Catfish Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Catfish Reflection Paper - Essay Example But this backfired to Angela also, when she (Meg) became careless with her facts especially with that song she claimed to have written for Yaniv was found out to be in Youtube. This triggered an investigation on the part of Yaniv’s company which they found out that Angela was not exactly truthful. Angela on the other continued her story without a cue (due to the absense of non-verbal cues) that Yaniv is already â€Å"giving her a ride† after finding it out that she is a fake. 2. How did the relationship between the two people making the film, Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, and the brother of Ariel, Yaniv Schulman (the film was focused Yaniv) affect the actual design/filming of the documentary (group outcome)? The relationship between the two people making the film, Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, and the brother of Ariel, Yaniv Schulman actually made the documentary and filming of the film more interesting. It add spice to the film and made the film to have a â€Å"raw† design because of the candidness of the interaction of the people in the film. In the opening of the documentary, it actually shot Yaniv at close up range while Yaniv showing discomfort because the film was â€Å"too close† that it was already dictating his personal life. This discomfort and sometimes protestation of Yaniv actually brought flavor to the documentary. This was very evident and even made the film very realistic when Yaniv complain that his brother Ariel and friend Henry Joost talked him into documenting his relationship with Abby and her family (particularly Meg) and then bully him. Ariel retorted that he was actually just directing. 3. Did the relationships (group dynamic) change when the virtual relationshp became actual? Or were the others (Angela Wesselman-Pierce and her family) always members of the documentary project/group in

Italian Hours Essay Example for Free

Italian Hours Essay Italian Hours, Henry James’s most acclaimed collection of travel stories written between 1882 and 1909, is a very interesting piece of travel literature. However, it does much more than a typical work in the genre would do, that is describing author’s experiences in a foreign, usually exotic, country. Instead, Italian Hours can be seen as an important document from a historical and anthropological perspective, since it catalogues living conditions, attitudes, customs and traditions of Italian people at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. There are other prominent examples of travel literature, such as Tocqueville’s Journey to America, which provide in-depth explorations of cultural idiosyncrasies and social organization of different societies; Italian Hours should be seen as one of the works in the latter category. James’s opinions on various matters are all more interesting for the reason that his perspective, as of an American writer and tourist, is â€Å"an embodiment of modernity by definition† (Manolescu-Oancea 2010, para. 1), while Italy is conventionally regarded to be a country that has entered the period of modernity later than other major European powers. In the subsequent paragraphs, a number of examples of the aforementioned will be presented. It is necessary to keep in mind that James’s work touches upon a wide variety of philosophical topics, which are all very intriguing yet unfortunately cannot be covered in this essay due to space constraints. This essay will focus primarily at James’s interpretation of social conditions, developments, and debates in Italy of the aforementioned period. The concluding section will briefly discuss the place of Italian Hours among other works of travel literature set in Italy. Along with describing natural beauties and historical sites of Italy, James devotes significant attention to analyzing people’s daily lives, which allows for a deduction about social structures that existed in Italy of those times. For instance, when describing Sienna, James (2008) talks of it as of a city that is still in the 14th century, with numerous and rich nobility that is â€Å"perfectly feudal and uplifted and separate† (p. 242). There is no middle class, or bourgeoisie; instead â€Å"immediately after the aristocracy come the poor people, who are very poor indeed† (James 2008, p. 42). A great divide between rich and poor has been very characteristic of Italy of the late 19th and early 20th century. The miserable situation of poorer Italians is exacerbated by the government that wields unreasonably high taxes. Upward social mobility is a rare phenomenon, and most Italians born outside of the upper classes were expecting a life of struggle and destitution . When recollecting his time in Venice, James writes that Italians’ â€Å"habitations are decayed; their taxes heavy; their pockets light; their opportunities few† (James 2008, p. 13). It is necessary to keep in mind that the unification of Italy occurred quite late in the 19th century. A lot of problems remained unresolved following the unification, ranging from economic deprivation to epidemics of fatal disease. Most researchers name â€Å"the huge material gulf between north and south† (p. 168) as one of the most pressing problems of the time: previously Austrian provinces of Lombardy and Venetia were more developed then southern provinces like Sicily. The following statistics give a fairly comprehensive picture of the level of economic development in the immediate aftermath of the unification: In 1870s the primary sector [agriculture, mining and forestry] accounted for 62 percent of total employment against less than 50 percent for France, Germany and the USA. For the UK the figure was only 22. 7 percent. Most of the industrial development was concentrated in very few areas, namely Lombardy, Piedmont and a few firms in the region of Naples† (Faini Venturini 1994, p. 74). Yet the disparities in life quality between different provinces of Italy are not salient in James’s writings. Keen on noticing regional differences, the author of Italian Hours speaks of Italian people as generally poor, although income gap becomes more and more extreme as one moves southwards. Poor economic conditions have resulted in mass emigration of Italians to other country, mostly to the United States, which seems particularly ironic in the context of James’s observations about Italy and America. James (2008) describes Italians as simple and unpretentious; he writes of them as of people that â€Å"have at once the good and the evil fortune to be conscious of few wants† (p. 3). However, early modernity has already associated sophistication with having a variety of needs that are hard to satisfy. In accordance with these criteria, Italians might come across as being less civilized than other peoples, although such view is definitely misguided. Enjoying simple pleasures can be a sign of wisdom and contemplative approach to life; although many of the pleasures Italian cities offer might seem to be â€Å"superficial pastimes† (James 2008, p. 14), they are no less pleasurable from it. Enjoying works by great masters of the past or magnificent nature are some of the activities Italians often indulge in. One of the issues that have been heatedly debated at the times of James’s travels was the question of whether to restore or preserve ancient ruins, and how to do it. In Italian Hours, the author presents his negative â€Å"assessment of the results of renovation in Italian cities and in his criticism of the intrusions of modernity in the cityscape† (Manolescu-Oancea 2010, para. 1). In his opinion, buildings should be seen as humans, having their own lifecycles and histories, and therefore mortal. Moreover, buildings have a unique ability to tell stories of people who have once inhabited them and sometimes even have to atone for their sins: â€Å"Houses not only look like ageing bodies, they also seem to be permeated with the life of their former inhabitants, which lends them a dark human aura, a psyche† (Manolescu-Oancea 2010, para. 6). As with cityspaces, natural landscapes for James are not â€Å"merely a picturesque backdrop for romantic adventure†¦[but are]†¦endowed with some of the richness of symbolic values inherited from great historical events† (Mariani 1964, p. 42). Since the richness of Italian history and nature are so impressive, James notes with regret that so many Italians live in poverty. On the other hand, he believes that being constantly surrounded by breathtaking beauty is a fair compensation; moreover, the peculiarly lighthearted approach to life Italians have helps them cope with daily problems. Although a lot of criticism of social reality of the late 19th century and early 20th century is present in James’s text, a comparison with his own country, America, is usually to the disadvantage of the latter. In Monte Mario outside Rome, James (2008) observes â€Å"the idle elegance and grace of Italy alone, the natural stamp of the land which has the singular privilege of making one love her unsanctified beauty all but as well as those features of one’s own country toward which nature’s small allowance doubles that of one’s own affection† (p. 166). In comparing American and Italian cuisine, the author recollects Grotta Ferrata, a rather insignificant and unkempt village, yet al fresco food for its fair â€Å"couldn’t fail to suggest romantic analogies to a pilgrim from the land of no cooks† (James 1995; cited in Collister 2004, p. 95). When James expresses dissatisfaction with new developments in the centre of Florence, he thinks of America again, fearful of the ancient city being disfigured â€Å"under the treatment of enterprising syndics, into an ungirdled organism of the type, as they viciously say, of Chicago† (James 2008, p. 257). Ev en in term of attitudes, James (2008) appreciates the fact that Italians are more down-to-earth and relaxed than his fellow men when he fears that a day may come when people â€Å"rush about Venice as furiously as people rush about New York† (p. 57). Thus, while modernity and speed become synonymous with the New World, James’s observations unmistakably point to â€Å"cultural wrong-headedness and impoverishment of the America† (Collister 2004, p. 196). At the same time, Italy is to James â€Å"literally picturesque real life composes itself into art at every turn† (Collister 2002, p. 340). Constant reminiscences of the New World serve several particular functions in James’s writing. First of all, it appears to be symbolic of his attempts to establish an emotional connection with his readers and – through his personal perspective – to help establish a connection between his readers and Italy. This device is frequently employed in travel literature: the reader can feel overwhelmed with descriptions of faraway places and strange cultures that bear no resemblance to their own; it is therefore the role of a writer to create a minimum level of comfort by recalling familiar places and phenomena. In such a way, readers can comprehend the mode of life in distant lands building on their own experience in their home countries. On the other hand, such reminiscences serve another purpose, as Manolescu-Oancea (2010) argues: James’s constant references to America and to his Americanness introduce a special kind of alienated perspective, both geographical and temporal, which is decidedly American in outlook† (para. 20). James’s fascination with Italy has been enduring, yet there were moments in his life when the writer has expressed a significant degree of dissatisfaction with living conditions there. Rome is the city that has come is for the most criticism in his private letters; in one of them he even writes the following: â€Å"I feel that I shouldnt care if I never saw the perverted place again† (James 1907; cited in Lubbock 2008, p. 2). This perhaps can be attributed to the fact that his brother, William, has contracted malaria while in Rome and had to move southwards to Florence to improve his health (Gale 1959). It is indeed interesting to observe how both James’s life and writings create a rather accurate account of what it was like to live in Italy at the end of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century. James’s Italian Hours is one among many other literary travelogues of Italy; Sterne’s Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy (1768) and Dick ens’ Pictures from Italy (1845) are perhaps the most known of them. What distinguishes Italian Hours, however, is that it â€Å"follows no chronology and even the geographical ordering – much dwelling upon Venice and a movement southwards as far as Naples with a return to Tuscany – is (unlike Goethe’s Italienische Reise) arbitrary† (Collister 2004, p. 194). At the same time, the peculiarity of the narrator’s style gives a powerful and overarching sense of organization to this seemingly odd collection of stories.

