A short story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A short story - Essay Example In fact, Jenna only left the orphanage when she aged out. She was one of the unlucky few who never did find that special family to adopt her even when she paraded before them like an abandoned puppy at the animal shelter. Jenna and Irma were kindred spirits in a way. Both felt that they did not have any family in the world. Irma because her nephew whom she told Jenna lived in the next town and had little or no time to visit her and Jenna because she simply had none. Little did Jenna know that meeting Irma would one change her humdrum life in more ways than one. It was a dehydrating hot July Friday night where Jenna came home from work with a box of pizza and a bowl of Chicken Cesar Salad to share with her neighbor. It was customary for her to head directly for Irmas flat and use the key that had been previously given to her by the old lady to let herself in. Stucky, the dog greeted her at the door. But not with her usual happy whining and wagging tail. The dog seemed disturbed tonight. She barked incessantly and lightly scratched at Jenna the minute she appeared at the door. â€Å"What is it Stucky?† she asked as if the dog could answer her. â€Å"Let me set these things down on the table first.† Jenna almost tripped over the dog who continued to block her path. â€Å"Irma, dinners ready...† she called out towards the open bedroom door. Five minutes later the table was ready but there was still no sign of Irma. â€Å"Irma, the foods getting cold...† she called out yet again. She finally noticed the dog once agai n who was now pulling on her skirt tails. â€Å"Alright Stucky, alright, do you want to go out?† she asked. The dog ran towards the open bedroom door and barked impatiently. â€Å"Is something wrong with Irma?† Jenna asked with a sense of apprehension in her voice. Quickly entering the room she saw the old lady passed out on the floor, her medication bottle seemed to have rolled out of

The impact on Life Expectancy Essay Example for Free

The impact on Life Expectancy Essay AIDS has also caused the life expectancy rate to fall by 5 years since the start in 1900s. In Swaziland life expectancy has fallen to 33 which would have been 66 if there was no AIDS. Life expectancy also affects child mortality as there are many children who are born with the infection. Adults between the age group of 20 and 49 years are the worst affected. This group is about 60% of the sub-Saharan population which has increased from 20% between 1985 and 1900. This affects the prime working years of an adults life. This also removes the very people who could be responding to treatments and healthcare. The Economic Impact AIDS has affected the human development by impacting laborers, households and companies. It therefore damages the economy and the country finds it difficult to handle the epidemic. HIV and AIDS reduces the labour supply and increases mortality and illnesses. The government income also falls, tax revenues are cut and they are forced to spend more on dealing with the spread of the economy. The epidemic affects diversification of industries, exports and foreign investments which is very important for a country’s progress. Most of the countries struggle to meet their economic measures because they are still struggling with the epidemic as their GDP is affected which builds over a period of time. The ARV coverage of the drug needs to expand and reach more people than the economic growth rate will not reduce that fast. The Future impact of HIV/AIDS In future the aids epidemic will continue to expand because work in progress has not been able to sufficiently arrest the spread of the crisis. Domestic as well as international agencies are doing their best to extend healthcare and treatment to the millions affected with aids worldwide. Many people affected with AIDS are still not receiving the necessary treatments and campaigns have been unsuccessful in preventing new infections. The progress of the general development of infrastructure largely depends on problems such as poverty and poor public health. The main barrier to Africa’s progress and development is the impact of AIDS on all areas of functionality as discussed before. Africa can look forward to the future only if they can prevent and treat the HIV AIDS epidemic effectively and also care for the people affected by it. Science and Research According to UNAIDS Following are some of the steps in research that is being undertaken to prevent the spread of the HIV AIDS epidemic. The area of biomedical research makes use of humans to test drugs, vaccines and techniques that can be used to cure the epidemic. There are many ethical issues that is attached to it as complexities and advances in the research takes place. The 1964, Declaration of Helsinki sets out ethical guidelines and code of conduct for the research involved such as the use of animals for testing. The use of female condom, help prevent unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases including the spread of HIV. These cheaper brands available have the capacity to be accepted and utilized worldwide. Male circumcision also helps in reducing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases from men to women if it is implemented in the safe way where there is consent. Research also involves the development of microbicide which is a gel or cream which can be applied to the vagina giving women greater control when men don’t want to use condoms. These microbicides will help prevent unwanted pregnancies as well will prevent the spread of the HIV. The other area of research is the use of vaccines. However there are many laboratories and companies involved in its development and are working towards making a breakthrough in the field. Conclusion The impact of the HIV AIDS epidemic is not only restricted to sub-Saharan and African countries but it is an international crisis. The international community along with research companies needs to get more involved in preventing the spread of the epidemic as well as the rehabilitation of the patients that are affected. We need to work more aggressively to arrest the disaster that is waiting to spread across the globe. Works Cited AVERT. ORG. Impact of HIV AIDS on Africa. Viewed on 12 February 2008 and https://www.avert.org/global-hiv-and-aids-statistics

our town :: essays research papers

Our Town   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Our Town, by Thornton Wilder is a play that takes place in a small fictional town of Grover's Corner, New Hampshire; beginning in 1901 and ending in 1913. The play takes the audience through the cycles of life, with the purpose of getting a message across stating that life shouldn't be taken for granted. Emily Webb, one of the most important characters in the play, is Wilder's character in which he uses to show the audience a message that anyone would understand and relate to.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Emily is a character that is normal enough so that the audience could relate to her; and be different in little ways that makes people love and admire her. These cycles makes her common, thus relatable to the audience. Without going through common events in life, the character would seem distant and likeable to the audience. Similarly, when Emily said that she expects a man to be perfect, it makes her special. Wilder put in that scene because he believed that even though there is a basic image of an average person, to be truly average, the character must have a difference to separate the character from the crowd. If the character doesn't have any differences, then the character would be faceless; impossible for the character to take a major role in the play. Emily is portrayed uniquely in her own way, and yet is still within the boundaries of everyone else.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The character Emily plays a crucial scene in the play, the part where Emily went back to her twelfth birthday. At first, Emily wanted to go back and relive the happiest day of her life, but Mrs. Gibbs stopped her and told her to visit a normal day instead. Mrs. Gibbs knew what would happen to Emily if she had relived a joyful day in her life. If Emily had went back to a special occasion, she would've been overwhelmed by the all the beauty that she didn't pay attention to. Therefore, Emily went to relive her twelfth birthday, but wasn't as happy as she thought she would have been.

No Fixed Address :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No Fixed Address   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Aritha Van Herk’s â€Å"No Fixed Address†, one key symbol surfaces many times. The main character’s name is Arachne, which means spider, and sets the reader up to understand the central symbol in the novel—the spider web. The reader sees several other instances of webs showing up throughout the novel. Arachne’s dependence on the road and her random driving is another form of web in â€Å"No Fixed Address†. To tie in Arachne’s driving with webs, we see Thomas’s maps as webs of sorts. The most important web that Arachne is seen to weave is that perverbial web of lies—a person can never escape from that web. In the end, Arachne is indeed caught in her own web, and in the end, she is caught in it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Arachne, in mythological terms, is the master weaver; the women who pitted herself against a god and lost, thus being turned into a spider. Arachne Mantea is much the same. She is constantly putting herself into categories that she doesn’t belong in. Much of her life, Arachne was certain that she was adopted. Her family seems to be poor, but Arachne could not fit herself into that social class. When she finally meets a family that is of a rich class, she realizes whole-heartedly that she doesn’t belong to that class either. Arachne seems to belong nowhere, almost as if she belongs to that race in the heavenlies—this is her first and most fatal lie. When Arachne ceases to belong to any particular group, she becomes capable of anything. Cheating, stealing, and killing are no longer beneath her. If she doesn’t belong where she is anyway, Arachne doesn’t need to remember her past; she doesn’t need to cope with the things that have happened to her. Thus, Arachne forms lies of denial concerning her past and present actions. She represses the memories of a painful youth, while believing that her whoring around will never catch up with her. She begins to live a lie, and one that eventually gets her. Other aspects of her life mirror the level of lie that she is living. The manner in which she drives shows us more than any other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Arachne is merely lying to herself, we see her driving in a relatively small area, and very predictably so. She drives a bus, and in doing so, Arachne has a defined route.

