Textiles - Silk Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Textiles - Silk - Research Paper Example Ancient Chinese first developed silk fabric, with the earliest examples dating back to 3500 BC. Legend gives credit to a Chinese empress, Hsi-Ling-Shih, Lei-Tzu for discovering silk. Legend has it that she was in her garden sipping tea when a cocoon fell into the cup and since the tea was hot; the long silk strand was loosened. Apparently, she later raised silkworms and made a loom which she used to make silk fabrics. Originally, silks were reserved for the Chinese Kings for their use and presents to others. They later spread gradually in the Chinese culture and traded socially and geographically in Asia. It became a luxury fabric in the areas with access to Chinese merchants due to its lusture and texture. The demand for silk skyrocketed and became a staple of international trade (Philippa, 1993). There is evidence of the trade in silk from silk found in the hair of a 21st dynasty mummy, c.1070 BC in Egypt. This trade reached as far as the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, North Africa, and Europe. The trade was very extensive such that the main trade route between Asia and Europe came to be named the Silk Road. The Chinese emperors tried to keep sericulture knowledge so as to maintain a monopoly. Nonetheless, it reached Korea by 200 BC, ancient Khotan in around 100 AD, and India around AD 140. However, Chinese silk was the most sought-after and lucrative luxury item. It traded across the Asian and European continents with many civilizations like the ancient Persians economically benefiting from the trade. Today, the major producers of silk are India (14%) and China (54%). Japan is the leading consumer of Silk (Sara, 2007). Silk moths lay their eggs which later hatch to caterpillars (silkworms). The caterpillars are fed with fresh mulberry leaves. Thirty five days later, they are 10,000 times heavier compared to when hatched. A straw frame is put over the tray with caterpillars. Each caterpillar spins a cocoon when it moves its head in a certain pattern. L iquid silk is produced by two glands which force it through the head openings called spinnerets. It is coated with sericin, a protective water-soluble gum which solidifies on contact with air. Between 2–3 days, a caterpillar can spin about a mile of filament, encasing itself in a complete cocoon. Sadly, silk farmers kill most of the caterpillars by heat. Only a few are left to metamorphose into moths which breed a new generation of caterpillars. The cocoons are harvested and soaked into boiling water for the sericin which holds the silk fibers in a cocoon to soften. The fibers are unwound to make a continuous thread. Between three to ten threads are spun together forming a single silk thread (Sara, 2007). Sericulture refers to the raw production of silk through raising silkworms. Silkworm production relies on various environmental elements which affect silk production feasibility in many parts of the world. Since the harvesting process kills the larvae, animal rights and welf are activists have criticized the sericulture process. This led to Mohandas Gandhi promoting cotton spinning machines. In addition, he promoted Ahimsa silk (wild silk) made from the cocoons of semi-wild and wild silk moths. It is promoted in Southern India catering for people who do not prefer silk produced through killing of silkworms. The PETA organization has also campaigned against silk (Sara, 2007). Silk from silkworms is composed of two major proteins, fibroin and sericin.

KL Accountants Business Need for E-Marketing Strategy Essay

KL Accountants Business Need for E-Marketing Strategy - Essay Example Electronic media especially the internet would play a very significant role in building an e-marketing or electronic marketing strategy for KL Accountants Business. In this scenario, the terms e-marketing, or internet marketing or online marketing, are often interchanged, and are frequently used as synonymous. In more simple words, e-marketing is the way of marketing a product, service or good using internet. However, marketing over internet comprises both direct response marketing and indirect marketing components as well as requires using a variety of technologies to establish connection between businesses and their clients. Moreover, the e-marketing involves all the marketing related aspects but it is aimed at attracting new customers, maintaining present business status and developing its product brand individuality. KL Accountants Business Need for E-Marketing Strategy The internet marketing is an emerging trend and a way to accomplish literally millions of people each year. It is at the front position of a redefinition of approach businesses communicate with their clients. Seeing the importance and role of e-marketing in present day business, KL Accountants Business has decided to implement a most modern and effective e-marketing strategy for its business in order to improve its business and corporate working along with operational aspects. Additionally, with the implementation of this e-marketing strategy at KL Accountants Corporation, the business would be able to get huge return on investment (ROI) because this e-marketing strategy will improve the business market value and also support the traditional

