HP Pendrive Creative Brief Essay

The HP Brand is a â€Å"lifestyle† brand that provides electronic gadgets. PROJECT BACKGROUND Wheather you are very much active in computer and need to transfer lots of office presentations,works,songs,movies HP provides pendrives to fit your kind of lifestyle.It had developed itself to cater to those who are active and value transfering files,music,movies etc.HP provides a varity of pendrives for the purpose of being used from being extremely active to just relaxing.Where their pendrives fit a whole spectrum of daily activities,the problem still exists of getting computer users to choose the HP Pendrives over its competition. Hp Pendrive needs to prove that it is a brnd of EVERY lifestyle.Therefore,the purpose of this campaign is to show HP Pendrives being used and abused in all kinds of everyday lifestyles. TARGET AUDIENCE 15-70 years old males,females who involve with computer to whatever lifestyle they live.The audience will cover the entire spectrum of â€Å"computer users† from hard-core corporate person to those who study in school.Whatever the activity, the key is that they involve to share files,movies,musics etc. Advertising Objective Create consumer demand and awareness for HP Pendrive. CONSUMER MESSAGE Pendrive made specifically for your lifestyle. KEY CONSUMER BENEFIT HP provides durable and quality pendrive,no matter what you are doing. BENEFIT SUPPORT > Durability allowing you to continue with your active daily lifestyle without worrying abou ruining your pendrive. > HP provides upto 64 GB pendrive. > Small in size.So, it is easy to carry anywhere. COMPETITION Transcend,Sony,Kingstone.

Gender segregation in children Essay

According to research children establish and maintain same gender relationships, the play in groups which are mainly composed of their own gender. Gender segregation has been observed in children as young as three years. Gender segregated social groups among children is significant within the segregated groups since children do experience different world from other peers and they have an opportunity to learn gender typed skills, roles, characteristics which are deemed by society. Gender segregation among children leads to different patterns of social interactions and play experiences promoting differences in their social, intellectual, and emotional development (Kimberley, 1995, p. 61). Children interaction is different depending on whether is a girl or a boy. Gender segregation is mostly influenced by expression of social interactions mainly during preschool activities. Cognition on play partners on children correlates with preferences of play partners. Social cognition accounts for changes in age in sex segregation (Martin, 1999, p. 751). Different interactive styles of children of different genders This examines individual variations in child pretense play and expression emerging mental representation. Children develop different interactive styles which are to some level at odds. Boys and girls react differently to situations with boys being more resistant and avoidance than girls (Martin, 1999, p. 755). There is a gender gap in the interactive styles among children. Child solitary play child are initiated y their mothers with maternal demonstration and solicitation. Mother symbolic and children language positively influence collaborative child play with verbal intelligence from child solitary play (Kimberley, 1995, p. 62). Different language/communication styles of children of different genders Communication language has been found to be harder in girls than in boys. Girls have significantly greater activation language areas in their brains compared to boys. Boys talk more and they are more assertive regarding their social interactions compared to girls (Kimberley, 1995, p. 62). Children stereotype believes about different gender roles Children learn mostly from parents with differences on how boys and girls behave being facilitated by differences on how they are treated by parents, teachers and friends (Martin, 1999, p. 760). Gender have differences on different issues like aggression, learning and they differently react to different situations (Kimberley, 1995, p. 64) Different preferences of different toys by different gender All over the world boys and girls play with different types of toys. Boys mostly prefer cars and trucks while girls prefer dolls. This is so because sociologically boys and girls are encouraged to play with different types of toys by their peers, parents or the society (Kimberley, 1995, p. 67). Theoretical (biological, social, cultural, etc. ) explanations for the gender differences Sex is believed to be natural but gender is cultural and a social construction. Differences among individuals in different gender are attributed to their choices but the differences are mainly as a result of gender conditioning. They undermine common humanity and individual freedom (Kimberley, 1995, p. 69). Children learn most things from their parents, teachers and peers. Socialization brings about sex role attitude. Parental influence changes children attitudes. Children behave based on their gender is also influenced by parents, teachers and media (Martin, 1999, p. 762). Annoted Bibliography Kimberley, K., (1995), â€Å"Gender segregating among children: understanding the ‘Cootie Phenomena’,† Journal of young children, Vol. 50, No. 4, pp. 61-69 This articles reviews on development of gender role and discusses on how boys and girls are different. It discusses on gender segregation on why children choose playmates of the same sex, how they develop different interactive styles, differ in their communication language, how they have different roles in their stereotype believes, how they differ in their preferences on toys and the theoretical explanation of gender differences. Martin, C. , Fabes, R. , Evans, S. , Wyman, H. , & Fabes, R. , (1999), â€Å"Social Cognition on the Playground: Children Beliefs about Playing with Girls versus Boys and Their Relations to Sex Segregated Play,† Journal of Social & Personal Relationships, Vol. 16, No. 6, pp. 751-771 This article argues on individual variation in child pretense play as expression of emerging mental representation. There is family sociodemographic characteristic, maternal affective, maternal personological and cognitive play behaviors among children. According to this article, cognitive advantages on child play and maternal influences on child play which is put in the framework of adaptive parenting.

Wikipedia

Wisped is a valuable research tool for university students How do I do my research: Online source Firstly, I opened Google Search Engine and printed there the key words: Wisped – valuable – research. Then I used related terms as reliable, credible, source. My next step was to read background information on different sites and look for main ideas and issues being discussed, the terminology is being used. I built my statements: 1) Wisped AND credibility; 2) Value no Wisped; 3)Wisped AND credible OR valuable OR reliable OR trustworthy AND source OR resource.I used the sites of different universities, because I consider them as the most suitable and credible. The main reason why Wisped isn't a valuable research tool is: anyone who wants can post material, and the expertise of the posters is not taken into consideration. How do I do my research: Offline source To start with, I should find some articles on the following topic. First source I found is the article of Thomas Che ney, 2006. â€Å"An empirical examination of Wisteria's credibility,† First Monday, volume 11, number 11 (November), where he states that Wisped hasn't got ‘high' credibility, but it certainly is not ‘low'.His survey shows that 13 percent of Wisteria's articles have errors. Then I searched for another article to have a wider view on this theme. I took a look at the work of Magnums, P. D. , Assistant Professor at the University at Albany, (2008), â€Å"Early response to false claims In Wisped† ; First Monday, 13(9). There he points that Wisped Is a reliable research tool because even If there are some Inaccuracies they are being deleted within 3 hours or less.

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 9

Business Ethics - Essay Example s to show the possible impacts of developing Tea For All Ltd as an ethical organization and also, to realize its impact on the environment, fair trading and employee relationships of the company. The project also evaluates the code of conduct, which has been followed by Starbucks in dealing with its business partners. This is because Starbucks is the leading coffee shop company in the world, with a spectacular scale of operation. The ways through which Starbucks can improve its ethical operations have also been highlighted. The final segment of the project discusses possible ways of implementation of the code of conduct of Starbucks on Tea For All Ltd. Tea for All Ltd. is a tea producing and supplying company, which wishes to emphasize on code of ethics for establishing itself as one of the successful global companies. This essay discusses the advantages and disadvantages that can be faced by the company, if it wants to position itself as an ethical organization. The first and foremost argument that can be put forward for establishing the company as an ethical organization is the fact that it will provide the company with a competitive advantage over the competitors. Ethical leadership can facilitate good business leadership in the company. The research conducted by James A. Mitchell shows that companies with an ethical advantage demonstrate better financial performance than those without it (Mitchell, 2001). The advantages of using a sound ethical code of conduct, as far as the environment, trading practices and workplace relationships are concerned, are highlighted below. The ethical objective of the company is to reduce its adverse impact on the environment as much as possible. The problem of the company is that it involves extensive farming techniques which can have corrosive action on the soil and wastage of water Ethical leadership is not a sufficient condition to create a successful business venture, but it is definitely a necessary one (Mitchell, 2001).

The Asian Financial Crises Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

The Asian Financial Crises - Essay Example The result was a much deeper Crisis than was necessary or inevitable ( Radelet and Sachs, 1998, p 12). † Asian financial crises led to the development of technology or psychology. Also, the availability of credit led to the creation of a leveraged economic environment and led to increases in the prices of assets to a level which the Asian countries could not sustain. The increase in asset prices, at last, collapsed, making companies and individuals fail to meet their debt obligations. If it could not be for the collapsing of the companies and organizations, the Asian countries would be far ahead with developments. The withdrawal of loans by the lenders also played a major role in development in Asian countries. The government of these countries had to implement new strategies that would not lead to declining of the standards of living of the people. They sought to borrow from the IMF and to refund at a certain interest. In addition, the exchange markets were engulfed with foreign currencies, hence depreciation on their currencies. In order to prevent loss of value of their currencies, the Asian country's government raised their interest rates so that they could attract foreign investors. These governments also intervened in the exchange markets by buying the excess currencies in the market at a fixed rate though neither of all these policies was sustained for long. Without the panic and contagion, the Asian countries were so stable and they were to be amongst the leading developed countries in the world. ‘‘ In fact, a socially irrational response in the sense that, without the panic, the situation was reasonably stable - the debt could have been repaid on plausible assumptions about the economic performance of companies, banks, and economies (Wade, 1998, p 2). †

The Ryan Air Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Ryan Air - Case Study Example This was an organic growth model. The airline makes money by reducing its costs at every point. This is the reason that despite a drop in yields of 14 percent, it still achieved margins of over 20 percent as they carried 47% more passengers. The airline has strong sales promotions and heavy discounting. The airline owns rather than leases aircrafts but has been considering leasing at least one-third of its fleet due to changes in the market conditions. It also makes money by oil hedging but since the oil prices were expected to decline in the year under study, Ryanair decided not to hedge in 2004. To cope with the falling ticket prices, the airline hope to generate revenue by providing ancillary services such as satellite television and internet services, arcade games on rented laptops and screening favorite movies on television. They also earn through advertising on their website. However, despite the low fares, the airline’s load factor stared declining and its share price had declined substantially. This requires that Ryanair reconsider its strategy and take decisions based on facts and figures. Ryanair has registered revenue growth in 2004 over 2003 but the net profit has declined by 14% during the same period (Appendix A). The airline has been consistently registering profits for 26 quarters but the profits have declined in 2004 which has been primarily due to escalating fuel costs. The number of aircrafts operated commensurate with traffic growth as is evident from Appendix B. The net profits have declined as also the earnings per share (Appendix C) which has given the airline an adverse reputation with investors. The balance sheet shows that the equity base has declined while its total liabilities have increased. Economical – low impact because again being within Europe, which has a stable economy and stable consumers. Denomination is Euro is another positive factor contributing to economic stability. Outside of

Theory of Dispute Resolution - Essay Case Study

Theory of Dispute Resolution - Case Study Example According to the law of supply of goods and services, there are certain implied terms during the transfer of goods from the transferor to the transferee, most important being that the goods transferred are of good quality and fitness. This means that the transferor of goods has the obligation to ensure that all the goods transferred to the transferee are of satisfactory quality, and therefore, will perform their desired functions without fail. Thus according to this law, the transfer of faulty goods from the seller to the buyer is an offense. According to the facts of this case, Frontway Clutches Ltd. Sold repair parts to Mr. Conn, who is a garage owner, which turned out to be faulty, and thus inappropriate to fulfill their intended purpose. Consequently, he bears the responsibility of compensating the other party, namely Mr. McScrooge. However, the facts under this case are complicated by the fact that the substance or the commodity under dispute is unavailable for examination, whic h is an essential step towards proving the inappropriateness of the commodities supplied by Frontway Clutches Ltd. While Frontway Clutches Ltd. could be required to compensate Mr. ... McScrooge’s van, then he might bear the responsibility. Additionally, the burden of responsibility would even be bigger for the supplier, if the supplier was aware that the clutches that were sold to Mr. Conn were faulty. Therefore, while the substance of this case would majorly revolve around the quality and fitness of the commodity sold, the law would also be interested in discovering the intentions and the awareness of the parties involved in the sale and fixation of the car clutch. Liabilities of the parties involved Mr. Conn is the ultimate center of conflict, in this case, considering that he is the one responsible for fixing the clutch that failed in Mr. McScrooge van, while on the other hand, he had received the clutch from Frontway Clutches Ltd., without suspecting that the clutches had any problem.  

