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The American Negro Academy The First Black Intellectual...

The American Negro Academy, the first Black intellectual society, started the trend of establishing Black elitist groups who valued higher education. Unlike Booker T. Washington, Crummell’s Academy taught others that the race should learn self-sufficiency, not relying on social inclusion from Whites. He understood that Whites and Blacks would probably never peacefully coincide because the â€Å"race-problem† encompassed all of American history. In fact, the growth of Black and White populations would only continue to cultivate the problem. Alexander Crummell’s arguments remained the most valid, the best explained, and the most inclusive of all four early intellectuals. Instead of appeasing Whites through Booker T. Washington’s method of accommodation, or simply moving away from the land we call our home like Marcus Garvey, Crummell taught Blacks to take pride in being both Black and Americans. Every other race in America felt racial pride and did n ot look to others for acceptance, so Blacks should not beg for White support. Blacks should possess the ability to thrive in a home forced upon them, instead of relying on handouts or uprooting to a land they know nothing about to find economic stability. Additionally, his arguments included issues relating specifically to Black women, while others ignored them: the victimization of Black women through rape and racial violence from White men, Due to Crummell’s views on Black and White relations in America, he committed toShow MoreRelatedPolitical Philosophers : Reconstruction1595 Words   |  7 Pagesmiscegenation laws and lynchings. This proved that while blacks were free of slavery, their struggle for equality was far from over. With racial integration out of the question, prominent black leaders were forced to pull their resources and rethink their political strategies. Some of these leaders were Booker T. Washington, W.E.B Du Bois, Alexander Crummell, and Marcus Garvey. These four men’s political philosophies played a vital role in revitalizing black nationalism, cultural pride, and civil libertiesRead MoreAnalysis Of Booker T. Washington1747 Words   |  7 PagesAfter the Civil War, African Americans sought a voice. They needed someone to project that voice. I will be discussing four black men and how they helped better the lives of black Americans while also disclosing some of their more problematic notions. The impacts and contracts of Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. Du Bois, Alexander Crummell, and Marcus Garvey on post-emancipation America are evident through the social and political progress of the United States. Booker T. Washington was a nationalistRead MoreA Color Problem in a Post Racial Nation Essay1637 Words   |  7 PagesIt appears that the color of your skin whether it be black, white, brown, red, or yellow doesn’t matter in America anymore. One might assume that this statement is a plausible one, given the fact that we have a male â€Å"African American† president, and America is now considered to be a â€Å"Post-Racial Nation† (Rush Limbaugh, 2010), where skin color is no longer an inhibiting factor. The truth of the matter is that race has most certainly played a significant factor in America’s history since the earlyRead MoreHarlem Renaissance: W.E.B. Du Bois.1617 Words   |  7 Pageseditor, political activist, and cofounder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). During the Harlem renaissance and through his editorship of crisis magazine, he actively sought and presented the literary genius of black writers for t he entire world to acknowledge and honor (Gale schools, 2004). Du Bois was born on February 23, 1868 in great Barrington Massachusetts. His father was a former civil war soldier who left the family for was when his son Do bois was stillRead MoreRacial Segregation and Prejudice in ZZ Packers Brownies1093 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Brownies† is written by author, ZZ Packer. It surrounds a group of African American Brownie girls in the fourth grade who journey to a campsite situated near the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, called Camp Crescendo. On the trip, they encounter another brownie group comprised of white girls, all of who are mentally handicapped. â€Å"Brownies† is told from a first person involved point of view, through a Brownie member from the African American troop, named Laurel. Because the story takes place in the 1960’s, ZZRead MoreEssay Art Life of Langston Hughes5893 Words   |  24 Pagescreated by society and ourselves. Racism and prejudices have plagued our society for years. There have been many people u sing many methods techniques in the fight against racism. One man used his art and the power of words to bring forth the issues of injustice suffered in America, he was Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes was a Negro Writer, born at the turn of the century in 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. His ancestry included three major race groups, however, he lived and was identified as a Negro or ColoredRead MoreRace Film : The Great And Only Essay10250 Words   |  41 PagesChapter One Race Films as a Genre in American Cinema â€Å"Most people pronounced his last name ‘Mee-show,’ though some who knew him insist it was ‘Mi-shaw.’ The correct pronunciation of his name is only the beginning of the ambiguities and mysteries associated with Oscar Micheaux† Patrick Mulligan—Oscar Micheaux: The Great and Only: The Life of America s First Black Filmmaker From the very beginning of the early stages in American cinema, African Americans had a presence on the silver screen. TheRead MoreAnalysis Of Lucille Clifton s The Poetry Of A Negro 1801 Words   |  8 PagesIshmael Reed, an author, poet, and activist, who later took her poems to Langston Hughes in 1966 to be included in his anthology â€Å"The Poetry of a Negro†. Lucille Clifton married Fred Clifton in 1958 and had 6 children; Graham Clifton, Sidney Clifton, Gillian Clifton Monnell, Alexia Clifton, Channing Clifton, and Frederica Clifton. In 1969, she published her first book of poetry called Good Times, one of the top ten books of the year. In 1972 and 1974, Clifton participated in the National Endowment forRead MoreAfrican American Education during and after Segregation Essays3053 Words   |  13 PagesIntroduction African American Education During and After Segregation Education has always been valued in the African American community. During slavery freed slaves and those held captive, organized to educate themselves. After emancipation the value of education became even more important to ex-slaves, as it was their emblem of freedom and a means to full participation in American Society (Newby Tyack, 1971). During this time many schools for African Americans were both founded and maintainedRead MoreEssay on Comparing Excess in Morrison’s Sula and Ginsberg’s Howl3179 Words   |  13 Pageshuman characteristic of excess. Instead of abiding by the social norms of the general cultural animosity towards excess, Morrison and Ginsberg use this vilified attribute as a means to transcend the aforementioned boundaries that have hampered intellectual growth and the liberation of the self. The fact that both authors are of minority backgrounds compounds the acuteness of oppressiveness that both have experienced in their lives and allows us to draw parallels between their beliefs and how they

Reflective Poetry Essay Example For Students

Reflective Poetry Essay Composing poetry is an artistic expression; subsequently its a way of conveying everything that needs to be conveyed and folding Importance In expressions. Through poetry words are illuminated to form a picture, express feeling and share a thought in so few words. Putting down on paper all the emotions going through ones head is a way of re-living and remembering the overwhelming emotions they grapple with throughout their lives. Poet Michelle Williams states that: humans have always grappled with overwhelming emotions. Throughout history e have expressed these emotions In many ways, such as through song, music, dance, art and poetry This Is true because putting on paper emotions such as hurt and betrayal, unrequited love, and loss and suffering; emotions that many great poets portray in their work, helps unburden the mind and the heart. The three poems that will be analyses In this essay to further prove the above quote are London by William Blake, England in 181 9 by Percy Shelley and I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsmith. These poems were written in the early Romantic Period, often called the age of revolutions due to the occurrence of the American and the French revolutions. This was a time period characterized by upheavals in political, balancing, and social conventions, which lead to writers communicating colossal feelings they had felt around this period Into their work. The poem London by William Blake proves Michelle Williams statement because Blake expresses the emotion of passionate anger to reveal the difficult connections between ownership and the ruling ideology. In the first stanza, Blake is talking about how he is walking through every street. The adjective chartered seems to imply the value of money to live everyday in this ephemeral world, where everything Is focused around money, richness and its value to reach anything. But, in despite of the role that money has in the world and happiness because of its value, many people are dominated by sorrow and sadness. The lines In every cry of every man and In every infants cry of fear are examples of this fact. People are not happy. In this poem Blake expressed the feeling of frustration and sadness through tone in his words, about people living In fear all the time. Another poem that proves Michelle Williams statement is England in 181 9 by Percy Shelley. Shelley has done this by writing a political poem of Englands condition at the time and his experience through arrogance of power and unjustness towards the people. The line rulers who neither see, nor feel, nor know are Lord Liverpool and his conservative cabinet. In calling them leeches that are bleeding their country, Shelley is indulging in hyperbole. They were men of integrity who happened to be in power at a time of general unrest caused by the unemployment and hunger that repertory, inevitable arrests and repressive measures. Shelley observations of England at the time lead him to express his overwhelming emotions in hope of possibility of liberty through poetry. The last poem that proves Michelle Williams statement is l Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsmith. The dejected and pitiful feeling that is passed on all through this poem embodies Wordsmiths dynamic definition of poetry as emotion recollected in tranquility. Wordsmith uses imagination to contemplate and celebrate the wonders of nature. This is made known in the concluding stanza of the memo: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. This stanza returns to the solitude of the lonely wondering cloud. However, the poet has been changed by his imaginative experience involving the daffodils and the accompanying bay waters. Loneliness is now a peaceful solitude. William Wordsmith describes himself as alone and lonely, detached even from nature. .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6 , .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6 .postImageUrl , .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6 , .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6:hover , .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6:visited , .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6:active { border:0!important; } .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6:active , .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6 .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub50e4afcc6504e4d06b3d529562dd7d6:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Household Gods EssayWordsmith feeling of sadness emerges from this poem. In Conclusion, poets William Wordsmith, Percy Shelley and William Blake show how poetry displays the importance of human ability to convey emotions and say what they feel. Therefore the quote by poet Michelle Williams is true. In poets William Wordsmith Preface to Lyrical ballads, he describes poetic process as follow: Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility. Thus through poetry the opportunity to recreate and relive the previously experienced emotion is conveyed.

