I Was Alone Essays - , Term Papers, Research Papers

I Was Alone I was alone in a world of hate a world where difference was a thing to hate a world where everything was as "God planned" and what wasn't was branded and banned I went along like I believed saving myself from the ones who truely did hating myself for being them while I was not the same the ones who crucify me are the ones who really are the ones who have misread the words that are killing me right now. The words that are casting me away God's words My God These are not your words These are not your words these are not your words I believe in you But these are not your words It couldn't be the only one who reads my every thought I believe what you say is right so if that means I have to hate my very self I can't do it.

Architecture Made Famous by Americas Presidents

Architecture Made Famous by Americas Presidents Remember the phrase George Washington slept here? Ever since the founding of the country, Presidents of the United States made otherwise ordinary places famous.   1. Presidents Homes All US Presidents are associated with the White House in Washington, DC. Even George Washington, who never lived there, oversaw its construction. In addition to this common residence, all US Presidents are associated with personal residences. George Washingtons Mount Vernon, Thomas Jeffersons Monticello, and Abraham Lincolns home in Springfield are all good examples. Then there are all the childhood homes and birthplaces of our presidents. Of course, nobody knows who will become president, so many of these early homes were torn down before they became part of history. Surprisingly, the first president to be born in a hospital, instead of a home, was President Jimmy Carter, our 39th president. 2. Presidential Retreats Have you ever noticed how the presidency ages the person in office? Its a stressful job, and the president must make time for rest and relaxation. Since 1942, the country has provided Camp David as a get-away for the presidents exclusive use. Located in the Maryland mountains, the compound was a 1930s project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a Depression-era New Deal program. But Camp David is not enough. Every president has had a retreat- some have had both summer and winter White Houses. Lincoln used the Cottage at the Soldiers Home, now known as Lincolns Cottage. President Kennedy always had the family compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. George Herbert Walker Bush went to Walkers Point in Kennebunkport, Maine. Nixon had a little concrete block ranch house in  Key Biscayne, Florida, and Truman set up shop at the Little White House in Key West, Florida. All presidents are welcome to use Sunnylands, once a private residence, in  Rancho Mirage, California. All too often, presidential retreats like Sunnylands and Camp David have also been used to meet with foreign leaders in a less formal setting. Remember the Camp David Accords of 1978? 3. Sites of Presidential Events All presidential events dont happen in Washington, DC.   Bretton Woods, a gorgeous hotel in the mountains of New Hampshire, was the site of an international agreement after World War II. Similarly, President Woodrow Wilson traveled to the Palace of Versailles outside of Paris, France, to sign the treaty that ended World War I. These two places are historic landmarks for what happened there. Todays presidents campaign, debate, and rally constituents all across the United States- in town halls and convention halls.   Presidential events are not DC-centric- even the site where George Washington took the oath of office in 1789 was in Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City. 4. Monuments to Presidents Any community can memorialize a favorite son, but Washington, DC is the main setting for the nations monuments. The Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the Jefferson Memorial may be the most famous in DC, but Mount Rushmore in South Dakota may be the most iconic presidential tribute carved in stone. 5. Presidential Libraries and Museums Who owns a public servants papers? has been a question hotly debated- and legislated. Presidential Libraries did not come into existence until the 20th century, and today raw, archival information, along with the massaging of the presidential message, are combined in buildings like the Bush Library in College Station, Texas and the other Bush Library in Dallas. We take special note of these historic buildings, monuments, and research centers, and await the conflicts that will, no doubt, surround the next presidential library building. It seems to happen every time. A Sense of Place Most of us will never become president, but we all have a sense of place in our lives.  To find your special places, answering these five questions: HOME: Where were you born? Not only the city and state, but have you gone back to see the building? What does it look like? Describe your childhood home.RETREAT: Where do you go to relax and find peace? What is your favorite vacation place?EVENT: Where was your graduation ceremony? Where was your first kiss? Did you ever have to speak to a large group of people? Where were you when you won an important prize?MONUMENT: Do you have a trophy case? Will you have a gravestone? Have you ever built a monument to memorialize someone else? Should monuments even exist?ARCHIVES: Chances are that all of the papers in your life will not be kept forever, because there is no legal requirement to do so. But what about your digital trail? What have you left behind, and where is it?   Fun With Presidents Places George Washington Slept Here starring Jack Benny and Ann Sheridan, DVD, 1942 movie directed by William Keighley, based on a play by Moss Hart and George S. KaufmanLEGO Architecture Series: The White House

Examine the stock returns for both Pfizer and AstraZeneca during the Essay - 1

Examine the stock returns for both Pfizer and AstraZeneca during the bid process and provide possible reasons for changes in price on key dates - Essay Example t a company then price of the company’s stock is likely to rise while price is likely to fall is an expected acquisition is likely to be detrimental. Factors such as â€Å"investment strategies,† â€Å"ownership forms,† â€Å"capital structures,† and â€Å"dividend policies† that are likely to change with an acquisition are also likely to influence stock prices (Moyer, McGuigan, & Kretlow 2008, p. 12). In addition, expressed opinions by investors can either improve or reduce share price at a time (Khan & Zuberi 1999, p. 45) and all these could have influenced prices and return of the two companies’ stock. One of the key dates in the takeover period is November 25, 2013 when Pfizer informed AstraZeneca of intended takeover. Even though it was a private correspondence, it could have spread to stakeholders and a perceived lost value among Pfizer’s stakeholders could have triggered the observed negative change in stock price. Price for AstraZeneca however increased afterwards to indicate perceived benefits by the company’s stockholders. These suggest that Pfizer offered better economic prospects than AstraZeneca did at the time, and its internal environment could be more promising than that of AstraZeneca. On May 1, 2014, Pfizer made public its takeover interest and suffered a subsequent decline in price, which begun two days earlier, and perceived loss of advantage by existing stockholders as well as possible negative investor opinions could have caused the decline. At the same time, stock price for AstraZeneca declines and this could be a response to Pfizer’s price trends that made it less attractive. The fall in stock price for Pfizer continued until 7 May, a time at which the British Prime Minister expressed concerns over the takeover, and then stabilized until mid May. Price for AstraZeneca stock however remained constant over this period. Pfizer’s persistence on the takeover, against its shareholder’s confidence could explain the fall and the

