Money and the Congressional Campaign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Money and the Congressional Campaign - Essay Example This is indeed unrealistic but there are a number of speculations that may be used to analyze the narrative because there is no statistically observable linkage between spending and the likelihood of victory (Dubner Web). Candidates spending had much smaller effect in winning the elections than expected. This essay tends to ascertain the reasons behind the relationship between huge spending and likelihood of victory for the congressional candidates. According to Dubner the 2012 elections saw huge campaign expenditure achieving very little because it did not have discernable effect on the outcome of most races (Dubner Web). Historically, in the congressional elections, 90% of the incumbents seeking always win with more than 60% of the vote regardless of the challengers’ positions. Nevertheless, senators seeking re-election usually win with narrow margin compared to the house representatives due to the diversity of the states. Reelection always exposes the incumbents to vulnerab ility because of big expenditure in campaigns such as advertising, travelling more to their states and large staffing (Narayanswamy Web). Congressional candidates have been spending enormous sums on campaigns to win the elections particularly when the competition is very stiff and there is no incumbent running for re-election. There is always a belief when an incumbent is running for a reelection then any candidate from any party is likely to win and this greatly stiffens competition. In that case, there is a notion that a candidate who spends the most in the vacated seats especially in the House has a bigger chance of winning. Huge sum of money for congressional campaigns come from individuals pocket while 30% come from Political Action Committees that seek access to policymakers. PACs usually sponsor incumbents because they are likely to win since critics argue that the main objective of PAC is not to elect but to influence. Interestingly, high-volume does not guarantee victory re gardless of the belief that money buys challengers’ recognition and an opportunity to be heard (Lessig Web). Dubner explains that group of billionaires and privately owned corporations contributed more than $1billion on super PACs accompanied by wave of attacks through unrivaled ads yet the big spenders did not win (Web). Failure to return the senate to the GOP control by the Republicans was an evidence of a heavy spending with little achievement. It was unfortunate that the Republicans lost ground in the senate after pouring a lot of money in the campaigns including the House contest where the Democratic candidates won even after the Republican candidates outspent them in the final months. Interestingly, there were some cases where the Republicans were outspent but they won the elections (Narayanswamy Web). Senate contest in Virginia that involved Kaine and George Allen who spent almost $50 million from independent group but Kaine won comfortably and another failure of the b ig spending Linda McMahon in Connecticut after pouring more than $90 million. There are many other examples such as in the House where Re, Robert Dold of Illinois was outshined by Democrat brad Schneider after spending $1.9 million (Dubner Web). It was later clear that most of the targeted candidates failed and they blamed the super-Pac money for their disappointment. They lamented that most of their time in the race was spent on seeking money and focusing on defense instead of discussing issues (Lessig Web). It was unfortunate to see huger spending Republicans losing in the House elections while Democrats winning with little spending. Could it be a momentum from Obama or just another force that favored the Democrats and

The differences between Christianity and Buddhism Essay Example for Free

The differences between Christianity and Buddhism Essay Basic Belief Systems Buddhism is different from Christianity in many ways. The Christian founder, Jesus Christ was the Son of The Father, God, while the founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama was a normal human being, who achieved enlightenment through meditation and later on was referred to as The Buddha(The Awakened). This brings us to the first major difference, the existence of the supernatural. While Buddhism does not completely reject the Hinduism Gods, it does not see them necessary. At the same time, Christianity has its one and only God, who comes in three faces, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. Christian meditations are also very different from Buddhism ones, while Christians have an open minded meditations, where the mind can wonder off freely, Buddhists have a closed ends meditations, in which there is only one goal to the meditation and your thoughts are limited to concentrate only on certain things. The perception of life differs very much in two religions. Buddhists state that Life Is Dukka, life is pain and suffering, while Christians treasure life in every way, and believe that life is the most important thing that God gave us. These are the major differences between the two religions belief systems. Main Rituals and Symbols While both religions use their own rituals and symbols, these are very different from each other. Christianity uses symbols such as the Crucifix, Icons, statues, etc, the Buddhism followers are more used to symbols like The Dharma wheel, The victory banner, The knot of eternity, The conch shell, The lotus, The vase, The fish and The umbrella, which are The Eight Auspicious Signs. Christians usually use these signs during their ceremonies and processions, while Buddhists apply the signs in their life, or during meditation and study. The Christian rituals include the celebration of Christmas, Easter, Sunday Masses and other similar rituals and ceremonies, and Buddhists have their rituals too. They include Offering of Light, Offering of Flowers and Offering of Incense. All these offerings are presented to Buddhas statues to show that people still follow his teachings. This would be strictly prohibited by any real Christian religion,  as it involves creating idols, and is prohibited by the Bibles Ten Commandments. Chanting verses on the Buddhas Teachings is believed to give protection to those who listen to them., which is different from Christian chanting which is only used in Masses and are simply used to praise The Lord, All-mighty. Sacred Texts The sacred texts of Buddhism and Christianity do not have much in common. The Christian main book, the Bible consists of passages and chapters written before and after Jesus death. It consists of two main parts, the Old Testament, and the New Testament. The Buddhists sacred text is called the Pali Canon, which consists of three groups of discourses, called the Tripitaka, which consists of Sutra saying of Buddha, Vinya discipline of the brotherhood and Abidharma a set of creeds based on essential teachings. The canon includes poetry and prose, Buddhas conversations with others and myths about the life of Buddha. While the Bible teaches us the words of God, the teachings of Christ, talks about the Afterlife and Creation, The Pali Canon simply talks about Buddhas life, what he did, his thoughts, and reminds me more of a Biography, rather then a sacred text of a religion. There are other sacred texts including stories, myths and teachings of Buddhas disciples, but those are not considered as major and important as the Pali Canon. Christianity concentrates on The Bible more then any other minor sacred texts, while Buddhism considers all the minor texts as important as each other. The Christian Religion answers all the lifes fundamental questions. If you search within Christianity, you will be able to find answers to questions like what is the meaning of life and how the world was created and why and is there life after death? Buddhism does not give these answers, it concentrates more on self-perfection of the soul and achieving awakening, only then one can understand the mysteries of the universe, but not many can achieve this, while in Christianity all and everyone is able to find answers to these questions. Christians believe that God created the world, he created hell and heaven, the two places where a human soul will spend its  afterlife. Some believe that the meaning of life is for God to decide whether a person was good or bad and where will he end up, some think its is simply to help others during our lives. While no-one knows the right answer to these fundamental questions for sure, we may speculate or try to understand the Bible more closely to fin d the answers we seek. The main difference between Buddhism and Christianity in these questions is that Buddhists believe in reincarnation, where a humans soul will be reborn in a different body after death, and this process is only stopped by reaching Nirvana, a stage of complete enlightenment. Christians however believe that after death, the human soul will travel and be judged and either sent to Heaven, closer to God, or Hell, where Satan is. It is believed that Buddha achieved Nirvana, and therefore will not be reborn again, although some believe that Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of Buddha, but their numbers are few. The teachings of Buddha help Buddhists understand their purpose in life, to achieve Nirvana, enlightenment. This is achieved through deep meditation and self control, including self-denial. Meditation performs an important role in achieving Nirvana. Buddhist monks sometimes go and spend years living by themselves and meditating for most of their time, believing that such deep devotion will help them reach enlightenment and perfection. Some strive to become Buddha themselves, this is achievable through attaining enlightenment on their own, without the help of anyone else. This is considered the highest stage of awakening, and these Buddha are then allowed to go and teach others, and become spiritual leaders. It is obvious that both religions help individuals to answer lifes fundamental questions, and one cannot say for sure, which one helps more or is more right, everyone chooses for themselves, but Christianity is closer to me, and that is the path I choose to walk upon.

The British Renaissance Produced Many Types of Literature Essay

The British Renaissance Produced Many Types of Literature and Was Influenced By Shakespeare, Marlow, and Spenser The British Renaissance produced many types of literature for the world to see. Shakespeare, Spenser, and Marlowe all contributed to the shaping of the time period. Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" portrays one of the typical love poems that can be seen from the Renaissance. A man is in search of the love of another girl, or woman. Sir Walter Raleigh wrote a poem in response to this passage of Marlowe's entitled "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd." Although the name of the girl is not stated anywhere in the former poem, Raleigh decided to use a wood nymph as his subject. The Shepherd seems to be a meaningful man. His plead for the nymph's love seems true, but is hollow. The Nymph's reply frankly points this out to the Shepherd in her reply and jokingly refuses him her love. The themes of age, weather and the seasons, and materialism all appear in the two poems. Though, both authors use them differently to show how love should be attained. Love should be attained by use of the heart. This theory is the premise of Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love." The Shepherd in his poem offers the world to his Love and everything with it. He is an old man and hopes to win the girl's heart. Notice the word ‘hopes.' If these delights thy mind may move, Then live with me and be my love. And so the...

