Saturday, November 30, 2019

Scarlet Letter And Human Frailty Essays - English-language Films

Scarlet Letter And Human Frailty The Letter and Human Frailty Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of The Scarlet Letter, tells a tale of human frailty and sorrow through each and every character. When you first meet Hester Prynne, the main character, she seems quite innocent. Only guilty of not naming her lover. Yet she is treated like an evil demon by the Puritan community of the 1700's because she broke the seventh commandment The way they yelled "at the very least, they should have put the brand of hot iron on Hester Prynne." (Hawthorne 69) this is a perfect example of how the behavior of the characters tells a story of human frailty and sorrow. Hester took great pride in everything she did from the letter ?A' on her chest to the baby Pearl in her arms. It was the pride of Hester Prynne that forced her to wear the Scarlet letter to her death. "At the final hour, when she was so soon to fling aside the burning letter, it had strangely become the centre of more remark and excitement, and was thus made to sear her breast more painfully, than at any time since the first day she put it on." (Hawthorne 242) Roger Chillingworth, Hester's husband, was a very old and educated man that Hester didn't love. Chillingworth was the most selfish in the story, he married Hester without Hester's love in return and this was one of the sins that refers to Hawthorne's "human frailty" . (Hawthorne 46) Poor Roger's sins are clearly defined ..."And it seemed a fouler offense committed by Roger Chillingworth than any which had since been done him, that, in the time when her heart knew no better, he had persuaded her to fancy herself happy by his side." (Hawthorne 172) Chillingworth's attacks on Dimmesdale were to make Dimmesdale weak and when he saw Dimmesdale's Scarlet letter on his chest he laughed instead if feeling for the poor desperate man. Chillingworth was the sinner that goes with human frailty. Dimmesdale, perhaps the most complex character in the book, is damned with the guilt of his sin "burn[ing] in secret" (Hawthorne), and damned by his desire for Hester Prynne. Dimmesdale's status as a minister made the guilt so bad it was making him sick. He needed to be open and reveal his dark secret. Dimmesdale keeping this sin hidden was his real sin itself, by far worse than Hester's. Everyone could plainly see what Hester had done because of the scarlet letter ?A' on her chest, but Dimmesdale on the other hand has kept his sin under his clothes and it was literally killing him. In conclusion Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and Hester were all sinners, some sins worse than others. During this time period these sins were unheard of, that is why they were treated the way they were. These characters were a perfect example of "human frailty and sorrow". Hester dying wearing the scarlet letter is the darkening close.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Lakota Woman essays

Lakota Woman essays Lakota Woman. Mary Crow Dog. New York: Harper Perennial, 1991. 263 pp. Lakota Woman, written by Mary Crow Dog, describes Sioux traditions, painful Indian history and the Indians constant battle to win equality in America. Mary Crow Dog uses her personal experiences to give an Indian perspective on these issues. By using first hand experiences, Mary helps to give the book credibility. These stories are real, true experiences witnessed (through story and first hand account) by the author which helps to give an intimate voice to the book. Mary Crow Dogs voice is strong in the book; it is easy to forget you are only reading the book and not actually sitting beside Mary listening first hand to her story. There are many times when you feel present at the protests or in the church at Wounded Knee. Marys experiences show struggle, pain and determination in hopes of getting the reader to see both sides of the Indian movement. Lakota Womans main goal, in my opinion, is to give the reader an understanding of traditional Indian ways and to provide an understand ing of the Indian movement through an Indians point of view. If these goals are in fact reached, it will give the reader a clearer understanding of the Indian traditions and hopefully a more sympathetic heart towards their cause. Mary Crow Dog begins the first half of her story in anger and hate towards her oppressors. Her anger is explained through her familys history and experiences as a child in a European churchs boarding school. In this section of the book, the battle of Wounded Knee is first explained; the horrendous massacre of helpless Indian people by the white man. Wounded Knee is Marys history and by hearing this story you are able to understand how her resentment towards these new settlers began. However, the story of racism towards Marys people by the white man does not end at Wounded Knee, it only begins. Mary&apos...

