better results in the future. It cannot functions without the basic requirements like backup services and required hardware. These can be an expensive investment in the company at the time converting from a traditional system. The trust factor of the e-commerce must be given preference and both the government and the private sector should work together in increasing the safety of e-commerce. Confidentiality should be provided to the customers personal information, safety of credit card details must also be ensured. The existence of regulations and presence of international laws prevents e-commerce from being an effective source. Conclusion: From the above analysis we can conclude that, Information and communication system plays an important role in the development of the tourism industry. Social networking and various other options on web have taken the tourism industry to the next level. The web has provided a huge marketing source for the tourism sector in cost effective manner. (Armstrong and Hagel, 1996; Kozinets, 1999; Wang et al, 2002) It is also evident that the latest upgrade in information systems has clearly given Thomas Cook an edge over the other tourism agencies. Although it has gone through rapid changes in the organisational structure but it has effectively managed its resources and is able provide one of the best services in the world to desired tourists. In the process of adopting new skills and systems, the mindsets and cultures have to develop and resistance at any level of the organisation need to be handled with lot of care. (Jackson and Harris, 2003) Thomas Cook has effectively used mySAP Consume Relation management system to provide quality services to the customer and at the same time limiting their expenditures on publicity or promotion of the product. The process of innovation and implementing new methods in work place has paid off for Thomas Cook. It was a bold step to adopt the ICT system into a traditional tourist sector. Thus, we can conclude by saying that ICT has played an important role in the development of the tourism industry and enable the customers to enjoy better services that they deserve. Although there is this trust issue regarding e-commerce and its uses but more people are using this facility every day. References: Arusha, T. (2000, february). Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and Tourism. Retrieved may 23, 2010, from www.nric.net: http://www.nric.net/tourism/sidebar/ICT.pdf Boyd, D. M. (2007). Journal of computer mediated communications , 210-230. Fitzgerald, A. . (n.d.). INtroduction to information systems in business. Retrieved may 23, 2010, from www.comp.glam.ac.uk: http://www.comp.glam.ac.uk/pages/staff/tdhutchings/chapter1.html Global, S. (n.d.). Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software From SAP. Retrieved may 24, 2010, from www.sap.com: http://www.sap.com/solutions/business-suite/crm/index.epx Group, T. C. (n.d.). www.thomascookgroup.com. Retrieved may 23, 2010, from Business segments and brands: http://www.thomascookgroup.com/segments Jackson, P. (n.d.). Ebusiness and organisational change. Journal of organisational change management , 497-511. Juline E.Mills, R. L. (2005). Handbook of Consumer Behavior, Tourism and the Internet. Haworth press. Kozinets. (1999). Staregic implications of virtual comunities of consumption. European mamagement , 252-264. netstarter. (n.d.). e commerce barriers and opportunities. Retrieved may 22, 2010, from www.netstarter.com: http://www.netstarter.com.au/Content_Common/pg-ecommerce-Benefits-Barriers.seo Roberto daniele, A. j. (n.d.). Tour operator in an ebusiness world. Retrieved may 23, 2010, from www.googlebooks.com: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=s9f5_kvYrZoCpg=PA207lpg=PA207dq=thomas+cook+information+and+communication+technologysource=blots=KkiM3J5HGosig=iL2qLClFWLyN8wzC6Dgx3PXScUchl=enei=1vykS5jQFIS80gTFitT1CQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=9ved= SAP customer success story, Reatil-tourism marketing. (n.d.). Retrieved may 22, 2010, from www.sap.com: http://www.sap.com/solutions/business-suite/crm/pdf/CS_ThomasCook%20.pdf Seveg, M. B. (1997). The Impact of Electronic Commerce on the Travel Industry. California. Shanker, D. (n.d.). ICT and Tourism: Challenges and Opportunities. Retrieved may 24, 2010, from www.dspace.iimk.ac.in: http://dspace.iimk.ac.in/bitstream/2259/536/1/50-58.pdf Shin, N. (n.d.). STRATEGIES FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN ELECTRONIC COMMERCE. Retrieved may 22, 2010, from www.csulb.edu: http://www.csulb.edu/web/journals/jecr/issues/20014/paper4.pdf Sigala, m. (n.d.). Tour operators in an e business world. Retrieved may 23, 2010, from www.books.google.com: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=s9f5_kvYrZoCpg=PA207lpg=PA207dq=thomas+cook+information+and+communication+technologysource=blots=KkiM3J5HGosig=iL2qLClFWLyN8wzC6Dgx3PXScUchl=enei=1vykS5jQFIS80gTFitT1CQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=9ved= Thomas, D. (2002, june 27). Holidaymakers take plunge into Internet booking pool. Retrieved may 22, 2010, from www.computerweekly.com: http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2002/06/27/188052/holidaymakers-take-plunge-into-internet-booking-pool.htm