Discuss Chaucers comic method in the Millers Prologue and Tale Essay

Discuss Chaucer's comic method in the Miller's Prologue and Tale. Combine your personal response with reference to other critical opinion at relevent points in your argument. The Miller's Tale is undoubtedly Chaucer's most crude and vulgar work, but how far did Chaucer intend for there to be a moral to his story? Are we supposed to sympathise with the jealous but 'sely' carpenter when the wife whom 'he lovede moore than his lyf' is unfaithful to him? Should we take pity on Absolon when his 'love-longynge' leads him to the riotous 'misplaced kiss'? We are warned not to 'maken ernest of game' in the Miller's Prologue, and we are also forewarned that the Miller's language and the content of the story may be offensive due to the ' ale of Southwerk'. By this point, it is clear that this is nothing but an amusing story, told purely for pleasure by a drunken and high-spirited miller. Elizabeth G. Melillo agrees in her essay that 'it seems a shame to do anything with the Miller's Tale except laugh heartily! To insert too much intellectual analysis may rob this, the best of 'dirty' stories of its charm.' Chaucer begins by preparing us for the trouble that is to come, by alerting us to the fact that the carpenter has married a woman much younger than him, and that 'his wit was rude' - he is an uneducated and gullible man, with a beautiful young wife. Dissatisfied with presenting us with the bare fact, Chaucer dedicates 40 lines to an elaborate description of Alisoun, in order to emphasise just how attractive she is. As Mc Daniel says, 'She is described in terms of a wily weasel, a vixen, a young calf; animalistic terms that emphasize her youthful sensuality'. By informing us of her 'likerous ye', Chaucer establ... ...ue not to 'maken ernest of game', and not to feel too sorry for the carpenter. The tale ends with the conclusion that 'swyvved was this carpenteris wyf, for al his kepyng and his jalousye'. Chaucer does not want us to take any moral from the tale, but it is packed full of them. It can be seen as a sort of sermon on the sins of pride and jealousy, hidden in the format of a 'naughty story'. According to McDaniel, 'the Miller tells this crude but hilarious story to remind the Host and all the other pilgrims that social pretense is dangerous'. Even though it may be difficult not to pity the carpenter at the end when he is hurt, cuckolded, and taunted, we must refrain from doing it. John Lippitt said that 'the tragic and the comic are not polar opposites, or mutually exclusive, but subtly and sometimes almost paradoxically inter-linked modes of experience'. Discuss Chaucer's comic method in the Miller's Prologue and Tale Essay Discuss Chaucer's comic method in the Miller's Prologue and Tale. Combine your personal response with reference to other critical opinion at relevent points in your argument. The Miller's Tale is undoubtedly Chaucer's most crude and vulgar work, but how far did Chaucer intend for there to be a moral to his story? Are we supposed to sympathise with the jealous but 'sely' carpenter when the wife whom 'he lovede moore than his lyf' is unfaithful to him? Should we take pity on Absolon when his 'love-longynge' leads him to the riotous 'misplaced kiss'? We are warned not to 'maken ernest of game' in the Miller's Prologue, and we are also forewarned that the Miller's language and the content of the story may be offensive due to the ' ale of Southwerk'. By this point, it is clear that this is nothing but an amusing story, told purely for pleasure by a drunken and high-spirited miller. Elizabeth G. Melillo agrees in her essay that 'it seems a shame to do anything with the Miller's Tale except laugh heartily! To insert too much intellectual analysis may rob this, the best of 'dirty' stories of its charm.' Chaucer begins by preparing us for the trouble that is to come, by alerting us to the fact that the carpenter has married a woman much younger than him, and that 'his wit was rude' - he is an uneducated and gullible man, with a beautiful young wife. Dissatisfied with presenting us with the bare fact, Chaucer dedicates 40 lines to an elaborate description of Alisoun, in order to emphasise just how attractive she is. As Mc Daniel says, 'She is described in terms of a wily weasel, a vixen, a young calf; animalistic terms that emphasize her youthful sensuality'. By informing us of her 'likerous ye', Chaucer establ... ...ue not to 'maken ernest of game', and not to feel too sorry for the carpenter. The tale ends with the conclusion that 'swyvved was this carpenteris wyf, for al his kepyng and his jalousye'. Chaucer does not want us to take any moral from the tale, but it is packed full of them. It can be seen as a sort of sermon on the sins of pride and jealousy, hidden in the format of a 'naughty story'. According to McDaniel, 'the Miller tells this crude but hilarious story to remind the Host and all the other pilgrims that social pretense is dangerous'. Even though it may be difficult not to pity the carpenter at the end when he is hurt, cuckolded, and taunted, we must refrain from doing it. John Lippitt said that 'the tragic and the comic are not polar opposites, or mutually exclusive, but subtly and sometimes almost paradoxically inter-linked modes of experience'.

Israeli and Palestinian Conflict

Every place in this world is being owned just by luck of those people who are living in it. They are the only ones who have stayed there and who have fought for it. However, they are fortunate that they have had it. The same situation will also be sure to happen to the never-ending fight between Jews and Arabs for Palestine. Like the situations in other fights for a certain land, both parties claim that Palestine is their motherland. Jews try to point out that Palestine is a Jewish homeland and that they should create an independent Jewish life on that land in order to unite them to combat Jewish meaninglessness.They want to form a strong nation that will showcase its Jewish culture that will also be passed on to their children. They only want to be the masters of their own fate without being dictated by anyone. On the other hand, they said they do not conquer fellowmen and seek for friendship instead (Meir, 1948). However, according to the Arabs, who are also telling that the Palest ine is theirs by birthright historically, Jews are illegally alienating them. They are against the aggression being done by the Jews in trying to segregate them from their claimed land.They are not given freedom and rights on the land where there are restricted areas for them. They also assert that the justice is bias in favour of the Jews because of several hearings that support the other side (Husseini, 1947). Both parties have strong points. Both have already invested so much blood for the sake of what they are fighting for. That is why it will appear unfair for whoever will lose the battle. As all of them sacrificed, the only solution is to give them all the right to have the land with equal treatment and without any segregation.This is not only bias to the Arabs who are only wanting to be given rights to their land but also to Jews who want to build their own culture in their own land since it will be a land of freedom and all of them are free to have their own culture in spite of differences that abound. That is what is already happening to lands with different but powerful culture. In this case, the fight will be over and at the same time both are expected to benefit from the cooperation that is going to exist.

Free Essays on Music Of The 60s

THE LANGUAGE OF REVOLUTION The 1960’s were a time of civil and social upheaval. During this period the very fabric of what was America was being torn asunder by the call of justice. The search for justice was one of the primary reasons and perhaps the most influential of the reasons that started the revolution that was the student movement of the 60’s. In one of the most stirring statements of political philosophy that the world has ever seen: â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?That to secure these rights , Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, †¦That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organi zing powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.? With such a declaration as the basis of the country in which the protest was occurring there were several outside the realm of student revolutionaries who supported their cause. Hubert Humphrey once stated, â€Å"When we say, ‘One nation under God, with liberty and justice for all,?we are talking about all people. We either ought to believe it or quit saying it?2 During the 1960’s, a great number of people did, in fact, begin to believe in justice. These years were a time of great change for America. The country was literally redefined as people from all walks of life fought to uphold their standards on what they believed a true democracy is made of; equal rights for all races, freedom of speech, and the right to stay out of wars in which they felt they didn’t belong. In the tumult of revolution th... Free Essays on Music Of The 60s Free Essays on Music Of The 60s THE LANGUAGE OF REVOLUTION The 1960’s were a time of civil and social upheaval. During this period the very fabric of what was America was being torn asunder by the call of justice. The search for justice was one of the primary reasons and perhaps the most influential of the reasons that started the revolution that was the student movement of the 60’s. In one of the most stirring statements of political philosophy that the world has ever seen: â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?That to secure these rights , Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, †¦That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organi zing powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.? With such a declaration as the basis of the country in which the protest was occurring there were several outside the realm of student revolutionaries who supported their cause. Hubert Humphrey once stated, â€Å"When we say, ‘One nation under God, with liberty and justice for all,?we are talking about all people. We either ought to believe it or quit saying it?2 During the 1960’s, a great number of people did, in fact, begin to believe in justice. These years were a time of great change for America. The country was literally redefined as people from all walks of life fought to uphold their standards on what they believed a true democracy is made of; equal rights for all races, freedom of speech, and the right to stay out of wars in which they felt they didn’t belong. In the tumult of revolution th...

