King Arthur Vs Zeus Essays - Merlin, Mythological Kings,

King Arthur Vs Zeus Inside the compilation of mythical stories of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table, retold by Roger Green, and Heroes, Gods, and Monsters of the Greek Myths, two major characters in each story that could be expressed in similar and contrasting ways are Arthur, the king and head of the knights of the Round Table, and Zeus, the supreme leader of all gods and mortals. Similar resemblances that can be found in both is their shadowy lineage, their major mortal flaws, and their nature to journey on epic quests. Even though they were very similar in some aspects, the two were also very different in other means. Arthur is much more kind to his people and cares about them, while Zeus does not view his subjects as worthy of him and treats them unjustly. An additional difference is Arthur is more mild and not taking harsh action all the time, though Zeus is known for being severe. There are many similarities as well as differences that are attributed to these two mythical characters. Arthur and Zeus can be noted for their mysterious childhood and ways they were treated at infancy. Both had prophesies of prosperity that led them into adulthood. When Arthur was born, Uther Pendragon, the leader of the Britons, killed a man and married his wife, Igrayne. Uther and Igrayne had one child, but not much longer after it was born, Merlin the enchanter took him away. Soon after, the boy was placed in the arms of Sir Ector, a noble knight. Later, the youth pulled the sword out of a stone that proclaimed that he was the king of all Britain. This young man would later on grow up to be King Arthur. Not unlike Arthur, Zeus also had a unnatural background. Before Zeus was born, there was a prophecy that stated that Cronos, the king of all gods, would be overthrown by one of his sons. When Zeus was born, he was concealed from his father. As time went by, Zeus waged a war against Cronos and defeated him. Though Zeus and Arthur came from entirely different locations and times, thei r childhood's were related on account of both of them being hazy. Even though some might not consider either of the two ?mortal?, Arthur and Zeus had very notable human-like flaws. They both seemed to rush to judgements hastily, and were very passionate towards women. When Arthur hears about King Pellinore and how he is shamelessly killing knights, Arthur runs off to fight. Obviously, Arthur does not give himself time to think, and would have died if it was not for Merlin. Another example would be when Arthur runs off to the Castle of Tarn Wathelyne and pays no heed to Sir Gawain's warnings. King Arthur ends up being tricked by Morgana Le Fay and would perish save a horrid woman who forced Sir Gawain to marry her for King Arthur's life. Many times King Arthur would have been killed if it weren't for his friends such as Merlin and Sir Gawain. Zeus showed the same characteristic even though it played no part in death for himself. The mighty god jumped to his feet and killed when he found out that Ascelpsius was curing mortals headed to the underworld . Later, Zeus regretted his act of terror and brought Ascelpsius back to life. Passionate feelings for other women, and desire for romance were huge faults in Arthur and Zeus. Arthur's feelings for Guinevere led to the downfall of the Logres. At first, when Arthur saw Guinevere, he immediately fell in love with her. Through carelessness and desire for romance, Arthur neglected Merlin's advice of not marrying the queen. When Guinevere and Lancelot had an affair, a war started, and the realm was destroyed. In Zeus' case, the gods are not affected by romantic affairs, but the mortals they make love with are affected. Zeus approached many different gods or mortals, even though he is already married to Hera. Hera occasionally followed Zeus, and punished the ones with whom he had affairs. The mythical figures Arthur and Zeus both have major moral flaws: rashness and crave for passion. King Arthur and Zeus are best known for their

