Discussion Board Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Board Questions - Assignment Example I therefore, believe that it will be self defeating for any proprietor to believe that it is the a customers responsibility to learn English, with it being a lingua franca. The customer is said to be a monarch in business. As such any proprietor who wants to succeed should come down to the level of the potential client and not vice-versa. Diversity in languages is vital as it gives the owners of the language a sense of belonging due to shared history and culture. Anthropology studies show that no language is superior to another. Accommodating other languages ideologies can also give a politician political mileage. This was evident in Barrack Obama’s 2012 presidential election victory where he garnered more votes in Florida, Nevada and Colorado states. These votes turned the tide in his favor. In a situation where individuals are forbidden to speak their native language it breeds resents. Personally I would be uncomfortable staying in such a nation or state. The disadvantage of diversity in languages is it can bread negative ethnicity where some languages are rendered insubordinate; this happens particularly where some groups form the minority. Such scenario hinder economic development due conspiracies propagated by different ethnic groups. If not well managed this may lead to civil strife. Stratification of ethnic groups occasioned by difference in language may lead to increased crime rates especially by the group that may feel shortchanged or marginalized economically (Schaefer, 2013). In my view Statehood for Native Puerto Rican residing in Puerto Rico for Puerto Rico will greatly improve the life and economic status of the Puerto Ricans as the geographical restrictions and fiscal hindrances will be lessened. This will be beneficial more so because the number of them in America is higher than that in Puerto Rica. Independence will be more costly and as it

Why singapore failed to be a major trading centre?

Why singapore failed to be a major trading centre? â€Å"No historian has yet adequately explained why Singapore failed to be a major trading centre before the nineteenth century†. Raffles Professor of History, Wong Lin Ken. a. Do new Dutch/Portuguese reports, maps and scant archaeological evidence dating back beyond the 19th Century now suggest that Singapore was ALWAYS a strategic place after all? Numerous evidences had been uncovered, and reports and archaeological findings especially, certainly suggest that Singapore was largely strategic between the period of Temasek, in 14th century, and late 17th century. However, to conclude that Singapore was hence always strategic would probably be too much of an overstatement. This essay will discuss Singapores strategic significance, with the support of these evidences, during the different time periods. During the 14th century, trade was already ongoing between the West, South Asia and East Asia. The Melaka Straits was crucial for traders to sail to and fro the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea. Sailing in the past depended on wind direction, thus ships had to stop in Southeast Asia (SEA) to wait for a change in wind direction to bring them towards either China or India. Singapore was hence a strategic port because she was located in SEA and along Melaka Straits, making it a convenient stopover hence the central of international trade. Bits of celadon (from China), Chinese coins, fragments of stoneware (mainly from Guangdong and South Fujian) and earthernware (from Sumatra, Java and Borneo)and under-glazed blue and white stem cup (more expensive of porcelains from Jingdezhen during Yuan Dynasty)recovered support the above claim as they suggest extensive trade links Temasek had with China and SEA, and that its inhabitants, especially the wealthier ones inhabiting Fort Canning, were able to afford the more exquisite products of Jingdezhen. Temasek then, was able to attract maritime trade by providing unique products that rival ports were unable to supply. Recorded by Wang Da Yuan in Daoyi zhilue,Temasek supplied indigenous products like hornbills casques of excellent quality. Found only between north of Malay Peninsula and South of Borneo, traders can only lay their hands on it at Temasek or Palembang. Though Lakawood was in abundance, Temasek was one of the five ports that offer those of middle-quality. Celadon, white wares and stonewares uncovered at Riau Archipelago, dating back to the period of Temasek, had patterns and craft similar to those imported from Temasek. Furthermore, the origin of glassbeads of Riau Archipelago and Temasek should be identical given similar compositions. Hence, Temasek probably served as a collection centre and an entry to export for Riau Archipelago. In this case, evidences do suggest that Singapore was prospering and had an influence on regional economy and was thus