Compare and Contarst Essay

Egypt and Mesopotamia have both similarities and differences, throughout both of these civilizations from back to 3,500 B.C. The political and social structures in these civilizations were different and the same in their own way. The political differences between Egypt and Mesopotamia included hierarchy power, land control, and centralized government. The similarities between both civilizations are social class, male patriarchy, and kings. Egypt and Mesopotamia both had differences of their political and social structures. Egypt had more of authorial government, where one head person was in charge which in this case was the pharaoh, which was the head on Egypt social class, as well as leader of his society. The Pharaoh was basically a king ruling for his people, while Mesopotamia, had city states, which was controlled by priest kings. Another difference is that in Egypt the Pharaoh had complete control over the land, while in Mesopotamia the kings were not so powerful, and the land w as split with others such as priest kings. Lastly, Egypt had a centralized government, while Mesopotamia did not have this. Egypt was ruled under one leader and was together as a unity. Egypt had an overall leader such as the Pharaoh, which helped Egypt stay united as one government and civilization. Mesopotamia didn’t have this they were lacking this, they had a lack of barriers and a constant competition for power led to continuous warfare between the two societies. This made Mesopotamia not united at all and made them weak and an unstable society. Egypt and Mesopotamia both had their similarities of political and social structures in their societies. One similarity of the social structure of both civilizations is that at the bottom of their social class were slaves and peasants. Both societies had this in their social class. Another similarity is both civilizations had male dominance, which turned to the agriculture revolution, which degraded women because of decreased dependency and their lack of labor skills. This revolution happens in both civilizations, which caused for male dominance to occur because women became house wives and were stuck to be inside. Lastly Kings were in both civilizations social class, both civilizations consisted of a king, even though each civilization king had their own power and ruling, each society had a suited king. This king ruled over the land for the people. Both Mesopotamia and Egypt consisted of this. In conclusion, Egypt and  Mesopotamia had their own similarities as well, as their differences from 3,500 B.C. Each society had similar traits, from kings ruling the land, male dominance in both Egypt and Mesopotamia, from the Neolithic era. As well, as the social class, of slaves and peasants being the lower or bottom class on the social class. Differences ranged from the power of government leaders, such as pharaohs and kings, who had what control of which land in the civilization, and lastly the government itself, and how it was kept and was it stable and strong, or weak and falling. Both Mesopotamia and Egypt came across both these similarities and differences. Egypt and Mesopotamia have both similarities and differences, throughout both of these civilizations from back to 3,500 B.C. The political and social structures in these civilizations were different and the same in their own way. The political differences between Egypt and Mesopotamia included hierarchy power, land control, and centralized government. The similarities between both civilizations are social class, male patriarchy, and kings. Egypt and Mesopotamia both had differences of their political and social structures. Egypt had more of authorial government, where one head person was in charge which in this case was the pharaoh, which was the head on Egypt social class, as well as leader of his society. The Pharaoh was basically a king ruling for his people, while Mesopotamia, had city states, which was controlled by priest kings. Another difference is that in Egypt the Pharaoh had complete control over the land, while in Mesopotamia the kings were not so powerful, and the land was split with others such as priest kings. Lastly, Egypt had a centralized government, while Mesopotamia did not have this. Egypt was ruled under one leader and was together as a unity. Egypt had an overall leader such as the Pharaoh, which helped Egypt stay united as one government and civilization. Mesopotamia didn’t have this they were lacking this, they had a lack of barriers and a constant competition for power led to continuous warfare between the two societies. This made Mesopotamia not united at all and made them weak and an unstable society. Egypt and Mesopotamia both had their similarities of political and social structures in their societies. One similarity of the social structure of both civilizations is that at the bottom of their social class were slaves and peasants. Both societies had this in their social class. Another  similarity is both civilizations had male dominance, which turned to the agriculture revolution, which degraded women because of decreased dependency and their lack of labor skills. This revolution happens in both civilizations, which caused for male dominance to occur because women became house wives and were stuck to be inside. Lastly Kings were in both civilizations social class, both civilizations consisted of a king, even though each civilization king had their own power and ruling, each society had a suited king. This king ruled over the land for the people. Both Mesopotamia and Egypt consisted of this. In conclusion, Egypt and Mesopotamia had their own similarities as well, as their differences from 3,500 B.C. Each society had similar traits, from kings ruling the land, male dominance in both Egypt and Mesopotamia, from the Neolithic era. As well, as the social class, of slaves and peasants being the lower or bottom class on the social class. Differences ranged from the power of government leaders, such as pharaohs and kings, who had what control of which land in the civilization, and lastly the government itself, and how it was kept and was it stable and strong, or weak and falling. Both Mesopotamia and Egypt came across both these similarities and differences. Egypt and Mesopotamia have both similarities and differences, throughout both of these civilizations from back to 3,500 B.C. The political and social structures in these civilizations were different and the same in their own way. The political differences between Egypt and Mesopotamia included hierarchy power, land control, and centralized government. The similarities between both civilizations are social class, male patriarchy, and kings. Egypt and Mesopotamia both had differences of their political and social structures. Egypt had more of authorial government, where one head person was in charge which in this case was the pharaoh, which was the head on Egypt social class, as well as leader of his society. The Pharaoh was basically a king ruling for his people, while Mesopotamia, had city states, which was controlled by priest kings. Another difference is that in Egypt the Pharaoh had complete control over the land, while in Mesopotamia the kings were not so powerful, and the land was split with others such as priest kings. Lastly, Egypt had a centralized government, while Mesopotamia did not have this. Egypt was ruled under one leader and was together as a  unity. Egypt had an overall leader such as the Pharaoh, which helped Egypt stay united as one government and civilization. Mesopotamia didn’t have this they were lacking this, they had a lack of barriers and a constant competition for power led to continuous warfare between the two societies. This made Mesopotamia not united at all and made them weak and an unstable society. Egypt and Mesopotamia both had their similarities of political and social structures in their societies. One similarity of the social structure of bot h civilizations is that at the bottom of their social class were slaves and peasants. Both societies had this in their social class. Another similarity is both civilizations had male dominance, which turned to the agriculture revolution, which degraded women because of decreased dependency and their lack of labor skills. This revolution happens in both civilizations, which caused for male dominance to occur because women became house wives and were stuck to be inside. Lastly Kings were in both civilizations social class, both civilizations consisted of a king, even though each civilization king had their own power and ruling, each society had a suited king. This king ruled over the land for the people. Both Mesopotamia and Egypt consisted of this. In conclusion, Egypt and Mesopotamia had their own similarities as well, as their differences from 3,500 B.C. Each society had similar traits, from kings ruling the land, male dominance in both Egypt and Mesopotamia, from the Neolithic era. As well, as the social class, of slaves and peasants being the lower or bottom class on the social class. Differences ranged from the power of government leaders, such as pharaohs and kings, who had what control of which land in the civilization, and lastly the government itself, and how it was kept and was it stable and strong, or weak and falling. Both Mesopotamia and Egypt came across both these similarities and differences.

Famous Quotes from Woodrow Wilson

Famous Quotes from Woodrow Wilson Woodrow Wilson (1856-1927), the 28th president of the United States, while not considered a terrific orator- he was more comfortable debating than orating- gave many speeches around the country and in Congress during his tenure. Many of them contained memorable quotations. Wilson's Career and Accomplishments Serving two consecutive terms as president, Wilson distinguished himself by leading the country into and out of the World War I and presiding over landmark progressive social and economic reforms, including the passage of the Federal Reserve Act and the Child Labor Reform Act. The 19th Amendment to the Constitution ensuring all women the right to vote was also passed during his administration. A Virginia-born lawyer, Wilson began his career as an academic, eventually landing at his alma mater, Princeton, where he rose to become president of the university. In 1910 Wilson ran as the Democratic Party’s candidate for New Jersey governor and won. Two years later he was elected president of the nation.   During his first term Wilson grappled with the war in Europe, insisting on U.S. neutrality, however by 1917 it was impossible to ignore German aggression, and Wilson asked Congress to declare war, asserting that â€Å"The world must be made safe for democracy. When the war ended, Wilson was a strong proponent of the League of Nations, a forerunner of the United Nations that Congress refused to join.   Notable Quotations Here are some  of Wilson’s most notable quotes:   The Constitution was not made to fit us like a straitjacket.†- A  speech about â€Å"Americanism† at the Cooper Union, in New York, NY, November 20, 1904.Life does not consist in thinking, it consists in acting.- Announcing his presidential campaign in Buffalo, NY, September 28th, 1912.I am not one of those who believes that a great standing army is the means of maintaining peace, because if you build up a great profession those who form parts of it want to exercise their profession.- from a speech in Pittsburgh, quoted in The Nation, February 3, 1916.I believe in democracy because it releases the energies of every human being.- At the Workingman’s Dinner, New York, September 4, 1912.If you think too much about being re-elected, it is very difficult to be worth reelecting.- Address at the celebration of the rededication of Congress Hall in Philadelphia, October 25, 1913.One cool judgment is worth a thousand hasty counsels. The thing to do is to supply light and not heat.- Address at Soldiers Memorial Hall, Pittsburgh, January 29, 1916. There is a price which is too great to pay for peace, and that price can be put in one word. One cannot pay the price of self-respect.- Speech at Des Moines, Iowa, February 1, 1916.The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely make.- on the State of War with Germany during an Address to Congress. April 2, 1917.The Americans who went to Europe to die are a unique breed.... (They) crossed the seas to a foreign land to fight for a cause which they did not pretend was peculiarly their own, which they knew was the cause of humanity and mankind. These Americans gave the greatest of all gifts, the gift of life and the gift of spirit.- speech at the American Memorial Day while visiting American graves at Suresnes Cemetery, May 30, 1919. Sources: Craig H. 1952. Woodrow Wilson as an orator. Quarterly Journal of Speech 38(2):145-148.Wilson W, and Pestritto RJ. 2005 Woodrow Wilson: The Essential Political Writings. Lanham, Massachusetts: Rowman Littlefield.Wilson W, and Hart AB. 1918 [2002]. Selected Addresses and Public Papers of Woodrow Wilson. Honolulu, Hawaii: University Press of the Pacific.Wilson, W, and Link, AS. 1993. The Papers of Woodrow Wilson. Princeton University Press.