Type 2 Diabetes Essay examples -- essays research papers

Type II Diabetes Mellitus: An Emerging Epidemic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by inadequate insulin secretion by the pancreas or cellular destruction leading to an insulin deficiency. Depending on the cause of the insulin shortage, diabetes can be subcategorized into type I and type II. Type I diabetes (T1DM) is usually mediated by the destruction of b-cells in the pancreas resulting in decreased insulin production and secretion. Type II diabetes (T2DM) is the failure of these b-cells to secrete adequate amounts of insulin to compensate for insulin resistance and increased gluconeogenesis combined with an overall resistance to the insulin action (8., 1997). T2DM accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes cases.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While T2DM is traditionally viewed as an adult disease, its prevalence among children and adolescents is becoming a major medical crisis, particularly targeting minorities and those genetically prone, and resulting from the rising obesity rates, sedentary lifestyles, and dietary indiscretions. The disease is more commonly found in minorities, predominantly African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Native Americans. Studies of African American children have shown that compared to Caucasian children they have higher rates of insulinemia, increased b-cell activity, reduced insulin clearance, lower insulin sensitivity, and higher obesity risks (Arslanian, 2002). Although it is unclear if these factors are due to racial intrinsic differences, lifestyle, genetics, or other biological factors, these issues could easily explain the higher prevalence of T2DM among minorities. It is most accepted that a combination of these factors is the primary cause for the relationship between race and diabetes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some of the symptoms associated with type II diabetes include polyuria, polyphagia, and polydipsia. At diagnosis, 33 percent of patients have ketonuria, and 5 to 25 percent have ketoacidosis, both of which can be tested for by simple urinalysis (American Diabetes Assoc. 2000). Most patients of T2DM are obese with little to no weight loss, which allows doctors to distinguish them from type I diabetics. The total lack of insulin among type I diabetics, or insulin dependent diabetics, will result in problems in the storage of fat and mu... ....  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  American Diabetes Association. 2000. Diabetes Care, Volume 23. No. 3: p.381-389. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Arslanian, S. 2002. Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 15: p.509-517. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nesmith, D. 2001. Pediatrics in Review, Volume 22. No. 5: p.147-152 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Novitt-Moreno, A. 1996. Current Health, Volume 2: p.30-31. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rendell, M. and W. Kirchain. 2000. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, Volume 3: p.878-895. 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sadovsky, R. 2003. American Family Physician, Volume 67: p181-182. 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Expert Committee on the Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes Mellitus. 1997. Diabetes Care, Volume 20. No. 7: p.1183-1197.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Assignment on Ethics in Bangladesh

Introduction Ethics concern an individual's moral judgements about right and wrong. Decisions taken within an organisation may be made by individuals or groups, but whoever makes them will be influenced by the culture of the company. The decision to behave ethically is a moral one; employees must decide what they think is the right course of action. This may involve rejecting the route that would lead to the biggest short-term profit. Ethical behaviour and corporate social responsibility can bring significant benefits to a business.Business ethics (also corporate ethics) is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations. The range and quantity of business ethical issues reflects the interaction of profit-maximizing behavior with non-economic concerns. Governments use l aws and regulations to point business behavior in what they perceive to be beneficial directions.Ethics implicitly regulates areas and details of behavior that lie beyond governmental control. The emergence of large corporations with limited relationships and sensitivity to the communities in which they operate accelerated the development of formal ethics regimes. When business people speak about â€Å"business ethics† they usually mean following things: (1) avoid breaking the criminal law in one’s work-related activity; (2) avoid action that may result in civil law suits against the company; and (3) avoid actions that are bad for the company image.Businesses are especially concerned with these three things since they involve loss of money and company reputation. In theory, a business could address these three concerns by assigning corporate attorneys and public relations experts to escort employees on their daily activities. Anytime an employee might stray from the st raight and narrow path of acceptable conduct, the experts would guide him back. Obviously this solution would be a financial disaster if carried out in practice since it would cost a business more in attorney and public relations fees than they would save from proper employee conduct.Perhaps reluctantly, businesses turn to philosophers to instruct employees on becoming â€Å"moral. † For over 2,000 years philosophers have systematically addressed the issue of right and wrong conduct. Presumably, then, philosophers can teach employees a basic understanding of morality will keep them out of trouble. However, it is not likely that philosophers can teach anyone to be ethical. The job of teaching morality rests squarely on the shoulders of parents and one’s early social environment.By the time philosophers enter the picture, it is too late to change the moral predispositions of an adult. Also, even if philosophers could teach morality, their recommendations are not always t he most financially efficient. Although being moral may save a company from some legal and public relations nightmares, morality in business is also costly. A morally responsible company must pay special attention to product safety, environmental impact, truthful advertising, scrupulous marketing, and humane working conditions.This may be more than a tight-budgeted business bargained for. We cannot easily resolve this tension between the ethical interests of the money-minded businessperson and the ideal-minded philosopher. In most issues of business ethics, ideal moral principles will be checked by economic viability. To understand what is at stake, we will look at three different ways of deriving standards of business ethics. Common Unethical Practices in Business & Financial Sectors In Bangladesh 1. Bribe Taking bribe is a common phenomenon in Bangladesh, especially in the government sector.It is the most common form of corruption known to most people. If someone goes to a governm ent office for a routine work, which the office is supposed to perform, in most cases, he/she has to bribe the sub-staffs of that office. And if there is any severe procedural difficulty in the work, he/she has to pay a high amount to get the job done. Sometimes wrongful procedures are also executed at a high negotiated bribe. Obviously, not only the sub-staffs but also the officers of different levels are also involved in the whole process.Taking bribe has become a trend in the government offices and general people have accepted it as inevitable. 2. Embezzlement of Funds Embezzlement of funds allocated for a particular project or from deposits of banks also happens often in Bangladesh. In the banking sector, embezzling funds is a very common type of corruption. Each year many bankers lose their job if their corruption is proved. Massive embezzlement of capital market fund has also happened in the history of Bangladesh.Fraud & forgery in using the funds allocated for development pro jects is also common in Bangladesh. By using inferior materials then what was quoted in the tender process, contractors maximize their profits & serve the interest of the corrupted officers. As a result of using inferior materials the project loses its validity soon, which makes inevitable to launch another tender process i. e. , another scope for corruption; in this way corruption has become a cyclic phenomenon in Bangladesh. 3. Syndication in BusinessSyndication in the business sector is harming the public interest in Bangladesh to a great extent. Originally, syndications like trade unions, officers club, business unions etc. were formed to save the interest of their members from greater adversities. But this syndication is now also being used to overemphasize business interest, while not considering its harmful consequences on public life. A businessman, even if his production cost & other costs are much less than other businessmen, cannot sell his products at a price significant ly lower than his competitors.While in other countries, festivals are meant to give sales discount, in Bangladesh, commodities reach their peak price in times of festivals like eid & others. 4. Environmental Issues Saving the environment from pollution is a great challenge worldwide. The requirement of effluent treatment plants(ETP) and other measures to control industrial environmental pollution causes the production cost to rise. So business persons in Bangladesh, highly motivated by profit maximization theory, do not care the environmental issues. At many industries there are ETP’s just for eyewash.And bribing the government officials concerned for environmental issues makes it easier for business persons to get more reluctant about the environmental issues. 5. Unethical Procurement Practices Unethical practice in selecting vendor from procurement process is another common corruption form in Bangladesh. Sometimes political forces are applied to get the work order in favor of a particular vendor. Taking bribe to manipulate the result of procurement process also prevails. Corruption in the procurement process is also root of many other consequent corruptions. 6. NepotismNepotism & taking bribe in the recruitment process of many government & private organizations is a great problem in a country like Bangladesh where unemployment rate is very high. These problems are leaving the young generation in despair. As a result different forms of crimes are increasing in the society. 7. Evading Tax, Utility Bills etc. Evading tax is a tendency in general, from corporate organizational level to individual level. Many corporate organizations prepare false spreadsheets to evade/minimize corporate taxes, whereas individuals seek ways to evade/minimize their income tax.Not paying the utility bill and then managing it by bribing staffs of concerned offices, is also common in Bangladesh. Conclusion Ethical practice in economic arena is very important in a country like B angladesh, where economy is emerging at one side and on the other side population density is increasing. Massive unethical practices tend to increase inequality in the society, which is detrimental to the overall progress of the society. Ethics is no doubt an important business subject for any entrepreneur to study, but it also has a wider application throughout organizations.One man's concept of what is ethical and for the best may be completely different from another man's concept, and so it's important to establish a collective set of ethics that represent the entire organization rather than just adopting a piecemeal approach. This can be installed through training, through creating business policies and even through careful selection at the HR stage, although it's important that there are also enforcement mechanisms within the business concerned, and that ethics remain a forefront consideration in day-to-day trade to ensure a unified, morally sound approach to doing business.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Essay