English for Specific Purposes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

English for Specific Purposes - Essay Example The first studies on special languages were in fact those on register, which developed in a Firthian environment. Following strictly in Halliday's footsteps (Halliday, 1978), British linguists identified special registers on the basis of lexical aspects, which they considered sufficient in themselves to distinguish them from common language. For example, the presence of a lexical item such as tablespoonful was enough to presume that the register was that of recipes or prescriptions (Halliday, McIntosh & Strevens, 1964; Strevens, 1977). However, as recent approaches to special languages have pointed out, differences do not apply to the lexical level only, but also concern morph syntactic choices and textual and pragmatic organization (Swales, 1990; Gotti, 1991; Bhatia, 1993). The social context (and therefore the aim) of each of the subdivisions of ESP exerts a strong influence on the linguistic strategies which are to be adopted. Therefore situational and functional requirements dire ct linguistic choices such as lexical density, the complexity and the length of clause structure, the degree of formality and the management of information, to name but a few. The most important d... cate a set of professional skills and to perform English and are learning the language in order to communicate a set of professional skills and to perform particular job-related functions. An ESP program is therefore built on an assessment of purposes and needs and the functions for which English is required. ESP concentrates more on language in context than on teaching grammar and language structures. It covers subjects varying from accounting or computer science to tourism and business management. The ESP focal point is that English is not taught as a subject separated from the students' real world (or wishes); instead, it is integrated into a subject matter area important to the learners. However, ESL and ESP diverge not only in the nature of the learner, but also in the aim of instruction. In fact, as a general rule, while in ESL all four language skills; listening, reading, speaking, and writing, are stressed equally, in ESP it is a needs analysis that determines which language skills are most needed by the students, and the syllabus is designed accordingly. An ESP program, might, for example, emphasize the development of reading skills in students who are preparing for graduate work in business administration; or it might promote the development of spoken skills in students who are studying English in order to become tourist guides. As a matter of fact, ESP combines subject matter and English language teaching. Such a combination is highly motivating because students are able to apply what they learn in their English classes to their main field of study, whether it be accounting, business management, economics, computer science or tourism. Being able to use the vocabulary and structures that they learn in a meaningful context reinforces what is taught and

Mortgage fraud Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Mortgage fraud - Term Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that the dream of owning a home is running away from reality due to the increase in the number mortgage frauds. Misguided real estate professionals and dishonesty homeowners are fleecing homeowners billions of dollars through mortgage scams. Mortgage fraud can be defined as the intentional misrepresentations, omissions to fund or secure a loan that is designed to acquire mortgage financing using fraudulent or stolen identification documents or false financial and income statements. Inflated real estate properties and high property taxes have made homeownership rarely accessible to the honest citizens. Statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation show that real estate fraud is the most rampant white –collar crime in the United States. From 2003-2004, mortgage fraud crime rates increased by 146% while during the period 2004-2005, the rate increased further by another 29%. According to industry figures, losses from real estate fr auds run in to millions of dollars annually in Canada. Most criminal groupings are responsible for the mortgage scams. Mortgages frauds leave individuals with high property taxes, inflated property prices and adverse credit histories. In Canada, mortgage fraud is mainly concentrated in Ontario and Alberta though some cases occur in other Cities. Combating mortgage fraud has not been possible since as soon a law is enacted, the con artists devise other loopholes in the real estate market which they use to defraud the homeowners. 4. The crime is becoming more sophisticated due to technological innovations which have made it easy for the criminal groups to obtain personal information like identification and financial statements through the internet. Majority of the financial institutions depend on automated systems to underwrite and value the property, to conduct financial strengths and capabilities of the borrower and to generate financial statements hence it is difficult for the lend er to detect the fraudulent and falsified financial statements5. Risk factors for mortgage frauds Political, social economic and technological advancements can impact on the magnitude of mortgage frauds. The competitive banking industry during periods of economic boom and the customer pressures for the mortgage interest rates have increased rates of mortgage crime. Financial institutions avoid losing commissions and fees thus they may not conduct due diligence in mortgage approvals6. Technological innovations such as the internet communications and e-commerce involve widespread exchange of personal information and identity documents over the internet. Criminals may fraudulently obtain personal information over the internet thus using it to defraud the customer or acquire mortgages fraudulently. Criminal gangs are also utilizing the internet to conduct their illegal activities since with modern communications individuals do not need to physically meet in order to conduct a business t ransaction7. Mortgage frauds mainly involve numerous players in the financial industry insiders. Vendors, lawyers, credit rating agencies and real estate agents and mortgage brokers knowingly give consent to the use of false financial statements or will conduct false appraisals of the financial strength of the purchaser. Fraud for property also occurs when dishonest lenders lead the borrowers to buying houses which they may not be able to service. The lenders assist the borrower to submit false financial statements, income and asset records8. Types of mortgage frauds There are numerous types of frauds involved in the real estate industry. The frauds range from undisclosed kickbacks to falsifying income and employment information. The first type of mortgage fraud is the occupancy fraud. The fraud occurs when the mortgage borrower anticipates acquiring an investment property and states in his or her loan application documents that the property will be a second home or the

Vik Muniz's Action Photo 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Vik Muniz's Action Photo 1 - Essay Example The following is a discussion that seeks to evaluate Vik Muniz’s action photo on the use of the edible medium, subject and meaning, socio-cultural context, and general reflections. Question 1 The action piece of art by Vik Muniz enforces the use of chocolate and sugar as the media of painting. As argued for initially, the word action emanates from the practice of art whereby artists spread and splash paint randomly to eventually develop artworks in accordance to their perceptions. The artist’s paintings shows the legendary artist, Jackson Pollock busy painting on a piece of material lying on the floor. The artist uses chocolate syrup, and uses the paint to implement a stylistic painting approach whereby the audience will conceive an attitude of edibility. Therefore, the form taken by Vik Muniz emulates an emotional perception that the painting is as important as most of the delicacies known to the society, for example, chocolate (Respini 45). The work is presentable des pite the use of chocolate and sugar as the media. It contains allure and luster at the edges where the artists initiated change of chocolate medium to sugar. The main linings seem to establish a glittering reddish outline and possibilities are that the painting’s advantage emanates from the use of little chocolate to more sugar syrup over the wire lining. As the work portrays Pollock busy in the action art, the artist lures all viewers into conception that art is extremely important in our lives just as food and water. Through keen observations, an audience can easily tell of the advantages of varying the glossy chocolate in production of an attractive photo. The photo measures at 60cm by 48cm.The photo displays Pollock as a busy artist and the glossy texture of the observed from the photo might illuminate his passion (Durant 55). Arguably, Muniz photo establishes a series of events whereby the photo looks like a painting, and the use of an edible medium to represent a genera l paint. Question 2 The theme of the art piece of action photo by Muniz is intense and relative to setting an understanding on the importance of artists in the artist. Arguably, Muniz seeks to implement the allure of the abstract expressionism, which Americans declined to perceive its importance and sense for a long period. Muniz extensive use of edible media in the artwork remains significant and misinterpretations since an artistic meaning underlies therein (Van 67). Mainly, Muniz drew the original painting and photographed it before it lost its glossy appeal. The photo denotes action as Muniz develops it stylishly to show the struggle that Pollock endured in order to develop his personal expressionism paintings. Arguably, Vik’s action photo seeks to enlighten the audience on the struggle that Pollock survived in order to develophis art through the spontaneous and random splash of paint (Respini 48). Therefore, Muniz used chocolate and sugar as the media of painting to show Pollock in the field of art. With the use of such media, it is evident that Muniz wanted to emphasize on the importance action art that was always Pollock’s art approach in reaching the society embarking to expressionism. However, Muniz is more precise and uniquely presents the painting such that Pollock’s artwork gains the desired appraisal in the society (Van 68). It is through Muniz’

The Definition of Art Essay Example for Free

The Definition of Art Essay Art, like most things, is in the eye of the beholder. It can be everything, but it can also be nothing depending on the status of the artist. Life is made up of art and artistic values, and the unfortunate thing about it is that hardly anyone will notice. Art itself is the purest form of expression, and it can be expressed in three different ways: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Physical art is art that can be measured by one of the five senses, typically sight, and is created by hand. This usually consists of sculptures, paintings, interpretive dances, songs, or anything else conjured up by a person’s imagination. Physical art is the most anticipated and predictable form of art and can be seen virtually anywhere. The architecture of a building, the color scheme of a business ad, and even vehicles themselves can be considered a physical art. Already, at the early times of childhood, art is used as an imaginative release. For example, the structures children make up of legos and wooden blocks, or the paintings they brush onto a canvas or the wall, can be considered art. It is debatable whether or not it can be deemed good art, but it is art nonetheless. All mundane objects weren’t always objects; at one time, each object was a mere fantasy or thought that had eventually become a dream come true. In simpler terms, physical art is an idea expressed into the realm of reality for all to ponder, see, understand, and enjoy. Emotional art is another common form of artistry yet is widely overlooked. Unlike physical art, emotional art is art expressed from all creatures but is only shared through connections of the heart. Emotional art is the way a man paces back and forth, deliberating the perfect arrangement of words to express his undying love for a woman dear to him; it is the way a mother rocks her newborn child to sleep on the first day home from the hospital; it is the way an elderly man wails for one last chance to experience and cherish his expired wife’s existence; it is the way the human mind throws down all shielded walls and leaves itself completely vulnerable for some other mind to come and adventure through life with it. Emotional art is usually the kick-start to physical art. It inspires and drives the human head and heart to take the extreme rush of emotion it felt and record it.  Without emotional art, physical art wouldn’t deserve the title of â€Å"art.† Everything would be ordinary, indifferent, and bland. Though it can be argued that buildings and cars come from a logical stand point rather than an emotional one, a person must remember that whoever visualized the idea in the first place felt excited to share that said idea and probably even felt the most outstanding form of accomplishment and pride from it. Spiritual art can almost go hand in hand with emotional art for the fact that it is a stage of expression that can possibly inspire the creation of physical art because it is the beginning emotion felt. However, unlike emotional art, spiritual art is emotion felt from within rather than emotion shared. Spiritual art is a sculpting of spirit and character. Many of these sculpting attributes include meditation, yoga, faith in a certain religion, and anything else that can help a person become virtuous in a sense. Sculpting the spirit however does not always mean that it must be sculpted in an â€Å"ideal†, purifying way. A person with set intentions, whether those intentions be good or bad, can develop themselves into their own desired creation. Ideal perfection and artistry of the body, soul, and mind, like stated before, is in the eye of the beholder. Physical pieces of art that can be influenced by artistic spirituality can range from the public churches to in-home shrines. Along with emotional art, spiritual art is greatly overlooked and is barely even recognized. Art lurks in a wide diversity of different forms. Anything around a person, anything felt by a person, anything practiced by a person is art. A common misconception is that art is only what thrives behind the walls of expensive theaters and high-end museums, or that art is only what’s written or drawn on canvas. Art is anything and everything a person wants it to be; it could even be nothing too- the art of solitude. All three major subjects of art need not to be overlooked any longer but taken into consideration. These subjects show that art is life. With that being said, maybe people will finally be able to appreciate and understand the masterpiece that is life.