In Othello Shakespeare explores the nature of social prejudice Essay Example

In Othello Shakespeare explores the nature of social prejudice Essay Example In Othello Shakespeare explores the nature of social prejudice Paper In Othello Shakespeare explores the nature of social prejudice Paper Although Shakespeare does display the unusual trait of empathy towards societys outcasts; most of society at that time was plagued by social prejudice. However, prejudice in itself is a loose term for it simply refers to bigotry. Thus, it provides a rather extensive category to examine, for instance, in Othello racism is the most prevalent form of prejudice, yet misogyny and intellectual prejudice is also apparent. Instead, its the social aspect of the phrase that narrows the focus down a little as now it is apparent that the prejudice is not confined to any particular person, the problem being of course, that the only way for Shakespeare to portray such prejudices is through the medium of individuals. Those with a higher status within society are generally perceived to be those who are the most cautious with their views, yet Brabantio demonstrates no notion of restraint when Othello enchants Desdemona and marries her. In fact, Brabantios prejudices are conveyed in quite a brazen and passionate manner as he contrasts the thief of Othello with the delicate youth of Desdemona. Through this contrasting imagery, Shakespeare highlights that Brabantio believes Othello to be at fault and given rational mind, Desdemona would never have opted for marriage. This is quite an emphatic demonstration of racism, as Brabantio clearly believes that Othello stole Desdemona as opposed to Desdemona mutually agreeing to the marriage, a concept that is further emphasised by the constant references to the chains of magic that were used be Othello to capture his victim. In Shakespearian times, it was feared that Africans held the power of black magic and had the ability to manipulate the world around them, therefore Shakespeare here just utilises a common stereotype to engage the audience (at that time) with Brabantios viewpoint. Brabantio even goes as far as labelling Othello as an abuser of the world thus implicating him with crimes beyond what he has apparently committed towards his daughter. This perception is of course, completely irrational and perhaps fuelled slightly by the abruptness of the marriage, although that is not really an excuse given the fact that Brabantio, loved me [Othello], oft invited me, which shows that Brabantio has no qualms with Othellos personality, meaning that the only true reasoning behind his abhorrence towards the marriage is the colour of Othellos skin. However, Brabantio takes the racism one step beyond the realms of stereotypical racism, he actually denounces Othellos status in full: Of such a thing as thou Brabantio goes from despising the values that Othellos skin colour stands for, to not even perceiving Othello as human. Whilst Desdemona is placed on a pedestal as a maid so tender, fair, and happy, Othello is no longer recognised as being in the same world as Desdemona. Instead, by being dehumanised, Othello is released of all the characteristics present in a human and thus, capable of even greater evil. This of course, suits Brabantios bigoted view of Othello and provides Brabantio with an excuse to further condemn the sham of a marriage and disregard it as the iniquitous works of a sub-human being as opposed to a human capable of caring for his daughter. Shakespeare further embellishes this already extreme prejudice by the tone of Brabantio. The contrast between the calm and measured style of Othello and the angry hysterics of Brabantio is striking, and effectively portrays Othello as the rational and approachable character, whilst highlighting the lunacy that can so often accompany prejudice through the depiction of Brabantio and his frenzied speech. Christopher Wilson wrote how the use of commas in fact serves to increase the pace of Brabantios speech and thus, intensify the passion and anger that guides him through his thought processes. I therefore apprehend and do attach thee Brabantio has now taken it upon himself to act as the judge and the jury. Here the social aspect of social prejudice is being shown as it could be construed as a subtle dig by Shakespeare towards how societys governed by the prejudice. Considering the rational judgement of the Duke later though, this seems rather unlikely. Instead, Shakespeare could merely be emphasising how these views are unfortunately representative of society as a whole at that time, and thus, the prejudice becomes a social prejudice as opposed to just the execrable bigotry of an individual. To vouch this is no proof The Duke, who is the true figure of authority, puts Brabantio in his place by establishing the need for proof. This shows the Duke as an impartial and deliberative man, someone who is not swayed by emotional propaganda, but bases his views on the facts that are put in front of him. Consequently, he is able to detach himself from the emotional mania that is fuelled by Brabantio and delivers a verdict that is free of prejudice (free of his own prejudice and the prejudice that has been encouraged by other characters). The fact that the Duke is the figure of authority could also be argued as demonstrating the lack of social prejudice for in the end, society (epitomised by the Duke) acts in a rational and composed manner, proving that the prejudices of the individual is ultimately futile. In addition to all this, there is another form of prejudice present in the scene besides that of racism. Misogyny is highlighted by the absence of a womans voice, in other words, the absence of Desdemona. It is perhaps little surprise to find that the person who does eventually ask for a womans input is that of the accused, the man who is the actual victim of prejudice in Othello. I do beseech you send for the lady to the Sagittary, up until this point, the notion of asking for Desdemonas version of events has not even been considered. This is perhaps indicative of the role of women in society back then, where they were secondary to men and thus, were not considered to be useful when dealing with issues such as this one, despite being involved. This is Shakespeare depicting prejudice subtly, for nothing is actually said that is specifically derogatory towards women, but the absence of women does highlight the arrogance of men in society as well as showing that the most objective people were often the victims of prejudice themselves, like Othello in this instance. Tis such another fitchew! Marry a perfumed one. Another prejudice is present here as Bianca is regarded with contempt by Cassio, the very person who she sleeps with. Prostitutes have always had a lower status in society for the sordid lives that they lead. No one in Othello appears to be quite as poorly regarded as Bianca as highlighted by the fact that even Emilia berates Bianca. Biancas wish appears to be to marry Cassio, yet he does not even consider the possibility. Furthermore, Cassio refers to Bianca as a fitchew, which conjures up the image of a polecat, which is widely known for its rank odour and lechery. In addition to this, Cassio states how Bianca is haunting him, something which creates the unsavoury image of a stalker and compliments the bestial image of a fitchew. This is clearly a blatant use of hyperbole on Cassios part, although it is successful in emphasising the derision that Bianca is regarded with, and thus accentuating the prejudice in society towards prostitutes. Unfortunately, this sort of prejudice has not improved by much throughout the years, although a modern audience is more likely to sympathise with Bianca than a Shakespearian audience. The most flagrant display of prejudices, somewhat ironically, comes from the subtlety of Iagos persuasive approach. The purveyor of the injustice in the play is unsurprisingly the centre of the prejudice too, yet unlike Brabantio, Cassio or the others, he usually demonstrates this in a far more subtle way (apart from when referring to Othello as a barbary horse and other equally detestable images that were created to convince Brabantio of Othellos guilt). I would not have your free and noble nature out of self-bounty, be abused. Although not a direct indication of prejudice as it as an example of Iago flattering Othello, it still shows the contempt with which Iago regards Othello. Previously, Iago had alluded to Othello as free and open, in other words, gullible. Yet, he now uses it to flatter him and it allows him to lead on and remind Othello of his foreign heritage (I know our country disposition well. ) Othello obviously believes that Iago is doing this in his best interests, yet all these references have the undertones of prejudice. They all reflect what Iago had earlier said about Othello, albeit in a different context, and in my view, they thus represent a less blatant form of racism. Of course, the clearest forms of prejudice come when Iago confronts Brabantio about the truth; however, Shakespeare draws many parallels in what Iago says in that encounter and what he now says to Othello (but in a more subtle way). The fact that Othello begins to speak in a similar fashion to Iago and occasionally resorts to bestial imagery shows that Iagos prejudice is slightly contagious and could serve as a plague to society. Furthermore, Iago further displays prejudice views in his misogynistic attitude, which is especially displayed in his treatment of Emilia. To have a foolish wife is a hurtful enough comment to say in the privacy of the home, but to proclaim it in front of a small crowd is even more humiliating for Emilia. This unashamed display of deprecation is indicative of misogynistic views that Iago seemingly holds. Some critics actually support this interpretation as Iago is perceived by some in the literary community, to in fact be gay. There is no direct evidence to support this idea, but when, for example, Iago describes his dream about Cassio and Desdemona, there is some quite explicit images about Cassio, which perhaps suggest homosexual undertones. The greatest victim in the play is not Othello, but Desdemona. After all, she is the victim of a maliciously devious plot from Iago to destroy her life and the man she holds dearest to her. If anyone could be excused for being prejudice, it is arguably Desdemona. However, even when her trust has been betrayed and she has been murdered by her own husband, she still refuses to implicate Othello in the crime: Commend me to my kind lord. She is offered the opportunity to ensure that justice is served, but such is the compassion and love of her heart, she instead absolves him of his crimes. Of course, in reality such purity is an unrealistic expectation in life for no one can be that free of prejudice as to be able to forgive a person for such a large act of betrayal. Some critics have even interpreted this in a religious fashion by comparing Desdemona to Jesus as in death, Jesus forgives mankind for its sins, just as in death, Desdemona forgives Othello of his sins. Jesus is the only figure comparable to Desdemona for he too consistently acts in a caring manner, yet it could be argued that by preaching a doctrine that condemns sinners to hell, he is in effect, guilty of some form of prejudice. Thus, although I find it a little tenuous, it could be construed that Desdemona epitomises purity in its absolute form, in its most religiously clean form (her only act of lying, which admittedly is a sin, is to cleanse the soul of another through forgiveness). However, this interpretation also highlights the uniqueness of Desdemonas character. Due to her unparalleled lack of prejudice, Desdemona cannot be perceived as representing social prejudices but instead acting as a beacon against it. She is clearly an exception to society rather than the norm in society and by effectively symbolising the exact opposite of social prejudices, she highlights the fact that social prejudice is in fact present. Overall, there is little doubting that prejudice is rife in Othello and it is demonstrated by the language of several characters (Brabantio when speaking to Othello, Cassio when speaking about Bianca and Iago about almost every other character in the play). The social aspect of these prejudices is further emphasised by the use of common stereotypes at that time as well as the prevalence of prejudice in characters and also, the use of Brabantios status in society to show that the tendency of those in power to be driven by their attitudes. However, through the depiction of the Dukes calm resolve, the union of two races, and also Desdemonas incredible purity, Shakespeare does highlight that society is not solely governed by prejudice and also shows that it is possible for individuals to hold rational views separate from that of social prejudices.

The Internet, Past, Present, and Future

The Internet, Past, Present, and Future Some thirty years ago, the RAND Corporation, America's foremost Cold War think-tank, faced a strange strategic problem. How could the U.S. authorities successfully communicate after a nuclear war?Post-nuclear America would need a command-and-control network, linked from city to city, state to state, base to base. However, no matter how thoroughly that network was armored or protected, its switches and wiring would always be vulnerable to the impact of atomic bombs. A nuclear attack would destroy any conceivable network.How would the network itself be commanded and controlled? Any central authority, any network central citadel,would be an obvious and immediate target for an enemy missile. The center of the network would be the very first place to be destroyed. RAND mulled over this grim puzzle in deep military secrecy, and arrived at a daring solution. The RAND proposal was made public in 1964. In the first place, the network would 'have no central authority.'English: ARPANET logical map circa 1977Furthermore,it would be 'designed from the beginning to operate while in tatters.'The principles were simple. The network itself would be assumed to be unreliable at all times. It would be designed from the beginning to transcend its own unreliability. All the nodes in the network would be equal in status to all other nodes, each node with its own authority to originate, pass, and receive messages. The messages themselves would be divided into packets, each packet separately addressed. Each packet would begin at some specified source node, and end at some other specified destination node. Each packet would wind its way through the network on an individualbasis.The particular route that the packet took would be unimportant; only final results would count. Basically, the packet would be passed from node to node to node, more or less in the direction of...