Research Paper on Drug Testing Welfare for Benefits

On Drug Testing Welfare for Benefits - Research Paper Example One of the consequences of drug abuse can sometimes be joining the welfare system when drugs take over the drives and ambitions that would otherwise allow an individual to be able to work and become independent. Welfare serves a meaningful purpose in society in trying to help those who are in circumstances where they cannot find meaningful employment. Those who are choosing to use drugs, however, are not on a track towards gainful employment and a successful life. I believe that drug testing for welfare recipients will effectively limit the amount of drug abusers collecting money. The initial argument would appear to be part of the criminalization of the poor that is pervasive within this nation. According to Gustafson, â€Å"While lawmakers and the public seem unwilling to devote tax dollars to providing cash benefits to the poor, there seems to be a great willingness to spend money to police the poor – even when doing so seems to be economically inefficient or ineffectiveâ €  (59). The attitude of Americans seems to be that being poor is the equivalent of being immoral or criminal. There is a vast misunderstanding about what it is to be poor. Poverty most often does not occur because of poor choices of a criminal nature, but because of poor choices on a social level. This can mean everything from bad investments to having chosen to work for a company that eventually layoffs its employees. A poor choice is not the same as an immoral choice, and the consequences are not always predictable. Still, the American public does not seem willing to spend real money to help others out of poverty but is more than willing to spend money to criminalize the desperation that comes from being poor. One of the desperations that come from being poor can be drug abuse. While the vast majority of people on welfare are not drug users, there is a portion that are on welfare because of drug abuse or who have turned to drug use to relieve the pain of poverty. According to Gustafson, â€Å"Drug use among welfare recipients appears to be higher than drug use in the general population, but drug dependence which interferes with relationships and work, may not be higher† (60). Furthermore, Gustafson goes on to say that â€Å"even if welfare recipients use drugs, the vast majority who would be subjected to drug testing do not† (60). Therefore, it is not the majority who would be affected by drug testing and in order to combat the social problems associated with drug use, alternative services would need to be provided. It is clear that drug use among welfare recipients is counterproductive to the goals of welfare. The goal of welfare is to provide for people while they climb out of poverty towards a more successful future. Using drugs diminishes the ability of individuals as they endeavor to function in a productive society. Drug users need treatment, however, not to be goal seeking where employment and future success is concerned. Allowing pe ople who are using drugs to continue in the welfare system is a waste of those resources and should not be a part of that system. It would be more cost effective to treat those who test positive, providing care for their children during that time period, than it is to continue criminalizing that behavior. The costs of the ‘drug war’ is three to four times that of providing treatment

Education, Community and Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Education, Community and Diversity - Essay Example The local authorities to be researched are the Manchester City Council and Kent County Council. In addition, this report will concentrate on the major issues concerning the lives of teenagers and children staying in these two districts. The main identifiable difference between the two counties is their population. Information provided by Manchester confidential, reveals that Manchester City Council had a population of 503,100 as of 2011 (Manchester confidential 2012, p. 1). This was an increase of 19 percent from their previous population of 422,700 recorded after the 2001 census. The figure is different from the population of Kent County Council. The population of people staying in this county as from 2013 is presently approximated to be 1,493,500. The population comprises of every individual who stays in this region regardless of their nationality. In addition, it is the biggest non-metropolitan domestic authority region. However, this figure does not include the Medway Council region (Kent County Council 2011, p. 1). The similarity between Manchester City Council and Kent County Council is that both counties have recorded a high rate of child poverty. Manchester’s city center has been experiencing constant financial challenges such as recession. Consequently, Manchester City County has a high rate of child poverty in cities like Moss Side and Hulme that are located slightly away from city center of Manchester. Based on the research done by Wood (2014 p.1), the most affected areas include Longsight that recorded 46.55 percent and Hulme that recorded 47.47 percent. The statistics on the number of teenage children living in poverty in Moss Side was the highest at 49.43 percent. Similar report was recorded in Kent County Council. In 2013, there was disturbing reports that highlighted the increase in the rate of child poverty in the region. It was recorded that more than 56,000 residents of Kent were