Converting Cubic Inches to Liters

Converting Cubic Inches to Liters This example problem demonstrates how to convert cubic inches to liters, using the real-life scenario of engine displacement, which is the combined swept displacement of all of the machines pistons in their cylinders. When someone describes the power of a car, that person might say that it has a 3.3-liter engine or some such example. Problem Many small car engines have an engine displacement of 151 cubic inches. What is this volume in liters? Working the Solution 1 inch 2.54 centimeters First, convert the measurements to cubic measurements. (1 inch)3 (2.54 cm)3 1 in3 16.387 cm3 Second, convert to cubic centimeters. Set up the conversion so that the desired unit will be canceled out. In this case, we want cubic centimeters to be the remaining unit. volume in cm3 (volume in in3) x (16.387 cm3/1 in3) volume in cm3 (151 x 16.387) cm3 volume in cm3 2,474.45 cm3 Third, convert to liters. 1 L 1,000 cm3 Set up the conversion so that the desired unit will be canceled out. In this case, we want liters to be the remaining unit. volume in L (volume in cm3) x (1 L/1,000 cm3) volume in L (2,474.45/1,000) L volume in L 2.474 L Answer A 151–cubic inch engine displaces 2.474 liters of space (or air).

Enthnography of Poker Game Essays

Enthnography of Poker Game Essays Enthnography of Poker Game Essay Enthnography of Poker Game Essay Hunter Smith 11/04/2010 Anth- E 200 Ethnography Paper All-In: Americanization of Males around the Poker Table Card games have been a staple of many western cultures and historically equivalents are found across the globe. Poker, with arguably go-fish and, is the most popular and widely played game today. The old saying , â€Å"All you need to play this game is a chip and a chair† holds very true and has allowed poker to be played by pros, amateurs, and everybody in-between and the â€Å"Poker Boom† of the 90’s has expanded the game even further. People commonly seen as dead-beat, degenerate gamblers are now seen as legitimate professionals in the likes of Phil Hellmuth, Tony G. , and so on. A result of this â€Å"boom† has been a new generation, particularly high school and even more so college students, playing this game on a fairly routine basis with a small to moderately sized group of friends (Holden 35). The premise of the game is every player sets out with an amount of chips either an all equal amount or based on how much the individual player pays in (Cash game) and the point is to be the last man standing-you having all the chips and no other player remains. The most popular variant of this game, (And the one used in this ethnography) is No Limit Texas- Hold ‘em. Each player is dealt two cards; there is a preliminary round of betting and then three cards come out of the deck called the Flop and another round of betting; then if more than one player remain in another card called the Turn is dealt on the board out and another round of betting occurs; and if there is still more than one person still in the last card or the River is put on the board and a final round of betting occurs-best five card hands wins if two players or more remain in through the last round of betting. The No Limit in No Limit Texas Hold’em simply means that a player at any time can bet as much as he wants all the way to â€Å"going all in† or betting all this chips and the player can do this at any time during a round including pre-flop (Before the Flop is dealt). While the game does appear fairly simple, testifying from personal experience, it is very, very complex and much more complicated than what it appears on the surface with a very large set of vocabulary, rules, plays, strategies and I will keep the game-specific terminology at a minimum and see to it to give just the needed explanations when needed. This paper not about the game of poker itself but explores the interactions between participating members. The point of this research is to examine how the game acts as a medium for socialization. This idea is based on a symbolic-interactionism approach which is a widely accepted paradigm that argues that a culture of a society is maintained at a micro level through interactions between individuals and small groups. Now, that does not necessarily dismiss the large social structures and other more macro level influences and their impact on culture but that one can look at a smaller scale and see that culture not only plays itself out but that it maintains itself by having members of the society reiterate and play out the ideals of the culture when they are interacting with others. Key elements of what it means to be an American male are very present during this game and it’s very clear there is peer socialization occurring just in this informal five dollar card game. Now this paper is taking a very androcentric paper and that is not to say that female poker players don’t exist or that they are not as â€Å"interesting† but this is a very much a male dominated game (Which is changing) and gender socialization is so different between males and females that it would mandate two separate papers. It should also be noted that like many other activities people find it necessary get money on the line and turn it into gambling. Gambling will not be explored in this paper and the game used for this paper the participants did all put five dollars into a â€Å"pot† and winner takes pot minus five dollars for second place. The gambling aspect seems very minor and basically insignificant for the direction of this paper and really did not seem all too important to the players either, and more or less only seemed like a means to make the game more authentic feeling and add a dash of validity to the game. Nailing down a culture is silly. A culture is very large and general varies based on numerous factors including race, education, etc. etc. So all these â€Å"traits† of the typical American male are very â€Å"loose† and in now manner what so ever are they absolutes-found in every member of a society. They are general patterns found in a culture that sociologist, anthropologist, and other social scientist recognize in American culture holistically. The â€Å"traits† used is in this paper are beer, aggression, individualism, and a sense of â€Å"outsiders† and the paper will not argue if these are true or not-these are widely accepted characteristics found in American culture and particularly male culture and instead I show these things are literally being acted out by players in the game. On October 19th five of my close friends where at my house socializing and decided to play a game of poker and I had been waiting on this to happen so I could observe. I did not want this to be set up or planned and to have this occur spontaneously but purely by will of the players of the game. The five players will be referred to as D, J, S, M, and A. The living room is where the game is almost always held and tonight was no exception. D and J sat on one couch, while, S and M sat on anther and an office chair was pulled out of a room for A to sit. They all circled the table and played the regular game of No Limit Texas Hold’em, something that occurs about once a week. I a sat on a sofa chair about just outside the circle with paper and pen taking notes. Now a second game occurred where a dorm mate of M who found out about the game and wanted to play and this second game was played shortly after the first ended and this made for great observation because the dorm mate who will be called O had never meet anyone and M and O were not friends, with O more an acquaintance of M’s. A major issue with this methodology is a small sample space-this was a small group 5-6 people been observed for around 2 and half hours one time. One could seemingly right a much longer paper on all the limitations but a lot of them originate from not enough date and not enough study. Four of the members are self-described Caucasian and the other two are self –described Indian-Americans but one could write all day about what about representation for other races, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic statues, and so on and so on, but this was what was available to work with and attempting to â€Å"create† a better scenario is very unscientific and very wrong to the core of what you are attempting to do. It’s analogous to studying bird behavior-you can’t artificially force a flock of birds to move to a new area because it is interference and you can’t claim a â€Å"natural result† Also, I was not a complete participant as in the players all knew I was observing them and would on an occasion reference me, usually jokingly, and what I was doing and attempt to talk directly with me. I did not have a set of cultural traits I was going to examine before the observation so that is a major constraint on information I collected during the research. I did not count a specific time something occurred or how what exactly was said something occurred because I was not specifically looking for it but I can approximate and at least make confident statements about what happened. There is also the common problems with doing a ethnography for example lack of quantitative data or requiring one to almost get into the operation of one’s mind in order to understand what is going on. Humans are very difficult to read and you can’t confidently say â€Å"This is what he/she was thinking† or â€Å"This is what he/she felt† even if that person tells you that. This road bump holds especially true with observing poker- a game founded on deception, lying, and intimidation. While the five members of the first game got the chips counted and everything set up I noticed the first trait to present itself and this before the cards even hit the air. S had gotten some Chicago Ale a few days earlier and when he came out and opened one he asked if anybody else wanted one everyone else said yes but J sort of moaned and really didn’t see that interested. I am good friends with J and know he does not like to drink beer-he hates the taste but after S sort of looked at him and asked with a slightly angry tone asked, â€Å"What? † J shrugged and said, â€Å"Ahhh why not†. If someone asked you if you wanted a Coke and you hate Coke you wouldn’t say yes, so why did they say yes? What is odd is S also does not like to drink since he is a smaller guy and it fills him up quickly, but as soon as everyone was seated and the first dealer was about to be picked he lifted a bottle and grinned and said, â€Å"A manly, man’s drink† in a slightly comical tone but it says something about how the players seen beer/ale. Gregg Smith writes on Beer is very much an art form-from its production to different flavors and how particularly in Europe localities had their own unique beverage and it acted as an agent of social cohesion and that American was founded by these very diverse peoples and groups had to try and retain their identity and, †Immigrants had their own language but they also had their drink of choice†¦{and} and a very good way to get a community to rejoice and praise their heritage is to get together and drink all night† (Smith 55-56). The American male has had a long relationship with beer but I also think beers persistence as a cultural staple also has to be credited to genius marketing. Coke a Cola can thank a century worth of fantastic marketing to its undying success. Coke’s greatest strategy is connecting itself with other aspects of people’s lives-a great example being Christmas. Coke has intertwined itself with Christmas so when the average American is getting set for Christmas Coke is an automatic part of Christmas. Beer has done the exact same thing most notably sports. Beer companies have advertised so much and so well that drinking a beer is just an automatic part of enjoying sports. The players followed suite exactly. They always had to have a beer at hand, and it was almost always was in their hand. D and S in particular would go long times without drinking but would still have the beer in a hand most of that time. Inebriation was not a part of it since none of them had anywhere hear enough to anything but very slight effects of alcohol, to them the drink is an intricate part of the game and being social; if you don’t do it then you are just not acting right. If poker was all about who got the best hand this time around if would not be much of a game at all. Bluffing or intimidating an opponent (s) to fold a hand and win the pot is a central aspect of the game. Doing so means being aggressive; you can’t get someone to fold if you never bet or If you always call and never re-raise. What was intriguing about the game is players would make an aggressive move apparently not for the sake of the game but purely being aggressive to be aggressive. Early in a game blinds are low and the pots are very small and the game is much less serious-players don’t bluff, little intimidation, and even for someone who has never played it is very easy to see that at certain hands nobody has anything and one player obviously has the winning hand. This is common for even professionals for the first five to six hands, but what happened in both games was the player who very obviously had the best hand when the others had nothing at all would make a large, large bet. During the first game blinds were at 50-100 and nobody had bet all the way to the turn and it clear D had caught something (Turned out to be a straight) and he made a 800 chip bet and he said it very sternly, he even appeared to sit more erect when he made the bet. You can’t argue that this was long term tactic to show aggression early so that when the game became serious he would be more intimidating because none of the other players even seemed interested or took notice at all. A actually folded when he could of just checked-and M had his cards already in hand ready to throw them to the next dealer while he had a conversation with A about something regarding the Library at night. All the players did this at some point D was just the best example. Aggression heavily culturally influenced and the work done by Richard Snipes shows that cultures do greatly vary in terms of male aggression (Trotter 251). Aggression is ingrained in American culture. Benjamin Franklin once commented that Americans were a more aggressive people than their European counterparts. Explaining why America has instilled an element of personal aggression in its culture mainly is answer by evolution-America was a frontier and the first settlers had to be aggressive, hardy, and resilient to survive a new world (Burchfield 175). It may seem that this is not really an example of interaction considering that it is 100% full sided-one individual doing something and no one else responding, but it still a social behavior. D and the others did this for a reason. What they got out of it is entirely different-it could be to get sort of emotional boost or maybe it a sense of competition among males. The point it’s not to explain why there is aggression in American males; the point is that a group of men engaging in a common activity are, seemingly unaware, practicing socialization. Aggression is correlated by another characteristic of American culture that being individualism. American culture and particularly the American male has very commonly been illustrated as the man. Pulling himself by his boot straps and no concerning himself with any other man’s boots† (Burchfield 35). Having a strong individualist spirit only requires a strong personal work ethic and putting yourself and your interest before that of a larger group-that being society. The commonly used antithesis of this is early 20th century Japan which is the textbook example of conformism and lived by the saying, â€Å"The nail that sticks out gets the hammer† (Burchfield 41). This American ideal also mandates for, in simple terms, a person to mind his own business. I found that very prevalent looking back on my notes. Occasionally there would be disputes over someone not shuffling well enough or lifting the cards to high or when someone was out of a hand and would make a noise of anger or relief (This helps someone still in the game know that one less card is out there. If you think that you opponent caught a set of threes and then someone out of the hand says â€Å"Guess who had a three† then you know there is a less likely chance your remaining opponent(s) have a three in their hand). These disputes could get heated but never anything potentially volatile. What I noticed is that when two members would start up any attempt to drag a third or more member to your cause was always unfruitful. Nobody would ever get themselves involved in the quarrel. They were as Burchfield puts it, â€Å"combative neutrals† (Burchfield 48). They would not just sit quietly with their eyes on the floor acting as though they were playing opossum, but if things got heated they would either start a conversation with somebody else or would laugh at the two quarreling players. Anytime a quarreler tried to pull them in they would immediately get scornful and say â€Å"Shut the hell up† or â€Å"I don’t give a s#^t†. The most interesting point was during the second game M and A were arguing because M had gotten the same cards from his last hand and the flop had two of the three same cards including suite. M started to call A out for never shuffling the cards and every time he deals cards repeat. They kept bickering all the way till the next flop of M’s deal came out and then D started to harass A and agree with M and what was so odd was that S instantly told D to basically mind his own . That is downright amazing. America is the poster child for an individualist culture and yet we seem to forget that a nation is made up of people and that one can see the key traits of an entire nation on the personal level right in your living room and see that we encourage this practice and also chastise anyone who deviates from that. The second game with O was a first and I wish I could have done more with it but it was sort of out of the blue and I really did not come up with a concept until after the research. When it was announced O was coming there was groans and moans but then someone said that â€Å"We can take his money†. There is a sense of â€Å"us and them†. He is seen as an outsider-someone not part of the group who is invading the sanctity of the game. There is definitely something to be studied there. Most of American history the US was not a world power and very much an isolationist nation. It seem somewhat paradoxically to have a individualistic nation that also sees itself as â€Å"us and then them†, but just because a culture puts emphasis on the individual does not mean that there is content or dislike between that culture’s members or that they also lack less unity and oneness and I think this can be expanded much more. During the last 10-15 years there has been so much talk about the globalization of culture and how technology is making the world smaller but this very small bleep of an ethnography illustrates-culture is acted out and starts with individuals doing common activities-not the internet or global institutions. A poker game acts as a great medium for the American male culture to be reaffirmed. The players are not puppets to some great all powerful â€Å"Culture† but are behaving as they have been socialized to behave, but humans are not programmable machines and culture is able to perpetuate because through our interactions with other socialized members we are constantly being retaught the values, symbols, norms, etc. that our culture has evolved. Burchfield, Henri. Stripes: What American Society Does. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State Press, 1985. Print. Holden, Anthony. A Bigger Deal: Year Inside the Poker Boom. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2008. Print. Smith, Gregg. Beer: A History of Suds and Civilization from Mesopotamia to Microbreweries. New York: Avon Books, 1995. Print. Trotter, Robert. â€Å"War: Anthropologists and Sociologist Ask Whether Warfare and Aggression Are Inherited or Learned† Science News 104. 16 (1973): 250-251. JSTOR. Web. 31 Oct. 2010

