Why it is important for you to develop the philosophical mindset Essay

Why it is important for you to develop the philosophical mindset - Essay Example This is because those with the philosophical mindset not only evaluate claims, but arguments given to support claims. In this sense, philosophy has practical value for our everyday life. Many perceive philosophy as only having direct application within the university, where students contemplate the thoughts of long-dead intellectuals. But given the necessity of critical thinking and rational skepticism in all areas of life, including business, science, and politics, it seems philosophy is directly applicable to almost any kind of situation. Developing a philosophical mindset, however, is not limited to simply studying and doing well in philosophy courses. Rather, it is a matter of cultivating a general approach to life. Necessary to this general approach to life is having reasons (or empirical evidence) to support one’s knowledge and beliefs. To hold basic assumptions or opinions without evidence or without thought is the easiest way to base a life on

Fmla Persuasive Speech Essay Example for Free

Fmla Persuasive Speech Essay THESIS: American families will benefit from Family Security Insurance. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: If your like me, youre getting a college degree to not only provide your self with an income, but also to take care your family members in their times of need. STATEMENT OF CREDIBILITY: I have found through researching work and family in the United States, that we as a country are doing a poor job supporting parents, and I have found a policy that I believe would help. PREVIEW OF MAIN POINTS: First, well examine why working families need a better safety net today than working families have in the past, second, well take a look at how current laws are not doing enough to protect families from hardship in the current workforce, and finally, well understand how a modest proposal will make a dramatic difference for the lives of American families. BODY I. Working families need a better safety net in todays workforce. A. The problem is that todays workplaces have not caught up with societal changes. 1.The work-life balance is getting increasingly harder for women because the current economic situation requires two earners. 2.Bankruptcy expert Elizabeth Warren stated that two-incomes are needed to make ends meet for middle class families in a 2006 article for the Social Science Research Council. B. This problem has the consequences that more children and women living in poverty. Elizabeth Warrens 2003 book The Two-Income Trap, she states that having a child is now the single best predictor that a woman will end up in financial collapse. The US Census Bureaus 2011 data show among women who head families, 4 in 10 lived in poverty (up from 38.5 percent in 2009). The child poverty rate, already high at 20.7 percent in 2009, jumped to 22.0 percent last year. More than half of poor children lived in female-headed families in 2010. C. This problem started when health insurance, middle class taxes and housing prices experienced a sharp increase, yet incomes remain flat. 1. Warren illustrates that there is a paradox, because families make more, yet have more money but less income to save. 2.The addition bump in income has placed families in a higher tax bracket giving them another financial burden. The cost of child care is another financial burden. D. This problem has the largest impact on middle class and poor families. 1.Joan C. Williams writes in her 2010 book Reshaping the Work Family Debate that many single mothers are one sick child away from being fired. 2. Elizabeth Warren points out that now, more children will live through their parents bankruptcy than their parents divorce. TRANSITION: Now that I have shown you that working families need a better safety net, let me tell why todays workplaces is placing families in a precarious position. II. Working families are going to workplaces where the current laws dont do enough, and rules still represent the outdated society of the 1960s. A. The current law, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) doesnt go far enough. 1. Under the current Family and Medical Leave Act, parents are only offered legal protection from getting fired for taking a leave of absence to care for newborn or sick family members. 2. According to a 2010 report from Georgetown University Law Center and the University of California Berkeley, the FMLA protections reach only half the workforce because it excludes small businesses. 3. The FMLA provides protection for workers to take only unpaid leave, which many workers cannot afford. B. Few are advocating for changes in FMLA, so working mothers often quit their jobs when they have a baby or there is a family crisis, which is making America fall behind in the global market place. 1. According to Edward E Gordans 2009 book Winning the Global Talent Showdown a lack of family friendly workplaces is causing a stampede of new mothers out the office door. 2. Gordon concludes that Americas inability to retain talented women is making America less competitive in a global economy. C. Working families today are still working under workplace norms from the 1960s. 1. Joan C Williams notes that in the 1960, only 10 percent of mothers worked and only 10 percent of couples divorced. 2. Today, 70 percent of American children live households where both parents work and 40 percent of couples divorce. 3. Today, many families will end up in economic ruin if only one spouse works. TRANSITION: Finally, since the workplace norms and current laws have not caught up to our changing society, lets look at a policy that could provide some relief to families. III. Working families would benefit greatly from Family Security Insurance (F.S.I.) policy initiative co-authored by researchers at Georgetown University Law Center and the University of California at Berkeley in 2010. A. Family Security Insurance would provide paid leave to both men and women for health and care-giving reasons. The policy could be implemented by the State or Federal Governments The policy would pay a federal minimum wage for up to 18 weeks. a. This pay is taxable, b. We could also provide baby bonus (appox. $5000.) to parents who dont take the leave to offset the cost of child-care. c. This policy has already been implemented in Australia in 2010. B. Lew Daily of Newsweek, Aug 3rd, 2009 published 2007 study from McGill University found that out 173 America is â€Å"among the worst† for supporting families. 1.We stood with only Liberia, Swaziland, and Papua New Guinea as the only countries providing no paid maternity leave. 2. Of all the wealthy countries, excluding ours, parents are entitled to up to 47 weeks of maternity leave. 3. Australias 2011 Paid Leave Scheme is the most modest; least costly of all industrialized nations family leave acts. C. Some would argue that implementing a broader family leave act would hurt businesses. 1. A broader family leave act will lead to better business outcome. 2. It would retain talented workers who have families. Paid time off for sick employees would aid in full recovery causing less chronic conditions saving businesses money on healthcare. 4 Recent research at Georgetown University Law Center and U of C Berkeley found parents receiving paid leave to care for a new born came back to work afterward and were more productive overall. D. How to help Washington State lead the way with Family Security Insurance. 1. Write your congresswoman, Jaime Herrera Beutler, expressing your concern for the families of Washingtons 3rd district. 2. Raise awareness by talking to your friends and family. 3. Call your parents and say thank you for whatever choices they have made to get you here. CONCLUSION REVIEW OF MAIN POINTS: Today, we have first examined why working families need a better safety net in the current workplace, second we have looked at how the current laws are not doing enough to protect families in 2012 from financial hardship , and finally we understand how a modest proposal could go a long way toward making American families more secure.

The Ethical Teacher Essay -- Literary Analysis, Elizabeth Campbell

Reflection is a necessary component of everyday life, as well as the growth an individual makes within their profession. This concept remains true for teachers who, due to the particular changes they must make in order to meet the fluctuating needs of both their students and society, are perpetually connected to reflection. Beginning with John Dewey, during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, numerous scholars have articulated their viewpoints concerning the positive and negatives impacts of this reflective teaching, in addition to its influence on the moral dilemmas faced by educators. One of these people, Elizabeth Campbell, asserts her perspectives throughout her text, The Ethical Teacher, wherein she describes the relationship between ethical knowledge and moral agency, the link between moral dilemmas and ethical knowledge, and the methods of lessening moral tensions in education. Within her book, Campbell (2003) maintains that â€Å"ethical knowledge relies on teachers’ understanding and acceptance of moral agency as professional expectations implicit in all aspects of their day-to-day practice† (p. 3). These demands of moral agency are important for students’ learning and development. Consequently, it is essential to understand moral agency. Campbell (2003) declares that moral agency â€Å"relates to the exacting ethical standards the teacher as a moral person and a moral professional hold himself or herself to† and â€Å"concerns the teacher as a moral educator, model, and exemplar† for students (p. 2). Throughout the text, Campbell explains that teachers must be aware of, understand and accept those demands of moral agency. Furthermore, Campbell (2003) opposes the notion that educators’ ethics â€Å"remain embedded in... ...outlining the ways to ease moral tensions and expand ethical knowledge. Moreover, Campbell’s book is consistent with her framework of this ethical knowledge â€Å"that supports core ethical principles and remains critical of moral relativism,† while it distinguishes â€Å"the complexities of moral interpretations of virtue, the significance of contextual realities, and the potential legitimacy of differing ethical beliefs† (p. 2). Through being capable of recognizing the advantageousness of ethics within education, Campbell and others, epitomize the influence of educational reflection. Furthermore, this unmistakably illustrates how reflective teachers are better apt to understand the demands of their students, parents, community members, colleagues, administrators and other superiors, which helps them to improve student learning and develop students as ethical individuals.

After School Programs Essay -- Elementary Education Student Activities

After School Programs Many parents today are faced with the issue of after school programs. But are these programs what we really think of them? Are they helping or hurting our children? A lot of parents want their child to be involved in school and/or extra-curricular activities, but don’t want them to be overwhelmed; whereas other parents don’t seem bothered by the effects. This paper included information about after school activities and the effects they play in today’s modern society with children. So, what do these activities do for the children? Do after school activities for children help to enrich their social and physical skills for their life long interests? A school program is defined as â€Å"community driven, expanded learning opportunities that support developmentally appropriate cognitive, social, physical, and emotional outcomes. In addition, these programs will offer a balanced program of academic support, arts and cultural enrichment, recreation and nutrition† (Coltin). These programs can run either directly after school, during evenings, weekends, summer vacations, and holidays. They are run by schools, community based organizations in the school, and community based organizations from a church or synagogue, or a private leader. Since the community and government is so willing to get the students active in these after school programs, there is such a wide variety of different ones. With such a huge selection, it is merely impossible for someone not to find a program that would be right for their children. The activit6ies vary from religious clubs, to sports, as well as language based clubs, Sports offer a huge variety for students to get involved in. There are all boy and all girl sports, as well as co-e... ... After School Program?† www.thirteen,org/edonline/concepts2class/month11/index sub1.html Kirkman, Susannah. (2000 March). ‘Bums on Seats’ Is not the Answer. The Times Educational Supplement. 24 Lamb, Sandra E. (1999, October). After-School Activities Parents Magazine. Lee, Shumow. (2001). Academic Effects on After-School Programs. Champaign, IL: Eric Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Educat5ion- Children’s Research Center. Roemer, Joseph. (1935). Basic Student Activities. New York: Silver, Burdett, and Company. Schneider, Jonathon. (2000, August). Benefits of Activities Kids Health for Parents: 2-3. Schwartz, Wendy. (1996, October). After School Programs for Urban Youth. New York, NY: ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education. Thompson, Nellie Zetta. (1953). Your School Clubs. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc.