Green Living - 5 Ways to Help Save the Planet

Green Living - 5 Ways to Help Save the Planet You may not be able to reduce global warming, end pollution and save endangered species single-handedly, but by choosing to live an earth-friendly lifestyle you can do a lot every day to help achieve those goals. And by making wise choices about how you live, and the amount of energy and natural resources you consume, you send a clear message to businesses, politicians and government agencies that value you as a customer, constituent and citizen. Here are five simple things you can do- in 30 minutes or less- to help protect the environment and save Planet Earth. Drive Less, Drive Smart Every time you leave your car at home you reduce air pollution, lower greenhouse gas emissions, improve your health and save money. Walk or ride a bicycle for short trips, or take public transportation for longer ones. In 30 minutes, most people can easily walk a mile or more, and you can cover even more ground on a bicycle, bus, subway or commuter train. Research has shown that people who use public transportation are healthier than those who do not. Families that use public transportation can save enough money annually to cover their food costs for the year. When you do drive, take the few minutes needed to make sure your engine is well maintained and your tires properly inflated. Benefits of Public TransportationKeeping Your Tires Properly Inflated Could Help Save the Planet- and Your Life Eat Your Vegetables Eating less meat and more fruits, grains and vegetables can help the environment more than you may realize. Eating meat, eggs and dairy products contributes heavily to global warming, because raising animals for food produces many more greenhouse gas emissions than growing plants. A 2006 report by the University of Chicago found that adopting a vegan diet does more to reduce global warming than switching to a hybrid car. Raising animals for food also uses enormous amounts of land, water, grain and fuel. Every year in the United States alone, 80 percent of all agricultural land, half of all water resources, 70 percent of all grain, and one-third of all fossil fuels are used to raise animals for food. Making a salad doesn’t take any more time than cooking a hamburger and it’s better for you- and for the environment. What Are the Negative Health Effects of Red Meat? Switch to Reusable Shopping Bags Producing plastic bags uses a lot of natural resources, and most end up as litter that fouls landscapes, clogs waterways, and kills thousands of marine mammals that mistake the ubiquitous bags for food. Worldwide, up to a trillion plastic bags are used and discarded every year- more than a million per minute. The count for paper bags is lower, but the cost in natural resources is still unacceptably high- especially when there is a better alternative. Reusable shopping bags, made of materials that don’t harm the environment during production and don’t need to be discarded after each use, reduce pollution and save resources that could be put to better uses than making plastic and paper bags. Reusable bags are convenient and come in a variety of sizes and styles. Some reusable bags can even be rolled or folded small enough to fit into a purse or pocket. Reusable Bags: Paper, Plastic or Something Better?Why Stop Using Plastic Bags? Change Your Light Bulbs Compact fluorescent light bulbs and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are more energy efficient and less expensive to use than the traditional incandescent bulbs invented by Thomas Edison. For example, compact fluorescent light bulbs use at least two-thirds less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and they last up to 10 times longer. Compact fluorescent light bulbs also generate 70 percent less heat, so they are safer to operate and can reduce energy costs associated with cooling homes and offices. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, if every U.S. household replaced just one regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb, it would prevent 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, the equivalent of taking 7.5 million cars off the road. On top of that, for every incandescent bulb you replace with an approved compact fluorescent light bulb, you will save consumers $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. Change a Light Bulb and Change the WorldA Bright Idea Goes Global: Nations Worldwide Phasing Out Incandescent LightingChina Makes Commitment to Energy-Efficient LightingLet There Be Light: Solar-Powered LED Lamps Brighten Lives of Poor People Pay Your Bills Online Many banks, utilities and other businesses now offer their customers the option of paying bills online, eliminating the need to write and mail paper checks or to keep paper records. By paying your bills online you can save time and money, lower the administrative costs of companies with which you do business, and reduce global warming by helping to prevent deforestation. Signing up for online bill paying is easy and doesn’t take much time. You can either choose to have certain bills paid automatically each month or elect to review and pay each bill yourself. Either way, you will receive outstanding returns on your small investment of time.

