Marketing Plan Development Blog Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Marketing Plan Development Blog - Assignment Example The installation of efficient telecommunication system at the companys offices ensures that even at night, the machine generated reply is sent to the consumer. It assures him/ her that the responsible personnel will attend to the inquiry when they report to work. The company also has its own suppliers and has leased out quarries for obtaining its raw materials. This ensures all times the supply be less than the demand. As a result of a pre-arranged deal with the suppliers, the production costs are low for the company translating to a pocket friendly cost of the same to the consumers (Valentin, 2004). With low prices, the company can be competitive in the market. Due to the businesss young age, it becomes difficult to acquire loans and other financial assistance from financial institutions(Valentin, 2004). The requirement by these facilities requiring a certain cash flow for a company to be eligible for such services has hindered the growth of the company. It has resulted in the company losing out on big tenders requiring large capital to facilitate the consumer needs. The increase in mortgage offers and good financial times in the country has resulted in a boom, in the real estate sector. Thus with enough resources and efficient services it will be easier to acquire new markets for the products being offered by the company such as sand and gravel plus the offer on transportation of the same to the construction site. The external factors that threaten the success and future of the company among others include political and legal interference by third parties(Valentin, 2004). The government has set up environmental agencies that have become critical of open quarries being left after mining. Thus, it has been gazette that such sites be filled after the quarrying seizes subjecting the company to additional operation costs. Another threat is the emergence of other construction trucking companies which have flooded

Han Dynasty and Roman Empire Essay Example for Free

Han Dynasty and Roman Empire Essay Both the Han dynasty and the Roman Empire were bureaucratic. The central rulers all eventually became hereditary and both empires had rulers that oppressed the peasants in order to boost political control. However, the two empires differ in that the emperors had varying justifications for ruling and rose to power in different ways. The Han Dynasty and The Roman Empire both were able to expand and develop their empires with their distinctive governing methods and control. To China, the centerpiece that supervised everything was knows as Confucianism. With all dependability focused on the emperor and society serving as a family unit, Han Chinas political system was known for a centralized, closed unit. It was ruled by an emperor who greatly observed the Mandate of Heaven. The Han developed a supply of soldiers, which kept their borders secured and made them capable to exchange with others from time to time. On the other hand, Rome had a centralized, blended structure. The main focus points of the Roman Society were operated by a Roman Republic, which was more like a monarchy, who controlled their complex structure. The Roman Society had more residents and rights than the Hans, Romans political control lay in the hands of the wealthy, which then they were elected to a political seat. The governors were picked from family networks. The only way Romans could accomplish anything big in a certain time span was to make strong changes in their community. It was an enormous weight on Romes resources and power, when they had to stress over big wins. For example, when there was barely any food to support the developing empire. The Romans and the Hans both had their wealthiest people control over their peasants, which caused a social distribution to each and every one, and could have leaded to outbreaks in little battles, wars between the communities, and what not. This was entirely not beneficial on each empires part and especially their social interaction. The political structures of both Rome and Han China were based on bureaucratic systems with a strong monarchy set of succession. They strengthened their control by reducing the land holdings of old aristocratic families. However, the reversal of this process led to breakdown of authority in the central government. During its reign of power, the central bureaucracy promoted trading with neighboring societies. However, Rome was more aggressive with its role in trading in the Mediterranean verses Han China’s river trade. Rome’s trade led to a much greater technology, culture, and general transfer of knowledge in areas surrounding the Mediterranean which in turn led to a much longer lasting influence on the world. Under the Han Dynasty, the power of the emperor and bureaucracy were emphasized. The organized structure of government allowed such a large territory to be effectively governed, even though it was the largest political system in the world at the time. The Hans political framework stressed male dominated families. Han rulers didnt support local warrior-landlords, believing that they were corrupt. Because bureaucracy was so important, civil service exams were first given, a tradition that would be incorporated into modern politics. Not only did bureaucracy effectively govern, but it had a sort of checks and balance on the upper class. Chinese bureaucracy from the Han Dynasty lasted well into the twentieth century. The imperial government sponsored intellectual life, such as astronomy and mathematics. Han rulers promoted Confucianism, with the idea that they were in charge of their subjects beliefs. The administration also took part in the economy. It organized production, standardized currency and measures, sponsored public works like canal systems and irrigation, and tried to regulate agricultural supplies to control price increases. The Roman republic allowed all citizens to meet in assemblies to elect magistrates. The most important legislative body was the Senate, made up of aristocrats. Public service and participation, political ethics, uncorrupt government, and oratory were extremely important. Roman leaders were very tolerant of local customs and religions and believed that well-made laws could hold the lands together. Aristocratic leaders supported legal codes to protect private property as well as their poor subjects. It was a sort of check on the upper class. They believed that laws should evolve to keep up with the demands of the changing society. Imperial law codes also controlled property rights and trade. The law of the land was fair and equal for everyone, for the most part. The Roman government also supported public works like roads and harbors to facilitate transport and commerce. It also supported an official religion, but tolerated others as long as they didnt interfere with loyalty to the state. Unlike the Chinese, the Romans didnt emphasize as much on hierarchy, obedience, or bureaucracy, but more on participation. However, some of the Romans political writing did resemble Confucianism. Both governments also supported government funded public works.

Finding G Using Simple Pendulum Experiment

Finding G Using Simple Pendulum Experiment Abstract This report shows how to find an approximate of ‘g’ using the simple pendulum experiment. There are many variables we could see into, some of them are displacement, angle, damping, mass of the bob and more. However the most interesting variable is, the length of the swinging pendulum. The relationship between the length and the time for one swing (the period) has been researched for many years, and has allowed the famous physicists like Isaac Newton and Galileo Galilei to get an accurate value for the gravitational acceleration ‘g’. In this report, we will replicate their experiment, and will find an accurate value for ‘g’. Finally it will be compared with the commonly accepted value of 9.806 m/s2 . Contents Abstract †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. i List of figures tables and graphs †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. iii List of Symbols †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. iii Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 Equipment and method †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 1 Data Collected †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 Conclusion and Evaluation †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 Futher Imporvements †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9 List of figures, Tables and Graphs Figure 1 Set up of simple pendulum experiment †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 Table 1 – Data for the time of 10 swings and length of string †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 Table 2 – Data for average time, % Uncertainty, and length †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 Table 3 – Data for T2, % Uncertainty, Absolute uncertainty, Length †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 Graph 1 – Period against Length †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 5 Graph 2 – T2 against length †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 6 List of Symbols Introduction A simple pendulum performs simple harmonic motion, i.e its periodic motion is defined by an acceleration that is proportional to its displacement and directed towards the Centre of motion. Equation 1 shows that the period T of the swinging pendulum is proportional to the square root of the length l of the pendulum: With T the period in seconds, l the length in metres and g the gravitational acceleration in m/s2. Our raw data should give us a square-root relationship between the period and the length. Furthermore, to find an accurate value for ‘g’, we will also graph T2 versus the length (l) of the pendulum. This way, we will be able to obtain a straight-line graph, with a gradient equal to 4Ï€2g-1 . Equipment and Method For this investigation, limited resources like, clamps, stands, a metre ruler, a stopwatch, a metal ball (bob), and some string were used. The experimental set-up was equal to the diagram, shown in figure 1. In this investigation, the length of the pendulum was varied (our independent variable) to observe a change in the period (our dependent variable). In order to reduce possible random errors in the time measurements, we repeated the measurement of the period three times for each of the ten lengths. We also measured the time for ten successive swings to further reduce the errors. The length of our original pendulum was set at 100 cm and for each of the following measurements, we reduced the length by 10 cm. Figure 1 As stated earlier, it was decided to measure the time for ten complete swings, in order to reduce the random errors. These measurements would be repeated two more times, and in total ten successive lengths were used, starting from one metre, and decreasing by 10 cm for each following measurement. A metre ruler was used to determine the length of the string. One added difficulty in determining the length of the pendulum was the relative big uncertainty in finding the exact length, since the metal bob added less than a centimeter to our string length, measured from the bob’s centre. This resulted in an uncertainty in length that was higher than one would normally expect. The table clamp was used to secure the position of the tripod stand, while the pendulum was swinging. After the required measurements, one experiment was carried out to find the degree of damping in our set-up. Damping always occurs when there is friction, but exactly how significant the degree of damping in our experimental set-up was, remained uncertain. Depending on the degree of damping, it may or may not have a significant effect on our measurements. All measurements were taken under the same conditions, using the same metal bob, the same ruler, in the same room, and at approximately 26 degrees Celsius. Data Collected Table 1 In table 1 the  ±o.46 sec uncertainty in time was obtained by comparing the spread for the different measurements. The time measurement for the 0.50 metre length, had the largest spread ( ±0.4 seconds), and was therefore used as the uncertainty in the time measurement. In table 1 the theoretical uncertainty in the length measurement would be 0.05 cm (a metre ruler was used). However, in the experimental set-up, the two end points (the one tied to the clamp, and the one tied to the metal bob) gave rise to a bigger uncertainty, as the exact end-points could not be precisely determined. We estimated the uncertainty in length to be 0.5 cm, or 0.005 metres. These data in table 1 need to be processed, before we can continue our analysis. First of all, the average of the three trials need to be found, which will reduce our error. Secondly, the time for one swing (or one period) must be found, which will reduce our absolute error, but not our percentage error. It should also be noted, that for all the measurements, a constant, and small, angle of maximum displacement (amplitude) was used. The angle was kept between 5 ° to 7 °, small enough to ignore the friction present in our experimental set-up. Apart from these measurements, one more experiment was done to see how much damping was present in our set-up. It took, on average, between 100 and 150 swings, before the motion had seemed to stop. This showed that there was damping present, but this did not significantly affect the measurement of just ten swings. Table 2 shows the processed data and the uncertainties. While drawing the graph for the data in table 2, the relationship between the variables used is clearly not a linear one. The suggested square-root relationship shows it, and to linearise this curve, it must be interchanged and the axis must be modified. (the graph is shown in Graph 1) Table 3 Based on the theory of Simple Harmonic Motion and equation 1, it should be a linear relationship between T2 and Length. When graphing these two modified variables, the regression line must be linear, passing through point (0,0) and with a gradient equal, or close to 4Ï€2g-1 . Graph 2 Conclusion and Evaluation Graphing the length against T2 clearly shows a linear relationship, in agreement with the theory. The actual line of best fit does not go through (0,0) which suggests a systematic error in our experiment. But when graphing a line of best fit, with the condition it should pass through (0,0), we find a line with a gradient of 4.128 and a correlation coefficient of 0.993, which further suggests a very strong linear correlation between our chosen variables. The value for ‘g’ can be calculated by dividing 4Ï€2 with the gradient of the line of best fit; The uncertainty in this value was found, by taking half the difference of the lowest possible value for ‘g’ and the highest possible value for ‘g’: Comparing our calculated value for the gravitational acceleration ‘g’ with the accepted theoretical value gives us an error of 2.5%, well within the error margins that we calculated. This is a reasonable result, given the equipment and the time constraints that we faced. Looking at our graph, we cannot identify any outliers. However, our data values suggest a line of best fit that does not pass through (0,0). When we do fit a linear regression onto our data values, that passes (0,0), we see that the line does not ‘hit’ all the horizontal error bars (the uncertainty in the length). This may suggest a systematic error in the measurement of the length of our pendulum. Further Improvements To reduce the systematic error in the length measurements, one should take accurate measurements of the diameter of the metal bob used. In this experiment, it looks as if we systematically used a length for the pendulum that was too short. If 1 cm was added to our data, we would get a value for ‘g’ that is equal to the theoretical value of 9.806 m/s2 . The theoretical value used, is the average value for ‘g’ on Earth, and may be slightly different from the one that was measured. Instead of three measurements, taking five measurements would be better, as it would not take too much extra time, and this would further reduce our uncertainty in the measurement of the period of swing. Alternatively, measuring the time for 20 swings, instead of 10 swings, would also reduce the uncertainty in time. Lastly, a photogate could be used in the future, to measure the period with higher precision. A nice extension to this experiment would be the use of different metal bobs, of different diameter and/or mass. This would allow us to calculate the effect of air resistance on this experiment. References http://physics.nist.gov/cgi-bin/cuu/Value?gn http://www.practicalphysics.org/go/Experiment_480.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_harmonic_motion#Mass_on_a_spring http://www.phys.utk.edu/labs /simplependulum.pdf

