National network, local stations- who better serves the listeners Essay

National network, local stations- who better serves the listeners - Essay Example This paper analysis this article highlighting the main points by the author, why the topic is significant and raises several discussion questions for further analysis of this article. The issues raised in article is the failure of advertisements to take into account of the black market segment which as the research has shown have serious implications on success of an organization. There has also been raised the issue of the nature of advertisement. Originally, advertisements were racist as they mainly focused on the white market segment. By doing this, the advertisers locked away a potential market. Considering that the black community is the second largest race in America, failing to incorporate them in a company’s marketing strategy makes the company lose a considerable potential market. The African American would definitely be repulsed by racist advertisement and look for products that are free of this segregation or those which that they can identify with. This topic is significant because today we are living in a highly competitive business climate. Company is looking for areas where they can get a competitive advantage over their rivals. One way of d oing this is increasing their market scope. The black market provides a potential untapped market which when tapped can help a company have considerable growth. The article shows how the local radios had been used by company focusing their products on the black community and they have been successful. The success of a company depended on its ability to expand into new markets and maintaining the existing ones. Getting insight into how other companies has successfully penetrated the ignored black market can help a company expand and grow. Is there a need to adopt the products for this market in terms of differentiation and prices? This is considering the fact that in the contemporary world, people of the black race are not only found in the lower end of earning but they cut across all levels of

Money Laundering Sources Essay Example for Free

Money Laundering Sources Essay 1.Drug traffic: it is considered as the most important financial source in the illegal business. The important money operation is related to drug dealings. 2.Bribery: it is one of the sources that lead to have illegal money. Most of the laws prohibited the bribery in its different ways and have imposed some punishments when bribery takes place. 3.Money embezzlements: the crime of embezzling money is one of the important crimes that is related to administrative corruption. People who get the embezzled money tend to put it in banks outside the country with the intention of bringing it back in an illegal way. 4.The illegal evading from paying taxes: it is also called â€Å"tax cheating† or â€Å"tax evading†. This means that one can evade or escape from paying the due taxes through practicing cheating and counterfeiting in the records and breaking the taxation rules and laws. The evading process is considered one of the sources that lead to gain huge amounts of money that will become later a target for the money laundering operations. 5.The crime of money: these are crimes that aim to gain huge amounts of money and the people that commit such crime work on hiding or concealing its sources so it can look as if it is legal. 6.The crimes of people with white collars: these crimes are done by people who have a high position socially and economically while practicing their businesses. 7.The crimes of the politicians: the money laundering operations is connected to the political corruption that is associated with the utilization of the power and authority to gain the huge amounts of money then, smuggle it outside to be laundered and bring it back in a legal way. There is also the method of buying the stocks and assets where the money launderers buy perceptible assets such as cars, boats, real estate, precious stones, drawings for famous artists, or buying cash instruments like banking checks, paying orders, traveler‘s checks, notes and many other means. The most favored technique for the money launderers is buying commercial notes, especially depositing certificates, for example instead of depositing cash money which in many cases can be detected if the amount is big, it is divided into the ways of buying the notes which could be easily bought in value ranges between 100 and 100,000 dollars. Some commercial activities that can be used for laundering money are : 1.Operations of the equivalent markets: in this type of plans, the launderers tend to replace the dirty dollars with other foreign currencies and sometimes, they switch it back to dollars again. 2.Illusive deals: counterfeiting operations is considered one of the popular activities used in laundering money. With the use of exaggerated prices, money launderers can establish illusive companies or work with their partners for finding illusive bills where the prices included in these bills are either exaggerated to an extent exceeding the amount paid actually, or that the commodity is never bought at all. 3.Insurance companies: there is another planning for cash brokers in the free commercial areas which appears in accepting cash liquidity from the drug dealers to buy life insurance documents and get back its value by the virtue of checks. 4.Off shore companies: the off shore companies are traditionally used by money launderers. For example, a money launderer can establish commercial business in Lebanon as a cover for opening a commercial account in a bank. Then, the money launderers travels to one of the countries that are refuges for free taxation with the help of a lawyer or local agents to establish an external company in the free area. The local agent can be the owner and the boss of that company where the name of the launderer isn‘t used in any of the external documents. After that, the illusive company pretends to do some commercial activities and then transfer the dirty money telegraphically from the commercial account in Lebanon to the account of the external company in the free area. This could be done through the counterfeited bills which are used to pretend that there are legal commercial dealings. As the dirty money is put in the Off Shore companies, it can be transferred telegraphically to any place in the world. Money laundering is not restricted to banks but in the banking field for example, the money launderers are used to collude with the employees of the banks administrations. This is often done by using methods of corruption to allow the passing of the special transaction related to transferring huge amounts to pass by without filling the application from or through splitting them into small amounts to avoid the procedures.

Essay --

In the United States alone, there are approximately 18.8 million people, who are diagnosed with a form of diabetes. Diabetes is a metabolic disease in which the body’s inability to produce any or enough insulin causes elevated levels of glucose in the blood. There are three forms of diabetes; Type 1 (Juvenile), Type 2, and Gestational Diabetes. Diabetes is a serious health condition that can go long undiagnosed and lead to severe symptoms such as amputation of limbs and possible death if left untreated. On record for the year 2007, there were 71,382 deaths from which diabetes was the primary underlying cause of death, with an additional 160,022 deaths, where diabetes was a significant contributing factor ("American Diabetes Association," 2014). Factors that contribute to having diabetes depend on which form you have, can result from lifestyle choices (diet) or genetics. Early detection and treatment can significantly reduce the complications of diabetes. The most common sympto ms include frequent urination, extreme thirst, extreme hunger, extreme fatigue, blurred vision, slow healing of cuts/bruises, weight loss (specifically Type 1), and tingling/pain/numbness in hands/feet. When someone has extremely high blood glucose the body does on have enough insulin or it is not using it properly and this called hyperglycemia. If this is untreated this will cause a condition called ketoacidosis (a diabetic coma). If someone has extremely low blood glucose levels this is called hypoglycemia. â€Å"Hypoglycemia can happen suddenly. It is usually mild and can be treated quickly and easily by eating or drinking a small amount of glucose-rich food. If left untreated, hypoglycemia can get worse and cause confusion, clumsiness, or fainting. Severe hypo... ...uropathy (nerve damage), kidney disease, high blood pressure, foot complications and many more complications. Organizations such as the American Diabetes Association have been providing critical funding for diabetes research since its inception in 1994 which goes towards Association-funded research projects for diabetes to better understand this condition and attempt to find a cure. I chose this topic for my research paper because I had an interest in diabetes because I was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes approximately one year ago. I am required to inject insulin every day and before every meal. This is most definitely a big change in my life considering I had an excellent diet and I exercise on a regular basis. I have suffered from some of the more severe symptoms of diabetes such as severe neuropathy in my hands, feet and legs as well as vision problems.

Improving homeland security: challenges and improvement Essay

The United States of America had its share of enemies since it was considered as the new military superpower. But with regards to intelligence work and the ability to thwart an attack by an external army nothing was as dramatic as the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. It was a painful lesson in intelligence failure and past presidents vowed it will never happen again. But when 9/11 shook the nation, with an attack closer to home, many are wondering who dropped the ball in terms of intelligence work. This paper will look at the major challenges faced by the US intelligence community and the subsequent changes and transformation initiated by government officials to bring upon a marked improvement when it comes to information gathering and preventing future attacks in the US homeland. Before going any further it is important to examine the historical background of US intelligence and how it was shaped by global events especially during World War II and the Cold War with the former Union Soviet Socialists Republic of Russia. The discussion will then come in sharp focus to the events surrounding the infamous September 11, 2001 attacks. Background At the turn of the century, the American government, buoyed by the economic progress from the Industrial Age began to rise as a superpower. It was considered by many in the global arena as a force to contend with. Yet it took an unprovoked attack from an Imperial Army of Japan to finally force into everyone’s consciousness that indeed America is both feared and respected. So, one Sunday morning, more than sixty years ago, Hawaii – part of the Union yet situated far away in the Pacific – was mercilessly bombed by Japanese planes. The former President Franklin D. Roosevelt was right in denouncing the surprise attack as a day of infamy. There was no doubt that it was a day of ill repute as America was rudely made aware of their fast rising status. And with it comes enemies who perceive America as a threat or a country guilty of exploiting others. Whatever the perception, the US government will have to defend itself from enemies both foreign and domestic. Intelligence Failure In the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack, the U. S. intelligence community was severely criticized for failing to warn the nation of an impending attack from the Japanese aggressors. It was found out late that there was enough intelligence gathered to have alerted the army base there, but it was largely ignored. This is a classic example of intelligence failure and the consequence of which lingers on for a long time. The Pearl Harbor incident was the catalyst that transformed the US Intelligence community. From then on the intelligence gathering capability of the United States of America was forced to improve. And then again, complacency is the predictable effect of success. When America’s chief nemesis the USSR was toppled down, America finds itself in unfamiliar territory, a world where there is no one to challenge and serve as a counter-balance to America’s military superiority. When everything was quiet no one was able to anticipate that it was merely the calm before the storm so to speak. History eerily repeated itself, the infamy of Pearl Harbor was relived again and this time it was not a thousand miles away from the center of America but the enemy struck the economic nerve center of the nation. It was the same cowardly attack that stunned an unprepared government and its people. Predictably, just as it was in Pearl Harbor, there were also a great number of casualties. In spite of the previous changes and improvements, the US Intelligence community was again caught flat footed. Intelligent Work According to Michael Turner intelligence gathering can have a variety of definitions but for the professional it is encapsulated in the following statements: †¦intelligence is a particular kind of information that helps to inform, instruct, and educate the policy world. To consumers of intelligence – the policy makers – intelligence is that and more. To political leaders [†¦] a political liability, depending on whether intelligence information helps or hinders the fulfillment of political goals (2005, p. 3). Intelligence gathering is therefore a tool that helps create certainty in a very uncertain world. It follows therefore that intelligence gathering is not merely the action of collecting data but would also mean the interpretation of the same. This aspect of intelligence gathering requires attention and the neglect of which is the root of many intelligence failures. It is simply not enough to have data but there must also be an equally effective means of interpreting the said information. Adapting to Change For thousands of years the nature of warfare remained constant. Thus, two opposing camps fight it out in the battlefield. There was the effective use of troop movement and the use of military hardware. The commander who can utilize men and resources effectively wins the battle and ultimately the war. But since 9/11 the world has been rudely awakened to a different type of warfare. It is guerilla tactics brought into urban centers and far away from the traditional fields of war. If this is the new face of war then intelligence gathering must also be transformed to adapt to it. Intelligence gathering must now be geared towards an enemy led not by a traditional army but extremists who will fight for a cause that sometimes transcend national boundaries. Rendered Ineffective Aside from the guerilla tactics used by the members of the Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups another reason for the failure of the US response were the laws that prevented for a more thorough investigation of suspicious characters. The strength of America which is the significant number of civil liberties enjoyed by its citizens became the liability that was exploited by the terrorists. In fact the 9/11 Commission pointed out that there were laws that were enacted to curtail some of the investigative powers of the FBI. According to the 9/11 Commission, â€Å"The FBI was criticized, rightly, for the overzealous domestic intelligence investigations disclosed during the 1970s. The pendulum swung away from those types of investigations during the 1980s and 1990s† (see 9/11 Commission Report). The FBI was then forced to take on kids gloves when treating suspected terrorists. Al-Qaeda on the other hand perceived these new developments as weaknesses they can exploit. Aside from ineffective laws the US Intelligence community has to deal with a host of other problems that includes 1) the improper analysis of information and intelligence; 2) the lack of coordination between government agencies; and 3) the absence of system where law enforcement agencies as well as counter-terror groups can share information. Human Intelligence But the most significant intelligence source with regards to the topic is â€Å"HUMINT† or human intelligence. And the reason is easy to understand – there are a lot of problematic factors related to this type of intelligence. First of all most information gathered through this method can be considered as secondary. There must be a way of processing raw data in order to determine its accuracy. In this regard there is now a move to develop technical and human resources that will be able to fully analyze â€Å"humint† as expounded in the following statements: The very nature of the transnational threat demands that we have analysts with language capabilities and are knowledge to understand local situations in relationship to global, transnational, and international trends and impacts. Analysts need a professional network that transcends territorial borders, and they need to be comfortable turning to local as well as global information (Sands, 2005, p. 75).