Friday, November 22, 2019

An Analysis of the Myth and Issues of Our Organic Food System

An Analysis of the Myth and Issues of Our Organic Food System In the last decade, a new fad has been sweeping the nation: Organic Foods. All around America organic markets like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are popping up, offering a variety of organic produce, grass-fed beef, cage-free eggs, and all natural cosmetic products. People switch to organic products usually out of a desire to eat healthier, and take a stance on conventional agriculture and meat products. Food markets such as Whole Foods do indeed feel more welcoming when you step inside. As compared to most food and drug stores, you are greeting with warm lighting and earth colored walls and floor, instead of fluorescent lights and linoleum floors. The meat section has elaborate details, depicting pastoral settings of cows on wide, open grazing fields, and chickens running wild. Every object in the produce aisle is traced back to the place where it was grown, and the â€Å"USDA Organic Certified† label is printed on most everything. In this setting, consumers feel they a re eating the healthy alternative, with no synthetic hormones, pesticides, or GMOs. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. These foods do indeed come from organically certified farms, but these farms are not as airtight in regulation as one might assume. In reference to these welcoming organic products and their origin, Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore’s Dilemma, states â€Å"Theyre organic by the letter, not organic in spirit if most organic consumers went to those places, they would feel they were getting ripped off.† In the organic system, there are tons are loopholes allowing them to sell less than organic products to the consumer. And we fall for it. Today, we import more food from around the world than ever before. We have dissolved ourselves from a time where spices were one of the most valuable commodities to a time when we can walk into our local food and drug store and have everything we could want from all around the world at our fingertips. While this may seem like a dream come true compared to the old days, it does not come without severe consequences. Higher food prices come as a result, chemicals are being sprayed in mass amounts, from synthetic hormones to preservatives, and carbon emissions are at an all time high due in part to the use of fossil fuels used to transport these food stuffs from all around the globe. This is not sustainable. Many see organic farming as a feasible way to fix this mess. However, organic farming is not as different to regular agriculture as one might think at first. Upon further inspection, organic farming standards are not airtight, and leave plenty of room for harmful pesticide spraying. The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) requires that these chemicals and pesticides must come from a â€Å"natural source†. Take Rotenone for example. Rotenone was a chemical used for spraying organic produce for decades. In her article Mythbusting 101: Organic Farming Conventional Agriculture, Christie Wilcox writes â€Å"Because it is natural in origin, occurring in the roots and stems of a small number of subtropical plants, it was considered safe as well as organic. However, research has shown that rotenone is highly dangerous because it kills by attacking mitochondria, the energy powerhouses of all living cells.† Rotenone was linked to Parkinsons Disease in rats and can also resul t in death for humans. This was allowed because of it’s â€Å"natural source†, but natural does not always mean good for you. These chemicals that come from a natural source are then lightly processed, if at all. NOSB is an organization that also votes on proposed pesticides allowed for organic farming, so the list is always changing. Another troubling aspect about these chemicals is that the volume that they are sprayed is not monitored by the government. A lot of these chemicals are sprayed in heavy volumes, which can pose serious health hazard to people and the environment. This is because often times these chemicals are not as strong as conventionally used pesticides, so it takes more to have their proper effect. So then what is the point of these organic foods? The organic food market has made $52 billion in the last couple years worldwide, so it is most obviously turning a profit. Is certified organic food becoming widely available to provide the masses with a healthy, ethical alternative, or are corporations like Whole Foods painting these beautiful pictures of to gain a profit? It could possibly be a mix of both. Organic foods are not bad, despite what it might sound like, and do often provide a healthier alternative for consumers. However, these corporations are using a â€Å"supermarket pastoral† to sell their products that makes it easier to cover up what’s going on behind the scenes. As Michael Pollan states, â€Å"Supermarket Pastoral is a most seductive literary form, beguiling enough to survive in the face of a great many discomforting facts.† In order to ensure a healthier organic market with more accessible information, the organic food market must have different standards and more monitoring from the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). As of now, the USDA still allows some GMO’s to be used in organic farming, but the screening process allows them to slip by unnoticed. USDA organizations like National Organic Program (NOP) set the regulations for organic food, grant certificates, and do investigations when certified organic farmers are under suspicion of violating code. But the level of regulation that actually exists is extremely lenient. This makes it so that the organic label is misleading, due to the product being treated with substances that are not truly organic. Once an organic farmer is certified organic, they must comply to a production plan. This plan is then approved by a certifying organic agent. Once the certification is granted, a farmer cannot be penalized if there is an unintentional us e of GMO’s or inorganic pesticides used on the plants as long as it is unintentional. This in turn creates a loophole that farmers can slip through, allowing them to use these inorganic substances as long as it is â€Å"unintentional† by nature. The products they put out can then be labeled organic even though this statement lacks truth, and their names are untarnished. If suspicion arises that an organic farmer is abusing their production plan, and intentionally using pesticides, the USDA will step in. The USDA requires that â€Å"certifying agents test five percent of their certified operations each year. The certifying agents themselves determine which operations will be subjected to testing. (Henri Miller).† These testing policies are supported by organic communities and federations. The USDA’s response to why they impose such minimal testing is that an increase of testing would result in higher operating and production costs for organic farmers beyond the high expenses they already pay. This is turn would lead to higher prices in food markets. The fact of the matter is that organic food is already much more pricey than their chain-store counterparts, which makes organic food barely accessible to those in the low income bracket. And is higher prices something the public wants to pay for more widespread testing? It would certainly b e better for those who can afford it, but it does not make much sense economically. â€Å"Wordy labels, point-of-purchase brochures, and certification schemes are supposed to make an obscure and complicated food chain more legible to the consumer (Pollan, 136).† While organic labeling certainly does clear up some of the confusion of point source, it could be doing more. For example, â€Å"free-range chicken† may not be what it seems. Tyler Cowen discusses this example in his article Can You Really Save the Planet at the Dinner Table? Which appeared on Slate.com, â€Å"though we feel good about eating free-range chickens—and are willing to pay more for them—many of those birds dont fare much better than their peers: They often receive only a few inches of additional space in factory farms and then a few weeks time to step outside through a tiny door—and most chickens stay inside, having learned a fear of the unknown.† The same can be said for organic milk. There are mass quantities or organic milk being produced in factory farms. Horizon, the largest organic dairy label was exposed by the Cornucopia Institute for having 4,000 10,000 cows in factory farms producing milk for the company. The company created the false sense that their cows were kept on green pastures with access to pristine grazing lands. The truth is, many more of their cows not in farming factories were being kept in southern Idaho in grassless conditions. Here they were milking thousands of cows that â€Å"spend their day milling around a dry lot a grassless fenced enclosure (pollan, 156).† When the USDA investigated complaints of the operation, they sent in the same agent that had originally approved the operation in the first place, as per policy. Eventually, due to the Cornucopia Institute filing legal cases against the company starting in 2004, Horizon was decertified and now remains under close speculation from the U SDA. Another myth that consumers are failing to realize is that organic farming is not always best for the environment. This is true for all agriculture, as pollutants from pesticides, fertilizer, and nutrients from unturned soil from the farm are swept away by rain and erosion, causing them to seep into the waterways surrounding them. This causes severe damage to rivers, lakes, and other water works, and is called nonpoint source pollution. Organic farms are not innocent of this either. And if while keeping in mind ecological preservation, it seems to make less sense to switch completely over to organic farming as more land would have to be cleared and cultivated for these farms to exist. A way to help this dilemma would be to support local organic farms, which are less likely to spray harmful pesticides. This in turn helps to promote local economy, and would also spark a decrease in fossil fuels being used and carbon emissions being emitted to transport large quantities of food from across the country. However, this switch would not come without consequences. It would mean a cut in the variety in food available year round, such as no bananas in the dead of winter. Berries and other out of seasons produce could still be frozen however. But these sacrifices are relatively little compared to what we would be gaining a more ethical, economically beneficial, and environmentally safer way to eat organically. On top of switching to small, local organic farms, there could also be tightening in the USDAs regulations on large-scale certified organic farmers. A possible way to do this without increasing production costs for organic companies would be the create government ince ntives and possible tax breaks for farmers to use better forms of pest control. Money could be saved simply by growing what is in season, considering it takes less pesticides to produce. When it comes to labeling, the â€Å"supermarket pastoral† may be a beautiful way to subdue our interests, but should be more transparent when it comes to where our food is sourced, including livestock and dairy products. Like Pollan says, we should be able to weigh out the pros and the cons in what we are eating. Organic farming is a step in the right direction, but like most things, could use some refining. It’s not an easy matter, Especially when large corporations like Monsanto show no interest in backing down. But if we were to work towards these guidelines, we would be closer to becoming healthier, for ourselves and for planet earth.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 36