Financial Statement Ratio Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Financial Statement Ratio Analysis - Essay Example (basic raw material) plus an oven to bake the cookies (plant and machinery), and also a place to keep the oven (premises). Plus, not to forget, skilled labor (You've got to know how to make cookies OR hire someone who can.). Last but not the least, your have to find a way to sell the cookies - either hire a salesman with a fixed pay or hire an agent with a fixed share in profits (Selling and distribution overhead). All these factors would sum up to be the 'Cost' incurred on making the cookies. Based on this cost, you may decide your expected 'Selling Price' and thus the 'Contribution' per unit. (Activity Ratios) Also, to keep things going, you would need enough money readily available for your short term requirements (like buying more raw materials, paying rent, electricity bills, wages to employees, etc.) as well as for long term requirements (paying off debts, more money for further expansion, etc.). Also, you very well know that your creditors will supply you material on credit only if you are worthy of it. i.e. you are able to pay them in time. (Liquidity Ratios) In both the cases, money doesn't come free of cost. Business should be profitable enough. Both the parties would again, check your credibility as well as the worthiness of the business. In the first case, you would be liable to pay a fixed interest to your bank, regardless of what you make. In the second, you've got to make enough money so that you and your friend are glad that you invested in the business. Therefore, to be sure of what you are doing, at every moment you would be analyzing your 'profitability ratios', like you would constantly be calculating your earnings as against your investments (EPS) and comparing it with what ever was the next best use of your money (opportunity cost). Further, you could even decide your debt-equity ratio - how much share in the profit should be sacrificed for funds and how much should you borrow from the bank. And if you make handsome profits, how much of it should be invested back in the business (retained earnings). Or maybe you have better uses for your money and decide to take a further loan against your business from the bank so as to free your capital and maximize your returns on investment (leverages). Thus, organizing your 'Capital Structure' is a very basic and important decision. The point behind this entire example is that the smallest of small business would require analyzing their basic ratios to know how well they are doing. Without comparing various financial figures (ratios) we cannot make an informed decision. Without these, you will never know what can go wrong with your business. Before staring any business you must know in advance what you may expect from the business and what you should be expecting in return for your time, effort and investment. At any stage of the business you must know how much have you given to the business and how much the business can return back and what is the present condition as well

Aging with drugs and alcohol Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Aging with drugs and alcohol - Essay Example For example, forgetfulness and confusion, which are the effects of alcohol, can mimic Alzheimer’s disease. â€Å"Due to multiple and chronic diseases, elderly often take numerous drugs. Elderly or those persons who are above sixty-five years of age may take seven or more prescription drugs along with some over the counter drugs† (Stewart & Cooper, 449-461). The sensitivity to alcohol’s effects increases with age and small amount of alcohol can affect judgment, co-ordination, alertness, and reaction time in elderly. Therefore, it makes them prone to accidents, falls, and fractures. The medical complications of alcohol abuse includes alcoholic liver disease, gastrointestinal tract diseases including bleeding, inflammation of pancreas, metabolic disturbances and increase risk of infections. The tolerance level of elderly to infections and bleeding is quite lower then that of younger people. In addition, the elderly are at increased risk of suffering from malnutrition, deficiency of vitamins, anemia, diseases of heart and blood vessels; bone mass reduction and even cancer. The loss of nerve cells occurs normally with aging but alcohol induced degeneration and shrinkage of brain along with damage to nerves throughout the body adds up to it and lead to further consequences. Alcohol use in large amount can lead to inflammation of stomach, intestine, and pancreas, which can hinder the digestion of food and the absorption of nutrients (Stewart & Cooper, 449-461). Alcohol abuse can also have psychosocial implications as the heavy drinker have increased chances of clashes at home, with friends and colleagues. Alcohol when combined either with other drugs, prescription or over the counter can be harmful and even fatal. â€Å"This is especially important for the aged people as they are often the users of prescription drugs and over the counter drugs† (Adams, pp. 13-14). The alcohol drug combination can have problematic consequences especially in