Intro to ABA Cooper, Ch.1 Essay Example

Intro to ABA: Cooper, Ch.1 Paper applied behavior analysis the science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior are applied to improve socially significant behavior and experimentation is used to identify the variables respondible for the improvement in behavior behaviorism the philosophy of the science of behavior determinism the assumption that the universe is a lawful and orderly place in which phenomena occur in relation to other events and not in a will-nilly, accidental fashion empiricism the objective observation of the phenomena of interest experiment a carefully controlled comparison of some measure of the phonomenon of interest under two or more different conditions experimental analysis of behavior a natural science approach to the study of behavior as a subject matter in its own right explanatory fiction a fictitious or hypothetical variable that often takes the form of another name for the observed phenomenon it claims to explain and contributes nothing to a functional account or understanding of the phenomenon functional relation when specific manipulations of one event (IV) produce a reliable change in another event (DV), and that change is unlikely to have been the result of confounding variables hypothetical construct a presumed but unobserved process or entity mentalism an approach to explaining behavior that assumes that a mental, or inner, dimension exists that differs from a behavioral dimension and that phenomena in this dimension mediate behavior methodological behaviorism a philosophical position that views behavioral events that cannot be publicly observed as outside the realm of science parsimony the practice of ruling out simple, logical explanations before considering more complex or abstract explanations philosophic doubt an attitude that the truthfulness and validity of all scientific theory and knowledge should be continually questioned radical behaviorism a form of behaviorism that attempts to understand all human behavior, including private events, in terms of controlling variables in the history of the person and the species replication repeating conditions within an experiment to determine reliability and increase internal validity, or repeating whole experiments to determine the generality of findings science a systematic approach to the understanding of natural phenomena (as evidenced by description, predictiona nd control) that relies on determinism as its primary rule, experimentation as its basic strategy, replication as a requirement for believability, parsimony as a value, and philosophic doube as its guiding conscience the 3 levels of scientific understanding description, prediction, control 6 attitudes of science determinismempiricismexperimentationreplicationparsimonyphilosophic doubt 7 characteristics of applied behavior analysis appliedbehavioralanalytictechnologicalconceptually systematiceffectivegenerality

The eNotes Blog Celebrate Bloomsday and Learn About JamesJoyce!

Celebrate Bloomsday and Learn About JamesJoyce! Here at , we love the opportunity to celebrate literature and our favorite authors, and it just so happens that one of the most internationally recognized literary holidays is right around the corner!On June 16th, we honor the highly influential James Joyce and his most famous work  Ulysses with a little celebration known as Bloomsday. For those of you unfamiliar with the story,  Ulysses is a 20th century take on Homers  Odyssey, and it follows a day in the life of character Leopold Bloom as he meanders his way around Dublin, encountering individuals with unique life stories whilst he contemplates his own.  Ulysses  is written in a stream of consciousness format, playing with experimental prose so as to better delve into the minds and thoughts of his characters. As Irish scholar  Declan Kiberd  said, Before Joyce, no writer of fiction had so foregrounded the process of thinking. In other words, James Joyce was a talented writer and  Ulysses was very much a display of his literary abilities. The story, published (at first merely serialized in an American newspaper) in 1918, was already gathering a decent amount of buzz only two years later in 1920. As early as 1924, there were records of the first celebrations of Bloomsday, acknowledged by Joyce himself in a letter to Miss Weaver, his longtime patron, where he states, There is a group of people who observe what they call Blooms Day- 16th of June. Since then, the festivities have broadened significantly and are now well-known throughout the globe, with celebrations from Dublin to Australia. These days, typical festivities involve readings of the novel, pub crawls, themed meals, dress-up, and more Guinness than you thought possible. But, to keep things PG, enjoy the following list of facts about James Joyce and his famed novel to get you in the spirit of the season. Joyce  had a couple of intense phobias, including a lifelong fear of dogs, inspired by a canine attack in his youth. His other more pressing fear was a terror of thunderstorms; also in his youth, his grandmother would tell him that thunderstorms were a sign of Gods wrath. Even after he declared his independence from the Catholic Church, it seems the fear stuck with him, and he never quite grew accustomed to the presence of thunder and lightning. Joyces grandson, in addition to being named after a character in  Ulysses, has done much to contribute to his late grandfathers legacy.  It is heavily speculated that Joyces grandson, Stephen, has destroyed a number of his grandfathers letters to protect their contents from prying eyes. Additionally, Stephen has spoken out a number of times and prevented what he deemed inappropriate adaptations of Joyces work. You may wonder why Joyce specifically set  Ulysses  on June 16th  Well, wonder no more! Joyce chose this particular date because it was the anniversary of his first date with Nora Barnacle, the woman he would eventually marry and have two children with. Nora Barnacle The library at University College in Dublin was named after him (The James Joyce Library). As it turns out, Joyce actually attended a number of schools, including Clongowes College and Belvedere College, before  finally graduating from University College in Dublin. Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath were also Joyce/Ulysses  fans The two authors tied the knot on June 16th, 1956 in honor of Bloomsday- it seems quite the day for romance! He didnt originally aspire to be a writer. Though his father, John Joyce, was deeply invested in literature, the father and son didnt get along too well and its likely that James Joyce went into the study of medicine to distance himself from his fathers legacy. Whilst in Paris studying science and medicine, Joyce was called back to Dublin to see his mother on her deathbed; he did not return to the medical community and instead turned to writing (though he and his wife did return to continental Europe). He wasnt the most sociable. Documents and personal accounts of the time period describe Joyce as aloof or arrogant, and it is likely that these descriptions assisted in the  perception of artists and authors as mysterious and avant-garde. He didnt play nice with other writers either Particularly in the case of William Butler Yeats. Yeats was desperate for the younger author to like him and offered on multiple occasions to read Joyces poetry. Eventually, Joyce replied with rolled eyes and the comment: I do so since you ask me, but I attach no more importance to your opinion than anybody one meets in the streets. Yikes! (Let us point out that Yeats is also a rather spectacular author, respected both in his time and still today). Joyce underwent twenty-five  eye surgeries in his lifetime.*  Even today, with the evolution of modern medicine, we dont often think of people going under the knife more than  maybe a couple of times in their life - except in the case of extremely persistent conditions. Joyce was a sufferer of one of those unfortunate conditions, and it just so happened that it was his eyes that bore the brunt of the misfortune. Famous for his relative blindness, Joyce received his first pair of glasses at just six years old. Only years later did he begin what would be a lifetime of attempts to repair conditions like inflammation of the iris and spontaneous reshaping of the pupil. *Bonus eye fact: On more than one occasion, doctors applied actual  leeches to his  eyeballs to reduce swelling. Think of that any time you have to go to the eye doctor, and thank your lucky stars that medicine has moved beyond leeching A lot of early copies of  Ulysses  were burned. As stated before,  Ulysses  was originally published as  a serial in the U.S. in 1918, but it was not made into an official book until 1934. Somewhere in those sixteen years between the serial and the novel, some hooligans got it in their minds to combine and bind some illicit copies and distribute them via post. Well, when the U.S. Post Office got wind of this plan, they seized the illegal copies and had them all burned.

