Management Strategy and Policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management Strategy and Policy - Research Paper Example UAE based Emaar Properties is a Public Joint Stock Company (PJSC) focusing on property development as well as lifestyles related services. Established in 1997, it has grown to become one of the largest property developers in the whole of Middle-East Asia. (â€Å"About Emaar†). It became a PJSC in 2007, after Dubai government garnered around 32% equity stake in Emaar, by exchanging with the sizable prime land. Although its prime focus is property development, it has over 60 companies under its wings, with each company operating in different business sectors, offering varied services including in the sectors like hospitality & leisure, shopping malls, healthcare, education and financial services. (â€Å"Board of Directors†). Apart from its main operations in UAE, EMAAR has expanded geographically doing projects and offering services in many key Asian countries like Saudi Arabia, India, Syria, Pakistan, etc., African countries like Egypt, Morocco, etc., as well as the Unit ed States and Canada. It has developed some of the globally well-known and prominent landmarks of UAE. The list includes Downtown Dubai, â€Å"the 500-acre mega-project, home of Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building which features the world’s first Armani Hotel Dubai and the world’s highest restaurant, At.mosphere† and also Dubai Mall, which is regarded as the â€Å"world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination†. (â€Å"About Emaar†). By diversifying into new sectors, it is posed to tap many opportunities in other sectors as well. Porter’s five force analysis Degree of rivalry Construction is a segmented industry implying there are many firms at various levels. EMAAR also has its rivals specifically Nakheel, ALDAR and Dubai properties etc. However, EMAAR enjoys a unique brand image as compared to its peers as it has emerged as a luxury brand. It has been associated with high quality construction catering t o higher end groups. It has created an exclusive position for itself by building the world’s tallest building called Burj Khalifa in Dubai which was completed in 2010 despite the world financial meltdown post its launch in 2008 (Oxford Business Group). Hence, the degree of rivalry is low for this group in UAE. Threat of substitutes The group has targeted high end real estate development. Hence within this segment there are usually very few substitutes as a customer is generally looking at a particular type of property and location which cannot be replaced easily. However, during economic

TurboTax and TaxCut Essay Example for Free

TurboTax and TaxCut Essay This article focuses on what individuals and families must consider when making financial decisions and plans to buy long-term care insurance. As people get older they have to plan for and make decisions about how to pay for nursing home care. If insurance in general provides protection against financial disasters, then long-term care insurance protects against medical disasters that cause financial hardship. Insurance in general pays for unexpected expenses that a person normally cannot pay for. Long-term care insurance pays for an unexpected illness and nursing home care that a family cannot cover through savings, income, and other insurance. The most important consideration in buying long-term care insurance is; how long will the policy pay benefits. Most policies are set up to pay for three to four years in a nursing home. This is based on the idea that most people only need three to four years of care. The problem is that benefits will not continue if nursing home care is required beyond the three to four year period. There are also situations where a person will stay in a nursing home for as many as 10 years. In that case, a longer term policy with reduced benefits may be advisable. In other words, the recipient will get a smaller dollar benefit for a longer period of time. This will give families some relief in covering continuing expenses. Other options include buying a policy with up to a two year waiting period. Nursing home payments would be delayed, but extend over a longer period of time. The final option is for married couples to buy a joint policy. A joint long-term care policy would provide a fixed amount of money that either spouse could draw from to pay for nursing home care. This coverage would be limited by dollar amount instead of by time. This would allow either spouse to use benefits for short or long term care as long as funds are available. â€Å"And the Best Tax-preparation Program Is † This article discusses the best tax planning and preparation tools for various situations. Financial planning tools now include computer software and the internet. Tax payers have more do-it-yourself options than in the past and must weigh these options against using a paid professional preparer. Tom Herman states that at minimum a taxpayer must consider their opinion of whether a paid preparer would work better, their own computer skills and knowledge of IRS rules, and how complex their return could end up being. Other situations to consider are potential life changes such as having children or getting married or divorced during the tax year. Wealthier tax payers whose incomes come from investment, sports and entertainment industries may have to file multiple returns or have income from multiple sources. When a tax payer needs advice and help with tax planning for the future a professional preparer, such as a CPA or enrolled agent, is preferable. There are two ways to obtain tax filing programs, and two types of services that individual taxpayers can use. Taxpayers can purchase software programs in a retail store, or download them from the internet. Internet downloads or online use programs are either paid programs, or there are some free programs available. Tom Herman points out that 70% of tax payers are eligible for the Free File service through the IRS website. Free File is available when the adjusted gross income is $54,000 or less. TaxACT and TurboTax also offer free software for very simple federal returns. Herman purchased and compared TurboTax and TaxCut software programs. TurboTax appeared to have the edge on importing and tracking important tax records and on making sense of the stimulus plan payments. Tax software is a good way to check the work of a paid preparer as well as a good