Diabetes as Disorder

DESCRIPTIONDiabetes pertains to a metabolic disorder that is associated with the lack or absence of insulin, a protein that transports glucose into the cells of the body.   Glucose, also simply known as sugars, is considered as the first source of energy for the daily activities performed by the human body, such as walking and standing.In addition, glucose also serves as the main resource for the energy that is required to fuel cellular processes within the body, including that of growth and repair of cells and tissues.   The food items consumed by an individual generally contain glucose and thus the presence of insulin is important for the transport of this macromolecule to the appropriate regions of the body.Insulin is mainly produced by the pancreas, which is a digestive organ that is strategically located next to the small intestines, where digestion commonly occurs.   Once the process of digestion has been completed in the intestines, the glucose molecules transported into cells through the help of insulin.   In normal individuals, the amount of insulin produced by the pancreas is enough to transport the glucose that is present in the meal consumed.On the other hand, individuals with diabetes show a lack or absence of insulin secreted by the pancreas, thus preventing the transport of the glucose molecules into the cells.   Glucose is therefore left outside the cells and these remain circulating in the blood.   The continuous accumulation of glucose further extends from the blood to the urine, which in turn are samples employed for the diagnostics of diabetes.CAUSES OF DIABETESDiabetes is generally caused by a number of factors, depending on the type of diabetes that has been positively diagnosed in an individual.   Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), pertains to an autoimmune condition that involves the incapacity of the body to combat infections (NIH, 2010a).In this case, the immune system of an indivi dual causes the destruction of the cells of the pancreas, thus decreasing and possibly preventing the production of insulin for glucose transport.   The actual mechanism that triggers the destruction of the pancreatic cells by the immune system is still unknown and there are active efforts in the field of biomedical research that are attempting to elucidate this reaction.Type 2 diabetes, also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), pertains to an increase in the level of glucose in the body due to aging, obesity or genetic inheritance of the condition (NIH, 2010b).   Type 2 diabetes is therefore more commonly observed among elderly individuals, as their metabolic rate generally slows down as they age.   Obese individuals tend to develop diabetes because their food choices are often different from the recommended daily diet, thus increasing the likelihood that sugar-rich foods would be consumed on a regular basis.Gestational diabetes pertains to the increase i n the blood glucose level of a female during pregnancy.   This occurrence is usually linked to the gain in the total body weight of a woman during pregnancy, as well as the decrease in the physical activity of the woman as she progresses through the entire gestational period of 36 weeks or 9 months.   Unlike types 1 and 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes often disappears once the woman has given birth.   The disappearance of the features of diabetes are possibly linked to the loss in the total body weight after birth, as well as the increase in the physical activity of the woman after delivery.EPIDEMIOLOGY OF DIABETESType 1 diabetes generally affects both males and females, yet there are certain characteristics that strongly associated with this metabolic disease.   According to the World Health Organization, type 1 diabetes is more common among whites and is considered as a rare disease among non-white populations of Africa and Asia.   Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is commonly diagnosed in elderly individuals.Moreover, elderly individuals who are overweight are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes because these individuals tend to be less active in physical activities.   Certain populations are thus associated with type 2 diabetes, including those of African and Asian ethnicities.   In the United States alone, there are 24 million individuals with the age of 20 years old and above that have been diagnosed with diabetes (NIDDK, 2007).   On the other hand, there are 12 million elderly individuals who have been diagnosed with diabetes in the United States.TREATMENT OF DIABETESType 1 diabetes is generally treated with the administration of insulin on a daily basis.   Patient are therefore taught how to inject insulin everyday, in order to maintain a normal level of insulin in their blood.   Type 2 diabetes is usually treated with medications that assist in the digestion of glucose from the food items consumed.   This medication is give n on a daily basis using a tablet or capsule format.   In addition to medications, a healthy diet is highly recommended to diabetic patients.   This includes food items that are low in sugar content, such as green, leafy vegetables and fiber-rich fruits and grains.Exercise is also recommended for diabetic patients, as this assists in increasing the metabolic rate of the body.   Diabetic patients are also educated on the condition of hypoglycemia, which is the extreme lowering of the blood glucose level of the body, resulting in fainting and a decrease in the arterial blood pressure.   A dietician therefore plays an important role in the design of the dietary regimen of diabetic patients.   A regular check-up should also be performed every 3 to 6 months, wherein the fasting blood sugar levels are determined, in order to evaluate the progress of the patient with the current dietary regimen.REFERENCESNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.   (2007) .   National Diabetes Statistics, 2007.   Downloaded from http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/statistics/DM_Statistics.pdf on July 8, 2010.National Institutes of Health.   (2010a).   Type 1 diabetes: Thirty years of progress.   Downloaded from http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/Type1Diabetes.pdf on July 8, 2010.National Institutes of Health.   (2010b).   Type 2 diabetes: Thirty years of progress.   Downloaded from http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/Type2Diabetes.pdf on July 8, 2010.

James Decartes essays

James Decartes essays World War I left many families dead, creating large numbers of orphans. Jamaie (later to become James) Decartes was one of those orphans. His father died in the trenches in France, and his mother was stolen away, never to be seen again. James was 14 when this happened, he hid under floor boards when his mother was taken away. His humble french hometown village, was over run with german foot traffic, traveling to and from the front line. James decided this was no life for him, so he ran south, towards Switzerland, which he knew wasn't involved in the war, trying to seek asylum. He traveled by the cover of night, seeking charity from locals, and trying dodge the german military machine. James refused to be beaten by the germans, he would sabotage trucks, and other equipment, to do his part for his country. His spirit was undominatable, which is probably why his sire Sven Troile took notice of him. Sven had recently left Russia, due to the war, and the hardships with kindred p olitics there. Sven sought to establish a brujah presence in the toreador dominated france after the war. For this Sven would need help, taking notice of James, he watched over him and his travel, not letting himself be known. James may very well have died, if it werent for Sven, but James didn't know that. Eventually James made it to switzerland, being a neutral party in the war, the soilders would not let him enter the country. Confused as to what to do than, he started towards spain, but feared that he would find no security there. Along his way towards spain, he met up with a swiss farmer outside the country lines (through some persuasion down the road from sven), he was invited to be smuggled inside the country. This is when he first met Sven, whos very presence awed James. James, who was still young and impressionable, quickly latched onto Svens magnetic personality. James thought Sven was hiding for the war also, which gav...

Zoology Lab Report Essays

Zoology Lab Report Essays Zoology Lab Report Paper Zoology Lab Report Paper Materials and Methods: Experiment #1: Before we did anything we punched fifteen discs out of the filter paper. Once we had our discs we then got our catalane, potato juice. We put it into small containers with lids with labels on them that read 100%, 80%, 60%, 40%, 20% and 0%. Each container contained water and potato juice. In the 100% it contained ml of catalane and Mol of water. In the 80% it contained ml of catalane and ml of water. In the 60% it contained ml of catalane and ml of water. In the 40% it contained ml of catalane and ml of water. In the it contained ml of catalane and ml of water. Lastly, in the 0% it contained ml of catalane and ml of water. Once we had our catalane ready we poured hydrogen peroxide in a graduated cylinder to the top. We got our timer ready and then we began our experiment. First we did the 0% catalane. We grabbed the edge of one of the filter paper discs and dipped it into the 0% catalane and then dropped it into the graduated cylinder containing the hydrogen peroxide. For the 0% catalane you had to wait three minutes because the disc would not go to the top. We then moved on the do the 20% catalane. We dipped the filter paper disc into the catalane and then blotted it so there was no dripping of the catalane. We then roped it into the hydrogen peroxide and timed it until it reached the top of the graduated cylinder. We repeated this step three times for each of the catalysts. Once we had the times of all three trials you then calculated the average time. Once you had the average time you divided the distance in millimeters by the average time and that is what gave you your reaction rate. Experiment #2: First, before you do anything, you had to heat up the hydrogen peroxide to 80*C. You then used the same labeled containers with the catalane in it from experiment one. For our experiment we did our first trial at 70*C because our hydrogen peroxide dropped 10* before we could perform the experiment. First we dipped our filter disc into the 100% catalane and blotted it until there was no excess catalane on the disc and then we dropped it in the peroxide at 70*C. We timed how long it took to come up, but because the temperature is so hot you are just going to have to wait the three minutes again because it will not float up to the top. We then cooled our hydrogen peroxide down in the tub of ice to 50*C and dipped our filter paper disc into the 100% catalane, blotted it, and then dropped it into the hydrogen peroxide. We timed how long it took to reach the top as well. We then repeated this step for 40*C, 30*C and 20*C. Once we recorded the time and the distance for each one you then calculated the reaction time by dividing the time by the distance. IV. Results: % Catalane Time 3-friars (Sec. ) Average Time (Sec. ) Distance (mm) Reaction Rate (mm/sec) 100 47 As ass 45. As 44. As mm 2. Mm/s 80 56. S 48. Is ass 52. AS 2. Mm/s 60 ass 59. 75 ASS 56. AS 2. Mm/s ASS sass 104. As 98. AS 1. Mm/s 20 97. As 128. 85 SASS 110. As 1. Mm/s SASS sass Mom Mom/s Graph By the graph shown above the results we obtained from experiment one tell us hat the more enzyme concentration that is present the faster the reaction rate will be. This graph also supports my hypothesis because my hypothesis stated that I think the reaction would happ en faster, and in fact it did happen at a faster rate. Experiment 2: Data Table Temperature (*C) Time (sec) Reaction Rate (ms) 70*C 50*C 90. S mm 1. Mm/s 40*C 42. As 30*C 61. As 1. Mm/s 20*C 127. As 0. Mm/s Based on the graph above I can conclude from this experiment that the effect of temperature on the reaction rate is that the longer it takes the disc to rise causes a lower reaction because the enzyme proteins begin to denature. The graph above also showed some support for my hypothesis. I predicted that the filter discs would float sooner in a warmer substrate but once I looked at my graph above the reaction rate did get faster but when the temperature went up the filter discs didnt float at all. V. Discussion: The results for my experiment #1 supported my hypothesis. My hypothesis stated I think that the filter paper discs would float sooner when you add more enzymes, and when I plotted my line graph of my data it showed me that over time the reaction rate sped up when there were more enzymes present. The ERM 100% enzyme is relative only to the amount of enzyme our professor mixed, meaning that the enzyme concentration could have been a lot higher. I think that the trend of the graph would continue if the enzyme samples got even more concentrated than the ones in this lab because the graph showed us with more enzymes present the faster the reaction will be. If you were to set up a lab to test the effect of varying substrate concentration the student would first have to punch out the three holes of filter disc paper, just like we did, and put the hydrogen peroxide in a graduated cylinder. The student would then have to first oak the filter paper in the catalane until the filter paper was completely covered, then blot it on a paper towel to make sure there isnt any excess catalane. Then place the filter paper into the hydrogen peroxide and time how long it takes to reach the top of the cylinder. Once done calculate your reaction rate then repeat two more times for a more accurate reading. The results for my experiment #2 showed some support for my hypothesis. I predicted that the filter discs would float sooner in the warmer substrate, but when I plotted my graph it showed me that yes, when I heated up the substrate he reaction rate did get faster, but when the temperature got too hot the filter discs did not float at all. They did not float at all because if the enzymes are heated up to much it causes the enzymes bonds to break which would not allow them to bond to the substrate, causing the discs not to float. If you mixed up the enzyme solution and the substrate solution will cause the discs not to float because mixing them takes heat and energy away causing the reaction rate to go down. Also if you let an enzyme boil the heat breaks down the bonds that make up the enzyme and it loses its shape, which leads it to not being allowed to bond o the substrate.