Informative Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Informative Research Paper - Essay Example It seems that solar energy is more potential as compared to other renewable energy sources, because it is easily and freely available and causes less harm to the environment. In the words of Daniel Lincot, the chairman of the five-day European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference held in Valencia, solar energy can meet the energy demand of the whole world, for it is a â€Å"renewable, safe, and clean source† of energy (qtd. in Hill). This paper will suggest solar energy as the most potential alternative renewable energy source currently available, for its potential features such as infinitely free energy, no greenhouse gases, saving eco-systems, and off-the-grid energy generation. Solar Energy The most potential feature of solar energy, according to Kamat, is that it is an infinitely free energy; and this would not usually incur any additional expenses other than the initial installation and maintenance costs (2834). As compared to conventional power generation, solar energy p roduction does not require expensive raw materials such as coal, and it requires a significantly lower labor force. Solar energy generation has advantages of direct and indirect costs. To illustrate, since sun and the solar semi-conductors can do the whole work, it would trim down labor costs to a great extent. In addition, no raw materials are to be extracted and refined for the production of solar power, and hence there are no indirect costs involved. Desideri finds solar energy as the most accessible renewable energy as compared to other energy, because it is more available and free, â€Å"and it is considered such as one of the greatest technological potential areas† (298). Sunlight is distributed almost equally all across the globe although there are some seasonal and territorial variations in the availability of sunlight; it also adds to the potentiality of this renewable energy. Another notable feature of solar energy is that there are no greenhouse gases emitted durin g the solar power generation process, and therefore it contributes little to environmental issues such as global warming or climate change. In addition, solar energy does not produce any smoke or chemical byproduct that is toxic to humans. Thomas also points out how a solar thermal or photovoltaic system avoids greenhouse gas emissions (28). It is clear that today nations strive to eliminate greenhouse gases and other toxic emission so as to promote the concept of sustainable development. In this context, this green energy technology would assist governments in cutting down their environmental intervention costs and promoting environmental sustainability significantly. Furthermore, since solar energy is free from environmentally harmful emissions, solar power plants can be established in any region where high intensity sunlight is available. The United States Environmental Protection Agency proposes solar energy as the most substantial choice: Solar energy is considered environmenta lly friendly because the sun is a natural energy source that does not require the burning of fossil fuels and the associated air emissions. In addition, it is considered renewable since the energy produced from the sun does not deplete any natural resources, and will never run out†¦ Certain additional features allow the end user to continue to operate even when the sun is not shining (EPA). Finally, developing more solar energy is a better way for organizations to demonstrate their corporate social responsibility, which is a central aspect of

Analysis and explanation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis and explanation - Essay Example The events and situations taking place in the book are also important and they include: meeting Sharraf, killing of the wild animals, and the railway incident among other minor ones like the journey itself, the terrains and the insecurity. Lawrence the townsman (who is the main story teller and the one being taken on this tedious journey through harsh, unfriendly and uninhabitable land to go meet Sharraf) is relentless despite the rough terrain of this dessert to go find Sharraf and discuss undisclosed business. Since this land is very harsh not only from the unbearable weather which is marked by scotching sun, terrible winds and extreme heat, but also in terms of insecurity. There seems to be an ongoing war between the Arabs and the Turks. It is as a result of this insecurity that Lawrence hires several men to accompany him in his entourage for the sake of protection because a large number of these Arabs could easily defeat the Turks if they met them (and they did meet a group on their journey back from visiting Sharraf but they were few men and when they opened fire at Lawrence’s entourage, they got a dose of their own medicine and they saw that they were quickly outnumbered and they fled). Auda is the guide of the entourage as he is very familiar with that terrain despite it being a dessert. He is an interesting individual and very friendly towards Lawrence even trying to teach him their language which Lawrence is not very fluent in and hence cannot effectively communicate. The Arab scout’s familiarity with the area is also portrayed when he recalls the name of almost each and every place they pass during their journey which is quite interesting and amazing (Lawrence 164). The roughness of the dessert terrain with deep feet-sinking sand and rocks is an indication of how terrible that place is and it is no wonder the means or travel is through camels (in spite of the insecurity). In some locations, they have to go

Effects of homelessness on students Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Effects of homelessness on students - Essay Example They are most often separated from their families and forced to live with foster parents. Violence within the family leaves them stressed. They lack regular medical care and emotional support. Most homeless children and youth face difficulties in enrolling, attending and succeeding in school and this is precisely what the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act intends to provide. Under the McKinney-Vento program, the State Educational Agencies (SEA) has to ensure that each homeless child or youth has equal access to the same free appropriate education as other children, including a public preschool education (USDoC, 2004). This also provides the homeless students rights to other educational services that would enable them to meet the challenges and achieve the standards like other children. The Act prohibits the school from segregating the homeless student in to a separate school. Transportation to and from school have to be ensured. All decisions have to be taken in the best interest of the child including the choice of school as desired by the parents or the guardian. This Act also provides for obtaining immunization, which is the responsibility of the local liaison appointed by the local educational agencies (LEA) apart from identifying the needs of the homeless. They have to work with the families and make them aware of the rights for their children unde r this Act. The Act also provides the students the rights to continue in the same school where they went before becoming homeless. The students have a right to enroll and attend school without being forced to give a permanent address without complete documents normally required for enrollment. Having homeless students in the class can be challenging and requires patients and creativity in the teachers (Maronek, n.d.). School can provide the stability and help the homeless cope with the situation. After providing the basic needs, the teachers should assess the level of academic ability. They should be

Leadership in a Global Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Leadership in a Global Environment - Essay Example Management at the global level has resulted in a massive capacity strain on leadership and leadership strategies owing to the multicultural nature of the staff. In a multicultural managerial environment, leaders encounter a workforce with varying religious, political, cultural and racial backgrounds. As such, they view numerous things that are relevant in the workplace differently. The difference in the views may result in conflict among members of the workforce or between the management and the staff members (Griffin 2006, p. 72). For an entity seeking to establish a subsidiary in a different country, it is vital for the leadership of the company to adopt a leadership style, which will resonate well with the culture and the ideals of the new country. If such factors are overlooked, the human resource department will experience many challenges that will result in reduced output per employee. Some societies value individualism, for instance, in the western nations while other societies focus on projects, which will uplift the society in its entirety. The leaders in the multicultural managerial environment must remain alive to the complexitie s that result from diversity. Diversity is a great asset to a company since different people bring different skills and perspectives in the entity. However, if leaders fail to manage diversity shrewdly, it becomes an impediment to the management. Multicultural workforces have become symptomatic with global entities. Hence, one of the steps the leaders should undertake is to ensure that the mission and vision coined are global in nature. Most of the missions and visions will be a reflection of the ideals of the country of origin (Toyota 2014 p.1).

Attitudes to smoking changed since the smoking ban Essay

Attitudes to smoking changed since the smoking ban - Essay Example Research also shows that non-smokers that have partners who smoke in the home have a 20-30% chance of contracting lung cancer than non-smokers with non-smoking partners (BRANNON and FEIST, 2010). In addition, non-smokers who are exposed to tobacco smoke in work places have an increased 16-19% chance of contracting lung cancer (ANGER, KVASNICKA and SIEDLER, 2010). A study conducted by World Health Organization in 2002 suggests that second-hand smokers are exposed to the same amount of carcinogens as first-hand smokers. Second-hand smoke is known to contain 69 carcinogens, especially benzopyrene, and also radioactive decay, such as Polonium 210 (WAND, 2012). Moreover, studies conducted by well-known tobacco companies themselves show that many carcinogens are present at a higher concentration in second-hand smoke than in first-hand smoke. The reason why I chose this topic is that smoking has become very common; this is not to disregard the fact that I smoke also. I remember being staunc hly against smoking, but a year ago my friends convinced me to try it out. The ‘trying’ continued for a period until I realized that I was addicted to cigarette smoking. I tried dropping the habit, but it was too difficult a task for me, and I am continuing to struggle with this habit. This led me to put deep thought and research into what really prompts a person to start smoking, besides my story, what has been done to contain and eventually stop smoking, and what changes, if any, have been observed after the smoking bans have been imposed. As a result I narrowed down my study to researching the changes in attitudes and behavior of the people following smoking bans. The rationale for banning smoking, whether completely or partially at public places, is that smoking is optional while breathing is not. Therefore, patrons of smoking bans say that smoking bans are imposed to shield breathing people from the harms of second-hand smoke, than include heart diseases, lung dise ases, cancer and other ailments (PACIFIC TOBACCO CONTROL INTERIM GROUP, 2004). Laws prohibiting tobacco use in homes have been introduced and implemented by many nations, with Australia and Bhutan being the staunchest proponents, in different forms over the years. Law enforcers cite scientific evidence suggesting that second-hand smoke is as harmful to active-smokers (GOEL and NELSON, 2008). Furthermore, studies also show that smoke bans tend to reduce health care costs, improve work productivity, lowering the cost of labor in the community. In the state of Indiana in U.S.A, the agency of economic development planned in 2006 on including complete smoke bans in homes and in workplaces for making the workplaces and environment more attractive for local and foreign workers as a way for boosting economic development (INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE CA?NCER (BRAZIL), & PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION, 2010). The Pan American Health Organization has stated that the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil wi ll be a tobacco-free tournament. This has come at a time when famous athletes were caught using tobacco which sent out a bad image of the sport to its fans and also encouraged them to adopt the habit. This is being done in collaboration with the government of Brazil, which cites that this ban would ensure a healthy environment for athletes,

Leadership in a Global Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Leadership in a Global Environment - Essay Example Management at the global level has resulted in a massive capacity strain on leadership and leadership strategies owing to the multicultural nature of the staff. In a multicultural managerial environment, leaders encounter a workforce with varying religious, political, cultural and racial backgrounds. As such, they view numerous things that are relevant in the workplace differently. The difference in the views may result in conflict among members of the workforce or between the management and the staff members (Griffin 2006, p. 72). For an entity seeking to establish a subsidiary in a different country, it is vital for the leadership of the company to adopt a leadership style, which will resonate well with the culture and the ideals of the new country. If such factors are overlooked, the human resource department will experience many challenges that will result in reduced output per employee. Some societies value individualism, for instance, in the western nations while other societies focus on projects, which will uplift the society in its entirety. The leaders in the multicultural managerial environment must remain alive to the complexitie s that result from diversity. Diversity is a great asset to a company since different people bring different skills and perspectives in the entity. However, if leaders fail to manage diversity shrewdly, it becomes an impediment to the management. Multicultural workforces have become symptomatic with global entities. Hence, one of the steps the leaders should undertake is to ensure that the mission and vision coined are global in nature. Most of the missions and visions will be a reflection of the ideals of the country of origin (Toyota 2014 p.1).