India-Pakistan Relations Through the Lens of Realism

India-Pakistan Relations Through the Lens of Realism India and Pakistan have had many conflicts in their relationship because of the multitude of problems in the political sphere throughout history leading to their current state of affairs. To best understand the relationship between the countries, I used realism as a theory of international relations through the examples of the Battle of Kashmir and the riots of 1947 during the Partition of India. India and Pakistan both have associations   through the cultures, history and also economic and geographic issues.   Therefore, these two states have led themselves to high tensions, making their relations unpredictable and in some cases destructive. In International Relations, there are many ideas that influence the theory of Realism, but the one idea that stands out is that states are generally only worried about themselves and the issues that only involve them. Realists have a higher regard for issues such as security and national interests instead of ethics or ideals.When it comes to dealing with others, whether it is regarding war or any other issue, it is only for one reason and that is because they are in the struggle for power. Ever since the Post-World War II era started, Realism has been known to be the leading theory in International Relations. In world politics, Realism stresses the idea that state is the main actor. Usually, Realists have the view that conflicts with other nations are needed and these conflicts are to be conclusively dealt with by war. The partition of 1947, was a period of time involving unrest and violence. In 1947, India and Pakistan had separated and became their own countries. Pakistan was predominantly Muslim while India was majority Hindu.   Before the partition, there weren’t many acts of violence between the three main religions of Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus, the Partition changed that. Countless acts of sexual violence towards women and slaying of families became a result of this Partition. â€Å"Some seventy-five thousand women were raped, and many of them were then disfigured or dismembered†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ By 1948, as the great migration drew to a close, more than fifteen million people had been uprooted, and between one and two million were dead (The New Yorker, 2015).† Punjab had been split in half between India and Pakistan because of the Partition and this is where most of the violent acts on women and families happened. However, after the long lasting struggle, India and Pakistan did gain their independence in August of 1947. Some of the reasons for the Partition of India were â€Å"Mohammed Ali Jinnah, leader of the Muslim League, simply wished to use the demand for a separate state as a bargaining chip to win greater power for Muslims within a loosely federated India (BBC, 2011).† Also, â€Å"One explanation for the chaotic manner in which the two independent nations came into being is the hurried nature of the British withdrawal (BBC, 2011).† These reasonings behind the Partition makes gives me a sense of a Realism perspective because the definition of a Realist in International Relations is  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å" Realists consider the principal actors in the international arena to be states, which are concerned with their own security, act in pursuit of their own national interests, and struggle for power (Stanford Philosophy, 2013).† Mohammed Ali Jinnah wanted to win a greater power for the Muslim people so this move to have their own country would get that for them. Sadly, this didn’t happen without the tragedies of tons of people. Since the Partition of India was in 1947, this leads right into our next topic. The Battle of Kashmir dates back to 1947 as well. Even after India and Pakistan had formed into their own countries, there was still an issue of having hundreds of states that were within these two countries that were lead by Monarchs. These states could decide which country they wanted to be apart of or they could also choose to stay by themselves and they would make the decision by having the people vote. Many of these Monarchs wanted to stay independent but they had to stick with the decisions of the people and go with what they wanted. During this time, â€Å"Maharaja Hari Singh was the ruler of Kashmir, which had the option to choose either country to join because of the location of Kashmir. The only issue about Hari Singh, was that he was Hindu while all of his people were Muslim (Daily O, 2015).