Advantages and Disadvantages of Using the Internet

Who am I? I am the youngest in a family of 7, as the youngest I have discovered that where my siblings fail, I am expected to succeed. For example, none of my siblings finished high school and made a lot of themselves, so they are hoping that I finish this course and do well, in a way that makes up for my other siblings failures. I have moved back and forth between WA and the NT for my whole life, I moved back to Darwin about a year ago as I found myself not getting anything from Perth. Since my move here I have settled into a productive lifestyle with my fiance and I am motivated to do well in this course and have the freedom to choose any career I want if I do well. I have had a various amount of previous educational experiences through high school, TAFE and other independent courses. After I quit half way through year 11, I enrolled in an Engineering course in TAFE in hopes of getting some valuable experience to enter a drafting career. Unfortunately I didn’t have any support so I got bored of it and I didn’t understand it very well so I didn’t complete the course. After I did that, I was doing some work, but I really felt like learning instead of working, so I attempted to learn the material from the TAFE course at home on my own, but I really need someone to explain to me how to understand all the facts, so i didn’t get very far. Since I met my partner, he encouraged me to partake in a course that will allow me to do a uni degree, so here I am, doing this TEP course. I have confidence that I will succeed in this course because I have more support this time and I am eager to prove my family wrong and do something amazing with my life. I feel most confident about the computing and the language and learning aspects of this course, as I have a very high interest in both of these areas. I have a passion for writing, and I thoroughly enjoyed it in year 11 when we were getting into the more formal styles of essay writing. I also have a very high interest in computing, I find learning new things about the software and hardware exciting and I hope this interest helps me in gaining passable marks. I definitely want to improve my essay writing, as I have only had year 11 experience in essay writing, I look forward to learning more defined writing techniques. I also would like to improve on my interpersonal skills as I am a very shy and anxious person when it comes to interacting with people I am not familiar with. This has caused me grief in the past because I have developed a very high fear of speaking in public and as I want to be an early childhood teacher in the future, this is an quality I’d like to improve upon to be successful. My goals for the future are constantly changing, but right now my main goal is to complete this course with high distinction so I can go on and start a university degree in teaching. My other goal linked to this one is to become more confident in my speech as well as in my work.

La Dentelliere Essay

La Donatello ©re Examine the role of the uneducated woman in society as portrayed by Pascal Lain © in his novel â€Å"La Donatello ©re†. â€Å"La Donatello ©re† by Pascal Lain ©, notably a sociologist and not an author, follows the life of a young girl, Pomme, as she matures Into adulthood. A main theme examined by Lain © throughout the novel is the role of the uneducated woman and the social boundaries a lack of education may pose for them. Primarily he shows this through the vague characterization of Pomme, her mother and her friend Maryl ©ne as well as through her relationship with a man, Almery. To begin, we first see Lain © portray the uneducated woman through Pomme’s mother. As with Pomme, we never learn the mother’s real name, rendering her also insignificant. In the beginning of the novel Pomme’s mother works as a prostitute in a bar In order to provide for her child after her husband walked out on her, always repeating the phrase â€Å"A vote service†. Her submissive and subservient attitude demonstrates her lack of education and hence her lower social status than the clients. Furthermore. he accepts her situation In life without asking questions or raying to change it, a trait which she passed on to her daughter: â€Å"Ellis acceptant tout implement lies joins et lies d ©bores quo lie sort leur distribuait sans profusion† Being uneducated has led mother to believe there Is nothing more for her in life than the card fate has dealt them. predominantly,  © uses pommel’s bland, transparent and impressionable personality to de monstrate her lack of education. As mentioned, Pomme takes after her mother in accepting everything that comes her way. She is entirely without ambition or aspirations for her life and is quite content with her Job at a hairdressing anon doing only the menial tasks for untrained interns: â€Å"Pomme ne savait ni friser, ni couper, ni telndre. On surety  ¤ ramasser les serviettes. † Lain © demonstrates that Isn’t capable of having a Job with certain responsibility, but also that she neither cares to find one. Pomme is the inspiration for Lain ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s title â€Å"La Donatello ©re† – The Lace maker, a famous picture by Jan vermin. She is both the lace and the lace maker. On one hand she Is fragile, delicate and Intricately woven In her simplicity, but then at the same time is simply transparent, basic Pomme. Lain © uses this Imagery to show that Pomme’s lack of substance is derived from her uneducated background and she will never be capable of achieving much, yet performs every menial task using all her effort and concentration. t ¤, n’importe locale, deviant i mm ©diatement cet accord, better unite†. Furthermore, the social boundaries a lack of education may carry for woman are highlighted through the character of Maryl ©ne, Pomme’s friend and hairdressing She longs to be of a higher social class but for her it is impossible to change class use to her uneducated background: â€Å"Maryl ©ne se rendait bien compte qu’il y ava it tout  ¤ c ¶t © d’elle, des autres gens et du tapage, une humanit © sup ©rieure†¦ In fact, social class and education go hand in hand – Maryl ©ne was born into a lower social class and hence never received an education – meaning that social mobility is unattainable. Lain © here uses Maryl ©ne to highlight the relation between social class and a lack of education. Lain © also achieves this through the failure of Pomme’s relationship with Almery de B ©lign ©, a man of a much higher social status than her. From the offset of their relationship Almery tries to change Pomme. Despite being deeply attracted to her simplicity, he tries to educate and culture her, playing her Malher’s symphony. While Almery is nearly moved to tears listening to the work, Pomme seems entirely unaffected: â€Å"Pomme s’ ©tait doucement levee, apr ©s la derni ©re note de la symphonie; elle avait d ©tach © ses mains du poste de radio Puis elle  ©tait all ©e faire la vaisselle qui restait de d ©Jeuner. † At this Almery is astounded and somewhat disgusted, showing that he will never accept her for her lack of education and so the elationship between the classes will never be possible. Lain © also demonstrates a distinct difference between the classes by showing Aimerys extreme ambition compared with Pomme’s lack of drive to achieve anything. On one hand, Almery â€Å"serait-il un Jour conservateur en chef d’un grande muse © national† whilst Pomme is content with her basic, mundane life at present, another aspect Almery cannot accept about Pomme. Hence through the failure of their relationship Lain © demonstrates the social confinements for uneducated, lower class women. In summary, Pascal Lain ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s â€Å"La Dentelli ©re† effectively portrays the role that uneducated women play in society and in turn societys social standings. Lain © managed to successfully exhibit, through the use of Pomme, her mother, Maryl ©ne and Pomme’s relationship with Almery, that the uneducated women of society tend to be of a lower social status and highlights the vicious circle that keeps these women from climbing the social ladder due to their sufficient lack of education – oppressing them, keeping them at societys base level. 728 words

Develop Your Conflict Resolution Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Develop Your Conflict Resolution Skills - Essay Example Injustice: this is the perceived mistreatment by others or the world at large. This attitude leads to the individual to identify something as unfair and thereby engage in retaliatory acts. Vulnerability: it revolves around a person’s perception that he/she is the subject to internal/external dangers where control lacks to supply safety. Distrust: it focuses on presumed hostility and malign intent of others. This is an expectation that others will hurt, cheat, abuse, humiliate or take advantage. Helplessness: this is a conviction that the carefully planned and executed plans/actions will fail to produce desired outcomes. This leads to a person perceiving that he/she cannot accomplish anything. The conflict is solved when the inconsistency between actions and wishes of parties are resolved. Returning to the Sally and Dave conundrum, as the managers duty at the reservations call center is to ensure this conflict is resolved. Therefore, the managers first action after analyzing the conflict and putting all parties into consideration is to handle the issue separately, and find a solution after listening to each party’s complain. First, it is hard to tell who is telling the truth since each proposal is a complete opposite of the other party’s proposal. So, after meeting with Dave, the manager should ask him to be punctual with the time he departs from the center. He cannot stay at the center past 7:30. This would mean that he has to complete his job by seven o’clock thus giving him some time to tidy up the cubicle and turn off his computer. He should keep his stuff and personal effects to a minimized and limited to one side of the work station. Failure to honor this, he should be stripped of these permissions. He should keep his personal belongings on one side of the drawer and not leave them scattered in every corner of the drawer. Above all, responsibility and respect towards Sally would be demanded from Dave. Sally

Business Intelligence Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Intelligence - Article Example As a result of this philosophy, Vodafone resorted to implementing EDW to get better access to information from diverse sources for enhanced and dynamic decision making. This made capturing the market impulse easier and becoming proactive in chalking out strategies. Ans 3. Executives do rely on their ‘gut feel’ when making major corporate decisions as asserted by research conducted by Graham et al (2010). They opine that executives of mostly small firms do base their decision on their experience, emotional intelligence, and intuition. Gut feeling in decision making creeps in when executives do not want to delegate more and also when they have faced similar risks during their lifetime. The amount of information collected and processed by the human mind in a service of a large number of years is far more than data analyzed through any of the EDW. This benefit allows executives to rely on their gut feeling when going for major corporate decisions. Ans 4. CEOs care about the single version of the truth because it defines the vertical or the horizontal alignment of the company (Oracle 2008). The single version of truth eliminates redundancy and multiple definitions of a single term used in a business parlance and thus bring in greater financial and operational transparency leading to enhanced business performance (Wailgum 2008). Ans 1. The Go Forward Strategy of Continental deployed the combined use of real-time data warehousing with decision support system to better its business proposition. The primary benefit attained was the single version of the truth for both the employees and the customers and also reduction in costs arising due to frauds, misrepresentation of facts and figures and redundant and obsolete data. Reputation wise, Continental rose to the ‘favorite’ category from that of worst and numerically, over $500 million were saved as costs and generated through increased revenues.