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: Inappropriate Tool for School In today’s society, more and more inappropriate material is becoming acceptable. Children are becoming more comfortable with bad language, corrupt movies, and offensive books as they are exposed to this material more frequently. The age they begin to learn about violence, drugs, and sex is lower than ever before. Today’s generation seems to be more experienced and knowledgeable about these shockingly crude things than most adults! Parents can not stop this maturing all together; however, they can slow it down by monitoring their children. It is a parent’s right to know what their child is learning, in case it goes against their family’s views. A parent should be completely comfortable with what their child is being taught in school. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a book that most parents do not feel comfortable with. Due to many inappropriate scenes and language, this book has been frequently challenged by parents and authority, being the third most challenged book in the 1930’s and 1990’s (Baldassarro). These shocking passages could offend and hurt some children; however, the book does have some redeeming qualities–if the reader is mature enough to appreciate and understand them. Therefore, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings should be allowed in libraries for those few who can really appreciate it’s merit, but should be restricted because it is not appropriate for all children. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings has a legal history as it is frequently challenged and therefore should be restricted. The book’s graphic depiction of childhood rape, racism, and sexuality has caused it to be challenged or banned in many schools and libraries. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings has had thirty-nine public challenges or bans since 1983 (Baldassarro). For example, in Kansas parents were uncomfortable with the book and attempted to ban it based on the â€Å"vulgar language, sexual explicitness, and violent imagery that is gratuitously employed† (Baldassarro). It was challenged for being on a Maryland high school reading list in 2001 because of its sexual content and foul language; it was banned for language and being too explicit in the description of rape and other sexual abuse in 2002; It was challenged in 2003 as required reading in Montana due to sexual exploration by teenagers, rape and homosexuality; and finally, it was challenged in  Virginia school l ibraries by the group Parents Against Bad Books in Schools for â€Å"profanity and descriptions of drug abuse, sexually explicit conduct and torture.† 2005 resulted in a banning due to racism, homosexuality, sexual content, offensive language and being unsuitable for the age group (Baldassarro). With so many challenges and bans, one can see how controversial I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is. This book has been challenged for years, always offending parents as they find the material unacceptable. People usually only take the time to challenge a book if they feel strongly about it’s content. Going to court takes a lot of time and effort and obviously these parents are very uncomfortable with their children being exposed to this material. Therefore, due to it’s history in court, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is not appropriate for children and should be restricted in schools. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings should be restricted because it contains many inappropriate scenes and a lot of crude language. For example, the main character, Maya, is referred to as a â€Å"pretentious little bitch† in one of the openi ng scenes. There are many other shocking words and phrases used throughout the book such as â€Å"nigger†, â€Å"shit†, â€Å"sex†, â€Å"titties†, â€Å"pubes†, â€Å"whore†, â€Å"hell†, â€Å"pervert†, â€Å"queer†, and â€Å"vagina† (PABBIS). At times, these words are unnecessary and take away from the overall merit of the book. Even if children in high school hear these things everyday from their peers, it is inappropriate for the students to hear them in a classroom setting. These words and phrases can make some kids uncomfortable and distract from their learning (Boudreau). In addition to the language, there are shocking scenes in this book as well. For example, the main character gets molested by her stepfather at eight years old, and vividly describes the experience: I awoke to a pressure, a strange feeling on my left leg†¦ it was his ‘thing’ on my leg. He said, ‘Just stay right there, I ainâ €™t gonna hurt you.’ I wasn’t afraid I knew that people did ‘it’ and they used their ‘things’ to accomplish the deed†¦ Mr. F. put his hand between my legs. He threw back the blankets and his ‘thing’ stood up like a brown ear of corn. He took my hand and said ‘Feel it.’ It was mushy and squirmy like the inside of a freshly killed chicken. He slowly dragged me on top of his chest. His right hand began moving so fast and his heart was beating so hard that I was afraid he would die. Finally he was quiet, and then came the nice part. He held me softly.. Then he rolled over, leaving me  in a wet place and stood up†¦he said, ‘do you love your [brother]?†¦ If you ever tell anyone what we did, I’ll have to kill [him].’ (Angelou 72) This scene is absolutely inappropriate. It goes into too much detail and can even make adults uncomfortable. And worse, there are more scenes like this, including another rape, a murder, and prostitution. Children should not be exposed to this type of behavior unless they are mature enough to handle it and most children are not (Boudreau). With such explicit material in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, it is not appropriate to be read in a school set ting. Students should not be forced to read this book in a classroom because it could offend and hurt some people with already low self esteem. Low self esteem is a very serious issue facing the majority of today’s teenagers.There are problems with depression, anorexia, and low self-esteem as teenagers desperately hope to look like someone else, or have what others have (Brothers). In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the main character, Maya, always hates herself as well. For example, she â€Å"longed for whiteness: white skin, blonde hair, decent clothes, and simple recognition† (Fox-Genovese 37). Maya always hoped for what she could not have, never being content with what she was given in life. This is not a good example for teenagers in this day-and-age to be looking up to or reading about. This shows kids that not accepting themselves is okay. Also, although this book is written to show the racism of the time period, it offends people of different colors. They feel bad about themselves as Maya always believed she had â€Å"the wrong hair, and the wrong legs, but also the wrong face. She was the wrong color† (Smith 51). This phrase has a very negative connotation, using the word â€Å"wrong† to describe a skin color. This hurts kids of color who already struggle with their race and their own self-image. Also, throughout I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings the word â€Å"nigger† is used very often. Nigger was an informal slang word used by slave owners in reference to blacks. It derived from the word â€Å"negro.† Slave owners used the word to refer to their slaves so that they did not have to dignify them with a real name. It is considered insulting to black people because it is a symbol of the way they used to be treated and it can â€Å"signify that they are undeserving of a birth-given name, simply because their skin is dark† (Barns). The frequent use of this word in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings can still seriously offend someone of color. This book can definitely hurt  or offend people with already low self-esteem and therefore should not be read in schools. Despite this bad material, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings has some redeeming qualities for the mature reader. Because this book is an autobiography, it makes it more relatable because the events actually happened. Angelou wrote this book to â€Å"probe her identity, to stop lying to herself to cover her fear. She turns to her pen to atone for past falsities and to acknowledge the truth about herself† (Fox-Genovese 37). Angelou was brave enough to share her own story with the world, and a mature reader could recognize and appreciate this. The fact that it is an autobiography creates a stronger effect as the reader can picture the story actually happening in real life (Didion 34). Since Angelou lived through it, this book is a rare piece of social history of the time and a personal look into the lives of all African Americans when â€Å"they were forced to face the continuation of slave mentality and racism† (Bloom 16). But, as it adds to the story for those mature readers, it also can make the book less fit for reading. If the reader is already uncomfortable with the storyline, the fact that it actually happened can unsettle the reader even more, but if the reader can handle it, the fact that it is an autobiography adds merit. The way that Angelou â€Å"introduces herself as Maya, a ‘tender-hearted’ child, allows her story to range in an extraordinary fashion along the field of human emotion,† allowing the mature reader to connect with the characters easier (Kelly 24). Ernece B. Kelly recognizes that this book may not have excellent syntax, but that it makes up for the lack thereof with â€Å"the insight she offers into the effects of the social conditioning on the lifestyle and self-concept of a black child† growing up in the South in the 1930’s (24). Despite it’s inappropriate content, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings definitely has some literary merit, giving the reader hands on knowledge of what truly happened during that time period. But, the reader would have to be mature enough to look past the inappropriate material to truly appreciate the novel. For a sophisticated reader, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is full of redeeming qualities. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings can offer some insight and knowledge for  some steady readers, but can offend and hurt others who are not ready for it. Therefore, it should be allowed in libraries, for the few who will understand and appreciate it’s input, but it should not be on a required or suggested reading list. This society attempts to â€Å"turn a blind eye to actual events which it deems too troubling to admit to, let alone deal with† (Baldassarro). This book is about real situations that actually affected real people and real lives. By banning this book altogether, schools would be covering up the truth and pretending it never happened. Therefore, the book must be available in the library to any student who is interested in reading it on their own time. Schools however, cannot require I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings as a class reading assignment. Despite the literary merit, there are too many students that are not ready to overlook it’s shocking language and detailed scenes. It should be up to the individual student and their parents whether or not they are ready to read and understand this book. A teacher can never assume that a student can handle such a book and by assigning this book, a teacher is assuming that all their students are prepared for the inappropriate material, which is usually not the case. Schools must find middle ground, being careful not to offend anyone. Therefore, to make the book available to those who will appreciate it, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings will be in the library, but to protect those who are not ready, the book will not be assigned in a classroom. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings should be available in libraries for those few who can appreciate it’s merit, but should not be assigned because it is very inappropriate. This book has been challenged almost forty times by passionate parents. It contains crude language and horrid scenes that are not appropriate for children to be reading. This book is a bad example for teenagers with already bad self-image as the main character struggles with self esteem as well. Despite these drawbacks, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings does have some redeeming qualities. Because it is an autobiography, the reader has a better insight into her life during this time period. Because this book can teach some mature readers that are willing to look past the shocking material, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings should be available in libraries. But because of the offensive, inappropriate material, this book cannot be read in classrooms. This compromise will make  parents more comfortable as they can control what their child is learning. This control can be important in today’s society as children are becoming more and more accepting of inappropriate material.

