The Term Enlightenment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Term Enlightenment - Essay Example Spiritual enlightenment is a very thorough process in which a human being’s soul is uplifted towards the divine light and thus brightening his whole personality. Thus it can be said that spiritual enlightenment is the ultimate end of human life and need the deeper awakening of the spirit or the soul. The enlightenment process occurred in the writing â€Å"The library card† is essentially different from that which Plato has described. Plato in his writing is talking about the spiritual enlightenment which leads to salvation. It is about a divine awakening in a person which changes his perception and view of the whole world and himself. When the idea of a human being change due to the enhancement of his knowledge cannot be completely categorized as spiritual enlightenment rather it is just a revolution in his thoughts and outlook about him and the world.The author of the essay explains the way in which he had an opportunity to experience the sense of awakening with the he lp of different books and novel.He is a black man had very little knowledge about the real living style and thoughts of white men. He lived in a time when blacks were oppressed and considered nothing more than slaves. Nevertheless, he had a hidden passion for reading but found no access to books due to the situation he was living in. Even then he managed to get access to books and this was a turning point in his life. He had the chance of reading the predicaments of a white revolutionist who denounced the western customs and practices.He also became aware of certain names he never knew before which the book mentioned. Slowly he was progressing towards more of reading which was changing his attitude and perception towards the white dominant society. He has been gaining enlightenment with the assistance of the books and novels he was reading.