Information Systems Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Information Systems Strategy - Essay Example As the overall definition of strategy goes strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation with a long-term perspective that aims at putting the organization in an advantageous position by reorganizing its own resources to meet the challenging business environments. In the process, strategy tries to match the requirements of the market and to meet the demands of the stakeholders of the firm. Strategies do exist at different levels of the organization. Some strategies are formed at corporate level and few others are formed at the business levels. The overall strategies when broken down take the form of operational strategies. It is also imperative for any organization to have its systems regarding the collection and dissemination of information in place so that the top management of the firm is supplied with valid inputs for making effective managerial decisions affecting the business of the firm. A proper alignment of the business strategies and the information system strategi es will enable the firm to plan its resources more effectively to accelerate the growth of its business. With this background this paper makes a detailed report on the role the information system and information technology strategies play in the development of a business along with the potential benefits that may arise to the business out of the implementation of the information systems strategies along with the business strategies. 2.0 Role of Information Systems Strate

The Routines of Decision Making Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Routines of Decision Making - Math Problem Example 2. The maximum purchase price for the pair of bindings is $10.00, as this is the cost of production that differs between the alternatives. In case if the price is higher, the company will be realizing a loss. 3. If the production increases from 10.000 units to 12.500, the fixed costs that change between the alternatives allocated to a pair of skis would be the following: 10.000 / 12.500 = $0.8. The fixed cost of 100.000 should be considered when making the decision, as it does not differ between the alternatives. Since all the rest of the production costs remain unchanged, we can simply add the net change in fixed cost from the total cost of production that varies between the alternatives in order to receive the cost of production for a pair of bindings under the new circumstances: 10.00 + 0.8 = 10.80. When considering the long run (30,000 sales form by the end of the third year), the fixed overhead that varies between the alternatives per pair of bindings is only $0.33 (10.000/30.000). Under this sales volume the company should produce the bindings itself.

Discussion Questions-z Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Questions-z - Coursework Example Although the tourists first experience culture shock, they later adapt to the environment and enjoy every bit of it. In Mumbai, they find home away from home and the tourists even wonder why they should leave. â€Å"Look around. Why would I leave?† (p. 03). The predisposition that the tourists previously held is eliminated through the social interactions that transpire between the locals and the tourists. The US tourists are portrayed as sociable and respectful of the natives. However, in "The Unwelcomed Tourists", the locals and tourists seem to be suspicious about each other. The natives are portrayed as unwelcoming while the tourists strived to elude any form of interaction. Apparently, their interaction is manifested by degree of social aloofness, affective ties and stereotyping that would not exist between neighbors. The US tourists are portrayed as shrewd and end up being mistrusted by natives. However, these disparaging encounters can be attributed to restricted cultura l interactions and lack of impartiality. Paying empirical attention to generative potential and plurality can aid in creating a better understanding local-tourists interactions and improving this rather tainted scenario. The society needs to go beyond tourists contemplation and establish profound social relationships. As an industry, cruising has rapidly grown to currently attract over 12 million passengers annually and a source of employment for several tourism and hospitality professionals. In â€Å"Below the Passenger Deck,† and in â€Å"Working at the Rat,† the workers interact with passengers/guests and through these interactions, the many challenges threatening to engrave the tourism and hospitality industry are revealed. In â€Å"Below the Passenger Deck,† one outstanding fact that stands out is how not to treat guests. It was a classy charter yacht. No matter how demanding or annoying the guests acted, Kat and Amy kept on smiling and smirking. They do not get out of control or

Financial Educational Board Games (Toys and Game Industry) Research Paper

Financial Educational Board Games (Toys and Game Industry) - Research Paper Example 5,856.20M El Segundo,  CA Namco Bandai Holdings Inc. 4,083.77M Tokyo,  Japan Hasbro, Inc. 4,002.16M Pawtucket,  RI LEGO System A/S 2,272.69M Billund,  Ribe (hoovers.com, 2011) Consumers spent 25.1 billion on video games, hardware and accessories in 2010 (Entertainment Software Association, 2011). The best-selling Computer Games are Family and Children’s Games (19.8%), Shooter games (14.4%), Role-Playing games (12.4%). The Best-selling Video Games Genres are Action (30.1%), Sports (11.3), Racing (11.1%), Children and Family Entertainment (9.3%), Shooter 8.7%), Role-Playing (7.8%) (Entertainment Software Association, 2011). The US board games and puzzle market, alone, is estimated to be worth about $400 million, and ?50 million per year in the UK (Maclean, 2009). The toy and game industry in Australia has a revenue of two billion, and annual growth of 3.6% (2006-2011) (ibisworld.com, 2011). Industry Trends â€Å"Going Green† is a current trend in the industry. It involves three aspects. They are: sustainable materials, resource-saving packaging, and content that communicates sustainable action and values through play (nurembergtoyfair.com, 2011). Another industry trend is moving games from the digital realm to physical board game space. A recent example is Mattel’s â€Å"Angry Birds.† Keeping a foot in both digital and physical realms makes good business sense, in the face of increasing competition (Douban, 2011). One of the most potentially profitable trends is the transition to selling products inside virtual worlds. For example, you might go to a virtual pizza shop, in avatar form, and a pizza icon might pop up, enabling the user to order a real pizza, without leaving the virtual environment (boardofinnovation.com, 2009). The diversity of virtual worlds means a huge, untapped potential for a diversity of products. Other trends include pro-social and e-connected, cooperative games; games that can be constructed and reconstruc ted, allowing for continually new play experiences; games that involve action and sensori-motor experience or emphasize speed (a trend reflecting child obesity as a health concern); games that are designed for creative learning (toyassociation.org, 2011). Game Industry Growth and Decline An indicator of demand for toys is the manufacturers' shipments of miscellaneous durable goods, which rose 7.2 percent in the first six months of 2011 compared to the first six months in 2010 (hoovers.com, 2011). Furthermore, toy sales the world over, in 2010, increased 5% over 2009, to $83.3 billion, especially reflecting strong performance in Asia (npd.com, 2011). Fifty percent of global toy sales are accounted for by the top revenue countries: USA, Japan, China, UK, and France. Emerging markets with strong growth are Brazil, Russia, India (npd.com, 2011). The Online Game portion of the industry is growing. Table 2. Annual online game revenue in billions of U.S. dollars from 2006–2011 (Rive llo, 2011) Americans spent more than $3 billion in video game subscription fees last year. A new report by market research firm Pike & Fischer estimates that Americans will spend $5 billion annually by 2015 (boardofinnovation.com, 2009). Board games went through a slump when they had to compete with video and computer games, but now they are making a big comeback, due to the economic crisis (Thai, 2009).

Jazz Dance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jazz Dance - Essay Example Jazz dance hasgreatly been affected by communal dance and common music. This paper is intended to describe history and development of jazz dance. Rhythms and movements that were brought to America by African slaves have come upon the origin of jazz dance. The style of African dance is all natural; low, knees bent, vibrating body movements emphasized by body isolations and hand-clapping. As slaves immigratedto America, starting during the 1600’s, Africans from different cultures wereseparated from their families, languages and tribal traditions. This resulted to merging of African cultures that created a new culture with both European and Africancomponents. The Slave Act of 1740 intended to prohibit slaves from performing African dances, but that did not hide their wish to grip to those parts of their cultural identity. African dance involved movements and rhythms which includedhand-clapping,foot stamping and tapping, and currentlythis is known as a jazz dance. The term "Jazz" was initially related to a genre of music dance during World War I. Jazz in a dance form, however, emerges from the parlanceAfricans’ dances when they were being brought to the Americas on slave ships. This form of dance emerged together with jazz music in New Orleans at the beginning of 1900s. From 1930s to 1960s, Jazz dance changed from this body of parlanceinto a theatre-based performance form of dance that needed a much trained dancer.During this time, dancers from the ballet and modern dance worlds experimented with the jazz dance style. All of these dancers affected jazz by wanting many trained dancers to perform a given set of movements, which was very different from the informal form of New Orleans back in the 1900s. Also, during this span of period (circa. 1950) jazz dance was intensely affected by Caribbean and other Latin American dance styles which were established by anthropologist and dancer Katherine Dunham. Jazz is also like choreography too. Jazz dance throughout

Math in Early Childhood Article Review Essay Example for Free

Math in Early Childhood Article Review Essay The purpose of this article was to explain the use and importance of programs such as the, â€Å"What’s the Big Idea† program instituted at the Bennington Library in Vermont. The â€Å"What’s the Big Idea† program aims to provide librarians with techniques and tools for introducing preschool and kindergarten students to science and math through literature. Picture books and stories are used a lot because stores are great conveyors to memorable messages about since and math. It also gives children the tools they need to be able to look at books and seek out math and science concepts and connections within the text. The program focuses on child directed and hands on explorations rather that adult directed instruction allowing the children to gain personal acts of discovery through play. â€Å"What’s the Big Idea† focuses on four main math and science concepts; numbers and operations, patterns and relationships, changes over time, and geometry and special sense. For each topic there are activities, projects, and books that correspond with the chosen topic. There are different activity centers that are also set up. Some are set up for large group and small group and some are set up for independent exploration. They offer things such as interactive graphs, geoboards, jars with small objects for sorting, blocks, and other manipulatives. Something new that I learned was that I didn’t know that libraries offered programs like that. I knew that had reading groups and programs but I didn’t realizes that there were also libraries that offered programs to also promote math and science concepts as well. I like how they use books first to gain an idea and then tie it into math and science by exploring the concepts in the story a little further to better their understanding not only of the story but of the math and/or science behind it. A way that I can see this information being useful in the future is to have programs like this available to all libraries nationwide. In the article it said that it started out in Vermont and spread to libraries in New York, Delaware, and Texas. With children having access to programs like this from the preschool level they will then enter kindergarten with a greater knowledge base and with deeper understanding of the math and science concepts that they will need for the rest of their lives.