Running the Gamut and Running the Gauntlet

Running the Gamut and Running the Gauntlet Running the Gamut and Running the Gauntlet Running the Gamut and Running the Gauntlet By Maeve Maddox Two frequently confused expressions are â€Å"to run the gamut† and â€Å"to run the gauntlet.† Gamut originated as a medieval musical term. The word is still used to mean â€Å"the full range of notes that a voice or instrument can produce.† Figuratively, gamut means â€Å"the full range or scope of something.† For example, a person might â€Å"run the gamut of emotions from rage to despair.† Gauntlet derives from the French word for glove: gant. In the Middle Ages, a gauntlet was a reinforced glove, usually made of leather, covered with plates of steel. A medieval custom gave rise to figurative expressions still used in modern English: one knight would challenge another by throwing down one of his gauntlets. His opponent, if willing to fight, would pick up the gauntlet. From this custom derive the expressions â€Å"to cast the gauntlet,† â€Å"to fling down the gauntlet,† and â€Å"to throw down the gauntlet,† meaning, â€Å"to issue a challenge.† Likewise, modern speakers use the expression â€Å"to take up the gauntlet,† meaning â€Å"to accept a challenge.† The word gauntlet in the expression â€Å"to run the gauntlet† has nothing to do with the word for glove. It’s a corrupted form of the Swedish word gatlopp, which was borrowed into English with the meaning â€Å"military punishment in which the offender runs between rows of men who beat him in passing.† Early spellings of gatlopp in English were gantelope and gantlope. At the same time, gauntlet had the variant spellings gantelet and gantlet. Not surprisingly, the words came to be confused with one another: â€Å"to run the gantlope† became â€Å"to run the gantlet.† and eventually, â€Å"to run the gauntlet.† Purists object to the spelling gauntlet in the expression â€Å"to run the gauntlet.† Some stylebooks, notably Chicago and AP, support gantlet, but Paul Brians (Common Errors in English Usage), disposes of the gantlet version as a variant. On the Ngram Viewer chart beginning with 1800, â€Å"to run the gauntlet† is by far the more common form. The earliest citation of â€Å"to run the gauntlet† in the OED is dated 1676. Bottom line: â€Å"To run the gauntlet† is the more common version of the expression that means, â€Å"to run past a row of people who are trying to hurt you.† It can be used either literally or figuratively: Political prisoners in Tehran’s Evin prison have allegedly been forced to run a gauntlet of armed guards armed with batons. Kasich, if he is to run a successful race for president, will have to run the gauntlet of the Republican primaries first. What is not acceptable is mixing up â€Å"running the gauntlet† with â€Å"running the gamut.† The following examples are from printed books. The first two are from self-published novels, but the third- O tempora, O mores- is from a serious nonfiction book published by Penguin: INCORRECT: His emotions ran the gauntlet from  calm to sobbing quietly.  Mike Holst, The Last Trip Down the Mountain, iUniverse, 2011. CORRECT : His emotions ran the gamut from  calm to sobbing quietly.   INCORRECT: Their  experiences  ran the gauntlet from  Ã¢â‚¬Å"sadistic preferential† pedophiles, to serial killers who were depressive or enraged Bill Riveron, The Trojan Killer, AuthorHouse, 2011. CORRECT : Their  experiences  ran the gamut from  Ã¢â‚¬Å"sadistic preferential† pedophiles, to serial killers who were depressive or enraged INCORRECT: Treatment ran the gauntlet from kindness to torture. Deborah J. Swift, The Tin Ticket, Penguin, 2010 CORRECT : Treatment ran the gamut from kindness to torture. If an adverbial phrase follows â€Å"to run the gauntlet,† the most usual choices for the preposition to introduce it are past or through: Farragut  ran the gauntlet past  Vicksburgs guns 28 June. Men fell back on either side so that he  ran the gauntlet through  their ranks.    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 Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Grammar Mistakes You Should AvoidAbstract Nouns from Adjectives1,462 Basic Plot Types

Veterinary Shadow Day Essays - Dog Breeds, Beagle, Bo, Free Essays

Veterinary Shadow Day Essays - Dog Breeds, Beagle, Bo, Free Essays Veterinary Shadow Day When I first arrived Lisa The girl that I shadowed told me that there was an emergency with one of the animals. It ended up that a one-year-old beagle ate an entire thing of metabolite, and then slowly started to die. The liver had shut down, and the heart rate was up to 300. Lisa told me that taking a thing of metabolite was like taking 50 cups of coffee at once. The owners of the beagle were there and bowling. The beagles name was Murry. Murry's body slowly was shutting down one thing after another. The owners made the decision the dog was going to be put to sleep. We got the dog ready to be taken out. They undid all the cords from the dog so they could take it to another room. I said goodbye to the dog, and then they took it into the other room so that the owners could be there when they put him to sleep. After that happened they then had to put a sleep a little hedgehog that had cancer on its mouth. We then did two regular checkups with one cat and with one dog. Those when great. After that we had a dog come in and it ended up having an affection that might end up killing it. I never heard the end result. The last thing that I did there was that a black lab had been bitten by another dog, and that dog ripped a hole in the neck of the black lab. The doctors had to perform surgery on the dog to close up the holes in the neck. They first had to clean it out with qutips. And blood stated to come out right then I was a little dizzy and I thought I was going to faint. But thank god I didnt. I saw a cat get dental work on it. And a cat get a bath and they had to blow dry it and brush the hair while it was a sleep. I thought that the work place environment was very clean and very professional. On my pictures on the poster it shows you that they even had a place for dogs to go in and a separate place for cats to go in they also have different waiting rooms for each of them. I could easily be able to work in a place that is that clean, and so organized. I learned multiple things there from chemicals how much they need how much they use math and science, to there organization skills, and there abillity to be able to communicate with the animals and be able to not cry ever time they have to put them to sleep. The things that they do hardly relate to what Im doing in school right now, because Im not that smart yet. But in science we are learning about different chemicals together and how they make a reaction. Also Im learning how to keep everything nice and organized, so I know where everything that I need is. I observed many behaviors that they showed that would be important in a lot of jobs. One of those are there communication skills. To be able to work with many different people under the type of stress that they can be in is hard. That aplies to a lot of jobs because a lot of different jobs make you work under a lot of stress with many different people at the same time. There are countless skills that you take on with you to college or even work. Kindness, cleanness, organization, and most of all people skills with out that you not be able to handle being in a job with other people. Being a veterinarian is something that I have always even since I was a little girl have wanted to be. I have always loved animals expesialy dogs. I love to take care of them to train them, and most of all to make them feel better. This is exactly what a veterinarian does every day. Nothing was really bad about the job shadow. It was a great experience and I had a lot of fun. But one thing is

The Most Powerful CoSchedule Calendar For Solopreneurs

The Most Powerful Calendar For Solopreneurs Attention solopreneurs, freelancers, and bloggers! I’d like to introduce you to the brand NEW Essential + ReQueue Plan†¦ the last editorial calendar you’ll ever need ðŸ™Å' get the deets We’ve added some great new features + slashed prices on some of our most powerful features. We’re calling it the Essential + ReQueue Plan, and it’s the most powerful plan we’ve ever offered  and it costs less than ever before.The Most Powerful Calendar For SolopreneursWith our NEW Essential + ReQueue plan, you get: ReQueue (for FREE).  No need for add-on expenses. With our new Essential + ReQueue plan, you instantly get ReQueue! That means you’re gettin’ a $150 social automation toolfor FREE. Our best integrations package (yup, literally all of them). Every  pricing plans now includes our best integrations: Google Docs, Evernote, Google Analytics, Bit.ly, every social networketc. All your WordPress sites on ONE calendar (w/ one price).  No more jumping from calendar to calendar to keep track of every WordPress site. Quickly access all your sites  (and every associated task, piece of content, and deadline) in the same calendar. 😎 Built-in social message analytics.  Our built-in social message analytics are included with the Essential plan, plus (coming soon) a new series of Social Network Reports. AND saved calendar views (by default). With the new Essential plan, you can create multiple calendar views, save em, and quickly access your content whenever you need it. Why it’s the BEST plan for Solopreneurs, Bloggers Freelancers: You get WAY more for less.  Before our Essential plan, it took $79/month to gain access to ReQueue feature. We’ve cut the price by $30. Now, you can get ReQueue plus a ton of other features for only $49/month. You can add users + social profiles whenever you want. You will never need to pay for users or profiles that you don’t need. Now you can add additional users for only $9/month or social profiles in packs of 5 for only $2 per profile. You have ONE bill (for everything).  With our old plan, many users were required to pay for multiple calendars with multiple bills. This was hassle and could get expensive quickly. We’ve fixed that. Now you’ll have one subscription and one bill to manage. Huzzah! And there’s MORE! Of course, we’ve updated all our pricing plans. Creating custom plans focused on flexibility (and giving your the features that MATTER MOST to you!). This update has simplified our pricing tiersfrom 10to 4 easy-to-understand  pricing options. We also have a lot of NEW features on the roadmapincluding  Social Network Reports (scheduled to release late Fall 2017). These reports will be accessible at every plan level  and will give you a glimpse into your social activity on a per network basis. In addition, we’ve got some exciting improvements to a few of your favorite features! NEW + improved mobile app  for social scheduling Updates to your favorite content curation tool: Chrome Extension NEW ReQueue 2.0:  the only social automation tool with  built-in intelligence is getting an update! Stay tuned! We’ve got a lot on the docket AND its all focused on making you the best kick-a$$ blogger, solopreneur, and freelancer out there! Check out the Essential + ReQueue plan today.

The role of education in a juveniles life Essay

The role of education in a juveniles life - Essay Example The years of schooling are extremely vital in an individual life, since they c an make or break the kind of person he turns out to be. Education passes on virtues like leading a disciplines mode of life, being sensitive to the others' emotions, respecting fellow humans and also leading an honest and worthy life. Today, children are being diverted and exposed to hazardous knowledge from numerous sources. This has resulted in the rise in the number of juvenile delinquency cases. Children are being lead astray due to the high penetration of crime into the society and the influence it has on young impressionable minds. This has paved way to increasing crime rates in the age group of below 18. It is here, that one needs to sit back and contemplate on the ways and means to curb this rising delinquency rate. One of the best ways t o exert a crease on such occurrences, is through education, Education helps refine children and their thinking processes. Since they can be moulded easily and brought into a certain fold, imparting education to juveniles is necessary. By doing so, delinquency rates can experience a dip, while also facilitating the rehabilitation of juveniles who have been led on to the wrong path. This paper attempts to explore the Role played by Education, in the process of rectifying a nd rehabilitating the lives of Juveniles. ANALYSIS ROLE OF SCHOOL EDUCATION Schools play a very important role in providing a perspective to children. For instance, if a child is brought up in an atmosphere where he is put down and looked down upon by his peers, he becomes excessively negative in his perspective. Low self-esteem and the illusion that one is not cared for, creeps in and this often propels the student towards self-destruction. Schools play a three-fold effect on the lives of children. They influence a child in various facets of his growth and comprehension. Firstly, schools establish the Process of Learning, in the lives of student. This learning need not be limited to the learning of varied subjects. It extends beyond. For instance, learning about oneself is the foremost step toward knowledge and wisdom and school education sows the seeds towards the attainment of this wisdom. School education helps a child understand the world, learn to adapt to demands of situations and to acquire not only subject matter, but also soft skills, like working in a team, acquiring leadership qualities, etc. This is the most evident impact that school education has, in the process of moulding and making the life of a child. The second influence that school education creates, on the life of young minds, is that of establishing set behavioural patterns. Following school rules and regulations is the primary step in curbing the influence of external forces of distraction. When a child is given the absolute freedom to do as he pleases, the child often does not know what ahs to