The Good Soldier Beginning English Literature Essay

The Good Soldier Beginning English Literature Essay In The Good Soldier (1915) by Ford Madox Ford, the narrator, John Dowell tells the reader his story, the story of his marriage to his wife Florence and when she met an English gentleman, named Edward Ashburnham. (The good soldier from the title of the novel). He goes on to describe the events that lead to Ashburnhams affair with his wife and it being revealed to him. Edward and Florence had both committed suicide by the end of the novel. However, John Dowell seems not to narrate any of these events in a linear, traditional fashion. Ford Madox Ford attempts to recreate Johns ignorance of Florences adultery by representing the events of the store, not in a casual sequence but instead as they occur to him in his recollections and reminisciences. Its not that Dowell himself intends to be misleading, but he has an awful habit of teasing the reader by revealing the crucial parts of information in an off-hand, casual manner. He says I dont know how it is best to put this thing down-whether it would be better to try and tell the story from the beginning, as if it were a story; or whether to tell it from the distance of time, as it reached me from the lips of Leonora or from those of Edward himself.  [1]  Reading The Good Soldier feels like the reader is a detective in a mystery novel, trying to make sense of the clues presented to them along the way. Fords innovative use of this fallible or unreliable narration plays a major role in the novel and other modernist fiction.  [2]  In this essay, a particular section of the book will be examined, between page 37 and 43. The essay will take a number of examples in the text, in an attempt to draw attention to the language used in this section to reveal a deep understanding of Dowells character, especially focussing on his reliability or in this case unreliability as a narrator. Then, the essay will bring all the facts into a conclusion. (Lewis, 2007) The first thing this essay must do is examine the character of Dowell so that it is better to understand him from a readers perspective. Dowell, from the start of the novel is shown to be naÃÆ' ¯ve and not as intelligent as he thinks he is. He doesnt realise that his wife is having an affair behind his back, that she is lying to him about her heart condition and many other examples that are too numerous to list. Dowell has a habit of recalling, in great detail, the parts of an experience that most people would ignore or remember less of. Yet, when something important or climactic happens his recollection is weak and limited. It becomes evident throughout the novel that Dowell is a curmudgeon. He seems to see absolutely everything in a negative light and what is most evident is that he seems to take pleasure from other peoples misery. A good example of this is when Dowell tells us about Leonora teaching Edward and Leonora would just nod her head in a way that quite pleasantly rattled my poor wife. (Ford, 2002, p. 38) Another excellent example of Dowell searching for the negative in a positive situation is when he is describing their excursion. He describes shortly the green grass and the beautiful location but the reason he remembers the trip and the scene is nothing to do with the beauty but something else. Why, I remember on that afternoon I saw a brown cow hitch its horns under the stomach of a black and white animal and the black and white one was thrown right into the middle of a narrow stream. I burst out laughing,. It shows that Dowell focuses on the parts of a story that most people would gloss over. He reflects that he probably should have pitied the animal but he didnt; he merely enjoyed the sight. Dowell adds that no one paid attention to him laughing. (Ford, 2002, p. 38) Dowells apparent inability to understand any of the events that are about to happen, mean that he creates a lot of dramatic irony. A significant example of this irony is the obvious discrepancy between Dowells perception of himself and the readers perception of Dowell. Dowell for example, considers himself to be really intelligent, perceptive and insightful. Because he has had nothing to do for nine years, he reasons that he must be a faithful and reliable narrator. He explains to the reader that his attention was entirely focused on his surroundings, for example: the dining room decorations, the hotel plan layout, the flirtatiousness of Florence. But as he relates to the story of their trip to Nauheim, Dowell is quite the opposite of insightful. He is so obsessed with seeing things at face value and in trusting those he sees as good people, that he seems to be incapable of noticing the things happening all around him. He doesnt even notice that there is a budding romance between Edward and his wife, Florence. Even when Leonora explicitly tries to reveal the truth to him, Dowell doesnt understand. He simply accepts her Im an Irish Catholic (Ford, 2002, p. 43) excuse quite happily with no objection. Dowell seems to only recognise the details which have little bearing on the situation or of little importance. Florences betrayal and Leonoras absolute horror seem to remain completely transparent to him. When Dowell laughs at the cows, it can be inferred that this is a bigger metaphor