St Patricks

One of Skrzynecki’s main focuses in ‘St Patrick’s College’ is the disconnections from the environment. The imagery of ‘Our Lady watched with outstretched arms’ conveys a sense on welcoming and inclusion. However, the ‘Lady’ image is ‘overshadowed by clouds’ and this is symbolises the persona’s insecurities and doubts for the institution. The persona’s disconnections are further reinforced by the irony of ‘I stuck pine needles into the motto. ’ The motto represents the core values of the school and the persona is desecrating these ideas. This highlights the persona’s disrespect for the school and his lack of immediate adoption of the school’s ideals. Thus, the persona is alienated and a sense of acceptance is not developed within the institution. Through the simile ‘like a foreign tourist’, Skrzynecki portrays the persona’s disaffection for the school. The diction ‘tourist’ suggests that the persona is an outsider and a connection to place has not yet been developed. This idea is further reinforced by the repetition of ‘8 years’ which emphasises the persona’s lack of acceptance. It indicates that his school time has appeared long to him, indicating a lack of interest due to his alienation. The personal pronoun of ‘I’ strengthens the idea of the personas alienation, illustrating his sense of loneliness. Consequently, through the stanza’s tone of disaffection it evokes within the responders empathy for the persona’s dislocation and alienation from the physical environment. The irony of ‘privileged to wear’ represents the impediment of the individual’s progress. The persona is carrying a burden of responsibilities and expectations set by his mum and the school itself. Although he did not feel accepted in the institution he tried to assimilate with the others around him as shown by ‘Could say The Lord’s Prayer In Latin, all in one breath’. This conveys his insincerity in the prayer and that his religious understanding is only superficial. Hence, the persona has no meaningful connection to the process of learning the values and the whole schooling experience.

Chapter 1- Kinematics Regents Physics Essays (214 words)

Chapter 1- Kinematics Regents Physics Essays (214 words) Chapter 1- Kinematics Regents Physics Intro to Kinematics Kinematics is the mathematical treatment of the motions of bodies without regard to the forces that produce the motion. Scalar Quantities vs. Vector Quantities 4029075747395 A scalar quantity has magnitude but not direction . For example, the odometer in your family car tells you how fast the car is moving (magnitude or numerical value) but not the direction it is moving . Therefore, the odometer is telling you a scalar quantity (in this case: speed). For example, it tells you 45 mph, but NOT 45 mph East . Here are some examples of scalar quantities: Distance Time Speed Mass Temperature Energy A vector quantity has both magnitude and direction. For example, if you ask for directions to the beach in a foreign country, a citizen may tell you 50 km East . The citizen has given you both a magnitude (numerical value) and a direction (North, South, East, West, etc.) Here are some examples of vector quantities: Displacement Acceleration Force Momentum 206692538735 Electric Force Magnetic Force Practice: Determine whether the following are vectors or scalars. 40 m/s East 30 m 40 o C 20 kg(m/s) Northeast 25 N 25 N West Distance Displacement Velocity Speed Momentum

Stock Market Prices

Stock Market Prices The prices of stocks which are purchased and sold in the secondary market are mostly influenced by demand and supply. Typically, the price of stocks depends on the number of shares that are offered in relation to the demand of the stocks.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Stock Market Prices specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The price of the shares are often high when there are few shares in the market and if the demand of these shares is high. On the other hand, the prices of shares are low if the shares offered in the market are many. Similarly, the price of the shares becomes significantly low when demand of the shares in the market goes down. Thus, the price of shares is determined by the demand and supply of shares in the market. Supply and Demand The demand of shares in the stock market is determined by various factors. Sloman (2008) posits that, income, wealth, expectations, divided yield, price and returns of su bstitutes are the factors that influence the demand of the stocks. Sloman (2008) considers the dividend yield as the money received back by investors and is expressed as a given percentage of its price. Many investors are attracted to purchase those stocks whose dividends are high. Equally, the prices and returns of substitutes relate to dividends as well as the market price for other corresponding stocks. Since the demand of such stocks is often high, their supply often goes down. Subsequently, this makes the price of the stocks to increase. According to Sloman (2008), the most prevalent substitutes for investing in shares include investing in properties such as real estates. Investors are always looking for the ways to make extra money. Therefore, many investors opt to invest in properties or any other forms of investments if they consider them to be more profitable than investing in shares. According to Boyce (2011), between 1960 and 2009 the profits for equities was higher than the profits gained from investment in property for the most part of the 20-year investment period. It was also observed that even over shorter time spans, equities have been the top-most performing asset, in 64% of five year periods, between 1960 and 2006. Wealth represents the accrued savings and assets. Wealth that is in form of assets is easily converted into cash and invested in shares. It is important to note that houses do not have a high rate of return as compared to investments in shares. Therefore, high-rise owners often opt to sell their houses and invest that money in shares. When this occurs, it increases the demands of shares.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More People’s expectations is another factor that determines the demand and prices of shares. Investors tend to buy more of those shares that they are optimistic about their future value. However , this kind of buying poses a great risk. This is because these prospects are not always true. Sometimes, other factors which may be beyond the investors’ expectations could crop up and affect the current outstanding performances of such companies. Such issues may lessen the value of the shares (Bacchetta, Tille Wincoop , 2010) Share prices and their effects on businesses The prices of shares in companies are imperative. This is because the prices of these shares are often used to depict the performance of a given company in the market. When the price of a company’s share increases, it primarily indicates that that company is performing well. Conversely, when the price of the share in a company decreases, it indicates poor performances. Textbook Questions If the rate of economic growth is 3% in a particular year, why are share prices likely to rise by more than 3% that year? Strong economies have been noted to be characterized by an increase in the household income wh ich is reflected in increased spending and investments. An economic growth of about 3% in a particular year is likely to translate to increased share prices by more than 3%. This is because a growth in the economy signifies increased per capita income. What happened to the FTSE 100 in 2010, why? Figure 1 The figure above illustrates how the FTSE 100 index initially performed poorly after suffering major setbacks due to the economic recession witnessed in the year 2008-2009. According to Scott (2010), investors were reluctant to invest in shares since they could not project what would follow the financial crisis.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Stock Market Prices specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The financial crises of the year 2008-09 lead to the failing of many banks which impacted negatively on the value of the FTSE 100 stock market. Fletcher (2010) noted that, even by mid 2010, the performance of the FTSE 100 s tock had not appreciated considerably since most investors were still under uncertainty of investing in shares. This is clearly noted by the great decrease in share prices that occurred in July. Similarly, the value of the shares depreciated significantly in September and November. These drops were linked to large amounts of money that were given to other European countries as bail-outs (Kollewe McDonald, 2010). At the end of the year 2010, the value of the shares had appreciated greatly since more investors had became more optimistic about the future of shares as indicated by the raising of the overall value of the index (Scott, 2010). Find another application of the same idea and explain why the concept is useful in the context you have chosen Supply and demand also determines the prices of commodities globally. For example, currently the prices of Cocoa have greatly increased due to the shortage of Cocoa which is associated with the recent civil unrest in Ivory Coast (AFN, 2011) . Figure 2 ‘CÃ ´te d’Ivoire is among the leading producers of Cocoa in the world. Being a major supplier of the commodity, the country plays a central role in influencing the world cocoa prices. Similar concerns about the disruption of cocoa production and export during the civil war also caused New York prices to soar to a high of $2,335/tonne in October 2002.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is observed that when cocoa is in short supply and also in high demand, its prices are often artificially inflated in a similar way to the share prices. This principle is very similar to what happens on stock markets, although the causes are usually much different. Conclusion The supply and demand of shares are known to be the natural determiners of the prices of shares. Nevertheless, there is a danger in that; the process is often manipulated where the prices of shares ends up being artificially inflated. This inflation is dangerous because it leads to considerable loss of investors’ money when the bubble occurs. List of References AAP., 2010. Wattyl accepts takeover bid from Valspar. Web. AFN., 2011. Cote D’Ivoire and cocoa: The facts. Web. Baccheta, P., Tille, C., Wincoop, E., 2010. Risk panics: When markets crash for no apparent reason. Web. Boyce, L., 2011. Investors love for property starts to dim. Web. Fletcher, N., 2010. FTSE 100 dips ahead of bank stress t est results. Web. Kollewe, A., McDonald., P. 2010. Anglo Irish Bank bailout could total â‚ ¬34bn. Web. Scott, P., 2010. Where will the FTSE 100 end 2010? Web. Sloman, J., 2008. Economics and the Business Environment, 2nd edition. New York: McGraw Hill.

Consumerism essays

Consumerism essays Specific Purpose: To persuade the class to stop being members of a consumerist society, and to help turn our society from consumerism Introduction: Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life. That we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption...We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced, and discarded at an ever increasing rate. From Victor Lebow. Hello, my name is Will Burns, and I am here today to talk to you about consumerism and the hold it has on America and other industrialized countries. I. First, a look as to what consumerism is and how it affects everyone in our society. A. The definition of consumerism according to www.dictionary.com is an attachment to materialistic values or possessions. 1.Consumerism is noticeable in the unending purchase of new goods and services, with little attention to their true need, durability, product origin or the environmental consequences of manufacture and waste from the product. 2.Consumerism is driven by huge sums of money spent on advertising designed to create both a desire to follow trends, and a personal self-reward system based on buying things. Materialism is one of the end results of consumerism. 3.More than $200 billion is spent every year for advertising in the US alone. Advertising is not only limited to adults. Advertising companies spend billions of dollars every year just on children. The average child sees more that 20,000 commercials in a year. And more than 55 a day. B. It is an often stated that the economy would improve if people just bought more things, bought more cars and spent more money. 1.Financial resources better spent on education, nutrition, housing etc. are spent on products of no value and little social return. ...

South Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

South Africa - Essay Example It is important to note that 1948 was an election year whereby there were two major parties competing; i.e. the National Party and the United Party (Worger, 2004). The United Party on one hand had a soft stand on apartheid as it tended to lean towards integration of all communities and races, which was believed to be unavoidable. To the majority whites, this meant that all South Africans would therefore enjoy equal rights under the leadership of the party and therefore, there were fears among the whites that the non whites would increase competition in the job market especially if they were allowed to migrate to the urban centers, which would have also meant that the cost of labor in the industries would have gone up as the whites utilized cheap labor from the non whites. The National party on the other hand utilized this fear and came up with a pro-apartheid policy which it vowed to establish once it was elected into power and which saw its winning the elections and therefore produc ing the first prime minister under the apartheid regime (Thompson, 2001). The events that followed can only be termed as the worst historical injustices in the history of South Africa.

APPLIED PROJECT Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

APPLIED PROJECT - Research Paper Example Health Savings Accounts Introduction Health care is one of the basic needs and therefore every person is entitled to proper health care. The government may fund medical expenses but that is only to certain limit. This places the responsibility of better and advanced health care in the hands of the individual. In the US, taxpayers enrolled in High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) have an advantage of benefiting from HSA, a custodial account or tax-advantaged/ tax-exempted medical savings account (Feldstein, 2006). Description of HSA At the time of deposit, funds contributed to HSA are exempted from federal income tax. Unlike the Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) which are company owned, HSAs are owned by individuals. A qualified trustee for example an insurance company, a bank or anybody who has already been approved by the Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), is required for the setting up of an HSA. Currently, funds in the HSAs can be used to fund qualified medical expense s at any moment without penalty or federal tax liability (Heffley and Miceli, 1997). HSA is important in enhancing the efficiency of the general health care system and reducing growth in the costs of health care (Ozanna, 1996). This account also encourages individuals to save money that will be used for future medical expenses hence they are able to receive the kind of medical care at any time. This means no one can limit the benefits they are allowed to enjoy at any time. It makes people to see the cost of medical procedures or doctors and this motivates them to shop for healthcare and ask related questions just as they do in other expenses. Withdrawals made from the HSA for non-medical expenses done after retirement provide tax advantages just as those in the IRA but if taken earlier, they incur penalties. The attractive advantages provided by HSA have led to its increased consumption. Since the passage of federal legislation that offer incentives to individuals who choose such pl ans as HSA, there has been a boost in consumer driven health care (CDHC) in the US since 2003. This has led to an increase in the annual consumption of HSA. This is indicated by the consumer surveys data of 2010 and that of 2011 that supports the acceptance of HSA in the US one of the mainstream healthcare options (Tables 1 and 2) (IRS, 2010 and IRS 2011). It is also supported by 2004-2011 contribution limits that indicate a general upward trend for all the years as seen in Table 3. The consumer survey data also indicates that individuals with a health care plan that is compatible with HSA have similar characteristics as those with traditional health care plans like PPQs and HMOs. These include age, income and health. Consumer survey revealed that 59.8% were aged 45 years and above, the annual household income for 42.1% of the consumers ranged between $50,000 and $100,000 and 95.8% considered themselves to be of better or average health (Feldstein, 2006). In terms of annual growth, HSA has been experiencing a general positive growth. As of January 2007, 4.5 Americans were covered by health plans that are HSA-qualified. This was indicated by data from survey conducted by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) on health insurers. This represented a 1.3 million increase since January 2006. Among the 4.5 million people 3.4 were covered through plans that were sponsored by their employers while the

The 18th century French philosopher Denis Diderot said, Only passions, Essay

The 18th century French philosopher Denis Diderot said, Only passions, great passions can elevate the soul to great things. Describe one of your passions and - Essay Example I am so fortunate to have found this great passion early on in my life. It has made me a better student, a better listener, more compassionate and has given my life direction and purpose. I can stay focused better, and have a more in depth understanding of the benefits of diligence and dedication. In many ways it has made me a better person. When I am not actively listening to music, I am absorbing as much technical information as I can find pertaining to the history and theory of the particular piece that I am studying. By doing this I can truly get to know a piece. These insights have helped me to better understand nuances I might otherwise have overlooked. Seeing music from various perspectives has also helped me to develop cognitively. Music is so much more than just a series of notes to me. It is an aesthetically complex and multifaceted art form that requires a lifetime of devotion to be fully appreciated. Although I have only studied music for four years, my intense desire has been to consume as much knowledge as I can get my hands on. This has led me to complete several rigorous and demanding advanced music theory courses in an exceptionally short period of time. In challenging myself this way I have become more aware of my full potential. I have never been very proficient at sports like baseball or hockey. Likewise, my older brother used to always beat me when playing video games. These types of activities never inspired me. When I finally found my passion, however, I embraced it with an undivided focus that I never dreamed possible. I am proud of what I've been able to accomplish in such a short period of time, and it's exciting for me to know that this is just the beginning. Beethoven was quoted as saying, "Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy." For me, it is the revelation of finding my passion in music. Until I found that passion I didn't believe my soul was really capable of being elevated to great things just as Diderot believed. Since then, however, I see promise of a future full of wonderful and amazing things. I can no longer imagine a life without music, where my friends' tastes become my own. Not only do I have my own tastes, but I have a command over music that only one with true passion can possess.

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

Policing - Essay Example According to the law, government officials must have a warrant before trespassing on private real estate, while other private real estate is open to illegal and unauthorized invasion without either a warrant or probable cause (Hubbart, 2005). Lawyers admit that drawing the line between these two types of private real estate has been a major task for the Court. The Forth Amendment states: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized (Hubbart 2005, p. 34). Searching a vehicle without a warrant is permissible if police has a reasonable cause such as drug trafficking or an offence is being committed. In cases where it is "impossible" to obtain a warrant, he continued, the officer may act, but only if probable cause exists. The expansive language requiring a warrant whenever "practicable" and only allowing a search or seizure without a warrant if it is "impossible" to get a warrant forced Courts to search high and low for rules that would live up to that language without making law enforcement all but impossible in the modern world. While the police might have had probable cause to seize the car and its occupants, they should have obtained a search warrant before going further and searching the automobile because the Fourth Amendment protects privacy as well as property. For this reason, the convictions for conspiracy to rob a bank were overturned (Hubbart, 2005). In contrast to automobiles, police should obtain a warrant in order to search a residence. Is assumed that individuals do not have a legitimate expectation of privacy in an open field, he argued, even in an open field surrounded by trees, a fence, and a locked gate. While the Fourth Amendment protects property, this is not the kind of property worthy of protection. That means in most cases the government must have a warrant before invading the sanctity of a home. The house is a private building on private property, not open to the general public and therefore part of the private sphere government may not invade without a warrant. The Fourth Amendment, critics argued, is not tied to the dictates of the ancient English common law (Hubbart, 2005). The amendment was instead intended to serve as the basis for the development of new U.S. law that would be separate and distinct from the ancient English rules. While the majority of justices assumed that most people would consent to having th e inspector in their home or business, those people who did not had a right to be protected from arbitrary actions by government officials. Therefore, they would be allowed to obtain a warrant to search in such an area for violations if they satisfied the judge that they had good reason to make the inspections and were not

The Internal Control Environment Research Proposal

The Internal Control Environment - Research Proposal Example Risk assessment is the component which enables the management to assess and analyze the risk associated with the accomplishment of objectives (Biegelman para.12). As in TPC, the elements of risk assessment includes an analysis of all three divisions and realizing the sources which could probably lead to control failure. For this purpose, TPC must set an internal control objective and then figure out the causes which would lead to deviations from the objective. Risk assessment is the component which enables the management to assess and analyze the risk associated with the accomplishment of objectives (Biegelman para.12). As in TPC, the elements of risk assessment includes an analysis of all three divisions and realizing the sources which could probably lead to control failure. For this purpose, TPC must set an internal control objective and then figure out the causes which would lead to deviations from the objective. The third component includes control activities or policies to create and implement strategies throughout the organization that ensures that objectives of internal control and minimization of risk would be achieved (Biegelman para.12). The major elements of this component are verification, performance reviews and separation of responsibilities etc. At TPC, this component involves implementing strategies and policies at headquarter as well as the three separate divisions. These policies might include a thorough system of performance measurement as well as control procedures (Committee of Sponsoring Organizations). The fourth component of internal control refers to management information and communication which entails communicating with employees on the internal control objectives as well as procedures and to instigate their efforts in meeting the goals (Biegelman para.12). TPC needs to enhance communication and information system among all the three divisions so as to ensure that the objective is communicated all over the organization.   The fifth and last component of internal control refers to monitoring which involves overseeing the whole internal control process and procedure to know if the process is carried out as planned and proceeding towards the desired objectives. The TPC’s management, as well as independent auditors, could keep a check over the proceeding of the control procedure in the organization and achievement of internal control objectives (Biegelman para.12).  Ã‚  Ã‚  

