Value Alignment free essay sample

Apple Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets mobile communication, media devices, personal computers, portable digital music players, and sells related software services (Partner, 2013). The founders of Apple were Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne, and Steve Wozniak; Wayne sold his part of the company to Jobs and Wozniak for $800. Apple went public in 1980 at $22 a share. Apple is the second largest technology company, third largest cell phone producer and in the top 10 fortune 500 list. The origins and subsequent evolution of workplace values have not changes for Apple over the years. Apple has maintained their core values such as hiring the right person, performance, and integrity and innovation. Details remain a high priority to apple because they have seen the results in their success. It is important to be ethically sound and treat people fair. The individual values mentioned are what drive each of our team members’ actions and behaviors. The driving force behind each member’s perception of the value has a purposeful meaning that comes about whether or not consciously thought about while performing unified tasks. We will write a custom essay sample on Value Alignment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page According to Graziadio Business Report (2009), Values drive behavior and need to be consciously stated, but they also need to be affirmed by actions. This is necessary as many may speak about their values, but one sees what is genuine when actions put into words. Values exert influence over our attitudes and attitudes influence our behavior. Values are integral to attitude formation and to how we respond to people and situations. Individual values drive different behaviors, which in turn drive personal performance and ultimately organizational performance (Graziadio Business Report, 2009). Driving ethical behavior with values and attitudes requires that there be alignment among values, attitudes, and behavior. The four main values that this team recognize as important are integrity, teamwork, performance, and learning. Although each member has varying reasons to use these values, in different degrees of priority, there are times that putting personal motivations aside and acting with objectivity by doing what is right being put into place. This team has proven that the values they state are well aligned with the actions performed. Acting justly and fairly is a long-term driver of ethical behavior. Remembering the â€Å"Golden Rule† helps formulate the drive. Personal and workplace values, ethics play an important role in any organization that is imperative to success. To attain a successful alignment between corporate and individual values, there needs to be a symbiotic relationship between the company and the people it employs. This benefit contains an important value to both the organization and the employee. Apple accepts change and addresses it in the mission and vision statement as well as the values of the company. The values provide direction for the employees, partners, and customers. Apple is successful in the hi-tech market, it is also known for its inability to diversify its workforce. In order for Apple Inc. to be successful, it must be able to understand and embraces diversity, within employment, partners of the company, the markets, and countries Apple Inc. does business in. Diversity of employees, partners, and customers illustrates the values found in the School of Ethical Relativism. This concept states values are different from culture to culture, and society to society and the values will change to be acceptable within the culture or society beliefs (2004 McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ). Apple is very dedicated to serving their shareholders in the most professional and ethical ways possible. Apple has a system of governance that oversees the day to day operations of the Chief Executive Officer and all senior management. This system of governance is called the Board of Directors. â€Å"To satisfy the Boards duties, directors are expected to take a proactive, focused approach to their positions, and set standards to ensure that Apple is committed to business success through the maintenance of high standards of responsibility and ethics. † (Governance, 2014). The board has generated committee charters and guidelines for governance such as business conduct policies, anti-corruption policies, corporate governance guidelines, conflict of interest guidelines, political contributions and expenditure, related party transactions and many others. These measures to ensure honesty are very professionally enforced and put together very well. Apple has gone above and beyond to ensure a high level of ethics to guarantee a positive outcome for their employees and shareholders. These values are a great foundation for any business to implement to ensure a solid relationship with owners and shareholders while simultaneously protecting their customers and employees in all day to day operations. Since its inception in 1984 the Apple Inc. has grown to become one of the biggest well-known companies in the world. This ascension came about from smart management, innovative ideas and marketing as well as research and development. To conclude team B will analyzed the origins, motivations and developments of personal values that affect every day practices, and identify the origins and developments of values within the workplace. This discussion also identified the values of Apple Inc. and explained how all were aligned with the plans and actions including an explanation of the differences between company and personal values.

