Causes and Effects of the Computer Essay

The twenty- first century is already turning out to be the century of the computer. The computer revolution that started after the Second World War is now developing exponentially and computers are beginning to influence and take over nearly every aspect of our lives. Computers are clearly changing and affecting society in many ways. The two main areas which computers have brought about a profound change in our lives are in the economic field an in the field of communication. The computer has led to immense changes in economic and business life. First, business now have to be computerized or they risk failure. Every big corporation bases it’s operations on computing, regardless of which sector they are in. For example, coco-cola and Levi’s market and sell different products and services, yet they all share on basic property without computers their operations would collapse. Second, computing is an economic dynamo. Many other countries have large IT sectors which drive their economies upwards. Furthermore the developed world is moving from an industrial- based economy to a computer and IT-based one. It is not just in business that computers have affected us so profoundly; communication has been revolutionized totally. Firstly, whereas before, people speak on the phone, which was expensive, now they e-mail. For instance, instead of waiting weeks for a letter now we can read it instantly, seconds after its been written. Secondly, many people use computers to communicate with people all around the world using chat rooms and chat programs, this was impossible before the computer became widespread. As a result, now people who live thousands of miles away from each other can communicate and share information and ideas easily and quickly. In conclusion computers have a profound effect on our lives in many ways and it is in business and communication that they have had the greatest influence. In the future if the computer continues evolving at such speed, our business practice and methods of communication will undergo even more radical changes.

Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories Essay

Arthur Conan Doyle was a well known writer during the Victorian Era and still is today. He was famous for his stories. One of his books had a fictional character that caught people’s attention. This character is a spectacular detective, Sherlock Holmes. People loved Sherlock Holmes so much because he always solves the case and always defeat evil. In fact, in one of Arthur’s short story, ‘The Speckled Band’, Sherlock Holmes was described as â€Å"the Scotland Yard Jack-in-office† and â€Å"the busybody!† This period of time is called the Victorian Era because the ruler during this time was Queen Victoria. There were a lot of crimes committed at this time. Common ones were murder and drug abuse, which were feared greatly by people. The life style of people in the Victorian Era was different to everyday life. In the Victorian Times, there were three different groups of people. These were the upper class – rich and powerful people who don’t need to work, middle class – have to work to support but not physical work, and lower/working class – poor people with no money and works physically. ‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Man with the Twisted Lip’ are one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories. This piece of writing is to show how these two stories give the readers an idea of how people lived and behaved in the Victorian Era and what people expected of certain people because of either their gender, their ethnicity or their class.  In Victorian Times, women were treated differently to men. Women within this time were considered to be very emotional. We know this because in ‘The Man with the Twisted Lip’ when Mrs St Clair saw the blood on a window, she â€Å"fainted at the sight of blood.† The quotation tells us that women were hysterical and they are not strong enough to receive bad news because they’d sometimes break down. Another situation that proves this is when Sherlock was being assured by Mrs St Clair that if he answers her question, he should â€Å"not trouble about my feelings. I am not hysterical, nor given to fainting.† Also informing the readers that, women knew their weaknesses and their strengths. However, men in the Victorian Times always thought things through. We know this because Sherlock said, â€Å"†¦ the impression of a woman may be more valuable than the conclusion of an analytical reasoner.† This let the reader know that men looks at the fact and take time to analyse and observe things and they don’t just jump to conclusions. They thought they could handle situations for themselves and don’t need women’s help at all. The readers detect this when Mrs St Clair â€Å"†¦was escorted home†¦as her presence was no help†¦Ã¢â‚¬  We know that Neville’s wife saw everything and the police knew that she saw her husband but still said she couldn’t help their investigation. Men had everything and they were in control financially. Women couldn’t have control over their money until they were settled with their own husbands. This happened to Helen Stoner, from the story of ‘The Speckled Band’. She wanted Sherlock Holmes to investigate something for her but she didn’t have the money on her then however she guaranteed Holmes that â€Å"†¦in a month or six weeks I shall be married, with control of my income†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Men had authority over a lot of things. People that were not British were disliked by a lot of the Victorians. They are thought to be a danger in the society and are unwanted. There were different ethnic people in the Victorian Era. These people were not White British. They had different lifestyle to Victorian people. Some of this people were the Malays. Malays was what they called Malaysian people. In the story of ‘The Man with the Twisted Lip’ the Malays were mentioned just once. This was when Dr Watson, Sherlock Holmes’ assistant and loyal friend, entered an opium den, â€Å"†¦a swallow Malay attendant had hurried up with a pipe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Opium den is like a drug den which was run and supplied by the Malaysians. In the same story, we are made known to a different ethnic individual, â€Å"lascar.† A lascar is an East Indian sailor.

FIIN 501 MoD 1 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

FIIN 501 MoD 1 SLP - Essay Example Its future performance will depend upon the possibility of oil discovery and potential reserves in the proven oil fields. Some of the important financials of the company are tabulated as per the following. Annual year ended data all numbers in thousands Financials Dec 31, 2012 Dec 31, 2011 Dec 31, 2010 Sales/Revenue Nil Nil Nil Net Income (282,999) (133,637) (136,476) Total Assets 4,011,459 2,527,944 1,746,443 Total Liabilities 1,322,241 449,030 27,409 Owner’s equity 2,689,218 2,078,914 1,719,034 Change in Cash 1,133,269 (10,174) (790,380) Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=CIE+Income+Statement&annual http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bs?s=CIE+Balance+Sheet&annual The reason for choosing the company is to show that the company's shares can trade in the stock market even when the company has neither made any sales nor any profit so far. The company continues to make operating expenses necessary for oil exploration activiities for last several years. This also shows that investors continue to demand shares of Cobalt because they are quite optimistic on its oil finds and once, the company is successful in oil discovery; its stock price may flare up exponentially. Initial Public Offering Going public is a significant decision for any company. The advantage is that it opens up a new avenue for the company to garner funds for its expansion requirements. The process is certainly time-consuming and the company needs to be cautious in meeting several statutory requirements. While going ahead for a public issue, the important thing is to be noted that as per the US securities laws, it is incumbent upon issuer to disclose all material information accurately and completely so that investor can make an appropriate decision. Misstatement or any omission of a fact can lead to a huge liability to the issuer, underwriters, board of directors and controlling persons. IPO in the US market necessitates that the company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer has taken due care in establishing the effective internal control over financing reporting to the general public. The company who is planning to go public needs to take a series of steps that can be described as per the following (Going Public in the US, 2008). The Company Board Resolution First of all, Cobalt's board needs to pass a resolution giving their consent to make an Initial Public offering by the company (A Guide to going public, 2013). Independent Auditors The company needs to appoint independent auditors as approved by the SEC. The company and its auditors need to prepare all financial statements as per the US GAAP or IFRS (A Guide to going public, 2013). SEC Registration The company needs to complete registration with the SEC and take approval for an IPO by submitting all relevant information in the prescribed format (A Guide to going public, 2013). Appointment of Counselor This is required so that counselor begins preparing prospectus related to the IPO offering. Subseque ntly, the company needs to prepare presentation material for the "Road Show" for institutional investors (A Guide to going public, 2013). Appointment of Underwriters In order to take the company public, Cobalt needs to appoint underwriters or the investment banks as they will

Financial crisis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial crisis - Term Paper Example In such a situation, the entity would face liquidity problems, have cash flow problems, and see the net worth decreasing. If it happens to a market or a bank, then there would be panic selling that further brings the prices of stocks down. There would be a run on the banks with a large number of people attempting to withdraw cash. Assets would lose their valuation. Depending on the severity of the crisis, the market would recover in a few days or the ill effects would persist for a few years. A financial crisis is followed by recession and a general slowdown of the market. Financial crisis can even happen to individuals and businesses and such entities cannot pay their bills, they cannot pay their employees and their business would be repossessed. Recession is said to follow financial crisis and when the GDP becomes negative for two quarters, then the nation is said to be in recession (World Bank, 28 June 2012). This paper examines the subject of financial crisis and discuses various types, causes and method of preventing such a crisis. 2) Types of Financial Crisis Financial crisis usually results in a notional and ‘on paper’ wealth of a firm. If the firm has retained its assets and other infrastructure then after the crisis is over, it can regain its previous position in the market. Financial crises usually occur in a free and liberal market economy that is not subject to protection and where market forces are free to act on the economy. As an example, UK, USA and many other nations have a free and open economy hence financial crisis occur in these markets. However, in the former Soviet Russia, nation such as North Korea and even China where the market is regulated, market forces are not allowed to act freely. Types of financial crisis are broadly classified as international and domestic crisis (Cipriani and Guarino, 2008). These again have sub types and these are discussed as below. A) International Financial Crisis International financial crisis occur at two levels and mechanisms. One is where turmoil in the global stock markets causes a global market crash that precipitates a financial crisis. Another type is the currency crisis that can lead to sovereign default. These terms are explained as below. 1) Global Crisis Global crises can begin in one corner of the world and then if the causes and money involved is high, the crisis can spread to other stock exchanges and nations quickly. One of the reasons is due to the inter connectedness of the stock markets and financial markets across the world. Hence, if the London Stock Market Index crashes and it cannot recover, it will cause the Japan Nikkei index and the US based Dow and NYSE index also to crash. This can create a financial crisis when there is no liquidity in the market and funds, loans, cash is not available. As a result, banks cannot clear the payments, customers and depositors cannot withdraw crash and business also cannot pay their vendors and employees. When thi s cash shortage is long lasting and it affects all the nations, then it becomes a global crisis (Banerjee, 2008). 2) Currencies One of the worst forms of financial crisis is the currency crisis and sovereign default. When a nation that has a fixed exchange rate faces a speculative attack on its currency, then it is forced to devalue the currency. This devaluation is done when the currency appreciates excessively against the global reserve currency, the USD.

