Content Analysis Writing Assignment Research Paper

Content Analysis Writing Assignment - Research Paper Example The movie analyses how the less popular students in school suffer when they try to fit in the popular world. It becomes difficult for them to establish friendships and mingle with other students (Dubowski, Bicks, Kohn & Silverstein, 2009). As seen by the character of Josie, whereby the popular girls mimic her and isolate her. This makes Josie miserable and unhappy. She struggles to fit in, in vain. Friendship is crucial in every person’s life, be it a child, teenager or a parent. Through good friendships, one is able to discuss diverse ideas with regard to different life situation (Brougham, 2007). Everyone in the world requires friendships in one way or another. Without friends, one feels unhappy and isolated. As seen in the movie, Josie tries to establish friendships with different people without success. When she tries to fit in with the popular students, they neglect and make fun of her, when she tries to fit with the geek group she fails too (Dubowski, Bicks, Kohn & Silverstein, 2009). This makes her have no option, but be on her own. In every friendship, there are rules that ought to be adhered, to make the friendship last. For instance, trust, love and emotional support are crucial in every relationship. Therefore, it is essential for everyone to have a friend with whom to depend on and share life experiences (Brougham, 2007). The theme of love, also seen in the movie, the students want to feel loved by both their friends and experience romantic love. For instance, Josie tries to make herself noticed by men so that she could experience romantic love. Her efforts become fruitless after taking a cookie and misbehave in front of the entire school fraternity. She becomes a laughing stock the following day in school. She is thus forced to give up her dreams of getting a boyfriend. A similar thing happens in real life; this occurs in every person’s life when looking for that one

Advantages of Group Decision-Making Essay Example for Free

Advantages of Group Decision-Making Essay Firstly, group decision making from experts in different areas is beneficial to solve complicate problems. For instance, in a small company, boss often makes suggestions by himself; the result of his behavior relies on the ability of the boss. So there are cases when he can’t make things right, which may be serious fault to the operation of a company. However, people with different backgrounds consider the problems more carefully and comprehensively, as a result, running the company will be in less risk. Secondly, people making decisions in groups are eager to bear more risks individually. Decisions come with risks. People who make the wrong decision will take the responsibility. A contradiction rises up when they attempt to avoid being wrong and at the same time, solve problems correctly. As a result, people will somewhat not dare to make the final decision. Nevertheless, group decision makers can share the risks because each of them has responsibility for the suggestions to the problem. Moreover, individual risks are decreased when some others rectify the suggestion for him or her. 2.Disadvantages of group decision-making Firstly, low efficiency in decision-making, everyone has his own opinions and under certain circumstances such as brainstorming, it costs more time to decide what to do by group decision-making than by personal decision-making. If things go well, the results will come out quickly. But if each of them in a group can’t comprise in the end, nothing will be achieved. For example, there is news from CCTV about the 2012 DOHA Climate Change Conference, †Nearly 200 countries haggling over how to stop climate change and how to pay for it failed to reach a deal on schedule Friday. That sets the stage for the wrangling to continue late into the night.† Things like these are usually occurred when a large number of people attend. Finally, the conference extended until they arrive at an agreement. Secondly, group decision-making will lose effectiveness when people are not likely to put up with suggestions out of some reasons. In such cases, the leader of the group will be the only one who does decision-making, which has no diffidence with personal decision-making. All the members of the group should have equal opportunities and are willing to speak out. Then, group decision-making functions better in dealing with problems.

Accounting for Individuality

Accounting for Individuality Kadejia Jackson Peppers-Bates Utilitarianism and deontology contrast on many ethical principles. Utilitarianism is agent-neutral disregarding individual preferences, whereas deontology is agent-relative and takes a persons preferences into account. Utilitarianism also has a broad goal to maximize well-being and utility while deontology allows moral decisions to be driven by personal interest and ones own moral principles. Utilitarianism is not agent-relative, unlike deontology, instead it is agent-neutral which causes utilitarians to overlook individual interest and opinion in favor of maximizing overall utility. Utilitarianism does not account for the moral individuality of people. A utilitarian, unlike a deontologist, would rather have someone do something they dislike for the prospect of the good while a deontologist would allow a person to consider their own interests and account for other options in the moral decision making. In this paper, I will be contrasting the opinions of utilitarianism and deontology on the points of special obligations, options and constraints, topics seen in deontology, and how the lack of these point in utilitarianism cause it to be criticized by deontologist. In order to grasp the difference in which these two moral standards view people as individuals, its important to understand the basis of these theories. Starting with utilitarianism, this approach values well-being or utility. The overarching goal of this approach is to lead a life where cumulated decisions are made in the effort to maximizing utility. This approach also hold individuals to be valued the same. Since no one person is valued more than another, a utilitarian could be seen to value the many over the few if doing so would accrue more utility. This particular view is criticized by deontology for not considering a persons own interest and personal values. While on the subject of deontology, its important to recognize that deontology is an agent-relative approach and, unlike Utilitarianism, does recognize individual interest. Each of us is morally permitted to give special weight to our own interests, just because they are ours (McNaughton and Rawlings 35). A point made in deontology is that a person has special obligations or responsibilities to people they hold close and value more than others. Deontology also gives the idea of constraints that people hold because individuals can have different moral principles that keep them from making morally impermissible decisions. A deontologist can be constrained by the principle that killing is wrong and should never be done and in a dilemma where killing is a factor, the deontologist would uphold that principle. A utilitarian on the other hand would consider killing if doing so would have greater utility that not doing so. The third point in deontology involves options which allows people to not always follow through with actions that could be considered necessary or actions that maximize utility. Knowing the bases for these theories it could be understandable why deontologist would criticize utilitarianisms ability to understand individual moral differences. From the utilitarian point of view, its unnecessary to have special obligations. Take parenting for example, it would be expected that a parent would have an obligation to treat their child well because they value their child over others. For a utilitarian, treating children well should not be confined to just that one parents interest because well-being would increase if all children were treated well. Another point about special obligations is that not only does it allow one to consider those closest to them in their decision making, having special obligations is seen as having a duty to those whom a person has special relationships. Many people believe that not only are we permitted to do more for those close to us, but we are often required to put their interest first. We owe things to those with whom we have special relationship [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] that we do not owe to strangers (McNaughton and Rawlings 37). So, unlike utilitarianism, deontology strongly accounts for individuals relationships with others, especially those close to them. The second point included in deontology is having constraints. These prohibitions constrain in what we may do to any person, even in pursuit of good ends (McNaughton and Rawlings 38). As mentioned before, having constraints allows a deontologist to refrain from committing any act that would not abide by their moral principles. Utilitarianism on the other hand, would commit any act with the reward of maximizing utility. The strength of constraints also vary person to person but they are still something not seen in utilitarianism because an individuals constraints arent taken into account when making utilitarian actions. The final point in deontology, options, could be considered a strong factor that allows moral individuality of people. Options create the ability for different people to make a multitude of different decisions in any given situation because in deontology theyre given the option to do so. In Utilitarianism, the right option is the choice you make that accrues the most good. Deontology responds, in a way, to this by giving people choices and ability to consider multiple outcomes. Then, with special obligations and constraints taken into consideration, a person is able to make a decision that fits within their parameters rather than the objective decision to benefit the masses. To reiterate, what strongly separates deontology from utilitarianism is the concepts having special obligations, options, and constraints. Deontologists criticize utilitarians for overlooking these points during moral decision making. Utilitarians dont hold special relationships in regard for their actions because, to utilitarians, decisions are not made for those who a person holds close but instead they are made in order to produce the most good. Constraints are also disregarded for utilitarians because if a decision can be made that produces the most good, then that would be the right decision for a utilitarian, even if that decision would normally be opposed by a deontologist. Lack of constraints for utilitarians is also criticized by deontologists. Since maximizing utility is the goal for utilitarianism, options are forgone and replaced by the decisions that result in the most utility. Its due to this disregard of a persons personal connections, constraints, and options, utilita rianism is criticized for not considering the moral individuality of people. Personally, its difficult to assess which of these approaches are better. Deontology is appealing because it looks at many factors before coming to a decision. When making a decision as a deontologist, a person looks at how a decision would affect not only themselves but people they hold close. They would actually put those people before anyone else. A deontologist would also consider their constraints and what they are willing and not willing to do in a moral conundrum. On the other hand, utilitarianism values maximizing well-being for not only ones self but mainly for the greater population. It seems more selfless to try to do things to help others rather than yourself when contemplating decisions. Utilitarians also are willing to do things some people may be unwilling or hesitant to do if it would have the best benefit. When contemplating the appeals of both theories, the train track dilemma comes to mind. The train track dilemma has a runaway train that, if a switch is not pulled, the train could kill five people. Yet, on the other tracks, where the train will go if the switch is pulled, there lies only one person. The dilemma is then, if placed in this situation, whether you should allow the train to move forward and kill the five people, or should you flip the switch and redirect it to the one person. For a utilitarian, the decision is quite simple. individuals are all worth the same so saving five people would be worth more than saving one person; the switch would be pulled. For a deontologist, its harder because a strong deontological constraint is against murder and to pull the switch would basically be the direct murder of a person. If a deontologist didnt pull the switch, then they would not have broken their constraint and also not directly have killed. Personally, the deontological approach to the dilemma is unappealing. Not making a choice can be seen as making a choice in itself. The deontological idea of not pulling the switch leads to five people dead, and in my personal opinion, five people dead is worse than one person dead. Killing may be wrong, but like a utilitarian, its better if a fewer amount of people die. Although deontology criticizes utilitarianism for lacking the acknowledgement of individual morality, following deontology could possibly lead to worse consequences than following utilitarianism. This is what, in my opinion, make utilitarianism better. My decisions typically revolve around finding the best overall outcome rather than the outcome specifically tailored to my interests. Therefore, the theory that prioritizes maximum well-being seems the better of the two. Works Cited McNaughton, David, and Piers Rawling, Deontology. Ethics in practice: an anthology. 4th ed., edited by Hugh Lafollette, John Wiley Sons, 2014, pp. 35-39.

