My Vocation

Well, this story is a long one, as are most of my stories, but here it goes†¦ My vocation story is simple; it began with a thought from God that my life was meant for something more. This thought resounded â€Å"priesthood† not only in my head, but also in my day-to-day life. Very carefully, through the influence of my parents, through the desire to attend Holy Mass more regularly throughout the week, and through my experiences with the other member of our church especially choir, God Holy Spirit (Mahal na Ingkong) was calling me to the priesthood.The first boy in a family of eight children,  I grew up in a Catholic family that for the most part went to Mass every Sunday. I attended the parochial school at the parish my family went to for grades one to eight. Through the school, I made my first confession when I was in the second grade and received my First Holy Communion in the third grade. Also through the parish school, I began serving at Mass in the fourth grade. Du ring this time I never considered a vocation to the priesthood or religious life. I remember that in the first few years of grade school I felt a sense of awe when I stepped inside a church.At some point during grade school, that feeling of awe and that the church building was somehow different went away. As time went on, I went to Mass on Sundays and received Communion largely because that is what my family did on Sundays and I went along. After I graduated from the sixth grade, I attended a private high school in the area that was an excellent college preparatory school. During this time I prepared for and received the Sacrament of Confirmation at my family's parish. I was mildly interested in receiving the Sacrament but to some extent, I received it because it was the next step in the life of a Catholic.My spiritual life as I graduated high school and prepared to go off to college can be summarized by the word â€Å"mechanical†. I prayed before meals with my family because that is what we did. I went to Church on Sunday because that is what my family did. I prayed before bed because that is what my mother taught me. None of that would last very long after I went to college and was on my own. During my teenage years my grandmother are hoping that I would become a priest someday. Upon hearing how she mentioned the news to my relative, I was dumbfounded.I think it was more a reaction to have a loving God in an unloving world, and my thoughts were more along the lines that if I ignored God, maybe He would just go away†¦ After high school, I attended Divine Mercy College and a working student. I attend Sunday on my own for about half of my first quarter as a freshmen and then stopped. When I was home for Christmas, Spring break, and summer, I went to Mass along with my family but did not receive Communion. Towards the end of my sophomore year, my best friend knowing I was Catholic began to ask why Catholics did certain thingsMy Best friend is not a t ypical type of religious catholic person. What he knew of the Catholic faith he had learned from so he â€Å"knew† Catholics worshiped Mary and the saints and did not read the bible. I had no idea how to answer his questions or statements regarding Catholic beliefs. I was for the large part ignorant of what Catholics believed and why we did things the way we did them, even after six years of ignorance in worshipping influenced by my parents. When praying the rosary for example, I did not know one was supposed to mediate on each of mysteries while reciting the prayers. My best friend repeated what he had learned about Catholic beliefs and I was clueless and unable to respond. I was motivated by my best friend questions to learn what Catholics believed. I may not have learned much during my years in our home but one assertion in particular made by my best friend drew my attention. It was the statement that Catholics worship statues. I definitely could not explain why that was f alse but I knew it to be false. I had stood in front of statues and prayed. I had seen other people stand in front of statues praying. I had seen people reverence statues. I never ever thought the statue was being worshiped.I knew and I think the other people knew the statue was not an object to be worshiped and that worship was only given to God. I found on-line resources like Catholic Answers and catholic. org. Based on what I learned on-line I purchased some books. I began going to Mass at our church. Something was different about Mass now. The priest was the same as before, but now his homilies were somehow better. I began to realize that while it was possible that Father's homilies had gotten better over the past year and half to two years, the problem was really with me: I simply had not been listening before.I tried to learn as much as I could about the Catholic faith. I also tried to keep going to Mass during the week and praying Morning and Evening Prayer so that those were not just things I did for Lent. I brought a rosary always for protection. During this time when my faith was renewed and I took an active part in fostering my faith and prayer life (around 2009 up to this day). I was an active auxiliary in these past few years most especially in a choir. I dreamed to be a choir of our church until I had many experiences encountered as a member. Until, one day I won the championship for Battle of the Band contest held last 2011.Lastly, I was appointed to be the chairman of Toka9 auxiliary and there are several great blessed things happened to me last year. Until, the thought of being a priest occurred to me. At times I could see myself as a priest offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. But when I though about it, it seemed like an idea that was not possible and that God would not pick me. I have a speech fluency disorder called stuttering (or stammering). At times, it seemed to me to be severe. As a result, I really did not like public speaking. I pushed off the idea of being a priest as being an impossible dream or fantasy.Certainly, I took the idea of being a priest seriously and was nervous that God was calling me. I continued going to Mass on Sundays and weekdays when possible, praying Morning and Evening Prayer, and trying to do an hour of personal meditation a night. I began to recognize that God was calling me, but I was comfortable with my life. For, so many things happened to me as an active parishioner I always ask God Holy Spirit (Mahal na Ingkong) Why should I stay? At first I had a hard time recognizing that God was calling me in this manner, but over the years I have come to better understand just how God was laying things out for me.My inspiration to say â€Å"yes† was encouraged by the example of my dream. Since, I managed to be an active member of our church I was in the process of bringing myself closer to God Holy Spirit (Mahal na Ingkong) and because of this I often spoke with him about this secret and it had influenced me to make my decision final. Through his words and even more through his example, I realized that I wanted my life to reflect the same desire to serve God. I continued my frigid relationship with God through college days. And, I considered this is one of the interesting parts of my religious life. This realization started a slow thaw.Slowly but surely I started becoming more involved in the Church, realizing eventually that God did exist and did care, so perhaps I should return that with more than I had been. Indeed, the more I frequented Holy Mass the more the desire grew within my heart to give up my life because of my sins. One day when the mass was about to start it came out to my mind when I would watch the priest during Holy Mass, especially at the moments of consecration, I longed to be the man at the altar, offering the sacrifice. Honestly, I considered this was a hilarious part of my daydreaming that time.It’s been said that if you want to mak e God laugh, tell Him your plans. So, I figured, why consult Him on the matter? But there comes a time my home life was still a mess and there are several sins I made. Someone asked me to enter a Eucharistic adoration if I want to have a conversation from god and to seek help. I started going for the first time to Adoration on a weekly basis. It was during one of this Holy Hours that I could finally ask God the question that had bothered me all though out my on-going conversion: if He loved me so much, why did he want me to enter this new world?I thought it was okay that He wanted to care for me now, but what about before? Did he understand my mortal sin? I told God that if I was mistaken, and my call was truly to the priesthood, then to please send me some type of dramatic sign to let me know. I am aware that it is a fairly common phenomenon for young people discerning a vocation to the religious life to ask for this, but it is not a healthy or appropriate request, since God does n ot generally work that way. One of the great signs I received is that when I went into the mission to Bohol, our grace asked me to pursue my dreams but I should enter the religious vocation.Secondarily, in the middle of the month after the mission my father also asked me if I want to study theology this coming school classes. Eventually, I seek for the last and other signs for I have the so-called proof of entering priesthood. But Unfortunately, I was really in crisis at this point, but I still hadn’t received three or more of the dramatic signs I wanted from God in order to show me that I was called to the priesthood rather than the normal single life. During these Holy Hours, I would ask this question again and again, until, finally, one night I opted to listen for His response (a good idea – listening at prayer! . I had heard that God suffers with His children, but, that night, I heard those words as though Christ Himself had spoken them to me: â€Å"Where was I? I was crying and suffering with you! † Gradually, from the inspiration of these experiences and from time in prayer I decided to answer â€Å"yes† to God’s desire. However, after making the decision I was afraid to mention anything to anyone for a good two weeks. Finally, after holding this decision within myself for so long (at least it seemed long to me), I decided that I should tell someone.So, I went to one of my friends, Hijas De Maria Lenny Enrica, and I talked things out with her. She, however, was not surprised by my news, which in turn left me surprised. You see, HDM Lenny was one of my co-choir member in our church and as part of her job she is also an auxiliary officer of the Diocese Region 13 Queen Of Angels and a very supportive friend of mine and I clearly explained and mentioned to her my desire to join the priesthood. Needless to say, I took this conversation as an affirmation from God that I was following the right path. Interestingly enough, HDM Lenny once again layed an important role in helping me pusue my vocation. During our time in a Choir meeting I informed her again that I desired to enter the order. I can only explain this as God’s Providence. She knew where I belonged, only I had to figure it out as well. I’m actually judgmental within myself I grew incredibly in my terrible past life and because of a combination of temptation and of my own weakness, I was not awakened in this horrible dream of my life. I thought that God probably existed, but He didn’t care one way or another about what I was doing in my life.I really owe this acceptance (as little as it seemed) to my auxiliary friends, to whom God seemed very real and very near. I realized that although the decision to become a priest would entail great sacrifice, that didn’t mean that it was not a sacrifice I was called to make. Still, it really hurt when I thought about the idea of never claiming my body’s needs and necessitie s. In many ways, all the joys of my vocation were hidden to me, and all I could focus on were the beautiful things that I would be giving up.I was really concerned that I wouldn’t have the courage to start or the resolve to follow through with my calling. But it hit me one day that no one is strong enough or worthy enough to be a priest—that grace can only come from God. And so I said, â€Å"Okay, God, I believe that you want me to be a priest, and I accept—I will do it. I know you know how much this hurts, and that my sacrifice is that much more meaningful to you because you know. † Still, I asked God for help with two things. First, I said, â€Å"I am so weak—far too weak to do this on my own.I agreed to your mysterious plan for me, but I don’t have the strength to carry it out, so all the rest has to come from you—I am leaning on you completely and entirely. † And I remember having this amazing sense of peace, knowing that G od would always make me equal to the tasks to which he was calling me as long as I could bring myself to ask. It was thrilling to realize that I wasn’t expected to—indeed couldn’t—have the strength or perseverance to do what God was asking, it was only for me to agree to do it, and then to pray!The second thing I asked for was peace of mind—I said, â€Å"God, I believe I am called to the priesthood, but I don’t want to be a miserable priest; a martyr in my own eyes—I want to be joyful! For the next 30 days, I will make sure to spend twenty or thirty minutes each day after Mass praying in your Presence. If, as I believe, you are truly calling me to the priesthood, please help me to feel at peace with my decision to enter the seminary by the end of that time. By the end of that period I was so convinced of my calling that I could laugh about the difficulties I had had a month earlier! I have learned that it doesn’t need any dram atic signs to consider or to pursue your vocation. There are simple things to consider the reason of your call. Primarily, your openness to your calling, then your understanding of your calling, then the acceptance of your calling, then you must embrace your calling, lastly, your love to your calling.I believed these can be enough reason for you to enter priesthood. And, I considered this simple appreciation would be the best sign but is a great call given to me by God Holy Spirit (Mahal na Ingkong). Just to wrap up: There’s a lot of discussion about how much our Church needs priests and religious, and I think we can all see that. But it’s a mistake to talk about a â€Å"vocations crisis†Ã¢â‚¬â€because that implies that there aren’t enough vocations to the priesthood.But Christ told us that he would never leave his Church without shepherds, and so he is definitely still calling many, many young men to the priesthood, and he calls many, many young women t o the religious life. The crisis is not in the number of men and women who God calls, the crisis is in the tiny percentage of those young men and women who actually respond to that call. That’s the crisis. I thank Our Blessed Mother Mary and St. Maria Virginia for her guidance throughout this process, which I like to call the â€Å"Origin of my vocation†.She has blessed me with so many graces that have aided me in finding the path that God Holy Spirit (Mahal Na Ingkong) has laid out for me within the religious section of my adolescence age and more importantly, within the priesthood of Christ, her Son. Although I may not recognize her heavenly assistance, I am most grateful that she has carried me here so that I may fulfill God’s purpose for giving me life. I thank God for His countless blessings and patience with my stubbornness and desire to fulfill my will. I thank God in particular for leading me to discover His call.