Music Industry Analysis Essay Example for Free

Music Industry Analysis Essay Analysis on Music Instrument Industry of Bangladesh Analysis on Music Instrument Industry of Bangladesh Submitted to: Mr. Md. Saif Noman Khan Assistant Professor Submitted by: Md. Mashrur Rahman Khan(Zr-11) (Group Leader) Contact No. 01675694513 e-mail:[emailprotected] com Sayeed Shorif Russel(Zr-08) Adib Iqbal Umit(Zr-12) Abdullah Al Muyid(Zr-18) Saif Hasan(Zr-21) Shah Shihab Sadman (Zr-27) Fahmid Shawon(Zr-28) Shamsuddin Muhammad Ishtiaque(Zr-30) Al Imran Bin Khodadad(Zr-46) Nafiz Alam Khan(Zr-47) BBA 18 Institute of Business Administration University of DhakA December 20, 2010 Mr. Saif Noman Khan Assistant Professor Institute of Business Administration University of Dhaka Dear Sir: â€Å"SUBMISSION OF TERM PAPER† It is our distinct pleasure to hand over to you our term paper that fulfills the partial requirement of the Business Communication course (C103). Being the students of Business Administration, it has been more of an opportunity for us to be able to work on this report. The knowledge and first-hand experience that we gained while going out there and collecting relevant data and the networks we made while interviewing different personnel, are undoubtedly going to prove to our advantage once we step into the corporate world. This report, and the investigation behind it, was prepared under your direct supervision. We pledge that under no circumstances will any part of it be reproduced for any reason or be shared with anyone else without your written consent. Furthermore, we pledge that this report has not been submitted to any other faculty member of the Institute of Business Administration We tried to accommodate your invaluable comments and suggestions in our report. In this connection, should you need any further clarification, please feel free to contact us (the contact details are included in the title page). We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to you for providing us with a thorough knowledge base of how to come up with an excellent report while enjoying doing so. We have been very enthusiastic about doing a good job on this report and hence are hoping that it would meet up to your expectations. Sincerely, Md. Mashrur Rahman Khan(Zr-11)| Sayeed Shorif Russel(Zr-08)| Adib Iqbal (Zr-12)| Abdullah Al Muyid(Zr-18)| Saif Hasan(Zr-21)| Shah Shihab Sadman (Zr-27)| Fahmid Shawon(Zr-28)| Shamsuddin Muhammad Ishtiaque(Zr-30)| Al Imran Bin Khodadad(Zr-46)| Nafiz Alam Khan(Zr-47)| Table of Contents Executive summaryvii 1. 0Introduction8 1. 1 Origin of the report8 1. 2 Objective8 1. 3 Scope9 1. 4 Limitations9 1. 5 Methodology9 1. 6 Historical Background10 2. 0 Music Instruments11 3. 0 Industry Structure14 3. 1 Background of the industry14 3. 2 Sales Trend15 3. 3 growth rate16 3. 4 growth potential17 3. 5 Industry composition17 3. 6 product composition18 4. 0 Analysis of Consumer Preferences18 4. 1 Survey Procedure18 4. 2 Survey Results18 5. 0 Analyzing the Market24 5. 1 Market trends24 5. 2 Market share25 5. 3 Market Growth26 5. 4 Market Size29 . 5 Market leaders29 6. 0 Available Products in the Market31 7. 0 Value Chain Analysis35 7. 1 PORTER’S GENERIC VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS OF THE MUSIC INSTRUMENT INDUSTRY35 7. 1. 1 Core process36 7. 1. 2 Supporting process37 7. 2 Activity analysis37 8. 0 Value Chain System of Music Instrument Industry39 9. 0 Analysis from Investors Point of View40 9. 1 Porter’s Five Forces Industry Analysis40 9. 2 SWOT Analysis43 9. 3 Suggestions for Investors43 10. 0 Conclusion45 11. 0 Bibliography46 12. 0 Appendix47 List of Illustrations Figures: Figure 1: Preference of Music Genre19 Figure 2: Preference of Music Instruments19 Figure 3: Purpose of Purchase20 Figure 4: Consumer Budget Analysis21 Figure 5: Brand Preferenceof Guitar22 Figure 6: Brand Preference of Drums22 Figure 7: Brand Preference of Keyboard23 Figure 8: Acceptance of Second Hand Instruments24 Figure 9: Shop Preference26 Figure 10:Cost-Revenue Overview29 Figure 11: Porters Value Chain Analysis36 Figure 12: Value Chain process of Music Industry39 Figure 13: SWOT Analysis44 Tables: Table 1: Classification of Music Instruments10 Table 2: Price Variation27 Executive summary The rich musical culture of Bangladesh provides a solid base for the music instrument industry to flourish. Bangladesh has 27 genres of cultural music and in recent years modern music has become very popular in this country. Owing to these two factors the music instrument industry, although being small in terms of stature, is quite affluent in nature. The music instruments industry of Bangladesh has been growing at a steady growth ever since its arrival. But since the 90’s the growth rate has been exceptional. The major players in this market are Melody ; Co. Surashree, Sur niketan, Sangita, World Music etc. The characteristics of the market can be attributed to that of oligopoly. The existing major companies hold the major percentage of market share and thus entry of new companies in this industry is faced with various barriers. But there is ample opportunity for new investors to flourish in this market because of the constant flow of the customer. The value chain analysis of the industry also leads to a similar conclusion. The established companies have a widespread supply and distribution chain which helps them to gain cost advantage over other companies. This again bars the entry of new companies in this industry. The survey conducted on consumers has depicted similar findings. Consumers have a special consideration for the established brands and they generally use products depending on their previous experiences or being influenced by opinion leaders (Rock stars, Music Teachers). This hinders the entry of new companies as creating a brand image in consumers mind takes time which can prove to be very costly. In this report, concise description of the music instrument industry is provided for the investors to analyze the market themselves. Some analysis of this market are also included which we have done ourselves. By analyzing the market using SWOT and Porter’s five forces industry analysis, the opportunities and threats of the market were identified. If further investment is taken into consideration, this analysis should help the investors to understand the market trends and invest according to the demands of customers. vii|Page 1. 0 Introduction Entertainment is one humane quality that we possess and music provides the celestial emotions therefore, musicians are acclaimed everywhere. Music industry is growing all over the world and so is the need for professional and high quality musical instruments. Music is a big part of our culture as Bangladeshis. So, our music industry has grown considerably across time. The music instruments industry has met this growth alongside it. In the past decade the both industries have gone through some major changes. This report focuses on the current status of the music instruments industry. - 1. 1 Origin of the report The fulfillment of the Business Communication (C103) Course, taken at the Institute of Business Administration, requires the submission of a report assigned by the course instructor. Thus, by the kind approval and authorization of our honorable course instructor, Mohammad Saif Noman Khan, Assistant Professor, Institute of Business Administration, we, a group of students of BBA 18th batch, have prepared this report on the music instruments industry of Bangladesh. 1. 2 Objective The primary objective of our report is to provide a brief overview on the music instrument industry of Bangladesh. Through the report and its included value chain analysis of the industry potential investors may evaluate the profit prospects of investing in the sector . We will emphasize on the current situation of Bangladeshi music instrument industry and also compare it with previous years to analyze the market trend. We will focus on the key influencing factors of the music instruments industry of Bangladesh. Specific objectives: * State the music instruments available in Bangladesh * Understand the existing market structure of music instruments * Identify the market leaders Provide a value chain analysis of this industry * Determine consumers’ preference towards branded/non-branded products * Implementing our knowledge from this course in the real world scenario and getting a broader perspective * Analyzing the market from an investor’s perspective * Identify specific sectors where investment can be made * Determining the growth prospects of the sector. 1. 3 Scope This report is intended to provide adequate information on the music instruments industry of Bangladesh; the focus will be on both classical and modern musical instruments sector. The paper includes reviews of various literatures that are available and also in-depth analysis of the survey result that we conducted as a part of the report. The scope of the study encompasses the different music instruments shops around Dhaka. 1. 4 Limitations The main limitations faced while working for the report are: * The surveys carried out for the report were based solely on the capital city of Dhaka; other cities or even villages were not considered for surveying because of the geographical difficulties involved. * There were hardly any relevant journals or other secondary information sources on the topic. Some of the local companies were poorly structured and didn’t have adequate recording procedure; so much of the information was not possible to gather. * Some of the information gathered through the internet was backdated and up-to-date information was not available * The main source of information was interviews of owners of different shops. There is a possibility that the information provided by them was partial to their respective shops. 1. 5 Methodology While preparing this report both primary and secondary data sources were used. Personal interviews and informal discussions with individuals associated with the sector, served as the source of our primary data collection. Although formal questionnaires where used for the interviews, we were lenient in adhering strictly to facilitate the gathering of relevant information. * Primary Sources The primary information gathered for the report was basically questionnaire based. Two types of questionnaire served the purpose of gathering information for the report (Market survey questionnaire and consumer survey questionnaire). The methodology used in this report was a survey of 50 people from different walks of life. This wide sample was chosen in order to provide a more comprehensive study of the different music instruments and genre and to gather a broader array of opinions. For the market study our study was limited within the boundaries of Dhaka city. Most of the music instrument industry in Bangladesh is situated in Science Laboratory, Shakharibazar, Gulshan and Bashundhara City. These four locations comprise 90% of the whole music instruments industry. We interviewed approximately 10 different shop owners. The shop owners were highly co-operative. But the poor recording process practiced by those companies stood in the way of our gathering proper information. Secondary Sources Different books, Internet resources and newspapers were used for secondary data collection. Online resources were primarily used to know about the market structure, profit margin, brand names, the distribution system, key manufactures, and suppliers and to get the information provided by the companies themselves to know about the products. 1. 6 Historical Background Bangladesh has a rich music culture. There are over 27 genres of music which are prominent in Bangladesh. Now In keeping with the global growth Bangladesh has also adopted the different music cultures from outside the country. This has opened a new horizon for our music instrument industry as people started to move on to the rock culture. Due to this the market has shifted more to imported product. Classical and cultural music (Rabindra, Nazrul sangeet, Lalan Geeti etc. ) were popular since the inception of Bangladesh. Back in 1995, the underground band culture started growing. By 2001 it became so popular that the big players of the music industry took notice of the growing talents. To take advantage of high profitability of the industry, investors gathered and formed an oligopoly. The veterans of the industry began catering to the modern musicians and slowly moved towards modern instruments. A few companies which failed to change with the times went out of frame. Seeking this opportunity, new music instrument companies emerged. Till now music instrument industry in Bangladesh is in profit and there is practically in no loss. It may seem very profitable to invest in this rising industry, but the big names of the industry make it virtually impossible to attract a user base. 2. 0 Music Instruments Owing to the vast number of the music genres, the types of musical instrument have reached more than one can imagine. The popular musical instruments can, however, be classified in to two major categories: * Classical Instrument. * Modern Instrument. These instruments can be classified again into three major criteria: * Aerophones(Wind Instruments Vibrating air) * Chordophones(Stringed Instruments Vibrating strings) * Membranophones(Vibrating Membrane Instruments) In our report we will try to provide a brief view on different instrument for the potential investors who may not have sufficient knowledge about music instruments. In much of Europe, the term harmonium is used to describe all pedal-pumped keyboard free-reed instruments, making no distinction whether it has a pressure or suction bellows. In South Asia, the term generally refers to a hand-pumped instrument. Tablas: The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument (of the membranophone family) used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres. The term tabla is derived from an Arabic word, tabl, which simply means drum. Sitar: Sitar is a Persian musical instrument. It is a member of the lute family. Two and a half centuries ago, a fourth string was added to the sitar, which has 25 27 moveable frets. It originated in Persia before the spread of Islam. Ektara: Ektara literally one-string, also called iktar, ektar, yaktaro gopichand) is a one-string instrument used in Bangladesh, India, Egypt, and Pakistan. In origin the ektara was a regular string instrument of wandering bards and minstrels from India and is plucked with one finger. The ektara usually has a stretched single string, an animal skin over a head (made of dried pumpkin/gourd, wood or coconut) and pole neck or split bamboo cane neck. The various sizes of ektara are soprano, tenor, and bass. The bass ektara, sometimes called a dotara often has two strings (as literally implied by do, two). Dotara: The dotara (or dotar) is a two or four stringed musical instrument resembling a small guitar. It is commonly used in Bangladesh and West Bengal, and dates from the 15th-16th century when it was adopted by the ascetic cults of Bauls and Fakirs. The equivalent as a traditional long-necked two-stringed lute is found in Central Asia as dutar. It has two main forms, the Bangla and the Bhhawaiya. The Bangla form originated in Rahr Bangla where it is still predominantly played. The Bhhawaiya form dotara is almost extinct in contemporary times and has a more primeval beginning than its Bangla cousin. Flute: The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening. According to the instrument classification of Hornbostel-Sachs, flutes are categorized as Edge-blown aerophones. Aside from the voice, flutes are the earliest known musical instruments. Electric guitars: An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric signals. Since the generated signal is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker. Since the output of an electric guitar is an electric signal, the signal may easily be altered using electronic circuits to add color to the sound. It served as a major component in the development of rock and roll and countless other genres of music. Acoustic guitars: An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only acoustic methods to project the sound produced by its strings. The term is a retronym, coined after the advent of electric guitars, which rely on electronic amplification to make their sound audible. Bass guitars: The bass guitar also called electric bass, or simply bass is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb (either by plucking, slapping, popping, tapping, or thumping), or by using a plectrum. The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a longer neck and scale length, and four, five, or six strings. The four string bass—by far the most common—is usually tuned the same as the double bass, which correspond to pitches one octave lower than the four lower strings of a guitar. Keyboards: A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include multiple types of organs as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments. In common language, it is mostly used to refer to keyboard-style synthesizers. Among the earliest keyboard instruments are the pipe organ, hurdy gurdy, clavichord, and harpsichord. Drums and Percussions: A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration. The term usually applies to an object used in a rhythmic context or with musical intent. In a musical context then, the term percussion instruments may have been coined originally to describe a family of instruments including drums, rattles, metal plates, or wooden blocks which musicians would beat or strike (as in a collision) to produce sound. Saxophone: The saxophone (also referred to as the sax) is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian Adolphe Sax in 1841. While proving very popular in military band music, the saxophone is most commonly associated with popular music, big band music, blues, early rock and roll, ska and particularly jazz. There is also a substantial repertoire of concert music in the classical idiom for the members of the saxophone family. Saxophone players are called saxophonists. Piano: The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal. Although not portable and often expensive, the pianos versatility and ubiquity have made it one of the worlds most familiar musical instruments. 3. 0 Industry Structure The Bangladeshi music instruments industry has been a long standing industry in the country. It may not be as big as the major industries, but it has certainly gone through enough expansion and evolution. 3. 