Tourism Essay -- Traveling, Service Qualities

It is generally agreed that tourism is fragmented. It is made up of various sectors or subsidiaries such as transportation, accommodation, attractions, amenities, catering, entertainment, eating and drinking establishments, shops, activity facilities (Leisure and recreation), and many others. These sectors provide products and service for individuals or groups o tourists who travel away from. Consequently, tourism is an amalgam of the products and services that its various subsectors make available or tourists. The provision of these products and services depends on the linkage between various sectors and their mutual interactions. Tourism is the most wide-ranging industry, in the sense that it demands products rom many sectors of the economy (Edgell, 1990) and employs millions of people in different sectors. For example, airplanes and buses must be manufactured to transport tourists; computers must be produced to make hotel booking and airline reservations; Steel, concrete, and glass are need to build hotels and restaurants; fabrics are needed to make cloths; meat, wheat, and vegetables must be grown to feed visitors. No other industry has so many linkage and interactions with so many sectors of the economy (Edgell, 1990), and delivers so many different kinds of products and services to consumers. Suppose we take a tourism provider as the example for this paper. Without any doubt they should have some sort of service which posses some competitive strategies. According to page et al (2001) in Williams and Buswell (2003) the careful management of the tourist experience is an absolutely vital and complex requirement. So here some examples of services and experience which can provide by a tourism coordinator are follows: .. ...roviders set up certain policies that are deemed comparable to their image and being suitable to their target market. Those policies particularly initiated by management or a service team (Kandampully et al, 2001). They may be developed through a formal process or may automatically evolve from experience and preferences. Policies may be detailed in company documents or simply published by word of mouth throughout the organization. In spite of the system, service policies set the standards for the provision of guest services in the company. Service standards can be only as good as the resultant performance. Although service policies may establish rules and performance standards for staffs while they are not perform effectively. Some companies develop wide-ranging service policies only to motivate staff while they fall short in performance (Kandampully et al, 2001).

A short story – The tranquil night wind

The tranquil night wind whistled gently, puffing though the strands of my hair as I slept. The luminous amber streetlights outside twitched as they projected a silhouette of tall, lofty trees prancing in the serene wind through my windows onto me. The sky was clear and the stars were easily visible as they twinkled through the night. After a day of unbearable heat and hard work done, I was in a very satisfying sleep but had awoken through instinct where I had felt that something was irritating me. I felt like I had forgotten to do something and my brain wouldn’t stop reminding, but what was it reminding me? That’s the question. I tried to ignore it but my mind wouldn’t stop sensing a feel of discomfort. I finally decided to get up and try to resolve the matter and investigate what was going on. I approached my door and just before I went to grasp the door handle I felt a slight shock run through the palm of my right hand. I abruptly pulled away and froze for a minute. It was dark and gloomy in my room so I decided to turn on the lights. With caution I flicked on the light switch and was surprised to not feel any more shocks. the luminous light bulb from the ceiling of my room glistened so luminously that I went blind for a few seconds and I just stood there rubbing my eyelids as they couldn’t cope with the sudden illumination of the room. Feel quite dizzy, I continued to attempt to open the door. I vigilantly stretched out to reach for the door handle again and this time I successfully held it firmly without any shocks. Maybe it was just my mind playing up with me? I mean, it was 3am in the morning and I wasn’t feeling too bothered as I investigated what felt wrong. I twisted the door handle but it didn’t open. I tried to twist it open again but it didn’t seem to open. At this point I was furious; I took a deep breath and pinched myself to make sure this wasn’t just another horrid dream, unfortunately it wasn’t. I took a big step back away from my door and charged towards it whilst I firmly clutched the handle and dragged it mightily. It still didn’t open. I roared in fury. I screamed for my parents but I got no reply. I repeated but this time for my siblings but I stood there without a response. No words could explain the rage I was in. I shrieked once more and I irately jolted my door which countered with a massive bruise to my foot . I fell to my feet with my head on the ground, tears recklessly flowing down my face. This wasn’t the day for someone to mess with me, not at all. I got back up on my feet and as I loomed towards the window, I heard a whisper which said â€Å"it’s just you and me† in a sonorous demonic voice followed by an awkward cackle. I brusquely stopped and jumped with fear. I hastily dived under my bed and snatched the broad metal pole I had hidden under there. I got back up and spent 2 or so minutes inspecting my room looking to see if by any chance it was anyone. Was it my conscience? Was it something outside? Or was it really some sort of spectre really talking to me? I scuttled to my open window and took a pro longed gaze outside to see if anyone was out†¦there was nobody. It was an opaque, pitch black night with the white stars twinkling above. The roads were ever so quiet. Who would be out at this time? I guess I did hear something after all, 3am in the morning and my mind seems to be playing with me; I couldn’t even open the door to go and get some water or anything else refreshing. I turned away from the window to retry the door again†¦and I heard a really deafening thump. I jerked in fright and my heart was thumping so hard that I could see it beating out of my t shirt. I gradually rotated myself towards the direction of the noise with my heart in my hands. All four windows in my room had pounded shut. Coincidence? I’m starting not to think so. I stood there in awkward silence for a good 5 minutes. Why me? I stepped foot to approach the windows and the lights flicked off. I squealed worse than those in an intense horror movie; this wasn’t no movie this was reality and I don’t know what was happening. I couldn’t see anything but a slight shadow of something behind me, shortly after that I felt a cold, icy hand on my shoulder. As I turned around, my vision instantly went blurry and I couldn’t see much but I could see something similar to a white spirit with gleaming red eyes. I fainted.

the pigman essays

the pigman essays In the novel, The Pigman, writing by Paul Zindel the main characters are Mr.Pignati, John and Lorraine. They all meet by chance and each becomes a trespasser on another's life. However, John and Lorraine each gain something from their experience with the Mr.Pignati. Mr.Pignati, John and Lorraine all have their own individual reasons and desires for wanting to be with each character. John had many reasons for wanted to be with the Pigman. John benefited greatly on getting money for L Loraine trespassed on Mr.Pignati just as much as John did. She received things like stockings and food from him and also in the phone marathon she cheated and looked up his number. Mr.Pignati's house was basically a hang out to Lorraine and John, like when Lorraine couldn't take being at home she just went to Mr.Pignati's house. Towards the end of the novel Lorraine became a better person because she started to become more honest with her mother and start to under stand he mother better. Lorraine and John both have trespassed but both learned for their wrong doings. The novel The Pigman, focuses on the growth of individual characters. Each character has their reasons for wanting to be with the other character but being with the other characters changes their perspective on life. Mr.Pignati, John and Lorraine all trespass on eachother, but benefit on becoming better people. ...

Rain of Gold essays

Rain of Gold essays The book Rain Of Gold by Victor Villasenor was a powerful novel that depicted the lives of two different families and their struggles coming from one culture into another. Dona Margarita and Dona Guadalupe were the main characters of the novel who each led, taught, and helped their families grow and live their lives. Although both Dona Margarita and Dona Guadalupe came from different places and different ethnic backgrounds, they both were very proud of their heritage and both were very religious. Religion played a big role in the novel, as well as in the lives of the two In passage 2 were it describes Lupes fondness of her mother, Lupe does a good job of describing what kind person Dona Guadalupe is. She is a nurturer as well as a leader. Dona Guadalupe put the babys little feet in a bowel of warm water, and the child clinging to his mother. He never cried, listening to her heartbeat, the same music that hed heard from inside the womb. (pg.57) This particular passage portrays the exact kind of person Dona Guadalupe is. Very passionate and gentle when dealing with her children, she definitely is a very nurturing person. Dona Guadalupe was also a very religious lady. The birth of her children was truly a sign from God.(pg.58). At the end of this particular chapter Dona Guadalupe gathers everyone around to pray. Lupe, especially, is moved by this particular prayer and it reenergizes him and gives him strength to face the next day. Dona Margarita along with Dona Guadalupe is also a gentle nurturing person, but Dona Margarita can also be labeled as a survivor. When times were tough Dona Margarita always seemed to get everyone through. She was strong. In the morning, he was delirious...they massaged the soles of ...

Free Essays on Modern Belief

Modern Thinking vs. The Holy Word The Modern belief is that today’s churches are mostly women and that a women preacher would better suite them. As we all know teachers are more effective if they have a similar background to the one’s they teach. Modern belief accepts the fact that there are women preachers and embraces the movement of women in the church. But as I research for myself whether or not the bible allows women preachers, the answer is as clear as daylight. It is clear to me that these women preachers foundation is strongly rooted in the Modern belief and not the word of God. I feel that if one chooses to follow the word of god than one must not pick and choose what part of that word they will follow. This debate is not whether or not what the bible says is true; it’s about whether or not the bible says it. In 1st Timothy Chapter 2 Verse 12 it states (as read in the International Version) â€Å"I do not permit a women to teach or to have authority over a man, she must be silent.† In 1st Corinthians Chapter 14 Verse 34 it states â€Å"Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law say.† Later in verse 35 of the same chapter, it states, â€Å" it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in church.† In 1st Timothy Chapter 3 Verse 2 it states that an overseer (the equivalent to a pastor) â€Å" Must be above reproach, the Husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach†. A man by the name of Rob Harrison writes that some of the greatest people in the bible were women (i.e.: Mary, Dorcus, Lydia, Phoebe, Eudia) but one of the things that made these women great was that they recognized the place that god had for them, and the honor that was bestowed upon them in their submission. It is not a question of men trying to hold back women for fear of competition. It’s about what God has set in order. He later writes, â€Å"People ... Free Essays on Modern Belief Free Essays on Modern Belief Modern Thinking vs. The Holy Word The Modern belief is that today’s churches are mostly women and that a women preacher would better suite them. As we all know teachers are more effective if they have a similar background to the one’s they teach. Modern belief accepts the fact that there are women preachers and embraces the movement of women in the church. But as I research for myself whether or not the bible allows women preachers, the answer is as clear as daylight. It is clear to me that these women preachers foundation is strongly rooted in the Modern belief and not the word of God. I feel that if one chooses to follow the word of god than one must not pick and choose what part of that word they will follow. This debate is not whether or not what the bible says is true; it’s about whether or not the bible says it. In 1st Timothy Chapter 2 Verse 12 it states (as read in the International Version) â€Å"I do not permit a women to teach or to have authority over a man, she must be silent.† In 1st Corinthians Chapter 14 Verse 34 it states â€Å"Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law say.† Later in verse 35 of the same chapter, it states, â€Å" it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in church.† In 1st Timothy Chapter 3 Verse 2 it states that an overseer (the equivalent to a pastor) â€Å" Must be above reproach, the Husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach†. A man by the name of Rob Harrison writes that some of the greatest people in the bible were women (i.e.: Mary, Dorcus, Lydia, Phoebe, Eudia) but one of the things that made these women great was that they recognized the place that god had for them, and the honor that was bestowed upon them in their submission. It is not a question of men trying to hold back women for fear of competition. It’s about what God has set in order. He later writes, â€Å"People ...

