Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Margaret Tudor The Perils of a Queen free essay sample

A look at the tumultuous life and times of a fascinating woman, Margaret Tudor, Queen Regent of Scotland. This paper chronicles the tumultuous life of Margaret Tudor, Queen Regent of Scotland, sister of the notorious Henry VIII, and grandmother of Mary, Queen of Scots. Although it does touch on the political issues of her day, the author focuses more on Margarets personal life, including her three marriages, divorce and her struggle to hold her power in a mans world. The word queen conjures up an image of beautiful clothes, a doting king, happiness and an idle lifestyle. The life of Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland, shatters these myths. Widowed at a young age, she was left to act as regent for her infant son in a climate of political turmoil and dangerous power struggles. As a member of the weaker sex, Margaret was not taken seriously and was expected to sit back and let others govern Scotland in her name. We will write a custom essay sample on Margaret Tudor: The Perils of a Queen or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Margaret refused to do so, and suffered for it. Not even her brother, Henry VIII of England, would aid her unless she agreed to be his pawn. Margaret also flouted convention by marrying for love, not once, but twice, and by divorcing her second husband in a time when marriage was a sacred lifelong bond no matter its problems.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Free Essays on Gatsby

Symbolizing the American Dream F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel The Great Gatsby examines the 1920s vision of the American dream. It shows how the American dream is corrupted by wealth and power. Gatsby is a firm believer in the American dream of self-made success. He has achieved this dream, but he also has a dream of being with Daisy. Gatsby is successful, but his success is through new money. There is a difference between old money and new money. The people with old money give no respect to the people with the new money. This is shown by Tom calling Gatsby’s car a â€Å"circus wagon† (128). The social flaw of being new money imprisoned Gatsby on an emotional island. The novel uses a major literary theme to show hidden meaning. The technique of symbolism is included into the novel. The author uses symbolism by showing how the American dream can be corrupted by wealthy people with little or no morals. Fitzgerald incorporates three symbols to prove this; they are the green light at the end of the Buchanan’s dock, the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg, and the valley of ashes. At the end of the Buchanan’s dock was a â€Å"single green light† that Gatsby reached toward (26). Green is a color that represents promise, hope, and renewal. This green light symbolizes Gatsby’s hope that the present will change to that of a great future, one where dreams come true and the where American dream is realized. His most important dream is his longing for Daisy. As Sulton said, â€Å"At this point in the novel, Gatsby can only reach longingly, from a distance toward a light he associates with his former lover.† Gatsby’s also sees the green light as a symbol of immense possibilities. Gatsby uses Nick Carraway as a window to the desperately needed green light. Nick is used as a gateway to Gatsby’s goal, Daisy. Gatsby has spent his whole life longing for something better. The green light stands for all of Gatsby’s hopes... Free Essays on Gatsby Free Essays on Gatsby The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a specific portrait of American society during the Roaring Twenties. It tells the quintessential American story of a man rising from rags to riches only to find that his wealth cannot grant him the privileges of class and status. Although the central character of the novel is Jay Gatsby, a wealthy New Yorker known mostly for the lavish parties he throws every weekend at his mansion. The narrator, however, is Nick Carraway, a young mid-westerner from a prominent family who came to New York to enter the bond business. Even though Nick Carraway is involved in all of the events of the novel, he does not play a significant active role. Carraway’s characteristics of being responsible, honest, and fair makes him a reliable narrator. Nick's description of himself in the opening chapter holds true throughout the novel: he is â€Å"tolerant and slow to judge, someone with whom people feel comfortable sharing their secrets† (Fitzgerald 7). Carraway has this willingness to describe himself and the contours of his thoughts even when they are inconsistent or incomplete. Toward the end of the novel, his long musing makes him seem thoughtful and trustworthy. His discusses Gatsby’s dream of loving Daisy, but he tells it as Gatsby’s struggle to recreate the past in the future. He realizes failure, â€Å"the quality of distortion† that lures people to the East disgusts him (Fitzgerald 123). â€Å"Individuals must now struggle like rowboats against a current, as they move forward with their dreams into the future, but are borne back ceaselessly into a past they (like Gatsby) are doomed never to recreate† (Plotz 32). Nick Carraway’s position in relation to the other characters gives him a perfect vantage point from which to view the story. He is Daisy's cousin's old college friend, and Gatsby's neighbor. They all trust him and rely on him. Nick Car... Free Essays on Gatsby 1) The first party that takes place in East Egg at Daisy and Tom's mansion. Since Daisy is his cousin and Tom, a friend from Yale, Nick has the credentials to visit East Egg. Their house is "a cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial Mansion" overlooking the bay. And the owner is obviously proud of his possessions. We meet Tom who is presented as a powerful man in riding clothes sort of as a knight. We then meet Daisy and Jordan who seem like two princesses in white sitting on the sofa. Fitzgerald controls the whole scene through his use of colors white and gold mainly that suggests a combination of beauty and wealth. Jordan Baker is bored and discontented. She yawns more than once in this very first scene. Tom talks about a book he has read, The Rise of the Colored Empires by Goddard. It is a piece of pure Social Darwinism, advocating that the white race preserve its own purity and beat down the colored races before they rise up and overcome the whites. Daisy pretends she does not know is going on by teasing him about his size and the big words in his book. Then the telephone rings and Jordan sort of fills Nick in on what's going on about Tom and his "other woman". The rest of the evening is awkward and painful and both Tom and Daisy try and pretend nothing happened. The second Party takes place in New York and consists of Nick, Tom, Myrtle, Myrtle's sister Catherine, and a couple