Music Downloads From The Internet

Music Downloads From The Internet A big question in the music industry has arisen. It is the one about music downloads, whether free or paid for or illegally downloaded (piracy). People were and are still keen to know whether these downloads have an effect on the price of CDs and the sales of CDs. Many studies have been done in this regard as will be shown below. Some of the studies concluded that the downloads did not affect the Music CD industry negatively, but rather helped it to achieve higher sales. Others report that the industry has suffered. This paper will look at the different studies undertaken. It is a general trend and decision of music-lovers worldwide, to download music instead of buying CDs. Downloads are seen to be more convenient. Music CDs appeared in 1982 and became the medium for commercial music. The Internet and technology gives music lovers the ability to download music. It is this new technology and convenience that threatened and threatens the music CD sales. Consumers now have the luxury to handpick the songs and music that they prefer and like. The supply and demand of CD sales are influenced by the downloads. When a CD comes out, there are between 11 and 15 or more songs on the album. However, not all the songs are liked by music lovers. This is one of the main reasons for music downloading (Harrell 2007). Price, Demand and Elasticity Price elasticity is the reference to price change in connection to demand. Demand can also change in relationship to price. Price elasticity also refers to the amount of money a single consumer wants to pay for something. Consumers with lower incomes have lower price elasticity for they have less disposable income. This means that higher income consumers have higher price elasticity because they can pay more. Depending on the product and the value of it, even low income or low spenders with low price elasticity, will want to pay more. In the case of the music CD sales, both low and high income spenders, like to download music which is cheaper than a CD and they also have the luxury of choosing what they want (Ellis-Christensen 2011). Downloaded music and CDs are substitutes for each other. The downloaded music is on the rise. Downloaded music prices went down as a result if access to the internet on a worldwide scale as more music sites became available. Because of the fall in the pr ice of the substitute (downloaded music) decreases the demand for Music CDs. Thus the price drop in downloaded music is resultant of the decrease in demand for CDs ( Lee Gosain 2002; Leung 2009; Liebowitz 2005). Studies done in Music downloads and the effects on CD sales: The first such study was done in the US. It was undertaken by researchers of Harvard University and the University of the North Carolina. They kept track of music downloads over 17 weeks in 2002. These were then compared to the markets sales of CDs against the ones downloaded. The conclusion reached was that the multiple and numerous downloads had limited effect on record sales A study of file-sharings effects on music sales says online music trading appears to have had little part in the recent slide in CD sales. Furthermore, the authors of the report related that they think that those who downloaded music would not have bought the CD. The big culprits of downloads were identified as Kazaa and Morpheus who offered a link for people to use in downloads. Music producers and CD companies reported lower sales and blamed the loss on downloads where some music offers are for free. Besides the downloads lower incomes and the recession were also blamed. Then there is also the possible impact of other forms of entertainment such as DVD movies, video games for TVs and computers. The study has aroused interest to the effect that some people felt that the music industry should make music available on a peer-to-peer basis on networks to distribute the music. The feeling is that the download companies such as Kazaa and others should negotiate and cooperate instead of fighting and opposing each other. This study was done by professors Oberholzer (Harvard) and Strumpf (Univ. North Carolina). They used logs amounting to 1.75million downloads over a period of 17 weeks.This research showed that some people only did a logon twice and downloaded about 17 songs, while others logged on much more and downloaded more. In one case, one person downloaded 5,000 . The next step was to choose songs and then made a comparison of the albums with that of the downloads of the same songs. The researchers concluded that it would take about 5,000 downloads to upset and displace the sale of one CD. Even if millions of downloads were done worldwide, it would only affect the sales minimally. They even felt that the downloads could even push sales up a little. People who read and studied the report were critical of its findings. They feel that other studies showed both positive and negative effects. The Recording Industry Association of America was dismissed the results as inconsistent with earlier findings. This body referred to a study by the University of Texas who concluded that the downloads did affect the music industry (Borland 2004). The above report attracted many online comments. One highlighted the fact that CDs were too expensive compared to the records sold in the late 60s and 70s and teenagers then could buy one easily by just doing household chores such as lawn mowing or babysitting. In the present time, the costs of CDs are high and will require many lawn mowing and sessions of baby-sittings. Thus, teens are not to blame if they rather download music. These teens are afraid to buy a CD incase the rest of the music on it is not too good. Another person complained that modern technology makes the production costs of CDs, and questions the high cost in the shops. Therefore, people rather download (Oberholzer Strumpf 2004). Fisher (2007) reported that the music industry suffered a decline in sales of CDs. The drop is reported as high as 20%. Answers were sought for the drop in sales. According to the Wall Street Journal, the closure of more than 800 stores in 2006, is one of the reasons for the decline. Legal downloads are growing, but the money paid via the internet is not closing the gap in revenue. One argument is that legal downloads (paid downloads) decrease the money of CD sales. In the first quarter (2007) 81.5 million CDs were sold. It was 20% down on the previous sales figures (2006). In contrast, Apple iTunes sales grew 54%, accounting for 175 million songs sold and paid for. It is clear to see that the volume of downloaded songs were more than the actual CDs sold. It is estimated that the songs are mostly singles instead of whole albums. Figures quoted are: $2 billion from online music sales; of this $800 million were single-track sales.The argument still stands that people buy downloaded tra cks instead of buying the album unless it is a hit album. In the past consumers were prepared to pay for an album even if they did not like all the songs on it. Now they have the opportunity to just buy what they liked. This translates to CD sales going down and digital downloads are on the increase. Fisher argues that, Generally speaking, it takes 10 songs to reach the cost of an album (if generalized to $10), so even someone buying a handful of songs off an album leaves a revenue gap compared to a whole album sale. He also cites the competition of other forms of entertainment such as DVD or CD movies. Moya (2007) reported about a study done in Canada. This was a research study done by university professors. It was to make a comparison between CDs bough and the music downloaded. This study was conducted by Birgitte Andersen and Marion Frenz of the Department of Management at the University of London in England. It concludes that illegal file-sharing does not cause a decrease in music sales as the music industry has insisted. They argue that the opposite is true. According to them , downloads cause an INCREASE in music purchasing. These researchers argue that whereas earlier studies show a decline in CD sales due to P2P file-sharing, they find that P2P file-sharing actually increase rather than decrease music purchasing in Canada. The research delivered the following key findings: That for every 12 P2P downloaded songs, music purchases increased by 0.44CDs. This means that downloading about 1 CD increases the buying of half a CD approximately. There was no relationship between P2P file-sharing and digital purchase via for example iTunes. About half of P2P tracks were downloaded because people wanted listen to songs first, before buying. They did not want to buy an album , but rather what they wanted. Illegal downloads had an effect, but minimally; a 1% increase in such downloads, is linked to a 4% increase in CD sales. Owners of MP3 players were less keen to buy CD albums. The study further found that other forms of entertainment that was cited in other research as a reason for the decline in sales of CDs, actually did not stand up to their results. Andersen and Frenz (2008) argue that an interest in music translates to music purchases on CDs. Theoverall conclusion of this study is that there is a strong link between file-sharing and CD purchasing. For Canadians, it means that P2P file-sharing increase the sales of CDs. This comes about through the opportunity of people to listen to music and then decide to buy it (Andersen Frenz 2007). A study conducted in Japan (Tanaka 2004) also tested the notion that downloaded music hurt the sales of CDs. Tanaka (2004) researched the topic and looked at music downloads in Japan. In Japan the downloads are being done over anonymous file servers, so people who download are less concerned with copyright laws. He looked at many variables of sales and downloads. His final conclusion was that there is no evidence to suggest and show that downloaded music affected a drop in sales of CD sales. Another study conducted by Liebowitz (2005) returned some results. One main conclusion was that more research was needed to test the thesis that file-sharing and downloading hurts the music and CD industry. It is clear that academics do not agree with research findings to this effect. Liebowitz contends that his research shows that sales have been affected, however, it is not a cut and dried decision. He recommends that more economists should be engaged in the study of the effect of downloads and file-sharing of music on the music CD industry. His argument is that economists will draw more on sales figures and profits and losses and present a clearer picture of the thesis of the effects of music downloads on CD sales. Leung (2009) conducted research to test two beliefs of music piracy. The first one is whether music piracy hurts CD sales and the second about the idea that copyright laws might stop music pairacy. His research reveals that the music industry is hurt by music piracy, however, he disagrees with the results of Oberholzer and Strumpf (2007). Furthermore, he links music piracy to sales of Apple iPods and argues the case that more piracy will prevail and that in turn will enhance the sales of iPods. This stands to reason ,as iPods are favored to listen to music and the music for the iPod is downloaded, either legally (paid) or pirated. CONCLUSION: An ongoing debate prevails about whether music downloads affects price and demand as well as the sales of music CDs. From the various researches that had been conducted, different researchers delivered different results. Oberholzer and Strumpf (2002) contend that the CD sales did not suffer much. According to them, sales could increase slightly as people are exposed to more songs and go and buy the album. Tanaka (2004) asserted that the downloads of music in Japan did not affect the sales of CD s there. Andersen and Frenz (2007) found that sales increase in Canada as a result of downloading. They argue that music lovers could be exposed to certain music songs and then decide to go and buy the album.Leung (2009) argues that the music industry suffers due to pirated music downloads as a result of the popularity of the iPod listening device.