Criminal Justice Research Methodology Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Criminal Justice Methodology - Research Paper Example The academic literature in the field of criminology is devoting increasing attention to the factors that cause women to engage in criminal behavior. Some researchers have discovered that the behavioral patterns appear to differ between female and male offenders (Block et al, 2010). Others have observed that alternative research and assessment strategies need to be applied to female offenders to gain a better understanding of deviant behavior in women and to obtain more reliable data on crimes committed by women (Traqina and Sorensen, 2009). In order to assess the proportion of non-violent crimes reported in Minneapolis, Minnesota the following hypotheses will be tested: This study will utilize both quantitative and qualitative methodologies in an effort to gain a better understanding of the relationship between age and gender and the reporting of non-violent crimes. The case study approach is a useful qualitative tool and helps to limit the scope of the project to a size that is manageable. A content analysis of the local news section of Minneapolis Star-Tribune newspaper for the years 2005-2009 will assist in identifying non-violent crimes reported by the major print media. This will help determine if there appears to be a bias related to gender or age in the crimes that actually make it into print. Quantitative data from the University of Minnesota for 2005-2009 will show all reported incidences of non-violent crime in Minneapolis categorized by gender and age. The mean and standard deviation for the number of non-violent crimes by gender and age will be calculated and compared. A cross tabulation will be constructed and the Pearson Chi Square will be used to determine statistical significance. The findings from the Minneapolis case study will be compared to other studies reported in the academic literature. This is useful in helping to

Women and Children of Rape in Bosnia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Women and Children of Rape in Bosnia - Essay Example If rape was not made a top priority crime, then the prosecutors would end up without any witnesses. After a protracted period of time, the victims of rape now want to lead their lives without any interference, and are not interested in the proceedings of the tribunal. They are no longer willing to testify and are of the opinion that it is highly unlikely for them to obtain justice (Bosnia Rapes Continue to Go Unpunished). A European Community’s agency stated that more than twenty thousand Bosnian Muslim women were raped or sexually assaulted by the military forces of Serbia. In this regard, a UN Commission of Experts had observed that the Bosnian Serbs had implemented a policy of systematic rape against the Bosnian Muslim women. They also committed rapes in the detention camps (Bosnia Rapes Continue to Go Unpunished). A number of people have claimed that the rapes carried out by Bosnian Serbs were part of their ethnic cleansing policy. Under this policy Muslims were to be killed and thrown out of their homes and ultimately from the nation. However, the tribunal decided not to prosecute rape as acts of genocide, and most human rights advocates disagreed with this decision of the tribunal. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda had also concluded on these lines. The tribunal must provide counseling, legal advice and relocation arrangements, such as new identities for witnesses of rape crime before, during and after the trial (Bosnia Rapes Continue to Go Unpunished). A European Community mission estimated that nearly twenty thousand Bosnian Muslim women had been raped by the troops during the war. The Health Ministry of Croatia concluded that nearly fifty percent of women, who had been accommodated in the base camps in Bosnia, had been subjected to rape. These military forces even raped children aged six years and women aged eighty years. Hundreds of women and children were assumed to have been killed after being subjected to gang rapes. There had

Art Appreciation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art Appreciation - Essay Example It had a gabled roof, which was over 100 feet at the centre. The atrium of Old St. Peter's Basilica was known as the "Garden of Paradise." It had five doors leading inside the church. The atrium was added in the 6th Century. ("Old Saint Peter's Basilica," Wikipedia 2007) The nave ended with an arch holding a mosaic of Constantine and Saint Peter. The walls had 11 windows and were decorated with frescoes. The Basilica contained the tomb of St. Peter in the apse of the church. The most significant architectural element was the 'transept,' which marked the cross axis to the nave. "The cross axes of the nave and transept allowed for the concentration of attention on the tomb of Peter." ("The Romanization of Christianity," 2007) The Hagia Sophia, built as the new cathedral of Constantinople by Emperor Justinian in 532 to 537 A.D., is supposed to realise the "ideal" Byzantine model. ("Hagia Sophia," Great Buildings Online 2007) "It combined a longitudinal basilica and a centralised building, with a huge main dome supported on pendentives, and semi domes on either side." ("Hagia Sophia," 2003) This was the first instance of the use of pendentives, which "enable the round dome to transition gracefully into the square shape of piers below." ("Hagia Sophia," Wikipedia 2007) The building itself measures 102 feet by 265 feet along its main floor. The central space is a 100 feet square, which is extended to 200 feet by adding two "hemicycles" covered by semi domed "exedras" to the east and west of it. These are extended further with three minor apses eastward and two to the west. The main dome is 102 feet in diameter, and 184 feet high. It contains a corona of 40 arched windows, which reflects light into the interior of the nave. "Flanking the nave on the north and south are side aisles, with galleries over them." ("Hagia Sophia," 2003) Their massive vaults are carried at both levels by monolithic columns, thus receiving the weight of the dome and its arches. The Dome of the Rock This is the earliest architectural monument of Islam. It was constructed to cover the Noble Rock, in 691-2 A.D. in the old city of Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock is octagonal shaped. It consists of a Dome which is 20m 20cm in diameter and its height is 20m 48cm. The dome rises to a height of 35 meters over the Noble Rock. The Noble Rock is surrounded by inner circular and outer octagonal arcades. Each side of the octagon has a door and 7 windows. ("Dome of the Rock," Islamic Architecture Org 2007) Common Structural Elements The Old St. Peters Basilica and The Dome of the Rock are, both, built in the shape of a Byzantine "Martyria." A martyrium is used for the housing and veneration of saintly relics. ("Byzantine Architecture," Wikipedia 2007) In the former case, it is the tomb of St. Peter, and in the latter the Noble Rock, venerated by Christian, Jews, and Muslims alike. The church of Hagia Sophia and the Old St. Peters Basilica, both follow the basic Roman architectural design of a longitudinal basilica. But, a central or circular type of structure is also found in the Hagia Sophia, and it is very similar to the domed circular structure of the Dome of the Rock. The windows on the main dome of the Dome of t

WHAT ARE THE PURCHASING ADDING VALUES TO A COMPANY AND WHAT CORE Assignment

WHAT ARE THE PURCHASING ADDING VALUES TO A COMPANY AND WHAT CORE PURCHASING ACTIVITIES CAN BE DONE TO MAXMIZE COMPANY'S PROFITABLITY - Assignment Example In the manufacturing sector, it is generally accepted that the value of inputs materials forms a high percentage of the ultimate product price – to the extent of as much as 60% and even more in highly competitive industries. In companies that execute major construction projects in the different engineering fields like civil, metallurgical/other process plants, power plants etc. the value of inputs will be equally high. In this background, the importance of economizing and strategizing procurement can not be over-emphasized. This essay examines the various aspects of procurement, developments in this professional activity and the scope for maximizing profits. In a regular manufacturing company, depending upon sales forecast, production plans and budgets are drawn up and these help the Procurement to anticipate and plan the routine as well as non-recurring purchases. Purchasing activities can be broadly identified as tendering, bid evaluation, negotiations, vendor selection, ordering and follow up. Make or buy decisions are taken at strategic management meetings and once a decision is taken to procure an item from vendors, Procurement receives the requests for purchase along with quantities and specifications. Tendering for non-standard purchases is more time consuming and involves calling for quotations based on buyer’s specifications and terms like quantities, delivery schedule, supply conditions, payment terms, guarantees and warranties etc. Quotations are evaluated for technical and commercial comparison and to identify the preliminary list of suppliers for further discussions. Negotiations cover the technical specifications as well as other terms that differ from tender documents and to arrive at mutually acceptable terms of supply. Based on the success of such negotiations, one or more suppliers are selected and the purchase orders for going ahead with the supplies are issued. Regular follow up is part of the

Philosophy 100 (4) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophy 100 (4) - Essay Example His theory is contrary to the idea that there is some sort of underlying matter that is responsible for that which we experience. The type of thought that Descartes exemplified stated that we experience things through our senses, and while we might not be able to directly experience the matter that is responsible for being perceived by our senses, we know that it is there because we are in fact able to experience these senses. We know it is there because we perceive that it is there through the experience of our senses, but in the end we can only ever know it is there because of our senses because we have no way of directly experiencing matter. Berkeley’s ideas are so contrary to what a person might initially think because he wants to put our own existence as being dependent upon things that don’t have any direct effect on a person. To think about it as a solid example, Berkeley would state that the person who is walking down the street and is perceiving themselves as existing owes nothing to their own perception of themselves walking down the street and everything to the random person who sees the initial person walking down the street who is perceiving this happening. In other words, reality is not based in one’s own mind but in the minds of everyone else. While a person does not contribute to their own existence by merely being able to perceive their own existence, they are able to contribute to other people’s existence by perceiving other people. However, why is it exactly that a person can do this for another person while being incapable of doing it for themselves? We can observe the reacti ons we have upon other objects when we act upon them. Of course, this begs the question as to how a person continues to exist without being in the presence of other people constantly, but Berkeley uses this trouble in his logic to introduce the idea of God. In order to get to his point that existence depends upon being