1 Background of the industry Bangladesh has always had a culture heavily influenced by music. During the liberation war, music played a big part in rallying up the freedom fighters. So, after the liberation, the music industry suddenly boomed. To cope with the rising demand music instruments companies also needed to change. Pre-liberation, most companies were situated in the Shakharibazar area of Dhaka city. Classical instruments were the instruments of choice. Harmoniums, Tablas, Dhols etc. were popular with the music practitioners. After the war, the companies decided that they need to appeal to the more mainstream crowd, so they shifted to science laboratory, Dhanmondi, Dhaka. The new location offered them a lot of exposure to new music enthusiasts along with maintaining their established customer base. The new location helped the companies and the industry overall. Music instruments industry was on the rise. But the next big change was not far off. As Bangladesh changed with the world, the culture also morphed into a more west influenced one. Music preference was one of the first elements to change. In the 90’s, band music garnered a lot of popularity with the young generation. Underground bands were being formed by groups of young musicians who were ready to leave the old ways behind. Modern instruments such as guitars, keyboards and drums became the standard requirement of any band. Thus, a significant supply was also needed. Established companies saw that the new music mentality was not just a fad. They started making their own acoustic guitars, drums and flutes. However, the real market shift was made by imports. Several brand names were imported from various countries. Some were from nearby countries like India, China and Japan. But the truly expensive ones came from USA and Europe. Band music grew like wildfire and the music instruments industry expanded and changed for good. Soon, bands required more sophisticated and powerful instruments such as electric guitars and keyboards. These came only from imports. The industry became an import heavy industry to cater to the new crowd. So, the companies with import capabilities survived and thrived on the heavy shift while classical only based companies were forced to go out of business. Thus we come to our current status of the music instruments industry. 3. 2 Sales Trend The sales trend of the entire industry market has shifted over the years. Local instruments like harmoniums and tablas were the preferred music instruments. But the market was also smaller in size. Professional musicians and a few newcomers made the whole of the market. But with the transformation of the industry, the market has a much different scenario. Modern instruments take precedence over classical ones. The sales trend suggests that the newer instruments, especially the electric variations, are the big sellers. In the generation of frequent concerts, accessories like amplifiers and sound boxes are also a must. The modern instruments are very import heavy. So, the prices are also much higher. In the cases of customized guitars, the price of one guitar can be unlimited. Instruments from faraway countries such as USA, Germany etc. can be even more costly. For example, a piano form Germany can cost up to 8. 5 lac taka. The prices of the imported instruments maybe high, but that does not mean that customers will be discouraged to continue buying from this sector. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. One must not overlook the fact that the companies themselves are buying the instruments from abroad and then selling them here. They need a substantial amount of capital themselves to maintain their supply. So, the companies spend a lot of money in this regard. But that does not mean the cost outgrows the profit. The profit of the music instruments industry comes from the sheer quantity of the products sold. Bands are consistently buying the modern instruments for their use. Young people with an interest in music also want the best music instruments to fuel their passion. The band music scene is so large that the companies may not make a great profit on each of the sales they make, but the cumulative total of the instruments sold more than makes up for it in the end. So, it is safe to estimate that the sales trend will continue to grow in the same direction. The imported instruments will be the heavy sellers of the industry, but the local manufactured products will not be far behind. 3. 3 growth rate The growth rate of the music instruments industry overall has been quite substantial. From the early 70’s classical music era to the present band music era, the industry has grown multiple times in size. The big players of the industry have invested heavily on imports which continuously expand the market. The slightly less equipped companies are making the transition from classical to modern instruments to keep up with the trends. Some companies are trying to be entirely focused on modern instruments instead of classical. All of these companies keep adding to the industry. The customer base is also on the rise. Since the 90’s music has become quite popular as a profession. Many music enthusiasts try to become a part of the industry by either pure talent or raw passion. Some just want to keep playing music as an added skill. The young generation is not the only user base though. Veteran collectors may even buy music instruments just for adding them to their repertoire. People have many choices when it comes to music. So, their reasons for buying an instrument can be equally diversified. And all this is without counting the established bands and celebrities who will continue to purchase the high quality instruments for further advancement of their own carriers. 3. 4 growth potential The potential for this industry is variable. The big players of the industry have an oligopoly in place for the market in Dhaka. But the market outside of Dhaka is still fair game. People order via courier from outside Dhaka. A music instrument company with a big capital may seize on this opportunity to establish a brand name which will enable the company to pose a threat to the players of the industry. Another aspect to consider is the foreign market. Bangladeshi musical instruments have demand in the outside world as well. But no big company makes the effort to spread the music abroad with the help of instruments. Some foreign buyers come to Bangladesh and buy locally manufactured instruments which are relatively low in price. If a company exports local music instruments, the travel cost for the buyers may be added to the instruments’ pricing. This can garner a hefty profit. The number of customers from abroad may be low compared to the user base of the country, but it is large enough to give it growth potential. 3. 5 Industry composition The music instruments industry at its current state is situated primarily in Dhaka. Areas like Dhanmondi, Gulshan and Shakharibazar are the prominent locations. The center of the entire industry is in Science Laboratory, Dhanmondi. The well established shops like Melody Co, Surasree, Sur niketan etc. have been there for decades and the majority of the market is in their grasps. A lot of medium and smaller size shops are also included there who use lower pricing to attract customers. Other notable locations include Bashundhara City Shopping Complex, Panthapath, and Dhaka which has World Music and Golden Music for a more modernized shopping experience. The big companies at Science Laboratory have their showrooms at the ground level and manufacturing factories on the floor above. Simple and local instruments like tablas, harmoniums and dhols etc. are made there. Complex instruments like guitars are made in a different factory. These factories are mainly situated on the opposite side of the river, outside of Dhaka, like Keraniganj for example. Imports are made through contacts for individual companies. Some companies use direct links abroad to ship instruments into the country. The others use third party importers to import their products. Most of the down payment is done by e-mail. Orders from outside Dhaka are taken via e-mail or telephone and the supplied through courier. The bigger companies of the industry also take responsibility for organizing stage shows for both the Government and NGOs. All of these activities amount to a flowing industry that has quite a profit margin. To top it all off, the big players of the music instruments industry claim to have no loss. The sales never decline and the user base keeps growing. The only drawback is that the cost of raw materials may increase over time, but that can be easily overlooked by the profits. 3. 6 product composition There are two types of products in the market-local and imported. Local products are manufactured by the companies themselves and are sold at a much lower price compared to the imported ones. The imports are much more costly and have a lot more variety. Renowned brands such as Ibanez, STK, Yamaha, Fender, Tama, Paiste, Pearl, Maxtone, Roland, Gibson, TGM, Korg, Kurzweil etc. are available in the market. These brands attract customers on a regular basis. 4. 0 Analysis of Consumer Preferences To understand the industry one has to understand the consumers. Consumer’s insight is critical when determining business strategy. This report contains first hand consumer opinion gathered by individual surveying. . 1 Survey Procedure The consumer survey was done through both online and direct method. A consumer questionnaire that contained questions about general consensus of the music industry was created. Customers at the various music instruments shops were asked to take part in the survey. Online surveys were taken by creating the questionnaire in on line form and conducted anonymously through the internet. Various contacts were used to conduct the online survey. We interviewed 50 people, some of them are professional musicians and the others are non-professionals. 4. 2 Survey Results The primary source of data used in the report was a questionnaire filled-up by a representative sample of participants. The representative sample was picked from different occupations, ages and educational attainment. The participants were asked to respond to a set of simple questions. The questions were designed to get raw data. The raw data on analysis were used to get an insight into the general structure and consumer behavior within the music instrument industry. The survey findings were concluded in different sections by relating the collected data with the demographic characteristics of the interviewees. A detailed analysis of the findings is explained below: * Preference of Music Genre: We surveyed a total of 50 individuals from different segments of the social strata and also conducted an open online survey to get greater response. The core decision characteristics which guide the buying behavior in this market are the preference of genre by the buyers. Through our analysis we get to know that majority of the buyers are still guided by the classical taste. This segment is mainly occupied by female customers who still have a heart for the classical music. Almost 50% of the users are aligned to classical genre. But we also observe that the modern genre is just tailing classical with a percentage user of 46% and there are few passionate users who have a taste for both genres and it comprises of a minute figure of 3% of the market. Figure 1: Preference of Music Genre * Preference of Music Instrument: Analyzing the market we can observe that the most desirable instrument is acoustic guitar followed by electric guitar. Together they occupy almost 60% of the market. There is also high demand for keyboard (19%), flute (19%), drums (18%) and bass guitar (17%). So observing the instrument preferences we can conclude that the modern instruments are in high demand and to be precise the imported instruments. Figure 2: Preference of Music Instruments * Purpose of Purchase Most purchases are made for personal use which is an astounding 98%. But still some purchases are made for commercial use like buying of sound systems and also there are many small business providing jamming facilities. These people make commercial purchases. Moreover many government institutions and NGO’s also make large scale purchases. But as we can observe from the survey results music instruments are still out there for the common to take pleasure in. Figure 3: Purpose of Purchase * Consumer Budget Analysis: As most of the purchases are related to personal use so the budget for buying instruments in not that high. The major portion of the budget is around TK. 4000- Tk. 10000 almost 45%. There are very few high rollers in the budget list who tend to spend lacs on instruments. But even then professional artists and few passionate collectors buy the real deal worth more than 1 lac. But even then as the survey shows the market is steady at around Tk. 000 -25000. Figure 4: Consumer Budget Analysis * Analysis of Brand Preferences: 1. Brand Preference of Guitar: As we can see the imported brands from china and Indonesia hit the chart at top. Brands like Ibanez and Gibson are in a high demand among consumers. Figure 5: Brand Preference of Guitar But still some influence is also made by Indian brands like Givson and Signa ture who also occupy a respectable share in the market. And for other brand there is very little demand for them but still due to specific brand preference from customers these brands are still available in the market. . Brand Preference of Drums: Analysing the market trend and through our survey we could conclude that there is a very tight margin between prefernce for brand while buying drums. This segment is leaded by two leaders Tama and Yamaha which are very popular brands worlwide and prefered by renowned musicians around the world. Others brands like pearl is also in the customers list. But other brands like paiste , maxtone and local brand like Bappi are still a bit less desiarble to customers. Figure 6: Brand Preference of Drums 3. Brand Prefernce of keyboards: As they results speaks this segment is ruled by yamaha and roland. This two are Figure 7: Brand Preference of Keyboard undoubtedly the most popular brands and also highly suggested by users and professionals. Yamaha with an astounding 50% on preference and Roland with 34% have captured the market. For others brands its still a long way to go and more customers to capture to overdo these two giant brands. * Acceptance of Second Hand Instruments: Observing the market trend and consumer behavior we can conclude that most people are for this second hand selling nearly 54% and 34% has no negative notion towards it. It’s quite clear that the market is open for second hand selling and customers are satisfied with this kind of activity. Figure 8: Acceptance of Second Hand Instruments Though this is not a recognized act but due to high prices and tax on imported musical instruments people fail to avail the original one. So when they get the almost new thing at a very cheap price they can’t resist it. So it is quite evident that unless there is a serious price cut this selling of second hand instruments will continue. 5. 0 Analyzing the Market It is better for both the consumers and the sellers to understand the premise of the music instrument industry. Market and consumer behavior is important for analyzing the industry. The study contains consumer and market opinions which were found through a survey in the market. It is crucial for the new investors as well to know the facts that control its consumers’ and competitors’ behavior. By analyzing the market is not a short process. The analysis of current market trends, market share, market growth, market size and analysis of the market leaders come into the procedure. 5. 1 Market trends The current situation at the music instrument industry offers a wide range of products to its customer. With the revolutionary change in the music industry last decade, the instrument industry also claimed its share of customers. Consumers are now more involved in choosing brands that they would buy. People don’t mind paying higher to attain a better performed and of desired outlook music instrument. Even a few days ago consumers were confined in buying basic instruments like guitars, harmonium, tablas etc. But with a change in music trend, consumers now look for dj turn table, multi-functional amplifier, upgraded accessories and many other modern instruments. This massive use of instruments results in more repairing work for the mechanics. This often leads customers towards using wireless electrical instruments. This allows the importer to introduce newer editions of product in the market. Thus the major trends currently observed are: * Tendency of buying brand As the music industry is growing at a rapid speed, it started a new era in the music instrument industry. Now –a –days people move toward hassle free products for which they won’t have turn to mechanic shop. So they are now more interested in buying big brands. The big brands offer guaranteed service and better performance. With differentiated products in the market musicians can choose their desired instrument outlook. * Selecting performance over price With number of brands in the market buyers get to choose theirs from a variety of products. Among these people are more prone towards choosing high performance instrument while caring less about the price. Another reason for such behavior in the consumers is their social status. This very sector has most of its customers either from the music world or from the well off class of the society. This enables these selected consumers to choose performance over price. * Use of the upgraded accessories and technology Marketers have brought upgraded accessories as the demand for it rose with the massive use of modern instruments. Consumers want the best for their instruments and always look for the upgraded versions. Moreover, the passionate young musicians are extensively using these products that consequently making this a prominent sector of music instrument industry. * Using modern technology With the world moving towards technology this sector is also having the touch of it. From the music makers to the music editors, all now depend on the newly added instrument to the industry to cope with the world. The wireless instruments, multi functional mixers and customized sound systems are essential for them to meet the standards that had been set across the world. Alongside the rise music industry, instrument industry is now heading for bright future. The current trend of the market makes this sector more promising 5. 2 Market share Market share is the percentage or proportion of the total available market that is being serviced by a company in comparison of the whole industry. According to the consumer survey, consumers tend to go the old names mostly because of their brand value. In the music instrument industry the majority of the market share is captured by Melody Co. the company demanded that it is the trust and faithful service that they provide to keep their customers satisfied. World Music, among the new companies, also holds a significant proportion of market share. The rest are shared by the other existing companies in the market. Though the companies declined to provide their exact financial information regarding their market shares because of their company policy, we were able to assume the current state through surveying the market and the consumers. Figure 9: Shop Preference . 3 Market Growth The music instrument industry is going through a rapid growth. This is because of the change in the music scene in the recent years. Reasons including young generation being more involved in the music industry and the trend of using newer version of big brands when performing in the public. Musicians now use instruments that have better sound quality and als o can be harmonized easily. Today the instrument industry offers choices in front of the buyers to select from. The increasing number of musicians is buying more and more instruments which are fueling the industry to grow larger. As there is no structured association of the music instrument industry, and many of the companies are independent ones, no up-to-date statistics on current market growth was found. But after studying the available market shares over the years it can be understood that this industry is expanding at a high rate and there is still scope for further expansion. Again surveying the market gave us an overview of the industry. As the number of consumers rose the demand for the instruments reached a certain level that made the marketers to increase the prices over the years.