Policy Speech on Drug Abuse Essay

Some of you may remember back in 5th grade the D.A.R.E song. You know the song about staying away from drugs and making your own choices. Come on! It had little dance moves that went along with the words. Well if you don’t remember, heres an example of the Chapman Elementary school in Dublin Ohio singing at their D.A.R.E graduation. (play video) Who went through a program like this in their elementary school? According to the Ocean Shore Police, today D.A.R.E. is being taught in all 50 states, in more than 300,000 classrooms. However, this program is not as effective as it was originally sought out to be. Drug abuse is a tremendous problem that must be addressed by the community in order to aid in future prevention. Today I will be talking to you about the D.A.R.E program now and how it is slowly losing its popularity, my proposal on how to change it and how this will positively effect the younger generations. D.A.R.E, standing for Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program, was founded in 1983 by the Los Angeles Police Department and eventually spread across the country. DARE is a primary, or universal prevention program. It targets children and youth before or around the age of experimentation, usually 5th graders. Today, the program reaches more than 26 million children every year in the United States. The non-profit program uses trained law enforcement officers to teach students about drug and alcohol resistance and prevention, and making good life choices. The hour-long classes typically run 10 to 17 weeks, depending on the school. The D.A.R.E. program enables students to interact with police officers or sheriffs in a safe and controlled classroom environment. This helps students and officers meet and understand each other in a friendly manner. Since it was founded, D.A.R.E. has expanded to encompass programs for middle and high school students, conflict resolution, gang prevention, parent education, and after-school recreation and learning. The curriculum has also been revised over the years as a result of research findings and is now more interactive by promoting participation by students. D.A.R.E. has also  established a Scientific Advisory Board to aid in self- evaluation and recommend program changes. Kathi Ackerman, director of Minnesota DARE said, â€Å"Its curriculum has been revamped at least 10 times since its creation.† Still, many districts have had to cut the program because it was too expensive and the outcome did not meet their standards. Julie Olson, director of elementary education said that the Rosemount-Apple Valley district had to drop DARE due to their $15 million budget shortfall. The district used the program for two decades; however it was cut from 18 elementary schools, saving the district $50,000 annually. Although the program has said it involves middle and high school students, research found that 80% of primary school students had experienced some D.A.R.E. education, but only 20% of middle school students and 10% of high school students were exposed to any follow-up drug use prevention. This is one of the great weaknesses within the program. Without a follow up lesson, kids tend to forget what they learned or simply think it does not apply to them anymore. Regardless of the positives DARE teaches, being exposed to these lessons in only one grade is not enough for it to become a way of life. If we ask the question, does DARE help support healthy attitudes about drug use, increase knowledge and awareness of addiction, and increase skills important for youth to have, then the answer is without a doubt yes. However is this enough for our children? Their lives are at stake and if we do not see results, then we are not effectively doing our job. What the critics fail to recognize, is that no single program can be expected to have a lasting effect by itself. Namely, no one component in prevention is sufficient in and of itself to reduce the prevalence of drug use. For this reason, I propose an updated version of the DARE program. A version that will run throughout middle and high school, involve the parents, schools teachers, faculty and staff. This new program will continue on with all that is already in the DARE program; however, it will also include guest speakers, field trips and hands on activities. Volunteer guest speakers will range from previously abusive drug and alcohol users, current abusers and families of those that have lost a loved one to the disease of addiction. The lack of shock and â€Å"in your face† types of actions are what the current DARE program is missing. This may be due to the fact that its primary age  group for students is in the elementary school level. Kids in middle and high school need to see these types of people for it to actually effect them. I know that every teenager thinks they are invincible and that they can do anything. They have the mindset, â€Å"That could never be me.† I did, but boy did I get a news flash when I went on a field trip with my criminal justice class to the Nassau Jail. A few of the inmates volunteered to tell their stories. There was this one beautiful girl sitting in the corner and I honestly thought she was part of staff, until she stood up and told her story about drug addiction. She happened to live in my town. How crazy is that? That definitely hit home to many of the students in my class. This is the type of shock value we need to express to our children for them to understand the actual reality that ones actions can lead to. We can throw all of these stories onto a child or teenager, yet it cannot stop there. Parents who play a vital role in a child’s life, have to impose their influence on decision making to lead towards healthy choices. Within the program there will be parent and teacher seminars which will explain what the children are learning, the ways they are being taught and ways the adults can reenforce the lessons. The seminars for adults will also include the same guest speakers and opportunities to take the same field trips that the children go on. Finally these seminars will include how to detect signs of addiction, ways to sufficiently help your child and contact information for specialized therapists, rehabilitation centers and anonymous support groups. Some may see this as to be a bit heavy and too much for their children ages 10-18 to go through; however this is the harsh reality. We need to take action and take action now! Drug abuse is still a popular fad amongst teenagers even with prevention programs like DARE. Obviously, we as a community are not effectively doing our jobs. With a revised version of DARE, students, parents and teachers will be able to work together to prevent this fad from reoccurring. Having hands on activities, guest speakers, field trips and adult seminars will create a more sufficient program to lead children towards a healthy future. Now think back to the DARE song that Chapman Elementary School performed. Can we only teach our children a cute song or can we actually send a message  that will stick?

Revising Response to Pop Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Revising Response to Pop Culture - Essay Example To many people, â€Å"True Life† lets them know they are not alone. The show sometimes focuses on very controversial issues that are not typically discussed openly, such as questioning one’s sexuality, dealing with debt or homelessness, or infidelity in relationships. MTV producers of the show really catch viewers’ attention with the title â€Å"True Life†. Every episode is further personalized with unique subtitle for every episode. Although what is aired may cause controversy at times, the show is still keeping audiences’ and the critics’ attention for its honest portrayal of the lives of young adults today. â€Å"True Life† allows viewers like myself to connect with people all over the world through a personal issue that is being shared. Finding a common ground between viewers and the subjects of the show, despite their differences, is what makes the show so popular. Many people do not realize how similar they are to someone from a different background until they are exposed to the other person’s daily life and how they deal with some of the same struggles and obstacles to achieving their goals. I think the show sends a very important message that despite our perceptions of people different from ourselves, at our core, we all face adversity and have to choose the paths we take to get to where we want to be. â€Å"True Life† is targeted mostly to MTVs typical audience of teens and young adults, however, in an interview with Betsy Forhan, MTV’s Executive Producer of â€Å"True Life†, we see how the show relates to other groups as well. â€Å"We have a constantly evolving audience and as the older people phase out, we have a brand new audience that is just being introduced to our show†, says Forhan. Forhan also credits the varied staff of the show with its appeal to so many people, â€Å"In our office, it’s a range of ages from our executives in their early 40’s t o the young people who are just out of college† (Forhan, 2010). Having a broad range of people work on the show to discover what’s happening now that will interest viewers in from different backgrounds really helps keep the â€Å"pop† in the popularity of the show. â€Å"You gotta keep moving with the times, things change so fast†. Forhan is also proud of the many awards her docu-series has won, including a 2005 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary and a 2008 Emmy Award for Best Special Class Series. â€Å"True Life† has ultimately succeeded in doing what the producers intended: portraying the situations in life that are sometimes the hardest to accept. Anyone who has gone through an addiction of any sort, rehab or counseling, a big move, an uncontrollable disease or disability, perhaps an unexpected pregnancy or death, or even being gay can relate to at least one or more episodes. The show supports the notion, â€Å"that which does not ki ll you only makes you stronger† by letting the audience into the real dilemmas of people and watching them struggle, and hopefully succeed. Seeing others pull through, whether you know them or not, leaves you with a sense of being proud and keeping faith. At the end of the show, there is usually an update of how the subjects have faired after the show aired, which helps to further the emotional connection with the audience. There are negative sides to the show, however. One example would

