John Steinbeck Essay

Steinbeck as an author always seemed to have a niche for writing stories that made you think about the importance of life. Respect for life was highlighted in his stories many times, whether it’s the presence of or the lack of. A few stories that involved this were The Pearl, Of Mice and Men and Travels with Charlie. He knew how to tug on peoples heart strings and make them really think about what life truly means to us even after we close the book. The importance of respecting life is evident. Life is something that is beautiful when it is given and sorrow some when its taken away. The beauty of something alive can easily outweigh the beauty of it dead, to some people. To some people the thrill of the kill is all that matters and showing that they are the dominant species. This disrespect of life itself is portrayed in the story Travels with Charlie. Steinbeck, being an older wise man at this time knew the beauty of life and felt that it was better to keep the two coyotes alive than kill them and take the beauty of them away. He respects life greatly because he sees the beauty in it and wants to see that beauty shine on. Also, in The Pearl, he shows his respect for life through Kino wanting to preserve Coyotito’s innocence and let him live on to be more than he was himself. On the other hand, some people do not respect life. These people, like Curley’s wife in Of Mice and Men, treat people like property, like Crooks. She threatened to lynch him if he ever did anything wrong or got out of place. She does not see the beauty in this mans life and therefore does not treat him with the respect he deserves, instead she puts herself before him metaphorically and treats him like a common slave. In conclusion, Steinbeck shows that the beauty of life can either be respected and appreciated or disrespected and abused. These two viewpoints of life can differ between the person but he shows how respect and admiration can prove the best way to go about a situation. And how hate and disrespect for someone can cause you to think less of them and not see the beauty they possess within.

Environmental Effects on Fetus Essay

We count all toes and fingers when children are born. We try to make sure that children are born healthy and try to do our best of making sure they stay that way until they are adults. However, sleeper effects are aspects that affect fetuses when born or later on in life. One agent in the environment that can adversely disturb an unborn child is teratogen. Most fetuses are exposed to at least one teratogen (motorized or physical instruments, environmental substances, communicable agents) (Palenchar, 2005). Fetuses can also be affected by an individual’s age, fitness, nourishment, and genetics. Communicable diseases can cause irreversible damages to fetuses. These diseases can disturb the fetus while still in the womb or through the birth canal or sometimes both. For instance, if a mother is in her first trimester and has rubella, the child may be have heart defects, be blind or even metal retarded. If the disease is still present in the second trimester, the child may have language issues, hearing and vision loss (Sleigh, 2005). Another example would be if the mother has AIDs. During birth, the child may be infected. This is because infants are susceptible to respiratory illnesses (Sleigh, 2005). Prenatal care is vital to the prevention of many illnesses for the child and mother. If the mother is not receiving proper nutrition, then the womb is not able to pass nutrients on to the fetus and it will not develop properly. The offspring of this fetus will be affected and the generation after, therefore fetuses can be affected multigenerational (Sleigh, 2005). Finally, Sleigh (2005) says that the ideal time for women to have children would be in their 20’s. This is because mental disabilities can show up in children whose mother gave birth to them past the age of 35. Hormonal changes due to a woman approaching menopause may cause the uterus to be less favorable for fertilization. Additionally, the mother’s overall health is a risk as she may develop high blood pressure or gestational diabetes. Adolescents are still growing and developing themselves and having a child at such a young age will cause malnutrition, premature delivery, and the mother may develop osteoporosis. A women’s overall health is important when considering having a child. There are several factors that can affect the fetus in the womb and after. With the proper guidance and nutrition, the fetus will have a good chance of having a healthy life.

Sociology .. just paraphrase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sociology .. just paraphrase - Essay Example f)Master status. This refers to a particular status in society that automatically ranks above all others, placing the individual with these characteristics within the top element of his or her society. g)Status symbols. Status symbols are specific material clues that refer to an individual’s position in society such as a doctor with a stethoscope or an athlete with a basketball. h)Roles. Roles are specific patterns of behavior that are expected of people who fall within a specific social status position. K) Major institutions. A major institution is any institution as defined above that are significantly large and well organized such as a school system or the national government. n)Mechanical solidarity. This refers to a situation in which things happen essentially in the same way they have always happened bringing about social cohesion based on shared experience and knowledge skills. o)Organic solidarity. Organic solidarity suggests there is a sort of collective consciousness which exists due to society’s inescapable mutual interdependence which exists in proportion to that society’s complexity in its division of labor. The theory that Goffman presents suggests that the forces that shape who we become, who we are and how we will act in various situations is significantly affected by the people with whom we associate. According to this theory, each individual has a tendency to present ourselves as what we want others to think of us as if we are permanently on stage. In keeping with the metaphor, he suggests we spend a great deal of time rehearsing our performances in the backstage action using the life script we are given by our society prior to our ‘live’ performance. This performance, again like that seen on a stage, also requires the participation of other characters/cast/individuals if it is to be successfully presented to

Zatwsho LLC Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Zatwsho LLC - Case Study Example The report also discusses about the kind of ownership that family business should have. Target market of the product has also been defined along with a memo to promote the company’s offerings in a better way. In the end of the report, recommendations have been given to improve the website of Zatswho. QUESTION # 1: Tips for Making Family Business Successful: There are several things that are to be considered in order to make a family business successful. One of the main tips to make a family business successful is that the roles and responsibilities of the partners or family members should be clearly defined and every family member should know what their responsibilities are and what they are supposed to do. Pitfalls That Should Be Avoided To Make Family Business Successful: It is important for every business to grow with the passage of time and in a family business, a stage comes when the growth of the business becomes static and at this point of time it is important to seek a dvices from outside advisors or people who are not in the family so that the business could have some fresh ideas and it could start growing again. QUESTION # 2: Because there are two people involved in the business therefore it is recommended to have a partnership rather than sole proprietor. As the business would be a partnership therefore the agreement of both Cooper and Schwinoff would be required while taking important decisions. QUESTION # 3: The target market of Zatswho would be parents and grandparents as they would be using these cards to teach their kids about their family members. However other target markets of the product could be day care centers and schools as they could use these cards to make kids recognize different important personalities and even cartoon characters. Along with this the target market of the company also includes the fundraising organizations, special needs children, and adults with the problem of memory loss. QUESTION # 4: Zatswho LLC January 20, 2012 To: Cooper and Schwinoff From: Subject: Proposing Guerrilla Marketing Strategy for Zatswho LLC Guerrilla marketing strategy has become important for the businesses in this highly competitive world, especially for the businesses which are targeting specific and small market segments (Levinson, 2007), as in the case of Zatswho. The company is mainly targeting the grandparents and parents who like to play with their grandchildren and children and the same time wants to increase the memory of the children. Apart from this other target markets include children with special needs, day care centers, schools, fundraising organizations, and seniors with the problem of memory loss. In order to capture the target markets and attract them it is essential for the company to come up with some unique and out of box marketing strategies. The company can go for price discount and cheaper goods strategy, as the target market will not be willing to spend much on such playing items. This strategy of price discount can be supported by different limited time promotional activities like: Placing colorful sticky notes consisting information about the game in the children stores and shops. Holding competition through social media for suggesting best game which can be played using these cards. Different posters can be placed at schools, day care centers, and playing grounds in order to attract more market. Hold different competitions at shopping malls, schools, and playing grounds in which judging the children on the ability of their quickly identifying the pictures. Partnership with some chocolate or confectionary company and come up with special packages. All these promotional acti

Religion Does More Harm Than Good Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Religion Does More Harm Than Good - Essay Example I will also introduce my colleagues in the affirmative team that includes Hamad, who will come to discuss the impact of religion on politics of today as he tries to prove the point that religion has indeed negatively affected the political situation of the 21st century as it had done throughout history. My other colleague Rubby will be seeking to address the various situations in which religion has failed to honor its original intention of standing up for the people by trying to prevent some of the historical crimes that happened under the watchful eyes of religion. He will reveal to you that by failing to speak against some of those crimes in the society, religion was indeed supporting them thus contributing to harmful effects in the society in general. I will begin my submission by attempting to define each word of utmost importance in the motion so that we fully understand what we are dealing with. To begin with, religion can be described as an organized system of beliefs, world v iews and cultural systems that revolve around spirituality and the supernatural realm (Kant, Immanuel 2001). There are various religions around the world including Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism to mention but a few. Most religions have their own symbols, narratives and sacred historical events that aim at explaining the universe and life (Russell T. McCutcheon. 2001). By causing more harm than good in the society we mean that religion has led to more negativity in the society than positivity. The concept of religion has failed to live up to its intended objective of promoting good in the society and has become synonymous with negative and harmful issues in the society. With that being said, allow me ladies and gentlemen to proceed to my arguments in support of the motion that religion does more harm than good. Arguments First and foremost, the biggest source of disharmony among married couples is how most religions handle the question of divorce. In the contemporary soci ety we live in, divorce has become one of the best solutions of marriage conflicts, if it is handled well through a legal process. Most religions however are totally opposed to the concept divorce and cannot allow their members and followers to go through divorce. This has led to most religious people living miserable lives full of conflicts including domestic violence due to the fear of separation and divorce since as religion teaches, is against the will of God. Some of the biggest religions preach that marriage should stay together until death takes away one of the couples, and that no man can separate what has been joined together by God. Such doctrines hold no place in the contemporary society since the need of individuals and the institution of marriage itself has totally changed from what it was before. Whenever couples feel they have irreconcilable differences, the y have no other options than to divorce and share responsibilities, if any. This is a legal right most religion s deny their followers. The second most important argument is the disagreements and marriage conflicts brought about as a result of interfaith marriages. When people fall in love, it does not matter which faith they belong to. Love knows no boundaries, as they say. However, these religious differences often come in to play when two love birds come together to form a marriage union. The battles of supremacy over which faith or religion should preside over the marriage ceremony, or even which religion should the family and the children, if any, allowed to follow. Such

