The Effect Of Advertising on Personal Appearence essays

The Effect Of Advertising on Personal Appearence essays What does it mean to be physically fit? Does it mean you can throw a football like John Elway, or hit a baseball like Sammy Sosa? Does it mean you can run a mile in one hundred degree weather under twelve minutes, or swim fifteen laps across a pool in one minute? Is physical fitness being anorexic or being on steroids. Thats what the media makes it look like. The average female super model is up to fifty pounds underweight. Sixty-two percent of football players take some form of muscle enhancing product. Many girls worry about their physical appearance. They want to look like the model in this add for Calvin Klein and other advertisements. They think thats how everyone wants them to look. Many will go to any length to get that way. That often leads to serious eating disorders like anorexia. Its crazy because even the models dont look like the adds. Almost ninety-six percent of magazine and t.v adds are touched up by computer to look perfect. The effect advertising has on some peoples personal appearance is bad. Even people that dont develop eating disorders still feel bad about themselves at one point or another because they dont look like the advertisements, like society wants them to look. The standard that the media shows has other negative effects besides eating disorders. It can also lead to shame, guilt, stress, depression, and a lack of confidence. Its not just girls that are shown in these ads. Guys are shown that they should be muscular, and well built. They sometimes turn to steroids to get like that. Some even develop eating disorders. Guys also get a lack of confidence, they just wont admit it. Most advertising discourages acceptance of people that are different than you. They show you people that look almost perfect, and a lot of people judge you on how you look compared to the models on t.v and in magazines. ...

Islamic life essays

Islamic life essays Islamic life, what you didnt know. In the beginning of Islam civilization, the Islamic people were open-minded, but cautious on what people had to say. The Muslims adopted elements of Christianity, Judaism, and polytheistic beliefs and practices. In the early civilization, Islam advanced rapidly and dramatically, due to the knowledge on literature, art, and philosophy. While the Europeans were suffering the Dark Ages, Muslims felt they suffered abuse for their faith. Bloom and Blair discuss why this is one of the fastest growing religions worldwide and how they have successfully flourished. Clearly, the most unifying aspect to the Islamic civilization was Muhammad, prophet of Islam. He was born in 570 to the clan of the Quraysh in Mecca. (Bloom,27). His father died before he was born and his mother died at the age of six. With little guidance from his grandfather and uncle, Muhammad was raised independently and self assertively. Mecca however, was still governed by the tribal societies of the desert and membership in the tribe was determined by blood descent. Although each tribe worshipped its own Gods, all Arabs worshipped the Kabba, located in Mecca. Muhammad grew up working as a merchants assistant and at the age of 25 he married Khadija, a wealthy widow with high social status. (Bloom,28). After the confusion and doubt on what to do with his life, Muhammad left the Meccan society and lived in isolation on Mount Hira, where he received his first revelation at the age of 40, and began to spread the faith of God or Allah. (Bloom, 29). Muhammad believed these revelations were from God given to him by the Angel Gabriel. These visions attracted followers from all over and what is now called the Quran. The message he tried to convey was that there is only one God and you must submit to Gods will. He became kind of a social activist, who was critical of polytheism, materialism and the unjust treatment of the po...

Incidents Which Led to the Enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act Research Paper

Incidents Which Led to the Enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act - Research Paper Example This paper declares that corporation was involved in an elaborate scam and financial machinations, such as exaggerating the positive financial statements, performing transactions through the shady dealings, omissions and misrepresentations; and insider trading. In spite of the possible prevention of complete collapse, the Enron’s officers continued to hide the financial problems of the company. The Act is comprised of key provisions that describe the specific requirements, mandatory for preparing financial reports. This report makes a conclusion that the Enron’s scandal is considered to be a crucial moment in the history of the American economics and business, which has led to the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002. Relying on the â€Å"advanced experience of financial frauds†, American government developed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act addressing to the main pitfalls discovered during the whole â€Å"pleiads† of financial frauds and bankruptcies. Even though the SOX is recognized to be a major improvement to corporate governance, it still has significant constraints. Experts tend to criticize this Act, concluding that new provisions are not flexible and hardly achievable in real situations. Obviously, just enacting regulations and legal restrictions are not enough to prevent and deter financial reporting frauds. Probably such acts do not provide expected results, because human nature still lacks ethical educational and strong moral principles.