Fundamentals Of Media And Communication Policy Social Policy Essays

Fundamentals Of Media And Communication Policy Social Policy Essays Fundamentals Of Media And Communication Policy Social Policy Essay Fundamentals Of Media And Communication Policy Social Policy Essay the Macedonian Radio Television adopted a new theoretical account of administration which included two Executive managers that would hold equal duties within the Public Service Broadcaster. As it was announced by the Prime Minister, this alteration was implemented in order to assist the Macedonian Radio Television support for work outing the fiscal troubles [ 1 ] it has been traveling under ( Dnevnik, October 2006 ) . Having looked at the administration construction of the Macedonian Radio Television, a inquiry for its independency is being imposed. The fact that the Council of the Macedonian Radio Television is being appointed by the Parliament of Macedonia threatens its independency. Even thought Article 122 from the Law of airing activity provinces that the plans that are being green goodss and broadcasted should be protected by any sort of influence of the governmental and political organisation , the world reflects the opposite ( Law on airing activity ) . Vesna Sopar from the Institute for societal and political research, in an interview for the newspaper Dnevnik states the Government of Macedonia is still non ready to give up from the power that arises from the influence of the public broadcaster ( Dnevnik, March 2006 ) . Similarly, the Director of the European Broadcasting Union s Television Department, Bjorn Ericsson, and EU Special Representative, Erwan Fou A ; eacute ; R A ; eacut e ; , stated that the chief dainty for the Macedonian Television is the political influence over it ( Netpress 2006 ) and the force per unit area of important political influence ( Radio Free Europe 2008 ) creditably. Regulatory model The ordinance construction of the broadcast medium in Macedonia consists of several histrions: Broadcasting Council, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of Culture and Agency for Electronic Communications. Harmonizing to Article 164 from the Law on broadcast medium activity, the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Agency for Electronic Communications modulate the execution of the conditions set in the broadcaster s licences, building, keeping and use of the webs, and the resources for broadcast medium ( Law on airing activity 2005 ) . The Ministry of Culture, harmonizing to Article 165, is responsible for supervising in footings of the right of first publications and related rights, every bit good as the use of the Macedonian linguistic communication ( Law on airing activity 2005 ) . The last histrion is the ordinance construction is reflected in Article 163 of the same jurisprudence, which states that the Broadcasting Council is responsible for the execution of the scheduling rules, petitions and restrictions, has the cardinal function in ordinance construction ( Law on airing activity 2005 ) . The Council itself is an independent non-profit organic structure with the public competencies in the broadcast medium activity ( Law on airing activity 2005 ) . Its members, harmonizing to Article 24 are appointed and dismissed by the Parliament of Macedonia harmonizing to just representation of citizens of all communities in Macedonia ( Law on airing activity 2005 ) . Similarly to the instance with the broadcaster s independency that was argued before, political influence can besides been in this domain. Even thought the jurisprudence is precise in footings of the independency, unfavorable judgment for this so called independency could be seen in the appraisal of the European Union saying that the regulative governments should be farther strengthened and their independency guaranteed ( Georgievski 2006 ) . Influences can be besides seen in the assignment of the Executive Director of the Broadcasting Council and his Deputy, portrayed in the wont of the political parties in power to delegate a individual favourable by the governing party as an Executive Director, and Deputy from one of the Albanian party that is at the minute within the opinion alliance. Multiethnic society and scheduling for the minorities Macedonia is a county with multi-ethnic civilizations. These are portrayed in different domains of the society and are besides portrayed in the scheduling of the Macedonian Radio Television. Previous subdivisions of this paper allowed us to see the history of the Macedonian Radio Television, its administration construction and its encompassing ordinances. The undermentioned subdivision refers to the scheduling of the 2nd channel of the Macedonian Radio Television and ties some of the thoughts of the old subdivisions with the bing scheduling policy of the broadcaster. Sopar states that the gender construction of the Macedonian production has non been updated for many old ages ( Open Society Institute 2005 ) , which frequently is defended by the deficiency of fiscal resources of the Macedonian Radio Television. However, even with fortune of originative in the broadcast medium, the Macedonian Radio Television follows certain guidelines in footings of its programme model. The focal point of this subdivision is to take a expression at the fragments of the programme model that refer to the broadcast medium for the minorities in Macedonia. In these footings Article 104 from the Law on airing activity refers that it is obligatory for the broadcaster to demo advertizements in Macedonian linguistic communication, with Macedonian captions or captions in the linguistic communications of the appropriate minority group ( Law on airing activity 2005 ) . Table 1 reflect the different scheduling on the three channel of the Macedonian Radio Television, where every bit mentioned the 2nd channel represent the channel that broadcast plans for the minority groups. The tabular array is given in order to give an thought of the allotment of different plans on the first channel that broadcasts in Macedonian linguistic communication and the 2nd channel which broadcasts on the linguistic communications of the different cultural groups of the society. Table 2 supports Article 124 of the Law on broadcast medium activities which defines the scheduling model of the Macedonian Radio Television and states that this broadcaster is obliged to air at least 30 % of the scheduling in the linguistic communications of the minority groups of Macedonia, as shown in the tabular array for the 2nd channel ( Law on airing activity 2005 ) . In footings of the plans in the linguistic communications of the minority groups, the Macedonian Radio Television respects this rule by airing plans with length corresponds to the per centum of the minority part in the entire population ( Open Society Institute 2005, 249 ) . Additionally, in support to the multi-ethnic scheduling, harmonizing to Article 117 of the Law on broadcast medium activity, the Macedonian Radio Television broadcasts one telecasting plan service in Macedonian linguistic communication ( impart 1 ) , and one telecasting plan service in the linguistic communication spoken by at least 20 per centums of the citizens which is different from the Macedonian linguistic communication and the linguistic communications from the other minority groups ( Law on airing activity 2005 ) . This is besides tied to attempts for accomplishing the public involvement in Macedonia and defined through Article 121 from the same jurisprudence, where it is stated that the Macedonian Radio Television is responsible for airing plans that reflect different thoughts, nourish the cultural individuality of the communities, respect the cultural and spiritual differences and inspires cultural public duologues ( Law on airing activity 2005 ) . These responsibilities of the Macedonian Radio Television promote strengthening of the common apprehension and tolerance in the society and leads to improved relationships of the communities in multi-ethnic and multicultural environment. In add-on, responsibilities defined in this manner aid nurture and develop unwritten and linguistic communication criterions of all communities in Macedonia. Furthermore, these rules are besides supported by the Declaration of the Macedonian Radio Television in a manner that journalist from the public broadcast medium service are asked to demo regard for values of all cultural groups and to describe in an indifferent mode ( Open Society Institute 2005, 249 ) . Decision Having looked at the statements above, one inquiry will originate inquiring how independent the Macedonian Radio Television truly is. As we have seen there are refering issues that surround the administration of the Macedonian Radio Television and the Broadcasting Council when it comes to election and assignment of members of these two entities. Even thought is some instances, the Parliament does non hold direct power to suggest the members, the fact that it appointment them opens infinite for unfavorable judgment. Political power as reflected earlier can be felt in both establishments and international every bit good as domestic establishments have raised their issues in footings of the political relations environing the media. However, even thought the inquiry of independency is of important importance, the Macedonian Radio Television seems to be implementing it programming in line with the ordinances. As discussed earlier, Macedonia is a state of multiple ethnicities and multiple civilizations which imposes the importance of holding a broadcaster that will follow non merely the basic regulations of the public involvement, but will besides nurture the values of the different traditions in way of constructing integrity in the society as a whole. Taking into consideration the issue environing the handiness of beginnings raised on the beginning of the paper, it needs to be stressed once more that due to this restriction in the handiness of beginnings some issued could non be address in more inside informations, one of them being the multi-ethnic scheduling of the public broadcaster. However, from the available information it can be concluded that the Macedonian Radio Television respects and addresses all communities of the society. While it can be seen that great attempts are undertaken in the bringing of the scheduling in the different linguistic communications of the society, and balance has been made harmonizing to the corresponding per centum of the cultural groups in the entire population, farther attempts can be added to these regulations. Within these frames the Broadcasting Council, the Macedonian Radio Television, media experts and other involved parties might see originating public arguments that would concentrate on the cultural issues and the public service in order to corroborate whether the media is helping in the procedure of common apprehension, or is making even bigger spreads of the different communities in the state. Mentions Airing Council. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.srd.org.mk/index.php? option=com_content A ; view=category A ; layout=blog A ; id=38 A ; Itemid=27 A ; lang=mk ( accessed November 29, 2009 ) . Dnevnik. 2006. Foreigner, Director of the Macedonian Radio Television. Dnevnik, October 18, Macedonia subdivision, hypertext transfer protocol: //dnevnik.com.mk/ ? itemID=CBE136D4595DAF47BDCD427DD66CD876 A ; arc=1, ( accessed November 29, 2009 ) . Dnevnik. 2006. Macedonian Radio Television, that is me! Dnevnik, March 18, Macedonia subdivision, hypertext transfer protocol: //star.dnevnik.com.mk/default.aspx? pbroj=2694 A ; stID=49848 ( accessed November 29, 2009 ) . Georgievski, 2006. Government advisers in independent Council. Utrinski Vesnik, October 16, Macedonia subdivision, hypertext transfer protocol: //217.16.70.245/ ? pbroj=2049 A ; pr=20 A ; stID=65994, ( accessed November 29, 2009 ) . Macedonian Radio Television hypertext transfer protocol: //www.mrt.com.mk//index.php? option=com_content A ; task=view A ; id=78 A ; Itemid=57 ( accessed November 29, 2009 ) . Netpress. 2009. The authorities is mistreating the money for the Macedonian Radio Television. Netpress, January 29, Macedonia subdivision, hypertext transfer protocol: //www.netpress.com.mk/vest.asp? id=48882 A ; kategorija=7, ( accessed November 29, 2009 ) . Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia. 2007. Zakon za izmenuvanje I dopolnuvanje na zakonot za radiodifuznata dejnost. ( Law amending and add oning the Law on airing activity ) 19/2007. Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia. 1998. Zakon za osnovanje na javno pretprijatie Makedonska Radiodifuzija. ( Law for set uping the public broadcaster Macedonian Radio Television ) 6/98. Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia. 2005. Zakon za radiodifuznata dejnost. ( Law on airing activity ) 100/2005. Open Society Institute. 2005. Televizijata vo Evropa: proposi, politika I nezavisnost ( Television across Europe: ordinance, policy and independency ) 3/2005. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.mediapolicy.org/tv-across-europe/the-2005-television-across-europe-reports/television-across-europe-2005-2006-individual-country-reports-and-translations/media_mac2.pdf/view? searchterm=None ( accessed December 1, 2009 ) . Radio Free Europe. 2008. The freedom of the media in Macedonia is realistic and serious job. Radio Free Europe, November 23, Macedonia subdivision, hypertext transfer protocol: //www.makdenes.org/content/article/1489598.html, ( accessed November 29, 2009 ) . In this period as a effect of the turning away of the citizens to pay the user fee for the Macedonian Radio Television, the Television went over 100 million denars in dept. This turning away was chiefly due the un-satisfaction of the audience which perceived Macedonian Radio Television as weak broadcaster with hapless programming quality. Subsequently, the same twelvemonth, the Government of Macedonia covered the dept of the Television due to the work stoppage of the employees of the broadcaster.