Community College vs. Universities Essay Example for Free

Community College vs. Universities Essay Which is better, a community college or university? Both are a great experience. But In my opinion you would benefit more affectively from a community college. There are multiple reasons why a community is better, such as a cheaper cost. In this economy cheaper sounds much nicer than an expensive university. Also a smaller class, which means more hands on experience with your teacher. And the hours would be more flexible, adjusting to your lifestyle. I could sit for hours for and name many more reason; the examples are numerous but let’s go a little deeper into the details and see if you’ll also agree with me. For starters, in our current economy cheaper sounds very alluring and tempting. Although you can’t put a price on your education, it’s nice to know you’re getting your money’s worth. Being said; the average tuition for a university is 4,694 dollars. And the whole sum for the full four years is roughly about 35,000 dollars (A real eye opener for a soon to be college student! ) The community college is lower and tuition lesser than half reaching only about 2,076 dollars. Meaning you can take classes and earn credits toward a two year or four year degree program at a lower cost. With a university the price expectations can be difficult to reach. You never know if you get into your major and want to switch it up; in that case it would’ve just been a waste of time and money. So the difference in the prices should already be opening your thoughts on if you should be considering a community college over a university. Also, if you like more hands on opportunities with your teachers a community college would be perfect for you. Community Colleges tend toward fewer students per class, which means more student/teacher interaction. The standard number of students in a community class is around 15 to 20 students. In a smaller class, professors have the opportunity to learn more about their students and become more entwine in your work personally. And you will also have a much easier time getting to know your classmates, compared to a university where’s there’s about 40 to 50 a class. In which classes would be more lectured instead of having that one on one time. That could result in you not fully understanding the work or your teacher’s method. Also, this is good for students who like access to their instructors so they can ask questions and avoids getting lost in the course material or in the shuffle. Therefore, it shows that size matters when it comes to education, and reducing class size is an important step in promoting effective learning. Another asset to being in a community college is being able to adjust your school schedule to your lifestyle. For instant, many students dont realize that if they plan on working while attending school, community college is hands down, the best option. For example, having a job while going to school can become very difficult. A job schedule is very unpredictable, and so are the people you work with. And whoever you work for may need you to come in early or work late, so having an early or night class may help you out. And another crucial scenario that a lot of school student have nowadays is children. Sometimes you’re put in a situation where u may have to be with your child, or have to pick them up from school. That may cause you to miss a day of class, or in worser cases days of school. A community college offers far more night classes then a university college, which means there can be more personal adjustments to you schedule. Versus a university, where it may be more backbreaking to deal with the schedule they apply to you. University students are expected to do university as if it’s a full-time job, and then some. As such, the schools will not flinch to schedule a crucial class at 8 or 9 in the morning, five days a week. In doing, it would become extremely difficult to work a 9 to 5. Concluding, community college sounds way more stable and appealing to the upcoming college student. The pricing is more affordable year round, so you still have cash for the necessary necessities. If you’re looking for more hands on experience then it’s also right for you, versus the 50 students that’ll be in your university class. Lastly it would be lighter on your schedule, especially if you are trying to keep a 9 to 5 job, or juggle kids. To wrap it all up, the university life isn’t as glamorous as it may appear. It may look appealing on TV but the price will make you reconsider.