Daniel Dennetts Darwins Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of

Daniel Dennett's Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life Science can give us as good a moral code as any religion. Or so Daniel Dennett claims in his book, Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life. Dennett provides the tools to explain human morality, and inadvertently leads the way to the conclusion (which he does not share) that science can clarify how human morality came about, but not serve as a substitute or model for moral codes, religious and secular alike. It all begins with Dennett's assertion that everything- everything- is a product of an algorithmic process, which comes about as a result of random change. By definition these algorithmic processes, evolution included, are "matter first". Dennett uses a metaphor of "cranes"; that new changes in species or anything else are made possible by what already existed in the material world. When speaking about life it is also usefully explained by considering adaptation to be, in practice, exaptation. Nothing in the Darwinian story of the world suggests that anything about better or worse, or for that matter, good and evil. This is the main point commonly used to dispel notions of Social Darwinism. But it, in my mind, is not sufficient. A few people are doing better in the world than others, and it is not because they are better than the others, or that the others are inferior, it just happened that way because of social circumstances. It has nothing to do with biology. So what! Science here offers no ethical insight; it only prompts indifference. Even if Darwinism is no justification for social injustice, it does nothing to suggest that there is an urgent need for social change. At worst, if one does not take away from this a w... ...reate stories and go beyond nature. These stories themselves are often the motivation for what we determine to be evil upon examining an alternate story, but we do not have a choice about whether or not we tell stories at all. That is in our nature. Alternately, without our stories we would not experience good and beautiful. The most dissatisfying aspect of a matter-first explanation of morality is that it absolves us from any responsibility for how we impact the natural world and other human beings. This could come as a welcome relief, after considering the incomprehensible responsibility of being an agent of creation. But consider again all the hope and possibilities that lie in being able to tell stories that change the world! Works Cited Dennett, Daniel C. Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life. New York, NY: Simon&Schuster, 1995.

Reconstruction :: essays research papers

At the end of the Civil War there was a period of time in the United States known as the reconstruction period, that lasted for about a decade. During this period the country was in a state of rebuilding. Money, bonds, and stocks were worth nothing. Forty thousand United State citizens were dead or gone, and cities lay in ruin. The dream of an independent nation was just that, an unrealistic dream. The south had lost entire cities to destruction of war and needed to not only rebuild them but also revive its cotton industry. During both the civil war and civil war reconstruction time periods, there were many changes going on in the Union. The Emancipation Proclamation, as well as legislation such as the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth amendments, was causing a new awakening of democracy; while the renouncing of secession by the South marked a definite triumph for Nationalism. As well, the government was involved in altercations of its own. During reconstruction, the legislat ive and executive branches eventually came to blows over the use of power. The nation was being altered by forces which caused, and later repaired, a broken Union. President Lincoln wanted everything to return to normal as quickly as possible after the war. Therefore, Lincoln announced the freeing of all slaves in areas not in Union control. Although the proclamation did not free all slaves everywhere, it was the action that would push Congress to pass the thirteenth amendment in 1865. The amendment, ratified later in 1865, stated that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude . . . shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." Lincoln also established a plan for reconstruction, which was deemed the Ten Percent Plan. Even before the war ended, Lincoln knew there would be a need of a plan of reconstruction. Lincoln issued a proclamation of amnesty and reconstruction for the people in the south. The proclamation basically forgave and Confederate for trying to secede from the Union if he would swear to support the Constitution of the United States and the Union. Politically, Lincoln would recogn ize the state executively if one tenth of the conquered state’s total vote in the presidential election f 1860 took an oath of allegiance to the union and organized a government that got rid of slavery. The Radical Republicans wanted a slower readmission process so they trued to pass the Wade-Davis Bill, which would make one half of eligible voters to take the oath of allegiance and accept emancipation.