Is Death Penalty Justifiable Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is Death Penalty Justifiable - Essay Example This matter entails unresolved issues on its justification as a rightful punishment for convicted criminals. Death penalty advocates stress mainly that this system will deter crime and moreover give justice or retribution to the crime victims and their families. On the other hand, death penalty abolitionists believe that death penalty does not deter crime but rather promote it. Moreover, it violates the human rights of the convicted criminals, some are may be wrongfully convicted and there is an apparent issue of unequal treatment or discrimination of would-be convicted criminals because of being poor or a member of a minority group. One of the main purposes of having death penalty in the judicial systems was to advocate fear of committing a crime and stopping criminals in doing so now that they are immobilized or put out of action. But does death penalty on convicted criminals honestly discourage other from doing crime I personally don't believe so. An acted violence punished by another form of violence results to a cycle of violence. Fear from punishment of a crime won't stop criminals from committing crimes. These proceedings will not only promote its existence as a system but also its normality. Normality leads to acceptance and is a ticket to apathy as supposed to fear. Advocates s Advocates say that death penalty brings justice or retribution to the victims and their families. I sadly do not agree with this. I do not believe in the basic essence of the word justice in this case. Should there be such a word Death penalty ends the life of someone who took or damaged the victim's life. But does that bring back the supposed life of the victim and their families No, it does not. This does not mean justice, its retribution and more like vengeance. "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth", isn't it about time to stop this kind of thinking It is barbaric and inhuman. Given that some of these convicted criminals were the author of such horrendous crimes, ending there lives I believe will not bring justice to the bereaved. A life imprisonment without parole is a more likely option with the possibility of reformation on the life of the convicted criminal. Issues on unfair application of death penalty appeals on an accused that belongs to a minority race also are abundant and apparent especially on the United States of America. Procedures on death penalty appeals in the case of the accused or the victim is influenced by his/her race or financial capabilities; that is, inadequate defence of the accused or inadequate support for the conviction of an accused in support to the victim. This also strengthens the notions of death penalty abolitionists that possible death penalty candidates may be convicted wrongly. In a more practical note, anti death penalty groups say that a session of capital execution or death penalty is expensive and costs more than to imprison the convicted criminals for as long as they live. On this note, death penalty advocates answer that death penalty costs can be minimized by limiting the appeals for death penalty. If you come to think of it, this notion will only result to more injustices. Let's just say, what I have just said was a bit indifferent to the pain of the victims and their families who are left to endure more pain. I do not disregard the fact that every victim has a story

WHAT ARE THE PURCHASING ADDING VALUES TO A COMPANY AND WHAT CORE Assignment

WHAT ARE THE PURCHASING ADDING VALUES TO A COMPANY AND WHAT CORE PURCHASING ACTIVITIES CAN BE DONE TO MAXMIZE COMPANY'S PROFITABLITY - Assignment Example In the manufacturing sector, it is generally accepted that the value of inputs materials forms a high percentage of the ultimate product price – to the extent of as much as 60% and even more in highly competitive industries. In companies that execute major construction projects in the different engineering fields like civil, metallurgical/other process plants, power plants etc. the value of inputs will be equally high. In this background, the importance of economizing and strategizing procurement can not be over-emphasized. This essay examines the various aspects of procurement, developments in this professional activity and the scope for maximizing profits. In a regular manufacturing company, depending upon sales forecast, production plans and budgets are drawn up and these help the Procurement to anticipate and plan the routine as well as non-recurring purchases. Purchasing activities can be broadly identified as tendering, bid evaluation, negotiations, vendor selection, ordering and follow up. Make or buy decisions are taken at strategic management meetings and once a decision is taken to procure an item from vendors, Procurement receives the requests for purchase along with quantities and specifications. Tendering for non-standard purchases is more time consuming and involves calling for quotations based on buyer’s specifications and terms like quantities, delivery schedule, supply conditions, payment terms, guarantees and warranties etc. Quotations are evaluated for technical and commercial comparison and to identify the preliminary list of suppliers for further discussions. Negotiations cover the technical specifications as well as other terms that differ from tender documents and to arrive at mutually acceptable terms of supply. Based on the success of such negotiations, one or more suppliers are selected and the purchase orders for going ahead with the supplies are issued. Regular follow up is part of the

Is Death Penalty Justifiable Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is Death Penalty Justifiable - Essay Example This matter entails unresolved issues on its justification as a rightful punishment for convicted criminals. Death penalty advocates stress mainly that this system will deter crime and moreover give justice or retribution to the crime victims and their families. On the other hand, death penalty abolitionists believe that death penalty does not deter crime but rather promote it. Moreover, it violates the human rights of the convicted criminals, some are may be wrongfully convicted and there is an apparent issue of unequal treatment or discrimination of would-be convicted criminals because of being poor or a member of a minority group. One of the main purposes of having death penalty in the judicial systems was to advocate fear of committing a crime and stopping criminals in doing so now that they are immobilized or put out of action. But does death penalty on convicted criminals honestly discourage other from doing crime I personally don't believe so. An acted violence punished by another form of violence results to a cycle of violence. Fear from punishment of a crime won't stop criminals from committing crimes. These proceedings will not only promote its existence as a system but also its normality. Normality leads to acceptance and is a ticket to apathy as supposed to fear. Advocates s Advocates say that death penalty brings justice or retribution to the victims and their families. I sadly do not agree with this. I do not believe in the basic essence of the word justice in this case. Should there be such a word Death penalty ends the life of someone who took or damaged the victim's life. But does that bring back the supposed life of the victim and their families No, it does not. This does not mean justice, its retribution and more like vengeance. "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth", isn't it about time to stop this kind of thinking It is barbaric and inhuman. Given that some of these convicted criminals were the author of such horrendous crimes, ending there lives I believe will not bring justice to the bereaved. A life imprisonment without parole is a more likely option with the possibility of reformation on the life of the convicted criminal. Issues on unfair application of death penalty appeals on an accused that belongs to a minority race also are abundant and apparent especially on the United States of America. Procedures on death penalty appeals in the case of the accused or the victim is influenced by his/her race or financial capabilities; that is, inadequate defence of the accused or inadequate support for the conviction of an accused in support to the victim. This also strengthens the notions of death penalty abolitionists that possible death penalty candidates may be convicted wrongly. In a more practical note, anti death penalty groups say that a session of capital execution or death penalty is expensive and costs more than to imprison the convicted criminals for as long as they live. On this note, death penalty advocates answer that death penalty costs can be minimized by limiting the appeals for death penalty. If you come to think of it, this notion will only result to more injustices. Let's just say, what I have just said was a bit indifferent to the pain of the victims and their families who are left to endure more pain. I do not disregard the fact that every victim has a story

Christopher Columbus Case Essay Example for Free

Christopher Columbus Case Essay Christopher Columbus is one of the most well-known explorers in history. Christopher Columbus had many voyages that he had done throughout the years. There was several letters that he had written, one regarding his first voyage was to Luis de Santangel that explained what he had found, and the way he felt during his voyage. Another was his fourth voyage to Ferdinand and Isabella, in which he shows sorrow and regret for his discoveries. In the letters that Christopher Columbus had written his tones were very distinct and different. It is hard to think that it is even the same person wrote the two letters. Columbus made a complete change from arrogant to humble in his attitude. The letter that Christopher Columbus had written to Luis de Santangel was regarding his first voyage and his tone in this letter can be described as very eager, passionate, and anxious for his upcoming voyages. When reading the first letter you can tell that he is excited just by the way he describes the way the island looks. He goes in great length about the marvels of the new lands he encounters. He explains them as he is a child experiencing something new for the first time. All are most beautiful, of a thousand shapes, and all are accessible and filled with trees of a thousand kinds and tall, and they seem to touch the sky and Espanola is a marvel. Christopher Columbus radiates his excitement through his letter to Luis de Santangel. Christopher Columbus almost feels as he truly has the whole world at his finger tips, and awaits more. In His letter Regarding the Fourth Voyage that was to Ferdinand and Isabella you see a much different demeanor about him. Very pessimistic and down attitude surrounds his writing. He speaks of weeping when he thinks about the lands that he has found, due to the fact that they are pretty much barren. He goes on by saying people are dying them daily because of the audacity that people have there, imprisoning people, and taking their lands. He goes on deeper by explaining how he has grown old and grey. Not a hair on his body that isnt gray. He states how everyone is trying to explore and plunder without any knowledge of exploration or any heart for the matter, just trying to get a piece of the action. I think he feels somewhat betrayed, and asks mutual punishment for Alonso de Ojeda, who is the man that took almost everything he had. â€Å"The same punishment is due to him who robbed me of the pearls, and to him who infringed my rights as admiral†. Christopher Columbus is one of the most well-known explorers of all time. Columbus life was a voyage in itself. While he rose to fame as an outstanding explorer, he also had terrible lows in his life. During his voyages, Columbus wrote letters documenting his experience. His tone and diction in Letter to Luis de Santangel Regarding the First Voyage is upbeat and hopeful, while his tone in the Letter to Ferdinand and Isabella Regarding the Fourth Voyage is full of sadness. His series of four voyages between 1492 and 1504 produced a brief moment of wonder following by a longs series of disasters and disappointments, which reflect his attitudes at these different times in his life.

