Night World : Black Dawn Chapter 20

Maggie held Sylvia gently. Or at least, she knelt by her and tried to hold herasbest she could without disturbing the piece of broken spear that wasstill lodged in Sylvia's body. It was all over. Where Hunter Redfern and hismost trusted nobles had been, there was a large scorched crater in the earth. Maggie vaguely recalled seeing a few people running for the hillsGavin the slave trader had been among them. But Hunter hadn't been one of them. He had been at ground zero when the blue fire struck, and nowthere wasn't even a wisp of red hair to show thathe had existed. Except for Delos, there weren't any Night Peopleleft in the courtyard atall. The slaves were just barely peeking out againfrom their huts. â€Å"It's all right,† Jeanne was yelling. â€Å"Yeah, youheard me it's all right!Delos isn't dangerous. Notto us, anyway. Come on, you, get out of therewhat are you doing hiding behind that pig?† â€Å"She's good at this,† a grim voice murmured. Maggie looked up and saw a tall, gaunt figure,with a very small girl clasped to her side. â€Å"Laundress!† she said. â€Å"Oh, and PJ.-I'm so glad you're all right. But, Laundress, please†¦ .† The healing woman knelt. But even as she did, alook passed between her and Sylvia. Sylvia's facewas a strange, chalky color, with shadows thatlooked like bruises under her eyes. There was alittle blood at the corner of her mouth. â€Å"It's no good,† she said thickly. â€Å"She's right,† Laundress said bluntly. â€Å"There'snothing you can do to help this one, Deliverer, andnothing I can do, either.† â€Å"I'm not anybody's Deliverer,† Maggie said. Tearsprickled behind her eyes. â€Å"You could have fooled me,† Laundress said, andgot up again. â€Å"I see you sitting here, and I see allthe slaves over there, free. You came and it happened-the prophecies were fulfilled. If you didn'tdo it, it's a strange coincidence.† The look in her dark eyes, although as unsentimental as ever, made Maggie's cheeks burn suddenly. She looked back down at Sylvia. â€Å"But she's the one who saved us,† she said, hardlyaware that she was speaking out loud. â€Å"She deserves some kind of dignity†¦.† â€Å"She's not the only one who saved us,† a voicesaid quietly, and Maggie looked up gratefully atDelos. â€Å"No, you did, too.† â€Å"That's not what I meant,† he said, and kneltwhere Laundress had. One of his hands touched Maggie's shoulder lightly, but the other one wentto Sylvia's. â€Å"There's only one thing I can do to help you,† hesaid. â€Å"Do you want it?† â€Å"To become a vampire?† Sylvia's head movedslightly in a negative. â€Å"No. And since there's woodnext to my heart right now, I don't think it would work anyway.† Maggie gulped and looked at the spear, whichhad cracked in the confusion when the guards ran. â€Å"We could take it out – !† I wouldn't live through it. Give up for once, will you?† Sylvia's head moved slightly again in disgust. Maggie had to admire her, even dying, she still hadthe strength to be nasty. Witches were tough. â€Å"Listen,† Sylvia said, staring at her. â€Å"There'ssomething I want to tell you.† She drew a painfulbreath. â€Å"About your brother.† Maggie swallowed, braced to hear the terrible details â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"It really bugged me, you know? I would put on my nicest clothes, do my hair, we would go out †¦and then he'd talk about you.† Maggie blinked, utterly nonplussed. This wasn't at all what she had expected. â€Å"He would?† â€Å"About his sister.How brave she was. How smartshe was. How stubborn she was.† Maggie kept blinking. She'd heard Miles accuse her of lots of things, but never of being smart. Shefelt her eyelids prickle again and her throat swellpainfully. â€Å"He couldn't stand to hear a bad word about you,† Sylvia was saying. Her purple-shadowed eyes narrowed suddenly, the color of bittersweet nightshade. â€Å"And I hated you for that. But him †¦ I liked him.† Her voice was getting much weaker. Aradia knelton her other side and touched the shimmering silvery hair. â€Å"You don't have long,† she said quietly, as if giving a warning. Sylvia's eyes blinked once, as if to say she understood. Then she turned her eyes on Maggie. â€Å"I told Delos I killed him,† she whispered.†But †¦I lied.† Maggie felt her eyes fly open. Then all at onceher heart was beating so hard that it shook herentire body. â€Å"You didn'tkill him? He's alive?† â€Å"I wanted to punish him†¦ but I wanted himnear me, too†¦.† A wave of dizziness broke over Maggie. She bentover Sylvia, trying not to clutch at the slender shoulders. All she could see was Sylvia's pale face. â€Å"Please tell me what you did,† she whisperedwith passionate intensity. â€Å"Please tell me.† â€Å"I had him †¦ changed.