Madame Bovary :: Madame Bovary Essays

Madame Bovary The novel Madame Bovary was written by Gustave Flaubert in 1856. Flaubert was born in 1821, in Rouen, France. His father, being a doctor, caused him to be very familiar with the horrible sights of the hospital, which he in turn uses in his writings. In this novel, Charles Bovary, an undereducated doctor of medicine has two wives in his life. The first, Madame Dubuc, died. Emma Rouault, his second wife, after many affairs commits suicide. The doom of Charles and Emma's marriage is described by an elaborate connection of symbolic relations. The relationships of the shutter's sealing bang, Emma's long dress that keeps her from happiness, the plaster priest that conveys the actions of the couple, the restless greyhound, and Emma burning her wedding bouquet are all images of eternal doom to the couple's marriage. Charles Bovary first met Emma Rouault when he was on a medical call to fix her father's broken leg. Not long after his arrival Emma catches his interest. Her actions satisfy his hearts need for a young, fresh mind and body. The old widow that he is currently married to dies of chagrin. Charles is sadden by this but his mind stays on Emma. After frequent visits to her farm, even after her father's leg was healed, Charles gives a thought about if he would like to marry Emma but he is uncertain. Her father sees Charles' interest in his daughter and takes it upon himself to engage the two. He waits until Charles is departing and then confronts him about the engagement. As expected Charles accepts the marriage and the father runs to the house to receive Emma's acceptance. This was to be shown by the opening of a shutter door. "Suddenly he heard a sound from the house: the shutter had slammed against the wall; the catch was still quivering" (Flaubert 21). The sound that the shu tter makes is the beginning of an end. The bang seals the never-ending doom of the couple's marriage (Turnell 101). Emma's wedding is a special occasion. It is held in the far off pasture of their farm. After all the guests arrive the wedding procession proceeds to the pasture.