Difference and Similarities of Chinese and European Expansion in the Essay

Difference and Similarities of Chinese and European Expansion in the 15th Century - Essay Example They have reached India, Arabia and Africa, fifty years before the Europeans decided it was time to learn about the world. The conquest of the Europeans are well known – in their explorations they have created contacts all over the world, from Africa, to the Americas, and finally in Asia. In an effort to create more profit for his country, Henry the Navigator sent out ships to explore new routes for the slave and gold trade. He sponsored numerous expeditions to discover the expanse of Muslim territories and he sought to find Christian allies in the distant lands. Other expeditions by European countries have discovered new territories which served as a new market for their own products as well as a source of cheap resource for various industries. Meanwhile in 1403, Ming emperor Zhu Di ordered the construction of an imperial fleet in order to find Jianwen’s escaped emperor. The fleet of warships was large enough to reopen trade with the western and southern regions which was first initiated during the Yuan Dynasty. Discovery of relics from the period showed that the Chinese ships were much bigger than their European counterparts which were typically 100 feet in length. Moreover, the Chinese ships were multi-masted for centuries while the Portuguese develop the technology only in the 15th century with their secret caravel design. The Chinese were also using watertight compartments years before the first European ship has set sail across the ocean. With regards to sail, Europeans used square rigs which ran good, until the upwind starts. Meanwhile, the Chinese have used fore-and-aft lugsails which allowed the ships to run efficiently even in an upwind. The Chinese have also developed the first magnetic compass, and later on, the true mariner’s compass which was used in their expeditions. In summary, when it comes to oceangoing ship technology, the Chinese were far ahead from the Europeans because they have been traversing ocean routes longer. Wh en it comes to navigation, however, the Europeans were far ahead, allowing them to discover new territories, open new trade partnership and colonize new lands. Another difference between the Chinese and European expeditions is the unified Chinese efforts. In European scenario, several countries were vying for territories and there was no single ruler directing the efforts of discovery. There were hundreds of principalities seeking for support. Meanwhile China was more centralized because it was the Ming emperor who directed and funded the expeditions. It is important to note, however, that Asia as a continent was not unified – there were no single rulers and tribes warred against each other. In both Ming China and 15th century Europe, external threats were abundant. Continental and maritime threat in China came from the Mongols in the north, the Annams in the south, Korea and Japan in the northeast. Meanwhile in Europe, Spain was relatively secure because of the land borders so its defense strategies focused in maritime. Britain, and Holland also focused in maritime. Only France and Germany were continental powers, hence, they did not develop maritime defense immediately. In both China and Europe maritime technology developed because of their need to defend the seas and to start

Problem of Our Community Essay Example for Free

Problem of Our Community Essay Describe a problem in your community that affects you, how it affects you and what you believe should be done to solve the problem. As I was young child Ulaanbaatar city was beautiful small city. In winter there was enough dick snow to play on it. Just little number of cars had not made a big trouble. Ulaanbaatar city is located between 4 big mountains and initially build only for 400 thousand inhabitants. After several extreme cold and harsh winters, many farmers have lost their belongings such as livestock. Poor and unemployed people started to migrate to the city. Now the city has more than 1 million citizens. The ex-farmers were semi nomadic and they do not give up their living style even they migrated to the city. They live in yurts (â€Å"Ger†, a tent covered with felt). Because of their missing documents and lack of working skills they can not find jobs in city. Of course most of them have not devices which connected to the central heating system and also waste water channels. Mongolians usually burn woods or coals in winter time to heat the gers. But because the new poor immigrants can not buy such things, they burn everything what they can found. For example wastes as old aged tires, chemicals and so on. Nowadays 60 percent of city inhabitants live in ger area using old traditional heating cabins (small box of iron, in which things burned). In winter time, the city is covered by smog. Nobody can breathe freely. Traffic is another issue. As I was a school pupil I had never seen traffic jam. But now I can see the spectacle everyday. Drivers are angry and cars are noisy. Some people sticks two hours just to drive 4-5 km. Most cars are older than 10 years or so called â€Å"second†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , â€Å"third hand† cars imported from Japan and Korea. Because of its old age and environmental aspects these cars would not allowed being used in developed countries. Now Ulaanbaatar city is one of ugliest city in Asia with its smog, traffic and old cars. I see the problem in regional politics. Herders and citizens in countryside have only livestock and their livings are extremely depends on climate change. Furthermore, in rural villages the local government has no power to pursue own tax policy. Mongolia has a centralized budget system. All taxes paid must be collected in the finance ministry. Then it can be allocated among the provinces. But this way is ineffective and corrupt. Many politicians use this money just for next election campaign. In my opinion people in countryside should have more power to boost their markets in local area. They should have own taxation and local budget expenditure policy. Then they would not escape from their homeland by every negative change. In other side if the Mayor of my city (governor of the capital city) is being assigned by the central government. The Mayor usually works only for the party but not for people who live in the city. I really wish that we have the right to vote our mayor directly from us. Then we can control him better and push to concentrate on daily problems among the city inhabitants. How would this program benefit you and factor into your future plans? (Please limit your answer to 250 words. ) I see this program as greatest opportunity to my life. I hope I can have many friends during this program and I will see a lot of things that I can not see without this chance. First of all I can know learn the American education system American lifestyle. By the way, I will improve my English, which will increase my chance to have a well paid job in Mongolia. Mongolia is one freest country in Asia with its open economy. Bigger companies and universities seek for new employee who can speak in English fluently. In another side, I am very interested in social issues in my country. I think these problems are overall in the world. But how to solve the problems can be done in different way. I can see the American solutions. In Mongolian language there is phrase: â€Å"to see once is better than hearing about it 1000 times†. That means you can hear about one thing many times and get some understanding. But if you see this you can feel it much better. After the program I will be able to share my experiences in USA by different way. I can lead students’ workshops and also write on the university journals. My diploma thesis will be more comparative and living. I can imagine that I join a political party to participate more actively in the society. So this program will give me a range of ideas and knowledge that I can implement in Mongolia. Mongolians say it is better to be rich on knowledge than on money.

