Thursday, October 31, 2019

Risk aversion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Risk aversion - Essay Example ptimally increasing expected net gains does not take into consideration risk attitudes or an individual’s attitude to carrying the risk of uncertainty, it is risk neutral. On the other hand, the individual’s attitude to risk bearing is taken into account if expected utility rather than expected gain is to be maximised. Risk premium, equity premium or market premium refers to the additional allowance for risk which results in high rates of interest in the private sector. â€Å"The market risk premium is the expected rate of return in the aggregate stock market in excess of the risk-free interest rate† (Fernandez 2002, p.201). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to compare the State Preference and Machina triangle diagrams, explain an Edgeworth Box diagram, and discuss the factors that determine the efficient allocation of risk. An individual is risk averse if for any probability distribution the expected value of the distribution is preferred to the distribution itself. An individual who prefers a certain income rather than an uncertain one is said to be risk averse. â€Å"In contrast, a risk-neutral person is one who is indifferent to all alternatives with the same expected value† (Katz and Rosen 1998, p.168). For the consumer, uncertainty in the economic market could relate to a combination of or any one of the following factors: income, product price, product quality, and product availability, besides future income, interest rates and inflation rates (McKenna 1986). According to Eeckhoudt and Gollier (1995), the inverse relationship between marginal utility and wealth in the context of expected utility, explains why the largest loss should be covered first through insurance. The State Preference and the Machina Triangle diagrams can be compared and contrasted, as indifference maps for risk averse expected utility maximisers. The expected utility model as an approach to the theory of individual behaviour towards risk is distinctive due to the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

English Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

English Literature - Essay Example ‘Browsing’ no longer connotes rifling through the pages of a book, but the surfing of the net. The very word ‘reading’ is no longer confined to print, but to the perusal of text on the monitor of a computer. Everything, from dictionaries to atlases, has been usurped by the net. After all, who wants an atlas, when one can have ‘Google Earth?’ When books themselves seem well on the way to surviving only as bound exhibits in museums, or fashion statements on coffee tables, does the study of Literature remain relevant today? However, anyone who has curled up on a sofa with a detective yarn, sighed over a tale of unrequited love, or laughed out loud over the antics of a comic hero, can shrug aside such cynicism. Anyone who has ever experienced the magic of books can hold fast to the certainty that Literature will always remain an integral part of a cultured, fulfilled human life. Literature is the expression of the highest human thought. Yes, scientific knowledge exhibits mans’ intellectual achievement and its’ manifestation in the mastery of the physical world. But, it is Literature which satisfies the soul, along with music and art. After all, it is this striving for more than the mere satisfaction of basic physical needs which distinguishes man from the animals. The beauty of the written word transcends that of Nature, and it is Literature which gives expression to this beauty. Life is shaped by Literature. From Aesop’s fable of The Fox and the Grapes to the nursery rhyme of The Little Engine Which Could, from the adventures of the Hardy Boys to tales of Sinbad the Sailor, from Greek and Indian mythology to Shakespeare and Steinbeck, Literature gives expression to the lessons learnt from the past and serves as a guide to the future. It is Literature which showcases the strongest and purest of human emotions,

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Developing Inclusive Education Systems

Developing Inclusive Education Systems What does inclusion mean? Early childhood inclusion makes up values, policies and practices that support the rights of infant and young children and their family no matter their ability. They will take part in a variety of activities and context as full members of families, the community, and the society. (AEC/NAEYC, 2009). This is when students that have special needs are included in normal education. Inclusion is more than a placement in regular classes in school. It is being a part in life and participating using your abilities in day to day activities as a member of the residential district. It is being a part of everyone else and being received and embraced as someone who belongs. It can be a church, school, playground, workplace, and in recreation. (INC., 1995-2009). The three key factors you should look at are access which is providing a big variety of learning opportunities such as activities, settings, and environments which defines high-quality early childhood inclusion. Th e second is participation which is children that need extra individualization accommodations and supports to participate in play and learning activities with adults and their peers. The third is Supports which is a base of systems-level supports must be in place to stand the efforts of people and organizations providing inclusive services to kids and families. (Carolina, 2010). The benefits of inclusive education are they build individual strengths and gifts and they have high but appropriate expectations for each child. They act along the childs individual goals while they take part in the liveliness of the classroom with children their own age. The parents are involved in the childs education and in their activities at school. The school nurtures a culture of respect and belonging. The inclusive education provides them an opportunity to learn about and accept an individual difference, this will diminish the impact of the child being bullied and harassed. They learn to develop frie ndships with a big variety of children, and each child has their own individual needs and abilities. It has a positive influence on both the school and community and they learn to appreciate diversity and inclusion on a bigger level. (BC, 2012-2017). There are more benefits for students with disabilities such as the form friendships, increase their social and behavior skills, Role models for their academics, they increase achievement on their IEP goals, and bigger opportunities for interactions with other children. The benefits of children that dont have a disability is making a meaningful relationship, they have more of an appreciation and they accept children with differences, they have an increased understanding and acceptance of diversity, and they respect all people. http://www.uvm.edu/ There is no research that will show any negative effects from the inclusion that is done right to the support and services for the children to participate and achieve IEP goals. (INC., 1995-2009). The resources that instructors can utilize to see about higher-quality preschool inclusion is https://www2.ed.gov/, Early Learning Inclusion, the policy of Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs and is jointly released by the Department of Education and Health and human Resource. It was released on September 14. 2015 it says that all young kids that have disabilities need access to include high-quality early childhood programs where they offer individualized and appropriate support in satisfying high expectations of the child. The policy statement sets high expectations for high-quality inclusion in the early childhood programs. It shows the legal and research for inclusion, shows the challenges to accept the inclusive practices, it recommends state and local p rograms and providers for inclusive learning opportunities for children, Free resources for state and local programs, and providers and families that have developed to support children with disabilities in the high-quality education programs. Another resource is http://www.nectac.org/ It tells you what to look for in a high-quality education., http://npdci.fpg.unc.edu/ Practices of high-quality inclusion that promote access, Participation, and support. References AEC/NAEYC. (2009). A joint position statement of the DEC? NAEYC. Early Childhood Inclusion, 1-16. BC, I. (2012-2017). Benefits of Inclusive Education. Imclusion BC, 1. Carolina, T. u. (2010). Quality Indicators of Inclusive Early Childhood Programs/ Practices. Chapel hill: NECTAC. INC., K. t. (1995-2009). What is Inclusion. What is Inclusion, 1.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Journey to the Midwest: The German Immigration :: essays research papers fc

Journey to the Midwest: The German Immigration   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many German immigrants in 1901 risked everything for a dream of better things in America and the promise of freedom and wealth. Although, when they arrived many realized that the streets were not paved with gold as they had believed, but rather filth. This is the detailed description of why one family left Germany, what happened after they arrived in America, and how they adapted to life in the Midwest. Momma- I have arrived in America finally. The journey was long and crowded on the boat, but hopeful. I was glad that Wilhelm was here to travel with me. We knew when we had reached America, there was a beautiful statue of a woman and it gave us all hope to see it. She was a great welcome into the country. When we got off the ship, we were ushered to a smaller boat and taken to this beautiful island. The building was large and beautiful. Immediately, men in uniform gave us a stamp on our clothes and we had to stand inline with the other people from our ship. It took all day and we spoke to many people, they asked us questions and looked at our eyes. There was nowhere to sit, so we were very tired at the end of the day. Finally though, we made it through and we are in America! Wilhelm and I are traveling to see papa now. We are so excited to see papa, although the journey to see him maybe long. Momma, please be strong and kiss Heinrich for me. I miss you and pray that I will see you an d the family very soon. –Love, Edda   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today, many Germans live throughout the U.S.; especially in the Midwest. More likely then not, they came here in the late 1800's- 1900's. During the 1860’s many revolutions took place in Germany and many families experienced the poverty that almost always follows war. In one 20 year span, in the late 1800's, Germany went to war at least 7 times taking on neighboring countries such as: Austria, France, Belgium and Russia. Much money was spent on the war effort in Germany. People were taxed heavily just to buy bullets for the army. Through all this, word was spread like wild fire through Germany that a new country in the west across the water was offering freedom and a promise of happiness for anyone who would make the long journey to the new country: America.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Compare and contrast the Characters of Professor Moriaty Essay