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

Policing - Essay Example According to the law, government officials must have a warrant before trespassing on private real estate, while other private real estate is open to illegal and unauthorized invasion without either a warrant or probable cause (Hubbart, 2005). Lawyers admit that drawing the line between these two types of private real estate has been a major task for the Court. The Forth Amendment states: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized (Hubbart 2005, p. 34). Searching a vehicle without a warrant is permissible if police has a reasonable cause such as drug trafficking or an offence is being committed. In cases where it is "impossible" to obtain a warrant, he continued, the officer may act, but only if probable cause exists. The expansive language requiring a warrant whenever "practicable" and only allowing a search or seizure without a warrant if it is "impossible" to get a warrant forced Courts to search high and low for rules that would live up to that language without making law enforcement all but impossible in the modern world. While the police might have had probable cause to seize the car and its occupants, they should have obtained a search warrant before going further and searching the automobile because the Fourth Amendment protects privacy as well as property. For this reason, the convictions for conspiracy to rob a bank were overturned (Hubbart, 2005). In contrast to automobiles, police should obtain a warrant in order to search a residence. Is assumed that individuals do not have a legitimate expectation of privacy in an open field, he argued, even in an open field surrounded by trees, a fence, and a locked gate. While the Fourth Amendment protects property, this is not the kind of property worthy of protection. That means in most cases the government must have a warrant before invading the sanctity of a home. The house is a private building on private property, not open to the general public and therefore part of the private sphere government may not invade without a warrant. The Fourth Amendment, critics argued, is not tied to the dictates of the ancient English common law (Hubbart, 2005). The amendment was instead intended to serve as the basis for the development of new U.S. law that would be separate and distinct from the ancient English rules. While the majority of justices assumed that most people would consent to having th e inspector in their home or business, those people who did not had a right to be protected from arbitrary actions by government officials. Therefore, they would be allowed to obtain a warrant to search in such an area for violations if they satisfied the judge that they had good reason to make the inspections and were not

Gender identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Gender identity - Essay Example The paper shall also take into account the role of the media and social stereotypes along with the role that different cultures play in the establishment of gender identities. Gender identity refers to the roles of masculinity or femininity that are assigned to individuals on the basis of certain markers, in a certain society. This may vary from one culture to another and no fixed definition exists in society. These identities change over time as well and not just spatially. For instance the Victorian models of femininity have changed a lot and English women no longer abide by the codes of conduct that women in Jane Austen’s novels scrupulously followed. This, however, has certain similarities to the conduct expected of women of countries that were colonized by England. Apart from pointing to the fluid nature of gender identities, this phenomenon also points to the fact that gender identities are influenced by a The sexual orientation of a person decides the partner that he or she may wish to enter into sexual intercourse with. The politics of sexual orientation, however, does not end with producing effects on the choice of a partner though. Desire and gender identities are closely linked and both affect the other. Judith Butler talks of this in her work, Undoing Gender, where she talks of how unconventional sexual orientations affect the conventional definitions of masculinity and femininity that are set by the society, thus offering a challenge to the conventional hierarchies in society (Butler, 2003). Both heterosexuality and homosexuality can offer challenges to oppressive heteronormative social setups; however, homosexual orientations have great effectiveness in challenging the social unit that is the most important factor in the perpetuation of heteronormative societies: the family. Homosexual units offer possibilities to the parties involved to redefine the nature of conjugal relatio nships and to restructure the society. How

