Time For Reform free essay sample

# 8211 ; Sing The Failures Of The Essay, Research Paper Time for reform? sing the failures of the electoral collegeDescription: This paper discusses the many defects of the ElectoralCollege, and postulates possible alternate electoral procedures which probably bemore democratic. A common misconception among American is that when they vote they elect the President. The truth is notnearly this simple. What in fact happens when a individual votes is that there ballot goes for an Elector. ThisElector ( who is selected by the several province in which a ballot is cast ) casts ballots for two persons, thePresident and the Vice-President. Each province has the same figure of voters as there are Senate and Houseof Representative members for that State. When the vote has stopped the campaigner who receives themajority of the Electoral ballots for a province receives all the electoral ballots for that province. All the ballots aretransmitted to Washington, D.C. for tallying, and the campaigner with the bulk of the electoral ballots winsthe presiden tial term. We will write a custom essay sample on Time For Reform or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page If no campaigner receives a bulk of the ballot, the duty of choosing the nextPresident falls upon the House of Representatives. This luxuriant system of Presidential choice is thoughtby many to be an eighteenth century mistiming ( Hoxie p. 717 ) , what it is in fact is the merchandise of a 200 twelvemonth olddebate over who should choose the President and why.In 1787, the Framers in their infinite wisdom, saw the demand to esteem the rules of both Federalists andStates Righters ( republicans ) ( Hoxie p. 717 ) . Summarily a via media was struck between those who feltCongress should choose the President and those who felt the provinces should hold a say. In 1788 the ElectoralCollege was indoctrinated and placed into operation. The College was to let people a say in who lead them, but was besides to protect against the general public # 8217 ; s ignorance of political relations. Why the fright of the peoplesignorance of political relations? It was argued that the people, left to their ain devices could be swayed by a fewdesigning work forces to elect a male monarch or rabble-rouser ( McManus p. 19 ) . With the Electoral College in topographic point the peoplecould make a screened determination about who the highest authorization in the land was to be ( Bailey A ; Shafritz ( p. 60 ) ; at the same clip the fright of the freshly formed state being destroyed by a rabble-rouser could be put to restbecause wiser work forces had the concluding say. 200 old ages subsequently the system is still designed to safeguard against the nescient capacities of the people. TheElectoral College has remained comparatively unchanged in signifier and map since 1787, the twelvemonth of itsformulation. This in itself poses a job because in 200 old ages the bets have changed yet the College hasremained the same. A precaution against a rabble-rouser may still be relevant, but the College as this safeguardhas proved flawed in other capacities. These defects have shed visible radiation on the many waies to undemocraticelection. The inquiry so is what shall the precedences be? Shall the flaws be addressed or are theyacceptable idiosyncrasies of a system that has efficaciously prevented the rise of a male monarch for 200 old ages? To reply thisquestion we must foremost see a figure of events past and possible that have or could hold occurred as aresult of the flaws Electoral College. The Unfaithful ElectorUnder the current procedures of the Electoral College, when a member of the general electorate casts a votefor a campaigner he is in fact projecting a ballot for an Electoral College member who is an voter for thatcandidate. Bound merely by tradition this College member is expected to stay faithful to the campaigner he hasinitially agreed to elect. This has non ever happened. In past cases Electoral College member haveproved to be unfaithful. This unfaithful voter ignores the will of the general electorate and alternatively selectscandidate other than the 1 he was exp ected to elect ( McGaughey, p. 81 ) . This unfaithfulness summarilysubjugates all the ballots for a campaigner in a peculiar territory. In all equity it is of import to observe thatinstances of unfaithful voters are few and far between, and in fact 26 provinces have Torahs forestalling againstunfaithful voters ( McGauhey, p.81 ) . Despite this the fact remains that the possibility of an unfaithfulelector does be and it exists because the system is designed to besiege around direct popular electionof the President. The Numbers FlawThe unfaithful voter is an illustration of how the popular will can be intentionally ignored. The Numbers Flawreveals how the will of the people can be passed over accidentally due to defect of design ( McNown, LectureNotes, 2/20/93 ) . ( a ) 6/b ( 4 ) | ( a ) 6/b ( 6 ) Candidate a: 18| Candidate B: 22 # 8212 ; # 8212 ; # 8212 ; # 8212 ; -| # 8212 ; # 8212 ; # 8212 ; # 8212 ; | Electoral Votes ( a ) 6/b ( 4 ) | ( a ) 0/b ( 10 ) Candidate a: 3| Candi date B: 1In this theoretical illustration campaigner ( a ) receives a minority of the popular ballots with 18, but a bulk ofthe electoral ballots with three. Candidate ( B ) receives a bulk of the popular ballots with 22, but receivesonly one electoral ballot. Under the winner-take-all system, the campaigner with the bulk of the electoralvotes non merely wins the province but besides receives all the electoral ballots for that province. In this hypotheticalsituation campaigner ( a ) having a minority of the popular ballots wins the province and takes all the electoralvotes. The acceptableness of this denial of the popular will, unwilled or otherwise, is questionable to saythe least. Tie GameThe job posed by no one individual having a bulk of the electoral ballots ( a tie ) foremost came to head inthe 1800 elections. The success of political parties served to turn Electoral College members into agents ofthe parties Bailey A ; Shafritz p. 61 ) . This so galvanized the 1800 elections that the Republican voters cast their two ballots for the two Republican campaigners, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr respectiv ely. It wasassumed that Jefferson would be President and Burr the Vice-President. Unfortunately their was noconstitutional doctrine to affirm this assumption. As a result the ever audacious Aaron Burr challengedJefferson election as President and the issue had to be sent to the House for resolution (Bailey Shafritz, p. 61). Any debating on the issue was only incidental; when all was said and done the issue was decided by oneman, Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton, and the Federalists were in control of the House when the decision was tobe made. Hamilton, who disagreed with Jefferson but overwhelmingly distrusted Burr, orchestrated a blankballot initiative among the Federalists which allowed the Republicans to select Jefferson as President (Bailey Shafritz, p. 61). Though this entire incident was significant the most noteworthy aspect was the fact thatthe President was essentially chosen by one man. The final decision was taken entirely out of the hands of thepeople and was left to the m ercy of the biases of a single individual. In all fairness it should be noted that the12th amendment was formulated out of the Jefferson-Burr to forever lay to rest the question of who isPresident and Vice-President in a tie. The 12th amendment stipulates that electors are to cast separate votesfor the President and Vice President, and summarily an event such as the Jefferson-Burr incident cannothappen again. (Bailey Shafritz p. 61). In effect the 12th prevents the issue of a tie from going to the Houseunder a very narrow scope of conditions. This is far less of a solution than one which would have preventedthis issue from going to the House at all because when the issue of who would be President went to the Housein 1800, the issue of democracy was left to compromise. This all serves to reveal yet another flaw of theElectoral College process. Congressional selection of the President can lead to democratic compromise. Thiswould seem an area of concern. Though some would argue we hav e had 200 years to distance ourselves fromsuch maladies as the elections of 1800, the following reveals how close to home the flaws 200 year oldinstitution can hit. The Wallace DebacleIn 1968 a three-way tie nearly brought to head the same undemocratic modes of presidential selections thatemerged 200 years earlier with the Jefferson-Burr incident. The 1968 elections race was extremely close. Richard Nixon barley received a majority of the electoral votes to win the presidency. Had Nixon failed to geta majority a number of bizarre scenarios might have emerged. The candidates in the race were Richard Nixon,Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace respectively. Had Nixon failed to win a majority Wallace would have beenin a position to control who the next President would be (Bailey Shafritz p. 65). Though he could not havewon himself Wallace could have used his votes as swing votes to give Nixon a majority, or give Humphreyenough to prevent Nixon from getting a majority (Bailey Shafritz p. 65). In the latter instance the issuewould have, as in 1800, been sent to the House for rectification. In either instance Wallace would have had agreat deal to gain, and the temptation to wheel and deal (at the compromise of democracy) would have beengreat indeed. It is possible Wallace could have used his influence with Southern House members to getHumphrey elected. In the process he would have likely `garnered great political clout for himself. Wallacecould have bargained with Nixon for an administration position in Nixon’s cabinet in return for Wallace’selectoral votes. The possible scenarios are endless, and for the most part irrelevant. What is relevant is thatthe processes of the Electoral College again paved a path for democratic compromise, just as it did in 1800. Iftime is the mechanism for change then apparently not enough time has passed.ConclusionThe shortcomings of the Electoral College presented above are only a few of many flaws. Others flaws includethe bias toward small and large states, which gives these states a disproportionate advantage; The biastoward those who live in urban areas and therefore enjoy a stronger vote than those living in sparselypopulated areas (Bailey Shafritz p. 63). The list of flaws is extensive. The question that still remains iswhether or not the flaws are extensive enough to warrant change? The Electoral College has successfullyprovided the U.S. with its Presidents for 200 years and has done so without allowing the ascension of ademagogue. But in the process of 200 years of electing the College has allowed the will of the people to becompromised. Granted at the time of the 1800 elections the College was young and its shortcomings were notentirely clear. 200 years later the flaws have revealed themselves or have been revealed in various fashion. The question remains then are flaws acceptable considering the duty the College performs? If the purpose ofthe College is to provide democracy but prevent dema goguery then its success seems uncertain. The U.S. hasseen no demagogue but has seen compromise of democracy. The evidence shows that the flaws of the ElectoralCollege are responsible for democratic compromise. It would seem then that the flaws of the college areself-defeating to the purpose of the college. If this is then it is definitely time for reform.1 Bailey, Harry A. Jr., Shafritz, Jay M. The American Presidency, (California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Co., 1988)Chapter III2 McGauhey, Elizabeth P., â€Å"Democracy at Risk,† Policy Review, Winter 1993: 79-813 R. Gordon Hoxie, â€Å"Alexander Hamilton and the Electoral System Revisited,† Presidential Studies Quarterly, v. 18 n. 4 p. 717-7204 John F. McManus, â€Å"Let the Constitution Work,† The New American, v. 8 n. 14 p. 195 William P. Hoar, â€Å"The Electoral College: How The Republic Chooses its President,† New American, v. 8 n. 16 p. 23-28