The bridge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The bridge - Essay Example Millennium Bridge was designed to carry large load and a degree of structure’s movement was expected and taken into account. However, after about 80Â  000 people crossed it on the opening day, some vibration was detected. The bridge began to sway sideways noticeably, and the movement became so strong that people could not walk steady any more; many had to cling to the sides of the bridge to maintain balance. The phenomenon of bridge sideways movement is not unique to the Millennium Bridge only. There were other structures, completely different from the given bridge that, to a various degree, suffered the same effect. However, those cases have not been widely publicized, thus the phenomenon, known as Synchronous Lateral Excitation, was not anticipated and has not been given enough attention by bridge engineers. When people walk they have a natural sway motion. This very motion causes small regular vibrations, which, as the result of chance correlation, generated slight lateral movement of the bridge. When that happened, pedestrians instinctively adjusted and synchronized their motion with bridge’s movement to counteract the effect and to walk more comfortably.

Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment Essay Example for Free

Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment Essay The most severe of all sentences: that of death. Also known as the death penalty, capital punishment is the most severe form of corporal punishment. It has been banned in many countries, in the United States, an earlier move to eliminate capital punishment has now been reversed and more and more states are resorting to capital punishment for serious offenses such as murder. An Eye for and eye, a life for a life, who has never heard of the famous Lex Talionis? The Bible mentions it, and people have been using it regularly for centuries. We use it in reference to burglary, adultery, love and many other situations. However, some people use it on a different level, some people use it in reference to death. One steals from those who have stolen from him, one wrongs those who have wronged him, but do we really have the right to kill those who have killed. Today, there is a big controversy over capital punishment whether or not it works, or if it is morally right. We have a certain privilege on our own lives, but do the lives of others belong to us as well? Do we have the right to decide the kind of lives others can or cannot live? We find someone guilty of murder and sentence him to death, does that not make murderers out of ourselves? Can justice justify our acts? Those who assist in the death penalty are they not partners in crime? Is the death penalty a Cruel and Unusual punishment or is it now a necessary tool in the war on crime? With the increase in crime and violence in our society, how does the death penalty affect a North American family. Use of the death penalty has declined throughout the industrial Western World since the 19th century. In 1972, movement in America to have the death penalty declared unconstitutional during the landmark case of Furman v. Georgia, which declared the death penalty cruel and unusual punishment. However, after a supreme court decision in 1975, Gregg v. Georgia, which stated capital punishment did not violate the eighth Amendment, executions commenced again under state supervision. (Van der Haag, 1975, 3-4). There are seven main types of execution: Hanging, where the prisoner is blindfolded and stands on a trap door, with a rope around his neck. The trap door is opened suddenly. The weight of the prisoner’s body below the neck causes traction separating the spinal cord from the brain. The second most widely used technique is shooting, where a firing quad shoots the prisoner from some meters away. Another method is Guillotine, a device consisting of a heavy blade held aloft between upright guides and dropped to behead the victim below. Then there was garroting, in which a tightened iron collar is used to strangle or break the neck of a condemned person. One of the more recent is Electrocution where the prisoner is fastened to a chair by his chest, groin, arms and legs. Electrodes are placed around a band around the head, then jolts of 4-8 amperes at voltage between 500 and 2000 volts are applied at half a minute at a time. The newest forms of execution are Lethal Injection where a lethal poison is injected into the prisoners arm or the Gas Chamber where the prisoner is placed in a room with Sodium Cyanide crystals and left to die. (Meltser, 1973, 21-26) There are four major issues in the capital punishment debate, the first being deterrence. A major purpose of criminal punishment is to deter future criminal conduct. The deterrence theory suggests that a rational person will avoid criminal behavior if the severity of the punishment outweigh the benefits of the illegal conduct. It is believed that fear of death deters people from committing crimes. Most criminals would think twice before committing murder if they knew their own lives was at stake. That if attached to certain crimes, the penalty of death exerts a positive moral influence by placing a stigma on certain crimes like manslaughter, resulting in attitudes of disgust and horror to such acts. (McCuen, 1985, 11) Studies of the deterrent effect of the death penalty have been conducted for several years, with varying results. Most of these studies have failed to produce evidence that the death penalty deterred murders more effectively then the threat of imprisonment. The reason for this is that few people are executed and so the death penalty is not a satisfactory deterrent. If capital punishment were carried out more it would prove to be the crime deterrent it was partly intended to be. During highly publicized death penalty cases the homicide rate is found to go down but it goes back up when the case is over. (Bailey, 1994, 42) When comparisons are made between states with the death penalty and states without, the majority of death penalty states show murder rates higher than non-death penalty states. The average murder rate per 100,000 population in 1996 among death penalty states was 7.1, the average murder rate among non-death penalty states was only 3.6. A look at neighboring death penalty and non-death penalty states show similar trends. Death penalty states usually have a higher murder rate than their neighboring non- death penalty states. (Death Penalty Information Center) The second issue in the capital punishment debate is retribution. The need for society to express sufficient condemnation for heinous murders. Supporters of the death penalty contend that the only proper response to the most vile murders is the most sever punishment possible. Therefore, society should literally interpret the â€Å"eye for an eye† principle when an individual takes a life, society’s moral balance will remain upset until the killer’s life is also taken. (Block, 1983, 112) Although death penalty opponents disagree society should be able to express its outrage with a vile crime by inflicting capital punishment. They suggest that they are showing outrage for taking a life by talking the life of another. (Bedau, 1982, 88) Use of the death penalty as intended by law could actually reduce the number of violent murders by eliminating some of the repeat offenders thus being used as a system of justice, not just a method of deterrence. Modern supporters of capital punishment no longer view the death penalty as a deterrent, but just as a punishment for the crime, one source said, in recent years the appeal of deterrence has been supplanted by a frank desire for what large majorities see as just vengeance.