Domestic violence: Social-cultural perspectives

Domestic violence: Social-cultural perspectives Domestic violence has been a serious social problem in many families, not only in the United States and United Kingdoms, but across the world. As per the 2003 surveys of the Centers for Disease Control, domestic problems or home violence had affected at least 32 million Americans (Bancroft, LT, Jay, GS. 2003). Research studies have also shown that different countries have various ways of dealing with the family violence, its public awareness, perception and documentation are all prone to variations from State to State. Actually, the initial use of the concept Domestic violence can be traced back to 1977 when it was first identified as serious and growing phenomena, following a series of researches (Archer, J.2000, Waits, K., 1985). These are a few manifestations that domestic violence has been a critical issue in many societies. It therefore deserved or still deserves to be given extra attention. This paper delves into the same, in attempt to find out, compile and discuss on issues surrounding domestic violence from different perspectives, and perhaps shed more light on the numerous cases of violence and social turbulences in homes and families. Introduction The concept Domestic violence have also commonly been referred to as spousal abuse, domestic abuse, intimate partner violence, or child abuse depending on who is victimized or affected in a way by the violence at home (Johnson, M., 2000). Reading through the work of Bancroft and Jay, spousal, child or domestic abuse is the act or the behavior of violence against a child, or a spouse. It is a raging conflict that may exist within a relationship perceived as very intimate, the cases of violence in families, marriages, between friends, in dating and all the intimate relationships categorically enclosed (Bancroft, LT, Jay, GS, 2003). According to the U.S Office on Violence against Women, domestic violence had been defined as a pattern of abusive conduct in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and authority over the other and control over an intimate partner (Johnson, M., 2000). In the year 2004, the Spanish Measures of Integral Protection against gender Violence contended that gender violence is the violence directed at women from the very fact of being a woman. This had been one of the most controversial and brutal sense of gender inequality ever witnessed in the history of domestic violence (Waits, K.1985). Intimate partner violence (IPV) assumes many patterns of abuse. Among such things that research studies have categorized as behaviors of violence are assault, insults, beating in any form i.e. kicking, slapping or hitting with anything, shoving, sexual abuses, emotional and psychological torture, economic deprivation, maltreatments, slavery and many alike (Waits, K.1985).According to Robertson and his research counterparts, domestic violence have been attributed to a number of possible causes, ranging from alcoholism to mental illnesses (Robertson, KP, Murachver,TM., 2009). Aim and Objective The aim of this paper is to discuss at length issues of domestic violence from different social-cultural perspectives. The paper seeks to address the mushrooming challenges surrounding social demographics i.e. families and homes across the societal divides. Its objective is to give a succinct elaboration on what many researchers hold to be right or wrong about the domestic violence. It investigates into the previous research findings and methods that had been employed to establish whether the spousal, child or family abuses could be brought to a permanent end, or the society have to live with and appreciate the violence as part of life. Literature Review United States as a point of reference is the one State that researches have shown to contribute a greater magnitude of long lasting domestic violence. Prolonged account of legal precedents pertaining to spousal abuses and relationship conflicts were common trends in the United States (Waits, K.1985).Similar cases have continuously been observed in the rest of the societies of the world. This implies that domestic violence have been a worldwide socio-cultural fiasco, not narrowed to the United States alone (Waits, K.1985). Many research studies have found that the most affected by the domestic violence are women. To begin with, the research conducted by Robertson and Murachver revealed that women were the first victims of all domestic chaos in every society. They emphasize many women were being battered, assaulted, insulted, sexually abused, emotionally and psychologically tortured by family affairs, and all manners of family violence (Robertson, KP, Murachver, TM. 2009).Backing up the claims of these researchers was Bancroft and his research colleagues. They too emphasized that even though domestic violence affected all the members of families, including children and the spouses, women were faced with the most staid domestic challenges resulting from the social conflicts and violence (Bancroft, LT, Jay, GS, 2003). The arguments and assertions of these researchers were however met by stern resistance from the National Institute of Justice whose research findings pointed out that both women and men were affected equally by domestic violence, and that to some extent or in some cases, men were faced with most challenges than could be compared to their wives and children (Waits, K., 1985, The Criminal Justice Response to Battering). The findings of the National Institute of Justice further contended men from a few families were also battered, assaulted and insulted by women, and so, justice had to prevail when handling domestic issues (Wait, K., 1985). However, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) further refuted the findings of National Institute of Justice (NIJ), arguing that male and female spousal assaults could not be rated similarly as the research studies of the NIJ posited (Wait, K., 1985).The CDCP and BJS studies held there was more violence of men against women, men assaulting women, and not otherwise. Debates surrounding domestic violence were becoming controversial and highly contested. Archer Jefferson and other conflict resolution researchers also had their own stand. They opposed the assumption of gender equity or gender neutrality in domestic violence as held by some research scholars and civil rights movements (Archer, J., 2000) Pertinent to domestic violence characterized by controversial debates and arguments, there were also emerging gender movements whose major aims were to defend themselves against the claims on who between men and women violated the family peace accords the most. The first of such movements was a womens movement that beginning in 1970s (Bancroft, LT, Jay, GS, 2003).This movement was concerned with womens rights which held that men were ruthlessly abusing their wives. This move was later to be countered by the masculine movements commencing from1990s. Modern attention given to domestic chaos put into consideration factors that could have led to commencement of the gender conflicts and domestic fiascos (Bancroft, LT, Jay, GS, 2003). Survey estimates have, too, indicated that in every 1000 females, approximately 240 were victims of domestic assaults as compared to only 76 in every 1000 men going through the same domestic traumas (Robertson, KP, Murachver, TM. 2009). Nevertheless, some anonymous reports released in 1997 revealed that a good number of men who suffer from the wraths and brutalities of women fail to say so, therefore living no substantial evidence that could be used to approve to what extent men suffer the domestic violence concomitant to women The reports, however, noted that there were no certified proves that men under-reported their cases than women or the vise versa (Robertson, KP, Murachver, TM. 2009). The reports were though more categorical on the case of female reportage of domestic violence, admitting that a significant percentage of women were likely to accept they were being abused by their partners. This, according to reports, had been one of the challenges facing men, the fear to admit for safeguarding the perception of the masculine gender (Robertson, KP, Murachver, TM. 2009) Research Methodologies Among the most commonly used and criticized research methodology in investigating gender domestic violence was the use of Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) survey tool. CTS was found in 1970 as a tool used in measuring the extent of domestic and gender conflicts through surveys and compilation of data. This research methodology was, however, met with stern criticisms and dissatisfaction by other research bodies like the U.S National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) (Waits, K., 1985). The above highlighted research organs commonly contended that the use of CTS in research was not effective in a number of ways. It did not measure critical domestic violence aspects such as coercion, control, sexual assaults by ex-partners or partners, factors contributing to the domestic and gender violence (Waits, K., 1985). For such concrete assertions against the use of CTS, other research methodologies have been preferred in investigating issues of domestic violence. Such methodologies as filling of questionnaires, field researches, desk research, and interviews have commonly been utilized. Results and Findings The major findings concerning domestic violence is that women are generally the most victimized, though a number of other researches claim otherwise. Like-wisely, a significant percentage of men have fallen victims of gender violence. Debates as to whether it is women or men that suffer the consequences of domestic violence the most is still unsettled, with both genders pointing accusing fingers on who should be accused of violating the family piece accords almost always. Causes of domestic violence so highlighted indicate that alcoholism plays a significant role in instigating family violence, making the male gender to be the first culprit to be accused of the assaults and insults in the families. This follows the general notion that a better percentage of men are drunkards as compared to women. Other factors contributing towards the same are misunderstandings, mental illnesses, poverty, communication conflicts and cultural diversities (Robertson, KP., Murchver ,TM., 2009, Attributes and attributions associated with female and male partner violence). Discussions and Conclusion The so called domestic violence has no boundaries or limits. It can possibly take place in any family at any time. This, as Robertson and Murachver confirms, is very true in the cases of psychological abuses. After all, the violence doesnt need to go physical or get aggressive through attacks, and family skirmishes. Many psychological researchers have incessantly pointed out that the psychological kind of abuses in families present more severe consequences than could be compared to the equally consequential physical and aggressive domestic violence (Archer. 2000).Emotional abuses though minimal as the many surveys on domestic matters indicate, they leave prolonged and long lasting tensions (Robinson, KP, Murachver,TM, 2009). In conclusion, domestic violence may be regarded as part and parcel of life that both men and women should learn how to manage, appreciate and live with. ukessays>essays>classics Essays Roman Social Life ukessays>essays>classics Essays Roman Social Life What can the decoration and layout of the Pompeian house tell us about Roman social life? The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79AD, and the subsequent destruction of Pompeii, and it’s near neighbour, Herculaneum; offers us a unique glimpse into Roman life at the end of the first century AD. There are, however, certain problems that must be understood before a discussion of Roman social life can be attempted. Pompeii was not a Roman city in the sense that it had not been founded by Roman citizens. At the time of its destruction it was already very old and had been inhabited by many generations of people from disparate backgrounds that came together to form their own uniquely structured society. From the early second century BC it is possible to identify four separate and distinct concepts of urban organisation within the city. It should further be noted that only a relatively small part of the city has been excavated to this point, and so any argument from archaeology will always be incomplete. The literary sources are even more problematic, Ancient authors rarely mention Pompeii before the first century BC and even after this date the sources are far from extensive. The writings of Varro (C.116-27BC), Vitruvius (fl.20-10BC) and Pliny the Younger (C.62-110AD) are our main sources. Archaeologists working at Pompeii, and indeed elsewhere, have tended to be classically trained scholars. The tendency of such scholars has been to interpret their finds in ways that are analogous to the Latin textual tradition. This is to say that scholars tend to assume that a given room in a given house must have been for an activity typically mentioned in one the sources. From the time of the very first excavations at Pompeii, a similarity was seen between the ideal plan of a Roman house set out in Vitruvius, and the floor plans of the many houses being unearthed. Terms deriving from Varro’s language study and Pliny the Youngers’ descriptions of his own country villas have also been applied to the floor plans at Pompeii. It is indeed common practice to label a room with a Latin term as soon as it is excavated. As a result of this, perhaps natural tendency, the archaeological remains have been interpreted in combination with textual references, and plans of Pompeian h ouses are general labelled with such terms. Some modern scholars even translate the Latin terms into the assumed appropriate modern equivalent. The implication of this is that we are given the impression that we are far better informed than we in reality are, as to the nature of the activity that occurred in any given room in a Pompeian house. Some of the terminology used by ancient authors, and followed by modern scholars, was undoubtedly used by Pompeians, but any assignment of labels to rooms should be treated with a due amount of caution. Amongst other problems, this assumes that the function of rooms did not change over time and that individual rooms served only one function, such as they largely do in the modern world. Relatively recently Wallace-Hardrill has offered a very convincing description of the social structure of Roman houses, demonstrating that the entire space of the house was arranged to present the identity and status of the owner to the surrounding community. This may seem an obvious point, but in relation to the question, it is a vital one to note. The social function of a house determined both the layout of the rooms and the choice of decoration within each room. There are two especially characteristic elements to this social function, namely the different use made of space depending on the type of visitor to the house, and the significance of the extravagant dimensions and the wasted space as an example of conspicuous consumption. Ancient authors present us with an image of clients waiting in the atrium for an audience with a wealthy patron as a yard-stick of the social status of that patron. He would receive more important guests in smaller rooms closer to the interior of the house. Often more secluded rooms were used if the discussions were considered private. Close friends would come to dinner in dining areas that were specifically and deliberately located at the rear of the garden peristyle. A social pecking order was thus easily established, corresponding to the increasing access given to the interior of the house. It is evident that architects took great pains when designing the peristyles of Pompeian houses, to ensure that a guest would receive the most comprehensive impression of the size of the patrons’ home. An example of the way this was achieved was to locate the largest and most impressive rooms around the peristyle courts so that all would be visible, along with the garden, as a guest was taken to the patron. The number of reception rooms, and indeed the total number of rooms, played a significant role in determining the rank of the household and the social status of the patron within the social hierarchy of the city. A wealthy homeowner would have a home large enough to receive guests in different areas depending on their numbers, social status, time of the day, season etc. This ability to choose the location of reception was key in establishing ones social status. Although the amount of money spent on a persons house was not always directly proportional to the individuals wealth, some relationship is certain, as today, it was the most expensive item in the family budget. In order to purchase a large and impressive dwelling, one that would indicate high social rank, considerable amounts of money were required. There were also ancillary costs to consider, high social status was implied from having a large number of slaves and household attendants; all of whom had to be housed themselves. A measure of the importance of an impressive house in determining social status of the senatorial class is indicated by the amount of debt Cicero incurred in order to obtain his house on the Palatine. The character of Trimalchio in Petronius Satyricon is also not unaware of the importance of a grand house. With his expensive and extensive house he can hope to be held in high esteem. In the description of the house all of the rooms are on a grand scale. Trimalchio relates that when ‘Scaurus’ came to town he preferred to stay with Trimalchio rather than in his own house by the sea. By spending large sums of money, Trimalchio can hope to raise his social status among the wealthy elite; such thinking can no doubt be applied to any town within the Roman Empire, and certainly to Pompeii. Quite naturally, the preceding discussion only applies to the wealthy and socially prominent. They were the only rank in Pompeian society who needed (or could afford) large atria to receive clients, or large dining rooms to entertain friends. It should be noted the Pompeian society, an indeed Roman society as a whole, was competitive and there was relatively extensive upward mobility, or at least the desire sue such. The social elites created a model for their less wealthy and powerful contemporise through their activities and particularly through the style in which they lived, at least when they placed themselves on ostentatious open display, as was the purpose of a grand house. Decoration, as well as size and general layout, was also used as a means of indicating, or attaining a certain social status. Thus both architecture and interior design were employed in the competition for social status in Pompeian society. The natural side effects of this were stylistic developments in the various arts and crafts employed in interior dà ©cor, especially in painting. It has been argued that room function can be determined from the decorative schemes and that the more elaborate decoration was in rooms that were most likely to be seen by visitors; whilst probably broadly true, as Wallace-Hadrill has shown, arguments based on the premise of a precise relationship between archaeological remains at Pompeii and the surviving textual source tradition are often trapped in circular arguments. The extensive nature of the decorations in the Pompeian house, and indeed in houses throughout the Roman world, tell us much about the social life of the inhabitants. The fact that Pompeian houses were extensively decorated, and particularly those areas through which visitors would pass, or in which they would stay for extended periods, such as reception rooms and dining rooms, tells us that visitors were common. Houses, therefore, performed a very significant social function. Not only were they areas in which to live, they were also designed and decorated to present the owner in the best possible light, to indicate to the world his wealth and social standing. The Interpretation of individual rooms is, as already mentioned, problematic. Archaeologists and classical historians tend to interpret the Pompeian house without any consideration of the contents of a given room at the time of the eruption. Whilst it is obvious that some fixtures, such as cooking hearths, shrines, water-catchment areas and garden colonnades provide a good indication of room use, no systematic evaluation of room contents at Pompeii has ever been made. With this in mind, it should be recognised that an understanding of the social significance of decoration in the Pompeian house can never be complete as decoration surely implies the contents of any given room and not just the wall decoration. One final point that should be made is that decorating a part of a house for the purposes of social display was not a specifically, or even an originally Roman idea. In Greek cities of the classical period the houses of the rich were more elaborately constructed and better furnished and decorated then those belonging to people from a lower social level. A wealthy visitor to an Athenian house of the fifth or fourth century no doubt expected certain standards of decoration in the room where the symposium took place. The decorative style of Roman elite houses drew its inspiration from that of the Classical and Hellenistic period, but soon developed in the competitive climate of the late Republic and early Empire. The Pompeian house, therefore, served a number of functions. It was somewhere for an individual and his family to live in the first instance. But it also performed a significant social function as a place to receive and impress clients. Its size and exterior adornments were an open display of wealth and social standing, making a claim to be from a particular social class (even if not born into it), and the decoration, both interior and exterior all served to reinforce this impression. The more elaborate the decoration, the greater the social status of the owner. Bibliography P.M.Allison, Pompeian Households: An Analysis of the Material Culture (Los Angeles 2004) A.Boethius J.B.Ward-Perkins, Etruscan and Roman Architecture (Middlesex 1970) A. Cooley, M.G.L. Cooley, Pompeii (London 2004) M.W.Frederiksen, Caesar, Cicero and the Problem of Debt, JRS, 56, 1966, 128-141 M. Grahame, Private and Public in the Roman House: Investigating the Social Order of the Casa del Fauno in R.Laurence A.Wallace-Hadrill, Domestic Space in the Roman World: Pompeii and Beyond (Michigan 1997) M.Grant, Cities of Vesuvius: Pompeii and Herculaneum (London 1971) W.M.Jongman, Pompeii (Amsterdam 1988) A.McKay, Houses, Villas and Palaces in the Roman World (Southampton 1977) M.C.Van Binneke, Some Remarks on the Functions of Houses and Rooms in the Insula V at Herculaneum. Mededelingen van het Nederlands Instituut te Rome, Antiquity 50, 1991, 136-144 A.Wallice-Hadrill, The Social Structure of Roman Houses, PBSR, 56, 1988, 43-97 A.Wallice-Hadrill, Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum (Princeton 1994) P. Zanker, Pompeii: Public and Private (London 1998)

Julius Caesar Essay -- essays research papers

How Betrayal Led to Downfall in Julius Caesar   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare shows how friends often betray each other. Julius Caesar is about to be crowned king of Rome, when some well-known Romans decide that it is not a good idea for this to happen. They form a conspiracy and kill Caesar. Brutus, an honorable Roman and a very good friend of Caesar’s, betrays Caesar by killing him for the good of Rome. Antony, Caesar’s best friend and another honorable Roman, betrays Brutus by turning against the conspirators. Cassius, a respected Roman, and Brutus betray each other by arguing and destroying their friendship. All this betraying lead to many deaths in the play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Brutus betrayed Caesar for the good of Rome by killing him, he had no idea that he would regret it later on in his life. Brutus wanted to kill Caesar because he thought that if Caesar became king, he would forget who his real friends are and he would not pay attention to them. He also thought that Caesar would become too powerful and therefore did not want him to be king. This is shown when Portia says, â€Å"†¦Brutus hath a suit / that Caesar will not grant†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2.4.41-42). Although Brutus had a clear conscience, the people of Rome did not. This eventually led to Brutus being driven out of Rome by the citizens. Not being associated with Rome anymore made Brutus’ life worse and he eventually took his own life as the only way to...