20 Words for That Certain Something

20 Words for That Certain Something 20 Words for That Certain Something 20 Words for That Certain Something By Mark Nichol Some people have it, and some people don’t. But what, exactly, is it? Here’s a list of words describing a special quality that sets certain people apart from others, and their meanings: 1. Brio: vivaciousness (Italian, â€Å"fire, life,† perhaps from the word for vigor from a form of French) 2. Charisma: charm or personal magnetism (from the Greek word meaning â€Å"favor†) 3. Chutzpah: admirable or excessive self-confidence; this word and ginger are the only ones on this list that have both positive and negative connotations (from Hebrew by way of Yiddish; several other spellings are used, but this one is the most common) 4. Duende: charm (from Spanish dialect, meaning â€Å"ghost†) 5. Élan: enthusiasm (from the French word eslan, meaning â€Å"rush,† with the same Latin root from which lance is derived) 6. Esprit: vivacious wit (French, from the Latin term spiritus, â€Å"spirit†) 7. Flair: style, or talent or tendency (from the French word meaning â€Å"odor† or â€Å"scent,† ultimately from Latin flagrare, an alteration of fragrare, from which fragrance is derived) 8. Ginger: spirit, or temper (from the Latin term zingiberis, for the root used as a spice and a medicine, derived from the Sanskrit word srngaveram) 9. Gumption: initiative (from a Scottish word meaning â€Å"shrewdness,† perhaps from a Germanic term meaning â€Å"attention†) 10. Gusto: enthusiasm (the Italian word for â€Å"taste,† from the Latin term gustus) 11. Je ne sais quoi: a quality not easily described or expressed (a French phrase that means literally â€Å"I know not what†) 12. Knack: intuitive capacity or knowledge (originally meant â€Å"trick†; perhaps from the onomatopoeic word akin to knock) 13. Mettle: vigor, stamina (from an alternate spelling of metal) 14. Moxie: energy, enthusiasm, courage (from the brand name of a soft drink; early on, such beverages were often touted, long before the advent of energy drinks, as providing pep) 15. Panache: flamboyance; originally, a decorative plume of feathers on a helmet (from the Latin term pinnaculum, meaning â€Å"small wing,† by way of Italian and French) 16. Pizzazz: glamour, vitality (unknown etymology) 17. Savoir faire: self-assuredness, talent for knowing how to conduct oneself (from the French term savoir-faire, meaning â€Å"knowing how to do,† from the Latin words sapere, meaning â€Å"know,† and facere, meaning â€Å"do†) 18. Savoir vivre: knowledge of appropriate behavior (from the French word savoir-vivre, â€Å"knowing how to live,† from the Latin terms sapere, meaning â€Å"know,† and vivre, meaning â€Å"live†) 19. Spunk: courage, pluck (from the Gaelic word spong, meaning â€Å"tinder,† ultimately derived from the Latin term spongia, from which sponge is also derived) 20. Verve: vivacity, energy, enthusiasm (ultimately from the Latin term verbum, meaning â€Å"word,† because of the early sense of â€Å"flair for speaking or writing†) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Royal Order of Adjectives Peace of Mind and A Piece of One's MindWhen Is a Question Not a Question?

Retail Market in Thailand Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Retail Market in Thailand - Assignment Example The Thai retail environment has distorted radically in the years since the 1997 financial crisis, which saw lots of Thai shareholders having to sell their shares to foreign-owned multinational retail operators, as well as the Thai government's policy to hold trade liberalisation in its wish to contribute in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and AFTA (ASEAN Free Trade Area) (David W. Raisbeck, 2003). To struggle the financial crisis, the Thai government followed trade deregulation. Thailand has since welcomed an influx of large-scale multinational hypermarket, supermarket and specialist retailers, which are eager for a share of the Thai retail market. This has raised protests from several Thai academics and traditional retailers, which have raised the "nationalist" alarm bells. Numerous Thai-owned minute and medium-sized retailers have been pushed out of business since they could not fight with the much better multinational discount stores, as some better Thai retailers have been bought out by foreign conglomerates. ... investors possess relative advantages in terms of a noise financial base, superior economies of scale, lower costs of production and superior bargaining power, due to their much larger order volumes (E.G., 2005). Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) "In this increasingly open world, FDI has become an important driving force for economic globalisation". (Xinhua News Agency, 2002) It can be supposed that FDI is fine and essential for the development of Thailand. FDI is regarded as a source of power in the globalisation process that sets apart the modern world economy. The process has reduced the value of territorial boundaries and every area of the world is in single way or another engaged in the process (FAOSTAT, 2005). The region should thus raise its international share of FDI. The supposition is based on the possibly incontrovertible roles that FDI can play in the growth of the region. This justifies the anxiety about the call for and ability of the region to increase its international share of FDI inflows. FDI in Thailand Foreign direct investment has been an significant constituent of Thailand's economic development process. Given the rising meaning of industrial competitiveness in an gradually more spirited global marketplace and the possible of the association linking FDI and technological improvement, this research discover two questions opposite Thai policy makers: (i) what are the most effectual ways in which technology relocate can take place during FDI; and (ii) how can such transfers be accelerated and improved during FDI promotion policies FDI in Emerging Markets It is a reality that Thailand, like several other emerging market of this world, needs a considerable inflow of external resources so as to fill the economy and foreign exchange gaps related

Summarize the IRIS Training Module (2) Coursework

Summarize the IRIS Training Module (2) - Coursework Example This paper will discuss the cultural differences existing regarding the involvement of family in Maria’s case and evaluate how cultural influences affect her development. Cultural influences are evident in how students understand verbal messages, body gestures, physical touch and eye contact because different cultures have different expectations of these modes of communication. For example, Maria is a Mexican student in the US and English is not her first language. Further, apart from learning it in the US, she also needs to have enough command over it to use it to learn academic content in school. According to the U.S. Department of Education (2007), the US is known for its historical emphasis on education, which also explains why majority of American parents have always been concerned and involved in their children’s academic affairs. Further, the present-day American education system does not discriminate against gender, as is traditionally seen among some minority cultures that prioritize the education of the boy child. On the contrary, Maria’s parents have not shown interest in what goes on in her school life apart from the fact th at they enrolled her in school. For instance, they have not been returning her teacher’s calls and have also failed to respond to the notes that have been sent to them for a whole week. This acts as a warning sign to the teacher and generates the initial thoughts that the parents are not supportive of their child’s academic endeavor. From the case study, Maria is also shown to be the typical example of English language learners. This is because although she has the conversational skills to chat with friends during break, she lacks the central academic language and vocabulary to succeed in school. A key cultural influence on Maria’s education is what is typically known of Latin American cultures in which children show

Debt and Equity Essay Example for Free

Debt and Equity Essay Long-term financing requires a meticulous understanding of the various features of debt and equity and their impact an organization. While evaluating debt and equity, an investment banker also has to consider the unique characteristics of the organizations dealings while ensuring that the organizations requirements are met. Debt CapitalDebt capital includes all long-term borrowing incurred by the firm. The cost of debt was found to be less than the cost of other forms of financing. The relative inexpensiveness of debt capital is because the lenders take the least risk of any long-term contributors of capital. Their risk is less than that of other because (1) they have a higher priority of claim against any earnings or assets available for payment (2) they have a far stronger legal pressure against the company to make payment than do preferred or common stockholders, and (3) the tax-deductibility of interest payments lowers the debt cost to the firm substantially. Equity CapitalEquity capital consists of the long-term funds provided by the firms owners, the stockholders. Unlike borrowed funds that must be repaid at a specified future date, equity capital is expected to remain in the firm for an indefinite period. The two basic sources of equity capital are (1) preferred stock and (2) common stock equity, which includes common stock and retained earnings. Common stock is typically the most expensive form of equity, followed by retained earnings and preferred stock, respectively (Pinegar, Wilbricht, 1989). A firms capital structure is determined by the mix of long-term debt and equity it uses in financing its operations. Debt and equity capital differ with respect to voice in management, claims on income and assets, maturity, and tax treatment. Capital structure can be externally assessed using the debt ratio and the debt-equity ratio to measure the firms degree of indebtedness or the times interest earned ratio and the fixed-payment coverage ratio to measure its ability to meet fixed financial payments. Research suggests is an optimal capital structure that balances the firms; benefits and cost of debt financing. The major benefit of debt financing is the tax-deductible interest, and the costs of debt financing include the  probability of bankruptcy, agency costs imposed by lenders in their loan agreements, and asymmetric information costs attributable to managers having more information about the firms prospects than do investors (Modigliani and Miller, 1958). Reference: Modigliani, Franco and Miller, Merton. (1958). The Cost of Capital, CorporationFinance, and the Theory of Investment. American Economic Review. Pinegar, J. Michael and Wilbricht, Liza. (1989). What Managers Think of CapitalStructure Theory.

Michael Kearns on Henry James Washington Square :: Henry James Washington Square

Michael Kearns on Henry James' Washington Square: Much Ado About Nothing It never fails to amaze me how someone can take a theory and expand on the idea so much that it takes twenty pages to defend his or her thesis. Such as the case with Michael Kearns, an English professor at the University of Texas. In Kearns' journal article that appeared in College English, he cites a student's question regarding Chapter 10 of Washington Square: "Why does the narrator tell us that 'this is all that need be recorded of their conversation'? And why does he tell us that if Catherine's aunt had been present for this conversation, she 'would probably have admitted that it was as well it had not taken place beside the fountain in Washington Square'"? (Kearns 766) Had this question been posed in our class discussion of Washington Square, it would be possible that we would discuss it for a short while and then move on. Not Mr. Kearns instead, he goes on for 19 pages about the questions that his student asked. Granted, there were some but only a few arguments about the questions that I thought Kearns presented well. However, most of the article was cumbersome to me, as the reader, and I questioned whether Kearns was just elaborating on nothing in hopes of being published in an academic journal. Kearns writes that the question that his student posed was valuable for several reasons, among them being that "it demonstrated for the class an act of critical reading reading that goes beyond a novel's characters, plot, setting, symbols, motifs, and so forth to look at the rhetoric of intention embodied in all of the choices that comprise a novel" (Kearns 766). This is a very valid opinion that Kearns has. Somehow in academic readings, it seems that the important things gets left behind as we stress heavily on the listing that Kearns chose. Another valid argument that Kearns had is that the student used naà ¯ve realism in her reading, and therefore showed ethical issues that are part of the human condition (Kearns 766). As a result, Kearns feels that this enhances the reading of the characters: "I assume that readers will accept the invitation to respond, not only ethically but also emotionally" (Kearns 769-770). In conclusion, had Kearns left his argument to a simplistic means, I think that this article would have been fascinating to read.