named McKee who live downstairs. Nick is really more of an observer than a participant. He tells us that he has been drunk just twice in his life, and the second time was the at afternoon. In any case, all the guests at the party seem to have something unnatural or wrong with them. Catherine, the sister, has "a solid, sticky bob of red hair, and a complexion powdered milky white. Her eyebrows had been plucked and then drawn on again at a more rakish angle." Mr. McKee is a pale, feminine man who has just shaved and left a spot of lather on his cheek. His wife... Free Essays on Gatsby Symbolizing the American Dream F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel The Great Gatsby examines the 1920s vision of the American dream. It shows how the American dream is corrupted by wealth and power. Gatsby is a firm believer in the American dream of self-made success. He has achieved this dream, but he also has a dream of being with Daisy. Gatsby is successful, but his success is through new money. There is a difference between old money and new money. The people with old money give no respect to the people with the new money. This is shown by Tom calling Gatsby’s car a â€Å"circus wagon† (128). The social flaw of being new money imprisoned Gatsby on an emotional island. The novel uses a major literary theme to show hidden meaning. The technique of symbolism is included into the novel. The author uses symbolism by showing how the American dream can be corrupted by wealthy people with little or no morals. Fitzgerald incorporates three symbols to prove this; they are the green light at the end of the Buchanan’s dock, the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg, and the valley of ashes. At the end of the Buchanan’s dock was a â€Å"single green light† that Gatsby reached toward (26). Green is a color that represents promise, hope, and renewal. This green light symbolizes Gatsby’s hope that the present will change to that of a great future, one where dreams come true and the where American dream is realized. His most important dream is his longing for Daisy. As Sulton said, â€Å"At this point in the novel, Gatsby can only reach longingly, from a distance toward a light he associates with his former lover.† Gatsby’s also sees the green light as a symbol of immense possibilities. Gatsby uses Nick Carraway as a window to the desperately needed green light. Nick is used as a gateway to Gatsby’s goal, Daisy. Gatsby has spent his whole life longing for something better. The green light stands for all of Gatsby’s hopes... Free Essays on Gatsby Gatsby’s Hopes and Dreams for his Future The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald is recognized in American Literature as one of his greatest achievements. Many of Fitzgerald’s works research the Jazz-Age for the single American dream of happiness and wealth (Poupard, Person 146). â€Å"Critics concur that The Great Gatsby rises above being a mere chronicle of a past American era, and most believe that the novel’s continued popularity demonstrates modern America’s fascination with the American dream† (Poupard, Person 147). In this book Fitzgerald uses Gatsby to compare the real American dreamer with what has become of the American society in the 1920’s. During the 1920’s America was unable to fulfill dreams and expose the blindness in Jazz-Age Americans. â€Å"The Great Gatsby is an exploration of the American dream as it exists in a corrupt period, and it is an attempt to determine the concealed boundary that divides the reality from t he illusions† (Bewley 38). Jay Gatsby is a builder as! well as a dreamer, and Gatsby puts his all into figuring out his â€Å"ethical dream† (Minter 82). The Great Gatsby was written in a poor society with no moral virtues. Dreamers in a healthy society are respected and encouraged. However, in the twenties these people weren’t treated with the respect they deserved. â€Å"Gatsby’s dream divides into three basic and related parts: the desire to repeat the past, the desire for money, and the desire for incarnation of ‘unutterable visions’ in the material earth† (Lockridge 11). In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby will do anything to fulfill his hopes and dreams. Gatsby does not fulfill his hopes and dreams in his lifetime. No one knows where Gatsby comes from, what he does, or how he has become so wealthy. But in the middle of the novel Nick Carraway, the narrator discovers that Gatsby was born Jay Gatz in North Dakota. Gatsby also tell Carraway about his schooling. Gatsby says, â€Å"I am the son ... Free Essays on Gatsby â€Å"The Great Gatsby† By: F. Scott Fitzgerald In the â€Å"The Great Gatsby† by F. Scott Fitzgerald, although the book is named for James Gatz, the main character is Nick Carraway, who also acts as the novel’s narrator. The narrators of many novels are not significant to the plot and just serve the purpose of telling the story. Nick, however, is quite the opposite. Though he may not seem to be the main character next to Gatsby, Nick is the one person in the book who is linked to every character and in turn connects them all to each other. Although he is more of an observer than anything in this novel, and is inclined to reserve his personal judgments, he also tries to remain uninvolved and is reluctant to act upon what he perceives to be faults of others. After his return from War, Nick decides to move to New York in the summer of 1922 to learn about the bond business. He rents a house in the West Egg district of Long Island. One weekend Nick gets together with his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan, a rich man who lives in West Egg who is having an affair with a woman named Myrtle, the wife of George Wilson, a Gas Station owner. On this night Nick is introduced to Jordan Baker, a friend of Daisy’s and an acquaintance of Gatsby Nick's neighbor in West Egg, who lives in a gigantic mansion and throws extravagant parties every Saturday night. Nick is invited to attend one of these parties and he and Jay soon become good friends. Both have things in common, one being they both know Daisy Buchanan. It is discovered through Daisy’s friend Jordan that Jay and Daisy were once lovers, and that Jay has plans to try to win her back. As quarrels and disagreements irrupt about the love Jay wants to show Daisy she is force d to choose between two men, one from her old life and one from the new life she is living. Nick continues to abide by his many morals, however, shuns them when in contact with Gatsby and the rest o...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Trust-Mart expansion on to UKs supermarket retail market Assignment