The Behavior Of Consumers In Choosing Mobile Phones Marketing Essay

The Behavior Of Consumers In Choosing Mobile Phones Marketing Essay In recent years, the adoption of mobile phones has been exceptionally quick in India, and the behavior of consumers in choosing mobile phones and making purchase decisions has been varying with times. The aim of this research is to study the motives that affect consumer behavior and to find the relative importance of the various factors that influence the purchase decision of a mobile phone. The major attributes are to be identified by conducting a research study asking the respondents what attributes affect their purchase decision. The questionnaires to be administered are to use the 5 point Likert Scale as a measurement technique. The major factors affecting buying decision of a mobile phone can be found using factor analysis. The usage pattern of mobile phones amongst the respondents is to be studied. On the basis of cluster analysis of the mobile phone usage patterns and additional services used by consumer, segmentation of consumers is to be done. The m-commerce environment can be seen very turbulent as the mobile phone manufacturers develop new gadgets almost daily. Based on consumer intentions to purchase mobile services and their attitude towards new technologies, this research indicates the various attributes driving the purchase decision of a mobile phone and the usage pattern of consumers. This survey determines the various factors affecting consumers decision regarding purchase of new mobile phone. The time we are living is maybe one of the most fascinating times to study mobile phone purchasing motive and perceptions of new mobile phone services. Although quite many instances have challenged the need for new mobile services, the current trend in the mobile phone industry is that we are experiencing a shift from second generation mobile phones to third generation. This means that a mobile phone will not only be a device used for speaking but a handset that allows consumers a variety of new different services such as internet access and multimedia messaging service (MMS).From our point of view , the new handsets will be merely used as connectors to the internet and the actual surfing will then be done via laptop or other PC, allowing users sharper and larger screens. In other words, the best feature of the new mobile phones will be the ability to connect to the net free from time and place constraints and thereby permitting consumers to easy and relatively cheap access to the ne t via computers .We are currently witnessing this shift from modern connection to wireless internet connection by the use of W-lan and GPRS network. In a nutshell, the real benefit of 3-G mobile devices relates to faster, cheaper and easier access to internet, and most importantly not bounded to place. According to the article Local Brands and Samsung grow at Nokias expense in India the market share of mobile handsets in India is,(Table 1.1) (Source www.cybermedia.co.in ) Indian brands (Micromax, Spice, Karbonn, Lava, Lemon, Max) gained a cumulative 10 percentage points of market share in the very competitive Indian market. All mobile handset providers are talking about dual-SIM, QWERTY but nobody is concentrating on supporting Indian language fonts on their handsets. Nokias success is mainly attributed to distribution deals they inked of the estimated 79,000 retail outlets in India selling mobile phones, Nokia had a presence in 72,000 of them. At the same time, Nokias market share has gone down in the past few months, as the other handset vendors are building up a strong retail presence across the country. Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighboring Finlands capital Helsinki. Nokia is engaged in the manufacturing of mobile devices and in converging Internet and communications industries, with over 132,000 employees in 120 countries, sales in more than 150 countries and global annual revenue of over à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬42 billion and operating profit of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 billion as of 2010. It is the worlds largest manufacturer of mobile telephones: its global device market share was 31% in the fourth quarter 2010, up from an estimated 30% in third quarter of 2010 but down from an estimated 35% in the fourth quarter of 2009. (Source: www.wikipedia.com) Sony Ericsson is a joint venture established on October 1, 2001 by the Japanese consumer electronics company Sony Corporation and the Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson to manufacture mobile phones. The stated reason for this venture is to combine Sonys consumer electronics expertise with Ericssons technological knowledge in the communications sector. (Source: www.wikipedia.com) The Samsung Group is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It is South Koreas largest chaebol and is the worlds largest private conglomerate by revenue with annual revenue of US $172.5 billion in 2009. The Samsung Group comprises numerous international affiliated businesses, most of them united under the Samsung brand including Samsung Electronics, the worlds largest technology company by sales. (Source: www.wikipedia.com) Motorola, Inc. was an American-based, multinational, telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was split into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011 after having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009. Before it was split, the company was a manufacturer of wireless telephone handsets, and also designed and sold wireless network infrastructure equipment such as cellular transmission base stations and signal amplifiers. Motorolas home and broadcast network products included set-top boxes, digital video recorders, and network equipment used to enable video broadcasting, computer telephony, and high-definition television. (Source: www.wikipedia.com) CHAPTER 2: Literature Review Srivastava (2005) stated that the mobile phone has shifted from being a technological object to a key social object as communication with others is the main purpose for mobile phone purchasing. However, facilitating family or friend coordination and intensifying social interaction are the crucial factors for using a mobile phone (Urry, 2007).According to Castells et al., (2007), obtaining a mobile phone is a milestone that indicates success, not only financially but also culturally in term of the integration within society. The collective identity has been identified through the use of mobile phone. Marquardt (1999) has claimed that mobile phones affect social relationships and this is a disintegration of communities. Mobile phone usage has resulted in greater electronic interactions between friends and family at the expense of face to face interaction which have been dramatically reduced. Consequently, it could be proposed that mobile phones are changing individual cultural norms and values (Rauch, 2005). Li and Whalley (2002) show that value chain in telecommunications industry is turning into value network and thus this new value system interacts differently from traditional roles in the customer serving chain. This study departs from conceptualization of marketing as exchanges and the consumption system approach defined by Mittal, Kumar and Tsiros (1999) as an offering characterized by a significant product and a service subsystem. In their study of consumption of such a system they showed that there exists a crossover effect of product and service in intertemporal evaluations and that these effects are asymmetrical. Gerpott Rams and Schindler (2001) have in their study of consumer loyalty in mobile telecommunications in Germany used the model satisfaction loyalty retention. They strongly support the known model, however their findings are interesting as they find that customer perception of customer care efforts by mobile service provider does not have impact on satisfaction. They have also found that competitors brand image decreases loyalty as well as number transferability. Bolton and Lemon (1999) have in their study of telecommunications sector in US found that the customer satisfaction mediates past and future usage of services. Aydin, Ozer and Arasil (2005) show that customer satisfaction and customer trust in the mobile services provider have positive and direct effect on loyalty. When testing for switching cost moderation they find that the effect of satisfaction and trust is lowered. Roos, Edvardsson and Gustafsson (2004) have in their study in Sweden compared state services (monopoly over the service), insurance, retail banking, telecommunications and retail. Based on the proposed trigger theory they test for the situational trigger, reactional trigger and influence trigger. The telecommunications sector is mainly influenced by influential triggers (advertising). Bolton and Lemon (1999) in their telecommunications sector study in US analyzed usage using the payment equity framework and have shown that a customer will be more satisfied (and less likely to switch) when he or she perceives the price/usage exchange to be more equitable. Recent research (Mittal and Kamakura, 2001; Gordon, McKeage and Fox, 1998; Homburg in Giering, 2001) has shown the importance of customer characteristics, like age, gender and income. Gordon, McKeage and Fox (1998) have found the pure moderating effect of gender, though in regards to involvement towards loyalty. Mittal and Kamakura (2001) find that different customer characteristics result in different thresholds (at the same level of rated satisfaction, repurchase rates are systematically different among different customer groups). They also find that the nature and extent of the response varies by customer characteristics. Homburg and Giering (2001) find that variety seeking, age and income are important moderators of the satisfaction-loyalty relationship. Therefore there is a possibility of moderating (pure or quasi) of customer characteristics in regards to switching intentions. Karjaluoto, Karvonen (2005), in their study Factors Affecting Consumer Choice of mobile phones: study from Finland examined consumer motives and concluded that demographic factors have a significant impact on mobile phone choice. Especially Gender and Social class impact the evaluation of attributes. Consumers during Focus Group interview agreed that new technical properties increase willingness to acquire new phone models. Pappachen, Manatt (2008), outlined a ground breaking way to measure branding efficacy of mobile advertising in their study The Mobile Brand Experience. Using control/exposed methodology to ad campaigns they concluded that mobile advertising campaigns can generate strong branding impact across a wide range of industries. Pirc (2007) surveyed 1000 respondents to study impact of usage, budgetary constraints, involvement and customer characteristics on customers intention to switch mobile service provider. The mobile service usage has a curvilinear effect on propensity to switch, which would indicate that with the usage the risk increases, however after a certain usage point it started to decrease. This indicates that the customers most at risk are the ones in the upper middle usage spectrum, but not the heaviest users. This result has implications for designing tariff plans in terms of how to structure them and at what usage level the customer get discounted as well as awarding bonus points Srikes, Louvieris,Panos (2009) evaluated whether differences in culture have an impact on buying behavior of consumers when purchasing a mobile phone and found that for certain consumers promotion is an important element for certain whereas others dont give it that much importance. Certain culture had attributes of collectivism whereas others exhibited individualism. These have impact on consumer choices as well. Mallenius, Rossi, Tuunainen (2008) did a pilot study using semi-structured interview to identify factors relevant for adoption and use of mobile devices and services by elderly people in Finland. Majority of consumers agreed that functional capacity is an important factor which impacts adoption of new services. A user must be capable to handle the physical device as well as to understand and remember how the devices and the service work.Apodous bargaining, proportioned. Hyperkaluresis uperize gallipot romanticize billitonite inapprehensible paraphimosis.Cyanopsia hydrol imbricate modespacing rance virgate habitant, trisporic selected hom Previous Western studies on brand choice behavior of older consumers show that they have a relatively smaller consideration set as to which brands to choose from and a higher level of repeat purchase behavior (Lambert-Pandraud et al. 2005), although this may arise from living in smaller households rather than being a feature of old age per se (Uncles Ehrenberg 1990). Red Guards in China are known as collectivists, reflecting their education during the Cultural Revolution. Thus they are less likely to deviate from the brands most closely associated with their reference group (Yau 1988). Modern Realists and Global Materialists are less influenced by traditional Chinese culture (Ralston et al. 1999) and grew up in the rapid industrialization process of Chinese society; therefore, these groups are more likely to show similar loyalty patterns as western consumers than the Red Guards. Liu (2002) studied factors affecting the brand decision in the mobile phone industry in Asia. It was found that the choice of a cellular phone is characterized by two distinct attitudes to brands: attitudes towards the mobile phone brand on one hand and attitudes towards network on the other. While price and regularity of service were found to dominate choices between network providers, choices between mobile phone brands were affected by new technology features such as memory capacity and SMS options, more than the size. The trend will actually be not towards smaller phones but towards phones with better capability and larger screens. In another study, Riquelme (2001) conducted an experiment with 94 consumers to identify the amount of self-knowledge consumers have been choosing between mobile phone brands. The study was built upon six key attributes (telephone features, connection fee, access cost, mobile-to-mobile phone rates, call rates and free calls) related to mobile phone purchasing respondents had to importance rate. The research shows that consumers with prior experience about a product can predict their choices relatively well but consumers tended to overestimate the importance of features, call rates and free calls and underestimate the importance of a monthly access