What are the consequences of WTO accession for Russia Dissertation

What are the consequences of WTO accession for Russia - Dissertation Example In 2006, Russia had crossed an important barrier in its route to accessing the membership of World Trade Organization (WTO), with the signing of the bilateral agreement with US, though the process for a full membership would take longer to be completely realised. Russia's gradual progress in the negotiations for acquiring the WTO membership, is a positive signal for the international community, as it reflects Russia’s willingness to have an open trade relations within the global commerce. In the negotiation rounds, Russia had agreed to decrease its import tariff on the industrial and agricultural products by 3 % points, in slow progression. It had also agreed to free the domestic service sector, with a certain amount of restriction. There is a general belief that WTO accession will bring about a positive influence on the economic development of Russia by improving economic efficiency, increasing market competition, and by increasing the flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Russia. However, on the other hand with the opening up of the Russian markets there are some fears on the survival of the domestic firms under increasing competition from the foreign corporations. The chief objective of this paper is to understand and analyse implications that Russia may have to contend with WTO accession. Based on a secondary and qualitative form of research that involves literature review and analysis of Russia’s economy, all implications of WTO accession will be discussed to support the conclusion that WTO membership may be beneficial for Russia in the end. 1 Introduction â€Å"Russia risks taking a back seat to new post-crisis rules of world trade if it doesn’t join the WTO.†1 1.1 Background history In 1993, Russia officially applied to the General Agreement on Trade and Tariff (GATT) for accession, and in 1995, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the organization that succeeded GATT, took up its application. However, during the initial years a complete lack of political will and a general initiative by the Russian government, which was new and yet to create any structural framework to regulate the socio-economic and political environment, soon made the Russian impetus to join the WTO, lose its steam.2 After the 1998 economic crisis, as the Russian rouble deval ued, with a subsequent failure to repay the nation’s debt, the government became more involved in trying to revive the economy, with very little focus on the subject of WTO accession and the necessary negotiations. Fresh impetus to the issue was derived when the Vladimir Putin after being elected as the President of Russia in 2000, declared WTO accession as one of his prime goals, during his tenure at office. Under his interest and will, fresh rounds of negotiations and discussions were initiated. The Russian President’s declaration created a political commitment of sorts that allowed Russia to take initiative and search for meaningful resolutions, on various contentious issues related to its WTO accession. In May 2001, Russia created a ‘Review of the Russian Trade Policies,’ a report that was seen as the Protocol for the Russian accession to WTO. By early 2002, the WTO’s Working Party on Russia’s accession reviewed the first draft of the rep ort. 3 At this time, this signified that Russia had almost entered the last phase of the accession process, where it was negotiating the terms and conditions pertaining to its entry into the WTO, and contemplating the implementation of the necessary legislative reforms. However, soon there were

Education, Community and Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Education, Community and Diversity - Essay Example The local authorities to be researched are the Manchester City Council and Kent County Council. In addition, this report will concentrate on the major issues concerning the lives of teenagers and children staying in these two districts. The main identifiable difference between the two counties is their population. Information provided by Manchester confidential, reveals that Manchester City Council had a population of 503,100 as of 2011 (Manchester confidential 2012, p. 1). This was an increase of 19 percent from their previous population of 422,700 recorded after the 2001 census. The figure is different from the population of Kent County Council. The population of people staying in this county as from 2013 is presently approximated to be 1,493,500. The population comprises of every individual who stays in this region regardless of their nationality. In addition, it is the biggest non-metropolitan domestic authority region. However, this figure does not include the Medway Council region (Kent County Council 2011, p. 1). The similarity between Manchester City Council and Kent County Council is that both counties have recorded a high rate of child poverty. Manchester’s city center has been experiencing constant financial challenges such as recession. Consequently, Manchester City County has a high rate of child poverty in cities like Moss Side and Hulme that are located slightly away from city center of Manchester. Based on the research done by Wood (2014 p.1), the most affected areas include Longsight that recorded 46.55 percent and Hulme that recorded 47.47 percent. The statistics on the number of teenage children living in poverty in Moss Side was the highest at 49.43 percent. Similar report was recorded in Kent County Council. In 2013, there was disturbing reports that highlighted the increase in the rate of child poverty in the region. It was recorded that more than 56,000 residents of Kent were