Depreciation of Rupee Essay Example

Depreciation of Rupee Essay Example Depreciation of Rupee Essay Depreciation of Rupee Essay Kumar exhibited his profound creativity in designing a new symbol for an Indian Rupee but it failed to ignite any excitement, either in India or abroad for the simple reason that Indian Rupee is a beleaguered currency now, for it has lost its sheen over the years. A rich title for a poor currency! The value of Indian Rupee has devalued greatly since independence, notwithstanding some small measly upswings against dollar sometimes which is touted as a strengthening Rupee.The fact is that the real value of rupee has touched its nadir With every passing day Rupee is making new lows but for a common person it is not easy to understand the reason behind this steep fall and he keeps on asking himself a question Why is rupee depreciating? why indian currency is weak,  why indian currency is falling down, why indian currency is depreciating? , Dollar after being stable for a long time now is climbing back up against the rupee. What do you think? Is it the right time that politicians money from Swiss banks should be taken out or will it be really late for us?Or we start depending on our own oil resources and stop importing the yellow metal from outside? Recession is less in India, then why dollar is moving up when rupee must be strong. We all know about recession and it is worse in US and better in India, then how come dollar is appreciating with respect to Indian rupee? Dont you think that Indian rupee should go up and US dollar should move down? There are so many reasons of depreciating rupee Why dollar is moving up and rupee is going down?There has been a recent fall in rupee since some days ago and a dramatic increase in dollar. It was 49. 50, then 50. 12, 51. 10, 52. 60, 53. 54, 54. 40 and stable, and now What is the current rate of dollar? 1 US dollar = 61. 65 Indian rupees. The oil minister is going to raise petrol prices by the third quarter of this year as rupee is down again. RBI is always trying to protect rupee by selling off dollars but still has been una ble to hold rupee from falling at a rapid pace. Due to rise in dollar, gold prices have slashed down.The last resort of controlling rupee fall is issuing bonds by Reserve Bank of India. To prevent further downfall of Indian rupee, RBI is considering selling dollars directly to oil marketing firms. BODY causes Why is this happening? THE CHANGING FACE Money is not an organic creature but its value keeps changing with the society and its economic conditions. One rupee in 1947 is not the same as one rupee today, both in terms of appearance and purchasing power. The value of a countrys currency is linked with its economic conditions and policies. The value of a currency depends on factors that affect the economy such as imports and exports, inflation, employment, interest rates, growth rate, trade deficit, performance of equity markets, foreign exchange reserves, macroeconomic policies, foreign investment inflows, banking capital, commodity prices and geopolitical conditions, says Pramit Brahmbhatt, chief executive officer, Alpari Financial Services (India), a foreign exchange brokerage. Income levels influence currencies through consumer spending. When incomes increase, people spend more.Higher demand for imported goods increases demand for foreign currencies and, thus, weakens the local currency. First Reason Dollar is in Demand BRIC countries like India have emerging economy, so a huge percentage of investment in India is from outside the country, especially from US but due to recession in US, big institutions are collapsing and many of them are on the verge of breakdown. They are suffering huge losses in their country. They have to maintain their balance sheets and look strong on all statements, so to recover losses in their country, they are pulling out their investments from India.Due to this pulling out of investment by these big companies from India or in other terms disinvestment, demand of dollar is raising up and rupee is depreciating. . 2. Foreign Inve stors snatching their investment out of India Foreign investors play a important in providing liquidity to capital market and boosting the economy of any country, it is similar for India also as our economy depends largely on them but foreign investment in India has decreased steeply in last year due to which value of Rupee decreases. Second reason Collapse of International TradeIf you observe in terms of international trade, commodity prices are crashing at international level. Importers are trying to accumulate dollars, as they have to pay in terms of dollars and at the end demand is increasing against the rupee. This has not happened yet due to lack of confidence in all kind of markets. Exporters have a very few orders from outside countries, so there is no matter of converting dollar into rupee thereby decreasing demand for rupee. Fiscal Deficit – How would others feel of your financial position if you earn Rs. 100,000 a year, but end up spending Rs. 10,000 ? The excess of your expenditures over your total income is called Fiscal Deficit. In order to bridge a Fiscal Deficit, you may end up taking a loan of Rs. 10,000. The more loan you take, the more riskier you would become in the eyes of lenders. This is exactly the case in India. India is currently spending more than it earns via taxes resulting in a mounting fiscal deficit. The major brunt of this spending is going into subsidies. With mounting fiscal deficit, foreign investors start feeling uncomfortable and pull their money out of India resulting in rupee depreciation.Oil Prices – are another significant factor in putting pressure on the Rupee. Oil import contributes as the biggest percentage of India’s import. By quantity, the oil demand is increasing year on year. By prices, Oil is quoted in International Markets in US Dollars. Oil prices are current over $100 a barrel and have significantly jumped up from sub $40 levels in 2002. With the increasing price of Oil in internatio nal markets, India has to pay an increased amount of dollars to import the same quantity of oil.Further more, with an increase in the quantity of oil imported into India, a further pressure is imposed on the demand of dollars to pay to our suppliers from whom we import Oil. This increase in demand for dollars depreciates the Rupee further. 1. Difference in the demand and supply of Rupee in currency market Understanding currency market is not a rocket science, here only simple economic law works, more demand means more price for the product and less demand means less price. According to that law the demand of Rupee is decreasing hence the price of Rupee is also decreasing. Simple isnt. 2. It is a simple DEMAND-SUPPLY Phenomena.Today the demand for Dollar is higher than Indian Currency (INR). With Supply remaining the same, when demand rises, the Value also increases. Increase in Dollar value is attributed to the ongoing Crisis in US. Also USD being a prime currency for many trading commodities, the value of USD is rising. As far as decreasing value of Rupee is concerned, given the present state of Dollar Value Increase, every other currency looks weak against it, and INR is no exception. 3. Lots of scams which faded the image of India in the world    Country has seen lots of scams revealed in recent times which decreased the reputation  of the country in the world.Corruption in the country is increasing, huge negativity among the people for the Govt   has reduced the trust of Foreign Investors in India. All the bills are hanging in the Parliament. Govt is not stronge enough to take bold steps for the growth of the economy. 4. Decreasing GDP growth reduce the investment opportunities in India Before the Recession of 2008 India has maintained GDP growth rate of close to 9% for many years but things have changed now IIP numbers are lowering and even showing negative growth also the inflation numbers are scaring the growth but Govt is not able to bring any policies to restore the growth.Rising Fiscal deficit makes future more gloomy. Investors are not seeing their investment growing much here. 5. Economic problems in different countries make Dollar a better Investment Many countries are facing huge economic problems and facing financial crisis, countries like Greece, Spain are breaking. Investing in US is better option in compared to emerging markets like India where growth is slowed down which increases the demand for Dollars making then more pricey. Year| Exchange rate (rupees per US$)g| 1913| 0. 08692307692| 1925| 0. 10| 1947| 1| 1952| 5| 1966| 7. 55| 1975| 10. 409| 1980| 7. 887| 1985| 12. 69| 1990 1990-1995 This is the period when Indian economy was opened up but rupee still continued depreciating from 17 to 32. | 17. 504| 1995| 32. 427| 2000| 45. 000| 2006| 48. 336| 2007 (Oct)| 38. 48| 2008 (June)| 42. 51| 2008 (October)| 48. 88| 2009 (October)| 46. 37| 2010 (January 22)| 46. 21| 2011 (April)| 44. 17| 2011 (September 21)| 48. 24 | 2011 (November 17)| 55. 3950| 2012 (May 23)| 56. 25| 2012 (June 22)| 57. 15| 2013 (May 15)| 54. 73| 2013 (June 12)| 58. 500| 2013 (June 27)| 60. 73| 2013 (Jul 08)| 61. 21| 2013 (Aug 08)| 61. 80| Effects There was a huge interest rate differential between India and US.Now RBI is reducing all kind of rates to increase money supply in market, so deposit rates will also move downwards. It will reduce the rate differential between two countries and affect the fixed investment in India in a negative manner Current account deficit (CAD): CAD is the result of country’s higher imports than exports or where payment is higher than receipts. Gold and crude oil are the two major items In India’s import list. The more you spend on these two, the more we need to import these and more will be the demand of dollars and thus more depreciation in rupee. . Capital Account flows: Capital account flows comes in the shape of FIIs (foreign Institutional Investors) and FDI (Foreign direct In vestments). FIIs invest in Stock market or bonds and FDIs come in with Business opportunities. Looking at the country’s weak growth outlook, high inflation, high current account deficit etc. FIIs are taking their money back to their country where they are seeing more growth opportunities and also no currency risk. And FDIs are getting impacted by weak government policies, Red tapism and less parliamentary action.If both these investors come in India then demand for rupee will increase as they will bring in dollars to convert into rupees which provide stability to rupee. 3. Interest rate and inflation: High interest rates (as in India) attract foreign investors as they get less rate of interest in their own country , but high interest rates hit local industry and their cost of capital increases. High inflation and interest rates makes our export costlier and thus reducing the demand of our products outside which means less exports. This in turn increases the Current Account de ficit and thus rupee depreciation.The unstable currency movements make foreign investors wary of their decision and they prefer to move out of such country. GROCERY BILL High inflation has been pinching you for more than a year now. Now, the weakening rupee has made crude oil, fertilisers, medicines and iron ore, which India imports in large quantities, costlier. Though these items are not for your daily consumption, they impact your finances indirectly. For instance, since India depends on imports for a large part of crude oil it consumes, a weak rupee will influence petrol and diesel prices. Fuel being directly connected with the cost of transportation, prices of goods that are transported from one part of the country to another, such as food, are bound to rise. This will have a direct impact on the household budget, says Paresh Parekh, Tax Partner, Ernst amp; Young. Fund Manager, Fixed Income, Quantum Asset Management FMCG, or fast moving consumer goods , such as soaps, detergent s, deodorants and shampoos, of which crude oil is an input, are likely to become more expensive. The impact of rupee depreciation on the FMCG sector will be due to higher cost of imported raw materials.The companies were already facing cost pressures. The rupee depreciation has added to their woes. Pulses and oil, which account for a large part of Indias imports, will also be affected. Crude palm oil prices set the pace for prices of other edible oils. It is imported in large quantities and any rise in its price will add to the inflationary pressure, says Arvind Chari, fund manager, fixed income, Quantum Asset Management. FOREIGN EDUCATION For Abin Biswas (21), a B. Tech in biotechnology, an opportunity to work as a trainee intern in a Harvard-MIT joint venture project was a dream come true and a proud moment for his parents.The cost was high but Dr Anup Biswas, Abins father, decided to bear the expenses. The institute is providing him just a daily travel allowance. So, nearly all e xpenses have to be borne by us. Though the amount was huge for us, we agreed to send him as the platform he was getting was big as well, says Rinijhini Biswas, Abins mother. With the rupee weakening, the burden has increased. The rent ($378) of a room he shares with friends was Rs 17,000 (at Rs 45/$) in mid-August 2011 when he went. Now, it is Rs 19,500 (Rs 51. 52/$). A meal ($6) which cost him Rs 270 then now costs Rs 300.This means an additional food expense of Rs 1,800 per month. Abins monthly budget, roughly $1,000, has risen from Rs 45,000 to Rs 53,000, the last instalment we paid. It will be difficult for us to bear his expenses if the trend continues, says Rinijhini Biswas. Students who have taken loans to fund their foreign degree are also bearing the brunt. Education loans are usually in rupees, but as students pay their expenses in a foreign currency, the cost of education and stay has increased. For $100,000, a student had to pay Rs 45 lakh. Now, he has to shell out Rs 52 -54 lakh, depending upon the exchange rate. The cost is in a foreign currency while the borrowing is in rupees. So, the students may fall short of funds as the loan would have been taken according to the initial requirements. In such a scenario, either the students personal contribution will have to increase or he will have to ask the bank to increase the loan amount, says Ashutosh Khajuria, president, treasury, Federal Bank. JOBS AND REMUNERATION Not only is the rupee falling, for some, the pay cheque may shrink as well. Every industry which is dependent on imports will have to face an increase in cost of production and operations. In order to nullify the increase, these companies will have to rationalise costs within their control. One of this will be human resources. So, either lesser number of people will be hired or the salary bill will be kept constant or reduced, says Rituparna Chakraborty, co-founder and senior vice president, TeamLease Services. However, it is a good time f or industries which earn in dollars. The information technology sector stands to gain, but global recessionary conditions may set off the impact, says Chakraborty. VACATIONSThe falling rupee is bad news for itinerant Indians and vacationers to a foreign country. Air fares are going up due to an increase in fuel surcharge. The stay will be costlier by at least 3-5%. Also, shopping can become expensive by 5%. Eating out will also be costlier by the same percentage, says Karan Anand, head, relationships, Cox amp; Kings India. BUYING A CAR The depreciation of rupee has impacted the automobile sector in three ways. First, input costs have risen as these companies use imported components. Second, some companies will have to pay higher royalty to foreign parent firms.Third, many have foreign currency loans in the form of external commercial borrowings and foreign currency convertible bonds. Therefore, more or less all auto companies will have to increase prices. We expect at least a furthe r 2% increase in prices. Maruti has already revised prices twice in last two months. Others like Hyundai, Honda and Ford that have large import content in their cars will have to soon increase prices to protect margins, says Deepak Jain, assistant VP and research analyst, Sharekhan Institutional Research. ENTERTAINMENTThe imported paperback, your favourite pizza and the latest laptop will also become more expensive. There is an increase in the cost of imported books as well as the cost of sourcing them. In most cases we are trying to absorb the increased cost, but there may be scenarios where the end-user will get impacted, says Ankit Nagori, VP, categories, Flipkart. com. Electronic consumer goods such as computers, televisions, mobile phones, etc, with imported components will also become costlier. International food chains which run outlets in India are not denying the impact on profitability. The depreciating rupee has had a significant impact on our capital expenditure as we im port a lot of special kitchen equipment. There has been an indirect impact too as a small part of inputs are imported by our suppliers. If the trend continues, we will be forced to pass on some burden to customers, says Vikram Bakshi, managing director and JV Partner, McDonalds India (North amp; East). Steps Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed confidence that some measures being taken to tackle fiscal management will help return the Indian currency to a more stable path. The decision by the government to allow foreign investors to directly invest in Indian equity could bring some capital flows and have a positive impact on the economy and the rupee, adds Narne. The government is continuously monitoring the emerging external sector developments leading to higher CAD and rupee depreciation. (The government) has taken a slew of initiatives to boost exports and reduce imports, encourage capital flows to facilitate financing of CAD and stem the volatility in the exchange rate of the rupee

English literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

English literature - Essay Example Socrates was told he the wisest by an oracle thus took upon this theory and challenged himself to spread his knowledge to mankind. Jesus on the other hand was selected by the Supreme Being to save the people from committing the ‘original sin’. It’s been told that both Socrates and Jesus were blessed with some sort of divine power. It gets a little controversial by bringing religion under this discussion but the fact is that Jesus was a prophet, to prove that he is genuine, God sent down the Bible and the Quran as proof of Jesus’s existence. Whereas Socrates was only wise and he himself took the liberty in spreading knowledge. Both of these divine forces had a mission in hand and that was to establish some form of societal change. Socrates followed the philosophy of why life was worth living. He had wanted that all people should become capable of understanding the wrongs associated with the current order of life and without prior knowledge; this was the reas on why Socrates could not stop himself to spread the truth. Jesus on the other hand was sent to earth to save us from the original sin. Both of them were unique in their own manner and apparently posed as a threat to the society that encircled them. Jesus and Socrates both were considered to be corrupt in their own patterns. This was the reason why both of them were brought to trial. ... Jesus claimed that there was only one God and proved to the people by performing miracles. Many peopled also claimed Jesus to be the word of God, the ‘King of the Jews’, which made him a threat and was viewed as the attempt for overthrowing monarchy. Socrates was charged with unorthodoxy by not having faith in in the cities of gods and was blamed of being an atheist in spite of having a clear faith in  the divine power. Socrates is seen as the one with more knowledge than anyone else of his time. Like Jesus, he was unique with the power of speech-making and was able question people about their gods whom they believed in.  Socrates claimed that there were gods like Zeus was not the only one being controlling everything that took place in the world, and the concept that followed the ‘will of gods’ was not true either. This was considered as an attack on the Athenian government; unbeliever in the cities of gods, not a citizen of the state. Both of them were given a trial before they were executed. Both of them had disciples of their own. Each had a person of their own who questioned about their beliefs and actions and someone who betrayed them in the end, one way or the other. Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot for 30 pieces of silver and during the last supper all his followers questioned him one way or the other. The night before the death of Socrates, Crito visited him in prison and offered an escape route out of the country and to live as an outcast. A prophet is the person who speaks to and for God. Jesus did Gods work as per Gods will, although Socrates didn’t support any particular religion so we cannot depict him as a prophet. They both died for what they believed in and both of them were threatened by their teachings which varied from

Rewriting examples for grammar comments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Rewriting examples for grammar comments - Essay Example Example: Overall, Management Systems International has logged increased sales in every sector, leading to a significant rise in third-quarter profits. Another important thing to note is that the corporation had expanded its international influence. Revision: Overall, Management Systems International has logged increased sales in every sector, leading to a significant rise in third-quarter profits. These impressive profits are largely due to the corporation's expanded international influence. See this website for help: http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr6.htm. I noticed the use of some run-on sentences here in your assignment. Avoid those. Add example of run on and correction. See: http://ace.acadiau.ca/english/grammar/runon.htm. This is very well done. I appreciate your hard work, good thoughts, and good contributions. Thanks for the excellent job. I am very impressed with your good work this week. Let me know if you have any questions about the assignment, your grade, or anything else. Wo nderful job. What I need are these examples to be rewritten since I used them over and over again. Using an example a couple of times is OK, and you do not need to rewrite every comment and the whole comment, JUST THE EXAMPLES, because it’s all I can pay for. That’s it, thanks! Comments to Revise: Thanks for the fantastic job here of meeting the assignment objectives. Just a few writing suggestions here: Your assignment is good but could use some transitions to make it flow better. See this website for help: http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr6.htm Instead of writing transitions that could connect any paragraph to any other paragraph, write a transition that could only connect one specific paragraph to another specific paragraph. Example: The Renaissance period brought tremendous changes in the artistic approaches based upon the traditional art of Greek and Roman statuary. The Expressionist movement of the 1900s instituted a profound rejection of all the traditional ways of the past and introduced a completely new approach to art. Revision: Although the Renaissance period brought tremendous changes in the artistic approaches based upon the traditional art of Greek and Roman statuary, it was the Expressionist movement of the 1900s that instituted a profound rejection of all the traditional ways of the past and introduced a completely new approach to art. Throughout your project, I noticed the use of some run-on sentences from formally writing. See: http://ace.acadiau.ca/english/grammar/runon.htm. Thanks for the outstanding contributions to the homework thread this week. You did an excellent job. I appreciate how well you participated and expressed yourself. Nice writing. Let me know if you have any questions about the assignment, your grade, or anything else. Wonderful job. You did a nice job of writing and a good job of addressing the assignment goals. Just a few suggestions: I appreciate the work here on your assignment, but it appears that you could use some transitions to help connect your ideas. http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr6.htm. Instead of writing transitions that could connect any paragraph to any other paragraph, write a transition that could only connect one specific paragraph to another specific paragraph. Example: Perhaps the most important thing that happened during the mid- to late-nineteenth century was the shift that took place in mankind’s way of thinking. Mankind learned to apply systematic thought processes to explain

Critically evaluate the impact of social media on the business world Essay - 1

Critically evaluate the impact of social media on the business world and our life - Essay Example This has made social media have a great impact on the business world and our individual life. Within the corporate world, social media is gaining popularity where it is being used in regular operations of many companies; this is mainly because it provides a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the world of the mouth, where people are connected on a global scale. Corporate messages on social media channels to reach new customers are conveyed, this is done through broadcast of positive feedback regarding the corporate message and its products. With this message, social media ensure that customers are retained hence building a positive customer loyalty. Additionally, dissatisfied customers are also reached directly within their own social media environment where the company embarks on finding better and more innovative ways of improving the product or service that they offer in the market outside (Bakardjieva and Gaden, 2011). Social media are relatively low-cost channels, which a company can use to market and advertise its products to millions of consumers. A good example is using Facebook a company just need to create a page within it where people shall need to like the page and have information which the company intends them to get in their computers, tablets or even phone. This has seen companies have million likes, which means more people are embracing this platform making the company enjoy cheap advertising platform. Social media also acts as a customer relation management too, mainly for companies which are selling products and services. Brand networking has become a way to capitalize on social trends, which is also a rich marketing tool. A company can maximize its return on marketing dollars by reaching out to potential customers via social media than making reliance on the high cost televised advertisement. Social media also allows a company to listen to a competitor message. Alternatively, this makes the listening company have strategies and