† The musical voice wasonly a distant murmur now. â€Å"Made him a shapeshifter †¦ and added a spell. So he wouldn'tbe human again until I wanted †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What kind of spell?† Aradia prompted quietly. Sylvia made a sound like the most faraway ofsighs. â€Å"Not anything that you need to deal with,Maiden†¦. Just take the leather band off his leg.He'll always be a shapeshifter †¦but he won't be lost to you†¦.† Suddenly her voice swelled up a little stronger,and Maggie realized that the bruised eyes werelooking at her with something like Sylvia's oldmalice. â€Å"You're so smart †¦ I'm sure you can figure outwhich animal †¦Ã¢â‚¬  After that a strange sound came out of herthroat, one that Maggie had never heard before.Somehow she knew without being told that itmeant Sylvia was dying-right then. The body in the green dress arched up once andwent still. Sylvia's head fell back. Her eyes, the color of tear-drenched violets, were open, staringup at the sky, but they seemed oddly flat. Aradia put a slender dark hand on the paleforehead. â€Å"Goddess of Life, receive this daughter of Hellewise,† she said in her soft, ageless voice. â€Å"Guideher to the other world.† She added, in a whisper,†She takes with her the blessing of all the witches.† Maggie looked up almost fearfully to see if theshining figure who had surrounded Aradia like anaura would come back. But all she saw was Aradia's beautiful face, with its smooth skin the color of coffee with cream and its compassionate blindgaze. Then Aradia gently moved her hand down to shutSylvia's eyes. Maggie clenched her teeth, but it was no use.She gasped once, and then somehow she was in the middle of sobbing violently, unable to stop it.But Delos's arms were around her, and she buriedher face in his neck, and that helped. When she gotcontrol of herself a few minutes later, she realizedthat in his arms she felt almost what she had inher dream, that inexpressible sense of peace and security. Of belonging, utterly. As long as her soulmate was alive, and they weretogether, she would be all right. Then she noticed that P.J. was pressed up againsther, too, and she let go of Delos to put one armaround the small shaking body. â€Å"You okay, kiddo?† she whispered. P.J. sniffed. â€Å"Yeah. I am, now. It's been prettyscary, but I'm glad it's over.† â€Å"And you know,† Jeanne said, looking down atSylvia with her hands on her hips, â€Å"that's how Iwant to go. Taking my own way out †¦ and totally pissing everybody off at the end.† Maggie glanced up, startled, and choked. Thenshe gurgled. Then she shook her head, and knewthat her crying spell was over. â€Å"I don't even know why I'm like this about her. She wasn't a nice person. I wanted to kill her myself.† â€Å"She was a person,† Delos said. Which, Maggie decided, was about the best summing-up anybody could provide. She realized that Jeanne and Laundress andDelos were looking at her intently, and that Aradia's face was turned her way. â€Å"Well?† Jeanne said. â€Å"Do you know? Which animal your brother is?† â€Å"Oh,†Maggie said. â€Å"I think so.† She looked at Delos. â€Å"Do you happen to knowwhat the name Gavin means? For a shapeshifter?Does it mean falcon?† His blacklashed golden eyes met hers. â€Å"Hawk orfalcon. Yes.† Warm pleasure filled Maggie. â€Å"Then I know,† she said simply. She stood up, and Delos came with her as if he belonged by her. â€Å"How can we find the falcon she had with her thatfirst day we met? When you were out with the hunting party?† â€Å"It should be in the mews,† Delos said. A fascinated crowd gathered behind them as theywent. Maggie recognized Old Mender, smiling and cackling, and Soaker, not looking frightened anymore, and Chamber-pot Emptier †¦ â€Å"We really need to get you guys some newnames,† she muttered. â€Å"Can you just pick one or something?† The big girl with the moon face and the gentleeyes smiled at her shyly. â€Å"I heard of a noble named Hortense once†¦ .† â€Å"That's good,† Maggie said, after just the slightestpause. â€Å"Yeah, that's great. I mean, comparatively.† They reached the mews, which was a dark littleroom near the stable, with perches all over thewalls. The falcons were upset and distracted, and the air was full of flapping wings. They all lookedalike to Maggie. â€Å"It would be a new bird,† Delos said. â€Å"I thinkmaybe that one. Is the falconer here?† While everyone milled around looking for him, Jeanne edged close to Maggie. â€Å"What I want to know is how you know. How didyou even know Gavin was a shapeshifter at all?† â€Å"I didn't-but it was sort of logical. After all, Bernwas one. They both seemed to have the same kind of senses. And Aradia said that Sylvia took care of Miles down at her apartment, and Bern and Gavinwere both there. So it seemed natural that maybeshe made one of them pass the curse along toMiles.