for how the reader perceives Dowell while reading the novel. The reader laughs at how pathetic and disastrously inept he is. He laughs at what is an act of violence among the animals in quite an odd, awkward manner. It is strange that he manages to notice the intricacies of the cows relationships but fails to notice the violence, emotional not physical, that floods his quite intimate foursome. It is also interesting to note that when reflecting on the situation Dowell admits that he SHOULD have pitied the animal that was hurled into the water, but didnt feel any pity at all. With this said, it is hard for the reader to feel sympathetic for Dowell because though his situation is tragic, it is also morbidly hilarious. His ignorance and naivety means that an outsider observing the story develops only a queer fascination. Dowells character is clearly complex and has a lot of layers. Unreliable in life and a s a narrator, Dowells narration is confusing and misleading. Before this essay can examine Dowell as an unreliable narrator, the term must be defined so that is clear exactly what an unreliable narrator is. An unreliable narrator is a first-person narrator who for some reason has a biased or compromised point of view. What the narrator himself does not know or experience can therefore not be explained to the reader. In this novel, Dowell is an unreliable narrator as the reader is given reasons not to trust his narrative. There are a number of ways that a narrator can be seen to be unreliable. He could have prejudices against a particular age, race, class or gender for example. The narrator may have an intelligence level considered to be lower than average. A common one is that the narrator may be trying to make a point contrary to the actions of the story or be attempting to slander or misrepresent a person or situation. In Dowells case, he seems to fall into a few of these categories. Dowell has a very confusing way of talking, as if he is recalling memories there and then and writing them down on paper without the thought of editing them afterwards. Because of this, there are a number of issues that arise for the reader. For example, on page 37, he tries to remember something but cannot remember when it happened. I cant remember whether it was in our first year the first year of us four at Nauheim, because, of course, it would have been the fourth year of Florence and myself but it must have been in the first or second year. (Ford, 2002, p. 37). This passage leads the reader to question how reliable the narrator is, as he is not sure of the time he is referring to and in his wording confuses the reader even more than perhaps himself. By adding in the reference to him and Florence, he makes it unnecessarily confusing to understand when he is talking about. Soon after, when describing a European castle, Dowell says: It has the disadvantage of being in Prussia; and it is always disagreeable to go into that country. (Ford, 2002, p. 38) This shows that Dowell is trying to force his opinion onto the reader as if it were fact. If it were his opinion, he could have said It is my opinion that it would be disagreeableà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ or something similar. When talking about Florence educating Edward, Dowell makes another comment to seem unreliable. He mentions that Florence was singularly expert as a guide to archaeological ruins and then went on to say there was nothing she liked so much as showing people around ruins. However, he then says that She only did it once. For something to be considered somebodys favourite thing to do in the world, it would be typical to assume that they had done it many times, not just once. This questions once more whether the narrator, in this case Dowell, is reliable. To conclude, the section of the book analysed shows us that John Dowell has a unique and vibrant character and personality. He is shown to be rather naÃÆ' ¯ve and ignorant in the way he does not notice or understand that his wife is having an affair or even that Leonora was attempting to tell him about it. His habit to find the negative in every situation makes the reader rather depressed and frustrated, which seems a strange way of telling a story, both by Dowell and by Ford himself. When seeing the cows fight, he finds this funny, remembering this example of violence over remembering the pleasant surroundings and the fun of a holiday. This shows us that Dowell is a pretty unreliable guy to rely on when it comes to recalling the story as he does not remember the things of importance. When it comes to being an unreliable narrator, it becomes increasingly evident that Dowell fits this criteria as he constantly glosses over important facts giving his own opinions and slant instead o f the facts, leading the reader to believe everything that he says to be the truth when it clearly is not the case. The Good Soldier presents the reader with a confusing and at some times frustrating read. The narration throughout the novel is convoluted, misleading and annoyingly erratic. Regardless, the narration creates a morbid comedy of the situation, with the reader warming a little to Dowells uselessness and sheer dumbfoundedness. One thing is clear, John Dowell is unreliable as a narrator and would not be a good choice to tell a story!