Benchmark progress towards sustainability Essay - 2

Benchmark progress towards sustainability - Essay Example e the estimate and compare the eco friendly initiatives of the two companies on the basis of four dimensions, namely pollution prevention, clean technology, base of pyramid (indicating crystallizing growth of the two companies) and product stewardship. The paper will conclude that PepsiCo is the leader in terms of sustainability activities, when compared with that of Coca Cola. Finally some specific recommendations will also be provided, on the basis of which any company can improve its sustainable activities. In the recent times, the concept of â€Å"Triple Business Line† has become very important. According to this policy, the company can aim to improve its business by abstaining from harming the people, planet and profitability (Butje, 2005). Modern day business enterprises are increasingly investing in sustainable practices as they have realized that in order to achieve competitive advantage these practices are indispensible. The organizations are also getting highly engaged in corporate social responsibilities for creating a better impact on the community (Hawkins, 2006).). This paper discusses about Hart’s sustainability framework, which stresses on the importance of sustainability in global business. The first part of the essay briefly discusses about the model that has been proposed by Stuart Hart and Marks Milstein. This model has been extremely advantageous in understanding the particular benefits that can be enjoyed by a company by following the sustainable strate gy. Then this framework is used to understand the sustainability measures that have been adopted by two of the largest beverages companies, PepsiCo and Coca Cola Company. The idea is to determine the market leader between these two companies. Stuart Hart along with Marks Milstein devised the model of sustainability value framework, which linked societal challenges to sustainability in a global economy with value of the shareholder. Hart had adapted a framework of natural resources that can be

Future Technology - Free Energy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Future Technology - Free Energy - Research Paper Example The increase in human population has not only increased demand for commodities but has also mechanized production of most commodities such as eatables. Nowadays it is very common to find totally mechanized farms and factories. Thus it is obvious that the sector most affected by this phenomenon is the energy sectors. The high demand due to increase in population and increase in mechanization of human life has exerted very high strain on these non renewable resources of energy. The oil supply of the world is dwindling throughout. It is expected that humans would completely run out of this source of energy in a few more decades. This high demand for energy has created chaos in the modern world. There have been millions of lives lost in the war for oil and if the current crisis continues worse is yet to come. In this scenario the world has to find new sources of energy which can be distributed without cost to the entire world. Only such a massive source of energy can fulfill the current needs of energy and contain the crises that stems from it. The question thus arises that what could be such a source of energy which fulfills all needs of human race and that too without be expensive. The usual answer is nuclear energy. The perception that nuclear energy is totally free is very false. First of all uranium is the basic fuel used for nuclear power plants. This fuel like other non renewable resources is an element found from earth and is thus limited in supply. This limit also makes it one of the most expensive elements in the world. Nuclear energy can be every damaging due to disposal of nuclear waste. Thus we can say that environmental costs of nuclear energy are very high. The only feasible option is thus solar energy. This form of energy is the core energy which is behind the formation of life in the world. Everything that we see around us is because of solar energy. The crops use this energy to grow and also with the photosynthesis process

Saudi Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Saudi Women - Essay Example The newspaper knows the female psychology very well. Women usually are interested more in hearing praising words from others especially from the male community. Even an agitated woman may calm down while somebody praises her beauty or appearance. The newspaper uses this technique very well to settle the growing tensions among Saudi women. â€Å"A pampered life is impossible for Saudi women unless they stop working, cooking, doing errands, carrying out chores outside the home, contributing financially and making the lives of Saudi men more comfortable† (Almansour). Saudi’s social systems are trying to tie down the females within the boundaries of their home. Saudi laws, customs and religious beliefs are one sided; helping only the male community. CNN has reported an incident from Saudi recently. Samar Badawi, a 30-year-old mother of one, forced to spend seven months in jail for disobeying her father. She was physically abused by her father from the age of 14 after her mo ther died of cancer. She forced to leave her house because of the tortures from her father. However, of Saudi Arabia's guardianship laws, force women to gain permission from their father, husband or even adult son for many daily activities. As a result of that she forced to spend seven months in jail after her father brought a "disobedience" case against her and she refused to return to his home. Her father even refused to conduct her marriage which forced her to change her guardianship from father to her uncle (Maktabi & Elwazer). From this incident, it is evident that Saudi women are not getting safe shelter even under their fathers. Saudi fathers treat their female children differently. They see female children as... â€Å"A pampered life is impossible for Saudi women unless they stop working, cooking, doing errands, carrying out chores outside the home, contributing financially and making the lives of Saudi men more comfortable† (Almansour). Saudi’s social systems are trying to tie down the females within the boundaries of their home. Saudi laws, customs, and religious beliefs are one sided; helping only the male community. CNN has reported an incident from Saudi recently. Samar Badawi, a 30-year-old mother of one, forced to spend seven months in jail for disobeying her father. She was physically abused by her father from the age of 14 after her mother died of cancer. She forced to leave her house because of the tortures from her father. However, of Saudi Arabia's guardianship laws, force women to gain permission from their father, husband or even adult son for many daily activities. As a result of that, she forced to spend seven months in jail after her father brought a "disobedie nce" case against her and she refused to return to his home. Her father even refused to conduct her marriage which forced her to change her guardianship from father to her uncle(Maktabi&Elwazer). From this incident, it is evident that Saudi women are not getting safe shelter even under their fathers. Saudi fathers treat their female children differently. They see female children as a burden and male children as an asset. Under such circumstances, The Arabic newspapers argument about the pampered life of Saudi women seems to be totally wrong.

Starbucks Coffee Company Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Starbucks Coffee Company Analysis - Essay Example Starbucks Corporation is a US based company and is engaged in the business of purchasing and roasting whole coffee beans. It is regarded to be one of the premier brands of speciality coffee retailing in the world and operates its business in more than 50 countries of the world. Starbucks is headquartered at Seattle, Washington and was founded in the year 1971 (Yahoo Finance, 2012a). Its stocks are traded on NASDAQ Global Select Market with the ticker symbol â€Å"SBUX†. Starbucks is one of the fortune 500 companies of the world and has been ranked 229th in the fortune 500 list for the year 2012 (CNN Money, 2012). For the fiscal year ended October 2011, the US segment accounted for around 69% of the total revenues generated by the company (Starbucks Corporation, 2012). The revenues are generated in United States mainly through the licensed stores and company operated stores run by the company all over the country. Starbucks mainly operates its business in the speciality eaterie s industrial segment of US economy and has a market capitalisation of around $34.9 billion (Yahoo Finance, 2012b). ... Various strategic analysis tools like PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces, etc. would be utilised to attain the objectives of this study. TASK A – Market Environment Analysis PESTEL Analysis PESTEL is an external environmental analysis tool, which is used for analysing the political, social, technological, economical, legal and environmental factors associated with an organisation like Starbucks (Henry, 2008, p.51). PESTEL analysis is particularly useful in analysing the macro environment associated with a business organisation. The PESTEL analysis of Starbucks (Appendix - 1) with respect to its US business segment is presented below: 1. Political Factors: Political factors do have some impact in the speciality coffee industry of United States because the green coffee beans are actually needed to be imported from other countries that are characterised of having tropical climate which is needed to grow coffee. Hence, if the trade relations that exist between US and the supplier country get deteriorated then this industry could have a negative impact on it. 2. Economical Factors: The recent economic downturn in US economy because of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) is having a significant negative impact on the speciality coffee industry. Speciality coffee is generally considered to be a luxury good. Hence with the decrease in income levels of consumers in US, they tend to switch over to other lower cost substitutes available to them. Moreover the increasing prices of the commodities in the market are also having an adverse impact on this industry. 3. Social Factors: Social trends are also observed to have a significant impact on the speciality coffee industry in the United States. The coffee culture has evolved in the

Pennsylvania Advance Directives Essay Example for Free

Pennsylvania Advance Directives Essay Living Wills are defined as that which ‘contains your written instructions about what level of medical treatment you want in the event that you are unable to express your wishes verbally’ (CBC News Online. March 22, 2005. Living Wills: FAQs. Retrieved on May 5, 2009 from website http://www. cbc. ca/news/background/wills/). Living Wills therefore are considered as the wishes of persons who are unable to converse their desires during those moments of their lives wherein they are too weak, unsound or unstable to verbally communicate them. This specifically pertains to the medical aspect of the treatment that these people wish to receive. This document is very important because it allows those people around the ailing patient to respect the wishes of the latter as to whether or not he still wants to undergo further treatment or to just be left alone after a certain procedure without submitting to other treatments. For example, a patient can specify that after a heart attack he do not want to be revived anymore. This living will allows a person to experience fully his freedom and right to live. Although there may be other groups who would argue that there are ethical considerations to this, the validity of the living will has been held upheld. Thus, living wills which carry the wishes of a patient should be respected and followed. A living will may also contain wishes such as what organs to donate after the death of a person and to whom these organs should be given. The manner by which a living will comes into existence begins wherein a person who has the legal capacity to contract, meaning he should be of age would write down his desires, instructions or wishes pertaining to the medical treatment that he would like to receive. The person would then name a specific individual tasked to carry out these desires in the event that the patient is in no position to verbally communicate these matters. The contents of a living will could be motivated by different factors. For instance, the will may contain an instruction that the patient does not want to receive any major operation in connection with his sickness because of budget or financial constraints. The other factors may also be emotional, age or physical considerations. A person who has no living relative or family member can easily decide to refuse seeking further medical treatment since there can be the thought that he or she has no reason for living. Further a patient who is in his early 20’s would also decide differently from a patient in his late 70’s. From these concepts, we can get the idea that living wills are not necessarily associated with death or old age. Living wills are executed in anticipation of a worse case scenario where a person is unable to communicate what he wants to be done with his health. The situation of sickness, death or accident chooses no one, thus, it is best to be prepared for any contingency through a living will. The execution of a living will is also a big help in the event that the family has to make a life or death situation for a family member (CBC News Online. March 22, 2005. Living Wills: FAQs. Retrieved on May 5, 2009 from website http://www. cbc. ca/news/background/wills/). For example, the patient can put in the will a provision that the family can decide to take away any life support machines for the patient. This would be a big relief on the part of the family since they would not be burdened with any guilt or hang ups regarding their loved one. It would also be a big help to go through a consultation with a doctor before writing a living will so that there would be a thorough analysis of the evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of the possible consequences of the will. It would be a big help to have the guidance of a professional so that there would be no room for error in the future. The execution of a living will varies from that of a last will and testament since these are two different and unrelated documents. They can exist independent of the other for they have different subject matters. The state and federal guidelines contains provisions regarding the documentation of living wills. As I have previously mentioned, living wills are valid documents, thus they are recognized and accepted under the law. A copy of the living will should be given to the doctor and to the family. The United States has a registry of living wills that can be accessed through telephone. These living wills are also given to the health care providers so that they would have a copy of it and this would also give them the opportunity to study as to whether or not the provisions contained thereof can be carried out by their company. In the event that the health care provider cannot carry out the wishes of the person for the reason that their state does not allow it or otherwise, then the doctor or person concerned should be immediately informed. It is a basic principle that all contracts or documents must be in accordance with valid and existing laws, thus, if the provisions of the will are contrary to the existing laws of a state then the health care provider can validly refuse to execute them. If the health care provider or doctor is amenable to the provisions thereof then the will of the patient would have to be followed. The living will would now form part of the records of the health care provider, the doctor or the hospital for proper documentation. This presupposes that the living will was validly made by the patient in that the latter signed it or asked a representative to sign it for him, it was witnessed and other steps were taken for the validity thereof. It is the duty of the healthcare provider to look for another company who would be willing to carry out the wishes of the patient. A living will can also be revoked or changed to be patterned after any event that may take place. Reference: 1. Evans, Daniel. 1992. Pennsylvania Advance Directives for Healthcare. The Pennsylvania Estate and Trust Cybrary. Retrieved on May 5, 2009 from website http://evans-legal. com/dan/padhc. html. 2. Understanding Advance Directives for Health Care. Retrieved on May 5, 2009 from website http://www. aging. state. pa. us/aging/lib/aging/Advance_Directives_brochure1. pdf. 3. The North American Registry of Living Wills. Living Wills. Retrieved on May 5, 2009 from website http://www. livingwill. com/. 4. CBC News Online. March 22, 2005. Living Wills: FAQs. Retrieved on May 5, 2009 from website http://www. cbc. ca/news/background/wills/.