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 111

Discussion - Essay Example Koch (2005) states that the solution to this problem is fairly simple. Open source technology must be supplement with vendor cost specifications. Java and Oracle 11g are two prime examples of this. They allow organizations to use free components of technology but also charge a cost for vendor specific solutions. Vendor specific solutions are much easier to use and require little or no knowledge of scripting.   MySQL and PHP are examples of applications that have resulted from the  open  source development  process. Furthermore, open source has been around and no correlations has been linked that dictates that developers’ rates have gone down. In essence, modifying code is still a rare skills that developers can thrive off. It is evident that the public actually profits from using  open  source  products, because using them can provide competition for proprietary software companies. It can also be used as a supplement in which the public can truly benefit from. Furthermore, Kock (2005) insists that Open source development should be propagated for because of cost implications, customization, and developing new technologies. It does not harm analysts and developers because those skills are still specialized skills. "Five ways to bring a more social, open development environment to your company | Opensource.com." How to get a more open development environment at work. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2014.

Effect of Sustainability on Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Effect of Sustainability on Development - Essay Example Sustainability is important and especially with a focus on global warming and environmental degradation, property developers and contractors have emphasized on construction and building projects that would be beneficial to the environment. Sustainability highlights these benefits and purchasers, developers and occupiers or builders and even buyers want a sustainable environment so that they could be part of a healthy and beneficial environment. Saving energy and utilizing renewable energy are some of the elements of sustainability as sustainability is about renewal rather than depletion and using natural energy resources in a manner that would environmentally advantageous for the future. A study on environmental energy resources and sustainable developments examined the extent to which energy efficiency is incorporated in refurbishment and capital expenditure of office buildings and also suggested a cost benefit analysis. The three aspects of construction technology, building refurbishment and property management are integrated along with sustainability goals. The levels of capital expenditure vary to ensure that buildings are more energy efficient. The emphasis has been on cost of implementation and with increased energy efficiency there may even be a demand for high rents. Studies have suggested that office building construction phases contribute significantly to global warming although during the entire lifecycle of a building, CO2 omissions are a major problem. Innovative approaches and energy related changes and efficiency considerations are more applicable in case of new buildings as with various building designs and constructions techniques, new environmental considerations for construction have also evolved. All this caters to the idea of sustainability although the number of new buildings constructed each year is small in proportion to the buildings which already exist. However capital expenditure on a building enhances the sustainability factor proving that sustainability and energy considerations comes with a price although have long term environmental benefits. The increased importance given to sustainability and energy efficiency have affected decision making by developers and also have started determining market price and it is essential that we understand the link between the environment and built structure and environments and try to harmonize the two. The moot point remains that purchasers and developers are affected and influenced by sustainability factors and energy efficiency considerations is not just a buzz phrase in the construction business but also suggests acceptability of projects and developers by buyers who tend to appreciate building and construction projects that have sustainability as a basis of property development. The foundations of sustainability

ANOVA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ANOVA - Essay Example The trainers held various positions in the program and had varying levels of education and job experience as well. The aim of the research was to determine whether the level of job satisfaction among athletic trainers varied relative to certain demographic characteristics. These included gender, tenure, position, age, and educational level. Data was collected using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). The MSQ measured intrinsic, extrinsic, and overall job satisfaction. Moreover, demographic information was likewise collected as these were used to group or classify the sample. Statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics with increased importance given to the measurement of the mean, variance, and standard deviation. The ANOVA test was then used to compare the levels of job satisfaction based on demographic characteristics. For instance, using the said tool, it was determined that groups classified according to the position they held had statistically significant differences with regards to their overall job satisfaction levels. Also, it was discovered that statistically significant differences existed between the subgroups based on their gender, age, educational level, and tenure.