Norman Jewisons Movie The Hurricane Essay -- Movie Review Essays

Norman Jewison's Movie "The Hurricane" The problem of racial discrimination has been portrayed in many films in the last 15 years. However, The Hurricane does a masterful job at addressing this issue, and will leave audience members clenching their fists in anger at the injustice that happened to a man named Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. The movie demonstrates the racial inequity that can be found in our judicial system through the impressive acting by Denzel Washington and the direction of Norman Jewison. The Hurricane makes you wonder who else has been wrongfully accused in the past 30 years. The Hurricane creates moments of amazing heartfelt punches dealt by Denzel Washington (Rubin "Hurricane" Carter), Vicellous Reon Shannon (Lezra Martin), and the three Canadian friends, Live Schreiber (Sam), Deborah Unger (Lisa), and John Hanna (Terry). All of the actors and actresses produce feelings of love, camaraderie, and determination that causes the audience to jump up and cheer. The movie starts with the story of Rubin Carter and his fight for the middleweight championship. He lost the match in a rigged bout to a weaker opponent. Although, Rubin dominated the ring, he lost the title. The fight foreshadows the racial discrimination that will be played throughout the movie. Later in the movie in the Lafayette Grill two African-American males of middle build murdered three people at the all white establishment. Rubin Carter and John Artis were accused of being those two men. Carter and Artis went to prison for three life sentences. The future looks slim for Carter, however, a pivotal change comes when Lezra Martin discovers Carter's book. The movie focuses on the portrayal of Rubin Carter as he spends 20 years in prison. The a... ... a way that leaves them cheering at the end, takes this film to another level. Jewison has established himself as a great director and reconfirms that with this movie. He is no stranger to racially intensified films. He directed In the Heat of the Night in 1967 and was slated to direct Malcolm X, but refused after a few key people reacted negatively to the idea of a Caucasian male directing the film. The Hurricane, based on the life of Rubin Carter, brings alive the fears, anger, and frustration that he experienced. The Hurricane is no exception for Washington's stunning performances or Jewison's great directing, so if you are looking for a moving, deep, and engrossing film run to your nearest Blockbuster and rent The Hurricane. It is a movie that needs to be seen not just for its value as a good movie, but for its undeniable call for justice and racial equality.