Himmler?s Reign of Terror and Ingenious :: essays research papers

One man’s sick mind led to the extermination of an entire generation of people. These ideas came at the worst possible time, during World War II. The ideas were horrific and evil and today they would be viewed as satanic but at the time they were thought to be glorious and wonderful. This gave Hienrich Himmler a place as one of the most devious persons ever. Himmler went to grade school at the Cathedral where he was an excellent student. It was during this time that Himmler became interested in Germany’s history and war (Shrirer 130-131). After he finished grade school he went to Technical High school. He once again resumed the role of a good student. At this time Himmler felt he had no rules or discipline so he dropped out of high school and enlisted in the Army. While in the Army Himmler got special tutoring to finish high school (Shrirer 137-138). Himmler attended a small college outside of Munich. While there he did not fit in very well and did poorly in his studies. After a short time Himmler left college and rejoined the military (Stewart 97). Himmler joined a paramilitary unit outside of Bayer-Munich. He was in a class of 200 and was the best soldier. His commanding officer said, â€Å"He’s the best natural soldier I’ve ever seen† (Goralski 103-104). Himmler did not do much in World War I. He was rumored to have killed Gihi Rhambal. People are not one hundred percent sure if he did, but many believed it was he (Jarmon 132). During this time he was mainly taking care of his family. He married a lady Miller 2 named Marga Stoenbauer. Himmler also had a daughter named Gudren. Gudren was Himmler’s daughter but not Marga’s. He had Gudren with a mistress. The mistress left the baby with Himmler right after she was born and she was never heard from again (Bauer 84-85). Shortly after World War II broke out, Himmler was chosen for a special assignment. He received the assignment because he was probably the best soldier in the German Army. He was appointed the head of the Gestapo, the most feared people in Germany. The Gestapo was formed in 1933 and the massive killings began in 1934 (Rogaski 187-188). Himmler and his men dressed in all black, so that people would recognize and respect them (Stewart 131). Himmler was respected for two main reasons. The first was that many people thought he was next in command to Hitler. People figured that they probably should not get involved with the boss. The other reason people liked Himmler was that Hitler liked him and if he found out anyone was saying anything about him that

Clothes at School Essay -- essays research papers

In a 1969 Supreme Court case, Tinker vs. Des Moines, a controversy was started over students wearing black armbands to protest American involvement in the Vietnam War. From this case, and many others like it multiple school boards believe that with uniforms or stricter dress codes, the students will have better learning environments. Many schools now implement strict dress code standards, or school uniforms, because of the cases. Moreover, the students believe they already are not being allowed to express themselves and strict school dress codes and uniforms would not allow the students to do so. One of the things I believe a big deal in schools are uniforms. I personally am against uniforms at school. A reason as to why I feel this way is because they don’t allow people to be different, or express themselves. With uniforms a person is dull and exactly the same as the next. While it may be true that certain elements like hair color and gender make them different, it’s supposed to be more than just that; clothes and not uniforms are suppose to help a student be this unique person. In the US, students have a right to a free and public education. With out depending on whether the student chooses to wear a uniform or not. Have you ever noticed the person way in the back of class that’s wearing expensive clothes, and ponder is he/she like the persona of the clothes he/she’s wearing outside of school? Well I have, and stereotyping really comes out best in what a person wears. Yo...

Where I Was From: An Exploration of Joan Didion’s Personal and Social Unrest

Where I Was From is a cultured collection of essays written in 2003. To be able to fully understand the intricate notions woven in the book, there is a need to comprehend the creator’s style and background, for the readers to visualize where all the viewpoints and misapprehensions come from. Joan Didion, the creator behind this politically, socially and emotionally linked memoir is a renowned American journalist, essayist, and novelist. Much of her works relates to her life in California, her hometown, mostly during the 1960’s. She is commended for her style in writing mixed personal reflections and social analyses. She writes about paranoia, clear-eyed analyses of the American culture, and personal and social discontent. She was known to be a conservative writer during her early years, but later adapted to the liberal tenets of democracy. She had written five novles, eight nonfiction including Where I come From, and also had collaborations with her husband, John Gregory Dunne, in writing a number of screenplays (Encyclopedia of World Biography on Joan Didion, n. . , p. 1). Where I Was From centers about the history of California, and Joan Didion’s relationship to it and to her mother. Noticeably, she loves the use of commas and lengthy sentences to highlight her narration. Her tune seems melancholic, expressing her confusions about the place, and the way in which she grew up. She feels that there is a sense of perplexity on which she has become. Thus, she contemplated on the American frontier myth, which refers to the unresolved land outside the region of existing settlements of Americans. The American Frontier is a ‘mythical place’ where unrestrained free land was available, resulting to unlimited opportunity (Eidenbach, 2008, p. 99). Where I Was From 3 She also pinpointed the ferocity of a group of popular white high school men, referred to as the Spur Posse incident of 1993. They used a ‘point-system’ record to account for their sexual conquests (Fineman, 1997, p. 177). In addition, when the industry about aircrafts and defense weaponries during the World War II flourished, the people from Lakewood, Califfornia, did as well. Later on, it turned out that the industry was built with the Feds support. Dismally, when that support was withdrawn, the industry doomed. These facts are just some of the historical context implicated in the book (Godbersen, 2003, p. 1). Based on my understanding, Joan Didion uses this as a metaphor in comparison with her life, and generally the rustic myth of California’s origins. What is seen and observed literally does not depict the real circumstances being dealt upon. The veneer of life’s misapprehensions cannot be uncovered by the present analysis itself, for circumstances are intertwined and indeed perplexing to the mind. She compares it with her life, believing she had known herself and her history for so long, only to find out that her viewpoints are inadequate to portray the truth. Joan Didion’s work is so complex in it entirety, it was rich with personal experiences and historical context throughout each essay. Some facts were even misleading to the querying mind. Nevertheless, they are still all intertwined with each other, somehow. It is difficult to summarize such an intricate work, but she retaliates to her readers with an overall realization, that is, the culture that we see today is a direct consequence of a population of survivalists. References Eidenbach, K. (2008). Critical Legal Studies and the Lawless Frontier. Retrieved November 4, 2008, from: http://www.thecritui.com/articles/kirstin.pdf Encyclopedia of World Biography on Joan Didion. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2008, from:Â  http://www.bookrags.com/biography/joan-didion/ Fineman, M., & McCluskey, M. (October 1, 1997). Feminism, Media, and the Law. Retrieved November 4, 2008, from: http://books. google.com/books?id=H2hRAVkc0nMC&pg=PA178&lpg=PA178&dq=spur+posse+incident&source=bl&ots=gWgOvMmeXq&sig=SSExAlIv4BXGJjruegEXXG-uRkI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA177,M1 Godbersen, A. (October 15, 2003). California story. Retrieved November 4, 2008, from: http://www.powells.com/review/2003_10_15.html

Flat Cargo Berhad Essay

Air Cargo Industry is a highly competitive with low profit margin industry operated by 85 operators within Malaysia and the Asia Pacific region. Flat Cargo Berhad (FCB) was one of them with several subsidiaries related to this industry. FCB was recognized as one of the biggest air freight companies in Malaysia. With the flourishing of e-business and secured agreements with well-established companies (i.e UPS, Nationwide Expressway, Citylink, Nippon Express etc), the boom of Flat Cargo Berhad was obvious. Even it was expected, FCB would have likely remained as the nation’s leading air cargo carrier if the scandal has not appeared. Things have started to get out of shape for FCB when the external auditor Kencana & Associates came across several suspicious findings that may suggest fraud. So we as consultant/advisor have noted down the problem and came up with the possible solutions in order to handle such suspicious circumstances. Problem 1 The auditors were unable to verify the aircrafts claimed to have been purchased by FCB in 2005. The audit team found a non-functional rundown aircraft barely worth RM231 million in the hangar.  FCB claimed to have purchase aircrafts in 2005, but there were no documentation found to support the claims of FCB that the purchasing ever took place which implied that fraud might have took place. As shown on the fleet information above, (Appendix B) there were two Boeing 727 and five Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11F (which later was no longer used for freight purposes) purchased by FCB in 2005 that were in â€Å"Active† status, but when inspected by the audit team, found Mior, Asif, Stephanie, Rohanna  only a rundown non-functional aircraft in the hangar which suggested inconsistency in the claim made by FCB. Solution 1 The audit department could take some measures to verify the claim made by FCB regarding the purchase of the aircrafts by: 1) Referring to the aircraft manufacturers regarding receipts, purchasing documents, invoices , contracts 2) Checking any related internal documents about the aircraft activities like schedules and activities of aircrafts i.e. engineering department for maintenance of aircraft. 3) Verify with the staffs of the company i.e. pilots, engineers regarding the aircrafts claimed to be purchased 4) Checking on leasing companies if there were any business activities from FCB (which would suggest obvious fraud since FCB claimed to have purchase the aircrafts) 5) Verify the registration and licensing of the aircraft at the Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia (DCAM) And if this aircraft was actually purchased as claimed, the management should encourage these solutions to avoid future confusions 1) Update bookkeeping regularly (transactions on purchases, sales, receipts and payments by an individual or organisation) Problem 2 Several debtors’ confirmation letters were returned because the addressees had changed their mailing addresses Due to this issue it will have a major impact on accounts receivable thus to cash flow. However this will lead to further problem as follows 1) No exact debtor figure available for reference 2) Possibility of bad debt 3) Weak debt servicing ability by company Mior, Asif, Stephanie, Rohanna Solution 2 Some measures could be taken by auditor to solve this issue by 1) Investigate the identity of the debtor or organization from reliable sources (Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM) for organisations, Jabatan Perdaftaran Negara (JPN) for individuals) 2) Find supporting documents of debt to rule out chances of fraud The management team could take these measures to avoid this problem by 1) Create an efficient system for debt servicing 2) Create a system of verifying the  claim of debtors to make sure fraud does not take place 3) Create a database for debtors and keep an updated portfolio on them for future use and reference 4) Create a department in the organization that deals solely with debt servicing (provided that they have a lot of debtors) Problem 3 A large sum of sales transactions was found with no supporting documents. Most of these transactions involved small clients.  This problem will mostly affect the revenue. In addition, it could lead to: 1) poor book-keeping process 2) manipulation on the revenue figure (RM 550 million) 3) manipulation of the shareholders interest in terms of dividend declared 4) balancing the closing process for the year of 2005 manually 5) complication on debt collection therefore the possibility of bad debt in future Solution 3 As far as we are concerned, the auditor can request the engineering department to provide the document on clients who are using their courier services and counter-check it with the Custom Department to verify the figure. We assume every activity must be reported to the  Mior, Asif, Stephanie, Rohanna.  DCAM. Therefore, from the backward process, the auditor would be able to verify the turnover figure. Problem 4 A loan received from a Hong Kong based company was found to be incorrectly recorded in the debtors’ account This issue will have the major influence on liabilities. It has violated the matching principle. The following problems can be determined due to these mistakes. 1) The impact on liabilities of the FCB will be decreased whereas assets increase due to the error on double entry process 2) The financial cost (interest expense) will decrease resulting increase of  profit before tax Solution 4 Counter-check and verify the Loan agreement between the FCB and Hong Kong based company. After verifying, the auditors will correct the double entry according to accounting standard by MASB. Problem 5 Several abnormal transactions involving the purchase of aircrafts by FCB and offsetting the debtors’ accounts were found in FCB’s books Following abnormal transaction is strictly against the process of accounting system. It violates many principle of accounting system i.e. principle of non-compensation, principles of sincerity and principles of consistency*. Abnormal transactions could lead to multiplier faults in the financial statement like 1) Overstated/Understated assets Usage of cash or credit was not determined properly Cutting down the overall debtor amount 2) Fail to determine bad debt 3) Fail to determine the true figure of debtors Solution 5 Actions that could be taken by auditors 1) Reconciliation of book keeping related to purchases of abnormal transactions 2) Cross proof each and every documents related to purchases and debtor 3) If possible ensure debtors confirmation letter Actions that could be taken by management 1) Not to mix up purchases with debtors 2) Debtors can be offset upon receiving money or against bad debt Conclusion In conclusion, these issues above could be avoided provided that delegation and segregation of duties were made to ensure accountability in bookkeeping and minimisation to fraud. The company could also hire an internal auditor to regularly inspect the financial condition and activities of the company. Accountability and counter-checking between one another is also crucial to minimize mistakes and deceit. It is such a shame that a company with such great Mior, Asif, Stephanie, Rohanna  potential (to be the leading cargo company in Malaysia) should suffer a fate such as this due to trivial avoidable mistakes and fraud. It is best that PLCs to work towards transparency within the company so that mistakes/problems could be detected and solved before it gets out of hand. References Ready Ratios. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Available:http://www.readyratios.com/reference/accounting/generally_accepted_accounting_ principles_gaap.html. Last accessed 4th Feb 2014