Immigration and Asylum Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Immigration and Asylum Law - Essay Example There comes a point at which, for some prolonged and unavoidable separation from this group seriously inhibits their ability to live full and fulfilling lives† (p89). Considering the psychological nature of human beings, the above statement affirms that human beings often interact as they live in sociable settings.2 As such human beings develop close relationships with each other to a point of desiring uninterrupted privacy of their persons or property. In the same light, humans derive a sense of belonging from their family members including spouses, children and other close relative. Therefore, anything including removal or deportation that threatens to separate such close family ties will be deemed to interfere with the victim’s right to enjoy private or family life. This paper therefore seeks to examine the relevance of the above mentioned statement with respect to immigration and asylum law. Besides, the paper provides critical arguments and practical circumstances u nder which the immigration and asylum law broadens its understanding to the reasoning of Lord Bingham. To that end, the arguments herein shall add to the archives of knowledge practical applications of the immigration and asylum law beyond the corridors of justice. 2. The statement was alluded in delivering the verdict in Huang and Kashmiri v SSHD [2007] UKHL 11 as depicted by Harvey, C 2000, Seeking Asylum in the UK: problems and prospects, London: Butterworths. The concept of Immigration and Asylum According to Hayes, Humphries and Cohen (2004, p162), immigration refers to the movement of persons from one state to another for purposes of seeking employment, visitation or temporary residence. In additions, the... From this research it is clear that immigration refers to the movement of persons from one state to another for purposes of seeking employment, visitation or temporary residence. In additions, the idea translates to the entry into another country other than the country of origin regardless of the protocol followed. As such, immigration could either be legal or illegal. With respect to the legality of movement, nations have developed amicable structures defining the procedures and circumstances under which the immigration relations apply. Moreover, the need to have a common method of handling foreign nationals has also necessitated the instrumentation of the immigration law in line with international standards of justice, protection and interaction. Druckman and Stern posits that people who travel to other countries for reasons outlined in the immigration law are termed as immigrants. Such people may have to apply for work permits and travelling documents to allow their movements and operations within the country of immigration. It is therefore a matter of convention to accord all immigrants necessary protection and assistance to ensure that they have full access to means of livelihood, family relations, propriety of justice as well as free movement and association for the entire period of their stay. While the country enjoys the right of admission, it confers reasonable expectation of protection and assistance to its immigrants in return for their allegiance. In the event that such mutuality is breached, the admitting state reserves the right to expel such individual and their persons. It is then that the concept of deportation emanates.

The effect of economic crisis to the marketing strategy of Volkswagen Literature review - 2

The effect of economic crisis to the marketing strategy of Volkswagen in Asian market. The case of Vietnam - Literature review Example inancial crisis on the automotive industry in general and a special note on its impact on the automotive industry in Vietnam’s automotive sector have been included. Research Methodology: The study is about evaluating the effect of economic crisis to the marketing strategy of Volkswagen in Asian market. Now to accomplish the objectives of the study positivism approach has been chosen. In addition, the research design chosen for this study is cross-sectional design approach. Now based on the research questions and research design questionnaire has been selected as the data collection instrument. Findings and Analysis: The aim of the study was to uncover the impact of economic crisis to the marketing strategy of Volkswagen in Asian market. The study revealed that in the global perspective, the company has been able to increase its overall sales volume. In the year 2010 the company has been able to deliver, 7,139,472 cars, but in the year 2011, it increase to 8,160,154 resulting in a 14.3 % growth. In the Asia-Pacific region Volkswagen has been able to deliver 2,140,698 cars in 2010 and in 2011 the company has been able to sell 2,569,765 cars resulting in a staggering 20 % growth. Recommendation: In order to deal effectively with the ongoing issue of financial crisis, the company should reduce its operating cost and marketing cost. It is highly recommended to the company that they should try to integrate more features to their current product portfolio. To create a balance between the net revenue and net expenses, Volkswagen, Vietnam needs to carry out certain cost cutting activities. The company should consider outsourcing different segments of the business to third parties. The economic crisis has affected the automotive industry significantly. In the year 2007 the industry faced the heat of subprime meltdown due to issues related to valuation, in 2008 crisis resulted due to structural and solvency problems in the financial sectors, and in 2009 the disintegrate

The Role of Social Institutions in Society Essay - 1

The Role of Social Institutions in Society - Essay Example The infrastructure of education uses a model of standardized testing and curriculum to ensure that students across the country share the same ideological framework. The education system is invasive because it controls the methodology through which individuals perceive history and the function of other institutions that make up the social nexus (Berger, 1966). For example, the dissemination of information regarding the history of mankind focuses on the history of nation states (Berger, 1966). This creates a society where individuals believe that the existence of a government is inevitable and are therefore not capable of perceiving a reality that extends beyond it. The deepest values of society are taught within this institution, from political organizations to capitalism. Regardless of the political party that individuals align with or the method through which they accumulate capital, they still value participation within these systems (Berger, 1966). Social values are shared by indi viduals who make up community. Such values help define the parameters of a culture and characterize the individuals within it. The educational system is an effective social institution that helps embed such values in growing citizens. As a social institution, the educational system is the most pervasive as well as the most effective at ingraining social values in individuals. Works Cited Berger, P. L. and T.

Debt Consolidation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Debt Consolidation - Essay Example An agreement on collateral against the loan gives a lower interest rate for the loan, as the risk factor decreases. Naturally, if there's no collateral against the loan, lenders don't have any form of security for their money and they resort to charging a higher interest rate. So if the true purpose of debt consolidation must be achieved, it is advisable to keep an asset as collateral so the lenders can make a forced sale on non-payment of the loan and so that the borrower can receive the low interest rate he's looking for. This method has been proven successful when dealing with credit card debt, as credit cards often carry a much larger interest rate than even unsecured loans. In an interview, Kerri Cole talked about her practical experience in dealing with her debt problem. She went to Credit Consolidation Services and got her interest payments reduced on all 9 credit cards she owned; one of the card's interest rate fell from 27% to 9%. For a small monthly fee, she is saving over $600 a month since she started debt consolidation which makes a rough figure of $7200 saved each year. Though some companies tend to take advantage of these situations and indulge in predatory lending, the particular company Kerri talks about has been refreshingly fair and accommodating to her problem. Predatory lending is a term used for lenders who use deceptive methods to convince borrowers to agree to harsh and unfair loan terms, or the systematic violation of the terms by the lenders in such a way that it is very hard for the borrower to defend against it ('Predatory lending,' par.2). In recent reports, media has raised concerns over debt consolidation. They have pointed out that a large majority looks to reduce their interest rate by converting their unsecured loans into a secured loan. The problem arises at their choice of asset to secure the loan against. Most people tend to secure their loans against their home ('Debt consolidation,' par.13) which is a dangerous practice; putting at risk such a valuable asset would certainly not be the most advisable thing to do. The monthly payment does get lower, but the actual amount repaid over the years is often significantly greater in proportion due to the long period of loan. What people argue is that debt consolidation mostly cures the symptoms of the problem and doesn't hit at the root cause of the disease. To owe someone money is always very stressful. The stress is compounded when you owe money to not one, but quite a few lenders. Debt consolidation can provide means to develop a workable budget, and it would greatly reduce the stress level by bringing the number of lenders down to one. This would also be beneficial in the sense that one is less likely to forget a due payment of a single lender than attending to a large number of lenders, each with their own separate terms. Often it happens that because of a non-payment, you get further fines and charges on late payment; a debt of $500 could rise to $700 just because of an imposed fine. Debt consolidation will lessen that amount back to the principle amount (Selman, par.3). So, through debt consolidation we are looking at numerous advantages like no fines or monetary charges, reduced number of lenders, a lower interest rate and no warning calls. Also with your credit rating improving because of debt consolidation, if you are looking f or a new

Evolution of E-Commerce to M-Commerce Dissertation

Evolution of E-Commerce to M-Commerce - Dissertation Example It is also surprising that the pattern of m-commerce is not diverting the focus of sales away from e-commerce; it is adding more value to its operations. Studies reveal that about 90 percent of clients use their smart devices in order to make inquiries about products, their features and their prices (Lee, 2013:19). The on-the-go convenience and ease allows consumers to compare and contrast various products as easily as they would do it in a physical store that they walk into any time they want to. Further, besides pre-shopping activities, consumers make use of smart devices while shopping in outlets. The fact is that m-commerce is improving the general in-store experience and enabling companies to connect with their clients more closely. Businesses can develop more intimate connections with their customers when it comes to understanding them and meeting their needs. This, in turn, drives and will continue driving sales in the foreseeable future. Considering these facts, the biggest q uestion arising is now whether businesses are paying enough attention to their mobile platforms or not. Based on a study of a number of small enterprises in the United States, the findings show that 60 percent of them lack a plan to replicate their businesses online. In addition, commercialisation does not form part of their strategy because they feel that their companies and resources are not enough to support such expansion. The crux of this analysis is that no matter the size of a business, m-commerce is slowly replacing e-commerce.