A Family Study of Victor Frankenstein and his Monster Essay

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is an exploration of the relationship between parent and child. Inspired in many ways by Mary Shelley’s own experiences as a motherless child and a grieving mother, Victor’s tale follows a linear trail of decline traceable to his mother’s death. Up until that point, though fascinated with alchemy and life science, Victor’s ideas retain a manner of scientific remove. His egotism is controlled and does not boast a power over life or death. It is only when confronted with death that the fissures begin to appear and the idyllic scenes from his childhood begin to show the full remove of affection Victor experienced. Unable to deal with this abandonment realistically, he manipulates death to create renewed animation of the body in place of actual life. In his creation of the monster, he assumes the role of mother to child in his single-minded manner but overcome by his own ego and lacking compassion he abhors and shuns his â€Å"child† as an abomination. Victor’s monster finds himself thrown into a society for which he was neither prepared nor accepted. His abandonment is immediate but his initial reaction differs greatly from the destructive creationism of Victor. His rage at being ostracized is at first controlled and in a newborn state he recedes into the woodshed of the De Lacey family where he learns of and comes to yearn for a familial connection. Being denied this connection, yet again, his rage consumes him but does not obliterate this desire. That the novel should center on the idea of the mother-child relationship and the deep-seated effects of rejection and abandonment is no surprise considering Mary Shelley’s own experiences with motherhood. Her own mother Mary Wollenscraft died from complications to childbirth when Shelley was only 10 days old (Adams 72). Throughout the author’s childhood and adolescence she experienced feelings of abandonment and guilt. As a child she saw her birth as the cause of her mother’s death. Shelley’s own experiences with motherhood were no less tragic having lost her first child when she was only 17, just one year before she began writing Frankenstein. Shelley used her pain, to turn the tables to have death create life. As Will Adams explains, â€Å"Shelley’s feelings and fantasies about killing her mother became on of the formative influences in her life [†¦] Frankenstein is a meditation on the destructive consequences of growing up without a mother (or consistent father [†¦]) (73). Art was Shelley’s coping mechanism to come to terms with her own internal demons stemming from the guilt from her mother’s death and her own helplessness in the face of her first child’s death. Similarly, Victor struggles with the absence of parental affection and the death of his mother, which permanently removes this possibility from his life. His efforts to reconcile the science of his youth with the realities of his emotional and familial life, while carrying potential, become perverted in his quest to overcome death. Though Victor clearly idolizes his mother, his affections for her are based on the ideal of motherhood and not interconnected with the woman herself. Through Victor’s descriptions we see and feel a symbol of motherhood but not the day-to-day tasks and affections one associates with motherhood. Victor’s relationship to his mother suffers from his inability see her as a person and not simply a maternal symbol. Victor’s sense of his mother is directly related to his parents’ relationship with one another and not Victor’s relationship to them individually. Viewed through his father’s eyes, Victor’s mother is a creature of adoration. As Victor explains his parents’ relationship, â€Å"There was a show of gratitude and worship in his attachment to my mother, differing wholly from the doating fondness of age, for it was inspired by reverence for her virtues† (Shelley, Chapt. 1). Critics have questioned the role that being an only child played in Victor’s reception and perception of his parents’ affections. Feeling left out of their love for one another, Victor childhood consists of a â€Å"love/hate relationship with his parents because he senses that they share an affection that in some way excludes him† (Claridge 15). Victor’s over the top representation the goodness of his childhood, compared to the man he becomes, ring false, â€Å"while during every hour of my infant life I received a lesson of patience, of charity, and of self control, I was so guided by a silken cord that all seemed by one train of enjoyment to me† (Shelley, Chapt. 1). Viewing this in hindsight of Victor’s adult persona and rejection of parenting, it is difficult to accept this statement at face value. Where, after all, were these lessons in helping to guide Victor away from his creation of the monster and in maintaining strong bonds with his remaining family? His mother’s death from scarlet fever rather than halting his idyllic fantasies of perfection, only deepen them into a form of denial and repression that prevent closure and emotionally stunt him as a father to the creature. Even in death, his mother retains her saintliness, accepting and â€Å"resigning† herself â€Å"cheerfully to death† (Shelley, Chapt. 3). This must have made death all the more unreal for young Victor. As Will Adams explains in his psychological evaluation of the tale, Victor is â€Å"a man who cannot bear the reality of death and suffers greatly because of this defensive denial† (65). For Victor the death of his mother is not merely tragic, but â€Å"evil† and it is this view, which propels him forward in his endeavor to recreate life. As Adams explains, â€Å"he daemonizes death, daemonizes a reality that is completely natural and unavoidable† (65). Death becomes a foe to be overcome; if life can be ended so easily, than death should be no harder to reverse, is Victor’s basic reasoning. As a result of his experiment in turning death to life, Victor ignores the living family he still has in his father, brother and Elizabeth. Victor’s deficiencies in coping and accepting his creation are seen by come critics to stem from his own childhood. Victor appears to be incapable of loving his family, despite his many assertions to the contrary. He obviously feels that family relationships should be shaped around mutual love and communication but his own attempts are stinted and selfish. After his mother dies, he leaves as scheduled and does not return for 6 years until tragedy requires he fulfill his family obligation. When his brother William is murdered by Victor’s creation, his guilt overcomes his grief making the tragedy more Victor’s than anyone else’s. Not only has he lost his little brother, but it was his creation which had broken yet another connection between Victor and his family. Propelled by ego, he placed himself into the role of creator and mother, without fully comprehending the responsibility. Uncertain in his feelings of acceptance from his mother, Victor has little on which to base the parent-child bond and his feelings toward his father cause an even greater friction in the role he should have rightly played in the creation of the monster. Given revisions performed by Shelley to the original text, in which Victor’s adolescent relationship to his father is made to become even more remote. In the first version of the novel, Alphonse Frankenstein shares his son’s fascination with science but in the later 1831 edition Victor’s interest is singular only to him. This estrangement in affection between father and son becomes no less stark with the death of Victor’s mother. Instead he pulls himself farther away from his father, who seems to be pushing Victor away as well. Without a strong paternal or maternal bond, it is no surprise that Victor does not make this connection between himself and the monster. As Will Adams notes, if Victor had â€Å"the courage, or we could say the ego strength, to consciously accept responsibility for his grand venture, everything may have turned out differently† (79). The two years, which culminate with the creation of the monster, are defined by a single-minded energy that though engineered through scientific brilliance lack ethics. His purpose for these two years is creation; something of which he expects will be of benefit to mankind. Victor’s reaction to the monster at his â€Å"birth† throw light onto the lack of actual forethought and responsibility inherent in its creation, â€Å"Victor’s reactions suggest that eqoic, self-serving, death-denying motivations outweigh his genuine wish to serve humankind† (Adams 77). It is therefore not surprising that in the end, deluded throughout his endeavor that Victor would shun the reality of his efforts. Pieced together from dead bodies parts, Victor is never able to reconcile these various parts into a semblance of humanity. In fact, by the end, he is unable to fully comprehend the steps, which had led to his ability to conceptualize his creation, â€Å"this discovery was so great and overwhelming that all the steps which I had been progressively led to it were obliterated, and I beheld only the result† (Shelley, Chapt. 4). This can be read as Victor’s inability to discover and explore the root of his fascination with death and further avoiding the resolution of feelings which would have either stopped him in continuing or better prepared him to father his creation. To imagine the â€Å"birth† from the creature’s perspective is particular saddening. Though considered an abomination by established science and religion, the creature is unaware of his distinction from the rest of mankind. On opening his eyes the first time, he sought to gaze upon his creator and to be nurtured. Instead, Victor turns away in fright and abandons the creature to his own devices. Like a newborn, the creature is helpless in understanding the mechanics of the world and is even further handicapped by society’s judgment of his appearance. His physical deformity did not directly lead to his monstrous and violent behavior but rather the world’s rejection of him, starting with the rejection of his parent. Before the creature has committed his first crime, he is deemed by Victor to be a â€Å"daemon. † Will Adams notes that Shelley’s use of the image of daemon is intentional, â€Å"For the past few hundred years, some writers have deliberately chosen the forms daemon, in part to emphasize the psychological and spiritual character of these being who are midway between humans and gods† (Adams 60). Defying the logics of life and death, the creature is caught between humanity and a solitary existence. Intentionally large, further highlighting his abnormalities of the creature, he has the stature of a god but the emotional baggage of a human. In his observance of the De Lacey family, the creature is able to learn the constructs of a family’s day-to-day lives. During his time in their woodshed, the creature learns not only language and history but also comes to understand the nature of love and family. He knows that his appearance causes fright in the average person and therefore keeps himself hidden from the De Lacey’s wishing to learn more from them before revealing himself. Through his daily watchfulness, the creature comes to love and feel kinship for the family even as they remain unaware of his presence. He finds himself caught up in their stories and sympathizing with their plight. Even the creature’s own basic desires for food draw into a more universal focus as he realizes that each bit of food he takes unaware from the family, is one less bit of food they themselves will have to eat. If not for the creature’s very human inclination toward companionship, he may have succeeded in living peacefully aside the family for many years. However, as each day passes and he finds their lives entangling his own, the creature wishes for a human connection. Though monstrous in appearance, each part of him was once human and in the De Lacey’s he sees the full potential of this humanity. â€Å"Even though he is rejected when the De Laceys become terrified by his horrible appearance, he accomplishes (for a while) what Victor is never really able to do. That is, the creature transcends his own egocentric perspective, sees through the eyes of another, feels love, and acts kindly† (Adams 81). Victor, on the other hand, reacts to emotional closeness by pushing his family away. In fact, it is not surprising given Victor’s relationships with his family, and the distance he cultivates, that he would completely abandon a creature, which did not live up to his dream of reality. Victor’s obsession with natural science is a means by which to divert all of his attention away from these relationships and to realize something within himself. With the creation of the monster, Victor realizes his folly in believing he can reverse death but never addresses the root cause. Instead, he focuses his negative energy toward recognizing and rejecting the humanity of the creature. It has been supposed that this rejection is in effect a rejection not only of the monster but of the deep seated issues which Victor refuses to address, â€Å"Even though the creature appears strangely alien – a singular, isolated, non-human being with no kin nor friend – he is also strangely familiar, universally understandable and intimately connected to Victor† (Adams 64). In the role of parent, Victor Frankenstein, is an utter failure. Poorly prepared by his own childhood to provide genuine affection and understanding to the creature, Victor actions perpetuate an endless cycle. The creature’s rejection by his parent and the people from which he has learned affection and companionship, lead his unraveling into the very â€Å"daemon† his appearance implies him to be. His one request from Victor for a companion is denied to him on these grounds. While he briefly receives understanding from his creator through the narration of his tale of the De Lacey’s, the issues, which have plagued Victor’s familial relationships, create a strong barrier and lead to Victor destroying his companion. Victor is unable to relate to the creature, as it is the living proof of his own parents’ failings in raising him and his subsequent failures at love. In the end, Victor dies as alone as the creature; their only communion to another being is through each other. Starting as creator and creation, they each die nurturing their own unhappiness and solitude through a fruitless hunt that leaves them both monstrous. Works Cited Adams, Will W. â€Å"Making Daemons of Death and Love: Frankenstein, Existentialism, Psychoanalysis. † Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 41. 2001: 57-89. 31 March 2009 Claridge, Laura P. â€Å"Parent-Child Tensions in Frankenstein: The Search of Communion. † Studies in the Novel 17. 1 Spring 1985: 14. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. 31 Mar. 2009 . Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Literature. org. < http://www. literature. org/authors/shelley-mary/frankenstein/>.

Corruption in The Pearl essays

Corruption in The Pearl essays The Pearl is a book full of corruption and cheats. The Pearl is written by John Steinbeck. Corruption is a departure from what is morally correct or pure by means of material wealth or possessions. The Pearl , by John Steinbeck, is a book of corrution because Kino wont let go of the evil pearl, the doctor wont heal with out a lot of money, and the pearl buyers are cheats. Kino refuses to let go of the pearl that he knows is evil. For example, No, I will fight this thing. I will win over it. We will have our chance.(Steinbeck 57) Juana is warning him, but Kino refuses to listen. Kino is already becoming corrupt. In addition, No one will take out good fortune from us.(Steinbeck 57) Kino is determined to keep a hold of the pearl, no matter what happens. Kino is becoming selfish and greedy in his ways. Kino is corrupted by the wealth that the pearl will bring. The doctor in the town wont cure the sick baby. For example, You have a pearl? A good Pearl?(Steinbeck 35) The doctor acts as if he doesnt know about the pearl. He knows what is doing and continues to cheat them. In addition, I had not heard of it. Do you keep this pearl in a safe place? Would you like me to put it in my safe?.(Steinbeck 35) The doctor wants to put it in his safe for him to keep. He thinks theyre stupid enough to fall for his trickery. The doctor is corrupt. He wants nothing but money and wont work with out a lot of it. The pearl buyers are cheats. For example, ...Im only an appraiser. Ask the others...(Steinbeck 50) The pearl buyers all work for the same person. They will give the same answers because they are all in it together. In addition, ..This pearl-it is a monstrosity.(Steinbeck 51) Each pearl buyer said the same thing about the pearl. They were trying to cheat Kino out of his money by saying it was worthless. The pearl buyers are co ...