strategic. During the 15th to 17th centuries, though Singapore declined slightly when Temasek was relocated to Melaka, fragments of under-glazed blue porcelains found at Kallang River, and Portuguese maps which indicate the presence of a shahbandars office, as elaborated in (b), suggest that she retained some of its strategic significance as a port by maintaining some trade with China. As mentioned, being one of the strategically situated along the Melaka Straits, the power that was able to erect a strategic dominance around the waters around Singapore would be advantaged in terms of security and economically. The Dutch had wanted to destroy Luso (Portuguese-Spanish) monopolies in SEA when they first started attacking Portuguese trading ships around Singapore waters and declared war with the Portuguese when they raided Santa Catarina and auctioned off its products. This saw the naval battles between the Dutch and Johor Sultanate, and Portuguese and Acehnese in the early 17th century and gave rise to the considerations of fortifying Singapore by both powers. Jacques De Coutre proposed to build forts at the east coast of Singapore and Muar River estuary and station a naval fleet at Sentosa to protect Portuguese trading ships from the Dutch. Dutch had the same places in mind for their fortification plans. Till this point, the Dutch and Portuguese reports do suggest th at Singapore was strategic. However, the plans never realised, which made us rethink if Singapore was really that strategic after all. Singapores strategic significance took a turn in the 18th century. There was not much evidence to prove this period of time, but by referencing to my contextual knowledge, we know that the Dutch shifted their focus from the Melaka Straits to the Sunda Straits, Portuguese diverted their trade to Japan having difficulties trading in the Melaka Straits and Johor Sultanate relocated their capital to the Lingga Archipelago, shifting the maritime silk road southwards. Singapore lost its value with the declination of Melaka Straits and was abandoned. She no longer held any strategic significance to participants of the maritime trade. Perhaps it is precisely that not much evidence was found that dates back to this period of time that it suggests that trading activities in Singapore was kept to its minimum. Moreover, no coins or porcelains were uncovered that dates beyond the Song and Yuan Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty respectively, further supporting my contextual knowledge. It is evident that Singapores strategic significance changes with time, depending on human-related factors such as politics and economics, and hence is relative. The evidences may seem to imply that Singapore was always strategic, but when viewed from another angle, they can also suggest otherwise as stated in the previous paragraph. Therefore to say that they suggest that Singapore is always strategic may be a little too extreme. b.In light of this evidence, should Singapores history from 1511 to 1819 be written as (1) little more than a sleepy fishing village? (2) a declining but still thriving emporium astride hotly contested strategic waters (3) part of the Johor Sultanate?Please explain your preference. From the 15th century to 17th century, Singapore was a (3) part of the Johor Sultanate, but she was (2) a declining yet thriving emporium astride hotly contested strategic waters between the 16th and 17th century. It was only during the early 18th century that trade in Singapore started dipping, and she was perceived by the British as a sleepy fishing village when they stepped ashore in 1819. Hence, (1) little more than â€Å"a sleepy fishing village† suitably describes Singapores history between this period as it is a broader title and thus encompasses both (2) and (3), and the reduction of importance of Singapores port resulting from the declination of the Melaka Straits during the 18th century accounts for Singapore being â€Å"a sleepy fishing village†. When Singapore was (3), trade was still ongoing though insignificant compared to its Temasek period. Excavations on the north bank of Singapore River, where a settlement was once present, and Kallang River revealed fragments of ceramics and under-glazed blue porcelains with designs dating back to the rule of Ming Emperor Wanli (1573 to 1620). Similar findings in Johor Lama and Johor Shoal imply that the findings in Singapore belonged to the Johor River trade controlled by the Johor Sultans. Some may suggest that these pieces might have been disposed into the Kallang River when ships stopover for supplies because they broke during the voyage, and not because of trade present in Singapore. This may be true, however, according to two Portuguese maps, a shahbandar of the Johor Sultans office was featured on the southern coast of Singapore, proving the above conjecture wrong and showing that trade at the Kallang River was flourishing to