† (Bailey, 1994, 55) The third major issue is arbitrariness determined by or arising from whim or impulse rather than judgment or reason. â€Å"From the days of slavery in which black people were considered property, through the years of lynching and Jim Crow laws, capital punishment has always been deeply affected by race. Unfortunately, the days of racial bias in the death penalty are not a remnant of the past.† (NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund) Fairness requires that people who break the same law under similar circumstances should meet with the same punishment, however the justice system is not consistent. Statistics show that a black man who kills a white person is 11 times more likely to receive the death penalty than a white man who kills a black person. And blacks who kill blacks have even less to worry about. Its almost like we kind of say, Oh, well, he needed killing anyhow.† (NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund) The fourth debate is the danger of mistake. In the past, there were many people wrongfully executed for crimes that they did not commit all in the name of justice. It has happened that after the execution of the alleged guilty party, the real murderer confessed to elevate his guilty conscience. â€Å"No matter how careful courts are, the possibility of perjured testimony, mistaken honest testimony, and human error remain all too real. We have no way of judging how many innocent persons have been executed, but we can be certain there were some.† J. Marshall (Bailey, 1994, 38) The unique thing about the death penalty is that it is final and irreversible. Since 1970, 77 people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence. Researchers Radelet Bedau found 23 cases since 1900 where innocent people were executed, and the numbers are growing. With stories of people like Rolando Cruz, released after 10 years on Illinoiss death row, despite the fact that another man had confessed to the crime shortly after his conviction; and Ricardo Aldape Guerra, who returned to Mexico after 15 years on Texass death row because of a prosecution that a federal judge called outrageous and designed to simply achieve another notch on the prosecutors guns. (Death Penalty Information Center) There are safeguards guaranteeing protection of those facing the death penalty. These safeguards are : The defendant can not be insane, and the man’s real or criminal intent must be present. Also, minors very rarely receive the death penalty because they are not fully mature and might not know the consequences of their actions. Finally the mentally retarded are very seldom executed. The reason for not executing the retarded is that they often have difficulty defending themselves in court, have problems remembering details, locating witnesses, and testifying credibly on their own behalf. These safeguards are to try to insure that justice will be served without having it suffer. (Bailey, 1994, 147) It costs up to three times the amount to keep a prisoner on death row than it would be to keep them in prison for the rest of their lives. The expense comes from the long drawn out appeals process that we are giving our criminals, and the court appointed attorneys that the poor are receiving. (Death Penalty Information Center) The death penalty costs the state of North Carolina 2.6 million per execution while it costs the whole nation [United States] 700 million since 1976. And it’s the same everywhere, Florida spent an estimated $57 million on the death penalty from 1973 to 1988 to achieve 18 executions that is an average of $3.2 million per execution. (Miami Herald, July 10, 1988). In Texas, a death penalty case costs an average of $2.3 million, about three times the cost of imprisoning someone in a single cell at the highest security level for 40 years. However it is also a form of insurance that the criminal will never commit another crime again. (Death Penalty Information Center) In the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) the death penalty was required for a wide range of offenses, both civil and religious. In the following passages from the King James Version of the Bible, Jehovah required the state to execute a person for murder: Genesis 9:6 states: Whoso sheddeth mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. If sufficient proof were provided that a person had committed a crime, the state imposed the death penalty on the guilty person(s). They were either stoned to death, impaled or burned alive. Witnesses who testified at the trial would often participate in the killing. To their credit, the courts of ancient Israel required very high levels of proof of criminality before they would order the death penalty (Horwitz, 1973, 36) Of course, a person may think it is immoral to kill someone no matter what they have done. When I say it is retributive justice to take the life in turn for the taking of another life, it could be argued that a criminal is not able to learn a lesson since he dies as an immediate result of the punishment. How can this be called punishment if no lesson is taught? In my opinion, the only way for justice to be served is to have the criminal pay with their life, â€Å" an eye for an eye.† Many people believe that capital punishment does not belong in a civilized society. I believe it is needed because we do not live in a civilized society, if we did there would be no crime. We live in a day and age where killing happens everyday, and many get away with it. Those who do get caught, don’t stay in a jail cell for the rest of their live. If we could rig our streets of murderers, it could mean a safer place for everyone. Men and women could feel safer jogging or doing errands at night. Single women could feel safer in their homes. Children could feel safe playing in their yards. No executed murderer has ever killed again. References The Death Penalty in America 256-63 (H. Bedau ed., 3d ed. 1982) E. Van den Haag, Punishment as a Device for Controlling the Crime Rate, 33 Rutgers L, Rev. 706, 719 (1981) H. Gross, A Theory of Criminal Justice 489 (1979) Ehrlich Gibbons, On the Measurement of the Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment and the Theory of Deterrence, 6 J. Legal Stud. 35 (1977). Bedau Radelet, Miscarriages of Justice in Potentially Capital Cases (1st draft, Oct. 1985) E. Van der Haag, Punishing Criminals 196-206 (1975). C.F. Phllips, The Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment: New Evidence on an Old Controversy, 86 Am. J. Soc. 139 (1980). Baumgart, R. A. McCuen, Gary E. Reviving the Death Penalty. Madison, WI: Gary McCuen, 1985: 22. Electrocution. Academic American Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Grolier, 1993: 113. Clark, Lesley. Florida execution of 350-pound inmate turns bloody. Miami Herald. 10 July 1988.