Summary of Tuesdays with Morrie Essay Example for Free

Summary of Tuesdays with Morrie Essay Tuesdays with Morrie LIST OF CHARACTERS Major Characters Morrie Schwartz The novel is centered around him; Morrie is Mitch’s former college professor who was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gherigs disease); he meets with Mitch in his home every Tuesday to teach him about the meaning of life. Mitch Albom- Morries former student; he has since become a journalist and leads a very fast paced life; finds Morrie after hearing he is sick on ABCs Nightline and visits him every Tuesday. Minor Characters Ted Koppel a famous television newsman/personality; he interviews Morrie three times for the â€Å"ABCs Nightline† show; he eventually describes Morrie as his friend and is almost in tears during his last interview with Morrie. Charlotte Morrie’s wife, who is also a college professor; she keeps her job as a professor even while Morrie is sick because it is what he wished for her. Janine Mitch’s wife; she takes a phone call from Morrie, whom she had never met, and accompanies†¦.. SUMMARY Morrie Schwartz was Mitch Albom’s favorite college professor. At the start of the novel Albom recalls a memory from his college graduation day: he is saying goodbye to Morrie and gives him a tan briefcase with his initials on it. They hug and when Mitch steps back he sees that Morrie is crying. Mitch promises to stay in touch with Morrie but he never does after college. Since his graduation, Mitch has become a newspaper reporter and husband. He leads a very fast paced life and is constantly working and traveling. He has become so engrossed in his work that it consumes his life. The novel recommences about sixteen years after Mitch’s graduation day; Morrie has since been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Since Morrie’s diagnosis, he began jotting down ideas and thoughts onto scrap paper, yellow pads or even envelopes. He also wrote philosophies about living knowing death was very near. One of his friends was so taken with his writing, he sent them to the Boston Globereporter, who wrote a feature story about Morrie. The story intrigued one of the producers of the show,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Nightline†, who then did a feature story about Morrie. Mitch happened to see the â€Å"Nightline† show and recognized his old professor. He called him to set up a visit. Mitch began visiting Morrie every Tuesday. Their discussions ranged from the world, regrets, death, love and money; the purpose of their meetings was to discuss Morrie’s view on the meaning of life. Mitch became so intrigued by Morrie’s philosophies that he began taking notes and even recording Morrie. Morrie’s philosophies included rejecting popular culture morals and following self-created values, loving others, and learning to accept death. With each lesson, Morrie becomes increasingly sick; during their last meeting, Morrie was bed ridden and near death. As he and Mitch hugged for one last time, Morrie notices Mitch is finally crying. Morrie dies a short time after. At his funeral Mitch tries having a conversation with Morrie, as he had wanted. Mitch feels a certain naturalness and comfort to this conversation and realizes that it happens to be Tuesday. After Morrie’s death Mitch regains contact with his brother who lives in Spain and is battling cancer.

Female Innocence and Violence in Literature

Female Innocence and Violence in Literature ‘For maximum literary effect, sensationalism and violence have to be juxtaposed with female innocence and vulnerability’. Discuss with reference to the ‘Tale of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens and ‘The Woman in White’ by Wilkie Collins. The title quote is probably too fixed. Generally, there can be no such prescriptive methods for writing literature, however, there is certainly evidence to show that when contradicting qualities or concepts are presented in close proximity, the intensity of the situation is heightened. Milton used this technique in Paradise Lost – assembling a clear-cut universe comprised entirely of polar opposites and without ambivalence or moral middle ground. Hence in Milton, every physical or mental property is in effect generated and defined by the absence of its opposite counterpart. So darkness is the complete absence of light, and evil is the complete absence of good etc. Dickens’ and Collins’ use of juxtaposition in their novels is more reticent than Milton though with a similar intent and evident immediately in the opening passage of a ‘Tale of Two Cities’: â€Å"It was the best of times it was the worst of times†¦ in short, the period was so far lik e the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.† The quote is also an admission on behalf the nature of the novel itself and it is with this ‘superlative degree of comparison’ that we will be made to receive much of the events that unfold, and discover in the process that no such fixed model can properly express human nature which is too often ambiguous or prone to change. Both authors were aware that their novels were to be published as serialisations and so there was a very real need to maintain the reader’s interest between chapters. It is perhaps with this concern in mind that the authors penned their mild heroes into lurid depictions of violence and human brutality since the jarring of good and evil makes for shocking subject matter and invariably what is shocking is also powerful. With Dickens’ novel as with Collins’ the real dramatic tension is created by placing feminine champions of goodness and temperance within a masculine context of immorality and violence. As well as the perceived distinction between innocence and guilt, frailty and brutality, patience and impulsion, there is also a subtle contrast between an inner world and an outer one. A world of the soul, which is implicit and inherently good, and a world of the physical or the body which is explicit and outwardly evil. In both novels, the language separates in a s imilar way – outwardly graphic and sensational, yet with a subtle and often more powerful subtext. The texts of both novels are founded in conflict and perpetuate a sense of tension so it serves us well to do close readings of a short passage as much as an overview of the whole. We shall take first this passage from Wilkie Collins’ ‘The Woman in White’: â€Å"The boat-house was large enough to hold us all, but Sir Percival remained outside trimming the last new stick with his pocket-axe. We three women found plenty of room on the large seat. Laura took her work and Madame Fosco began her cigarettes. I, as usual had nothing to do. My hands always were and always will be as awkard as a man’s. The Count good humouredly took a stool many sizes too small for him, and balanced himself on it with his back against the side of the shed, which creaked and groaned under his weight. He put the pagoda cage on his lap, and let out the mice to crawl over him as usual. They are pretty innocent-looking little creatures, but the sight of them creeping about a man’s body is for some reason not pleasant to me. It excites a strange responsive creeping in my own nerves and suggests hideous ideas of men dying in prison with the crawling creatures of the dungeon preying on them undisturbed.† Marian’s narration begins as ‘matter of fact’ and becomes imagined and complex. From the start of the passage to the end her attention is drawn from objects and characters far away from her, closer in to those surrounding her, then to her own self and identity, and finally the introspective and private thoughts of her own mind. The first sentence raises the idea of a separate world of violence lying outside Marian’s own. She highlights Sir Percival’s decision to remain ‘outside’ despite the boat-house being ‘large enough to hold us all’ so she could be implying an obstinacy in his actions or perhaps more likely, she may be perplexed by his behaviour. The very action of trimming a stick with a pocket axe carries various connotations with violence and masculine sexuality. It is of course an arbitrary occupation of his time and serves as a meaningless and almost sinister method of disconnection between himself and the others an d hence a source of confusion. Marian’s next comment ‘We three women’, at once it unites the women together as a concept or a quality of femininity and further separates them from the singular identity of Sir Percival. Marian’s language is deeply characterised by ideas of containment. The ladies sit inside and they are easily accommodated: ‘we three women found plenty of room on the large seat’. This statement contrasts directly with her comment about the Count a little later, who ‘took a stool many sizes too small for him, and balanced himself on it with his back against the side of the shed, which creaked and groaned under his weight’ – a sentence which trails on for longer, more involved and awkward. The Count and Sir Percival, by their cumbersome inflexibility, rebel against and test the physical world. Their presence is more palpable and harder to contain unlike the women who are compliant, slight and ensconced by the physical world. This whole image is a dilution of the revolutionary world as emasculated, savage and violent – the container and oppressor of feminine goodness. As we have seen the direction of Marian’s thought is inward but her language and the use of symbolism give an added suggestion of moving from an open, free space, to a confined, interior space. Initially Marian uses words like ‘outside’ and phrases such as ‘plenty of room’ but her train of thought finishes in reflection on ‘Pagoda Cages’, on ‘prison’ and ‘the dungeon’. Herein lies the horror for Marian. Her language is the language of oppression and confinement: ‘My hands always were and always will be as awkward as a mans.’ Her use of the phrase ‘always were and always will be’ excludes all sense of hope and the awkwardness of the repetition is emblematic of her bitterness and resent of the awkwardness of her situation. Her use of the word awkward itself is interesting, used as much no doubt as the implied opposite of delicate or relaxed and the whole image of a woman being burdened wit h the tools of man’s violence towards the world is a powerful one. The shift in Marian’s observation of mice running freely over the Count’s person, to an imagined picture of rats crawling over a morbid prisoner is a much more tangible instance of frailty and innocence played against sensational horror. The real power of the text here lies in the compression of a quaint image into a one which repulses. But further it suggests there is a macabre bent in Marian or an inclination of thought towards something deeper and darker than her reality. Can it be that she relates with both images – the ‘pretty-innocent looking creatures (my italics)’, how she and women seem to be, or should aspire to become, and ‘men dying in prison with the crawling creatures of the dungeon preying on them undisturbed’, how she and other really feel? We will turn now to the following passage from the last chapter of Dickens’ ‘A Tale of Two Cities’: ‘The second tumbril empties and moves on: the third comes up. Crash! – And the knitting-women, never faltering or pausing in their work, count two. The supposed Evremonde descends, and the seamstress is lifted out next after him. He has not relinquished her patient hand in getting out, but still holds it as he promised. He gently places her with her back to the crashing engine that constantly whirs up and falls, and she looks into his face and thanks him. â€Å"But for you dear stranger, I should not be so composed, for I am naturally a poor little thing, faint of heart; nor should I have been able to raise my thoughts to Him who was put to death, that we might have hope and comfort here to-day. I think you were sent to me by Heaven†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The two stand in the fast-thinning throng of victims, but they speak as if they were alone. Eye to eye, voice to voice, hand to hand, heart to heart, these two children of the Universal Mother, else so wide apart and differing, have come together on the dark highway, to repair home together, and to rest in her bosom.’ Dickens’ tale is related in the third person and there is consequently less room for personal introspection, the like we saw in Marian’s narration (although Dicken’s does dispense with this convention to allow a voice to Carton’s final thoughts in the last lines). However, Dickens’ presents a more sensational description of the world outside his characters. The opening of the passage here imparts a sense of horror by the alarming regularity and routine of the public execution. The relentless killing punctuated consistently by the knitting women as they count towards the heroes’ death. Throughout this passage, Dickens offsets the outside world of motion and with the interior capsule of calm between Carton and the tragic seamstress. The language of impending doom – ‘empties and moves on’, ‘never faltering or pausing’, ‘the crashing engine that constantly whirs up and falls’, and the ‘fast-thin ning throng of victims’, is juxtaposed with language of stillness, timelessness and peace – ‘not relinquished’ ‘her patient hand’, ‘still holds’, ‘so composed’ ‘stand alone’. Evident in this passage is a contradiction between the real world of horror and the machinery of violence, and the seamstress’ admission of her own vulnerability – ‘I am naturally a poor little thing, faint of heart’. But where in previous parts of the novel this opposition was played out with the effect of crushing feminine innocence and creating suspense and horror as a consequence, at this point the woman finds strength in her company. In fact the arrangement of her statement reinforces this idea. ‘But for you dear stranger’, and ‘my thoughts to Him’ surround her admission ‘I am naturally a poor little thing’ – she takes comfort between these objects. They su rround her and protect her from the brutality of the outside world. In this closing chapter of the novel, when finally the fragility of female innocence collides with the horror and mechanics of the revolution, Dickens actually draws a crucial separation between the two concepts. United in love, the protagonists fall away from the physical world – the guillotine a machine which by designs cuts people in two: ‘The two stand in the fast thinning throng of victims, but they speak as if they were alone’. In this final point of the novel – the characters break free from their context. In fact, Dickens uses different paragraphs to describe the human moments and the fall of the tumbril blade as though the outside influences have no control over the characters. ‘Eye to eye, voice to voice, hand to hand, heart to heart,’ where the novel has been an exploration of pairs of opposites, the best of times, and the worst of times, it champions as it denouement pairs of equals and connection rather than argument. The passage u nites two concepts into one, so ‘The two stand’ become in transformation ‘they speak’. Though they are ‘two children’, they are born of one ‘Universal Mother’, and though ‘so wide apart’ they have ‘come together’. What is important here, is that Dickens has chosen to create a different literary effect at the end of his novel from that outlined in the title, by a confrontation of equals rather than opposites. It may show that the collision of brutality and compassion work to create shock and suspense during reading but it is with one motivation that a reader continues through these moments and that is to reach a fitting harmony.