How Money is Created

How Money is Created Essay Where Money Comes from Student: Gulnaz Miniakhmetova Introduction â€Å"The process by which banks create money  is so simple that the mind is repelled† John Kenneth Galbraith, Economist. There are many social institutions in our world but one of them seems to be the most difficult to understand – monetary institution. Why do we have it and how it works? Being small children, we already understand that to get a toy parents need money. Stuff costs money. Money is a tool, and not necessarily one which facilitates access to the resources necessary for survival, as they are given freely on the earth[1]. If we look back at the history of the great Depression, we will see that people can’t live without money. During the Great Depression, money stopped circulating yet the sun still shone, the plants were growing but people starved. Food was available because nature does not depend on our monetary problems. It continues to exist as many times ago. Why then people lose access to food without money? It sounds incredible but how our society allow money to function as a barrier to nature resources. Nature does not take money for her great work[2]. Few people are interested in the way money are created and in who controls the system. Complicated economic terminology and calculations keep most of the people away from understanding the system but one attentive look at it helps to see how simple the scheme actually is. This paper is going to investigate where money come from and what makes the ink on the paper be so valued, if it is really valuable? Ancient Money. Modern Money. It is interesting to trace the evolution of money across years and check if â€Å"money-of-today† has the same value as â€Å"money-of-yesterday†. It is fascinating that long ago money appeared in different corners of the world in a nearly similar way. We observe various currencies in those times. American Indians used Wampum; West Africans were trading in decorative metallic objects called Manillas; Fijians used whale’s teeth. Shells, amber, ivory, decorative feathers, a large number of stones – were all used for trade across the world. We cannot but agree that these funny forms of money are sensible things for trading. Later gold and silver were the most favorite currencies. The appearance of coins in our life was a significant step for economy, which still exists. The first coins appeared about 600 B.C. in a place where Lydians lived, ancient Greece territory where now modern Turkey is located. It had a form of lion’s head and were made of electrum. If we compare other ancient types of money, coins were the first to become a firm currency. Coins spread throughout the Mediterranean very fast. By the 6th century Athens, Aegina, Corinth and Persia, all had their own coins. Coins helped to expand trading easier. Soon coins were made out of gold and silver thus reflecting the actual value of the metal. Modern currency, unfortunately, lost this value. Money evolved from barter but barter had two limitations: 1) the traders must have products of equal value and; 2) as society grows, traders must be ready to make the trade at the same time, as the trust of the small group no longer exists. What if the person who has what you need might not need what you want to trade? What about large transactions? In this case, money appeared to be a convenient value for everyone and perfectly dealt with barter limitations. Even gold and silver are bulky for large transactions. The need for lighter equivalent generated paper money. Modern money system comes from the Middle Ages from the goldsmith trading. People started storing their gold and silver to the goldsmith who was supposed to keep it safe. The owner of the gold got a receipt for what had been left at goldsmiths. This way a paper started to circulate in the society being much easier to carry than gold and silver. Precious metal was replaced by paper. After a while, the enterprising goldsmith figured out that only few of his depositors come to demand their gold. Therefore, he decided to loan out the gold for other customers or just issue a receipt instead of actually giving the gold. Finally, clever goldsmiths found out that they could print and give printed loans even more that they had it in gold. In the idea of loaning the value of gold they did not own, but only held in trust, and the value of gold that did not even exist, was the germ of the invention of modern money[3]. The goldsmiths or bankers were doing a clever thing. They received interest by loaning the gold that they were paid to hold in trust for others. They received interest from loans on gold that did not even exist. This system has a name of â€Å"Fractional Reserve Banking† which means lending much more money than you have assets on deposit. This simple scheme follows human beings up to the present moment. Modern banks are allowed to loan out ten times the amount they are actually having. If you are charged 11% interest rate, be sure it is not 11% a year they make on that amount but actually 110%[4]. One thing that differs modern monetary system is that money can no longer be redeemed for gold. If earlier, we could find a phrase â€Å"in silver payable† on the American dollar banknote, today there is only â€Å"Federal Reserve note†. It means that money used to represent value by gold and silver and could be redeemed by gold or silver. The gold standard lasted until 1971. President Nixon announced that the United States would no longer exchange dollars for gold. It happened because the volume of gold reserve came to a dangerous point. For example, at the end of the World War II France insisted on changing their American dollars to gold. America was in a critical situation. Henry Hazlitt forecasted the dollar devaluation at the beginning of 1971. He said that America would have to increase the cost of one ounce of gold (previously it was 35 dollars per ounce). The decision of the present was unexpected. No devaluation followed. Nixon just stopped â€Å"gold standard†, which actually can be accounted as a financial bankruptcy. Since that date, the world trade is conducted with the help of dollars, which are nothing more that paper. All the rest world currencies related to the gold through dollar, became â€Å"gold-free† too. Earlier â€Å"gold standard† prevented countries from printing too much money, as the supply of gold does not change quickly. The supply of money was stable. If there is too much money, people start to exchange it for gold. Finally, treasury may run out of gold. Quitting the â€Å"gold standard† modern America can buy nearly whatever they want with a currency having no inner value. Now dollar can be redeemed only to another paper or digital dollar. In fact, â€Å"old† monetary system backed up by gold and silver was â€Å"debt free† while modern one is â€Å"debt based†. How? The proof of the money’s debt nature will be discussed in the next chapter of the paper. How Monetary System Functions Today As a basis for discussing the modern monetary system, I would like to take the views and explanations of the Zeitgeist Movement since I find it clear and laconic for perception. However, there are many other followers of the idea â€Å"money is debt†. If we ask an ordinary person on the street, â€Å"How money is created?† The most probable answer will be â€Å"By governments and banks†. Governments only borrow money from the banks. Alternatively, one can say, the bank takes money from savers, and then lends it out to the borrower. That is not true. Banks do not need a customer deposit for giving a new loan. It is viÑ e versa. Loans create new deposits. Let us illustrate how the system works. Government of the USA decides that it needs money. It requests the Federal Reserve (The Fed) for $10 billion. The Fed agrees to buy $10 billion government bonds. The government takes a paper and draws Treasury bond where it shows the value of the bonds $10 billion and sends them to the Fed. In its turn, the Fed draws their papers, which are called â€Å"federal reserve notes†. Their price is $10 billion. Then the Fed trades these notes for bonds. As soon as government gets the notes from the Fed, it puts it into bank account. Only on this account money become real money adding $10 billion to the USA. In reality, the process is done without any paper, i.e. electronically. Necessary to note that only 3% of physical currency exist in the USA. The other 97% is digital nowadays. Now we see that money which appeared in such a simple way are equal to debt. The Federal Reserve purchases government bonds with the money created out of thin air. The government promises to pay back that money to the Fed. In other words, money were created out of debt. The most interesting thing is that ten billion dollar deposit becomes a part of the banks’ reserves. As stated in the â€Å"Modern Money Mechanics† – â€Å"Under current regulations, the reserve requirement against most transaction accounts is ten percent. It means that with a $10 billion deposit, 10%, or one billion is held as a required reserve (10%*$10,000,000,000.00=$1, 000,000,000.00). While the other $9 billion is considered an excessive reserve, and can be used as the basis for new loans. Therefore, we assume that this $9 billion comes out of existing $10 billion deposit but that is not true. The Zeitgeist states, what is really happening is that $9 billion is created on top the existing $10 billion deposit. Totally, bank has $19 billion. This is how money supply works. Banks do not really pay out loans for money, which they receive as deposits. It is important for banks to receive loan contracts in exchange for money. $9 billion is created out of nothing just because there is a demand for such a loan and there is $10 billion deposit to satisfy the reserve requirements. Let us assume that someone borrows that available $9 billion from the bank and most likely, he puts this money to his bank account. Therefore, this deposit becomes banks reserve. Ten percent is isolated and we get 10%*$9,000,000,000.00 = $900,000,000.00 and $9,000,000,000.00 $900,000,000.00 = $8,100,000,000.00[5]. This $8,1billion is now available as newly created money for more loans. This process of money creation is endless and it is based on debt. Money is debt. Debt is money. If money is created so easily, why is it so valuable? It is simple. There is always demand for money because people want it. A person needs money because he knows that other person needs money as well, so money can be used to others to get goods and services in return. In its turn, those others can also use the money they got to satisfy thir needs. Goods and services function as engines in the economy, and money helps people to exchange goods and services. It seems the process of modern money creation will go on forever. Money is Debt We are afraid of the word â€Å"debt† but it often helps people to raise their living standards. Debt is risky and has future obligations, but can also provide a means of generating future income. Everyone knows how disastrous debt can be for a person or a business. In history there are examples when â€Å"growth and prosperity have flourished at times when overall indebtedness was rising rapidly, and some economic slowdowns have coincided with periods of debt reduction†[6]. Thus, it is a paradox that debt can be both good and bad. Looking back at the history, we may find out that once the national debt was fully paid off. It happened in America in 1835. The president Andrew Jackson shut the Central Bank, establishing Federal Reserve instead. Jackson called the debt a national curse. He vowed to pay the national debt, to prevent a monied aristocracy from growing up around our administration that must bend to its views, and ultimately destroy the liberty of our country[7]. However, the period of â€Å"zero debt† did not last long. International bankers established another Central Bank. While there is such an institution, the debt is there too. Many economists admit the Debt nature of money. For example, governor of the federal Reserve, Marriner Eccies once said â€Å"If there is no debts in our money system, there wouldn’t be any money†. Or, â€Å"the dollar is based on credit and every dollar in existence represents a dollar of debt owed by an individual, a business firm, or a government unit.†[8] Apart from the fact of money creation on the debt principle, there is one more important trick about banks. That is interest. When a person gets a money from the bank, he has to pay them back with the interest. A question arises here: if we borrow money from the banks through loans, where do money for paying off interest come from? The answer is – from nowhere. The fact is that the money people or companies owe to the bank will always exceed the amount of money that is available in circulation. That is why inflation takes place. New money is needed to cover the deficit caused by the need to pay the interest. Inflation is built into the system as well as defaults and bankruptcy. Nowadays more and more people join the endless debt system by taking home mortgages, personal loans, and credit cards. Some kinds of debt are long-term. For example, home mortgage may spread for more years than a person has active working years. If you are unable to pay the loan, the bank takes your property. It is frustrating, when you understand that the banking system and the fact that those money on the day of singing the contract did not even exist. There is one interesting court case which took place in America, Minnesota and which proved the corrupt nature of the banks. The case took place in 1969 between First National Bank of Montgomery and a citizen Jerome Daly. Daly took a mortgage from the bank. Daly was demanding the foreclosure of his home by the bank. The bank provided the loan to purchase the house. His argument was based on the fact that mortgage contract stands for equal participation of both parties. Each party put a legitimate form of property for the exchange. Daly was trying to prove that the money was not the property of the bank since money was created out of thin air on the day of signing the agreement. If we look up at the â€Å"Modern Money Mechanics† booklet, we will find out the following about loans â€Å"what they do when they make loans is to accept promissory notes in exchange for credits†¦Reserves are unchanged by the loan transactions. But deposit credits constitute new additions to the total deposits of the banking system.†[9] It means that money does not come from already existing assets. In a cunning way the bank simply invents money and there is nothing like a property on the bank’s side, except for a liability text on paper. Mr. Daly won the case, as the bank’s president admitted the fact of unexciting money and he noted that this was a standard banking practice. Here is the speech of Mr. Morgan, the bank’s president â€Å"Plaintiff admitted that it, in combination with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, did create the entire $14,000.00 in money and credit upon its own books by bookkeeping entry. That this was the consideration used to support the Note dated May 8, 1964 and the Mortgage of the same date. The money and credit first came into existence when they created it. Mr. Morgan admitted that no United States Law or Statute existed which gave him the right to do this. A lawful consideration must exist and be tendered to support the Note†[10]. As a result, the court rejected the bank’s claim for foreclosure and Daly lived happily in his home. This case once again proves the corrupt nature of modern monetary system. One feels miserable when realizing that any time he borrows money, the money appears to be not only a counterfeit, it is even an illegitimate form of agreement. The bank never has the money as property in contrast to golden standard period. If there was a successful case with Mr. Daly, why do banks continue mocking at people? Well, we proved that money is debt. What are your actions when you are in debt? You go to work in order to pay the debt off. But, if money is created only out of loans, it means that society cannot be debt free. People are slaves of banks running on the hamster wheel. Only those at the top benefit from the system. There will always be the rich and the poor with our present system. It is an incredible system ever created for social manipulation. â€Å"Debt is the weapon used to conquer and enslave societies and Interest is its prime ammunition†[11]. Banks are making private profit out of what should be public revenue. Rich countries developed the international money system which serves their interests at the expense of the poor countries. Conclusion Earlier monetary system was more honest in its nature compared to present times. â€Å"Modern Money Mechanics† answering the question â€Å"what makes money valuable?† say that a dollar bill is just a piece of paper. Coins do have some value as a metal, but less than their face value. The value is explained just by the fact that people believe in money’s power to be able to be exchanged for goods and services whenever there is a need. Money is actually created of debt and it is not money that make debt possible. Money and debt appear at exactly the same moment. Money is a blood of society and it goes and will go on circulating to provide life. Bibliography A Primer on Money, U.S. Congress, House, Committee on Banking and Currency, Subcommittee on Domestic Finance, 88th Congress, 2nd Session, Government Printing Office, 1964, page 23 Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago: Two Faces of Debt, http://freedom-school.com/two_faces_of_debt.pdf , (17.03.2014) Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago: Modern Money Mechanics, http://www.dollarnoncents.com/MMM.pdf, (18.03.2014) David Graeber: Debt. The First 5,000 Years, https://libcom.org/files/__Debt__The_First_5_000_Years.pdf , (17.03.2014) John Steele Gordon (February 18, 2019): A Short History of the National Debt, http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB123491373049303821 , (17.03.2014) Mongomery vs Daly, http://criminalbankingmonopoly.wordpress.com/montgomery-vs-daly/, (18.03.2014) Money Owned and Owed, http://www.thetwofacesofmoney.com/files/money.pdf , (19.03.2014) Paul Krumm: How Money is Created, Disappears, and Works, and the Values Involved in the Process,  http://www.vantagequest.org/trees/money.htm#.UycKMah5PtU , (15.03.2014) The Fractional Reserve Banking System / Zeitgeist Addendum (March 27, 2009), http://truth11.com/2009/03/27/the-fractional-reserve-banking-system-zeitgeist-addendum/ , (16.03.2014) The Monetary System, http://www.zeitgeistaustralia.org/the-monetary-system/, (15.03.2014) XAT3. The History of Money: http://www.xat.org/xat/moneyhistory.html , (17.03.2014) 1 [1] The Monetary System, http://www.zeitgeistaustralia.org/the-monetary-system/, (15.03.2014) [2] The Monetary System, http://www.zeitgeistaustralia.org/the-monetary-system/, (15.03.2014) [3] Paul Krumm: How Money is Created, Disappears, and Works, and the Values Involved in the Process, http://www.vantagequest.org/trees/money.htm#.UycKMah5PtU , (15.03.2014) [4] XAT3. The History of Money: http://www.xat.org/xat/moneyhistory.html , (17.03.2014) [5] The Fractional Reserve Banking System / Zeitgeist Addendum (March 27, 2009), http://truth11.com/2009/03/27/the-fractional-reserve-banking-system-zeitgeist-addendum/ , (16.03.2014) [6] Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago: Two Faces of Debt, http://freedom-school.com/two_faces_of_debt.pdf , (17.03.2014) [7] John Steele Gordon (February 18, 2019): A Short History of the National Debt, http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB123491373049303821 , (17.03.2014) [8] From A Primer on Money, U.S. Congress, House, Committee on Banking and Currency, Subcommittee on Domestic Finance, 88th Congress, 2nd Session, Government Printing Office, 1964, page 23 [9] Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago: Modern Money Mechanics, http://www.dollarnoncents.com/MMM.pdf, (18.03.2014) [10] Mongomery vs Daly, http://criminalbankingmonopoly.wordpress.com/montgomery-vs-daly/, (18.03.2014) [11] The Fractional Reserve Banking System / Zeitgeist Addendum (March 27, 2009), http://truth11.com/2009/03/27/the-fractional-reserve-banking-system-zeitgeist-addendum/ , (16.03.2014)