This essay is to show the contrast between two of the villains out of the Sherlock Holmes short stories, Professor Moriarty and Dr Roylott. I will talk about the differences and the similarities between the two villains and how the behave toward Holmes. Dr Roylott is a character from â€Å"The Speckled Band† where he killed his daughter by use of a poisonous snake. Professor Moriarty is a character from â€Å"The Final Problem†. By using the text of these books I am also able to identify and show Conan Doyle’s methods of characterisation. The appearance is one of the primary aspects of a character because without imagery you cannot print a picture of the character in your head of what the character would look like. The appearances of the two villains are very different in build and facial and body features. Dr Roylott is a very large person, as it states in The speckled band, where Roylott meets Sherlock at Baker Street. â€Å"So tall was he that his hat actually brushed the cross-bar.† This shows that Dr Roylott was a man of great height. It also states after that quote â€Å"and his breadth seamed to span across it† This other quote about his build explains that not only was he tall but had a very large chest, and was very bold in his stature. This advantage of size was used to intimidate Sherlock by confronting him. The sheer size difference was used to Roylotts full advantage. Roylotts face is described as being wrinkled and weathered, â€Å"A large face, seared with a thousand wrinkles.† This describes Roylott being quite old or as a man who has been quick to temper and he suffers with a vast amount of stress. It also shows that Dr Roylott is a man who doesn’t act like most people in his class status and is slightly adventurous and hard working. Conan Doyle use of â€Å"a thousand wrinkled† in an exaggerated from and gives more meaning to in that he seamed to have that numerous wrinkles which is able to paint a more accurate image of Roylott in the audiences head. Roylott is also described as a man of agriculture even though he is a man of anger and impulsive rage. â€Å"a peculiar mixture of the professional and of the agricultural.† This explains his professional abilities have bought him wealth and agriculture because of his intelligence. Being wealthy he dresses like a man of his status, in stereotypical dress-code and is s aid as wearing â€Å"a black top-hat, a long frockcoat, and a pair of high gaiters.† Professor Moriarty is quite the contrary where he is nowhere near as large or bold as Dr Roylott. Moriarty is said to be more of a lean build â€Å"He is extremely tall and thin.† Moriarty is quite a tedious man in comparison of the body structure of the two villains but it doesn’t make any difference in Professor Moriarty’s intellectual abilities, and Moriarty does not need a physical advantage. Moriarty is also described as having a large forehead that curves out. This is in relation to his vast superior intelligence to most people, and Doyle used that imagery to try and make the audience see Moriarty as having a large brain that his head has to curve to allow space for it. Moriarty is also described in The final problem as â€Å"He is clean-shaven, pale, and ascetic looking.† For Conan Doyle to say that Moriarty is â€Å"ascetic† he is able to instantly make the audience think that he is a cruel man, but not adventurous. With Moriarty’s intellectual capabilities Doyle is able to make the audience think that he is not committing crimes, but organising them. It also says that Moriarty has a lot of self-discipline for himself. The manner of the two characters is very different. Dr Roylott is a more aggressive man, whereas Professor Moriarty is a more rational man, and talks about something rather that acts like a violent boisterous person. Dr Roylott shows his extreme impatience and violent tendencies when he met Sherlock and Dr Watson, in Sherlock’s home. Roylott storms into where Sherlock is and began to shout at Sherlock about his daughter had been there earlier. Instead of sitting down like Moriarty he confronts Holmes in an aggressive manner and uses intimidation to try and get Holmes to tell him what he wants. Sherlock is not threatened by the show of anger and retains his rationality. In this Roylott realises that he is not going to intimidate Holmes and demonstrates his strength by bending a fire poker to show his power, and leaves with a threat, still trying to intimidate Holmes but also proving a point, he means business. Unaffected by this Holmes carries on with the investigation. Moriarty is the complete opposite in physical aggression, for he isn’t as bulky as Roylott, but in the same way Moriarty attempts to intimidate Holmes, not by a physical show of strength but by a complex and articulate array of words. When Moriarty visits Holmes he insults Sherlock not long after he arrives, â€Å"you have less frontal development than I expected.† This is an insult where Moriarty is trying to say that Holmes is not intelligent enough to out perform Moriarty, in the sense that he will not be able to accuse him without evidence that Holmes will not acquire. This is an entirely alternate method in contrast to Roylott. Moriarty is calm, collective and does not proceed to violence and speaks in a relaxed manor that everything is satisfactory. Moriarty does not need to try and intimidate Sherlock because everything he says carries a lot of weight and he knows that Holmes has met an equally matched adversary, himself.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

GST in Malaysia Essay

In Malaysian Tax System, Royal Custom & Excise Department is responsible for all policies related of Goods and Services Tax (GST). Currently, the rate of GST can be category to 3 rates which are standard rate, zero rate and exempt supplies. (Gst.customs.gov.my, 2014) GST can only be charged on the business was registered under the Malaysian Goods and Services Act 2014. The registration exemption is given if the business’s annual turnover of taxable supplier is below than the GST registration threshold. Thus, such businesses cannot charge GST on their products or services from their customers. (Gst.customs.gov.my, 2014) The GST registration is available from 1st June 2014 for any businesses which have reach the GST registration threshold of more than RM500, 000 are required to register under with Royal Malaysian Customs Department for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) before 31st December 2014. Nevertheless, the business with annual turnover below RM500, 000 may apply for the GST voluntary registration that is because registration GST is voluntary. (HengAnn, 2014) There are no any extra fees charged for GST registration processing. Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Value-Added Tax (VAT) are a type of consumption tax had been invented in 1950’s. Both of GST and VAT are based on value added concept and it is a multi-stage tax, so GST or VAT will charge at each stage of supplies chain. Currently, there are 160 countries had implemented GST or VAT and from this statistic has shown that GST and VAT are an effective and fair tax system. According to the data shows based on the region, 160 countries had implemented GST or VAT are as the following countries: 7 countries in ASEAN, 19 countries in Asia, 53 countries in Europe, 7 countries in Oceania, 44 countries in Africa, 11 countries in South America and 19 countries in Caribbean, Central and North America. On 7th April 2014, the Goods and Services Tax was passed in Dewan Rakyat Malaysia with 119 votes for and 81 votes against. Start from 1st April 2015, GST will effective at a standard tax rate of 6%. The propose of implementation GST will replace the current consumption taxes which are Government Sales Tax (10%) and Services Tax (6%).