Case study - Essay Example f job cuts, but this is a challenge that has been over-looked owing to the fact that the overall long term economic benefits surpasses this challenge, especially when the company that has been taken over performs poorly (Morse, 2009). In this regard, company takeovers do not necessary benefit the specific companies, but also the society as a whole. Research indicates that when performing an organizational takeover, care should be taken to ensure that the legal and ethical norms guiding this activity are not violated (Morse, 2009). This report will entail the analysis of a case study involving Home and Personal Care Products, which is a parental company that took over a prestige Fragrance Company. The discussion will specifically indentify the challenges faced by the Company’s Finance manager, Lisa as she attempts to solve the challenges she identified in the takeover process as well as ethical issues identified. When companies undertake takeovers, it is evident that some of the employees within the companies that have been acquired may experience job cut-offs, while other may be subjected to demotion in the sense that their companies will have to be part of a larger company. In the case of Lisa, one ethical issue that faces her as she attempts to challenges the existing policies as well as procedures of the acquired company is the fact that the job position of the acquired company’s financial controller, Mr. Anderson has been affected. Mr. Anderson has worked in the Fragrance Company for the last 12 years and has worked hard for his promotions. However, when his company was acquired by the Home and Personal Care Product, this meant that he will be subjected to working in a smaller branch, rather than the larger company he used to work in. This is another ethical issue that presents a challenge to Lisa as she attempts to solve the problems presented by the acquired company’s procedures and policies. Inter-personal relationship is a key component of ethical

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Bipolar Disorder Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bipolar Disorder - Article Example The basis of this study is an association between the deregulation of HPA axis and BD diagnosis, present in all clinical cases of BD. A dysfunction of the HPA axis may be caused by an alteration the rate limiting step of cortisol metabolism. A mitochondrial membrane translocator protein (TSPO) is a key regulator in this pathway as it limits the translocation of cholesterol into the power house (Colasanti, Owen, & Grozeva, et al., 2013). An amino acid substitution polymorphism (rs 6971) in the gene encoding for this transporter protein greatly affects the affinity of TSPO to cholesterol. This altered affinity in the defective protein in turn impairs the metabolism of steroids including those of HPA axis. This study provides evidence of association between a single nucleotide polymorphism in the TSPO gene and the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in a large scale case control study (Colasanti, Owen, & Grozeva, et al., 2013). However, the results of this study are suggestive as the findings did not reach genome wise significance; though they were reproducible. This nominal association suggests the possible existence of o ther confounding factors in the etiopathogenesis of bipolar disorder. A limitation of this study is in the use of imputation in the analysis for the rs6971 SNP in the TSPO gene. In conclusion, a bipolar disorder is a mental illness characterized by mood swings. There are several environmental and genetic etiologies to this condition, which can progress to severe forms such as psychosis. A study by Colasanti, Owen, and Grozeva, et al., suggests a possible genetically altered HPA axis function as a causative factor in BD. The genetic mutation in the mitochondrial translocator protein (TSPO) impairs the metabolism of neurosteroids, which in turn alters the HPA axis function (Colasanti, Owen, & Grozeva, et al., 2013). The deregulation in HPA axis has been reported in all BD cases suggesting a

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Plato vs. Aristotle Essay Example for Free