History of the Second Amendment

History of the Second Amendment After going virtually unchallenged for more than 100 years, the right of Americans to own guns has developed as one of today’s hottest political issues. The central question remains: does the Second Amendment apply to individual citizens? Gun Rights Before the Constitution Though still British subjects, colonial Americans considered the right to bear arms as necessary for fulfilling their natural right to defend themselves and their property. In the midst of the American Revolution, the rights that would later be expressed in the Second Amendment were being explicitly included in early state constitutions. The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776, for example, stated that â€Å"the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of themselves and the state.† 1791: The Second Amendment Is Ratified The ink had hardly dried on the ratification papers before a political movement was undertaken to amend the Constitution to declare gun ownership as a specific right. A select committee assembled to review amendments proposed by James Madison authored the language that would become the Second Amendment to the Constitution: â€Å"A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.† Prior to ratification, Madison had hinted at the need for the amendment. Writing in Federalist No. 46, he contrasted the proposed American federal government to European kingdoms, which he criticized as being â€Å"afraid to trust the people with arms.† Madison went on to assure Americans that they would never need to fear their government as they had the British Crown, because the Constitution would ensure them â€Å"the advantage of being armed.†Ã‚   1822: Bliss v. Commonwealth Brings 'Individual Right' Into Question The Second Amendment’s intent for individual Americans first came into question in 1822  in Bliss v. Commonwealth. The court case arose in Kentucky after a man was indicted for carrying a sword concealed in a cane. He was convicted and fined $100. Bliss appealed the conviction, citing a provision in the commonwealth’s constitution that stated, â€Å"The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the state, shall not be questioned.† In a majority vote with just one judge dissenting, the court overturned the conviction against Bliss and ruled the law unconstitutional and void. 1856: Dred Scott v. Sandford Upholds Individual Right The Second Amendment as an individual right was affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in its Dred Scott v. Sandford  decision in 1856. The nation’s highest court opined on the intent of the Second Amendment for the first time with the rights of slaves in question, writing that affording slaves the full rights of American citizenship would include the right â€Å"to keep and carry arms wherever they went.† 1871: NRA Is Founded The National Rifle Association was founded by a pair of Union soldiers in 1871, not as a political lobby but in  an effort to promote the shooting of rifles. The organization would grow to become the face of Americas pro-gun lobby in the 20th century. 1934: National Firearms Act Brings About First Major Gun Control The first major effort to eliminate private ownership of firearms came with the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA). A direct response to the rise of gangster violence in general and the St. Valentine’s Day massacre in particular, the NFA sought to circumvent the Second Amendment by controlling firearms through a tax excise- $200 for each gun sale. The NFA targeted fully automatic weapons, short-barreled shotguns and rifles, pen and cane guns, and other firearms defined as â€Å"gangster weapons.† 1938: Federal Firearms Act Requires Licensure ofDealers The Federal Firearms Act of 1938 required that  anyone selling or shipping firearms must be licensed through the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Federal Firearms License  (FFL) stipulated that guns could not be sold to persons convicted of certain crimes. It required that sellers log the names and addresses of anyone to whom they sold guns. 1968: Gun Control Act Ushers in New Regulations Thirty years after America’s first sweeping reform of gun laws, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy helped usher in new federal legislation with wide-ranging implications. The Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibited mail-order sales of rifles and shotguns. It increased license requirements for sellers and broadened the list of persons prohibited from owning a firearm to include convicted felons, drug users, and the mentally incompetent. 1994: TheBrady Act and Assault Weapons Ban Two federal laws passed by a Democrat-controlled Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton in 1994 became the hallmark of gun control efforts in  the later 20th century. The first, the Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act, required a five-day waiting period and background check for the sale of handguns. It also mandated creation of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The Brady Act had been spurred by the shooting of press secretary James Brady during John Hinckley Jr.s attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981. Brady survived but was left partially paralyzed as a result of his wounds. In 1998, the Department of Justice reported that the presale background checks had blocked an estimated 69,000 illegal handgun sales during 1997, the first year the Brady Act was fully enforced.   The second law, the Assault Weapons Ban- officially titled the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act- banned a number of rifles defined as â€Å"assault weapons,† including many semiautomatic and  military-style rifles, such as the AK-47 and SKS. 2004: The Assault Weapons Ban Sunsets A Republican-controlled Congress refused to pass the reauthorization of the Assault Weapons Ban in 2004, allowing it to expire. Gun control supporters criticized President George W. Bush for not actively pressuring Congress to renew the ban, while gun rights advocates criticized him for indicating that he would sign a reauthorization if Congress passed it. 2008: D.C. v. HellerIs a Major Setback for Gun Control Gun rights proponents were thrilled in 2008 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amendment extends gun ownership rights to individuals. The decision affirmed an earlier decision by a lower appeals court and struck down handgun bans in Washington D.C. as unconstitutional. The Court ruled that the District of Columbia’s total ban on handguns in the home was unconstitutional because the ban was contrary to the Second Amendment’s purpose of self-defense- an intent of the amendment never before acknowledged by the Court. The case was lauded as the first Supreme Court case to affirm the right of an individual to keep and bear arms in accordance with the Second Amendment. The ruling applied only to federal enclaves, however, such as the District of Columbia. Justices did not weigh in on the Second Amendment’s application to the states. Writing in the Courts majority opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that the â€Å"people† protected by the Second Amendment are the same â€Å"people† protected by the First and Fourth Amendments. â€Å"The Constitution was written to be understood by the voters; its words and phrases were used in their normal and ordinary as distinguished from technical meaning.†Ã‚   2010: Gun Owners Win Another Victory in McDonald v. Chicago Gun rights supporters won their second major Supreme Court victory in 2010 when the high court affirmed an individuals right to own guns in McDonald v. Chicago. The ruling was an inevitable follow-up to D.C. v. Heller and  marked the first time that the Supreme Court ruled that the provisions of the Second Amendment extend to the states. The ruling overturned an earlier decision by a lower court in a legal challenge to Chicago’s ordinance banning the possession of handguns by its citizens. 2013: Obama's Proposals Fail Federally but Gain State Traction After the shooting of 20 first-graders in Newtown, Connecticut, and 12 people in an Aurora, Colorado, moviehouse, President Barack Obama proposed stricter gun-control laws. His plan required background checks for all gun sales, called for the reinstatement and strengthening of the assault weapons ban, limited ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, and included other measures. While these proposals did not succeed at the national level, a number of individual states began to tighten their laws accordingly. 2017: Proposed Gun Control Law Stall The Background Check Completion Act was introduced on Oct. 5, 2017, less than a week after the deadly Oct. 1 mass shooting in Las Vegas. The Background Check Completion Act would close a current loophole in the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act that allows gun sales to proceed if a background check is not completed after 72 hours, even if the gun buyer is not legally allowed to purchase a gun. The bill has stalled in Congress. 2018: Parkland School Shooting Sparks a National Student Movement and State Legislation On Feb. 14, a school shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killed 17 people and injured 17 others. This was the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history. Student survivors created the activist group Never Again MSD and organized momentous nationwide protests and walkouts by students. As of July 2018, just five months after the Florida shooting, the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence counts 55 new gun-control laws passing in 26 states.  Notably, this has included laws passed in Republican-held state legislatures.

Style Periods essays

Style Periods essays Throughout its history, music has developed into cycle. This cycle is a return of fundamental and traditional ideas of an earlier time transposed into the present. It represents a style revolution in which a simple structure further develops to become a more complex system. At this point a revolution begins and a return to the simple, the more traditional form flourishes again. As a chain of events, the cycle is extremely prominent during the change of time periods between the Renaissance and Baroque. In 1581, a group of philosophers, musicians, artists, intellectuals, and scientists all met in Florence to discuss where society was headed. Resulting from what became known as the Florentine Camerata, a shift from the current complex system of the renaissance to that of a simple structure, which imitated ancient Greek society. Those such as Girolamo Mei, Giovanni Bardi, Vincenzo Galilei, Jacopo Peri, and Giulio Caccini, all discussed what would become new practices and experimentation in music (Florence 647). The Baroque Era began at the end of the 16th century and lasted to about 1750. It reflects a period of time when great changes occurred in music and culture, and bridges the gap between the music of the renaissance and the music of the classical era. The music of the early baroque was composed in a style that was very similar that of the renaissance era. The term Baroque has only recently become a means to determine the period of time. It is derived from the French baroque, which comes from the Portuguese baroco, meaning a pearl of irregular or bulbous shape (Baroque 172). The word Baroque was initially used to imply strangeness and abnormality. During this period, most music was written as ordered and requested by aristocratic courts, churches, and opera houses in which all patrons and musicians demanded new music. Composers were an integral part of the baroque society and ev...

Advantages and Disadvantages of Payback Assignment

Advantages and Disadvantages of Payback - Assignment Example Payback period is also an effective capital budgeting technique whereby the break-even point for an investment proposal is calculated. When investment is made in a project, there are no profits earned in the initial few years of operation. Profits are earned after the business achieves break even, where the level of investment made in the project becomes equal to the inflow of cash earned over the years. If the initial investment made in a project $150,000 and the cash flows each year is $50,000. Then the payback period as per the above formula is 3 years. At the end of the third year, the company will be able to recover the entire investment that it has made in the project. From the third year onwards the company would be earning profits upon the project. In case of two or more mutually exclusive projects, the management is seen to select the one which has a lower payback period (Baker and English, 2011). Payback period is one of the simplest capital budgeting techniques to appraise a given project. It is easy to use and simple to calculate. Payback period helps managers to understand the time period required to attain liquidity in a given investment proposal. It also helps the management to analyze the risk factor in a given investment proposal. The longer the duration of the project, the higher is the risk factor. Payback period does not take into consideration the time value of money. This is because the method does not take into consideration discounting of future cash inflows to arrive at the present value of net inflow. Payback period helps in understanding the liquidity factor associated with projects ignoring the profitability factor completely. The system takes into consideration only the inflow of cash prior to the payback period and does not consider the cash inflows after it (Bierman and Smidt, 2007).