Compare the ways in which Larkin Essay Example for Free

Compare the ways in which Larkin Essay Compare the ways in which Larkin and Abse create a sense of place in their poems. In your response you must include detailed critical discussion of at least two of Larkin’s poems. Throughout the anthology ‘The Whitsun Weddings’, Larkin’s presents both himself and the narrators he uses as generally detached from places and shows he doesn’t feel emotionally attached to places traditionally considered sentimental, such as his parents’ house, as shown in ‘Home is So Sad’. Larkin also presents a dislike for urbanisation and industrialism, and finds comfort in unfamiliar places, â€Å"strangeness made sense†. In direct contrast, in ‘Last Visit to 198 Cathedral Road†, Abse is shown to be emotionally overcome by his attachment to his parent’s house, and this sense of attachment can be shown throughout his poems, as he constantly shows his sentiment towards Wales and his hometown of Ogmore in particular. A sense of place is perhaps best shown by Larkin in his poem ‘Here’. In this poem, he creates a juxtaposition of country and cities, and through his language suggests that country is preferable. He uses words such as â€Å"cheap†, â€Å"grim† and â€Å"raw† to suggest he finds industrialism undesirable, and also suggests that the people are of a lower class and to be looked down on; â€Å"a cut-price crowd, urban yet simple†. The surging momentum of the poem’s opening lines imitates the swerving motion of the train, which reinforces Larkin’s views towards modernism, as the repetition of the verb â€Å"swerving† suggests an unpleasant sensation. In the third stanza, he creates a sense of city through description, â€Å"tattoo-shops, consulates, grim head-scarfed wives†, and chooses to show images with traditionally negative connotations, for example tattoos, to highlight his dislike for cities. The random acquisitiveness of the shoppers who converge makes them indistinguishable from the crowds in any other urban areas, suggesting the cities can be depersonalising. As may be expected of Larkin, he shows a disliking for consumerism, â€Å"cheap suits†, as a critic remarked ‘Larkin’s presentation of the growth of consumer culture evinces nostalgia for the innocence of the past’. Although for Larkin the countryside is depicted as â€Å"gold† and â€Å"shining†, as the train draws further from the country he begins to describe it with more negative words. Phrases such as â€Å"Isolate villages† and â€Å"unfenced existence† creates a semantic field that suggests isolation, which Larkin furthers by saying â€Å"loneliness clarifies†, suggesting that the space in the country allows for loneliness and neglect, as the people there are described as leading â€Å"removed lives†, whilst the â€Å"cluster† and â€Å"crowds† of the cities leave no space to feel alone. Larkin’s views on urbanisation are seen in other works of movement poets, who were â€Å"antimodernist†, therefore it could be argued that his views stem from the Movement. However, from a psychoanalytic viewpoint, Larkin’s attitudes could be due to the influence of growing up under the hardships of the postwar era, and the seemingly limitless freedoms of urbanisation didn’t conform to his traditional views. Acting as a direct juxtaposition to Larkin, Abse suggests he finds security and comfort in cities, as shown by the underlying feeling of attachment in his poem â€Å"Leaving Cardiff†. By never using place names, Larkin seemingly heightens his sense of place by allowing the reader to attach the industrial description to any town, whilst Abse could be argued to limit himself by through naming showing his poem to be about â€Å"Cardiff†. However, it could also be argued this demonstrates his attachment, as for Larkin the place is unimportant but it’s crucial for Abse. Abse’s language in ‘Leaving Cradiff’ creates a semantic field of lowness through images such as â€Å"slack hammocks† and â€Å"sea-birds drop†, which reflects his sadness at leaving home. Whilst Larkin shows no sentimentality towards home, Abse’s â€Å"eyes, like spaces, fill†, showing the extent of his attachment. The low mood of the poem is furthered by words such