Soccer: the Game of My Life

General purpose: To inform Goal: In my speech I would like to talk to my audience about soccer, which is my hobby. Introduction I. I am sure each of you have a hobby or an activity, which is an escape from the everyday life. II. Such as hobbies or sport activities let’s you relief the stress, and give you the strength to live. III. I also have a hobby, which is soccer. I play soccer since I was a little boy, and it had a big influence on my life. IV. Today, I would like to tell you about how playing soccer shaped my physical and mental strength, allowed me to travel, and meet people and friends.Body I. To begin, let’s talk about health benefits I gained from playing soccer. A. I shaped my overall physical strength and health. 1. Years of playing soccer let me keep my body in good shape. Running, jumping, and stretching, had build up my flexibility, endurance, and physical strength. 2. Continuous training allowed me to stay healthy all the time. Beside occasional colds o r flu I never got sick. B. Pushing my body to hard work influenced my mental strength. 1.The desire to win the game and the endless forcing myself to work hard taught me to never give up, to â€Å"fight to the last whistle†. 2. Soccer allows me to escape from the everyday life. When I play soccer, I forget about all my worries and problems. During the game my stress is relived. Transition: Beside physical and mental health I also received many social benefits from soccer. II. I did travel a lot; I met many people, and made lots of friends. A. Many years of playing soccer allowed me visited many places. 1. Playing in regular season involved travel in a bus around the country.There was always time to stop to see important monuments, explore interesting places or cities. 2. To prepare for the season we often travel to other countries for several days. I have visited many cities in Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia, or Germany. 3. Now, when I am playing for Tarnovia Chicago, I do traveli ng as well. My team is participating in the soccer tournaments hosted in Wisconsin, Michigan, New Jersey, California, and Florida. B. While traveling with the team I met many new friends. 1. Traveling involves spending a lot of time with your teammates.Long bus and train rides, or living in the same room give plenty of time to play, talk, and get to know each other. 2. I also met many people on the field from the opponent teams. With some of those people we have set specific form of friendship, which only exists on the soccer field. We meet once a while at the game and we enjoy playing against each other. Conclusion Summing up my speech, soccer is a team sport, where the personal strengths, trust, and friendships between people are being formed. Those are the things I value the soccer for.