Plato vs. Aristotle Essay Numerous experts in modern time regard Plato as the first genuine political philosopher and Aristotle as the first political scientist. They were both great thinkers in regards to, in part with Socrates, being the foundation of the great western philosophers. Plato and Aristotle each had ideas in how to proceed with improving the society in which they were part of during their existence. It is necessary therefore to analyze their different theoretical approaches regarding their philosophical perspectives, such as ethics and psychology. This paper however will mainly concentrate on Aristotles views on friendship and how it impacts todays society. The main objective in Platos philosophy is a creation of a perfect society. He constructs a foundation for a utopian society in his book The Republic. The purpose of his thought process was to cleanse his society of the woes he felt plagued it and construct a new one. Plato lived during the Peloponnesian War, which consequently lead to the end of the Athenian democracy. He had eyewitness account of his mentors (Socrates) trial and execution. Bitter and angered by the political corruption that gripped the Athenian democratic government, he disengaged from participating in politics. He strongly felt that neither a moral individual nor a state that is rational could be established in a democratic environment. Plato felt that the common man wasnt intelligent or capable of dealing with concepts that influence the state such as economics, policy of foreign affairs and other relative matters. He viewed political incumbents in Athens government as being elected for matters that were irrelevant to main factors that affected the state. Another danger was that excessive liberty for the people of the democratic society could potentially lead to anarchy. In Platos perfect society, he forged ahead to eliminate the disease (pluralism of friendship) that plagued the human character and society (Class Notes). Essentially, Plato wanted to establish the perfect form of society, linked by one single entity. Aristotle, unlike Plato, was not focused or concerned about the idea of a perfect society, instead he wanted to improve upon the one that he was part of during his existence. Rather than develop a framework for a society that is perfect, he suggested that society should, in it self, strive to utilize the best system it can attain. He felt that utopia was abstract and superficial. It wouldnt allow for realistic problem solving solutions. He felt that Platos view of a strict overhaul of society in general wasnt necessary. He believed that society was at its optimum and you can only improve upon the existing one. Platos perfect society would consist of three basic groups, which are Guardians (Gold), Auxiliaries (Silver), and the Artisan (Bronze). The highest of these classes are the gold people, which consist of rulers and non-rulers. Those that are rulers are societys decision policy makers and non-rulers occupy levels of civil servants. The fundamental prerequisite to becoming a genuine philosopher is to have knowledge of forms, thus enabling you to know the truth. Platos theory of the forms is partly logical and part metaphysical. Armed with the truth, he believed that philosophical ruler will always make the right decision, and rule with total wisdom, justice and virtue. The rulers, he felt, wouldnt posses any money or property, they would be free of desires, excesses, and vices. The Auxiliaries (Silver) are people of strength, courage, and military capacity; they occupy a small sector of society. All auxiliaries would be subjected to a series of tests, which will check their powers of resistance to self-interest, pleasure and other temptations. The last level, Artisan (Bronze), are the workers which might be composed of farmers and artist, essentially non-skilled workers. They would produce all the consumable and non-consumable goods deemed necessary for consumption and the continued economic viability of the society. Plato whole-heartedly felt that if ever the bronze or iron people rule the state would collapse (Class Notes). He sought to establish the concept of the gold class having wisdom, thus they should be wise and good rulers. It was imperative that those who rule be philosophers and skilled in areas that pertained to the interest of the state. Aristotles disagreed with Plato in regards to allowing one particular class to govern the state politically for indefinite period of time. He felt that to not allow interaction among the various classes would inhibit those who posses the ability to engage in political life, an injustice. He feels Platos structure of classes is politically incorrect for the state. He quotes It is a further objection that he deprives his Guardians even of happiness, maintaining that happiness of the whole state which should be the object of legislation, ultimately he is stating that those who rule (Guardians), sacrifice their happiness for control and absolute power. Those who are of the gold class, lead such a rigid life, that it will become necessary to impose the same strict way of life on those being governed. He places the idea of moderation on a high pedestal. Many individuals come to favor the concept of moderation because it is flexible, part liberal and part conservative. Platos ideal society is so difficult to conceive that Aristotle believes that no human being can achieve its rudimentary requirements. He decided to express in the Republic how men should conduct it self in a perfect society and what attitude they should posses. In retrospect, Aristotle felt by using real world experience along with real people, he can see first hand how and what way can he improve society. Plato and Aristotle both agreed on justice and viewed it objectively; that is it controls the belief a life of good nature would be provided for all people no matter their ranking in society. Aristotles states In democracies, for example, justice is considered to mean equality, no oligarchies, again inequality in the distribution of office to considered just. Plato views the idea of law and justice as what sets the standard for societys behavior in a state. Aristotle puts emphasis on the institution of the polis or civilized community. The polis was structured to allow the average individual in society to participate in political matters. This institutional forum is not the city-state or the community, but merely the larger of the two entities. It is rather a partnership between households, clans, and villages for the sake of a fully developed and self-sufficient life. The polis enables those individuals who naturally posses moral intellect and wisdom an opportunity to rise to higher positions (Class Notes). Justice is the political good within the polis, and it must promote the common interest of the people of the state. What is seen as good must be distributed and regulated through out the state. The law is also the regulating factor that arises from equal and free people in civil institution. The well being of a society is solely based upon the connection between the effort in which the citizens of the state adhere to the law of the land. A good citizen of the state will posses prudence, moderation, and justice, and above all to rule and be ruled. His belief contradicts Plato theory of one controlling class, governing the political matters and decisions that effect the state. The Theory of Democracy that Aristotle states is that democracy is a perversion form of government of polity (Class Notes). He clearly states The people at large should be sovereign rather than the few best. Plato on the other hand, wouldnt permit citizens to engage in public participation concerning governmental issues, as Aristotle would have enjoyed. Plato also felt that public judgments of disapproval and approval were based on emotional belief, instead of factual knowledge. He believes that if a revolution occurred it would happened within the corridors of the palace, hence palace revolution. This type of revolution happens when there is a transmission of power from one holder of power to another. Aristotle perceives such an event occurring between the wealthy and less fortunate in society. He feels to prevent such actions, one must participate in them. Plato thinks that in a utopia a disgruntled group of Guardians will emerge and disengage themselves from the ruling law of the state. He feels that an oligarchy two things may initiate a possible revolution: the first one is the ruler and their offspring would grow to be weak, sympathetic, and second is that the number of poor individuals will grow larger and there for be taken advantage of by the ruling class. Aristotle states that to know the factors that caused the revolution, which destroys the constitution, is to also know the principal of effect, which in turn ensure its preservation. Aristotle and Plato also have contrasting views on ethics, psychology and metaphysics. In regards to ethics, Aristotle believes that virtue is necessary for happiness, while Plato says virtue is enough for happiness. The psychological difference between the two is that Plato feels the body is a prison for the soul; body and soul are two different entities, capable of maintaining independence from one another. As for Aristotle, he claims that the body and soul are two different things, one consisting of matter the other form. He sees everything in the universe being composed of matter and form, so its not surprising that he perceives human being are too. To him form is simply the way matter is arranged. For example, a cat is composed in a feline way; thats what makes a cat. Human being for that matter, have a unique method of structure, too; thats their form. In fact, Aristotle strongly feels that nothing in existence can be without form and matter. If you eliminate its structure and form you have nothing left. So for Aristotle, the concept of soul without body or body without soul is incoherent. In regards to form, Plato expressed how things should be through utilizing vague language and poetry. In respect to friendship, I firmly believe that Aristotles views on friendship holds value in todays society. First we will touch on the various points that Aristotle makes regarding friendship, then expand on his main principle in connection to modern time, if possible. Aristotle distinguishes between three types of friendship: friendships of utility, friendships of pleasure and friendships of virtue. The idea behind friendship of utility is that it is founded on the idea of usefulness. The interaction among friends is only valued if there is usefulness between the two individuals. An example of this would be any automobile dealer and car buyer. Factoring in that they know each other, both need what the other can provide. The bond that unites the two people is based on usefulness. As long as they each can provide what the other needs, it satisfies the friendship. The second concept would be friendship of pleasure, which is basically the amount of pleasure generated between the participants. An example of this would be two people engaging in a social event, such as an outdoor festival. Each of the participants enjoys the others company. They are friends because of the pleasure they bring to themselves. The last kind of friendship is the friendship of virtue. This friendship is special and unique, such that it can only be between two people. Rather than utility and pleasure, where it can establish a group of people, this type of friendship is connected solely between two people. This type of friendship is also unique based on the fact that it can only hold any true value if both individuals are of the same virtue. People in general might regard these definitions of friend objective. Some believe that doing something for someone is solely based on the act of self ? fulfillment. Aristotle, I believe is not incorrect in stating that the idea in friendship in utility and pleasure is for our own sake, and the concept behind friendship of virtue is for the sake of the friend. These three categories are arranged in a certain format that there are influenced by the next level. These bonds of friendship can arise from various forms of potential fraternal groupings. Present day possibilities can include: various college organizations, union members, national communities and any other form of groups that people find a common denominator. For Aristotle Aristotle is more philosophically inclined than Plato; he tends to get rid of ideas that are irrelevant, and he believes that the concept of forms existing separate from matter is somewhat superfluous. He dives right into the heart of the matter. You can see Aristotle as someone who believes the world in which he occupies very satisfying just the way it is. His main focus is always connected with things that are consistent with ideal experience, without introducing unnecessary notions of concepts that cant be proven. Platos vague, poetic language in metaphysics and physics didnt stimulate inspiration; it made him uncomfortable. Both Plato and Aristotle were two men who envisioned methods on ways to improve their existing society. Plato, the political philosopher, was basically in pursuit of philosophical truth. Aristotle was more concerned with citizenship and institutional politics. They both had developed ideas and concepts to improve society as a whole. Aristotle and Plato have had a tremendous impact on political scientists of today. In Aristotle case, he was responsible for developing various democratic ideas. Even in modern democracies like our own Aristotles ideas hold true. When we vote in the election of the ruler of our country we, theoretically, are voting for the single most excellent citizen of our nation. That is we are voting for that citizen who can do the best job of working toward our common interest. The citizen of a state who has the greatest ability to work towards the salvation of the constitution has a great gift that can benefit all citizens. It only makes sense to allow that particular individual to lead the rest of the citizens in working towards the common interests of the state. In conclusion, these men were great thinkers. Their opinions on society and its function were quite different, but they both had the same concern, to build a better way of life for their societies they in lived in and for the societies that would come to be in the future.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Graduation Speech :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