Mares Tail and MacKerel Scales in Weather Folklore

Mare's Tail and MacKerel Scales in Weather Folklore Mackerel scales and mare’s tails make lofty ships carry low sails. If you have no idea what this means, you are not alone. Weather proverbs and folklore are being technologically ousted from our everyday vocabulary. In the past, people looked towards nature for clues to ever-changing weather patterns. The Meaning of the Weather Proverb In the past, people looked at the  weather and related it to something in their lives. For instance, cloud types are often described by their shapes in the sky. The mare’s tails are wispy cirrus clouds while the mackerel scales are small clumpy altocumulus clouds resembling fish scales in the sky. In the days of large sailing ships, this meant a storm would be approaching soon and the sails should be lowered to protect from the accompanying high winds. How Has Technology Changed Weather Folklore? Today, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has the Dial-A-Buoy program. Part of the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) the program is designed to give sailors advanced meteorological and oceanographic data. A sailor can literally call for data from a series of buoys all around the world. Dial-A-Buoy will give anyone wind speed and direction, wave height, dew point, visibility, and temperature are updated hourly and available for analysis. With access by phone or the Internet, the relay center at the NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi generates a computer voice which will report the current information. With over a million hits a month and countless calls to the center, the NDBC is changing how we use weather information. Need to know the weather? Forget mackerel scales! Todays folklore is all about innovation. Are Mackerel Scales and Mares Tails Good Predictors of Approaching Storms? In short, yes. The cloud systems that develop prior to a storm will often appear clumpy and wispy like a fish scale or horsetail!

How Puerto Ricans Migrated New York Research Paper

How Puerto Ricans Migrated New York - Research Paper Example For this particular paper, I will be concentrating on the history of one of the largest immigrant cultures ever to come aboard the American shores. This paper will shed light upon how the Puerto Ricans migrated to New York City. The paper itself will divide the migration history of Puerto Ricans into the United States into 2 parts. The first part will cover the 20th century migration era and the latter part, the 21st century migration experience of Puerto Ricans to New York. However, in order to understand the reasons for the migration, we must first understand how Puerto Rico happened to become a part of unofficial U.S. territory in the first place. The relationship of the United States and Puerto Rico is one that is hard to define, little understood, and even more little known than to a select circle of historians who have documented the strange, symbiotic relationship of America and Puerto Rico. Though not listed as a part of the American territories, Puerto Rico still enjoys a sp ecial type of status privilege with America. As a protectorate state, the Puerto Ricans are neither truly Americans nor truly Puerto Rican. Rather, the people of Puerto Rico are known as â€Å"non citizen nationals†. Enjoying a unique kind of migrant status in the country in the process. Before the Spanish-American war came to an end, Puerto Rico was a part of Spanish occupied territory. One year before the war officially came to an end, Spain thought it in the best interest of Puerto Rico to grant it independence. However, before the finalities to independence could be applied, Spain had lost the war and in the process of surrender, had given Puerto Rico to the United States as part of an armistice between Spain and the United States. Puerto Rico officially became part of the United States roster of countries under its protectorate on October 18, 18981 Having enjoyed a protectorate relationship with the United States for more than a century, Puerto Ricans are technically â⠂¬Å"American citizens† with an independently functioning homeland ever since 1917. Falling under such a description, Puerto Rican nationals who go to the United States automatically carry United States citizenship the minute they step onto the U.S. mainland. As such, Puerto Ricans are not technically perceived to be immigrants to the United States but rather a migrant population 2 Due to the occupation of Spain and eventual turn over to the United States, Puerto Rico was never able to create a stable economy for itself. The country was mired in a high rate of poverty and economic depression. Puerto Ricans who understood the technicalities of their country's relationship with the United States chose to migrate rather than face the continuous hardships that beset their country. This time of migration came to be known as the Great Migration from Puerto Rico and resulted in a great number of Puerto Ricans entering the United States through Ellis Island in New York. Throughout time , there would be a steady influx of migrants from Puerto Rico into the United States using New York as their port of entry. The existence of good work opportunities in New York at the time of their arrival signaled that these migrants would be calling New York City their home for the time being. 3 The passing of the Johnson Act in 1921 was meant to help ease the burden of lack of job opportunities for Puerto Ricans in the United States due to competition from European immigrants. The passage of the act ensured a stream of available jobs for Puerto Ricans

Documentary Movie Analysis-Who Killed Vincent Chin Essay

Documentary Movie Analysis-Who Killed Vincent Chin - Essay Example Documentaries are more non-fictitious and real-life based, unlike commercial flicks; their purpose varying from showcasing reality to enlightening and educating the rural masses. Whatever be the case, documentaries are real life depictions on screen. Documentary films fall under varied genres, such as Authored Documentaries, Fly on the Wall, Docu-soaps, Docudramas, and the like. The first two are captures of real life instances, while the latter two are enactments of what has really transpired. Thus, documentaries stand for ‘Truth’. The documentary, ‘Who killed Vincent Chin’ was directed by Christine Choy and Renee Tajima. It is in the form of a docu-drama, exploring the real incident, by using characters to play the real-life ones. The cast includes Renee Tajima and Ron Ebens. The documentary explores the concept of racial discrimination in America, against an Asian-American immigrant, the flaws in the judicial system in America and above all, the sheer struggle that immigrants undergo in the process of assimilation and adaptation to the American culture and falling in line to conquer and realize their ‘American Dream’. This paper attempts to analyse the documentary, the various techniques used and how the documentary has been shot, to add value to the concept and the idea in particular. The story-line of the documentary reflects the real-life incident, wherein an Asian-American, Vincent Chin was murdered haplessly, by two Americans, Ron Ebens and his step-son, Michael Nitz. The murder happens after a scuffle between the two, at Fancy Pants, a Detroit topless bar. The murder takes place outside the bar, in a corner, with eye-witnesses watching the gruesome act, where Chin is shown beaten with baseball bats. While on the surface, the concept is that of a hapless murder occurring in the midst of

Profiling -marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Profiling -marketing plan - Essay Example As part of market plan, this paper analyses the segmented markets of this business and addresses its marketing opportunities in relation to its marketing mix elements. Mission Statement and marketing objectives of the GGI ‘To deliver quality home decor and gift items to the customers, by importing from quality suppliers abroad’ is the main mission that GGI would like to communicate to its customers. in order to achieve this mission and goal, the GGI plans to conduct its business based on following key marketing strategies: provide quality home decor and gifts to the customers, value their perceptions, make regular quality assurance and checks, take care of employees and respect the customers. This mission will be communicated to all of its stakeholders, because, as Ferrell and Hartline (2008) noted, a mission statement is an important portion of strategic marketing plan which mustn’t be kept confidential (p. 33). Market Profiling of GGI Market profiling is a metho d of plotting market action by organizing and collecting market-generated time, price and volume information in relation to specific product or service marketing. A market profiling helps a firm identify where from its majority of buyers come towards selecting its products (Person, 2004, p. 40). GGI has been successfully operating its business by selling home decors and gift items and based on the information it collected, the company plans to conducts its future marketing operation. Most customers are very likely to appeal to Asian decors and the company therefore plans to continue importing from Asian countries. It has been observed that the company gained more number of customer when the home decors and gift items have been priced between $20 to $80 per item. A high price, as observed, yields relatively less appeal from customers and therefore relatively less margins to the company. Targeted Markets The major segments that GGI targets consist of the following groups. 1) Generatio n A, mainly comprising of baby boomers who are married with kids, average educated and home owners who all are likely to stay in their own home. Their income is more than $20,000 and less than $50,000. 2) Generation B, mainly comprising of Affluent, who are married, average educated and their income is more that $50,000. 3) Generation C, who are well educated, married and are experiencing tremendous growth. They are sophisticated achievers and 30 + savvy business and other people. Out of 30+ million population in those three regions, the target market of GGI is between 5- 6 million, comprising of 2 million from Generation A, 1.5 million from Generation B, 1.3 million from Generation C and .2 million from other un-targeted groups. Marketing Mix strategies Product Element: The GGI plans to deliver quality home decors and gift items to the above detailed three segments and find quality goods according to varying needs and requirements of its customers. in order to ensure customer satis faction in relation to product quality, GGI plans to assign quality departments duties of regular check ups and make necessary actions to improve the quality of imported items. Company will focus on its brand GGI in a way that can be positioned better in customers’ mind so that it will create long term profitability as well as make them loyal customers (Wreden, 2007, p. 13) Price: GGI never plans to charge any higher amount than the reasonable price, being fixed on margin plus pricing policy. The