Managing in the global economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managing in the global economy - Essay Example Hence it becomes very essential to study the physical and societal environments when opening and international business. Managing in a global environment means manage people who are separated not only by time and distance but also by cultural, social, and language differences. The main challenge here is to integrate and coordinate these individuals in ways that will ensure success. And it is important to be sensitive to and respect the cultural differences. People from different cultures tend to misunderstand each others behaviours or stereotype people from other countries. Portfolio investment values and cash flows are affected when political change causes unanticipated discontinuities in the business environment. This is the Robock and Simmonds (1973) definition of political risk. They are also affected by the risks that include potential restrictions on the transfer of funds, products, technology and people, uncertainty about policies, regulations, governmental administrative procedures, and, finally, risks on control of capital such as discrimination against foreign firms, expropriation, forced local shareholding, etc. Wars, revolutions, social upheavals, strikes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates all figure in the political risk literature and, obviously, are capable of affecting portfolio investment as well as direct investment. Gross National Income comprises the total value of goods and services produced within a country (i.e. its Gross Domestic Product), together with its income received from other countries (notably interest and dividends), less similar payments made to other countries. For example, if a British-owned company operating in another country sends some of their incomes (profits) back to UK, the UK’s GNI is enhanced. Depending on the exact country circumstances, FDI may increase the host country capital stock, bring in new technologies and boost GNI growth rates (and hence GNI per capita). Inflation

The Motivating Factors in the French Wars of Religion Essay

The Motivating Factors in the French Wars of Religion - Essay Example The essay "The Motivating Factors in the French Wars of Religion" discusses the socio-political situation created by the French Was of Religion in order to identify and interpret the traits of change in terms of human consciousness in every aspect of existence. The French Revolution though is considered as the most radical incident in the context of France’s social history, however, the background of the change was gradually being prepared for the early 16th century and the outbreak of the French Wars of Religion can be considered as one of the most important indications of the change. Though recognized as the Wars of Religion, however, in reality, they were actually French civil wars and religion became a driving engine. It has further been observed that â€Å"†¦ religion was not the only factor that contributed to the French Civil wars. Towns and provinces, which had long resisted the growing power of monarchical centralization, were only too willing to join the revolt against the monarchy. This was also true for the nobility, and the fact that so many of them were Calvinists created an important base of opposition to the crown. The French Wars of Religion presented a major constitutional crisis for France and temporarily halted the development of the French centralized state. The claim to a person’s loyalties by the ruling dynasty was temporarily suspended by loyalty to one’s religious beliefs†. The spread of Protestantism in the 16th century was considered by the French empires as a matter of a serious concern.

Character and Narrative Function of Nicodemus Essay

Character and Narrative Function of Nicodemus - Essay Example "Word of God" reveals Light and darkness goes away. Raymond Brown also writes, "The prologue is a hymn, a poetic summary of the whole theology and narrative of the Gospel, as well as an introduction".2 The result, for Brown, is that "we have a union of wisdom and God's word, a divine person uncreated and existing with the Father." Throughout, from verse 1 to 16, dialogues are centring on this theme of realising knowledge, virtue, truth, Father, Mother, Son, God and Word. The nature of these dialogues is such that they constitute the real essence of knowledge, truth and the Bible. It is this "Word of God" which appears initially to be mystical and mysterious! While, in reality and scientifically, this Word of God is the practical way to delve deep into one's inner self for becoming one with Truth. Knowledge or Truth is there for all of us to see from within. Books and modern science of information and technology cannot help obtain it. One has to see it with eyelids downwards and vision upwards. That is why these dialogues are the essence of Bible. When Jesus says, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God", it is yet another scientific hint to Nicodemus about seeing and realising God.3 It is after hearing the musical sound of Word of God and imbibing the Spirit that one not only experiences but also starts conversing with God. This is how every human being descends upon this spaceship earth from a Mother's womb to go finally for the second birth from the Word of God. Then such a twice born becomes Son of God!4 Necodemus is a leader who has read scriptures and laws for so many years. His behaviour has also been considered righteous. He asks Jesus quite a few questions. He does not grasp what Christ says at that instant. For Jesus, one is wrong until one is born again. This difficult for Necodemus to believe for he finds it hard to see that he has been in the wrong. Despite this apparent disbelief, Jesus bestows Word of God unto Necodemus. After receiving the Word of God, he does not ask much. He now listens to Christ and also Author's Last Name to others who were countering Jesus. He looks on under the spell of his re-birth! Even after crucifixion of Jesus, Necodemus buries Christ in the grave. What Necodemus has learnt from Christ We are all supposed to learn only that from Jesus. Howsoever we may interpret all teachings of Christ in Chapter 3 of the Gospel of John; certain view-points emerge very clearly. Despite several different versions of Bible and Gospel, His fundamental teachings are beyond reasonable dispute.5 Jesus Christ is bestowing upon us through Necodemus several pathways to light and Christian way of life. This is made available in John 3: 1-16, especially through the character of Necodemus. His initial scientific inquisitiveness, later tranquillity; his earlier hypocrisy in learning laws and going to temples and later equanimity of keeping quiet even when Jesus was being crucified. Major lessons that emerge from the concerned chapters of Gospel of John are mainly five, namely, 1. Science of God