† In order to keep the issue calm, he decided to just stay and not join either. However, this did not last very long, â€Å" his hopes of remaining independent were dashed in October 1947, as Pakistan sent in Muslim tribesmen who were knocking at the gates of the capital Srinagar. Hari Singh appealed to the Indian government for military assistance and fled to India. He signed the Instrument of Accession, ceding Kashmir to India on October 26 (The Telegraph, 2001).† India and Pakistan ended up going to war over Kashmir, however, this was only the first time. After India went to the United Nations for help, they decided they would leave it to the people of Kashmir to vote for their own. They ended up going to war on four   different occasions and still have battles to this day. The fact that India and Pakistan have gone to four wars, that alone shows how important and significant   Kashmir is. Realism considers Security as a major priority, and for India, if they were to claim Kashmir it would be very resourceful security wise for them against China and Pakistan. It serves as â€Å" a barrier to the philosophy of Pakistan Government which could threaten India’s internal security (aarcentre, 2016).† Kashmir is very important for either country because of its economic benefits as well. The amount of revenue they can get from tourism of Kashmir would be a huge factor. â€Å"As for Pakistan it is vital for its security zone as well the presence of two major roads and railway network in the border help to strengthen its economy (aarcentre, 2016). As far as Realism goes in the Battle of Kashmir, power is shown by India by the fact that after getting its independence, many states chose to join them. Another instance of Realism in the Battle, was when India supported Hari Singh. When the Pakistani troops showed up to Kashmir and tried to take over, India backed him up without hesitating. However, India had a reason behind it, which was that they would be in good standing with Hari Singh. Which is exactly how it worked out, Hari Singh ended up signing Kashmir over to India soon after that. This shows that India only stepped in for their own personal benefits and as a Realist would say, for their â€Å"struggle of power.† India shows their sense of Realism once again as well when Pakistan wanted to go to the UN to solve the issue. India played a trick on them by saying they should just negotiate between themselves, but then soon after that they went to the UN themselves asking them to step in. This made it look like India was concerned about the people of Kashmir which made them look better to the United Nations. This shows the Realist standpoint of doing whatever it takes for the struggle of power. Through the examples of The Battle of Kashmir, and the Partition of India and the riots during the time, Realism helped me understand the relationship between India and Pakistan throughout the years.Using The Partition of India, Realism was shown through the leader of the Muslim League Jinnah, because he wanted to separate from the loose Indian government and have more power for his own Muslim people. During this movement, an estimated 1-2 million people had died and about 15 million people had to relocate their homes. Lastly, The Battle of Kashmir showed us the Realism perspective through the many ways Kashmir would have brought security and money and power into the countries. India showed us their Realist views by doing whatever was needed to gain their power by supporting Hari Singh even though they had their own intentions in mind. They also showed a fake side by going to the UN and making themselves look better after recently telling the Pakistani government that no one needs to intervene and the   best to solve the issue is by negotiating within themselves. Works Cited A Brief History of the Kashmir Conflict. The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 24 Sept. 2001. Web. 09 Apr. 2017. Alam, Mohd. Shekaib, Muhammet Ali Guler, and Moyenul Hasan. KASHMIR CONFLICT BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN: A REALIST PERSPECTIVE. Journal of Asian and African Social Science and Humanities (ISSN 2413-2748). N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2017. BBC History British History in Depth: The Hidden Story of Partition and Its Legacies. BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2017. Dalrymple, William. The Mutual Genocide of Indian Partition. The New Yorker. The New Yorker, 21 June 2015. Web. 09 Apr. 2017. Khajuria, Manu. Hari Singh Was More than a Hindu King Who Ruled over a Muslim Majority State. DailyO Opinion News & Analysis on Latest Breaking News India. Living Media India Limited, 21 Sept. 2015. Web. 09 Apr. 2017. Korab-Karpowicz, W. Julian. Political Realism in International Relations. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University, 26 July 2010. Web. 09 Apr. 2017.