Church Planting

TEMPLE BAPTIST SEMINARY A PLAN FOR CHURCH PLANTING IN BARREIRAS, BRAZIL A CHURCH PLANTING PLAN SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF TEMPLE BAPTIST SEMINARY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE COURSE INTRODUCTION TO CHURCH PLANTING AND GROWTH (ICST 6423) BY Barron Mason JULY 27, 2011 INTRODUCTION Beginning a new church-planting project is a task that requires much responsibility and effort. It is not a light-hearted venture. Nor is it a task that has a one-size-fits-all model or method.Each church plant has unique elements because it reaches unique people in unique places throughout the world. It is a humbling yet exhilarating experience to be called by God to this task of planting a church among a specific group of people. This paper will discuss the work of planting a church among the poor in the city of Barreiras, in the country of Brazil. Included in this paper are demographic data that influence the strategies and methods chosen for planting the church. Also included are var ious factors of strategy and methods to be implemented in this church-planting endeavor.May God be glorified in this work and may the local body of Christ in Barreiras, Brazil one day be a shining light that reaches people with the gospel of Christ and reproduces itself in other church plants throughout the region and the world. DEMOGRAPHIC DATA OF BARREIRAS The city of Barreiras is situated in the Northeastern part of Brazil, in the state of Bahia. The region is a plains region where farmland is abundant. The climate of Barreiras is arid and hot. There is a rainy season from November to January. The rest of the year has little to no rainfall.Even though there is little rainfall during most of the year the region makes it’s living by agricultural farming and cattle farming. Some of the crops produced in the region include sugar cane, corn, soybeans, cotton, and coffee. Irrigation is used in most farms and is a process that was introduced to the region in the 1990s, which aide d in the population explosion of the city and region. [1] According to the 2007 Brazilian Census there is a population of 137,427 people in Barreiras. This census also reports that the size of the city is 7,859 square kilometers (3,034 square miles). 2] The city lies between natural geographical barriers. It is located in a valley between higher elevations, with various rivers surrounding and running through it. The rivers that make up part of the city include the Rio Sao Francisco (Sao Francisco River), Rio de Janeiro (Janeiro River), Rio das Femeas (Females River), and the Rio Boa Sorte (Good Luck River). [3] Based on personal visits to the city there is a clearly visible contrast in the financial classes of the people. The farming industry has led to the wealth of many people in the area.Yet, there is a large gap between the rich and poor. Albeit a rich city, a majority of the population of Barreiras is poor. The common citizen of the city struggles with providing basic needs for their family. Most of the poor women are the ones who provide many of the public services to the city, such as maids, custodial work in stores and hotels and market vendors. The men work as builders and farmers. Often the men work in the fields for weeks at a time, coming home on the weekends every two weeks for a couple of days rest.The average family income for the poor population is approximately R$800. 00 per month. That is the equivalent of US$500. 00 monthly. This figure is based on two working adults in each household. Because of this low income most people do not own a car and live in a very small house made of wood or block. Often the homes are unfinished. As families can afford to complete construction on the home they will. Because it is common for men to work in fields for days or weeks at a time, their absence in the home creates many obstacles to ministry and church growth.One of the common situations in a church in the region is that it is full of women and children and greatly lacking in male leadership and example. This, along with the other factors mentioned above will have an impact on the strategy to planting a church among the poor of this city. FACTORS OF STRATEGY AND METHOD Before the work begins, a strategy must be put in place and methods must be decided. This section will outline and describe how the church plant will begin and unfold. The beginning stages and the factors most important to it will be described in this section as well.The plan will serve as a guideline to the work that will be done to see that the church is carefully given over to national leadership so that it may continue reproducing itself in the region and throughout the world. The Prayer Factor The first factor that will be implemented in the church plant in Barreiras is prayer. As Jesus demonstrated in his earthly ministry, prayer is a vital part of a successful communion with God. In Matthew 14 Jesus had just finished performing the miracle of feeding 5,000 men plus women and children. In verse 23 he â€Å"went up into a mountain apart to pray. Jesus also spent special time in prayer before his suffering and death. â€Å"And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Matthew 26:39). In The Book of Church Growth: History, Theology, and Principles, Thom S. Rainer confirms the importance of prayer in the life of the local church. He stated, â€Å"There is simply no more important principle on Church Growth than prayer. †[4] Reflecting on the early church, it is clear that prayer was fundamental to their Christian life. Acts 1:14 speaks of this truth, â€Å"These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication. In the church plant personal and corporate prayer will be emphasized. Along with motivating prayer times personally and corporately, sharing responses to prayer will also be vital. As the church body is gathered for worship there will be time for prayer requests and praises for answered prayers. It will be important for the believers to have those times because they will be encouraging to those who are still waiting on answers to prayer. Perhaps the best way to encourage believers in the church to pray will be the personal example of the leadership.The church planter will need to record and report on his personal prayer life, for example, with a list of requests and their answers. By relating this personal devotion to prayer the church will be motivated to incorporate it into their daily lives. The Vision Factor The second factor to be incorporated into the church planting effort is vision. According to Tom A. Steffen, the vision statement is a tool that is useful for allowing the church planting team to see their final destination and how to get there. [5] The vision statement can be likened to a road map.Before taking a trip the driver acquires a map that outlines the destination and route to arrive there. In the church plant the vision statement will serve as t hat map. The statement will be the destination – what the church should look like. Using the vision statement, the church plant team members can effectively plan the trip – how to arrive at the destination. The vision statement for the church in Barreiras is: â€Å"This church exists as a local body of saved and baptized believers in Jesus Christ to bring glory to God Almighty through its worship, witness, walk, and work.This church is to reproduce in this region as well as throughout the world. This church will fulfill its vision by practicing the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). † Fulfilling the Vision With the Great Commission The Great Commission involves both reaching people with the gospel and teaching them the Word of God. M. David Sills thoroughly treated this subject in his book, Reaching and Teaching: A Call to Great Commission Obedience. He argued the importance of both evangelizing the target group as well as spending the necessary and often difficult time to teach them, as s clearly mandated in the Great Commission. Sills highlights the missionary ministry of the Apostle Paul, showing that he spent a great deal of time and energy in teaching the churches that he founded. â€Å"Paul stated that he longed to preach Christ in the unreached areas so that he would not be building on another man’s foundation, but his ministry reveals that this was balanced with staying to preach and teach, writing letters, or sending disciples in his place to continue the essential ministry that remained. [6] The church will have set times for evangelism as well as training to equip the believers to evangelize on their own. Fulfilling the Vision With the Great Commandment The church will be involved in the discipleship process. This will be vital to the life and growth of the church as the believers are challenged and taught to live a life pleasing to God. Through teaching believers to love Go d completely and to love their neighbors as themselves, the vision will be fulfilled. The Accurate Gospel FactorOne existing danger in a church-planting project is preaching an inaccurate gospel. When the gospel message is not presented accurately to the target group the resulting church will be negatively effected. Perhaps the target group will believe the gospel in hopes of it bringing health or good crops. Or perhaps they will accept it as just another belief system to add to their list. If this is carried on from generation to generation then the church will continue preaching an inaccurate gospel. Therefore, the gospel presented to the target group must be accurate.Steffen points out that the gospel presented to the target group has a direct relation to the type of church that is planted and their understanding of the Bible. â€Å"The fundamental key to understanding the whole Bible is a correct understanding of the good news of Jesus Christ. †[7] The accurate gospel mes sage that will be presented to the people of Barreiras will be based on and include four primary elements. They are: 1) God is holy, 2) man is sinful, 3) Christ is sufficient, and 4) man must have faith. These are simple and concise statements.However, each has a basis on God’s Word and is important for understanding the accurate gospel message. Unfortunately, many gospel presentations include the following two elements: Christ died to forgive sin and unless one wants to go to Hell he must be saved. Although those are included in the gospel message, it is not a complete, nor accurate, gospel message. The above four essential elements will be explained below. God is Holy Because God is holy he is completely separate from evil and sin. God does not allow sin to be around him.It is recorded in Isaiah 6:1-3 that Isaiah saw the throne of the Lord and heard seraphims saying to him, â€Å"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. † It is al so recorded in 1 Peter 1:15, â€Å"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. † When considering the holiness of God man understands that he has a problem. Man does not meet God’s standard and cannot have a relationship with him in his present state of sin. Man is Sinful Man’s condition is destitute. Man has erred and has chosen to disobey God and go his own way.In Genesis 3 the first sin of mankind is recorded when Adam disobeyed God’s command to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. Because of Adam’s sin all men are now born sinners. It is recorded in Romans 3:23, â€Å"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. † Romans 5:12 also shows that all men are sinners, â€Å"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. † The gospel must present this truth. The gospel does not exist to solve the health problems or vocational problems of man.It exists because mankind is sinful and cannot go to God as a sinner. However, the gospel is the good news that provides sinners with a solution. Christ is Sufficient When someone understands that God is holy and that man is sinful then he is going to be in need of some good news. The good news is that Jesus Christ has paid the price for man’s sin and his work is sufficient to bring salvation to man and reconcile him to God. The good news is presented in Romans 5:8 – â€Å"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. † Other verses of Scripture relate the good news of Jesus Christ as well.Romans 3:24-25, â€Å"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past , through the forbearance of God. † 1 Timothy 2:5, â€Å"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. † This good news of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection must be taught as the only sufficient plan for the salvation of mankind. But how does man get this salvation? Must he work for it? What does the Bible say?The final element of an accurate gospel is the necessity of personal faith. Man Must Have Faith For many American Christians, there are famous words recorded in Ephesians 2:8-9: â€Å"For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. † These verses are clear that man cannot earn salvation. Salvation is a gift. Salvation is personal through faith. Faith is the key to an individual’s salvation. Believe is another term used in the Bible to describe man’s acceptance of the gospel message. This personal faith or belief is explained in 1 John 5:11-13.And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. The accurate gospel must include all four elements when presented to the people of Barreiras. The holy God who loves the sinful man and sent his only Son to pay the price for man’s sin provides salvation to those who have faith in Christ.This is the accurate gospel message. The National Leadership Factor Steffen pointed out that the church plant must involve national leadership early on, if not from the beginning. He also noted the importance of beginning the church plant with a strategic plan for completely leaving the work in national leaders’ hands. He commented on a mission leader who attested to the fact that the church cannot keep up with the world’s population growth and continue planting new churches if they are â€Å"reluctant to release power swiftly to those they have come to reach. [8] These two principles will be important to the church-planting project in Barreiras, Brazil. Brazil is not a pioneer mission field. One of the striking things concerning the life of the church in Brazil is that the past two decades have shown a dramatic growth among evangelical Christians. One result of that growth has been the founding of Bible Institutes and seminaries. The function of these institutions is to train workers for ministry throughout Brazil and the world. Because these institutions already exist there is really no need to establish more training institutions.Also, it is not difficult to find trained leaders for the newly planted churches. A reality for many of the seminary graduates is that upon completion of their seminary program there are few or n o ministry positions available in churches for them to fill. Therefore, there should not be difficulty in finding a qualified leader for the church plant. The search for leadership will begin with the existing seminaries and Bible Institutes. The Exit Factor The exit plan for this church plant will be modeled after Steffen’s explanation of and emphasis on role changes.Using these role changes, the church can systematically and successfully be given over to Brazilian leadership. The following roles will be filled by the church planter and replaced with the national leadership. The first role is â€Å"learner. † The learner role will be occupied the entire time the church planter serves the target group. The second role is â€Å"evangelist. † During this role, the church planter will have as his goal â€Å"winning key members of the target people to Christ. †[9] The next role is â€Å"teacher. † The teacher role focuses on modeling ministry with a na tional believer accompanying him.In the fourth role, â€Å"resident advisor,† the church planter becomes a â€Å"coach on the sideline† and joys with the team when they win and sorrows with the team when they lose. [10] The fifth role is that of â€Å"itinerant advisor. † During this role the national leadership will be responsible for the church’s administration while the church planter takes leaves of absence from the target group. The final role is the â€Å"absent advisor. † This will take place when the church planter is completely removed from the target group and maintains contact and instruction as needed through visits and correspondence.During the resident advisor and itinerant advisor stages the church planter will make survey trips to other areas that are potential locations for new church plants. In order to maintain a vision for expansion, it will be necessary to make regular trips such as these. The purpose is to increase awareness o f areas that are in need of a church plant. It will also be important to take along some of the national leadership. In doing so, the nationals will develop a vision for other areas and for reproducing themselves there.This will enable the church plant to become mission minded and encourage them to take on personal responsibility for fulfilling the Great Commission. CONCLUSION After years of struggles and victories the church plant be administrated fully by national believers. For God’s glory there will be a local body of believers fulfilling God’s plan on earth. When the church plant begins to personally and responsibly fulfill the Great Commission then the job has been completed – sort of. In the completion of one church plant another must automatically begin among the next target group.Thus, the cycle of church planting continues, never really completing. By God’s grace and for his glory the church plant in Barreiras will not complete, but keep going. BIBLIOGRAPHY IBGE [email  protected] http://www. ibge. gov. br/cidadesat/painel/painel. php? codmun=290320# (accessed July 24, 2011). Prefeiutra Municipal de Barreiras. Economia. http://www. barreiras. ba. gov. br/site/index. html (accessed July 24, 2011). Rainer, Thom S. The Book of Church Growth: History, Theology, and Principles. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1993. Sills, M. David.Reaching and Teaching: A Call to Great Commission Obedience. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers, 2010. Steffen, Tom A. Passing the Baton: Church Planting that Empowers. LaHabra, California: Center for Organizational and Ministry Development, 1997. Wikipedia. Barreiras. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Barreiras (accessed July 24, 2011). ———————– [1] Prefeitura Municipal de Barreiras, â€Å"Economia,† http://www. barreiras. ba. gov. br/site/index. html (accessed July 24, 2011). [2] IBGE: [email  protected], http://w ww. ibge. gov. br/cidadesat/painel/painel. php? codmun=290320# (accessed July 24, 2011). 3] Wikipedia, â€Å"Barreiras,† http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Barreiras (accessed July 24, 2011). [4] Thom S. Rainer, The Book of Church Growth: History, Theology, and Principles, (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1993), 183. [5] Tom A. Steffen, Passing the Baton: Church Planting that Empowers, (La Habra, California: Center for Organizational and Ministry Development, 1997), 78. [6] M. David Sills, Reaching and Teaching: A Call to Great Commission Obedience, (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2010), 99. [7] Steffen, Passing the Baton, 134. [8] Steffen, Passing the Baton, 14. [9] Steffen, Passing the Baton, 22. [10] Ibid. , 23.