Security Architecture & Design models Assignment

Security Architecture & Design models - Assignment Example Coming up with the best security architecture requires the management of an organization to  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   perform a risk assessment and management process in order to come up with the best security model to secure the system. The risk assessment will identify the extent of the system if the system is large with interrelated components, the data locations and storage of the system. Determining if the system uses the Internet for functions like data transfer and identifying all the resources and hardware components being   utilized by the system. The risk assessment will identify the potential risks that a system can have or might face in the future.  The management the is aiming to ensure information security should consider the following types of security architecture models. The security models are used to create several access control levels. The security models include access matrix, Bell-Lapadula, Lettice, information flow, Clark-Wilson, the state machine   and Biba. The security models contain the following components. Data classification model that facilitates wider sharing of information through ensuring that information have been given additional controls. The model classifies information into several categories like low, medium, high and unclassified. Data security model assist the users in making sure the information is secured in the appropriate manner. The security model creates several security categories for the processes, hardware devices, hard-drives and the various users of the information.

Holistic Nursing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Holistic Nursing - Research Paper Example The term complementary is preferred because it conveys the idea that these therapies are used together with, rather than as a replacement for biomedical treatment. On the other hand, the term alternative conveys the thought of a therapy being used in place of a biomedical treatment. Finding a good definition for complementary therapies has been an uphill task. Several definitions have been proposed. The complementary therapy is a broad area of medicine that is made up of health systems, practices and modalities plus their accompanying beliefs. In the definition, the term complementary medicine is used n place of complementary therapies. However, the word â€Å"medicine† can be changed to â€Å"therapies†. There are more than 1700 identified complementary therapies. Classifying these therapies is as daunting as coming up with their definition. This is because the therapies vary and they encompass indigenous cultural practices that are vastly unknown in the western world. Additional challenges come up because the mechanisms of action for many complementary therapies are not known (Lange & Zahourek & Mariano 2013). NCCAM has suggested the following groups for complementary therapy: biological based therapies, mind-body therapies, manipulative and body-based therapies and energy therapies. NCCAM has noted that a complementary therapy is no longer classified as a complementary therapy once it becomes an accepted treatment for specific conditions (NCCAM, 2005). The boundaries between complementary therapy and the dominant health care systems keep changing. As a result, what may be considered as complementary at a point in time can be recognized as part of the mainstream healthcare later on . Complementary and alternative therapies are healthcare topics that have instigated discussion and debate in a large way. Many people in the US have shown considerable interest in these topics. This is evident

Security Architecture & Design models Assignment

Security Architecture & Design models - Assignment Example Coming up with the best security architecture requires the management of an organization to  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   perform a risk assessment and management process in order to come up with the best security model to secure the system. The risk assessment will identify the extent of the system if the system is large with interrelated components, the data locations and storage of the system. Determining if the system uses the Internet for functions like data transfer and identifying all the resources and hardware components being   utilized by the system. The risk assessment will identify the potential risks that a system can have or might face in the future.  The management the is aiming to ensure information security should consider the following types of security architecture models. The security models are used to create several access control levels. The security models include access matrix, Bell-Lapadula, Lettice, information flow, Clark-Wilson, the state machine   and Biba. The security models contain the following components. Data classification model that facilitates wider sharing of information through ensuring that information have been given additional controls. The model classifies information into several categories like low, medium, high and unclassified. Data security model assist the users in making sure the information is secured in the appropriate manner. The security model creates several security categories for the processes, hardware devices, hard-drives and the various users of the information.

Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 6

Marketing Plan - Essay Example forms of senior citizens day care Centre’s since the 1970s which are defined as community-based programs that are designed to meet the needs of minimally impaired adults through an individualized plan of care for part of the 24-hour day. According to the 2000 census, there are 3,407 senior citizens day care centers operating in the United States, serving primarily people with dementia (including Alzheimers disease) and the frail elderly who do not have dementia though experts suggest that this number is fast going to rise as more and more people require and seek these services, (Lakdawalla, Bhattacharya, Goldman, & National Bureau of Economic Research, 2001) The Sunset Senior Citizens Daycares mission is to provide a program of social, recreational, and health activities and services in a group setting that will keep our clients as comfortable as possible and at the same time caring for their immediate individual needs In the recent past, the demand for senior citizens day care centres has considerably grown. The lifestyles of the population has changed making the people need care at significantly early age thus the need to have more of this centres. This makes a venture such as opening this centre economically viable. In recent years, the age at which people adult day care services has considerably become lower as a result of the lifestyle diseases among other things. Therefore it seems that people age faster they did before. Family structures are also evolving and people prefer to have their aging loved ones cared for in these centres so that they get a chance to go make a living, (Kane, 1986). The technological environment changes rapidly and therefore people’s needs also follow these trends. The clients will need a variety of foods that are healthy and at the right times. They will also need to be entertained with activities like playing cards or board games and also scheduling activities such as bowling or even tennis if it is available. Other

Increasing population Essay Example for Free

Increasing population Essay Increasing population poses a greater threat to the future of our planet than consumption. Hinrichsen explains the effects of population to our environment. As the world population grows, the demand for natural resources also increases. Consumption poses a threat in the sense that it is needed to accommodate the worlds population. It is possible to reduce consumption the lesser population the world has, but while the population grows, more and more resources are needed, even at least to support the basic needs like food and shelter. Population has been growing faster than food supplies in 64 of 105 developing countries. Arable lands and forests are also exploited to meet the demand of increasing population. Fresh water sources cannot keep up its pace of renewing itself from a steadily increasing population. The seas are also overexploited to supply the demand of population. Futhermore, human activities also affect the environment through poor sanitation and pollution. The more people there are, the more contributors to threatening the future of our planet. 2) Based on your answer to question 1, please name two potential solutions to mitigate the impact this threat has on the planet (be specific). Hinrichsen suggested sollutions to the problem posed by the increasing world population. The most obvious one is to reduce population growth rate. â€Å"Slowing population growth would buy time to protect natural resources† (Hinrichsen, 2000). Family planning programs, aside from improving the welfare of families, will play a key role to stabilizing world population and the future would benefit from it. Energy conservation would also play a vital role to preserving our future, however little it may contribute. Increasing energy efficiency, like carbon efficiency in automobiles, would eventually reduce pollution. Hinrichsen also suggested that managing cities better and discouraging technologies that produce high levels of wastes would help save the future of the world. Bibliography Hinrichsen, Don and Bryant Robey. â€Å"Population and the environment: A global challenge. † Excerpts from a Johns Hopkins University report. October 2000. American Institute of Biological Sciences. 3 July 2008 http://www. actionbioscience. org/environment/hinrichsen_robey. html