the extent it needed a shahbandar to run it. This also indicates that Singapore then, was continuing some degree of trade with China, showing that she was (1). As mentioned, trade was also falling, compared to its Temasek period, as during this time, Melaka was the main port for international trade. Singapore then, supported Melaka by providing goods from herself for Melaka to export. An example being blackwood, which was brought from Singapore to Melaka, and then bought in bulk by Chinese traders. (2) may now seem to be plausible at this point in the essay since Singapore was a declining yet thriving emporium, and evidence show that its waters are hotly contested for between the Dutch and Johor Sultanate, and the Portuguese and Acehnese, and Singapore was seen by both as strategic to build a fort to achieve their individual aims as mentioned in (a). However, one may wish to note that Singapores waters may not be that strategic after all. In 1613, Aceh successfully attacked Batu Sawar as she was upset about the signing of the peace treaty between Johor Sultanate and Portuguese, uncovering the vulnerable position of Singapore waters, rendering it no longer strategic. Moreover, when Melaka Straits lost its importance to Sunda Straits in the late 17th century, Singapore was neglected and declined over the 18th century. Its waters were no longer contested and the issue on it being strategic or not became irrelevant. A village of Orang Lauts and Malays, not being much of a deal, were all that were left in Singapore. Melaka Straits was filled with pirates and Singapore, lying on the Straits, was hence seen as a sleepy fishing village by the British when they landed in the 19th century. (2) does not take into account these happenings, thus it is flawed in describing Singapores history. In conclusion, (1) best describes Singapore history as it accommodates the period when Singapore was (3), when trade was active though declining, the period when it was considered strategic and its waters contested by the Dutch and Portuguese, up to the period when British founded Singapore as a sleepy fishing village due to the decline of Melaka Straits. (2) was unsuitable as mentioned above, and (3) seems to be an understatement as Singapore was more than just part of the Johor Sultanate.

Boy or Girl: Which Gender Baby Would You Pick? :: essays research papers

Boy or Girl: Which Gender Baby Would You Pick? By Bjorn Carey LiveScience Staff Writer posted: 23 March 2005; 6:27am ET When given the opportunity to choose the sex of their baby, women are just as likely to choose pink socks as blue, a new study shows. "Sex selection is a topic that’s almost taboo for physicians to talk about," said Tarun Jain, a reproductive specialist at the University of Illinois, Chicago. "Yet, it’s important to understand patient interest in non-medical sex selection and adequately address the ethical and social implications before the cat is out of the bag. Prior to this study, there has been no data to indicate what the demand might be." Of the 561 women who participated in the study, 229 said they would like to choose the sex of a future child. Among these 229 there was no greater for demand for boys or girls. However, the data showed that women who already had one or more children of one sex would prefer for their next child to be of the opposite sex to create gender balance within the family. Selecting for sex There are two methods of sex selection being used in the United States today. One is sperm separation – the concept being that sperm with an X chromosome (for girls) weigh a little more than sperm with a Y chromosome (for boys). Because of this slight difference, the sperm can be sorted out and prepared for a simple insemination procedure. Sex selection by sperm separation has a success rate of about 90 percent for girls and about 70 percent for boys. The other common method is pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD, which is a form of in vitro fertilization, where embryos are prepared in a test tube before implantation in a woman’s uterus. Unlike traditional in vitro fertilization, doctors take a few cells from each prepared PGD embryo to determine its sex, and they only implant embryos of the desired sexes. This method has a success rate of nearly 100 percent, but is more expensive and much more physically intrusive for a woman compared to sperm separation, researchers say. Neither method will cause any harm to the developing baby, they say. "In our study, patients were about equal on which procedure they would prefer," Jian told LiveScience. "PGD is tougher, but maybe patients don’t want that slight uncertainty that comes with sperm separation." Banned in UK Sex selection for non-medical reasons is banned in the United Kingdom – a decision that was favored by 80 percent of the population – but there are currently no laws to stop American parents-to-be from employing the technology.