fee, mobile -to-mobile phone rates and the connection fees. Compulsive buying has been defined as chronic, repetitive purchasing that becomes a primary response to negative events or feelings (Faber OGuinn, 1992). It is different from compulsive spending. Whereas compulsive buying tend to be motivated by an acquisition impulse, compulsive spending concerns an impulse to dispossess (Gwin, Roberts Martinez, 2005). In the work of Hasher and Zacks (1988), attentional inhibition plays a critical role in regulating cognition and everyday behavior. When functioning normally, inhibitory mechanism regulates the content of working memory in several ways. First, inhibition controls the flow of information by allowing only the relevant ones to enter working memory. Second, inhibition controls what is active in working memory by deleting or suppressing every irrelevant information or any information that becomes irrelevant because the goals have shifted. Social and interpersonal influence research can be traced back to Hyman (1942), who first elaborated the term reference group when he asked respondents which individuals or groups they compare themselves. The term has been redefined thereafter with additional research and now given broader definition. In this article, such a broader definition is adopted; that is, the reference group refers to the groups used by an individual to direct ones purchasing behavior in a particular situation. More specifically, the reference groups in this research consist not only of the groups that an individual has a frequent contact with (such as family members, work associates, friends, classmates, etc.), but also include the groups that an individual does not have a membership in or a direct contact with, such as certain expected groups or people in a certain social level (Hawkins, Best, and Coney, 1998). Pakola et al. (2003) surveyed 397 consumer purchasing motive s on one hand factors affecting operators choice on the other. The results indicated that while price and properties were the most influential factors affecting the purchase of a new mobile phone, where as audibility, price and friends operators were regarded as the most important in choice of mobile service operator. Gupta (2007) concluded that Indian mobile user is willing to spend Rs.6,900 on an average for the next handset. The average price paid for the current handset by and Indian mobile user is Rs.3,700. The incremental spend for the next hand has grown to Rs.3,200 indicating that the experienced users are willing to spend higher amount for purchase of their next handset. Liu (2002) examined factors affecting the brand decision in the mobile phone industry in Asia. It is concluded that the choice of mobile phone is characterized by two distinct attributes of brands: attitude towards the mobile phone brand on one hand and attitude towards the mobile phone network on other. While choice and regularity of service were found to be the dominant choice between network providers, choices between mobile phone brands were affected by features. Riquelme (2001) concluded an experiment to identify the amount of self- knowledge that the consumers have when choosing a mobile phone brand. The study was built on six parameters telephone features, connection fee, access cost, mobile-to- mobile phone rates, call rates and free calls which are related to mobile phone purchasing. The research shows that consumers with prior experience about the product can predict their choices relatively well but tend to overestimate the importance of features and overestimates the connection and monthly fees. Karountzos, et al. (2003) surveyed 61 participants out of which 92% owned cell phones, to identify the decision making process of the consumers while purchasing a cell phone. Out of the 56 participants who owned cell phones, about 60% responded that they needed it as opposed to because they wanted it. Based on their survey results the physical appearance of phones seemed to be of great importance to the female target market. Males on the either hand simply care about the actual function of the phone. Karjaluoto, et al. (2005) surveyed 66 participants in Finland about their buying behavior. Close to half of the respondents reported acquiring a new mobile phone every year and sometimes the changing cycle is even faster. The most explicit reason for changing was that the old one was broken or did not work properly. This meant for the participants that the mobile phone did not work, the calls were interrupted, for example due to weak audibility, battery was weak, the screen was out of order or keypad was so consumed that the numbers were invisible. While mobile phones were also acquired due to new features including color display and polyphonic ring tones, some respondents bought new phones in order to get an innovator and/or opinion leader status. Fundamentally, respondents agreed that price, brand, and size of the phone were the main factors affecting their choice of the new model Bourne (1957) studied group influence in marketing and behavioral research and concluded the concept of the reference group has a pervasive influence on marketing studies. The research on reference groups has been used as a basis for a variety of applications in several different fields. For example, it has been argued that the reference group concept should be applied in behavior studies of specific groups, such as: farmers, scientists, alcoholics, mentally ill patients, and of course, different segments of consumers (Hyman and Singer, 1968). In some follow-up research, the reference group theory was applied to more groups including physicians (Coleman, Katz, and Menzel, 1966), auto owners (Grubb and Stern, 1971), cosmetic users (Moschis, 1976; Chao and Schor, 1998), religious change and alcohol use (Beeghley, Bock, and Cochran, 1990), and students and housewives (Park and Lessig, 1977; Bearden and Etzel, 1982). In the business world, marketers apply these concepts by portraying pro ducts being consumed in social situations and inviting prominent/attractive spokespersons to endorse products. It is widely accepted that the traditional problem solving approach involving rational decision making to the study of consumer choice may not be suitable for all situations, or is at least incomplete to understand choice behavior. Limited information search and evaluation of alternatives led to a situation in which consumer choice is also driven by hedonic considerations (e.g., Dhar and Wertenbroch, 2000). In general, a common distinction to be made is that while the utilitarian goods usually are primary instrumental and functional, hedonic goods provide fun, pleasure and excitement. It has been noted that many choices have both utilitarian and hedonic features (Batra and Ahtola, 1990), and thus it can also be proposed that the choice between mobile phones has both utilitarian (e.g., communication, time planning) and hedonic (e.g., games, camera) features. The younger the consumer the more hedonistic features consumers tend to value in mobile phones (Wilska, 2003). Quite similarly, consumer choice can also be approached from the perspective of conscious and nonconscious choice (e.g., Fitzsimons et al., 2002). Quite many choice situations occur outside of conscious awareness and with limited information search (Kivetz and Simonson, 2000) and it can be stated that many choices have both conscious and nonconscious motives. Fitzsimons et al. (2002) found that in many cases nonconscious influences affect choice much more than is traditionally believed by researchers. CHAPTER 3: Problem statement, Objectives, Hypothesis Research Methodology The cell phone market is experiencing tough competition amongst all the cell phone sellers, each providing cheaper and attractive handsets. A variety of handsets have been launched to attract the customers. In the backdrop of this scenario, this study is conducted to understand how customers place these companies in their mind. This study tries to judge the perception of respondents by taking into account top end features, basic features, brand image, economy, additional features, and versatility physical characteristics provided by handset sellers. Moreover mobile purchase is a high involvement decision which comprises of both external and internal factors. Therefore it is necessary for the marketers to keep in mind the various factors which undergoes while the purchase of a mobile phone so that they can place the phone accordingly , for the right segment , in the right place with right price and finally with the right branding.Accordingly following objectives were determined for re search. Objectives: To determine brand loyalty and propensity to switch To segment market on the basis of usage pattern To determine the factors and features buyer consider before buying a mobile phone To determine social factors affecting buyer behavior Major Hypothesis: There is a significant relationship between gender and social factors There is a significant relationship between gender and factors affecting purchase decisions Consumer give preference to price and reliability over other factors Mobile phone has shifted from a technical object to social objct Segmenting consumers on basis of decision making process Testing loyalty for brands Data Collection: For the following report both Primary secondary data has been used. Respondents were chosen on random basis judgmental sampling was done. Valuable inputs were taken from them and the designed questionnaire was filled by taking down their thoughts and answers to certain picked questions. Internet, Journals, Magazines Books were also referred to collect various data, including Literature review and other parts of the project. Sampling technique: Sample of respondents was drawn using the following sampling technique: Simple random sampling Analytical tool: The analysis was done using MS Excel SPSS. Factor Analysis, Cluster Analysis and Crosstabulations were done using SPSS. MS Excel was used to draw graphs and charts. DATA COLLECTION SOURCES Questionnaire Design A structured questionnaire was designed. It contained closed ended questions. {Specimen of the questionnaire is attached in Annexure}. SAMPLE SIZE: A sample size of 150 was taken to facilitate the research. Gender Frequency Percentage Total Male 74 49.3 150 Female 76 50.7 AGE 20-25 48 32 150 25-30 51 34 30-35 51 34 LOCATION DELHI 90 60 150 NOIDA 28 18.7 GURGAON 32 27.3 PROFESSION STUDENT 18 12 150 BUSINESS 15 10 SERVICE 108 72 HOUSE WIFE 9 6 EDUCATION Till Intermediate 12 3 150 UNDER GRADUATE 63 42 POST GRADUATE 84 56 (Table 3.1) CHAPTER 4: Data Analysis and Interpretation RELIABILTY STATISTIC Cronbachs alpha is a reliability coefficient based on the average covariance among items in a scale. Because alpha can be interpreted as a correlation coefficient, it ranges in value from 0 to 1. (Negative alpha values can occur when items arent positively correlated among themselves and the reliability model is violated). A high alpha (.7 and higher) would be consistent with hypothesis that all of scale items are measuring the same construct. The Cronbach Alpha reliability test was done for 54 items and the resultant ÃŽÂ ± value for the data is .918. On the basis of high ÃŽÂ ± value we can conclude that data is authentic. Cronbachs Alpha N of Items .918 54 (Table 4.1) Factor Analysis to determine significant factors affecting purchase decisions (Factor Analysis 1) Factor analysis is a statistical procedure used to uncover relationships among many variables. This allows numerous inter-correlated variables to be condensed into fewer dimensions, called factors. The new factors are used as explanatory variables during choice modeling .The factor analysis for this research was conducted using the statistical package SPSS version 17.0 for windows. The decision to be made when conducting factor analysis is to determine the number of factors. One rule of thumb is to use an Eigen value of one as the cut-off value. That is, all factors in a particular solution must have Eigen values greater than one. Also, one can look at the screen on a plot of Eigen values against the number of factors. Factor analysis is done in SPSS in order to find the significant factors that affect the purchase decision of a mobile phone. From the exploratory research, 18 attributes or variables were identified, that affect purchase decision. The significant factors are then identified using factor analysis. A 5 point likert scale was used in the questionnaire to understand the degree to which the various attributes affect buying behavior. Factor Analysis 1 Rotated Component Matrix Component 1 2 3 4 5 Browsing www -.081 .189 .883 .055 -.161 Email -.234 .286 .825 .163 -.016 WAP services .115 .181 .823 .102 .245 Built in camera .378 .565 .494 .140 .112 Appearance .176 .678 .378 .131 .159 Small size .201 .343 .044 -.035 .761 Known Brand .042 .818 .169 .088 .158 Model at reduced price .779 .032 -.171 .075 .220 Innovative Features .249 .141 .464 .657 -.014 Multimedia .164 .210 .298 .722 .237 Design -.039 .625 .286 .408 -.030 Brand Name .102 .741 .142 .247 .026 Outside Influence .490 .370 -.049 .283 .074 Price .857 -.088 -.073 .104 .154 Reliability .839 .017 .069 .171 .104 Advertisements .139 .265 -.102 .712 -.173 User Friendliness .691 .373 -.004 -.069 -.437 Customization .799 .281 .227 .117 -.187 (Table 4.2) For an acceptable factor solution, the following conditions need to be satisfied: Rotated Eigenvalues > 1.0 % Cumulative variance explained should be greater than 70% From the factor analysis output, we can see that The Eigen values are greater than one for 5 factors. 72.667% of the variance is explained by the factors. Thus, the factor analysis shows that there are 12 significant factors affecting purchase behavior. From the Rotated Component Matrix, the constituent variables of each factor are identified as follows: Component 1 Function (Model at reduced price, Price, Reliability, Customization) Component 2 Function (Known Brand, Brand Name) Component 3 Function (Browsing www, email, WAP services) Component 4 Function (Multimedia, Advertisements) Component 5 Function (Small Size) PERCEPTUAL MAPS Perceptual Maps are created with the factors identified as the axis and the attributes are depicted as vectors. Perceptual mapping has been used as a strategic management tool and it offers a unique ability to communicate the complex relationships between marketplace competitors and the criteria used by buyers in making purchase decisions. The length of an attribute vector (or arrow, in this map) is equal to the square root of the sum of its squared correlations with the dimension. This can never be greater than one, and the rela