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Social Web Divided by Race

The Social Web Divided by Race The advent of the internet as a communication tool brought with it promises of equality and fairness as far as racial, religious and ethnic boundaries are concerned. Many considered it as a platform that will guarantee equality by enabling strangers and people of diverse cultural, religious and racial backgrounds to interact together in a rather harmonious manner. However, the recent developments, as portrayed by some social sites, have indicated otherwise.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Social Web Divided by Race specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is increasingly being observed that individuals belonging to the same race are clustering on certain social media websites. A case in point is the racial distribution of the micro blogging website Twitter. Although this social website seems to encompass users from all races, a closer look shows that the Hispanic and the African American audiences form the ma jority of the users. These groups are also equally on the rise with regards to their commitment to the site. Another social site, the Pinterest.com, boasts of more than ninety per cent of white users from the United States. On the other hand, the Tumbir.com has witnessed a steady rise of the Asian Americans in the recent times. Even though the social media has become a crucial communication tool, it is highly divided on racial grounds. All these said and done, there is an interesting twist to this. The claim that the social media is divided by race could be farfetched and also lacks the truth in it. This is owed to the fact that very few individuals commit themselves to creating these divisions. Up to now, there is yet to be a social media site that is created by the sole intention of representing a particular division within the society. The truth of the matter is that the divisions that exist within humans are as a result of their own creations but they rarely pin down to the colo r of the skin. Some of these social media sites that have been victims to condemnations of racial divisions are actually serving other purposes. For instance, the Pinterest.com is composed of mostly females and mothers who benefit from the online site as a platform of putting up images of the things that they consider most favorite. It is worthwhile to note that it is normal to find busy mothers attracted to Pinterest.com because of its easier pin as compared to Tumblog or blog. This worked in favor of the Pinterest.com, which grew through invitations. Mothers therefore found out new members on whose mindset they shared. The dominance of the membership of the Pinterest.com by the white race could only be attributed to the consequence of the place of birth and growth of the social media site. A more credible argument concerning the Pinterest.com should be the sexuality of the dominant gender of the users and not the race.Advertising Looking for research paper on communication strategies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Apparently, more than seventy per cent of the users are females. The contents of this blogging site are feminist in nature and the audiences being centered on are females. Based on these scenarios, it is therefore apt to argue that the social media site, Pinterest.com, is more divided along the gender lines with sexist themes than the alleged racial boundaries. The growth of Twitter among the African Americans and the US Hispanics is also not a deliberate thing. It can be attributed to several factors and it should first be noted that most smart phones and cell phones that are possessed by residents of these areas contain Twitter as one of the applications. This makes their handsets reliable for tweeting at any given time. It is also important to note that Twitter does not disclose the race of the user. This makes the claim that the blacks and the Hispanics to be the dominant race on twitter invalid. Nobody chooses to join a social media site because other members of his or her race belong to it. Therefore, social media sites are not platforms of racial divisiveness. Similarly, the social media site, Tumblor, which is synonymous with the Asians is only so because they use it to discuss pertinent issues, which affects them like culture. This therefore makes it a cultural issue, not a racial one. The social media has contributed in positioning some races in certain strategic prejudicial locations in the global society. During the 1950s and 1960s, black people were astoundingly positioned as the social problems, because of the development of some documentaries during those times. The problem was orchestrated by the need to offer the black immigrants to Britain housing, jobs and the social ills that came with their arrival such as crime, prostitution and congestions. On the contrary, the social media sites have helped suppress some social barriers. Thanks to the se sites, there have been more frequent interactions across various races. Unlike in the past, where only a clichà © of the elite were allowed to own and use the digital media devices, today the devices are relatively cheaper and accessible. Moreover, frequent mobilizations and empowerment have ensured that even the minority and marginalized groups of people access the devices. The impact of this is that information has been able to travel into all corners of the world within split of seconds thereby increasing the interactions. The media has also come with a new mode of representation that is exhibited by people of different ethnicities. The adoption of communication technology by different ethnic groups in the world has a number of variations. These variations cause differences that emanate from a number of factors. To begin with, it is important to understand ethnicity to include such diversifications as cultural practices, racial orientations, the national originality and the s ocioeconomic variables.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Social Web Divided by Race specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is also worthwhile to note that the adoption of technology has very little to do with formal education because of the dynamics that therein. Conversely, the possession of income plays an important role in the adoption of technology. This is attributed to the empowerment to purchase such technological equipments as computers, satellite dishes, VCRs and the cable televisions (Dupagne and Salwen 25). The representation of news and ideas in the social media has helped portray the social lives of groups of people across the globe. Their mindsets and opinions are formed and shaped by what they receive from the social media. This catapults the importance of the ethnical or racial representation of the news and ideas from the social media since it has the potential of affecting the manner in wh ich certain ethical groupings distinguish things or are perceived. Different ethnic groups represent themselves in different ways in the media. On the other hand, different media firms have unique and predetermined ways of representing various ethnic groups especially those ethnicities from the minority cultures. Normally, these representations are characterized by cultural dominance undermining. In addition, the kinds of the representations exhibited by the media lack equality and knowledge of their identities (Mainsah 183). When left on their own, different ethnicities would use the social media to not only represent themselves but also to articulate their ideologies with regard to the perceptions within their context. These ideologies, in most cases, are the natural motivations within which a given ethnic group finds a common sense of purpose that pertains to the political and social leanings. Their representations within these contexts enable them to be classified into appropria te categories of race and culture. By the very fact that the media has the ability of controlling and shaping the beliefs and attitudes of a population, some ethnic groups are notorious in intimidating other ethnic groups through the use of the media. A case in point is the use of televisions to represent some ethnic minorities such as the non whites in America. For instance, the conservative cultures that inhabit the Amazon forests have always been represented by the media as being backward and primitive. In essence the attitudes and beliefs of the whites towards these minority group of people have been mostly so. They too believe that indeed these are primitive ethnic groups as opposed to them, who are civilized. By this, the media has contributed to the formation of the attitude of looking down upon an ethnic civilization by a selected mass through ideological motivation (Arora 87). Some ethnic groups have also adopted some rare but chilling forms of representation in the media. For instance, the black people, who are Afro-Caribbean, often portray themselves as gangsters and criminals. These acts of violence and crimes are hugely demonstrated in the videos and songs that are composed and sang by this culture. This has impacted on the stereotyping against them by the whites who consider them as reckless, irresponsible and violent.Advertising Looking for research paper on communication strategies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Apparently, the media has the power to determine and dictate the kind of representation a particular ethnic group wants to disseminate to the public. While it can be true that some black neighborhoods are full of criminal and violent activities, it is also true that most black people are in pursuit of moral uprightness and are committed to the transformation of the society into a more prosperous destination. It is needless to say that the president of the United States of America is black. However, the media will rarely report any progressive news about this minority ethnic group because of the stereotype that has always described the group. It is important to note that more of these stereotyping is orchestrated by the ethnic group themselves. For reason best known to them, this ethnic group has found it wise to identify themselves with negative attributes. Actually, all these attributes are depicted in the media for all to see and judge. Stereotyping has contributed to the subordin ation of certain ethnic groups in accordance with the white ideological hegemony. In yet another focus, the black people have always identified themselves or rather their underdeveloped nature to be closeness with nature. In retro respect, the whites were associated with civilization through the media. This further promotes the kind of stereotypical representation, which characterizes boils down to racial discourses. The television media is also known to have adopted and perpetuated some seemingly cultural way of life of the blacks from the earlier films which portrayed them as contented slaves, entertainers and the noble savage. Through the actions of the television media, the white viewers have been fed to the preconceptions of the way of life expected of the blacks. This kind of subjugation is what makes the media an important tool in the perpetuation of stereotypical actions (Ryan 201). Another important minority group consists of the disabled people. Apparently, these individua ls have had to undergo untold forms of discrimination and sufferings due to their physical state. In order to reverse this trend, some of the people who belong to this minority group have made efforts to come together and use the media to articulate their issues and concerns in a bid to communicate to the public their issues. One such media destination is the internet. The internet has provided a platform for the disabled people to participate in online discussions with themselves and the non disabled internet users. In such media, they do realize that their physical constraints are made more flexible in addition to establishing their own identities. In addition, the internet also boosts their chances of accessing the most useful information concerning the appropriate care that is required of them. This is a shot in the arm to this minority group since they are mostly limited and restricted to move in search of such pieces of information from physical locations. The internet also al lows the disabled people to connect online and this necessitates the flourishing of their culture online because they are able to connect with one another no matter where the other comes from and the level of impairment and mobility that characterizes them. However, not all this is a bed or roses. The internet, on the other hand, has exposed some disabled people to more abuse and harassment from either fellow or non disabled internet users. Worse still, a good number of digital technology systems tend to legitimize the oppression of the disabled people by offering discriminatory services to the non disabled users only. Further the media being highly commercialized tend to apt for the mainstream voices who boasts of more cash compared to the disabled minorities. In the same breath, most of the websites meant for disabled are normally characterized by the pleas for charity. This in a way makes them less attractive as compared to the mainstream internet websites. One other shortcoming of the internet lies in its diversification into relaying messages and information in the form of graphics, animation, text, video and audio. This has the potential of leaving out the disabled people who have the hearing, visual and mobility impairments (Mcgonagle 287). The Asian people as an ethnic group have also used the media to perpetuate portions of their values and norms. Apparently, some of these values and norms defy the normal ways of family interactions. Subsequently they have subjected themselves to immense prejudices from the mainstream media. The media, in essence, have always conveyed the Asian families as being so insensitive and overbearing thereby forcing their daughters to participate in predetermined marriages deprived of love. They are also portrayed as wealthy billionaires whose occupancy of the western world is because of their wealth and nothing else, not brains. This is indeed a subjugation of an ethnic group by the media. Still, in Asia, some terrorist grou ps have used the media and the internet to offer threats or claim responsibilities from the terrorist activities that have been conducted in a given part of the world. The impact of this is that the rest of the World has always associated terrorist activities with the Muslim world. This, in turn, does a lot of reputational damages to the non terrorist Asian citizens. Other regions of the world where reports of biased representation of the minority groups have immensely been witnessed include France, Finland, Netherland and Germany. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, is said to be awash with enough policies to help curb this vice. Speculations are, however, rife that this is just in paper. In France, for instance, the citizens who hail from North America are required to submit their representation with the French audiovisual media that belongs to the French majority. This is a gesture aimed at alleviating the prevailing discrimination that arises from the media industry. Such eff orts include encouraging the minorities to seek efforts within the media industry in a bid to enhance fairness and representation equitably (Mcgonagle 290). Online discussion board participation and identity and multiculturalism have also been exhibited in the media in various forms. Online discussion, normally, consists of various rubrics upon which conversations are held as the fresh discussion topics or new threads are added. A user must first register to become a member after which he or she can post reactions to threads or even initiate new threads. The online discussion boards serve an important purpose of integrating different cultures amongst the participants in addition to preserving their identities. They provide an opportunity to the participants to share and discuss things that could otherwise be difficult to talk about on face to face value. Besides, they are avenues of showcasing the identity of the users which they explicitly portray with regards to the discussion of an important context (Stokes and Reading 219). The participation in the online discussion board brings forth the cross cultural exchanges amongst the participants in various aspects. When they take part in such discussions, they get to combine their religions with ethnicity in an expression of differentiation. By posting their photos in such forums the participants are able to tell their identities and that of their countries. For instance, a participating Muslim female student might want to post a photo of her wearing a headscarf. This is in itself an indication that the participant is from an Islamic background of which she is proud of. This could be helpful in informing fellow participants at a glance, some of whom might be interested in learning some Islamic teachings or sharing the same with her. The online discussion forums are also instrumental in the exploration of divergent personal trajectories by the participants. Users have the opportunity to infuse what they learn outsi de the internet and share it with the online friends. People of diverse backgrounds such as race, class and gender can participate in a flat discussion and interaction through sharing of ideas. Offline power relations are normally propelled online. This has also helped some users to locate and find life partners in marriages. It also helps participants to work together on projects and in essence maximizes learning process. In addition, it ensures that the participants assume responsibility and participate in active learning in conformity with the expectation of the regular learning in the online discussion. For students, it ensures that all of them participate by not only interacting with their lecturers but also engaging their peers in content exchange and negotiations (Reitz, Breton and Dion 23). The cultural identities were reproduced or contested in the process of self-presentation in various ways through civilizations. The reproduction of cultural identities can be attributed t o a variety of events ranging from the historical background of a community to the community’s way of life. Some cultural identities were reproduced through the activities of the colonialists such the colonial expansion and the economic imperatives on their subjects of colony. Yet, some other cultural identities were imposed by use of force by other established cultures that considered themselves civilized. In essence, they suppressed the local cultures and values together with the norms of life. The cultural identity of any society can further be understood through the examination of the political economy and the institutions. The conceptualization of culture in anthropological ways provides the means through which the cultural practices offer meanings. Apparently culture is by description an act of giving meaning to life and its ways. These meanings are not theoretical but rather practically demonstrated by people. Hence, the cultural practices of a given group of people. T his meaning makes culture to be a thing, not of possession but something that is practiced. Another important cultural identity practice is nationalism; the national and cultural identity is a sure means of uniting the citizens of a given nation and culture within the boundaries of a given territory. However, this political status quo that is hence formed can in turn be challenged by cultural institutions. When dissident voices such as the civil society, marginalized women and other minority groups within a given cultural and national territory participate in challenging the national status quo, they are contributing to the development of the culture of the given nation. Apparently, these opposing groups will always oppose the culture adopted by the nation, which they feel does not serve the common good of the country (Stuart 108). The digital media can be used as a vehicle for identity formation in some unique ways. The use of the digital media has been on the increase over the pas t few decades. This could be attributed to reasons such as efficiency, reliability and in some cases easier portability. According to the Deloitte Touchà ©, thirty eight per cent of the population of the United States watches the television shows online while thirty six percent use the mobile handsets as devices for entertainment. Another forty five per cent are reported to be using their digital devices to create online contents such as videos, blogs and websites. All these uses involve the sharing of information across a diversified composition of the audiences. The audiences and the disseminators of the information must therefore strive to preserve their identities (Steinberg 305). The identity formation by the digital media can be achieved through participating in online discussions, writing web content in the internet, commenting on various topics on news blogs such as BBC and CNN, writing online magazines and posting various updates on both Twitter and Facebook. By so doing, the user is likely to set his or her authority by stating a firm view point which in most cases is influenced by his or her social setting or historical background. Digital media devices such as Smartphone, iPod Touch, e-readers and tablets have some unique applications that enable users to easily interact through chats and updates, photo upload and many others. A user can use this opportunity to convey particular information or upload a photo that portrays his or her cultural identity. By doing this he is developing and forming an identity. The kind of identity could be the type of attire the user prefers and the language of use (Spencer 129). Ethnic Minority and Visibility and Digital Media Many ethnic minorities have been victims of invisibility by media companies registered in their host countries. A case in point is the way the France media covers issues that pertains to its extra citizens. Not only are they given very rare airtime but very few of the television journalist are from the blacks, Arabs and Asian origins. A more sober take to this scenario is that persons from all races must be accorded equal representation so that they too can feel and enjoy a sense of belonging similar to their fellow citizens of color. Apparently, the television media holds an important position in life since it exhibits the cultural, social and domestic environment. It is therefore unnecessary for the television stations to purport that the models conveyed create identification problems to the minority citizens. The very fact that the minority ethnic groups do not see the models in their television sets that resemble them is tantamount to killing their self esteem (Burd, Drucker and Gumpert 283). Furthermore, the digital media should be tasked with playing a cohesive role in a society. Therefore, when they poorly or negatively represent a minority ethnic group in their television, they are only contributing to dividing that nation. This will lead to resentments towards t hat media station besides fueling incitements towards the minority ethnic groups by the mainstream citizens. The only way this situation can be reversed is through adopting equal and fair representation of all races regardless of the positions and the numbers they constitute within the population. Inclusion of the minority tribes in employment by the media industries is also a good way of addressing this. Considering the fact that most media stations are for commercial purposes, it is important to note that even people from the minority tribes are consumers of the advertised goods and services within the media stations. For instance, a television station that does not give fair representation to the Asians in Europe assumes that all the people from that continent should not purchase the products being advertised. This has a negative consequence to the business community and the social interactions of the nation. The visibility or lack of the minority ethnic groups within the digital media must be addressed by bringing everybody on board. Everybody here include both the perpetrators and the victims. It must never be assumed that all the minority groups lack visibility or experience invisibility due to deliberate oppressions from the mainstream groups. Some minority groups actually love to take part is some activities that portray in negative light. For instance, some of the African Americans living in Europe mostly like to Americanize themselves by associating in weird behaviors and activities. To the other minority ethnic groups like school children who might be experiencing problems with enough visibility of the digital media, empowerment and demonstrations may be the only way to go. School going students are the favorites because through the media, their behavior and creativity can be developed. The visual representation in this digital age should be done in such a way that it encompasses and takes care of the needs of the almost forgotten minority groups. F or the communities that are yet to receive the full access of some advanced and yet technical digital media devices, simple improvise can be made to bridge the gap. As a motivational factor and to fulfill the hunger for digital technology, schools that are located in remote areas can be involved in such projects as digital imaging. Participants will feel the impacts and assume the ownership of the project (Abbott and Shaikh 458). In order to successfully achieve this, there are a number of measures that should be put in place to ensure that the goals are met. The students should be encouraged to integrate creativity into learning within their curriculum through the use of digital technology. This provides utmost motivation and inspiration. The improvised technological devices made by students not only enhance creativity but also help in decision making and responsibility assumption by the students. Moreover the success of such projects further motivates the partisans. Needless to sa y, most technological devices have the rooms for corrections since one can always delete unwanted applications. This is also a stronger motivational drive to the students. In addition, it strengthens the student (De-Leeuw and Rydin 452). Conclusion As much as the social media has improved and revolutionized the communication industry, there are some concerns on the racial divisions within this area. For example, the number of African-Americans and Hispanics using Twitter is so high in spite of the fact that they were for a long time absent in the television scene and other conventional media platforms. Although there are many positive things about social media, racial segregation is a great problem that should be addressed given that it could spark huge problems in the future. However, the problems linked to the social media revolution cannot overshadow the gains that it has brought to the world as a whole. Abbott, Chris, and Alim Shaikh. Visual Representation in the Digital Age: I ssues Arising from a Case Study of Digital Media Use andRepresentation by Pupils in Multicultural School Settings. Language and Education 19.6 (2008): 455-466. Print. Arora, Ranjit K. Race and Ethnicity in Education. Edinburgh: Ashgate Publishing, 2005. Print. Burd, Gene, Susan J. Drucker, and Gary Gumpert. The Urban Communication Reader. Cresskill: Hampton Press, 2007. Print. De-Leeuw, Sonja, and Ingegerd Rydin. Migrant childrens digital stories : Identity formation and self-representation through media production. European Journal of Cultural Studies 10.4 (2007): 447-464. Print. Dupagne, Michel, and Michael B. Salwen. Communication Technology Adoption and Ethnicity. Howard Journal of Communications 16.1 (2006): 21-32. Print. Mainsah, Henry. ‘I could well have said I was Norwegian but nobody would believe me’: Ethnic minority youths’ self-representation on social network sites. European Journal of Cultural Studies 14.2 (2011): 179-193. Print. Mcgonagle, Joseph M . Ethnicity and visibility in contemporary French television. French Cultural Studies 13.39 (2002): 281-292. Print. Reitz, Jeffrey G., Raymond Breton, and Karen Kisiel Dion. Multiculturalism and Social  Cohesion: Potentials and Challenges of Diversity. London: Springer, 2009. Print. Ryan, James. Race and Ethnicity in Multi-Ethnic Schools: A Critical Case Study. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, 2008. Print. Spencer, Steve. Race And Ethnicity: Culture, Identity And Representation. New York: Routledge, 2006. Print. Steinberg, Shirley R. Diversity and Multiculturalism: A Reader. New York: Peter Lang, 2009. Print. Stokes, Jane C., and Anna Reading. The Media in Britain: Current Debates and Developments. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2000. Print. Stuart, Hall. Questions of Cultural Identity. London: Sage, 1996. Print.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Ninguno Usually Used in Singular Form