Female Sexuality & Desire in Chopins The Storm Essay -- Chopin Storm

Female Sexuality & Desire in Chopin's The Storm  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   In Kate Chopin's time traditional patriarchal notions about women and sexuality deemed sexual passion a negligible, even improper, aspect of women's lives. Yet Chopin boldly addresses a woman's sexual desire in her short story "The Storm". This story shockingly details a torrid extramarital sexual encounter between Calixta and Alcee` in the midst of a raging storm. While this story line could have been presented in a traditional light, perhaps as a lesson about the evils of uninhibited female sexuality, Chopin maintains a non-judgmental stance by refraining from moralizing about the sanctity of marriage or impropriety of Calixta's actions. In failing to condemn and even condoning Calixta's actions, as well acknowledging the existence and depth of sexual desire in women, Chopin imbues "The Storm" with a strong feminist tone and calls the very institution of marriage into question. The mere presence of Calixta's sexual desire and certainly its marked intensity make this story revolutionary in its feminist statement about female sexuality. Chopin uses the conceit of a thunderstorm to describe the development, peak, and ebbing of passion in the encounter between Calixta and Alcee`. At first, Calixta is unaware of the approaching storm, just as her sexual desire might be on an unconscious level; yet, as the storm approaches, Calixta grows warm and damp with perspiration. Chopin deliberately juxtaposes these two events when she writes that Calixta, "felt very warm...she unfastened her white saque at the throat. It began to grow dark and suddenly realizing the situation she got up and hurriedly went about closing windows and doors" (282). The gathering storm serves as ... ...s Chopin expresses in this story would certainly have seemed outrageous to her contemporary society and would have been grounds for an almost universal condemnation of Chopin and her work. She daringly celebrates female sexuality and uses this celebration as a feminist assertion about women's equal potentialities and rights to express themselves and experience pleasure. That "every one was happy" when the storm passed suggests that revolutionizing traditional concepts of gender and marriage will change everyone's, especially women's, lives for the better. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. "The Storm: A Sequel to 'The 'Cadian Ball'." Kate Chopin: The Awakening and Selected Stories. New York: Penguin, 1984. 281-86. Gilbert, Sandra M. "Introduction: The Second Coming of Aphrodite." Kate Chopin: The Awakening and Selected Stories. New York: Penguin, 1984. 7-33.   