Cold War and the German Far Right

Cold War and the German Far Right The German extreme right was unable to make headway because of the Cold War but reunification has opened many new possibilities for it do you agree? The Cold War was undoubtedly a period during which Germany’s right wing was stifled. With an oppressive Communist government in the East and a more stable and moderate form of government in the west, extremism was largely isolated in the Cold War years. This is not to say however that the extreme right was completely inactive during this period. Reunification though has certainly given a wider platform for right wing extremists and to some extent opened up new possibilities. Despite the eventual defeat of the Nazis, at the end of the Second World War there appeared to be good conditions for a neo-fascist revival. The war had left 10 million German refugees who had lost their property and 2 million civil servants who had lost their jobs having previously benefited under the Nazi regime.[1]Certainly those committed to a right wing revival would have hoped to harness the dissatisfaction of those who had lost both economically and socially from the war. Had the difficult post-war conditions continued, then this may have been the case, but the rebuilding of Europe and Western Europe’s determination to build up its defences against the Eastern bloc ensured that Europe’s post-war recovery was designed to include West Germany as an important ally in the fight against Communism. On the whole, all European countries, Germany included, came to benefit from post-war prosperity and the post war settlement was acceptable even to defeated Germans. As von Beyme concludes: â€Å"Labels like ‘defeated’ and ‘victors’ – unlike after the first world war – were of minor importance, so that in all countries neo fascism stood less chance.†[2]Had the Allies looked to humiliate a defeated Germany the outcome may have been different, as it where there was little to stir up nationalist sentiment with. The post war consensus of politics in West Germany clearly prevented the spread of fascism that might have been expected. Post-war reconstruction created favourable economic conditions that in turn enabled the state to satisfy both the political and economic interests of the major social groups. The middle classes benefited financially in the post-war years, unemployment benefits were in place for the poor and public health insurance and pension provision were both put into place. The successful economy effectively silenced many critics of the post-war governments and left extremists without a popular cause with which to fight. As Stoss writes: â€Å"Thus the socio-economic preconditions were established for a broad legitimation of state power and the integration of forces critical of or hostile to the system.†[3] The post-war party political system in West Germany also made right wing growth difficult.. A popular consensus emerged including representational democracy, social market economy, interaction with the West European community and anti-communism. Importantly, the three major political parties – CDU, FDP and SPD dominated elections at the expense of smaller parties. The five per cent barrier to a place in government prevented extremist parties from establishing a political foothold. Between 1957 and 1983, no small party succeeded in surmounting the five per cent barrier to representation in the Bundestag.[4] It should be noted however that whilst organised right wing extremism failed to develop into a mass movement in West Germany, there were certainly elements of the population that maintained anti-democratic attitudes and sympathies with the extreme right. In 1971 a survey found that 50 per cent of those questioned found ‘National Socialism, in principle, a good idea, poorly put into practice, whilst the SINUS Institute found in 1979 that 13 per cent of the West German population had a right wing extremist picture of the world and 37 per cent a ‘potential for authoritarian disposition.[5] In effect, a substantial amount of the West German population was susceptible to right wing extremism. Membership figures of right wing extremist parties gives little clear indication as to the influence of the right. Whilst membership reached 76,000 in 1954, it fell to 21,000 in 1964, rose again to 40,000 in 1967 and fell to 23,000 in 1985.[6]Such relatively low numbers combined with fluctuation in membership suggests little consistent long-term support for the extreme right. Certainly in West Germany, right wing extremism remained alive during the Cold War but economic prosperity, stable government and a state that was determined not to let extremism flourish ensured that the extreme right made little headway. Whilst there was some awareness of the dangers of right wing extremism in West Germany, the picture in the east was less clear. In many ways the old GDR seemed an unlikely breeding ground for the right wing and indeed the old communist government had often boasted of its successes in defeating fascism. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the subsequent reunification of Germany brought about huge political and social change to Germany. To some extent this has given added momentum to right wing extremism, in the East as much as the West. Reunification was initially expected to bring about a fall in support for the right as it removed the principal political demand of nationalist groups from the agenda. On both sides of the wall however there were issues other than a united Germany for right-wingers to concentrate on. Additionally, the power of the old East German regime to prevent right wing extremism can be overstated. Prior to the fall of the Wall, extremist activities and violence had formed a part of East German life but had been largely played down by the authorities. The way that extremism took a foothold early in the 1990s serves as some evidence of this. By 1992 there were 2000 neo-Nazi members in East Germany, twice as many as the West with four times the population.[7] There are other reasons as to why right wing extremist may have flourished in the East. The activism and novelty of West German right wingers will, at the time of reunification, have been seen as something of an attraction to a generation that had grown up in East Germany and lived through the ideologically directed education system and socialisation processed of the Communist regime. Ease of access to membership of groups would also have appealed to young East Germans who had previously been excluded from the old—style Communist Party apparatus. By 1992 right wing parties were beginning to achieve some electoral success in the new Germany, winning three seats in the Lander parliaments.[8]One of the primary reasons for this was that right wing extremists were able to adapt to the new political and social landscape across Germany and find new goals. Initially a number of groups laid claim to some minor East European territories that had been part of Germany immediately before the outbreak of the war. Quickly though the shift in focus moved towards a traditional hub of right wing thinking – attacks on the number of foreigners living, working or claiming benefits in the country. Right wing extremist groups from early in the 1990s began to criticise the increasing number of asylum seekers coming into Germany from across Eastern Europe. There was a positive attempt by the right to stir up fears on the effects of immigrants both economically and socially. Right wing groups pointed to the demands for right of settlement made by many guest workers and students who had previously arrived in East Germany from third world states. In 1991, 256,000 foreigners, many from Yugoslavia and Romania, entered Germany to apply for political asylum and a further 222,000 applied to become citizens under the constitutional provisions for ethnic Germans.[9]Again, right wing extremists pointed to the fact that many asylum seekers visibly lived on state subsidies while waiting for their applications to be processed. Unification quickly became a source of ammunition for the right. As Roberts writes: â€Å"Unification, far from depriving them of the nationalist theme, offered them a new variation of it, a policy success for which these groups could seek to claim the credit and which had created a larger, more powerful, Germany freed at last from the last restrictions imposed by the post-war occupancy policy of the victorious allies.†[10] Another viable point is that Communist rule in East Germany in itself had left the country with some characteristics in tune with the right wing. The anti-democratic nature of the old regime in East Germany could be mirrored in some traits of the right wing extremists. As Roberts again suggests: â€Å"Authoritarianism, the claim to possession of an absolute truth, a clear ‘friend-enemy’ distinction, fanaticism, and the idea of homogeneity of the people, were characteristics fostered by communist rule in the GDR and – suitably transferred – are also elements of the claims of extreme right wing parties and groups.†[11] There were other reasons for citizens in the East to look to the extreme right. Corruption amongst politicians was relatively widespread in the early 1990s with party financing scandals, ministers becoming involved in improper financial dealings and increased salaries for politicians. There was a feeling amongst many poorer Germans that orthodox politician were becoming too self serving and that the state subsidies for mainstream party political campaigns were too expensive – a 1992 survey found that twice as many East Germans were dissatisfied with the German democratic system than West German voters.[12] The period 1991-94 saw a notable upturn in violence orchestrated by the extreme right. Guest workers, asylum seekers and hostels housing these people came under regular attack. The violence culminated in murder on occasions – in Dresden in 1991 a young Mozambican immigrant was thrown under a tram, refuges were burnt down in cities such as Leipzig and Rostock and in a particularly chilling event in Hayerswerda, a five night protest by right wing extremists culminated in all foreigners being bussed out of the town.[13] The reaction of the government of a united Germany would be crucial in determining the post-unification progress of the extreme right. Throughout the 1980s, successive West German governments had been criticised for their lax approach in tackling the right wing. McGowan concludes â€Å"this was refuted by the administrations concerned but their reactions to the right were often contrasted with their more sever approach towards the left wing terrorists from the 1970s onwards.†[14] In the years immediately following reunification, there was a response by the states to the initial upsurge in right wing extremism. The Offices for the Protection of the Constitution have utilised powers to carefully watch anti-democratic organisations and the law has ensured that civil servants cannot join groups officially declared extremist- this measure in itself will continue to deny the right some mainstream support. Whilst new possibilities may have emerged for the extremists, the German state is working hard to ensure that it does not make great headway. Other forces in German society have continued to rally against the extremists. There is very little media coverage of right-wing extremist groups for example. Since the early 1990s the right-wing Republikaner Party has been the subject of an outright boycott by the federal press and by many public radio and TV channels.[15] What is also clear is that the new right in Germany cannot be built around the forces that supported the Nazi’s in the 1930s. Kischelt writes, â€Å"in particular, white-collar employees, professionals and members of the administrative, political and cultural elite who then backed the Nazi Party are no longer available for right wing appeals.†[16]The core support for the extreme right in Germany today is primarily lower class males who feel that they have lost out economically and socially since unification. This narrow support base continues to be a hindrance to the rights attempts to expand. Moving into the mid to late 1990s, the gradual expansion of the extreme right has continued and whilst post-war Germany has vowed never again to allow ultra-nationalism or racism to play any part in its politics, this principle has gradually come under threat. The most prominent far-right party, the Republicans, have openly asserted that unrelenting mass immigration has brought criminal foreigners into Germany and campaigns hard on an anti-immigration agenda. The German state in the meantime attempts to use constitutional tools to counteract the growth of the right the Republicans and another group, the German Peoples Union or DVU for example, are both under surveillance by Germanys counter-intelligence agency, suspected of anti-democratic or unconstitutional behaviour. There is a similar tendency to be suspicious of the right that continues to run through much of German society, both before and after reunification. Bockes and Mudde summarise as such: â€Å"As a consequence of the continuing and extensive dealing with the Nazi past, political mobilisation at the extreme right meets with public scrutiny and generally leads to strong counter reactions within society.†[17] The crux of right wing campaigning remains largely the same. It maintains the crude demand that jobs should be taken away from foreigners and given to Germans. To some extent this has begun to deliver some electoral success. In Saxony-Anhalt in 1998, nearly one-third of all voters under the age of 30 supported the right wing DVU whilst in the country as whole, opinion polls showed some that 10% of voters sympathise with far-right groups. Alongside these changes in the political scene, more than 100 neo-Nazi or skinhead groups have grown up which glorify violence and praise the ideas of Hitler. Assaults on immigrants and asylum seekers have continued to rise and a thriving skinhead culture has emerged in parts of Germany, particularly in the east. Official fi gures show that assaults by such groups on foreigners, including Asian or African refugees and Turkish, Italian, and other immigrants, are on the rise. In 1998 for example more than 400 injuries resulted from such assaults (www.bbc.co.uk). The German government’s hard-line response has been to ban dozens of extreme right-wing groups. There is a danger that the philosophy of the extreme right can spill over into mainstream politics. Conservative politicians for example have loudly complained about foreign criminality and Germanys immigration burden, ignoring warnings that such talk would encourage racist attitudes. Such politicians vehemently deny that, but they have clearly staked their claim to the right-wing ground of German politics, in an attempt to ensure that no other group takes an advantage there. There are obviously wider historical issues to consider when analysing the role of the extreme right in Germany. Clearly the horrors of the Nazi era do work as an antidote against right-wing extremism and there has been an ongoing vigilance against the spread of the right booth before and after unification. Politicians towards the right within the mainstream party political system may skirt around extremist ideas but generally the mainstream political landscape has remained clear of out and out extremism. The determination of the vast majority of Germans to consign the nazi era to the past can act as a restraint on most with serious political aspirations. The Cold War did certainly act as a barrier to the extreme right in post-war Germany, both east and West. In East Germany, a hard-line Communist government was successful in suppressing the right wing until the final years of its rule. In West Germany, the post-war political consensus was crucial in playing down possibilities for the right, as was the new constitution that made the electoral route to influence equally difficult. Germany it should be noted was geographically at the centre of the Cold War – the Western allies were keen to ensure stability in West German politics and likewise Eastern bloc leaders were quick to clamp down of right wing extremism. The Cold War threw together a combination of factors that made expansion of right wing extremism all but impossible across the whole of Germany. Reunification then along with the end of the Cold War, did indeed open up new possibilities for the extremists on the right. In the East they enjoyed new found political freedom and a growing support base, whilst in the West, economic difficulties following reunification and the upturn in numbers of foreigners on the country helped to fuel support for the right. Whether the German extreme right can make the most of the possibilities that reunification has brought about remains to be seen. Although it has enjoyed the occasional electoral success it cannot yet compare with the successes of right wing parties in other parts of Europe. McGowan succinctly states, â€Å"Neo-Nazism remains a part of German life just as national Socialism remains a part of German history.†[18]This in essence presents the most difficult issue for the extreme right-wing in Germany – whilst it may enjoy an element of support, the lessons of history have hopefully taught the German nation that right-wing extremism is a route it cannot allow itself to take again. References Beckes Uwe Mudde Cas, Germany: Extremism without successful parties, Parliamentary Affairs, vol 53 (3) July 2000) Kitschelt Herbert, The Radical Right in Western Europe – A comparative Analysis, University of Michigan Press, USA 1998 McGowan Lee, The Radical Right in Germany – 1870 to present, Pearson Education Ltd, Harlow 1998 Roberts Geoffrey, Right wing Radicalism in New Germany. Parliamentary Affairs, vol 45, 1992 Stoss Richard, The Problem of Right-wing Extremism in West Germany, West European Politics, vol 11, 1988 Von Beyme Klaus, Right-wing Extremism in post-war Europe, West European Politics, vol 11, 1988 www.bbc.co.uk http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/09/98/german_elections/172134.stm 1 Footnotes [1] Von Beyme, K, Right wing Extremism in post-war Europe, West European Politics, vol 11 1988 [2] p10 Von Beyme 1988 [3] p34 Stoss R, The problem of right wing extremism in West Germany [4] p35 Stoss [5] p38 Stoss [6] p40 Stoss [7] Mcgowan L, P189 The Radical Right in Germany – 1870 to present, Pearson Education Ltd, Harlow 1998 [8] Roberts G, Right-wing Radicalism in New Germany, Parliamentary Affairs vol 45 1992 [9] p332 Roberts 1992 [10] ibid [11] p339 Roberts 1992 [12] p340 Roberts 1992 [13] McGowan L p190 [14] McGowan L P191 [15] Bockes U Mudde C, p466Germany: Extremism without successful parties, Parliamentary Affairs, vol 53, July 2000 [16] Kitschelt , p239 The Radical Right in Western Europe – Acomparative Analysis, University of Michigan Press, USA 1998 [17] p466 Bockes and Mudde 2000 [18] McGowan L, P201