When I was chosen to speak tonight, I thought that as a track athlete it would be appropriate to compare life to a race. Life is a race, a race to each milestone in our lives. Kindergarten through fifth grade we had just entered ourselves into the race called education. We were about to test our strengths and find our weaknesses. The first day of kindergarten we weren't exactly sure what we were in for. Some of us began to write our names and learn to read, while others ate Elmer's glue and pulled little girls' pigtails -- you know who you are. Middle school was our warm-up and preparation. We stretched ourselves to meet new people and some of them are still sitting next to us today. Our crackling voices and newfound interests in the opposite sex who we usually met at the Skate Deck, distracted us from our upcoming race, but our teachers reminded us that our warm-up in middle school is like the race we would face in high school. We began choosing a path and preparing mentally for the challenge ahead. Freshman year, Mr. Donney's starting gun scared us out of the blocks. We met those we would be running the race with and looked up to those who began the race before us. And for those of us who are in the vertically-challenged front row, including myself, (Sarah, Deja) we literally looked up to them. Some of the challenges we faced as freshman were which lunch line to stand in and deciding which one of the Fleming twins was cuter. To this day that's still a dilemma. Throughout the year, we were forced to pick up speed in order to avoid the traditional freshmen trash can and locker stuffings. Sophomore year, we were finally ahead of others and gaining respect. Having moved up in the race, our timidity vanished, and allowed us to participate in assemblies and other school events. And of course Mr. Dononey scared us again, this time using his biology experiments. Junior year, we were finally upperclassmen. Our race began to fall victim to senioritis a year early. But Mr. Burt's chemistry experiments really lit a fire under us. To this day, I am still not sure if Mr. Burt's eyebrows grew back. And of course, the baseball team drove us to be better. I think they used a Chrysler Minivan, but you'd have to ask Andy, Hal or Beau about that.

Monday, November 11, 2019

First Great Awakening

Revival history is an interesting topic and one that can be explored at great depths. Revivals of the past, if looked at through the right lens, can awaken hope and desire for God to move again, even in the darkest times. Revivals show us that God is still very much active and interested in His people. The Father desires that we would know Him as a real Person and who loves to make Himself known through His Son Jesus. I wrote my paper on the First Great Awakening mainly because I am from New England and I have a passion to see the church set ablaze again in that area.The heritage is so rich in that land and I believe that the Lord would love to encounter His people again with a great spiritual awakening. Below, I will go over the Great Awakening in detail discussing the dates, location, key leaders, scope of impact, main features, main message, controversial aspects, principles learned, and our application for today. The First Great Awakening was a religious revitalization movement t hat took place in the northeast, mainly in the New England area.The Great Awakening spread throughout the colonies on the eastern seaboard. The dates of when the First Great Awakening began vary due to the opinion of the chosen historian. Most say that the dates begin somewhere in the early 1700’s – 1740’s. The earliest stirrings of revival were recorded in the 1730’s in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The next noticeable move of God was in Northampton, Mass around 1734 – 36. The final thrust of awakening took place   in the 1740s with the arrival of the powerful orator and itinerant speaker, George Whitefield.A contributor to the National Humanities Center validates these claims by informing, â€Å"The earliest manifestations of the American phase of this phenomenon—the beginnings of the First Great Awakening—appeared among Presbyterians in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Led by the Tennent family—Reverend William Tennent, a Scot s-Irish immigrant, and his four sons, all clergymen—the Presbyterians not only initiated religious revivals in those colonies during the 1730s but also established a seminary to train clergymen whose fervid, heartfelt preaching would bring sinners to experience evangelical conversion.Originally known as â€Å"the Log College,† it is better known today as Princeton University. †1 When looking historically at the Great Awakening, many may not recognize that the hand of the Lord was already starting to awaken hunger for revitalization of religion before the man Jonathan Edwards came on the scene. While serving as the new local congregational minister of a Northampton church, Jonathan Edwards noticed the spiritual dullness and condition of the town. He wrote this quote: â€Å"Just after my grandfather's death, it seemed to be a time of extraordinary dullness in religion.Licentiousness for some years prevailed among the youth of the town; they were many of them very much addicted to night-walking, and frequenting the tavern and lewd practices, wherein some, by their example, exceedingly corrupted others. † 2 Afterward, Jonathan was moved to the point of calling the young people to gather into small groups to join for prayer and a time of discussion. The next recognized stirrings began in December 1734 of Northampton, Massachusetts. Two well known young people died in the town and the population began to become concerned with death, life after death, eternity and other spiritual matters.In this stirring context, Edwards began preaching a teaching series on Justification by faith alone. It was at this point that six young people were converted. One of whom was a young girl who was said to be known by many young men in the town, meaning she was very immoral. The town of Northampton was shaken to its very core and three hundred more conversions took place following the initial 6. With the entire town boasting 1,100 people, this equates to 25% of the population getting saved. About a year later in 1736, the town went back to normal mainly due to the suicide of Jonathan Edward's uncle.The next wave of revival to hit New England was in 1740 upon the revival of George Whitefield. He was another key figure and leader during this great spiritual awakening and stirring. George at one point spoke to 30,000 people in England. The night before he died he saw that 2,000 people had gathered out his home so he went to his balcony and preached on the excellencies of Christ. The key leaders of the Great Awakening as mentioned previously were Gilbert Tennent, Jonathan   Edwards and George Whitefield. Gilbert Tennent was born in 1703 in Ireland and was the son of William Tennent.Gilbert had immigrated to the United States in 1718 and lived in Pennsylvania. After wrestling over his salvation during his teen years he was converted at 20 years old in 1723. It was only three years later that he was ordained as a Presbyterian minister. Ten net was a stirring speaker and from his sermons he led many into a conversion experience. In 1739 Gilbert met George Whitefield and went on tour with him throughout New England. They both shared a great passion for revival. While on tour Gilbert introduced George to many different ministers which aided in making the tour a great success.When George returned to England, Tennet continued on with preaching throughout New England and from these speaking engagements little revivals sparked. The revivals in New England were scattered but aided in creating what we now call â€Å"The Great Awakening†. Jonathan Edwards, a native to the New England area was born in East Windsor, Connecticut on October 5, 1703. Jonathan grew up as the only son out of 11 children. From a young age he lived a life of prayer and study in the word. He also studied many topics and was one of the most brilliant minds to be produced on American soil.Edward’s didn’t have his actual conversion expe rience until January 12, 1723. Jonathan studied the bible 13 – 14 hours a day and wrote over 120 pieces of literature which many can still be found. Edward’s was bold in his proclamation of the truth and didn’t not shy away from it even when it was uncomfortable for the people. Edward’s desire for doctrinal purity is admirable and the dedication and devotion given to it is worth reduplicating. George Whitefield was born on December 16, 1714 in Gloucester England. George was the youngest of seven children.He was not raised in a Christian home but rather one that was dysfunctional. His father passes away when he was at the mere age of two. His mother did eventually remarry but it was indicated that the marriage was not peaceful. In 1733 Whitefield met the infamous ‘Wesley brothers† while studying at Pembroke College in Oxford. John and Charles Wesley at that time were leading what is known as the Holy Clubs and before Whitefield even had his con version experience he was apart of the holy clubs for 3 years. The schedule was one that was very rigors and it must have been the hand of the Lord to keep him enough content to stay.It took a very serious illness to confront him on his internal state while in England. Whitefield’s accomplishments are quite amazing he pioneered open air, square and field meetings. The church walls were filled to beyond capacity and thousands had to be turned away from hearing him. The scope of impact of the great awakening was a watershed event in the life of the American people. Before it was over it had spread throughout the colonies of the eastern seaboard. The revival had great impact on the church and saw 1000’s of sinners saved.The revival did more than effect the spiritual climate it also had an impact on the social and governmental levels. A contributor from a website dedicated to the Great Awakening gives more details on the scope of impact â€Å"The effect of Great Awakening unity was an attitude that went against the deferential thinking that consumed English politics and religion. Rather than believing that God's will was necessarily interpreted by the monarch or his bishops, the colonists viewed themselves as more capable of performing the task. The chain of authority no longer ran from God to ruler to people, but from God to people to ruler.The children of revivalism later echoed this radicalism and popular self-righteousness in the American Revolution, when self-assertion turned against the tyrannical ways of George III. It was not to any church that the signers of the Declaration of Independence appealed to, but directly to the â€Å"Supreme Judge of the World†. It was through the revivalism of the first half of the Eighteenth Century that the colonists were finally able to step out from under the protectorate of the established Christian churches and assert religious control over their own nation's destiny. In other words the Colonists re alized that religious freedom and power rested in their own hands and not in the church of England anymore. Some of the main features of the Great Awakening were men and women turning away from religious apathy and turning back to their puritan roots. Others who were not saved were being confronted with their need for a savior and the reality of eternity. Upon and from the arrival of George Whitefield in 1740 to Northampton Massachusetts where Edward’s resided the awakening spread wherever George went as he was an itinerant speaker who spoke mainly in open fields.One of the most famous messages was preached on July 8, 1741 in Enfield, Connecticut titled â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God†. The revival was titled the â€Å"Great Awakening† with good reason as it was a movement of religious revitalization within and outside of the church. The people of the towns had an understanding of faith as they or their father’s had come from England to have fr eedom of expression in their worship. But they had turned apathetic especially with the entrance of the Half Way Covenant.Essentially people who were baptized and lived half way decent lives but made no public confession of Christ were allowed to bring their children in to be baptized which led to people who did not profess to being Christians partaking of the Lord's Supper. This over time created a church that was disconnected from their state of desperation and need for a savior to save them from their sin. The main message was about justification by faith. Men and women were cut to the heart as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield spoke to them the word God.They could not be saved by works alone but it must be an inner working of the heart and faith in Jesus Christ alone. The preachers were calling them up higher from just a Sunday morning church goer mentality. One of the main controversial aspects of the Great Awakening was the phenomena that took place during some of the ser vices. Much opposition was stirred among conservative congregational ministers so Edwards wrote in defense â€Å"The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God† dealing with much of the bodily affects.He noted that these bodily affects were not necessarily a work of the spirit which forced him to write another apology in 1742 called â€Å"Thoughts on Revival in New England† noting the great moral improvement. Another one of the controversies which is still around to this day is the called the Old Lights and New Lights. The New Lights were those congregants who had a new light or perspective on sin and atonement. They were also those who also felt that the revival was from the Lord and that they would be able to continue in that kind of environment.The old lights were ones that did not like or enjoy change but wanted to keep things the way that they were. They were skeptical of the revival and depending upon which branch of the denomination they were from they took a stance with their view point. The old lights were also apprehensive because they were afraid that the new lights would act in rebellion and that they may possibly be a threat to authority.1http://nationalhumanitiescenter. org/tserve/eighteen/ekeyinfo/grawaken. htm  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   2Edwards,   Ã‚  Ã‚   Jonathan. A   Ã‚  Ã‚   Narrative of Surprising Conversions. Wilmington, DE: Sovereign Grace Publ. , 1972. Print.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Ba Finance