Islam and Religious Group Essay

Select at least 1 religious and 1 ethnic group not your own from the list below. †¢Religious groups (based on http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/affiliations-all-traditions.pdf) oChristianity †¢Evangelical Protestant †¢Mainline Protestant †¢Historically Black Churches †¢Roman Catholic †¢Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) †¢Jehovah’s Witnesses †¢Orthodox (Greek, Eastern) oJudaism (Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform) oBuddhism (Theravada or Mahayana) oIslam (Sunni, Shia, Sufism) oHinduism †¢Ethnic groups (based on divisions in U.S. Census Bureau documents) oAsian (Asian descent) oBlack (African descent) oHispanic and Latino (South or Central American descent) oPacific Islander (Polynesian descent) oWhite (European descent) Part III Answer the following questions in 150 to 250 words each about the religious group you selected: †¢How does your selected religious group differ from other religious groups (such as in their beliefs, worship practices, or values)? †¢What has been the experience of your selected religious group with others that do not share its beliefs or practices? †¢In what ways has the religious group you selected contributed to American culture? †¢Provide specific examples of prejudice or discrimination your selected religious group has experienced. †¢What were the sources of this prejudice or discrimination? †¢Does what you’ve learned about this religious group help you understand it? In what ways? Answer the following questions in 150 to 250 words each about the ethnic group you selected: †¢How does your selected ethnic group differ from other ethnic groups (such as differences in ancestry, language, or culture)? †¢What has been your selected ethnic group’s experience with other ethnic groups? †¢In what ways has the ethnic group you selected contributed to American culture? †¢Identify some specific examples of prejudice or discrimination that your selected ethnic group has experienced historically. †¢What were the sources of this prejudice or discrimination? †¢Does what you’ve learned about this ethnic group help you understand it? How? Part IV Answer the following questions in 150 to 250 words each: †¢How are the prejudice and discrimination experienced by your selected religious group and ethnic group similar? †¢How are they different? †¢Can you draw any conclusions about discrimination from this comparison

Classifications of Market Structures in the US

In the United States economy most markets can be classified into four different markets structures. But, each and every market in the United States is completely unique from the others. Generally the best type of market structure for the general public is per-fect competition because it creates the lowest possible price for the public. There are some exceptions were perfect competition isn†t the best choice for the public on account of various reasons. The United States Postal Service is one of them and since the Postal Service is a monopoly, it is its own market. This paper will discuss the budget dilemmas that the postal service has faced for the past twenty years and if it is in the best interest of the economy for the United States Postal Service to continue as a monopoly. The first time there was talk of privatizing the Postal Service was in 1979 when the Postal Service was losing vast amounts of money in the long run. But since the Postal Service is a necessity for America, the government had to subsidize the service in order for it to continue in operation. In 1979 the United States Postal Service had a cash flow of $22. Billion and was additionally receiving $176 million from investing(#1, Intro). Even with this added revenue the Postal Service was still greatly under funded on its own (#1, Intro). During this time it was discussed to privatize the postal service and introduce competition because of the extreme losses that the service was experiencing. A positive argument for privatizing the Postal Service was with numerous competitors in the market there would be more efficiency and the public would receive lower prices. But this would also increase the usage of resources, for example airplanes and cars. One of the problems the Post Office had was its receipts from consumer purchases that were submitted the next day after the transaction (#1, i). If the receipts were submitted earlier the postal service would receive more money because they could invest that money sooner (#1, i). Another way the Postal Service could increased profits was by competitively selecting banks that would give them higher interest rates and such (#1, ii). Probably the most relevant and final way to improve the budget of the Postal Service is to improve the bookkeeping poli-cies and banking techniques (#1, ii). Not only did the Post Service propose to increase profits but they also proposed to cut costs in a number of ways. There were three methods that were proposed in 1946 for the protection of salaries that no longer exists (#2, Intro). These have to do with the rural mail carriers. Under this antiquated method of delivering mail the Postal Service was los-ing money to any mail that went to â€Å"rural† areas (#2, i) There are 48,000 mail carriers that deliver mail to millions of families that are considered to be living in rural settings; this osts the postal Service 858 million dollars a year (#2, i). This is a fairly easy problem to fix considering how much money is being lost. It was proposed that money loss could be significantly cut down if the Postal Service corrected the following problems. The rural mail carriers were assigned a certain amount of time to deliver to a specific rural area, this method was out of date and because of this the carriers have free time for which they got paid for (#2, ii). The next problem was that other mail routes based pay on how many miles he route covered, so the carriers were getting paid by the mile (#2, iii). With this problem fixed the Postal Service could saved 26. 8 million a year (#2, iii). There was also an hourly rate that was in effect which indirectly promoted inefficient service (#2, iii). A stop to this could have saved the Postal Service $255,000 a year (#2, iii). From the num-bers mentioned above, it can be seen why the United States Postal Service was losing so much money. These problems did indeed eventually did get solved over the past fifteen years and now the Postal Service is making record reaking profits. Now in the first quarter of the fiscal year 1996 the Postal Service already has a net income of $1. 2 billion (#3, 1). Now not only is the Postal Service just breaking even, but they are also making a profit. On top of that, the 1. 2 billion dollar figure is 115 billion dollars better then the quarterly forecast predicted (#3,1). It is incredible that they are not only making a reasonable profit but it is increasing over the years. The Postal Service is also now reducing debts. An example of this is when the Postal Service redeemed a 1.5 illion dollar loan two years in advance which will save them 22 million dollars of interest in the next two years (#3,1). The Postal Service isn†t stopping with the revenue that it is receiving now. The Postal Service is planning to increase its international revenues of $1. 2 billion by twice the amount in the next five years and ten-fold by the year 2005 (#5, 1). The Postal Service is continually working to â€Å"streamline† their operations for the future that they are now run-ning. The Postal Service is continualy looking to cut back on borrowing money. All of the recent financial borrowing has been through the Federal Financing Bank, but the Postal Service now is looking into outside sources, such as bonds in the public markets (#5, 2). Business are starting to get jealous of the Postal Service because of the great prof-its it is experiencing. The Postal Service is now making a major impact on the United States Economy (#6, 1). Business are pointing out that in 1995 the Postal Service had records of $1. 8 billion in net income and a 1. 7 billion dollar debt reduction (#6, 1). The $54 billion revenue that the Postal Service is ringing in would put them in 12th place on the Fortune 500 list and 33rd on the Fortune Global 500, with the worlds largest corpora-tions (#6,1). A recent study showed that domestic direct mail sales were at $333 billion in the year 1994 (#6,1). This figure is expected to reach over $500 billion by the year 2000 (#6,1). It can be seen throughout this paper how the United States Postal Service in-creased profits and does not have to borrow as much money as before. It seems that the Postal Service is doing just fine while it is a monopoly. But there are still two arguments for and gainst the Postal Service continuing to remain a monopoly. On one side compe-tition is thought to make industries in the market more efficient and practice more innova-tive (#4, 1). But on the other hand the competition is also thought to lead to â€Å"a wide-spread cream skimming, with the postal service left only the high-cost, unprofitable markets (#4, 1). † So who is to know which market would be better for the American economy as far as the Postal Service goes. But it is speculated if the United States Postal Service does keep increasing its profits over the years, maybe it will be privatized.