The Effects of Social Media in Today's Society Research Paper

The Effects of Social Media in Today's Society - Research Paper Example Anyone with an internet connection can access social networking sites. Since 1975, when the first type of social networking was introduced in the form of Hotmail, social media has come a long way. It has been observed that social networking sites like Facebook and Orkut lead to time wastage, but their benefits cannot be completely ignored. This research paper aims to measure the positive and negative effects of social media on society. Who do social media reach and how can it influence people’s lives? Social media is accessible to anyone who has a simple internet connection at home, office or anywhere in his or her environment. It is reachable to people from all walks of life, from students to business professionals. Websites like MySpace and Bebo help connect friends and family by bringing them under a single platform. Similarly, social networking sites like eBay bring buyers and sellers to exchange commodities between them. In short, social media helps B2B (business to busin ess), B2C (business to consumers) and C2C (consumers to consumers) interact, share information or files, and trade all under a single platform (Hendricks, 2012). Social media influences our life and daily routine in a great many ways depending how we utilize these networking tools. Time is of essence, and this is what it helps save. People find it much easier to go online and read articles and electronic books rather than newspapers or books that are physical in nature. In this fast moving world, people have adapted to the technological development made especially in the last decade. There has been a huge decline in book reading as people have turned to social media to meet their reading needs. Social media is changing the social habit of people. Though eBooks save time, they cause massive exertion and fatigue (Coupland, 2012, p. 103). People find it much easier to shop online than to physically go to shops and malls to make purchases. Social media is changing the way people shop no wadays. Products can be ordered with just a single click and can be delivered right at the doorsteps. Such facilities have made life very convenient for people. However, there are major drawbacks of shopping online. People have become more careful when making purchases. Buyers often complain that the products delivered to them do not match the seller’s description. In some cases, they were charged twice as much as the initial cost. Cybercrimes are on the increase, and many people have reported crimes against identity and credit card thefts (Close, 2012). How social media can change the global climate Social media can change the global climate by making people aware of the rise in global pollution and the damage it is inflicting to the ozone layer. Altogether, about 300 million people use various types of social media and upload around 220,000 videos on YouTube on a diurnal basis. Such is the power of social media, and if these people can be reached with an effective message, then the results could be very successful. Efforts are being made with a simple plan in mind. Most charitable and non-governmental organizations have joined hands for a peaceful revolution against massive pollution. The main idea is to create a community on social networking websites and blogs and try to get as many likes as possible. Frequently posting articles helps educate the readers about the dire consequences of pollution and how the planet can be saved. These articles are read and then shared by readers with their friends and

HRM 'Managing Human Resources' Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

HRM 'Managing Human Resources' - Assignment Example The HRM function is of particular importance in the post-industrial economy (Harris, 2003) In this emerging system, the critical factor in production has shifted from machines and equipment to the "knowledge" worker (Marchington, 2002). That is, service has replaced production as the driving force in the economy, and the prominent way value is added is through the expertise of knowledge workers and the ministrations of service providers. In systems like this, it becomes even more important to obtain and use the full talents of all employees in the organization. Thus, the skilful adoption and use of HRM policies becomes a significant lever through which to move and direct the performance of the organization. As Gibb (2000) noted, HRM is really a series of policy choices about how employees are to be treated, paid, and worked. These policies will in turn impact and condition the nature of the employment relationship. Different policies lead to different outcomes in employee commitment, competence, and congruence with organizational goals. Likewise, each policy choice presents the decision maker with a distinctive cost and benefit alternative. For example, compensation policy choices to pay either at the low, average, or high end of the labour market have rather dramatic implications for employee commitment to the organization and for costs to the employer. The fundamental rationale for effective management of human resources should be to identify and implement those policies, programs, and procedures that will yield the desired levels of loyalty, skill, and direction in the most cost-effective manner possible. In this sense, HRM offers to organizational decision makers a set of people in vestment opportunities. Managing human resources effectively has never been as important as it is today and will be tomorrow. In today's service economy of knowledge-based, high-discretion jobs, the commitment and competence of employees can spell the difference between those organizations that win and those that are merely in the race. Establishing policies, programs, and practices that produce these results on a cost-effective basis and comply with laws and regulations is a complex undertaking. HRM can and should play a strategic role in the management of the organization. According to Chandy (2001), a large number of organizations have encountered severe difficulties finding personnel in recent years. We have little knowledge about how organizations are coping with these difficulties and are going about hiring staff. Considering the supply/demand trends of the last few decades - when the labour market used to be a buyers' market and a considerable pool of unemployed formed a buffer that could absorb cyclic fluctuations in labour demand - it is almost not astounding that most studies focused on employees' job seeking activities. (Chandy, 2001, pp 403-405) Research on the theoretical and empirical facet of organizations' behaviour to find appropriate staff, has studied first and foremost the selection behaviour: how to select personnel from a group of applicants. Nearly all vacancies are filled from a group of applicants that is created soon after posting the vacancy. On account of the economic expansion of the first