Youth subcultures: Phil Cohen

Youth subcultures: Phil Cohen A critical evaluation of the work of Phil Cohen in relation to our understanding of youth subcultures According to Cohen (1972), the redevelopment of Londons working-class neighbourhoods which favoured social elites or the gentry resulted in the marginalization of working class residents, loss of community and deterioration of collective power in the East End. Thus, there was a breakdown of socio-cultural interaction and dynamics that led to the development of youth subcultures. The objective of this paper is to examine Cohens perspective on the impact of rapid development in London to development in the 1950s which prompted the subcultures. These subcultures became a critical channel for socialization and political action but also created distance with mainstream society that led to conflict and alienation (Fiske et al, 2009). Cohens (1972) perspectives, which were based on his examinations of the impact of Londons 1950s redevelopment highlights how public policies can have such a profound effect on individual and social order and perception. Today, many cities, not only London are dealing with an influx of migration which has significantly increased intercultural interactions. Though these trends have the potential to enrich society, there is also the challenge of having to deal with increased conflict and greater competition which often threatens already marginalized populations the most. In the 1950s, the city managers of London launched a rapid development project designed to revitalize the capital which still was not able to recover from the damages of the Second World War. This urban renewal project was designed to attract new residents as well as revitalize key areas of the city for trade and commerce. Many of the areas that were targeted for redevelopments were already resided in by working-class families who were then moved to what Cohen describes as fringe neighbourhoods. The areas were settled into by migrants who redesigned the areas according to their individual cultural and social backgrounds. This created a divide between neighbourhoods: the new development was for the social elite, young professionals and affluent immigrants and the suburbs which housed the relocated residents were typically known to be run-down and underdeveloped areas. As the discrepancy of quality of life became apparent to authorities, the city planning authorities sought mitigate th e situation by launching the development of high-rise housing projects specifically for working-class families. City administrators also endeavoured to attract back original residents through encouraging participation in new industries and trade and commerce channels. However, Cohen believes that the effort further marginalized these populations and increased the social and economic challenges of urban life. Cohen also gives particular attention to what he calls the collapse of matrilocal residence, a term which he uses to refer to the tendency of nuclear family extensions to reside in close proximity to each other. This further limits the capacity of families and individuals to sustain social ties and support systems which in turn is associated with the breakdown of shared values, mores and standards of conduct. Cohen also believes that the redevelopment created unprecedented economic and social stress among the working class. He points out that post-World War II, many family enterprises, traditionally the backbone of local trade and industries, were facing severe competition from industries and at the same time, labour and experts were being channelled to these industries from traditional family enterprises. There was even a campaign for the lat ter: it was deemed nationalistic to support the growth on these large-scale private industries that suffered from the war. At the same time, there was also an effort to promote the modernization project as a national development agenda, to reposition the country as the leader of trade and commerce in Europe. The publicity is said to have severely hampered labour supply among community industries creating the notion of labour aristocracy. The population that was most affected by these trends were new entrants to the labour market. The transition between the working environment of their parents and the working conditions brought on by the redevelopment were significant according to Cohen because they required not only the accommodation of new labour conditional but also a new social, economic and political order in very short period of time. To cope with the stress of these developments, according to Cohen, these populations created subculture groups to have a sense of identity and social reference. From this perspective, Cohen characterizes subcultures symbolic structures, not actually representing the individuals who make up the groups, representing a lifestyle or social perspective that does not fully conform to mainstream society. Identification of these subcultures can be made through a set of social subsystems which include their manner of dress, the music that is associated with them, the language or lexicon use d, and the rituals and customs that are coupled with membership or identity. According to a report developed by the World Bank (2009), the typical stress of community living are multiplies in urban settings because of the intensification of competition for resources, spaces and opportunities. At the same time, Rothwell (2003) points out that in time of stress, individuals need greater social reinforcement to be able to have a sense of security and belongingness. In the case illustrated by Cohen (1972) of Londons redevelopment in the 1950s, he suggests that the economic, social and political challenges that the working class of the era had to deal with contributed to the increase of urban stress and the breakdown of traditional support systems which in turn created the platform for the development of subcultures. Similarly, Majhanovich (2002) points out that the development of subordinate organizations is an indication that there are populations feel under-represented or unrecognized without necessarily becoming a functional organization. Thus, their organizat ion is a means of collecting power for representation or just recognition. This also supports Cohens (1972) assertion that subcultures are symbolic organizations, where membership is often individually defined and association can be only conceptual. Cohens definition of subcultures can be challenging but studying the examples that he provides is a great resource in understanding his perspective. Some of the challenges in his definition lie in his characterization of the phenomenon as symbolical rather than a collective of individuals. Another area of difficulty is the mechanism how youth membership in subcultures actually delays adulthood. Based on Cohens perspective, there is a suggestion is that there is almost a combative relationship between subcultures and mainstream society. This can be particularly apparent in view of his characterizations of subcultures as having Mohawks or being active in counter-culture movements. New research is more liberal, if not democratic, in its view of subcultures, noting that any group that creates an association with a particular mode of life or belief system that does not fully conform to social precepts can be considered as a subculture (Neuliep, 2006). However, this should be seen in the c ontext of contemporary society were diversity is more widely recognized and is being lobbied for in all sectors and levels of society. Though Cohens paper is supposedly limited to 1950s working class London, he makes significant extensions from this population to include lower and middle class families. Essentially, Cohens main distinction is between what he considers the elite and what he considers as ordinary people. It seems that Cohen is grouping them together primarily because they did not have ready access to the areas that were eyed for redevelopment which implies that the population criteria used by Cohen was not based on socio-economic level but rather a geographic one. This raises some concern regarding the demographic and psychographic homogeneity of these groups. In turn, this may have an implication on the conclusions made by Cohen on the social and psychological impact of the redevelopment project. However, this may not have an impact on his theories regarding the development of subcultures but will challenge the rationale he proposes for their initiation which he generally attributed to socio-economic stress. In parallel studies developed by contemporary researchers such as Rothwell (2003) and Neuliep (2006) regarding the development of sub-cultural ethnic groups, they point out that motivations are more socio-politically oriented. Analysis of the Cohen texts also shows some deficiency in the evidence that he provides for his arguments. These are not to the degree that one questions the authenticity of his assertions but some of his more emotive ideas could benefit from statistics or corollary studies to support the assertion that the 1950s redevelopment in London is a primary reason for the rise in subcultures that developed in subsequent years. However, it should also be recognized that since the text is already dated and thus, contemporary readers may not be able to readily relate holistically to the social conditions and context that are being discussed. Both Majhanovich (2002) and Fiske and associates (2009) point out that these generational divides can have a significant impact on how conditions are perceived and ultimately, how relationships and correlations are going to be recognized. It is also this rationale that Cohen (1972) believes is the reason why some subcultures were constructed and perceived t o be anti-establishment or to be non-conformist. It can also be one of the reasons why the subcultures are being associated with youth cultural and political movements: young members of a society, when thrust into social independence, have to navigate to orientation inculcated to them by authorities whose experience is based on an antecedent social context and may develop a sense of incongruity. At the same time, because younger populations may have less social investments and responsibilities, there is greater freedom for self-expression and in developing subcultures. Moreover, because growth and development are future-oriented and create social stress, younger members of a society who have yet to establish themselves are more vulnerable to