Gas vs electric essays

Gas vs electric essays The Greatest Challenge Facing the World Today Problems tend to exist no matter what part of the world you explore. As each day goes by many new problems arise involving people of all nationalities. There is never one distinct complication among the many presently introduced that needs attention. Yet there are problems that do deserve immediate action. One of these major dilemmas would be the gasoline price. People experiencing these prices are being forced to pay enormous amounts of hard earned money while traveling to and from necessary destinations. This income could be used for more important aspects in life such as personal expenses. Commercial organizations are highly affected by the increasing prices. For example, farmers have to spend more money to pay for the gasoline in their tractors. This can eventually lead to the corruption of this agricultural industry. The outrageous gasoline costs are one of the many challenges affecting the world today. It is no secret that the automobile has become an important aspect of everyday life. It makes travel much easier due to the fact that the destination point will be reached in a substantial amount of time. As the years have gone by the cars we purchase have escalated in price. The cause of this is due to the advanced equipment, which is now placed in these vehicles. Not only is there a high price being paid for the vehicle, but there are also the outrageous gasoline expenses along with this initial payment. With both the gasoline and automobile price increasing there are complications that arise. A large percent of the population may not have the option to invest their money into such a costly expense. If the work forces of America do not have transportation to their jobs, then an extreme crisis could evolve. It would be a disgrace for this nation to fall due to overpriced gasoline. It has been stated that pollution is the reason for the high gasoline c ...