Moral Obligation and Legal Duty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Moral Obligation and Legal Duty - Essay Example â€Å"A civilized society's first line of defense is not the law, police and courts but customs, traditions and moral values. Behavioral norms, mostly transmitted by example, word of mouth and religious teachings, represent a body of wisdom distilled over the ages through experience and trial and error†2. Laws are primarily meant to safeguard the moral values of the nation, but this itself raises a number of challenges for the law-making agencies given the morals of a society alter with time depending upon the demands of the time. Coleridge said, â€Å"It would not be correct to say that every moral obligation involves a legal duty; but every legal duty is founded on a moral obligation. A legal common law duty is nothing else than the enforcing by law of that which is a moral obligation without legal enforcement†3. This paper reviews the English medical laws other than the law of clinical negligence with an intent to evaluate whether the extent to which the enforcers of these laws see a moral obligation to their duties. For this, the issues discussed include abortion and euthanasia. If they do so, that would mean that their legal duties are founded on moral obligations. In the last, the recent development of the law of human rights is commented upon from the standpoint of the very issue. Different theories of abortion have emerged over the years. Many people claim that abortion is morally justified since it is a legal procedure. â€Å"There is a subtle type of argumentation here that basically is saying that if it is legal, it is moral; and if it is legal and moral, then it is immoral to oppose it†4. A woman who involves herself in sex voluntarily and without the use of contraceptives, she in a way signs a bond with the fetus. â€Å"A contract entails the demonstrated existence of a reasonably (and reasonable) free will. If the fulfillment of the obligations in a contract between individuals could be life-threatening – it is fair an d safe to assume that no rational free will was involved†5. But a pregnancy happens as a result of rape or forced sex, it is morally feasible to terminate it since the mother never entered the contract willingly, thus rendering it invalid. This in turn justifies all measures taken to terminate the pregnancy before it reaches the stage when doing so would threaten the life of the mother. Judith Jarvis Thomson considers abortion impermissible but not on the grounds that most anti-abortionists base their claims on6 Abortion is not wrong because fetus is a human being and has a right to live, but it is impermissible because a woman carrying her pregnancy to term displays good samaritanism. From a moral standpoint, a woman that carries pregnancy to term generously takes care of the fetus by undergoing pain and labor while the fetus has the needs but not the rights but a woman, who terminates the pregnancy does not show this generosity and accordingly, does not take care of the need s of the fetus. â€Å"It is not the case that abortion violates the requirements of morality, therefore, but rather that continuing to incur the burdens involved in pregnancy goes beyond them†7. A woman’s ethical obligation to the fetus is inevitable irrespective of whether the abortion is legalized or not in a certain country8. One woman’s decision to terminate the pregnancy has a number of social implications, which challenges the perception that it is only

Australia's Viticulture Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Australia's Viticulture Industry - Essay Example Gender is another primary segment as Lee and Low (2007, p.735) report that women in Australia buy 70% of the wine and that is typical also of their major exporting customers in the UK and US. Women may have different tastes for wine and will respond to different packaging than men (Low and Lee, 2007, p.735). Quality and cost further segment wine. These two segments may overlap, though quality is not an absolute indicator of cost. Drinking behavior is another key segment, as the wine that appeals to the occasional drinker may not be marketed in the same way as a wine meant for the market of heavy consumers. While wine segmentation can be limited to demographics, Bruwer, Li, and Reid (2002, p.221) have reported that it limits the information about the consumer. They state that segmentation should be accomplished by identifying lifestyle and drinking behavior. They contend that this makes the segments, "...more actionable from a marketing strategy standpoint" (Bruwer, Li, and Reid, 2002, p. 221). They have further broken the segments into shopping styles and desired outcome of drinking behavior (Bruwer, Li, and Reid, 2002, p. 228). While these various segments may have value from a marketing standpoint, they may limit the segment to such a degree that the overall market may be too limited to be of any strategic value. Small and medium sized wine producers will have difficulty competi... Small and medium sized wine producers will have difficulty competing with the large producers in the area of price. Small wineries can not produce at the low cost that the larger scale producers can (Lee and Low, 2007, p. 733). However, they are in a position to control other product variables such as branding and quality. By segmenting the market they could cultivate niche markets by offering products that have a specialized appeal. However, it should be noted that niche brands that are only offered as a 'change of pace' brand would be in a vulnerable position in a retail market (Jarvis and Goodman, 2005, p. 295). The niche market would have to have brand loyalty to sustain sales. Larger producers may be unable to enter these markets due to their limited base. If marketing research could show that lowering the price could sell more product, the plan would have to include which component of the mix would be given up to accommodate the lower price. Discount pricing may require less promotion. Bulk sales may improve product placement. Alternatively, pricing could be held at a premium level and sold only through direct sales or exclusive outlets. Since the 4Ps are interactive it becomes a balancing act to determine the correct mix. Other factors, such as brand awareness, product maturity, and customer relationships are additional factors that need to be considered when planning the 4Ps (Kotler, 2003, p.110). Small wineries with scarce resources have the additional difficulty of controlling a product that is at the mercy of the weather and ever changing consumer tastes. Small producers are in a good position to market their product in unique ways. They could promote their product through the use of more personal

Thurgood Marshall Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Thurgood Marshall - Research Paper Example Thurgood’s mother, Norma Arica Marshall was a schoolteacher and also the first black woman to graduate from the Colombia Teacher’s College, New York. At the early age of six, he started his schooling in the Douglas High School. He was always known as a B grade average student in his entire school life. In the year 1925, he went to Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Thurgood received his law education from the Howard University Law School in Washington D.C. (Pena, â€Å"Thurgood Marshall†). It was also said that by the age of 16, Thurgood had memorized most of the Constitutions of the US, which signified his potentialities to become an influential Justice of the US Supreme Court (United States Postal Service, â€Å"Thurgood Marshall†). THESIS STATEMENT The thesis intends to present a biographic study of the early life, initial career and later professional life of Thurgood, the first African-American Justice of the US Supreme Court. The focus of the thesis also emphasizes the contributions of the Justice in the formation of the Civil Rights as included in the US Constitution and his entire journey throughout. To be precise, a detailed study of his life including his family background and his beginning of the career as a judge has been covered in the thesis. NOMINATION OF THE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT Initially, after the completion of his studies in the Howard University Law School, he became the Chief Counsel of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Later, in 1954, he was appointed in the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit by John F. Kennedy. Also in the year 1965, he was engaged in the Office of the US Solicitor General being elected by the President Lyndon Johnson. It is worth mentioning in this context that Thurgood Marshall had already won 14 cases out of 19 on behalf of the government in the Supreme Court, before his nomination in the Supreme Court in the year 1967 (Friedman 1-4). It was President Lyndon Johnson who had nominated Thurgood for the designation of Justice in the US Supreme Court. Thurgood was nominated to succeed Associate Justice Tom C. Clark after his retirement. He was appointed to the US Court of Appeals in the early 1961, but due to many controversies raised the Southern senators, his nomination to the Supreme Court judge was not confirmed. The controversial issues were majorly reported as related to racial inequality, wherein the debate involved the whites, commonly as opposers to the nomination of Thurgood and the non-whites, as defenders. Finally in the month of July 1967, Thurgood was again nominated for the Supreme Court. Thurgood was confirmed with 69 votes in his favor on August 30th in the year 1967. After two days of the event, Thurgood Marshall was handed over with the position by Chief Justice Earl Warren and thus, became the first African American judge of the Supreme Court (A&E Television Networks, â€Å"Thurgood Marshall appoin ted to Supreme Court†). President Johnson had once stated that Thurgood had already acquired his significant position in the history of the US and the country will be blessed by his services in the court, which after his 10th death anniversary also remains an undisputable truth. After his confirmation as a Justice in the US Supreme Court, he became one of the major supporters to the legitimate rights of labor, development of women in every dimension and racial

Some Aspect of Early Victorian Period in John Stuart Mill's The Essay

Some Aspect of Early Victorian Period in John Stuart Mill's The Subjection of Women - Essay Example Mrs. Mallard, the main character of the story is told that her husband has died in a train crash. With this information she sits throughout the story and moves forward in her life at least in her mind. The reader is told that Mrs. Mallard has a heart condition in the beginning of the story. Mrs. Mallard describes her plight with her husband. She cannot talk about anything she wants to talk about, she gets ignored and she has to mind her place. Mrs. Mallard resolves herself that she is finally free and she goes through a shift in her consciousness and decides what she will do next. Unfortunately at the end of the story she finds that her husband did not die in the train crash and her only way out now is to have a heart attack and die; which she does at the end. The short story does show how she was expected to listen to him and do what he said which supports what Mill says. An interesting point is that women today are not much different from women then although they have worked hard towards getting a voice. Kuhl describes spinsterhood during this time and the fact that women were to have "high moral standards" and that they were to adhere to "strict rules of conduct in marriage and courtship." Specifically she states: Based on high moral standards, strict rules of conduct in marriage and courtship, and a public lifestyle that would reflect pious dignity, women of the Middle Class were carefully conditioned and expected to live up to a specific code of behavior. The ultimate goal of which was marriage. It became the duty of every woman of the Middle Class to marry and produce children, preferably boys to inherit the newfound status and wealth of the class (par. 3). This statement creates an image of slavery for women of this time period because they were more breeding stock than part of a marriage. They were expected to do only what the man said and which is

<Application Student Scholarship> Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