Blood Promise Chapter Four

At any other time in my life, I would have loved exploring Moscow. Sydney had planned our trip so that when our train arrived there, we'd have a few hours before we had to board the next one to Siberia. This gave us some time to wander around and grab dinner, though she wanted to make sure we were safely inside the station before it grew too dark out. Despite my badass claims or my molnija marks, she didn't want to take any chances. It made no difference to me how we spent our downtime. So long as I was getting closer to Dimitri, that was all that mattered. So Sydney and I walked aimlessly, taking in the sights and saying very little. I had never been to Moscow. It was a beautiful city, thriving and full of people and commerce. I could have spent days there just shopping and trying out the restaurants. Places I'd heard about all my life-the Kremlin, Red Square, the Bolshoi Theatre-were all at my fingertips. Despite how cool it all was, I actually tried to tune out the city's sights and sounds after a while because it reminded me of†¦ well, Dimitri. He used to talk to me about Russia all the time and had sworn up and down that I'd love it here. â€Å"To you, it'd be like a fairy tale,† he'd told me once. It was during a before-school practice late last autumn, just before the first snowfall. The air had been misty, and dew coated everything. â€Å"Sorry, comrade,† I'd replied, reaching back to tie my hair into a ponytail. Dimitri had always loved my hair down, but in combat practice? Long hair was a total liability. â€Å"Borg and out-of-date music aren't part of any happy ending I've ever imagined.† He'd given me one of his rare, easy grins then, the kind that just slightly crinkled up the corners of his eyes. â€Å"Borscht, not borg. And I've seen your appetite. If you were hungry enough, you'd eat it.† â€Å"So starvation's necessary for this fairy tale to work out?† There was nothing I loved more than teasing Dimitri. Well, aside from maybe kissing him. â€Å"I'm talking about the land. The buildings. Go to one of the big cities-it's like nothing you've ever seen. Everyone in the U.S. tends to build the same-always in big, chunky blocks. They do what's fast and easy. But in Russia, there are buildings that are like pieces of art. They are art-even a lot of the ordinary, everyday buildings. And places like the WinterPalace and TroitskyChurch in Saint Petersburg? Those will take your breath away.† His face had been aglow with the memory of sites he'd seen, that joy making his already handsome features divine. I think he could have named landmarks all day. My heart had burned within me, just from watching him. And then, just like I always did when I worried I might turn sappy or sentimental, I'd made a joke to shift the attention away and hide my emotions. It had switched him back into business mode, and we'd gotten to work. Now, walking the city streets with Sydney, I wished I could take back that joke and listen to Dimitri talk more about his homeland. I would have given anything to have Dimitri with me here, the way he used to be. He'd been right about the buildings. Sure, most were blocky copies of anything you'd find in the U.S. or anywhere else in the world, but some were exquisite-painted with bright colors, adorned with their strange yet beautiful onion-shaped domes. At times, it really did seem like something from another world. And all the while, I kept thinking that it should have been Dimitri here by my side, pointing things out and explaining them to me. We should have been having a romantic getaway. Dimitri and I could have eaten at exotic restaurants and then gone dancing at night. I could have worn one of the designer dresses I'd had to leave behind in the Saint Petersburg hotel. That's how it was supposed to be. It wasn't supposed to be me with a glowering human. â€Å"Unreal, huh? Like something from a story.† Sydney's voice startled me, and I realized we'd come to a stop in front of our train station. There were a number of them in Moscow. Her echoing of my conversation with Dimitri sent chills down my spine-largely because she was right. The station didn't have the onion domes but still looked like something straight out of a storybook, like a cross between Cinderella's castle and a gingerbread house. It had a big arched roof and towers on either end. Its white walls were interspersed with patches of brown brick and green mosaic, almost making it look striped. In the U.S., some might have called it gaudy. To me, it was beautiful. I felt tears start to spring to my eyes as I wondered what Dimitri would have said about this building. He probably would have loved it just as he loved everything else here. Realizing that Sydney was waiting for a response, I swallowed back my grief and played flippant teenager. â€Å"Maybe something from a story about a train station.† She arched an eyebrow, surprised at my indifference, but she didn't question it. Who could say? Maybe if I kept up the sarcasm, she'd eventually get annoyed and ditch me. Somehow, I doubted I'd be that lucky. I was pretty sure her fear of her superiors trumped any other feelings she might have in regard to me. We had first-class train accommodations, which turned out to be a lot smaller than I expected. There was a combination bed/sitting bench on each side, a window, and a TV high on the wall. I supposed that would help pass the time, but I often had trouble following Russian television-not just because of the language but also because some of the shows were downright bizarre. Still, Sydney and I would each have our own space, even if the room was cozier than we would have liked. The colors reminded me a lot of the same fanciful patterns I'd seen throughout the cities. Even the hall outside our cabin was brightly colored, with plush carpet in red and yellow designs and a teal and yellow runner going down the middle. Inside our room, the benches were covered in cushions with rich orange velvet, and the curtains matched in shades of gold and peach, made of thick heavy fabric embossed with a silky pattern. Between all that and the ornate table in the middle of the cabin, it was almost like traveling in a mini-palace. It was dark out by the time the train left the station. For whatever reason, the Trans-Siberian always left Moscow at night. It wasn't that late yet, but Sydney said she wanted to sleep, and I didn't want to make her more irate than she already was. So we turned off all the lights, save for a tiny reading lamp by my bed. I'd bought a magazine at the train station, and even if I couldn't understand the language, the pictures of makeup and clothes transcended all cultural barriers. I flipped through the pages as quietly as I could, admiring summer tops and dresses and wondering when -if ever-I'd be able to start worrying about that kind of thing again. I wasn't tired when I lay down, but sleep took me nonetheless. I was dreaming about water-skiing when suddenly, the waves and sun around me dissolved into a room lined with shelves and shelves of books. Tables with state-of-the-art computers lined the rooms, and there was a calmness that permeated the place. I was in the library at St. Vladimir's Academy. I groaned. â€Å"Oh, come on. Not today.† â€Å"Why not today? Why not every day?† I turned and found myself looking into the handsome face of Adrian Ivashkov. Adrian was a Moroi, the queen's great-nephew, and someone I'd left behind in my old life when I took off on this suicide mission. He had beautiful emerald-green eyes that made most girls swoon, particularly since they were paired with stylishly messy brown hair. He was also kind of in love with me and the reason I had so much money on this trip. I'd sweet talked him out of it. â€Å"True,† I admitted. â€Å"I suppose I should be grateful you only show up about once a week.† He grinned and sat down backward in one of the slatted wooden chairs. He was tall, like most Moroi, with a leanly muscled build. Moroi guys never got too bulky. â€Å"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, Rose. Don't want you to take me for granted.† â€Å"We're in no danger of that; don't worry.† â€Å"I don't suppose you're going to tell me where you are?† â€Å"Nope.† Aside from Lissa, Adrian was the only other known living spirit user, and among his talents was the ability to show up in my dreams-often uninvited-and talk to me. I took it as a blessing that his powers never actually let him know where I was. â€Å"You kill me, Rose,† he said melodramatically. â€Å"Every day is agony without you. Empty. Alone. I pine for you, wondering if you're even still alive.† He spoke in an exaggerated, silly sort of way that was characteristic of him. Adrian rarely took things seriously and always had a flippant edge. Spirit also had a tendency to make people unstable, and while he fought it, he wasn't unaffected. Underneath that melodrama, though, I sensed a kernel of truth. No matter how shallow an appearance he gave off, he really did care about me. I crossed my arms. â€Å"Well, I'm still alive, clearly. So I guess you can let me go back to sleep.† â€Å"How many times have I told you? You are asleep.† â€Å"And yet I inexplicably feel exhausted talking to you.† This made him laugh. â€Å"Oh, I do so miss you.† That smile faded. â€Å"She misses you too.† I stiffened. She. He didn't even need to say her name. There was no question as to whom he was talking about. Lissa. Even saying her name in my mind caused me pain, particularly after seeing her last night. Choosing between Lissa and Dimitri had been the hardest decision of my life, and time passing hadn't made it any easier. I might have chosen him, but being away from her was like having an arm cut off, particularly because the bond ensured we were never truly apart. Adrian gave me a canny look, like he could guess my thoughts. â€Å"Do you go see her?† â€Å"No,† I said, refusing to acknowledge that I'd just seen her last night. Let him think I was truly free of all that. â€Å"That's not my life anymore.† â€Å"Right. Your life is all about dangerous vigilante missions.† â€Å"You wouldn't understand anything that isn't drinking, smoking, or womanizing.† He shook his head. â€Å"You're the only one I want, Rose.† Unfortunately, I believed him. It would have been easier for both of us if he could find someone else. â€Å"Well, you can keep feeling that way, but you're going to have to keep waiting.† â€Å"Much longer?† He asked me this all the time, and every time, I emphasized how long it would be and how he was wasting his time. Thinking of Sydney's possible lead, I hesitated tonight. â€Å"I don't know.† Hope blossomed on Adrian's face. â€Å"That's the most optimistic thing you've told me so far.† â€Å"Don't read too much into it. ? ®I don't know' could be one day or one year. Or never.† His mischievous grin returned, and even I had to admit it was cute. â€Å"I'm going to hope it's one day.† Thinking of Sydney brought a question to my mind. â€Å"Hey, have you ever heard of the Alchemists?† â€Å"Sure,† he said. Typical. â€Å"Of course you have.† â€Å"Why? Did you run into them?† â€Å"Kind of.† â€Å"What'd you do?† â€Å"Why do you think I did anything?† He laughed. â€Å"Alchemists only show up when trouble happens, and you bring trouble wherever you go. Be careful, though. They're religious nuts.† â€Å"That's kind of extreme,† I said. Sydney's faith didn't seem to be anything bad. â€Å"Just don't let them convert you.† He winked. â€Å"I like you being the sinner you are.† I started to tell him that Sydney probably thought I was beyond all salvation, but he ended the dream, sending me back to sleep. Except, instead of returning to my own dreams, I woke up. Around me, the train hummed comfortingly as we sped through the Russian countryside. My reading lamp was still on, its light too bright for my sleepy eyes. I reached over to turn it off and noticed then that Sydney's bed was empty. Probably in the bathroom, I thought. Yet, I felt uneasy. She and her group of Alchemists were still mysteries, and I suddenly worried that she might have some sinister plan going on. Was she off meeting with some covert operative? I decided to find her. Admittedly, I had no idea where she could be on a train of this size, but logic had never really deterred me before. No reason they should now. Thankfully, after slipping on my shoes and stepping out in the hall adjacent to our cabin, I discovered I didn't have to look very far. The corridor was lined with windows, all draped in those rich curtains, and Sydney stood with her back to me, gazing outside, a blanket wrapped around her. Her hair was messy from sleep and looked less gold in the poor lighting. â€Å"Hey†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began hesitantly. â€Å"Are you okay?† She turned slightly toward me. One hand held the blanket; the other played with the cross around her neck. I remembered Adrian's comments about religion. â€Å"I can't sleep,† she said bluntly. â€Å"Is it†¦ is it because of me?† Her only answer was to turn back to the window. â€Å"Look,† I said, feeling helpless. â€Å"If there's anything I can do†¦ I mean, aside from going back and canceling this trip†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'll handle it,† she said. â€Å"This is just, well, it's really strange for me. I deal with you guys all the time, but I don't actually deal with you, you know?† â€Å"We could probably get you a room of your own, if that would help. We can find an attendant, and I've got the money.† She shook her head. â€Å"It's just a couple of days, if that.† I didn't know what else to say. Having Sydney along was inconvenient in the grand scheme of my plans, but I didn't want her to suffer. Watching her play with the cross, I tried to think of something comforting to tell her. Bonding over our views of God might have been a way to get closer, but somehow, I didn't think telling her how I had daily battles with God and doubted His existence lately would really help me out with the whole evil creature-of-the-night reputation. â€Å"Okay,† I said at last. â€Å"Let me know if you change your mind.† I returned to my bed and fell asleep surprisingly fast, despite worrying that Sydney would be standing in the hall all night. Yet, when I woke in the morning, she was curled up on her bed, fast asleep. Apparently, her exhaustion had been so strong that even fear of me had driven her to rest. I got up quietly and changed out of the T-shirt and sweatpants I'd gone to bed in. I was hungry for breakfast and figured Sydney might sleep longer if I wasn't around. The restaurant was in the next car over and looked like something out of an old movie. Elegant burgundy linens draped the tables, and brass and dark wood, along with bits of bright-colored stained glass art, gave the whole place an antique feel. It looked more like a restaurant I'd find on the streets of Saint Petersburg than a train dining car. I ordered something that reminded me vaguely of french toast, except that it had cheese on it. It came with sausage, which thus far seemed to be the same everywhere I went. I was just about finished when Sydney wandered in. When I'd met her that first night, I'd assumed her dress pants and blouse had been for the sake of the Nightingale. I was discovering, however, that that was her normal style. She struck me as one of those people who didn't own jeans or T-shirts. She'd been mussed while standing in the hall last night, but now she was in neat black slacks and a dark green sweater. I was in jeans and a long-sleeved gray thermal shirt and felt kind of sloppy beside her. Her hair was brushed and styled but had a slightly messy look that I suspected never went away, no matter how hard she tried. At least I had my sleek ponytail going for me today. She slid across from me and ordered an omelet when the server came by, again speaking in Russian. â€Å"How do you know that?† I asked. â€Å"What, Russian?† She shrugged. â€Å"I had to learn it growing up. And a few other languages.† â€Å"Wow.† I had taken intros to a couple of languages too and performed miserably in all of them. I hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now, because of this trip and because of Dimitri, I really wished I'd learned Russian. I supposed it wasn't too late, and I had picked up a few phrases in my time here, but still†¦ it was a daunting task. â€Å"You must have to learn a lot of stuff for this job,† I mused, pondering what it must mean to be part of a secret group that crossed international lines and interacted with all sorts of governments. Something else crossed my mind. â€Å"And what about that stuff you used on the Strigoi? That disintegrated the body?† She smiled. Almost. â€Å"Well, I told you the Alchemists started off as a group of people trying to make potions, right? That's a chemical we developed to get rid of Strigoi bodies fast.† â€Å"Could you use it to actually kill one?† I asked. Dousing a Strigoi in some dissolving liquid would be a lot easier than the usual ways: decapitation, staking, or burning. â€Å"Afraid not. Only works on corpses.† â€Å"Bummer,† I said. I wondered if she had other potions up her sleeve but figured I should ration my amount of Sydney questions for the day. â€Å"What are we going to do when we get to Omsh?† â€Å"Omsk,† she corrected. â€Å"We'll get a car and drive the rest of the way.† â€Å"Have you been there? To this village?† She nodded. â€Å"Once.† â€Å"What's it like?† I asked, surprised to hear a wistful note in my own voice. Aside from my quest to find Dimitri, there was a piece of me that just wanted to cling to everything I could of him. I wanted to know everything about him that I hadn't known before. If the school had given me his possessions, I would have slept with them each night. His room had been cleared out pretty quickly, though. Now I could only gather what pieces of him I could, as though hoarding these bits of information would keep him with me somehow. â€Å"It's like any other dhampir town, I guess.† â€Å"I've never been to one.† The server set Sydney's omelet down, and she paused with her fork in the air. â€Å"Really? I thought all of you†¦ well, I don't know.† I shook my head. â€Å"I've been at the Academy my whole life. More or less.† My two-year stint among humans wasn't really relevant. Sydney chewed thoughtfully. I was willing to wager she wouldn't finish the omelet. From what I'd seen that first night and while waiting for trains yesterday, she hardly seemed to eat anything. It was like she subsisted on air alone. Maybe it was another Alchemist thing. Most likely it was just a Sydney thing. â€Å"The town is half-human and half-dhampir, but the dhampirs blend in. They have a whole underground society that the humans are completely oblivious to.† I'd always figured there was a whole subculture going on, but I'd had no idea how it would fit into the rest of the town. â€Å"And?† I asked. â€Å"What's that subculture like?† She set her fork down. â€Å"Let's just say you'd better brace yourself.†

School Vouchers essays

School Vouchers essays Education School Vouchers There has been a lot of debate recently over the use of school vouchers. Voucher programs offer students attending both public and private schools tuition vouchers. It gives taxpayers the freedom to pick where their tax dollars go. In theory, good schools will thrive with money and bad schools will lose students and close its doors. Most people feel that taking taxpayer money from public schools and using this money as vouchers for private schools is a violation of the constitution. Most private schools in America right now are run by religious organizations. There has been a lot of controversy over this issue mainly because of the importance of an education in a modern society. School choice initiatives are based on the premise that allowing parents to choose what schools their children attend is not only the right thing to do, but is also an important way for improving education. Instead of a one-size-fits-all model, School choice programs offer parents various options from which to pick the educational settings they believe will work best for their child. However, there is Supporters of school vouchers claim that it levels the educational playing field for lower income families who would have the option to send their kids away from an ineffective poorly funded public schools. Some lower class families feel that their kids would have a better chance with a tuition voucher to go to a private school where more money is spent on education. Many feel that vouchers would undermine public schools, by taking away public money for smaller class sizes, teacher training and innovative curriculum. Also, many feel that vouchers would erode the support for public education. In Milwaukee, voucher schools say they do not give special services to students with disabilities. Most of the voucher schools refused to sign a letter that they will ...