Trust-Mart expansion on to UKs supermarket retail market - Assignment Example Competitive Strategy of Trust-Mart Since inception, Trust-Mart had showed immense growth in the retail supermarket industry. Trust-Mart operates in almost 20 areas of China. It has rapidly enhanced the number of outlets throughout China. Trust-Mart focuses on three strategies to compete in the supermarket retail environment [1] (Trust-Mart, 2011). Freshness: Trust-Mart aims to provide fresh products compared to other supermarkets in China. For maintaining freshness in its products Trust-Mart has enough employees in every department (production, marketing and distribution). By proper management, Trust-Mart is able to obtain food products quicker and much fresher. Cost: Trust-Mart strives to provide low cost for any products which makes the company a strong competitor in retail market environment of China. Trust-Mart provides impressive rate across various products. The rate of product does not affect the freshness of the products (Canton365, n.d.). Service: Trust-Mart has improved distribution network which initiates the company to provide right product to the people. Trust-Mart has experienced employees who know the needs and preferences of customers and thus provide products according to their choice. Providing better service is a competitive strategy for Trust-Mart which helps the company to make available the desired products to the customers. Michael Porter’s Generic Strategy Michael Porter had established generic strategy to identify a company’s competitive advantage. According to him a company can take three types of competitive strategies which are cost leadership, differentiation and focus. Fig 1: Porter’s Generic Strategy Diagram Source: (Provenmodels, 2011). Trust-Mart does not follow the focus strategy because the resources and assets of Trust-Mart allow it to compete on broader factors. Trust-Mart follows the differentiation strategy by making their products under their own brand name. Trust-Ma rt also follows the cost leadership strategy by providing inexpensive products to customers. Trust-Mart’s strong sales distribution makes it possible to gain cost advantage over other competitors. Critical Success Factors Core Competences For any company, the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Final - Essay Example Enlightenment presented us with an independent human being with free will and the reason he is provided with by nature. Some ideas of the philosophers of the Enlightenment are used today. Their philosophy differs much from the medieval one. For example, for Aristotle people are animals, which are immoral by nature. The opinion of the philosophers of the Enlightenment is quite the opposite. According to Jean Jacques Rousseau, people are on the contrary good by nature, but then our reality changes them. John Locke supports this idea stating that people have a reason by nature. Philosophy of the Enlightenment presents humans as creatures with free will and masters of their own life. â€Å"New† people were intelligent and had the ability to think and develop independently. The philosophic views of John Locke were supported by Voltaire. He was an active opponent of the church and religion as it imposed multiple ungrounded restrictions on people. The period of the Enlightenment is v ery important for the European history as it is characterized by break of the religious prejudices and the revival of human soul. Numerous masterpieces in various fields of art were created during this period. The Enlightenment changed the history of Europe having reduced the influence of church by affecting people’s minds. ... â€Å""In eighteenth-century France throne and altar were commonly spoken of as in close alliance; their simultaneous collapse ... would one day provide the final proof of their interdependence† (McManners). Napoleon created the terms â€Å"nationalism†, â€Å"nation of welfare†, which influenced the actions of many leaders. Some scholars state that Napoleon is a founder of dictatorship, however, they just do not pay attention to the significance of the French Revolution, while it played a very important role in the development of the modern democracy. It is essential to mention that the Revolution changed the position of women greatly. In pre-Revolutionary France women were considered to be â€Å"failed men† with no rights and influence. â€Å"Women’s testimony is in general light and subject to variation; this is why it is taken less seriously than that of men" as opposed to men, upon whom "Nature seems to have conferred†¦ the right to gover n." In general, "men are more capable than women of ably governing particular matters" ("Women"). The revolution and the example of Napoleon’s beloved Josephine made women re-think their position and provide them with the opportunities to penetrate political sphere. The Industrial Revolution and its impact on Europe The Industrial Revolution is the transition from manual labor to machine labor, from agrarian economy to industrial manufacturing. As a result agrarian society was transformed into industrial society. The Industrial Revolution is characterized by the rapid development of manufacturing on the basis of large-scale machine industry as well as the establishment of capitalism as a main economic system in the world. The industrial Revolution

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Plans for Managers & You Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Plans for Managers & You - Essay Example The benefits accrued by successful business owners attract many potential investors. My focus as a potential business owner is to understand all the concepts applicable for a successful business. Studies show that the owner sets the attitude of any successful organization (Smith, et al 42). This means that if the owner does not have substantial personal characteristics, the employees will not be motivated to work hard, making it hard for the business to achieve its objectives. Therefore, my focus is to have a sound mind full of innovative techniques to instill the ideas to my employees. Strategic planning is a key to any business success (Smith, et al 44). This is possible by emphasizing on accountability in every stage of production. It is vital to follow exact business objectives to the letter and planning for all the business activities. Implementation of the business proposals and following timelines for the various activities is crucial. Another strategy is to keep on updating the business objectives upon realization of the old ones. This is occurring because of changes in the worldwide trade. In observing all the above strategies, my future career, as an investor, in the communication industry will be a success. Larry D. Smith, et al. "Successful Outcomes Of Teaching Minority Undergraduate Students Entrepreneurial Business Planning Concepts Using Andragogy And Service Learning." Journal Of Entrepreneurship Education 13.(2010): 37-44.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Analysis of Thomas Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Analysis of Thomas Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wide men at their end know dark is right. Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night. Grave men, near death, who see the blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Dylan Marlais Thomas, a Welsh poet known for his creative, rhythmic and original using of words and imagery, is one of the greatest Welsh poets in the early 20th century. In one of his most famous poem Do not go gentle into that good night, the author classifies men into four different categories to persuade his dying father to realize that no matter the life choices, consequences, or personalities, there is a reason to live. It is possible that Thomas uses these categories to give his father no excuses, regardless of what he did in life. Through multiple unique figurative statements of death and different people, Dylan Thomas assert that one should not die silently or just quit the life easily. Instead, the elderly should fight for their life till the end. Thomas used exhaustive method to make his opinion persuasive to his father. To show the universal relevance of his theme, the author created four different perspectives in his poem. They are the wide men who know that the cores of their lives are not knowledge and intelligence, the good men who become conscious that their good deeds won’t define their identity, the wild men who feel regretful for their shallow youth when they reach the old age, and the grave men who are exemplified in the fifth stanza â€Å"Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight/ Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay.† Men who are at the end of their lives realize that their physical disabilities can’t stop them from remaining strong or pursuing joy. Though all four men lived unalike lives, at the end of their lives, they come to the same conclusions: they should not base their identities on their youth, and they can live a wholesome life in their old age. To make his father emulate those four types of men, Thomas uses unique metaphors to create a representation of all the men. Thomas begins by invoking the wise men who, Because their words had forked no lightening they/ Do not go gentle into that good night(4-5). The wise men Thomas speaks of refuse to resign to their fates as dead men because they have not yet accomplished what they set out to do. Thomass lightening is a representative metaphor of the goals set forth by the strong that serve as motivation to continue living robustly. By idolizing these wise men, Thomas implicates that he desires his father to emulate them; to press on toward anything that may at least give him some purpose besides waiting complacently for death to lower its scythe upon him. Thomass use of other men as examples of a desired state for his father is repeated through each stanza of the poem. In Thomass third stanza, he invokes the merits of Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright/Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay(7-8). These good men strive endlessly to make their mark on the world, unsatisfied with their subjectively frail deeds until finally death catches up with them. These men rage against the dying of the light (9) because they have not yet met their goals, much like the wise men proceeding them. This passion for improvement and strength to persevere are exactly the qualities that Dylan Thomas begs his father to put forth, for Dylans own sake as much as his fathers. Other than for all men, the author also use metaphor for other objects in this poem. The use of the metaphor â€Å"that good night† (1, 6, 12, 18) gives the impression that Thomas knew that death was right. He calls it that good night instead of another ghastly term for death. However, he also calls it â€Å"the dying of the light,† (3, 9, 15, 19) which suggest a peaceful surrender. He urges his father to rage against a peaceful end and endeavor to resist his demise. Thomas uses the words night and light as metaphors for death and life and alternates them to hammer home his point. Part of this poem seems to be almost a light hearted when he declares â€Å"Old age should burn and rave at close of day,† (2) almost as if saying old people should be allowed to live long and complain as long as they do not give up. The purpose of his use of division into categories remains, however to emphasize the importance of living, leaving his father with an unmistakable argument †¦choose life. Finally, in the last stanza the intent is presented, Thomas is showing that all men no matter their experiences or situations fight for more time. He urges his father to do the same. â€Å"Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray,† (17) describes his pain and passion that are causing him to beg his father not to die. Thomas is watching his father fade and is begging for his father no to give in. It appears that his father has either peacefully surrendered himself, or rather that he has resigned himself to his fate. Other than rhyme and metaphors, Dylan Thomas also use personification to make his statement more vivid and touching. For example, personification is used in line 8, â€Å"their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay.† Frail deeds are not human beings, so they cannot dance actually. However, the verb â€Å"dance† is so energetic that it makes a high contrast with the word â€Å"frail†. Through the using of the word â€Å"dance†, readers can feel the good men are fighting with their destiny to the last moment. Besides, the word â€Å"green† also brings a feeling of life and vitality. Generally, the personification here successfully shows the effort and the determination of the good men, which gives a wonderful model for Thomas’s father. In line 10, figurative language is used, â€Å"wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight.† Later in the poem, â€Å"fierce tears† (17) is an example of assonance. Lastly, the poet describes blind eyes by using a simile, â€Å"Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,† (4). The poem evokes intense emotions from the reader, by using repetition and a variety of poetic devices. â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night† is merely words sculpted together in a specific way to stress how death needs to be repelled because it is unfair and takes the best with it first. Mastermind Dylan Thomas encountered a way to flash colorful images through readers’ minds, along with symbolism and metaphors which foreshadow what he really means. That, plus his way of intertwining the pieces together into nineteen lines with ten syllables each makes this villanelle a wonderful work to read and comprehend. Thomas’ purpose was to convince his dear father, the man whom he looked up to, to fight, because the effort meant everything. Reading this passionate and driving poem, â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night,† will provoke excitement and meaning to seniors who seem to have lost all reason to live.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Roots of Artificial Intelligence Essay -- History Historical Essay