Poverty and Homelessness Essay

Over the years , we as a society have become insensitive to the major issues faced by the mankind and homelessness is one of those major issues. Millions of people, including children, families , babies ,veterans and elderly live day after day without food, water or a roof over their heads. People who are mentally ill also have it tough on the streets, which can be extremely confusing to them and dangerous to the rest of society. As the con side of this argument, it can be understood as a problem that must be solved soon and therefore should be addressed as major crises affecting the society. At the same time, I argue that it is not as big problem as it is made out to be. There are various reasons for why people are homeless and some of those reasons ,along with their effects as well as solutions are mentioned in this essay. The majority of homeless people are adult men. Many of these men choose to be homeless because that is the free lifestyle they want to live. Same is the case with many women and children. Homelessness life is not always as bad as it seems. Homelessness people have all the time in the world, they are free to do whatever they like without any restrictions. They can read books, take walks, go for hang outs and enjoy nature. There are the drawbacks of diminished health, alcohol and drugs and looks of disdain from other people, but any homeless people just live in their own world and enjoy it. According to my thought, homeless should just be allowed to live their lives. Second reason that can be considered as important for homelessness is that there are those people who do not make the choice of becoming homeless, but are forced of becoming homeless because of economic issues. For example, as the population is increasing at a very fast pace , it is getting difficult for everyone to find a job and as a result, unemployment prevails which directly leads to the issue of becoming homeless. There are the people that we need to help out financially. Thirdly, there are some people who make the choice of being homeless because they simply do not want to support themselves, these are the people that need to receive professional medical help. Our society can be seen as adversely affected by the problem of homelessness. Having no home can make it extremely hard for adults to get or keep work, being one of the causes of poverty which in addition to helping to maintain homelessness also helps turn households trying to be useful rospering citizens into victimized anti-social problem households breeding further poverty, drug addiction, alcoholism and crime. Homeless young people are much more likely to be not in education. In other words, the homeless people can not get access to a better education because they do not have the resources to fulfill their basic needs. Poor qualification, in turn, act as a barrier in finding job, as a result, future of the homeless people is spoiled. Poverty and desperation means some homeless people turn t o crime. This further decreases the chances of them finding work and escaping their situation. Homeless young people are more likely to be the victims of crime. Their situation puts them at risk of exploitation, particularly if they become homeless at a very young age. Homelessness has a huge effect on an individual’s both physical and emotional health. Homeless men and women suffer from cold that they can not get rid of because they have no access to medicine, food and warm housing. They also are more at risk for dependency on drugs and alcohol and contracting HIV. They suffer from vitamin deficiencies and often don’t get adequate sleep. Homeless people have no housing to protect themselves from physical violence and even rape. These can lead to emotional breakdowns that lead them to become institutionalized. In sum, homelessness is not a big issue for those who desires to be homeless, for instance , people who do not want to have social contacts with others , but , for the persons who are forced to become homeless ,it is a huge problem and needs to be solved. There seems to be two main elements in saving a homeless person. The government needs to help homeless people get back on their feet. They need to make sure also that homeless people do not abuse systems such as social security and housing. Also, homeless need to get up on their own two feet, for themselves. Finding jobs, such as selling â€Å"Homeless Newspapers† seems to be a common first step. To illustrate, a vendor gets the papers for free or low cost, sells them for something like a dollar and keeps 55 cents, or a little more than a half, for each sold. The homeless can then use this money to pay for food, shelter and other basic necessities. Many shelters exist whose primary goal is to provide homeless with a job and home. We help these people everyday without knowing as a proportion of our taxes go back to the community in many forms and one form is helping out the homeless. One can also help the homeless by volunteering at shelters. So if the government is willing to help get the homeless roused into the wanting of a better life, and they wish to follow through, then I suppose we could find a better, faster way to end the nation’s problem of homelessness.

Gender Discrimination Against Women in the Workplace Essay

Traditionally, women have been considered to be the weaker sex and subordinate to men. Moreover, their roles have been assigned to domestic and childrearing duties. The job market is male dominated, and women are often considered to be out of place therein. Women face considerable sexual discrimination in the world of work, significantly limiting their employment prospects and subsequent advancement in their careers. Women generally find it more difficult than men to acquire a fulltime job. What is more, when they can successfully find work, they often struggle to extend their reaches and advance to higher positions. The jobs women are granted are very often those with low status and correspondingly lower income. As Harolambos (Sociology: Themes and Perspectives) says, â€Å"Women face a number of disadvantages in paid work. Firstly, they tend to be lower paid than men. Secondly, they are more-likely to be in part-time work. Thirdly, they tend to concentrated in the lower reaches of the occupations in which they work. Fourthly, women tend to do particular types of jobs, usually those with low status.† In aquiring a job, it must be remembered that more often than not, the employer is male. Men are the ones in the job market with power and authority, and thus make the majority of the decisions – including who gets hired. As Peter Worsley (The New Introducing Sociology) puts it, â€Å"Within the gendered workplace, it is invariably men who are overwhelmingly in positions of power and authority. It is men who, by-and-large, make decisions.† When prospective female employees are being considered for employment, several biases tend to come into play in the minds of the employers. Firstly, male applicants for the job are often given more preference because it is assumed that they have a wife and family to support. In the view of many employers, the role of women as breadwinners is a subordinate one to that of their husband (if she is married). Added to this fact, women lead more complex social lives than that of men. They often must balance their roles as financial providers and child caregivers. Employers often ask personal questions to female applicants. They aim to obtain background information. This may include her marital status, whether she has any children and their ages, or if she is a single mother. Then they interpret these pieces of information in several, prejudiced lights. For example, if she is married, they assume that her husband is the primary breadwinner and her role will be subordinate. This puts the female applicant at a disadvantage when compared to a male applicant with a â€Å"wife and family to support.† Or they may assume that a single parent mother with a young child may need too much personal time to fulfil her parental roles at the loss to the employer (manifesting as a loss in â€Å"man-hours†). Women – both single and married – may even be asked if they intend to have children at a job interview, perhaps informally. And if they say â€Å"yes†, thoughts of maternity leave, subsidized childcare and their costs immediately spring in the minds of the employer. A woman who leaves her job on maternity leave often runs the risk of not having a job to return to. â€Å"Britain for example, has the lowest rate of maternity leave in the European Union. Sixty percent of women in the United States have no adequate access to such leave.† (David Bender and Bruno Leone, 1989) In Trinidad and Tobago, women had virtually no protection from such discrimination until 2001, when the Maternity Leave Act was passed – guaranteeing that their job would still be available on their return. Many mothers are at pains to find fulltime work. Their parental demands make it difficult to pursue a fulltime career. Employers often make no provisions for them, as well as women returning from maternity leave, in the way of workplace creche and nursery services. Their part-time status means that they earn significantly less. Ironically, they earn less just at the time when they need more funds to support adequate childcare. The jobs women are usually able to get tend to be of low status, and low paying. â€Å"Society has made it such that even if a woman wanted to go against the norms and get a job in the work force she would not get very far. About 75 percent of the jobs in the well paying professions are held by men and even if women are able to get equal jobs as men they still get paid considerably less.† (David Bender and Bruno Leone, 1989) In the professional world, women seem to be trapped in the clerical field, with very few ever reaching managerial positions, even and despite of their having adequate qualifications. In 1950, women composed 30 percent of the workforce. Over 50 years later, this number has increased to 47 percent. Yet, today, women who work full-time, year-round earn 76 cents for every dollar men earn. This is in part due to the limited career options of women compared to that of men, in addition to the usual disparity in pay. Many jobs are so designed, that their â€Å"qualifications† are deterrents to female applicants and favour males. For example, to be a firefighter, you have to pass a strength test – and even if a woman passes, she may still be denied access if she is not of the required height and weight. Thus, such jobs tend to be male oriented. Increasingly however, women are being granted them as old attitudes and norms change. But this has lead to yet another ill – workplace violence against women is on the increase in such careers. It seems that in traditionally male dominated fields, such as the armed forces and the utilities, women earn less only to suffer more. In 2001, 14,170 lost-time injuries or illnesses resulting from assaults and violent acts on women in the American workplace were reported, whereas men suffered from 9,464. Although women compose 47 percent of the workforce, they suffer 60 percent of these attacks. About 36,500 rapes occur in the workplace annually, approximately 80 percent of which occur against women. In 2001, female fatalities in the American workplace as a result of assaults and violent acts numbered 30.8 percent. Men however, had only a 13.9 percent workplace fatality rate due to assaults and violent acts. Without doubt, women are the ones who suffer more from workplace violence. Unquestionably, women experience discrimination in the world of work. Although the prospects for improving the current state of affairs may seem bleak, there is hope. As increasing numbers of workingwomen and their supporters lobby for change, those in authority have started listening. The gender disparity in pay is decreasing and women now have a greater range of career opportunities. Progress has been slow. But considering it requires the changing of norms established from the dawn of society, the advancement has been significant. While gender discrimination may exist for quite some time to come, it can be expected to decrease as time goes on.