Impact Of SMS On Society Social Policy Essay

Impact Of SMS On Society Social Policy Essay Nowadays mobile phone plays the key role in communication in many countries, it bring convenience because can carry out anywhere anytime, a lot of function like listen music, browse internet or play game. Another increasingly popular function is the message services in forms of short message service (SMS). SMS first appeared in about 1991 GSM. Later, in CDMA SMS, and TDMA networks. Phone Caller (MO), the key SMS feature that allows users to text messages from mobile phones, has not only become available to non, GSM users in 2000.SMS is a communication service standardized in the mobile phone communication system, using standard communication protocol that allows mobile phone text messages exchanged between the devices (John Wily 2005). About issues of SMS in society, SMS has caused subtle but interesting changes in society since it has been popular. According to U.S. statistics, in year 2009, the total of SMS sent in the first half of 2009 was double the number last year same time, t otal SMS sent in first half of 2009 is 740 billion and the volume of SMS sent daily is 4.1 billion, and there are 276 million wireless users. This reflects the importance of the Short Message Service or the SMS as it is popularly known (Jain 2009). More people to use this service, the issues will arise more. Of course, used in the right place will not be affected to society, but some people will take advantage of this service to do illegal things the community. Analysis The reasons why I choosing Impact of SMS on society because last time me almost send more than 100 SMS in one day and cause me to waste lot money to reload my mobile credit. I also cheated by a scam, and every week will automatically deduct the credit of my mobile phone. That time I have to register an account to checking the football live score and every week will charge me RM 3 ringgit, but when I want to deactivated my account, it have no way to teach me how to do. So every week my mobile phone will auto pay RM 3 ringgit to them. This is a lesson I learn from it, we should careful when register anything through SMS and read the condition properly before action. SMS (Short Message Service), commonly referred to as text messaging, is a service for sending short messages of up to 160 characters (224 characters if using a 5-bit mode) to mobile devices, including cellular phones, smart phones and PDAs (Simon Smith 2008). There are 276 million wireless users in U.S; it reflects the importance of the U.S. people. SMS is the discrete more than telephone conversations, making it to communicate when you do not want to be disturbed the ideal form. Example if inside the cinema, through SMS we can not affect any person and send message to anyone. SMS is less time-consuming in comparison to make a phone call or send an e-mail. Unlike email and instant messenger, SMS does not require you to have a computer. A lot of businessman sends their advertisement along with the SMS, because it will save cost and time. SMS has countless contributions to the worlds. Some companies will use this service can issue immediate alerts to their employee about emergencies and critical situations. To send important information to major customers or suppliers, thereby ensuring that the information received is the appropriate person immediately. The company can send greetings to their clients or suppliers on various festivals or other occasions. Any updates or e-message can be sent to roaming, employees such as sales personnel or technical staff on the road any updates or information. SMS can be used to send a message to many people, from the contact list one or all users in a particular area. This service is called broadcasting companies use the contact employee groups or online services, news and other information users. Bank are useful in this SMS service, it made a contribution to areas such as transaction deposits and withdrawals so much. Rather than go to the bank for processing, whereas the latter has developed a variety of ways, allowing customers to carry out short message service through banking transactions. This allows them to complete their financial transactions with out of the office or and home. Whether young or old, they have been contacted and know how to use SMS service. SMS allows the sale and purchase of goods easier. Only to send and receive text messages for buyers and vendors do not have to meet face to face when transactions (Urmann 2009). SMS has its own share of disadvantages also. Some fraud group will send you the text messages to show that you have allegedly won in a lottery or promos. Then you will find that these are not real, will bribe you some money. SMS has made some disintegration of the family in one way or another. Rather than talk to each other and their children, they will usually pick up the phone and text or play games. Similarly, the children communicate with their peers the most frequently used text messages and lose the quality time with their parents interact. Sadly, their interaction, communication, and even relationships are under threat then became addicted to the short messaging system for some users. We can see SMS has a lot of benefits, compare to post modernism, it really have a big different now. We compare write a letter and send a SMS to a person, letter will takes more than 2 days to reach the addressee at home, but SMS just waste 1 or 2 minute will send out to the addressee. SMS increase more Efficiency than write letter, now we can send messages and chat directly with each other. A lot company will through SMS to promote their product, because it can send to many people in the same time, that no need waste the paper to write any letter to promote their product. Letter will waste resource, time and money. A company can send out SMS to every mobile user for promote their product in one day, letter cannot just will slow down every progress and a lot disadvantage and feel unsecure to it. The positive perspective, SMS brings a lot of convenience to the society. Its use more frequently to countless, SMS is particularly suited for these kinds of short messages because SMS is much cheaper than calling someone and giving the same message. Call someone to provide the same information will always need more time, thereby enhancing the cost (Gupta 2001). Whether in business, or each person transmission of messages, SMS and the establishment of its importance and in this world can no longer be a lack of a service. Some people lack communication skills, but through SMS, they can express what they want. At any time, as long as have mobile phones, we can spread our message to anyone. For the negative perspective, many students indulged in SMS chat, leading to neglect their studies, but also expensive monthly bills. This trend has become a bad habit of the students, so SMS quite a big effect on them. Some people use SMS this method to do some illegal things, such as the misappropriation of certain groups, the reputation of a person to get money, some ignorant people and greedy people easy to fool them. Conclusion From so many different perspectives and then the good service of SMS, It provides a very convenient method of exchanging small bits of information between mobile users (Gupta 2001). The reason for the huge popularity of SMS has been the fact that, send and receives messages, not only saves time and lower cost, as well as the mechanism. In many cases, it is a relatively more comfortable than talking by sending SMS message via mobile phone. Mankind should have good use of modern technology, rather than abusing it to the exercise of ways to break the law. Humans have been moving towards higher technology, better use of technology can make it flourish, if a good technology to be used in crime by some people on transit, it can be science and technology may no longer appear on this earth has. References John Wily 2005, mobile messaging technologies and service http://books.google.com.my/books?id=AWQgapsAIvoCpg=PA47dq=issues+Short+Message+Service+%28SMS%29#v=onepageq=issues%20Short%20Message%20Service%20%28SMS%29f=false [5 November 2009] Veena Jain 2009, Advantages of Sending Bulk SMS http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/advantages-of-sending-bulk-sms-1030002.html [5 November 2009] Simon Smith 2008, Short Message Servicehttp://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid40_gci213660,00.html[5 November 2009] David H. Urmann 2009, SMS (Super Messaging Service!) Advantages and Disadvantages http://transmeet.com/471977-SMS-Super-Messaging-Service-Advantages-and-Disadvantages.html [5 November 2009] Puneet Gupta 2001, Short Message Service: What, How and Where? http://www.wirelessdevnet.com/channels/sms/features/sms.html [5 November 2009]

Disjointed Characters of Faulkners Light in August Essay -- Light Aug

Disjointed Characters of A Light in August  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      In the novel, A Light in August, William Faulkner introduces us to a wide range of characters of various backgrounds and personalities.   Common to all of them is the fact that each is type cast into a certain role in the novel and in society. Lena is the poor, white trash southern girl who serves to weave the story together. Hightower is the fanatic preacher who is the dark, shameful secret of Jefferson. Joanna Burden is the middle-aged maiden from the north who is often accused of being a â€Å"nigger-lover†. And Joe Christmas is the epitome of an outsider. None of them are conventional, everyday people. They are all in some way disjointed from society; they do not fit in with the crowd. That is what makes them intriguing and that is why Faulkner documents their story.   Percy Grimm is another such character and he plays a vital role in the novel. He is the one to finally terminate Joe Christmas, who has been suffering his entire life.   Grimm is the enforcer, the one man who will uphold American pride at all costs. He also stands for everything in the world that has held Christmas back. He is the prototype of the ruthless enemy who is the source of all of Christmas ¹ struggles. And Christmas can never escape him. He can run, as he has been doing all his life and as he does in his desperate attempt to escape. But he can never hide, as he tries to do at Hightower ¹s and as he has been hiding his true self from the world he hates so much. Percy Grimm represents the unmerciful society that has restrained and persecuted Joe Christmas; it is only fitting that he should be the one to finally bring him down in the end. Percy Grimm was born into the American south and grew up to be a ... ...anage after he has sabotaged his existence there. He kills McEachern and runs away from home. He gets beaten and robbed on his final night with Bobbie. And he finally snaps and kills Joanna Burden and runs away for the last time. As he runs through the woods during his final few moments on earth, he is relentlessly chased by Percy Grimm, his enemy and torturer. In one last desperate attempt to escape, he hides at Hightower ¹s and is subsequently discovered and executed without mercy. But by this time, he is at peace with himself, knowing that he will no longer be forced to run and hide from anything. The society that holds him with such disdain has finally won their eternal battle. But he just does not care anymore. Joe Christmas surrenders to Percy Grimm with apathetic contentment. Works Cited: Faulkner, William. Light in August. 1932. New York: Vintage, 1987.

Open Mine Eyes :: English Literature Essays

Open Mine Eyes 'Open my eyes and allow me to behold the wealth of each curtained acre. Allow me to stand amidst the true complexity of land and hold me hostage beyond the hand of illustrations. As any mind may have it, such beauty is held too deep, so far away no ordinary soul could see. I ask you to bring forth the beauty of such things. Describe to me, young man, the definition of America . . .' Close your eyes and open your mind. Feel that slightly chilled breeze upon your cheeks, barely rustling through your golden hair. Reach out now and grasp the unknown, hold within your hand the temperament of unrestricted air. Now breathe deeply, and allow yourself to inhale that refreshing sweetness. Only you know that its the cause of the shallow whispering of the world around you. Now, in your mind, open your eyes and look beyond that reach. As far as your eyes can see, lays an open field of amber grain. Acres and acres of an un-chartered beauty. Though, what makes such emptiness beautiful? Behold, the white and scattered clouds, now accented by the blue sky and illuminated by the rays of purple, yellow or pink brilliance from the rising sun beyond the horizon. I witness the world grow smaller. I see, in the distance, the annually alternating colors extending from green and yellow, to orange and brown. A painted portrait of freckled or dimpled ground lies towards the horizon. Look above, a great royalty in heavens plains extending his prided wings over the appreciated air. The eagle watches carefully over his kingdom. Though it may not seem much, he prides himself with the restless content of the waving grain. The mild whispering of the wheat battling each other for unity and for serenity, for direction and for time. Though through this complexity, he watches his kingdom dance. You, alone, stand in his shallow pond of grain. When the wind picks up it creates waves of confusion. The careful breeze pushes them one way, and in restraint they push back. Though when the wind s lets up they have strained so much, when they are released, they lurch into the other direction, creating an elegant swaying motion. The individual composition of form, and with the subtle motions they mold a dance of serenity. You must understand, in order to visualize such beauty, a person must be willing to look further than the word America.