The Roots of Artificial Intelligence The roots of artificial intelligence can be traced back to ancient Greece with myths like that of Pygmalion, which incorporated the idea of an intelligent robot. These early thoughts soon developed into stories like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in 1818, which was the story of a monster created by man and brought to life. These stories make for interesting fireside tales and bedtime reading, but where did artificial intelligence truly get its start? Most scientists and historians would give this credit to â€Å"the father of artificial intelligence†1, John McCarthy. Without McCarthy, the term â€Å"artificial intelligence† would not have been coined; and many discoveries in this growing field would not have been made or pursued without his preliminary research into this previously uncharted territory of computer science. This early research in artificial intelligence has led to many of the most important technological advances of all time. By loo king at John McCarthy’s life and a few of these applications of artificial intelligence, it is easy to see how much of an impact the field of artificial intelligence has had on our world. John McCarthy was born in 1927 in Boston, Massachusetts. His mother, a journalist for the Federated Press wire service, and his father, a fisherman, carpenter, and a union organizer, were both Communist party activists. â€Å"McCarthy has ascribed his early interest in science to his family’s political views, pointing to their general belief that technology was good for humanity†2. Due to his family’s controversial political views, John was kept on the move for most of his childhood, first to New York and then on to Los Angeles. As a junior in... ...ries that will help society just as much, if not more, than a true artificial intelligence. Works Cited 1Morales, Edu. Online: http://web.mit.edu/STS001/www/Team7/home.html 2 Ibid. 3Weiss, Sonia. â€Å"John McCarthy†. Online: http://www.digitalcentury.com/encyclo/update/mccarthy.html 4Ibid. 5Ibid. 6Ibid. 7Christiansen, Brian. â€Å"History of Speech Recognition†. Online: http://www.stanford.edu/~jmaurer/history.htm 8Howard-Spink, Sam. Online: http://www.research.ibm.com/thinkresearch/pages/2002/20020918_speech.shtml 9Ibid. 10 â€Å"Remote Control in Deep Space.† Science News Weekly. 29 May 1999. 11Artificial Intelligence. Exploration Systems Autonomy Section, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Online: http://www-aig.jpl.nasa.gov/ 12Roush, Wade. â€Å"Immbots Take Control.† Technology Review. December 2002-January 2003.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Monsato Company †A Question in Agricultural Ethics Essay

Monsato Company is a Missouri-based company founded in 1901 by John F. Queeny and his wife Olga Monsato producing saccharine. In the mid-1940s, Monsato Co. began developing agricultural chemicals and throughout the 1960s and 1970s, herbicides were developed and introduced to the farmers. In 1981, a research group was established and the business’s primary focus was molecular biotechnology. In 1982, Monsato Co. bought Jacob Hartz Seed Co., a company known in the Midwest for its soybeen seeds. Also in 1982, scientists working for Monsato Co. produced the first genetically modified plant. In 1996, RoundUp Ready Soybeans were introduced possessing an in-seed herbicide. Several other in-seed herbicides are introduced in 1997 by Monsato Co. such as RoundUp Ready Cotton and RoundUp Ready Canola. Also introduced is an in-seed insect protection called YieldGard Corn Borer. In 1998, Monsato Co. combines the technology of in-seed herbicides with their in-seed insecticides into one product for its corn seed. In 2002, Monsato Co. identifies corn hybrids, which yield more ethanol per bushel than normal corn. Later this same year, they also identify a similar hybrid in their soybeans, which will produce more oil than a normal soybean. In 2004, Monsato Co. creates American Seeds, Inc (ASI) to support regional seed business with capital, genetics, and technology investments. In 2005, Monsato Co. acquires four companies Fontanelle Hybrids, based in Fontanelle, Neb, Stewart Seeds, based in Greensburg, Ind., Trelay Seeds, based in Livingston, Wis., and Stone Seeds, based in Pleasant Plains, Ill. In 2006, they acquire several other local seed companies, some family-owned, including Diener Seeds, Sieben Hybrids, Kruger Seed Company, Trisler Seed Farms, Gold Country Seed, Inc., Heritage Seeds and Campbell Seed. Over the next several years, they also acquire other local and regional companies and continue their research and development of genetically altered seeds. Over the course of a few decades, Monsato Co. has gone from a small company making saccharine to a Midwest agricultural giant manufacturing genetically altered seed. 1 A Possible Solution: Deregulation Although the idea of producing more crops with less cost, such as additional chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides may sound, the fact remains that Monsato Co. is not only toying with nature, they are also putting smaller family-owned companies out of business. In the past several years, organic foods have become more popular. Consumers want to feed their families healthy food, not food filled with chemicals. In 2005, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) decided to back Monsato and other biotech companies by supporting the deregulation of genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa. This would mean that the GE companies would have no restrictions on their technology and its use.2 Deregulation has its obvious problems. Organic crop company leaders, such as Stonyfield, Whole Foods, and OrganicValley believe that GE crops use a higher amount of toxins, herbicides, and water. Also the claims of higher crop yield will not be met and the price of this seed will be too costly for the average farmer. There is also the potential of cross-contamination of crops where a farmer using GE seed spreads the toxins to his organic neighbor through groundwater. This could lead to the organic farmer’s crops getting contaminated and his losing his license to sell organic products. Stonyfield and other organic companies opposed this ruling and in 2010 it went to the Supreme Court. The decision was that deregulation could not take place without the USDA making an environmental assessment of the genetically enhanced seeds used, and an injunction was put in place preventing the planting of GE alfalfa seeds. David and Goliath Biotech companies lobbied heavily in Washington. However, the smaller organic supporters caught the ear of the USDA and as a result persuaded them to conduct a meeting of the minds of both sides. The problem was clear – there was an incredible amount of support, political and financial, in favor of GE alfalfa. The result was that the UDSA would allow deregulation. The organic companies and farmers were faced with the fact that GE alfalfa was here to stay. What was left to fight over was whether it would be complete deregulation or one with restrictions. In their opinion, it was better to have some measure of control than no control at all, so the organic community stayed and fought. They brought to the table demands for reassurance that â€Å"(a) organic farmers whose crops become contaminated by GE alfalfa must be compensated by the patent holders for their losses due to losing their organic certification and (b) the USDA must oversee all testing and monitoring of GE crops t o ensure compliance as part of its role in protecting all US agriculture.