† ‘But why did you figure Gavin was a falcon?† â€Å"I don't know,† Maggie said slowly. â€Å"I justwell,he looked a little bit like one. Sort of thin andgolden. But it was more things that happened-he got away from Delos and over to the hunting party too fast to have gone by ground. I didn't really think about it much then, but it must have stuckat the back of my mind.† Jeanne gave her a narrow sideways glance. â€Å"Stilldoesn't sound like enough.† â€Å"No-but mostly, it was that Milesjust had to bea falcon. It had to be something small-Sylviawould hardly be carrying a pigora tiger or a beararound with her up the mountain. And I saw herwith a falcon that first day. It was something she could keep near her, something that she could control. Something that was an-accessory. It just allmade sense.† Jeanne made a sound like hmph.†I still don'tthink you're a rocket scientist. I think you luckedout† Maggie turned as the crowd brought a little manwith a lean, shrewd face to her-Falconer. â€Å"Well,we don't know yet,† she murmured fervently. â€Å"ButI sure hope so.† The little man held up a bird. â€Å"This is the newone. Lady Sylvia said never to take the green bandoff his leg-but I've got a knife. Would you like todo it?† Maggie held her breath. She tried to keep herhand steady asshe carefully cut through the emerald green leather band, but her fingers trembled. The leather tie fell free-and for a moment hexheart stood still, because nothing happened. And then she saw it. The rippling changeasthebird's wings outstretched and thickened and thefeathers merged and swam†¦and then Falconerwas moving back, and a human form was takingshape†¦ . And then Miles was standing there, with his auburn hair shining red gold and his handsome,wicked smile He gave her the thumbs-up sign. â€Å"Hey, I knew you would rescue me. What arelittle sisters for?† he said-and then Maggie was inhis arms. It seemed a long time later that all the hugging and crying and explaining was done. The slavesthe ex-slaves, Maggie corrected herself-had begunto gather and organize themselves and make plans.Delos and Aradia had sent various messengers outof the valley. There were still things to be settled-months' andyears' worth of things. And Maggie knew that lifewould never be the same for her again. She would never be a normal schoolgirl. Her brother was a shapeshifter-well, at least itwas a form he could enjoy, she thought wryly. Hewas already talking to Jeanne about a new way ofgetting to the summits of mountains-with wings. Her soulmate was a Wild Power. Aradia had already told her what that meant. It meant that theywould have to be protected by the witches and Circle Daybreak until the time of darkness came andDelos was needed, so that the Night World didn'tkill them. And even if they survived until the final battle†¦it was going to be a tough one. Plus, she herself had changed forever. She feltshe owed something to the people of the valley,who were still calling her the Deliverer. She wouldhave to try to help them adjust to the Outside world. Her fate would be intertwined with theirsall her life. But just now, everybody wastalking about getting some food. â€Å"Come into the castle-all of you,† Delos saidsimply. He took Maggie's arm and started toward it. Justthen P.J. pointed to the sky, and there was an awed murmur from the crowd. â€Å"The sun!† It was true. Maggie looked up and was dazzled.In the smooth, pearly sky of the Dark Kingdom, in exactly the place where the blue fire had flashedfrom the earth, there was a little clearing in theclouds. The sun was shining through, chasing awaythe mist, turning the trees in the surrounding hillsemerald green. And glinting off the sleek black walls of the castlelikeamirror. A place of enchantment, Maggie thought, lookingaround in wonder. It really is beautiful here. Then she looked at the boy beside her. At hisdark hairjust now extremely tousled-and hissmooth fair skin, and his elegant bones. At themouth which was still a bit proud and willful, but was mostly vulnerable. And at those fearless, brilliant yellow eyes whichlooked back at her as if she were the most important thing in the universe. â€Å"I suppose that all prophecies come true by accident,† she said slowly and thoughtfully. â€Å"From just ordinary people trying and lucking out.† â€Å"There is nothingordinary about you,† Delossaid, and kissed her. Onefrom the land of kings long forgotten; One from the hearth which still holds the spark; One fromthe Day World where two eyes are watching; One fromthe twilight to be one with the dark.