Emotional and Physical Symptoms of Depression during Pregnancy And Essay

Emotional and Physical Symptoms of Depression during Pregnancy And Different Ways of Treatment 2 - Essay Example In one year, it would be possible to have a favorable sample size. The responsibility of the nurses handling antenatal care is critical in the research, because they would be in charge of patient enrollment and diagnostic procedures. Pregnant women that meet the criterion described in the DSM manual of depression would form the eligible group. Moreover, the research would also consider the treatment strategies used to address the cases, and eventually compare the effectiveness of the strategies. On larger scale, the research would involve the collection of data from different health centers (Kothari, 2005).   After identifying the different treatment strategies used to treat pregnant mothers that suffer depression, a qualitative research on the efficiency of each would follow (p. 56). This would mean that different patients would receive different therapies, and a close monitoring of each would follow. In a bid to determine the most effective strategy, the research would consider the time taken by patients to heal, and aspects of their emotional health after the depression. This research would produce evidence-based results on the most effective treatment. It is important to determine the prevalence of emotional depression during pregnancy. Therefore, the number of patients presenting symptoms in different health centers would be considered for a period of one year. Statistical analysis of the data obtained would help in determining the prevalence of depression in pregnancy. Evidently, the selection of an effective methodology is one of the critical aspects of consideration prior to carrying any research. The selected methodology selected determines the data collected, and hence the findings. As highlighted above, there are different facets of this research, necessitating both quantitative and qualitative researchers. This will help in determining the physical and emotional symptoms of depression in pregnant women. Moreover, the above

Race and ethnicity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Race and ethnicity - Essay Example Another thing that became a major hindrance in the community is racial abuse. Racial abuse has resulted in diversified and serious effects on adolescents and adults. The effects of racial harassment have long-standing issues and may stretch through out the life span. Short term or long term bullying tend to have serious mental difficulties on adults. Adults who continue to bully get into serious troubles and commit crimes like, marital violence, child abuse etc. It also affects the cordial relationship between the family members and friends. Though inequalities still exists, it doesn't mean that there shouldn't be any racial and ethnical categorization. In the present world scenario utmost importance is given to human rights. Under United Nations resolution human rights to every citizen of every country should be considered as an important factor. It's every country's responsibility to protect its citizen's basic human rights. Human rights violation should be considered as a serious offence, legal and appropriate action should be taken against those who violate these rights Assessing student's abilities and disabilities is the major factor and teachers should strive to identify these issues. By identifying their strengths and weaknesses one can easily work on these issues. Self-confidence plays an important role in everyone's lives. It is the deciding factor that decides a winner and a loser. In US the Blacks are the largest immigrants. They migrated from the far lands of the black continent Africa. In the past, since these countries were not as developed as US and their socio-economic structure was on decline, many of the citizens were forced to work as slaves and have to migrate to US. In US, Black immigrants have less education and less skill set, even among Black women also. Apart from other groups these Blacks have less human capital, so they have very less employers in their group and it is indirectly affecting their economic status and social environment also. Gender inequality was always prevailed among the Blacks. Since they were not the major community and further more they were immigrants, they had to face the brunt of racial abuse. One of the reasons of racial abuse was, fear among the US citizens was losing the jobs to these immigrants. Since the Blacks were ready to work for fewer wages there always lies the danger of losing jobs. Most of the Blacks were more or less unskilled or semi-skilled. This makes them of losing jobs very often. This brings more responsibilities on average Black women. Now she has to work outside to meet the daily requirements and look after the family. Bullying and racial harassment were the most dreaded things that most of the blacks and their children experienced in the pre and post civil war. The major reasons to start bullying and racial abusing depends on the characters surrounding the respective environment (like parents, neighbors, etc.,), children will face the immediate effect since they are the immediate guardians to the children, if not this parents or teachers at school whoever are close to the children with respect to time get to influence them. Human beings develop or grow by observing the surroundings and so they are called as social animals. The madness of depression is the antithesis of violence. It is a storm indeed, but a storm of murk. Soon evident are the slowed-down responses, near paralysis, psychic energy throttled

Applying International Trade Concepts simulation and economics Research Paper

Applying International Trade Concepts simulation and economics - Research Paper Example Consequently, parties to an international trade require a globalized perspective and an approach that can manage the complex regulatory environment of international trade. The diversity challenge also extends to culture that require cultural sensitivity, cultural awareness, and collaborative measures for effectiveness. These issues are however absent or are less significant in domestic trade environments. International trade regulations also form another issue in the trade because of required compliance. Parties must therefore have knowledge diverse regulatory frameworks (Selivanova, 2011). Economic environment is another significant issue that surrounds international trade. Factors such as an economy’s gross domestic product, â€Å"inflation, per capita income, and disposable income† are significant to viability of a business in an economy and in comparative analysis to determine the best economy to conduct business in or with which to conduct business (Singh, 2009, p. 43). Political environment is another issue affecting international trade, includes factors such as stability and perception towards foreigners, and determines a country’s level of attractiveness to investors. Availability of technology and of resources is another issue surrounding international trade. A party to international trade will therefore consider these factors before making a decision to venture into international trade and on which location to

Construction management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Construction management - Essay Example The schedule may specify the specific roles for the unskilled and skilled. For instance, starting time can be set at 7am and ending at 5pm. Similarly, construction manager is required to consider the pay rate of overtime schedule. The major role of the unskilled workers involves preparation of construction material mix, timely. The superintendent is responsible in carrying out the activities as instructed by the construction manager and with the help of the project or center map. The function of the superintendent to perform close examination to ensure that, the laid daily schedule is followed such that, the set down period for the whole construction process can be adhered to. More over, the superintendent ensures that the specified ratio of the materials is followed to the latter. The superintendent, ensures that proper records of equipment is well taken especially when begging the daily schedule and at the end of every day. This practice is endeavored to ensure safety and availabil ity of such equipment as to when and where they are needed in the right condition. Labor situation The concept of labor requires the underlying principle of availability to be embraced. Te superintendent, under the construction manager’s instruction should ensure that, the adequate labor is sustained all through the construction period. The labor schedule depends on the schedule of each day. For instance, less sub supervisors may be required when more work requires the supervisors. The superintendent, who in turn reports to the construction manager, directly does all this labor adjustments with proper consultation of the supervisors. However, in some cases, the superintendent can deny the construction managers’ projected schedule if it appears untenable. A successful completion of this project entirely depended on the cordial and timely coordination of among the supervisors, superintendent and the construction. There should be continuous flow of correct information fro m top to down and vice versa. It should be observed that, the three levels of command have to coordinate all the activities in the site wit all aspects of professionalism and ethics. Construction ethics is necessary follow element because of its fundamental benefits attributed to it. The site and construction ethics ensures smooth coordination and reduced incidents of accidents. Start up considerations At the commencement of the center’s activities, numerous start-up considerations are critical for a good start. Some of these include the operation staff, which includes the management team and the ordinary staff, training of the employees, motivation and general maintenance of the center facilities. The considerations should be carried out with outmost honesty and professionalism, particularly when recruiting the staff to set a pace, which may form the company’s norm. Operations staff The owner of the DMD intends to carry out all the activities involving management recr uitment. These activities include advertisement for various job opportunities. Having been the district human resource manager at the department of Health and sanitation, he has apt experience in recruiting the required team, which will perform assigned duties in tandem with the dynamism in this industry. The center owner will have to select the appropriate

Applying International Trade Concepts simulation and economics Research Paper

Applying International Trade Concepts simulation and economics - Research Paper Example Consequently, parties to an international trade require a globalized perspective and an approach that can manage the complex regulatory environment of international trade. The diversity challenge also extends to culture that require cultural sensitivity, cultural awareness, and collaborative measures for effectiveness. These issues are however absent or are less significant in domestic trade environments. International trade regulations also form another issue in the trade because of required compliance. Parties must therefore have knowledge diverse regulatory frameworks (Selivanova, 2011). Economic environment is another significant issue that surrounds international trade. Factors such as an economy’s gross domestic product, â€Å"inflation, per capita income, and disposable income† are significant to viability of a business in an economy and in comparative analysis to determine the best economy to conduct business in or with which to conduct business (Singh, 2009, p. 43). Political environment is another issue affecting international trade, includes factors such as stability and perception towards foreigners, and determines a country’s level of attractiveness to investors. Availability of technology and of resources is another issue surrounding international trade. A party to international trade will therefore consider these factors before making a decision to venture into international trade and on which location to