E Government in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

E Government in the UK - Essay Example E government implementation in the UK includes the use of cards with smart chips for passes to pay for school meals, public transportation and for online voting and online payment transactions. Websites are setup for public consultation, paying parking tickets. E-government is big business in the twenty-first century, amounting to over 1% of GDP in most industrialized nations and around  £14 billion annually in the United Kingdom, according to recent estimates (Margetts, 2010). The core factors that occur, when assessing national E government in the form of providing human resources, correspond with the ushering in of globalization and the internet and the balance this new era must maintain between the diffusion of ideas and innovation, as opposed to the replication of practices from one area to the next. As noted by Dempsey, â€Å"E-government is the delivery of online government services, which provides the opportunity to increase citizen access to government, reduce government bureaucracy, increase citizen participation in democracy and enhance agency responsiveness to citizens needs (Dempsey, 2001).† These are the ideal policy changes that E-government is set about to enhance government and private sector practices in the U.K. The problem is this implies E-government practices improve the quality of government practices, which some naysayers argue is not the case. In the Guardian U.K. article, â€Å"E-government is not a financial cure-all,† the author notes that advancements the internet has brought on to be utilized by local and federal governments, as well as private sector institutions in the U.K., does not necessarily mean enhanced quality of these services. The author says, â€Å"When all else fails, reach for the ‘e’. In the past week, both the prime minister and the chancellor of the exchequer have cited e-government to explain how they are going to cut the cost of public services, but not their quality (Cross, 2010).† The author then goes onto point out the key to petitioning for e-government initiatives can be traced to a specific term that dictates how e-government is identified in the public eye, he says, â€Å"The current buzzword is ‘smarter government’, but the basic concept has been policy for a decade, since Tony Blair's first e-envoy, Alex Allan, unveiled the national e-government str ategy in April 2000 (Cross, 2010).† The author goes on to note that after billions of dollars invested in the 2005 E-government policies to improve public services placed UK on a European commission’s annual benchmarking survey as the leader in Europe of the electronic public services.

Literature Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Literature Review - Essay Example rsing staff, doctors and others health workers like physiotherapists and respiratory therapists, and providing high-quality care to the sickest patients. Along with these, meeting the needs of the staff members who work in a very stressful environment is also an important challenge. To provide high quality care in ICU, there is a need for interplay of high technology and high acuity in such a setting. Each year, more than 4 million US patients receive critical care and this costs more than $180 billion annually (ECRI Institute, 2007). 10 % of the in-patient beds are occupied by intensive care patients. 30% of acute care hospital costs accounts for intensive care. 8% of the hospital beds are occupied by those who need critical care (Society of Critical Care medicine Survey, 1991 and 1993; qtd in Brilli, Spevetz, & Branson, et al, 2001). Treatment in critical care is extremely expensive. It accounts for 20% of all hospital costs and 1% of the GDP (Luce & Rubenfeld, 2002). The reason why intensive care treatment is highly costly is that ICU is a resource- intense environment which requires skilled staff, costly and new drugs and expensive technology (Kahn & Angus, 2006). Most of the Americans are covered by a health insurance plan either through the companies they work for or through the employment of their spouse or parents. According to the Current Population Survey, 2004 (ASPE, 2005), 59.8% of the population are covered by employers and only 9% purchase insurance directly. Another important source of insurance is Government. Medicare is the largest public coverage program and covers 14% of the population. About 84% of the beneficiaries of Medicare are those above 65 years of age. Another insurance program is the Medicaid which covers 12.9% of the population. The population which is covered by this program constitutes mainly the children, pregnant women, elderly, and disabled people. Military/veterans coverage of insurance is also provided by the Government and

E Government in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

E Government in the UK - Essay Example E government implementation in the UK includes the use of cards with smart chips for passes to pay for school meals, public transportation and for online voting and online payment transactions. Websites are setup for public consultation, paying parking tickets. E-government is big business in the twenty-first century, amounting to over 1% of GDP in most industrialized nations and around  £14 billion annually in the United Kingdom, according to recent estimates (Margetts, 2010). The core factors that occur, when assessing national E government in the form of providing human resources, correspond with the ushering in of globalization and the internet and the balance this new era must maintain between the diffusion of ideas and innovation, as opposed to the replication of practices from one area to the next. As noted by Dempsey, â€Å"E-government is the delivery of online government services, which provides the opportunity to increase citizen access to government, reduce government bureaucracy, increase citizen participation in democracy and enhance agency responsiveness to citizens needs (Dempsey, 2001).† These are the ideal policy changes that E-government is set about to enhance government and private sector practices in the U.K. The problem is this implies E-government practices improve the quality of government practices, which some naysayers argue is not the case. In the Guardian U.K. article, â€Å"E-government is not a financial cure-all,† the author notes that advancements the internet has brought on to be utilized by local and federal governments, as well as private sector institutions in the U.K., does not necessarily mean enhanced quality of these services. The author says, â€Å"When all else fails, reach for the ‘e’. In the past week, both the prime minister and the chancellor of the exchequer have cited e-government to explain how they are going to cut the cost of public services, but not their quality (Cross, 2010).† The author then goes onto point out the key to petitioning for e-government initiatives can be traced to a specific term that dictates how e-government is identified in the public eye, he says, â€Å"The current buzzword is ‘smarter government’, but the basic concept has been policy for a decade, since Tony Blair's first e-envoy, Alex Allan, unveiled the national e-government str ategy in April 2000 (Cross, 2010).† The author goes on to note that after billions of dollars invested in the 2005 E-government policies to improve public services placed UK on a European commission’s annual benchmarking survey as the leader in Europe of the electronic public services.

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Business Strategy - Essay Example Outsourcing and offshoring are some of the new business concepts contributed by globalization. These business strategies help the entrepreneurs to exploit overseas markets. Those who stick with the old business strategies may not take advantage of these revolutionary business concepts and may struggle to survive in the market. â€Å"Competition existed long before strategy. It began with life itself† (Henderson,1989, 139). Competition is becoming intense in every field of life and business is also not an exception. In order to stay in the market most of the organizations devises new strategies and approaches within and outside their organization. According to Markides (1999:6) â€Å"Behind every successful company there is a superior strategy; however there is little agreement on what strategy is or how to develop a good one†. This paper critically analyses the importance of strategy in business. Importance of strategy in business â€Å"There are two major types of str ategy: (1) corporate strategy, in which companies decide which line or lines of business to engage in; and (2) business or competitive strategy, which sets the framework for achieving success in a particular business†(Strategy formulation, n. d). Business strategy seems to be getting more attention than the corporate strategy because of the importance of it in determining future of the organization. ... For example, the recent financial crisis came quite unexpectedly and many big organizations struggled for survival. However, the negative effects of recession have not affected some organizations very much. For example, Apple Inc escaped from recession without much trouble whereas Lehman Brothers faced immense problems. This is because of the better business strategies of Apple Inc compared to that of Lehman Brothers. Negative entropy, Feedback and Steady state etc are some of the business strategies adopted by organizations. Negative entropy is a scenario in which organizations conserve something for the harder times. Apple Inc succeeded in conserving something for the harder times whereas Lehman Brother failed to do so. Feedback is another important business strategy through which an organization fine tunes its strategies. Negative feedback enables the organization to correct deviations or problems. For example, most of the new products developed by organizations will be tested in the market for a substantial period of time before the introduction of the final product. This is a business strategy adopted by organizations ensure the success of the new product in the market. Steady state refers to the balance to be maintained between inputs from the external environment and the outputs going back to it. In other words, â€Å"Companies should define their strategy not based on the product they are selling, but according to the underlying functionality of the product they are selling† (Markides, 1999, p.6). It is necessary to know the market requirement of a product before deciding about the amount of production. So the inputs from the market collected through various market research methods will help an organization decide about