Culture Shock Essay

Studying, working or living abroad can be a wonderful experience. However, this can also be an awful time in one’s life with some people finding a lot of discomfort in adapting to a new society. This impact of moving from a familiar culture to one which is unfamiliar is referred to as culture shock. It includes the different feelings and apprehension people have when learning the ways of a different society. This paper looks at this â€Å"occupational disease† as is commonly known. The term ‘culture shock’ was first used by the anthropologist Oberg back in 1960. According to Oberg, there are six main aspects of culture shock. The first is strain, an effect caused by the effort to adapt. Another aspect is a sense of loss and feelings of deprivation in relation to friends, status, profession and possessions. A third common aspect which especially affects people who relocate to a new environment without prior familiarisation with the environment’s culture and way of life is a feeling of rejection by the members of the new culture, or even rejecting the members. Confusion in roles, values and self-identity is another equally significant aspect of culture shock. A certain variety of people may experience anxiety and even disgust or anger about practices they may encounter in their new environment. Last but not least, Oberg identified â€Å"feelings of helplessness†, a case where one may be unable to cope with the new environment. Despite the many negative descriptions that Oberg gave about culture shock, in all its diverse firms, it has been acknowledged as a part of a successful process of adaptation. (Marx, 2001, 5) Culture shock has several stages and the many symptoms known usually occur after the first stage, the honeymoon stage. The honeymoon stage is an excitement stage experienced in the first few weeks of an individual’s relocation to a new environment. The honeymoon stage may last for even months, depending on certain circumstances, such as the person’s popularity. For instance, a well-known person may experience a long honeymoon stage, where he or she may be taken to the show places and given special attention. This experience may not last for long if the person is forced by circumstances to remain in the place for a long period of time. It is then that the person may start having a hostile and aggressive attitude towards the host country, and many symptoms may occur. (World wide classroom, 2008) For example, excessive concern over cleanliness, where one may find the new and strange experiences in-appropriate or plain â€Å"dirty†, especially in relation to drinking water, food and bedding. Another common symptom is a desire for dependence on long term residents of one’s own nationality. Other symptoms such as the fear of physical contact with attendants or servants, irritation over delays and other minor frustrations out of their proportion to their causes, excessive fear of being cheated, robbed or injured, great concern over minor pains and irruptions of the skin, delay and outright refusal to learn the language of the host country; and most significantly, the terrible longing to be in familiar environment, a situation where one would miss one’s relatives and friends. (World wide classroom, 2008) Everyone has been known to be affected by culture shock. Some people adapt quite easily, but others may take years to fully adapt to their new environment. It is therefore critical to understand how to deal with it. Culture shock is unavoidable, despite a person’s status or circumstances. However, various ways have been identified of minimizing it. Some of these steps include, firstly, allowing time to find out about culture shock, which may involve tasks such as reading and carrying out research about the intended place of destination, a step which encompasses learning to recognize the symptoms and their potential impact. Secondly, expecting culture shock to happen is an important step. This should be irrespective of location or distance, as culture shock is likely to occur in a neighbouring country as much as in a far country. The third step is identifying all the opportunities for building support networks with local people as soon as early as possible. Another equally important step to remember is not to give in to any stressful situation. Learning from people who have undergone similar experiences is an invaluable step as someone is able to avoid certain mistakes, hence adapting faster and easier. In some extreme cases, symptoms may persist despite a person’s coping efforts. In such situations, then one is advised to seek professional help through counselors or medical profession. It is critical to remember that reverse culture shock, a situation where the symptoms of culture shock re-occur to people when they get back home is equally normal. Most importantly, is to think about the positive aspects of culture shock; it is worthy noting that people who experience culture shock adapt better than those who do not. (Marx, 2001, 18) According to recent research, the more well-traveled and practiced at absorbing, accepting and adapting one is, the more easily one overcomes culture shock. Good adjustment to a new environment ensures that one competently performs the roles that each social context requires, thus avoiding frustrations resulting from inappropriate behaviour. (International Education, 2008) Managing culture shock is a skill which is increasingly gaining importance in almost all career fields, and can be of invaluable help to international students, job relocation and even living outside a person’s native country. Despite the many painful experiences associated with culture shock, minimizing it using the steps aforementioned can greatly assist in adapting to a new society hence maximizing one’s time and resources. Works Cited: Eickelmann C. , The International Educational Site: Studying abroad and Culture Shock. Retrieved 29 November, 2008 from: http://www. intstudy. com/articles/ec184a13. htm Marx E. (2001) Breaking through Culture Shock: What You Need to Succeed in International Business. Nicholas Brealey Publishing. World Wide Classroom. (2006) Culture Shock and the Problem of Adjustment to New Cultural environments Retrieved 29 November, 2008 from: http://www. worldwide. edu/about/index. html

In the Lake of the Woods Essay Essay

â€Å"In the Lake of the Woods† is a non-linear novel by Tim O’ Brien that consists of the themes trauma and insecurity. The protagonist of the text, John Wade is driven into insanity due to his fear of losing the love of his life, Kathy. Throughout the novel, john Wade’s secrets are exposed to the world, this being the reason that ended his career as a politician, which was the final push towards his madness. Wade was not only affected by his shattering moment in his career, but his childhood and experiences of war in Vietnam left him traumatized and feeling unworthy of love. John begins to crave love at an early stage I his life, after he meets Kathy he develops an obsession for her and becomes dependent on her love. He faces many issues with Kathy, trust being the main one; this could potentially be the reason for John’s breakdown of sanity. Although Kathy played a large role in his life and downfall, there was a whole other range of factors that took p art in his fall to insanity. John Wade started off his career with a goal in mind, to become something important in the political world. As he progressed through his career, he became aware of the fact that his past could ruin what he was currently building. Wade, as a child learnt to deal with his problems by bottling them up and pretending nothing had happened â€Å"this could not have happened. Therefore it did not† John believes that if he lies to himself, and continuously blocks out memories of his dirty past, he would be safe from the secrets. His method did not serve to his likings, as his secrets were exposed to the world despite John’s lies to himself. The secrets of his partaking in the massacre of â€Å"Thuan Yen† were exposed during his election, which proved to be a â€Å"career ender†. John used his career as a politician to gain the love and affection he so deeply desired. Growing up, he didn’t receive the love he craved, â€Å"you show me a politician and Iâ₠¬â„¢ll show you an unhappy childhood.† John losing the election was essentially the loss of his source of love and his sense of power and control. This potentially drove John into insanity. As a child, John Wade suffered. He loved his father but didn’t receive any affection in return. His father continuously teased john, referring to him as â€Å"jiggling john†. This makes John feel that if his own father could not love him, then he was unworthy of love itself. At the young age of fourteen, John’s father committed suicide. This traumatized john and led to his â€Å"desire to kill† the night of his fathers funeral. He wanted â€Å"to kill his father for dying† John was clearly angered by his father’s death, but instead of venting his anger in a healthy way, he pretended it didn’t happen, â€Å"It was pretending, but the pretending helped†. As John grew older he enrolled with the army to fight in the Vietnam War. He was registered with a group called â€Å"Charlie company† Unfortunately, John was involved in the massacre of â€Å"thuan yen†, where he witnessed murder, torture and had a first hand experience in taking two lives, one being his mate PFC weatherby. This came back to John as nightmares and flashbacks. He tried to forget and pretend it didn’t happen but it all came back to him during his slumbers, the memories and guilt wil l always be with john, in some way. The failed politician met Kathy in â€Å"the autumn of 1966† at the university of Minnesota. John’s obsession is evident from the very moment he meets Kathy. He is in love with her, and the â€Å"trick† is to â€Å"make her love him and never stop†. John treats life as a magic show, growing up, magic was his only friend, it gave him a sense of power, happiness and was the only thing going right in his life, as an adult John continues to use tricks to solve all of his problems. John, in a sense, manipulates Kathy and develops a fixation on her and doesn’t stop at anything to find out everything about her life. His urgency comes from fear; he doesn’t want to lose her. After his father committed suicide and in a way, abandoned John, he feels that at any moment Kathy can just get up and leave. Kathy had a tendency to â€Å"simply vanish†. She is â€Å"fiercely independent† which intimidated john because he felt that Kathy was too go od for him. John genuinely loves Kathy, but the way he represents their love is alarming; he compared their love to a pair of snakes he’s seen along a trail near Pinkville, â€Å"each snake eating the other’s tail, a bizarre circle of appetites that brought the heads closer and closer† â€Å"That’s how our love feels†. This image, along with his desire â€Å"crawl inside her belly indicates a love that is both obsessive and destructive. His need to control and ‘consume’ Kathy dictates how his obsession for his wife leads to the loss of his sanity. Although John’s fear of losing Kathy is a main part of his downfall, there is a whole range of factors that lead to his mental breakdown. His fear of losing his wife all trails back to his childhood, where his first traumatizing experience takes place. When the fourteen year Old’s father died, he was not hurt in a ‘normal’ way, It seems almost as if john missed the concept of having a father figure rather then his actual father. This becomes clearer when john remembers an idolized and great version of his father unlike the real one, who was â€Å"continuously teasing† John and suffered from alcoholism. John begins his life of pretence from this moment on thinking the pretending â€Å"would help†. As Wade develops into an adult, his ways never seem to change. During his time served in the Vietnam War, John is better known as â€Å"sorcerer† because of his magic tricks and deceit to the rest of his fellow soldiers. John, having started ma gic from a young age, continues to use it in his adulthood, providing him with a sense of control and power and during the time was fulfilling his craving for love. John takes part in a horrific act of massacring in â€Å"Thuan yen† where he kills two human lives, and watches his fellow soldiers in â€Å"Charlie company† murder numerous people. This comes back to traumatize and haunt John, as Post traumatic stress disorder tends to do, it came back as flashbacks and nightmares. His infatuation with Kathy was a major part in John’s demise; however, the various other components in the novel prove to have had an effect on his sanity.