Thunderwith Essay -- essays research papers

Thunderwith Essay Everyone goes through a grieving stage in their lives. Lose of a loved one like a mother or just personal problems can cause a person to be upset and grieving. In the novel Thunderwith by Libby Hathorn, the main character Lara gives an example of the stages of grieving. And how she learnt to overcome her mother's death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of the novel, Lara is faced with the death of her beloved mother. She is sent to live with her father that she has not seen since she was a child. Lara is also going to live with her father's new family that she has never met. Larry her father has a new wife. 'Lara has the impression that the Man will care for and look after her, saving her from his wife and kids.'; When Lara eventually meets her new stepmother, her half-brother and half-sisters, she immediately knows that she is not wanted and that they hate her. So Lara thinks that the Man will look after her and save her from his family. This is further denial of the pain and loneliness she feels. Thunderwith the novel expresses a young girl grieving over her mother's death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Soon afterwards Lara meets a dog. She decides to call it Thunderwith because she thinks that it is a gift sent down by her mother. Lara is so happy that she can have one moment of happiness. 'She had just met Thunderwith and somehow by caring about him meant she didn't care about being by herself. She 'was not really alone at all-Thunderwi...

Moses Mendelssohn: A New Jewish Faith :: Religion Jew Judaism Essays

Moses Mendelssohn: A New Jewish Faith ‘Among the precepts and statues of the Mosaic law there is none saying â€Å"Thou shalt believe† or â€Å"Thou shalt not believe†; all say â€Å"Thou shalt do† or not do. Faith accepts no commands; it accepts only what comes to it by way of reasoned conviction. All commandments of the divine law are addressed to the will, to man’s capacity to act.’ (Glatzer 511). In considering who is a Jew, one must first gather a concrete conception of Judaism. Moses Mendelssohn offers some helpful material in â€Å"A Definition of Judaism,† which can be found in The Judaic Tradition. Mendelssohn’s interpretation agrees with the opinions of certain political philosophers, in his discussion of Judaism as a religion based primarily on reason. His belief that â€Å"revelation†¦ pertains to precepts of conduct and laws of action†¦Ã¢â‚¬  make Judaism appear as a very different religion from its relatives. Mendelssohn’s characterization of faith as an idea arrived at through reason and understanding reveals a great deal about individual Jews. â€Å"Among the precepts and statues of the Mosaic law there is none saying ‘Thou shalt believe’ or ‘Thou shalt not believe’; all say ‘Thou shalt do’ or not do† (Glatzer 511). Mendelssohn’s first goal with this passage is to develop a definition of Judaism as a religion with a different form than that of Christianity. Christianity, a religion deeply rooted in the traditional notion of faith, asks primarily that its followers believe in Jesus Christ as their savior and reaffirm this belief through custom. Mendelssohn rejects this concept of faith outright, arguing â€Å"true faith is based on reason alone and thus is equally accessible to all men† (Glatzer 509). Action and conscious thought in Judaism are held in higher regard than passive belief. Those who question their beliefs and begin to arrive at the reason for divine legislation develop a stronger conception of Judaism and move closer to God. In saying that â€Å"Faith accepts no commands†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mendelssohn intimates that those who develop their faith as a result of a forceful command (e.g. â€Å"Believe!†) lose the meaning of the concept. A Jew’s faith â€Å"accepts only what comes to it by way of reasoned conviction.† Mendelssohn highlights an integral part of what it means to be a Jew by discussing the acquisition of faith through reason. Moses delivered the Jews the Lord’s commandments of divine law without specific instruction to believe, but rather law â€Å"addressed to the will, to man’s capacity to act.

Love and Disillusionment in Araby and A and P Essay -- Araby James Joy

Love and Disillusionment in â€Å"Araby" by James Joyce and â€Å"A and P" by John Updike â€Å"Araby" by James Joyce and â€Å"A and P " by John Updike are both short stories in which the central characters are in love with women who don’t even know it. The Araby story started sad and ended sadder, however, the â€Å"A and P† story started happy and ended with a heroic act that went unnoticed. The main characters both experience new situations and truths of which they were not previously aware. Both stories will be examined with contemplation according to the type of initiation that took place, the similar and different features of both characters and various elements of the short stories. In the two stories, both characters were experiencing an initiation or awareness of new actualities that were outside of themselves. The main characters both clearly learned that this instigation was beyond their control. It was impossible for them to ignore the new certainty, which they both came to understand. The location in Araby was in Dublin in a quite place â€Å" North Richmond Street, being blind was a quiet street.†(Joyce 728). The young man is poor and lived in an old house. No one took care of this house, so it was in bad condition â€Å"Air, musty from having been long enclosed, hung in all the rooms the waster room behind the kitchen was littered with old useless paper.† (Joyce 728). The garden was growing out of control; books were everywhere, and a priest died in one of the rooms. It was windy a...