Global marketing ethic and culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global marketing ethic and culture - Essay Example hese two giants turned into a contentious issue that included business rivalry, questions over ethics, loss of jobs and nationalistic feelings, to boot. This paper examines the issue from the above mentioned angles and applies management theory to the case where relevant to establish linkages between theory and practice. The first and foremost issue that was raised by the proposed takeover is the fact of monopolistic tendencies arising out of a conglomeration of two business giants. The next issue is that of undervaluation and the correct pricing structure to be applied in such a case. Further, the interests of stakeholders have to be considered as well. Finally, the issue of job losses and nationalistic sentiment playing upon the emotions of the parties involved in the debate has to be considered as well. The proposed takeover and the aftermath of the proposal turned into a business saga replete with all the action and drama one would normally associate with a business thriller. When Kraft first approached Cadbury with an intention to purchase it at a valuation of $16.2 Billion in late 2009, the offer was rejected outright by Cadbury which claimed that at this price Cadbury was undervalued. Subsequently, the offer bid was revised and Kraft even went to the extent of mounting a hostile takeover bid. After a corporate battle that lasted well over two months, both parties announced in January this year that they have agreed to a merger between the two at a valuation for Cadbury at $18.9 Billion. As one of the trade journals put it, â€Å"The historic acquisition of Cadbury International by Kraft Foods Inc. of US has just been concluded. After a five-month siege, Kraft Foods on the 19th of January, 2009 won the highly-publicised battle for Cadbury, turning its hostile approach friendly and securing the support of the UK confectioner’s board in its takeover bid. As the dust settles, industry watchers are asking what this remarkable development holds for the global

Why Control Development Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Why Control Development - Term Paper Example The term ‘planning’ means different things to different people. In this context planning is viewed as a discipline with strong technical basis.   It works in terms of applying various techniques, models and formulas to solve problems. Moreover, it results to presenting itself as a science where it focuses in objectively solving problems by value-neutral planners.   Yet another dimension describes planning as an art of decision and plan making. Planning systems have revolved over time in the need to organize and regulated human society and its surroundings. Diverse societies all over the worlds over centuries have diverse sets of values. Planning systems and their roles change over time due to change of societal values and the advent of technological developments, hence the need to understand the context of social and historical changes.   Theories found in planning focus on how to go about carrying out planning. They focus on procedural matters as compared to substantial matters. They deal with issues such as design methods, decision making, organizations and community action. These could be said to be prescriptive theories because they explain of how to go about carrying our planning tasks.          What is of most important to note is that, planning must work hand in hand with the element of time. Planning should be time sensitive since we do not plan for the past but for the future. Besides, ideas tend to change over time with the outdated ideas exiting o pave way for the current ideas, with a certain capacity of individuals and the society having to carry volumes of ideas within their span of consideration at one time. T here are five schools of planning theory. They include; rational –comprehensive planning theory, advocacy planning theory, incremental list planning theory, and the two branches of communicative planning theory: planning as consensus-seeking and management of conflicts.

King, Martin Luther. Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay

King, Martin Luther. Letter from Birmingham Jail - Essay Example Dr. King responded to the charges against his being an â€Å"outsider†, and of the methods he brought from outside by clearly stating that he served as the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), an organization that operates in all the states of the South. This was the argument that Dr. King used to state that he was not in any way an outsider in the issues that affects a state in the South. Dr. King said that he was called upon by the local affiliate of SCLC in Birmingham to engage in a nonviolent direct action program and so he was not in any way an outsider as he had organizational ties in Birmingham. He also believed that the methods that they claim he brought from outside are the only things that could deal with the problems of racial injustice and segregation as the other methods are rather too lame in solving these problems (King). Luther King was an African-American activist from Atlanta and he was accused of being an ‘outside agitatorà ¢â‚¬â„¢ when he went to Birmingham. King responded by stating that, he cannot sit idly in Atlanta and turn a deaf ear or blind eye to the racial injustice in Birmingham. He said he is quite aware of the connection that exists amongst all communities and states.

Analysis of Paediatric Gastroenteritis Case Study

Analysis of Paediatric Gastroenteritis - Case Study Example   It shall consider the case of Kane, who is a young boy presenting to the emergency department with his parents. Upon admission, the records establish that Kane is a four-year-old male child who has been suffering for 24 hours (prior to consultation) from diarrhea and vomiting. He is also: pale with peripheral warmth; with RR of 30/min (without wheezing on auscultation); HR of 140/min at rest; temperature of 39.4 degrees Celsius; with the dry tongue; tearfulness; lethargy; and with weight at 15.4 kg. He has mild intermittent asthma managed with salbutamol. Parents express that the child has been vomiting sporadically, is not able to keep fluids down, and refuses to drink. He also has had four episodes of watery offensive stool in the last 12 hours PTC. The physician diagnosed the child with possible gastroenteritis, and the plan of care was to try fluids orally if tolerated and if not, to consider IV cannula. The child was admitted to the children’s ward and scheduled for r eassessment after 12 hours. This study shall now consider two clinical guidelines related to pediatric gastroenteritis. ... Australian sources were excluded in the search. Literature which matched the current case was reviewed and the specific journal was chosen based on relevance, reliability, and validity. Immediate Priorities for Kane’s care: To assess and manage the patient’s level of dehydration To reduce or totally end his diarrhoea and vomiting Plan and intervention for patient’s care Assessment and management of patient’s level of dehydration Based on the NSW Clinical Guidelines, the assessment of patient’s level of dehydration is based on three levels: mild, moderate, and severe. The care of the dehydrated patient subsequently follows based on the level of dehydration. Based on the patient’s symptoms, Kane is moderately dehydrated based on his following symptoms: elevated heart rate, elevated breath rate, pallor, dry mucous membrane, and lethargy (NSW Health, 2010, p. 7). These are all symptoms which signal moderate dehydration. The replacement fluid rate shall, therefore, be nasogastric therapy: one Oral Rehydration Solution (Gastrolyte); or it may be intravenous through (rapid or standard speed). The IV shall be 0.9% NaCl + 2.5% Glucose or 0.9% NaCl + 2.5% Glucose or 0.45% NaCl + 2.5% Glucose (NSW Health, 2010, p. 7). The Canadian Clinical Guidelines presented with slightly different details. Firstly, the child is also moderately dehydrated under these guidelines as assessed from the child’s exhibited symptoms, including dry mucous membrane, elevated heart rate, and lethargy (Gysler, 2011, p. 3).  Ã‚  