School trip to the forest

School trip to the forest Introduction I was six years old when we had a school trip to the forest in order to explore the local fauna and flora. When we walked through the forest I started noticing little white circles that were sprayed onto the bark of some old and sick looking trees. One week later, I found myself at a bus stop with my mum. Waiting for the bus was always very boring for me and therefore, I usually started interpreting the advertisement posters with my newly acquired reading abilities. One poster caught my attention immediately. This very poster had a baroque cross on it and it said something in a language which I did not understand. My mum explained me that day, that this was a poster of Scientology. On the bus we had a long conversation about sects and what they do and what they are. I assume that I was a bit too young to understand the whole dimension of the term sect but since that day, for many years, I was convinced that the white circles in the forest must have been some secret mean of communicat ion and that some sect would meet there every now and then to do some of their practices. Looking back at this now, I surely notice that the white circles were simply a mark for probably old or sick trees that needed special attention from the forester. However, being six years old I was sure that I discovered something extremely secret and hidden. In February 1748, Adam Weishaupt was born in Ingolstadt. Through his father and godfather he was taught the ideas of the enlightenment. Furthermore, he was a professor at the University of Ingolstadt for canon law and philosophy. The enlightened thinker Weishaupt struggled with the old and conservative Jesuit order at the university. He started studying the writings of the freemasons and in 1776 he founded the Bavarian Illuminati, an order which was intended to spread the ideas of the enlightenment. In January 1933, the Austrian-born Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of the German people. One year later, due to the death of President Paul von Hindenburg, Hitler was proclaimed ‘Fà ¼hrer and Reichskanzler which made him the head of state. From this extremely powerful position Hitler started his crusade against Jews, communists, foreigners and other ‘enemies of the German Reich. In April 1994, the lead singer of the grunge and rock band Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, was found dead in his home in Seattle. With three times the lethal amount of heroin in his body, the musician took a shotgun, put it into his mouth and shot himself. In September 2001, terrorists hijacked commercial passenger air planes. Two of these planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City. Apart from the hijackers and the plane passengers also many people working in the towers were killed. Within, two hours both of the buildings collapsed and Ground Zero was erected as a memorial for the victims. All of these events and people are connected through the fact that there are conspiracy theories evolving around them. The illuminati are still often referred to as being the driving force behind global events and there is the popular theory among conspiracy believers â€Å"that the new nation was about to be taken over by the Bavarian Illuminati†. Adolf Hitler developed probably one of the most influential conspiracies which blamed the Jews for the loss of the First World War and the misfortune of the people in Germany. The death of Kurt Cobain and inconsistencies in the crime scene investigation caused the quite well known murder theory of his death. Lastly, the events of September 11th 2001 are probably most discussed in conspiracy theories. Several theories exist in which it is assumed that the US government actually initiated the attacks. Other theories claim, that despite the thousands of eye witnesses there were no planes what so ever. Whereas even other theories argue that shortly before the attacks happened a UFO could be seen and that these attacks were caused by aliens. Conspiracy beliefs have guided the human kind through many centuries of history. When considering the freemasons and the illuminati it becomes visible that conspiracy theories are by no means a contemporary phenomenon. Especially strong superstitious beliefs in the past gave rise to some influential conspiracy theories which led to the prosecution of witches and heretics, for instance. Despite the fact that conspiracy beliefs are rooted in the past, many sources speak of an increase in conspiracy beliefs especially among the population. Michael Barkun, professor at the Syracuse University in the state of New York and author of the book â€Å"A Culture of Conspiracy†, termed the belief in conspiracy theories as an â€Å"emerging cultural phenomenon†. Also the researcher for folklore studies at the Oregon University, Daniel Wojcik, claims: â€Å"Ideas and images about the end of the world permeate American popular culture and folklore, as well as popular religion, and ar e expressed in films, literature, music, poetry, [†¦], and commercial products†. The fact that conspiracy theories seem to gain more hold within the people seems intriguing and should be investigated. Therefore, the thesis for this paper will be: Despite the claim of insanity, conspiracy theories have become an important part of our contemporary thinking and due to popular culture, especially the mass media, they seem to be taken more and more seriously in our contemporary society. One of the main sources for this essay will be the book â€Å"A Culture of Conspiracy† by Michael Barkun, which offers a great approach to the dynamics of conspiracy theories. Furthermore, this essay will discuss the nature, types and functions of conspiracy beliefs and the role of the mass media in the spread of those. Lastly, this paper will analyze if there was actually an increase in people believing in conspiracy theories. The Nature Of Conspiracy Theories The New World Order, millennialism, area 51, black helicopters, UFO sightings – those are terms usually associated with conspiracy theories. But what exactly are conspiracy theories? What functions do they fulfill for the people who believe in them? Is it possible to speak of â€Å"factual† conspiracy theories? These are questions that will be approached in this essay. First of all, a formal definition of the term is needed: â€Å"A conspiracy theory is a belief that a group of people are secretly trying to harm someone or to achieve something. Usually this term is used to suggest something unlikely or even paranoid†. This definition mentions important criteria of conspiracy beliefs. One of the most important is that something is happening in secret. Due to this secrecy the conspiracy believers are convinced that they are the only ones who know the truth and that they need to spread the word to the unknowing population. Another aspect of conspiracy theories is that they connote a degree of paranoia. When speaking of a conspiracy or of someone who believes in conspiratorial theories, we usually incline that this person is mad or paranoid. A good example for this can be found in Friedrich Nietzsches ‘The Gay Science. In section 125, a madman runs around exclaiming the often quoted statement: â€Å"God is dead†. This exclamation can be interpreted as a conspiracy theory which the madman is attempting to spread. However, the viewers of this scene see merely an insane person: â€Å"Here the madman fell silent and looked again at his listeners; they too were silent and looked at him disconcertedly†. The madman and his beliefs are not taken seriously. Moreover, a very problematic criterion of conspiracy theories is the fact that they are non-falsifiable. Conspiracy theories are usually termed this way because they lack evidence or logical explanations compared to the official theory. It is most of the times impossible for believers to prove their theory. However, conspiracy believers are convinced that â€Å"information that appears to put a conspiracy theory in doubt must have been planted by the conspirators themselves in order to mislead†. This means that even information or evidence against the conspiracy is seen as a proof in favor of the theory because it must have been brought up by people who try to cover the conspiracy. Therefore, no matter what kind of evidence it will always speak in favor of a conspiracy theory. Types Of Conspiracies Barkun differentiates between three types of conspiracies: event conspiracies, systemic conspiracies and superconspiracies. In an event conspiracy, the conspirators are believed to be responsible for only a limited, discrete event. Systematic conspiracies are characterized by broader goals, such as gaining power over a country, a certain region or even the world. However, only a single group of people or a single organization are believed to take part in this. In a superconspiracy multiple conspiracy theories are linked to more conspiracy theories and global events. Superconspiracies are characterized by the belief that everything is connected. This paper will mainly deal with the identified event conspiracies. Although Barkuns book â€Å"A Culture of Conspiracy† displays an excellent theoretical approach to conspiracy theories it seems slightly narrow when it comes to different kinds and beliefs of conspiracy theories. Barkun generalizes conspiracy theories and theorists as believers in UFOs, alien intervention in global events and the New World Order. However, he does not discuss the possibility that there might be people, who do not believe in supernatural interventions in earthly happenings but who still believe in alternative explanations for national and international events that deviate from the official explanation. For this reason, two different categories have to be integrated into the types of conspiracy theories. This paper will differentiate between supernatural and factual theories. Supernatural conspiracy theories include, among others, beliefs in aliens, UFOs, the New World Order and millennialism. They are irrational and non-falsifiable as nothing supernatural was ever able to be empirically proved and verified. Most certainly, these theories are the reason why the term ‘conspiracy theory has a paranoid or even insane connotation. Furthermore, theories about the freemasons and the illuminati will be included into this category. The main focus of this paper will be the so-called factual theories. Factual conspiracy theories incline the secret involvement of an earthly group, organization or even state in global events and affairs. The murder theory of Kurt Cobains death as well as the theory of US state involvement in the 9/11 attacks constitute examples for this kind. However implausible these theories may sound, they do have a slightly more rational nature. They deal with an issue that could be verified or falsified with access to the right information. Nevertheless, this information is usually impossible to attain which also gives these conspiracy theories a non-falsifiable nature. So eventually, it still comes down to belief or disbelief. However, it is important to mention that these factual theories reduce the paranoid connotation of the term ‘conspiracy theory. The Case Of Anna Politkovskaya The events surrounding the death of the Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya is now used to explain the plausibility of factual conspiracy theories. On October 7th 2006 Politkovskaya was shot four times in the elevator of her apartment. Politkovskaya dedicated her life to the conflicts in Chechnya caused by the Russian domination. After the Russian troops brutally crashed down the separatist revolts in Chechnya after the first and second Chechen War the Russians reestablished their hegemony. However, the separatist cry for independence still finds proponents among the Chechen population. The Russian government is accused of using torture and other violent means to suppress these movements. This conflict has caused human rights activists such as Politkovskaya to investigate into and demonstrate against the Russian practices in Chechnya. Along with these demonstrations activists and demonstrators were held in custody without a legal basis. The events in Russia and Chechnya have caught the attention of many human rights organizations. In 2007, the human rights watch proclaimed: â€Å"Russia has ignored a series of judgments by the European Court of Human Rights on Chechnya, fueling unchecked violence in the North Caucasus. Following the recent murders of human rights defenders there, the Council of Europes Parliamentary Assembly will decide on September 28, 2009 whether to schedule a debate to focus on the dangerous conditions for human rights defenders in the North Caucasus†. Politkovskaya was only one journalist and Kremlin critic that was murdered in a series of killings. However, Politkovskayas case has drawn global attention to the events in Russia and to the declining freedom of speech: â€Å"Her killing underlined the shrinking freedom allowed dissenters in Russian society, provoked international outrage and cast a shadow over Vladimir V. Putins Russia†. Not only the actual murder of Politkovskaya are a doubtful subject but also her trial was perceived as flawed and manipulated from western media. All of the four convicts were cleared of their charges and evidence such as a video of the assassination as well as photos and a sim card completely disappeared from the trial scene. The newspaper which Anna Politkovskaya was working for, Novaya Gazeta, suggested that the â€Å"conspiracy was planned at a much higher level†. In the case of Politkovskaya the Russian state as well as the Russia-oriented Chechen government disclaimed any involvement in the murders of any of the journalists and human rights activists. This claim can be seen as the official explanations of the journalist killings in Russia. Therefore, the theory that there is state involvement to some degree can be seen as a conspiracy theory. However, especially in the western part of the world it seems as if the state-involvement-theory around Politkovskayas death seems to find more and more acceptance. Due to unlawful arrests of demonstrators, several killings of other human rights journalists as well as the disappearing evidence from Politkovskayas trial it becomes more and more plausible that there is some kind of higher state involvement. In this sense, the events and conspiracy surrounding the death of Anna Politkovskaya can be seen as a factual conspiracy theory which has started to gain more and more proof as well as proponents all o ver the world. The Functions Of Conspiracy Beliefs Why do some people believe that Anna Politkovskaya was shot on order of the Kremlin whereas others do not? How come some people find it plausible that the US government initiated the attacks on the World Trade Centre whereas others think this extremely far-fetched? Conspiracy theories fulfill certain functions in the minds of the people and in the population as a whole. They can show a certain distrust of the people in what is official presented to them. Furthermore, they constitute another kind of choice that we have in a consumer society. Moreover, they can be seen as a new form of scapegoating. The following sections will analyze why people believe in conspiracy theories and what other options those theories offer to them. Conspiracy Theories As A Sign Of Distrust Conspiracy theories can be seen as a general sign of dissatisfaction and distrust that people have with the government, society and the system in general. Jodi Dean, professor for political science at the Hobart and William Smith College in the state of New York, stated: â€Å"[†¦] conspiracy theories, far from a label dismissively attached to the lunatic fringe, may well be an appropriate vehicle for political contestation†. Probably every country experiences every now and then affairs of corruption among politicians or within larger and well-known companies. Furthermore, everyone is