W.B. Yeats and History Essay -- Poetry Poet Yeats

Yeats in Time: The Poet's Place in History All things can tempt me from this craft of verse: One time it was a woman's face, or worse-- The seeming needs of my fool-driven land; Now nothing but comes readier to the hand Than this accustomed toil. In these lines from "All Things can Tempt Me" (40, 1-5), Yeats defines the limitations of the poet concerning his role in present time. These "temptations" (his love for the woman, Maude Gonne, and his desire to advance the Irish Cultural Nationalist movement) provide Yeats with the foundation upon which he identifies his own limitations. In his love poetry, he not only expresses his love for Gonne, he uses his verse to influence her feelings, attempting to gain her love and understanding. In regard to the Nationalists, he incorporates traditional Irish characters, such as Fergus and the Druids, to create an Irish mythology and thereby foster a national Irish identity. After the division of the Cultural Nationalists, Yeats feels left behind by the movement and disillusioned with their violent, "foolish" methods. He is also repeatedly rejected by Gonne. These efforts to instigate change through poetry both fail, bringing the function of the poet and his poetry into question. If these unfruitful poems tempt him from his ?craft of verse,? then what is the true nature verse and why is it a ?toil? for the poet? Also, if Yeats cannot use poetry to influence the world around him, then what is his role as a poet? As ?All Things can Tempt Me? continues, Yeats addresses this question of role by describing the way he perceived bards in his youth. He speaks of the poet?s song, saying, "Did not the poet sing it with such airs/ That one believed he had a sword upstairs;" (7-8). Thi... ...ory is not a nightmare from which Yeats is trying to awake; it is the very world in which he lives. When he says that if Gonne had understood him he would have ?been content to live,? it is another way of saying that (since she can never understand him) he is not content to live. As a poet, he has undergone a kind of death, rendering him a lifeless observer of the present while becoming an active participant in the past which his poetry explores. Whether he sees this role as a dream or a nightmare, if Yeats ever awoke from history, he would cease to be a true poet and his verse would lose its true meaning. Works Cited Yeats, W.B.. Yeats's Poetry, Drama, and Prose. Ed. James Pethica. New York: Norton, 2000. Ramazani, Jahan. "The Elegiac Love Poems: A Woman Dead and Gon(n)e. " In Yeats's Poetry, Drama, and Prose. Ed. James Pethica. New York: Norton, 2002.

The Role of Polyglutamine Expansions in Huntington’s Disease Essay

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative dominant disorder caused by the expansions of polyglutamine in the gene encoding for Huntington’s protein. It is a developmental autosomal brain disorder that affects muscle coordination, emotional and personality problems. As well as subcortical dementia, further leading to cognitive decline this is all related with selective neuronal cell death mainly associated in the striatum and cortex (Scherzinger et al., 1997). HD causes emotional problems, uncontrolled movements and the loss of thinking ability. It can lead to disability and death from the illness. There are two forms of this disease: adult-onset and early-onset (juvenile). Adult onset is by the far most common for HD; symptoms develop between the ages of mid 30s/40s, an individual will live an average of 20 years after symptoms and signs begin. Premature signs and symptoms are depression, involuntary movements, trouble learning new information, poor coordination; this can all progress very severely. The development of pre-disease symptoms into twitching or jerking is referred as Chorea. HD can be referred to Huntington Chorea. Although adult onset is more common disorder, juvenile form, defined by the onset of signs and symptoms before the age of 21 years, this occurs in about 7% of HD cases. (Nance, 2001) Juvenile onset has similar symptoms however the disease progresses more quickly compared to the adult onset form. Gente (1985) results showed findings by others, that the most juvenile-onset patients inherit the gene from their fathers and that the late-onset form is more frequently inherited from affected mothers. HD occurs due to CAG/polyglutamine(polyQ) expansions, in the first exon of a gene encoding a la... ..., C. and Bates, G, P. (2004). Huntingtin and the molecular pathogenesis of Huntington’s disease. EMBO reports 5. 