The Mae Enga Essay -- Culture Cultural Essays

The Mae Enga Over the centuries the Enga people of Papua New Guinea have adapted certain cultural characteristics to cope with varying environmental and social changes. Some aspects of the Enga peopleà ­s lives that have shown the most cultural adaptation to the surrounding ecosystem are their horticultural practices, system of tribal warfare and clan organization. Through these adaptations, the Enga have gained ways to regulate their population, reduce their risk, control, communal resources, and regulate the environment through rituals. In our paper, we will look at each of these aspects of Enga culture and how they allow the Enga people to live within the environment constraints they are faced with. The western highlands of Papua New Guinea are home to a group of people called the Enga. The Enga speaking people make up a population of over 100,000 people. The Enga people are sub-grouped into two large groups, the Central Enga and the Fringe Enga (Meggitt, 1977). The group that we will focus on for the majority of our paper is the Mae Enga. The Mae Enga inhabit the western highland region of the Enga providence (Meggitt, 1977). The Enga people have adapted various aspects of their culture to deal with the changes in the natural surrounding environment and the social climate. The western highlands of Papua New Guinea are mainly composed of rugged mountains, high plateaus, and valleys. Most of the province is 2,000 meters above sea level (PNG ON LINE). This higher land is less populated than the valleys, making the valley lands densely populated with almost no region of unclaimed land. Grasslands cover the majority of these valley regions and also the swamp basins located throughout the Enga t... ... Work Cited Feil, D.K. "Beyond Patriliny in the New Guinea Highlands." Man. March 1984: 50-76. Meggitt, Mervyn. Blood Is Their Argument. Los Angeles: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1997. Kennedy, D.M. 1991. "Papua New Guinea." Mining Annual Review. 22:78-82. Kohan, John. 1984. "Mi Lanikim John Pol: Tom-toms and couch shells welcome a missionary." Times., May 12, 1984, 69. The Papua New Guinea Information Site. "Enga Providence Information." February 1997. March 31, 1999. Available<http://www.datec.compg/png/htm Papua New Guinea Online Facts and Statistics. Online. March 25, 1999. Available http://www.niugini.com/pngonline/ Ross, Marc Howard. "The Limits To Social Structure: Social Structure and Psychocultural Explanantions for Political Conflict andViolence." Anthropological Quarterly 59 (1986): 171-76

Examining Four Types of Diversity Essay -- demographics, culture, profe

While diversity is often a term used to refer specifically to cultural differences, diversity applies to all the qualities that make people different. From a management perspective, the key to diversity is to understand how different types of diversity and different demographic characteristics can impact human behavior. The four types of diversity that will be examined are: occupation, differences in skills and abilities, personality traits, and value and attitudes. For each type of diversity, the impact on individual behavior will be described. One type of diversity is occupation. For example, an individual in a professional occupation is more likely to make his or her own decisions and is also more likely to reject being managed too strongly. The case of a medical doctor is one example. A medical doctor considers themselves an expert on their area and is also likely to consider that nobody else has the same expertise. Based on this, the individual is likely to make his or her own decisions and to act independently. The same also applies to other professional occupations such as lawyers and scientists. This can be contrasted with positions that are generally considered as requiring less expertise. For example, a salesperson or a secretary would be more likely to accept that their role is a support function, with this meaning that they are less likely to act independently and more likely to take direction. Another important aspect of occupation is that a person's behaviors will change based on the role of that occupat ion. In short, most people will adapt their behavior to match it with what they consider expected behavior for that role. For example, an individual in a supervisory role ... ...ive for the organization and negative for themselves. This shows how values and attitudes influence individual behavior. From this paper one can see that diversity is much more than just cultural differences. Occupation, differences in skills and abilities, personality traits, and values and attitudes are just a few of the types of diversity that impact individual behavior. Diversity is everything that makes up a person from birth. All life experiences play a part in the make up of diversity. References Daft, R.L. (1997). Management. Fort Worth, TX: The Dryden Press. Kandola, R., & Fullerton, J. (2000). "Diversity: More than just an empty slogan." The Effective Manager: Perspective and Illustrations. Ed. Jon Billsberry. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications: 287-294. Seamon, J.G., & Kenrick, D.T. (1994). Psychology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