Internal and External Factors Essay Example for Free

Internal and External Factors Essay External Factors Laura Smalt XMGT/230 May 12, 2013 Dr. B Internal and External Factors The organization I chose to write about is Subway restaurants. I have worked in management in two different locations, and have had a firsthand look at what goes into the four functions of management and how they interlock with each other. If I were to consider the planning aspect of this organization it is amazing the amount of work, projecting, forecasting, and implementation that it entails. Factors such as globalization play a huge role simply because this organization has over twenty thousand locations in seventy-eighty countries. The economy, trends, cultures, and habits in each region are taken into consideration in the planning function. When planning, corporate must consider the economy in each region, which is why one region may have a different monthly special than another. Organizing all of this also falls into the planning phase, because everything needs planned with individual marketing material, and training materials. Other factors have effects on all this as well. Keeping up with the current technology for instance, helps to keep their locations running smoothly and efficiently. Being one of the world’s largest sandwich franchises requires planning and organizing to keep up with changing innovations, and to create new menu options that keep them competitive with others. When you look at the four functions of management as a whole, it is easy to notice that not only does each function interlock, but also the organizing function interlocks with both planning and leading. In order to maintain uniform locations that are all kept up to franchise standards systems must be put in place. This is also an excellent chance to provide front line support on location where it is needed most. I think in this function factors such as diversity and ethnics have a tremendous impact. Because these require so much interaction, these factors must be considered. For example, if the regional representative shows up for the monthly sales and promotions meeting or for the inspection to all-Spanish speaking location there would be major communication issues. To address this all regional representatives are custom chosen for the areas they cover. These are the locations linked to corporate, and their leaders to keep in compliance. Because diversity and ethnics can encompass so much it is essential for management to know how to work with both. For example, management can assign a task to any employee, but if that employee does not have that skill to complete the task in the end, the results are less than desirable. Because of this management must need to know how to assign tasks and work with the diversity they have in the employees. Ethnics on the other hand should be uniform and level throughout the organization, because it aligns management and all personnel within the company in behaviors, and values. Ethnics also play a major role in public relations, because the organization’s ethnics reflect the image the public has of them. This is all brought together with the controlling function of management. Monitoring the entire organization, developing new ideas, and applying changes happen here. This includes monitoring sales, controlling costs, and adjusting as needed. If a promotion in a certain region is performing badly, then marketing may be tasked with analyzing that market again to see if a different promotion or strategy would work better there. Cost control would be monitored with the control function, things such as logistics, internal communications, purchasing, and human resources all need to be overseen and adjusted as market and profits allow or demand. To summarize internal and external factors such as globalization, technology, innovation, diversity, and ethnics affect almost every aspect of any organization. From the top of CEO of the organization down to the front line managers, these factors affect both on a daily basis. When making decisions all these things must be considered and applied to the specific market or situation. Just as the point of sale manager must consider diversity when making decisions about assignments, and day-to-day operations so must the upper level executive when dealing with the diversity place upon him when dealing with shareholders, or other organizational officers. Globalization affects just about any organization in existence as well. With digital age comes the need to compete not only with the local influences and factors, but with global as well. Technology and innovation I do not think can be ignored or escaped in any organization today. Again, with the digital age so many people rely on social applications and similar venues for marketing and development that to ignore this be a serious error. Depending on the organization, these functions are necessary for some. The world has become too competitive to not monitor these and keep up with one’s competition.

Rhetorical Strategies for Distinct Image Ads in Same Product Essay Example for Free

Rhetorical Strategies for Distinct Image Ads in Same Product Essay Rhetorical Strategies for Distinct Image Ads in Same product Advertisement is a form of communication intended to persuade consumers to purchase or to accept the ideas, products or services. Advertising persuasion strategy not only has logic, but also has a unique artistry that advertisers use to find many effective persuasions for various kinds of target markets. Different ways to persuade customers for the same product could have distinct effects by analyzing targets, appeal methods, and angles of vision. Two different image advertisements for watches are analyzed with rhetorical strategies thereinafter, which have entirely distinct groups of the target audiences. The first ad analyzed is an ad for the Witinauer Watch in Essence Magazine, which displays a young woman in her late 20s holding a Witinauer Watch. The color of the background of the Witinauer Watch ad is black. The woman’s face occupies almost the entire upper right corner of the ad. Half of her face is showing, from the lower half of her nose to her chin. A light comes from the upper right onto her face, shadowing a small section below her nose and lips. Her neck is in darkness. She has a slightly parted mouth with bright red glossy lips. Exposed are her last three fingers of the right hand, which have finger nails the same red color as the lips. Those three fingers stick out from the darkness holding onto the top watch links of the Wittnuer Watch next to the right corner of her mouth. The watch is in front of the background. The color of the watch is silver, and its shape is elliptical. Around the watch face and links appear to be diamonds. The shapes of the diamonds which stand for the numbers of time on the watch face are similar to a parallelogram. The word â€Å"WITTNAUER† and a straight line with a small â€Å"w† in the middle are on the upper middle of the dial, and the word â€Å"SWISS† is located to the middle bottom of the dial. Th ere are words â€Å"Into the Night† with white color and Times New Roman font in front of the shadow of her lips. On the right side bottom there is the logo â€Å"WITTNAUER† in yellow, Times New Roman font and Calibri font for the word â€Å"SWISS.† In front of the background, on the left side bottom there are two jewelry company names: Zales and Gordon’s Jewelers. Their websites are also listed. On the left side of the ad, in a vertical direction, are the identifier and the watch website. The second ad analyzed is an ad for a Rolex Watch in Outside Magazine, which displays a man who is in his 50s, wearing a Rolex Watch. There are two parts of the Rolex Watch ad: the main color of the upper five  sixths is dark colored and the bottom is dark green. In the above five sixths of the ad, the color gradually fades from the four corners to the words on the upper left. On the upper left, there are seven rows of words: the first six rows are the interview of the man, and the last row is the advertising slogan. The man with short hair folds his arms, smiling, looking towards the le ns camera on the right hand side. He is wearing a gray anorak jacket, and wearing a Rolex Watch on his left hand. Under his right arm there is a coil of blue and white climbing rope. In front of the background, a silver round shaped Rolex Watch is on the left bottom. The watch links are connected with oblong blocks. There are twelve even numbers that lap around the watchcase, and are separated by inverted triangles. There are sixty minute marks and twelve geometric shapes around the white dial. An inverted triangle is on the top of the middle of the watch; two rectangles mark the quarter of an hour. There are four different shaped hands behind the glass: the hour hand has two bars with an object like a Mercedes–Benz logo on the end of the bars. The minute hand also has two bars; the second hand has a long single bar with a circle near the end of the bar. There is also a red hand with a triangle at the end of the bar. The logo of the watch has two parts: the above is a shape of a golden royal crown, and the bottom is the word â€Å"ROLEX† with white color and Times New Roman font. There is a Rolex logo with several words on the middle upper of the dial, two rows of words just below the center, and two words on the middle bottom. In the lower right of the watch, in front of the dark green background, there are words â€Å"OYSTER PERPERTUAL EXPLORERâ… ¡Ã¢â‚¬  with white color and Arial Unicode MS font. On the right corner, in front of the dark green background, there is a Rolex logo and its website below. On the middle bottom, there are two rows about the product official contact number and sponsoring brands. Although both ads are all about watch, the target market strategies are distinguished. The appeals for the Rolex Watch ad and the Wittnauer Watch ad are logos, ethos and pathos. Both ads use logos, logical evidences to support the value of the products. For example, the Rolex Watch is on the arm of a rugged-looking man, and the Wittnauer Watch is in the hand of a sexy beautiful model. Equally important, in the Rolex Watch ad and the Wittnauer Watch ad, the watch is on the left because English is read from left to right, so the watch is the first thing that the reader sees. Likewise, the two ads use  ethos to emphasize the characters of the products to obtain the trustworthiness from readers. For instance, the model of the Rolex Watch ad is a sports star that has a high status in the adventure world. His name is Ed Viesturs, a famous high–altitude mountaineer who achieves marvelous achievements. The model has a high status in the adventure world. It indicates that the Rolex Watch is so famous that well–known people support it as well. People who like adventure will be attracted by this ad because of him. The Wittnauer Watch ad provides a famous brand as well. There are two well known jewelry companies’ names that appear in the ad, Zales and Gordon’s Jewelers. They are the sellers of the diamond–shaped watch. This improves the market value of the Wittnauer Watch. Both of the ads use a famous person or brand to appeal credibility to readers. Furthermore, both the Wittnauer Watch ad and the Rolex Watch ad have pathos. In the Rolex Watch ad, the word â€Å"Rolex, a crown for every achievement† appears after the introduction of the model. This attracts people who are successful or want to be an achievement because it makes a belief for readers, and makes people feel happy and proud when they are imaging having this product. Similarly, the Wittnauer Watch ad is favored by women because the surface of it is full of diamonds, which makes the watch look more glorious. Compared with the Rolex Watch ad and the Wittnauer Watch ad, both of them appeal to readers by logos, ethos and pathos. After analyzing the target audiences for both ads, the advertisers tried to persuade their target viewers by the angle of vision. In both of the Wittnauer Watch ad and the Rolex Watch ad, the products are in visible locations that it catches readers’ eyes. The watch in the Wittnauer Watch ad is in front of the dark background and most of the surface of the watch appears to be diamonds, which makes the watch dazzling. It shows this product is not only a watch, but also jewelry. Similarly, in the Rolex Watch ad, the watch appears from the dark background. The big round shape, large lap around–numbers, sporty clock hands, and geometric shapes makes the watch look like a timer, but not only a simple watch. In addition, the ads use different types of models to express different types of watches. The model of the Wittnauer Watch ad is a mature young lady. Her three long fingers and bright red glossy lips show a very sexy beautiful woman, which shows a rich high status. As well, the model in the Rolex Watch ad is a 50–year old rugged-looking man, and expresses that this man is full  of experienc es. Furthermore, the object or the words in the ads help to explain the product or introduce the model. In the Wittnauer Watch ad, the word â€Å"Into the Night† beside the watch, which appears from the dark, means the watch is as bright as a diamond at night. This shows how luxury the watch is. Likewise, in the Rolex Watch ad, the grey anorak jacket and the coiled blue and white climbing rope under the male model’s right arm helps to indicate the model as a mountaineer. Overall, the angles of vision of these two ads use the watch impression, selected models, property, and background to convince their potential customers. In conclusion, advertisers use many strategies to attract their target audience. They are very intelligent that they can take a simple product and turn it into the perfect thing for a certain group of consumers. Using angle of vision and Aristotelian Appeals of logos, ethos and pathos, advertisers to convince audiences their products will make them glamorous, athletic or successful. These advertisements are very attractive, but consumers should not just believe the advertisers because ad is a persuasive tool that it only shows their target audience the impressive parts of products. Consumers should concern more about the reality that whether these products are worth to purchase. They must consider the facts.