Evaluating the Research Process Essay Example for Free

Evaluating the Research Process Essay * The most important steps in a research project or study is accomplishing a literature review. A literature review is the process of gathering information from other sources and documenting it. This is not a report or a statement verbatim according to Creative Research Systems (2010). A literature review is a significant and a detailed evaluation of earlier research. It is a summation and abstract of a particular aspect of research, allowing the individuals evaluating the paper to understand why one is tracking a particular research study. It is not an assortment of quotes and rephrase from additional sources. A good literature review should have selected evaluations of the quality of the study, and conclusions of the research study. While reviewing Commendador, 2010, Parental influences on adolescent decision- making and contraceptive use. Published in the Pediatric Nursing May-June 2010, The study hypothesis stated in the article according to Commendador, 2010 â€Å"the United States and the health care industry are researching various ways to lower the adolescent pregnancy rate, thus identifying paternal communication, specifically maternal communication with their adolescent is showing to be a major factor of adolescent delay in sexual intercourse, and a major factor of contraceptive decision making. However, the study also revealed the effects of paternal communication was not readily available, therefore the research statistics are not equalized, and supporting the determination of furthering the research of this subject. * Ethical considerations for data collection * Ethical issues are present in any kind of research. Research procedures may produce some * apprehension between the purpose of research to make generalized statements for the benefit * of others, and the rights of the research subjects in preserving privacy. Ethics, in research * relates to doing what is morally correct and evading any harm. The damage or harm can be * alleviated or decreased through the use of appropriate ethical principles. Thus, the * security of human subject matter or contributors in any research study is essential. Qualitative * research studies center the research on investigating, probing, and describing individuals and * their ordinary surroundings. Fixed in the qualitative research studies are the perception of * associations between researchers and the research participants. The study subject’s * anticipation to partake in a research study solely rests upon a research subjects compliance to * share his or her encounters. Nurse researchers are obligated to sustain equilibrium research * ethics in addition to the security of the research subjects. Qualitative research is * attentive of the events of individuals in relation to the subject which is studied. Still nurse * researchers may discover that their position as researchers may perhaps be in conflict. * Qualitative studies are normally performed in surroundings relating to the involvement of * ndividuals in their daily setting. As a result, any research that consist of individuals commands * an understanding of the ethical concerns that may be resulting from the exchange of * communications. Ethics in research includes the relevance of the research purpose, and the * procedural strategy, in addition to the manner in which information is reported. * The nurse researcher conducting the study relies mainly on previous research studies conducted by several other research entities, which demonstrates ethical collection and reporting. The research study’s primary focus is on adolescent sexual behavior. This subject dealing with under-age children has to be handled with the utmost of confidentiality. The researcher as well as the data reported does not identify the individual minor participant, nor are family member participants indentified in any way. The integrity of the participants and the research study, in the observers opinion was without biasness and completely anonymous. * * What data tells us in terms of statistical analysis Largely, the definitive objective of every research study is to find the relationship between the unpredictable, according to Statsoft Electronic Statistics Textbook (2012). The viewpoint of research states† that there is no other way of representing meaning except in terms of relations between some quantities or qualities† both ways involve a relationship between changeable matter. The statistics gathered and reported in this study in the reviewers opinion, is statistically significant. Statistic significance is defined in research as probable, probably true not due to chance according to Creative Research Systems (2010). However, the statistics reported are focused on the maternal communication with adolescents and does not represent the paternal communication with the adolescent due to the lack of research subject interviews with the fathers. In addition, the interviews conducted did not include those adolescents that had sexual contact and were actively pregnant. The researcher, to better understand the decisions regarding sexual contact and the lack of using birth control methods, should have interviewed this group of adolescents as this group could have communicated more information based on the decisions that were made which resulted in a pregnancy. Also interviewing the parents of this group of adolescents could have also given more insight on the maternal communication. Conclusion Although the statistics possibly could have been more precise and reported in more detail had the research subject sample size been larger, if the fathers had been surveyed, and if the group of adolescents that were presently pregnant had been surveyed. Even though the statistics were not balanced, the conclusion matched the results of the research study. The research question asked in this study, does the parental communication with the adolescent influence the contraceptive decisions that are made by the adolescent? The research study states that the maternal communication with the adolescent daughter increases positive decision making on behalf of the adolescent regarding contraceptive decisions. The positive effects that maternal interaction is influencing is associated with lowering the teenage pregnancy rate and has increased the use of contraceptives. The conclusion drawn answers the research question posed in this study. The conclusion states the results of this text review indicate an connection between parent communication and parenting style, and adolescent sexual interest and making birth control decision. The parental exchange of ideas with the adolescent is as significant now as it was 25 years ago. Maternal communication and contact has an abundance of potential as an intercession to enhance optimistic adolescent decision making and regarding contraception and premature sexual contact. Maternal interaction is possibly influential in lowering adolescent pregnancy and is successful in promoting sexually active teenage girls to make use of birth control methods. The conclusions are appropriate according to the information collected. Again, one must consider the differences in the outcome of this study had the omitted groups been surveyed . According to the conclusion of this study â€Å"More research is needed in the area of parenting style, maternal influence, and adolescent contraceptive behavior. The potential relevance for practice is that mother-daughter dyads should be included in any health promotion around female adolescent sexuality, (Commendador, 2010), the author of this paper decided the study is somewhat effective. The statistics supported the objectives that were measured, however there were other aspects that the researcher should have surveyed which would have made this study much more relevant. The purpose of research is to either generate or test a hypothesis. Research is the device used to investigate to discover if a hypothesis is acceptable or not. It is the process by that data is collected to create an assumption or to test an assumption. Therefore, based on what research is defined as, the researcher attained and supported the purpose of the research study. While the researcher’s theory was supported with the information compiled from the study, the data also supported the necessity and importance of continuing further research regarding adolescent sexual behavior and contraceptive decision making. The nurse researcher also recommends various options to address this very serious issue that plagues the United States. Suggested discussions of sexuality and the process of making choices regarding contraceptive methods would be beneficial if included in the educational curriculum of the school system, as well as be an aspect of the pediatric providers educational routine in pediatric health centers providing care to older children. Discussions among nurse practitioners, mothers, and daughters might promote conversation about sexuality, such as teen maturity, the changing body, the processes of decision making regarding sexual activity, and contraception. The researcher thoroughly covered the research topic in an effective manner, and through the analysis of the data collected made relevant recommendations, showing research evoking action plans.

The Evolution Of English Through Time English Language Essay

The Evolution Of English Through Time English Language Essay In the beginning, life was simple and life forms were non-complex. Communication between these life forms was also simple, spoken communication and languages did not exist. As life evolved, and Homo sapiens began roaming the Earth, the need for spoken communication became necessary and languages were born. Join me in an exploration of how the English language came to be, and how it has evolved over time. . The Roman Empire controlled England for centuries; however, by the early 400s the Irish, Britons, and Anglo Saxons invaded and began settling England for themselves. Though each of these tribes had their own language, their dialects were close enough for them to understand each other. The language that developed from this inter-twining of tribes became known as Anglo-Saxon or Old English. Later, during the 800s, with the arrival of the Vikings, two things happened to this Old English language. The first was that many Old Norse words were added, and the second, was the complex conjugations began to decline as people disagreed about which ones to use. The alphabet of the Old English language did not use the letters k, q, v, x or z, and the pronunciations of some of the letters changed depending upon what letters were near them. Vowels were easy with the short vowels a, e, i, o being pronounced pretty much the same, as they are today, the exception was the vowel u, and its pronunciati on was more like the pronunciation of the word book today. The long vowels were often marked with an accent mark and have a completely different pronunciation from the long vowels sounds we recognize today. Along with short and long vowels, the Old English language included three double vowels, each with short and long versions. In 1066, the French-Normans under the rule of William the Conqueror invaded England bringing political change and their French-Norse language, which they made the official language of the monarchy and elite. However, due to the daily need to communicate with the English peasant class, the common language became English. Prior to the Norman invasion, Latin had only a minor influence on the English language, but afterwards there was an influx of Anglo-Norman words added to the English language. There was a split between original Germanic words used by the common class and the Norman words used by the elite for everyday items. Beef and cow are an example of the split in words used by the elite versus the peasants, as beef was often eaten by the elite, while cows were tended by the peasants. Beef has its roots in Anglo-Norman while cow comes from Germanic roots. Many legal terms are also derived from Anglo-Norman roots because the Normans ran the courts. Sometimes, French words replaced Old English words completely, while other times French and Old English combined creating new words. It is important to understand that Middle English was not the only language spoken during this period in England; Scots, Cornish and Welsh were also spoken and differ from Middle English. This accounts for the significant differences in dialects from each of the above areas versus the dialect spoken in London. Sometime in the 12th century, the French Influence in England began to fade and a number of writers began writing in the vernacular language rather than French, Latin or Greek. The 14th century produced the most notable vernacular writer of the time, Geoffrey Chaucer the author of The Canterbury Tales. Since then, the English language has been absorbing vocabulary from many languages around the world. English steadily adds the creation of new words and new uses for old words by the sub-cultures of the English-speaking world. Until the 16th century, French remained to be the literary language and Latin the scholarly language of Europe. The evolution of Middle English into Early Modern English began during the Renaissance in the 16th century when a renewed interest in education sparked across England and most of Europe. As a result of the growing interest in the writings of antiquity many Latin and Greek words were introduced into the English language. Along with the introduction of new words into the English language a shift of vowels, changes to some consonants and grammar were also part of the evolution of English at this time. As more literary works began to be written, the need for the stabilizing the spelling of words became important. One of the earliest attempts at stabilizing the spelling of words came in 1582 with the book Elementarie, by Richard Mulcaster. Some of the principles he established include the removal of all unnecessary letters, adding letters to words to indicate correct pronunciati on and the use of a final silent e to mark long vowels distinguishing them from short vowels. Mulcaster also established other principles, but these three are the most significant. Many spelling concepts within the English language exist simply because some Norman scribe first spelled an English word using the phonetic principles of his own native language. From the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries, the spelling conventions for many words in the English language have been determined by referring to their original forms as a guide; resulting in an unusual combination of old and modern practices. Many of the spellings, including the silent letters of words that we use today were established in the first printed books, and have remained that way because it would have been unfeasible to change printed texts after distribution. By the 17th century, it became abundantly clear that assistance was required for writers to gain a clear understanding of the meanings of words and thei r spelling. One of the first books to offer such assistance was A Table Alphabeticall, published in 1604 by Robert Cawdrey. It was intended to only define difficult and unusual words in the English language that were derived from the Hebrew, Greek, Latin, or French languages. This book contained approximately 2500 words with an interpretation of the meaning. The first book to actually call itself a dictionary though, was The English Dictionarie; published in 1623 by Henry Cockeram. This book was a two part work claiming to be able to not only help readers with the understanding of the difficult to understand writings of some authors, but also to attain speedily an elegant perfection of the English tongue in reading, writing and speaking. The first part of Cockerams book contained brief definitions of words that may have been important to the 17th century elite who may have wanted to leave an educated impression on those they spoke with. Many of his words, were ambiguous contrivances cobbled together from bits and pieces of Latin, and were therefore amusingly inventive; however lacked clear understanding. While the second part of his book reversed the process, listing everyday words, following them with his inventive version of meanings meant to show people how to turn simple statements into more impressive complicated ones. Fortunately, this allure to the obscure finally ended. The 18th century once again brought changes to the English language. These evolutionary changes were brought on by two major events; the first was the ascent of the British Empire and the British Industrial Revolution. The ascent of the British Empire introduced the English language to the world; and the new discoveries in the industrial and scientific fields introduced new words into the English language. The classic languages did not support words like oxygen, nuclear, protein or vaccine, therefore Late Modern English relied heavily on Latin and Greek for the creation of these new words. Late Modern English is the form of English that has lasted through to the 21st century, continuing to add new words every few years, as generations of people start using them. A perfect example of 21st century evolution in English today, is the use of SMS language to replace complete words while using the newest technology of cellular phones and computer chat rooms in the internet. SMS English is t he use of acronyms to state either a whole word or a grouping of words to relay a message. It is a form of the English language that was used during the time of the telegraph, and although using it to relay a message within a text message may be faster and easier, it does not follow any standard rules for grammar or spelling or even which acronyms are word specific. Some have claimed that the use of SMS English is wrecking the English language, and from what I have heard and read in my college rhetoric classes, I tend to agree. However, with the addition of at least one SMS word in the English dictionary recently, it appears that the increased use of this dialect is at hand. What evolutionary change could be next after that of SMS? Could the English language evolve from SMS to more technical forms like that of fax machines? Can you imagine walking into a classroom or down the street and listening to people use beeps and slurs to communicate? One thing we do know for sure is that change and evolution is inevitable, and the changes on the horizon will come just as we learn what OMG and LOL are meant to convey.