How the Role of Women Has Changed Essay

How much has the role of women changed in the last 30 years? Since the introduction of the pill on the NHS and the equal pay act we have seen massive changes in how women are viewed in society. In this essay I will be looking at how these have changed societies views and how they have affected women. I want to research this topic as I believe that there has been great leaps forward in how women are able to live and how this is now affecting the rest of the world. I will be analysing some of the recent changes in polices and attitudes that have taken place that have allowed women to become more productive members in the professional working environment. Over the last 30 years of feminism we have seen women shaking off the stereo typical attitude of females being second class citizens. Women are now able to go into higher education and thus allowing them showing great determination, will power, stamina and courage to apply and take on the role of many high powered jobs that were once only seen as a job for males. And now women have greater opportunities than ever before. But they are showing a lower sense off well being this seems to come as quite a shock as women have managed to liberate theme self’s from the traditional view.(http://www.dailymail.co.uk) Women have never had so much equity that they have now and we are now seeing female miners ,doctors and dentist which shows that they can get on any single job that they want. Women are still able to have children some as much two or three and are still managing to keep up a balance of family and work life.(http://www.dailymail.co.uk) The introduction of the pill has had the biggest social and family impact that has been seen in our time. When it was first introduced the government was not happy about providing it to all women as they did not want to be seen to promote promiscuity so they mainly issued it to older women who already had children and did not want to have any more. But in a controversial move in 1974 saw family planning clinics give the pill out to single women which made it a lot easer for theme to decide if they wanted to have children. It is now estimated that two million women in England and Wales take the pill and 70% of all women have at some stage been prescribed the pill.( http://www.bbc.co.uk)This was revolutionary for women at the time now they have a greater freedom than ever before. Women could now decide when they got pregnant which means they could go on to higher education and become a career woman not just a mother and house wife. The introduction of the Equal Pay Act 1970 ,now the Equity Act 2010, was supposed to close the gap on the amount that men got paid compared to women for doing the same job. But recent statistics show that men still earn more in 370 out of 426 job classification than women who earn more in only 53 job classifications. Ruth Sealy, Deputy director of the International Centre for Women Leaders at Cranford University said â€Å"it’s appalling how can this be when we have equality laws?†(http://www.guardian.co.uk) The government has made a decision to change one of it’s polices in the Equality Act that would have made companies disclose the percentage of pay differences between men and women by 2013 .Sealy believes that this policy is responsible for the 2 % decline in the pay gap between men and women in 2011 and now it is not in place the pay gap may start to increase again.(http://www.guardian.co.uk) Although this dose sound like the Equality Act is not working as it was intended to there is light at the end of tunnel. Lord Davies independent review into woman on boards has given Britain’s 100 biggest companies until 2015 to increase the amount of women who sit on boards from 12.5% to 25%. There has already been a marked improvement since the report has been published the figures have went up by 2.5% to 15% Lord Davies said† this is amazing progress†. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Family life has changed over the last 30 years we are now seeing more women going into work which means that there are now two incomes coming into the family home and people are now living better that they once did. Women are now living like men once did they are going out to work meeting new people and enjoying a social life away from the husband. And it seems that men are staying at home and spend more time with the children.(http://www.guardian.co.uk) A recent study carried out by the Equal Opportunities Commission found that 69% agreed that there life’s are becoming more similar in rearguards to how much time they can spend between work and family life. Now women are spending more time at work it means that they have to rush home to see the children before bed time or to care for a relative. Due to this change people are becoming more worried about family life how is it going to turn out if this sexual revaluation is going to continue we will need to start looking at the policy that are in place for the elderly and disabled so we can give them more of a say on how they want to live if the availability of family care is going to reduce.(http://www.guardian.co.uk) Women have moved dramatically forward in the last 30 years there have been so many changes in the attitudes of society that have enabled women to feel more empowered about the choices that they can make in their own life. The attitude that people have towards women is far from the typical attitude that people had in regards what role women should take on as they are no longer expected to be the house wife or the mum. Women are now becoming professionals and are now sitting on the boards of some of the most powerful companies in the world. This is all great but how is this affecting the way in which parents bring up families if men and women are now living similar life’s how will be able to bring up our family and give the parental support to the children if both the parents are out trying to promote there careers. If this is going to continue people will need to start thinking about the future of family life. We will have to find a way in which family’s will be able to function at a normal level and still be able to support women to carry on and progress even further. Is it going to be a case some fifty years down the line that the gender revaluation has went so far that the roles of men and women will have completely turned around. Our will the gender revaluation reach a point where both sexes are able to work and provide a healthy family life. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15984258 (Date accessed 20/03/2012) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1189894/Women-happy-years-ago-.html (Date accessed 25/03/2012) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1189856/M-S-boss-Stuart-Rose-Glass-ceiling-Women-good-workplace.html (Date accessed 02/04/2012) http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/08/four-decades-on-equal-pay-yet-to-come (Date accessed 03/04/2012) http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/nov/23/equality.socialcare ( Date accessed 04/04/2012) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/9090327/Lord-Davies-shakes-up-Britains-boardrooms.html (Date accessed 06/04/2012) Richard D. Gross (1994). Key Studies in Psychology. 2nd ed. London: Hodder And Stoughton. 100.