Heres How to Navigate a Twitter Pitch Party (and Land a Book Deal)

Heres How to Navigate a Twitter Pitch Party (and Land a Book Deal) The Ins and Outs of a Twitter Pitch Party If you're familiar with the traditional publishing landscape, you'll know that it's really hard to land a book deal without an agent, and it's impossible to get an agent without sending dozens of query letters†¦ There are, however, a few ways to  get to know agents before you submit to them. One is to go to conferences. Another one is Twitter Pitch Parties - and those don't require you leaving even your house!In this post, publisher, author and professional speaker L. Diane Wolfe explains what these "parties" are, and how they can help you find that agent or get that book deal you've been dreaming of! Wolfe is also an administrator for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, which is launching its annual Twitter Pitch Party on January 18, 2018. Details here.You’ve probably heard of pitch parties or seen one in action. There are dozens upon dozens of pitch parties throughout the year. Some draw over a thousand participants. If you’re not familiar with the con cept, you might be wondering†¦What is a Twitter pitch party? Hosted by an organization, individual, or publisher, a Twitter pitch party usually lasts twelve hours. Using the designated hashtag for the event, writers Tweet a summary/pitch of their manuscript. Publishers and agents watch the hashtag feed and â€Å"heart† pitches that interest them. Writers receiving a â€Å"heart† can then submit a completed query. And the best part? It’s already been requested, which means it won’t be an unsolicited query that falls into the slush pile.Each organizer has its own set of rules, but these are the general guidelines:Writer Tweets must include the Twitter pitch hashtag. (#IWSGPit, #PitMad, etc.)Tweets must also include the appropriate genre hashtag. (e.g. #YA)Tweets can only be sent out at intervals - once an hour, once every other hour, etc.You can re-Tweet your friends’ Tweets, but do not â€Å"heart† them.Publishers and agents will â€Å"heart† the pitches that interest them, inviting those writer s to send a query. Looking for an agent? Take a look at upcoming Twitter Pitch Parties in your genre! Who should enter a Twitter pitch?Any writer with a complete and polished manuscript that is ready for querying or in the process of being queried. (Unless you have already signed with an agent or publisher, or your manuscript is under exclusive consideration.) Writers should check the dates of pitch events and the genres featured. Some include a wide variety of genres and some are very specific. Find the pitch contests that fit your manuscript best.Preparation is key. Familiarize yourself with the participating publishers and agents if they are listed on the host site. You can then tailor your Tweets to what they seek. Write your pitch Tweets in advance, crafting 3-4 different ones for each manuscript. Be sure to leave room for hashtags and include all those that pertain to your story in your Tweets. Avoid the use of images, including â€Å"possible† cover art. Write your pitch tweets in advance and craft 3-4 different ones for each manuscript. How to make the most out of the pitch partyOn the day of the event, start Tweeting at the appropriate time. Remember to send Tweets out at the requested intervals and alternate your Tweets so participants aren’t seeing the same one over and over. Some publishers and agents tune in early and some later in the day, so you’ll have to continue checking the hashtag feed. Check your own profile and note any â€Å"hearts† on your pitches. You can also check on the competition and do a search for your genre’s hashtag among the Twitter pitches. If you receive â€Å"hearts† on your pitch, go to that publisher or agent’s Twitter profile first. Many will tweet how they want to receive the pitch queries. Whether they do or not, visit their website and read the submission guidelines. Even if it was a requested query, you still want to follow etiquette and send a proper query. Before you send any query, double-check the publisher or agent’s reputation. Go a general Google search and check sites such as Critters Workshop or SFWA. When you send your query, be sure to note that it was a Twitter pitch request (using the pitch’s hashtag) in the email’s subject line. If you get your Twitter pitch "hearted," make sure you follow the agent's guidelines when submitting! If you don’t receive any â€Å"hearts,† don’t despair. This business is all about timing. Perhaps your pitch sounded similar to a book already in production. Or perhaps the right publisher missed your pitch. Take this opportunity to fine-tune your pitch for the next pitch party. And of course, continue sending query letters to agents and publishers on your list. Twitter parties don’t replace actual query letters, but they are a great way to test the waters and perhaps get a request. There are hundreds of success stories - you might be one pitch party away from yours.If you’re ready to jump into a Twitter pitch party, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is hosting one on January 18, 2018. Details can be found here.  Lists of Twitter pitch parties can also be found at Carissa Taylor's blog and John R Berkowitz's. Join @TheIWSG's Twitter pitch party on January 18 for a chance to land a publishing deal! Have you had any luck with Twitter pitches in the past? Share your success stories with us, or feel free to ask Wolfe any question about pitches in the comments below!