Ninguno Usually Used in Singular Form Ninguno (as well as the feminine form, ninguna), usually meaning none or not one, is almost always used in the singular form. But ninguno (or the noun it refers to when ninguno is used as an adjective) can often be translated to English as either singular or plural without a change in meaning. Heres  an example: Él tiene lo que ninguna mujer puede resistir. In English, either He has what no woman can resist and He has what no women can resist mean essentially the same thing. But in Spanish, the singular form would almost always be used. Similarly, a sentence such as No he tenido ningà ºn problema could be translated as either I havent had any problem or I havent had any problems, with any difference in meaning being very slight. But ningunos problemas is hardly ever used. Some examples showing how English equivalents can be singular or plural: Ninguna persona debe morir en la crcel. (Nobody should die in jail. No persons should die in jail.) No hay ninguna diferencia entre darle dinero al gobierno y quermarlo. (Theres no difference between giving money to the government and burning it. There are no differences between burning money and giving it to the government.) No tengo ninguna pregunta ms. (I dont have another question. I dont have any more quesitons.) It wouldnt be a grammatical crime to use the plural in Spanish sentence like those two, and indeed you may sometimes hear similar constructions. But as a general rule, the main time ningunos or ningunas is used is when referring to nouns that are grammatically plural although singular in meaning: No veo ningunas tijeras. I dont see any scissors. No necesito ningunas gafas. I dont need any glasses. No tengo ningunas ganas de estudiar. I dont have any desire to study. By the way, theres a reason many of the sentences about use both no and ninguno: Double negatives are common in Spanish. In fact, theyre required in many cases where theyd be wrong in English.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Alt as an Alternative to Alternative