as â€Å"derelictions† and â€Å"the furthest star†. Interestingly, whilst Larkin amidst his isolation from place never suggests that place can affect people, Abse alludes to the opposite by saying â€Å"not for one second†¦can I be the same man†, which suggests some of who he is comes from his hometown. Through images such as these, Abse creates a sense of place in a different way to Larkin, as he uses little description but suggests the idea of belonging to a place, which the reader can see throughout the poem. Both poets write about returning to their parent’s homes after their deaths, allowing for a direct comparison between their descriptions and sense of attachment shown. In his poem ‘Home is so Sad’, there is a sense of discomfort, which suggests Larkin is never at ease even in his â€Å"home†. In contrast, Abse is shown to find comfort in his â€Å"last visit†. Larkin’s phrases such as â€Å"the last to go†, â€Å"withers† and â€Å"no heart† semantically suggests this lack of attachment. However in contrast to his ideas show in Here, â€Å"bereft of anyone to please† suggests that people can be shaped by a place, but Larkin simply isn’t. It is often remarked that Larkin was deeply affected by his parent’s unhappy marriage and that this influenced his decision not to get married, and this â€Å"unspent and boring youth† as Larkin once remarked is reflected in the line â€Å"a joyous shot at how things ought to be, long fallen wide†. It could thus be argued that Larkin lack of attachment comes from his personal experiences in the house, rather than a lack of sentimentality towards all places. Through listing objects, â€Å"the pictures†¦the cutlery†¦that vase† and never mentioning his parents Larkin completes the presentation of detachment from his â€Å"home†. Contrastingly, Abse repeatedly mentions his parents, â€Å"my father’s armchair†¦ so much dust, mother! † which suggests attachment as he attaches people to the place. â€Å"Dying room, rather† is a rather cynical tone for Larkin and could be used to demonstrate his attachment, as it clearly exemplifies his upset. Similarly, his personification of the objects, â€Å"the vase that yawned†¦the four-legged table in a fright† could be used to show this attachment, as he feels a need to personify to inanimate objects to give the â€Å"living room† the sense of life it always had to him. The literal and metaphorical â€Å"return to the dark† suggests the extent of his attachment to what was presumably his childhood home. The final line of the last stanza, through which he creates a sense of eerie quiet, â€Å"when the silence calmed, became profound† suggests he wants to replace the silence, as the stillness isn’t comforting, whereas Larkin often finds comfort in solitude and silence. Interestingly, Larkin successfully creates a sense of place in ‘the importance of elsewhere’ which is about Ireland and therefore not his home, which reinforces his lack of attachment and his uneasiness at home. After stating â€Å"Lonely in Ireland, since it was not home† Larkin continues to suggest he feels â€Å"welcome† whilst away as he and the country â€Å"were in touch†. He uses similar descriptions to in ‘Here’, still describing the countryside as preferable to cities, but the clear use of the pronoun â€Å"their† still suggests a detachment, as it becomes ‘him and them’. In the last stanza, Larkin alludes to understanding the effect of place on people, as says â€Å"here no elsewhere underwrites my existence†, which suggests that people can be heavily influenced by place. Through this, he creates a sense of place by allowing the reader to understand the place which ‘underwrites their existence†, which reinforces the idea that poetry is about reader-response, as I.A. Richards once said. In conclusion, the stark difference between the sense of place created in Larkin and Abse’s poetry is the sense of attachment. Whilst Larkin is detached, Abse feels sentimentally specifically towards his hometown and country. However, it could be argued that sense of sadness created by each poet stems from different reasoning, as Abse is sad due to his attachment to a place, whilst Larkin is generally detached from both place and people.