Lyndon B. Johnson :: Biographies

Lyndon B. Johnson Early Life Johnson was born on Aug. 27, 1908, near Johnson City, Tex., the eldest son of Sam Ealy Johnson, Jr., and Rebekah Baines Johnson. His father, a struggling farmer and cattle speculator in the hill country of Texas, provided only an uncertain income for his family. Politically active, Sam Johnson served five terms in the Texas legislature. His mother had varied cultural interests and placed high value on education; she was fiercely ambitious for her children. Johnson attended public schools in Johnson City and received a B.S. degree from Southwest Texas State Teachers College in San Marcos. He then taught for a year in Houston before going to Washington in 1931 as secretary to a Democratic Texas congressman, Richard M. Kleberg. During the next 4 years Johnson developed a wide network of political contacts in Washington, D.C. On Nov. 17, 1934, he married Claudia Alta Taylor, known as "Lady Bird." A warm, intelligent, ambitious woman, she was a great asset to Johnson's career. They had two daughters, Lynda Byrd, born in 1944, and Luci Baines, born in 1947. In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt entered the White House. Johnson greatly admired the president, who named him, at age 27, to head the National Youth Administration in Texas. This job, which Johnson held from 1935 to 1937, entailed helping young people obtain employment and schooling. It confirmed Johnson's faith in the positive potential of government and won for him a group of supporters in Texas. In 1937, Johnson sought and won a Texas seat in Congress, where he championed public works, reclamation, and public power programs. When war came to Europe he backed Roosevelt's efforts to aid the Allies. During World War II he served a brief tour of active duty with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific (1941-42) but returned to Capitol Hill when Roosevelt recalled members of Congress from active duty. Johnson continued to support Roosevelt's military and foreign-policy programs. During the 1940s, Johnson and his wife developed profitable business ventures, including a radio station, in Texas. In 1948 he ran for the U.S. Senate, winning the Democratic party primary by only 87 votes. (This was his second try; in 1941 he had run for the Senate and lost to a conservative opponent.) The opposition accused him of fraud and tagged him "Landslide Lyndon." Although challenged, unsuccessfully, in the courts, he took office in 1949. Senator and Vice-President. --------------------------- Johnson moved quickly into the Senate hierarchy.

Essay on Falstaff in Henry IV Part I -- Henry IV Henry V Essays

The Character of Falstaff in Henry IV Part I  Ã‚   In Henry IV Part I, Shakespeare presents a collection of traditional heroes. Hotspur’s laudable valor, King Henry’s militaristic reign, and Hal’s princely transformation echo the socially extolled values of the Elizabethean male. Molding themselves after societal standards, these flat characters contrast Sir John Falstaff’s round, spirited personality. Through Falstaff’s unorthodox behavior and flagrant disregard for cultural traditions, Shakespeare advocates one’s personal values above society’s. Extolled as the "essence of Shakespeare’s dramatic art" (Bloom 299) and ridiculed as the symbol of self-indulgence and vice, the character of Sir John Falstaff, a loquacious knight, elicits a dichotomy within the Shakespearean critical community. This controversy originates in the rendition of Shakespeare’s intention in creating Sir John Falstaff. Literary critics such as John Dover Wilson and Edgar Stoll espouse that Shakespeare created Falstaff to serve as Hal’s "attendant spirit...typifying Vanity in every sense of the word" (Wilson 17). These anti-Falstaff carpers claim that the theme of Henry IV Part I, being a morality play, is the "growing-up of a madcap prince into the ideal king" (Wilson 22). If this were the case then Falstaff, "a besotted and disgusting old wretch" (Shaw qtd. in Goddard 71), represents an obstacle that Hal must overcome to tranform into a regal king. Asserting that Hal "associates Falstaff...with the devil" (Wilson 20), being the antit hesis of heroism and virtue, Falstaff "symbolizes...the feasting and good cheer for which Eastcheap stood, and reflects...the shifts, subterfuges, and shady tricks that decayed gentleman and soldiers were put to if they wi... ...is rivals; Hal gives up any personal freedom he might have displayed in order to follow in his father’s footsteps. Falstaff survives, not only years, but through centuries as well. Lauded, ridiculed, and analyzed Falstaff surpasses death by continuously published literary criticism and interpretation. No other Shakespearean character is as studied, examined, or investigated. Fascinating to spectators, Falstaff is a "character that will follow [the audience] out of the theatre." Works Cited Hazlitt, William. Hazlitt's Works. 8 vols. Ed. W. Carew Hazlitt. London: George Bell, 1905. Hazlitt, William. Hazlitt’s Criticism of Shakespeare: A Selection. Ed. R. S.White. New York: Edwin Mellen, 1996 Becker Bloom, Harold. Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. New York: Riverhead Books, 1998 Bradley Desai Morgann Shaw Stoll Wilson Goddart

Impact Of Exploitation Of Non Conventional Oil Environmental Sciences Essay

The planetary demand for crude oil resources has ne'er been higher, conventional ‘drill-hole ‘ production is top outing the planetary demand for fuel beginnings quickly increasing at the same clip that militias are consuming quickly. Now the demand for non-conventional beginnings of oil has become more evident. However, alternate sourced oil may non be a solution, but a buffer while we endeavour to happen ways to fuel our of all time increasing transit and lifestyle demands. Global oil production will about surely ‘peak ‘ and travel into sustained diminution within the following few old ages. In add-on to the challenge of clime alteration, we will shortly hold to postulate with a quickly turning shortage in fuels for conveyance. This will do large spikes in energy monetary values – including natural gas and electricity – with potentially lay waste toing economic and societal impacts. 1.1 Aim The purpose of this assignment is to advance an apprehension of the constructs of ‘the Anthropocene ‘ , ‘sustainability ‘ and ‘environmental impacts ‘ . 1.2 Aims The aims are: To supply a general overview of possible non-conventional crude oil resources ; To give grounds for and against the development of these resources ; To sketch peculiar issues necessitating environmental protection. Discussion Oil production is acknowledged to hold peaked or be merely about to top out ( Hubbert ‘s extremum ) . This is a cardinal turning point in the civilizations of the developed universe, as the planetary economic system and society at big ( life styles ) , are built around the development of conventional dodo fuel beginnings – in peculiar ‘drill-hole ‘ petroleum oil production. About all of our transit is powered by merchandises of petroleum oil and this includes bringings of nutrient supplies every bit good as stuff goods and travel to and from the work topographic point. Plastics are produced from conventional rough oil and can be found incorporated into every facet of our lives, from the apparels we wear – to the beds we sleep in. However, with each twelvemonth that passes the exponential growing in the human population demand and energy utilizations are turning along with increased criterions of life. Entire militias are estimated to last 40 year ( oil ) , 60yrs ( gas ) at 60 year and coal. Non conventional beginnings of fuel, now, may hold large impact. Peak oil production is acknowledged to hold peaked or be merely about to top out ( Hubbert ‘s extremum ) . This is a cardinal turning point in the civilizations of the developed universe, as the planetary industrial economic system and society at big ( chiefly due to our current life styles ) , are built around the development of conventional dodo fuel beginnings – in peculiar ‘drill-hole ‘ petroleum oil production. About all of our transit is powered by merchandises of rough oil. This includes nutrient production and supply every bit good as fabricating stuff goods and travel to and from the work topographic point. With the planetary population holding an exponential growing rate for coevalss, these demands have merely become greater, and with the planetary population expected to make 9 billion by 2040 from its present 6.8 billion, this is a job will merely increase. Alternate beginnings of oil When the petroleum oil begins to run out, the following available beginning of oil fuel, will be from oil littorals and oil shale. Oil littorals, besides known as pitch littorals, or excess heavy oil, are a type of bitumen sedimentation. The littorals are of course happening mixtures of sand or clay, H2O and an highly heavy and syrupy signifier of crude oil called bitumen. They are found in big sums in many states throughout the universe, but are most abundant in Canada and Venezuela. The cost of pull outing oil from oil littorals is significantly higher than that of petroleum oil, as the sand has to travel through an luxuriant cleansing and extraction procedure, higher oil monetary values of recent along with developments in new engineering will enable them to be productively extracted and upgraded to useable merchandises. Bituminous littorals are a major beginning of unconventional oil. Conventional rough oil is usually extracted from the land by boring oil Wellss into a crude oil reservoir, leting oil to flux into them under natural reservoir force per unit areas, although unreal lift and techniques such as H2O implosion therapy and gas injection are normally required to keep production as reservoir force per unit area drops toward the terminal of a field ‘s life. Because extra-heavy oil and bitumen flow really easy, if at all, toward bring forthing Wellss under normal reservoir conditions, the littorals must be extracted by strip excavation or the oil made to flux into Wellss by in situ techniques which cut down the viscousness by shooting steam, dissolvers, and/or hot air into the littorals. These procedures can utilize more H2O and require larger sums of energy than conventional oil extraction, although many conventional oil Fieldss besides require big sums of H2O and energy to accomplish go od rates of production. As C rejection is really inefficient and uneconomical in most instances, catalytic hydrocracking is preferred in most instances. All these procedures take big sums of energy and H2O, while breathing C dioxide. At the present clip, merely Canada has a large-scale commercial oil littorals industry, though a little sum of oil from oil littorals is produced in Venezuela. Because of increasing oil littorals production Canada has become the largest individual provider of oil and merchandises to the United States. Oil littorals now are the beginning of about half of Canada ‘s oil production, although due to the 2008 economic downswing work on new undertakings has been deferred, while Venezuelan production has been worsening in recent old ages. Oil is non produced from oil littorals on a important degree in other states. Oil shale The term oil shale by and large refers to any sedimentary stone that contains solid bituminous stuffs ( called kerogen ) that are released as petroleum-like liquids when the stone is heated in the chemical procedure of pyrolysis. Oil shale was formed 1000000s of old ages ago by deposition of silt and organic dust on lake beds and sea undersides. Over long periods of clip, heat and force per unit area transformed the stuffs into oil shale in a procedure similar to the procedure that forms oil ; nevertheless, the heat and force per unit area were non as great. Oil shale by and large contains adequate oil that it will fire without any extra processing, and it is known as â€Å" the stone that burns † . Oil shale can be mined and processed to bring forth oil similar to oil pumped from conventional oil Wellss ; nevertheless, pull outing oil from oil shale is more complex than conventional oil recovery and presently is more expensive. The oil substances in oil shale are solid and can non be pumped straight out of the land. The oil shale must foremost be mined and so heated to a high temperature ( a procedure called retorting ) ; the attendant liquid must so be separated and collected. An alternate but presently experimental procedure referred to as in situ come backing involves heating the oil shale while it is still belowground, and so pumping the ensuing liquid to the surface While oil shale is found in many topographic points worldwide, by far the largest sedimentations in the universe are found in the United States in the Green River Formation, which covers parts of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Biofuel With close record oil monetary values, the hereafter of biofuel ( which is made from works stuff, or algae ) , is of acute involvement worldwide. Global biofuel production has tripled from 4.8 billion gallons in 2000 to about 16.0 billion in 2007, but still histories for less than 3 per centum of the planetary transit fuel supply. About 90 per centum of production is concentrated in the United States, Brazil, and the European Union ( EU ) . Production could go more spread if development plans in other states, such as Malaysia and China, are successful. The taking natural stuffs, or feedstocks, for bring forthing biofuels are maize, sugar, and vegetable oils. While rapid enlargement in biofuel production has raised outlooks about possible replacements for oil-based fuels, there have been turning concerns about the impact of lifting trade good monetary values on the planetary nutrient system. Harmonizing to the International Monetary Fund, universe nutrient monetary values rose 10 per centum in 2006 because of additions in maize, wheat, and soya bean monetary values, chiefly from demand-side factors, including lifting biofuel demand. The Chinese Government put a moratorium on expanded usage of maize for ethyl alcohol because of lifting provender monetary values and is advancing other feedstocks that do non vie straight with nutrient harvests, such as manioc, sweet sorghum, and Jatropha ( an oil-bearing works originally from South America ) . Biofuels will most probably be portion of a portfolio of solutions to high oil monetary values, including preservation and the usage of other alternate fuels. The function of biofuels in planetary fuel supplies is likely to stay modest because of its land strength. In the U.S. , replacing all current gasolene ingestion with ethyl alcohol would necessitate more land in maize production than is soon in all agricultural production. Technology will be cardinal to hiking the function of biofuels. If the energy of widely available, cellulose stuffs could be economically harnessed around the universe, biofuel outputs per acre could more than double, cut downing land demands significantly. Decision Even with monolithic growing, renewable energies will non be able to replace fossil fuels anytime shortly. This is peculiarly true in quickly developing states like China, where a new, carbon-intensive coal power works springs up about each hebdomad to run into lifting energy demands. Governments merely have to travel with the energy beginning that is available. In the instance of China and India, this frequently means coal. Other beginnings such as fuel cells still need to be powered and made utilizing fossil fuel beginnings. Biofuel needs more land to cultivate and with lifting planetary demand in nutrient, the monetary value of pure biodiesel will non be low-cost to everyone. With many autos utilizing H fuel cells and a renewed focal point on solar power, it is clear that many options are being sought. However, the manner in front is yet ill-defined.