† 3 The organic community won that portion of the battle. Conclusion The organic community may have won that battle, but they lost the war. Chemical companies and genetically engineered seed are a mainstay in today’s agriculture. Along with that they bring with them the potential for contaminated soil and damaged and lost crops of the small, everyday farmer. These farmers and family-owned businesses are being swallowed up on a regular basis. As the world’s population grows so does the demand for an ever increasing need of better, more enhanced, products. Technology provides us with the knowledge and growth for these, but in its wake leaves behind the things that matter very much to — clean air, clean soil, fresh water and â€Å"pure† food. References 1) Monsato. (2010). Monsato. Retrieved from http://www.monsanto.com 2) Pearson, C. (2010, March). The Most Unethical Company is also Best Corporate Citizen. Cause Integration http://www.causeintegration.com/2010/ the-most-unethical-companyis-a-best-corporate-citizen-what-gives/ 3) Hirshberg, G. (2011, January). Speaking with One Voice to Stop Monsato and Biotech. Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-hirshberg/speaking-with-one-voice-t_b_816447.html

Friday, November 8, 2019

11th Commandment - Definition in Politics

11th Commandment - Definition in Politics The 11th commandment is an informal rule in the Republican Party mistakenly attributed to Presidential Ronald Reagan that discourages attacks on members of the party and encourages candidates to be kind to each other. The 11th commandment states: Thou shalt not speak ill of any Republican. The other thing about the 11th commandment: Nobody pays attention to it anymore. The 11th commandment  is not meant to discourage healthy debate over policy or political philosophy between Republican candidates for office. It is designed to prevent GOP candidates from launching into personal attacks that would damage the eventual nominee in his general-election contest with the Democratic opponent or preclude him from taking office. In modern politics, the 11th commandment has failed to prevent Republicans candidates from attacking each other. A good example is the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, in which eventual nominee and President-elect Donald Trump routinely disparaged his opponents. Trump referred to Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio as little Marco, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz as Lyin Ted, and former Florida Jeb Bush as a very low energy kind of guy. The 11th commandment is dead, in other words. Origin of 11th Commandment The origin of the 11th commandment is most often credited to former Republican President Ronald Reagan. Though Reagan used the term many times to discourage infighting in the GOP, he did not come up with 11th commandment. The term was first used by Calfornias Republican Party chairman, Gaylord B. Parkinson, before Reagans first campaign for governor of that state in 1966. Parkinson had inherited a party that was deeply divided. While Parkinson is believed to have first issued that commandment Thou shalt not speak ill of any Republican, he added: Henceforth, if any Republican has a grievance against another, that grievance is not to be bared publicly. The term 11th commandment is a reference to the original 10 commandments handed down by God on how humans should behave. Reagan is often mistakenly given credit with coining the 11th commandment because he was a devout believer in it since first running for political office in California. Reagan wrote in the autobiography An American Life: The personal attacks against me during the primary finally became so heavy that the state Republican chairman, Gaylord Parkinson, postulated what he called the Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican. Its a rule I followed during that campaign and have ever since. When Reagan challenged President Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination in 1976, he declined to attack his opponent. I will not put aside the 11th commandment for anyone, Reagan said in announcing his candidacy. 11th Commandment Role in Campaigns The 11th commandment itself has become a line of attack during Republican primaries. Republican candidates often accuse their intraparty rivals of violating the 11th commandment by running negative television ads or leveling misleading charges. In the 2012 Republican presidential contest, for example, Newt Gingrich accused a super PAC that was supporting front-runner Mitt Romney of violating the 11th commandment in the run-up to the Iowa Caucuses. The super PAC, Restore Our Future, questioned Gingrichs record as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Gingrich responded on the campaign trail in Iowa by saying, I believe in Reagans 11th commandment. He then went on to criticize Romney, calling the former governor a Massachusetts moderate, among other things. Erosion of 11th Commandment Some conservative thinkers have argued that most Republican candidates have forgotten about or simply choose to ignore the 11th commandment in modern politics. They believe the abandonment of the principle has undermined the Republican Party in elections. In a tribute to Reagan following his death in 2004, U.S. Sen. Byron L. Dorgan said the 11th commandment has been long forgotten, regrettably. I am afraid that todays politics have taken a turn for the worse. President Reagan was agressive in debate but always respectful. I believe he personified the notion that you can disagree without being disagreeable. The 11th commandment was not intended to prohibit Republican candidates from engaging in reasonable debates over policy or pointing out differences between themselves and their rivals. Reagan, for example, was unafraid of challenging his fellow Republicans over their policy decisions and political ideology. Reagans interpretation of the 11th commandment was that the rule was meant to discourage personal attacks between Republican candidates. The line between a spirited conversation over policy and philosophical difference, though, and speaking ill of an opponent is often blurry.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Culture Specific Syndrome Essays