Gary Paulsen’s novel “Hatchet” Essay

In Gary Paulsen’s novel hatchet the protagonist Brian Robenson develops many new skills after his plane crashes into the Canadian wilderness. It is his ability to make a fire, build a shelter and make new tools that enable him to survive. During one of the nights when he was stuck in the Canadian wilderness a porcupine went into his shelter and he felt it he through the hatchet as a reaction which hit the rock and made a spark he woke up the next morning, remembering what had happened during the night, sparks, fire, I I can make a fire with my hatchet and the rock, it took a fair few tries but he eventually got it on the fire lasted till the day he got rescued, during all those days he was stuck out there â€Å"he had to keep hoping† because if he gave up he wouldn’t of gotten rescued and it could have ruined the book. After the crash it took him about a day to realize had to build a shelter this would help him survive it could maybe protect him from the wild animals and definitely protect him from the bad weather, he finds a rock/cave type thing and ends up having to re-build his shelter a few times due to animals wrecking it. Through the novel hatchet , Brian makes a couple of spears and catches all different animals, sometimes he ate the food raw or cooked it on the fire some of the time, it depended what it was, he ate the turtle eggs raw, but cooked the bird. When Brian is stuck in the Canadian wilderness he needs a fire and shelter and food to survive if he didn’t have them three things he would have only lasted a few days tops, he could of died of hyperthermia or starvation and he wouldn’t of been saved, and if he dies it would of ruined the book.

The Handmaids Tale in regards Essay Example

The Handmaids Tale in regards Essay Example The Handmaids Tale in regards Essay The Handmaids Tale in regards Essay Essay Topic: The Handmaids Tale Margaret Atwood having wrote ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, a novel about a society in which all women rights have been removed would have come across as extremely startling to a world where the women’s suffrage movement in America had started over 100 years earlier and women had finally been given the right to vote 25 years beforehand which had essentially been the point where the feminist movement had become widely acknowledged with the literacy studies on feminism such as that of Kate Millett’s. Margaret Atwood’s thoughts on her novel ‘a book about what happens when certain causally held attitudes about women are taken to their logical conclusions’, explores the feminist theory by creating a society in the near future in which the rights of women, which women all over the world had worked hard for, for centuries are taken away giving women a new role in life. The protagonist Offred lives in a time where a revolution had happened years previously which put into authority authoritarian power. The new government see the Handmaid’s as an instrument of the government as they are the only women who can reproduce due to the dangerously low reproduction rates as a result of nuclear results which led 99% of women to be sterile. ‘Distribution of power over the male and female partners mirrors the distribution of power over males and females in society’. Women’s relationship with men especially those of the Handmaid women is that of servitude with women being seen as possession of men. Offred is named so because she is seen as the property of the commander who is named Fred as is such with the other handmaids that are mentioned in the novel such as Ofglen and Ofwarren. Even the Commander’s wife who is meant to have more power than the handmaidens is only known by her previous name Serena Joy due to Offred having previously read about her. This feature of the novel relates the feminist criticism of women being degraded and treated as objects. The diminution of each social type of women from the Commander’s Wife to the Martha’s in each household mirrors the struggle for power of every woman in the Republic of Gilead. The idea that women are encouraged and socialised to hate other women rather than sympathise if a woman is in a similar or different situation stems from the feminist view that men have created stereotypes of women through literature and art which becomes widespread as other women start putting themselves and others into these stereotypes. ‘Once I’d merely hated her for her part in what was being done to me; and because she hated me too and resented my presence’, the women’s lack of unification is hinted as one of the reasons that the authoritarian regime still existed. Being unable to sympathise with the other types of women groups; with the Martha’s, The Commanders wives and the Econowives all thinking that the handmaidens are sluts for sleeping with the Commanders even though they know that the Handmaidens have no choice. This assists into creating a society where there are no female friendships and bonds, where the only relations females have with each other are built of fear and jealousy. The protagonist isn’t one typical of a feminist novel, as even though she longs for freedom and hasn’t completely converted by keeping her memories and occasionally breaking rules she is still a passive and essentially helpless character. Atwood deliberately uses a protagonist that the feminist theory criticises in literature; Offred is passive and only possibly escapes due to a man (Nick) possibly saving her, creating a damsel in distress character. However Atwood does this because Offred is a symbol of the majority of young women in the 1980’s, acceptant of her position as a woman, having some freedom but not as much as she should, this illustrated as she tells the readers of her life pre-revolution as she worked in a library with only females. Her affair with her later husband Luke while he was married also goes against the sisterhood that feminists encourage, however it makes for a more relatable and human character, someone the female readers that Atwood was addressing the novel to would sympathise with. Her memories of the past during the sexual revolution introduce to us characters such as Offred’s mother and her best friend Moira are the feminist literary constructs in the novel. Offred’s embarrassment of her mother’s actions, formerly desiring for a mother who women had been oppressed into being for centuries – a domestic mother. ‘You young people don’t appreciate things she’d say. You don’t know what we had to go through, just to get you where you are’, there is a sense of foreshadowing as Offred will later appreciate the life she once had, however she only does this once it is too late to change anything. The feminist and woman’s suffrage movement fought to be from oppression of the duty that they are told they are made to do. These rights have been revoked in The Handmaid’s Tale where the only purpose of the Handmaids is to reproduce. ‘We are for breeding purposes. There is supposed to be nothing entertaining about us, no room is to be permitted for the flowering of secret lusts. We are two-legged wombs, thats all’. These views on women- that they are only useful to bare children dates back to centuries and is a view that feminists criticise due to the basic perception it puts on women. To be barren such as the Unwomen are in The Handmaiden’s Tale is to be seen as useless as they aren’t even able to do the only job that women are expected to. ‘It’s only women who can’t, who remain stubbornly closed, damaged, defective’. Handmaidens are put into households where the commander’s wife isn’t able to have children due to the nuclear weapons that made women infertile. It is suggested that it is actually The Commander who is infertile instead of his wife but in the Gilean society it isn’t possible for men to be infertile, the blame is rested solely on women if they are unable to conceive. This highlights the unfairness of society and what women had to face before all the women’s suffrage came into place emphasising the importance of feminism and its fight for equality. ‘The problem wasn’t only with the women, he says. The main problem was with the men†¦You know what they were complaining about the most? Inability to feel. Men were turning off on sex, even. They were turning off on marriage. Do they feel now? I say. Yes, he says, looking at me. They do. ’ The explanation by the commander as to the reasons why women’s rights had been taken away back to the ‘natural’ order of things is due to the effects the liberation of women had on men. Men found things too easy to get as there wasn’t a challenge in getting women to sleep with them, also with women having new found freedoms such as being able to work and have money of their own left the men with no purpose, as they were no longer the heroes or the providers like they had been portrayed to be in literature as the women were no longer damsels in need of saving. ‘Most of the male characters that she examined were denigrating, exploitative, and repressive in their relations with women’. ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ presents the true nature of men in the novel, hiding from any assumptions that they repressed women’s rights in order to protect women, but rather so that men could stay in the same position in life. The only way they could get their purpose in life back was to revoke women’s freedoms, at the cost of the happiness of most women. This supports the extremist feminist view that men purposely suppress women so they can have total control. Atwood’s novel can be regarded as a feminist piece due to the portrayal of a society where women’s rights are infringed even more than it had previously been in history. She encourages her female readers embrace the female history in order for history not to repeat itself which she feared when she wrote the novel, due to conservative people coming to power condemning the sexual revolution.