The sixth sense - review Essay Example for Free

The sixth sense review Essay I think that the sixth sense falls into a mystery-thriller. Mystery because at the start you wonder whats wrong with Cole, but half way though we find out his problem that he can see dead people, and then we wonder how he can be helped and will Malcolm be able to help him. Near the end there is an unexpected twist, and you find out Malcolm has been dead all along. The audience needs to believe that Malcolm has been dead all the time; otherwise we would know Cole could see dead people all along and most of the scenes would be pointless. Some bits of the film are scary and can make u jump, thats why it falls into a thriller. The film is meant to trick the audience all the way through with loads of twists and turns. The film could make people think maybe just for one second, are their dead people walking around that we cant see? And is there any one who could see dead people? At the beginning of the first scene it looks as if Coles mum and Malcolm have been having a conversation, because they are facing each other and appear to be looking at each other, we also think they have been having a conversation by the way they have been sitting, it looks like they have been sitting there for a while and they are nice and comfortable, but we actually dont see them talking. When Cole comes home Coles mum goes to great him, and they start to tell each other about there days that didnt really happen, like there dream days. While Cole and his mum talk about there dream day Malcolm smiles, this tell us that he knows what they said they did in there days arent true but its a nice thing to do, it also shows Cole and his mum have a good relationship. This scene is important for later on when Coles mum gets accused for beating him, this scene proves she would never hurt him and they have a good relationship. As Coles mum leaves the room she says you have got an hour this makes the audience assume that Malcolm and Cole have an hour to talk, but what she really means is Cole has an hour until dinner. The Camera helps deceive us because Coles mum turns around as she says, you have got an hour making it look like shes talking to Malcolm. After Coles mum leaves the room Cole and Malcolm play a game, Malcolm says its a mind reading game and if he reads Coles mind correctly Cole takes a step forward, but if he reads him mind wrong Cole takes a step back, if Cole get to the chair were Malcolm is sitting, he sits down and talks to Malcolm, but if he gets to the door he can go. We dont think anything unusual about Malcolm getting some of the questions about Cole right because he must know some background information about Cole as part of his job. We think Cole and Malcolms relationship is good and Malcolm is trying to build up Coles trusts with him, we think that have a normal Doctor client relationship. Cole says Malcolm is nice but he doesnt think Malcolm can help him, he says you cant help me Malcolm and Cole talk about Coles life at school, when his dad left and about Coles mum going to see someone like Malcolm but he didnt help her, and thats why Cole thinks Malcolm cant help him. Its important we think Cole and Malcolm have a normal Doctor client relationship so that we think Malcolm is a normal Doctor. We now know that Cole can see dead people because when hes in the hospital with Malcolm he says, I can see dead people. When Cole sees ghosts it is usually dark and it gets cold, it gets cold when the ghosts are angry, we no this because after the school play Cole says to Malcolm when they get mad it gets cold . When Cole talks to Malcolm it doesnt get cold and u cant see his breath, this shows that Malcolm is not angry and does not no hes dead, also if it got cold and we could see Coles breath when hes around Malcolm we would no Malcolm was dead half way threw, and we are not meant to find out until the end. At the begging of the restaurant scene we see Anna sitting down with her back to the camera, and Malcolm walking towards her threw the restaurant, then there is a close up on Malcolm standing right at the table looking directly at Anna, then he sits down and says Im sorry Anna she then looks straight ahead at him hes looking to his right as he talks, there is no eye contact, direct eye contact is made as the camera moves closer, Malcolm straight away after saying sorry to Anna starts talking about Cole, as the camera moves in they again avoid eye contact, there is a close up on Malcolm still talking to Anna about Cole. The camera pans round the weightier buts the cheque on the table, we see Anna and Malcolm both go to grab it Anna takes the cheque quickly making us think she is angry with Malcolm and doesnt want him to pay for it, as Anna signs the cheque the camera bends behind Malcolm, as it does so Malcolm apologises for the way he has been acting, Anna is mostly looking down signing the cheque and putting her things in her bag, as Malcolm is apologising Anna looks up making people think that she is agreeing with him, but she is really looking up because someone was laughing she looks down sadly again and says happy anniversary . During the whole scene we do not see them directly talking to each other and having a proper convocation. We think Anna is angry with Malcolm because he was late, and when he comes he just says sorry and then he starts talking about Cole, then he says sorry to her properly. As she leaves she says happy anniversary in a sarcastic way, this then means Malcolm forgot it was there anniversary what is another reason why Anna would be angry. This would make Anna think that she is second best and that her and Malcolm dont have a very good relationship. This scene adds to our belief that Malcolm is alive and not dead. We know Malcolm and Anna dont talk much because Malcolm is already dead. But the film leads us to believe that they dont talk much, because Anna is angry with Malcolm because Malcolm was late and Malcolm dont really no what to say, because he is an a difficult position. Anna doest really talk she just looks down at the ground making it look like she is angry. When Malcolm does talk he just starts talking about Cole and nothing else. The camera makes it look as if they are looking at each other, but theyre not because Anna cant see Malcolm. Anna sighs after Malcolm is finished talking, this makes up think that Anna is fed up and has had enough. The two scenes help our belief of Malcolm being alive because, it looks as if Malcolm is interacting with other people and other things, leaving the audience with no reason to doubt Malcolm being alive. It is important that we believe Malcolm is alive other wise, if we knew he was dead from the start most of the scenes would be pointless and would be boring for the audience. At the end of the film we realise Malcolm is dead when we see him talking to Anna, and all the deceptions Cole gave of dead people we see with Malcolm. We see flash backs of the two scenes and we realise that Malcolm never talked to anyone and that he didnt interact with anything, and the only person who could see and hear him is Cole.

Differences between Macro and Micro sociology

Differences between Macro and Micro sociology Explain the differences between Macro and Micro sociology. Identify some of the key sociological approaches in both areas. Which do you think is more useful for studying society and why? Giddens (1989) defines sociology in the following way: Sociology is the study of human social life, groups and societies. It is a dazzling and compelling enterprise, having as its subject matter our own behaviour as social beings. The scope of sociology is extremely wide, ranging from the analysis of passing encounters between individuals in the street up to the investigation of world-wide social processes. Sociology is a significant subject so it is almost impossible to know all its aspect, it is only possible to learn how to apply sociological imagination , that is why all the sociological  theories may be broadly  divided into macro and  micro approaches, which will be deeper discussed and considered from each angle in this essay. Macro sociology studies social structures, communities, big social groups, layers, systems and processes that occur in them. The social community such as civilization is the main objective of macro sociology. It is not focused on detailed analysis of certain problems and situations; its target is a complex understanding of the issue. Macro sociological approach to phenomena is associated with the social world systems and its interaction with different types of culture, social institutions (complex social forms), social structures and global processes. Mainly macro sociology concentrates on the models of behavior that help to understand society as a whole. The main concepts of macro sociology are: society, culture, social institutions, social system, structure and also global social processes. Macro sociologists argue that society is in a more priority than individual as his behavior is formed by society he was born and brought up in. Macro sociology includes several important sociolo gical perspectives such as: functionalism that focuses on relationship between the parts of society and how aspects of society are functional and Conflict Theory which main focus is competition for scarce resources and how the elite control the poor and weak. Micro sociology  is one of the main branches of  sociology, examining the nature of everyday human  social interactions  and  agency  on a small scale. Micro sociology is based on interpretative analysis rather than statistical or empirical observation. It includes a theory of Symbolic interactionism that focuses on the use of symbols and face-to-face interactions. Micro sociology appeared in the late 30s of this century and had another name sociometry. This term is associated with Jacob L. Moreno, who was a  Jewish  Romanian-born  Austrian-American  leading  psychiatrist, sociologist, thinker and  educator. During his lifetime, he was recognized as one of the leading social scientists. Sociometry has got very original research methods, which are widely used as  a general scientific  tool  in  various  social  studies. For Moreno three the most important concepts of the sociometry were: socius companion, metrum measurement and drama action. Mor eno (1948) defines sociometry as the inquiry into the evolution and organization of groups and the position of individuals within them.  For  Moreno  and  other  representatives of  sociometry the main  object of  research  is an existing small  social groups and the most  important,  what  characterizes these social groups is  the peoples emotional  relationship  with each other that is  forming  an atomistic  structure of  society. Simple  observations are not  able to  capture these  relationships,  but  they can  be  identified by  using specific  measurement methods,  particularly survey  techniques  and processing of data. For example: sociometric tests, sociomatrices and sociograms. This  technique allows  detecting the  actual  situations of conflict  and  efforts  to eliminate them. The creation of sociometry has importantly contributed to the sociology and is considered to be one of the most si gnificant achievements of sociology as a science for the entire period of its existence.  The introduction of quantitative methods in sociology considerably transformed it and allowed to study with unprecedented accuracy.  One of the most significant consequences of creation of the micro sociology has become the increase of interest and opportunities for social research in the study of various problems of human existence with the use of quantative methods and modern computer technologies. Functionalists mainly  focus on the  macrostructures  of society,  but representatives  of symbolic  interactionism  are usually  more concerned about micro aspects  of social life. Also they argue that micro sociology is more useful for studying society. For instance  John  H.Mead and  H.  Blumer  studied the  social  interaction  of individuals  and  speculated  how  they manage to  coordinate their actions with each other. The Representatives of symbolic interactionism emphasize the fact that people are social beings.  However, in comparison with ants, bees, termites and other insects, that are leading a social life, people almost do not have any inherent models of behavior that connect us with each other. Consequently,  if people have essentially no inherent nature of the mechanisms of social behaviuor it is not clear how society can be created.  Representatives of symbolic interactionism find the answer in the ability of people to communicate through the symbols. Geogre Herbert Meed (1863-1931) and other representatives of symbolic interactionism state that we perform an act by conforming to the meaning we put in it. Generally Blumer states that the meaning is not something initially related to the things, on the contrary, it is characteristic which emerges from the interaction between people in their everyday life. In other  words, social  reality  is created  by people  when they  act  in this  world and  interpret  events  occurring in  it. Nietzsches 1880s notebooks repeatedly state that there are no facts, only interpretations. We  choose the  facts  from the  universal  context  by  the activity  of our  brain , and  because of that all  the facts  are the creations  of a man.  Accordingly, representatives of  symbolic  interactionism  believe  that  we perceive the world  as  constructed  reality. All  this leads  representatives  of symbolic interactionism  to the conclusion  that  if  sociologists  want to  study the  life  of society, they must first understand the  words  and actions of  members of  this society,  taking  their  point  of view.  This  theory  was largely  influenced by  Weberian  concept  of understanding  (Verstehen) or empathetic understanding. This gives an opportunity to the sociologists to mentally put themselves into the other persons shoes and thus obtain an interpretive understanding of the meanings of individuals behaviours. To conclude, the advantage  of this approach  is that  it  introduces the  people in the  panorama of  sociological research.  It  pays  attention  to  the activities  of individuals  in  their  daily  lives and  sees that the  people  are not robots that mechanically carry out the orders of social rules and institutional norms  but beings that are  living  their  lives  and have got and ability to  think. Through interaction, they operate on symbols and meanings à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹that enable them to interpret the situation, assess the advantages and disadvantages of certain actions and then choose one of them.  Thus, representatives of symbolic interactionism suggest the image of a man as an individual, actively shaping his behavior, rather than passively reacting to external dictates of structural limitations.