Foundation’s Edge CHAPTER FIFTEEN GAIA-S

GAIA-S Sura Novi now stepped into the control room of the small and rather old-fashioned ship that was carrying Stor Gendibal and herself across the parsecs in deliberate Jumps. She had clearly been in the compact cleaning room, where oils, warm air, and a minimum of water freshened her body. She had a robe wrapped about her and was holding it tightly to herself in an agony of modesty. Her hair was dry but tangled. She said in a low voice, â€Å"Master?† Gendibal looked up from his charts and from his computer. â€Å"Yes, Novi?† â€Å"I be sorrow-laden†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She paused and then said slowly, â€Å"I am very sorry to bother you, Master† (then she slipped again) â€Å"but I be loss-ridden for my clothing.† â€Å"Your clothing?† Gendibal stared at her blankly for a moment and then rose to his feet in an access of contrition. â€Å"Novi, I forgot. They needed cleaning and they're in the detergent-hamper. They're cleaned, dried, folded, all set. I should have taken them out and placed them in clear sight. I forgot.† â€Å"I did not like to-to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (she looked down at herself) â€Å"offend.† â€Å"You don't offend,† said Gendibal cheerily. â€Å"Look, I promise you that when this is over I shall see to it that you have a great deal of clothing – new and in the latest fashion. We left in a hurry and it never occurred to me to bring a supply, but really, Novi, there are only the two of us and we'll be together for some time in very close quarters and it's needless to be – to be – so concerned – about†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He gestured vaguely, became aware of the horrified look in her eyes, and thought: Well, she's only a country girl after all and has her standards; probably wouldn't object to improprieties of all kinds – but with her clothes on. Then he felt ashamed of himself and was glad that she was no â€Å"scholar† who could sense his thoughts. He said, â€Å"Shall I get your clothes for you?† â€Å"Oh no, Master. It be not for you. I know where they are.† He next saw her properly dressed and with her hair combed. There was a distinct shyness about her. â€Å"I am ashamed, Master, to have behaved so improperly. I should have found them for myself.† â€Å"No matter,† said Gendibal. â€Å"You are doing very well with your Galactic, Novi. You are picking up the language of scholars very quickly.† Novi smiled suddenly. Her teeth were somewhat uneven, but that scarcely detracted from the manner in which her face brightened and grew almost sweet under praise, thought Gendibal. He told himself that it was for that reason that he rather liked to praise her. The Hamish will think little of me when I am back home,† she said. â€Å"They will say I be – am a word-chopper. That is what they call someone who speaks – odd. They do not like such.† â€Å"I doubt that you will be going back to the Hamish, Novi,† said Gendibal. â€Å"I am sure there will continue to be a place for you in the complex – with the scholars, that is – when this is over.† â€Å"I would like that, Master.† â€Å"I don't suppose you would care to call me ‘Speaker Gendibal' or just†¦ No, I see you wouldn't,† he said, responding to her look of scandalized objection. â€Å"Oh well.† â€Å"It would not be fitting, Master. – But may I ask when this will be over?† Gendibal shook his head. â€Å"I scarcely know. Right now, I must merely get to a particular place as quickly as I can. This ship, which is a very good ship for its kind, is slow and ‘as quickly as I can' is not very quick. You see† (he gestured at the computer and the charts) â€Å"I must work out ways to get across large stretches of space, but the computer is limited in its abilities and I am not very skillful.† â€Å"Must you be there quickly because there is danger, Master?† â€Å"What makes you think there is danger, Novi?† â€Å"Because I watch you sometimes when I don't think you see me and your face looks – I do not know the word. Not afeared – I mean, frightened – and not bad-expecting, either.† â€Å"Apprehensive,† muttered Gendibal. â€Å"You look – concerned. Is that the word?† â€Å"It depends. What do you mean by concerned, Novi?† â€Å"I means you look as though you are saying to yourself, ‘What am I going to do next in this great trouble?† Gendibal looked astonished. â€Å"That is ‘concerned,' but do you see that in my face, Novi? Back in the Place of Scholars, I am extremely careful that no one should see anything in my face, but I did think that, alone in space – except for you – I could relax and let it sit around in its underwear, so to speak. – I'm sorry. That has embarrassed you.. What I'm trying to say is that if you're so perceptive, I shall have to be more careful. Every once in a while I have to relearn the lesson that even nonmentalics can make shrewd guesses.† Novi looked blank. â€Å"I don't understand, Master.† â€Å"I'm talking to myself, Novi. Don't be concerned. – See, there's that word again.† â€Å"But is there danger?† â€Å"There's a problem, Novi. I do not know what I shall find when I reach Sayshell – that is the place to which we are going. I may find myself in a situation of great difficulty.† â€Å"Does that not mean danger?† â€Å"No, because I will be able to handle it.† â€Å"How can you tell this?† â€Å"Because I am a – scholar. And I am the best of them. There is nothing in the Galaxy I cannot handle.† â€Å"Master,† and something very like agony twisted Novi's face, â€Å"I do not wish to offensify – I mean, give offense – and make you angry. I have seen you with that oafish Rufirant and you were in danger then – and he was only a Hamish farmer. Now I do not know what awaits you – and you do not, either.† Gendibal felt chagrined, â€Å"Are you afraid, Novi?† â€Å"Not for myself, Master. I fear – I am afraid – for you.† â€Å"You can say, ‘I fear,† muttered Gendibal. â€Å"That is good Galactic, too.† For a moment he was engaged in thought. Then he looked up, took Sura Novi's rather coarse hands in his, and said, â€Å"Novi, I don't want you to fear anything. Let me explain. You know how you could tell there was – or rather might be – danger from the look on my face – almost as though you could read my thoughts?† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"I can read thoughts better than you can. That is what scholars learn to do and I am a very good scholar.† Novi's eyes widened and her hand pulled loose from his. She seemed to be holding her breath. â€Å"You can read my thoughts?† Gendibal held up a finger hurriedly. â€Å"I don't, Novi. I don't read your thoughts, except when I must. I do not read your thoughts.† (He knew that, in a practical sense, he was lying. It was impossible to be with Sura Novi and not understand the general tenor of some of her thoughts. One scarcely needed to be a Second Foundationer for that. Gendibal felt himself to be on the edge of blushing. But even from a Hamishwoman, such an attitude was flattering. – And yet she had to be reassured – out of common humanity – He said, â€Å"I can also change the way people think. I can make people feel hurt. I can†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But Novi was shaking her head. â€Å"How can you do all that, Master? Rufirant†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Forget Rufirant,† said Gendibal testily. â€Å"I could have stopped him in a moment. I could have made him fall to the ground. I could have made all the Hamish†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stopped suddenly and felt uneasily that he was boasting, that he was trying to impress this provincial woman. And she was shaking her head still. â€Å"Master,† she said, â€Å"you are trying to make me not afraid, but I am not afraid except for you, so there is no need. I know you are a great scholar and can make this ship fly through space where it seems to me that no person could do aught but – I mean, anything but – be lost. And you use machines I cannot understand – and that no Hamish person could understand. But you need not tell me of these powers of mind, which surely cannot be so, since all the things you say you could have done to Rufirant, you did not do, though you were in danger.† Gendibal pressed his lips together. Leave it at that, he thought. If the woman insists she is not afraid for herself, let it go at that. Yet he did not want her to think of him as a weakling and braggart. He simply did not. He said, â€Å"If I did nothing to Rufirant, it was because I did not wish to. We scholars must never do anything to the Hamish. We are guests on your world. Do you understand that?† â€Å"You are our masters. That is what we always say.† For a moment Gendibal was diverted. â€Å"How is it, then, that this Rufirant attacked me?† â€Å"I do not know,† she said simply. â€Å"I don't think he knew. He must have been mind-wandering – uh, out of his mind.† Gendibal grunted. â€Å"In any case, we do not harm the Hamish. If I had been forced to stop him by – hurting him, I might have been poorly thought of by the other scholars and might perhaps have lost my position. But to save myself being badly hurt, I might have had to handle him just a small bit – the smallest possible.† Novi drooped. â€Å"Then I need not have come rushing in like a great fool myself.† â€Å"You did exactly right,† said Gendibal. â€Å"I have just said I would have done ill to have hurt him. You made it unnecessary to do so. You stopped him and that was well done. I am grateful.† She smiled again – blissfully. â€Å"I see, then, why you have been so kind to me.† â€Å"I was grateful, of course,† said Gendibal, a little flustered, â€Å"but the important thing is that you must understand there is no danger. I can handle an army of ordinary people. Any scholar can especially the important ones – and I told you I am the best of all of them. There is no one in the Galaxy who can stand against me.† â€Å"If you say so, Master, I am sure of it.† â€Å"I do say so. Now, are you afraid for me?† â€Å"No, Master, except Master, is it only our scholars who can read minds and. Are there other scholars, other places, who can oppose you?† For a moment Gendibal was staggered. The woman had an astonishing gift of penetration. It was necessary to lie. He said, â€Å"There are none.† â€Å"But there are so many stars in the sky. I once tried to count them and couldn't. If there are as many worlds of people as there are stars, wouldn't some of them be scholars? Besides the scholars on our own world, I mean?† â€Å"What if there are?† â€Å"They would not be as strong as I am.† â€Å"What if they leap upon you suddenly before you are aware?† â€Å"They cannot do that. If any strange scholar were to approach, I would know at once. I would know it long before he could harm me.† â€Å"Could you run?† â€Å"I would not have to run. – But† (anticipating her objection) â€Å"if I had to, I could be in a new ship soon – better than any in the Galaxy. They would not catch me.† â€Å"Might they not change your thoughts and make you stay?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"There might be many of them. You are but one.† â€Å"As soon as they are there, long before they can imagine it would be possible, I would know they were there and I would leave. Our whole world of scholars would then turn against them and they would not stand. And they would know that, so they would not dare do anything against me. In fact, they would not want me to know of them at all – and yet I will.† â€Å"Because you are so much better than they?† said Novi, her face shining with a doubtful pride. Gendibal could not resist. Her native intelligence, her quick understanding was such that it was simple joy to be with her. That softvoiced monster, Speaker Debra Delarmi, had done him an incredible favor when she had forced this Hamish farmwoman upon him. He said, â€Å"No, Novi, not because I am better than they, although I am. It is because I have you with me.† â€Å"I?† â€Å"Exactly, Novi. Had you guessed that?† â€Å"No, Master,† she said, wondering. â€Å"What is it I could do?† â€Å"It is your mind.† He held up his hand at once. â€Å"I am not reading your thoughts. I see merely the outline of your mind and it is a smooth outline, an unusually smooth outline.† She put her hand to her forehead. â€Å"Because I am unlearned, Master? Because I am so foolish?† â€Å"No, dear.† He did not notice the manner of address. â€Å"It is because you are honest and possess no guile; because you are truthful and speak your mind; because you are warm of heart and – and other things. If other scholars send out anything to touch our minds yours and mine – the touch will be instantly visible on the smoothness of your mind. I will be aware of that even before I would be aware of a touch on my own mind – and I will then have time for counteractive strategy; that is, to fight it off.† There was a silence for long moments after that. Gendibal realized that it was not just happiness in Novi's eyes, but exultation and pride, too. She said softly, â€Å"And you took me with you for that reason?† Gendibal nodded. â€Å"That was an important reason. Yes.† Her voice sank to a whisper. â€Å"How can I help as much as possible, Master?† He said. â€Å"Remain calm. Don't be afraid. And just – just stay as you are.† She said, â€Å"I will stay as I am. And I will stand between you and danger, as I did in the case of Rufirant.† She left the room and Gendibal looked after her. It was strange how much there was to her. How could so simple a creature hold such complexity? The smoothness of her mind structure had, beneath it, enormous intelligence, understanding, and courage. What more could he ask – of anyone? Somehow, he caught an image of Sura Novi – who was not a Speaker, not even a Second Foundationer, not even educated grimly at his side, playing a vital auxiliary role in the drama that was coming. Yet he could not see the details clearly. – He could not yet see precisely what it was that awaited them. â€Å"A single Jump,† muttered Trevize, â€Å"and there it is.† â€Å"Gaia?† asked Pelorat, looking over Trevize's shoulder at the screen. â€Å"Gaia's sun,† said Trevize. â€Å"Call it Gaia-S, if you like, to avoid confusion. Gaiactographers do that sometimes.† â€Å"And where is Gaia itself, then? Or do we call it Gaia-P – for planet?† â€Å"Gaia would be sufficient for the planet. We can't see Gaia yet, however. Planets aren't as easy to see as stars are and we're still a hundred microparsecs away from Gaia-S. Notice that it's only a star, even though a very bright one. We're not close enough for it to show as a disc. – And don't stare at it directly, Janov. It's still bright enough to damage the retina. I'll throw in a filter, once I'm through with my observations. Then you can stare.† â€Å"How much is a hundred microparsecs in units which a mythologist can understand, Golan?† â€Å"Three billion kilometers; about twenty times the distance of Terminus from our own sun. Does that help?† â€Å"Enormously. – But shouldn't we get closer?† â€Å"No!† Trevize looked up in surprise. â€Å"Not right away. After what we've heard about Gaia, why should we rush? It's one thing to have guts; it's another to be crazy. Let's take a look first.† â€Å"At what, Golan? You said we can't see Gaia yet?† â€Å"Not at a glance, no. But we have telescopic viewers and we have an excellent computer for rapid analysis. We can certainly study Gaia-S, to begin with, and we can perhaps make a few other observations. – Relax, Janov† He reached out and slapped the other's shoulder with an avuncular flourish. After a pause Trevize said, â€Å"Gaia-S is a single star or, if it has a companion, that companion is much farther away from it than we are at the present moment and it is, at best, a red dwarf, which means we need not be concerned with it. Gaia-S is a G4 star, which means it is perfectly capable of having a habitable planet, and that's good. If it were an A or an M, we would have to turn around and leave right now.† Pelorat said, â€Å"I may be only a mythologist, but couldn't we have determined the spectral class of Gaia-S from Sayshell?† â€Å"We could and we did, Janov, but it never hurts to check at closer quarters. – Gaia-S has a planetary system, which is no surprise. There are two gas giants in view and one of them is nice and large – if the computer's distance estimate is accurate. There could easily be another on the other side of the star and therefore not easily detectable, since we happen – by chance – to be somewhat close to the planetary plane. I can't make out anything in the inner regions, which is also no surprise.† â€Å"Is that bad?† â€Å"Not really. It's expected. The habitable planets would be of rock and metal and would be much smaller than the gas giants and much closer to the star, if they're to be warm enough – and on both counts they would be much harder to see from out here. It means we'll have to get in considerably closer in order to probe the area within four microparsecs of Gaia-S.† â€Å"I'm ready.† â€Å"I'm not. We'll make the Jump tomorrow.† â€Å"Why tomorrow?† â€Å"Why not? Let's give them a day to come out and get us – and for us to get away, perhaps, if we spot them coming and don't like what we see.† It was a slow and cautious process. During the day that passed, Trevize grimly directed the calculation of several different approaches and tried to choose between them. Lacking hard data, he could depend only on intuition, which unfortunately told him nothing. He lacked that â€Å"sureness† he sometimes experienced. Eventually he punched in directions for a Jump that moved them far out of the planetary plane. â€Å"That will give us a better view of the region as a whole,† he said, â€Å"since we will see the planets in every part of their orbit at maximum apparent distance from the sun. And they – whoever they may be – might not be quite as watchful over regions outside the plane. – I hope.† They were now as close to Gaia-S as the nearest and largest of the gas giants was and they were nearly half a billion kilometers from it. Trevize placed it under full magnification on the screen for Pelorat's benefit. It was an impressive sight, even if the three sparse and narrow rings of debris were left out of account. â€Å"It has the usual train of satellites,† said Trevize, â€Å"but at this distance from Gaia-S, we know that none of them are habitable. Nor are any of them settled by ‘human beings who survive, let us say, under a glass dome or under other strictly artificial conditions.† â€Å"How can you tell?† â€Å"There's no radio noise with characteristics that point them out as of intelligent origin. Of course,† he added, qualifying his statement at once, â€Å"it is conceivable that a scientific outpost might go to great pains to shield its radio signals and the gas giant produces radio noise that could mask what I was looking for. Still, our radio reception is delicate and our computer is an extraordinarily good one. I'd say the chance of human occupation of those satellites is extremely small.† â€Å"Does that mean there's no Gaia?† â€Å"No. But it does mean that if there is a Gaia, it hasn't bothered to settle those satellites. Perhaps it lacks the capacity to do so – or the interest.† â€Å"Well, is there a Gaia?† â€Å"Patience, Janov. Patience.† Trevize considered the sky with a seemingly endless supply of patience. He stopped at one point to say, â€Å"Frankly, the fact that they haven't come out to pounce on us is disheartening, in a way. Surely, if they had the capacities they were described as having, they would have reacted to us by now.† â€Å"It's conceivable, I suppose,† said Pelorat glumly, â€Å"that the whole thing is a fantasy.† â€Å"Call it a myth, Janov,† said Trevize with a wry smile, â€Å"and it will be right up your alley. Still, there's a planet moving through the ecosphere, which means it might be habitable. I'll want to observe it for at least a day.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"To make sure it's habitable, for one thing.† â€Å"You just said it was in the ecosphere, Golan.† â€Å"Yes, at the moment it is. But its orbit could be very eccentric, and could eventually carry it within a microparsec of the star, or out to fifteen microparsecs, or both. We'll have to determine and compare the planet's distance from Gaia-S with its orbital speed – and it would help to note the direction of its motion.† Another day. â€Å"The orbit is nearly circular,† Trevize said finally, â€Å"which means that habitability becomes a much safer bet. Yet no one's coming out to get us even now. We'll have to try a closer look.† Pelorat said, â€Å"Why does it take so long to arrange a Jump? You're just taking little ones.† â€Å"Listen to the man. Little Jumps are harder to control than big ones. Is it easier to pick up a rock or a fine grain of sand? Besides, Gaia-S is nearby and space is sharply curved. That complicates the calculations even for the computer. Even a mythologist should see that.† Pelorat grunted. Trevize said, â€Å"You can see the planet with the unaided eye now. Right there. See it? The period of rotation is about twenty-two Galactic Hours and the axial inclination is twelve degrees. It is practically a textbook example of a habitable planet and it is life-bearing.† â€Å"How can you tell?† â€Å"There are substantial quantities of free oxygen in the atmosphere. You can't have that without well-established vegetation.† â€Å"What about intelligent life?† â€Å"That depends on the analysis of radio-wave radiation. Of course, there could be intelligent life that has abandoned technology, I suppose, but that seems very unlikely.† â€Å"There have been cases of that,† said Pelorat. â€Å"I'll take your word for it. That's your department. However, it's not likely that there would be nothing but pastoral survivors on a planet that frightened off the Mule.† Pelorat said, â€Å"Does it have a satellite?† â€Å"Yes, it does,† said Trevize casually. â€Å"How big?† Pelorat said in a voice that was suddenly choking. â€Å"Can't tell for sure. Perhaps a hundred kilometers across.† â€Å"Dear me,† said Pelorat wistfully. â€Å"I wish I had some worthier set of expletives on instant call, my dear chap, but there was just that one little chance†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You mean, if it had a giant satellite, it might be Earth itself?† â€Å"Yes, but it clearly isn't.† â€Å"Well, if Compor is right, Earth wouldn't be in this Galactic region, anyway. It would be over Sirius way. – Really, Janov, I'm sorry.† â€Å"Oh well.† â€Å"Look, we'll wait, and risk one more small Jump. If we find no signs of intelligent life, then it should be safe to land – except that there will then be no reason to land, will there?† After the next Jump, Trevize said in an astonished voice, â€Å"That does it, Janov. It's Gaia, all right. At least, it possesses a technological civilization.† â€Å"Can you tell that from the radio waves?† â€Å"Better than that. There's a space station circling the planet. Do you see that?† There was an object on display on the viewscreen. To Pelorat's unaccustomed eye, it didn't seem very remarkable, but Trevize said, â€Å"Artificial, metallic, and a radio-source.† â€Å"What do we do now?† â€Å"Nothing, for a while. At this stage of technology, they cannot fail to detect us. If, after a while, they do nothing, I will beam a radio message at them. If they still do nothing, I will approach cautiously.† â€Å"What if they do do something?† â€Å"It will depend on the ‘something. ‘ If I don't like it, then I'll have to take advantage of the fact that it is very unlikely that they have anything that can match the facility with which this ship can make a Jump.† â€Å"You mean we'll leave?† â€Å"Like a hyperspatial missile.† â€Å"But we'll leave no wiser than we came.† â€Å"Not at all. At the very least we'll know that Gaia exists, that it has a working technology, and that it's done something to scare us.† â€Å"But, Golan, let's not be too easily scared.† â€Å"Now, Janov, I know that you want nothing more in the Galaxy than to learn about Earth at any cost, but please remember that I don't share your monomania. We are in an unarmed ship and those people down there have been isolated for centuries. Suppose they have never heard of the Foundation and don't know enough to be respectful of it. Or suppose this is the Second Foundation and once we're in their grip – if they're annoyed with us – we may never be the same again. Do you want them to wipe your mind clear and find you are no longer a mythologist and know nothing about any legends whatever?† Pelorat looked grim. â€Å"If you put it that way. But what do we do once we leave?† â€Å"Simple. We get back to Terminus with the news. – Or as near to Terminus as the old woman will allow. Then we might return to Gaia once again – more quickly and without all this inching along, and we return with an armed ship or an armed fleet. Things may well be different then.† They waited. It had grown to be a routine. They had spent far more time waiting in the approaches to Gaia than they had spent in all the flight from Terminus to Sayshell. Trevize set the computer to automatic alarm and was even nonchalant enough to doze in his padded chair. This meant he woke with a start when the alarm chimed. Pelorat came into Trevize's room, just as startled. He bad been interrupted while shaving. â€Å"Have we received a message?† asked Pelorat. â€Å"No,† said Trevize energetically. â€Å"We're moving.† â€Å"Moving? Where?† â€Å"Toward the space station.† â€Å"Why is that?† â€Å"I don't know. The motors are on and the computer doesn't respond to me – but we're moving. – Janov, we've been seized. We've come a little too close to Gaia.†