its impact. According to Essess and associates (2001), perceptions of competition, identity and social roles are often issues that become critical to an individuals self valuation and thus, the need for affirmative social memberships. Cohen (1972) acknowledges the rationale for city planners for the redevelopment initiative but points out that they were remiss in mitigating its negative impacts. Worse, the efforts to reverse the resulting problems only increased the problems by the displaced working class families. Essentially, planners were not able to consider how the new social conditions can impact relationships, associations and identification of affected populations. Thus, these groups were not only further marginalized but were not equipped with access to traditional social groups to communicate their co ncerns or to lobby for action. In the article developed by Mueller (2005), peripheral populations are often sacrificed in the name of growth and development, however without the extension of the benefits of growth and development to these populations, quality of life cannot be raised. At the same time, the growth of disparities in social, economic and political status can be a source of conflict can then impede long-term growth and development goals. Cohens (1972) analysis of the impact of redevelopment of London in the 1950s marks a greater awareness of the impact of public policies to social, economic and political dynamics that will prevail. Though the motives behind the redevelopment undoubtedly was motivated by the desire to improve the quality of life of all citizenry, Cohens makes a valid point in citing that he efforts contributed to the urban stress that working class families were already dealing with. However, the research would have definitely benefitted from more extensive empirical evidence or the corroboration of parallel studies on the development of subcultures. In conclusion, Cohens paper provides critical insights on the impact of urban redevelopment to various populations, the changes in stress that can occur, and the responsibility of planners in ensuring that programs benefit the public as a whole and not just a few. In todays context of ever-increasing cultural and socially diversity, subcultures will likel y grow. In the context of its publication, there is no doubt that Cohen provided critical insights into the issue of not only youth culture and politics but also urban, growth and development concerns as well. The challenge now is not so much to control these developments but to be able to recognize such trends as a part of the growing diversity of modern societies and how to utilize them support growth and development. References: Cohen, P. (1972). Subcultural conflict working class community in Gelder, K., (Ed) 2nd edition (2005) The subcultures reader, London: Routledge. Cox, B. and Ephross, P.H (1998). Ethnicity and Social Work Practice. New York: Oxford University Press. Esses, V., J. Dovidio, L. Jackson and T. Armstrong (2001). The Immigration Dilemma: The Role of Perceived Group Competition, Ethnic Prejudice and National Identity. Journal of Social Issues 57, 3: 389-412 Fiske, A. P., Thomsen, L. and Thein, S. M. (2009). Differently embodying different relationships. European Journal of Social Psychology, Volume 39: 1294-1297 Majhanovich, S. (2002). Conflicting visions, competing expectations: Control and de-skilling of educationa perspective from Ontario. McGill Journal of Education, April. Retrieved March 22, 2010 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3965/is_200204/ai_n9030852 Mueller, A. (2005). Whats Wrong With Economic Growth? Mises Daily, August 10. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from http://mises.org/story/1877 Neuliep, J. W. (2006). Intercultural Communication: A Contextual Approach, 3rd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Rothwell, J. D. (2003). In the Company of Others: An Introduction to Communication. London: McGraw-Hill Humanities World Bank (2009). Poverty, Growth, and Inequality. PovertyNet. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/EXTPGI/0,,contentMDK:20263370~menuPK:342777~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:342771,00.html Analysis of Modernism: Norman Cantor and Fredrich Nietzsche Analysis of Modernism: Norman Cantor and Fredrich Nietzsche Enemerio Galvan Introduction: In this essay, an analysis of what is modern, is an inquiry to a broad movement which birthed many Avant Garde styles; and put -ism in Modernism beginning with Impressionism movement, French/ German Expressionism, Fauvism, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism to name few. Every movement questioned what is art, and what is Avant Garde, and as Butler suggests, what is going on? (p14). This cauldron of contemporaneousness overflowed into the early 20th century and beyond. Modernism Background: Modernism is an all-encompassing term of any art movements since the late 19th century that forever changed the history of the arts through the 20th century. The changes came about from philosophical views, propaganda, and criticism; widely influencing, more specifically, artists. In the late 19th century, a cultural revolution, and revolt to traditional École des Beaux Arts, in Paris France, where Henri Matisse would hold professorship position. The academy of formal arts had been negating art and artist in the late 1860s. The French Royal Academy, and the bourgeois class rejected art and artists subjectively because their style (pure abstraction) it was non-conforming to formalist conventions and hierarchy of realism. The schools system and hierarchy of categorizing placed historical paintings at the top, and oil paint as the medium of choice, but pure abstract painting was not acceptable at the academy. It was Gustave Courbet, in 1884, who did not accept rejection. Gustave Courbet (1819-1877), and Edouard Manet (1832-83) who paved the way for Modern art. However, this rejection birthed what Charles Baudelaire called, Avant Garde.   Initially, with an exhibit known as the Salon des Refusà ©s of 1863. Norman Cantor (1929-2004) In its earliest tendencies, modernist art began the reductive process of Realism to Abstraction otherwise considered a cultural revolution and rise in consciousness pre-modernism are:   Reformation, Enlightenment, and Romanticism (M1_Session 3).   Cantor is responsible for establishing and defining the characteristics of Modernism: Being anti historicist; taking a microcosmic view of things; self-referential; prefers to depict, or explore the non-ideal; embraces the aesthetic of fragmentation; recognizes the randomness found in the world; strongly functionalist and concerned with techne; recognizes the interactive nature of things; Elitist; new openness toward sexuality; fearlessly considers the issues of mass culture; tends towards moral relativism; embraces the very Nietzschean nation that humanity is most authentic when engaged in the arts; pessimistic vitality, and lastly Modernism is opening to pluralism, and multicultural influences. (M1_Session 6). Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900): was a German philologist, poet, cultural critic and philosopher, and Latin and Greek scholar whose profound influence impacted Western philosophy, and its modern history. Nietzsche, had a difficult time growing up, and was frequently plagued with family and health problems. In 1864, he attended the University of Bonn where he met his friend Ritschl, and later, Nietzsche followed him to Leipzig University. It was in Leipzig where his views of religion would never be the same (Nietzche vii). With his rearing, and health issues (of madness) and new perspective on religion was foreshadowing to his world view, and some of his greatest philosophical polemics on Western Culture such as reason, and truth, morality Nihilism and Apollonian and Dionysian; he was after all considered a mad man. The first movement of the twentieth century, is Fauvism and it intention was to project a subjective epiphanic and important experience (Butler p15). Meaning this is the new and now in art. In the early twentieth century was a period philosophers like Kant, Marx and Nietzsche, and the psychology Sigmund Freud where contributing influences which propagated an emergence of genres within the modern umbrella. In Christopher Butlers book, Modernism: A Very Short Introduction, clearly suggests, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and we shall see, epiphanic ways of coming to the truthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Butler p 15). In this statement Butler, affirms the subjectivity pertaining to consciousness, in that art too is subject to, its influences of criticism and philosophical ideals based on truth. Later, in the 20th century is the French Fauvist, Henri Matisse (1869-1954) is best known for pure expressive color and exaggerated forms to express emotion, emotive brushstroke cemented Matisse as Avant Garde artist in the early 20th century. In his painting Luxe, Calme et Voluptà ©, 19041.This painting is a departure from Neo Impressionism that sets the stage for the Fauves movement as coined by Louis Vauxcelles. Per Dempsey, with its bright palette and subjective, emancipated use of colour, it creates an atmosphere and decorative surface (66). Meaning that by subjective Matisses colors and style is self -referential according to Cantor characteristics of Modernism, and is further reductive of humanism and more Apollonian way of life, the presumptive mask of calmness. Another example of Apollonian system is his painting, Joy of Life (Bonheur de vivre: Joie de vivre),1905-06.2 The scene depicts the figure in a leisurely and gestural quality, engaged in exhibitionist sensuality; a new embrace of sexuality. The color palette is pure and complementary, mostly middle value. Next, Matisses European counterparts, the German Expressionists are Die Brà ¼cke (1905) and Der Blaue Reiter (1911). The German Expressionist where inspired and heavily influenced, by their native compatriot Friedrich Nietzsche, whose Nihilism, and the Apollonian and Dionysian philosophies characterized a darker view on humanism, truth, and the mask of the personae. Nietzsche believed that was modernity was lacking spirituality, and its all and empty faà §ade, and materialistic (immoral) and heretic, and his method was philosophizing with a hammer metaphorically to reveal the emptiness, and lack of humanistic substance (Delevati). Bold colors, dark lines, and angular lines was another reductive method of realism.