Chapter 11 Aboard the Hogwart Express

There was a definite end-of-the-holidays gloom in the air when Harry awoke next morning. Heavy rain was still splattering against the window as he got dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt; they would change into their school robes on the Hogwarts Express. He, Ron, Fred, and George had just reached the first-floor landing on their way down to breakfast, when Mrs. Weasley appeared at the foot of the stairs, looking harassed. â€Å"Arthur!† she called up the staircase. â€Å"Arthur! Urgent message from the Ministry!† Harry flattened himself against the wall as Mr. Weasley came clattering past with his robes on back-to-front and hurtled out of sight. When Harry and the others entered the kitchen, they saw Mrs. Weasley rummaging anxiously in the drawers – â€Å"I've got a quill here somewhere!† – and Mr. Weasley bending over the fire, talking to – Harry shut his eyes hard and opened them again to make sure that they were working properly. Amos Diggory's head was sitting in the middle of the flames like a large, bearded egg. It was talking very fast, completely unperturbed by the sparks flying around it and the flames licking its ears. â€Å"†¦Muggle neighbors heard bangs and shouting, so they went and called those what-d'you-call-'ems – please-men. Arthur, you've got to get over there -â€Å" â€Å"Here!† said Mrs. Weasley breathlessly, pushing a piece of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a crumpled quill into Mr. Weasley's hands. â€Å"- it's a real stroke of luck I heard about it,† said Mr. Diggory's head. â€Å"I had to come into the office early to send a couple of owls, and I found the Improper Use of Magic lot all setting off – if Rita Skeeter gets hold of this one, Arthur -â€Å" â€Å"What does Mad-Eye say happened?† asked Mr. Weasley, unscrewing the ink bottle, loading up his quill, and preparing to take notes. Mr. Diggory's head rolled its eyes. â€Å"Says he heard an intruder in his yard. Says he was creeping toward the house, but was ambushed by his dustbins.† â€Å"What did the dustbins do?† asked Mr. Weasley, scribbling frantically. â€Å"Made one hell of a noise and fired rubbish everywhere, as far as I can tell,† said Mr. Diggory. â€Å"Apparently one of them was still rocketing around when the please-men turned up -â€Å" Mr. Weasley groaned. â€Å"And what about the intruder?† â€Å"Arthur, you know Mad-Eye,† said Mr. Diggory's head, rolling its eyes again. â€Å"Someone creeping into his yard in the dead of night? More likely there's a very shell-shocked cat wandering around somewhere, covered in potato peelings. But if the Improper Use of Magic lot get their hands on Mad-Eye, he's had it – think of his record – we've got to get him off on a minor charge, something in your department – what are exploding dustbins worth?† â€Å"Might be a caution,† said Mr. Weasley, still writing very fast, his brow furrowed. â€Å"Mad-Eye didn't use his wand? He didn't actually attack anyone?† â€Å"I'll bet he leapt out of bed and started jinxing everything he could reach through the window,† said Mr. Diggory, â€Å"but they'll have a job proving it, there aren't any casualties.† â€Å"All right, I'm off,† Mr. Weasley said, and he stuffed the parchment with his notes on it into his pocket and dashed out of the kitchen again. Mr. Diggory's head looked around at Mrs. Weasley. â€Å"Sorry about this, Molly,† it said, more calmly, â€Å"bothering you so early and everything†¦but Arthur's the only one who can get Mad-Eye off, and Mad-Eye's supposed to be starting his new job today. Why he had to choose last night†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Never mind, Amos,† said Mrs. Weasley. â€Å"Sure you won't have a bit of toast or anything before you go?† â€Å"Oh go on, then,† said Mr. Diggory. Mrs. Weasley took a piece of buttered toast from a stack on the kitchen table, put it into the fire tongs, and transferred it into Mr. Diggory's mouth. â€Å"Fanks,† he said in a muffled voice, and then, with a small pop, vanished. Harry could hear Mr. Weasley calling hurried good-byes to Bill, Charlie, Percy, and the girls. Within five minutes, he was back in the kitchen, his robes on the right way now, dragging a comb through his hair. â€Å"I'd better hurry – you have a good term, boys, said Mr. Weasley to Harry, Ron, and the twins, fastening a cloak over his shoulders and preparing to Disapparate. â€Å"Molly, are you going to be all right taking the kids to King's Cross?† â€Å"Of course I will,† she said. â€Å"You just look after Mad-Eye, we'll be fine.† As Mr. Weasley vanished, Bill and Charlie entered the kitchen. â€Å"Did someone say Mad-Eye?† Bill asked. â€Å"What's he been up to now.† â€Å"He says someone tried to break into his house last night,† said Mrs. Weasley. â€Å"Mad-Eye Moody?† said George thoughtfully, spreading marmalade on his toast. â€Å"Isn't he that nutter -â€Å" â€Å"Your father thinks very highly of Mad-Eye Moody,† said Mrs. Weasley sternly. â€Å"Yeah, well, Dad collects plugs, doesn't he?† said Fred quietly as Mrs. Weasley left the room. â€Å"Birds of a feather†¦.† â€Å"Moody was a great wizard in his time,† said Bill. â€Å"He's an old friend of Dumbledore's, isn't he?† said Charlie. â€Å"Dumbledore's not what you'd call normal, though, is he?† said Fred. â€Å"I mean, I know he's a genius and everything†¦.† â€Å"Who is Mad-Eye?† asked Harry. â€Å"He's retired, used to work at the Ministry,† said Charlie. â€Å"I met him once when Dad took me into work with him. He was an Auror – one of the best†¦a Dark wizard catcher,† he added, seeing Harry's blank look. â€Å"Half the cells in Azkaban are full because of him. He made himself loads of enemies, though†¦the families of people he caught, mainly†¦and I heard he's been getting really paranoid in his old age. Doesn't trust anyone anymore. Sees Dark wizards everywhere.† Bill and Charlie decided to come and see everyone off at King's Cross station, but Percy, apologizing most profusely, said that he really needed to get to work. â€Å"I just can't justify taking more time off at the moment,† he told them. â€Å"Mr. Crouch is really starting to rely on me.† â€Å"Yeah, you know what, Percy?† said George seriously. â€Å"I reckon he'll know your name soon.† Mrs. Weasley had braved the telephone in the village post office to order three ordinary Muggle taxis to take them into London. â€Å"Arthur tried to borrow Ministry cars for us,† Mrs. Weasley whispered to Harry as they stood in the rain-washed yard, watching the taxi drivers heaving six heavy Hogwarts trunks into their cars. â€Å"But there weren't any to spare†¦.Oh dear, they don't look happy, do they?† Harry didn't like to tell Mrs. Weasley that Muggle taxi drivers rarely transported overexcited owls, and Pigwidgeon was making an earsplitting racket. Nor did it help that a number of Filibuster's Fabulous No-Heat, Wet-Start Fireworks went off unexpectedly when Fred's trunk sprang open, causing the driver carrying it to yell with fright and pain as Crookshanks clawed his way up the man's leg. The journey was uncomfortable, owing to the fact that they were jammed in the back of the taxis with their trunks. Crookshanks took quite a while to recover from the fireworks, and by the time they entered London, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all severely scratched. They were very relieved to get out at King's Cross, even though the rain was coming down harder than ever, and they got soaked carrying their trunks across the busy road and into the station. Harry was used to getting onto platform nine and three-quarters by now. It was a simple matter of walking straight through the apparently solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten. The only tricky part was doing this in an unobtrusive way, so as to avoid attracting Muggle attention. They did it in groups today; Harry, Ron, and Hermione (the most conspicuous, since they were accompanied by Pigwidgeon and Crookshanks) went first; they leaned casually against the barrier, chatting unconcernedly, and slid sideways through it†¦and as they did so, platform nine and three-quarters materialized in front of them. The Hogwarts Express, a gleaming scarlet steam engine, was already there, clouds of steam billowing from it, through which the many Hogwarts students and parents on the platform appeared like dark ghosts. Pigwidgeon became noisier than ever in response to the hooting of many owls through the mist. Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off to find seats, and were soon stowing their luggage in a compartment halfway along the train. They then hopped back down onto the platform to say good-bye to Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie. â€Å"I might be seeing you all sooner than you think,† said Charlie, grinning, as he hugged Ginny good-bye. â€Å"Why?† said Fred keenly. â€Å"You'll see,† said Charlie. â€Å"Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it†¦it's ‘classified information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it,' after all.† â€Å"Yeah, I sort of wish I were back at Hogwarts this year,† said Bill, hands in his pockets, looking almost wistfully at the train. â€Å"Why?† said George impatiently. â€Å"You're going to have an interesting year,† said Bill, his eyes twinkling. â€Å"I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it.† â€Å"A bit of what?† said Ron. But at that moment, the whistle blew, and Mrs. Weasley chivvied them toward the train doors. â€Å"Thanks for having us to stay, Mrs. Weasley,† said Hermione as they climbed on board, closed the door, and leaned out of the window to talk to her. â€Å"Yeah, thanks for everything, Mrs. Weasley,† said Harry. â€Å"Oh it was my pleasure, dears,† said Mrs. Weasley. â€Å"I'd invite you for Christmas, but†¦well, I expect you're all going to want to stay at Hogwarts, what with†¦one thing and another.† â€Å"Mum!† said Ron irritably. â€Å"What d'you three know that we don't?