Alt as an Alternative to Alternative Alt as an Alternative to Alternative Alt as an Alternative to Alternative By Mark Nichol The prefix alt-, an abbreviation of alternate, has appeared in the media lately, attached to the word right to denote a political movement supporting nationalism and opposing multiculturalism and liberal immigration policies. Although this prominence is a very recent phenomenon, the term alt-right- or, at least, its full form, â€Å"alternative right†- is not brand new: Coined in 2008, it was adopted two years later as the name of a website devoted to content espousing alt-right principles. However, it’s unclear when the abbreviated version of the term was coined; it might date back mere days or weeks at most. A dictionary entry offers this definition of alt: â€Å"Denoting a version of something, especially music, that is intended as a challenge to the traditional version.† (Alternative, in this sense meaning â€Å"not traditional or usual,† is an extension of alternate, which is ultimately derived from Latin alter, meaning â€Å"other.†) The coinage follows a format employed for a handful of terms, of which alt-rock is the most prominent: In 1979, various sources began to refer to underground music inspired by the punk rock movement with the adjective alternative; as such music, ironically, became mainstream, it was labeled, among other things, â€Å"alternative rock,† and thence alt-rock. As this movement was increasingly commercially exploited, the term’s popularity declined. However, the prefix has been affixed more recently to comedy that, like anything alt, is considered edgy or iconoclastic. Similarly, alt-fiction is the term given to novels and short stories that subvert and defy conventions of traditional fiction. There’s even alt-dating, the use of online dating websites that appeal to people outside mainstream society. Such terms are perhaps inspired in part by the use of the prefix alt in Usenet, a computer-based discussion system established in 1980, to denote groups outside the system’s conventional discussion categories. The abbreviation is also familiar to users of PC keyboards, which includes an Alt key used in combination with other keys to carry out a function distinct from that enabled by pressing the other key alone, but this term originates with alternate, not alternative. It’s quite likely that in our jargon-happy culture, the prefix may begin to appear more often, modifying additional nouns as a shortcut for signifying unconventional behavior or thought. In tandem, however, as often occurs when jargon proliferates, expect such terms to be used derisively or ironically as well as sincerely. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Useful Stock Phrases for Your Business Emails10 Techniques for More Precise Writing15 Names and Descriptions of Effects

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Honeypots and Firewalls Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Honeypots and Firewalls - Assignment Example hen services needs to be deliver through proxy whereas a multiple screen subnet can be deployed where packages or packets are required to pass through the network into the grid (Zwicky, Cooper and Chapman, 2000). Worms, malware, and viruses are common issues facing companies every day. These can be prevented through the use of antiviruses. An antivirus is software that identifies threats and hence blocks them from attacking a computer, an antivirus is also able to delete viruses, worms, and malware that has already attacked a computer system. Worms, viruses, and malware are sometimes used by hackers to illegally access other peoples’ computers. Ensuring all computers within an organization is therefore important as it will prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing private and confidential information in other peoples’ computers. The value of a honeypot can be sold to a CIO through elucidating its benefits, values, as well as the potential issues and downsides. Based on its simple design, a honeypot has the capability to gather and assemble trivial and minute cliques and arrays of statistics and information. Honeypots are created with the main objective of intermingling and networking with aggressors of the system. Therefore, through assembling and gathering each and every information and statistics, novel gizmos used by hackers and other attackers are identified and dealt with amicably. One of the downside off a honeypot is the fact that it can only identify threats that networks or associates with it. Honeypots can also be hijacked by aggressors and hence be used to cause more damage to the system (The Government off the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 2008). There are diverging characteristics associated with firewalls and honeypots. According to Zwicky, Cooper and Chapman (2000), a firewall is characterized by diverse security ranks on the basis of the position and situation of the computer, security or safeguarding of wireless grids and

Friday, October 18, 2019

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic management - Essay Example Keywords: strategy, five forces, entrants, analysis, differentiation, Porter, Â   focus, competitors, substitutes, buyers, suppliers, cost leadership, competitive, method, framework, bargaining, rivalry The significance of strategy formulation by firms is coping with competition. Every firm competing in an industry has either an explicit or implicit competitive strategy. Strategies may have been developed specifically through a planning process or may have developed inherently through tasks carried out by various functional departments of a firm. Each functional department implements approaches directed by its professional direction and the motivation of those in charge. Developing a competitive strategy involves developing an extensive method for how a business is going to compete in an industry, what the objectives of that business will be and what approaches will be needed to achieve those objectives. According to porter, there are five competitive forces that form every industry and every market. The five forces model analyzes the environment in which a business operates to gain competitive advantage. The five forces include the threat of new entrants, the bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of substitute products and services and rivalry among industry competitors. These forces drive the magnitude of competition and hence the profitability and attractiveness of an industry. Corporate strategy aims to modify these forces in a way that promotes the position of a business. Competition within an industry is more intense when new companies have easy means of entering the industry. Several barriers of entry can be implemented to limit the threat of new entrants. These barriers include loyalty to major brands, high fixed costs, and scarcity of resources, incentives for using a specific buyer, government legislation, brand equity, switching costs, patents, economies of product differences, capital requirements, access to dist ribution, absolute cost advantages, learning curve advantages and anticipated retaliation from incumbents. Higher entry barriers lead to higher profits. Suppliers with large enough impact to affect a company’s margins and volumes hold substantial power. Suppliers can place pressure on a business for a range of reasons. They include existence of few suppliers for a particular product, lack of substitutes, products that buyers cannot do without, supplying industries with higher profitability than buying industries, Supplier switching costs being relative to a firms switching costs, presence of substitute inputs, degree of differentiation of inputs and cost of inputs relative to the selling price of the product. Firms can reduce the power of suppliers by diversifying their range of products, standardizing products and supplying some needs from within. Buyers compete with a firm for added value in the value chain, this drives down the prices obtained by a firm. Buyers have power when there are a small number of them, they purchase in large volumes, they cannot do without the product, switching to another competitive product is simple, they are price sensitive and when their switching costs are relative to a firms switching costs. Buyers can be lesser threats when there is a threat of forward integration from the firm. They are less powerful when a product or service is

Symbolism in Young Goodman Brown Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Symbolism in Young Goodman Brown - Essay Example Young Goodman Brown is a satire on Puritanism and what Hawthorne perceives to be its hypocrisies. Hawthorne employs an abundance of symbolisms all throughout the narrative to create an atmosphere of evil deeply lurking behind the faces of the characters in the story behind their benevolent faà §ade. The story revolves around a young man named Goodman Brown and one particular night in his life which would forever change his life and his perception of the people and the world around him. That one night is the night when Goodman Brown is to finally determine whether he would finally succumb to the temptation of becoming a part of a witches’ coven in Salem. As he walks through the forest to the predetermined meeting place where he would take his official vow to the group, he sees a lot of things which makes him vacillate with his decision. He sees the people he often sees in the church, people who are known for their piety, wisdom and kindness, people who serve in the high positions of the government. He sees his old catechism teacher and spiritual counselor, the Salem’s minister, Deacon Gookin, other pious people and even his young wife, Faith in the company of the devil. This last revelation is the last straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak. Brown de cides to embrace evil having lost the wife he wants to be good for. In the rite held at the unholy altar, as Satan is about to put the mark of baptism on his and his wife’s heads, Brown makes his last stand and cries out in protest and urges his wife to resist the devil. He suddenly finds himself alone and back in the middle of the forest. Goodman Brown lives the rest of his life a miserable man, still wondering whether what he went through was real or merely a dream. Nevertheless, he remains suspicious of all the people around him and even of his wife and lives his life in isolation from the people in his

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tourism - Essay Example The research delves on leisure activities. Leisure activities focus on both physical leisure activities. The physical activities include sports activities. The nonphysical activities include non-sport leisure activities. Leisure activities must enhance one’s interpersonal relationships. In layman’s terms, leisure activity is correctly described as any act done during work breaks. Leisure is the free time during non-nonworking days like Saturdays, Sundays, and official holidays. Leisure is the opportunity given to the person to do whatever he or she wants during the person’s free from work time or unemployed time. Leisure time can be use to rest or recreation (Veal & Lynch, 2001). Further, Lynch and Veal correctly reiterated that leisure is composed of three dimensions. The dimensions include time devoted to leisure. Another dimension includes occupations that constitute leisure. Leisure also includes attitudes that define leisure. Both authors correctly insist th at leisure activities include the love for the outdoor sports. The outdoor sports activities incorporate the leisure activities of the Aboriginal tribes of Australia. The Aboriginal people love the wilderness. Additionally, the Europeans of Australia include organized sports activities as leisure activities. The organized sports incorporate the European cultural and Leisure concepts. The overpowering demands of structured working lives included organized leisure activities. Leisure is done during times when work is finished or on hold recess (Veal & Lynch, 2001). For example, leisure activities are done at night, after the daily 9- 5 work schedule is accomplished. Leisure activities are done during Saturdays and Sundays, during off work days. Furthermore, Godbey rightfully insists that leisure is the act of pursuing the truth and understanding of oneself. The leisure act includes several contemplative ingredients. The contemplative ingredients are aesthetic, philosophical, psycholog ical and religious in nature. Thus, reading several books on philosophy, arts, literature (Shakespeare) are considered leisure activities. Reading books to resolve whether Charles Darwin’s evolution theory is correct is another brain enriching leisure activity (Veal, 1992). On my own, my leisure time is spent on sports activities. I prefer to play basketball games. Basketball gives the quick mind to analyse whether to move forward and shoot the ball or to stop my running and shoot the ball. The game of basket ball allows me to compete with other individuals who love the game of basketball. Basketball is a game of speed. To increase my speed, I continually do speed running. Additionally, my other leisure activity is reading books. I love to read books on topics that are related to my class lessons. I love to read the tragedies of Shakespeare. I also read books related to my school assignments. The books increase my current stock knowledge on the topics discussed in class. Conc lusion Leisure activity can have diverse culture-based meanings. The research shows different leisure activities. Leisure activities include physical leisure activities. The physical activities include perspiring sports activities. The nonphysical activities include sport-exempt leisure activities. Evidently, leisure activities improve one’s interpersonal relationships. Question 2 Introduction: Culture conflict often crops up in everyday situations. The research delves on conflict occurrences. The research delves on conflict resolution. Conflict resolution research involves contribution from different parties. Conflict resolution is the peaceful alternative to more other violent conflict interactions. The author correctly states that managers in event, sport,