familiar with parties or politicians who do not stick to their election promises. Those experiences fuel the feelings of distrust and skepticism. Many people show strong doubts of the trustworthiness of information that they get about the acts and deeds of the governments. Barkun points out: â€Å"[†¦] where political matters are concerned, there is no longer a consensus reality about the causes of events and reliability of evidence†. Furthermore, in our globalised world everything gets more interlinked. Big companies as resources for employment, gain more and more power in the political landscape of the countries. Moreover, the media coverage of events increases which makes it easier for people to hear about events all over the world. It can be argued that the increased media coverage leads to a rise in the imagination of people of what could happen or what could be going on. This development can lead to the described distrust into the governments and to the fact that conspiracy theories seem plausible to the people. However, this does not mean that people completely discard the official explanations. It merely inclines that people believe that the alternative explanations provided by the conspiracy theories seem imaginable. Conspiracy Theories And The Paradigm Of Choice In 2004, the American psychologist Barry Schwartz published the book â€Å"The Paradox of Choice – Why More Is Less†. In this book he argues that we have reached the height of a consumer society in which it might happen that choice â€Å"no longer liberates, but deliberates†. Schwartz describes the various areas of life in which we can choose these days, such as education, career, friendship and religion. On top of the field of religion one can place the general category of belief. In our society, people can choose what to believe in and what they find believable. Whereas some people believe that the earth and the species were created by god, others find this completely incredible and support Darwins theory of evolution. Choice is a crucial aspect of our lives. Schwartz points out that: â€Å"Choice is essential to autonomy, which is absolutely fundamental to well-being†. Although, not directly implied by Schwartz book, it can be argued that conspiracy theories constitute another choice that we have in our society, namely a choice of truth. The issue of belief and what we believe in is vital to human choice. Schwartz explains that: â€Å"[†¦] we make the most of our freedoms by learning to make good choices about the things that matter, while at the same time unburdening ourselves from too much concern about things that dont†. Continuing in this line of thought, beliefs are essential to a persons existence and personality: â€Å"Existence, at least human existence, is defined by the choices people make†. In order to choose we need to be able to believe and we need to be able to assume that our choice will bring about a desired outcome. When choosing our beliefs we have a choice between religions, political parties, movements of any kind and many more. However, the term belief also inclines that we have a belief in what is going on and how things work. When it comes to our own lives this is quite manageable and even if we feel that we do not know how we work we can go to a specialist who will clarify this for us. Nevertheless, when it comes to a more general truth, something that we cannot check or see for ourselves we need to rely on sources telling us the truth and making us believe. The field of ‘truth however, seemed to be ruled by the monopoly of official explanations. Obviously alien involvements, for instance, in several earthly events often served as useful alternative theories for believers in superconspiracies but there was no real choice for people who did not believe in supernatural happenings. As outlined before, it is important for people to on the one hand have choices and on the other hand to b e able to make choices about things that matter. Due to this, conspiracy theories offer a choice in truth to people or as Schwartz would put it: â€Å"Individual customers are free to ‘purchase whatever bundles of knowledge they want, [†¦]†. A New Form Of Scapegoating Explanations to negative events usually involve something or someone being blamed for having caused a negative outcome. It is a very common psychological phenomenon that in order to handle difficult, sad or even traumatic events people need someone on whom they can produce their anger, fear, frustration, sadness etc. Scapegoating is a special form of blaming in which â€Å"[†¦] a hostile social-psychological discrediting routine by which people move blame and responsibility away from themselves and towards a target person or group† is performed. By blaming the terrorists of Al-Qaida for the 9/11 attacks the US government has found a scapegoat for the public. This does not mean however, that the US government invented a new scapegoat. They merely found a group of people that was called responsible for the attacks. Most definitions of scapegoating involve that the scapegoats feel they are wrongly accused or persecuted. As Al-Qaida did claim responsibility for the events the US government was right in proclaiming this. However, the scapegoating process started in the minds of the people. Through generalizing, a large amount of people started to belief that it is the Muslims as a whole who try to cause damage to the western world. Continuing on this line of thought, conspiracy theories have a similar effect. They are merely alternative explanations for events but also they include the element of blame. So instead of blaming Al-Qaida for the attacks on the World Trade Centre they blamed the US government and instead of only blaming the murderers of Politkovskaya they blame the Russian state. Therefore, it can be concluded that conspiracy theories fulfill the basic functions that official explanations accomplish. The only difference is that the target of their blame is usually dissimilar. However, some articles argue that conspiracist scapegoating has a much larger effects than other kinds of scapegoating: â€Å"When conspiracist scapegoating occurs, the results can devastate a society, disrupting rational political discourse and creating targets who are harassed and even murdered†. The analysis if scapegoats that evolved out of a conspiracy theory are more in danger than those that evolved out of official explanations for events would go beyond the scope of this paper. Nevertheless, the medieval witch hunts as well as Hitlers conspiracy against Jews, Communists and foreigners might argue in favor of the claim that scapegoats made by conspiracy theories are in higher danger. Conspiracy Theories And Play In 1938, the Dutch historian Johan Huizinga published his work â€Å"Homo Ludens† which contains an exceptionally influential theory on contemporary culture. Literally translated from the Latin, homo ludens means something like ‘Man the Player. In Homo Ludens, Huizinga determines the play elements of contemporary culture and claims that culture itself bears the character of a play. Huizingas theory was mainly formed by the approaching fascism and the threats that it brought with it. However, his theory is still extremely influential in cultural studies and is used in order to analyze numerous elements of contemporary culture. Also conspiracy theories can be applied to Huizingas theory. Huizingas general idea of the nature of this play goes as follows: â€Å"Summing up the formal characteristics of play we might call it a free activity standing quite consciously outside ‘ordinary life as being ‘not serious, but at the same time absorbing the player intensely and utterly. It is an activity connected with no material interest, and no profit can be gained by it. It proceeds within its own proper boundaries of time and space according to fixed rules and in an orderly manner. It promotes the formation of social groupings which tend to surround themselves with secrecy and to stress their difference from the common world by disguise or other means†. This very complex definition can be unravelled into five most important qualities of play. First of all, play is supposed to be a free activity which intentionally stands outside of ordinary life and which is not seen as being serious. In addition to this, it is important to mention that Huizinga differentiated between ordinary life and higher culture. Ordinary life includes the basics of living and is not seen as an element of play. Higher culture however, is what Huizinga refers to in his play theory. Conspiracy theories partly fulfil this criterion. Conspiracy theories are a belief and beliefs and the choice of those, as outlined before, are important elements of our society. Therefore it can be claimed that conspiracy beliefs are a part of higher culture. However, those who believe in conspiracy theories do take this subject very seriously whereas other people might ridicule those beliefs. A second and third criterion for play is that it must absorb the player intensely and utterly and no material gain or profit must be achieved by it. Conspiracy theories complete this criterion. As conspiracy theories can be viewed as beliefs or also as persuasions, they will fully and intensely take in a person. Furthermore, it can be argued that thorough persuasions or beliefs of a person are not connected to material gain or profit. However, it can surely be claimed that some people hold certain views in order to gain material profit. Nevertheless, it should be pointed out that those views cannot be considered an accurate persuasion. Therefore, one can assume that people who thoroughly belief in certain conspiracy theories do so without expecting any material profit. The fourth criterion states that this kind of play has to take place in an arranged manner within certain boundaries of time and space. Contemporary conspiracy theories usually evolve around contemporary subjects and events. However, conspiracy theories see history as a plot. Everything is interlinked and connected. Due to this conspiracy theories repeatedly deal with past and maybe even future events. However, the order of past, present and future is usually not confused or changed. The last main criterion includes that play supports the creation and development of social groups which are supposed to act in secrecy and which should differentiate themselves from other groups and people. It is very obvious that this element can be found in conspiracy theories. People who believe in conspiracy theories usually form a group with other people who agree with their event explanation and they communicate with each other. Secrecy is one of the main criteria of conspiracy theories as they incline that an action or event took place in secrecy and is trying to be concealed. Lastly, many psychological theories on group formation claim that groups include but also exclude. People who believe in certain conspiracy theories are therefore included into the group, whereas people who disbelieve are excluded. In this sense, group formation is also a mean of differentiating oneself from another group of people. Therefore, in conclusion it can be said that conspiracy theories can be seen as a play element in our contemporary culture. Conspiracy Theories In Popular Culture So far, this paper has outlined the nature and different types of conspiracy theories as well as their functions in the minds of the people and in the population as a whole. In addition to that, conspiracy theories have become an important part of popular culture: â€Å"The volume and influence of stigmatized knowledge [conspiracy theories] have increased dramatically through the mediation of popular culture. Motifs, theories and truth claims that once existed in hermetically sealed subcultures have begun to be recycled, often with great rapidity, through popular culture†. The main force behind this popularization of conspiracy theories is usually seen in the role of the mass media. However, popular culture also has the function of demystifying conspiracy theories. A common criterion of conspiracy theories is the fact that the believers think they are the only ones who know about this secret plot. By broadcasting the theories to an enormous number of people they lose their sec recy: â€Å"Once hidden, they are now revealed. Once intended only for the knowing few, they are now placed before the ignorant many. Once mysterious, they can now appear banal, the building blocks of not particularly distinguished popular entertainment†. The Mass Media And The Spread Of Conspiracy Theories The most crucial force in the spread of conspiracy theories is the mass media. Alternative explanations for events can be read in literature, internet and newspaper articles, can be seen on television and in the cinema and can be heard on the radio. The mass media is our biggest and maybe even most influential source of information. Conspiracy theories have long made their entrance into popular culture and mass media. Also Barkun describes this development: â€Å"Now, however, the boundary between the stigmatized and the mainstream has clearly become more permeable. Themes that once might have been found only in outsider literature or on the more outrà © Web sites have become the stuff of network television and multimillion-dollar motion picture†. When it comes to television, Barkun especially refers to shows like ‘The X-Files which were extremely popular, not only in the United States. The main focus of this series was to unravel conspiracies planned by the governments and accompanied through the help of extraterrestrial life. Furthermore, Barkun refers to films such as the 1997 Mel Gibson movie ‘Conspiracy Theory. In this movie, a paranoid taxi driver is convinced that many global events are triggered due to a government conspiracy. Barkun points out: â€Å"The appearance of conspiracism in major motion pictures signals a major change in the relation between stigmatized and mainstream knowledge claims†. However, one does not need to look into special conspiratorial films or series to figure out that the topic of conspiracism has been widely adopted by the mass media. Many mainstream films such as ‘Mission Impossible or ‘Three Days of the Condor evolve around conspiracies planted by governments or intelligence agencies. Furthermore, intriguing but admittedly quite propagandistic documentaries such as Michael Moores ‘Fahrenheit 9/11 contribute to manifest conspiracy theories in the mainstream. Many of these mentioned motion pictures serve to stimulate the imagination of the public. As already outlined when analyzing the functions of conspiracy theories, the broad and wide-ranging media coverage of different global events also leads to the fact that different views on events are accumulated. Furthermore, the media does not only show different views on events but also covers a wide range of events that happen all over the world. This together with conspiracy theories that can be found in mass media means of entertainment such as movies and TV programs leads to the increased imagination of people of what could possibly go on in their country or even in the world. Furthermore, it can be said that: â€Å"[†¦] the appearance of conspiracy themes in popular culture at least partially destigmatizes those ideas, by associating them with admired stars and propagating them through the most important forms of mass entertainment†. Considering this, it can be concluded that the media did not only spread popular conspiracy theories but moreover, did it de-condemn conspiracy theories to be only an issue to paranoid or lunatic people. By doing so the mass media made conspiracy theories which used to be considered as stigmatized knowledge available to a wide range of people. Barkun assigns another function to the mass media. Everyone has probably heard of the concept of surreptitious advertisement, when we see protagonists in a movie drinking a certain brand of cola or when they use a very popular new mobile phone