958-963 Nance, M, A. and Myers, R, H. (2001) Panov, A, V., Gutekunst, C., Leavitt, B, R., Hayden, M, R., Burke, J, R., Strittmatter, W, J. And Greenamyre, J, T. (2002) Early mitochondrial calcium defects in Huntington’s Disease are a direct effect of Polyglutamines. Nature neuroscience. Volume 5 no 8 Ross, C, A. (2002). Polyglutamine Pathogenesis: Emergence of Unifying Mechanism for Huntington’s Disease and Related Disorders. Neuron, Vol. 35,819-822. Scherzinger, E., Lurz, R., Turmaine, M., Mangiarini, L., Hollenbach, Birgit., Hasenbank, R., Bates, G, P., Davies, S, W., Lehrach, H and Wanker, E, E. (1997). Huntington-Encoded Polyglutamine Expansions Form Amyloid-like Protein Aggregates In Vitro and In Vivo. Cell, Vol.90, 549-558. Zhang,

Music for survival or a luxury

Is music a luxury, or a necessity for humans? Even though we can live with out it, unlike food and water, I do believe music is a necessity. Even in countries where food and water are scarce, they will still find a way to make music. Some luxuries are necessary to live a peaceful life, music being one of them. So, with that being said, music not only helps us through the tough times, but also keeps us alive. Music Is like glue. It lets us keep our sanity. Music relates to us, thus letting us know, â€Å"Hey, you're not the only one going through this. Also, I'll bet my life that each and every one of o listens to music at least once a day. Weather It's on TV, or on the radio when you go to work, or even if you heat a street performer In a park, you've all heard music. If you haven't, then probably deaf. Music surrounds us, no matter what. Plus, music Is not only good for your health, It's good for your soul. For some people, music Is a distraction, but others, It helps them work, ex ercise, and even helps then remember easier. I know It dose for me. So many people suffer from depression across America, and across the world.An estimated 9. 2 million people suffer from depression. But, most of them seek out music that relates to them, makes them feel loved, or even just music in general. Music is their life, they live for music. And in some cases, music keeps them living. With out music, where would they be? But, this doesn't mean, â€Å"Unless your depressed, then you don't need music. † We all need music sometimes. Weather you're sad that your boyfriend/girlfriend broke up with you, or you got in a fight with your best friend, or you could Just be having a bad day.Music will always be there, waiting for you. Who doesn't Just want to curl up with a blanket and listen too loyalist of music you made when you're sad, maybe even bring your favorite book with you. Or, you're Just so happy, and you Just want to dance, you're most likely to put on a really good song, a Just dance till you can't. â€Å"Music expresses that witch cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent† – Victor Hugo Music is everywhere. It's on the TV we watch, on the streets we walk on, in the cars we drive, one could even say it's practically in the air we breath.No matter where you go, there's bound to be music. You might not be able to understand it, but it's still there. It's always has been, and always will be. In my life, personally, I listen to music for a good six hours per day. From the time my alarm goes off, to when my mom makes my take out my eat buds to go to bed. With out It, I don't know where I'd be. Music also brings people together. Whether It's at a concert, or someone Likes the same band as you. Music brings us closer then anything else on earth, expect love.I'd would have missed out on so many opportunities If It wasn't for music. To be honest, I met most of my friends thanks to music. Music brings us together, It's a fa ct. Some people consider music as a luxury though. Usually a luxury Is something that Is afforded my one group or person, but not by another, poorer group or person. But, that doesn't apply to music, as it is enjoyed across the entire planter, regardless of would want to? There is something special about music. It Just makes everything better. Music, at it's best moments, is a most miraculous expression of humanity.That's why I love it. For most people, music is a distraction. But for others, like myself, it actually helps them work. Music stimulates certain parts of the brain. When you're writhing an easy about, let's say, world hunger, you might want to listen to some music that you consider â€Å"emotional† while you write. By doing this, you could be more likely to be able to put more feeling into your easy. Also, collage students often listen to music while