America New England Colonies essays

America New England Colonies essays Curiosity and bravery led the English to discover the nations of America. These strong willed Europeans, determined to find to a new world, set out with high hopes and ambitions. Settling a variety of colonies along the coast of North America, the English were among the first true pioneers. After several expeditions and ships loads of emigrants, the English had a divergence of reasons for departing Europe for America. The settlers of the Chesapeake and New England colonies, were foreigners to the land, established two exceptional but contrary societies due to the diversity of English citizens. Chesapeake and New England colonies, although from the same English background, developed distinctions from the very start of the sixteenth century; their reasons for fleeing Europe, political standards, family life, religions and use of land. With King James I offering a charter for the Virginia Company of London, a joint stock company, to prompt a settlement in the New World, profit filled E nglish men couldnt refuse this gracious proposal. A promise of golden lands and a new passage route through America to the West Indies, the hearty men embarked on a journey which to their eyes seemed to be through the vast unknown. Arriving on the shores of Chesapeake Bay in 1606, soon they were attacked by Indians. Finally having to settle on the James River (named in honor of their King) the Virginia Company was forced to make their home within a mosquito infested and unhealthily region. Beginning their arduous search from the onset, the stubborn men searched for gold day and night through starvation, malnutrition, and disease. According to Captain John Smith these gold seekers were all men in hope of repayment for commencing on the journey. He described the scene as diligent men digging, washing, refining, and loading gold all in silence. Living from hand to mouth induced the gold miners to only be able to provided selves with supplies ...

Continuous vs. Continual

Continuous vs. Continual Continuous vs. Continual Continuous vs. Continual By Maeve Maddox Many writers use continuous and continual as if they were exact synonyms, but my English teachers taught their students to distinguish between them. Both adjectives describe duration. Continuous indicates duration without interruption. Ex. The continuous humming of the fluorescent lights gave him a headache. Continual indicates duration that continues over a long period of time, but with intervals of interruption. Ex. The continual street repair disrupted traffic for nearly two years. The adverbs continuously and continually preserve the same distinction: Ex. The child screamed continuously as long as its mother was on the telephone. In this part of the country it rains continually during April. Here are some quotations from newspapers that illustrate that usage: gym membership or a magazine subscription. Some will be direct debits and standing orders, but others will be continuous payment authorities (also called recurring payment authorities, recurring transactions or recurring payments (www.theguardian.com) toward excellence. However, many firms from the smallest to the largest fail to develop and maintain an attitude of continuous improvement. (www.chicagotribune.com) Uefas numerical record of events he almost fails to register, a ghost player draped in his own invisibility cloak of continual peripheral motion. Despite all of this, Milner has still managed to remain a largely uncontested select (www.theguardian.com) modern art found a way of domesticating Abrahams powerful idol-smashing instincts by allowing itself to be continually driven by the iconoclastic urge. Or rather, to be driven by iconoclasm simply for its own sake. It is (www.theguardian.com) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a Sentence41 Words That Are Better Than GoodTypes of Plots

An Analysis of Punch-Drunk Love Film by Paul Thomas Anderson Essay

An Analysis of Punch-Drunk Love Film by Paul Thomas Anderson - Essay Example The film tackles a number of issues on the personal life of the main character but presents it in a way that is obscuring and lagging that takes away from the focus of what the story is trying to convey in essence. It hints on family issues and the environment of growing up as the only boy in a family with 7 other sisters but it does not really tackle it full on. The topic remains hanging in the air and there never was any resolution to the end. Growing up with such a number of sisters does not in itself make any person less of a man nor would it necessarily mean that one is bound to have psychological issues. To present the audience with the background that this alone serves as full explanation without having to give further details to support it would be nothing less than a shoddy argument. It leaves one feeling shorthanded instead of having the actual realization that such is so because this happened or that was the fact presupposing on other events. The film starts off with the i ntroduction to Barry’s life laden with family woes in the form of seven overbearing sisters who each has a strong personality that overpowers that of Barry’s own insecurities. ... Then there was another sister who tries to be more involved in his life and even going so far as to fix him up with her co-worker. The idea immediately put Barry on the spot but in the scene where they are in a tug-and-pull whether it was going to be a good idea or not there was no concrete sense on whether Barry was really adamant to meeting somebody or he was just trying to play it coy to avoid embarrassment. Perhaps it was more of both just to avoid having to be ridiculed by her sisters. The most effective in conveying the relationship between the siblings was when all of Barry’s sisters kept on pushing him about the time the called him ‘gay boy’ and he got so mad that he threw a hammer to the windows. Here the definite illustration of the character’s anger management issues shown through as he smashed the windows of the house nonchalantly then reacting by crying to Walter asking him to refer him to s shrink. To be more accurate, the story tries to incul cate that his family structure is perhaps the most distinctive part of Barry’s life that contributes to his repressed emotional issues. But further than the birthday scene there was really nothing else that points out to the theme other than his constant reminder for no one to tell his sisters he will be going to Hawaii. Two minutes into the film one is already bored with the longshot of the camera into the streets and the ominous woman leaving her car without so much as indicating what needs to be fixed. There was of course the small piano that Barry literally had to sneak and grab from the streets although the whole exercise seemed to be pointless as there was nobody else in there. This object which turned out to be a harmonium as pointed out by Lena tried but failed to

To what extent can improvements in productive flow and product quality Essay

To what extent can improvements in productive flow and product quality lead to an increase in sales and profit - Essay Example Products perform poorly in the market because of a number of reasons. The marketing manager determines all these and devises a plan of ensuring that the product regains its dominance in the market. Product quality is one great determinant of the performance of the product in the market. Manipulation of the product quality has the potential of either improving or decreasing sales. Any market is mostly divided into two; there is a segment that attaches a lot of importance on the quality of a product. These consumers are never greatly concerned with the price of the product. They spend any amount of money to obtain a high quality product. This group of consumers includes the middle and the high-class members of the society. They carry out most of their shopping expeditions in super stores and legitimate outlets. Their buy genuine products most of which are manufactured by famous brands. The second group of consumers is one that have their actions dictated by the price of the commodity. These shoppers attach little value on quality and tend to stick to the basics of either a product or a service. This group constitutes the lower class members of the society. ... A business therefore needs to evaluate itself and determine its market group. The qualities oriented are unfortunately never the majority in most cases. A product targeting this market will therefore sell small quantity but at high prices. This results in adequate profit to keep the company in operation. The price-oriented shoppers are the majority in every economy; a product targeting them will sell a lot given their big number but at very low prices. Without effective management between the cost of production and the selling price, some of such products incur losses resulting in the closure of such companies. It thus is a prerequisite that a business organization carries out an effective business research to determine its market and all the requirements of the niche (Bogomolova, 2011). The process of improving sales and profits of a particular product begin with the evaluation of the performance of the product. After determining the market segment in which to operate, the investor decides on the quality level of products to produce for the very market. Quality of products is likely to attract more clients but only if the product targeted the quality oriented market segment. Quality of a product encompasses a number of the product features such as product life or even durability. Customers are attracted more to durable products. By increasing the durability of an electronic or the shelf life of some perishable products through addition of preservatives, a company becomes more likely to register improved sales. However, durable products mean that after buying, a client stays away from the shop for a very long time, which may hamper the sales in a way. Another basic way of improving quality of a product is to improve its packaging. The shape, color

Mobile Computing - The Age of Handeld Devices Research Paper

Mobile Computing - The Age of Handeld Devices - Research Paper Example It is unimaginable today to think the kind of dependency people have on smart phones in this time and age. Cell phones are no longer a luxury. They are treated as a common man’s complete answer to his emailing, social-networking, communicating, profiling and corporate needs. From simple calls to text messages when it was launched, today cell phones can do hundreds of other vital tasks. It has woven the younger generation into complete interconnectivity and keeps the older generation well informed and updated. In simple words, mobile computing makes use of different high technology gadgets and devices, it has helped make communication easy and the lives of people more convenient by keeping them well informed about the current happenings. (Talukdar, 2010 ) Before we delve further into the ways in which mobile computing has made life easy, lets take a look at a short history of mobile computing. Mobile computing hit of during the 1990s. That was when laptops were a rising phenome non. They had become the mainstream device which people used to keep with them to keep everyone connected to each other. That was just the beginning as since then innumerable number of devices have ventured into the market that have brought about a sense of wireless communication and have given an extra edge to everyone’s communication dilemma. Communication has become a very powerful entity today in both personal and professional lives. Before mobile computing could be introduced in the market of wireless business, communication was largely dependent on static networks. At that time, radio transmitters used to operate from a stable base. The transmitters had large antennas which used to connect. An example would be two way radios that police and army men used back then. Today, everyone has access to infinite number of high end devices which can easily connect to the internet. These devices are offered by different technology companies and are installed with Bluetooth, wirele ss cards, or infra red interfaces. Since it started in 1990s, mobile computing has evolved very rapidly and persistently. It has become so convenient and so much in sync with everyone’s daily lives that it is difficult to dis-associate with it in any part of the world. The convenience in wireless connectivity is not a rare phenomenon and is being used by everyone. Hundreds of other solutions are being offered by different mobile computing companies. The mobile phones are fully embedded with features which allow the user to access the internet wirelessly, through the Bluetooth interfaces or wireless cards. Smart-phones are the in-thing. Apple and Blackberry have a huge role to play in the way smartphones integrated themselves in the mainstream life of people. Blackberry’s introduction of BBM, a free messaging service of BB users took the world by storm. Friends, families, relatives rush to buy blackberry because of this service. It has made communication on the go so ea sy to the point of turning it into a full blown addiction. Iphone has made its way into the world of touch interface mobile computing with a storm. It all started off with the ipods and the next thing became the iphone, a touch based smart phone with all the glamor and luxury of owning a mobile computing device. The personal digital assistants and modern laptops similarly have also become the commonly used gadgets. These