How Does Orwell Convey His Thoughts and Feelings to the Reader Essay

George Orwell conveys his thoughts and feelings to the reader in many numbers of ways. One way in which he does this, is with his use of language in the third paragraph. Although the third paragraph is very short, it is clear to see what George Orwell’s feelings are about the Elephant. ‘It seemed to me that it would be murder to shoot him’ shows the reader that Orwell did not want to shoot the Elephant as he would feel like he had murdered someone. From this evidence, we can deduce that Orwell believes that Elephants have human characteristics otherwise; he would not say that killing an Elephant was ‘murder. Also in the third paragraph, when George Orwell uses the word ‘grandmotherly’ to describe the ‘air that elephants have. ’ The reader is able to see that Orwell believes that the Elephant contains human characteristics. He would not being using a word like ‘grandmotherly’ to describe an Elephant as it is a word associated with humans. Another way in which Orwell conveys his thoughts and feelings to the reader is by his mention of the ‘immense’ crowd. Throughout the passage, Orwell is always making a point about the crowd which has gathered to watch him kill the Elephant. When Orwell is saying things such as ‘the immense crowd’ and ‘the will of the faces behind me’ it shows the reader that Orwell feels like without the crowd, he would be unable to shoot the poor defenceless giant. It is also clear to see that Orwell is put under intense pressure by the masses that are willing him on to kill the Elephant. When Orwell says ‘The crowd grew very still†¦happy sigh, as of people who see the theatre curtain go up at last’ shows to the reader that Orwell killing the Elephant is like a show for the thousands of Burmese people watching him. This creates pressure on Orwell as he is playing the role of a lone actor. It is as if he is the star of a one man show. As he is the only way ‘acting’ he is the only one under pressure from the large crowds, which have gathered with anticipation to see him perform. The performance is Orwell shooting the Elephant. The final way in which Orwell conveys his feelings and thoughts to the reader is the tone Orwell’s narrative adopts. The tone adopted by the narrative is friendly, revealing yet informal. This approach helps to draw the reader in to the passage. A revealing tone is created by Orwell throughout the passage as he is always revealing that he does not want to shoot the Elephant, but the presence of the crowd is forcing him to do it. Evidence for this is ‘it would be murder to shoot him’ and ‘To come all that way, rifle in hand, with two thousand people marching at my heels, and then to trail feebly away†¦no that was impossible. ’ Orwell creates a friendly tone in his passage by using words such as ‘laugh’ and ‘happy. ’ Although these words may be out of context, they still show the reader that Orwell is attempting to make as much of a friendly atmosphere for the reader as possible. The final tone Orwell creates is an informal one. This is clear to see throughout the passage as Orwell is always using an informal tone. The informal tone shows to the reader that Orwell believes (thinks) that the passage does not need to be formal as the topic which he is discussing is an informal topic. To conclude, George Orwell conveys his thoughts and feelings to the reader in three different ways. These three ways, are equally revealing as they all convey Orwell’s many different thoughts and feelings to the reader.