History of Paper -- essays research papers

The first historical mention of paper is 104 A.D. in China. The Empress of China at that time loved books and wanted to have a lot of them made. At the time everything was written on silk scrolls which were extremely expensive and time consuming to make. She wanted something cheaper and easier to use and so she asked one of her servants, a gentleman by the name of Tsi Lun to come up with an alternative. He worked for over nine years experimenting with different things and finally came up with hemp, mulberry tree bark, silk and old fishing nets all ground up into a mushy pulp. I wonder how he ever thought of it; the history books don't say. The Empress was very pleased and Tsi Lun was elevated to a high rank in the court. Unfortunately for him, the Empress then asked Tsi Lun to spread malicious gossip about some of her enemies at court. When the Empress fell out of power, those people were extremely angry with Tsi Lun and he was either put to death or forced to commit suicide. Strange, isn't it, how things go in the world? And, of course, all of this that I am sharing with you is just one version of history. Others will perhaps be able to give a different rendering. I have read many. I like the story of Tsi Lun. Most people agree on that one. But, as for the spread of papermaking as an art, well, there are different stories told. To gather such accounts and compare them falls within the discipline of "Historiography", the history of the writing of history. (If you ever want to scamble your brains and loose all concept of the solidity of reality, just study the hisotry writing of history.) The following, I believe, is most likely closest to the truth. Papemmaking remained a secret Chinese art until around the year 700 A.D. when, during a war with China the Arab nations captured an entire town of papermakers and took them back to the middle east as prisoners where they were forced into labor making paper. The craft was learned a couple hundred years later by Westem Europeans during the Crusades. Curiously, the Church in Westem Europe initially banned the use of paper calling it a 'pagan art' believing that animal parchment was the only thing 'holy' enough to carry the Sacred Word. That strange prejudice lasted for more than 100 years, but they got over it. In the 17th century Europeans were making paper from cotton and linen rags. When paper is made ... ...which does not add to the pollution in the environment. Natural fiber paper makers have told me that they neutralize their caustic solutions with vinegar and baking soda. After the cooking process, once it is neutralized and checked with a litmus strip, the fiber cooking water can be disposed of down the drain without any fear of adding to the toxic waste in the environment, so there is hope.) The sad tale of our time period for the health of the eco system is that just as cotton and linen rags as sources for paper making were becoming scarce in the 17th century, trees in the 21st are also dissappearing. As an example, one single edition of the Sunday New York Times requires 30,000 acres of trees. And that's just the New York Times. What about the London Times? L.A. Times? And the millions of other papers printed around the world? Experiments have begun to find alternative sources of fiber and I have recently heard the European mills are turning toward hemp. Hemp yields 4 times the amount of cellulose fiber per acre than trees and is renewable within a year or two compared to 100 years for trees. As a lover of trees, I hope the rest of the world soon follows the European example.

Rebellious to Responsible in John Updikes A&P Essay -- Literacy Analy

The lives we live today encompass many moral aspects that would not have been socially acceptable fifty or more years ago. John Updike’s short story, A&P, addresses these issues of societal changes through a 1960’s teenager point of view. This teenager, Sammy, spends a great deal of his time working at a local supermarket, observing customers, and imagining where his life adventures will take him. Through symbolism and setting, Updike establishes the characters and conflicts; these, in turn, evolve Sammy from an observational, ignorant teenager, promoting opposition to changing social rules, into an adult who must face reality. This short story, first published in 1961, stirs up controversy and still continues to be debated today. Although Updike intends for his writing to be simple and enjoyable, he also includes literary and cultural knowledge of the time period for readers to analyze more deeply (Saldivar N. pag.). As with A&P, Updike injects religious faith, which few Non-Catholic writers attempted during this time, in a seemingly effortless way. The supermarket A&P, the main setting of the story, was positioned â€Å"right in the middle of town† (Updike 983); a prime position accessible to all, although, generally this position was reserved for the town’s place of worship. In a way, Updike implanted this detail to be ironic. The supermarket in his story represented a â€Å"temple of modern consumerism† and was replacing a temple of worship (Wells N. pag.). To create a story that was relevant to the 1960’s, yet still encompasses issues society currently faces, demonstrates U pdike’s genius ability to engage in the enthralling world around him. The story begins through Sammy, the narrator, working at the local A&P supermarket. He not... ..., 1994. Literature Resource Center. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. †¢ Porter, M. Gilbert. "John Updike's 'A & P': The Establishment and an Emersonian Cashier." English Journal 61 (Nov. 1972): 1155-1158. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Anna J. Sheets. Vol. 27. Detroit: Gale Research, 1998. Literature Resource Center. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. †¢ Saldivar, Toni. "The Art Of John Updike's "A & P." Studies In Short Fiction 34.2 (1997): 215. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. †¢ Thompson, Corey Evan. "Updike's A & P." Explicator 59.4 (2001): 215. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. †¢ Updike, John. "A&P." Thinking and Writing About Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001. 981-86. Print. †¢ Wells, Walter. "John Updike's `A&P': A Return To Araby." Studies In Short Fiction 30.2 (1993): 127. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Apr. 2012.