Policy Making Processes in South Africa

Policy Making Processes in South Africa The National Government is accountable to the law making process regarding the rights and commitments of its citizens and delivery of services. The Constitution of South Africa provides in Section 43, three spheres of government in South Africa, namely, the National Government, Provincial Government and Local Government. In Section 40(1) of the Constitution it states that these spheres of government are distinctive, inter-related and inter-dependent. All three areas work under the Constitution as well as the laws and policies created by Parliament. Elected members sanction policies and laws as well as supervise the work of the departments. The department and public services are liable for the work delegated by government and are accountable to the Executive. In the Provincial Legislature, the Premier and Executive Council is responsible for the managerial executive and the administration is done by the Heads of Department and their staff. The local government or council are managed b y the Mayor and the Mayoral Committee and the administration is taken care of by the Municipal Manager, Heads of Department and their staff. The law making process The National Legislature is the authority that passes new laws, amend existing laws or repeal old laws. This same power exists for provincial legislatures in making provincial laws and municipal laws in respect of municipal by –laws. The process is as follow: Firstly, a draft bill is drawn up by the MEC, MPL or the standing committee. This is then published in the provincial gazette as well as other papers to notify the public. The public has 14 days to respond to the proposed drat. If there were any public comment, the department will make the changes. Secondly, the speaker will introduce the proposed Bill to the legislature. Thirdly, the legislature committee debates the bill. Public hearings can be hold and if there are any changes to the draft, it is referred back to the legislature. Fourthly, the Legislature debates the bill and a vote is then passed. The Bill is passed once a majority vote is in favour. If not, the Bill is rejected. Fifthly, the Premier of the Province signs the Bill into an Act. Lastly, the Act is published in the Provincial Government Gazette. The Role of the NCOP When a Bill is passed by the National Assembly it is given a number and referred to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). The Bill is subject to the amendment proposed or rejected by the Council. The NCOP first needs to distinguished if the Bill contains issues that affects provinces (Section 76 Bill) or contains issues that do not affect the provinces (Section 75 Bill). If the Bill contains issues affecting provinces (Section 76 Bill) Members of the Select Committee approach their own provinces to review the Bill. Each provincial legislature gives a provincial mandate to make changes or leave it as it stands. Provincial representatives report back to the NCOP on their provincial decision. Then the selected committee negotiates the final version of the Bill, to report their decision or suggested changes to the NCOP. The NCOP considers the report, vote on the Bill and each province has a vote. It there are any proposed changes to the Bill, the NCOP refers it back to the National Assembly for approval. If the Bill contains issues that do not affect the provinces (Section 75 Bill) The NCOP considers the Bill, can either accept, reject or propose changes by the Select Committee. Each member of the NCOP votes according to their party decision. If the NCOP makes any changes to the Bill, it is then referred back again to the National Assembly for approval. If there are still differences in the agreement of the Bill, it can follow a mediation process. If this fails, the National Assembly can refer the Bill (Section 76 Bill) to the president to obtain a two thirds majority. If this does not happen the Bill falls away Once both houses accepts the final version of the Bill, it is then send to the President to be signed into an Act and law and then published in the Gazette. Once a law has been passed by the National Parliament it is up to the Provincial and Local Government on the implementation thereof The Role, Powers and Function of the Local Government in law-making According to Section 156(2) of the Constitution: â€Å"A municipality may make and administer by-laws for the effective administration of the matters which it has the right to administer†. The elected members to the municipality decide on the policies and by-laws for their area that needs to be approved and executed by law. The executive committee of the local council is accountable to present the by-laws. A by-law can only be passed if a majority vote in the municipal council was achieved, all members received reasonable notice and it was published in to elicit public comment. It must be understandable to the public. A by-law can only be imposed if it was published in the provincial gazette. Municipalities can prepare by-laws on matters that refer to Schedule 4B and Schedule 5B of the Constitution which gives Local Government the power to create and pass laws. Municipalities can also make laws on issues allocated by the National or Provincial Government. These issues depend on the category of the municipality to make these by-laws. A category ‘A’ municipality is referred to as a metropolitan municipality, a category ‘B† municipality is identified as a local municipality and a category ‘C’ is known as a district municipality. A metropolitan municipality makes by-laws on all affairs as listed per Schedule 4B and 5B of the Constitution and has the ability to make by-laws delegated by the Provincial or National Government. These affairs include by-laws affecting for example, air pollution, building regulations, local tourism and municipal planning, to name a few. These affairs are identified as Schedule 4B affairs. By-laws with regards to Schedule 5B is affairs that include display of billboards, keeping of cemeteries, licensing of dogs, markets and local abattoirs, to name a few. Local and district municipalities share the power to create by-laws. This has been controlled by the Municipal Structures Act. Section 84(1) of the Municipal Structures Act, states the powers and functions of the district municipality and obtained from Schedule 4B and Schedule 5B of the Constitution. According to Section 84(2) of the Municipal Structures Act, the local municipality has authority over all other local government matters not mentioned in section 84(1) in its jurisdiction. Examples are for instance on air pollution which is a Schedule 4B competency. A district municipality under section 84(1) has no power but the local municipality under section 84(2) has full power in the area of jurisdiction. The district municipality has no powers under Section 84(1) with regards to beaches and amusement facilities under Schedule 5B, but the local municipality under section 84(2) has full powers in the area of jurisdiction. THE ROLE, POWERS AND FUNCTION OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT IN LAW MAKING All nine provinces have their own legislature ranging from 30 up to 80 members depending on the number of votes received by the political party. The provincial legislature is accountable for making and passing laws for its province. The provincial government tables provincial Bills under Schedule 5B of the Constitution. These Bills must be accepted by the executive council and then published in the Provincial Gazette for public commentary. The provincial laws requires two thirds majority of the vote and are only operative in that specific province. An example is the ban on cell phones while driving in the Western Cape. A Bill is presented by the Speaker of the provincial legislature. The Standing Committee can invite public hearing and after consultation send a report to the provincial legislature. A vote is taken after the debate and the legislation is passed when a majority vote has reached. The Premier of the province has to sign the Bill into law. The Act then gets published and takes effect on the determined date. Provincial laws can be changed or interceded by Parliament if they challenge the interest of national or other provincial governments. According to the Constitution, provinces can have legislative and executive powers simultaneously with the national government over areas such as agriculture, cultural affairs, environmental issue, health services etc. Also, provinces has absolute proficiency over areas such as ambulance services, liquor licenses, provincial roads, planning and cultural matters

Donald Trump :: essays research papers

Donald Trump, one of the great New York City business tycoons, has written several biographies that explain in detail his dealings in the business world and his personal life throughout his career. The book that I have read is titled Trump: The Art of the Comeback. In this biography Donald tells about the time in the eighties and early nineties that he was struggling financially because of the economy and the hardships that he went through to make a comeback. Each chapter tells a story about his return to the top and how he did it. This book is his account of how he engineered one of the most remarkable business comebacks in history. He has accumulated a net worth of well over three billion dollars.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the things that has helped Donald Trump throughout these times was his ability to make wise decisions based on his experience. I realized when reading this book that he was very talented in the area of decision making. He knew exactly when to buy or sell his assets to maximize his profits. Trump starts of by listing his top ten comeback tips. Some seem ridiculous, but apparently they work. He suggests things such as playing golf, being paranoid, going with your gut instinct, and always having a prenuptial agreement. The first chapter explains briefly his rise to the top and the rest of the book tells how he survived the low period and eventually regained his status. One of the main reasons for Donald’s downfall was the plummeting value of his vast real estate assets. He claims that his investments in Atlantic City are what eventually saved him from really going under between 1989 and 1992. Trump then bought Mar-a-lago, a gigantic mansion in Palm Beach and restored it. He vacations there and has had dozens of celebrities vacation there also. Donald Trump then acquired 40 Wall Street in 1995. The deal that he was able to make on this property was unbelievable. He paid the Kinson family one million dollars for a building that they had already previously paid for and had also sunk tens of millions into. He truly stole this property from them. The difficulty that the Kinson family was having was dealing with the German family that owned the ground lease. As soon as the Kinson family signed the papers he was on the phone working out a new 200-year ground lease with the Hinnebergs.