- Essay Example In the first year of my study, I met a lecturer named Eng James who was teaching me one of the units in electrical engineering. James substantially helped me in the chase of my profession by teaching me entrepreneurship skills. According to his remarks, it was quite evident that entrepreneurship was one of the significant aspects of a renowned businessman/woman. In this case, the most valuable lessons that I learnt from James was achieving my individual career goals. I was raised in a family unit which had a strong proclivity to the study of science. Therefore, I have developed a fascination for science since my childhood period. This fascination is what enabled me to take a career in electrical engineering. During my study, I have scored highly in most units in my course. As a major in electrical and electronics engineering, I have tremendous potential to becoming a leading force in all walks of life. This four year undergraduate study in the university as enabled me to learn that engineering is one of the most vital disciplines which govern human life (Baine, 2004). This is because the study of engineering imparts the learners with knowledge, which is considered as a valuable insight to the global market. During my study in the university, I gained knowledge in various subjects including power electronics, electronic circuit design and power systems. In addition, I have also gained information with regard to the developing technology. For instance, I am well acquainted in software design and programming languages. Throughout my learning, I was always one of the top ranked students in the engineering department. At one point in my studies, I was ranked the first student out of twelve thousand students among 18 universities in California in the department of engineering. I was also among the small percentage of students who had a constant academic record. I successfully cleared my studies

Thurgood Marshall Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Thurgood Marshall - Research Paper Example Thurgood’s mother, Norma Arica Marshall was a schoolteacher and also the first black woman to graduate from the Colombia Teacher’s College, New York. At the early age of six, he started his schooling in the Douglas High School. He was always known as a B grade average student in his entire school life. In the year 1925, he went to Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Thurgood received his law education from the Howard University Law School in Washington D.C. (Pena, â€Å"Thurgood Marshall†). It was also said that by the age of 16, Thurgood had memorized most of the Constitutions of the US, which signified his potentialities to become an influential Justice of the US Supreme Court (United States Postal Service, â€Å"Thurgood Marshall†). THESIS STATEMENT The thesis intends to present a biographic study of the early life, initial career and later professional life of Thurgood, the first African-American Justice of the US Supreme Court. The focus of the thesis also emphasizes the contributions of the Justice in the formation of the Civil Rights as included in the US Constitution and his entire journey throughout. To be precise, a detailed study of his life including his family background and his beginning of the career as a judge has been covered in the thesis. NOMINATION OF THE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT Initially, after the completion of his studies in the Howard University Law School, he became the Chief Counsel of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Later, in 1954, he was appointed in the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit by John F. Kennedy. Also in the year 1965, he was engaged in the Office of the US Solicitor General being elected by the President Lyndon Johnson. It is worth mentioning in this context that Thurgood Marshall had already won 14 cases out of 19 on behalf of the government in the Supreme Court, before his nomination in the Supreme Court in the year 1967 (Friedman 1-4). It was President Lyndon Johnson who had nominated Thurgood for the designation of Justice in the US Supreme Court. Thurgood was nominated to succeed Associate Justice Tom C. Clark after his retirement. He was appointed to the US Court of Appeals in the early 1961, but due to many controversies raised the Southern senators, his nomination to the Supreme Court judge was not confirmed. The controversial issues were majorly reported as related to racial inequality, wherein the debate involved the whites, commonly as opposers to the nomination of Thurgood and the non-whites, as defenders. Finally in the month of July 1967, Thurgood was again nominated for the Supreme Court. Thurgood was confirmed with 69 votes in his favor on August 30th in the year 1967. After two days of the event, Thurgood Marshall was handed over with the position by Chief Justice Earl Warren and thus, became the first African American judge of the Supreme Court (A&E Television Networks, â€Å"Thurgood Marshall appoin ted to Supreme Court†). President Johnson had once stated that Thurgood had already acquired his significant position in the history of the US and the country will be blessed by his services in the court, which after his 10th death anniversary also remains an undisputable truth. After his confirmation as a Justice in the US Supreme Court, he became one of the major supporters to the legitimate rights of labor, development of women in every dimension and racial

<Application Student Scholarship> Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

- Essay Example In the first year of my study, I met a lecturer named Eng James who was teaching me one of the units in electrical engineering. James substantially helped me in the chase of my profession by teaching me entrepreneurship skills. According to his remarks, it was quite evident that entrepreneurship was one of the significant aspects of a renowned businessman/woman. In this case, the most valuable lessons that I learnt from James was achieving my individual career goals. I was raised in a family unit which had a strong proclivity to the study of science. Therefore, I have developed a fascination for science since my childhood period. This fascination is what enabled me to take a career in electrical engineering. During my study, I have scored highly in most units in my course. As a major in electrical and electronics engineering, I have tremendous potential to becoming a leading force in all walks of life. This four year undergraduate study in the university as enabled me to learn that engineering is one of the most vital disciplines which govern human life (Baine, 2004). This is because the study of engineering imparts the learners with knowledge, which is considered as a valuable insight to the global market. During my study in the university, I gained knowledge in various subjects including power electronics, electronic circuit design and power systems. In addition, I have also gained information with regard to the developing technology. For instance, I am well acquainted in software design and programming languages. Throughout my learning, I was always one of the top ranked students in the engineering department. At one point in my studies, I was ranked the first student out of twelve thousand students among 18 universities in California in the department of engineering. I was also among the small percentage of students who had a constant academic record. I successfully cleared my studies