† â€Å"You'll find out this evening, I expect,† said Mrs. Weasley, smiling. â€Å"It's going to be very exciting – mind you, I'm very glad they've changed the rules -â€Å" â€Å"What rules?† said Harry, Ron, Fred, and George together. â€Å"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will tell you†¦.Now, behave, won't you? Won't you, Fred? And you, George?† The pistons hissed loudly and the train began to move. â€Å"Tell us what's happening at Hogwarts!† Fred bellowed out of the window as Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie sped away from them. â€Å"What rules are they changing?† But Mrs. Weasley only smiled and waved. Before the train had rounded the corner, she, Bill, and Charlie had Disapparated. Harry, Ron, and Hermione went back to their compartment. The thick rain splattering the windows made it very difficult to see out of them. Ron undid his trunk, pulled out his maroon dress robes, and flung them over Pigwidgeon's cage to muffle his hooting. â€Å"Bagman wanted to tell us what's happening at Hogwarts,† he said grumpily, sitting down next to Harry. â€Å"At the World Cup, remember? But my own mother won't say. Wonder what -â€Å" â€Å"Shh!† Hermione whispered suddenly, pressing her finger to her lips and pointing toward the compartment next to theirs. Harry and Ron listened, and heard a familiar drawling voice drifting in through the open door. â€Å"†¦Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know. He knows the headmaster, you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore – the man's such a Mudblood-lover – and Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riffraff. But Mother didn't like the idea of me going to school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually learn them, not just the defense rubbish we do†¦.† Hermione got up, tiptoed to the compartment door, and slid it shut, blocking out Malfoy's voice. â€Å"So he thinks Durmstrang would have suited him, does he?† she said angrily. â€Å"I wish he had gone, then we wouldn't have to put up with him.† â€Å"Durmstrang's another wizarding school?† said Harry. â€Å"Yes,† said Hermione sniffily, â€Å"and it's got a horrible reputation. According to An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe, it puts a lot of emphasis on the Dark Arts.† â€Å"I think I've heard of it,† said Ron vaguely. â€Å"Where is it? What country?† â€Å"Well, nobody knows, do they?† said Hermione, raising her eyebrows. â€Å"Er – why not?† said Harry. â€Å"There's traditionally been a lot of rivalry between all the magic schools. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons like to conceal their whereabouts so nobody can steal their secrets,† said Hermione matter-of-factly. â€Å"Come off it,† said Ron, starting to laugh. â€Å"Durmstrang's got to be about the same size as Hogwarts – how are you going to hide a great big castle?† â€Å"But Hogwarts is hidden,† said Hermione, in surprise. â€Å"Everyone knows that†¦well, everyone who's read Hogwarts, A History, anyway.† â€Å"Just you, then,† said Ron. â€Å"So go on – how d'you hide a place like Hogwarts?† â€Å"It's bewitched,† said Hermione. â€Å"If a Muggle looks at it, all they see is a moldering old ruin with a sign over the entrance saying DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE.† â€Å"So Durmstrang'll just look like a ruin to an outsider too?† â€Å"Maybe,† said Hermione, shrugging, â€Å"or it might have Muggle-repelling charms on it, like the World Cup stadium. And to keep foreign wizards from finding it, they'll have made it Unplottable -â€Å" â€Å"Come again?† â€Å"Well, you can enchant a building so it's impossible to plot on a map, can't you?† â€Å"Er†¦if you say so,† said Harry. â€Å"But I think Durmstrang must be somewhere in the far north,† said Hermione thoughtfully. â€Å"Somewhere very cold, because they've got fur capes as part of their uniforms.† â€Å"Ah, think of the possibilities,† said Ron dreamily. â€Å"It would've been so easy to push Malfoy off a glacier and make it look like an accident†¦.Shame his mother likes him†¦.† The rain became heavier and heavier as the train moved farther north. The sky was so dark and the windows so steamy that the lanterns were lit by midday. The lunch trolley came rattling along the corridor, and Harry bought a large stack of Cauldron Cakes for them to share. Several of their friends looked in on them as the afternoon progressed, including Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom, a round-faced, extremely forgetful boy who had been brought up by his formidable witch of a grandmother. Seamus was still wearing his Ireland rosette. Some of its magic seemed to be wearing off now; it was still squeaking â€Å"Troy – Mullet – Moran!† but in a very feeble and exhausted sort of way. After half an hour or so, Hermione, growing tired of the endless Quidditch talk, buried herself once more in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4, and started trying to learn a Summoning Charm. Neville listened jealously to the others' conversation as they relived the Cup match. â€Å"Gran didn't want to go,† he said miserably. â€Å"Wouldn't buy tickets. It sounded amazing though.† â€Å"It was,† said Ron. â€Å"Look at this, Neville†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He rummaged in his trunk up in the luggage rack and pulled out the miniature figure of Viktor Krum. â€Å"Oh wow,† said Neville enviously as Ron tipped Krum onto his pudgy hand. â€Å"We saw him right up close, as well,† said Ron. â€Å"We were in the Top Box -â€Å" â€Å"For the first and last time in your life, Weasley.† Draco Malfoy had appeared in the doorway. Behind him stood Crabbe and Goyle, his enormous, thuggish cronies, both of whom appeared to have grown at least a foot during the summer. Evidently they had overheard the conversation through the compartment door, which Dean and Seamus had left ajar. â€Å"Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy,† said Harry coolly. â€Å"Weasley†¦what is that?† said Malfoy, pointing at Pigwidgeon's cage. A sleeve of Ron's dress robes was dangling from it, swaying with the motion of the train, the moldy lace cuff very obvious. Ron made to stuff the robes out of sight, but Malfoy was too quick for him; he seized the sleeve and pulled. â€Å"Look at this!† said Malfoy in ecstasy, holding up Ron's robes and showing Crabbe and Goyle, â€Å"Weasley, you weren't thinking of wearing these, were you? I mean – they were very fashionable in about eighteen ninety†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Eat dung, Malfoy!† said Ron, the same color as the dress robes as he snatched them back out of Malfoy's grip. Malfoy howled with derisive laughter; Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly. â€Å"So†¦going to enter, Weasley? Going to try and bring a bit of glory to the family name? There's money involved as well, you know†¦you'd be able to afford some decent robes if you won†¦.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† snapped Ron. â€Å"Are you going to enter?† Malfoy repeated. â€Å"I suppose you will, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?† â€Å"Either explain what you're on about or go away, Malfoy,† said Hermione testily, over the top of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4. A gleeful smile spread across Malfoy's pale face â€Å"Don't tell me you don't know?† he said delightedly. â€Å"You've got a father and brother at the Ministry and you don't even know? My God, my father told me about it ages ago†¦heard it from Cornelius Fudge. But then, Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry†¦.Maybe your father's too junior to know about it, Weasley†¦yes†¦they probably don't talk about important stuff in front of him†¦.† Laughing once more, Malfoy beckoned to Crabbe and Goyle, and the three of them disappeared. Ron got to his feet and slammed the sliding compartment door so hard behind them that the glass shattered. â€Å"Ron!† said Hermione reproachfully, and she pulled out her wand, muttered â€Å"Reparo!† and the glass shards flew back into a single pane and back into the door. â€Å"Well†¦making it look like he knows everything and we don't†¦.† Ron snarled. â€Å"‘Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry'†¦Dad could've got a promotion any time†¦he just likes it where he is†¦.† â€Å"Of course he does,† said Hermione quietly. â€Å"Don't let Malfoy get to you, Ron -â€Å" â€Å"Him! Get to me!? As if!† said Ron, picking up one of the remaining Cauldron Cakes and squashing it into a pulp. Ron's bad mood continued for the rest of the journey. He didn't talk much as they changed into their school robes, and was still glowering when the Hogwarts Express slowed down at last and finally stopped in the pitch-darkness of Hogsmeade station. As the train doors opened, there was a rumble of thunder overhead. Hermione bundled up Crookshanks in her cloak and Ron left his dress robes over Pigwidgeon as they left the train, heads bent and eyes narrowed against the downpour. The rain was now coming down so thick and fast that it was as though buckets of ice-cold water were being emptied repeatedly over their heads. â€Å"Hi, Hagrid!† Harry yelled, seeing a gigantic silhouette at the far end of the platform. â€Å"All righ', Harry?† Hagrid bellowed back, waving. â€Å"See yeh at the feast if we don' drown!† First years traditionally reached Hogwarts Castle by sailing across the lake with Hagrid. â€Å"Oooh, I wouldn't fancy crossing the lake in this weather,† said Hermione fervently, shivering as they inched slowly along the dark platform with the rest of the crowd. A hundred horseless carriages stood waiting for them outside the station. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville climbed gratefully into one of them, the door shut with a snap, and a few moments later, with a great lurch, the long procession of carriages was rumbling and splashing its way up the track toward Hogwarts Castle.