To what extent was the USA’s response Essay

In the years 1991 to 2004 the USA’s response international aggression was often based on protecting its own national interests. Post 9/11 especially saw the USA base nearly all of its responses on protecting its own national interests. However, on some occasions prior to 9/11 they did show some desire to protect global interests rather than just their own. Due to the events of the 11th September 2001 the USA began its war on terror, and specifically targeted was George Bush’s ‘axis of evil’ which included; Iran, Iraq and North Korea. The USA used their war on terror so to legitimise their actions worldwide thus destroying any hopes for a post cold war collective international security, therefore basing their response to international aggression on protecting their own national interests. This is seen with the invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001. Together with Britain they acted unilaterally in order to remove the al-Qaeda and capture bin Laden, who was the prime suspect for the 9/11 attacks. The USA believed its actions were justified by labelling them as self defence under Article 51 of the UN charter. This clearly shows that the USA based its responses to international aggression on protecting their own national interests. In addition, the USA further showed that their response to international aggression was based on their own national interests with their invasion of Iraq in March 2003. The USA believed Saddam Hussein to have been harbouring weapons of mass destruction which could be made available to the al-Qaeda to which they invaded with Britain, legitimising their actions by again stating it was due to self defence as they perceived themselves to be under threat. This was against the wishes of member counties in the United Nations (UN), as many believed there was little evidence to support their claim of Iraq having weapons of mass destruction. However, the USA only ignored these beliefs and continued to respond to international aggression based on protecting the ir own interests. Furthermore, the USA often decided to not work with the UN. This was because the USA’s own national interests were not being fully served through doing so. This resulted in the UN becoming weaker. This is clearly seen in Somalia in 1992-1995. The USA withdrew all its support by 1994 and with it their commitment towards any multilateral  military action. This withdrawal caused the UN mission in Somalia to fail and the country to be left without any central government, facing considerable humanitarian crises. This further shows how the USA based its response to international aggression on protecting its own national interests. However, as stated, the USA did show some desire to base its response to international aggression prior to 9/11. For example; the 1991 Gulf war with Kuwait and Iraq which they worked collectively with the UN. Iraq had seized considerable amount of the world’s oil supply by invading Kuwait. The USA went through the UN Security Council and committed large numbers of troops and also formed a coalition task force comprised of Syria and Egypt. The USA and its coalition task force took back Kuwait on January 1991. Furthermore, the USA opted not to overthrow Hussein’s government. This showed that the USA had some desire to base its response to international aggression not just on protecting their own national interests. Post 9/11 the USA were a part of some very small missions with the UN. This showed a small desire to base its response to international aggression on other goals other than protecting its own national interests such as world peace. An example of this is Cambodia in 1993. The US helped the UN produce a durable settlement to the Cambodian conflict and implement free elections. Overall, the USA responded to international aggression based on protecting its own national interests however, their response cannot be said to be ‘solely’ based on protecting their national interests. Indeed, this was the case with nearly all of their responses post 9/11 however; prior to 9/11 they did base some actions on furthering global interests rather than just their own. This is because 9/11 was a pivotal moment in USA relations with the rest of the world because of their war on terror and due to the fact they legitimised their actions worldwide through the war. In effect, they became a complete imperialist state that only really aimed at protecting its only national interests.

Reality TV Influence Youth Behavior

Reality Television and how it can influence the behavior of youth and teens There is no doubt that when it comes to American youth television is one of the biggest influences by far. Many parents would love to say that their child does not watch that much TV but in reality they are spending a lot of time watching television or using media in some way. â€Å"The study by the Kaiser Family foundation shows that children ages 2-8 spend an average of 5 ? hours a day â€Å"consuming media† kids 8 and older spend even more time in front of the tube nearly 6 ? hours a day† (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2005 ). Astonishingly, more time is being spent with media then doing homework, studying or even spending time with family. A child’s retention of what they watch depends on the child’s attention span, how they would process the information and of course their own e experience however limited this may be. Reality television can affect the attitudes and behaviors of children all over the U. S. through its stereotyping, violence and cultivating false perception of reality. This differs from family to family and depends on the values instilled in the child. While media manipulates the minds of youth and teens, the value portrayed on reality television by reinforcing negative stereotypes and idealizes body image to be accepted as the norm. Stereotypes are unavoidable in media especially in reality programming. In my opinion the stereotypes depicted in media can influence the way youth see people in real life. Basing their opinion on what they have viewed on television. Often time’s television tends to stereotype genders and racial groups in a negative way. For example by watching the shows â€Å"Jersey Shore† and â€Å"Jerseylicious† you would think that young Italian people are only interested in partying, excessive drinking, promiscuity, name brand fashions and working out. That’s not the best image to enact to young people. With all the media used by youth in America is there any wonder why children stereotype what they don’t know? Adolescent females are easily swayed when it comes to messages about body image. A show such as â€Å"America’s Next Top Model† demonstrates that in order to be a model a person must be slender. Recent research indicates that there is a marked link between TV and watching, and negative body and eating disorders† (British Journal of Psychiatry) Young people are always concerned with what their peers will say. I went around my neighborhood and asked a few teens some questions about body image and the media. I ran into a group of five girls and asked them do th ey feel that body image is important and if so how important is it. After a few moments one of the girls named Kayla who was 15years old said yes with a smirk. My follow up question was â€Å"Why is it so important? † she answered without a moment of pause â€Å"Because when you see someone who is overweight you automatically think they don’t care about themselves, they have bad BO and I don’t want people to think that about Me. † This conversation went on for almost an hour as she informed of her workout routine. Later, that day I saw some young males at the skate park and asked them the same questions as the girls the answers were the total opposite. A young man named Martin who was14 was the only one willing to answer my questions. He said he didn’t think it mattered about his body image or his friends. He later stated he thought it was dumb but when I asked him if he would ever date a girl that was overweight a little ashamed he replied that he wouldn’t. It is no secret that boys and girls are different but prior to this research I thought that all teenagers had basically the same outlook on how they view their bodies. Unfortunately the shows that children and young people are exposed to are not in a realistic light. Children see that the actors and actresses have perfect bodies, hair, and skin and clothing this is not realistic but the need to be perfect remains prominent in our society. With the desire to be perfect it often leads to eating disorders and death. â€Å"The mortality rate associated with Anorexia Nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate associated with all causes of death in females15-24 years old. †(American Journal of Psychiatry 1995) Instead of children being taught that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and colors children are being pumped with the stereotypes that they identify in themselves. This is prominent in the African American community; it is often taught at a young age that if you are of darker complexion or have a curlier hair texture you are not as pretty as the lighter complexioned girl that you might know. It is assumed that the media is to blame for this way of thinking. Youth and teens are self conscious enough without these negative â€Å"airbrushed† and unrealistic images put forth in the media. Media is also being tied to the increasing violence in US children. Children are increasing anti-social and aggressive behavior, become less sensitive to violence and those who suffer from violence, children may view the world as violent and mean fearful of being a victim of violence. Children may desire to see more violence in entertainment and real life, and children will view violence as an acceptable way to settle conflicts. †( Buchanan, A. M. , Gentile, D. A. , Nelson, D. A. ,Walsh, D. A. , Hensel, J. 2002) Astonishingly, more time is being spent on watching television then homework which differ from child to child. A child’s interpretation of what they watch depends on of their attention spans, the way in which they process the information, and their own limited life experiences. Entertainment media exposure can negatively affect attitudes and behaviors of the American child through violence, cultivating false perceptions of reality and stereotyping. Continued concerns researchers are finding exposure to the media violence causes increased levels of aggression and violence in children. Experts even suggest that the evidence linking media violence to aggressive behavior is as strong as the evidence linking smoking to lung cancer. â€Å"Among 10 to 24 year olds, homicide is the leading cause of death for African Americans; the second leading cause of death for Hispanic and third leading cause of death for Asian/ Pacific Islanders, American Indians and Alaska Natives. †(CDC2010a) While most adults realize that media violence is fabricated, children are more vulnerable. A Pre-K student will not know the difference between reality and fantasy. It is suggested that children who identify with an aggressive hero they see on TV are more likely to be aggressive. â€Å"They learn that violence is effective, courageous, and socially except able and rewarded, and they get caught in the aggressive cycle. † (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1995) In a book titled â€Å"Reality TV† in an article Teenagers Identify with the Issues Presented in Reality TV Shows by David Hiltbrand suggests there two reasons why teenagers are able to identify with reality shows are because the shows are â€Å"short† and â€Å"often deal with relationships and rejection. So, with this basic recipe of making reality programming teenagers are being drawn into this toxic TV. Youth can easily relate to the emotions and situations of the reality show stars, like trying to avoid rejection by making friends and/or alliances. Also in the article, David Hiltbrand states that the top shows watched by teens are reality programs. There is lots of evidence that shows the effect of reality television on teenagers and the fact that reality television is greatly consumed by teenagers today. So, there must be something about reality shows that make them able to pull in such a large group of teens, and that would be the fact that they are able to identify with reality show characters which makes the reality show more enjoyable. This goes hand and hand with the cultivation theory. This theory can have a negative effect on teens about the real world. The Cultivation theory put simply suggests that exposure to large amounts of television will over time cultivate viewers perception of reality. A large amount of television watching is seen as â€Å"cultivating† this theory suggests that you would become more engrossed in television programming than in everyday life. The idea is presented to a passive audience, such as children often accept the ideas and therefore influence large groups into conforming behind the ideas. This gives the media a significant influence over youth audiences. †(Cultivation Theory and Research) Children of a young age usually don’t get to experience the world and don’t have many life experiences to refer to, but by the time they do are using the ideas and thoughts that have been given to them through the media. Television can also fill with a wealth of good and educational programming. Having different news stations with different points of view, quality reality shows such as â€Å"Downsized† or a show like â€Å"Too fat for 15†. But are young people rushing home to watch these programs. The teens that I talked to admitted that they had not seen the shows. Although I know the opinion of a few really doesn’t make the majority. Many researchers are telling parents monitor their child’s television and media intake. By monitoring what they watch you can also monitor the amount. In my own experience this message rings true I often monitor the programming my children watch because I know they are young and impressionable. In conclusion watching TV or consuming other forms of media does seem to have replaced dressing up or reading books as the favorite pastime for our youth. Yes, media can alter the thoughts of young impressionable minds if consumed in large amounts but if monitored by parents and by parents steering their children in the right direction media can be a be a powerful tool to gain information about the world. People often refer to reality television as the armpit of entertainment. This may be so but it is just that entertainment and as far as the values portrayed in them I wouldn’t exactly call them that. Television stations have found a â€Å"formula† to make money; it’s not always a positive message behind it but there are a few with a positive message out there. Instilling the values in your children while they are young would be the best way to avoid them wanting to take the messages from TV and applying them to everyday life.