Dialect variation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dialect variation - Research Paper Example A common mistake made by a majority of people is to confuse accents with dialects by messing up with the differences between sounds people make and pronunciation and the words they use. If one has to consider grammar and vocabulary alongside pronunciation, then it is reasonable to use the term â€Å"dialect.† However, when discussing a dialect, an individual will usuallyfully concentrate on pronunciations. If sounds alone are what are being spoken of, then the area of study in language is phonology or pronunciation. Phonology is a special aspect of dialect that requires separate attention to be understood precisely (Riggle and Godsmith 38). Phonological variation is the difference in pronunciation across and within dialects, for instance, people from different countries may pronounce â€Å"easy† with an â€Å"s† while people from another country pronounce it with a â€Å"z†. Arguably, the most common phonological difference in England is the sound of â€Å"bath vowel† which differs between North and Southern England populations. Another example is the issue of rhoticity, relative to whether or not letter r should be sounded when it comes after a vowel (McKay Lee 70). While most Wales and England populations do not pronounce this later r, those in Lancashire and English West countries do pronounce it. Variations in phonology are important in marking regional dialects. In order to represent the pronunciations precisely, linguistics tend to use a phonetic alphabet, where distinctively dissimilar sounds are represented by varying symbols, instead of unphonetic English spelling systems. One sound is usually symbolized by different spellings, like the â€Å"sh† sound being pronounced as sh in â€Å"sheep†, but as â€Å"ti† in â€Å"nation† (Brown, 108). Approaches to phonological variations The well-known phonological variations are word stress and syllable structure. The main question is whether there are generalizations to be made in various patterns of these variations. For the no-pattern approach, no attempt is made to find an overall pattern that applies to most or all words, maybe because no generalization exists (Riggle and Godsmith 40). For instance, there are no rules to determine which syllable of polysyllabic English words swallows the stress. Consequently, stress patterns are merely listed in the lexicon. Any evident statistical preferences or trends for particular patterns are likely due to historical mistakes. The norm-and-exceptions approach assumes that English has a default stress structure with four different versions na mely; language parameters, language typology, optimology theory, and rule-based theory. Language typology assumes a limited number of

The Lululemon marketing plan for 2010 Essay Example for Free

The Lululemon marketing plan for 2010 Essay Introduction The Lululemon marketing plan for 2010 includes recommendations and goals for the Lululemon brand, as well as goals for the newly proposed male brand Outer Muscle. Main objectives include: âž ¢Introduce Male Brand Outer Muscle oTarget â€Å"Educated Physically Active Male† oPrice male brand similarly to Lululemon brand, using more-for-more pricing. oPositioned as high-price Yoga/Exercise Apparel oIncreased advertising at beginning of Life cycle, reducing advertising with age. âž ¢Continue with Current Lululemon Strategy oRetain exclusivity of brand oContinue use of Prestige Pricing oLittle to no promotion oVery little advertising oPersist with current marketing strategy for tween brand Ivivva âž ¢Increase Brand Awareness o2% increase in advertising budget oSponsorship of events, increased Philanthropy work, and outreach within community Target Market Lululemon’s current primary target market is the â€Å"Active Young-thinking Woman†. Women who are appearance-conscious, physically fit/active, well educated, aged 16-45, in the upper to middle class and residing in North America. Lululemon is using a niche marketing strategy, going after a very narrowly defined market segment, in which they have had great success. This niche market will remain the primary target market in 2010 however; Lululemon will also begin to target the â€Å"Pre-teen girl† market with the Ivivva brand, and the male market with the Outer Muscle brand. Lululemon already has a male clothing line, and has been trying to gain a part of the male-workout market for a while now. In 2010 Lululemon will use product development, introducing â€Å"Outer Muscle† as a new male clothing brand, made with the same commitment to quality as Lululemon. This new brand will cater to a male target market similar to Lululemon’s female â€Å"Active Young-thinking Woman†. This target market will be the â€Å"Educated Physically Active Male† will target educated males, who are appearance-conscious, physically fit/active, aged 16-45, residing in North America. This multi-brands branding strategy will allow Lululemon to market to pre-teen girls who may not be able to identify with the more-mature Lululemon brand, as well as to male consumers who would not be prone to shop at Lululemon, due to it’s over-positioned reputation as a female clothing company. Pricing strategy will continue to be a more-for-more value proposition within all brands of the company. Each constituent of the marketing strategy serves to ensure that Lululemon’s position in the mind of the consumer is not changed, while they venture into new target markets. Positioning Lululemon is currently positioned as a high quality, exclusive, yoga and sporting apparel company. In many ways Lululemon is over-positioned as a strictly female company, which is why in 2010 they will use multi-branding to address the male market. In using the proposed promotion strategy and advertisements, Lululemon will not change their current position significantly, but instead further differentiate themselves from competition in already established values. It would be a mistake for Lululemon to try to adopt lower prices having traditionally differentiated their products using more-for-more differentiation. By continuing to position them self as high-quality, high-price clothing, Lululemon can gain more customer loyalty, and ensure that they do not lose their image of superior quality. Lululemon will continue to uphold the highest quality standards for it’s products and position the male brand as high-priced, high quality clothing. Both brands will differentiate themselves from their main competition by catering to the yoga/exercise market, as compared to competitors addressing the daily-life fashion market, and the sporting apparel market. Pricing Strategy Value Added Pricing – Lululemon uses this pricing strategy when creating their apparel. Rather than cutting costs and making a lower quality product, they add extra features such as adjustable straps and women’s pockets to differentiate themselves from their competitors as well as help their target market justify spending more money on their products. Prestige Pricing – Even though Lululemon clothing is not comparable to a Rolex or Louis Vuitton purse, it is prestigious and exclusive in its product category. This is what Lulu’s target market loves about their brand. Its high quality not found in every city and mall, fashion forward and represents a healthy, well off lifestyle. These approaches to pricing are visibly successful in today’s economy. Even throughout the recent recession Lulu managed to maintain a profitable company, expanding their store count while creating expensive, high-end workout apparel. Changing their target market to accommodate the middle class to lower income demographic could be detrimental to Lulu’s  success. Creating a cheaper line of clothing or marking down products to sales items would lessen the exclusivity of Lululemon, which could then effect the current target markets perception of the brand. Recommendations for the pricing of the men’s brand we suggested earlier, is to keep prices relatively high but yet great quality and options for different features and different size options. This will follow the common theme Lulu has instilled in their customers and will help differentiate themselves from other competitors such as Nike and Adidas who thrive in the men’s athletic wear market. Distribution Strategy Lululemon stores are not situated on every street corner in every metropolitan area or large city. They base their distribution strategy more along the lines of exclusive opposed to intensive distribution, therefore stores can be found in cities across Canada and the United States where the desired target market is represented by similar and correlating demographics. Lululemon stores have a very welcoming atmosphere full of friendly faces and have an earthy feel too them. Saskatoon’s store is located downtown where all the great shopping lies which makes it a one stop shopping trip for Lulu customers, who can do it all once entering Saskatoon’s downtown area. Its location provides great convenience for their target market, which includes working, high-class women and young university students who live active lifestyles. Specialty store – Lululemon carries yoga inspired apparel for healthy lifestyles, which could be categorized as a narrow product line. However, within this line is a deep assortment of active wear that can be used for many sports and activities, for all shapes and sizes. Franchise – In Saskatoon the Lululemon is privately owned. This creates the opportunity for the franchisee to do the hiring and management of his or her employees to the best of their ability. For instance, the franchisee for Saskatoon’s Lululemon puts on an annual sale that is not administered by the franchisor. It allows Lulu customers from all over to merge in Regina for a three day sale of extremely marked down product from previous seasons. Recommendations for the men’s brand would be to open new stores beside the existing Lululemons. This would offer a separate entrance and atmosphere for men to enter in hope that it will eliminate the stereotype men have with Lululemon stores. Product Strategy Many of the components of Lululemon’s product and branding strategy are well suited for the target market of the company and will be maintained. Others will be altered in 2010 to increase product differentiation and brand awareness. Lululemon has a wide product line. This product line is available in a wide range of colors, designs, and patterns that stand out and are updated often. This allows Lululemon to remain attractive to their target market of fashionable women. These women want to stand out as trendy and unique, and because of this, the company will continue to regularly create many different styles to cater to them. The company will focus more attention on men’s clothing, but under a new brand. This strategy will be explained further under branding strategies. The current product mix will be modified. Currently it is very broad with few focal points. In 2010, Lululemon will not be offering bags, such as luggage, and backpacks, or work-out accessories. This strategy will give them the ability to focus more on the men’s brand. The tween brand, Ivivva, was implemented in fall 2009. This brand will offer products for those from the ages 6-12. Lululemon will continue to promote and develop this brand but in addition, new products will be developed including attire for activities such as dancing and ballet, figure skating, and swimming. Lululemon will maintain their current packaging tactics involving the use of shopping bags and price tags. The bags are reusable, stylish, and inspirational. The tags that are found on each item are very informative, containing the directions and uses of the product. Both methods are useful and are appropriate for their well-educated target market. Since this packaging approach fits the need of the current target market so well, Lululemon should continue with this strategy. Currently, the services of Lululemon include free alterations. Lululemon will continue to offer this courtesy. The company will also be offering various classes such as yoga and pilates. Branding Strategy Lululemon is currently branded as a high quality and prestigious brand. The company should still be positioned as such, but will become much more distinct. Currently, Hoopla is a competitor; especially since the clothing styles and branding are so similar. To differentiate itself, Lululemon will alter the logo that they place on their clothing. The waistband or the hem of the clothing will feature a small inspirational message plus the Lululemon logo. Some of these messages include â€Å"dance, sing, floss, and travel† and â€Å"breathe deeply†. This characteristic will make Lululemon stand out, as well as add a unique component to each item. This uniqueness will appeal to the target market. In addition, a new brand will be implemented under Lululemon in 2010 for men’s wear. The name of this brand is Outer Muscle. The logo is derived from the lower case Greek symbol theta, which will coincide nicely with the Greek Lululemon logo omega. Theta represents a mathematical tool associate with angle, so Outer Muscle’s slogan will be â€Å"Get the perfect angle on your work-out†. This brand will be targeting educated and active men in the same age category as Lululemon’s target market. Outer Muscle will also be positioned as high priced, high quality, and trendy. The branding strategy used is multi-branding because a new brand is being developed with existing products. Now, the men’s wear and women’s wear will be separated. Advertising and Promotion Strategy (IMC) Lululemon’s advertising and promotion strategy will mostly be maintained, with a few modifications. Currently, Lululemon advertises through their reusable bags, through word of mouth, and through a few events. Also, their  logo is found on each product and they are advertised in a one page spread in the University of Saskatchewan handbook. Their strategy of involving very little integrated and marketing communications (IMC) makes Lululemon an exclusive and prestigious brand. Having few sales or promotions adds to the exclusivity and value of the brand. Since this strategy is appropriate for the target market that wants to appear distinct, and privileged, it will be maintained. One alteration is the addition of more public relations by being involved in more events. By sponsoring athletic events and events at the University, the company will not only be noticed by their target market, but be seen as an ethical and respectable company. The company will also be sponsoring events such as the Breast Cancer Walk and Relay For Life, which will also help the company’s image. Due to the upcoming Olympics, Lululemon will be sponsoring the athletes with swag bags that include water bottles, headbands, workout gear, and lounge gear. An incentive will be added for shoppers in 2010. An events card will be distributed to customers. This card is a punch card. After purchasing $500 of merchandise, the consumer will be able to attend a free athletic class that is offered by Lululemon. By offering events instead of discounts or bonuses as rewards, the company will still be seen as highly prestigious. To promote the new brand, Outer Muscle, the IMC budget will be increased from approximately 1% of total profits to 3%. Strategies such as sponsoring athletic teams, online advertising, and advertising in athletic magazines will be executed. Once Outer Muscle occupies 25% of the market share for men’s athletic yoga/exercise apparel and has been established as a competitor to brands such as Under Armour, the IMC budget will be reduced back to 1%. It will be reduced to become an exclusive and prestigious brand like Lululemon. Conclusion In conclusion to achieve our main goals: âž ¢Addressing the male market âž ¢Preserving â€Å"exclusivity† of Lululemon âž ¢Increasing Brand Awareness Lululemon will make use of multi-branding introducing the new brand Outer Muscle targeted towards the male market. They will continue the use of more-for-more prestige pricing to retain their exclusive image. Finally they will increase their budget for advertising/promotions, with a heavy emphasis on philanthropy and community outreach, to further increase brand awareness and distinguish Lululemon from competitors.