Lao-Tzu viewpoints on Taoist Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lao-Tzu viewpoints on Taoist Philosophy - Essay Example Life and death form a part of the transformation processes, which constitute the Taoist world. Death, as much as life, belongs to the realm of "naturalness," that which is "so of itself". Tao means literally possessing spiritual essences in one's body. So long as they remain in the body, death simply cannot happen which repositions the commentary from cosmology and religion to focus on Taoist practical philosophy. In what sense can "naturalness" be said to complement "long life" Two separate claims need to be distinguished here. On the one hand, if the concept of naturalness is taken seriously, any attempt to prolong life by artificial means is doomed to failure and must be rejected. On the other hand, if careful steps are not taken to preserve life, the natural flow of things is also interrupted. The natural life span of an individual, given the cosmological underpinning of the commentary, is evidently determined by one's energy endowment. Individual differences notwithstanding, human beings have been given a proper "mandate" to prosper and live long while the energy could be in any form. There are, however, obstacles, which may jeopardize one's natural longevity. If the body is destroyed, the "five spirits" disperse; if the body is harmed, the spirits hasten their departure. For this reason, the body must be well taken care of, and the conditions, under which the vital essence may be adversely influenced, must be clearly identified. Actual longevity, in other words, reflects not only a richly endowed body but also a well-maintained abode of the spirits. In attempting to explain to you the complex relationship between Tao, being, and nonbeing, I defers some words: "Since the Tao is unnamable, it therefore cannot be comprised in words. But since we wish to speak about it, we are forced to give it some kind of designation. We therefore call it Tao, which is really not a name at all. That is to say, to call the Tao Tao, is not the same as to call a table table . . Tao is not itself a thing." Tao cannot be compared to any cosmological supreme being. Tao is not a being but lies beyond shapes and features. In the context of the transition from a religion based on divination and sacrifice, centered on the ruling nobility, to recognition of the moral autonomy of the individual. The Tao-te-ching represents the voice of those who recognize the power of desirelessness, humility, passivity, lowliness, imperfection, stillness, and intuition. I have linked mysticism with the cultivation of the human potential for good, not with union with an Absolute. Unlike Western philosophy, I have insisted to accept Chinese philosophy as a lived philosophy; its purpose is not simply to "acquire . . . knowledge," but to "develop . . . character". I have debated several times with Girardot as his argument echoes the earlier issue concerning the relationship between Tao and concepts of God; he suggests that the distinction between the Tao-te-ching and later Taoism rests on false assumptions about the nature of religion. He further argues that the Tao-te-ching is a religious text

Develop a Research Repository web Application tool Essay

Develop a Research Repository web Application tool - Essay Example The architecture will employ 3-tier where there will be the user end, business logic end and the server end. The user-end will have a system that will enable the users to access the repository. The server end will have a database which will be used to store the research materials. The database will make use of Oracle 11g. There will be a connection of these applications so that the application connects to the database (Brian, 2007). Access to the application and to the database will be achieved using web interface. The application that is used will be the browser that the users are using. There will be security of the system so that not everybody will access the system. The restriction will be differentiated so that there are restrictions for the outsiders and restrictions for members. The restrictions for outsiders will be that these users will not access the whole system completely. This is because the users will access only the parts that are of interest to them. The system admini strators and the IT staff will have the privileges that will enable them to access most of the tools and places in the system. They are tasked with maintaining the system and they need to access the whole system. There will be a user interface that will allow this access to be implemented. From the description, there is the back-end of the system and also the front-end. The back-end represents the database and the server. The back-end will be operated upon by the administrators of the system. There are times that the database will fail. There is therefore a need to ensure that it is restored back to work (Brian, 2007). With the new system, users and researchers will be required to fill in forms that will describe the research work they are interested in and send it to the system. The work that the researcher is interested in will be searched in the database. The research work that will be submitted will be approved by the staff and then approved to be added to the database. The arti cles that are added to the system will be categorized based on their nature. Detailed analysis of the tool Most of the requests will be made to the server by users. This will mean that the requests will be made through a web based system. There will be an internet connection that will help to connect the users and the server end part of the system. Without this connection, the connection and the access will not be made possible. The application that will handle all the requests will be developed using the C# programming language. This will reside in the server part of the web-based system. There are possibilities to have connections in Visual Studio either to databases or web services. The connection to the end users will be done through web service connection and the services to the back-end part of the system will be done using database connectivity. The database that will be used is Oracle 11g. The architecture in diagram 1 shows that the server and database are running on the se rver end of the system. Figure 1: Basic architecture The connection of the database and the application will be done using the functionality of the Visual Studio 2010. There is a tool that enables Visual Studio to connect to data that are from any source. When using Visual Studio, there is a tool that is used to create a connection. All connections have the same members. The property that will be used in the connection is that of ConnectionString property. This property has a