they study. That way, when you take the test, and the song pops up in your head, you'll remember what you learned.I f you listen to up-beat music while you exercise, it raises your heart beat, and making you work header. Up-beat music will also help you not fall asleep. Another good use for music is, when you hear a certain song, it might remind you of something. Like, the song that was playing when you had your first kiss. Or maybe you hear a song that was popular back when you were in gig school. Music works in strange ways. Music has the ability to make a person feel emotions, of course, we already knew that.The thing is though, one song could make a person feel so happy, and the person next to them could be in tears because of that song. It's weird how music has such an impact on our lives, and we hardly notice it. The same song you think sucks so much, could be the one thing that is keeping a person alive. Or maybe, that person could be you, who knows. But what we do know is this. The first written form of music can be traced all the way back to 600 AD, and can still be found and heard today all cross the world.If we didn't need music to survive, then why has it been around so long? Think about it. When the first song was sung, and the first instruments were played, who was there? Our ancestors were there, and I bet they were cheering on, and dancing, having a good old time. Enjoying life as if it would never end. Those first people past on their experiences on from generation to generation, and pretty soon, every one loved music. They couldn't get enough of it. It would be crime to take that away form us. Music is our history, music is our life. With out it, what are we?

My Trip

If I have a lot of money, I will spend it by travelling around the world in 10 days with my friends. The country that I plan visit is Australia,Japan,Canada, Singapore. The purpose of this trip is to enjoy and relax our mind. The first day,I wake up at 7 o’clock in the morning and meet my friend at the KLIA at 8 o’clock. Our flight will be depart at 11 o’clock. We took the plane for 9 hour and finally arrive at the Melbourne Airport, Australia at midnight. After that we search for the hotel that we have booked named Melbourne Hotel get some rest for the day. The next day we will go to state capital of New South Wales, Sydney. One of the famous place you have to visit in Sydney is the Sydney Opera House. There they got 1000 rooms, 300 corridors and hundreds of tales and secrets. The next day we’ll go to the Art Gallery of New South Wales. the Gallery is one of Australia's leading museums of art and a Sydney institution, with five levels presenting a diverse range of art. And that’s the end of the second day. The third day, we’ll take flight from Australia to Japan also for 9 hours. There we arrive at the Haneda Airport,Japan. After that we stayed at Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo. The third day, we’ll go to the Japan’s communications and observation tower,Tokyo Tower. The tower acts as a support structure for an antenna. Originally intended for television broadcasting, radio antennas were installed in 1961, but the tower is now used to broadcast signals for Japanese media outlets. The next day, we go to the Kaminari Gate in Asakusa, Tokyo. The Kaminari Gate was first built in 941 by Taira no Kinmasa a military commander. 2] It was originally located near Komagata, but it was reconstructed in its current location in 1635. The fifth day, we go to the Shinjuku for shopping because the Shinjuku is the center of this large district home to many malls, stores, restaurants. The sixth day, we’ll take flight from Japan to Canada for 10 hours and 50 mins. We arrive at the Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Canada. We stayed at the Le Petit Hotel, Motreal and rest for the day. The next day, we’ll go to the Basilique Notre-Dame. This Catholic church has a stunning medieval-style interior that features walnut-wood arvings, exquisite stained-glass windows, 24-carat gold stars in a vaulted blue ceiling, as well as one of the largest Casavant organs in North America. The next day, we’ll go to the Mont (Mount) Royal. This 764-foot mountain provides excellent view of the city and is a popular recreation spot. The ninth day, we’ll take flight to Canada to Singapore about 16 hours and 30 mins. We stayed at the Marina Bay Sands. The next day we go to the Merlion Park. Merlion is a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, used as a mascot and national personification of Singapore. And the next day me go back to Malaysia