Regression Analysis :: essays research papers

Introduction Gunshot wounds; bullet caliber is increasing, a look of this increase from years 1998-2003. This data is derived from the use of larger caliber firearms in accidents, homicides and suicides. Data was collected from the measurements of bullets removed from trauma patients then submitted to a surgical pathology laboratory. This data was collected from the years of 1998 to 2002 with patient medical record number and the year obtained. Approximately 78 percent of all bullets were intact and sufficient for use in the study. Bullet fragments and pellets were excluded. â€Å"Among gun deaths in the United States, a very small fraction of all crimes are attributed to firearm accidents, firearm injuries of undetermined intent and legal intervention involving firearms. These deaths amount to 4.4 percent of the total numbers of gun deaths (25,663) in the United States during the most recent year (2000) such data are available. Of the remaining 95.6 percent of gun deaths, homicide accounted for 37.7 percent and suicide for 57.9 percent. This apparent increase in suicide by gun contrasts similar data from 1985, when homicide (44.1%) more closely paralleled suicide (51.8%) by gun.† (Caruso, RP, Swan, KG, 2003)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The article in this paper suggest that †mortality does not increase and even seemingly decreases because care for the trauma victims has become so increasingly innovative, efficient, and comprehensive that the trauma victims, including patients injured by missiles from guns, who would have died from their wounds in the past are now survivors. † (Caruso, RP, Swan, KG, 2003)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caliber is defined as the diameter of a missile or of the barrel for the weapon (bore) through which the bullet passes. Caliber is expressed in hundredths (two digits) or thousandths (three digits) of an inch. Preceding â€Å"caliber† with a decimal point is actually incorrect because the decimal point is redundant. Caliber implies hundredths or thousandths of an inch. Caliber can also be expressed in millimeters, divided by 25.4 equals the caliber. Thus, 9 mm à · 25.4 = 35 caliber. Conversely, caliber times 25.4 equals diameter of bullet in millimeters. Thus, a 45 caliber bullet will measure 11.4 mm in diameter as will the bore or internal diameter of the barrel of the gun designed to fire the round or the cartridge containing the bullet. Bullet, plus powder, primer, casing, and so forth, constitutes the cartridge or round. Bullet, strictly speaking, consists only of the missile leaving the end of the weapons’ barrel.

Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Darcy

Reading is my hobby. Even before the movie â€Å"The Jane Austen Book Club† came out in theaters, I was reading all of Austen’s novels! I am all of the characters she portrays in her books, weaving my present life situation into each storyline! My love of reading began when I first picked up one of the Nancy Drew mysteries. I think I have read every one of them, plus a lot of the Hardy Boys books (after all, Ned is Nancy’s boyfriend). I thought Nancy had the best life in the world, and I wanted to be just like her, helping her solve all of those mysteries, and to be fearless, just as Nancy was fearless!If you are as passionate about reading as I am, then you know the excitement it brings when you curl up on the sofa with a good book, especially written by Jane Austen! Can you imagine reading â€Å"Sense and Sensibility† or â€Å"Pride and Prejudice,† bringing characters to life reminiscent of Lizzie, Jane, and Mr. Darcy? What fun it would be for you and I to start our own â€Å"book club† and share the same hobby together! Not only would we get the chance to hear each other’s synopsis on what we were reading at the moment, but we could share each other’s company as well!Socialization and conversation all rolled up into our one hobby; reading. There are so many benefits to reading. Reading expands your thinking, especially if you are someone who lacks the means for anything but the essentials of life. Books can export you anywhere in the space of a chapter, using only your imagination! Did you read â€Å"Mansfield Park† and imagine yourself in the tiny, dirty room that Fanny and her family shared before she was taken to Mansfield Park at the request of her mother?How do you think Fanny felt amidst the richness and beauty of that magnificent mansion? How do you think she felt about her rich, gloating aunt and uncle? Reading can be a real confidence builder, enhancing self-esteem in one’s eyes a s well as the eyes of others. Suppose you were at a dinner party and a subject comes up from a book you just finished? What a boost to your ego to think that you are in a position to take part in this casual conversation because you are well versed. Reading begets knowledge and knowledge begets notice! Reading enhances your ability to focus.You are bending the brain to your will, concentrating on the activities and characters in the chapter at hand. I often find myself daydreaming about my book long after I have put it down. I rehearse in my head the next plot in light of the story I have read so far. Will Lizzie get Mr. Darcy? Will she have Mr. Darcy? We have to wait and see! I think readers can learn diversity and acceptance of other cultures from books. Reading dissolves the fear one might feel from an unknown subject by exposing oneself to another person’s perspective.I work in the International Center at a local college. Three years ago we had a group of ten young Egypti an students come to study on a Fulbright scholarship referred to as the â€Å"Egypt Initiative. † Their culture is so different from ours that I thought it helpful to take a humanities class in world religions. I finished the class before the students arrived, and I was very happy I did. I was in procession of knowledge that I otherwise might not have acquired if not for this event. It proved to be very useful in understanding their behavior.I think we can be inspired to accomplish more in life by reading a brief story line written by the author in the introduction, or just inside the flap of the book cover. There are so many positive reasons for making reading your hobby. Reading brings the satisfaction of accomplishment, knowledge, wisdom, and sometimes spiritual growth, and what more can you ask from a hobby? It is sad how reading is getting lost in today’s technological society. Our world is changing exponentially. There is little chance for conversation out in pub lic.People are so rushed for time they barely notice you walk by! Society is becoming totally disconnected from each other. People are consistently staring at their iPhones, iPads, and Androids; checking their Facebook, text messages, apps, and emails! I am afraid the art of book reading will soon become a myth told only by the few people left on earth who were fortunate to have a grandmother telling them a story about their great grandmother reading them a book as a child. Let’s us be that grandmother!

Vernacular Definition and Examples

Vernacular Definition and Examples Vernacular is the language of a particular group, profession, region, or country, especially as spoken rather than formally written. Since the rise of sociolinguistics in the 1960s, interest in vernacular forms of English speech has developed rapidly. As R.L. Trask has pointed out, vernacular forms are now seen as every bit as worthy of study as standard varieties (Language and Linguistics: Key Concepts, 2007). Examples and Observations Around the middle of the fourteenth century English began to be accepted as an appropriate language for government, law, and literature. In response to this wider use of the vernacular, a debate over its suitability as a means of communicating scripture and theology began in the 1300s.(Judy Ann Ford, John Mirks Festial. DS Brewer, 2006)The Elizabethans had discovered once and for all the artistic power of the vernacular and had freed native writers from a crippling sense of inferiority, for which the classical languages and the classicists were largely responsible.(Richard Foster Jones, The Triumph of the English Language. Stanford University Press, 1953)The BCP [Book of Common Prayer] allowed for celebrations in Latin ..., but required that worship should normally be conducted in a language understanded of the people. Vernacular liturgy was a reform for which Roman Catholics had to wait another 400 years.(Alan Wilson, The Book of Common Prayer, Part 1: An English Ragbag. The Guardia n, Aug. 23, 2010 Writers on Writing: Using The Vernacular   Mark Twain ... transformed elements of regional vernacular speech into a medium of uniquely American literary expression and thus taught us how to capture that which is essentially American in our folkways and manners. For indeed the vernacular process is a way of establishing and discovering our national identity. (Ralph Ellison, Going to the Territory. Random House, 1986)American writers were ... the first to intuit that the catchall web of the vernacular reflected the mind at its conscious level. The new melodious tongue shaped the writer to a greater extent than he shaped the language. (Wright Morris, About Fiction. Harper, 1975)  [W]hen I interrupt the velvety smoothness of my more or less literate syntax with a few sudden words of bar-room vernacular, that is done with the eyes wide open and the mind relaxed but attentive. (Raymond Chandler, letter to Edward Weeks, January 18, 1948)Ive always wanted to bring the books down closer and closer to the characters- to get mysel f, the narrator, out of it as much as I can. And one of the ways to do this is to use the language that the characters actually speak, to use the vernacular, and not ignoring the grammar, the formality of it, to bend it, to twist it, so you get a sense that you are hearing it, not reading it.(Roddy Doyle, quoted by  Caramine White in Reading Roddy Doyle. Syracuse University Press, 2001 Two Worlds of Writing Theres a newish world of writing where lots of people are busy all hours of the day and night emailing, tweeting, and blogging on the internet. Students startle their professors by sending chatty emails using the slang they write to buddies on Facebook. Much writing in this new world is a kind of speaking onto the screen; indeed, plenty of people, especially literate people, dont consider this writing to be writing. Email? Thats not writing! Actually, people have been writing in everyday vernacular spoken language for centuries in diaries, informal personal letters, grocery lists, and exploratory musings to figure out their feelings or thoughts. ...So in one world of writing, people feel free to speak onto the screen or page; in the other, people feel pressured to avoid speech on the page. I wont join the chorus of literate commentators who lament all the bad writing in the world of email and web. I see problems with writing in both worlds. Id say that most writing is not very good, whether its literate writing or e-writing, and whether it comes from students, amateurs, well-educated people, or learned scholars.(Peter Elbow, Vernacular Eloquence: What Speech Can Bring to Writing. Oxford Univ. Press, 2012) The New Vernacular ​​Like its antecedents, the new  vernacular represents a democratic impulse, an antidote to vanity and literary airs. Its friendly, its familiar. But familiar in both senses. The new vernacular imitates spontaneity but sounds rehearsed. It has a franchised feel, like the chain restaurant that tells its patrons, Youre family.In part this is just a matter of clichà ©. Some writers try to casualize their prose with friendly phrases such as you know or you know what? Or even um, as in um, hel-lo? ...The new vernacular writer is studiedly sincere. Sincere even when ironic, ironically sincere. Whatever its other goals, the first purpose of such prose is ingratiation. Of course, every writer wants to be liked, but this is prose that seeks an instant intimate relationship. It makes aggressive use of the word you- bet you thought- and even when the you is absent, it is implied. The writer works hard to be lovable.(Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd, Good Prose: The Art of Nonficti on. Random House, 2013) Vernacular Rhetoric [N]arratives of vernacular rhetoric can afford a certain accuracy in gauging public opinion that otherwise is unavailable. Were leaders to hear these opinions and take them seriously, the quality of public discourse might take a positive turn. Understanding peoples concerns and why they hold them holds promise for helping leaders to communicate with societys active members rather than manipulating them.(Gerard A. Hauser, Vernacular Voices: The Rhetoric of Publics and Public Spheres. Univ. of South Carolina Press, 1999) The Lighter Side of the Vernacular [Edward Kean] once said that he was probably best known for coining the word cowabunga (originally spelled with a k) as a greeting for Chief Thunderthud, a character on [The Howdy Doody Show]. The word has become part of American vernacular, used by the cartoon character Bart Simpson and by the crime-fighting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. (Dennis Hevesi, Edward Kean, Chief Writer of ‘Howdy Doody,’ Dies at 85. The New York Times, Aug. 24, 2010) Pronunciation: ver-NAK-ye-ler EtymologyFrom the Latin, native