Analysis of Henrik Isbens A Dolls House :: A Dolls House Essays

Act I Analysis: Act I, in the tradition of the well made play in which the first act serves as an exposition, the second an event, and the third an unraveling (though Ibsen diverges from the traditional third act by presenting not an unraveling, but a discussion), establishes the tensions that explode later in the play. Ibsen sets up the Act by first introducing us to the central issue: Nora and her relation to the exterior world (Nora entering with her packages). Nora serves as a symbol for women of the time; women who were thought to be content with the luxuries of modern society with no thought or care of the world in which they lived. Indeed, there is some truth in this (the extent of this is debatable). As the play reveals, Nora does delight in material wealth, having been labeled a spendthrift from an early age. She projects the attitude that money is the key to happiness. By presenting this theme of the relationship between women and their surroundings at the beginning, Ibsen indicates to the reader that this is the most basic and important idea at work in the play. However, it is also clear that Nora's simplistic approach to the world is not entirely her fault. Torvald's treatment of Nora as a small helpless child only contributes to Nora's isolation from reality. Just as Nora relates to the exterior world primarily through material objects, Torvald relates to Nora as an object to be possessed. The question becomes who is more detached from reality? Though Torvald's attitude pervades every word he speaks to Nora, his objectification of her is most evident in his use of animal imagery. He refers to her as his little "lark" and "squirrel"†¹small harmless animals. Similarly, Torvald repeatedly calls Nora his "little one" or "little girl", maintaining the approach of a father rather than husband. Nora is fully dependent on Torvald, from money to diet (the macaroons); and, because she is so sheltered, her perception of the world is romanticized. Nora's skewed vision of the world is most evident in her interactions with Mrs. Linde. Whereas her old school friend is wizened and somber, Nora is impetuous. Her choice to tell Mrs. Linde about her secret seems to be more of a boast of a small child than a thoughtful adult; in fact, Nora only reveals her secret after being called a child by Mrs.

Future of Our Education

Future of Our Education An average tablet filled with thousands of e-books weighs a billionth of a billionth of a gram more than if it were empty of data, rather than a single book that's manually read, cannot be updated, and contains only a specific published topic. Manufacturing a single tablet requires extraction of 33 pounds of mineral, 79 gallons of water, and 100 kilowatt hours of fossil fuels resulting in 66 pounds of carbon dioxide while a single tree cut only produces an average of 17 books.Proponents of tablets say that these are supported by teachers and students alike, because they re lighter and convenient to use than print textbooks. It can hold as many books as the owner wishes to have, plus homework, quizzes and other files, and actually improve one's ability to understand and learn. They say that tablets can save the environment by lowering the amount of printing and increase not only students' learning abilities but also their creativity. If there are Pros to tablet s, there are also Cons.Opponents say that these advanced technological necessities are far too expensive and can be a distraction for students. It can easily break and is time, energy and money consuming to fix. They say that these cause various health problems and other things that increase students' excuses for not doing their homework. Above all, it requires mostly of Wi-Fi connection to be able to update its data, since it becomes quickly outdated as new kinds of technology are released in the market.Some opponents of tablet may even use their practicality to counter the rapid escalation of the technologys popularity. But let's face it: who wouldn't want to use one? Generally speaking, it is obvious that there a lots of things a tablet has to offer than a plain old textbook. Using it is so intuitive that it makes learning more fun and easy. At the same time, it enables students to cut on corners instead of patiently browsing a textbook for meanings. Just one click and Voila!Ther e's your homework, your project, etc. Using a tablet has advantages and disadvantages. For an instance, it is slowly wiping out the textbooks existence since the world is on its way down the lane of modernization. But do we really need to have one in order to study? Replacing the use of textbooks in order to improve the quality of learning is a dire need but let's not forget what we did in the past and where we came from, for it is where we will predict the future of our education. By mynameismacey

How The Internet has Affected the Music Industry Essay

When Tim-Berners Lee dreamt up the, then, crazy idea, of an inter-global network, I’m sure very few people had the same optimism in believing that it could happen in the future. Over the last ten years, the Internet has evolved from just web pages to e-mail, to online gaming, to viewing sport and film previews, and to buying and downloading music online. The Internet has now become one of the music industry’s greatest markets, estimated to reach over 25% of sales in five years. This may be true, yet the Internet is also one of the music industries greatest enemies. For some years now online shopping has been available to anyone with a credit card and an Internet connection. E-commerce retailers such as Amazon.com sell everything from garden tools, to C.D’s and mini-discs. It is only in the last couple years however, that online shopping has taken off. Before this the public and businesses alike had not been taking full advantage of this phenomenal asset, which has been proven to save companies millions. It was only with the creation of Windows 98 and other Internet programs that people were sure that their credit card numbers and personal details could not be viewed by another person, or ‘hacked’. Once this huge hurdle was overcome, the way we used the Internet and the effect it had on the music industry had changed forever. The close relationship between the Internet and the music industry has led to many dramatic revolutions. First of all it has changed the way in which we purchase music. It has also opened up a new medium for record companies and musicians to promote their music, and now consumers can listen to music via technology such as RealAudio. Also, with peoples Internet connections getting faster all the time, and now with the invention broadband Internet, you can listen to music through Internet Radio Stations whilst still surfing the Internet, a new technique called ‘streaming’. From a consumers point of view this is all excellent news, and I am sure there is yet more to come. But from the music industry’s perspective, not all of this new technology is helping their cause. Many areas of the music  industry have been affected in a bad way, areas such as musicians and record companies worry about copyrights, songwriters and music publishers also worry about copyrights, and distributors and high street retailers worry about sales, and they should be worried as C.D shipments went down by 7% in the first six months of 2002. Copyrights are based on control of the market: how and when a copyright work is used. So the Internet has changed the foundations of the music industry. Because it is so easy and inexpensive to create a website, this makes it easy to put someone’s copyrighted work on to your website and the Internet, therefore making it available for anyone to listen to or copy. As many consumers will still download this copyrighted music for free it is obvious that they do not believe that copyrights stand for much. This is all part of a much larger problem, controlling the distribution of copyrighted music on the Internet, a task that surely is near impossible with so many websites committing copyright fraud. The most famous example of copyright fraud occurred on June 1, 1999. With Microsoft’s supreme dominance over the computing industry and the Internet, not many other companies get a look in. In the end it took a first year university student called Shawn Fanning with the help of funding from his uncle to disrupt the balance of power. It was with the creation of an MP3 website called Napster that the public really took to downloading music from the Internet. Up until the formation of Napster, the technology had been available but had not really made it into the mainstream. You might say that it was Napster that revolutionised the way we obtain music from the Internet, not the new technology. There was however, one fatal flaw with this website. All the music that was being ‘shared’, had copyright to its name, and Napster was using these songs without paying the record companies. So on December 7, 1999, The Recording Industry Association of America sued Napster for copyright infringement. They were asking for damages of $100,000 each time a song was copied. This however did not stop Napster operating as normal, it was only when they were sued by the hugely popular rock band Metallica that Napster was prompted to take action, or at least look like they were taking action. It was on October 31, 2000 that Napster announced a new partnership with  Bertelsmann-RCA in which Bertelsmann put  £26,000,000 into Napster to keep it going. Then on July 26, 2001 a federal judge ordered to shut down Napster, but the music industry’s elation did not last long, just two days later it was up and running again. Now Napster is working together with major record companies EMI, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal to develop a system where consumers using the service will pay per song or a monthly subscription fee. This is a new system, which will attempt to benefit everyone. So despite the early indications that all this technology would go to waste, Microsoft, the record companies and Internet companies seem to have sorted themselves out. The Internet may have once been a huge enemy for the music industry, but it seems like the Internet is now on its way to having an extremely positive affect on the music industry.