Fantastic Mr Fox Essay

In times of immense strife, a child’s relationship with their parents becomes more important. As a child’s world is turned upside down, they cling to the familiar as means of self-identification and discovery in confusing circumstances. But when parent child relationships become unhealthy, a child’s sense of identity is damaged as they struggle to rectify their sense of self without clear role models to follow. In particular, relationships between parents and children of the same gender carry with them gendered ideals of self and identity that further strain the relationship between the parent and child. Both Fantastic Mr. Fox and Maus look at father son relationships that are under immense strain, and how the characters discover their identities through working their troubled relationships out. Throughout both of these works, there is a theme of self-discovery as the means of improving relationships and the moral of each story is that to understand truly each other, one must first understand oneself. The film adaptation/imagination of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr.  Fox deviates from the source material in positive ways and introduces an interesting father-son subplot between the titular protagonist and his son(s). At the start of the film, Mr. Fox and his son Ash have difficulties communicating with each other. An ambitious and upward thinking individual, Mr. Fox is less than thrilled with his son’s wiry frame and lack of athletic ability. Ash falls short of the â€Å"ideal† athletic masculine archetype that Mr. Fox likes to think of himself as, so when the naturally athletic Kristofferson comes to stay with the Foxes, Mr.  Fox naturally gravitates towards a father-son relationship with Kristofferson. This causes Ash to feel tension and jealousy because he sees Kristofferson as a rival for his father’s attention. As the movie progresses and Mr. Fox’s schemes for advancement begin to take shape, he involves first Kristofferson, due to his natural athletic ability, further deepening the rift between Ash and his father. It gets to the point that Ash is willing to risk his life on his father’s heists just to earn his respect because he believes that his father values  Kristofferson more than his â€Å"different† son. This desire for his father’s attention is diminished considerably when Fox’s scheming and theft inevitably bring the farmer’s wrath down on the animals. The pedestal that Ash placed his father on is broken and Ash decides to stop trying to be his father and instead embrace the facets of his character that makes him† different†. This leads to greater self-actualization for Ash who utilizes his unconventional talents in time to save his father’s life and defeat the farmers. What is important to note here is that Ash’s self-discovery comes as a he breaks free of his father’s expectations and comes to accept himself as a unique and important individual in his own right. His father comes to accept Ash not for conforming to his own ideals but for embracing his individuality. Ash’s relationship with his father only strengthens and deepens when Ash comes into his own as a person. Ash’s development and self-discovery comes in spite of his interaction with his father and their relationship only matures as Ash develops his own persona. Both Mr.  Fox and Ash discover themselves through understanding one another; once Mr. Fox discards his mid-life crisis and Ash makes peace with his eccentricities, both are capable of having a healthy relationship with each other. The same father-son tension fuels character development in Maus, as the relationship between Art Spiegelman and his father, Vladek, develops over the course of this graphic novel. Though Maus is primarily focused on Vladek’s own Holocaust narrative, the interaction with his son Art does not occur until after the Holocaust has happened, thus coloring Vladek’s interpretation of the world. Art states, â€Å"In some ways, my father didn’t survive the Holocaust† . Vladek’s experiences affect his worldview to the point where he has difficulty relating to his son, who simply cannot imagine the things Vladek had to do to survive. This gap in understanding drives the conflict between the characters as Art struggles to get away from his father’s presence in order to establish an identity for himself as an artist. But however hard he tries, moving on with his life demands that he understands his father, something that Art has always found difficult. I mean, I can’t even make any sense out of my relationship with my father †¦ how am I supposed to make sense out of Auschwitz?†¦ 0f the Holocaust? † . While these questions linger with Art and the reader long after the final page (largely because such senseless tragedy defies comprehension), in working with his father to comprehend his story, Art begins to understand his father bet ter. In doing so, Art is able to make peace with his father and begin constructing his own identity as something other than a reaction to his father and the suffering he endured. Art moves past merely rejecting the pressure his father puts on him, accepting his father’s struggle and in the process their relationship is strengthened. Art and Vladek help each other to move on with their lives to differing degrees and in the process grow closer to one another as more complete individuals. Both Mr. Fox and Vladek care about their children and genuinely want to do right by them but both are grappling with their own issues of identity in the midst of personal crises way beyond the comprehension of their sons. Likewise, Ash and Art’s own sense of self-suffering, due to the strained relationships they had with their parents come into play. In order for any kind of healthy relationship to exist, meaningful self-discovery and self-actualization is necessary on the part of both individuals. The heartening message to take away from these stories is that a meaningful parent-child relationship cannot exist between individuals who themselves are incomplete. The parent and the child must first look to their â€Å"inner selves† to make themselves more personally complete before they can truly enjoy a meaningful and satisfying parent-child relationship.