Business Ethics and Social responsibility (An Ethical Analysis of Essay

Business Ethics and Social responsibility (An Ethical Analysis of (Nike) ) - Essay Example Nike has also become one of the world’s leading sportswear and equipment providers with revenues exceeding 18.6 billion in supplies for athletic shoes (Yu). Although based in the US, the company continues to provide excellent quality products to its customers and to maximize its profits all over the globe, with the swoosh becoming one of the most iconic brand symbols of all time. In 2009, Nike was employing 30,000 people in different 52 countries all over the world (Yu). Nike began as a small retail outlet in the car of Phil Knight in January 1964. Its founding fathers, Bill Bowerman and Phillip Knight, were initially disappointed by the sales that they were making. They paid a university student to make a logo for their products that would help to attract more recognition to the brand (Yu). Over the past five decades, the company has risen to remarkable fame, and the UK marketing manager for Nike attributes this fame and success to the firm and resolute vision of the company. He observes. â€Å"Absolutely everything we do is motivated by the fact that we’re here to enable athletes to be even better. We know who we are. We know what we want to achieve and we go for it 100 per cent of the time† (Yu). Nike has several brand names such as Nike Pro, Nike Air Max and Nike Football, and works with subsidiary names such as Umbro, Cole Haan and Converse. Along with producing sports gear and equipment, Nike also operates widely in retail stores under the ‘Nike Town’ profile. Many high profile athletes have benefited from Nike sponsorships deals promoting the ‘swoosh logo’ and ‘just do it’ trademarks. According to the Global Alliance report on the factories making Nike products in Indonesia, about 58% of the employees are young adults aged between 20 and 24 years. Moreover, 83% of the labour is female. Half of the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Assignment NOTE ) do not type the cites address Essay

Assignment NOTE ) do not type the cites address - Essay Example Human relation training will enable john as a manager to understand people and effectively work with them (Whetten & Cameron 67). The Conceptual training will enable him to think and have the ability to relate and organize the various departments of the organization. Contingency plans ensure continuity and sustainability of the organization’s operation. They help organizations plan in advance for the risks that are likely to occur. It helps organization prevent and mitigate risks that are likely to face the organization. It enables the organization to be future oriented and hence make the right decisions (Whetten & Cameron132). From my experience when the computer system crashed down in the organization because of fire, all the data would have been lost were in not for the company’s contingency plan of backing up the data in the internet. If the company is supplied with good quality raw materials then it definitely produces quality-finished goods. If the suppliers give poor quality materials then the final products will be of poor quality. To enhance productivity of high quality products and ensuring maximization of profits the company has to have good

Business Ethics and Social responsibility (An Ethical Analysis of Essay

Business Ethics and Social responsibility (An Ethical Analysis of (Nike) ) - Essay Example Nike has also become one of the world’s leading sportswear and equipment providers with revenues exceeding 18.6 billion in supplies for athletic shoes (Yu). Although based in the US, the company continues to provide excellent quality products to its customers and to maximize its profits all over the globe, with the swoosh becoming one of the most iconic brand symbols of all time. In 2009, Nike was employing 30,000 people in different 52 countries all over the world (Yu). Nike began as a small retail outlet in the car of Phil Knight in January 1964. Its founding fathers, Bill Bowerman and Phillip Knight, were initially disappointed by the sales that they were making. They paid a university student to make a logo for their products that would help to attract more recognition to the brand (Yu). Over the past five decades, the company has risen to remarkable fame, and the UK marketing manager for Nike attributes this fame and success to the firm and resolute vision of the company. He observes. â€Å"Absolutely everything we do is motivated by the fact that we’re here to enable athletes to be even better. We know who we are. We know what we want to achieve and we go for it 100 per cent of the time† (Yu). Nike has several brand names such as Nike Pro, Nike Air Max and Nike Football, and works with subsidiary names such as Umbro, Cole Haan and Converse. Along with producing sports gear and equipment, Nike also operates widely in retail stores under the ‘Nike Town’ profile. Many high profile athletes have benefited from Nike sponsorships deals promoting the ‘swoosh logo’ and ‘just do it’ trademarks. According to the Global Alliance report on the factories making Nike products in Indonesia, about 58% of the employees are young adults aged between 20 and 24 years. Moreover, 83% of the labour is female. Half of the

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Constitutional purpose and other uses of U.S. Census Essay Example for Free

Constitutional purpose and other uses of U.S. Census Essay Political power and the respective share of every state of the federal money are simply the Constitutional purposes of Census in the United States (Cole, 2009). These are the underlying reasons why for every ten years, the government mails the citizens with Census forms to fill out with their personal information of circumstances. Under an original objective which is just to have a correct or exact count and record of the American population, the U. S. census now signifies its importance in determining the number of congressional districts. Beyond the Congressional purposes of the Census, it is its practical uses to people’s daily living that ultimately signify its value to the nation. In terms of re-appointment of the members of House of Representatives, Cole further explains that it is under the Constitution that census affects or determines the respective circumstances of each state. Census particularly manifests which states gain or lose Congressional seats. Simply put, Cole states that â€Å"the census determines how many House of Representative Members you will have representing your district in Washington D. C. † (Cole, 2009, p. 1). This is where Census’ Congressional purpose of political power is shown. This is because if the population of one state decreased based from the last census, one or more Representative member is removed from a specified state. On the same token that a particular state reflected relevant increase during the last census, then additional member represents the said state. Hence, the population of one state, as what the Census reflects, establishes if such area requires of being redrawn after showing an increase or loss in the area’s population (Cole, 2009). Aside from the said Congressional purposes of the U. S. Census, there are at least five practical ways to use such gathering of information. Of the five primary objectives of the census, its three most important uses include the following. First is to count the country’s population including the number of American households. The second important use of the census is it is a way to collect data and to create information in order for both the federal government and the states to come up with rational budget. Another use of the census is its power to create information which serves various social entities such as the branches of economy, education, research, business and other significant components of the nation (â€Å"Uses of Census Data,† n. d. ). While a bigger part of the information provided by the public to the census is eventually kept secret for the next 72 years, the valuable pieces of information are used. This condition holds true especially during instances in the daily lives of the people. For instance, census is very important to the general public in terms of using the collected data in a number of fields or disciplines that are significant to people. In fact, census is applied to personal experience of an individual. Just like in my case, census proved to be valuable in three aspects. One, I used the information given by the census when I decided that there is a need to change the place of my resident. Census also made me decide what field of learning to choose depending on the state of employment and the value of wage per occupation in a particular location. I likewise was able to make use of census when I looked for a place that became the best suitable area where I opened my business few years back. References Central Bureau of Statistics. (n. d. ). Uses of Census Data. Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www. cbs. gov. il/w/censusshtml/UN-SSI41795192. shtml Cole, L. (2009). Census Records and the Constitution. Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/1905082/census_records_and_the_constitution_pg2. html? cat=37