The Campbell Company

The Campbell Company is evaluating a proposal to buy a new milling machine. The base price is $108,000, and shipping and installation costs would add another $12,500. The machine falls into the MACRS 3-year class, and it would be sold after 3 years for $65,000. The machine would require a $5,500 increase in working capital (increased inventory less increased accounts payable). There would be no effect on revenues, but pre-tax labor costs would decline by $44,000 per year. The marginal tax rate is 35 percent. 1. What is the net cost of the machine for capital budgeting purposes, that is, the Year 0 project cash flow? Net Cost of the machine = $108,000 + $12,500 + $5,500 = $126,000 2. What are the net operating cash flows during Years 1, 2 and 3? Â   | Year | |Â   |0 |1 |2 |3 | |After-Tax Savings |Â   |$28,600 |$28,600 |$28,600 | |Depreciation Tax Savings |Â   |$13,918 |$18,979 |$6,326 | |Net Cash Flow |Â   |$42,518 |$47,579 |$34,926 | . What is the terminal year cash flow? |Salvage Value |$65,000 | |Tax on Salvage Value |$19,798 | |NWC Recovery |$5,500 | |Terminal Cash Flow |$50,702 | 4. If the project’s cost of capital (WACC) is 12 percent, should the machine be purchased? Yes, the machine should be purchased as the investment has a positive NPV of $10,840 as per the following table. |NPV Analysis | |Year |Cash Flow |PV Factor @ 12% |PV | |0 |($126,000) |1 |($126,000) | |1 |$42,518 |0. 929 |$37,962 | |2 |$47,579 |0. 7972 |$37,929 | |3 |$85,629 |0. 7118 |$60,949 | |NPV |Â   |Â   |$10,840 |

Girls Education Essay

It is one the basic necessities to be educated for human, as world is full of competition, where one needs certain amount of skills to survive and be a threat to others. Education gives an insight to the person to differentiate between good and bad. Both men and women are part of our society so we need education for the females as well as for the males. In India despite of all the plans measures, initiatives and tall claims by the government and various voluntary organizations, a vast majority of the girls are yet illiterate in India. During the last four decades since independence, many schools and colleges are founded for girls. Education of girls is one of the basic features of the government plans. The female education is important for the society as mothers are the first teachers of the children. They are the first teachers of the future citizens of the country. It is being increasingly recognized that educated wives and mothers are an asset to a nation. Educated girls are working in banks, private firms, hospitals and government offices and supporting their families as well as contributing to the development of the country. Educated girls have an honored position in society. They have secured their rights from the reluctant men but all this is confined chiefly to the urban areas. Indians are conservative by nature. So, their blind faith and age old superstition stood against the female education. In rural areas most of the people are still against girls’ education. So much needs to be done yet. Special legislation should be enacted to deal with parents who neglect the education of their daughters. There are many villages where schools for girls do not exist. Every village must have a girl’ schools, or if that is not possible owing to lack of funds, parents should be persuaded to admit their daughters to the schools providing co-education. In recent years situation has improved considerably. People have felt the virtue of female education. Now in India we find women professors, lady doctors, lady scientists, lady politicians and lady ministers. Girls should be educated in the interest of our national progress. India is now optimistic in the field of female education. We had the female philosophers like Gargi, in the Vedic age. We had Mirabai, Ahalyabi and Laxmibai in the days of history. They were all learned. Hence, we had a great tradition during the days of our degeneration. Now, we have revived. So, we will certainly revive the female education in India.

Analysis Of Aint Any Makin It Sociology Essay

Analysis Of Aint Any Makin It Sociology Essay The essay is a critical analysis from a sociological point of view of the book ain’t No Making it, third edition by Jay McLeod and published in 2008. The author divided the book into three distinct parts; part one The Hallway Hangers and the Brothers as Teenagers, part two Eight Years Later; Low income, Low income and the last part Ain’t No makin’ It. Through the eyes of the two groups used by McLeod, the brothers (black minority boys) and the Hallways (white boys) we are able to clearly see what transpires in an American societal setting. The two groups lived and studied in the same conditions but each has varied expectations and aspiration, this is on the basis of their race. The Brothers viewed an open society as the way life should be lived and held the opinion that the difficulties they are going through is due to racism their ancestors underwent. For this reason, they try as much as possible to engage in socially acceptable manners. This group does have hi gh expectation as well as aspiration. On the other hand, the Hallways do not accept the same achievement ideology held by the Brothers. The individuals in this group have lost hope, do drugs, drop from school plus engaging in a myriad of other activities deemed illegal. From the author, the two groups did not get themselves out of poverty. The reason I bet is that there are numerous barriers in the society that blocked their quest of getting themselves out of poverty. It is worth noting that a number of other concepts from sociological point of view clearly emerge. These include social conflict, poverty, gender and racial inequality, males as role model, political power, defeatism, education and society/elites and generational mobility (McLeod 17). Social conflict From social conflict theory which argues that human beings as well as groups in a given society do at any given time have varied amount of both material and non material resources. For this reason, those deemed wealthy or rich and more powerful exploit the less privileged. Another theory that will be analyzed along the social conflict one is Bourdieu social reproductive theory which asserts that those kids born by working class parents will automatically end up finding better jobs. It is evident that the Brothers did acknowledge that the difficulties in life they are facing at present are nothing but as a result of the serious racial discrimination their fore fathers went through. A typical example of social conflict is in the field of education in the book. Those kids from lower class families are treated in a manner by the teachers that suggest they (students) are less competent. Thus they are placed in a lower track as they lack opportunities to develop their language. In this category, these students are only trained to later in life take blue color jobs while those from affluent families are trained to take white color jobs. Additionally, the two kinds of school, public and private provide us wi th a clear distinction between where kids from wealthy and poor background attend school (McLeod 287). On the same note, students from less privileged families are disadvantaged by their manners, the way they talk, dress and deemed not to be fit and valued in the education systems

Innocence and disilussion in Desiree's Baby Essay

Innocence and disilussion in Desiree's Baby - Essay Example Why it seemed but yesterday that Desiree was little more than a baby herself." Desiree’s Baby† by Kate Chopin is a touching tale of how both love and pride affect all our actions. Love is a quality gifted only to some people. "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." On the other hand, Pride has the opposite effect because it is egged on by a hatred of falling below ones standards. Pride makes a person so selfish because it centers on â€Å"self† and is totally destructive. Kate Chopin depicts the protagonist Desiree as a "beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere young woman."(p. 31) and then shuttles between the love and pride that effects all the choices made by all the characters in the story. Kate Chopin’s â€Å"Desiree’s Baby,† is so realistic in its portrayal because of her creation of lifelike and believable characters. She relies on a lot of symbolism and imagery lending depth and innocence to her characters. To highlight social divisions she uses color imagery such as black and white. She also uses Biblical connotations such as comparing Desiree with God and Armand to Satan. Chopin brings Desiree’s innocence forward when she wholly accepts Armand’s love for not guessing that he has a deep seated desire as well as hatred towards her racial background. Armand’s world seems ironic as he builds up an image of white supremacy and traps himself within its walls. Armand goes to the extent of discarding Desiree and getting involved with a white mistress, La Blanche. Though she is fair – skinned, yet she is of mixed blood from a slave background. The actual irony is that Armand is dark- skinned and evil but portrays himself as white and good. Desiree is so innocent and childlike and does not guess what is going through Armand’s mind. Though Armand knows well about the truth of his ancestry, yet he has

Economic Theories. Explain the key theories of Adam Smith relating to Essay

Economic Theories. Explain the key theories of Adam Smith relating to the free market the 'invisible hand' non-intervention - Essay Example In addition, the philosophy of the unrestricted free markets does not deal with the language of the fixed price because the price of the goods on it changes in part. The unrestricted free market decides the prices of the goods in order to create a fair price for both the customer and the seller (Smith 2013, 23). The Rules that the unrestricted free markets follow is the right to control property, transfer property one by one voluntarily, refrain from using force, and the right to establish contracts. The unrestricted free markets nowadays are popular in that they exist in every place. Good examples of the unrestricted free market are the oil free market, and the black market. For instance, concerning the oil free market, it is referred to as unrestricted free market because the oil has variable values that changes from period to another depending on the events that happens every day in the political or economic world so it is not restricted with the policy of the free market. The ide a of invisible hand is applicable to the man’s natural behavior towards self-interest. Therefore, by allowing every person freedom to generate and exchange services and goods as they want, and opening all markets to fair competition, the business will thrive. In turn, this will bring universal populace since every effort from the people would be appreciated. Smith argued that in order to bring about prosperity, people needed to work hard and enlightened because this act of enlightened self-interest was common to majority of individuals. In addition, Smith needed people to have the potential to think about long-term business since it would curb customer exploitation (Smith 2013, 32). Explain why in Smith’s view the division of labor would benefit society and bring prosperity to workers and capitalist producers The focus of Adam Smith ideas rested on economic growth. According to Smith, economic growth is entrenched in division of labor. The idea of division of labor rel ates to specialization of labor particularly downsizing large jobs into many tiny units. When there is division of labor, each laborer or worker becomes an expert in one area of production, which in turn increases the workers efficiency. Division of labor benefits the society since the fact that workers do not need to switch or change tasks during working hours saves money and time. However, Smith warned against forcing or coercing people to perform repetitious and mundane work because it led to dissatisfied work and ignorance among workers. In a response to this, Smith urged governments to offer education to employees so that they could acquire necessary skills and expertise in specific works. Education was significant because it could curb the deleterious influences of industry life. Division of labor meant giving each employee a specific work that marches or suits them. Adam Smith asserted that having employees perform specialized works led to increased productivity this is becau se it is easy to allocate tasks in accordance with worker’s specific skills. For example, an employee who is skilled in dealing with numbers performs better on inventory control than a worker who is not (Smith 2013, 78). In addition, division of labor leads to technical efficiency because it decreases transition time between work and tasks. Division of labor