Characters of the Lord of the Flies

A group of boys have been stranded on an isolated tropical island, after escaping from their shot – down plane. A large disfigurement was created in the untouched jungle, symbolizing the first of man's destruction on the island; it was not going to be the last. The first characters we meet are Ralph and Piggy. Ralph who represents democracy and order, whilst Piggy represents intelligence and social order. They realize that the island is uninhibited and that civilization does not exist, and if it did it would be on their terms. This excites them and so they explore the island, until a conch is found. The Conch is symbolic of common sense and discipline. Its beauty strikes us when Ralph and Piggy find it, but it is forgotten as they put it to use to call the other survivors. Leaders are elected and rules are set but for how long will they be kept? Friendships deteriorate as leadership is questioned. The rules of home dictate their initial behavior, as all the boys respond to how they have been nurtured. Ralph is a twelve-year-old boy archetypal, very British boy, whose father is in the navy. â€Å"You could see now that he might make a boxer, as far as width and heaviness of shoulders went, but there was a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil.† At the beginning, Ralph is insulting and unfriendly to Piggy, to whom he feels superior and so acts like it. Ralph is excited about not having any grown ups around and shows his delight by standing on his head. At this stage, Ralph has no responsibilities and so is free to do as he wishes. He does not seem panicked or worried that they won't be rescued as he has total faith that his father will save them. Ralph is elected leader and is very reasonable. Also, because he attaches no importance to being a chorister or prefect, he can be intolerant of jack. Ralph is very dependent on piggy, however boring he finds him; it's because of his logic and mature thoughts that attract them together. Ralph enjoys having meetings; it reminds him that he is the leader and that he got elected and has responsibilities. Ralph is slowly realising that it is fun to have no grow up's around, but they need to be rescued. Ralph and jack's friendship starts to deteriorate, Ralph is being sensible whilst jack is only thinking about having fun. Ralph starts to feel despondent about ever convincing the boys of the importance of building shelters. He is impatient with the littlun's and sought's help from jack. † You wouldn't care to help with the shelters, I suppose?† But there is no point as Ralph soon realizes. Ralph and jack are really beginning to fight and this foreshadows future conflicts. Ralph is outraged and angry when they miss a ship, which could have rescued them. When Ralph first arrived on the island he had no worries, it suited him being in charge but as time went on he became paranoid and scared. He carries civilized values, which enable him to be strong when he needs to be. Jack is first seen marching the choir, he treats them with authority. He is arrogant and unpleasant, not what his singing uniform suggests. â€Å"Inside the floating cloak he was tall, thin and bony: and his hair was red beneath the black cap. His face was crumpled and freckled, and ugly without silliness.† Jack becomes in charge of the army, which he is content with, as he loves adventure. He is unsympathetic to Simon when he faints because of the heat; he see's him as weak and is unimpressed. When a pig is first spotted, Jack cannot bring himself to kill it and is angry with himself. â€Å"I was choosing a place, Next time.† His desire for violence, his bloodlust is still held in check by the rules of society. At the meetings, rules are set, Jack is excited and thinks the rules do not apply to him as he is a chapter chorister and head boy. Jack shows signs of belligerence when he argues with Ralph about the fire signal, he is becoming power hungry. During the chapter Jack becomes solely concerned with hunting and cannot see the necessity of other things that can keep them alive. â€Å"I'd like to catch a pig first† â€Å"He snatched up his spear and dashed it into the ground. The opaque, mad look came into his eyes again.† Jack has become a hunter, he is slowly losing his human characteristics and becoming a predator. Jack conceals his real identity when he paints his face. The mask enables him to deny who he is and frees him to behave as he wants. At one point he looks at his reflection†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"He looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger.† Jack changes friends as well, him and Ralph have totally different ideas and priorities, whilst Piggy just annoys him. Jack becomes friends with Roger and they are evil together. When Jack hears of their chance of rescue, he is not bothered and had to remember what rescue was, instead he is proud as they caught their first pig. Jack starts up a ritual chant, he is very much in control and is bloodthirsty. His personality is overcome by power and he loses his name, this is not the Jack we saw at the start of the book. † I cut the pigs throat,† said jack proudly. † Can I borrow yours Ralph to make a nick in the hilt?