The Age Of Innocence Essays

The Age Of Innocence Essays The Age Of Innocence Essay The Age Of Innocence Essay Name: Instructor: Course: Date: The Age Of Innocence The age of innocence is a book on choices. It is the story of how the character Newland Archer finds himself happily engaged to May Welland a beautiful young woman who happens to be sophisticated, polite and well mannered, and it certainly does not hurt that she is an aristocrat. He believes that he has finally found what he was looking for and is looking for a life of blissful happiness with her. He then meets Countess Ellen Olenska, May’s cousin from America, who is in the process of separation from her husband who he finds to be beautiful but lacking charm. At first, he is concerned that his innocent young fiancee is sitting next to a woman whose morals he considers questionable notwithstanding the fact that they are cousins. He has heard gossip among men and is surprised by rumors of her infidelity toward her husband, whom she is planning to divorce. The beginning of the book the author sets a scene of elegance, affluence where the author distinguishes between what is proper in that time and age, and what is distasteful conduct. She also shows the close bond between Archer and May, which is evident in the fact that even through non-verbal communication they understand each other perfectly and are in harmony. The author also shows that acceptance into this â€Å"club† is characterized by affluence, good etiquette and how well one can conceal their unpleasant side. Archer considers his own good fortune at his engagement to May who he deems perfect. On the subject of Ellen’s divorce, He opines that it should be granted as he advocates that she is deserving of the same rights, as any man should. He listens to Ellen’s critiques and opinions and though he feels they should not be brought up, he nonetheless finds them insightful. He also muses that his fiancee is a product of the society she was brought up in, and regards her as so bonded with her lifestyle that anything different would be unsuited to her persona. As Archer learns more of Ellen’s background, he becomes somewhat sympathetic toward her. Ellen narrates to him how it feels when the society in new York wishes her to be someone she is not. Moreover, she states that the reason society imposes this on her is that it causes them discomfort to view anything different than what they are used to. She believes that the society judges her more harshly than necessary. While ke en to fit into the New York scene, she is not willing to subject her personality to any changes. After a spell, bored of the monotony of his life, Archer tries to convince May to move up the wedding date even suggesting elopement, which May finds funny. Here, he begins to view her imperfections are such that she cannot even think for herself going as far as comparing her to a cavefish. He thinks her too set in her ways. Meanwhile, he comes across a letter that would be damaging to Ellen’s reputation and attempts to convince Ellen’s husband not to go through with his intended divorce. The letter makes Archer judgmental of Ellen, and he views her disdainfully due to the allegations of adultery against her. Archer watches a scene, which particularly moves him and makes him contemplate his relationship with Ellen. In the scene, he watches an actor turn back and not notice her lover kissing a ribbon that hangs from her neck. This reminds him of his and Ellen’s relationship, which he feels, is filled with chances that were missed and which he cannot reclaim. Archer meets his friend Ned, a failed author and during their conversation, he is reminded of how narrow and constricted his own life is. Archer joins May on vacation and is happy to see her, but his mind is dulled by the simplicity of her’s. He again tries to convince her to shorten their engagement. She mentions to him that he is trying to do so because he may still be in love with a past mistress. Archer meets Ellen after he comes back from his vacation and states his love for her, telling her that he would break off his engagement, and she would finalize her divorce, and they would be together. Ellen refuses this stating that she would not like to cause anyone pain. She asks him to be practical and after he states that, he would rather see her dead than return to her husband she states, â€Å"You say that because it’s the easiest thing to say at this moment- not because it’s true.† After the Archers’ wedding, while on honeymoon, archer is still surprised by May’s naivete and gives up on her stating, â€Å"There was no use in trying to educate a wife who had not the dimmest notion that she was not free.† Their honeymoon is three months long and Archer slowly forgets Ellen referring to her as a â€Å"ghost†. On return to New York, he is sent by Ellen’s grandmother to go see her. He finds her at a beach with her back to him and states that he will not go to her if she does not turn to face him. After she refuses, he leaves her alone, mentally ending his relationship with her. Archer is soon bored of the repetitiveness of his married life. He decides to visit the country hoping to bump into Ellen there, but does not find her. He decides to go to Boston on business where he runs into Ellen. He questions her about the day on the beach, and she states that she purposely did not turn back. She reveals to him that her husband is offering a vast amount for her return and that she is considering it. She also reveals to be heartbroken about their separation and claims that she cannot even return to Europe because she does not wish to be far from him. Ellen and May become friends to the delight of Archer. Ellen stays close to take care of her grandmother who has had a stroke and Archer is glad that she is close. Abruptly, Ellen leaves and May reveals to Archer that she is pregnant. She then tells him that she had told Ellen of her pregnancy tow weeks earlier. It becomes clear to Archer during Ellen’s farewell party that everyone thought they had been having an affair for years and this surprised. May dies of pneumonia abruptly after nursing their youngest son back to health. At the end of the book, we see that Archer had misjudged May too harshly. He saw her as a naive, foolish woman whose only assets were her beauty but it seems that she was much more perceptive that he gave her credit. May was on many occasions able to deduce Archer’s feelings, and this is most clearly seen at the end, when her son tells his father that she had once â€Å"made him give up what he wanted most† referring to his relationship wi th Ellen, which she had known about.

Hanging Upside Down is Fun! The Other Side of The Essay Expert

Hanging Upside Down is Fun! The Other Side of The Essay Expert Sometimes the greatest things to be acknowledged for are not work-related. I was therefore very excited to be featured in the Escape Adulthood blog. Escape Adulthood is a company whose mission is to â€Å"annihilate Adultitis†! As much as I am behind the mission of my own company, I’m thrilled to be part of this grand vision to bring lightness and childlike enthusiasm to the lives of as many people as possible! I hope you enjoy seeing this other side of The Essay Expert. Hint: I talk a lot about being upside down.

Family study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Family study - Assignment Example Because I think it is more effective to understand the otherness of two groups, knowing how to adapt us in a better way. In addition, we should aspire to multiculturalism because the society could be more splendid and interesting with more diversity and we could know more about different cultures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I came to America, I met a lot of great friends here. Mike is an ABC (American Born in China) boy, his father is from Chinese and his mother is an American. I heard about some interesting thing in his family. He thought his family is very special with two total opposite cultures. The advantages are he could speak both two languages though he could not write down the Chinese letters. In addition, he learned two different cultures and use two thinking model to look upon things. However, this structure of family also influence him and there are some disadvantages, such as his parents always have a culture clash and have different attitudes when they face the same thing. He told me that sometimes he felt very confused about his parents’ thinking and had no idea which one was better.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To my surprise, the research shows there is no difference in developmental outcomes when children rose by same-sex couples. I thought they would have higher gay trends due to the influence of their parents, but it was actually my bias. However, comparing with children who grow up in heterosexual families, children who are from gay couples families are treated differently. They have less rights and unfair treatments in the society today, such as they have no rights to visit parents in hospital or do not have spousal health insurance coverage. The most important thing is, children from gay family might live in the environment with societal stigma, which could cause mental harm to them. Response: I agree with what is researched and mentioned in the article. The reason behind my agreement is

The Greater Freedom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Greater Freedom - Essay Example To begin with, the influence of the political class on judicial proceedings will be limited or completely prohibited. This is because politicians often threaten fair administration of justice, hence hindering citizen from airing grievances. The judiciary is thus not autonomous, and prevalence of justice is sabotaged. Secondly, the government will be held accountable through democratic platforms. This would be essential in promoting media freedom in covering proceedings of government business in parliament, and the experts airing views on governance. Lack of questioning or critique of the government breeds corruption and other dubious deals whose burden and effects are borne by the citizens. Thirdly, it will be beneficial to carry over the freedom of rights article from the First Amendment to the new nation, which includes speech, religion, petition, peaceful assembly, and free press. This is because the amendment was made at a time when the United States was experiencing a lot of turbulence due to the then government’s discrimination against those who defied its rulings no matter how weird they were. It was during this period that the people were allowed to be affiliated with their religious groups of choice, and speak freely unless in the case of slander or malice. However, this freedom of expression will be under certain limitations that will include obscenity, advertisement of harmful substances, offensive symbolic expressions, and inappropriate music.America is a technological hub.

Financial Markets & institutions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Markets & institutions - Assignment Example (LurÊ ¹e 15) Example; 100.00 Euros are provided by a company for a period of one year at rate of 3 per cent. At the end of the year it expects to receive 1030.00 Euros. However, the bank supposes 10 per cent rate inflation in the next year it will want 1133.00 Euros. The interest rate expected by the bank will sum up to 13.3 per cent. Treasury Bill (T-Bill) are simple market securities issued by the government. T-Bills are short-term securities used by the government to collect money from the public. In purchasing of T-Bills, the holder will pay a price that is less than the face or par value of it. (Kawai 16) T-Bills mature after three months, half a year or after a year of issuance. The government will then pay the holder the full face value. T-Bill provides guarantee and safety returns because it has full back and faith of the government. Investors lending money to the government get their money back with interest. Limited access is one of the drawbacks of T-Bills. Investors who need to withdraw their money before the maturity dates are reached have to pay a penalty. T-Bills have little returns because of lees maturity period mostly not more than one-year thus low amount of interest. (Kawai 21) The banks or credit unions issue certificates of deposit (CDs) to holders who have deposited funds to the bank. CDs limit the holders from withdrawing the funds when in need of cash until a set period of time elapses. When one has to withdraw fund from the bank a penalty is incurred. CDs are secured form of investments and they offer high amount of returns. CDs are not prone to risk, pensions and instability. Disadvantages of certificate of Deposits are that they require a high amount of initial capital than that for saving account. Investors obtain little returns from CDs thus a drawback. Companies create corporate bonds by giving debts with the aim of raising capital. Bond provide fixed amount of income and