The Facade of Tattoos Essay examples -- essays research papers

The Facade of Tattoos In "Parker's Back" by Flannery O'Connor, the tattoos O.E. Parker receives are crucial to the reader’s understanding of him. Furthermore, O'Connor suggests them as major symbols throughout Parker's life. Parker, the main character in this story, goes through the actions of life without really knowing who he is and why he is on the earth. â€Å"Parker gradually experiences religious conversion and, though tattooed all over the front of his body, is drawn to having a Byzantine tattoo of Christ placed on his back†¦, O’Connor was using unusual symbols to convey her sense of the mystery of God’s redemptive power (Shackelford, p 1800).† Because of the tattoos, the reader is able to see O'Connor reveal the major characteristics in Parker's life and sympathize with this man as he searches for his identity and finds God. First of all, in order to understand O’Connor’s short story, the reader must look into the background of her life. â€Å"Parker’s Back† was the last story written by O’Connor before she died at the early age of thirty-nine from the disease of Lupus. Her writings all reflect from her religious background of Catholicism. â€Å"O’Connor wrote brilliant stories that brought the issue of religious faith into clear dramatic focus. She was a devout Roman Catholic living in predominantly Protestant rural Georgia. Her stories are far from pious; in fact, their mode is usually shocking and often bizarre. Yet the religious issues they raise are central to her work (Drake, online vertical file--------------------------------).† â€Å"Time and again in her stories, the spokesmen for a self-satisfied secularism run afoul of representatives of... the God-haunted protagonists†¦they play an indispensable role†¦they act as spiritual cata lysts†¦(CLC, p276†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.).† â€Å"To even the casual reader it would appear that Miss O’Connor really had only one story to tell and really only one main character. This principal character is, of course, Jesus Christ; and her one story is man’s absolutely crucial encounter with Him (Drake, p273).† Being a devout Catholic, O’Connor’s â€Å"faith consciously informed her fiction. The difficulty of her work, she explained†¦is that many of her readers do not understand the redemptive quality of ‘grace,’ and, she added, ‘don’t recognize it when they see it. All my stories are... ... this image O’Connor graphically conveys the suffering of Christ incarnate in humanity, and expresses her belief that convergence with Christ means union with Christ’s suffering, not escape from suffering into some abstract realm of spiritual bliss†¦emphasizing that the rising in consciousness that precedes true convergence is expressed not through external power or dominance over others but, paradoxically, in a descent into vulnerability, into suffering, into weakness, into man’s essential poverty (CLC p 159).† It is in this last scene that the reader becomes sympathetic with Obadiah Elihue, having been driven out of the house by his harridan wife, â€Å"leaning against the tree, crying like a baby.† Through the descriptions of Parker's tattoos, one can make connections between the "pictures" he has "drawn all over him" and what goes on in his actual life. O'Connor uses the tattoo symbols to reveal the growth of the protagonist, for it takes him years to get past his outer image of his body, to examine his own soul. One begins to sympathize with this man, "Obadiah Elihue," as he searches for himself and finds peace with God.