Profile of President Ronald Reagan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Profile of President Ronald Reagan - Essay Example During his term as a president, it was commonly known among the staff of white house that he gave effort in reading fan mails and in his own writing sends letters to them. Before Reagan run for the office, he was the president of the Screen Actors Guild. He became involved over the issue of communism in the film industry. His political views shifted from liberal to conservative (www.whitehouse.gov). His skills helped him gain popularity among people and this is evident when he toured the country as a television host, carrying the idealism of conservatism and becoming its spokesman. As a result, he was elected Governor of California and was re-elected in 1970. Reagan became the Republican President in 1980 and he chose former Texas Congressman and United Nations Ambassador George Bush as his running mate. While announcing his run for the presidency, he was able to communicate clearly his vision by saying, â€Å"At the heart of our message should be five simple familiar words. No big economic theories. No sermons on political philosophy. Just five short words: family, work, neighborhood, freedom, peace†. He won 489 electoral votes to 49 for President Jimmy Carter. Reagan took office on January 20, 1981. Only 69 days later, he was shot by a would-be assassin. But before he allowed to be brought to the hospital, he delivered his one-hour speech. And while on the hospital bed before being brought to the operation room, he remarked to the hospital staff, â€Å"Please assure me that you are all Republicans†. He was able to recover quickly and returned to duty. His wit and grace during the dangerous incident cause his popularity to soar. The president was able to deal with Congress and obtained legislation that stimulated economic growth, control inflation, increased employment and strengthen national defense.   In short, he was able to improve the economy of U.S.A. He cut taxes and government expenditures.  

Demographic Analysis for Policy Decision-Making Essay

Demographic Analysis for Policy Decision-Making - Essay Example The children of smokers, compared to children of nonsmoking parents, have an increased number of respiratory disorders, are sick more often and miss more days of school. The Centers for Disease Control conservatively attributes 3,825 deaths in 1988 to passive smoking A report sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that environmental smoke kills 53,000 nonsmokers a year, including 37,000 from heart disease ("Secondhand") (Schwartz JL, 1989). Canadians are most likely to identify lung cancer and bronchitis and other respiratory problems as diseases associated with second-hand smoke. Smokers and those who live with smokers are less likely to acknowledge the health effects of smoking. Only 1 in 5 Canadians surveyed believed that second-hand smoke could cause ear infections. Even among those who know that second-hand smoke poses a danger, many mistakenly believe that children's health is only harmed by smoking directly around them. [Environmental Tobacco Smoke: Knowledge, Attitudes and Actions of Parents, Children and Child Care Providers, Health Canada, 1995]. http://www.smoke-free.ca/Second-Hand-Smoke/health_kids.htm Almost half of all Canadian children under the age of... http://www.smoke-free.ca/Second-Hand-Smoke/health_kids.htm Almost half of all Canadian children under the age of 15, some 2.8 million children, are exposed to second-hand smoke on a regular basis. [Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health on second reading debate of Bill C-24, June 6, 1996]. Four in 10 Canadian households include someone who regularly smokes in the home. Neither the presence of children nor their age affects whether or not homes are kept smoke-free. A further 40% of Canadian homes have no regular smoker living there, but permit visitors to smoke in their home. Only 19% of Canadian homes are smoke-free. [Survey on Smoking in Canada 1994-95, Cycle 2] http://www.smoke-free.ca/Second-Hand-Smoke/health_kids.htm In smoker's homes, an average of 18 cigarettes a day is smoked. In only 1 in 5 of these households are cigarettes not smoked directly in front of children. Smokers are more likely to have mainly smokers in their social circle, and their children are more likely to be in contact with these smoking friends and relatives than are the children of non-smokers. [An Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Concerning Environmental Tobacco Smoke, 1995 - Ekos Research Associates] http://www.smoke-free.ca/Second-Hand-Smoke/health_kids.htm Thus, there is no doubt that tobacco smoking is harmful to the smoker. Evidence also indicates that maternal smoking during pregnancy has adverse effects on fetal development. It is now apparent that 'passive' or 'involuntary' smoking also has harmful effects. This involves non-smokers being exposed to the smoke from cigarettes or other tobacco products smoked by other people. In 1987 the Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking and Health produced a statement to the effect that

International Affairs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

International Affairs - Essay Example Now when universities will not include international affairs program in their offered courses, how come grant makers would realize the need of funding in this area. That's why when we try to search universities offering postgraduate education in International affairs program; we mostly find public universities offering programs in this area. The second thing is that the grants are normally given to the people who are pursuing degrees in the field of science management and medicines since according to their perception they contribute directly to the development and well being of the country. There is not much realization among funding individuals and organization that international affairs programs hold key importance when it comes to serving country and people with the knowledge. But still there are some scholarships and funding programs which are open to almost all kind of studies and so for International Affairs program too such as FulBright scholarship program awarded by FulBright US. But they require some limitation for serving period after the completion of program. "An extensively details form is required to be filled in by the applicant with supporting original documents. These things are sent to the committee that examines the form look for the merit of the candidate and offer him or her scholarship if they find it appropriate" (FulBright, 2005). "Our goal is to establish an institute for international public policy. This institute shall conduct a program to significantly increase the numbers of African Americans and other under represented minorities in the international service" (Higher Education Act, 2003). But this grant is not directed towards the students rather they are given to the institutes and then students can contact those institutes for the scholar ships programs.Rotary International is another organization which has considerations towards this area and is offering tremendous support in the form of scholarships and fellowships to international affairs students. They are also offering their own developed programs for studies in this area such as Rotary Peace and Conflict Resolution Program. "Located in seven leading universities around the world, Rotary Centers provide Fellows the chance to study in a master's level program in conflict resolution, peace studies, international relations, and other related discipl ines" (Rotary, 2005). World Affair Council is also offering programs in International studies, both short term and long term, in partnerships with universities as well as self developed program. Their associations with United Nations' organizations enable them to offer program and scholarships students and professionals from all over the world (World Affairs Council, 2003). NAFSA, the association of international educators also provides grants, scholarships and training programs with the help of their member individuals and universities in the field of International studies. Along with that they also provide complete information and guidance in providing the students with the knowledge how to get a scholarship and grant available for

Political Economy Theories Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political Economy Theories - Assignment Example Marxism is a system of economic, social, and political philosophy based on ideas that view social change in terms of economic factors. This theory asserts that for human beings to survive they must produce and reproduce the materials necessary for life. As a result, the societies are therefore governed by forces of production. Karl Marx believed that although capitalism develops the productive powers of human societies to historically unprecedented heights, it does so in ways, which are also disabling, exploitative, and undemocratic. In order to change this unjust order in the society Marx advocated for a revolution which would see the distribution of wealth from the few owners of production to all members of the society. â€Å"Neo† refers to a new kind of liberalization carved out by an elite group of capitalists from the old liberal school of economics that belonged to famous economists such as Adam Smith. Neoliberalism is in the first instance a theory of political economic practices that proposes that human well-being can best be advanced by liberating individual entrepreneurial freedoms and skills within an institutional framework characterized by strong private property rights, free markets, and free trade. The political economy under neoliberalism is as a result of the following key points. Firstly, there is the liberation of any enterprise imposed by the government regardless of the social damage done to the people. Secondly, neoliberalism calls for the cutting of public expenditure for social services such as healthcare and education. This removes the safety net of the poor leaving them at the mercy of the private enterprises. Thirdly, there is the reduction of government regulation on anything that may diminish business profits. Fourthly, there is the privatization of state owned enterprises under the

What are the main arguments for and against the horizontal Essay

What are the main arguments for and against the horizontal proliferation of nuclear weapons - Essay Example It led to the loss of nearly a million civilian lives and total destruction of the city. Even those who survived this event, continued to suffer under effects of radioactive radiation for many subsequent years. A generation of Japanese children were born with congenital defects as a result of mothers’ exposure to radiation. Political leaders of today will have to consider their nuclear weapons program in the backdrop of this ghastly human disaster. The rest of the essay will point out the pros and cons of horizontal proliferation of nuclear weapons. It is very difficult to talk of the merits and demerits of horizontal proliferation of nuclear weapons without considering the effects of vertical proliferation. Horizontal proliferation is the acquisition of know-how, technology and material by a nation-state or a political/militant group so as to manufacture nuclear weapons of their own. The term ‘horizontal proliferation’ is used to refer to nation-states or similar entities that do not already have nuclear weapons but aspire and endeavour toward this goal. Vertical proliferation is the process of consolidation and improvisation of nuclear weapons by nation-states already well-established in making nuclear weapons. It is fair to say that vertical proliferation induces horizontal proliferation, as the latter group feel more and more insecure with their militarily well-endowed neighbouring states. In the years after the Second World War, Cold War was the political theatre upon which various nations placed their rationa le for developing nuclear weapons. Yet, even as recently as a decade ago, only a handful of nations were classified under the nuclear-enabled category of states. (Krepon, 2012, p.44) Recent geo-political developments, especially in the wake of September 11, 2001 terror strikes on the United States have significantly altered the internal political dynamics of many nations in the Middle-East and Asia. It