Atomic

Atomic Essay BombThen a tremendous flash of light cut across the sky . Mr. Tanimotohas a distinct recollection that it traveled from east to west, from the citytoward the hills. It seemed like a sheet of sun. à John Hersey, fromHiroshima, pp.8 On August 6, 1945, the world changed forever. On that day theUnited States of America detonated an atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima. Never before had mankind seen anything like. Here was something that wasslightly bigger than an ordinary bomb, yet could cause infinitely moredestruction. It could rip through walls and tear down houses like the devilswrecking ball. In Hiroshima it killed 100,000 people, most non-militarycivilians. Three days later in Nagasaki it killed roughly 40,000 . The immediateeffects of these bombings were simple. The Japanese government surrendered,unconditionally, to the United States. The rest of the world rejoiced as themost destructive war in the history of mankind came to an end . All while thesurvivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki tried to piece together what was left oftheir lives, families and homes. Over the course of the next forty years, thesetwo bombings, and the nuclear arms race that followed them, would come to have adirect or indirect effect on almost every man, woman and child on this Earth,including people in the United States. The atomic bomb would penetrate everyfabric of Ame rican existence. From our politics to our educational system. Ourindustry and our art. Historians have gone so far as to call this period in ourhistory the Ã’atomic ageÓ for the way it has shaped and guided worldpolitics, relations and culture. The entire history behind the bomb itself isrooted in Twentieth Century physics. At the time of the bombing the science ofphysics had been undergoing a revolution for the past thirty-odd years. Scientists now had a clear picture of what the atomic world was like. They newthe structure and particle makeup of atoms, as well as how they behaved. Duringthe 1930Õs it became apparent that there was a immense amount of energythat would be released atoms of Gioielli 2certain elements were split, or takenapart. Scientists began to realize that if harnessed, this energy could besomething of a magnitude not before seen to human eyes. They also saw that thisenergy could possibly be harnessed into a weapon of amazing power. And with theadvent of World War Two, this became an ever increasing concern. In the earlyfall of 1939, the same time that the Germans invaded Poland, President Rooseveltreceived a letter from Albert Einstein, informing him about the certainpossibilities of creating a controlled nuclear chain reaction, and thatharnessing such a reaction could produce a bomb of formidable strength. Hewrote: This new phenomena would lead also lead to the construction of bombs, andit is conceivable, though much less certain-that extremely powerful bombs of anew type may thus be constructed (Clark 556-557).The letter goes on to encouragethe president to increase government and military involvement in suchexperiments, and to encourage the experimental work of the scientists with theallocation of funds, facilities and equipment that might be necessary. Thisletter ultimately led to the Manhattan Project, the effort that involvedbillions of dollars and tens of thousands of people to produce the atomic bomb. During the time after the war, until just recently the American psyche has beenbranded with the threat of a nuclear holocaust. Here was something so powerful,yet so diminutive. A bomb that could obliterate our nations capital, and thatwas as big as somebodies backyard grill. For the first time in the history ofhuman existence here was something capable of wiping us off the face of theEarth. And most people had no control over that destiny. It seemed like peopleslives, the life of everything on this planet, was resting in the hands of acouple men in Northern Virginia and some guys over in Russia. The atomic bomband the amazing power it held over us had a tremendous influence on AmericanCulture, including a profound effect on American Literature. After the war, thefirst real piece of literature about the bombings came in 1946. The workHiroshima, by Jon Hersey, from which the opening quote is taken, first appearedas a long article in the New Yorker, then shortly after in book form. The bookis a non-fiction account of the bombing of Hiroshima and the immediateaftermath. It is told from the point-of-view of six hibakusha, or Ã’survivorsÓof the atomic blast. In four chapters Hersey traces how the these peoplesurvived the blast, and what they did in following weeks and months to pulltheir lives together Gioielli 3and save their families. The book takes on a toneof sympathy and of miraculous survival à that these people were luckyenough to survive the blast. He focuses not on the suffering of the victims buton their courage (Stone, 7). The following passage from the first chapter showsthis:A hundred thousand people were killed by the bomb, and these six were amongthe survivors. They still wonder why they lived when so many others died. Eachof the counts many small items of chance or volitionà a step taken in time,a decision to go indoors, catching one streetcar instead of the nextà thatspared him. And each that in the act of survival he lived a dozen lives and sawmore death than he ever thought he would see. At the time, none of them knewanything (4). Hersey was attempting to chronicle what had happened at Hiroshima,and to do so fairly. And in emphasizing the survival instead of the suffering hedoes not make his book anti-American or something that condemns the dropping ofthe bomb. He simply gives these peoples accounts of how they survived in a tonethat is more journalistic than sensationalistic. The book empathizes with theirplight while it also gives an American explanation for the bombing (Stone, 7). That it was an act of war to end the war as quickly and as easily as possible,and to save more lives in the long run. Hersey did all this to provide what heconsidered an evenhanded portrayal of the event, but he also did not want tocause much controversy. Although it could be criticized for not giving a moredetailed account of the suffering that occurred, and that it reads more like ahistory book than a piece of literature, HerseyÕs book was the first ofits kind when it was published. Up until then all accounts of the Hiroshimabombing writings about it took the slant that Japanese had Ã’deserved whatwe had given themÓ, and that we were good people for doing so. Theseaccounts were extremely prejudicial and racist. (Stone, 4) Hersey was the firstto take the point of view of those who had actually experienced the event. Andhis work was the transition between works that glorified thedropping of theatomic bomb, to those that focused on its amazing destructive powers, and whatth ey could do to our world. During the period immediately after the war, notmuch information was available to general public concerning what kind ofdestruction the atomic bombs had actually caused in Japan. But starting withHerseyÕs book and continuing with other non-fiction works, such as DavidBradleys No Place To Hide, which concerned the Bikini Island nuclear tests,Americans really began to get a picture of the awesome power and destructivenessof nuclear weapons. They saw that these really Gioielli 4were doomsday devices. Weapons that could change everything in an instant, and turn things into nothingin a moment. It was this realization that had a startling effect on Americanculture and literature. Some Americans began to say Ã’At any time we couldall be shadows in the blast wave, so whatÕs the point?Ó. Thisviewpoint manifested itself in literature in something called the Ã’apocalyptictemperÓ; an attitude or a tone dealing with a forthcoming end to theworld. Also, many people, because of this realization of our impending death,were beginning to say that maybe their was something inherently wrong with allof this. That nuclear weapons are dangerous to everyone, no matter what yourpolitical views or where you live, and that we should do away with all of them. They have no value to society and should be destroyed. This apocalyptic temperand social activism was effected greatly in the early Sixties by the CubanMissile Crisis. When Americans saw, on television, that they could be undernuclear attack in under twenty minutes, a new anxiety about the cold warsurfaced that had not been present since the days of McCarthy. And this newanxiety was evidenced in works that took on a much more satirical tone. And oneof the works that shows this satiric apocalyptic temper and cynicism is KurtVonneguts Cats Cradle. Vonnegut, considered by many to be one of Americasforemost living authors, was himself a veteran of World War Two. He, as aprisoner of war, was one of the few survivors of the fire-bombing of Dresden. InDresden he saw what many believe was a more horrible tragedy than Hiroshima. Theallied bombs destroyed the entire city and killed as many people, if not more,than were killed in Hiroshima. He would eventually write about this experiencein the semi-autobiographical Slaughterhouse-Five. This novel, like Cats Cradle,takes a very strong anti-war stance. But along with being an Anti-war book, CatsCradle is an excellent satire of the Atomic Age. It is essentially the story ofone man, an author by the name of John (or Jonah) and the research he is doingfor a book on the day the bomb exploded in Hiroshima. This involves him withmembers of the Dr. Felix Hoenikker familyà the genius who helped build thebombà and their adventures. In the book Vonnegut paints an imaginary worldwhere things might not seem to make any Gioielli 5sense. But there is in fact anamazing amount of symbolism, as well as satire. Dr. Hoenikker is an extremelyeccentric scientist who spends most of his time in the lab at his company. He isinterested in very few things, his children not among them. His children arealmost afraid of him. One of the few times he does try to play with his childrenis when he tries to teach the game of cats cradle to his youngest s on, Newt. READ: The Harrapan Civilization EssayWhen he is trying to show newt the game Newt gets very confused. In the book,this is what Newt remembered of the incident:Ã’And then he sang, ÔRockabyecatsy, in the tree topÕ;he sang, Ô when the wind blows, the cray-dullwill fall. Down will come cray-dull, catsy and all.Õ Ã’I burst intotears. I jumped up and ran out of the house as fast as I could.Ó(18)WhatNewt doesnÕt remember is what he said to his Father. Later in the book wefind this out from Newts sister, Angela that newt jumped of his fatherÕslap screaming Ã’ No cat! No cradle! No cat! No cradle!Ó(53) With thisscene, Vonnegut is trying to show a couple of things. Dr. Hoenikker symbolizesall the scientists who created the atomic bomb. And the cats cradle is the worldand all of humankind combined. Dr. Hoenikker is simply playing, like he has allhis life, that game just happens to involve the fate of the rest of the world. And little Newt, having a childs un-blinded perception, doesnÕt understandthe game. He doesnÕt see a cat or a cradle. Like all the gamesDr.Hoenikker plays, including the ones with nuclear weapons, this one ismislabeled. This is just one of the many episodes in the book that characterizesDr. Hoenikker as a player of games. He recognizes this in himself when he giveshis Nobel Prize speech:I stand before you now because I never stopped dawdlinglike an eight year on a spring morning on his way to school. Anything can makeme stop and wonder, and sometimes learn (17). And the Doctors farewell to theworld is a game he has played, with himself. One day a Marine General asked himif he could make something that would eliminate mud, so that marines wouldnÕthave to deal with mud anymore. So Dr. Hoenikker thinks up ice-nine, an imaginarysubstance that when it comes in contact with any other kind of water, itcrystallizes it. And this crystallization spreads to all the water moleculesth is piece of water is in contact with. So to crystallize the mud in an entirearmed division of marines, it would only take a minuscule amount of ice-nine. Dr. Gioielli 6Hoenikkers colleagues see this as just another example of hisimagination at work. But he actually does create a small chink of ice-nine, andwhen he dies, each of his children get a small piece of it. They carry it aroundwith themselves in thermos containers the rest of their lives. At the end ofbook one small piece of ice-nine gets out , by mere accident, and ends upcrystallizing the whole world. The game Dr. Hoenikker was playing with himselfdestroyed the whole world. The accident that caused the ice-nine to get outcould be much like the accident that could cause World War III. One small thingthat sets off an amazing series of events, like piece of ice-nine just fallingout of the thermos. And Dr. Hoenikker, like the scientists of the world, wasplaying game and caused it all. Here is a description of the world after theice-nine has wreaked its havoc:There were no smells. There was no