Categorising a Quistclose Trust

Categorising a Quistclose Trust Mark must find out whether the transaction between himself and Dave is to be regarded as a pure loan or a Quistclose trust. [1] If it is the former, the beneficial interest in the funds passes to Inchester Football Club and Dave has his remedy against the Club in debt, as would the Club’s other ordinary creditors. If, however the transaction is to be regarded as a Quistclose trust, authoritative opinion suggests that the beneficial interest remains with Dave throughout,[2] and thus in the event of a failed trust purpose, the trust funds revert back to Dave on resulting trust. Mark is advised that the  £5m loan received from Dave, should be properly categorised as a Quistclose trust. The leading authorities governing Quistclose trusts are Barclays Bank v Quistclose Investments Ltd[3] and Twinsectra v Yardley.[4] The chief facts in both authorities are analogous to this case and thus do not need to be restated. In Quistclose, Lord Wilberforce makes it clear that since the loan â€Å"was made only so as to enable [the borrowers] to pay a dividend and for no other purpose†¦ the mutual intention of the lender and the borrower â€Å"was that the sum advanced should not become part of the assets of [the borrower] but should be used exclusively for payment of the dividend.† Lord Wilberforce maintains that ‘if, for any reason, the purpose could not be met, the money was to be returned to the lender.’[5] Mark should note that Dave’s insistence that the money be placed in a separate bank (regardless of it being in the Club’s name) implies his intention that the money was not to form part of the Club’s general assets.[6] One advises Mark that Lord Wilberforce’s interpretation applies to his case. Dave clearly imposes conditions on the loan stipulating that it is to be ‘used only to buy Gary Sparrow.’ The word ‘only’ suggests that the loan was advanced ‘exclusively’ for this purpose.[7] Dave thus has an equitable right in the funds to see that is applied for its primary designated purpose.[8] As a result, Mark, as Chairman of the club, is â€Å"not free to apply the money for any other purpose† and the nature of this transaction â€Å"gives rise to fiduciary obligations on the part of the borrower which a court of equity will enforce.†[9] Dave has placed his trust and confidence in Mark to ensure that the money is properly applied,[10] and it would be unconscionable of Mark not to properly apply it. Since Mark has agreed to the conditions of the loan, he is bound by them and owes a fiduciary obligation to Dave, to see that those conditions ar e met. Gary’s decision to sign with another Club means that the purpose of trust has been defeated and the money should therefore be returned to Dave. The loan advanced to Mark is to be regarded as a Quistclose trust since, as highlighted by Oakley, â€Å"an intention that the money should be segregated is †¦likely to lead the court to infer that the parties intended to create a trust, even if that word was never actually used by anyone.†[11] This fact, in addition to the conditions imposed by Dave, negates any possibility of the courts regarding the  £5m as being a pure loan. As a business entrepreneur, it is clear that Dave was not making a gesture of goodwill in advancing the loan, but a business decision. Conclusively, unless Mark can find a way to persuade Gary to sign with Inchester Football Club, the  £5m must be returned to Dave. Mark has validly declared a trust in favour of Gary. First, by declaring himself as trustee of the shares, the court will regard Mark has having done â€Å"everything which, according to the nature of the property comprised in the settlement, was necessary to be done in order to transfer the property and render the settlement binding upon him.†[12] Second, in the case of Comiskey,[13] the court held that the testator’s direction to his wife, that his nieces should acquire an interest in his property was to be construed as a mandatory, not just a mere moral obligation. The ‘substance’ and ‘effect’[14] of the words used, denoted an intention on the testators’ part to create a separate trust in favour of his nieces. One must advise that, Mark does not fall within the ambit of this case. The substance and effect of Mark’s words were such that he intended to create a trust in favour of Gary regardless of whether or not he joined the club. The fact that Mark made the trust declaration in front of the Board of Directors suggests further that his offer was a genuine one. Thus, the court would regard his words as being neither precatory[15] nor said in loose conversation.[16] His underlying intention might have been to gently pressure Gary into signing with Inchester, by making this stateme nt in front of the directors, however one cannot escape the fact that it was his intention for Gary to receive the shares. His words ‘I hope that this gives you a good reason to join the club,’ will not be regarded by the court as a necessary prerequisite or mandatory obligation in order for Gary to receive the shares, but rather; a moral obligation, which Gary could choose to regard or disregard. In the case of Re Adams[17] the court held that the purpose of the testator’s words was to merely to call to his widow’s attention the moral obligations[18], which had weighed upon his mind and to make express his motivation in making an absolute gift to her.[19] The same can be said of Mark’s declaration to Gary. His words have resulted in an absolute gift to Gary, with the ‘hope’ or ‘confidence’ that it would encourage Gary to join the club. Therefore, although Gary chose not to sign with Inchester, the trust remains valid. Third, Mark cannot rely on the fact that he has not segregated the shares to evince a lack of certainty of subject matter and thus an inconstituted trust. As clearly established in Hunter v Moss,[20] with regards to a declaration of trust of personality â€Å"the requirement of certainty of subject matter does not necessarily entail segregation of the property which was to form the subject matter of the trust.†[21] As long as the shares held by Mark are indistinguishable from one another, they will be capable of satisfying the trust without need for appropriation. It must be acknowledged however, that if Mark’s shares are distinguishable from one another, the trust will fail for uncertainty of subject matter since, as neatly surmised by Sir Hobhouse in the case of Mussoorie Bank Ltd v. Raynor, ‘uncertainty in the subject of the gift has a reflex action upon the previous words and throws doubts upon the intention of the testator, and seems to show that he could not have possibly intended his words†¦ to be imperative.’[22] BIBLIOGRAPHY Books A.J Oakley Parker and Mellows: The Modern Law of Trusts Ninth Edition (Sweet Maxwell 2008) G. Watt Trusts Fifth Edition (Oxford University Press 2005) N Stockwell and R Edwards Trusts and Equity Seventh Edition (Pearson Longman 2005) Cases Barclays Bank v Quistclose Investments Ltd [1970] AC 567 Comiskey v Bowring-Hanbury [1905] AC 84 HL Hunter v Moss [1994] 1 WLR 452 Jones v Lock (1865) 1 Ch App 25 Milroy v. Lord (1862) 4 De G.F. J. 264 Mussoorie Bank Ltd v Raynor (1882) 7 App Cas 321 Paul v Constance [1977] 1 WLR 527 Re Adams and Kensington Vestry (1884) 27 Ch D394 Re Snowden [1979] 2 All ERM 172 Twinsectra v Yardley [2002] 2 AC 164 1 Footnotes [1] [1970] AC 567 [2] [2002] 2 AC 164 per Lord Millett and A.J Oakley The Modern Law of Trusts (2008) p.322 [3] n.1 [4] n.2 [5] n.1 per Lord Wilberforce at 580 [6] N Stockwell and R Edwards, Trusts and Equity (2005) p.20 [7] n.1 per Lord Wilberforce at 580 [8] Ibid. [9] n.2 per Lord Millett at 184 [10] Ibid para. 99 [11] Oakley n.2 p.317 –18 [12] Milroy v. Lord (1862) 4 De G.F. J. 264 per Turner L.J at 274–275 [13] [1905] AC 84 HL [14] Paul v Constance [1977] 1 WLR 527 per Scarman L.J [15] Ibid. [16] Jones v Lock (1865) 1 Ch App 25 [17] (1884) 27 Ch D394 [18] See Re Snowden [1979] 2 All ERM 172 [19] G. Watt Trusts (2005) at p.71 [20] [1994] 1 WLR 452 [21] Ibid per Dillon L.J [22] (1882) 7 App Cas 321 at 331