International Exams for English Learners Research Paper

International Exams for English Learners - Research Paper Example Despite the numerous changes it has undergone, today, the test is accepted, alongside popular tests like International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), and Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and Oral Proficiency Interview - computer (OPI-c) (Harper 91). However, it is currently not supposed to be taken by the foreign students who are nationals of the Commonwealth of the Nations. They are exempted because of being Anglophones-having English as their official language. First, the test covers listening skills. Since listening is one of the core skills in English language, students taking the test have to answer questions about it. To test the learners’ listening abilities, the test is designed with six passages in which the students have to listen to a series of conversations between an instructor and students. After keenly listening to these conversations, the students are given a chance to respond to questions. Sure ly, this is one of the ways through which the test effectively prepares students for higher education within the country. As English students, they need to have a sound knowledge of listening. Through it, they can be well ‘equipped with important skills like interpretation and understanding of main ideas, arguments, speaker’s attitudes, the relationship between opinions and organization of information’ (Sharpe 73). In fact, these are just basic skills that a university graduate should possess.

African american politic of social change Essay

African american politic of social change - Essay Example These factors include race and ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality, class, age, migration status and disability or ability. Put simply, any inequality is never the product of a single, isolated factor. Rather it is the result of the intersections of various social factors, experiences, and power relations. This paper analyzes how two figures, namely Ida B. Wells and Amy Marcus, understood and utilized intersectionality as a lens through which to analyze events and as a political tool in the pursuit of the broader goals of their respective movements. The analysis is undertaken in the historical settings of their efforts. In addition, their specific events, writings, and actions are assessed as a way of conducting the analysis. Ida Bell Wells was an African-American woman who lived between July 1862and March 1931. In their career life, Wells worked as a journalist, a newspaper editor, a suffragist, a sociologist and as an initial leader in the civil rights movement. As a journalist, Wells documented the lynching of blacks in the United States (Bressey 1). They demonstrated that it was a way of controlling blacks who displayed opposition to whites in any sphere of life. The lynching was usually done on the pretext of rape charges (Logan 50). Being an active leader of the civil rights movement, Wells established many leading womens organizations across the United States. These included the National Association of Colored Women which Wells founded in 1896 and the Women’s Era Club. The latter became the first civic organization for black women. Moreover, Wells co-founded the National Afro-American Council. Wells was endowed with public speaking skills and spoke at several international civil rights even ts. The African-American Civil Rights Movement comprised several social movements across the United States. The goal of the movement was two-fold: first, the movement sought to bring to and end

International Exams for English Learners Research Paper

International Exams for English Learners - Research Paper Example Despite the numerous changes it has undergone, today, the test is accepted, alongside popular tests like International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), and Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and Oral Proficiency Interview - computer (OPI-c) (Harper 91). However, it is currently not supposed to be taken by the foreign students who are nationals of the Commonwealth of the Nations. They are exempted because of being Anglophones-having English as their official language. First, the test covers listening skills. Since listening is one of the core skills in English language, students taking the test have to answer questions about it. To test the learners’ listening abilities, the test is designed with six passages in which the students have to listen to a series of conversations between an instructor and students. After keenly listening to these conversations, the students are given a chance to respond to questions. Sure ly, this is one of the ways through which the test effectively prepares students for higher education within the country. As English students, they need to have a sound knowledge of listening. Through it, they can be well ‘equipped with important skills like interpretation and understanding of main ideas, arguments, speaker’s attitudes, the relationship between opinions and organization of information’ (Sharpe 73). In fact, these are just basic skills that a university graduate should possess.

Administrator and Teacher Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Administrator and Teacher Interview - Essay Example After enrolling at Hardin-Simmons University, I realized what my calling was. A professor noticed that I had many hours in Spanish and asked me if I had ever considered teaching Spanish or bilingual education. I had always loved working with children, as I had worked with children in my high school years, helping them to read and practice math. And so, my career in education began. After some time in school, I began to realize all the benefits of being an educator: summers and holidays off, time with my family, working with children, and a love for a career unlike any other. (2) Would you recommend the education profession to others? Why or why not? I would only recommend the education profession to others that truly want to teach. The rewards from the students’ successes are wonderful. Most parents are kind and helpful. There are many more positive aspects to teaching, but there are also negative aspects to teaching. For example, teachers are some of the lowest paid professio nals in the country. Teachers must continue to educate themselves to stay current in educational trends, often at their own expense. There is immense pressure to make students perform on state accountability tests because student scores are tied to state funds for the schools. (3) Are there any other teachers in your family? If so, who? I have two cousins who are educators in Texas. (4) What is your highest level of education? (Masters) Leadership of Learning, M.Ed. (5) How long have you been an educator? I have been an educator for thirteen years. (6) What is your greatest challenge as an educator? My greatest challenge is getting parents involved in their children’s education. (7) How do you balance the demands of your profession with the political realities of the education system? It is difficult. I often take the political realities personally. I try to do my job and leave the other â€Å"stuff† at school. Sometimes I vent to those I trust, and sometimes administr ators hear my voice if I feel passionately enough about the topic. I try not to rock the boat too often because I feel like everyone is constantly critiquing my actions and me. (8) Do you live in the community that you work in? If yes, do you believe that it is important for educators to live in the community in which they work? Why or why not? I live in a nearby town. I believe that it is important for the educator to be involved in the community. An educator does not have to live in the community to be involved. I loved living in the community where I taught because the students could come over at any time. On the other hand, living outside the community offers more privacy. (9) Who was your greatest educational influence? My high school science teacher helped me love learning. He taught me to become a life-long learner. Later, he hired me in my first teaching position. During my time working with him, Mr. Hardy taught me what a true leader is: one who serves others. (10) What is the greatest benefit of being an educator? The greatest benefit is watching young people learn and love learning. When a child realizes that he/she can do anything with effort, it is amazing to watch them try new things and succeed. It is more amazing to watch them fail and try again in a different way. That shows that they are growing as students. When they accomplish what they thought was impossible, their smiles and hugs are the greatest pay. b) Administrator and Teacher Interview i) Make arrangements to interview both an administrator and a teacher. Utilize the questions below in the interview and record their responses: (1) Why did you choose to go into education as a career? I chose to go into edu

Critical Thinking and Perception Essay Example for Free

Critical Thinking and Perception Essay What is real? Our perception of reality is often a product of the environment in which we live. In general, we formulate ideas of reality based on our own experiences as well as the experiences of the people around us. Our lives are influenced constantly by our surroundings. I truly believe that perception is a learned skill and not instinctive. Outside of our communities, television, radio and movies sculpt our perception of the outside world. I think most of my thinking at the ordinary level is based on perception, language, and information. At the most there is one logic step: If this than that. I think most thinking takes place in the perceptual stage. These are the questions that arise, How much do I take in? and how do I look at things? This perception is based on habits of perceptions and what I hear, what I read and how I express myself. I understand that we do not need to use much explicit logic because we have already built the logic into our language. For example, killing is bad unless justified by war or self-dense. I know that with decisions I followed what was recommended and what my friends were doing and then rationalized it with the following rationalization: Everyone does this and the stock rises for a while and when the market eventually gets a severe correction I rationalize that as well. This rationalization is based on informationnot all-available information but a selection that fits what I was inclined to do anyway. I think that logic can be used to reinforce perceptions (and prejudices) but logic and argument will not change perceptions. Perception is more than sensing; it is processing, reacting, and interpreting. Faith Bryne describes perception as, detecting the nature of both outer and inner worlds. In many cases, it also means responding in some way, either consciously or unconsciously. (Perception, 57) Perception is the way we look at things and I think processing is what we do with that perception. In my view if we take processing for granted then perception becomes even more important, because the way we look at a situation will determine what we can do about it. The influences (family, teachers, religion, race, environment, and economic level) that have shaped or conditioned my identity by instilling values, beliefs, viewpoints or attitudes that I have a ccepted without challenge serves as a perceptual block. The situations in which I am less of an individual because of these influences occur when I refuse to understand someone elses opinion or look for other points of view because of something I have been conditioned to believe is true. I am not one who handles others opinions without asking for them. I am not very consistent in ensuring that my opinions are informed. Often times I have not taken careful consideration of the evidence and have treated opinions as facts especially if I have expressed it to the point that I have begun to believe it as truth. At times, in what matters most I am inclined to assume too much and take too much for granted. I feel the strongest urge to conform when someone is a positive role model and conforming to this type of behavior I believe adds value. However, a situation in which this conformist tendency has interfered with my judgment is following others because it seemed the lesser of two evils. All to often at the workplace this is how some decisions are made just to close an issue that ultimately will recycle. Additionally, I tend to jump or make hasty conclusions more often than I would like. This occurs more so in the area of personal relationships. I have learned that there ar e some errors and bad habits that can lead to shallow or uncritical decisions instead of careful judgments. I have gained the most insight from the following errors and bad habits, which are: Resistance to change (habits), Conformity, Rationalization, Stereotyping, common sense, Oversimplification, Hasty conclusions, and unwarranted assumptions. I think the real key to each the of errors and habits mentioned above is my being conscious of the tendency to do them and to get into the habit of applying and practicing the different ways or approaches to avoiding the blocks to critical thinking. This will be an ongoing process if I am to be in control of my own beliefs, and to somehow gain an understanding of the truth, then I must know what good reasoning is, and be aware of the ways in which my reasoning (and that of others) can go astray. How I tend to perceive certain situations in my life and how others may see it may not always agree with my thinking. This is a big obstacle that I will have to work on being better at and learning how to understand others perceptions. References Brynie, Faith Hickman. (2001). Perception. Blackbirch Press, Inc. (p 57