Comparisons of Helen Maria Williams A Tour in Switzerland and Lady Mor

Comparisons of Helen Maria Williams' A Tour in Switzerland and Lady Morgan's Italy Works Cited Missing Both Helen Maria Williams and Lady Morgan are important representatives of the genre of Romantic travel literature. These two accounts were published more than twenty years apart, and while they regard different countries, thematic and stylistic parallels and contrasts can, not surprisingly, be established between the two works. Social and cultural commentary, as well political and historical criticism, are prominent in these two accounts. Another point of comparison is the theme of the relation of man with nature. Williams' style leans toward the sentimental tradition in travel writing; it is personalized and her perceptions tend to be mediated through the emotions. Lady Morgan's descriptions rely more on intellectual rather than emotional elements, and are often polemical, while also remaining self-consciously subjective. Both writers register powerful emotion at seeing the Alps for the first time. Both also make an effort to give this important moment a particular context. Williams stresses the subjective, that is, the importance of the Alps in her own personal 'narrative,' and in this way contextualizes for the reader the emotional rapture, or 'transport,' which she relates to us of the moment of the first view: "It was not without the most powerful emotion that, for the first time, I cast my eyes on that solemn, that majestic vision, the Alps! - how often had the idea of those stupendous mountains filled my heart with enthusiastic awe! - so long, so eagerly, had I desired to contemplate that scene of wonders, that I was unable to trace when first the wish was awakened in my bosom - it seemed from childhood to have m... ...commodiousness of the private houses is, that the ancients, like the modern population of Rome and Naples, lived more abroad than in the house" (292). The painting on the facades of the palaces of Genoa are not described in visual detail, which may have been one approach, but instead prompt an argument about the institutes of art and the nature of public demand (306). A visit to the Museo Capitolino in Rome breeds the remark that "plunder was ever the principle of the Romans" (115). She solidifies the Coliseum in the reader's memory as "the last and noblest monument of Roman grandeur, and Roman crime" (125). A memorable representation of Naples, encountered as her first view of the city from some distance, is Morgan's imaginative construct of it as "some fabled city of the east, the dream of Arabian poets" (278). In this way her Italy is very much a mediated Italy. Comparisons of Helen Maria Williams' A Tour in Switzerland and Lady Mor Comparisons of Helen Maria Williams' A Tour in Switzerland and Lady Morgan's Italy Works Cited Missing Both Helen Maria Williams and Lady Morgan are important representatives of the genre of Romantic travel literature. These two accounts were published more than twenty years apart, and while they regard different countries, thematic and stylistic parallels and contrasts can, not surprisingly, be established between the two works. Social and cultural commentary, as well political and historical criticism, are prominent in these two accounts. Another point of comparison is the theme of the relation of man with nature. Williams' style leans toward the sentimental tradition in travel writing; it is personalized and her perceptions tend to be mediated through the emotions. Lady Morgan's descriptions rely more on intellectual rather than emotional elements, and are often polemical, while also remaining self-consciously subjective. Both writers register powerful emotion at seeing the Alps for the first time. Both also make an effort to give this important moment a particular context. Williams stresses the subjective, that is, the importance of the Alps in her own personal 'narrative,' and in this way contextualizes for the reader the emotional rapture, or 'transport,' which she relates to us of the moment of the first view: "It was not without the most powerful emotion that, for the first time, I cast my eyes on that solemn, that majestic vision, the Alps! - how often had the idea of those stupendous mountains filled my heart with enthusiastic awe! - so long, so eagerly, had I desired to contemplate that scene of wonders, that I was unable to trace when first the wish was awakened in my bosom - it seemed from childhood to have m... ...commodiousness of the private houses is, that the ancients, like the modern population of Rome and Naples, lived more abroad than in the house" (292). The painting on the facades of the palaces of Genoa are not described in visual detail, which may have been one approach, but instead prompt an argument about the institutes of art and the nature of public demand (306). A visit to the Museo Capitolino in Rome breeds the remark that "plunder was ever the principle of the Romans" (115). She solidifies the Coliseum in the reader's memory as "the last and noblest monument of Roman grandeur, and Roman crime" (125). A memorable representation of Naples, encountered as her first view of the city from some distance, is Morgan's imaginative construct of it as "some fabled city of the east, the dream of Arabian poets" (278). In this way her Italy is very much a mediated Italy.

Continental Philosophy’s Existentialism and Phenomenology Essay

Various identifiable schools of thought such as: existentialism, phenomenology, hermeneutics, deconstruction, and critical theory can be found within Continental philosophy. Existentialism and phenomenology can be traced back to the 19th century and to the pre-Socratics. A few of the main themes from existentialism are:  ·Traditional and academic philosophy is sterile and remote from the concerns of real life.  ·Philosophy must focus on the individual in her or hi confrontation with the world.  ·The world is absurd, in the sense that no ultimate explanation can be given for why it is the way it is.  ·Senselessness, emptiness, triviality, separation, and inability to communicate pervade human existence, giving birth to anxiety, dread, self-doubt, and despair.  ·The individual confronts, as the most important fact of human existence, the necessity to choose how he or she is to live within this absurd and irrational world. Many of these themes were introduced by Arthur Schopenhauer, Soren Kierkegaard, and Friedrich Nietzsche. Kierkegaard emphasized the individual and especially the individual’s will and need to make important choices. Georg Hegel rejected the concept of the â€Å"thing-in-itself† and held that all reality is the expression of thought or reason. Reality, for Hegel, is not a group of independent particulars or states of affairs, but rather like a coherent thought system such as mathematics it is an integrated whole in which each proposition is logically connected with all the rest. Where Hegel was abstract to a degree rarely found outside mathematics, Kierkgaard was concerned with how and what the individual actually chooses in the face of doubt and uncertainty. One contributor to Continental philosophy was Friedrich Nietzche. Nietzche disagreed with all of Hegel’s theories of idealism. He believed the world is driven and determined by the will-to-power. He also believed we have no access to absolute truth and that there are not facts, only interpretations. There were several existentialists in the 19th and 20th centuries. Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Gabriel Marcel and Simone de Beauvoir in France, Karl Jaspers in Switzerland, Martin Heidegger in Germany, Miguel de Unamuno and Jose Ortega y Gasset in Spain, and Nicola Abbagnano in Italy. Two philosophers I want to discuss are Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre. Camus did not understand why the human race spent their lives in despair and grief but were always optimistic about living. He believed there is no ultimate reason that things are the way they are and that we must make choices and decide how to act in a valueless world and absurd world. This is called â€Å"existential predicament. † Even though Camus asked himself, â€Å"Is there any reason not commit suicide? † he regarded suicide as unacceptable. Rebelling against the absurdity and tragedy of life would possibly give life meaning and value. Sartre was a man that thought God did not exist and that man was â€Å"abandoned. † According to Sartre, the non-existence of God has four philosophical implications. First, there is no maker of man, so there is such thing as human nature. The person must produce his or her own essence, because no God created human beings in accordance with a divine concept. Second, since there is no God, there is no reason why things are the way they are not some other way. A human being has â€Å"being-for-itself†, which means that a human being is a conscious subject that creates its own future. Third, man is â€Å"condemned to be free. † Nothing forces us to do what we do, so therefore, we cannot excuse our actions by saying there were circumstances for what we did. Forth, there is no objective standard for values. Since it is a Godless world, we must come up with our own values. To Sartre, creating our own values is a great responsibility for mankind. To find meaning in our lives, we must create our values by making authentic choices. Edmund Husserl was the first great phenomenologist. Phenomenology comes from structures found within conscious experience. Phenomena are the structures that manifest themselves on the assumptions and presuppositions of science. They are thought of as the way a thing is immediately experienced and the way it â€Å"is. † Phenomenology is a way to explore the conscious experience with out making any metaphysical assumptions. Husserl investigated phenomena without making assumptions about the world. This is called transcendental phenomenology. Martin Heidegger also wanted to see things without presumptions, but he was not convinced by Husserl’s theory of phenomena; he believed the source of seeing things this way was Being itself. Heidegger’s theory was that humans are caught up in their own ideas and Being has been reduced to a world of â€Å"objects† dominated by humans through their own logics. Humans are basically ignorant to the true nature of Being. Emmanuel Levinas is mainly responsible for introducing phenomenology into France. He had an influence on many other philosophers. His theories centered on the sense of being aware of what and how we humans exist in the world. He believed, unlike Heidegger, that philosophy began with the experiences of our otherness, and God exists as an Absolute Otherness that can never be breached. He did not agree with the theory of Being because that would make the Other a mere object for consciousness. References