Affordable Care Act Essay

Health care reform has been a budding issue within the United States this past year, and problems continue to surface. At the beginning of this process, Americans wanted the government to ensure that all citizens would be able to have affordable and good health care, no matter what their financial situation. The price for health care was increasing at a rate that people could no longer afford it and a lot of people desperately wanted a universal health care systems like some of their neighboring countries. In a sense, change was needed, but how this change came about is the real issue now. Americans may not get what they bargained for, and it could end up costing more than some individual initially thought. Importance of Research I want to research this economic policy because I hear so much scrutiny from every individual I talk to, while I also see some friends and family benefiting from the Affordable Care Act. I want to learn more about what we truly signed up for and the repercussions for â€Å"pimping out† the health care industry, along with any hidden agendas that might be embedded within this new policy. According to the U.S Department of Health & Human Services, â€Å"The Affordable Care Act was passed by Congress and then signed into law by the President on March 23, 2010. On June 28, 2012 the Supreme Court rendered a final decision to uphold the health care law† (2014). It is not until 2014 that is really coming into effect, to the point where it is mandated to have insurance by April 2014. This policy was implemented to make sure every American has health insurance but little are properly educated on how this new policy will affect us in the years to come. Time to learn the truth fro m both sides of the debate Policy Overview The Affordable Health Care Act, was a policy that has recently been put in place to help citizens receive the health care they need at an affordable price. As wages remain the same, prices continue to climb to the point where minimum wages isn’t enough, health care is last on the list of needs. Many Americans do not have health insurance or receive it from the state because it is not an affordable aspect of our economy and it was not mandated. Now the government as took it upon themselves to make laws and regulations in order to ensure every American citizen has affordable health insurance. For those who can pay more, pay more, and those who can’t, will ultimately pay less. Although that is a great concept for the American people to believe in, but with all of the rules, regulations and underlining laws, it is important to understand what Americans are actually getting from this deal. For this paper, we will focus on individuals, employers and tax credits available to h elp with the cost of insurance. Provisions of the Affordable Health Care Act On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed a comprehensive health reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, into law. The laws and changes mad, focuses on provisions to expand coverage, control care costs, and improve health care delivery system. The first provisions is that all Americans are required to have health insurance by April 2014, or individuals will face penalty charges that can affect them for up to three years. So it is very important for citizens to go to the government market place and apply for insurance that they can afford. According to the Kaiser Foundation; â€Å"Those without coverage pay a tax penalty of the greater of $695 per year up to a maximum of three times that amount ($2,085) per family or 2.5% of household income. The penalty will be phased-in according to the following schedule: $95 in 2014, $325 in 2015, and $695 in 2016 for the flat fee or 1.0% of taxable income in 2014, 2.0% of taxable income in 2015, and 2.5% of taxable income in 2016 † (Kaiser Foundation, 2014). This reason alone is why Americans should not avoid getting insurance. Other provisions that have been taken into effect deal with employers. Now employers are required to offer insurance based on the amount of employees. For smaller businesses this means having to offer health care insurance to their full  time employers and â€Å"Require employers with more than 200 employees to automatically enroll employees into health insurance plans offered by the employer. Employees may opt out of coverage† (Kaiser Foundation, 2014). With employers having to offer health care coverage at an affordable rate to full-time employees, it does cause some to opt for part-time employment to avoid having to give out benefits. A lot of Americans fear they will lose hour’s simple because their employers do not want to pay for them, which is something that could easily happen. Other than individuals and employers being affected, Medicaid is also going under an expansion. More money is being put to those who are in need of insurance and cannot pay for it such as pregnant women, children and parents. With the expansion Medicaid to all non-Medicare eligible individuals under age 65 such as those stated above â€Å"All newly eligible adults will be guaranteed a benchmark benefit package that meets the essential health benefits available through the Exchanges† (Kaiser Foundation, 2014). Another important aspect pertains to those who are predisposed to certain medical conditions. For instance, citizens can no longer be denied health care coverage based on health risks they already possess. Among other things, the government also give tax credit in order to lower the cost of insurance, which is based on income and family size. Analysis of Policy With any policy or new law there will be objections and an unwillingness to accept these changes. Not every new piece of legislation fixes the problems at hand. Some of the issues only get worse, and then the law must be reformed. With the Affordable Health Care Act, there are a number of pros and cons with this policy and below, it will explain how these changes have greatly affected the general public for the better and worse. Pros With the Affordable Health Care Act being implemented, there are a number of great aspects that have now been put into effect. The first and easiest of the changes now allows children under the age of 26 to remain on their parents insurance plans, this means longer coverage for young adults in America, this also means no lifetime limits on health coverage; and new  insurance policies that must provide preventive care without any form of cost-sharing (UPMC, 2013). Among other changes, these are the following benefits of having the Affordable Health Care Act in place; Health care coverage for uninsured Americans. Through a combination of creating the health insurance marketplace and encouraging the states to expand Medicaid, millions of Americans without health insurance now have access to affordable coverage. No matter the situation, people will be covered. Reducing uninsured health events: Americans have always had issues regarding medical bills and costly procedures that many could not afford. Now, because the Affordable Health Care Act requires citizens to have health care coverage, we will dramatically reduce the instances of uninsured health events. No more coverage discrimination due to health issues or gender. The main problem with health insurance companies was the fact that they could, â€Å"charge outrageous prices or even deny coverage to Americans based on particular medical conditions, age, or gender. Just because you are ill, born with a disability, or female and may need pregnancy care, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have access to affordable coverage† (UPMC, 2013). Changing the laws that govern coverage now helps to end coverage discrimination. Expansion of employer sponsored health coverage. â€Å"Many employers don’t offer any health insurance to employees, even those working full-time. ObamaCare requires all companies with over 50 full-time equivalent employees to offer health insurance to full-time staff by 2016 or they may be subject to a penalty† (UPMC, 2013). This now makes employers responsible for the health care of their employees, which in turn offsets the amount of people on Medicaid, or reduces the amount of people uninsured. These benefits greatly affect the everyday life of an American, no more discrimination due to preexisting conditions, or higher rates to these individuals. Employers now have to offer insurance to their full-time employees, and everyone has the right to affordable health care which will stop them from being forced into debt. Cons With every policy, there are going to issues that come to surface, sometimes a policy fixes nothing at all, while other times it is just what the doctor ordered. The following are some of the negative effects that could cause the  Affordable Health Care Act to backfire or deter Americans from believing in the system. Working Americans will pay more. Most middle-class Americans hold full-time jobs and receive health insurance through their employers. Health care costs were rising before the Affordable Care Act became law, and combined with the effects of the law, employers will likely re-evaluate the insurance they offer. Employers will start to reevaluate their coverage to their employees which could end up increasing their work-based insurance. Some of the required coverage’s are against the moral values of employers. The mandate to offer contraception with no charge to the patient has caused a lot of issues, especially for employers whose moral code dictates that they do n ot support contraception of any type. But this is a manner of personal choice, employers cannot dictate what their employees needs are. Adding additional health care expenses will impact workers. The law will cause some employers to offer lower coverage or perhaps no coverage to their workers, or perhaps increase the amount employees pay for health insurance to offset higher premiums from the insurance company, or reduce hours to avoid having to offer coverage to so many full-time employee. The American Debt. As many are concerned about our debt, as the government subsidizes health care, may only make that debt worse. If the law runs over budget, it will be the taxpayers who wind up at a greater disadvantage than ever before. Below is also a graph that shows how government spending will be effected with the new ACA Many of the oppositions to this new law, all comes down to money. Americans do not want to sign on to anything that may cost or lose them money. (Foster, 2011). Some employers may also try to turn full-time employees into part-time just to avoid having to offer health care coverage. We as a nation end up in debt every year due to unnecessary spending, rather the spending be put in place to help the American people rather than ignore the issue. Unintended Consequences & Alternative Solution When the Affordable Health Care Act was put in place, a lot of Americans did not understand what they were actually getting for their money, while some hated the thought of government controlling yet another aspect of their lives others rejoiced. The health care act had some adverse consequences  when being put into place, the largest problem being the fact that Americans would now be fined if they did not pay for health insurance by the deadline, which is April 1st, 2014. The rate of the fine would increase with each year and end of causing a lot of Americans an unnecessary headache. This also forces people to purchase something they do not necessarily agree with, but unfortunately we cannot pick and choose which laws we decide to follow. Another issue that may affect Americans is the status of being a full-time employee versus being used as a part-time employee. With the new laws, businesses are also affected, some employees may cut employees hours in order to avoid having to off er insurance. Which is another way the Affordable Health Care Act is not benefitting the American citizens. Alternative Method & Recommendation Although the bill is already in place and functioning, I think the United States would have been better off following in the footsteps of other countries that already have nationalized health care. Instead of imposing all of these rules and regulations, the government should impose taxes on our citizens to help with the cost of health insurance. This will take away the need and frustration of having everyone being forced to find new insurance company based off their income, and have to be fined if they do not participate. With people standing strongly against being forced to buy insurance, taxes would take that fuss out. Americans need to realize, although other countries have national health care, it is nowhere as good as our health care, because when other countries were becoming nationalized, their star doctors were seeking citizenship in America because they could make more money. Now, we have all of these great doctors upset they can no longer reap the benefits of charging what they feel is appropriate, and now insurance companies can no longer deny benefits to those who are a risky investment. There are a large number of countries that simply take care of the health care cost through taxes, which is beneficial because less people feel the effect of paying premiums every month, and if it is based off of wages, so are our taxes, so why not take it out all at once? Conclusion With every policy, there will always be good and bad aspects that surround the change. In most cases, as long as the good outweighs the bad, then at the end of the day that is all that really matters. In the large picture, Americans now have the chance at having affordable health care, and cannot be denied over prior history. People can now avoid being put in massive amounts of debt by avoiding the high cost of procedures that they need. No one should ever deny the care they need when it comes to their health. In the long run it may cost companies more money, but if they make money off of their employees, they should be willing to pay for them to remain healthy. Within the next ten years we will truly see if the good outweighs the bad. In my opinion, Obamacare is headed in the right direction, but I do not feel the bill was ready to be passed. With all the opposition to incorporating socialized health care it is understandable why Obama was pushing it through while he is in office, because it may have not went through if it waited much longer. There are also a large number of benefits with the Affordable Health Care Act, people n ow can purchase affordable health care and not be denied due to pre-existing conditions. I also feel the government should have raised taxes to cover the cost, instead of Americans paying monthly for their insurance. We tend to not miss what is already gone, and this is what other countries have done. People have to pay taxes, so no one would ever need to be fined for not paying for health care every month. References Foster, R. (2011). Estimated effect of the Affordable Care Act on total national health spending. Retrieved on March 1st, 2014 from http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/library/chart-graph/estimated-effect-affordable-care-act-total-national-health-spending Kaiser Foundation. (2014). Summary of the affordable care act. Retrieved on February 24, 2014 from http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/8061-021.pdf UPMC. (2013). The Pros and Cons of ObamaCare. Retrieved on March 1s, 2014 from http://www.yourhealthcaresimplified.org/news/the-pros-and-cons-of-obamacare/ U.S Department of Health & Human Services. (2014). Read the law. Retrieved on February 12th, 2014 from http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/rights/law/index.html