Burglary: Criminal Law and Effective Entry

Burglary is an offence under Section 9 of the Thefts Act, which is in 2 separate parts. The first sub section is s9(1)(a) which states â€Å" a person is guilty of burglary if he enters any building or part of a building as a trespasser with the intent to steal, inflict grievous bodily harm, or do unlawful damage to the building or anything in it. † The second part is s9(1)(b) which says â€Å"a person is guilty of burglary if having entered a building or part of a building as a trespasser, he steals or attempts to steal anything in the building or inflicts or attempts to inflict grievous bodily harm on any person in the building†.The difference between the two subsections is the intention at the time of entry. For example s9 (1)(a) the defendant must have the intention to steal, cause GBH or do unlawful damage at the time of entry. For s9 (1)(b) what the defendant intends to do is irrelevant the prosecution must prove that the defendant committed or attempted to commit Theft or GBH. So already there are some confusions with whether or not the defendant would be guilty of Burglary under s9(1)(a) or s9(1)(b). Entry is not defined in the Theft Act, but there have been several cases that help us on what the word â€Å"Entry† actually means.The first case on Entry was the case of Collins 1972. In this case the defendant had drunk alcohol and decided he wanted to have sex. He saw a window that was open and climbed a ladder so he could have a look in. He saw there was a naked girl inside asleep on her bed. So he went down the ladder took off his clothes and climbed back up it to the girls room. She woke up and thought it was her boyfriend and helped him into the bedroom where they had full intercourse. Collins was convicted on s9(1)(a) as he entered with intention to rape.Before 2004 if someone was entering a building with the intention of rape it would be included in this section, but now it is under the Sexual Offences Act. Collins appealed to his conviction as he said that he wasn’t a trespasser when he entered the building as the girl invited him in. The Court of Appeal quashed his conviction as there was no evidence that he was a trespasser and this is what is needed to be guilty of s9(1)(a) and of course Burglary. Brown was also another case that helped clarify what was regarded as entry. The defendant was standing outside but leaning in through a shop window rummaging through the goods.His feet and lower body was outside the shop. The Court of Appeal decided that he had effectively entered the building and therefore his conviction was upheld. However in the case of Ryan the need for effective entry was not followed. In his case the defendant the got trapped in the window he was trying to climb through into a house at 2. 30 am. His head and right arm was stuck inside the house and the rest of his body was outside. This could scarcely be seen to be an effective entry. How ever the Court of Appeal upheld his conv iction as they said the jury could find that the defendant had entered.So what actually qualifies as an effective entry is discovered in these cases. They have clarified by cases like Brown that you will still be guilty of burglary even if your whole body isn’t inside the actual building. Also by cases like the Collins case if you have been invited in by anybody then you cannot be guilty of burglary as you’re not a trespasser. The Theft Act does however give a description of what is considered as a building or part of a building. All inhabited places are considered as buildings so that would include houseboats or caravans, are considered as buildings/dwellings.To be a considered as a building the structure must have some degree of permanence. The main problem for the courts, have occurred where a structure such as a portacabin for example has been used for storage or office work. Moveable structures like this can be seen as buildings even though their use in particular places is only temporary. Section 9 (4) deals with what is considered to be a building and it also says â€Å"buildings include inhabited vehicles or vessels†. Two cases that helped clarify what was considered as a building was the cases B and S v Leathley.In this case a 25 foot long freezer container had been kept in a farmyard for over two years. It was used as a storage facility. It rested on sleepers, had doors with locks and was connected to the electricity supply. This was considered a building because it had some degree of permanence as it was there for 2 years. In the case of Norfolk Constabulary v Seeking and Gould, a lorry trailer with wheels which had been used for over a year for storage, had steps providing access and was connected to electricity supply, was held not be a building.The fact that it had wheels meant that it remained a vehicle. The courts have tried to clarify what a building is but it is still very unclear as some aspects of what the courts look a t are still very difficult, such as how long the structure is there for. â€Å"Part of building† is used to cover situations in which the defendant may have permission to be in one part of the building and is therefore not a trespasser, but doesn’t have permission to be in another part of the building. An example of this is the case of Walkington.In this case the defendant went into a counter area in a shop and opened a till. This area was clearly marked by a three-sided counter. The defendant was convicted of burglary under section 9(1)(a) as he was a trespasser when he went behind the counter. The critical point in this case was that the counter area was not an area where customers were permitted to go. Just like storerooms in shops customers are allowed to be in the shop but not the storeroom. I think that the courts have clarified this very well because of the examples that have used especially the case of Walkington.And the example of people not being allowed in s torerooms but they are allowed in the shop. Also students are allowed in most places in school but they wouldn’t be allowed to stroll into their head teacher’s office. In order for the defendant to commit burglary they must enter as a trespasser. If they have permission to enter then that makes them not a trespasser as we have seen in the Collins case that I have explained above in the first paragraph. The original use of the word trespasser in law comes from the civil law.It was assumed that the meaning of trespasser would be the same as in civil law that â€Å"trespass is entry without the consent of the lawful occupier of the building†. The case of Collins made it clear that there was more required that just the entry. They needed to prove that the defendant entered knowing he was a trespasser or was reckless as to whether or not he was entering the premise of another without permission. Going beyond permission is where the defendant is given permission to en tre but then goes beyond that permission and then is considered a trespasser.This is explained in the case of the Smith and Jones. In this case Smith and his friend went to Smiths fathers house in the middle of the night and took two television set’s without the father’s permission. The father stated that his son would not be a trespasser in the house; he had a general permission to entre. They were convicted for burglary as they had gone beyond their permission to be there. This is similar to the case of Barker v R, where one person was going away and asked the neighbour to watch the house and told them where the key was. The defendant used the key to entre and steal.He was found guilty of burglary. There are many situations where a person has permission to entre for a limited purpose. For example when people go to a concert they are only allowed there for a certain amount of time. The offence of Burglary has been given a definition by Parliament, but it has been left to the courts to clarify all the key points. All the areas have been explained but some have been clarified more than others and as a consequence some areas are still very difficult to understand for example what is a building or part of a building, and going beyond permission.