Types of Advertising Essay Example for Free

Types of Advertising Essay

Causes of the Collapse of the Weimar Republic

Causes of the Collapse of the Weimar Republic Collapse of the Weimar Republic To what extent can it be said that the Great Depression and the overburdening of the German welfare State were the main causes of the Collapse of the Weimar Republic? When considering the importance and extent to which the Great Depression and the overburdening of the German welfare state were the main causes of the collapse of the Weimar, it is necessary to assess other factors which also added to its failure. This essay intends to argue, the Great Depression and overburdening of the welfare state were prominent reasons in the latter stages of the Weimars collapse, they accelerated its failure in 1929 and by 1932 arguably the Weimar Republic was realistically unworkable. Despite this, the main cause of the collapse was the continuous poor economic state of Germany which hindered the success of democracy and finally resulted in the failure of the Weimar. The legacy of the First World War, the effects of the Treaty of Versailles and the 1923 hyperinflation crisis significantly worsened Germanys economic problems. The Great Depression and the overburdening of the welfare state derived from this constant financial strain that the government suffered under and eventually spiralled the situation out of control which proved unmanageable for the government. This created a cut back in support from those who were in favour of democracy and produced resentment amongst the radical Right and Left wing party members themselves. Finally, much attention will be given to the Weimars inability to deal with the crisis via unsuccessful decision making and the long term traditional attitudes of the elites within the government that were also highly important contributions to the collapse of the Weimar. Consequently with detrimental ongoing economic crisis and contributing political factors, the Weimar Republic was doomed from the outset[1], resulting in its collapse. Arguably the Great Depression and the overburdening of the welfare state played a vital role in the collapse of the Weimar but was not the main reason. The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic crisis that began in the United States with the Wall Street Crash on October 29th, 1929. International trade, incomes, and profits plummeted. The Depression had massive repercussions on Germany as they relied on loans from America to facilitate their prosperity, pay off their reparations and revive their economy. Arguably the Depression was prominent in the very last stages of the Weimars life as it was not until after 1929, the economic outlook changed from gloomy to distinctly stormy[2]. The use of the word gloomy indicates that previous to the Depression, Germany was already struggling economically and thus this statement adds weight to the notion that the Depression acted as a catalyst to the eventual breakdown of the government. Furthermore, the outburst of the Depression in 1 929 had a disastrous impact on the German economy [3] as almost one third of German production was exported by 1920. However after this time, exports had decreased. As imports had fallen by two thirds, this had linkage effect on German workers as many lost their jobs between 1929-1933. Official figures in January in 1928 stood at 1,862,000 unemployed and by 1930 when the Depression had taken real effect in Germany, this increased to 3,218,000.[4] These statistics indicate that even before the Depression Germanys unemployment rate was high, thus Germany was in a financial crisis before the Depression and the Weimars reputation was already on the verge of failure. Although the government attempted to resolve the problem of unemployment for example, chancellor Heinrich Brunning who introduced a series of policies to deal with this fiscal crisis. He cut down wages, salaries and prices in an effort to restore confidence in the German financial and industrial system.[5] His efforts were unsuccessful and ineffective as subsequent to this by 1931 there were nearly 4.5 million people out of work, thus illustrating the Weimars inability to deal with the crisis contributing to its own collapse. This initiated further opposition and bitterness towards the Republic. Clearly the depression contributed to the Weimars unpopularity and more so its collapse. Additionally both liberal parties, the DVP(Germans People Party) and DDP (German Democrat Party) witnessed a decrease in votes during the 1930 election as much of their support rested on the middle class; these white collar workers with status, who were monetary advantageous to the average class man felt humiliated, betrayed and angry towards the Weimar Government.[6] Consequently faced with insoluble economic problems many people turned to force and coercion[7], (the Nazi party) in hope of a radical solution to their troubles. This strengthens the argument that economics was central to the collapse of the Weimar, the Depression added the final touches. Furthermore with large firms dependent on USA loans and German banks that also had taken out loans to invest in businesses, when the depression struck it destroyed the relative stability of the financial system and hence placed an overwhelming burden on the welfare state. The welfare States purpose was to provide benefits for the unemployed, pensioners and disabled. In 1927 the welfare state introduced the unemployment insurance Act. By 1929 as a result of the depression it was unable to provide unemployment insurance for the amount of unemployed people. Arguably these two factors were linked as without the Great Depression the welfa re state would not have suffered an overwhelming burden. This is evident as the percentage of unemployed supported by the unemployment insurance declined from 80 per cent at the beginning of 1929 (before the Depression) to 30 per cent in January 1932 when six million people were unemployed. The welfare states failure to deliver this unemployment Insurance during this crucial period reflected the weakness of the Weimar system itself. Henig agrees with the concept that the welfare state played a key role in the collapse of the Weimar arguing, ironically this major achievement of the unemployment insurance threatened to engulf the government in a major financial crisis.[8] Additionally as people expected a great deal from the welfare state, when these expectations were not met they became sour and anti-democratic.[9] On the other hand Bookbinder challenges this argument that economic crisis was the main reason to the Weimars failure proclaiming, in times of crisis such as the 1923 hyperinflation, these difficulties endangered the order and resilience of the Weimar but did not make the Republics failure inevitable.[10] However one may say the fact that these economic problems persistently occurred, suggests that this was the Weimars governments downfall and resulted in its failure; the Great Depression and overburdening of the welfare state were just the last straw. Evidently economic instability was the main reason of the Weimars collapse as the inflation problem was announced before the First World War had ended.[11] More so, on top of the colossal debt incurred from financing the war of around 150 milliard marks, Germany was even more devastated when they received their reparations bill of 6.600 million pounds.[12] With the country already in social and political ruin, the economic reparations ultimately destroyed the foundations of the Weimar. This proved too much for the Government to handle and by 1922 they declared themselves unable to make payments.[13] Additionally due to heavy taxation which, was also an effect of inflation meant students, pensioners and people with savings lost all their money; thus the governments status deteriorated amongst these groups.[14] Even more, German agriculture was fiancially tarnished as farmers suffered from the fatiguing effort to supply Germany during the war and by 1920 they were experiencing low crop yields and diminished number of livestock.[15] Heavy industrial owners were also financially effected as they witnessed a decline in their profits and what is more they were a vital part of the anti- republican bloc and made life difficult for the republic.[16] Peukart also holds economics responsible for the main cause of collapse arguing, these problems hindered the new Republic from guaranteeing their survival.[17] Post-war inflation further affected German political parties, for example the liberal parties who struggled to afford paper and stamps by 1920 and suffered extreme financial difficulties.[18] The First World War deteriorated the economic situation in Germany even more, as Weitz argues, the legacy of World War One was the republics greatest obstacle. It hobbled developments at every turn and gave the enemies of democracy endless rounds of ammunition.[19]Bookbinder strengthens this opinion stating, before the war Germany was a strong nation producing 13.1 million tons of pig iron and 13 million tons of steel. Arguably it was there involvement in the war which initiated their national debt and an inflated currency.[20] Germanys decision to finance the war through borrowing money instead of increasing taxations accelerated their economic downturn even more , this programme of war financing precipitated the monitory inflation which was to continue through to 1923.[21] Subsequently wages increased but for some people this did not match the increase in the cost of their living.[22] White collar workers, who in pre war years had great prestige, were now experiencing economic har dship due to the war and inflation.[23] The Treaty of Versailles was also a result of the First World War and had disastrous impact on the German economy contributing to the Weimars failure. The government accepted responsibility of the war and signed the War Guilt Clause (article 231), this encouraged social unrest in Germany and resentment especially amongst the Right wing nationalists. Mckenzie claims that Versailles presented the Nationalists with a persuasive pretext for mounting the blame of Germanys troubles on the Republic, they felt betrayed and stabbed in the back[24]. During this time, the fact that the Weimar was a newly established democracy meant it was vulnerable and under threat. It is important to remember that for a newly established democracy to survive, it must have the support of the people in especially in turbulent the most times. However the Weimar government lacked this assistance as Mommsen notes, German people did not really support democracy from the beginning, instead they viewed it as the onl y possible outcome for the new state. [25] On the other hand it could be argued that German people were in favour of democracy but lacked the principle foundations of it, as many envisioned a progressive reform of their previous monarch system. Never the less it is clear that the Weimar was never whole heartedly supported even before it came into practice. Additionally Right wing groups also attacked democracy mainly because of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, because their members were incredibly powerful being were highly integrated into the major institutions of state, society, business, civil service, army, universities and churches.[26] This highlights a flaw in the Weimar government, because the coalition parties were not united with a common goal this was proved difficult to implement policies and deal with opponents. Attacks from the Left wing radicals also endangered democracy. In January 1919 an attempt was made from the Left wing group, the Spartacuss who attempted to overthrow the government, however this was crushed by the army and the Freikorps. Although the Weimar did survive these attacks, arguably these uprisings only failed not because these opposition groups lacked clear aims and an alternative system. Even more the economic burden created by the Treaty, made continued reforms and tax policies difficult.[27] Thus Germany was now economically weaker then previously in 1914 as they had increased national debts, inflated currency and reparation stood at the value of 132 billion marks.[28] On the other hand Hobsbawm disagrees with the view that the radical Right wing oppositions came about due to the resentment of the Treaty of Versailles and states, The rise of radical Right after the First World War, was undoubtedly a response to the danger.of social revolution and working class power in general, to the October revolution and Leninism in particular. Without these, there would have been no fascism[29]. Despite this, it is evident that the Right wing movements were an outcome of the First World War. Hyperinflation in 1923 another crucial disaster brought the inflationary situation to its final crisis phase[30]. The economic effects of the occupation were catastrophic. Kolb also agrees with this opinion describing it as a miracle[31] the Weimar survived. However, chancellor Stresemann rescued Germany and introduced new currency and borrowed loans from America to facilitate Germanys finances, following on from this it could be argued that the German economy did experienc e a period of prosperity. However the solution was temporary and one that depended on international loans.[32] Again reflecting a grave decision made by the government as having provided a permanent solution, this would have prevented the severity Great Depressions impact on Germany. Stresemann himself described this period of affluence as dancing on a volcano[33] , this exemplifies that too was aware that depending on American loans was risky. Still in 1929 when the Depression hit, Germany was once again faced with economic problems. Economic historian Borchhardt believes that even without the occurrence of the Depression Germanys economy was abnormal and would not have been able to continue in the same way.[34]This reinforcing the view that economics was the main cause of the collapse of the Weimar. Clearly, the Weimar governments failure to take firm action played a vital role to the collapse of the Weimar. This is particularly evident with invasion of the Ruhr, as previous to this the SPD (Social Democrat Party) had the backing of the working class who were protected from the inflation via trade unions and also the support of large landowners who were able to pay of their debts which if made the efficient decisions could have excelled on this support. However in 1923 their misguided efforts to print money steered them in to hyperinflation. Hinton and Hite strengthen this argument claiming, although some of the problems were beyond Germanys power to control, the collapse came about due to the Weimars weak policies and lack of decisive action.[35] Consequently endless economic disasters became too unmanageable for the government to keep combating, as with any government this repeated economic crises would too inevitably lead to their failure. Another equally significant factor w hich contributed to the collapse of the Weimar Republic, was the traditional attitudes of the ruling elites and a lack of bureaucratic culture. Furthermore because democracy was introduced the most inauspicious circumstances[36] , the old elites such as the DVP and the DNVP ( German National Peoples Party) were monarchs at heart and never fully fledged their support to the Republic or the notion of democracy [37] , consequently they wanted a reversion back to the old system. However the KPD (communist party) and the NSDAP (The Nazi Party) was determined to unify the people of Germany. Germany had always been an imperialist country and headed by constitutional monarch, this meant the long term values of democracy were deficient in order for the Weimar to be successful. Subsequently by 1930 there was a powerful current of opinion in Germany demanding a more authoritarian government.[38] The elites could not regard the new republic as a rightful descendant to the pre-war imperial regim e,[39] thus if the ruling class were not in favour democracy how was the rest of the country going to support it? The Weimar was unable to accomplish unconditional support of these traditional elites such as the Junkers and army officers.[40] Kocka reinforces this notion and believes the failure of the Weimar was due to the bourgeoisie who seemed relatively weak and unbourgeois .[41] Consequently with the combination of old and new political forces present in the government, this halted the triumph of democracy. In conclusion it is clear that economics was the foremost reason to why the Weimar collapsed as even before the Great Depression which was followed by the overburdening of the welfare state, Germany was constantly faced with financial constraints that was caused by the damage of the First World War, this meant straight away the Weimar was forced to introduce a new democratic way of life in the most unpromising conditions. Even more, the reparations of the Treaty of Versailles and the exacerbated the governments financial pressures, thus resulting in a decline of support of the Weimar and the rise of radical Right and Left wing parties which threatened democracy. Lastly the major hyper inflation crisis in 1923 meant money completely lost its value, subsequently as demand rapidly decreased many people lost their jobs. However the introduction of a new currency and loans form the America temporarily revitalised their economy. Yet when the depression hit, America could no longer assist t hem and as Germany had no money of its own to aid its finances, this resulted in the unemployment of six million people. This placed a overwhelming burden on the welfare state and led to severe poverty as by 1932 people who had worn out their entitlement to state benefit and were thrown on the streets to beg for food.[42] The Depression tore apart the fragile political compromise that the Weimar had made via the welfare state and placed an enormous burden on to it. No doubt, the actions of the government themselves contributed to their own downfall as incremental thoughtlessness decisions decreased their popularity and status amongst Germany. Alongside this attribute lies the ruling elites for example the DNVP as their failure to support the vulnerable democratic meant the regime itself lacked confidence. Together these were a vital contribution to the collapse of the Weimar Republic. It is evident t .hat economic hurdles occurred throughout the Weimars life and led to abnormalities within the system and eventually its collapse. This concludes me to suggest that the Weimar Republic itself was the special path that Germany followed (the Sonderweg), as this failed experiment of democracy ultimately caused Germany to propel towards the Nazi regime. BIBLIOGRAPGHY: Hobsbawm .E, The Age of Extremes 1919-1941 (London 1995) Baldeston .T, The Origins and Course of the German Economic Crisis, (Berlin, 1993) Jones .L, German Liberalism and the Dissolution of the Weimar party system, 1918-1933, (Chapel Hill, 1988), Kocka .J, Asymmetrical Historical Comparison: The case of the German Sonderweg, History and theory, 38, (1999), p.40-50 Henig. R, The Weimar Republic 1919-1933 (London, 1998) Mckenzie P. R. J,Weimar Germany 1918-1933 (London 1971) Bookbinder . P, Weimar Germany, The Republic of the Reasonable, (Manchester, 1996) Weitz E.D, Weimar Germany Promise and Tradgedy, (New Jersey 2007) Hidden .J, The Weimar Republic 2nd Edition (London 1969) Hinton .C and Hite . J , Weimar and Nazi Germany, (London, 2001), Kolb .E The Weimar Republic, Second Edition (New York, 2005) Childs .D, Germany Since 1918, (London 1971) Stachura .D P (ed.), Unemployment and the Great depression in Germany, (London, 1986) Mazower. M, Dark Continent, (London, 1999) Evan. J. R, and Geary D (eds), The German Unemployed, (London, 1987) To what extent can it be said that the Great Depression and the overburdening of the German welfare State were the main causes of the Collapse of the Weimar Republic? [1] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.78 [2]Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.61 [3] P. Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, The Republic of the Reasonable, (Manchester, 1996), p.178 [4] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 174 [5] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 146 [6] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 167 [7] E. Hobsbawm, The Age of Extremes,(London, 1995), p.136 [8] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.60 [9] J. Kocka, Asymmetrical Historical Comparison: The case of the German Sonderweg, History and theory, 38, (1999), p 46 [10] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 161 [11] J. Hidden, The Weimar Republic 2nd Edition (London 1969)p.30 [12] Hidden, The Weimar, p.30 [13] Hidden, The Weimar, p.31 [14] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p.166 [15] Hidden, The Weimar, p. 34 [16] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 171 [17] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.83 [18] L. Jones, German Liberalism and the Dissolution of the Weimar party system, 1918-1933, (Chapel Hill, 1988), p. 165. [19] E. D. Weitz, Weimar Germany Promise and Tradgedy, (New Jersey 2007)p.127 [20] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p.163 [21] Bookbinder:164 [22] Bookbinder: 164 [23]Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p. 166 [24] J. R. P. Mckenzie,Weimar Germany 1918-1933 (London 1971)p.71 [25] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.78 [26] Weitz, Weimar Germany Promise and Tradgedy, p92 [27] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p.164 [28] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p.164 [29] E. Hobsbawm, The Age of Extremes 1919-1941 (London 1995)p.124 [30] Bookbinder, Weimar Germany, p.167 [31] E. Kolb, The Weimar Republic, Second Edition, (New York, 2005), p.35 [32] Hidden, The Weimar, p.32 [33] C. Hinton and J. Hite, Weimar and Nazi Germany, (London, 2001), p.74 [34]C. Hinton and J. Hite, Weimar and Nazi Germany, p.75. [35] Hinton and John , Weimar and Nazi Germany, p.103. [36] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.78 [37] Weitz, Weimar Germany Promise and Tradgedy, p.92 [38] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.62 [39] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.79 [40] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.84 [41] Kocka, Assymetrical Histroical Comparison, p. 42 [42] Henig, The Weimar Republic, p.67