Uniqueness and Importance of Medieval Music Essay Example for Free

Uniqueness and Importance of Medieval Music Essay The musical component of the medieval period is noted to have been one of the most important musical experiences in history. Every aspects of medieval music that have survived left legacies that deeply impact both the sacred and secular musical structure of today. Nonetheless, the music that permeated at that period has tangibly contributed in the musical heritage and tradition of present day society, most especially those of the Catholic Church. In this regard, it is therefore an imperative to look back on the historical overview of medieval music and its importance in the field of music as a whole. Medieval Music Medieval music is identified as the music that permeated in Europe during the middle or medieval ages. The said era covered the periods ranging from the Roman Empire’s fall and ascent of Gregory the Great to papacy, until approximately the early fifteenth century. This form of music excludes that of the Byzantine Empire, which is noted to have a separate development. Basically, medieval music is divided into two principal categories: the sacred and secular. As Christianity was a dominant force during the medieval era, entire musical style was developed in order to support it. Therefore, sacred music was either inspired or set by the biblical text. Sacred music was originally composed in order to pay homage to God. Unlike sacred music, secular music has not been observed early in the said period. Yet medieval secular music played a significant role during the medieval period as it was created for the purpose of its entertainment value such as for dance or expressing ones love, which deeply reflects the lifestyle during that era (â€Å"Medieval music: Birth of polyphony†). Early Medieval Sacred Music Chant The earliest body of song documented from the medieval period was the chant, which is sometimes referred to as plainchant or plainsong. Chant is a monophonic, or music with just one part, which has been the earliest form of music used by the Catholic church. The account of the nun Egeria from her pilgrimage to Jerusalem from circa 400 AD was noted as the earliest evidence of plainchant practice. The account includes descriptions pertaining to psalms and singing (Cyrus). The evolution of chant was accounted to various regional liturgies like the Roman, Gallican, Celtic, Ambrosian, Mozarabic and the likes. Likewise, the traditions of the Byzantine Church as well as the Jewish synagogue’s psalm singing were pointed as strong influences in the emergence of chants (â€Å"Medieval music†). Over the next years, the practice of chant continued to develop until it became an important component in the mass and office that is familiar among the students of the medieval church (Cyrus). It is noteworthy that the adaptation of chant in the liturgical practice was a result of the religious reforms spearheaded by Charlemagne, who perceived the church as an important body that would enable him to unify his empire. He then replaced the regional varieties of plainsong with a single unified version. According to biographers, approximately in the ninth century Charlemagne decided to ask for the supervision of Rome in order to have the doctrinally unified versions of the chant. The resultant liturgical practice is commonly known as the â€Å"Gregorian Chant,† which is acknowledged as the central musical tradition in Europe during the medieval period (â€Å"Medieval music† n. p. ). Gregorian chant was named so in honor of Pope Gregory I, who is believed to have organized around 3,000 melodies for the Roman Catholic worship. Such form of chant interblend ancient melodies, coming from the oral traditions of sources like Greek, Hebraic and Eastern, with the early Christian churches liturgical prayers (Pen). It is believed that many of the Gregorian chants were written in the western monasteries during the reign of Charlemagne (â€Å"Medieval music†). The music of the church is divided into chants used for the mass and for the office. Chants for the mass are a combination of celebrating the word of God and the Holy Eucharist, while chants for the office or ordinary are those that are part of the churches daily services which includes psalms and prayers. The text that change daily are known as â€Å"proper,† while the stable texts which are repeated for most of the church services are tagged as â€Å"ordinary† (Cyrus n. p. ). Plainchant fuses text and tunes so as to function as a prayer, while the Latin text serves as the musical rhythm dictator in order for the text and tune to exactly correspond with each other. Normally, the melodic contour of such music is shaped by the words direction, which is set syllabically, making the text understandable. Other chants are also set in a melismatical manner where in â€Å"one syllable is sustained over several notes† for the purpose of ornamenting and emphasizing important syllables (Pen 119) and neumatic melodies where the music contains two to five notes for each syllable. Every service is embedded with a mixture of the said styles, making the liturgical action more dramatic (Cyrus). Notation The Carolingian cantors adapted almost four thousand chants every church year. In order to organize the imported chants they developed systems that organize the musical materials involved. As music during the early medieval period was not written down, the pressures of memorizing every song is perhaps the very reason why the Carolingian cantors created the system of notation. The system of church modes, wherein chants are classified according to their range, central pitch or final and melodic idioms were also developed. Alongside with the development of notation systems, liturgical books became widespread, regularizing the liturgical practice (Cyrus). Notation Improvements By the end of the ninth century until the 12th century both composers and performers created means for the liturgical process to prosper. Various feasts were developed alongside with new chants. Liturgical compositions from the past were copied through the use of a new system known as staff notation which was developed by Guido of Arezzo. Such notation was able to specify pitches of a melody through the combination of staff or set of horizontal lines and one or more clefs in order to identify the pitches of the chant. Guido also created a sightsinging system involving solmization, a process where pre-assigned syllables are used for certain pitches (Cyrus). Additionally, other improvements in the sacred medieval music were observed such as the polyphony. Early polyphony As plainchant was sung slowly and without rhythm or harmony, perhaps sacred composers grew weary of the chants and began experimenting with their music by adding musical lines in order to create harmony. This is known as polyphonic music, which gave birth to harmony. Around the end of ninth century, monastery singers like Switzerland’s St. Gall added voice in parallel motion to the chant, wherein they can sing in perfect musical intervals of the fourth and fifth together with the original tune. Such development is known as â€Å"organum,† which is considered as the beginning of â€Å"counterpoint,† an important feature of music where â€Å"two or more melodic strands occur simultaneously† (â€Å"Medieval music† n. p. ). From then on, the organum developed into several ways. The â€Å"Florid organum† is one of the most significant forms of organum that was developed around 1100 in the south-west of France. Also referred to as the school of St. Martial, named after a monastery in France that is noted to have the best-preserved manuscripts of such musical style, â€Å"Florid organum† is incorporated within the chants in such a way that the original tune is being sung in long notes, while another voice would serve as an accompaniment by singing many notes to each of the original piece that is often done in â€Å"highly elaborate fashion† in order to further emphasize the perfect consonances of the music (â€Å"Medieval music†n. p. ). Middle Medieval Music Subsequent developments of the organum took place in England, specifically at Notre Dame in Paris, which is said to be the center of musical creativity all through the 13th century. The emergence of the Notre Dame School of Polyphony around 1150 until 1250 is said to be the vehicle for a more modernized form of the organum, and paved way for the beginning of â€Å"Ars Antiqua†Ã¢â‚¬â€a period in which rhythmic notation is recognized in the Western music; a period that greatly applies the method of rhythmic notation which is known as the rhythmic modes (â€Å"Medieval music† n. p. ). Basically, Notre Dame organum employs three distinct rhythmic styles that adheres to the rhythmic modes: (1) â€Å"organum purum† wherein both upper and lower voice freely moves without a specific rhythm to follow, (2) â€Å"copula† which upper voice moves in accordance to a strict rhythm while the lower voice moves freely, and (3) â€Å"discant† wherein both the upper and lower voice follows a strict rhythm (Cyrus n. p. ). Also this period, the concept of formal structure emerged, allowing composers to become more attentive with proportions, architectural effects and musical texture. Composers of the said period created various musical forms such as the â€Å"clasulae,† melismatic (technique of placing several noted in a single syllable of text) parts of the organa are extracted and fitted with new wordings so as to improve musical elaboration; the â€Å"versus’ or the â€Å"monophonic conductus† has a structure known as strophic, wherein the music is repeated for each successive stanza of the liturgical reading or poetry; and the â€Å"trope† where new musical and textual materials are added to a pre-existing liturgical composition, most especially the introductory chants of the mass and the short chants of the ordinary. Trope singers, which are usually soloist, can come before, in the middle or after the host chant or choral; they simply amplify the meaning of the original composition. In some cases, tropes inject dialog and short interludes within the music; as such, they are though to be the forerunners in the field of liturgical drama which also emerged in this period (Cyrus n. p. ). â€Å"Sequence† also emerged during the era of liturgical consolidation in the medieval period. â€Å"Sequence† is identified as a separate form of choral composition that follows the Alleluia during mass. Credited to Notker Balbulus, sequence is a syllabic genre that contains irregular phrase lengths. In this type of chant genre, the musical lines normally contain one to four clauses, while the entirety of the music is often repeated before starting a new musical material (Cyrus n. p. ). The â€Å"motet† is profoundly one of the most significant forms of music created during the Middle Ages, specifically during the early parts of the Notre Dame period. Made out of the clausula, motet is focused on the usage of multiple voices, as stated by European composer, Perotin. Motet was further developed into a greater form of musical elaboration and sophistication during the 14th century which is noted as the era of â€Å"Ars Nova† (â€Å"Medieval Music†). Secular Music Although the plainchant was dominant in the sacred musical landscape of the middle age, other musical forms were used for the purpose of secular expression (Pen 119). Secular music existed in the shadow of secular music during the medieval period as most of the music scribes in this era were inclined in the creation of sacred music. Likewise, Medieval secular music was usually passed along orally and are rarely written down. As such, only limited number of composition has survived. Nonetheless, those existing copies of secular music serve as a vehicle for present day people to view the life at court in town during Middle Age. One of the earliest surviving music in secular form was accounted to the Goliards, who are wandering poet-musicians in Europe during the tenth until the mid-thirteenth century. Their secular compositions were consolidated in an early thirteenth century musical collection known as the â€Å"Carmina Burana. † However, due to the unclear notation, the reconstruction of the actual secular melodic sounds created by the Goliards was impossible, except for some pieces that have similarities with sacred music (Cyrus n. p. ). Most of the poetry created by the Goliards are secular in form, while some songs celebrate religious ideals and others are notably profane that tackles drunkenness, lechery as well as debauchery (â€Å"Medieval Music†). The secular music of the Troubadours of southern France and the Trouveres of the northern region are said to be the largest collection of secular music. The music created by the said groups are from their poems and utilized the vernacular tradition of monophonic secular music that are probably accompanied by varying instruments and performed by professionals ranging from skilled poets, singers and instrumentalists. Likewise, their poems have adopted the language of their regions—Troubadours used lyrics written in Occitan also referred to as old Provencal or langue d’oc while the Trouveres used old French or langue d’oil. The music of the Troubadours was complimentary with the cultural life of Provence. Typically, their music describes war, courtly love and chivalry. Troubadour musical period lasted through the twelfth century until the first decade of the thirteenth century. The abrupt end of the Troubadour period was accounted to the Albigensian crusade, a campaign spearheaded by Pope Innocent III, which aims to eliminate Albigensian heresy, thererby eliminating the whole civilization of the Troubadours. Troubadour survivors of the fierce campaign migrated to Spain, Northern France or Northern Italy, where their musical inclination is said to have contributed in the secular music tradition of the said places (â€Å"Medieval Music†). The music of the Trouveres, on the other hand, was similar to that of the Troubadours. However, they were unaffected by the extermination directed towards the Albigenses unlike the Troubadours, allowing their music to survive until the thirteenth century. Most of the 2,000 surviving songs of the Trouveres showed musical sophistication that deeply highlights the poems it accompanied. Other than the Goliards, Troubadours and Trouveres, vast numbers of secular songs were also composed by civilization such as the Minnesingers, who are said to be the German counterpart of the Troubadours and Trouveres, and the Flagellants, who were noted for the geisslelieder songs that aims to appease the anger and wrath of God through this penitential music along with the mortification of their bodies (â€Å"Medieval Music†).