Chevrolet Branding in Europe

Chevrolet Branding in Europe Strategic Problem and Issue Identification The Project Midas team has a number of issues to address before marketing the Chevrolet brand in Europe. For instance, this brand is not known by many European customers. This gap is critical towards coming up with a powerful marketing strategy for this car brand.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Chevrolet Branding in Europe specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Many European car buyers â€Å"have several preconceptions of American cars† (Kerin and Peterson 649). They also believe that such American cars are uneconomical. The marketing team also faces a number of challenges. For example, the poor performance of the Daewoo brand will affect the team. General Motors (GM) managed to win the trust of many European customers. However, the team should identify new strategies in order to make Chevrolet a leading brand in Europe. The team is required to embrace the best brand positioning strategies. A number of challenges will also affect these strategies. The Project Midas team is â€Å"required to carry over names for dealers, operating policies, and individual-product models† (Kerin and Peterson 634). A powerful strategy is required for the new Chevrolet brand. The important goal is to identify a powerful positioning strategy that can produce these goals. These goals include â€Å"complementing GM’s multi-brand portfolio in Europe, retaining the global image of the Chevrolet brand, and resonating with European car consumers† (Kerin and Peterson 634). Analysis and Evaluation The provided case study identifies the major issues affecting the Project Midas team. To begin with, many European car buyers have been admiring the Daewoo brand. The Daewoo brand â€Å"is admired by members of the European middle class† (Kerin and Peterson 639).Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help y ou! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to many clients, Daewoo Company was also producing good cars. The introduction of the Daewoo Matiz proved successful for the company. However, Daewoo Company became bankrupt in 1999. The formation of GM Daewoo Auto and Technology Company supported the performance of the brand in Europe. The firm used a powerful positioning research to attract the right customers. The brand also became admirable in the content. This achievement shows clearly that GM can market the Chevrolet brand in Europe successfully. The Chevrolet brand presents a powerful image to every potential customer. The number of threats faced by the Daewoo brand can make the Project Midas team unsuccessful. For instance, GM Daewoo lacked a proper advertising strategy in Europe. The company did not â€Å"embrace new product development strategies† (Kerin and Peterson 648). The depreciation of different Korean brands in Europe affected GM Daew oo’s performance. There is also â€Å"a huge disconnect between the customer belief about the realities of the GM Daewoo and the Chevrolet brand in Europe† (Kerin and Peterson 649). Recommendations The Project Midas team should therefore consider the realities presented in the case study. GM Daewoo has encountered several weaknesses and challenges. These weaknesses should be converted into strengths in order to make the Chevrolet brand successful. The Project Midas team should embrace new strategies in order to emerge successful in Europe (Kerin and Peterson 636). The firm should consider the strengths of the Chevrolet brand in other markets.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Chevrolet Branding in Europe specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A powerful advertising strategy will ensure more buyers understand the quality associated with this car brand. The company should also produce both diesel and petrol cars in order to attract more customers. A powerful awareness campaign should be used in order to make this car brand successful in Europe (Kerin and Peterson 648). GM should also target different classes in the continent. This approach will ensure Chevrolet becomes a successful brand. Kerin, Roger, and Robert Peterson. Strategic Marketing Problems: Cases and Comments. Upper-Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2009. Print.

Water pollution and the way agriculture affects this global dilemma Research Paper

Water pollution and the way agriculture affects this global dilemma - Research Paper Example Water Pollution and the way agriculture affects this global dilemma Water pollution is becoming an increasing problem throughout the world today. Some of the people identify the main cause of water pollution to that of agriculture activities. For instance, in the United States, the cause of pollution is forty-eight percent of stream and river water and on the other hand, forty-one percent of the lake water because of agricultural activities (Sustainable Table, 2011). This issue has largely become a ‘global dilemma’ as the topic aptly puts it. This requires a detailed study of the topic. The question therefore arises as to how agriculture leads to this global dilemma, and how adversely it affects and endangers the lives of the species. Various studies have shown that indeed modern agricultural system has had a significant role in increasing the water pollution. Agriculture is a major contributor in European countries to the cause of water pollution, both ground and surfac e water (Echaore-McDavid, 2007). Pollution has a non-point source, and thus, it does now allow its measurement. ‘Non point source accounts for almost half of water pollution and agriculture remains the largest contributor to it’ (Sustainabletable, 2011). In addition, the same study also states that almost 50-70% of the pollution of the surface waters originates mainly from agricultural lands in the form of fertilizers and animal wastes (Roberts, 1995). Not only this, but the use of pesticides, specifically the synthetic herbicides, have also caused a major concern, since these an easily leach into the ground water and pollute it. In aquifers, the nitrate concentration may also increase due to the intensity of the usage of fertilizers (Echaore-McDavid, 2007). In addition, the storage of manure in lagoons often becomes a source of water pollution. ‘When these lagoons leak during storms or rain, they may rupture and overflow’ (Sustainabletable, 2011). Leaking lagoons subsequently lead to the emission of antibiotic residues and harmful bacteria, which leaches into the water surface (Sustainabletable, 2011). The building of dams to aid irrigation in agriculture also alters the stream flow regimes that lead to the degradation of the aquatic and riparian habitats. The run-off due to rain and storms also pose an additional problem. Surface run off from agricultural lands carries salts, fertilizers, pesticides, pathogens and other pollutants, and dumps into aquifers and other water sources. The water sources used for drinking water poses a threat to human and animal health (Shortle & Abler, 2001). A study carried out by the US environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) found that agriculture is the leading cause of poor quality in river and lakes (Shortle & Abler, 2001). However, this problem is not limited to the United States only. This problem is very significant in developing countries, where the majority of the population depends upon agricu lture for their livelihood. This in essence does prove that the problem of water pollution is indeed a global dilemma. According to Shortle and Abler (2001), a process known as eutrophication, the nitrogen, and phosphate present in fertilizers runs into the water, and thus, causing the algae to bloom. This reduces fish life. Aquatic vegetation also disappears. The marine eco system therefore gets disturbed. The pesticides in water supplies may also risk human health. This water pollution also reduces the availability of public drinking water, thus putting a strain on our scarce water resources. Modern agriculture systems have also led to increase in salinity and water logging due to irrigation. This has destroyed large amounts of lands, especially in developing countries (Shortle & Abler, 2001). Hence, this has become clear through all the review literature explained above that water pollution has indeed become a

Reading notes Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Reading notes - Article Example Theodore cites the railroad business and Hollywood as two examples of businesses that have suffered the effects of myopia, also referred to as shortsightedness (Theodore, 2004). The invention of airplanes and cars pushed railway transport out of business, and they lost customers because they focused on the railroad business, and not the transportation business. They concentrated more on the product, railroad, rather than on their customers in the transportation business. Similarly, Hollywood concentrated in the movie business, rather than the entertainment business, which resulted in their fizzling out after the invention of television (Theodore, 2004). The two examples show that narrowing down the scope of a business is detrimental to growth. In the end, it makes a business susceptible to future competition. As population growth continues, so is the consumer base (Theodore, 2004. Management should focus on strategies that produce followers, in terms of customers. Largely, customer-creating and customer-satisfying strategies are relevant in virtually all sectors of the economy, and are more important than production strategies. The most important part in the article is that customers are the most significant asset of an organization, and managers must ensure they retain them through establishment of strategies that apply to their demands and are responsive of future