The Most Imporanf The Tsars Fall From Power. :: essays research papers

Although some of the causes of the Tsar's fall from power seem more important than others, it is hard to choose a most important cause because each cause links into another, which leads into another. However I have come up with two causes which I think were the most important in the downfall of the Tsar. One was a long-term cause, the foundations of all the other causes, without which the country would not have been in such a bad state. The second one is a short-term cause, which tipped the balance into the Revolution and subsequently the Tsar's fall from power. The long-term cause is, Rominov mis-rule, and the short-term trigger is the 1st World War. The mis-rule of Russia by the Rominov's had been going on for many, many years, coming to a head with the Russian Revolution of 1917. The Rominovs especially Nicholas 2nd believed that they were appointed by G-d to rule the country, and that whatever they thought, must be right. This led them to rule the country for their own interests and for the interests of the rich and important, not for the interests of most of the population, the peasants. The Tsar didn't listen to the peasants or most of his ministers, appointing and firing them at will. The Tsar, by not listening to his people or caring about their needs, helped Russia to stay very economically backwards when compared to the rest of the world. This helps to link into the cause of social and economic hardships, another important cause. Many people believe that the influence of Rasputin was the reason that the Tsar fell from power, but I don't agree. Rasputin was an important factor in the lead upto the revolution and consequently the downfall of the Tsar. He was a rough, smelly peasant, who indulged in lots of sexual acts. The peasants resented him because he seemed to represent what was wrong with Russia. He was uncouth, showing the poor economic state of Russia and the poorness of the majority of its population. He was wild, showing the way that the Cossacks kept order and he was suspected of having an unfair with the Tsarina, degrading the royal family. However it was not Rasputin alone as some people think, that was the problems. It was the way that the media and Opposition groups portrayed him. However these still lead back to my original cause, Rominov mis-rule.

The Destruction of the Rainforest :: Environment Environmental Science

The Destruction of the Rainforest The purpose of this paper is to inform the reader of the destruction of the rainforest. In my paper I discuss many aspects of the rainforest. I explain what the rainforests are, and give a brief summary of the importance of the rainforests. I also give a description of the destruction of the rainforest, and how a person can help to save the rainforest. The rainforests are disappearing acres per minute, a number that grows so quickly it would be impossible to cite here because it would be outdated within a week. The rainforests are home to over half of the entire species of the world, which are being destroyed with the rainforests. Unlike the rainforest itself, which may appear to grow back, it will never be the rainforest it once was, and the species that were killed will never return again. Many of the species that have not yet been discovered may very likely cure cancer, AIDS, and many other diseases and viruses of today. If the rainforests disappear so will most of the population of the world. By the end of my paper the reader will know more about the horrifying destruction of the rainforest and how we can all work together to stop it. There are two different types of rainforests: tropical and temperate. Tropical rainforests are found in 85 countries around the world. They are located near the equator, where temperatures stay above 80 degrees Fahrenheit year round. These dense, damp forests occur in Latin and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Although they (tropical rainforests) cover just seven percent of the earth’s surface they can provide habitat for 50-90 percent of its animal species. In 1990, tropical rainforests totaled some 1.7 billion hectares (Forest Alliance of British Columbia, 1996). Half of the world’s rainforests lie within the borders of Brazil, Indonesia, and Zaire. Tropical rainforests have 3 layers: the forest floor, the understory, and the canopy. The forest floor has soil and is home to mainly insects although large mammals like gorillas and jaguars are also found there. Many smaller animals, including anteaters, lemurs, and tree kangaroos live in the understory. This is also where many small trees and shrubs are found.

Cell Phones: Addicting or Not? Essay

Are we addicted to our cell phones? This is a common question that has arisen in the past several years as our phone technology and capabilities continue to increase. According to recent statistics, 85% of the U.S. population are cell phone users (Chen).We Americans use our cell phones to do just about everything. We talk, text, check our E-mail, surf the Internet, and interact in social networking, all on our phones. Because our phones have become so resourceful to us in our everyday lives, many say that cell phones have become addicting. Cell phones in today’s life have become very addicting to many people, and there are many ways in which to show how they are addicting. â€Å"An addiction is the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit- forming, such as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma† (dictionary.com). Addiction is when a person becomes dependent on something and feels like they can’t go without it. For example, a person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol cannot go without that substance or drink without suffering from physical or psychological problems. Whenever they are away from it or withdrawn from it that is all they think about and they will do anything to get what they need to satisfy the craving. These individuals become dependent upon that substance or act and feel like they cannot go without it. The usage of cell phones has become very addicting for the people in the world today. David Greenfield, a psychologist who is an expert on Internet-related behaviors, says that constant and continual use of untethered devices produces chemical responses in the body similar to gambling (Tanaka, and Terry-Cobo). â€Å"We tote our iPhones, LGs and Blackberrys with us so we can contact anyone, anywhere, anytime, and so we can be reached instantly (Tanaka, and Terry-Cobo).† In today’s world, people depend on their cell phone for their businesses, their social lives, and for gaming. They have become so dependent upon their cell phones that many people no longer have the land-line phone in their house or their business. Business men and women have become so dependent on their cell phones that they now have become addicted. It would be almost impossible to find a business man or woman who does not carry a cell phone with them twenty-four hours a day. They use them to call and meet new clients to gain business. They use them to talk with workers and keep up with what is going on back the office as they travel. They can use them as reminders of meeting and when things are due as well as the activities they go through in everyday life. The way the business people use their cell phones has led to an increase in business’s efficiency and with increased efficiency at which people can work the cell phone leads that person to being more dependent upon their cell phone. Additionally, people use their cell phones as a way to keep up with their social life. People use their cell phones in their social life to the extent that without their phone they feel totally alone. This connection between phone and social life is the reason cell phones are so addicting. They can call from almost anywhere in the world. They can text someone when the time is not right to call or when they don’t want to talk. They can check Facebook, Twitter, E-mail, and even the news, from the convenience of their mobile phone. Lisa Merlo, an assistant professor of psychiatry in the University of Florida College of Medicine, said, â€Å"It’s this need to be connected, to know what’s going on and be available to other people. That’s one of the hallmarks of cell phone addiction. (cellular-news)† The ways that phones make it easier to communicate with people causes them to use the cell phones more and more as a way to communicate. This increased usage causes people to become more dependent and thereby addicted to their phone. People have become so addicted to their cell phones they have chosen their phones over a long-term relationship. Psychologist David Sheffield said, â€Å"The most shocking figure was that 7 percent (of students surveyed) said the use of mobile phones had caused them to lose a relationship or a job. (cellular-news)† Another way that cell phones are addicting is because people use their phones to play an assortment of games. There are millions of games that people can play just by simply downloading a game or application to their phones.  People no longer have to stay at home and play their games on a gaming device or computer. Now they can play games away from their homes and pretty much wherever and whenever they want. Many times people try to carry on face-to-face conversations while being distracted while gaming on their cell phone. This feeling of endless and uncontained gaming is yet another way that people get hooked to their cell phones. â€Å"Experts say cell phone usage will only increase as the phones become more sophisticated and powerful, likely replacing laptops in the future.†(Tanaka, and Terry-Cobo) Cell phones are used by so many people and do so many things to help people that they have become a necessity, rather than a convenience, in order for people to carry on their lives. This necessity or dependency is the addiction that people face with their cell phones. When these people lose or break their phones they panic, feel anxiety and look for the quickest way to fix the problem. For example, the car needs the oil changed and at the same time the phone is broken. Most people today will put their phones as top priority and get it fixed before repairing their car. This choice is a true indication of cell phone addiction. People’s cell phones have become part of their daily life, and they are so dependent on their phones that they cannot function without them. When that phone is taken away, people just don’t feel right or feel like they can’t function without their phones. People feel that it is so necessary to pay their cell phone bill, that they will pay that bill before they pay their rent. These actions of not being able to go without are cell phone is what defines an addiction. Therefore, cell phones are in fact an addiction. As additional proof of this addiction, try leaving your phone at home tomorrow. Will you return home to get your cell phone even if it means being late to work or school? If you do not return home to get your phone, how many times throughout the day will you wonder who has called or texted you? Are you missing an emergency? Will you rush home to check it? A â€Å"yes† response to any of these questions is an indication of cell phone addiction. Try this simple test and you will agree that cell phones are indeed addicting. Works Cited â€Å"Addiction.† _Dictionary.com Unabridged._ Random House, Inc. (2012) Web. 12 March 2012. . â€Å"Cellphone use becoming a major problem for some.† _cellular-news_. cellular-news, 22 January 2007 . Web. 12 Mar 2012. . Chen, Brian. â€Å"Gadget Lab.† _Wired_. Wired, 15 Oct 2010. Web. 15 Mar 2012. . Meyer, Michele. â€Å"Cutting the Cellphone Cord.† _Shape_ 2002: 26-. _ProQuest Research_ _Library._ Web. 15 Mar. 2012 . Tanaka, Wendy, and Sara Terry-Cobo. â€Å"Cellphone Addiction.† _Forbes.com_. Forbes, (2008) Web. 10 Mar. 2012. .