Monday, October 14, 2019

Interpretations of Winston Churchill

Interpretations of Winston Churchill Evaluate two or more competing interpretations of Winston Churchill. Winston Churchill has become an icon of modern history, and is probably the most celebrated Prime Minister or the twentieth century. It was not until he was 65, however, that Churchill achieved his popularity and fame, and it was almost wholly the result of the end of the Second World War. Without this, the popular impression of Churchill would fall a long way short of what it is today. Churchill is remembered by most, of course, as a great national hero; a war leader who delivered Great Britain, and the rest of the world, from the threat of Nazi Germany advancing inexorably to extend the Third Reich. There were many other aspects to Churchill’s life, however, of which it was the culmination only, in victory, that secured his historical legacy. As is to be expected with someone as successful and popular as Churchill, the man has attracted a great many academics to research into and report on Churchill’s life (between fifty and one hundred in the estimate of Roy Jenkins[ 1]). These various interpretations are many, and each one must be considered in the context of the time and societal circumstances in which it was written. As with all history, (especially biography,) one must evaluate such works sceptically, trying to discern the biographer’s own views and prejudices, and those of the society which produced the biographer. What each work tells us about Churchill must be cross-referenced with other accounts, and with impartial accounts of events in which Churchill was involved. This essay will focus on four key biographies of Churchill; Addison’s Churchill, the Unexpected Hero, and Jenkins’ recent Churchill primarily, as well as Gilbert’s Churchill, a Life, and Ponting’s Churchill. When one considers the various biographies of Churchill that the post-War years have yielded, it is fair to say that there are discernable patterns. An increasing scepticism in the historiography is an example of such a trend. It seems accurate to describe the later biographies of Churchill as less laudatory and unquestioningly praising towards Churchill than, say, Jenkins’ recent biography. This, in its stated mission, sets out to reconsider the wholly celebratory nature of some earlier biographies. Jenkins introduces his magisterial work with the assertion that Churchill was ‘many faceted, idiosyncratic and unpredictable†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢[2] The work is not, however, hagiographical; indeed from the outset, Jenkins’ esteem and fondness of Churchill (albeit based upon a very brief series of encounters in the early 1940s) is obvious. â€Å"I was aware of witnessing something unique, but also remote and unpredictable.†[3] As a whole work, however, Jenkinsâ€℠¢ is more thorough than anything that has gone before. It is a dense, academic and politically charged work, obviously written by an insider of the political world from its clear understanding and appreciation of the main passion of Churchill’s life; politics. Churchill was, after all, in the House of Commons for over sixty years. The other major work which will be considered is somewhat less academic, and more populist in its structure and style. Addison covers the life of Churchill from his birth through his early years as a journalist and soldier, through his early parliamentary career and later premiership and his last years in less than 250 pages. While this remains a convincing and thorough biography, it is by no means as comprehensive as the project undertaken by Jenkins. What of the content of these two books, however? How do their respective authors present Churchill? It has already been mentioned that Jenkins has sought to adopt a holistic approach which is relatively free of unquestioning praise. Addison’s is, perhaps, more preoccupied with the popular appeal of Churchill, and as such, it is less sceptical of certain aspects of Churchill’s life. This is, however, to be expected, as rather than present a fully comprehensive account of the whole of Churchill’s life, this account s eeks to assess the reasons for the man’s ascendancy to national hero. The tone of the work is established in the Prologue, which states that Churchill ‘won two great victories in the Second World War. The first was a victory over Nazi Germany. The second was a victory over the many sceptics who, for decades, had derided his judgement, denied his claims to greatness, and excluded him from 10 Downing Street on the grounds that he was sure to be a danger to King and Country.†[4] The first appropriate period to consider in Churchill’s life covers the years from his birth in 1874 up until 1901. Both begin with a brief account of the birth of Churchill and of his family history; that he was the grandson of the seventh Duke of Marlborough and his mother was an American named Clara, the daughter of a New York financier. This was the period that saw Churchill attend Harrow School, an adolescence which, according to Addison, was ‘overshadowed by the physical and mental decline of Lord Randolph [Churchill’s aristocratic Tory minister father].’[5] Gilbert offers an early insight into what he later considers to be one of the principal driving forces of Churchill, when he remarks that to the young Winston, the death of his father provided ‘yet further proof that the Churchills died young.’[6] Throughout Gilbert’s work, this driving force features heavily in causing Churchill to pursue his goals first in the journalistic fi eld, and later in politics. When considering Gilbert’s interpretation of Churchill’s life and achievements, it is also important to consider the esteem with which he held Churchill. It should be remembered that prior to writing his biography of Churchill, Gilberts continued Churchill’s life work (in another field from politics) in completing, in six volumes, an historical work which had been started by Randolph Churchill. This is surely significant, firstly in the level of understanding of Churchill such an undertaking would have afforded Gilbert, but also as a sign of the reverence with which Churchill was held. According to Addison, the ‘official biography’ is ‘sometimes said to perpetuate the Churchill myth and it is true that Randolph Churchill’s volumes were partisan.†[7] It is this very partisanship that one must be aware of and vigilant about in considering biographies generally, and in particular when it comes to one with such an awesome accompanying reputation. Gilbert’s work, although in places stricken with this identified partisanship, on the whole offers a record of the events of Churchill’s life, in which evidence is collected from a huge variety of sources, including Churchill’s own papers, private correspondence held at the Marlborough seat of Blenheim Palace, and other more official evidence such as parliamentary records and reports and Churchill’s own journalistic offerings and speeches. Gilbert’s biographical work is unique in that it generally forms attachments to the evidential, or chronicled record which he helped to produce. Again, and as Addison points out, from a reading of Gilbert’s work in these volumes, it is clear ‘that his admiration for Churchill is profound’.[8] Gilbert’s sympathy with Churchill, and indeed his contempt for those who sought to sully the name and reputation of Churchill, is obvious from various parts of his writings. One such person was Field Marshall Alanbrooke, who was one of Churchill’s most successful, and trusted generals (when he was General Alan Brooke). According to Jenkins, Churchill ‘succeeded in angering Alan Brooke at a staff conference on 9 September [1944].’[9] Later, various diarists, foremost amongst whom was Brooke, began complaining about Churchill’s ‘ramblings’. These were characteristic of his ‘long rather than decisive meetings’ that members of the government and the forces became increasingly frustrated about.[10] Although the relationship had been tense and often problematic between the two, Alanbrooke (as he now was) recorded in his diary that during his farewell in 1945, ‘it was a very sad and very moving little meeting at which I found myself unable to say much for fear of breaking down.’[11] The purpose of this is to show that despite their differences, it seems unlikely that Alanbrooke harboured any ill- feeling towards Churchill that would colour his memoirs. According to Gilbert, however, it was the publication of Alanbrooke’s diaries that did much to harm the image of Churchill. ‘No single book’, Gilbert writes, referring to the diaries as edited by Arthur Bryant, ‘gave a more distorted picture of Churchill’s war leadership, or would provide for many years to come so much material for critical, hostile, and ill-informed portrayals of Churchill in the war years.’[12] This is not to disparage Gilbert’s work with the taint of one-sidedness, however, as the work, vast as it is, is generally free of value judgements or even a coherent doctrine as to the character of Churchill. For this; a more personal and judgemental view of Churchill, one must turn to the works of Jenkins and of Ponting. It is clear from the introduction of Ponting’s unashamedly revisionist work that he seeks to challenge the ‘Churchill myth’, which Gilbert is perhaps more instrumental in moulding, or at least perpetuating. The central thesis in Ponting’s work, as stated in his introduction, is that the Churchill myth was in fact largely the result of Churchill’s own writing; that Churchill managed successfully to shape the way in which he would be seen by the succeeding generation by his own artful and indeed self-promoting work.[13] It is not usually the prerogative of statesmen to shape future generations’ views of themselves; this being left to later historians and scholars. If Ponting’s theory is correct, it would make Churchill one of the few successful statesmen to have achieved this, obviously prior to his death. The two major prong s of Ponting’s attack are firstly that Churchill was not in fact the brilliant wartime leader that popular perception imagines, and secondly that his popularity was not in fact as high as has been assumed. His bases for these revisionist claims are official papers that have been released in recent years. Although revisionist history is always going to offend and upset those of the old school by its very nature of, in Ponting’s case, sheer iconoclasm, but in this case, one cannot avoid the impression that Ponting is not so much blazing a trail to a more truthful and less fanciful perception of Churchill, as he is simply inaccurate. Ponting reconsiders the pre-War years of Churchill’s political career. He claims that Churchill was opposed to democracy and social progress.[14] This is an unlikely character trait of Churchill, for whom one of the principal motivations for one of his most famous pre-War decisions, the 1925 return to the Gold Standard, was the ‘paradox of unemployment amidst dearth †¦ I would rather see Finance less proud and Industry more content.’[15] As well as this, it was Churchill who pioneered the system of national insurance during his time at the Treasury (something which he and Lloyd George had started prior to the First World War) . This was a policy which, although not redistributive as certain forms of taxation might have been, certainly improved the lot of many of the more unfortunate elements in inter-war British society. Ponting goes on to suggest that Churchill harboured racial prejudices.[16] This may well be accurate, but it is presented by Ponting in a misleading way; a way which neglects the wider contemporary social attitudes of the early twentieth century. While it is never forgivable to view any race or creed as in any way inferior, Churchill was not guilty of this in the way that Ponting suggests. It was more an opinion of racial differences and idiosyncrasies than any judgement as to the relative merit of different races. As Addison remarks, such views were characteristic of the time without any attendant racism, amongst the foremost social reformers.[17] Indeed there is supportive argument for Ponting’s assessment to be found in other biographies of Churchill. One such example is John Charmley’s revisionist work which suggests that Churchill’s treatment of the Poles in the last months of the war revealed racial prejudices. He accuses Churchill of both weakness in this respect, and of hypocrisy, for his earlier criticism of Chamberlain’s similar treatment of the Czechs.[18] The most striking evidence that Ponting is erroneous in this assessment of Churchill is to be found in Churchill’s view of the European Jews who were increasingly under threat during his early parliamentary career. Indeed it was Churchill’s perceived sympathy for the Jews in the wake of such atrocities as Kristallnacht in November 1938 that strengthened Churchill’s position as against Neville Chamberlain.[19] Earlier in Churchill’s career, he had fought vehemently to defeat the restrictive Aliens Bill of 1904, which was unfavourable to the Jews. Jenkins suggests, however, that although this was a brave and commendable battle to be undertaken by Churchill, his motivation was less that of a sense of equality and concern for the well-being of the Jewish population, than the political expedient of appeasing a large and powerful political lobby in his constituency. ‘†¦It could be cynically alleged that the vigour with which Churchill opposed (and hel ped to kill) a restrictive Aliens Bill in the session of 1904 was not unconnected with the fact that this was exactly when he alighted on Manchester North-West [where the Jewish lobby was so strong].’[20] While this may well be so, it does not make it the case that Churchill harboured anything other than deep resentment of the Nazi views as to the inferiority of the Jewish race and non-white populations. Ponting’s criticisms of Churchill are obvious, and pervade much of his work. Gilbert, on the other hand, is generally more praising and less critical throughout his work; he is not, after all, seeking to debunk the so-called Churchill myth. Gilbert’s work, however, is not free from criticism. The most striking is, perhaps, his assessment that Churchill had a great and significant character weakness that he allowed to control him at vital stages throughout his career. This weakness was an almost-obsessive desire to be at the centre of affairs, and to be seen to be there in the public perception. He was, then, a courtier of public opinion (which is of course to be expected from a politician) but Gilbert seems to suggest that it led to an inefficient and sometimes disastrous management style that may have been avoided had Churchill been more willing, for example, to delegate.[21] A significant advantage which biographers such as Gilbert and Jenkins have over those such as Ponting is that they actually met, and in the case of Gilbert at least, knew considerably, their subject. Gilbert was in fact something of an insider in the life of Churchill which affords him an insight which Ponting and other later biographers could not emulate. Examples of this intimate contact abound throughout Gilbert’s work, such as the conversations which he had with Churchill’s wife Clementine. One such conversation is occurred when Clementine told Gilbert of how in the immediate aftermath of Churchill’s downfall in 1915, ‘I thought he would die of grief’.[22] Gilbert’s is an insight which comes from first-hand interviews with those who knew and were close with Churchill (although not always on good terms). A further example is the interview which Gilbert conducts with General Sir Edward Spears, who accompanied Churchill on many journeys and w ho recalled on one occasion during the First World War when Churchill was at the Admiralty, how the French commanders had not taken Churchill’s suggestions about the development of the tank seriously, remarking ‘Wouldn’t it be simpler to flood Artois and get your fleet here?’[23] It is this first-hand knowledge and experience which puts Gilbert’s work (as well as, to a lesser extent, Jenkins’) above the likes of Ponting’s. Gilbert’s work is not, however, free from potentially controversial statements. Surely fully aware of the impact on the historical debate of such assertions, he states, for example, that on the eve of the Munich agreement, which saw Neville Chamberlain (then Prime Minister and of whom Churchill was a stern critic) announced that he was seeking agreement from the third Reich leadership that no further advances would be made, in the words of Jenkins, ‘the whole House †¦ rose to its feet and sent Chamberlain off in a splurge of goodwill.’[24] Jenkins suggests that it was the ‘almost solitary exception of Harold Nicolson’, the House supported Chamberlain. Gilbert states that neither Churchill, nor his fellow Members Eden or Amery stood to applaud Chamberlain as he set off on his mission.[25] It is, of course no secret that Churchill opposed Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement of Hitler, but small facts like this are potentially controversial w hen one considers the general atmosphere in England on the eve of the War; an attitude that everything possible should be done to avoid another conflict so soon after the devastation and destruction of the Great War. With the notable exception of Ponting’s iconoclastic work, the overwhelming thesis in the various biographies of Churchill is one of praise and respect for Churchill. This is not wholly the product of his achievements at the head of the Government during the War, but also due to his achievements before the Second World War. The formative years in the making of the Churchill myth were undoubtedly the war years, as is evidenced by the fact that their presence in any biography is disproportionately large compared to any other period of his life. The chapter covering the war years in Addison’s book is titled ‘The Making of a Hero’.[26] The overwhelming sense from all of the biographies is that once the authors have been exposed to their subject, the result is an almost awe-like reverence for him. The concluding pages of Jenkins perhaps best summarise this pervasive attitude: ‘I now put Churchill, with all his idiosyncrasies, his indulgences, his occasiona l childishness, but also his genius, his tenacity and his persistent ability, right or wrong, successful or unsuccessful, to be larger than life, as the greatest human being ever to occupy 10 Downing Street.’[27] BIOGRAPHY Addison, P., Churchill, the Unexpected Hero (Oxford, 2005) Danchev and Todman (Eds), War Diaries, 1939-1945: Field Marshall Lord Alanbrooke Gilbert, M., Churchill: a Life (Pimlico, 2000) Jenkins, R., Churchill (MacMillan, 2001) Ponting, C., Winston Churchill (Sinclair-Stevenson, 1994) Footnotes [1] Jenkins, R., Churchill (MacMillan, 2001), pxiii [2] Jenkins, p3 [3] Jenkins, pxiii [4] Addison, P., Churchill, the Unexpected Hero (Oxford, 2005), p1 [5] Addison, p13 [6] Gilbert, C., Churchill: a Life (Pimlico, 2000), p49 [7] Addison, p251 [8] Addison, p252 [9] Jenkins, p754 [10] Ibid, p774 [11] Danchev and Todman (Eds), War Diaries, 1939-1945: Field Marshall Lord Alanbrooke, p712 [12] Gilbert, p1232 [13] Ponting, C., Winston Churchill (Sinclair-Stevenson, 1994), pp10-15 [14] Ponting, pp300-325 [15] Quoted in Addison, p114 [16] See, for example, Ponting, p375 [17] Addison, p252 [18] Quoted in Jenkins, p779 [19] See Jenkins, p537 [20] Jenkins, p108 [21] See, for example, Gilbert, p30 [22] Gilbert, vol III, p457 [23] Gilbert, vol III. p625 [24] Jenkins, p525 [25] Gilbert, vol V, pp986-987 [26] Addison, chapter 6 [27] Jenkins, p912