Analisis of Obamas victory speech Essay

Obama’s Victory Speech Obama’s Victory Speech has impressed the whole world. Obama have used a lot of techniques which make people in the USA believe in him and make them feel united. In this essay of Obama’s victory speech, I will explain some of the techniques Obama uses and for what purpose. Besides that I will comment on important and meaningful quotes. Obama’s Victory Speech is separated in a lot of small sections. After flnlshlng one secuon of his speech, he makes a long dramatic pause. That makes the speech very intimate. These dramatic pauses are used by almost any good peaker. Obama’s manner of speaking Is very natural, he tells about experiences he have had, he shows a lot of gratitude, he speak with humility of a high degree and shows a very high amount of empathy for his people. An example of Obama’s great humility is when Obama kind of praise Mitt Romney. â€Å"We may have battled fiercely, but it’s only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about Its future. † I think it is very humble of Obama to show such recognition for Mitt Romney. He also applies that he looks forward to work together with Mitt Romney, so by that tatement Obama want everybody to have a positive point of view at Mitt Romney. So he actually does Romney a favor. Obama made a great Job winning the skeptics over. â€Å"And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics who tell us that polltlcs Is nothing more than a contest of egos or the domain of special interests† It is very important for Obama to show that this Isnt about him Just wanting to win. Obama really wants to make a difference. He point out that the people under his lead, really fight hard to make sure Obama’s political ideas is going to be reality. â€Å"You’ll hear the etermination in the voice of a young field organizer who’s working his way through college and wants to make sure every child has that same opportunity So by that quote the skeptics is going to have hard time arguing that Obama and other politicians are just some egomaniacs. Obama is not just claiming what he want to do, he have already taken action. The audience can almost feel the changes of a greater country within the speech. Obama also shows his great love for his one and only wife Michelle. † Let me say this publicly: Michelle, I have never loved you more. I have ever been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you, too, as our nation’s first lady. † He doesn’t make this romantic declaration Just to show he Isnt afraid of showing Michelle how much he love her in front of the whole world, but he also shows that he appreciate the hard work she have put into the campaign. and also to show that everybody should recognize her as an important fgure for America. The first lady In the USA has a great responsibility, for being a kind of role model. The first lady is often volunteering in support for poor areas for example. So by those words Obama really wants everybody In America to love her. â€Å"But that doesnt mean your work is done† In this quote Obama really make it personal for his listeners, by telling the audience that it is also your Job to make the USA a greater country. The frequent use of different pronouns Is one of the most conspicuous techniques Obama uses in his victory speech. Obama wants to draw you in to his speech. So he does not use the word † † I nearly as much as ne use mfou/you’re/your† and â€Å"W Our† Even though Obama mostly uses miou/you’re/your† and â€Å"We/Us/Our† he still nvolves himself in the speech, but he does it in a slightly more humble manner than just bragging about himself. That is a great way of making Obama’s audience know that it’s not only about him but it’s mostly about you. In that way Obama makes the audience listen and care for what Obama is saying, and it also makes it more personal between Obama and the single listener, plus he doesn’t separate the people who voted for himself with the people who voted for Mitt Romney.