Strategic Management and Lego

1st CASE STUDYWinter term 2012/2013Student: Aitor Martin SantanaProfessor: Ravinder Kaur-LahrmannSubject: Management Tools| THE LEGO GROUP 1. In this case I have identified some key characteristics that are in relation with the strategy that LEGO has been following. In the 1970-1980 decades, environment was hostile. There was a huge oil crisis, and there were too much difficulties. However, LEGO maintained its philosophy, and their image of unique and iconic brand. Competence was also hard, with Mattel and Hasbro in the market, but LEGO sustained its powerful position.If we focus, for example, in the strategy that they carried out between 1995 and 1998, an interesting fact is that their objectives (become the best known global brand, increase the sales, etc. ) are set in a long term direction. Another important point is that they wanted to expand the scope of their activities. They entered in new areas such as films, games†¦ and they also built new LEGOLAND parks. However, the t urnaround attempts that happened between 1999 and 2003 forced this company to check their strategy. Different factors such as the changing environment, lead times†¦ affected negatively LEGO`s strategy.This shows that the uncertainty of strategic decisions is also decisive. If we look at the exploring strategy model, we can see that the strategic decisions have affected the three main elements (position, choices and action). Regarding to the strategic choices for example, we can mention the corporate-level and the business level strategies. I think that LEGO took some correct decisions, such as changing their relationship with retailers, renewing their supply chain†¦ 2. There are many external features that have more or less influenced LEGO`s strategy development.One of this factors has been the competitor`s influence. Due to the high competitiveness in the toy market, LEGO has to make a big effort in strategy in order to be one of the leaders of this industry. Other import ant issue is the supply and the distribution. The main reason of changing their strategy is that sales were seasonal and they had to adapt their supply system to this. Concerning the distributors we can state that retailers were putting too much pressure on the company, so the solution consisted on bringing their positions in order to achieve better results.Maybe one of the reasons of starting a digital strategy was the obsolescence of their products. There are other influences worth mentioning, such as the economic (crisis and bad cost management) and social (criticism of the public). 3. Improvements of the capital structure were important resources that have enabled LEGO to achieve their successful results. If we focus on intangible resources, we can say that the reputation of this firm is key element, especially because they created an image of a family-run company, which give consumers, shareholders, suppliers†¦ a feeling of trust.Kjeld played an important role. On the othe r hand one of the most important competences of LEGO is their brand. This is one of the oldest and better known toy companies in the world, so we can say that their brand is iconic. In my opinion, this is the main core competence of LEGO. 4. I think that the various internal and external factors responsible for problems were the key element in the development of those alternative strategies. They forced Kejld to take those decisions.The previous years were adverse, and there were internal problems such as financial and logistic difficulties, longer lead times, etc. Also external factors such as competitor`s rising power and problems with suppliers were determinant in taking the strategic decisions. In my view, two were the most important strategies: focusing on cost and the supply chain and innovating. Managing the costs efficiently is very important, especially for companies that produce seasonal products. This gives security. Innovation provides a company an extra value.Inviting t he consumers to participate in product development was an excellent idea, because in the toy market is necessary to have lots of ideas. LEGO needed new, better and more ideas. 5. In order to approach future strategy development, they could focus on one of the four strategic lenses (strategy as a design, strategy as experience, strategy as ideas and strategy as discourse). If they chose the design lens, their managers would have to take rational decisions with a high grade of legitimacy such as those related to costs, their product`s marketing, etc.They also should take a look on economic performance, which is very important in LEGO Group. Also, they could focus in the experience lens. Focusing on this lens would be a possible decision, because LEGO has a lot of individual and collective experience. Although LEGO could focus on this lens, I personally think this would not be the best option because LEGO needs innovation and new ideas for the future, and this lens states that the futu re has to be made based in the past. The next would be the ideas lens. This would be, with the design, the ens which better would fit with LEGO Group`s strategy, and the one that they should develop most. I say this because in the market where this company competes new ideas are very important, in order to maintain competitiveness. Finally there would be the discourse lens, which I think could also be a good strategy for LEGO, but not the best, because we have to remember that LEGO doesn`t want its managers to have too much power and legitimacy. Their work should be more focused on teamwork and cooperation between higher and lower power levels in the company.

Lemon Law Essay

Your car is most important asset, that is expected to lasts years on the road, giving you a great feeling of independent, to go everyway and anyway you want without being held back by anything, but it’s not expected that your car will break down the day after it is bought. Yet, there is a faulty car out there that just does not work as it should. It is seems perfect at first, you make it out of the showroom and onto the highway, then you find yourself on the side of the road, smoke coming from under the hood and you are wondering to yourself, â€Å"What happened? The car is new, this shouldn’t happen†, well that is the lemon for you. The only car in history that acts the same way as a paper boat in a lake; it sails for a while then begins to sink. Fortunately, there is a law that has been set into moment to protects you, the valued consumer from these defective vehicles. Under this law you are entitled to a number reimbursement just because of this one car. This law has been around for a while but, have you ever heard of the Lemon Law? If you ask anyone on the street- â€Å"Exactly what is the Lemon Law? † they might say the lemon law protects them if they purchase a faulty car—which is right, in the simplest form. Many people would find is rather difficult to say or not if this law does exist or if this law has been exploited by many others. Well Lemon Law does indeed exist and it’s used pretty commonly to protect the consumer who have found and bought a defective motorized vehicle, electronics, boats and other products that are defective by nature. Vehicle Lemon Law varies from state to state, but in essence it covers you if you should find yourself tied to a defective car, SUV, truck or other motor vehicles. The definition of a â€Å"lemon† vehicle is any vehicle that continuously fails to meets those standards of its intended function. But, to our surprise this law does not just cover cars. Hearing aids, other assistive devices, MP3 players and other electronics, and pets are covered by lemon laws, as long as the item goes against it true purpose. There is a federal warranty law (the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act) that protects all U. S. citizens. Some state lemon laws may not cover used cars and trucks or leased vehicles, only new cars. State laws, such as the California lemon laws, cover anything mechanical on the vehicle, and the federal law covers the same thing. If you bought a lemon vehicle, you could be entitled to your money back or a replacement vehicle. You may even win a cash settlement depending on your situation and if the faulty vehicle caused you any harm. Besides the homes we rent or buy, our cars are some of the most significant investments that we will ever make in life. It’s not always easy to get the resources needed to buy a new (or new to us) vehicle. For this reason, buying a car just to have it break down on you can be frustrating and very disappointing. If your vehicle isn’t living up to what is listed in the warranty, chances are that you purchased a lemon. If you suspect that you may have purchased a lemon, the first thing to do is check out what the lemon law is in your state. Lemon laws vary from state to state. Your law should lay out just what the criteria are for a car or other product to be classified as a lemon. After researching your state’s law, if you find that your car can be considered a lemon, the next thing to do is notify the seller or dealership. In most cases, the law requires that the car be fixed up to warranty standards after it has been deemed the responsibility of the manufacturer. Many sellers will shirk responsibility. In this case, it may be necessary to take the lemon law issue to a court of law. If that happens, it’s a good idea to hire a lemon law attorney to help you win your case. Keep in mind that your vehicle or other product must still be covered by the warranty. Once the warranty has expired, winning the complaint about your lemon is next to impossible. Even if your claim is valid, the manufacturer may do everything in their power to disprove your claim. Clear and consistent documentation of related vehicle issues is a must! In some states, you’re at more of a disadvantage with lemon law arbitration than with other states. Certain states back you up pretty well with their lemon law. California is a good example of that. Other states, such as Georgia, may not be the best states for filing a lemon law lawsuit. Buying a car, or any product for that matter, should be an exciting time, not one of disappointment and frustration! If you feel like you may have purchased a lemon, check the laws in your state. From there, you may want to look into hiring a lemon law lawyer. Regardless of what state you reside in, many people have purchased lemons in the past, and many people have been very angry about it, which is why the lemon law was created. Each state’s specifics are different though. In some states you’ll find that this law only covers cars, and in others you will find that it covers cars and motorcycles, while in other states you’ll find that it covers all types of vehicles, including recreational vehicles (RVs, or motor homes), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), used autos, boats, appliances, computers, wheelchairs, hearing aids, live animals/pets, and now even regular houses! Whichever state you reside in, you’ll find that some kind of lemon law coverage is available for you to take advantage of. If you do buy a vehicle that you consider a lemon, you do not have to suffer in silence. You have legal recourse, and there are people who are willing to help you get the justice that you deserve. Lemon Law- the cause maybe sour, but the rewards are sweet.