Cars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Cars - Essay Example Gasoline has a much higher energy density than batteries do. For example, it takes about 1,000 pounds of batteries to store as much energy as 1 gallon or 7 pounds of gasoline. As fuel tank is the energy storage device for gasoline engine, the batteries in a hybrid car are the energy storage device for the electric motor. Gasoline in the fuel tank can only power the gasoline engine but the electric motor on a hybrid car can put energy into the batteries as well as take energy from them. The role of transmissions on hybrid cars is same as the transmissions on conventional cars. Some hybrids have conventional transmissions, like the Honda Insight. Other hybrids have different ones, like the Toyota Prius. The simplest forms of self-propelled motorized transportation are electric cars. Its driving mechanism or engine is made up of a succession of batteries attached to an on and off switch that in turn is attached to an electrically operated motor. The wheels are driven by the electric motor, which thereby propel the car into motion. Generally the amount of energy is controlled by a complicated technique that goes into the motor and the gear system and further helps the wheels in a more capable manner. Some electric cars also have solar collectors that convert solar energy into electricity for slow recharge of the batteries. Here question arises: why should you bother with an electric car The... Here question arises: why should you bother with an electric car There are several reasons as its answer. Electric cars offer a curious driving experience with exceptional control as well as quick initial acceleration thanks to their low center of gravity. Even at lower speeds, it's almost continuous torque makes it easy to climb curbs, sharp turns and steep inclines. Further, the fuel cost is increasing regularly; therefore, use of electrically charged cars is an ideal choice. A simple electric car can be built in just two weeks. It is so fascinating and easy. Electric cars can even be built by anyone because these cars are very simple in overall structure. The main components are a simple frame, an electric motor, a car battery, basic wheels and an electric on and off switch. Although, the task requires some extra efforts as well but it becomes quite easy especially for those have a simple blue print, knowledge of electric currents and wiring and the parts to assemble them all together. Did You Know How Vehicle Size Classes Are Defined The size class for cars is based on interior passenger and cargo volumes as described below. The size class for trucks is defined by the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), which is the weight of the vehicle and its carrying capacity. Fuel economy regulations do not apply to heavy-duty vehicles, so they are not tested. Cars Class Passenger and Cargo Volume (Cu. Ft) Two-Seaters Any (cars designed to seat only two adults) Sedans Mini-compact Subcompact 85 - 99 Compact 100 - 109 Mid-Size 110 - 119 Large 120 or more Station Wagons Small

Introduction to Organisations and Management Essay - 7

Introduction to Organisations and Management - Essay Example The labour force is the one of the most crucial resources for a business organisation and its productivity depends on the organisational culture, structure, leadership, motivation, communication etc. Therefore, management has to take these necessary factors into account for bringing enhancement in productivity level contributed by the labour force. Traditionally, the business owners used to perceive the employees’ related expenses as an added cost of the company; whereas, as per the post-modern organisational concepts, the managements have realised the employees as vital investments for a company which will have return in future. Therefore, the nature structure and process of for completing a task has changed significantly in comparison to the earlier periods (Sole and Costa, 2001, p.2-3). Dodgson, Gann and Salter have identified the two paradigm of managements based on traditional and modern concept. The following the table depict the old paradigm of the managements and the c hanged paradigm of management. Table 1: Old and New Paradigm of Management (Source: Dodgson, Gann and Salter, 2008, p.42) As per the above table, it can be observed that the organisation in the post-modern age become very flexible and growth oriented. The organisations that have successfully understood and incorporated these changes are successful in an industry in comparison to companies following old paradigm of management (Dodgson, Gann and Salter, 2008, p.42-43). This paper will attempt to discuss organisation management of the separate companies i.e. Watsons Engine Components and H & M Consulting based on two case studies. The paper will focus on comparison of the certain areas of the both companies through analyses by using models and theories. The major areas relating to organisation management of the two companies will be organisational design and structure, teams and team working, approach to leadership and management, and approach to leadership and management. 2. Organisat ional design and structure The first step in the successful managing organisation is to create a healthy and smooth management decision making process which is crucial for achieving the organisational growth. Senior and Fleming has described that â€Å"the structure of an organisation is the formal way of identifying who is taking responsibility for what; who is to execute authority over who; and who is to be answerable to whom† (Senior and Fleming, 2009, p.78). Therefore, the organisation structure mainly focuses on the process of the decision making and it involves the top managements who are responsible for taking critical management decisions. For designing a growth oriented organisation, a favourable organisation structure is mandatory and each of the top level management must identify the plays their responsibility considering prevailing scenario for achieving the best possible outcome. Mcshane and Travaglione have identified two fundamental essentials for developing or ganisational structure. These two fundamental requirements are division of labour and coordination. The division of labour is helpful in shaping the specialized skills and coordination means the relationship status among the employees and top level managements. The coordination can be achieved through â€Å"Informal communication†, â€Å"Formal hierarchy†

Novartis Environmental Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Novartis Environmental Analysis - Case Study Example In order for Novartis to achieve excellence in its international markets, it has employed technology to foster innovation in drug manufacturing and promotion. As a result, the company has been able to adapt effectively to the technological environment for excellence and effectiveness in achieving its goals and objectives in the market. International Factors Since Novartis’ pharmaceutical business is internationalized, global or international factors have a significant impact on its operations (Pharmawatch 15). This includes the forces of globalization which has made international companies to comply with the changes in international markets. In this regard, it is reflective that the developments and changes in the pharmaceutical businesses across the world have an influence on the operations of the company. As a result of the international factors, Novartis has been able to form mergers with international companies (Novartis AG 154). In addition, the international forces in th e labor market have an impact on the recruitment and employee retention practices of the company. Political Factor Political risk is related to all forms of international business. This is due to the political forces which are likely to have an impact on the operations of a company in its international market. For example, changes in governments would have a negative or positive impact on the business activities and success in a specific market and economy. Because of the inevitable political forces, Novartis has engaged in political risk assessment in the international markets and economies in which it intends to venture into (Global Pharmaceuticals 129). The assessment of political risk is aimed at allowing the company to be able to determine the possible changes in the political environment which are likely to lead to negative implications on its business activities (Andreas 1). Through this assessment, accurate and informed strategic decisions are made in the company’s in ternationalization program for its pharmaceutical business (PR Newswire 1). Social Factors The social environments which comprise of the culture, religion, beliefs and practices of a society significantly affect the success of an international company within a specific market (Fair Disclosure Wire 1). The pharmaceutical business in characterized by inevitable implication from the social environment which includes the beliefs of a society on the use of conventional drugs as opposed to the religious traditional approaches to healing (Novartis AG SWOT Analysis 7). It is in this sense that it is evident that the success of Novartis in various drug markets across the world depends on the social factors. It is therefore reflective that Novartis employs socially, culturally and religiously acceptable forms and strategies of marketing communication for its drugs so that it would conform to the values and beliefs of the society within which it operates its business (Datamonitor 5). Ecologica l Factors There are ecological risks which internationalized pharmaceutical companies face in their operations. These include possible eco-toxicity and degradation of forests in the extraction of raw materials for the production of the environment (Franchini 6). Novartis has therefore employed chemical analysis processes to ensure that its products are not harmful to the environment in which it operat

Spanking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Spanking - Essay Example Human beings develop or grow by observing the surroundings and so they are called as social animals. Children at young age don't have that much understanding to differentiate between genders or elderly people, teachers, family members and friends are the easiest scapegoats. The beginning of spanking may start from people surrounding the child start interfering in their matter and trying to alter their thoughts and at the same time molding them in a way what their parent or guardians need their wards to grow. This noble effort may be a good weapon to blend their children into a multi-talent adolescent, but it may have serious consequences if the child is already preoccupied by thoughts of his own. At this time if someone tries to interfere with their thoughts and intentions, emotions that may burst paving a way of spanking whoever tries to bother them. "When children mould their behavior as ways to avoid pain, they are likely to end up as self-centered and selfish adults." (McCord, 832). Children at tender age can't differentiate between teaching and strict discipline. Their lies a very thin line between teaching and discipline. If the child experiences this he/she may get disturbed and may get averse to the situations and will react unruly. The greatesThe greatest responsibility of molding a child depends on parents, teachers, etc. Students are the building blocks of the society. Teachers should be well versed in their subject, learnt and should have enchanting character which should influence the child to imitate their teachers. One of the reasons for children and adolescents is suspected weakness in themselves or in others. They try to cover up their weaknesses by aggressive behavior and showing the power personally. Effects of Spanking Spanking has diversified and serious effects on adolescents and adults. The effects of spanking have long-standing issues and may stretch thought life span. Short term or long-term spanking tend to have serious mental difficulties on adults. Adults who continue to spank get into serious troubles and commit crimes like, marital violence, child abuse etc. "Even non-abusive spanking, which is accepted as justifiable, appears to be ineffective in changing child behavior." (Larzelere, 824). It also affects the cordial relationship between the family members and friends. As it develops an adult may use more sophisticated form of bullying either directly or indirectly. It has shades of sexually harassing men and women to an adult where if sexually also reported even to moral policies. Adults who continue to spanking tend to become more sophisticated and gets associated with peer groups forming organized social structures with differentiating codes of behavior targeting women and children for personal collective needs.Boys and girls who continue to be spanked and bullied end up getting in to romantic relationships and affairs before marriage and extra marital affairs after marriage. Which effects their relationship and may end up getting divorced through court of law are may get separated with out getting divorced.The

The Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

The Internet - Essay Example As such, there are various advantages and disadvantages that are realized, and this forms the basis for an analytical analysis of the critical inferences that can be drawn from readings that touch on various implications that the internet has presented to the contemporary society particularly in line with cultural implications. In light of the above, What is the Elephant in the Digital Room is an article that tries to look at the different changes that have characterized the digital revolution. It compares the rate at which information and media is being created in the current world of digital supremacy against the pre-existing rates and definitions that demarcated the creation and sharing of media. To this end, there is the realization that the digital revolution has greatly transformed the very element of life in relation to how we interact with technology and how we partake media and online data. From the amount of information being created particularly for the online platform, to the sheer amount of time that we spend online, the digital revolution is depicted as having changed the way that we consume information and data. Additionally, the internet started off as a tool to ease communication and the availability of essential data. However, it has now transformed into a form of necessity that nobody ca n exist without. In many situations, the internet is no longer optional, and is in fact becoming some form of basic need that almost everybody needs in order to survive. In many respects, mobile communication and the advent of the internet has had more implications on humans than any other form of development in the entire human history. This highlights the relatively staggering levels of adoption that has characterized its intake in almost all factions of human life. While other inventions and developments could catch up in certain parts of the world and fail to catch up in others, mobile communication and the internet has caught up in every