Literature and Culture Essay

I. Literature – General Introduction â€Å"Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourses of my book friends. They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness† (Helen Keller) Keller could not have been more correct in this insight about literature, and scarcely would anyone who has had a lifetime with the written word raise any issue about its faultlessness. Man with his complex, often unfathomable and unpredictable thoughts, feelings and actions, and many times restrained by societal norms from openly exposing what he has inside him, considers literature as a socially acceptable vehicle for unrestrained self-expression. Literature is life. It is a mirror of man’s desires and aspirations, his ambitions and accomplishments, his fears and anxiety, his joyful and fulfilling moments. Through it, he records his experiences of triumphs and downfalls, laughter and anguish, determination and indecision—from things phenomenal to matters mundane. It is only through literature that the human mind is able to successfully transcend all material barriers to reveal its essence which constitutes the â€Å"isness† of man’s being. Literature, then, is the totality of humanity. The famous French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre succinctly said it all in the following line: â€Å"If literature is not everything, it’s not worth a single hour of someone’s trouble† (http://www. brainyquote. com/quotes/keyword/literature. html). What is Literature? ? So broad and deep is the extent and scope of literature that putting up a definition for it is almost like limiting its parameters. However, for academic purposes, it will be relevant to explain what the concept encompasses. ? On a general perspective, anything that is written is classified as literature. ? On a stricter sense, however, and across cultures and ages, literature is associated with a poem, or a fiction article, or a stage play, a book or a classroom lesson. ? Literature, as the body of written works of a language, period or culture, and produced by scholars and researchers, reminds us of stories, epics, sacred scriptures and classical works of the ancient and modern times. Literary works are portrayals of the thinking patterns and social norms prevalent in society. Classical literary works serve as a food for thought, imagination and creativity. ? A literary article should interest, entertain, stimulate, broaden the imagination and experience, or ennoble the reader (Roberts 2). It springs as an idea from the need of its creator to get across a thought or feeling. The writer starts from an experience or set of experiences, real or imagined, which he thinks he needs to share with his public. Working on his creative tablet, he recreates the facts to reflect true-to-life happenings, or invents incidents, places, and characters and puts thoughts into the latter’s minds and words in their mouths. Or he may decide to compress an otherwise long factual or imagined story in a few metered or rhythmical lines. The result is an original text that satisfies its creator’s purpose– a literary article, an imaginative literature. ? Kirszner & Mandell explain that the word â€Å"literature† immediately stirs in the mind the concept of â€Å"imaginative literature† (1). Imaginative Literature is one which temporarily transports the reader to a different world, away from the physical and emotional realities of his existence, where he could be free to view the world with his own eyes and heart. Imaginative literature is not confined to print. A substantial number of orally transmitted imaginative literatures have set the traditions in their respective genres and have remained among the most respectable pieces in the literatures of the world. Why should we value literature? Literature that is imaginative can have far-reaching effects on the reader (Kirzner & Mandell 2-3).? The characters, scenes, images, powerful language, and carefully and masterfully developed plot can delight the reader and offer him an ephemeral escape from the stiffness, boredom, even cruelty of the world around him. ? It can transport the reader out of the limits of his time and space, and get him into seeing another possible phase of life. Meaningful insights can be drawn from wholesome literary texts. ? It can bring him to a level where he is able to see his life more objectively, up close and personal. This is because literature reveals truths about humanity. More than a mere description of people and what they do, literature brings the reader to a slice of virtual life in which he (the reader) consciously experiences his humanity. This is an added value of literature. ? It is an avenue for him to view and understand his own experiences and those of others. Reflecting can make him more sensitive to the needs of others and his own. Literature, then, can serve as a value guide as well as a lead to an analysis of values and meanings about the realities in life. ? Imaginative literature is founded on facts—history, pure science, psychology, sociology, anthropology, mathematics, and other branches of knowledge. The information load it carries can be another added value to the reader. Similarly, literature that is imaginative has marked values for the writer (Krizner & Mandell 3). ? It is a creative avenue for self-expression. A writer can unravel the ill-effects of cultural patterns and norms, and can suggest ways to remedy a stinking system through the characters of his short story, novel, or play, or the persona in poetry. Also, he reveals his individuality and uniqueness as a writer in the way he manipulates the elements of his genre—character, setting, language, format, and style. ? It is an expression of common cultural values. A writer has his own mind about a problem or issue, but that â€Å"thought† is molded by the collective sentiment, aspiration, philosophy, value, even fears of the community or cultural group he belongs to. Literature provides opportunities for the transport of these ethnic or cultural thoughts, feelings, and biases to peoples across cultural borders. It is in this way that literature can stand as the conscience and consciousness of the community which created it. Literary Genres and Culture Traditions in literature include classifying works into literary types or genres. Genre classification can have several advantages (web. nchu. edu. tw/~chtung/1986. doc. 2-6). ? It can bring about an order or a system in the handling of literary texts and, in effect, facilitates choice of materials akin to one’s interests, which can result in greater understanding and appreciation. For example, a reader who has an ear for musicality and rhythm will pick up a poetic text more likely than he would a book of fiction. ? It has resulted in the writing of standards for each genre. With the aid of these writing standards, literary creators are able to craft their works more systematically. Thoughtfully going over the standards for a drama will aptly arm a novice writer to focus on what the audience will look for in a play. Conversely, a critic who is familiar with genre standards will know exactly what to look for in a literary work.? The existence of genre classification is one avenue that can lead to the meeting of minds between the reader and the writer. When the brain has identified beforehand what it is looking for in a text (schemata-text matching through knowledge of specific genre), comprehension of the text will be less stressful, less threatening and more enjoyable. Culture-based Literary Traditions 1. Genre Classifications. The presence of traditional and universally recognized genres does not dictate the uniformity of genre classifications and the standards for each genre. Not all genre classifications are present in all places, and not all places observe the same standards for each classification. Every culture has its own genre, owing to the variations in the experiences and aspirations of the people in each culture. For example ? The sonnet which is common in western traditions is not well known in China or among the Arab nations ( Kirszner & Mandell 2). ?The kabuki play of Japan has as yet no counterpart in western countries (Kirszner & Mandell 2). ? We still have to see a counterpart of the Filipino pasyon in other literary traditions. 2. Narrative organization conventions. The standards on the presentation of events in a plot can vary from culture to culture specifically with orally transmitted literature (Kirszner & Mandell 2). For example: ? Some native American and African stories dating to the early stage of cultural development are arranged spatially, not chronologically as is the tradition in almost all cultures. All incidents that took place in one setting are narrated, then the narration moves to focus on all the incidents in another setting, and so on until all the events are completely retold. Even character development is not given as much focus in some traditional African and Native American stories as it is in present-day fiction (Kirszner & Mandell 3). 3. Character development. Present-day fiction puts much emphasis on the identity and the development of character. This is not so in some traditional African and Native American stories. Kirszner & Mandell state that in some of these narratives, characters are sometimes not named and can even switch roles towards the end of the story (3). Genre Classifications and Time Earlier literary works were grouped more generally than those in the present. Contemporary literature is lumped into four big groups—prose fiction, poetry, nonfiction prose, and drama (Roberts 3) while earlier traditions recognized three groups– fiction, non-fiction and poetry. The drama in its traditional form used verse, which explains why it was categorized as poetry. Although not markedly divergent from the present literary groupings, the â€Å"old† genre classification reflects those which societies then considered to be what mattered most. The Genres of Literature Critics could not seem to agree on one best way literary writings should be grouped; however, most authorities name four categories for classifying literature (Roberts 3). 1. Narrative fiction or prose fiction. This is the literary type which first comes to mind when the word fiction is mentioned. Narration, or retelling past events, is what makes fiction what it is. ? Narrative fiction gives an account of a series of events, factual or imagined but mostly imagined.? One character, the protagonist, or a few characters is/are at the center of these  events, causing them to happen and or causing him to be transformed. ? He is confronted with a problem, the solution of which is his primary concern, and the action he takes towards its resolution is the reason for his transformation. He may or may not overcome the problem. ? Some events in fictional narratives are drawn from historical incidents but fictionalized through change of names, places, and time, and a slight tweak in the plot. ? Through narrative fiction, the author is able to express his thoughts about a problem or issue, and/or is able to entertain. Classifications of Narrative Fiction a. Myth. This prose fiction, which punctuates the literary beginnings of practically every cultural group, is a story centered on how the gods related to humans—how certain places, beings, and places came to be, how the gods’ biases made some people’s lives fulfilling and rendered others’ lives miserable, how conflicts among the mortals affected the gods or vice versa. Myths can also be about struggles among cultural heroes, each one representing the time-established beliefs of a particular cultural group. b. Parable. This is a short narrative about some ordinary experiences of a group of people and is meant to connect to the teaching of a certain moral, or the hammering home of a philosophical, social, religious, or political teaching. The Jewish tradition best exemplifies the use of parables. c. Romance. This refers to lengthy Spanish and French stories of the 16th and 17th centuries, especially about the adventures and ordeals of the royalty and the members of their court. It can also refer to modern formulaic stories describing the growth of an impulsive, profound and powerful love relationship. d. Short story. Owing to its comparative brevity, this is the most popular type of narrative fiction. The plot may revolve around one or two main characters facing a difficulty. There are high as well as low points in their lives but, almost always, each one’s life will not go back to exactly the same point where it began. Because of the little space dictated by the shortened form of the text, interactions and relationships resulting in changes in character, no matter how subtle, are described briefly. e. Novel. This is a short story in extended form. Length being its advantage over the short story, the novel permits the full and sometimes exhaustive development of the interactions that lead to changes in some characters’ disposition, thoughts, feelings, or aspirations (Roberts 5). 2. Poetry. A poem is a literary form that â€Å"expresses a monologue or a conversation grounded on the most deeply felt experiences of human beings† (Kirszner & Mandell 522). ? It is acclaimed as the oldest and the most popular among the literary forms. ? It is the most variable in length, running from a few syllables, as in the Japanese haiku, to hundreds of stanzas, as in the epic.? The language is compressed in a few lines or verses arranged in conformity with the principles of form, rhythm, and sometimes meter and rhyme. ? It has a rich imagery and suggestive forms of expression, making it the most puzzling and, therefore, the most open to multiple interpretations. These qualities make poetry â€Å"unique† (Roberts 5). ? Among earlier cultures, for example, Greek and Roman, poetry served as a vehicle for the expression of the spiritual and the philosophical. With the passing of time, poetry has gained an added value—that of expressing the most profound ideas and the deepest emotions of humanity. Across the cultures of the present, poetry remains to inspire, to delight, and to serve as a vehicle for the concerns of the heart (Kirszner & Mandell 522). Classifications of Poetry f. Narrative poetry. This is a story in verse, of which there are two familiar forms: i. Epic. Apparently the more familiar of the two, an epic is a narrative account in verse of the accomplishments of a heroic figure, a folk hero who exhibits extraordinary physical powers and superhuman dispositions, of gods, and other supernatural entities. The account covers a wide expanse of time and place, and reflects the cultural characteristics of the people who wrote it. Although some epics are credited to particular authors, others are ascribed to their countries or cultures of origin. This is because epics of old were handed down orally, in plain verse or in song, and, as a result, grew and developed as they passed from one generation to the next, eventually mirroring the evolution of the people’s traditions and norms. Of worldwide renown are The Iliad of Homer, The Aeneid of Virgil, Beowulf of the Anglo-Saxons, and Mahabharata of the Hindus. ii. Ballad. Like the epic, the ballad traces its origin to oral tradition. Originally intended to be sung, this narrative poem carries one outstanding characteristic–its use of repetition of words and phrases, including a refrain. g. Lyric Poetry. This poem does not attempt to tell a story. Possessing a very personal and subjective nature, it conveys the speaker’s feelings, biases and aspirations, state of mind, and perceptions in a melodious mood. Lyric poetry sub-types include the following (Kirzsner & Mandell 525-526): iii. Ode. This is a long lyric poem which is, generally, on a serious subject, such as an important concept (for example, freedom), person, or any other entity in nature (for example, the sun) and with a formal poetic diction and meditative mood. The poem centers on the speaker’s observations about the subject and usually winds up with an effort towards shedding light on an emotional problem. Owing to its Greek origin, it is often intended to be recited or sung by two choruses. iv. Elegy. This lyric sub-type is meant to mourn the