Reasons Behind Colonial Settlements in North America Essay

As a whole, I believe economic development had a larger impact on colonial settlement than religious concerns, but this varies with the individual colonies. Each colony had something different to offer England and a different motive for settling. New England came about because the Puritans and Separatists wanted a place to worship free the original Church of England. Virginia, on the other hand, was established at first as a trade colony and base for gold and precious metal expeditions. The Maryland colony was founded in order to further the cultivation of certain crops like tobacco. Religion was by no means pushed away in the colonies. It was a strong and meaningful force for almost all colonists; it Just wasn’t always their driving force. England held economic control over all colonies and did not let anything get in the way of that. Virginia became an agricultural settlement that brought large amounts of money to Britain. Religion was important and valued higher than everything except money. The colony of Maryland was given by Charles I to George Calvert, whose son (Cecilius Calvert) allowed freedom of religion to all Christian settlers in the colony. That was the biggest difference between Maryland and Virginia, who both became agricultural societies fairly quickly. Indentured servants were shipped to work the fields, which created a populous community and a strong economy. New England was created for more than Just a place for the Puritans and Separatists to worship freely. Because of American influence in English lifestyle (mainly food), the population doubled, leading to high inflation, a very unbalanced wealth distribution, and a plummeting economy. As a result of overpopulation and poverty, people were drawn to North America. Among the attracted people were Puritans and Separatists, who could both escape poverty and start a new colony based off of their own religious beliefs. These people were rebels in the eyes of the English hierarchy, and therefore received much less funding and support from the government. New England evolved as more of a family friendly colony than the Chesapeake Bay colonies, which were more business and economically focused. The Chesapeake Bay colonies were established by the English government for the sole purpose of economic development, while New England was founded by religious leaders escaping English intolerance. The Massachusetts Bay Company was moved to New England, along with the addition of three thousand Puritans by the year of 1643. The area sprouted busy seaports in coastal towns and farms in agricultural. As the population grew, New England became more financially inclined. Compared to other European societies, English colonies were as equally everyday life centered as economically centered. They brought their culture, religion, and everyday life to North America. New England and the Chesapeake Bay colonies had different personalities and goals when it came to economic, religious, and settling beliefs. The economy was a focus point for both colonies, but especially the Chesapeake bay colonies, while religion was the founder of New England.

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business law - Essay Example Under the element of ‘agreement’, several aspects must be established to activate demonstrate a consensus on some of the major terms of the exchange: 1. Offer. There must be an offer for sale under clearly stipulated terms which includes a full description of the item(s) of exchange.The offer must be complete. Ordinarily this would include a description of the item(s) for exchange, nature of the item(s), the cost or price and any other sale-related features such as payment details. 2. Acceptance. The parties involved in the intended exchange must accept the offer as stipulated and communicate this acceptance within the period in which the offer still exists. Acceptance of the offertory terms becomes invalid when a counter-offer is made and allowed by the parties involved. 3. Genuine consent. Parties to the contract must have contractual capacity an additionally must freely enter into the contract. Elements of duress, mistakes and misrepresentation may render the acceptan ce void and thus, the contract too. Step III: Applications of the Rule of Law to Case Facts 1. Offer. Sally’s initial offer is for a dashing green Cadel Evans â€Å"GF† model bicycle at a cost of $6,000 payable upon delivery. The offer’s duration has not been expressively stated. ... Peter’s acceptance is conditioned on acceptance of his counter-offer and a communication thereof within the closure of business the following day. His liability becomes questionable at this juncture. 3. Genuine consent. By responding to the offer, both Peter and Burt are aware that they are entering into contractual obligations. There is however an element of duress on Sally’s part that may render her consent void. She hastens the delivery of the bicycle to Peter’s premises to make the amount duly payable for fear of foreclosure by the bank on her outstanding mortgage payment amounting to $4,000. 4. Contractual capacity. Their contractual capacity is valid as they have both attained the majority age. Conclusion Sally cannot draw a suit against Burt for any breach of contract since he expressly denied acceptance of the adjusted $5,000 for the bicycle and communicated it in reasonable time to sally.The contract therefore does not exist between the two individuals.S he might have had a claim against Peter except that it might be proved that there was lack of a genuine intent by sally to provide reasonable time for Peter to communicate and finalize the sale agreement i.e. It can be interpreted that Sally only entered into the contract to transfer her liability from the due mortgage and foreclosure to Peter. At Law, no contract can be valid if it is entered into with malicious intentions. However, ignoring the performance of the contract, Sally can enforce legal action against Peter as per the $ 4,000 under the contract for sale since there was implied agreement through their email discussion that instructed the seller to make delivery of the bicycle as soon as his

Ontology is the Best Principle that Explains the Existence of God Essay

Ontology is the Best Principle that Explains the Existence of God - Essay Example This means that God did not play a role in the creation of man, and hence His existence is doubtful. However, this paper argues that God exists. There are three major arguments that try to justify the existence of God. These arguments are, ontological, teleological, and cosmological (Peterson, William, Bruce and David, 93). Teleological arguments justify the existence of God by looking at the physical and the natural world. It denotes that it is impossible for the physical and the natural order to exists, without a supreme being, who was responsible for creating it. The cosmological argument, on the other hand, denotes that the existence of God is deduced. The proponents of this argument are not sure, and this is because it is a deduction. The ontological argument, explains the existence of God, through the principles of ontology. Ontology is concerned with the issues regarding the ones that exist, how such entities exist. This paper argues that ontology is the best concept that can be used for purposes of explaining the existence of God (Peterson, William, Bruce and David, 95). However, there are arguments, that ontology cannot efficiently explain the existence of God, mainly because it is based on the perception that God exists, and this is because of its nature. This paper takes a stand, that because of the nature of God, that is, His creation capability, it is proof that He exists. This is the major principle of ontology. St Anselm, who was a medieval Christian, is the first person to come up with the concepts of the ontology. He developed this concept, based on words, and what these words were able to mean. St. Anselm denotes that it is possible to prove the existence of God, by trying to find out, what this word, God, means (Peterson, William, Bruce and David, 91). St Anselm further explains that the word God contains virtually everything that an individual needs to understand concerning the existence of God.  Ã‚  

JP Morgan Chase Proposal Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

JP Morgan Chase Proposal Analysis - Essay Example The essay "JP Morgan Chase Proposal Analysis" talks about the in-house software development process to solve one of JP Morgan Chase challenges in cyber security. Through research and development, the technology team at JP Morgan Chase will come up with a system that will use in protecting the intrusion of hackers. The process of developing software to deal with the problem of cyber security is as important as the outcome. Through the development of the system from scratch, the information and technology team will have a greater understanding of the functionalities. In designing the system, for instance, the description of the data flows help the development team to identify any potential weak point in the system. Through charts and diagrammatical explanations, other members of the organization can also easily understand the underlying processes in the system. In most organization, the introduction of new ideas and ways of doing business is often met with a degree of resistance. The r esistance will stem from the fact that the members of the organization have little or no understanding of the system. As such, implementing the change brings with it a high level of challenge. Through this process, JP Morgan Chase staff involved in the change to the new system will receive an in depth understanding that is crucial for the system’s successful implementation. As a direct result of the comprehensive understanding of the system, the employees involved in the development process can also easily troubleshoot the system.

Pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pollution - Essay Example Global warming has also been attributed in part to pollution. When these chemicals and toxins become a part of the environment they affect not just the environment but humans as well. If we can control our actions then we can make the world a better place to live. Air pollution occurs because of toxins that are released into the air by cars, aerosols, factories etc. what it basically does it make the air unclean and unsafe to breathe in and can cause many kinds of respiratory diseases. It has also been known to affect the wild life as it has killed many birds. Many people in china and Japan are known to wear masks to work and school because of the pollution there. The sad reality is that because of air pollution we do not just harm ourselves but harm the planet for the future generations. Water pollution refers to contaminants that find their way into the water reservoirs i.e. lakes and streams along with the ocean. Large companies have been known to dump toxins in streams that later on become a part of our drinking water. Many people use filters these days so that they can have clean water for their use but the sad reality is that the industrial world has a huge negative impact on the developing world and water pollution is making life tough not just for them but also sea life, fresh water fish life, and harming the plant life as well. Sewage water is also released into streams and the coastlines of many countries and have a very detrimental effect overall. Land and soil pollution refers to the detrimental state of affairs because of unhealthy and unsafe trash and toxicant dumping habits employed by humans. It has been mainly attributed to urbanization and industrialization, both of which destroy natural resources that are already present in order to build and become successful. The tearing down of God made things results in a lot of problems for example, in order to

Professional Management Skills Assesment. cASE ANALYSIS Essay

Professional Management Skills Assesment. cASE ANALYSIS - Essay Example With David Neeleman started out his career in the airline industry, he had learned and had become accustomed to the ins and outs of operating an airline. While spending time with airlines such as Southwest after his first entrepreneurial venture, Neeleman saw the immense opportunity in the industry in the form of the growing dissatisfaction in the market due to poor service and high fares. Coupled with the information that was publicly available regarding the operations related to the industry, he came to justify the dissatisfaction as an opportunity by looking at its market potential. Neeleman then saw that there was sufficient demand to back up this opportunity. The vision of an airline with high quality service and low fares was not entirely what Jet Blue was about when Neeleman conceived the idea in his mind. It was built on the Southwest model, only that with the use of technology it would aim to differentiate itself, as well as its way of doing things as a player in the airline industry. According to the founder, this new airline would â€Å"leverage technology for safety and efficiency and with a commitment to people. (Gittell & O’Reilly, 2001, p.3)† The overall market for the airlines most especially in New York City as stated in the case, experienced dissatisfaction given the current level of services at the price level in which they are offered. Due to this, an enormous opportunity for an airline that could offer lower costs for air travel with high quality service awaited as a promise and reward. This one Neeleman had observed and taken advantage of using of information technology as one of the differentiating factors. Jet Blue’s marketing was strategic in a way that it aimed to support the goal of the company to become a different sort of player in the airline industry. For one, in line with Neeleman’s vision which was to provide high quality service at affordable fares while improving the experience of