Violence Women Pakistan

Violence Women Pakistan Media briefing: Violence against women in Pakistan Subject: [women-rights] Media briefing: Violence against women in Pakistan Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2002 18:18:11 +0100 * News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty International * 16 April 2002 ASA 33/010/2002 62/02 The government of Pakistan vigorously condemns the practice of so-called honour killings. Such acts do not find a place in our religion or law. Killing in the name of honour is murder and will be treated as such. General Pervez Musharraf, April 2000 Introduction Women in Pakistan are severely disadvantaged and discriminated against. Violence against women in the home and community as well as in the custody of law enforcement officials is on the rise. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) found that in 2000 a woman was raped every two hours, and that hundreds were victims of honour killings, domestic violence, burnings and murder. While a few positive changes have taken place over the last couple of years, the government is still failing to protect women from these abuses. Many cases receive media attention and the involvement of human rights organizations, but they are quickly forgotten. Other women suffer abuses in silence for years, die violent deaths and get buried in unmarked graves. Womens awareness of their rights has increased thanks to the work of Pakistani womens rights groups. However most women remain ignorant of even their most basic rights. A newspaper survey in 2000 reported that almost 90% of women did not realise that they had any rights at all. In its fifth report on women in Pakistan, Amnesty International summarizes the current governments commitments to uphold womens rights, describes cases of abuses in the community, in the home and in custody and the failure of the criminal justice system. The report also sets out recommendations. Family and community Domestic violence, which includes physical abuse, rape, acid throwing, burning and killing, is widespread in Pakistan. Few women would complain under legal provisions relating to physical injury. For those who do take the step, police and the judiciary usually dismiss their complaints and send them back to their abusive husbands. Very poor women, women from religious minorities and women bonded labourers are particularly vulnerable to violence in the community and home. According to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, over 90% of married women report being kicked, slapped, beaten or sexually abused when husbands were dissatisfied by their cooking or cleaning, or when the women had failed to bear a child or had given birth to a girl instead of a boy. Another organization stated that one woman is murdered and one woman is kidnapped in Pakistan every day. ? The case of Shukria On 22 October 2001, Sharif in village Goharpur, Sheikhupura district, Punjab province, tied his wife Shukrias wrists and ankles with rope, poured kerosene over her and with the help of his mother and sister set her on fire. The couple had been married for ten years. As they remained childless, Sharif wanted to marry another woman but Shukria did not agree to this. Neighbours tried to rescue Shukria but she died shortly afterwards in hospital. Women continue to die painful deaths in so-called stove burn accidents in the kitchen. The HRCP estimates that less that 20% of deaths lead to arrests and most suspects are released within days. Acid-throwing is on the increase. Acid burns do not usually kill but result in hideous disfiguration and suffering, destruction of self-esteem, and confine women to the home. The government has done little to restrict the sale of acid or to punish those who use it to injure women. Forced marriage of young girls continues to be reported despite a legal minimum age of 16. While slavery is illegal in Pakistan, girls and women continue to be traded to settle debts or conflicts. In Sukkur in 2000, a six-year-old girl was married to a 60-year-old man when her family was unable to repay a debt. According to newspaper reports the marriage was consummated and the little girl screamed loudly for hours after the rape. A form of forced marriage specific to the interior of Sindh province is the marriage of girls and women to the Quran. This keeps the womans share of property in the family as she will have no children to pass it on to. Human rights organizations report that there are currently over 5000 women married to the Quran in Sindh. Pakistan is both a country of origin and a transit country for the trafficking of women for domestic labour, forced marriage and prostitution. This form of slavery is organized by crime networks that span South Asia. The open sale of girls and women in markets is reported in underdeveloped areas such as parts of Balochistan. Some women, both local and trafficked, are killed if they refuse to earn money in prostitution. Some are forced into prostitution by their husbands. Journalist Sufi Mohammad Khan from Badin, Sindh, was killed on 2 May 2001 after reporting extensively about trafficking in drugs and women in the Tharparkar area of Sindh which happened with the connivance of apathetic authorities. He reported that some 70 women have been kidnapped in Sindh and Punjab, detained by the Arbab feudal family and forced into prostitution. The journalist was bribed and threatened by members of the family. Honour killings Honour killings are carried out by men who assume that their wives, daughters or sisters have in some way contravened norms relating to the behaviour of women which reflect on and damage a mans honour. Often the grounds for such assumptions can be very flimsy and amount to nothing more than a suspicion about a womans fidelity. Men are also known to have felt shamed if their women seek divorce or become the victims of rape. The exact number of honour killings is impossible to ascertain as many go unreported. Media and human rights organizations estimate that three women are murdered each day. In 2000, the HRCP recorded over 1000 honour killings in Punjab alone. Prosecution of honour killings is lax and only a few men have been convicted. In the higher levels of government and the judiciary, honour killings are recognised as a serious problem. The government of Pakistan has condemned honour killings as murder and a seminar in Karachi in April 2001 looked at problems of redress in honour crime cases. However no action has followed and honour killings continue to be reported daily. In December 2000, three brothers overpowered their sister-in-law, Anila, sprinkled kerosene on her clothes and set her on fire in a village near Sukkur when they suspected her of infidelity. Her father rescued her and took her to hospital where, with 85% burns, she died. In early 2001, Mir Afzal cut off the nose of his wife Amroz Khatoon in Karachi as he suspected her of infidelity. He then attempted to kill her but neighbours alerted by the noise interceded. Police arrested the man and his accomplices but Amroz Khatoon has received threats to her life if she pursues her complaint. In March 2001, a 60-year-old widow, Hidayat Khatoon, and 55-year-old Baksh Ali were killed by the widows son in Chandan village, district Sukkur. When the son surrendered to police, he said that he had been teased by villagers over his mothers alleged affair and had therefore killed both. In July 2001, 16-year-old Shoukat Labano in Sukkur district, shot dead his mother Rahima (33) when he suspected her of an affair. Increasingly honour killings involve not only the woman but several other family members. In November 2000, Mohammed Umar Magsi killed his 11-year-old daughter with an axe because he suspected her of having an affair. When his wife and younger daughter tried to intervene, he killed them as well. On 8 January 2001, Riaz Ahmed axed to death his wife, three daughters and two sons, because he suspected his wife of adultery. On 16 January 2002, Jamal threw hand grenades into his father-in-laws house when his wife refused to return to him, killing five of her relatives and injuring eight. The HRCP has observed that increasingly young boys are forced to attack or kill sisters who are opposed to a forced marriage. Afterwards the boys are formally pardoned by their fathers which allows them to go free. The emergence of fake honour killings is a worrying new trend. There is a pattern of men accusing their wives of being dishonourable with wealthy men purely for financial gain. The wife is declared kari (black woman, one who brings shame) and is killed. The suspected man is made to pay off the husband and he is pardoned. In a few cases, women have begun to resist violence in the name of honour. A young woman escaped death when she fought her husband. The local landlord held a jirga (tribal council) which established her innocence and asked the husband to apologise and take her back. Women who marry men of their own choice are often seen to damage their familys honour; they are frequently detained by their parents, forcibly married to someone else, threatened, humiliated, assaulted or killed. If a couple marry in court against the will of their parents, and the parents challenge the union, they can be charged with illicit sexual relations under the Zina Ordinance (which prohibits sex outside marriage). Newly-weds are advised to have their marriage confirmed by a magistrate and seek shelter with friends for some time. In many cases families accept the fact of marriage but sometimes their sense of shame is not appeased. Robina and Khushi Mohammad were killed in May 2000 by Robinas uncle and two brothers over two years after their wedding they had been in hiding but had finally returned to the husbands home. Custodial violence Physical abuse of women in custody continues to be rife in Pakistan. Despite promises of police reform, police continue to use torture to intimidate, harass and humiliate detainees to extract money or information. Women are subjected to gender-specific abuses including sexual harassment, public undressing and parading, and rape. Conditions of detention for women are also of grave concern. State inaction In April 2000, President Musharraf made a range of commitments to protect womens rights. Since then, there have been many positive signals and pronouncements but little effective change. The authorities are often aware of a series of abuses and do not intervene. Some officials prevent women from accessing the criminal justice system and seeking redress. Some court judgments over the past year-and-a-half have adequately protected womens rights while others have treated women as a mans property. This inconsistency indicates that the law is not being equally applied and the gender bias of individual judges is determining whether a woman is protected or not. Police confronted with complaints of domestic violence are known to refuse to register the complaint, to humiliate the victim or to have advised the battered woman to return home. Even the staff of state womens shelters frequently advise women to accept reconciliation and return home. Conviction rates for rape are very low. Police rarely respond adequately as they side with local people with influence who are involved in the crime. Women frequently dont seek redress out of shame but also because of the possibility of being accused of Zina if they cannot establish absence of consent. Recommendations Amnesty Internationals report makes recommendations which are well within the powers of the Government of Pakistan to implement and do not require a huge investment of resources. They do require political will and the determination that violence against women is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to continue. However, underlying the abuses suffered by women is a discrimination perpetuated by society as a whole. In this regard, everyone has a role to play ?government, political parties, religious groups, all elements of civil society and individuals. Everyone has a responsibility to commit themselves to the equality of all human beings, irrespective of gender. The recommendations include: The government should clearly and publicly condemn all acts of violence against women. It should develop policies and disseminate materials to promote womens safety in the home and community and in detention. The government should prohibit all acts of violence against women and establish legal protection. It should review existing laws, including the Zina law and the qisas and diyat law. Investigate all allegations of violence against women and prosecute and punish those found to be responsible. For a copy of the report please visit Report: www.web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/index/asa330062002