7BSM1006 Managing Financial Value Drivers Coursework Semester A 2012 Assessment weighting 60% Bellingham plc Arthur Scroggs was a farmer. His family has owned and farmed 500 acres of prime land in the Vale of Aylesbury for four generations. In the mid 1980's small farms were finding the financial climate difficult with falling farm incomes and much talk of putting farm land to â€Å"alternative use†. By 1985 Arthur had already sold his dairy herd to focus on cereal production when a fortuitous meeting with Lucy Bellingham at a business conference led him to reconsider the future of the family farm.Bellingham is a designer of bespoke fitted kitchens who had a business plan but little capital. The plan was to manufacture top quality fitted kitchen furniture and establish design studios/showrooms in high income areas. Having recently sold his dairy herd, Arthur had enough capital to fund the new business and also a number of large barns and outbuildings suitable for manufacturing the kitchen units subject to refitting and planning consent being obtained. Lucy's business plan was so convincing that Arthur decided to get out of farming altogether (by leasing his arable land to a local co-operative) and focus on developing the new business.From this small beginning grew the now publicly quoted company of Bellingham plc. Initially, showrooms were established in Beaconsfield and then Kensington. Demand for their kitchens was brisk and â€Å"Bellingham Bespoke Kitchens† expanded rapidly but remained a partnership. The firms clients are mainly celebrities from the entertainment world and the cost of a Bellingham Bespoke Kitchen is now ? 40,000 – ? 150,000 or more. The firm was restructured as a limited company in 1990 and subsequently experienced rapid growth until 1999. In that year the then directors decided that the business had reached the limit of development in it's present form.Future development required large-scale expansion of production fa cilities in order to provide the range of materials, furniture, quality and prompt delivery required by their discerning clients. This in turn needed an injection of capital that the directors were unable to generate themselves. The conviction that there was much money to be made from â€Å"quality fitted kitchens† † had been vindicated. They investigated a number of possibilities deciding eventually to expand production facilities by purchasing a modern production unit on an industrial estate in Aylesbury.The expansion was funded by a stock market floatation and raising the necessary capital in the name of Bellingham plc. As the market grew and to keep abreast of new production technology, the directors agreed to reverse the maxim so dear to the heart of the founders, Arthur and Lucy; â€Å"neither a (long-term) borrower nor lender be. † They financed updating of equipment and premises by means of issuing debentures. It is now October 2012 and the present direct ors of Bellingham plc believe that the long-term success of the company lies in future international diversification and expansion.They consider that the most beneficial action they could take is to investigate the acquisition of a subsidiary in the USA. The newly-appointed finance director, Bill Moneypenny, agrees with this opinion but insists that the company must first appraise its own current position and if necessary, make changes to strengthen its existing financial situation before embarking on new plans. He is particularly concerned that the company should preserve adequate liquidity and finance its assets in a beneficial manner.He is also concerned that too much emphasis has been placed on â€Å"pandering to the whims of the rich and famous† and not enough on running an efficient business operation. Lucy and Arthur still retain 30% of Bellingham's equity and other long-standing directors own a further 20%; a change of control is unlikely to be welcome. During the las t two years, the company has updated it's design, production and showroom assets and, in what has been a difficult year, has been able to maintain sales and profit growth (see Bellingham's accounts in appendix 1).There has been a great deal of uncertainty about world economic growth and stock markets have been extremely volatile resulting low returns. However the firm’s ordinary shares have made good progress during the year. Ordinary share dividends have achieved substantial growth over the last two years although this rate of increase is not expected to continue. Ordinary dividends have grown at an average rate of 14% per annum over the past 10 years and this rate is a more realistic growth rate for future dividends. The present market prices for Bellingham's shares and debentures are: ?1 Ordinary shares? 7. 02 ex div ?0. 50p, 6% Pref shares? . 55 ex div 7% Debentures 2016? 100. 51 ex interest Any new venture would be expected to achieve a return on capital employed in line with that experienced recently by Bellingham plc. The finance director favours a payback period of 5 years. Bellingham would therefore need to agree a realistic acquisition price for such a new venture and its future cash flows in order to determine whether these criteria could be met. Although a number of investment projects are being considered, the main proposal currently being investigated offers an expansion into the US prime-property market which is forecast to grow faster than the UK market.Bellingham's finance director has already calculated the trends in the financial ratios of American Creations, an unquoted US company, from its unaudited annual accounts (see appendix 2) and has concluded that the proposal is now worthy of further investigation. American Creations is a family-owned venture requiring further capital to repair it's balance sheet after making losses on a property development in Nevada from which it has now withdrawn. Profits have suffered in the last two yea rs due to write-offs associated with this development.The existing owners feel that the firm’s future lies in establishing wider international links and the retirement of senior family members, leaving the younger members active in the management of the firm. They are therefore considering selling a controlling interest of 60% to a suitable company. The firm has been established for 23 years, and is well respected in business circles. The average age of its fixed tangible assets is 3 years. The directors have indicated that they may accept part payment in Bellingham shares subject to negotiation. The firm’s nominal share capital is $2. m, and the directors have indicated that they value the firm at five times the year 2010 net profit. They consider this to be the firm's â€Å"normal† level of profit excluding the â€Å"extraordinary† effects of the Nevada development. As the firm is at present family owned and run, there is no available price/earnings rat io. P/E ratios for the only two publicly-owned companies in the same business sector, Harvey Wilkinson Designs plc and Cucci Lifestyle plc, are currently 10 and 8 times respectively although both of these firms, unlike Bellingham, operate internationally. Wilkinson has grown at a similar rate to Bellingham.The dividend yields of these companies have been as follows: WilkinsonCucci Year to 31 December 2011 8. 