Critically examine thje effects of the 'Boudaryless Career' Essay

Critically examine thje effects of the 'Boudaryless Career' on individuals, organisation and society - Essay Example The effects of Boundaryness careers on an individual include the ability of a person to take control over employability as well as the development of an individual’s skills beyond the career management in an organization. This requires an individual to have a certain degree of self-perceived ability, self-motivation, and the opportunity to make changes in a person’s career (Cappelli, 1997). Moreover, individuals looking to develop their skills ought to look for these opportunities to meet their expectations, regardless of the boundaries they have to cross to do so (Eby & Lockwood, 2003). In addition, individuals have the capability to make an internal career change within the organization they currently work Additionally, due to career diversity management has become an important aspect due to global workforce that helps organizations grow. Boundaryless careers assist the management in decision making as people from all aspects of life come together and bring in their unique ideas thus solving problems (Dalton & Price, 2007). In addition, organizations gain through the sufficient career development opportunities that help support the career concerns in the organization. Consequently, an organization is able to know the potential challenges of career progression of the professionals in the organization and is able to better manage their careers. Like the impact of boundaryless careers on individuals and the organization, it is important to understand on the happening of the community. As people in the community have a feeling of common interest and purpose and values, it is important to have a personal knowledge that they belonging to a collective of others in the community (Burman, 2006). This therefore means that people need to develop and make a difference in the society. This includes the proper use of resources available in the community as well as the emotional connection

Literature Review 'Family Business Sustainability' Essay

Literature Review 'Family Business Sustainability' - Essay Example Frequently a dichotomy is made amid the "family" and "business" where these two aspects forms distinctive subsystems which interact so as to form a complete structure named "family business". When family forces and business forces demonstrably interrelate and impact one another, then scholars agree that a blend is exists among the two aspects, implying a new and exclusive system which is termed a family business. Previous studies sought to define family business in relations to ownership or management and the controlling systems, and also intergenerational transfers, this view offered some insights into the manner of business. (Rosenblatt, 1995) However, this approach had some limitations, currently there has been a shift on how a family business is described and the focus presently is on establishing the business intention and its vision as ways of knowing is the business can be defined as family business. Alongside this new "strategic" perspective of a business, there is also a new approach which looks on the resources (capital, human, knowledge, materials) accessible to a specific business as a method of determining its standing. Resources based view (RBV) of a business suggests a business is a "family business" where the function of a family has a confirmable effect on role and also performance of a particular business. Though the past definitions and descriptions have not been completely replaced, there is a current change in analytical basis to encompass significant elements of business practice, for example visions, culture and intentions. (Rosenblatt, 1995) Business management of family business Business management of family businesses varies deeply from the management of broadly held public businesses. Family owners focus on management and also facilitates making of decisions, that can equally lower management costs and allow unusual though strategically beneficial decisions. (Rosenblatt, 1995) A well-functioning business system assist build trust and conviction in the family, and a excellent family dynamic, which in turn is an asset to the family business since it enables every separate part of management to work better and be able to add extra value whilst remaining inline with the different constituents of the management system. These management benefits can present apparent economic gains. (Rosenblatt, 1995) Nonetheless, a rising business turns into more and more complex and crafts its own requirements for a further formal organizational arrangement or structure. At such a time Family business managers have to adjust their management practices as a result. Certainly, success compels the want to adjust and modify, and every one of family businesses finally face this truth. (Rosenblatt, 1995) The character of Family Ownership Family members mainly have a high focus on management and leadership, on top of having a high emotional connection to the business. A family could have a feeling of moral commitment to other business stakeholders, or view the family business as means for creating a positive input to community. Furthermore, family members at

The Importance Of Symbolism In Three Short Stories Essay Example for Free

The Importance Of Symbolism In Three Short Stories Essay Symbolism is an integral part of literature.   It allows the writer to create for the reader multiple layers of meaning in an indirect manner, almost at an unconscious level.   At its most basic, this representation can be an almost one-for-one transposition, but the most skilful and enthralling literature allows for multiple possible readings, making it possible for every reader to take away their own personal interpretation, a message that can seem tailor-made for that person alone. These three short stories are famous pieces of literature, and rightly so: they have rich symbolic imagery that has captivated readers ever since their first publication.    That they are famous works is indisputable, but the reason for this enduring fame seems to be that each story’s symbolism speaks to a fundamental and enduring critique of humankind’s most elemental darker impulses, and the outcome of each reflects an uglier side of human nature than we prefer to own.   For this reason, these short stories have endured, and added both their message and the writer who composed it to the annals of literature. In Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† (268-273), a village assembles in the town center for the drawing of their annual lottery.   At first, the reader can be forgiven for believing that this is a festive rite in the life of the town, but as the tale moves along, a darker, more sinister shadow is cast over the proceedings, culminating in the ritual murder of the ostensible winner of the lottery by the whole village, including her family. The lottery itself seems to be a symbolic representation of the dangers of blindly following ‘traditional’ customs once the original meaning and purpose of the ritual has been forgotten, and only the ritual itself remains.   In this case, custom dictates that a member of the community be selected by lottery to be ritually stoned to death each year, and though no-one can remember why this must be so, they adhere to the custom, despite the fact that they know that other villages have abandoned the practice, and many of their own community are uncomfortable with continuing it. There are, however, other layers to the story.   It was once said that, â€Å"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.†Ã‚   The acquiescence of the community to the practice of ritual murder is disquieting, all the more so because not all the villagers are convinced of the necessity or the morality of the lottery. Those who are uneasy with the practice murmur their disquiet, but are quickly silenced by the voices of those who uphold the established custom as an integral part of their community and its identity, with no moral or practical justification provided.   Despite the fact that they do not seem any more convinced of the necessity or the morality of the lottery than they had before they spoke, the dissenters quickly fall silent, and do nothing as the inevitable outcome takes place.   Nay, they take their crime one step further; not only do they do nothing to prevent the murder, they actively participate in it. More conventional tales, such as Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, show a similar dilemma for a moral character, and the conventional ending is that the moral character takes a stand against the evil, whatever the personal cost.   In The Crucible, the character John Proctor has a choice: to stay silent about his extra-marital affair that has left his scorned lover with a motive when a witch hunt gives her the opportunity to call for the death of his wife, or to own his misdeed, own his dishonor, and save the reputation and life of his innocent wife.   He heroically chooses the righteous path, and dies to expose the injustice of the witch hunt. In â€Å"The Lottery†, however, those who have the ability to see the injustice see it, and do nothing, overthrowing both the conventional ending of such tales and the conventional belief that people have an intrinsic tendency to good over evil.   Even if this conventional belief is unjustified, we are accustomed to our fiction providing us with this more psychologically comfortable outcome, and people were enraged at the subversion of this convention in this particular short story.   It exposes an ugly side of human nature, the unwillingness to risk self even in the cause of justice, and people were, and are, uncomfortable with this reflection of themselves. In Guy De Maupassant’s â€Å"The Necklace† (4-11), once again, we are confronted with a darker side of the human psyche.   Written in the tone of a parable, the story recounts the tale of a vain and proud young wife who believes herself born for better things. Her selfish ambition leads her to borrow a necklace from a rich friend in order to feign the appearance of a woman of higher affluence and social standing than she in fact possesses at a high society event.   She loses the necklace, and she and her husband work in abject poverty for 10 years in order to replace the necklace without revealing the wife’s folly to the friend.   At the end of the 10 years, the vain and foolish wife has lost her coveted beauty, and upon meeting the former friend by chance, learns that the necklace she worked so hard to replace had been an imitation, and the labors that had robbed her of her youth and beauty had been for nothing. This tale is almost Biblical in its ‘pride goes before a fall’ message.   The necklace symbolizes the wife’s pride, vanity and imprudence.   It can also be taken to represent the belief that the social success that the wife covets and yearns for is as false a worthy aspiration as the gems in the necklace.   Reading audiences can be satisfied with the conventional ending, but it is an almost vengeful outcome for the character, with no chance of her redemption or salvation.   It too is a reflection of the darker side of human nature, and almost as troubling as the ugly side of the character that is revealed is the ugly side of the reader’s own grim satisfaction with her poetic justice. In Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find† (636-646), a family sets off on vacation.   The seemingly innocuous beginning leads to murder and mayhem when they have a car accident, and are waylaid in this predicament by an escaped murderer, who kills them all.   This dark little short story uses the journey to symbolize the path that the family is on in their lives.   The car wreck is a pretty accurate representation of where their lives were headed: the individual flaws and pettinesses of each member of the family are illustrated along the way. The children are rude, unruly and unmanageable; the parents do not lead by virtuous example, not bothering to discipline their misbehaving children; and the grandmother is manipulative and self-righteous.   Along the way, they stop for lunch, and the grandmother commiserates with the owner of the rest stop over their belief that good people are becoming scarce.   The irony of this is that the grandmother and the owner blame others for their own folly, and refuse to take responsibility for others taking advantage of that folly.   It is also ironic that not a single character in the story demonstrates any morality or compassion, it is their frailties that they betray. It is a combination of their follies that causes the accident, the abrupt end of the journey (symbolizing the end of their lives), and once the murderer arrives on the scene, he kills them, one by one, subverting the conventional salvation ending with their symbolic damnation. It is a very strongly religious message from a self-professed Catholic writer.   Whether the killer (The Misfit) represents God or Satan (one could argue either way), he symbolically represents judge, jury and executioner, and even the grandmother (who we are led to believe has made some kind of connection with The Misfit, and may therefore survive the incident) betrays her self-serving motives, and is killed.   The moral of the story seems to be that we all have a dark side, though there may be degrees of evil, but all evil will eventually be discovered and punished. Each of these three short stories’ use of symbolism is extremely evocative and effective.   This rich symbolism, combined with subversive plot outcomes, has made for a fascinating insight into humankind’s inherent darker impulses, and the outcome of each of these stories reflects the ugly side of human nature with an unsettling degree of accuracy. WORKS CITED Jackson, Shirley. â€Å"The Lottery.† Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Eds. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry Jacobs. Sixth edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2001. 268-273. Maupassant, Guy De. â€Å"The Necklace.† Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Eds. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry Jacobs. Sixth edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2001. 4-11. O’Connor, Flannery. â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find.† Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Eds. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry Jacobs. Sixth edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2001. 636-646.