Geographical Layout of an Area on Its Politics Essay Example for Free

Geographical Layout of an Area on Its Politics Essay What is the effect of the geographical layout of an area on its politics, society, and economy? Physical characteristics of a specific area can have a substantial impact on its history. Regardless of how close one area is to another the outcome of the civilization could be completely different because of how the people have had to adapt to live in their respective areas. This issue would explain how intertwined history is with geography. Europe’s geography provided many disadvantages and advantages which have been the factors for its many successes and failures. Since the majority of Europe is surrounded by water it was a peninsula. This made it so they could trade with ease. The many rivers and mountain ranges of Europe most certainly aided in protecting certain civilizations from invasion or being involved in wars. The wildly vast and diverse geographic features in Europe set the tone for trading routes to prosper, long-lasting cultures to develop, and battles to occur that would change the identity of the region indefinitely. A region’s geographic shape is instrumental in determining what a region will become. Due to Europe’s geographical shape it became a hotspot for any and all trade. With natural resources plentiful Europe was constantly bustling with business. The Iberian Peninsula gave Spain and Portugal easy access to trade with foreign countries. The Balkan Peninsula gave many countries along the Aegean Sea the effortless option to trade. The many Peninsulas provided great advantages for Europeans due to the plentiful food the oceans supplied. These advantages molded many European civilizations into what they are today whether they isolate themselves from others or interact. The specific geographical features within a region provided protection, but also could have provided isolation. The many rivers and mountain ranges of Europe provided many people with fertile soil and a feeling of safety. However, the mountain ranges could stop trade between countries and slow the advancement of technology and knowledge between these regions. The rivers on the other hand would encourage trade and it would flourish. The physical characteristics of a region affect the decisions people greatly. Europe has a wide variety of terrains. Some help the people who live there, while others force people to adapt. These features influenced the development of many areas. For example the Alps acted as a barrier throughout the Punic Wars. It was perhaps the Roman Empire’s greatest asset. Several times Hannibal was forced to attack by sea instead of being able to invade from the North. This is not the only time in history was affected by geographical features. Climate overcame Hitler’s forces in the Invasion of Russia. The cold winter air killed off many of Hitler’s forces. That event alone could have changed the entire turnout of WWII. Europe’s features both hindered and kindled its growth as a world power. People’s choices have always been affected by their surroundings. The geographic features found in Europe were a commodity and the reason Europe succeeded the way it did for so long. Europe is filled with a wide variety of natural resources and geographical features. Sometimes their surroundings were beneficial and other times it was detrimental. Geography affected the choices of everyone. These features are what caused certain trade routes to emerge, cultures to find their identities, and wars to take place where they did.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti :: Biography Biographies Essays

Dante Gabriel Rossetti    Dante Gabriel Rossetti was born in 1828, but not with that name; not entirely, that is. In truth, he was born Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti, son of an Italian scholar living in London, but later changed the arrangement of his name so as to closer identify himself with the great 13th-14th century Italian poet Dante Aligheri, author of la Divina Comedia and Vita Nuova (Everett, np). His obsession with Dante impacted his work, both literary and artistic; from his masterpiece "Beata Beatrix" to his poetry buried with wife Elizabeth Siddal, he lived and worked under the duality of beauty, the fight between the body and the soul, best expressed in "The House of Life," particularly sonnets 77 and 78, "Soul's Beauty" and "Body's Beauty" respectively. Even early in his career, Rossetti's interest in Dante is apparent. In 1848, he translated portions of Aligheri's Vita Nuova, which details Dante's unconsummated love for Beatrice, a theme that also runs through the Divine Comedy. It is at this time that Rossetti changed the order of his name and initials, dropping "Charles" altogether. This would become a lifelong identification with the poet, emphasized by his relationship with Elizabeth Siddal (Rodgers, p 16). In 1860, Rossetti married Siddal, a model and artist with whom he had an affair. This wasn't a happy marriage, both partners suffering from depression and drug addiction. Moreover, this was a "pity" marriage, done not out of love but out of loyalty to Siddal, believing he could save her from herself. Part of Rossetti's obsession with Dante became an identification of two kinds of love, one being chaste and spiritual and identified with the person of Beatrice, the other being earthly and physical. In marrying Siddal, Rossetti felt he was destroying her position as Beatrice, despite the fact that they were already lovers. The marriage was a short, tumultuous one, ending in the suicide of Siddal by way of a drug overdose of Laudanum, an opiate. Depressed, especially since the miscarriage of their only child, and no doubt also by Rossetti's infidelities, particularly with Jane Morris, wife of friend and fellow Pre-Raphaelite William Morris, Siddal is thought to have intention ally overdosed on the narcotic.