Strategic Operational And Tactical Level Information Technology Essay

Strategic Operational And Tactical Level Information Technology Essay It is the combination of Information Technology and people using it to carry out operations and management. In a large sense it is frequently used with in people to process data and technology. It is also refer to Information and Communication Technology (ICT), which is used in organization, where people work with this to support business processes. There is a clear different between information system, ICT and business process. IT is completely different from information system, information system consist of ICT component. Information system helps to control the performance of business process. Information system is a special type of work system, which produces products or services for customer, where human and machines perform work using ICT and resources. Information system purpose is to process information. Information system is a system which represents data and process as a form of social memory. Information system supports human decision making and action. What is the role of Information Systems in todays competitive business environment on Strategic, Operational and Tactical level? Strategic Level: IS (Information system) supports business processes and operations: IS helps managers to execute their daily activities and functions properly, for example, in bank, creation of accounts, statement generation etc take place; and IS helps managers control such activities with greater accuracy and in a timely manner with the help of software. IS supports decision making for managers and employees: IS takes data as input and then processes it to generate information; simply defined as Input Æ’Â ¨ Process Æ’Â ¨ Information. This information is used by the managers for the improvement of their organizations, for example, existing historical data about customers in bank can be analyzed by IS and important information can be generated like bad customers and good customers, etc. This information can be used by managers while deciding whether to approve loan for new customers or not IS supports in making strategic decision for competitive advantage: By analyzing data collected from different sources, IS can provide valuable information such as which items to launch in which location; so that the company can have advantage over their competitors using this information. IS can also help business houses; in carrying out their business processes differently than their competitors. Operational Level: IS promises Operational excellence: In order to achieve higher profitability, businesses improve their operations efficiency. Managers make use of IS in business operations to achieve higher levels of productivity and efficiency. An excellent example is the use of the RetailLink system at Wal-Mart; this system digitally links every one of the Wal-Marts stores with its suppliers; the supplier is monitoring the items and as soon as an item is purchased, the supplier knows that a replacement must be shipped to the shelf. IS helps create new products, business models and services: In firms, Information system is a crucial tool in creating new services and products and new business models. Business models describe how the companies produce, deliver and sells a product or service to be successful. An example is Apple Inc; it transformed an old business model which was based on its iPod technology platform that included iPod, iPhone and the iTunes music service. IS helps monitor increase Supplier/Customer intimacy: When a customer is served well by a business, he usually responds by returning and purchasing more from the business; this raises the profits and revenues of the business. The more the business engages its suppliers, the better the suppliers are able to provide vital inputs; which in turn lowers costs. An example is the high-end hotel, Manhattans The Mandarin Oriental and other such high-end hotels; they illustrate the use of IS and technology to achieve better customer intimacy. They track guests preferences using computers, such as their preferred television programs, check-in times and room temperatures. Tactical Level: IS helps making better decisions: Many managers operate in an information bank and they never have the relevant information at the right moment to make a learned decision; poor outcomes like these loose customers and raise costs. Managers can use real time data while making decisions; IS allow managers to use real-time data from the marketplace while making decisions. An example is the Verizon Corporation, which uses a Web-based digital dashboard that gives managers accurate real-time information on customer complains and network performances. By using this information, managers can rapidly inform customers of the repair work, assign repair resources to the involved areas, and restore service promptly. Competitive advantage: When the firms achieve the business objectives, for example, customer intimacy, operational excellence, improved decision making, new services, products and business models, than it is most like that they have achieved a competitive advantage already. Accomplishing these things finer than their objects, responding to suppliers and customers in real time, charging less for premium products all add up to higher sales and profits. An example is the Toyota Production System which mainly focuses on organizing work to make continuous improvements, eliminating waste; Toyota Production System is based on what the customers actually ordered. How are Information Systems transforming the functional areas of organizations? Computers are used for almost any task. We check email with it, watch media, bank and more. Information is the life of organization, damaged or lost data can cause financial loss, law suits, etc. Information system contains hardware, software, data, applications, communication and people. It helps an organization to manage and secure its critical corporate, customer and employee data. Information system improves work process and gives lot of other benefits. An example is the Transaction Processing System (TPS) which is used in one functional area of a business; it process routine transactions more accurately and efficiently. TPS has many sub-species which are directly linked to their respective functional areas, for example, there is Finance and Accounting Systems for the functional areas of accounts and finance, Human Resource System for the Human Resource area, etc. Information System is different form other system because its purpose is to monitor and document the operations of other systems, we can also call it target system. For example, production activities would be the target system for a production scheduling information system, human resources would be the target system of a human resource information system. Every reactive system has a sub system called Information system, whose purpose is to monitor and control system. Task 2 There are many, many types of Information systems, but the most common ones are these: Transaction Processing System (TPS); Decision Support System (DSS); Management Information System (MIS); Office Automation System (OAS); Executive Information System (EIS) and Data Warehouses (DW). Transaction Processing System (TPS): TPS is a basic business system and it handles the tracking and processing of transactions. A transaction is simply an event which is of interest to the organization, for example, a railway booking system in which Booking, Cancellation, etc are all transactions; or a sale at a store. TPS is very useful and has many functions and it Serves the most elementary day-to-day activities of an organization. Is very often crucial to the survival of the organization Usually has high volumes of output and input Needs to be fault-tolerant Supports the operational level of the business Supplies data for higher-level management decisions Can have strategic consequences, for example, airline reservation system Deals with well-structured processes. A Transaction processing system has many sub-species, some of which are: Sales and Marketing Systems: These are systems that support the sales and marketing functions by easing the movement of services and goods from producers to customers. For example, a Stores sale system would automatically record and total purchase transactions and print out a packing list; this would improve customer service and maintain customer data. Manufacturing and Production systems: These systems supply data to operate, control and monitor the production processes, such as shipping, receiving, purchasing, scheduling, engineering, resource management, quality control, etc. For example, a system in factory that measures samples of products and gets information from that; then statistically analyses the samples and shows when the operators should take corrective action. Human Resource System: These systems deal with performance evaluation, compensation, placement, career development and recruitment of the firms employees. Examples of HRS include training and skills, applicant tracking, personnel record keeping, positions, benefits. Finance Accounting System: These systems maintain records which concern the flow of funds in the firm and they also produce financial statements, such as income statements and balance sheets. E.g for General Ledger; Budgeting, Billing: Cost Accounting, Accounts Payable/ Receivable; Funds management systems, payroll. These systems were among the earliest to be computerized. Examples of Financial systems are loan management, cash management, securities trading and check processing. Management Information Systems (MIS): They assist lower management in problem solving and making decisions. MIS usually takes data from the transaction processing system and summarizes it into a series of management reports which are to be used by the middle management and operational supervisors. MIS is a set of information processing functions and queries should be handled by it as quickly as they arrive. Database is an important element of MIS. MIS simply provides managers with feedback on daily operations; it also provides information and support for effective decision making. An example of MIS is an annual budgeting system. Decision Support System (DSS): DSS provides information, models or analysis tools to the senior managers and strategic management staff to help them make decisions. DSS are used for support of unstructured decisions and they are for analytical work mainly, for example, creating of what-if models using spreadsheets databases. An example job for a Decision Support System would be a 6 year operating plan. Office Automation Systems (OAS): They are used to improve the productivity of employees who need to process data information for reducing paper warfare. For example, Microsoft Office XP improves the productivity of employees working in an office or system that allow employees to work from home or whilst on the move. OAS software tools are often integrated and are designed for easy operations (for example, a graph from a spreadsheet can be imported in the Word Processor). Executive Information System (EIS): Also known as Executive Support System (ESS) and it provides information to the executives in a readily accessible, interactive format. EIS (or ESS) usually allow summary of the entire organization and also allows drilling down to specific levels of detail. EIS also use data which is produced by ground level Transaction Processing System so the executives can gain an overview of the entire organization. EIS require extensive staff to operate and are very expensive to run and are used by top level (strategic) management. Data Warehouses System: A Data Warehouse is a place where data is stored analysis, security and archival purposes. A data warehouse is usually either a single computer or a giant computer system formed by tying many computers together. Besides storing large amount of data, they must also possess the systems in place that would make it easy to access the data and use in day-to-day operations. It is also sometimes referred to be a major role player in DSS, or Decision Support System. How you identify the major support systems, and relate them to managerial functions? Support systems are Office Automation, Decisions Support Systems, Management Information system and TPS. Management Information system (MIS) generally takes the data from TPS (Transaction processing system) and summarizes it into a series of management reports, which are used by operational supervisors and also by the middle management. Decision-Support Systems are designed to help management make decisions, when there is uncertainty about the possible outcome. DSS gather relevant information with the help of tools and techniques and analyze the options and alternatives. DSS often create what-if models with the use of databases and spreadsheets. Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) helps business create and share information. This helps employees who creates and shares knowledge and expertise, which is shared in organization to create further commercial opportunities. KMS allows efficient categorization and distribution of knowledge. For example knowledge might be in word documents, spreadsheets, power point or internet etc, to share KMS would use collaboration system like intranet. Transaction Processing Systems (TPS) process routine transaction accurately and efficiently; and businesses may have many TPS, for example Invoices are sent to customers using the Billing systems Systems that calculate monthly and weekly payroll and tax payments Calculations of raw materials using Production and purchasing systems Using Stock control systems to process of all movement within the businesses Office Automation Systems (OAP) improves the productivity of the employees that process data information. For example, Microsoft Office XP improves productivity of employees that work in an office or system that enable employees to work on the move or from home. Task 3 Describe the tools and techniques provided by the Information Systems department and its relationship with end-users to solve the specific problems? The Information system department provides many different tools and techniques to solve problems and the main ones are: Data Warehouses: Their main purpose is to establish a data storehouse that makes operational data accessible in a form which is readily acceptable for analytical processing activities like Decision Support or EIS. Data Warehouses have many different characteristics such as Organization (data are organized), Time Variant (data kept for 5-10 years so it can be used for forecasting and comparisons), Non-Volatility (data are not updated once it has been entered in the warehouse), Consistency (data are coded in a consistent manner) and Client/Server (the data warehouse provides the end user an easy access to the data by using the clients/servers). How it solves problems: The Data in the warehouses is organized for less confusion; The Data is stored for a long time, allows for forecasts and comparisons; Takes raw data and codes it in a consistent matter for easy analysis Provides the end user an easy access to its data The data warehouse uses a relational structure The data are located in one place, allows data to be reached quickly Web browsers can be used to allow end users to reach data easily Data Mining: the process of analyzing data from different views and then summarizing it into useful information. Such information could be used to cut costs, raise revenue or both. For years, companies have used very powerful computers to sift through large volumes of supermarket scanner data and analyze market research reports. Data Mining is currently being used in areas like Retailing and Sales, Banking, Insurance, Airlines, Health Care, Computer Software Hardware, etc. How it solves problems: Data mining automates the process of discovering predictive information in very large databases; Data mining tools identify previous hidden patterns in just one step Can operate on unprocessed or even unstructured information. Text Web Mining: Text mining is the application of data mining to less structured text files. Web Mining are mining tools which can be used to analyze large amounts of data on the Web (like what customers are doing on the Internet). How it solves problems: Groups documents by common themes, making them easier to locate sort Finds the hidden content of documents and also additional useful relationships Geographic Information System (GIS): this is a computer-based system which is used for capturing, checking, storing, manipulating, integrating and displaying data using digitalized maps. How it solves problems: Every digital object or record has an identified geographical location Branch performances can be monitored, analyzed and compared Volume and traffic patterns of business activities can be monitored Geographical area served by each Bank branch can be observed, to plan if new banks are needed or not. Data Visualization: This is the presentation of data by technologies like digital images, graphical user interface, 3-d presentations and animations, geographical information systems, virtual reality, multidimensional graphs tables. How it solves problems: Presents many different kinds of data into a common, understandable way for better more accurate analysis; reduces errors too. On-Line Analytic Processing: this is the technology that allows users of multidimensional databases to generate on-line comparative summaries of data and other analytical enquiries; OLAP can also be integrated into corporate databases systems. How it solves problems: OLAP facilities allow managers and analysts to monitor the performance of the business or market. The end-results of OLAP technologies can be very simple (frequency tables, etc) to make the data much easier to understand and analyze. How the Executives may use any alternative data/ information processing techniques to support the decision making This is a crucial step in making an effective decision. The more good options that you consider, the more inclusive your final decision will be. You force yourself to reach deeper and you look at problems via different angles, when you generate alternatives. By using the mindset there must be other solutions out there, you have more chance to make the best possible decision. If you havent got other reasonable alternatives, then theres not much of a decision to make! Below is a summary of some of the important techniques and tools to help teams develop good alternatives. Generating Ideas Brainstorming is possibly the most well known method for generating ideas. Reverse Brainstorming works in the same manner. But, it works by asking people to brainstorm of how to achieve the opposite result from the one required, and then simply reversing those actions. The Charette Procedure is a systematic process and it gathers and develops ideas from many stakeholders. Crawford Slip Writing Technique generates ideas from a large number of people. This method is extremely effective and ensures that ideas from everyone are heard and weighed equally irrespective of the persons power in the organization. Explore the Alternatives You need to evaluate the risks and implications of each choice once you are completely satisfied that you have a good selection of realistic alternatives. Risk Theres almost always some degree of uncertainty in decision making process that may lead to risks, inevitably. You can determine if the risk is manageable of not simply by evaluating the risks involved with the options. Risk Analysis allows you to look at risks impartially. It assess threats and evaluates the probability of events taking place using a structured approach their management costs. Implications You can consider the potential consequences of each of your options Six Thinking Hats, after viewing the alternatives from 6 different perspectives, you can assess the consequences of a decision. Impact Analysis, useful technique for brainstorming the unexpected outcomes that could mount from a decision. Choose the Best Alternative After assessing the different alternatives, the following step is choosing between them. The choice could be very obvious, but if it is not, then the tools below will help: Grid Analysis (or decision matrix), is a very useful tool for this type of evaluation. It helps bring different factors in the process of decision making in a reliable way, therefore this tool is invaluable. Paired Comparison Analysis help decide the importance of differing factors and helps you compare factors that are unlike and decide which ones should influence your decision the most. Decision Trees are useful in deciding between options. These bring the probability of project failure/success in the decision making process and help you lay out the various options available to you. Task 4 Information systems are made out of components that can be assembled in many different con ¬Ã‚ gurations resulting in a variety of information systems and applications, much as construction materials can be assembled to build different homes. The size and cost of a home depend on the purpose of the building, the availability of money, and constraints such as ecological and environmental legal requirements. Just as there are many different types of houses, so there are many different types of information systems. We classify houses as single-family homes, apartments, townhouses, and cottages. Similarly, it is useful to classify information systems into groups that share similar characteristics. A classi ¬Ã‚ cation such as this may help in identifying systems, analyzing them, planning new Information Systems Con ¬Ã‚ gurations Organizations are made up of components such as divisions, departments, and work units, organized in hierarchical levels. For example, most organizations have functional departments, such as production and accounting, which report to plant management, which report to a division head. The divisions report to the corporate headquarters. Although some organizations have restructured themselves in innovative ways, such as those based on cross-functional teams, today the vast majority of organizations still have a traditional hierarchical structure. Thus, we can  ¬Ã‚ nd information systems built for headquarters, for divisions, for the functional departments, for operating units, and even for individual employees. Such systems can stand alone, but usually they are interconnected. Typical information systems that follow the organizational structure are functional (departmental), enterprise-wide, and inter-organizational. These systems are organized in a hierarchy in which each higher-le vel system consists of several (even many) systems from the level below it. A departmental system supports the functional areas in each company. At a higher level, the enterprise-wide system supports the entire company, and inter-organizational systems connect different companies. The major functional information systems are organized around the traditional departments- Finance IS Finance IS Accounting IS Accounting IS Human Resources Human Resources Corporate a System Electronic Market Electronic Market Corporate B System Marketing IS Marketing IS Production IS Production IS Administrative IS Administrative IS Corporate C System