105 Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics for Any Project

105 Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics for Any Project SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you struggling to find good persuasive speech topics? It can be hard to find a topic that interests both you and your audience, but in this guide we’ve done the hard work and created a list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. They’re organized into ten categories and cover a variety of topics, so you’re sure to find one that interests you. In addition to our list, we also go over which factors make good persuasive speech topics and three tips you should follow when researching and writing your persuasive speech. What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic? What makes certain persuasive speech topics better than others? There are numerous reasons, but in this section we discuss three of the most important factors of great topics for a persuasive speech. It’s Something You Know About or Are Interested in Learning About The most important factor in choosing and creating a great persuasive speech is picking a topic you care about and are interested in. You’ll need to do a lot of research on this topic, and if it’s something you like learning about, that’ll make the process much easier and more enjoyable.It’ll also help you sound passionate and informed when you talk, both important factors in giving an excellent persuasive speech. It’s a Topic People Care About In fourth grade, after being told I could give a persuasive speech on any topic I wanted to, I chose to discuss why the Saguaro cactus should be the United State’s national plant. Even though I gave an impassioned talk and drew a life-size Saguaro cactus on butcher paper to hang behind me, I doubt anyone enjoyed the speech much. I’d recently returned from a family vacation to Arizona where I’d seen Saguaro cacti for the first time and decided they were the coolest thing ever. However, most people don’t care that much about Saguaro cacti, and most people don’t care what our national plant is or if we even have one (for the record, the US has a national flower, and it’s the rose). Spare yourself the smattering of bored applause my nine-old self got at the end of my speech and choose something you think people will be interested in hearing about. This also ties into knowing your audience, which we discuss more in the final section. It Isn’t Overdone When I was in high school, nearly every persuasive speech my classmates and I were assigned was the exact same topic: should the drinking age be lowered to 18?I got this prompt in English class, on standardized tests, in speech and debate class, etc. I’ve written and presented about it so often I could probably still rattle off all the main points of my old speeches word-for-word. You can imagine that everyone’s eyes glazed over whenever classmates gave their speeches on this topic. We’d heard about it so many times that, even if it was a topic we cared about, speeches on it just didn’t interest us anymore. The are many potential topics for a persuasive speech. Be wary of choosing one that's cliche or overdone. Even if you give a great speech, it’ll be harder to keep your audience interested if they feel like they already know what you’re going to say. An exception to this rule is that if you feel you have a new viewpoint or facts about the topic that currently aren’t common knowledge. Including them can make an overdone topic interesting. If you do this, be sure to make it clear early on in your speech that you have unique info or opinions on the topic so your audience knows to expect something new. 105 Topics for a Persuasive Speech Here’s our list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. We made sure to choose topics that aren’t overdone, yet that many people will have an interest in, and we also made a point of choosing topics with multiple viewpoints rather than simplistic topics that have a more obvious right answer (i.e. Is bullying bad?). The topics are organized into ten categories. Arts/Culture Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance? Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school? Should all national museums be free to citizens? Should graffiti be considered art? Should offensive language be removed from works of classic literature? Are paper books better than e-books? Economic Should all interns be paid for their work? Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work? Will Brexit hurt or help the UK’s economy? Should all people over the age of 65 be able to ride the bus for free? Should the federal minimum wage be increased? Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory? Should Black Friday sales be allowed to start on Thanksgiving? Education Should students who bully others be expelled? Should all schools require students wear uniforms? Should boys and girls be taught in separate classrooms? Should students be allowed to listen to music during study hall? Should all elementary schools be required to teach a foreign language? Should schools include meditation or relaxation breaks during the day? Should grades in gym class affect students’ GPAs? Should teachers get a bonus when their students score well on standardized tests? Should children of illegal immigrants be allowed to attend public schools? Should students get paid for getting a certain GPA? Should students be allowed to have their cell phones with them during school? Should high school students be allowed to leave school during lunch breaks? Should Greek life at colleges be abolished? Should high school students be required to volunteer a certain number of hours before they can graduate? Should schools still teach cursive handwriting? What are the best ways for schools to stop bullying? Ethics Should prostitution be legalized? Should people with more than one DUI lose their driver’s license? Should people be required to shovel snow from the sidewalks in front of their house? Should minors be able to drink alcohol in their home if they have their parent’s consent? Should guns be allowed on college campuses? Should flag burning as a form of protest be illegal? Should welfare recipients be required to pass a drug test? Should white supremacist groups be allowed to hold rallies in public places? Should assault weapons be illegal? Should the death penalty be abolished? Should beauty pageants for children be banned? Is it OK to refuse to serve same-sex couples based on religious beliefs? Should transgender people be allowed to serve in the military? Is it better to live together before marriage or to wait? Should affirmative action be allowed? Should prisoners be allowed to vote? Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples’ Day? Government/Politics Should the government spend more money on developing high-speed rail lines and less on building new roads? Should the government be allowed to censor internet content deemed inappropriate? Should Puerto Rico become the 51st state? Should Scotland declare independence from the United Kingdom? Whose face should be on the next new currency printed by the US? Should people convicted of drug possession be sent to recovery programs instead of jail? Should voting be made compulsory? Who was the best American president? Should the military budget be reduced? Should the President be allowed to serve more than two terms? Should a border fence be built between the United States and Mexico? Should countries pay ransom to terrorist groups in order to free hostages? Health Should minors be able to purchase birth control without their parent’s consent? Should hiding or lying about your HIV status with someone you’re sleeping with be illegal? Should governments tax soda and other sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health? Should high schools provide free condoms to students? Should the US switch to single-payer health care? Should healthy people be required to regularly donate blood? Should assisted suicide be legal? Religion Should religious organizations be required to pay taxes? Should priests be allowed to get married? Should the religious slaughter of animals be banned? Should the Church of Scientology be exempt from paying taxes? Should women be allowed to be priests? Should countries be allowed to only accept refugees with certain religious beliefs? Should public prayer be allowed in schools? Science/Environment Should human cloning be allowed? Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like tigers and monkeys? Should â€Å"animal selfies† in tourist locations with well-known animal species (like koalas and tigers) be allowed? Should genetically modified foods be sold in grocery stores? Should people be allowed to own pit bulls? Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children? Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school? What is the best type of renewable energy? Should plastic bags be banned in grocery stores? Should the United States rejoin the Paris Agreement? Should puppy mills be banned? Should fracking be legal? Should animal testing be illegal? Should offshore drilling be allowed in protected marine areas? Should the US government increase NASA’s budget? Should Pluto still be considered a planet? Sports Should college athletes be paid for being on a sports team? Should all athletes be required to pass regular drug tests? Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport? Are there any cases when athletes should be allowed to use steroids? Should college sports teams receive less funding? Should boxing be illegal? Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim? Should cheerleading be considered a sport? Should parents let their children play tackle football? Technology Will robots reduce or increase human employment opportunities? What age should children be allowed to have a cell phone? Should libraries be replaced with unlimited access to e-books? Overall, has technology helped connect people or isolate them? Should self-driving cars be legal? Should all new buildings be energy efficient? Is Net Neutrality a good thing or a bad thing? Do violent video games encourage players to become violent in real life? 3 Bonus Tips for Crafting Your Persuasive Speech Of course, giving a great persuasive speech requires more than just choosing a good topic. Follow the three tips below to create an outstanding speech that’ll interest and impress your audience. Do Your Research For a persuasive speech, there’s nothing worse than getting an audience question that shows you misunderstood the issue or left an important piece out. It makes your entire speech look weak and unconvincing. Before you start writing a single word of your speech, be sure to do lots of research on all sides of the topic. Look at different sources and points of view to be sure you’re getting the full picture, and if you know any experts on the topic, be sure to ask their opinion too. Consider All the Angles Persuasive speech topics are rarely black and white, which means there will be multiple sides and viewpoints on the topic. For example, for the topic â€Å"Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?† there are two obvious viewpoints: everyone should be allowed to own a pit bull if they want to, and no one should be allowed to own a pit bull. But there are other options you should also consider: people should only own a pit bull if they pass a dog training class, people should be able to own pit bulls, but only if it’s the only dog they own, people should be able to own pi tbulls but only if they live a certain distance from schools, people should be able to own pit bulls only if the dog passes an obedience class, etc. Thinking about all these angles and including them in your speech will make you seem well-informed on the topic, and it’ll increase the quality of your speech by looking at difference nuances of the issue. Know Your Audience Whenever you give a speech, it’s important to consider your audience, and this is especially true for persuasive speeches when you’re trying to convince people to believe a certain viewpoint.When writing your speech, think about what your audience likely already knows about the topic, what they probably need explained, and what aspects of the topic they care about most.Also consider what the audience will be most concerned about for a certain topic, and be sure to address those concerns. For example, if you’re giving a speech to a Catholic organization on why you think priests should be allowed to marry, you don’t need to go over the history of Catholicism or its core beliefs (which they probably already know), but you should mention any research or prominent opinions that support your view (which they likely don’t know about). They may be concerned that priests who marry won’t be as committed to God or their congregations, so be sure to address those concerns and why they shouldn’t worry about them as much as they may think. Discussing your topic with people (ideally those with viewpoints similar to those of your future audience) before you give your speech is a good way to get a better understanding of how your audience thinks. More Resources for Writing Persuasive Speeches If you need more guidance or just want to check out some examples of great persuasive writing, consider checking out the following books: Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History by William Safire - This collection of great speeches throughout history will help you decide how to style your own argument. The Essentials of Persuasive Public Speaking by Sims Wyeth - For quick direct tips on public speaking, try this all-purpose guide. Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Mindsby Carmine Gallo - This popular book breaks down what makes TED talks work and how you can employ those skills in your own presentations. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie andMake Good Artby Neil Gaiman - These two recent speeches by contemporary writers offer stellar examples of how to craft a compelling (and engaging) argument. Conclusion: Persuasive Speech Ideas Good persuasive speech topics can be difficult to think of, but in this guide we’ve compiled a list of 105 interesting persuasive speech topics for you to look through. The best persuasive speech ideas will be on a topic you’re interested in, aren’t overdone, and will be about something your audience cares about. After you’ve chosen your topic, keep these three tips in mind when writing your persuasive speech: Do your research Consider all the angles Know your audience What's Next? Want a great GPA?Check out our step-by-step guide to getting good grades in high school so you can have a stellar transcript. Interested in learning about other great extracurricular opportunities? Learn more about job shadowing, community service, and volunteer abroad programs. Still trying to figure out your courses? Check out our expert guide on which classes you should take in high school. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Personal statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Personal Statement Example He had perfect relationship with his customers, servants and his friends. He used to vanish to the back of the shop in the afternoon for a meal, and would come back in sharp fifteen minutes. He was extremely punctual with his schedule and was rarely absent from the shop. By the time I was a teenager, his business had flourished and expanded to different parts of the city. His qualities of determination, sincerity, integrity and humble way of dealing with people had contributed in success of his social, professional and personal life. I was in awe of this person. He was a ‘Jackie Chan’ for me. All his qualities shaped my passion for business as I realized that success in business not only need intelligence but also need leadership qualities, and drive to bring together people and motivate them to work towards a single goal. This is where my journey towards achieving specialization in business began. My observation had taught me that success in business is possible only when a person has people skills. This lesson made me to learn different skills and work in team environment. I took every opportunity that provided me with an experience of working in new fields and handling new responsibilities. My experience as teaching assistant with ‘God Gifted Art Group’ taught me a lot about people from disadvantageous psychological condition. Helping autistic children, planning activities for them, and researching and planning marketing for the Group needed not only creativity, fresh perspective and maturity, but also a lot of patience. This experience taught me that world is full of people who are different than you in many respects. It also taught me how to deal with people from different social, cultural and educational backgrounds. My next job at Xing Hua Accounting Firm in Beijing gave me a totally different experience as it was all about handling the responsibilities of financial department,