Tata Motors – Macro Environment

For financial year 2008, the TATA motors reported the consolidated revenues (net of excise) at Rs. 356. 51 bn posted a growth of 10. 2% over Rs. 323. 61 bn in the previous year. The Consolidated Profit after tax (PAT) for the year was Rs. 21. 67 bn, a marginal decrease over Rs. 21. 69 bn in the previous year. Standalone EBITDA impacted by 6. 6% to Rs. 30. 92 bn in FY08 from Rs 33. 12 bn in FY07; EBITDA margin stood at 10. 76% in FY08 as compared to 12. 06% in the previous financial year. Following are the main macro environmental factors from FY08 that had direct bearing on the company’s revenue and profitability figures: GDP Growth Encouraged by the continuing thrust in investments which grew by 31. 6%, the GDP growth in the third quarter of fiscal 2008 came in at 8. 4% compared to 9. 1% in the same quarter last year. A good kharif season supported growth of 3. 2% in agriculture while Industry and services grew at a moderated level of 8. 4% and 10. 5% respectively. CSO’s advance estimates projects the overall GDP at 8. 7% in the full year 2008. While the sequential decline in the GDP growth (9. 3% and 8. 9% in the first two quarters of the current year) indicates moderation of growth, it is expected that the growth momentum would continue, led by investments. Risk to growth going forward is expected to come from worsening inflation, increasing interest rates and weak global cues. Infrastructure Index The growth in the infrastructure industries for the period Apr – Feb’08 was subdued with all sectors, except coal , witnessed a lower growth on a y-o-y basis. Crude oil saw the least growth of 0. % followed by Finished steel (5%), Coal (5. 6%), Petroleum products (7. 2%) and cement(7. 5%) during this period. Index of Industrial Production IIP growth for the period Apr-Mar’08 is 8. 1% over the corresponding period of last year. On a sectoral basis, manufacturing showed the largest decline in growth from 12. 5% to 8. 6% followed by electricity (7. 2% to 6. 4%) and mining (5. 4% to 5%). A look at the use-based data indicates that while capital goods have shown a robust growth at 16. 5%, consumer goods decelerated mainly due to decline of 1% in consumer durables. Inflation The headline inflation, which declined from 6. 4% at the beginning of the fiscal year to a low of 3. 1% on October 13, 2007, has seen significant increase in the later half of fiscal year 2008. For the week ended may 10th, the headline inflation had moved to 7. 82%,largely due to the rising global food and oil prices. This has instigated government to take stringent measures such as restricting exports of select products, lowering of excise duties and dissuading domestic manufacturers such as steel and cement companies from undertaking price increases. Prices of key raw materials used in the auto industry have also increased significantly. This is exerting pressure on the input costs of the auto manufacturers. Interest rates In response to the high inflation, RBI increased the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) by 50 bps to 8% before the scheduled policy meeting and further by 25 bps at the policy meeting on April 29th 2008. With high global commodity prices and ample liquidity in the system indicating significant risk to inflation, it may be expected that RBI will continue to take stringent steps to check the inflationary pressures in the economy. Any move to increase the interest rate would further impact industrial growth and investment momentum in the economy. Freight Rates The benchmark freight rate index registered a moderate 1. 1% y-o-y increase over the last one year while the diesel price index has increased by 3. 2% over the same period. The financing costs also increased during the year, putting up moderate pressure on the truck operators’ profitability position. The Government raised the prices of most widely used automotive fuel products, petrol and diesel, by Rs 2 per litre and Re 1 per litre respectively on February 14, 2008. Since then the global oil prices have moved up significantly crossing $135 per barrel, hence further fuel price hike cannot be ruled out, despite ongoing inflationary pressures on the economy. National Highway Development Project (NHDP) With substantial portion of the GQ having been completed and a significant portion of the NSEW corridor under implementation, the focus is now moved to Phase IIIA and Phase V