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Mythology In and Around Sophocles Antigone Essay -- Antigone essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚   How extensive and deep are the mythological roots in the Greek Sophoclean tragedy Antigone? Research indicates that both within the drama and around it there are numerous mythological influences. The use of mythological elements in Greek tragedy is very compatible with the Greeks’ sense of history surrounding a drama. Martin Heidegger in â€Å"The Ode on Man in Sophocles’ Antigone† comments on the Greek audience’s sense of history and a drama: Polis means, rather, the place, the there, wherein and as which historical being-there is. The polis is the historical place, the there in which, out of which, and for which history happens. To this place and scene of history belong the gods, the temples, the priests, the festivals, the games, the poets, the thinkers, the ruler, the council of elders, the assembly of the people, the army and the fleet. All this does not first belong to the polis, does not become political by entering into a relation with a statesman and a general and the business of the state. No, it is political, vile. at the site of history. . . . (91).    C. M. Bowra in â€Å"Sophocles’ Use of Mythology† gives the rationale behind the Attic dramatists’ preference for myths in their plays:    Myth provided the framework of drama, which illustrated in a highly concrete and cogent way some important crisis or problem, and that is why Greek tragedy can be called symbolical. The old stories are indeed told again for their own sake, and there is no lack of dramatic tension and human interest, but they also exemplify some far-reaching problem, which is admirably presented in this individual shape (31).    Antigone, the drama, begins with the main woman character and protagonist, Antigone, inviting Ismen... ...l Themes.† In Readings on Sophocles, edited by Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1997.    Segal, Charles Paul. â€Å"Sophocles’ Praise of Man and the Conflicts of the Antigone.† In Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Sophocles. Antigone. Translated by R. C. Jebb. The Internet Classic Archive. no pag. http://classics.mit.edu/Sophocles/antigone.html    â€Å"Sophocles† In Literature of the Western World, edited by Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. NewYork: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1984.    Watling, E. F.. Introduction. In Sophocles: The Theban Plays, translated by E. F. Watling. New York: Penguin Books, 1974.    Woodard, Thomas. Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.   

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Words And Their Implied Meanings :: essays research papers

Words and Their Implied Meanings Would you rather belong to the "Apple Dumpling Gang" or the "Crypts"? The connotation of the word gang reaches "hit an all time low" in the 1990's. We envision today's gang members as drug lords who kill each other on street corners. Society rejects and imprisons them. Once members of a "gang" simply shared common interests and enjoyed social acceptance, much as members of a club today. Many pairs of words have experienced a similar disagreement in connotation throughout the years. The term "revolutionary" currently enjoys more social acceptance than terrorist. The mind-set of a revolutionary thinks he/she must change a horrific aspect of society by forcing a break-down in government. In the mind of a terrorist he/she must alter an aspect of society he deplores in society by bombings, hijackings, and assassinations. The United States' history makes us sympathetic to revolutionaries because the war between America and the British. No books refer to it as the American Terrorism because terrorism connotes anarchy and a lack of social structure. The actual difference in strategy between the two groups may appear more gentle, however, they both kill. Regarding the words "gang" and "club" only one denotes violence. The dictionary defines gang as, "A group of persons working together; a group of persons having informal and usual close social relations." The definition of a club reads as follows, "An association of persons for some common object usually jointly supported and meeting periodically." Hidden beneath each definition, lies a more subjective, personal definition lodged in each of our minds. Why must society negatively characterize gangs and positively characterize clubs? We now associate the word "gang" with group of juvenile delinquents who create disturbances with violence and misconduct. Commonly, society associates, the word "club" with a positive environment where young people can have positive role models in their lives who support them. Unfortunately gangs correspond with corruption and clubs equate with honor. Maybe we can solve the gang problem by getting them to join clubs. Yet another combination of words similarly defined, yet with a very different application in everyday life include "religion" and "cult." Every religion on Earth has at one time had the status of a cult, According to Webester's dictionary a cult has one major characteristic, "A system of religious belief and ritual." A religion too has a single distinct quality, "Commitment or devotion to a deity, faith or observance." Unfortunate, In today's world, a cult will send you to eternal damnation while religion will save you from it. With deeper analysis, one might contrive that religion