passing of a specific person. As such, it is characterized by a melancholy and plaintive mood and an ending that offers consolation. It may also reflect what the author considers to be mysterious, uncertain, or strange. v. Pastoral. In contrast to the elegy, the pastoral has a light, happy, even romantic mood as it celebrates the simplicity and idyll of country life. vi. Occasional poem. This poem is meant for a particular event, for example, a wedding, the installation of a prominent church leader, the putting up of a landmark, or a president’s inaugural. vii. Poems on everyday activities. Poems are sometimes written to express the writer’s feelings or describe his experiences about day-to-day events, for example, going about the daily chores, herding the animals back to their corral, or riding the trolley. viii. Aubade. This poetic form is specifically written to celebrate or lament the coming of a new day, specifically the arrival of morning. Dawn is often welcomed with joy and hope, but it can also bring despair to a persona who sees it as a signal to leave his lover. ix. Meditation. An ordinary object can be used as a vehicle to consider important, more serious issues. A poem that is focused on this is called meditation. Kriszner and Mandell cite Edmund Waller’s Go, Lovely Rose as an example (526) in which the speaker tells the rose meant to be delivered to his lady love his message for the lady. Far more important than his words of adoration is his advice for the lady not to waste the charm and time bestowed upon her since time flies and beauty fades in no time. x. Dramatic monologue. In this poem, the speaker addresses one or more listeners who is/are absent. In the process, the speaker unravels the dramatic aspect of the situation and reveals his psychological and emotional side of the issue at hand, which is usually less interesting than how he (the speaker) treats it. Some authors use the term dramatic lyric. xi. Some authors classify the epigram, a verse in two to four lines with characteristic wit and sarcasm, under lyric poetry Cited as a classic example is Alexander Pope’s On the Collar of a Dog (voices. yahoo. com) which runs in two lines. In most cases, however, an epigram is not a stand-alone piece but forms part of a longer poetic composition. xii. Other cultures have their own types of lyric poems, e. g. , ghazal in Urdu, and rondeau in French. h. Satirical Poetry. As far back as the days of the Roman empire, poetry was already used as a powerful vehicle for political purposes. This tradition continues to these days. Many who are disgruntled with any system or structure choose to amplify their bitterness and discontent artistically through carefully crafted satirical poems. Poetry can have several forms. i. Sonnet. It comes in 14 lines arranged in three quatrains and a couplet [Shakespearean or English] or an octave and a sestet [Petrarchan or Italian]. The iambic pentameter is generally used in sonnets. ii. Cinquian. It has five short lines with the following pattern: line 1 – one word or 2 syllables; line 2 – 2 words or 4 syllables; 3 words or 6 syllables; 4 words or 8 syllables; 1 word or 2 syllables. iii. Haiku. This is a verse of Japanese origin consisting of three unrhymed lines of 5 – 7 – 5 morae (quantity of time equivalent to a short syllable). A traditional haiku carries a word pertaining to the seasons and a cutting word, called kireji, used at the end of one of the three lines. Incidentally, there is no English equivalent of the cutting word concept (www. poemofquotes. com/haiku). iv. Tanka. Like the haiku, tanka is a Japanese verse but consists of five lines. The first and third lines carry five syllables each while the rest of the lines have seven syllables each. v. Concrete poem. This poem uses typography—the appearance of the printed text—to enhance its message. Thus, visual elements such as punctuation marks, symbols, and arrangement of words on the printed page, or the shape of the poem, are elemental in driving home the writer’s message. A poem about the magical sounds of a bell is shaped like a flower, while one that has nature as subject may take the shape of a tree or a bird. Visual poems, pattern poems, and size poems are examples of concrete poems (www. poemsofquotes. com/articles/concrete-poetry. php). vi. Blank verse. This type of verse uses unrhymed iambic pentameter. vii. Free verse. Unlike the blank verse, this type of verse may be rhymed or unrhymed but does not observe a fixed meter. 3. Drama. This literary genre is meant to be presented on stage. Actors portray the events in the story as though these were happening in the  present. Like narrative fiction, there is a problem around which all action revolves. At the center maybe a single character or a small number of characters who carry the burden of resolving the conflict and on whose actions and thoughts the attention of the audience is largely focused. The protagonist may overcome the problem or may be overcome by it. Unlike in a narrative fiction, the audience in a drama are able to actually witness the fictional events as they happen, making the experience direct and closer to life than in narrative fiction. i. Tragedy. Often associated with the bizarre and the disastrous, and in keeping with Greek tradition, this type of drama is focused on â€Å"treating serious subjects and involving persons of significance† (Kirszner & Mandell 917, citing Aristotle’s Poetics). ? At the center of the drama is a character, the protagonist, who is noble, respected, perfect from almost all angles, except for one flaw which is not obvious at the start but which will later manifest to a very crucial point that will suffice to cause his downfall. ? A very important lesson is conveyed here—man’s condition in life is one of  nobility. ? The purpose of the play is to bring the audience to an experience of pity for the central character as he wrestles with the trials in his life and with experiences of fear of going through the same situation. ? The audience is expected to leave the theater with the resolution to not follow the tragic path which the central character of the play took. j. Comedy. This type of drama sits on the other end of the spectrum. It is designed to â€Å"treat themes and characters with humor and typically has a happy ending† (Kirszner & Mandell 917). ? The main character is an ordinary individual whose life is open to the public, and whom the public knows to be carrying a mask of his true self all along. ? The comedy is meant to take away that mask from the protagonist and to reveal to the audience his simplicity and foolishness, his lack of understanding of things, his being â€Å"selfish, hypocritical, vain, weak, irrational, and capability for self-delusion† (Kirszner & Mandell 917). ? Ironically, it is the comedy that brings entertainment and laughter to the audience who, unknowingly, is the subject of criticism of the action in the  play. k. Farce. This is a humorous play. But unlike the comedy, the plot does not depend on the development of a character but on a situation that is exploited ingeniously. The term can speak for itself. 4. Nonfiction Prose. Any literary form not falling under any of the categories just mentioned is classified as nonfiction prose. This group consists of a wide array of fact-based and fact-oriented written materials presenting judgments and opinions and which are created mainly as sources of information. News reports, feature articles, essays, editorials, textbooks, and biographical and historical works fall under this category. Recently, there has been a marked increase in the interest for biographical and historical works, a good number of which have become bestsellers. Many schools have shifted to biographical and historical novels for required student readings. REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. The statements that follow are supported by the foregoing discussions except one. Find that sentence. l. Literature is a potent vehicle to convey a personal longing. m. The most extreme of human experiences are the only ones considered as worthy literary materials. n. Man’s freedom of self-expression can be best exemplified by the almost limitless breadth of possibilities in literature. o. Reading a literary text is experiencing the writer’s unspoken regret or praise. 2. Find the sentence which is not supported by the foregoing discussions. a. Defining literature is not always necessary. b. Imaginative literature can be a rich source of lessons about living life. c. A well written literary text can cause a change in a person’s disposition. d. Written literature has always been the better tradition. 3. Which of the following statements best paraphrases the opening quote? a. Literature is the source of Helen Keller’s highest point of contentment. b. Keller and her friends read literature a lot and find much meaning from it. c. Being blind and deaf, Keller finds literature reading as the best pastime. d. Keller’s friends love to hear her share with them what she has read and what she thinks about them. 4. Imaginative literature differs from other literary forms in the following ways except one. e.Imaginative literature builds on a writer’s personal experience and shares it factually with the reader. f. Mundane and extraordinary human experiences are vividly recreated and accented with some of the writer’s imaginative thoughts. g. Imaginative literature is everything that transports the reader to a different world, stimulates his creative mind, and appeals to his sense of values. h. Man’s most profound thoughts and feelings are expressed in symbols and images. 5. Which three (3) statements are not supported by the discussions on the value of literature? i. Every literary text has its own place in the arena of values.j. Longer texts, such as the novel and the drama, have a more profound reader-impact than shorter ones, such as proverbs and haikus. k. One of the added values of literature is that it requires interpretation and analysis of meaning. l. Literature has to be historical for it to be prized. m. A song expressing a prisoner’s longing for immediate freedom is an ethnicity-inspired literary piece. 6. C. S. Lewis is quoted to have said: â€Å"Literature enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the desert that our lives have already become. † This quote supports the idea that: n. Basically, literature is based on world knowledge. o. Literature brings entertainment to its audience. p. Available in every literary text are several insights about meaningful living. q. Literature enables the reader to grasp the meaning of his experiences and those of the people around him. 7. Which of the following statements is not true about poetry? r. It dates back to the earliest years of man’s literary experience. s. It is strictly metered, rhymed, and rhythmical. t. It can capture the most profound and the most ordinary human experience in a few words. u. The poet’s message is cloaked in rich symbols and other forms of evocative expressions. 8. Although sometimes classified as poetry, romance is proprietarily a type of narrative fiction _____: v. owing to its length. w. because it is basically intended to give an account of past incidents in story format. x. since it is situated at a definite past time and space. y. because it is about adventure. 9. The following is an English translation of a Bilaan poem attributed to pre-colonial times. [Bilaan is a tribal group of southern Mindanao, which is the second biggest island in the Philippines and is situated in the southernmost part of the archipelago. The early people were renowned hunters and food gatherers (blog. travelpod. com/travel-blog-entries/aliawan/1/1262268183/tpod. html)]. The language of the people is also called Bilaan. ) Read the poem carefully to be able to answer the question below. LAMGE What can we do? Oh, what can we do? This is our work, this we should do. Oh my, how, oh how is this to go on? Continue, then come back when you reach the top. â€Å"’Tis not there! ‘Tis not here! † they said. We’ll try till we can make it. It’s not here, according to them, but don’t relax Don’t be surprised. They’re still far. Let’s hurry! (Lumbera & Lumbera 11) What sub-type of poetry is Lamge? a. a poem on everyday activities. b. occasional poem. c. pastoral d. meditation 10. Which of the following work values were prized by the early Bilaans as evidenced by the poem LAMGE? z. creativity and leisure {. individual recognition and prestige |. collaboration and achievement }. autonomy and compensation 11. Study the following excerpts then identify that which is not taken from imaginative literature. ~. â€Å"EDSA’ (the name of the highway in Metro Manila that runs north to south from Caloocan to Baclaran) has become the popular designation of the revolt which began as a military mutiny on February 21 [1986] and developed into a popular uprising in Manila that culminated in the flight of the dictator and his family to Hawaii, U. S. A. on February 24, 1986. The revolt established the presidency of Corazon Aquino which was marked by the â€Å"restoration† of pre-Martial Law society† (Lumbera & Lumbera 364). . â€Å"It was raining the morning of the execution. I remember how brackish and crimson was the sky. God has sliced open the sun, spilling its innards, carving out its heart. That sun had never seemed the same to me ever since. The cold air scraped the insides of my lungs and chilled my nape. It was the first dawn I had awakened to. The first time to witness the pained violent birthing of light† (Lumbera & Lumbera 377). . â€Å"And so we talk/ our words trying to capture/pain caroming/like the balls of ivory/ Our voices rise/and fall/ as we sit in a circle/ racing our other lives/ the beginnings/ of love/ rich and red/ as the felt on the board† (Lumbera & Lumbera 422).   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Matumal ang pasada nang buong umagang iyon at naipasiya kong igarahe muna sa bahay and minamanehong taksi kesa magsayang ng gasolina. Pababa na ako nang sa paglingon ko’y nasulyapan ko ang clutch bag na iyon sa may paanan ng likurang-upuan. Kinabahan ako at patawarin ako ng mga anak kong gusto kong lumaking matitino, lumabo sabi nga ang tingin ko sa tama’t mali, sa masama’t mabuti. Paano kung limpak-limpak na pera ang laman ng clutch bag? Kung bara-barang ginto o alahas kaya? Isosoli ko pa ba? Managot kaya ako kung saka-sakali? † (Lumbera & Lumbera 422). (The trips were far between the whole morning and I decided to  temporarily drive home the cab rather than [keep going through the streets and] waste gas. I was about to get down when in a glance I noticed that clutch bag at the foot of the backseat. I began to feel restless and my children whom I wanted to grow responsible [may they] forgive me, my sense of right and wrong, good and bad, blurred. What if the clutch bag contained stacks of money? What if it had bars of gold, or jewelry? Will I return it? Will I answer for my action just in case? ) 12. Choose the excerpt that is taken from imaginative literature. . â€Å"Home making is really border making: it is about deciding who is in as well as who is out. I began this project on Filipino Americans in San Diego at the border—the U. S. -Mexico border. Since the mid-1970s, the militarization of the U. S. -Mexico border region has intensified. From San Diego to the Rio Grande Valley, armed U. S. federal agents patrol key border points to block ‘illegal’ crossers—to keep ‘them’ from invading ‘our’ homes. Since 1994, ‘Operation Gatekeeper,’ a high-profile blockade-style operation, has turned the San Diego-Tijuana border region into a war zone, pushing immigrants to attempt more treacherous crossings in the forbidding mountains and deserts east of San Diego† (Espiritu 205-206). â€Å"In the annals of human adversity, there is etched a cancer, of a breed so malignant that the least contact exacerbates it and stirs in it the sharpest of pains. And thus, many times amidst modern cultures I have wanted to evoke you, sometimes for memories of you to keep me company, other times, to compare you with other nations—many times your beloved image appears to me afflicted with a social cancer of similar malignancy† (Rizal, Dedication of Noli Me Tangere).