Gift Card Bring Advantages And Disadvantages

Gift Card Bring Advantages And Disadvantages A discussion text can be defined as a text which presents a problematic discourse. This problem will be discussed from different viewpoints. Discussion is commonly found in philosophical, historic, and social text. Generic Structure of Discussion The structure of a discussion text comprises: Statement of issue: Stating the issue which is to discussed; List of supporting points: Presenting the points in supporting the presented issue; List of contrastive points: Presenting other points which disagree to the supporting point; Recommendation: Stating the writer recommendation of the discourse Language Feature of Discussion Introducing category or generic participant Using thinking verb; feel, hope, believe, etc Using additive, contrastive, and causal connection; similarly, on the hand, however, etc Using modalities; must, should, could, may, etc Using adverbial of manner; deliberately, hopefully, etc Example 1 Hacking: Pro and Contra? Do you know what a hacker is? Well, a hacker is a person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems on computers and they like to stretch the capability of the systems. And you know what, the activities they do in the computers are called hacking. So, whats the problem with hacking and its hackers? Well, the problem is whether hacking and its hackers is legal or illegal? What I mean is that people in the world have many different views about hacking and the hackers. Some of them take sides, but many object. To get back to what I was saying previously, let us see the positive points of a hacker, shall we? Although in most places breaking into computer systems is considered illegal, I believe that hackers dont do anything illegal because they only want to know and try the systems. I dare to say that a hacker likes finding the strengths and the weaknesses of a computer system. They feel proud if they can find the weaknesses. So I dont really see the crimes in this case. In addition, these hackers sometimes help the police catch the white collar criminals, such as bank robbers, money launderers, credit card forgers. For example, in 2000, the U.S. hackers caught some Singaporean hackers who made Virus Love to break up the programs of the U.S. National Security system. Nevertheless, those who object to the good points of a hacker say that hacking is a crime. The reason is that some hackers use their brilliant skills to break into banks and other vital institutions where they can get money, destroy information, and the worst thing is they can get secret information and sell it to another country. This is a treachery. Take for example, in 1994, The U.S. government broke a conspiracy of computer hackers out of Majorca, Spain. These hackers were responsible for accessing and eliminating 190,000 telephone credit card numbers over computer bulletin boards in America and Europe. Seeing this fact, I dont blame those who think negatively about hackers. To put the whole thing in a nut shell, I personally think that hackers are not bad people with their brilliant skills. However, they could be bad because of money orientation to get the wealth. Thats just the point. Comprehension Questions: What is the main idea of the text? Where is the information about the main idea located? What supporting details can be found in the text? What is the function of the text? How do you know? What are the generic structures of the text? Can you identify each of the feature (generic structure) in the text? In which sentence? What are the language features of text? Example 2 Birth Control Most people agree that some form of family limitation or spacing is desirable for the good of the family and society. But individuals and groups-especially religious groups-differ sharply on the methods of birth control that they consider moral and acceptable. Couples that practice birth control do so for various reasons. They may want to limit or space their children, or to have no children at all. Young couples often postpone having children so that both partners can work full-time. Other couples space their children so they can give each child as much attention as possible. Some women are advised by their doctors to avoid pregnancy for health reasons. In many countries with rapidly growing populations, the government encourages couples to limit the size of their families. Even though birth control has gained in acceptance, opposition to the practice is continuous. Some people fear that birth control encourages sexual relations outside marriage or that government might impose birth control. Some religious groups oppose birth control on moral grounds. Some religious groups teach that artificial methods of birth control are immoral because they separate the two purposes of intercourse in marriage-conjugal love and the procreation of children. Although they oppose all artificial birth control, they consider natural family planning acceptable. Comprehension Questions: What is the main idea of the text? Where is the information about the main idea located? What supporting details can be found in the text? What is the function of the text? How do you know? What are the generic structures of the text? Can you identify each of the feature (generic structure) in the text? In which sentence? What are the language features of text? Example 3 Convenience or Care? When something issued by someone, we say it has been consumed. We as consumers use many things, both natural and processed. We consume more of the Earths resources than other animals do and, as a result, we cause problems for the environment. Like all animals, we need clean air and water, food and shelter for survival. Unlike other animals, however, we have certain want. These are items that are not necessary for our survival, but that we want because they make our lives easier or more enjoyable. Environments claims that a great deal of waste is created by both the production and the consumption of these items or product. Disposable products, such a pens, take away food containers, plates, shavers and cutlery, are made using the Earths resources. When these products are thrown away, the resources are lost. Another example of waste is the unnecessary packaging on many products. The material is often not recycled and used again. Throwing thing away also increases pollution. The amount of disposable plastic litter that ends up in waterways is a serious problem. When this waste reaches the oceans, it can kill marine life. Industrialist counter these arguments with their own point of view. They claim that consumers expect to be able to purchase food which is attractively presented, prepackaged to extent its life and easy to store. In a busy society, convenience is a priority. Products which make life easier, era in demand. Industrialist argue that they cater to this perceived need. Packaging is also big business and provides jobs for many people who might otherwise be unemployed and a burden to society. Environmentalist declare that for thousands of year, people survived perfectly well with re-usable products. However, people of the twenty-first century have become used to wing in a thrown-away society. It is up to each one of us to dispose of waste products carefully, recycle as much as possible and to reduce the stress on our environment. Think when buying pre-packaged goods and consider whether the same products can be bought without the extra wrappings. Lets make the best of what we have. Comprehension Questions: What is the main idea of the text? Where is the information about the main idea located? What supporting details can be found in the text? What is the function of the text? How do you know? What are the generic structures of the text? Can you identify each of the feature (generic structure) in the text? In which sentence? What are the language features of text? Example 4 Gift Card Bring Advantages and Disadvantages Gift cards become more popular during recent years. For example, in one season of holiday, sales reach $19 billion in United Stated and seem to grow more in the following season due to their convenience in the side of consumers and retailers. In retailers side, gift cards bring them some benefits. Selling gift card in simply selling product. When the cards are sold, they will get benefit. Additionally, gift card tends to be a matter of image and trend which means it is not strictly influenced by the functionality. Since gift card is the trend, the sales will increase significantly. However, there is potential disadvantages in the side of consumers. For example, itune gift cards apply process in the way of completing the shopping. they need do one step to another steps in processing the shopping. Likely, most of the steps apply time and date of validity or expiration. When certain step loose that validating date, the gift cards may be in risk. The gift card can be rejected to redeem. Again, in retailers side, producing card its self is costly. It means that there is additional cost which retailers have to pay. In whatever thing, we need to be wise. if we can use that gift. Comprehension Questions: What is the main idea of the text? Where is the information about the main idea located? What supporting details can be found in the text? What is the function of the text? How do you know? What are the generic structures of the text? Can you identify each of the feature (generic structure) in the text? In which sentence? What are the language features of text? Example 5 The advantages and Disadvantages of Distance Learning A few years ago, distance learning was seen as an inferior way but nowadays even famous and established traditional colleges and universities are providing distance learning courses and it is generally considered a way to improve ones life. However, people still argue whether distance learning give more advantage or disadvantage. Some of them who see the benefit of distance learning will say that distance learning needs no commuting. Of course it saves money and time that students would take. Furthermore, distance learning can be done at any students convenience. Mostly of the classes of distance learning are asynchronous. It means that students do not have to attend a lecture at a fixed particular time and place. Students can review the assignments and do their homework during off-hours or from home. Additionally, distance learning gives more accessibility. No one can deny it. People with limited mobility may encounter the problem when they take traditional class. With the online class system, the problem is absent. Despite the many advantages, the other people will see that distance learning is costly and needs complex technology. To attend online learning, student must have a computer with possibly access to the internet. Admitted or not, such technology devices are not always available for common students. Another disadvantage of distance learning is that it does not provide immediate feedback. Unlikely traditional classroom, students have to wait for the feedback and comment until the instructor has review the works and sent response to them. Most of the time students will study alone. Distance learners may feel isolated or miss that social physical interaction that comes with attending a traditional classroom Regarding the individuals learning style, some students are able to learn when there is a live interaction between them and the available of accompanying teacher while others dont really need it. So before deciding a choice of attending distance learning or not, each student needs to do a fair analysis regarding the kind of person he/she is. Comprehension Questions: What is the main idea of the text? Where is the information about the main idea located? What supporting details can be found in the text? What is the function of the text? How do you know? What are the generic structures of the text? Can you identify each of the feature (generic structure) in the text? In which sentence? What are the language features of text? Example 6 Pros and Cons National exam becomes the hot topic in most of discussions. Though the Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by the go-vernment on the organization of the national exams, the controversy over whether it is necessary to maintain the national exams (UN) has continued. Some debates include the primary questions such as; does the quality of Indonesia education depend on the national exam?, will the quality of the Indonesian education system worsen without natipnal exam? People, who support the national exam explain that the quality of the Indonesia education system will drop without the national exam, so they try to defend the current system. Hoever there are people who disagree with the opinion. Those who against this national exam kept in our high school education say that it doesnt need the national exams because the quality of education does not just depend on the national exam. Further, the national exam only measures a small portion of students competence in specific subjects, and does not measure students competences throughout the semester. In fact, the national examination can still be useful as an instrument to evaluate or detect the level of students cognitive competence in several subjects, on a national scale. Comprehension Questions: What is the main idea of the text? Where is the information about the main idea located? What supporting details can be found in the text? What is the function of the text? How do you know? What are the generic structures of the text? Can you identify each of the feature (generic structure) in the text? In which sentence? What are the language features of text? Example 7 The Advantage and Disadvantage of Nuclear Power Nuclear power is generated by using uranium which is a metal mined in various part of the world. The first large scale of nuclear power station was opened at Calder Hall in Cumbria, England in 1956. Some military ships and submarines have nuclear power plant for engine. Nuclear power produces around 11% of the worlds energy needed, and produces huge amounts of energy. It cause no pollution as we would get when burning fossil fuels. The advantages of nuclear plant are as follow: It costs about the same coal, so it is not expansive to make. It does not produce smoke or carbon dioxide, so it does not contribute to the greenhouse effect. It produces huge amounts of energy from small amount of uranium. It produces small amount of waste. It is reliable. On the other hand, nuclear power is very, very dangerous. It must be sealed up and buried for many years to allow the radioactivity to die away. Furthermore, although it is reliable, a lot of money has to be spent on safety because if it does go wrong, a nuclear accident ca be a major accident. People are increasingly concerned about this matter. In the 1990s nuclear power was the fastest growing source of power in many parts of the world. Note on the Generic Structure of Discussion Text Discussion is a process to find the meet point between two different ideas. It is important to to get the understanding between the two differences. In many social activities, discussion is the effective way to calm down any friction and difference in thought, perception and recommendation. This example of discussion text present the two poles, between the advantage and disadvantage of using nuclear plant to fulfill the energy needed. It is a case which need to be talked and discussed from two points. They are represented in the generic structure which is used: Stating the Issue: In the first paragraph, it is stated that using nuclear power can be the choice in fulfilling the needed energy. Supporting Point: In the second paragraph, it is presented the advantages of nuclear power plant to be used as the source of the worlds energy needed Contrastive Point: The third paragraph shows the balance. It gives the contradictory idea in using nuclear power plant as the resource of energy. Recommendation: This text is ended with a similar recommendation on how people should concern in the matter of nuclear energy. Comprehension Questions: What is the main idea of the text? Where is the information about the main idea located? What supporting details can be found in the text? What is the function of the text? How do you know? What are the generic structures of the text? Can you identify each of the feature (generic structure) in the text? In which sentence? What are the language features of text? Example 8 Hunting Fox Foxhunting is a subject that provokes very strong feelings. Many people believe that it is cruel to hunt a fox with dogs and totally agree with its ban. Many farmer and even conservationists, however, have always argue that the fox is a pest which attacks livestock and must be controlled. (Taken from: www.bbc.co.uk) Comprehension Questions: What is the main idea of the text? Where is the information about the main idea located? What supporting details can be found in the text? What is the function of the text? How do you know? What are the generic structures of the text? Can you identify each of the feature (generic structure) in the text? In which sentence? What are the language features of text?