† The perfect prefect becomes the perfect savage. † He was a skinny, vivid little boy, with a glance coming up from under a hut of straight hair that hung down, black and course.† Simon is one of the choristers. Although regarded as â€Å"Queer† and † Batty† by the boys, Simon is friendly and helpful. Simon is very aware of his surroundings, which is seen when he goes on the expedition with Ralph and Jack. He describes a certain bush as†¦ â€Å"Candle Buds† Showing his fragility and spiritually. He is patient with the littlun's and would rather pick fruit than kill and pig. Simon's actions present him as an intrinsically good, peaceful and caring character, in contrast with others. Simon is the only one who goes off on his own and does not seem to be afraid of the forest. He is intuitive, introspective and different from the others. The secret place that Simon finds displays the islands vibrancy and life. â€Å"Holding his breath he cocked a critical ear at the sounds of the island.† Simon is the outside the hunter mentality and the leader mentality. He exists in terms of his sensitivity to what is outside him. Like a clairvoyant, he repeatedly tells Ralph: † You'll get back to where you came from.† He is positive in that aspect, however he feels the sand is a bad one and is evil. Although Simon is different and unafraid unlike most of the other boy's, his mysterious nature makes him interesting and unusual. During the first four chapters we see him close up and be on his own more than at the beginning when he went exploring and was helping the others. The changes were soul and gradual. † His feet left prints in the soft soil and the creepers shivered throughout their lengths when he bumped them.† † Simon turned away from them and went where the just perceptible path led him.† The character of Piggy is firmly grounded in reality by his nickname, which immediately conjures up a physical image of him. â€Å"He smeared the sweat from his cheeks and adjusted the spectacles on his nose.† Piggy meets Ralph first, and immediately we see that they are very different people. Both their backgrounds determine this, but still they have to depend on each other. From what we know Piggy is an Orphan who lived with his aunt who owned a sweet shop. That explains his size. † I used to get ever so many sweets. As many as I liked.† However clumsy Piggy seems, he is actually very intelligent and when he found the conch, he engineered it so Ralph got the credit for it. He looks up to Ralph and has a lot of respect for him. He rejoices when Ralph smiles at something he said and misinterprets it as friendliness, whilst Ralph finds him boring and dull. From the beginning, Piggy is seen as an outsider. He is ridiculed, sneered at and continually teased, whether it is his appearance or his asthma. The group holds countless meetings when they arrive and Piggy becomes an interpreter. He is good-natured and is kind to the younger ones, he responds to how his aunt would. â€Å"Acting like a crowd of kids† † I bet it's gone tea time.† Piggy naively believes that if only they were to behave like grown-ups all would be well, and they would be saved. He becomes a mature figure who becomes uneasy and worried when the boy with the birthmark disappears. Piggy is averse to most of the other boys, who he thinks are acting like little children, they are children but piggy see's the responsibilities as the adult figure. When rules are laid down, piggy follows then and expects the others to as well, he always is desperate to hold onto the rules of society which are slowly deteriorating in the others. The rules which Piggy had at home dictate his behavior on the island. In conclusion to my essay, We see how young boys would react to being stranded on a deserted island with no adults, and no rules of society to dictate how they should behave. Through this essay we have seen the obvious changes in the boys characters and the consequences and effect on the other boys. I have studies the main four characters looking how they have influenced eachother and how they reacted to living on an lsland. Jack who's arrogance made him become savage and bloodthirsty for power and meat. Ralph who's care free ways changed when he has elected chief. Piggy who left his naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve ways behind and spoke up for him self. Simon changed but very gradually and sutally. If they had stayed on the Island for much longer I am sure that Jack would have become more powerful as his tribe would fear him and so agree with everything he did. However Ralph would not have survived as Jack would not have allowed it. All these represent individuals and how they changed during the first four chapters of Lord of the flies.