Data Governance, Quality, Integration, and Security Essay

Data Governance, Quality, Integration, and Security - Essay Example Although these aspects are closely interrelated within a system, addressing and improving them independently results in better performance of the system as a whole (Arens, Chee, Hsu & Knoblock, 1993). Data Governance Data governance encompasses a set of procedures ensuring that important assets in data form are properly managed in all divisions of an enterprise (Abiteboul, Benjelloun & Milo, 2002). The processes ensure that data is trustworthy and employees can be held accountable for any harmful occurrences that take place due to low quality of data. The organization under review was found not to have effective control measures as to who accessed data and in what way. There were many cases of deleted or edited information by users other than the authorized owners. One way to improve data governance is by defining the governance process (Arens, Chee, Hsu & Knoblock, 1993). The organization needs to make data auditable and enable its accountability. This facilitates accurate monitorin g and effective reconciliation between the data source and its consumers. The process needs to cover initial input of data, its standardization and refinement along the whole information flow path (Resnik & Yarowsky, 2000). ... Accountability entails the creating and empowering governance roles in the company. The organization should create the roles at appropriate levels and assign them to dedicated owners and stewards (Arens, Chee, Hsu & Knoblock, 1993). With outsourcing of data governance and processing becoming a reality for most organizations, the responsibility hierarchy should be accountable to the owners of data. For example, an outsourcing agent will be held responsible by an organization for breach of governance committed by the outsourced service provider (Resnik & Yarowsky, 2000). Data Quality Data quality may be termed as the state of timeliness, validity, completeness, accuracy and consistency that render data suitable for the intended use (Abiteboul, Benjelloun & Milo, 2002). A challenge faced by the organization under review is detecting issues caused by the quality of data at the point of entry into the system from the numerous users. They are mostly typing errors as well as intentional dec isions. Recommendations to improve data quality include use of simple queries or profiling tools (Resnik & Yarowsky, 2000). Others are tracking mail deliverability, verification of information prior to database entry and understanding contents of organizational data and the way it got there. Email and other personalized communications form a considerable percentage of the marketing tools. Therefore, given their high traffic, they can be accurate indicators of data quality. By implementing a process that tracks bounced and returned emails, an organization is able to monitor its data accuracy and make applicable changes (Resnik & Yarowsky, 2000).