Biometrics are New Technological Tools in Computer Security :: essays research papers

As a result of the evolution in the field of biometric computer security tools, a new class of techniques and methods for user identification has erupted. Fingerprint and hand patterns, voice recognition, iris and facial scans, as well as skin patterns and smart cards, have all been used in justifying individuals on who they claim to be based on their unique characteristics. Although still relatively new, these innovative technologies are already being demanded by not only consumers but as well as the government to help find new methods of passport usage, border control, and mere security matters (Kooser, 2006, p.74). Fortunately, biometric technology has already reached a level of development that allows its potential acceptance into this current day and age. So far in the development of biometrics, fingerprint scanning has taken main control of the market. Ink fingerprints have been used for years by police in investigations to identify criminals. Now with technological advances, the use of small digital imaging devices has replaced old ways of capturing fingertips. Portable or built into keyboards, fingerprint scanners have the ability to capture the print, digitalize it and convert it into mathematical characters. Additionally, when used for password recognition it is clear that the main reason for the biometric is simply because individuals can not remember their usernames or even passwords. The efficiency of this technology is so precise that it is faster and easier to login, impossible to forget because it is and individuals own finger, and nearly unreasonable to lose because in most cases the digital scanner is built into the computer (Kok, 2006, p. 576). In fact fingerprint biometrics is being highly considered by the governme nt to be placed on boarders as well as passports. With today’s war on terror many official feel that it is necessary to take in all precautions and heighten the United States security (Mocny, 2005 p.38). Biometrics can absolutely help move forward in government security. Although hand biometrics is not nearly as popular as fingerprint recognition within computers, this expressive body part can be used to identify individuals on a wider basis. Capture units, which are the devices that can receive the biometric hand print, have the capability to withstand temperature and weather damages. And most devices can still recognize the hand even when it is dirty, something a detailed fingerprint scanner can not (Kooser, 2006, p.74). Speech is so common to our everyday lives that it is often forgotten that voices are distinct and unique to every individual. Biometrics are New Technological Tools in Computer Security :: essays research papers As a result of the evolution in the field of biometric computer security tools, a new class of techniques and methods for user identification has erupted. Fingerprint and hand patterns, voice recognition, iris and facial scans, as well as skin patterns and smart cards, have all been used in justifying individuals on who they claim to be based on their unique characteristics. Although still relatively new, these innovative technologies are already being demanded by not only consumers but as well as the government to help find new methods of passport usage, border control, and mere security matters (Kooser, 2006, p.74). Fortunately, biometric technology has already reached a level of development that allows its potential acceptance into this current day and age. So far in the development of biometrics, fingerprint scanning has taken main control of the market. Ink fingerprints have been used for years by police in investigations to identify criminals. Now with technological advances, the use of small digital imaging devices has replaced old ways of capturing fingertips. Portable or built into keyboards, fingerprint scanners have the ability to capture the print, digitalize it and convert it into mathematical characters. Additionally, when used for password recognition it is clear that the main reason for the biometric is simply because individuals can not remember their usernames or even passwords. The efficiency of this technology is so precise that it is faster and easier to login, impossible to forget because it is and individuals own finger, and nearly unreasonable to lose because in most cases the digital scanner is built into the computer (Kok, 2006, p. 576). In fact fingerprint biometrics is being highly considered by the governme nt to be placed on boarders as well as passports. With today’s war on terror many official feel that it is necessary to take in all precautions and heighten the United States security (Mocny, 2005 p.38). Biometrics can absolutely help move forward in government security. Although hand biometrics is not nearly as popular as fingerprint recognition within computers, this expressive body part can be used to identify individuals on a wider basis. Capture units, which are the devices that can receive the biometric hand print, have the capability to withstand temperature and weather damages. And most devices can still recognize the hand even when it is dirty, something a detailed fingerprint scanner can not (Kooser, 2006, p.74). Speech is so common to our everyday lives that it is often forgotten that voices are distinct and unique to every individual.