Bereavement: Emotion and Loss Essay

Bereaved children need support within school to deal with the loss of a loved one. This may be by being given opportunity to talk about their feelings or through practical activities. Naturally, each individual deals with bereavement in a different way, some may feel sad or angry, some may feel guilty about the death and others may withdraw and show signs of depression. The age of the child as well as their previous experiences, or lack of, can affect what they understand about death therefore it must be dealt with and prepared for accordingly. For instance, for those who have not dealt with loss before, starting with other kinds of loss is a good way in. With very young children this could be done effectively in circle time, using story, discussion and activities. You can talk about loss such as of toys or personal belongings and later develop this into a discussion about pets which may get lost or die, before finally talking about losing people who move on, move out or die. As a teacher we are more than likely able to empathise with children who are experiencing bereavement as this is probably something we, as adults, have experience. Consequently, it could be difficult to separate our own feelings and thoughts from the situation we are dealing with in order to console a child and reassure them that things will get better. It is important then to consider your own emotional response to the death and loss and reflect upon you feelings and how you deal with these situations in order to stop this from inhibiting your ability to help children in this situation. The parent/carer’s view and what they would like their child to understand about death is also important to consider as a teacher and it is important to make sure that you act on their wishes so that the message that you deliver reflects these views. However, whilst this is important, I also feel it is part of a teacher’s duty to help families understand the importance of children being appropriately involved in what is happening rather than being excluded and sheltered and how this can affect them in a negative way later in life also. Furthermore, this raises the importance of working and communicating effectively with parent/carer’s throughout these situations to find out behaviours the child is exhibiting when dealing with the loss and then develop a plan to help the child through this period. Most importantly, as a teacher, it is vital that a secure and closed environment which allows everyone to talk about the kinds of feelings that loss and bereavement bring is developed within the classroom and an appropriate level of confidentiality and trust is maintained.

Gun Accidents Among Children

â€Å"Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. † This is a phrase that has been used carelessly over the years. Gun accidents are continuously increasing, and innocent children are the ones who are suffering from this carelessness. What happens when those guns lie in the hands of our children? Parents lose children, grandparents lose grandchildren, and siblings lose a brother or a sister. Every nine hours a child, under the age of fifteen, dies from a firearm accident. What could be done to ensure that tragedies like this do not happen?Children’s television programs should stop showing violence, parents and children need to be more educated on this issue, guns should be locked up, and gun laws need to be stricter. One reason why gun accidents are occurring with children is because of the violence shown on television programs and video games. Children watch more and more television each day. Children also rely a lot on video games for entertainment. The televis ion shows children watch oftentimes show violence. Video games show people killing â€Å"monsters† with guns. The monster then gets back up and the game continues.Children are very impressionable. What do children think when they see this? The children see this happening on games and television shows and believe the gun is just a toy. They do not see how truly dangerous guns are. Then, children see a real gun and play with it. They shoot themselves or another child believing that they will be just fine. This is because that is all they have ever seen. Parents need to monitor children’s television shows and video games carefully. Another reason why gun accidents are occurring with children is because of the lack of gun safety education with parents and children.Parents do not have a full understanding of how many accidents happen due to guns. Every parent should teach their children how dangerous guns are. Telling a child to not touch a gun is not enough. Explain to chi ldren what happens when they play with a gun. There are so many programs available for parents to learn as well as to teach children gun safety. Tell them how they, themselves, could get hurt or hurt another child. Teach them to never play with a gun, to let an adult know if they see one. A child as young as three has the strength to pull the trigger. It is a parent’s right to decide hether their children play with toy guns or not. If they choose to do so, educating them on the difference of a toy gun and a real gun is very important. Also, children should not be allowed to pretend to shoot a person. Children eight years and younger cannot tell the difference in a real or pretend gun. One of the most important reasons why gun accidents are occurring with children is because of the accessibility of guns. One-third of every American family that owns a gun does not keep it locked up. Having a gun â€Å"put up† is not going to stop a child from accessing it.In 72% of gun a ccident deaths, injuries, and suicides, in children from 0-19 years old, the gun was kept in their home, a relative’s home, or a friend’s home. That is a large amount of accidents that could have been prevented. Guns and ammunition should be locked up and the keys put away. Always keep the safety on on the gun. Keeping the safety on will prevent a child from unintentional harm if a gun is found. Guns are very dangerous and safety is very important. Never assume your child or other children will know the difference in real and toy guns.Be cautions if a gun is in the home, our children’s lives depend on it. The last reason why gun accidents are occurring with children is because of the gun laws. Laws should be stricter. Firearms should be very difficult to obtain. Gun laws should include a training course for anyone who owns a gun. No one should own a gun that does not understand how it works. An average, five hundred children die every year due to gun accidents. In a survey by Josephson Institute of Ethics, â€Å"36% of teenagers aged twelve to nineteen say they could obtain a handgun if they wanted to. Children get these handguns from people selling them on the street. Not every person should be allowed to own a gun. Laws are not strict enough, making purchasing guns an easy task. Parents feel the need to have protection because of the accessibility of guns. If guns were harder to obtain, parents would not have to worry so much. Keeping guns out of the hands of â€Å"bad people† can keep them out of the hands of our children. In conclusion, gun accidents occur with children and are increasing.Monitoring television programs and video games more closely, educating parents and children on gun dangers, locking guns up, and making gun laws stricter could prevent tragedies from happening. These are simple steps that make a huge difference. Do not risk the safety of children. Take precautions on preventing accidents. A change has to be ma de. Works Cited Anderson, George M. â€Å"America. † 172. 8(2010): p. 26-28. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. U. S. National Library of Health. Medline Plus. 18 April 2012. Web. 06 Nov, 2012. Source: Nemours Foundation. KidsHealth, Gun Safety. 2012. Web.

Privatization of East Germany Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Privatization of East Germany - Research Paper Example It was considered to be at the same economic level as a third world country (Farazmand 41). On the other side of the wall, the westerners enjoyed a lot of prosperity in their economy along with an economic boom. This was before the reunification of the two sides in the year 1991. The eastern part was under communism rule whereas the western part was under a democratic regime. The practices in the west led the east to lag behind in terms of their routines, achievements and demographics. It also led to their underproduction, lack of proper resource utilization, automation and prospects for growth in the future (John 32). After the reunification of the western and eastern states in the year 1991, the German state encountered a high level of unemployment along with an increase in taxes. The results of the communist policies on the East German population led to the fleeing of thousands of their people into the western part (John 54). This culminated in the building of the wall to stop the further entry of the easterners in the year 1961. The east German people lacked the ability to think autonomously and engage in the activities of risk-taking. These people also had fewer levels of sophistication as compared to their counterparts on the west of Germany. The immigration of the easterners to the west caused many problems in unemployment in their industries. However, the trend brought many advantages to the western manufacturing industries. This is because the labour costs decreased because of the increase in the available labourers (Philip 52). The manufacturing costs that the west incurred also reduced a nd this gave them an increased advantage in their competitiveness around the globe. By the time the communist regime fell in the eastern part of Germany, their authorities were experiencing several problems. The authorities in the east were unable to subsidize bankrupt manufacturing industries and their production had decreased.     

Finance Week 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Finance Week 2 - Essay Example I am pleased that we can use a financial calculator to help us, but if I am unsure about the variables then it won’t help me much. For interest rates, I was previously unsure about how they are determined and why they can change so quickly. After going through Chapter 6, however, I now feel like I have a good grasp of it. 2. The financial ratio that I find easiest to understand is the single future cash flow ratio because it is very straightforward and there are no added variables. By that I mean that anyone with only a basic understanding of math would be able to comprehend it because the ratio follows a pattern. The hardest financial ratios to understand are those with multiple future cash flows because the answers can be unpredictable if there is a series of unequal amounts. The cash flow timeline helps me a lot because I can visualize each cash flow in terms of where it comes from and how it influences the overall outcome. The most difficult thing is trying to figure out where the investment problems variables fit into the equation. Once I have the right equation, I can usually solve for the unknown variable because then it just becomes a simple case of math. 3. The financial calculator is both useful and challenging for me at the same time. I like it because it helps me to find the correct answer in a short amount of time. If I have figured out all the variables, then I can simply plug the numbers in and the calculator will spit out the answer. The one problem that I have with it is that I sometimes don’t fully understand why it gave me a certain answer. If I was able to work through the problem step-by-step, then I would have a better understanding of it. 4. I would describe the current level of interest rates as moderately high. Although current inflation is relatively low due to the financial crisis, there is still a lot of risk in the marketplace, and this ensures that

Discrimination and affirmative action in business Research Paper

Discrimination and affirmative action in business - Research Paper Example Affirmative action refers to the policies and procedures set up by taking certain factors into account, such as race, color, creed, sex or religion. In recent history, discrimination on the basis of religion is the most common. There have been reports made by the members of the Muslim community, of harassment and discrimination due to 9/11 (Edward, 2006). This essay tries to understand the reasons for affirmative action and the importance of its presence in business and management. It further outlines the origin or the need for such an action. Another popular belief, that affirmative action leads to a discriminatory action towards the majority of that society is also discussed. A conclusion on the debate is presented towards the end of this essay. The movement of such an action that protected the minority from any discrimination was initially started in the United States only. Civil right programs were enacted in the United States, in order to save the African Americans and provide them a status of full citizenship in the country. The thirteenth amendment of the Constitution made slavery as an illegal action; the fourteenth amendment allows equal protection to all while the fifteenth amendment allows full access to voting and forbids any act of racism during voting (Marquita, 1995). These amendments were one of the first steps towards affirmative action. John F. Kennedy was the first person to use Affirmative action as a phrase, in 1961. This required that federal contractors are supposed to take affirmative action to ensure people from all classes, creed, race, religion and nations are employed and treated as equals to other members of their workplace. Since then, affirmative action is required in regards to employment based on gender as well. The major aim for affirmative action is to increase the representation of women, people of color or minorities in areas of education, employment and business, where they have not