Complexity of Poetry

Allison Gilpin Dr. Jones English 102 20 July, 2012 Complexity of Poetry Poetry is a way for the reader to openly interpret a poem in almost any way they see fit. Because there is so much freedom of interpretation with poetry, there leaves a lot of room for discussion and opposition. Billy Collin’s poem, â€Å"Introduction to Poetry†, breaks down the basic ways for interpreting and understanding a poem. In summary, he explains that the reader cannot focus on trying to figure out one specific meaning of a poem, but instead, try to piece together small parts to understand a deeper meaning.Collin’s rules on how to interpret a poem can be applied to Hughes’s poem about a young student writing a poem for homework. Instead of looking at Hughes’s poem as a whole, the reader can better understand it by breaking it down and figuring out why each line is important and how it ties together with the poem as a whole. Understanding Collins rules to interpret a poe m, help the reader decipher Hughes poem on a deeper, more academic level. Langston Hughes’s poem explains how a black, twenty two year old man and the rest of his white classmates are given an assignment to write a paper.The narrator, who is also the student, explains his thoughts about the assignment and how him being the only colored one in his class might be reflected on his grade on the assignment. At the beginning of the poem, he explains how he has to get to class everyday by traveling across some of the â€Å"better† parts of town. The student goes on to explain how even though he is colored, he likes the same things and has the same wants as everyone else. He states that he is no different than the rest of his class and that he too has knowledge to share.By stating this, the student is expressing to the reader how he thinks him and the instructor are equal. In the last few lines the student writes, â€Å"As I learn from you, / I guess you learn from me† (37-38). This explains how even though their skin color and age is different they are still able to learn from each other. The student has a somewhat optimistic and confident tone throughout the poem. He is aware of his capabilities and knows that he can be just as successful as anyone else.Billy Collins â€Å"Introduction to Poetry† explains how whenever people analyze a poem they do not try to find the true message of it. By writing, â€Å"But all they want to do / is tie the poem to a chair with rope / and torture a confession out of it,† explains how the majority of people are lazy and want everything handed to them effortlessly (12-14). This last stanza explains how some people look at poems from one point of view and expect the meaning of the poem to be written out for them.The author is stating that people should look at the poem from different angles just as one would look at the world from a color slide. He tries to explain to the reader that if one were to in terpret the poem from a whole new approach, then they could find a deeper meaning than just the surface meaning. After reading Collins â€Å"Introduction to Poetry†, the reader should have a better sense of how to interpret Hughes’s poem. Throughout the first part of Hughes’s poem the reader may think all of the characters background information including his address, age, and hometown is pointless.After reading an entire stanza about this â€Å"pointless† information the reader may try to stop understanding the poem before they even finish it. If the reader uses Collins instructions about analyzing a poem, they may find that all of this â€Å"pointless† information is actually important and helps contribute to the characters feelings of insecurity. Collins poem explains that not all poems have one specific answer or meaning the writer is trying to get across.Keeping this idea in mind, the reader may realize that Hughes’s poem, in fact, does not state an answer or solution to the characters mixed feelings. Although both of these poems leave room the readers own special interpretation, there is a basic meaning and idea to each one. Both of these poems fit well together because Collin’s thoughts and ideas can be directly applied when reading Hughes’s poem. The poems are an effective example of how even though a poem may seem short and simple, there is usually a deeper and greater meaning beneath the surface.

Market Structures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Market Structures - Essay Example There are many firms. Each firm owns a percentage of the total market share. Furthermore, products are differentiated in pricing strategies, style, brand name, advertisement, and packaging. Here are no barriers to entry and exit. Monopoly There is a single seller such that the industry and firm are synonymous. Monopoly markets have unique services and products that do not have close substitutes. The firm in a monopoly market is the price maker and has considerable control over the price as it can control the supply of the product. Monopoly markets have barriers to entry and exit. Oligopoly There few large firms with each firm considerate of their rivals’ decisions and reactions to its decisions regarding output, advertising, and prices. Products in an oligopoly market are differentiated. There are barriers to entry in this market due to the requirement of huge capital investments and economies of scales. Demand Perfect Competition Individual firms in a perfectly competitive ma rket view their demand as perfectly elastic that is a horizontal line at the market price level. However, the industry demand curve is not perfectly elastic. The demand curve is perfectly elastic for individual firms because they are price takers regardless of the quantities they produce. This explains why the demand curve for firms in a competitive market is a horizontal line at the market price. Monopolistic The demand curve of firms in a monopolistic market is highly elastic, but not perfectly elastic.

When is it ethically responsible to leave a job or leave the Assignment

When is it ethically responsible to leave a job or leave the profession - Assignment Example Some of the consequences of the creation of ethical stress include the fact that the nurses might be experiencing frustration, physical illness, and interpersonal conflict. These consequences might prompt them to leave their position or the profession altogether. A study by Ulrich and O’Donnell†¦et al, (2007) indicates that about 80% of oncology nurses had high ethical stress scores due to the conflicts existing between their obligations towards patients and the rules in the organization. With some of the organizational values in a health care setting being the provision of adequate patient care, the ethical climate in this case is not representative of the shared care perceptions (Chan et al, 2013). This might prompt a nurse to leave the position, considering that the ethical decision-making processes are not reflective of the human values and interactions. On the other hand, Flinkman, Isopahkala-Bouret and Salantera’s research on the ethical responsibility of nurses to leave their profession indicates that their inability to offer proper care is a contradiction to their ambitions and talent (Flinkman et al, 2013). Scott et al (2008) reports that a large number of nursing graduates leave the profession due to poor working environments. Despite this fact, it would be appropriate for nurses to leave the profession when their moral obligations contradict those upheld by medical institutions since they might not be in a good position to offer their services properly (Morrell, 2005). Chan, Z. C., Tam, W. S., Lung, M. K., Wong, W. Y. & Chau, C. W. (2013). A systematic literature review of nurse shortage and the intention to leave. Journal of Nursing Management, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 605–613. Flinkman, M., Isopahkala-Bouret, U., & Salantera, S. (2013). Young registered nurses’ intention to leave the profession and professional turnover in early career: A

The Film Avatar as the Highest Form of Imaginative Art Research Paper

The Film Avatar as the Highest Form of Imaginative Art - Research Paper Example To digress a bit, it is necessary to note that James Cameron is first and foremost a top special effects director. He had learned the techniques while holding himself out for part-time jobs just so he can enter the film making industry. However, he was greatly interested in one aspect of movie-making – special effects. He made big efforts to learn and master techniques in special effects and his reputation rose on this unique, special ability in movies like â€Å"Escape from New,† followed by â€Å"Galaxy of Terror† and then â€Å"Android.† He was the special effects director of these films but his first feature-length film was the â€Å"Terminator† which became an instant global box-office hit even with a relatively small budget. His working philosophy for films is that science and art can be merged successfully in films. Theme – the main theme of the movie is rather philosophical, that of a morality play in which people from Earth would wan t to take over a planet for its precious minerals. A good moral of this compelling storyline is that people can live in harmony with Nature and enjoy a good life of abundance only if they take good care of nature's resources. There are plenty of metaphors used in the story to make an ordinary story into something of an extraordinary line. The peace-loving Na'vi people are depicted to sharply contrast the violence that people here on Earth often inflict on one another. A sub-theme was the usual romance story that developed between an earthling and a native of that planet which complicated matters a bit.

Dubai Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Dubai - Essay Example At the macro level there is yet another set of activities including the changes and modifications to existing infrastructures and the organizing of the event through to the end (Henderson, 1988). Event management industry is necessarily entwined here with the event to such an extent that all consequential and subsequent strategic decision choices available down the line from the planning consultant to the manager are determined by the very structural dimensions and contingency imperatives. While many stakeholders – internal and external – would show an equally great amount of interest in the successful outcome of the urban planning process, there can still be countervailing interests that seek to prevail over the rest. The degree of influence that each stakeholder group has on the next outcome of the planning process is determined by a number of internal and external factors such as the social, economic and political problems of each stakeholder group and a possible assessment of costs and benefits arising from the level of planning (Hoevel, 2007). Stakeholders such as citizens, private business organizations, contractors, suppliers, government concerns, property developers, foreigners working and residing in Dubai, condominium dwellers, local government authorities and so on all have a stake in such outcomes. Though Post-Fordist influences can be seen in Dubai to a certain extent it’s the single urban model of structure that Alonso, Muth and Mill s advocated in the 1960’s is visible everywhere in Dubai. The City of Dubai, unlike many other Middle Eastern countries, is located at the heart of the Gulf for all commercial purposes. Overall this analysis focuses on the urban planning methodologies, infrastructure and structural flexibility intended to engender systematic and constant growth of the City over the years to come. Such huge urban planning activity necessitates