Online Shopping: Risks and Benefits

There has long been a need for the consumer to purchase goods without ever having to leave their home. The industry started with mail order catalogs such as Sears Roebuck that offered consumers the convenience to order goods without having to travel a long distance to see what was available. The catalog offered everything from clothing to toys, and even farming equipment that made it easier for early American families to purchase goods without having to travel to a city possibly hundreds of miles away. The industry has come a long way since the golden years of the Sears catalog. When the personal computer was invented in 1976 people were astonished at its power. After later development and the PC went on the market for all Americans to purchase, it couldn’t do much more than word processing and simplified record keeping, but when the PC was connected to the World Wide Web in 1989, the personal computer began to become a household item. The World Wide Web or better known simply as the internet, allowed users to access files, information, pictures, video, shop online, and much more. The internet connects a personal computer to servers which connect computers from all around the world. Despite danger, the benefits of online shopping can outweigh the risks. Ever since the invention of the personal computer and the World Wide Web, consumers have become more and more eager to shop online. Shopping online can give a great advantage to many people. Shopping online also has many risks and disadvantages that could arguably equal or outweigh the benefits. When parents spoke of going shopping 20 years ago, it meant get ready and get in the car. Today, it can mean either to get ready to go somewhere or go to the computer and get your credit card ready. Most people shop online for the convenience. Customers never have to leave their home and can do all of their shopping from the living room couch, which eliminates crowds, stress and the forsaken checkout line. Another convenience is that a website cannot turn out its lights and lock the door. Online stores in the US and Canada are also always open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The customer never has to worry about getting to a store before it closes, or waiting for it to open. This makes online shopping, to most people, the most convenient form of shopping (Hobbs). Another advantage of shopping online is that it allows customers to shop or browse through many different categories of items. The internet also allows people to shop from places located hundreds of miles away and even around the world. If someone needs something from across the country that is not available in their area, it is more efficient to order online rather than traveling a great distance to purchase the item (Hobbs). Shopping online is also faster and simpler than using a mail order catalog. It is easy to find just about anything you want to buy online versus getting in a car and driving to numerous stores while having to worry about things like finding a parking spot, burning fuel, and navigating through traffic only to look at items you may or may not be interested in at a brick and mortar store (Fabiola). Online shoppers are also less susceptible to impulse items. Every item found in a retail store is strategically placed to maximize sales in that particular store (Romeo). For example, at home watching television and all of the sudden the screen goes black because the dog just chewed the cable to the TV. A trip to the nearest retail store is required just to purchase a replacement cable. Retailers often strategically place items with enticing prices which could easily lead to the customer coming home with a new TV and not a replacement cable that would have fixed your old one. This is a good example of impulse shopping. This is what retail stores want customers to do. They fill end caps and stack-bases with products they know customers will buy if they are visible but are not a planned purchase. Shopping online takes most of that away. There aren’t shelves to place impulse items on for customers to see on their way in or way out of the door. The customer can click on what they need, purchase it, and be finished. When customers shop online, it is far easier to compare prices at different online stores than it is to compare prices of retail stores. When shopping online one can browse seamlessly site after site and even tab between different online stores with just the press of a button. When comparing prices from retail and outlet stores, it means looking at sales papers and going from store to store to hunt down that great deal which can consume a great deal of time (Hobbs). Many people have been skeptical about shopping online. With its benefits, also come great risks and disadvantages. One of the most common problems with shopping online is security. When purchasing an item off the internet, it is important to know that the site is secure (Snowdon). Personal information such as credit card numbers, addresses, and even personal computers need to be protected from any type of threat. There are sites that are built specifically just to phish information like email addresses, usernames, and passwords; therefore, when consumers want to make a purchase online, they really have to trust the site and know it is secure and that their information is not at risk. Another disadvantage of shopping online is that it is not a hands-on purchase. Customers like to see and hold what they are buying in person. When shopping online, there is an image of the product, but the box cannot be opened to be sure it isn’t damaged. When there is a picture of the item, it’s more than likely not the exact one you will receive (Jessica). For example, when purchasing a scented candle or even a bottle of perfume online, it is impossible to test the scent. Some sites offer sample scent cards that can be sent through the mail to be sure you like what you are ordering, but they don’t usually offer that unless you are making a large purchase. Frequent online shoppers know all about expedited shipping. This is one of the most dreaded downfalls of online shopping. When purchasing an item at a retail store, it goes with the customer when the transaction is complete. The clerk puts the purchase in a bag and the customer walks out the door and goes home. When shopping online, there is almost never an instance where one can get the purchase the same day unless there is in-store pickup from a major retail store that’s nearby with the item already in stock. Prices are usually cheaper online, but shipping cost always has to be factored in to the total. Sometimes online merchants offer free shipping on items over a certain amount, but most likely the customer will have to pay some sort of shipping cost. Then, there is always the wait. Depending on shipping specifications, delivery could be the next day if you pay extra, but usually shipping takes one to four weeks depending on the size of the item and the company who delivers it (Chits). I believe that online shopping will grow for years to come. It is getting safer and harder for hackers to break into online sites. Shopping online is more convenient for some items like electronics, car parts, office supplies, and other items that may just inconvenience someone to go out for or for and item that may not be available in your area, but I also believe that shopping online will never replace the old fashioned retail store. Customers will always want to try on their jeans to make sure they fit before they purchase them, and see what is new on the market every time they go out. People love to go out and shop. They love the experience, even though some people would disagree. But, how would you feel if you did all of your shopping online? Never going to a store and never and seeing the actual item they are buying. You would get tired of sending things back and not getting what you thought you were buying. Online shopping is definitely a great shopping tool but all that glitters is not gold.

A Criticism Against the Prejudice of People Against Individuals Who Use Double Negatives in a Sentence

A Criticism Against the Prejudice of People Against Individuals Who Use Double Negatives in a Sentence In the article, â€Å"Our Language Prejudices Don’t Make No Sense, Raffaella Zanuttini criticizes the people that express anger when they hear others use double negatives in a sentence. She criticizes the proponents of civilization that fail to criminalize the expressions of prejudice against people that make mistakes when speaking English. Zanuttini claims that the failure by the civilized societies to mark the prejudicial comments against those that use double negatives as inappropriate is an indication of negative attitude towards others. The author claims that people that say they cannot stand their friends that make mistakes in their spoken language are as bad as racists that cannot stand people from other races. Zanuttini holds that since there is no scientific basis for making negative comments about the people that use double negatives, then the negative concord should be allowed as part of the English language. Zanuttini effectively uses ethos, logos and pathos to ap peal to ethics, logic and emotions. Ethos Zanuttini appeals to ethics by establishing credibility and authority over the issue she discusses in the article. She presents herself as an authority in linguistics. Using the authority, the author embarks on examining the topic as an individual that understands the rules that govern the subject. In questioning the scientific basis of criticizing the people that say â€Å"aks† instead of â€Å"ask†, Zanuttini refers to metathesis as a concept in linguistics. She says that metathesis recognizes that multiple negative elements are common in many languages and that if people that use such languages apply the same in speaking English, they should not be reprimanded (Zanuttini 1). Zunittini’s view is that applying natural phenomena that are â€Å"found across human languages† should not attract prejudicial comments that aim at portraying the speakers of a certain language as weak (1). In essence, Zunittini holds the view that freedom should cut across various aspects of life including the use of language. The author also appeals to ethics in showing her understanding of other languages where negative concord is allowed. Zanuttini quotes the Italian phrase, â€Å"non ho visto nessuno† that she literally interprets to mean â€Å"not (I) have seen no one† (1). The author’s move to interpret the Italian language is an indication that she is an authority in linguistics. The Italian sentence reveals the use of negative concord is common in the country. However, Italians allow the double negatives since they do not affect the meaning of their language. The acceptance of double negatives in the Italian language, Zanuttini argues, should strike those that claim they cannot stand such phenomenon in English to understand that there is no single grammar of English. The author’s credibility is seen in her move to explain the assertion that there is no single grammar that makes English. She says that people that criticize other’s grammar do so base on their view of the speakers and not the language used (Zanutini 2). She explains grammar as a guide that helps people to form sentences of their language. Thus, people make mental recipes that guide them to interpret and pronounce words that make sentences in their language (Zanuttini 2). By arguing that recipes are formed based on the speaker’s language, the author comes out as a credible linguist that can teach language formation and origin. The author’s use of ethos leaves the reader with no question regarding the analysis of the topic. An authority in linguistics can only criticize the author based on the linguistic concepts such as metathesis. However, the clarity in the examination of the concept indicates that the author is above board. The author’s appeal to ethics, therefore, makes the article a credible source of information regarding the issue of language formation and use. Logos Zanuttini appeals to logic by using evidence of the negative comments that people make regarding their peers’ use of negative concords. The reader may not understand the author’s views without the use of evidence. For instance, Zanuttini claims that comments such as â€Å"I cannot stand it when people say aks† are prejudicial and reveal that the person uttering them has a problem with the speaker and not the language (1). By giving an example of the negative comments, the author appeals to the logic of the readers to make them see her basis for the argument that prejudices cloud the judgment of the people that correct the others grammar. The author also appeals to logic by using evidence from Mark Baker’s â€Å"Atoms of Language† to back up her claims. She claims that language should be treated as bread given that it varies across cultures. Zanuttini agrees with Baker that grammar has hidden rules that are different across languages (2). Based on the agreement, the author suggests that there is no illogical language and that using ones language interpretation as a recipe to form English grammar is an indication of creativity. Zanuttin uses the analogy of bread to argue her point by claiming that there are many types of bread but people feel that some types are appropriate than others based on the recipe (2). Similarly, she suggests that those that use language are free to feel comfortable with certain uses of grammar and allow others to practise what they know. By arguing that no variety of English distorts other varieties, the author appeals to the reader’s logic in that those that use negative concords do not vary the grammar applied by those that do not use double negatives. Since people do not force others to take their preferred bread, then they should not use negative comments to discredit the grammar that others apply. Pathos The analogy of bread that Zanuttini uses in the article can make the reader laugh as an expression of emotions. She claims that language recipes differ minimally from each other (Zanuttini 2). The reader may think that the speakers of English literally cook the language before they speak it. The appeal to emotions helps the writer to strike the reader’s thinking to relate the analogy of bread with English language. The author’s claim that people that criticize others’ grammar say that using double negatives â€Å"sounds stupid† appeals to anger (Zanuttini 1). The author sets the reader’s emotions to hate the critics of bad grammar from the beginning of the article. Therefore, the appeal to emotions helps the author to convince the reader to agree with her. Conclusion Zanuttini effectively appeals to ethics by showing her understanding of linguistics given her analysis of metathesis. The author presents herself as a credible source by highlighting claims that show her experience with critics of bad grammar. She effectively uses evidence from other sources to back up her claims. Interestingly, Zanuttini appeals to the reader’s emotions to set them against the proponents of good grammar. Thus, the article reveals the author’s ability to appeal to the relevant rhetorical elements to win the support of the reader.