Helping Children with Learning Disabilities Essay

Helping Children with Learning Disabilities - Essay Example In teaching practice, there is the risk of focusing on the deficit or special need in a particular area which is seen as the main area of concern, while ignoring the strengths of the students. The recommendable approach in teaching practice is to deal with the difficulty by focusing on the area of strength and this strategy can improve the self-esteem of the students with learning difficulty. "Certain conditions attract more sympathy and compassion and ultimately more support, for example, physical disability, visual or hearing impairment and chronic medical problems, whilst other conditions including, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Asperger's syndrome and emotional and behavioural difficulties, may be viewed with scepticism and, in some cases, prejudice." (Benton and O'Brien, 85) Therefore, it is fundamental for practitioners to seek means to provide support to enable learners with dyslexia, dyspraxia and hearing difficulty to overcome barriers to learning and a thorough awarenes s of the issue at hand is most essential. This paper explores the various effective ways in which practitioners might provide valuable support to deal with the special needs of the learners with dyslexia, dyspraxia and hearing difficulty. One of the most essential responsibilities of the practitioners in the contemporary educational framework... Such special requirements for the learning of students with dyslexia, dyspraxia and hearing difficulty include flexible teaching arrangements, help with processing language, help and support in acquiring literacy skills, support in organising and coordinating spoken and written language and cognition, help with sequencing and organisational skills, help with problem solving and developing concepts, programmes to aid improvement of fine and motor competencies, support in the use of technical terms and abstract ideas, and help in understanding ideas, concepts, and experiences when information cannot be gained through first hand sensory and physical experience. "One understanding of inclusion is that it aims to encourage schools to reconsider their structure, teaching approaches, pupil grouping, and use of support so that the school responds the perceived needs of all its pupils. Teachers, collaborating closely, seek opportunities to look at new ways of involving all pupils and to draw on experimentation and reflection." (Farrell, 12) Therefore, it is essential for the practitioners to seek new ways to support learners with dyslexia, dyspraxia and hearing difficulty. Dyslexia refers to the problems with language with regard to reading, writing, spelling, and phonological problems and it results in severe learning issues in the classroom setting. It is a difficulty with receptive and expressive language in both its written and spoken forms and this constitutional difficulty is often hereditary. Learners with dyslexia have difficulties with reading, writing, spelling and oral language, along with difficulties with short-term memory, mathematics,

Aims and Objectives Essay Example for Free

Aims and Objectives Essay Hypothesis: Shopping centres in the Central Business District area are better in the sense that they provide a higher level of quality and variety of goods than the shopping centres in the residential areas. Aims and objectives: * Our general objective is to compare and contrast two shopping centres in the Central Business District (CDB) against another two shopping centres in the residential areas. We are also keen to investigate the various factors that influence the people’s decision to patronise the particular shopping centres. For example, the shopping malls in the CDB areas might be a better place to shop in terms of shopping quality and variety but on the other hand, the shopping malls in the residential areas might appeal to the public better in terms of close proximity to their homes and convenience. Our studies will intend to find out the link that exists between the shopping centres of our choice, and uncover a pattern that we will be going in further detail in our results and findings according to public opinion through means like surveys and in addition, our own feelings on the contributing factors or reasons. Our main focus would be the quality of shopping provided by the shopping mall. This includes the services, accessibility and the facilities provided that improves the shopping experience for the patrons. We will be taking surveys of the patrons there to find out their feelings about the shopping mall and its quality. We would also go there and do general analysis of the mall ourselves. This is to give us a base of comparison between our ideas of good quality compared to the peoples’ idea of good quality observed in a shopping mall.

Pc Gaming And Console Gaming Media Essay

Pc Gaming And Console Gaming Media Essay Not too long ago were computers the only place to turn to, to play games online. One of the first consoles to get online capability was the Sega Dreamcast, which then paved the way for other consoles. The Dreamcast unfortunately was not successful and the company went out of business, because it could no longer support it. In 2002, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube where among the first to introduce online abilities. With the popularity, the developers knew that online capability was what gamers wanted and consoles were being made with online capability and it became a successful system. Online games are very common in the gaming world, with Microsofts Xbox Live service leading the way with 23 million registered users. Sony has some tricks up there sleeve, and has big plans for the PlayStation 3, consoles are starting to get game downloads only available on the PC. A few titles can now be played across systems, Final Fantasy XI uses this system and people with PS2, PC, and Xbox 360 can all explore the same world simultaneously. However, Computers still have the largest selection of online games. Some of the most popular games in the world are exclusive to the PC only. Games such as World of Warcraft and Counter Strike Source make up 40% of online PC gamers. There are many things to think about before deciding which device you want to buy. You have to decide what type of games you want to play, and how much money you are willing to spend, and if you need a computer for other things besides gaming. Preferably, we would all have a PC and a console, but unless youre bill gates, then a comparison of the two is needed. Multiplayer gaming has been made easy with Sony and Microsoft offering online services for their products. The PS3, and Xbox comes equipped with a network card right out of the box, making it a simple hook up to High Speed Internet connection to get into multiplayer games on Xbox Live. With Xbox Live players are able to play with people around the country rather than having to play the AI, or have to go through the hassle of inviting friends over to play. You are able to trash talk your opponents if they you where in the same room. These things are possible on a computer, but consoles are built for this right out of the box. The biggest reason PC gaming isnt bigger than console gaming is mainly the cost. Most consoles today sell for less than $500 unless its within the first couple months of release, often with a couple games included. A PC around the same graphical power as an Xbox 360, or a PS3 can cost double the price of the console. On the PC, you have a very large range of often options everywhere you look. . Prices for a high-end PCs can get expensive very quickly A desktop can start at anywhere from $1,500 to $1,700. Not that you have to spend that much but, if youre going to spend time gaming on a PC, shouldnt you make the experience worthwhile? And, that startup cost presents a serious drawback for a lot of people (Charlie Deitch, Cityweekly.net). Everything in a PC is customizable to fit the gamers needs. You can pick and chose what you want to be in your computer, and when newer technology comes out you have the power to upgrade your computer if you want to. The second most obvious advantage is simplicity. PC Gaming can be a nightmare when trying to install games. People with Xboxes or PS3s can take their newly purchased game home and be playing within a matter of minutes. There are no graphics cards to set up or motherboard drivers to update, you have the assurance that your game will work on your system unlike a computer. Console games are rented out more frequently than PC games, and more easily returned if you do not like them. It is hard to return computer games because they are easy to copy, and resale. The other problem with renting PC games they run off a CD/DVD with a serial code only working one time, so its not possible to Rent these games or return them. You have to take this into consideration when looking at the games available for both platforms. You will be able to rent games you dont want to buy, and if you do indeed buy the game you are able to return it and get something else if you are not satisfied. With the PC your return will just be simply rejected. Although sealing everything in one unit does seem like a good idea, when some of the components inside the box become out-dated there is no way to upgrade your console, or even repair your system without voiding a warranty. If you void your warranty by opening your system to try and upgrade or repair yourself then you can no longer send your Xbox in for repair meaning you have to buy a new one if you cant fix it yourself. The only safe choice you have to repairing your system is sending it back to the manufacture and waiting 4-6 weeks to get your system back. Consoles perform only one task really well; while PCs can be a wide variety of things. Some manufactures are trying to make consoles more flexible, but it is clear that it will be a long time before consoles will be able to run applications like the PC does. Keyboards use many more keys to do the same tasks you can do on a controller, but PCs offer a lot more control of the game, but it comes at a cost of hours of tutorials and practicing at the game. There is an obvious lack of connectivity between the different consoles. A lot of the games are only available to a specific type of system, which means you can only play other people who own the same system as you. This means that if you have an Xbox and your friend has a PS3 it will not be possible for you to play with each other, another example is that there is no way for a person with a PS3 to jump the countless PC World of Warcraft servers available. The PS3 has made some progress in this area, paving the way for multi platform gaming between PS3, Xbox and PC users, but there are only a couple of titles that support this, and there done very poorly. The PS3 and Xbox both have online potential and online connection is needed for these systems. But for a good effect while most people purchase a PS3 is because the online play is for free of charge. On the other hand Xbox games and or the online play are charged to the owner monthly, or yearly. These monthly charges abide from 1 month, 3 months, or a 12 month value. PC does hold many more games than console games because PC can come at a less cheap price. Also, the games do not cost as much to make as in a console game. Another big advantage PCs have over consoles is that you can use them for other things besides playing games; you can edit and create your own maps for the playing field that you want to play on. But according to the gaming magazines PCs remain ahead of the gaming world browsing from better graphics, pictures, and making more ability to have the game literally in the palm of your hand. Computer monitors are found with high promise and the most recent include for a processors powerful game system. Though when a game is released, its impossible for a company to go back and alter this game and make it better. Online gaming helps people connect to people all from around the world and interact with different variety of individuals. Different brands of computers and software generally communicated pretty well with each other. This differs from services like Xbox Live, and PS3 online. It is your only option if you want to play online, and you must have that system to play online, it is closed to everyone else that doesnt own the system you have. As your PC ages, you have the power to extend its gaming life, you can add new graphics cards, new processors, or more memory. This is not possible on a console giving the PC a huge advantage. Even though PCs prices have come down in the recent years, they are still a lot more expensive to even the most expensive console. There are ways to cut the cost on a PC, like building it yourself or ordering a gaming computer through 3rd party companies rather than Dell or Gateway; even then the prices of a PC are a lot more than a console. PCs are becoming a little less confusing, coming with more tutorials, but eventually the gamer will come upon some type of complication that interferes with their games, be it a video card driver that needs updating or components that are to new or old for games. The fact of the matter is, you arent 100% sure that a game will run perfect on your system like you can count on with a console. You never have the assurance that your game is going to run smoothly until youre actually playing the game you can no longer return, and even then you have to worry about the game crashing or choppy game play. Unlike many console games, PC games have the capability to get extremely difficult. While this can give a game depth, it can also result in many various arrays of keyboard commands and overly lengthy tutorials which one must complete in order to play the game. PC games are usually not ideal for playing on the couch, especially when the mouse and keyboard are the preferred over console controllers for first person shooting games The most recent release of consoles has a lot to offer online gamers, and if youre into sports games and racing games, then a console would be your best option. If you like playing with hundreds of other people exploring one world simultaneously or first person shooting games, then there is a great deal more to choose from on the computer. Everyday Xbox Live and PS3 are getting better, but monthly fees and service charges are still very evident, and this is very unattractive to customers. Mostly PCs are still the leading option for online gaming, and it seems as if that will continue in the future.