Literary Analysis in the Scarlet Letter

Raven 1 In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book, The Scarlet Letter, the phrase â€Å"Opposites Attract† does not always ring true. Such is the case between a young beauty and an aging scholar. Through Hawthorne’s use of figurative language and imagery, he creates a winter-spring relationship between the two characters Roger Chillingworth and Hester Prynne, which ultimately leads to Hester’s downfall. The character Hester Prynne’s unparalleled youthful beauty and passionate nature makes her the perfect embodiment of spring.Early on in the text, Hawthorne says â€Å"She had dark and abundant hair, so glossy that it threw off the sunshine with a gleam, and a face which, besides being beautiful from regularity of feature and richness of complexion, . . . †(50) This picturesque description of Hester is used to not only to show her beauty, but also how her beauty is so fresh and vibrant. Her hair being described as â€Å"glossy and abundant† alludes to her spring-like qualities because in spring, all plants and creatures are new and plentiful in number. Hester’s position as being a new mother also makes her symbolic of spring, because both represent fertility and new life.Hawthorne even goes as far as saying â€Å"†¦with the infant at her bosom, an object to remind him of the image if Divine Maternity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (53) Hawthorne using this comparison portrays Hester as being a perfect representation of fertility, almost to a god-like degree. It is Raven 2 unquestionable that spring is the most benign and gentle season. Hawthorne almost directly states that Hester is spring when he says, â€Å"†¦Hester’s nature showed itself warm and rich; a well-spring of human tenderness, un-failing to every real demand, and inexhaustible by the largest. (146) This is why Hester’s demeanor and character also contributes to her embodying spring. Even by saying that her nature was warm, Hawthorne adds to Hesterà ¢â‚¬â„¢s symbolism, because spring is the first season where warmth is introduced; the warm quality it possesses is also why spring is considered â€Å"friendly†, because it is the savior after a cold, hard winter. Roger Chillingworth represents winter in every possible aspect. His demeanor and appearance both are strong evidence of how he symbolizes the season of cold.When he is examining Hester’s health in the jail, he had â€Å"†¦a gaze that made her heart shrink and shudder, †¦and yet so strange and so cold,.. † (67) His cold demeanor directly relates to how winter is the coldest of all the seasons. Even something as simple as his gaze made Hester’s heart, which is the warmth of spring, shudder and get smaller. This parallels how a winter frost can kill off the warmth and vibrancy of spring. Chillingworth’s appearance also contributes to him symbolizing winter.He is described as a â€Å"†¦man well-stricken in years, a pale, thin , scholar-like visage† (55) Winter is the season where things get old, barren, and start decaying. So Hawthorne purposely describes Chillingworth as old, pale, and thin to make the most obvious statement of how the man and season are so closely related. Chillingworth is anything but a thriving individual: being thin and pale, he possesses the attributes that a sickly, perhaps dying, would have. Chillingworth’s insatiable appetite for revenge against Dimmesdale also lends to him being seen as a representation of winter.Winter, by itself, is a symbol for wrath and revenge. So when Hawthorne says that â€Å"This unhappy man had made the very principle of his life to†¦revenge. †(232), he is showing the uncanny similarities between Chillingworth and winter. Raven 3 Finally, Chillingworth’s own name alludes to how he embodies winter. The first eight letters of his name spell out â€Å"chilling†, which can only be associated with the cold temperatures in winter. The vast difference between the two characters Hester Prynne and Roger Chillingworth leads to the rapid decline and incompatibility of their relationship and to Hester’s downfall.Chillingworth is quick to admit how unrealistic his expectations of their relationship are when he says â€Å"I, †¦- a man already in decay,†¦ what had I to do with youth and beauty like thine own! †(69) Chillingworth, describing himself as â€Å"a man already in decay† re-instills how he represents winter, which is the season where all things decay and die. He also says that â€Å"Mine was the first wrong, when I betrayed thy budding youth into a false and unnatural relation with my decay. (70) Hawthorne’s use of figurative language is ingenious when he describes Hester’s age as a â€Å"budding youth†. Flowers begin to bud at the beginning of spring, so by describing Hester’s youth as budding, Hawthorne gives Hester spring-like qualiti es. The combination of the two previous quotes explains why a relationship between winter and spring could never exist in harmony. Chillingworth and Hester are two completely different individuals; Chillingworth’s cold frost halted any hope of the seedling of love to grow within Hester’s heart.Chillingworth acknowledges this fact when he says â€Å"My heart was a habitation large enough for many guests, but lonely and chill, and without a household fire. †(69) In the end, a relationship between this pair could never work. Hester’s lack of love for Chillingworth led her to commit the sin of adultery, her ultimate downfall. When Chillingworth says â€Å"†¦ from the moment when we came down the old church steps together, a married pair, I might have beheld the bale-fire of that scarlet letter blazing at the end of our path! (69) it’s as if he knew that Hester would cheat on him all along. Hester’s downfall was inevitable because Chillingw orth could not make her love him due to them coming from two entirely different places: winter and spring. Raven 4 The character Hester Prynne experiences a downfall due to the winter-spring relationship established between her and Roger Chillingworth, which Hawthorne illustrates by using the literary devices of figurative language and imagery.By using the characters as symbols for seasons, the meaning of why a relationship between the two characters cannot work is intensified and given depth. Through this particular analysis of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, readers can perhaps see that when two people are so completely different from one another, a happy relationship cannot exist: love is never going to grow in spring when it is halted by a winter frost. Raven 5 Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. 1850. New York: Bantam Dell, 2003. Print.