movement. Every step I took made a gravelly squeak in blue-white frost. And every squeakwas echoed loudly. The season of locking was over. The Earth was locked up tight(179).This description eerily resembles what many have said the Earth will looklike during a nuclear winter (Stone, 62). In addition to Dr. Hoenikker and hisdoomsday games, Vonnegut provides an interesting analysis of atomic age societywith the Bokonon religion. This religion, completely made up by Vonnegut andused in this novel, is the religion of every single inhabitant of San Lorenzo,the books imaginary banana republic. This is the island where Jonah eventuallyends up, and where the ice-nine holocaust originates. (It also, being aCaribbean nation, strangely resembles Cuba.) Bokonon is a strange religion. Itwas created by one of the leaders of San Lorenzo, a long time ago. Essentially,Bokonon is the only hope for all inhabitants of San Lorenzo. Their existence onthe island is so horrible that they have to find harmony with som ething. Bokononism gives them that. It is based on untruths, to give San Lorenzans asense of security, since the truth provides none. This concept can be summed upin this Bokononist quotation: Ã’Live by thefoma* that makes you brave andkind and healthy and happy. *Harmless untruths (4)Ó The inhabitants of SanLorenzo do not care what is going on in their real lives because they have thefoma of Bokonon to keep them secure and happy. And Vonnegut is trying to saythat is what is happening to the rest of us. Americans, and the rest of theworld for that matter, have this false sense of security that we are safe andsecure. That in our homes in Indiana with our dogs and Gioielli 7our lawnmowers,we think we are invincible. Everything will be okay because we are protected byare government. This is the foma of real life, because we are trying to denywhat is really going on. WeÕre in imminent danger of being annihilated atany second, but to deny this very real danger we are creating a false w orld sothat we may live in peace, however false that sense of peace may be. Throughoutthe entire novel Vonnegut gives little snippets of Ã’calypsosÓ :Bokonon proverbs written by Bokonon. Verse like:I wanted all things To seem tomake some sense,So we could all be happy, yes,Instead of tense.And I made upliesSo that they all fit niceAnd made this sad worldA par-a-dise (90).Thiscalypso expresses the purpose of Bokonon and why it, with its harmless untruths,exists. The following one is about the outlawing of Bokonon. To make thereligion more appealing to the people, the leaders had it banned, with itspractice punishable by death. They hoped that a renegade religion with a rebelleader would appeal to the people more.So I said good-bye to government,and Igave my reason:That a really good religionIs a form of treason (118)Thesecalypsos, and the rest of the book, express the points Vonnegut in a moreabstract , symbolic manner. They only add to the impact of the books messageexpressin g it in a very short, satirical way. The black humor used when talkingabout the end of the worldà the nuclear endà was pioneered by Vonnegut. But what many consider to be the the climax of this pop culture phenomena isStanley Kubricks movie, Dr. Strangelove(Stone 69). Subtitled Or How I learnedto Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb , this movie was Kubricks viewpoint on howmad the entire Cold War and arms race had become. Based a little known book byEnglish science fiction writer Peter George, Red Alert, the movie is about howone maverick Air Force general, who is obviously suffering a severe mentalillness, concocts a plan to save the world from the Gioielli 8Communists. Hemanages to order the strategic bombers under his command to proceed to theirtargets in the Soviet Union. They all believe it is World War Three, and theGeneral, Jack Ripper, is the only one that can call the planes back. Kubrickscharacters: Dr. Strangelove, President Mertin Muffley, Premier Kissof andothers, go through a series a misadventures to try and turn the planes around. READ: Human Sexuality EssayBut the one, plane piloted by Major Ã’KingÓ Kong, does get through,and it drops its bombload. This is where Kubrick tries to show the futility ofeverything. The governments of both the worlds superpowers have thousands ofsafeguards and security precautions for their nuclear weapons. But one manmanages to get a nuclear warhead to be hit its target. And this warhead hits theÃ’Doomsday DeviceÓ. The Doomsday device is the ultimate deterrent,because if you try to disarm it it will go off. It has the capability to destroyevery living human and animal on Earth, and it does So it is all pointless. Wehave these weapons, and no matter how hard we try to control them everyone stilldies. And so to make ourselves feel better about all this impending doom,Kubrick, like Vonnegut, satirizes the entire system. By making such moroniccharacters, like the wimpish President Mertin Muffley, Kubrick is saying,similar to Vonnegut with Dr. Hoenikker, that we are ev en worse off because theseweapons are controlled by people that are almost buffoonish and childish. General Ripper, the man who causes the end of the world, is a portrait of aMcCarthy era paranoid gone mad. He thinks the communists are infiltrating andtrying to destroy are country. And he says the most heinous communist plotagainst democracy is fluoridation of water:Like I was saying, Group Captain,fluoridation of water is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communistplot we have ever had to face . . . They pollute our precious bodily fluids!(George 97)And General Rippers personal prevention of the contamination of hisbodily fluids is equally perplexing. He drinks only Ã’ . . . distilledwater, or rain water, and only grain alcohol . . .Ó Kubrick uses this kindof absurd reasoning in his movie to show the absurd reasoning behind nuclearweapons. Both him and Vonnegut were part of the satirical side of theapocalyptic temper in the early Sixties. They laughed at our governments, ourleaders, the Cold War and the arms race, and tried to show how stupid it allreally was. Bu t as time moved on, the writers, and the entire country, startedto take a less narrow minded view of things. The counterculture of the Gioielli9sixties prompted people to take a closer look at themselves. As thinkers,teachers, lovers, parents, friends and human beings. And people concerned withnuclear weapons started to see things in a broader context as well. Nuclearweapons were something that affected our whole consciousness. The way we grewup, our relationships with others and what we did with our lives. One of theauthors who put this new perspective on things was the activist, social thinkerand poet Allen Ginsberg. Ginsberg first made a name for himself in the 1950Õsas one of the foremost of the Beat writers. The Beats in the Fifties were aforerunner of the more widespread counterculture of the late Sixties and earlySeventies. And Ginsberg evolved into this. He became a devoted leader in thecounterculture, who set many precedents for the Hippie generation. He lived invarious communes, delved deeply into eastern religions and experimented withnumerous hallucinogenic drugs. In the earlier part of his life Ginsberg had beena rebel against society. He was still a rebel but now he was taking the form ofactivist. By the Seventies he was involved in many causes that promoted peaceand world harmony. What separated Ginsberg from other activists is that he wasone of the first and original members of many of these movements. Now he was thefather figure to many in the non-mainstream world. While teaching at his schoolof poetry in Naropa, Colorado, Ginsberg became involved in protests against thenearby Rock Flats Nuclear Weapons Factory. During the Summer of 1978 he wasarrested for preventing a shipment nuclear waste from reaching its destinationand for numerous other protests against the facility (Miles 474). From theseexperiences came two poems Ã’Nagasaki DaysÓ and Ã’ Plutonium OdeÓ. Both these poems exhibit Ginsbergs more mature style of writing (Miles 475). The poems are more scholarly, containing many mythological and religiousallusions. But both these characteristics show how post war apocalypticliterature had evolved. By the Seventies many writers, instead of taking thedefeatist, satirical view like Vonnegut, were beginning to take a make activiststandpoint, like Ginsberg. Apocalyptic literature also took on a more mature,scholarly tone, and was more worldly and had a broader viewpoint. This stanzafrom Ã’Nagasaki DaysÓ shows how Ginsberg is putting nuclear weaponsinto the context of the universal:2,000,000 killed in Vietnam13,000,000 refugeesin Indochina 200,000,000 years for the Galaxy to revolve on its core 24,000 theBabylonian great year24,000 half life of plutoniumGioielli 102,000 the most Iever got for a poetry reading80,000 dolphins killed in the dragnet4,000,000,000years earth been born (701)The half life of plutonium is brought together withdolphins and Indochinese refugees. Also, Ginsberg makes a reference to theBabyl onian great year, which coincides with the half life of plutonium. Thiscosmic link intrigued Ginsberg immensely. That fact alone inspired him to rightÃ’Plutonium OdeÓ. The whole poem expands on this connection toplutonium as a living part of our universe, albeit a very dangerous one. Here hementions the Great Year:Before the Year began turning its twelve signs, ereconstellations wheeled for twenty-four thousand sunny yearsslowly round theiraxis in Sagittarius, one hundred sixty-seven thousand times returning to thisnight. (702) Ginsberg is also relating the great year, and the half life ofplutonium, to the life of the Earth. The life of the Earth is approximately fourbillion years, which is 24,000 times 167,000 (Ginsberg 796) In Ã’PlutoniumOdeÓ, Ginsberg talks to plutonium. By establishing a dialogue he gives theplutonium almost human characteristics. It is something, and is near us everyday, and is deadly. In this passage he is asking how long before it kills usall:I enter your secret places with my mind, I speak with your presence, I roamyour lion roar with mortal mouth.One microgram inspired to one lung, ten poundsof heavy metal dust, adrift slowly motion over gray Alpsthe breadth of theplanet, how long before your radiance speeds blight and death to sentientbeings. (703) In putting his nuclear fears and worries on the table, and sayingthat these things have pertinence to us because they affect how we live ourlives and the entire the universe, Ginsberg is showing how intrigued he is withplutonium in this poem. By the time Ginsberg was publishing these poems in late1978, post war literature had evolved immensely. At first people had no ideaabout the bomb and its capabilities. Then, as more information came out aboutwhat the bomb could do, they began to began to start to live in real fear ofnuclear weapons. The power of it, a creation by man that could destroy theworld, that was terrifying. Then some artists and writers began to see theabsurdity of it all. They saw that we were under control by people we did not,or should not, trust, and were a constant state of nuclear Gioielli 11fear. Sothey satirized the system unmercifully, and were very apocalyptic in their tone. But then things evolved from these narrow minded viewpoints, and people began toenvision nuclear weapons in the context of our world and our lives. The atomicbomb and nuclear proliferation affected all facets of our lifestyle, includingwhat we read. Literature is a reflection of a countryÕs culture andfeelings. And literature affected Americans curiosity, horror, anxiety, cynicismand hope concerning nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons raised questions that noone had dare ever asked before, and had given them answers that they were afraidto hear. They have made us think about our place in the universe, and what itall means. BibliographyBartter, Martha A. The Way to Ground Zero. New York: Greenwood Press, 1988. Dewey, Joseph. In a Dark Time. West Lafayette: Purdue University Press, 1990.Dr. Strangelove. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. With Peter Sellers, George C. Scott and SlimPickens. Highland Films Ltd., 1966.(This is a novelization of the movie. Allqoutations from the movie were transribed form this book) Einstein, Albert. Ã’SirÓ (a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt) Einstein: TheLife and Times. Ronald W. Clark. New York: World Publishing, 1971. 556-557.George, Peter. Dr. Strangelove. Boston: Gregg Press, 1979.Ginsberg,Allen. Ã’Nagasaki DaysÓ and Ã’Plutonium Ode.Ó CollectedPoems: 1947à 1980. Ed. Allen Ginsberg. New York: Harper and Row, 1984. 699-705. Gleick, James. Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman. NewYork :Vintage Books, 1992.Hersey, John. Hiroshima. New York: Alfred A. Knopf,1985.Miles, Barry. Ginsberg: A Biography. New York: Harper Perennial,1989.Stone, Albert E. Literary Aftershocks: American Writers, Readers and theBomb. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1994.Vonnegut, Kurt. CatÕs Cradle. NewYork:Dell, 1963.