Culture Specific Syndrome Essays Culture Specific Syndrome Paper Culture Specific Syndrome Paper ultural Bound Syndromes Culture-bound syndrome The term culture-bound syndrome was included in the fourth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) which also includes a list of the most common culture-bound conditions (DSM-IV: Appendix I). Included in DSM-IV-TR (4th. ed) the term cultural-bound syndrome denotes recurrent, locality-specific patterns of abnormal behavior and troubling experience that may or may not be linked to a particular DSM-IV-TR diagnostic category. Many of these patterns are naturally considered to be illnesses, or at least afflictions, and most have local names. Although presentations conforming to the major DSM-IV-TR categories can be found throughout the world, the particular symptoms, course, and social response are very often influenced by local cultural factors. In contrast, cultural-bound syndromes are generally limited to specific societies or culture areas and are localized, folk, diagnostic categories that frame coherent meanings for certain repetitive, patterned, and troubling sets of experiences and observations. In medicine, a culture-specific syndrome or culture-bound syndrome is a combination of psychiatric and somatic symptoms that are considered to be a recognizable disease only within a specific society or culture. There are no objective biochemical or structural alterations of body organs or functions, and the disease is not recognized in other cultures. While a substantial portion of mental disorders, in the way they are manifested and experienced, are at least partially conditioned by the culture in which they are found, some disorders are more culture-specific than others. The concept of culture-bound syndromes is very controversial and many psychologists, medical doctors, and anthropologists reject the concept. The identification of culture-specific syndromes: A culture-specific syndrome is characterized by: categorization as a disease in the culture (i. e. , not a voluntary behavior or false claim); widespread familiarity in the culture; complete lack of familiarity of the condition to people in other cultures; no objectively demonstrable biochemical or tissue abnormalities (symptoms); the condition is usually recognized and treated by the folk medicine of the culture. Some culture-specific syndromes involve somatic symptoms (pain or disturbed function of a body part), while others are purely behavioral. Some culture-bound syndromes appear with similar features in several cultures, but with locally-specific traits, such as penis panics. A culture-specific syndrome is not the same as a geographically localized disease with specific, identifiable, causal tissue abnormalities, such as kuru or sleeping sickness, or genetic conditions limited to certain populations. It is possible that a condition originally assumed to be a culture-bound behavioral syndrome is found to have a biological cause; from a medical perspective it would then be redefined into another nosological category. Western medical perspectives: An interesting aspect of culture-specific syndromes is the extent to which they are â€Å"real†. Characterizing them as â€Å"imaginary† is as inaccurate as characterizing them as â€Å"malingering†, but there is no clear way to understand them from a Western scientific perspective. Culture-specific syndromes shed light on how our mind decides that symptoms are connected and how a society defines a known â€Å"disease†. In contrast, culture-bound syndromes are generally limited to specific societies or culture areas and are localized, folk, diagnostic [comma sic] categories that frame coherent meanings for certain repetitive, patterned, and troubling sets of experiences and observations. Medical care of the condition is challenging and illustrates a truly fundamental but rarely discussed aspect of the physician-patient relationship: the need to negotiate a diagnosis that fits the way of looking at the body and its diseases of both parties. The physician may do any of the following: Share the way the patient sees the disorder, and offer the folk medicine treatment, recognize it as a culture-bound syndrome, but pretend to share the patient’s perspectives and offer the folk medicine reatment or a new improvised treatment, recognize it as a culture-bound syndrome but try to educate the patient into seeing the condition as the physician sees it. The problem with the first choice is that physicians who pride themselves on their knowledge of disease like to think they know the difference between culture-specific disorders and â€Å"organic† diseases. While the second choice may be the quickest and most comfortable choice, the physician must deliberately deceiv e the patient. Currently in Western culture this is considered one of the most unethical things a physician can do, whereas in other times and cultures deception with benevolent intent has been an accepted tool of treatment. The third choice is the most difficult and time-consuming to do without leaving the patient disappointed, insulted, or lacking confidence in the physician, and may leave both physician and patient haunted by doubts (â€Å"Maybe the condition is real. † or â€Å"Maybe this doctor doesn’t know what s/he is talking about. †). Root-work/Obeah: DSM IV-TR (2000), states that a set of cultural interpretations that ascribe illness to hexing, witchcraft, sorcery, or the evil influence of another person. Symptoms may include generalized anxiety and gastrointestinal complaints (e. g. , nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea), weakness, dizziness, the fear of being poisoned, and sometimes fear of being killed (voodoo death). DSM IV-TR site roots, spells, or hexes can be put or placed on other persons, causing a variety of emotional and psychological problems. The hexed person may even fear death until the root has been taken off, or eliminated usually through the work of the root doctor (a healer in this tradition), who can also be called on to bewitch an enemy. Roots is found in the southern United States among both African-American and European American populations and in the Caribbean societies. Obeah (sometimes spelled Obi) is a term used in the West Indies to refer to folk magic, sorcery, and religious practices derived from Central African and West African origins. Obeah can either be a form of dark magic or good magic. As such, Obeah is similar to Palo, Voodoo, Santeria, root-work, and hoodoo. Obeah (another name used in the Caribbean society) is practiced in Suriname, Jamaica, Haiti, the Virgin Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Belize, the Bahamas, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados and many other Caribbean countries. Obeah is associated with both benign and malign magic, charms, luck, and with mysticism