1% 7. 25% 2010 7. 2% 6. 9% 2009 5. 3% 5. 95% American Creations has its own manufacturing facilities and operates throughout the USA and Caribbean with design offices in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Colorado Springs. Their main business, which is thriving, involves complete home furnishing and interior design for wealthy clients. In addition, the firm has a real estate office in each location and is thus able to offer a complete property service.The value of properties handled by the real estate offices is typically $5m – $20m. Bellingham is interested not only in ext ending its operations internationally but particularly in the possibility of diversifying into the real estate business. Whilst well aware of the existence of a number of competitors, the directors feel that there is a ready market in the US for their established name in terms of design flair, service and products. After discussions with the directors of American Creations, Bill Moneypenny has produced the following forecast.Under average economic growth conditions, the American Creations operating forecasts (in $*1000) for the next five years are based on the following: Income:from Sales: $7500 in 2013, rising by 12% per annum for the foreseeable future. from real estate sales commissions: $2850 in 2013 increasing by 15% per annum for the foreseeable future. Manufacturing variable costs: Labour: $1250 in 2013, expected to increasing by 8% per annum. Materials: $3800 in 2013, expected to increasing by 5% per annum. Fixed costs excluding depreciation:Manufacturing O/H: $2065 in 2013, increasing by 5% per annum. General O/H: $1850 in 2013, increasing by 2% per annum. Depreciation:Factory, machinery & vehicles: $500 per year. Office/Design Studio fixtures: $200 per year. The beta of Bellingham plc is believed to be 1. 65 , the risk-free rate of return is 5. 5% and the return for the last year on the FT All-share index is 2%. UK corporation tax is currently 32% payable 9 months after the end of the accounting year in question (you may assume for the purpose of this case that accounting profit and taxable profit are identical. )Bellingham's directors estimate that the after-tax profits of American Creations could be allocated as follows: 70% as retained earnings and 30% as dividends. This has been the pattern under the under the present ownership. There would be no restriction on the transfer of the appropriate share of these dividends to the UK. The US corporation tax rate applicable is 20% payable in the year in which the profit arises. There is no double taxatio n of profits of US origin in the UK. (For the purpose of this case, ignore the possibility of any withholding taxes and the effects of foreign exchange risk. It is considered possible that, as the US economy develops further, even higher wages than those forecast may be demanded by the workforce. Required: Evaluate the American Creations proposal on behalf of Bellingham plc, supporting your arguments with relevant theory and calculations and indicating any non-financial matters you feel should be taken into consideration. Your report should consider the following areas: 1. An analysis of Bellingham's current position using relevant financial ratios. You should show the calculation of the ratios and provide interpretation of the results. . Calculation of Bellingham's cost of capital, using alternative methods and arriving at the most appropriate figure. 3. An investment appraisal of the American Creations proposal assuming the valuation suggested in the case, using a variety of metho ds and evaluation of the results. 4. A sensitivity analysis of the proposal and interpretation of the results. 5. Calculation and discussion of alternative valuations for acquiring the share in American Creations and how these would impact on the investment appraisal. 6.A discussion of the various available methods of financing the acquisition and consideration of which is the most appropriate. Your calculations and arguments should be supported by relevant theory, with evidence of wide reading around the subject. You should provide a complete bibliography with appropriate referencing in your report. Submission requirements: Your answer should take the form of a written report of approximately 2500 words excluding appendices and the reference list. Deviations from the word count exceeding plus or minus 10% will attract a penalty of 5%. The hand-in deadline for submission is 23. 0 on 25th November 2012. Submissions up to 24 hours late will attract a 10% penalty whilst those beyond 24 hours but less than 1 week late will be capped at 40%. Reports submitted more than one week late will attract a mark of zero. Submit one electronic copy via Studynet. This is an individual assignment and the report submitted should be entirely your own work. Appendix 1:Bellingham plc| | | | | | | Abridged Trading, Profit & Loss Account for the year ended 30th June 2012:| All amounts are in thousands of pounds sterling| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2012| | 2011| | 2010| |Sales| 9606| | 7564| | 6100| | Production Cost| 4034| | 3101| | 2240| | Gross Profit| 5572| | 4463| | 3860| | | | | | | | | Selling Expenses| 1467| | 1250| | 1080| | Installation Expenses| 1689| | 1300| | 980| | Administration Expenses| 960| | 630| | 597| | Operating Profit| 1456| | 1283| | 1203| | Debenture Interest| 53| | 53| | 53| | Profit Before Tax| 1403| | 1230| | 1150| | Corporation Tax| 449| | 394| | 368| | Profit After Tax| 954| | 836| | 782| | Dividends| 341| | 280| | 220| | Retained earnings| 613| | 556| | 562| | Balance Sheet at 30th June 2012:| | | | | | | | | | | | |Fixed Assets (net):| | | | | | | Land & Buildings| 2300| | 2400| | 2500| | Plant & Machinery| 1700| | 1186| | 552| | Fixtures & Fittings| 700| | 600| | 402| | Motor Vehicles| 185| | 140| | 105| | Office equiptment| 250| | 185| | 100| | | 5135| | 4511| | 3659| | Current Assets:| | | | | | | Stocks: Raw Materials| 216| | 208| | 182| | Work in Progress| 200| | 205| | 190| | Finished Goods| 150| | 128| | 97| | Debtors| 1775| | 950| | 595| | Bank/Cash| 230| | 136| | 104| | | 2571| | 1627| | 1168| | Current Liabilities:| | | | | | | Trade Creditors| 1190| | 788| | 270| |Corporation Tax| 449| | 394| | 368| | Final Dividend| 171| | 140| | 110| | | 1810| | 1322| | 748| | | | | | | | | Net Current Assets| 761| | 305| | 420| | Net Assets| 5896| | 4816| | 4079| | | | | | | | | Long-term Liabilities:| | | | | | | 9% Debentures 2016| 750| | 750| | 750| | | | | | | | | | 5146| | 4066| | 3329| | | | | | | | | Shares & reserves | | | | | | | ?1 ordinary shares| 1000| | 1000| | 1000| | 6% Preference shares of 50p ea,| 500| | 500| | 500| | Retained pr for yr| 613| | 556| | 562| | Profit & loss| 3033| | 2010| | 1267| | Shareholders funds| 5146| | 4066| | 3329| |