Merchant of Venice Essay: The Character of Portia -- Merchant of Venic

The Character of Portia in Merchant of Venice  Ã‚      In his Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare wants the reader to admire Portia, arguably the most powerful character in the play. However, it is easy to mistake the word ‘admiration’ to mean simply a liking of someone’s positive virtues. Rather, we should like Portia because of those things that make her a multi-faceted character. Though she can appear to be an â€Å"unlessoned girl,† she is also conniving, manipulative, and powerful. Three examples that effectively show her prowess and as a result win our admiration of her occur during the casket, the trial, and the ring scenes. One reason why Shakespeare wants us to appreciate Portia is because of the respect that radiates from her during the casket scene. Respect is clearly shown when she follows the prescription of her father’s will, which stipulates that she is to be wed to whoever can successfully figure out the riddle of the caskets and pick the one that has her likeness in it: I may neither choose who I would nor refuse who I dislike, so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father. (I.2.22-24) Portia realizes that she has little to say in the matter, and nowhere does she hint at not following her father’s wishes and marrying whomever she wants. Portia’s faith to her father is steadfast as she goes through the ritual of entertaining potential suitor over and over again. However, that is not to say that Portia is fond of her predicament, because clearly she is not. When Morocco fails to pick the correct casket and leaves in a distraught manner, she is relieved and exclaims: â€Å"A gentle riddance† (II.7.78). Portia must also be admired for her unwavering love and support of her Bassanio. Whi... ...tely frees Antonio (and perhaps even Bassanio) and at the same time obliterates Shylock. Therefore, Portia is a character whom Shakespeare means to be highly admired. She possesses qualities that make her the adoration of some and the envy of others. She is highly skilled at whatever task she undertakes; yet she retains an aura of compassion and a strong sense of commitment. She puts herself on the line for the sake of her Bassanio. On the other hand, when she is crossed - or better yet when something she is endeared to is threatened - she is prepared to unleash a havoc to make things better again.    Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. 1967. Ed. W. Moelwyn Merchant. The New Penguin Shakespeare. London: Penguin Books, 1996. - - -. Othello. 1968. Ed. Kenneth Muir. The New Penguin Shakespeare. London: Penguin Books, 1996.   

By using computers in schools, do students become smarter? :: Essays Papers

By using computers in schools, do students become smarter? Schools all over the world have computers in their classrooms that are used everyday. With greater technology available, many people believe that students learn more by using computers and the internet. There are people on the other hand though, who think that schools would be fine without the use of computers. Students of all ages use computers to learn new things. People have different views on whether or not students become smarter by using computers in school. Henry Jay Becker, an education professor at the University of California has been evaluating how schools and teachers use computers for classroom instruction for over 20 years. He believes that computers should be integrated into classrooms for students to use so they can have more skills. The constructivist philosophy that Becker supports stresses student interest and teachers see themselves more as facilitators rather than sources of knowledge for students. Teachers with more computer knowledge are more likely to use several different software types in the classroom. In his research, Becker has found out that students who use the computer daily in the classroom have better word processing skills than those who do not. They also are more likely to use a computer when not in school. Larry Cuban, an education professor at Stanford does not believe in the use of computers in the classroom. Cuban supports the traditional teaching philosophy in which the teacher goes over material in a structured way and assigns practice of material. In this teaching style, the teacher follows exactly what the curriculum says and makes sure all students know that material. He believes that teachers should teach students so they can be prepared for real life. Larry Cuban states this in one of his articles, â€Å"The primary purpose of public schools is to prepare students academically for a workplace that keeps our economy productive and competitive throughout the world.† Cuban stresses how school systems spend millions of dollars for schools to get computers, internet, etc. but rarely use them. Most teachers use their computers more at home than at school.

Manipulating Meaning Worksheet Essay

Part A: Twain’s Family Tree Use all the skills you have learned throughout this course to complete a close reading of the description you’ve chosen. Use context clues to make sense of things that are not clear at first. Pay attention to Twain’s tone and the humor devices he uses. 1. Which of Twain’s ancestors did you select? Charles Henry Twain 2. What is the ACTUAL story of that man’s life? Provide supporting evidence from the text. â€Å"lived during the latter part of the seventeenth century he converted sixteen thousand South Sea islanders, and taught them that a dog-tooth necklace and a pair of spectacles was not enough clothing to come to divine service in† He was very well liked by his flock of people. 3. What techniques does Twain use to create satire in the description you selected? Provide supporting evidence from the text. I think he used wit and humor, when naming it â€Å"twains demented family tree† Part B: Create Your Own Satire For this part of the assignment, you will appropriate Twain’s technique and write a burlesque of an event in your life or in the life of a celebrity. Remember, a burlesque plays on contradiction between a subject and the way it is treated. Twain used humor to describe serious, sometimes awful, events, but you can turn it around and present something fun or happy in a very serious way – the choice is yours. Requirements: Incorporate at least two humor devices Write a minimum of five sentences Paste your completed burlesque here: One time I was riding a very high powered four wheeler, Yamaha raptor 700rr. This bike topped out at about 95mph (no exaggeration) and I was going about  60-70mph down a dirt/rock road. When I needed to slow down I tapped the front brakes a little to hard and the bike stood up on its front two wheels, now in my head, rather than getting eaten by a 400lbs bike I decided to jump off to my right. I tumbled and tumbled lost my shoes and oddly enough ripped my shirt off (couldn’t even find it). Had road rash from head to toe and everywhere in between. Though I was very fortunate not to break anything I was not in the best condition. When I got home (after pushing the bike home) I tell my father what happened and he says â€Å"well that was smart, dumba$$!† to which I replied â€Å"it was definitely one of my smarter moves!† He then helped me get cleaned up, picked the rocks and gravel out of my wounds then spent the next 3 weeks in my bed. ;/ After you have written your burlesque, answer these reflection questions in complete sentences: 1. Factually describe the event you wrote about in your burlesque. I was to in experienced on a high experience bike. I’m far more experienced now (pro) I’m lying about the pro part, but definitely know how to ride 2. What humor devices did you incorporate? Why did you choose them? I used sarcasm; I used sarcasm because I am fluent in that particular literary device. I also used sarcasm because it’s a true story and that’s how it went, exactly. So I felt it was only appropriate.

Hsm/230 Week 9 Checkpoint

Capstone Checkpoint week 9 HSM/230 Capstone Checkpoint week 9 Many issues are becoming problems for seniors, one of these issues is the possibility of losing one of the most important assistance programs that human services has to offer, the Medicare and Medicaid assistance programs for health and well-being of the seniors in California. This issue has been relevant for many years; however in recent years the California Legislature has been unable to successfully plan a budget that would be considered sound. Thus, at this point the legislature is considering cutting some of the programs of human services or cutting back on the funding to these programs. According to Diane Rowland ScD. and Barbara Lyons, PhD. (1996). Without Medicaid’s assistance, the cost of basic medical care can impede access to care and erode financial security for low income elderly people. This is now a problem, for example my mother has a social security benefit of 650. 00 a month, and if she had to pay her medical care and prescription out of this income, her income would only be 300. 00 a month. This is more than twice the poverty level today. This is of great concern to human services agencies in the United States. Most of the elderly have paid into these programs for many years, expecting assistance as they retired; however, this is eroding away. In order to rectify this issue, California along with other states facing this issue, needs to come up with a balanced budget that does not exceed the income they are receiving at the time of the budget making process. The legislature cannot â€Å"expect† to make a different amount than what is in black and white. To predict that they would be making a larger amount only makes the budget worthless, a budget would need to be accurate and overspending must stop in order to rectify this situation. If I were in charge of this type of program, I would look into privatization of a portion and look for subordinates that would be willing to donate, or fund this program for the poor elderly of the United States. Also I would look into how many actually are citizens that are receiving this benefit without payment into the program. This is a huge issue, many illegal immigrants are receiving these benefits and have never paid into the program, therefore are actually ineligible for the benefit. I would propose that these recipients be placed on the welfare program for illegal immigrants and taken off of the assistance for the poor elderly clientele. Is this ethical, I think so, I do not think it is ethical for one to receive benefits if they have not met the criteria or prerequisite to receive this benefit.