in general. In some Caribbean nations Obeah refers to African diasporic folk religions; in other areas, Christians may include elements of Obeah in their religion. Obeah is often associated with the Spiritual Baptist church. Origins: In Jamaica, slaves from different areas of Africa were brought into contact, creating some conflicts between those who practiced varying African religions. Those of West African Ashanti descent, who called their priests Myal men (also spelled Mial men), used the Ashanti term Obi or Obeah meaning sorcery to describe the practices of slaves of Central African descent. Thus those who worked in a Congo form of folk religion were called Obeah men or sorcerers. Obeah also came to mean any physical object, such as a talisman or charm that was used for evil magical purposes. However, despite its fearsome reputation, Obeah, like any other form of folk religion and folk magic, contains many traditions for healing, helping, and bringing about luck in love and money. Elements (key features/symptoms) According to Hughes, Simons Wintrob, 1997 study, knowledge about a culture-bound syndrome, can address the relationship between the culture-bound syndrome and the more familiar psychiatric disorders, such as those in DSM-IV. These researchers call this the comorbidity question on the assumption that studying the culture-bound syndromes patterned relationship to psychiatric diagnoses is a more fruitful approach than attempting prematurely to subsume it into the DSM diagnostic categories. Systematic research has identified strong correlations between culture-bound syndromes and criteria for psychiatric disorder, but there is rarely a one-to-one relationship between culture-bound syndrome and psychiatric disorder. The culture-bound syndromes often coexist with a range of psychiatric disorders, as many psychiatric disorders do with each other. The comorbidity question brings culture-bound syndrome research in line with current approaches in psychiatric research. Differences in the symptomatic, emotional, and contextual aspects of cultural syndromes, in turn, may signal different comorbid relationships with psychiatric diagnosis or even the lack of such a relationship. Opinion The extra ordinary addition of culture-bound syndromes in DSM-IV provides the opportunity for improving the need to study such syndromes and the chance for developing a research to study them. The growing ethnic and cultural diversity of the U. S. population presents a challenge to the mental health field to develop truly cross-cultural approaches to mental health research and services. This addition will give researchers the chance to study the relationship between culture-bound syndromes and psychiatric diagnoses. In my opinion a research program based on key questions is still unanswered, which is understanding culture-bound syndromes within their cultural context and to analyze the relationship between these syndromes and psychiatric disorders. Reference DSM -IV-TR Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2000). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (4th ed. ). Washington, DC: Author. Hughes CC, Simons RC, Wintrob RM: The Culture-Bound Syndromes and DSM-IV, in DSM-IV Sourcebook, vol 3. Edited by Widiger TA, Frances AJ, Pincus HA, Ross R, First MB, Davis W. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 1997, pp 991–1000 Retrieved July 29, 2009 from American Journal of Psychiatry.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Computer Crime & Identity Theft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Computer Crime & Identity Theft - Essay Example For the purposes of this paper, the particular computer crime will be concentrated in the area of identity theft and the impact it has both personally and economically on the individual and society. What is Identity Theft? The encyclopedic definition of identity theft is the use of another person’s identity, i.e. financial, personal, geographic or another source, to commit fraud or other types of misrepresentation. By using another person's social security number, drivers license number, date of birth, address, online information one may open bank accounts, apply for loans and credit cards, get a cell phone and so on. In addition to financial loss that can result from identity theft, by using another’s identity the credit history and even the legal history of the victim can be damaged in the extreme. ("Identity Theft," 2007) According to the Identity Theft and Assumption Act of 1998, identity theft (ID theft), occurs when someone is "knowingly transferring or using, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, in the unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of federal law." It is a federal crime. (Alt, 2007, p. 67) Until recently all Computer Crime was difficult to prosecute for a number of reasons. One of the biggest problems is that large companies often refuse to publicize their involvement when someone has hacked into their system and stolen data or damaged programs and information. By revealing that their systems have been compromised a company may subject itself to a loss of consumer confidence and potentially lose many clients, depending on the product or service they offer.   The company may also be subjected to lawsuits from clients who claim that there was no due diligence performed as regards the security of their information. It is estimated that between twenty-five and fifty percent of all business have experienced some sort of intrusion or breach of security of their computer networks.

Friday, November 1, 2019

Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing Management - Essay Example One of the greatest differences between marketing to business and marketing to consumers is that B2B marketing is more dependent on relationship building, thus increasing the value of relationship and building brand identity on the basis of personal relationship. Another difference is that the target market is smaller and should be carefully identified. A marketing strategy for the business market should be developed taking into consideration multi-step buying process and longer sales cycle. In addition, while the goal of consumer marketing is to make a shopper a customer (emotional buying decisions can be made), the major aim of business marketing is to provide the business with business value – organizations, in most cases, make rather rational buying decisions. Therefore, multiple individuals within the target organization should be educated on the value of the product, because business procurement is a multi-step process. Historically, the auto industry is heavily affected by the 5 external environments (macro-level). For each of the five (social/cultural, political and legal, competitive, technological, and economic) discuss three aspects within each environment that would impact the marketing planning for the next couple of years.