A Biography of Sidney Poitier

In 1967, a press conference with Sidney Poitier, at that time one of the most successful and popular American actors and certainly the most famous African-American actor, turned from his many roles on screen and stage and became something else entirely.Due to a rash of racial riots across the nation at that time, Poitier was asked pointed questions concerning whether or not he was in favor of the racial riots, his theories on segregation, and other racially oriented topics (Goudsouzian).It was at that point that something happened which changed the course of Poitier’s life as well as the role of African-Americans everywhere- rather than avoid the question, turn the focus back to his fame or storm off in a rage, Poitier came to the realization that it was impossible for him to separate his status as an entertainment icon from his obligation to use his fame to advance the cause of minority rights in America.   Since then, Poitier has done just that.This research will discuss A ram Goudsouzian’s pivotal 2004 biography of Sidney Poitier, not only as a review of this book, but also in an effort to try to better understand how and why Poitier has become one of the most influential African Americans since the end of Civil War.Author’s PurposeWhen gaining a better understanding of why Goudsouzian chose Poitier as the subject of his book, one not only gains an understanding of the author’s purpose in writing the book, but also a grasp of the major social and historical issues that are tackled through a book which is biographical at its core, but becomes much more expansive as it unfolds.First, one must realize that Goudsouzian is not a biographer by nature, but in fact is a history writer, which is why Poitier was chosen as the subject of the book.By choosing a pivotal historic African-American who bridges the gap between the faà §ade of Hollywood and the real world of the urban streets of the nation, Goudsouzian has been able to tell not o nly the story of the struggles of an ambitious African-American man coming of age in the racially charged 1950s and 1960s, but also of a man who parlayed his fame not into a mere vehicle for his own enrichment, but to try to aid and support his entire race.Goudsouzian’s Central ThemeEarlier, the point was made that Goudsouzian’s book is much more than biography or history, but is rather a powerful combination of the two.   Looking beyond this assertion, it is also interesting to explore the central theme of the book, which can fairly be identified in one word-perseverance.For Poitier, perseverance has meant the constant jumping of hurdles, placed in front of him by a society which still wrestles with the issue of equality for African-Americans, even decades after the strife which advanced African-Americans significantly, and almost a century and a half after a bloody Civil War which settled the issue of African-American freedom once and for all.   For African-Ameri cans in general, it would seem that Goudsouzian paints perseverance as a struggle to gain equal footing with the mainstream of America.This being said, however, a fair critique of Goudsouzian’s approach is in order.   It would seem that the author is too quick to always portray Poitier, and African-Americans as perpetual underdogs who never gain any significant ground.However, in truth, much progress has been made in cause of racial equality, while keeping in mind of course that there is much progress yet to come.   Goudsouzian could have presented a bit more of a balance in his contrast.

Free Essays on Carpe Diem

Carpe Diem Speech â€Å"Yesterday is our past – tomorrow is our future – but today is a gift†¦ that’s why it’s called the present.† It’s a gift! Right now, right this second, just look around – you have been given the gift of life today. But have you ever thought about the fact that you may not be so blessed tomorrow? Our future in this world is not guaranteed, therefore make the most out of today. There was a theme widely used in the 16th and 17th century that urged people to do just that: carpe diem. I would like to share with you this evening some facts on carpe diem, including its meaning, history, and some examples of applying the phrase. Carpe diem is from the Latin phrase â€Å"seize the day.† It is a descriptive term for literature that urges readers to live for the moment. Encyclopedia.com gave us this definition, but it has a much deeper meaning. It means that one should take advantage of opportunities with wisdom and care. It means that when you get the chance to do something crazy – do it! Ok – so think of the one thing you want in life. Now, make that into one word, just one word. At the same time lets all scream that one word that you dream of.. 1, 2, 3 ..! It’s understanding what we can do – the very best we can do. It’s being ruthless, being resourceful, and being happy. There are many ways we can personally define the phrase carpe diem, but where exactly did it come from? Love poetry from the 16th and 17th century started the phrase carpe diem. One professor from the University of Arkansas’s reviews carpe diem’s history on the school’s website. The phrase itself turns out to be from a poem by Horace, a great lyric poet who had studied in Rome and Athens. However, it is best exemplified by a familiar stanza from Robert Herrick’s â€Å"To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time†: Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old time is still a-flying; And this same flower that smiles today, ... Free Essays on Carpe Diem Free Essays on Carpe Diem Carpe Diem Speech â€Å"Yesterday is our past – tomorrow is our future – but today is a gift†¦ that’s why it’s called the present.† It’s a gift! Right now, right this second, just look around – you have been given the gift of life today. But have you ever thought about the fact that you may not be so blessed tomorrow? Our future in this world is not guaranteed, therefore make the most out of today. There was a theme widely used in the 16th and 17th century that urged people to do just that: carpe diem. I would like to share with you this evening some facts on carpe diem, including its meaning, history, and some examples of applying the phrase. Carpe diem is from the Latin phrase â€Å"seize the day.† It is a descriptive term for literature that urges readers to live for the moment. Encyclopedia.com gave us this definition, but it has a much deeper meaning. It means that one should take advantage of opportunities with wisdom and care. It means that when you get the chance to do something crazy – do it! Ok – so think of the one thing you want in life. Now, make that into one word, just one word. At the same time lets all scream that one word that you dream of.. 1, 2, 3 ..! It’s understanding what we can do – the very best we can do. It’s being ruthless, being resourceful, and being happy. There are many ways we can personally define the phrase carpe diem, but where exactly did it come from? Love poetry from the 16th and 17th century started the phrase carpe diem. One professor from the University of Arkansas’s reviews carpe diem’s history on the school’s website. The phrase itself turns out to be from a poem by Horace, a great lyric poet who had studied in Rome and Athens. However, it is best exemplified by a familiar stanza from Robert Herrick’s â€Å"To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time†: Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old time is still a-flying; And this same flower that smiles today, ...

Public relations campaign for Shell FuelSave Essay

Public relations campaign for Shell FuelSave - Essay Example Shell is present in more than 90 countries worldwide, has 93,000 full-time employees, and maintains a fuel retail network of around 43,000 service stations Royal Dutch Shell C (2001). In 2010, Shell was able to produce 3.3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day while it generated earnings of $20.5 billion Royal Dutch Shell C (2001). It spent $23.7 billion on net capital investment while it spent over $1.0 billion on research and development (R&D). The business operations of Shell are classified under three major categories—upstream, downstream, and projects and technology. Firstly, Shell Upstream is involved in the search and recovery of oil and natural gas; and the extraction of heavy oil from oil sands for conversion into synthetic crudes Royal Dutch Shell C (2001). Secondly, Shell Downstream is involved in the manufacturing, supplying, and marketing of oil products and chemicals worldwide. Businesses under manufacturing and supply include â€Å"refineries, chemical plan ts, and the supply and distribution of feedstocks and other products†. ... II. The Launch of FuelSave Maingrade Fuels With the company’s emphasis on bringing innovation into its fuel products, Shell launched its maingrade unleaded and diesel fuels under the name FuelSave. According to Royal Dutch Shell C (2001), the primary attributes of the product banked on a highly unique feature called the â€Å"Advanced Efficiency Improver† which was designed to improve the fuel economy of every car by lubricating areas in the engine where normal engine oils cannot reach, as stated by Royal Dutch Shell D (2011). Through this, FuelSave Unleaded and FuelSave Diesel promised to help its drivers â€Å"Save up to one liter per tank†. By bolstering the idea of fuel saving, Shell intended to contribute its important share in solving the worldwide problem on ballooning fuel demand. Although the big idea of saving seemed appealing to any vehicle driver, FuelSave caters to a specific and well-defined target market. Defined by their practicality and a mindset that is driven by wanting to get the maximum benefit in all the products they use, these fuel customers are commonly called Smart Drivers. They are customers who are very sensitive to changes in price, but critically analyze the value in the products they buy, as concluded by IBM Business Consulting Services (2005). To them, fuel is slowly becoming a luxury more than a necessity due to the continued increase in price. Since abandoning their car and taking the public transportation is not an option, the only choice for them is to shoulder the hiking fuel prices. However, they may become occasional switchers especially when they do not get the value they expect from their fuel purchase, as summarized by Manzano (2005). In this light, it can be said that although these

Answer these questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answer these questions - Essay Example Indeed he not only wanted to impose Nazism on Germans, but he wanted to impose on all Europeans and perhaps even on everyone in the world. He believed everything he did was right and everyone should agree with him. 27. Hitler believed that all Jews were different than Germans. He wanted Germans to fit into the Aryan ideal and to be blue-eyed and blonde-haired. He desired a people that did not look at all Semitic. To Hitler, Jews could be detected by their appearance. This was another example of his anti-Semitism which led to the Holocaust. 3. Hitler definitely thought that young people should indoctrinated early on. He wanted all German students to worship him and agree with everything he said. That is why he created the Hitler Youth. Truth was whatever he said it was. 12. Hitler was a war leader because he chose to start wars everywhere in Europe. He was deluded if he thought that other people were starting wars against him. His surprise attack on the Soviet Union is a good example of this. Every time he made an agreement with someone he broke it. He was a war leader by choice. 21. In the warped way that he looked at the world, Hitler probably believed he was humane. He thought it was nice to kill people because he was doing it for a larger reason—the betterment of humankind. He had probably convinced himself that he was humane and good while at the same time committing evil acts. He was certainly