The Failure of Technology in White Noise by Don Delillo Essay -- White

The Failure of Technology in White Noise by Don Delillo One particularly unfortunate trait of modern society is our futile attempt to use technology to immunize ourselves against the fear of death. The failure of technology in this regard is the general subject of Don Delillo''s book White Noise. Throughout this novel, technology is depicted as the ominous messenger of our common fate, an increasing sense of dread over loss of control of our lives and the approach of inevitable death in spite of the empty promises of technology. In this essay I will examine Delillo''s portrayal of technology and its role in our society. The title of Delillo''s book, White Noise, reminds one of an electronic static of the sort encountered on television when a station goes off the air. But I think white noise can also refer to the indiscriminate flow of information we are exposed to on a daily basis in our modern society, that which ultimately destroys the immediacy of real life. If you see enough people gunned down on television, enough mangled bodies in twisted cars, enough violence, destruction and despair in the newspapers, you grow numb to it. In one sense, I think this is what White Noise is. Have you seen those devices they sell for insomniacs? They are white noise generators intended to put us to sleep. White noise is sound at all frequencies broadcast indiscriminately, and that is what Delillo hints that television and the modern media are doing to us now. The indiscriminate flood of information is not making our society more aware; rather, it is putting us all to sleep. White Noise is a book obsessed with death at the hands of our own technology. The protagonist is a middle aged man who is the chairman of a department of Hitle... ...e novel where the products on the supermarket shelves are quietly rearranged, throwing a sense of shock and panic into the shoppers (i.e. the masses) until they can adjust to the new system. After surviving the initial traumatic change, we see the shoppers quickly resume their mindless lives on the road to death, comfortably numb and smugly secure. This is a sad indictment of what life in this twentieth century is for our media and technology-manipulated American society. Delillo''s analysis implies, then, that safety can only be found in conformity and a dead life dictated by others. Furthermore, life is only really experienced at its fullest in the random moments when the "white noise" breaks down and becomes silent momentarily, only to quickly arise and embrace us once again in its death grip. Works Cited: DeLillo, Don. White Noise. London: Picador, 1986.