Mans Discovery Of Fossil Fuels Could Be His Downfall. Discus Essay

Throughout the entire history of mankind, the technological advancements that civilisations have made have always been tied in with the development of energy sources. The first human energy technology was fire, along with human labour as the major energy source. This has bee supplemented by animals for agriculture and transportation since at least the dawn of agriculture some 10,000 years ago. Wind and waterpower for milling grain have also been used nearly as long. The development of the steam engine by George Stephenson in the late 1700’s was the technological breakthrough that led to the industrial revolution. For the first time in human history transportation could be provided without the use of domesticated animals. Steam engines were used in steam locomotives, steam tractors and steam ships (B.Nebel and R.Wright 1995). Stationary steam engines were rapidly established in all the major industries. The major fuel for steam engines was firewood. By the end of the 1800’s, the demand for energy was ever increasing and firewood around industrial centres was becoming scarce. This led to a switch to coal as the major source for fuel and energy. As well as powering steam engines coal became widely used for heating, cooking and industrial processes. Air pollution during the Industrial revolution was far worse than anything seen today. Apart from the smoke and fumes obscuring visibility, they also caused major health problems to the inhabitants of the industrial areas reducing life expectancies, predominantly with respiratory diseases. The simultaneous development of the internal combustion engine, well drilling technology and the capacity to refine crude oil into gasoline and other liquid fuels (B. Nebel et al 1995) in the late 1880’s, produced an alternative to steam power. Air pollution was greatly reduced as coal-fired steam engines and gasoline and diesel engines, and fuel oil furnaces replaced furnaces. Due to the length of time it takes to change from one energy technology to another, it was not until the late 1940’s that oil surpassed coal as the worlds major energy source. World oil use peaked in 1979 when daily production passed 66 million barrels per day (W.Cunningham et al 1993). This was not without problems however. In 1973, the recognition of the increasing dependence of industrialised nations on oil along ... ...nder normal conditions. Extraction of fossil fuels is a dirty and dangerous business, with associated diseases of workers and environmental pollution, such as dust from mining and spills from tankers transporting oil. As can be seen from the various points discussed, the civilisation that we inhabit today is very much dependent on fossil fuels, without them the level of technology that we take for granted today would not exist. The economical, political, social and environmental issued associated with them show the problems of mans dependence on them. With increasing worldwide demand, and declining supplies, every effort needs to be made by governments to find solutions to these problems. This has already started today, with developments in alternative energy sources such as nuclear power, which raises its own issues, and the move towards solar and other renewable energy sources. References Cunningham. W.P and Saigo B.W (1995). Environmental Science: A Global Concern. W.C.B, Bubuque. Nebel B.J and Wright R.T (1993). Environmental Science. Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Pickering K.T and Owen L.A (1995). An Introduction to Global Environmental Issues. Routledge, London and New York.

Phyllis Rose, Tools of Torture

Gaston Havandjian Professor Hubbell English Comp I Essay Four 11/13/12 Human Nature: Another Tool For Torture? Driving your car to a dinner with friends you go by hundreds of advertisement slogans at the side of the road. Reading them seems to be a good way to entertain your mind with all those miles ahead and since you didn't decide what are you going to order yet you think that maybe some of them will give you an idea. One of them captures your attention in a special way, it shows the image of a laughing sheep and below it says: â€Å"Meat is real food†. Eureka!Now you have a guess of what your order will be, but as long as you keep thinking in this phrase you wonder what they meant with the word â€Å"real†. If they are stating such a thing it means that they also believe that there is other food that is not real or not as real as meat. A second thought crosses your mind when you remember a column you read in the newspaper a few days ago which was titled as followed: â€Å"Studies have found that the consumption of meat and animal products increase the development of chronic diseases including high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary heart disease, obesity, kidney failure, osteoporosis and cancer†.What if the advertisement was aimed to convince us that meat is good for you when it's actually not? What if after those studies were revealed the owners of the meat industry felt their businesses threatened and ignoring the facts are still poisoning our bodies and killing thousands of animals a day just for a profit? Vegetables, fruits and grains are not real enough and healthier perhaps? When you arrive to the restaurant you bring up the theme and one of your friends provides a fact which supports the studies credibility, and from your point of view, it gives the whole discussion a clear ending.He tells you something you didn't know, that health insurance companies offer discount rates to vegetarians and vegans. Every company's goal is to make money. Insurance companies determine a person’s risk of death by analyzing his habits and based on these results they charge a fee. In today's world, where money is more powerful than any religion, government or social institution, there is no better evidence than this to prove that the ingestion of meat is actually not good for humans. For hundreds of years we have been persuaded of the opposite and still are.What about the people working in the slaughter houses, what would they do if they knew that the blood they spill every day is contributing to reduce our life expectation? Animals are not just being killed for food; they are also being used for the manufacture of products such as milk, cheese, eggs and many other more. Clothing, sport hunting and fishing, entertainment (Circuses, zoos and aquariums) and product experimentation are other examples of how animals are exploited for the â€Å"benefit† of man.The conditions were these creatures live are detrimental. Ca ges and chains, metal and fire, artificial breeding and separation from their cubs, a life of captivity and a slow and painful death are just a few examples of how they live a life of torture and agony until the day they become a steak on your table or a coat to provide warmth. So, what moves a person to desire working in a place where killing becomes a routine and suffering and fear is perceived by every single sense?Of course that making a living and the lack of jobs would be one of the reasonable answers, but there should be something else that pushes someone to do such terrible things to these innocent living beings unable to even defend or speak for themselves. Is it something ingrained in our â€Å"human nature† or perhaps external agents, such as institutions and industries, convince them that they are working for a great goal? In order to answer these questions we are going to use some ideas taken from a text written by Phyllis Rose titled â€Å"Tools of Torture†.Rose published many books and contributes frequently to periodicals such as the Atlantic Monthly and the New York Times Book Review. Rose situates us in an art gallery in Paris where an exhibition of medieval torture instruments takes place. The high number of different tools that she sees, and the many uses someone can give them, makes her think that â€Å"pain must be as great a challenge to the human imagination as pleasure† (Rose 175). This idea is reinforced after she shares her experience of a facial treatment in a dark booth of a beauty salon where she was exposed to ointments and electrodes.By associating the electrodes with what happened in Algeria and the ointments with masks dipped in acid, she concludes that the aesthetician and the torturer share the same area of expertise; pain, and that â€Å"Should that loving attention to the body turn malevolent, you have torture. (Rose 177) The author believes that â€Å"The secret of torture, like the secret of French cuisine, is that nothing is unthinkable† (Rose 176) and to illustrate this she uses an analogy where a man is tortured with a wheel and a snail is baked in its own shell.There are no limits in the world of torture and this fact may be a reason to believe that humans use their imaginary to accomplish the most horrifying things, but â€Å"torture didn’t come into existence to give vent to human sadism. It is not always private and perverse but sometimes social and institutional, vetted by the government and, of course, the Church† (Rose 177). Religions are probably the most influential institutions in our societies. They proclaim that the values and norms they promote are the only true and that not living according to them will bring a life of sin and shame and an afterlife of suffering and torture.Even if we don’t believe in any religion we still live under their rules. Christianity for example, by introducing the Ten Commandments, offered the basis for es tablishing the moral and legal laws; the institution of marriage is also an exemplar of how we organize our societies based in biblical patterns. It is not the intention of this discussion to analyze if basing our lives according these doctrines is a force for good or not; what seems relevant here is that sometimes the most heinous and aberrant things are justified by uttering these words for the benefit of a certain group of people.Usually the objective is to persuade a bigger group of people to work for their own causes convincing them that they are doing it for the common good, and the most effective tool to accomplish this seems to be manipulating people’s faith. If we take a look back about five hundred years ago we can see how the biggest genocide in the history of humanity was perpetrated in the name of god. The continent where we live today witnessed how the same people who came to these lands to convert the natives into Christianity broke every single of the rules th ey believed in.The main goal of the promoters of this campaign was taking all the gold, silver and riches to Europe and stealing the land, but somehow they managed to make people believe that their true intention was to save the souls of the natives, considered as animals, by making them adopt the true and only religion because that was god’s command. Under these commands it is amazing to see how people can, among other things, â€Å"overcome their repugnance to the task of causing physical pain to other† (Rose 177).Christianity also makes us believe that man is the ruler of this world and that all the other living creatures are at our service. The meat industry, in their many ways to legitimate their business, tries to persuade us that animals don’t feel pain and that ingesting their meat is good for us. In their efforts to keep selling their products they even have paid doctors and nutritionists supporting their cause.With these powerful institutions favoring the supposed benefits of animal products there is no wonder why we keep using them in our diets with a blind conviction that they are good for us. This seems to be also the main reasons why the workers in the animal industry are able to do their jobs without remorse. Just as â€Å"there aren’t squads of sadists beating down the doors to the torture chambers begging for jobs† (Rose 177) there aren’t squads of animal murderers beating down the doors to the slaughter houses begging for jobs.In hundreds of years of research there’s still no evidence that a human nature exists, and let alone that it coerces us to perform the most atrocious acts. The only thing we share as human beings are our human needs. No matter in which part of the world a person lives all he needs is food, water, air, a shelter and a social group where he feels valued and contented. It is in the interests of certain groups of the society to make us believe just the opposite even if it cau ses death, suffering and pain.The more informed we are, the less vulnerable we are to their lies. The author believes that â€Å"If taking one’s goals too seriously is the danger, the best discouragement of torture may be a radical hedonism that denies that any goal is worth the mean, that refuses to allow the nobly abstract to seduce us from the sweetness of the concrete† (Rose 178). Hedonism is a school of thought that argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good but what people finds pleasurable could be rather more personal than social.This philosophy doesn’t seem to be the answer for the eradication of torture, war or a diet that brings disease and death since it pursues an arbitrary goal. The common goal is not actually a bad path to walk through; the problem appears when what it is believed to be as common is just the goal of a few. Make that goal the fulfilling of the needs of every person in this world and feed them also with the truth so they can ma ke their own decisions and in a few years after that we could be looking into a much more optimistic panorama.