Martial Law Reflection Paper

Colleen Gatchalian September 17, 2012 II – Ilang-ilang Soc Sci 2 MARTIAL LAW REFLECTION PAPER During our humanities week in my high school, we commemorated the 40th anniversary of Martial Law as the Social Science activity. 1 There were exhibits, rituals, talks, and many experiences shared and throughout all this, I have come to realize how lucky I am, that I have the freedom all those heroes during martial law fought for, without breaking a sweat. 2 I realized how blessed I am, that I can do what I want to do, when I want to, because of heroes who sacrificed their lives for that. 3 I learned about the importance of freedom, love for country, sacrifice, and remembering all those who have done something worthwhile. 4 During the tribute to Pisay martyrs, I really took the time to remember and value everything they did for our country. 5 I still have those rice grains we were asked to keep in my desk drawer, and every day when I open the drawer to get paper or a pen, I always remember what the grains represented – the fruits of the labor that all the martyrs went through. During the talks in the gym and in the small group discussion, I learned about the blood and sweat that all the Filipinos wasted fighting martial law. 7 Honestly, I never think of martial law heroes when I see or hear the word â€Å"hero†, because I mostly think of the heroes from the Spanish era, but then I realized that this was just a modern version of what happened to our country during the Spanish era – the people made so many sacrifices and lived through horrible and torturous times. I learned about all the hardships Filipinos went through, and the many things they weren’t allowed to do, along with the very few things they were actually allowed to do. 9 I do realize that I am only supposed to cite one important thing I learned, but I feel it necessary to enumerate all these, because I feel that they are of equal importance. 10 Freedom is very important, because it is one of the things in life that people look forward too – making their own choices, and doing what they want, when they want. 11 Love for country is also important, because your country is the place where you were born and where you live, you grew up in its culture, and you act like someone who grew up in it; you can’t just throw it aside, rather, you have to fight for it, love it, and honor it, because it is yours. 12 I consider sacrifice as one of the most important things I have learned during the talk, because without sacrifice, there would be no heroes who gave us what we have today. 13 Sacrifice is a virtue we must all have, and something we must use when it comes to people whom we love. 14 Lastly, remembering all our heroes is important, because not all of us will just lay down our lives for our country, because it takes a great deal of love for our country, and of course courage, to sacrifice for one’s country. 15 Just like what Elias said in Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, we must â€Å"remember those who fell in the night without seeing the dawn. 16 We have to value all our heroes for what they did, and strive to become like them in serving our country. 17 Assuming I was a Pisay student during the martial law era, I would definitely join an activist group, because I feel that the power the people hold is without a doubt larger than whatever power any leader holds; therefore, if a lot of people revolt against martial law, the time will come when the leader will have to give up and do what the people want, just like what happened during the People Power Revolution. 18 However, inside school, I would start an activist group. 19 I don’t have the courage to start an activist group outside of school because I don’t have the authority and I am not comfortable doing so, but once inside my school, I will do what I want to go against Marcos and his ridiculous martial law declaration. 20 Likewise, I feel that fighting for a cause is more effective if more people unite and do it all together. 21 Being a Pisay student also means being an â€Å"Iskolar ng Bayan†; therefore, I have to fulfill the duties of being an â€Å"Iskolar ng Bayan†. 22 In doing so, I can show my appreciation of the deeds of the heroes and martyrs of Martial Law by always remembering them during National Heroes Day and valuing what they did whenever it’s September 21. 23 Also, I will try to find my own way to serve my country as they did, so to use my talents in a proper way, and to give back to the country that gave me my exceptional high school education. 24 Also, I will bring up the subject of martial law heroes whenever the subject of Filipino heroes comes up and most of all, I will reasure the freedom that I have with all my heart and treat it as the most precious thing I can ever possess to value everything that the heroes and martyrs did for all of us. 25 I can’t begin to imagine a life without freedom. 26 I salute to all the martial law heroes who laid down their lives to give me and every other Filipino the freedom each of us deserves. 27 And so to end my reflection paper, I’d like to say thank you to every hero who gave me my freedom, both named and unnamed. 28

Augustus Ceasar essays

Augustus Ceasar essays Two of the most destructive problems facing the late Roman Republic were the instability and disunity caused by incessant civil wars. Rome's rapid expansion, after the Punic Wars, resulted in socioeconomic changes that permanently divided the state. Both aristocratic and plebeian parties sought total control of Rome and tried to destroy each other. Civil war was the continuation of party politics by other means. Consequently, the power of the military became supreme. Control of Rome's armies steadily shifted away from the legitimate government to the generals because the soldiers began to give their allegiance to their generals rather than to the civil authorities. On dismissal from military service, the legionnaires had no farms to return to, and they depended entirely on whatever land and money their generals could provide since the government was unwilling or unable to supply veterans with livelihoods. Thus, the generals became autonomous centers of power. The general who dominate d the strongest army ruled the state. Repeated power struggles of these military strongmen ignited more civil wars that further undermined the stability and unity of the late Roman Republic. Augustus saw how divisive to the Roman polity civil war was. He understood that control of the legions by the civil government was necessary for the establishment of peace and order throughout the Roman Empire. He wanted to reorganize and institute changes in the military to assure that it would not rise again in support of some triumphant general to challenge the legitimacy of the state. Since warfare within the Empire was eliminated, the role of the legions changed. Its main objectives consisted in protecting the borders from foreign foes and pacifying conquered lands through the gradual introduction of the Roman language, law, administration, and engineering. Augustus' priority was to reduce the number of the legions from 60 to 28, settling in the process more than 1...