Susan Glaspells conflict and identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Susan Glaspells conflict and identity - Essay Example The focus of all three writings is the exploration of feminine identity. Minnie Wright, the absent protagonist of â€Å"Trifles,† Jing-mei, the ‘disobedient’ daughter in â€Å"Two Kinds,† and Elisa Allen, the heroine of â€Å"Chrysanthemums,† are all women in stifling circumstances, who experience conflict. They are women who share a certain common yearning for assertion and identity and attempt to break out of the constraints of their circumstances. Minnie Wright, Jing-mei and Elisa Allen find themselves trapped in conflict and assert their identities in their own ways. Minnie Wright is trapped in an evidently unhappy marriage, and a cheerless home. John Wright is a kill-joy and a miser. Mrs. Hale asserts, â€Å"But he was a hard man† (Glaspell, 22). He is a silent, critical man whose very acquaintance is abrasive. Minnie’s life as Wright’s wife can only be a hopeless situation. Above all, Wright is a cruel man, with a sadistic streak, who deliberately stamps out his wife’s happiness in song and music by killing her pet canary. Minnie’s isolation from the community, the stifling loneliness of her life as Wright’s wife and the loss of her liveliness and love of music move her into deep desolation. . Wright’s killing of the lively, singing canary symbolizes his killing of Minnie’s singing. This brutal act finally pushes Minnie into strangling her husband as he sleeps. Minnie asserts herself by rising against the tyranny of a husband who abuses her as a woman and an individual. Tragically, this assertion of identity comes about only by Minnie being pushed over the border of sanity. This is seen in her laughter, her compulsive â€Å"kind of pleating of her apron† (Glaspell, 6), her concern for her preserves and her request for an apron in jail. She does not seem to realize the gravity of her situation. Although the concealment of her motive by Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters may save her from a trial and a verdict of guilt, her ability to live a normal life remains in doubt. Minnie becomes â€Å"done up† (Glaspell, 6). She resolves the conflict in her life but pays the price of assertion by losing her sanity and her chance of enduring happiness. Jing-mei is caught in her mother’s vicarious search for wealth and fame, and her attempt to use her daughter as a vehicle to fulfill her own dreams. Jing-mei â€Å"hated the tests, the raised hopes and failed expectations† (Tan, para. 4). Each of her mother’s experiments in making her a child prodigy ends in failure. What follows is a conflict between the ‘disobedient’ daughter who pleads, â€Å"Why don’t you like me the way I am?† (Tan, Para. 5), and the mother’s attempt to fashion her into the ‘obedient’ daughter whose achievements she can take pride in. Jing-mei rebels against circumstances in her own way. She decides to defy her moth er, and confesses: â€Å"I failed her many times, each time asserting my will, my right to fall short of expectations† (Tan, 9). She resolutely refuses to let her mother force her to meet her expectations: from failing to get straight A’s to being a college drop-out. Jing-mei remains firm in her resolution, â€Å"I won’t be what I’m not† (Tan, 4). Gradually, although her mother holds fast to her belief that her daughter has failed to become a prodigy only because of her lack of will, she accepts Jing-mei

Paula and Christina’s Haunted Adventures Essay Example for Free

Paula and Christina’s Haunted Adventures Essay The night was very chilly and all the kids were running, laughing, and having a lot of fun at the third grade’s fall festival. The Roosevelt Elementary school decided to do a haunted house maze. The haunted maze was pitched black and filled with gory decorations. One room had a bed with a dead woman laying on it and the walls were stained with blood. In another section of the maze was a cemetery, where zombies were walking by. The haunted house maze also had a garage where a car was parked and there was also room filled toys and with many clowns. The children of Roosevelt Elementary were thrill to go inside wondering what they would encounter and how scary it might be. There were two little girls, barely nine year’s old, seeking the frightening adventure, but they were also very scared. One of the little girls was shivering with fear and she slowly walked from room to room looking at the decorations and the scary people. She knew this was make-believe, but she was still very cautious. The other little girl had made her way into the room where the dead woman was laying on the bed. She slowly tried to make her way across the room to the other door. She never noticed the woman rising from the bed and was walking towards her very rapidly. The dead, bloody woman touch the little girl, which made her scream and take off running. The little girl ran as fast as she could, turning all corners until she ran straight into the other little girl. They both ended up falling to the ground. Looking up, they both smiled at one another. One little girl says, â€Å"Hi, my name is Paula Ramirez. † The other little girl replies, â€Å"Sorry for running into you, my name is Christina Lopez. Paula and Christina help each other get up from the ground and agree to finish the haunted house maze together. They felt less scared and even laugh at some of the scary people. As they are exiting the haunted house maze, Paula tells Christina â€Å"wow, this was so much fun†. Christina replies, Paula let’s make a pact, every year we will seek a scary haunted house and we will both go together†. Paula smiles and agrees. Since then Paula and Christina have become best friends and they search for scary haunted houses to visit every year. The family vanishes in 1925 leaving the sole survivor James Clark. Christina does not read the paragraph, but smiles and turns to Paula and says â€Å"perfect†. The two girls get together every day preparing for the trip they will make to the haunted house. They go to the mall and shop for costumes. They buy food so they can take for the road, and plan on when they should head to the haunted house. The night of the haunted house arrives and Christina goes to Paula’s house. Paula is sitting in her room when Christina enters and asks, Paula â€Å"Are you ready? Paula replies â€Å"of course† Then, the two girls go down the stairs, out the house and enter Paula’s car. Paula drives thirty miles and arrives and Saddle Creek Ranch where the haunted house is located. The yard is filled with many trees and with old rusted decorations on the lawn. The house has busted windows, and the painting of the house is falling apart. Paula notices that there is two boys standing in the entrance of the house. Paula and Christina exit the car and make their way to the boys. One boy says â€Å"Come on Erik, stop being scare and let’s go in already. Erik replied â€Å"Scott, if you are so tough you open the door†. Just as soon as Scott was going to touch the door knob the door swings open and a tall dark figure stands there looking at them. The tall dark figure steps forward and says â€Å"Do you dare to enter? Beware this may be you last hallows eve† â€Å"YES! † replied all four of them. Paula and Christina follow the two boys and the tall man into the house. The man leads them into the living room and directs them to stand in a circle. He looks at each one, studying them from head to toe. He says â€Å"My name is Mr. Clark; Saddle Creek Ranch is y family’s home. They lived here many years until they all vanish one night, but you can still hear them, and if they want you to, you can definitely see them†. He goes on to give directions and instructions how to enter the house, and to exit the house. When Paula and Christina turn to see each other, Mr. Clark vanishes. A light turns on and leads the group into the kitchen, you hear can hear the water running but the water is off; Paula grabs Christina’s hands and says â€Å"this house is different†. The sound of people talking suddenly starts and is very loud that makes Scott jump up. The group makes their way to the door but the light to the kitchen turns off and then turns on again and leads them to the dining room. As they enter the room the talking suddenly dies down, and a chair is thrown to the group. As the group separates to avoid being hit, the lights go out and it is so dark that Paula cannot see where Christina is at. BANG. Suddenly the lights turn on and Paula looks for Christina, Erik calls out to Scott but he is nowhere to be found. Paula and Christina start to get worried and scare sets in. Erik starts to whimper, and continues to call for Scott but his call is not answered. Paula and Christina continue to make their way out the dining room and Erik follows. The lights to a hallway turn on and the group passes many rooms, and walk down some stairs. They reach a door it creeks open, Christina turns towards Paula and says, â€Å"Paula let’s not go in, we should turn around and go back†, before Paula can reply, Erik replies â€Å"let’s just continue this could be the end†. Erik pushes the door open, the room is completely dark, and the lights do not turn on like before. Suddenly a rustling and whimpering sound begins Christina is so frightened that she begins to cry. Paula hold Christina’s hand so tight and tries to reassure her that everything will be okay. The sounds get louder and louder and suddenly â€Å"BANG†. Paula and Christina stop walking, the lights turn on, both girls try to search and look around to see where and what room they are in. Paula is the first to notice that they are in the basement but someone is missing, Erik is nowhere to be found. Christina falls to the floor and begins to sob very loud and yells â€Å"Paula, let’s get out, I do not want to be in here anymore! Paula holds back her tears and replies, â€Å"Christina we will be okay, I will get us out, I promise†. Paula begins to look for something that can be a used as weapon, and looks for an exit. Paula finds a hammer, and notices a window. She rushes to it, and then the lights go out again. Seconds pass by but to Paula it seems like an eternity, she calls Christina’s name, â€Å"I am here† replies Christina. The lights turn on again; Paula looks to find Christina, and sees Mr. Clark holding her with a knife to her throat. â€Å"Did you think I was being funny when I said this would be your last hollows eve? Mr. Clark asked Paula. Paula replies â€Å"this trip was meant to be fun I never imagine it would be like this. † Mr. Clark looks at her and gives her an evil smile. Then, he says to Paula, â€Å"Let’s play a game, if you win you and your friend may leave, but if you lose you and your friend must stay forever. † Paula thinks for a long minute and nods her head up and down. He looks at Paula for a moment and says â€Å"Answer me this if you are correct you and your friend may go. Am I alive or is this your imagination? † Paula stares at Mr. Clark and responses â€Å"you are alive†. Mr.  Clark laughs, â€Å"Child, how can I be alive if I died in 1963† replies Mr. Clark. Paula begins to cry along with Christina, and mouths the words â€Å"I am sorry†. The lights turn off again, bang, bang, bang. Paula holds her hands out trying to feel for Christina; the lights turn back on again. Mr. Clark is nowhere to be found. Paula grabs Christina’s hand and yells â€Å"hurry, the window, now! † Paula and Christina, crawl out the window, look to see where the car is parked and ran towards it. The girls quickly get in, crying and scare. Paula turns the car on, put it in gear and head out the ranch. As both Paula and Christina seat in the car crying for a long while Paula breaks the silence and says â€Å"Christina, promise me that this will be our last haunted house†. Christina replies â€Å"definitely, Paula this was our last one†. The girls continue to drive on the dark road, without realizing the road does not end. Then Christina turns to Paula and asks â€Å"Paula, are we getting closer to your house now? † Paula looks at the road and realizes it’s the road to Saddle Creek ranch. Paula realizes what has happened and turns to Christina and says â€Å"Christina, I am sorry but Saddle Creek ranch is our home now. †