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Essay on Bart Marx

Essay on Bart Marx Essay on Bart Marx In a world where everything is â€Å"fair† and â€Å"equal† containing flawless people, one man’s â€Å"misfortunate† can be life threatening. Bernard Marx is one of the elite groups in his world, however his height and his genes forces him into a lower caste than what he truly is. This makes him an unusual character because he doesn’t’t fit in any group, and has many emotions but cannot do anything about it, he wants to be an individual and cannot become one because of his lack of courage. Bernard is emotional and depressed and he lacks confidence due to anxiety about rejection. He is an Alpha Plus, but he feels and is accepted as if he is lower than that. That is because of the belief that when he was being born he had alcohol in his blood surrogate, and that has led him to be short and unusual in the public’s view. He is rejected from the Alpha Plus group because of his unusual size, and he is rejected from everyone else because he is in a higher status than them, and they don’t mix with his type. This leaves him to be a complete loner in his society, because of his lack of genetic scheme it forces him to not be able to join a certain clichà ©. Bernard is truly emotional, wanting to be a free man who wants to be courageous and brave and to lead himself to higher goals. Even though he wants to be brave and courageous his actions aren’t there. He is an individual who feels strong and wants to act freely, but cannot because he is too shy. Being the outsider, he shows his distressed feelings by being angry at people at reject him and looking at them with disgust. Bernard acts very tough and brags when he comes to people when people that are the same as him. When he meets with Helmholtz, he starts to brag in front of him and complains allot to him about his feelings of rebelling, and how he has anti-social feelings. But when Bernard comes to deal with people that are of his group or higher he becomes awkward and allows himself to follow orders from his superiors. ‘ The unusualness of Bernard is how he is transformed in the book, from being the hero to being a

Monday, November 4, 2019

Renewable Resource Mechanisms and the Means With Which They Produce Thesis Proposal

Renewable Resource Mechanisms and the Means With Which They Produce Electricity - Thesis Proposal Example Policies relating to production tax credit, standardization policy, renewable energy benefit funds as well as performance standards for buildings, credits for installation of appliances that are renewable resource compliant, mortgages and loans for such buildings will definitely help to the nation to turn towards renewable energy. The researcher is of the view that renewable resource mechanisms for the generation of electricity have not been given its due justice. There is dearth of policies which are being practiced today partly because renewable resources development is a new arena in which policy makers are afraid to venture into. More awareness is needed in the education of political representatives in matters relating to renewable resource mechanisms available for generating electricity, especially its benefits and long-term implications for the nation. The researcher shall endeavor to explore policies which are being adopted around the world with particular interest in the stud y of various policy alternatives available for the US administration to adopt in the future for its people. Sovacool, B.K. 2009. Whats the Best Way to Promote Renewable Electricity? Scitizen. Online accessed on 24 February 2010 from: http://scitizen.com/future-energies/what-s-the-best-way-to-promote-renewable-electricity-_a-14-2641.html Author not available 2009. What are renewable portfolio standards (RPS) and how do they affect generation of electricity from renewable sources? US Energy Information Administration. Online accessed on 24 February 2010 from:

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Strategic and financial analysis of Zillow Term Paper

Strategic and financial analysis of Zillow - Term Paper Example This research will begin with the brief overview of Zillow. Zillow is a virtual merchant website, which generates revenue by selling real estate advertisements. From the last 3 years, Zillow experienced maximum financial growth. The vision of Zillow is to serve the customers worldwide with utmost quality and become one of the foremost online databases operating in the real estate industry as compared to others. In terms of business model, it can be ascertained that the online database mainly uses the approach of e-business and online business mechanism for attaining its predetermined business targets. Zillow is an online database of real estate, which was founded in the year 2005. The database is duly considered to be an ultimate destination for the individuals who possess a keen interest in buying any mortgaged property or real estate. Moreover, the database offers information about these products and/or services, which enables the consumers to make decisions about estimating the ho me value and also the rental price of the real estates. By taking into concern the varied facets of Zillow, the value proposition of the database in terms of providing significant benefits to the customers can be ascertained as serving effectual marketing and business technology based solutions specifically for real estate agents. Moreover, in relation to determining the value proposition of Zillow, it can be asserted that through this database, the mortgage marketplace borrowers can directly communicate with the lenders for availing mortgage rates.