Religion: is it a Force For Good in the Modern World? Essay

What is religion, and can it ever be a force for good? Religion is a notional series of beliefs that make sense of the world. For some people, it can help to answer questions about creation, life and death, and provides comfort and a system of belief in and worship of a supernatural power or god. Religion in the West (mainly Christianity) is now not what it once was, and in the East (for example Islam) has become rather distorted due to fundamentalism. Nevertheless, most of us would like to think that religion is a force for good. The basic nature of most religions should make them so, but when people abuse religions and use them as an excuse to make money, exert power, or even to wage war, they turn into a force for bad. The Christianity of the past has sometimes seemed horrific to our eyes, but within the context of the times for many a Christian it was a force for good. We can see now that Christianity was good in the sense that it helped to inspire many good things in education, the rule of law, and culture generally – many paintings and musical compositions were enthused by the Christian religion, because people wanted to have illustrations of their belief in the transcendent. The Ten Commandments were and still are a good way for people and groups to control their behaviour and have a clear moral framework. (It is interesting to note that the Christian idea of turning the other cheek is not what the Christian Americans will be doing if they decide to attack Afghanistan.) There were several things about Christianity in the past that nowadays we consider to be morally wrong, but the Christians at the time thought that what they were doing was right: the crusades, for example, where the European crusaders wandered around the middle east attacking Muslims, sometimes even mistaking Christian villagers for Muslims and slaughtering their families. This would be considered as anything but morally right nowadays. The crusaders, though, thought that it was God’s will that they should slaughter those people, just as was the case was with dogmatic disputes within Christianity, with Christians fighting each other – the Christians thought that they were doing these terrible things for a just cause, just as bigoted and ignorant people in Northern Ireland still do. The good thing about Christianity these days is that the majority of Christian churches are benign give hope and something to rely on (for instance, the disaster in New York attracted many people to come to church to pray, even some non-religious people). Churches provide a focus in the community, and sometimes religious groups can act as a force to counteract bad elements in governments and societies. In the western world nowadays, Christianity is being overtaken by materialism; learning and compassion associated with the Christian religion are being undermined, and in the Middle East and in Africa, fundamentalism, (which takes the words of sacred texts literally), is coming into play. There is the danger for examples of clashes between Protestantism and Catholicism, and between other groups, in particular, evangelical churches, which are fundamentalist in tone, and display for example narrow-mindedness over abortion. There is also a danger from semi-religious cults, which like sects in religion emphasize a few aspects, which are often of benefit financially to themselves, or at least to their leaders. It cannot be very religious that in these money-based cults, there is a wish to dominate financially as well as ideologically. The Islamic religion was like the Christian religion in many respects – it was charitable, respected the individual and also helped to provide the foundations for things like education, law and the arts. However, the Islamic religion expanded too quickly over a wide geographical area, and could not keep up with the development of society, and there began conflicts within itself, and with Christianity. Jihads, (or Holy Wars, similar to crusades), were probably fundamentally more concerned with political and economical aims than with religious ones. Today, when it is part of more open and tolerant Muslim societies, such as Turkey or Pakistan, the Islamic religion does not present a major threat, and it is clear in these countries that there are a lot of similarities between Islamic and Christian principles. But because it has failed overall to adapt and find a place in the modern world, and there has tended to be a large gap between the rich and poor in Muslim societies, then fundamentalism has taken hold among the more ignorant or manipulative elements, and often has strong nationalist connections, as in the Taliban. This is a reaction by the clerics and their associates against a pluralistic society, away from individual rights and especially those of women to the supposedly core beliefs of the religion. In most cases the more tolerant and benevolent aspects of the religion are ignored, and even the strictest are seen to be corrupt: the Taliban’s religious police can be bribed, and often loot the televisions etc that they confiscate. An example of the difficulty that some modern day religions face is the idea of a holy or a just war. Most religions say that you should not commit murder, and should respect the individual, and it is often not easy to see why or how this can be overruled so that churches can justify a war, but the fact is that war is justified by different religions whether we like it or not. Generally a just or holy war should involve clear identification of an enemy, clear reasons for attacking the enemy, and some idea of what the outcome will achieve, even if it is only to the attacker’s benefit. The CIA supported and trained Bin Laden and his followers in Afghanistan when it suited the USA to use him against the Soviet invaders. Now they have to face him as a dangerous enemy. An ex-Soviet general said recently that four soldiers in a tank were no match for an Al-Qaeda follower on a donkey. Bin Laden is now the arch-enemy of the USA. Because he is sheltered in Afghanistan, that country, which has suffered 20 years of terrible war, is likely to be attacked again. The Taliban, however, feels that they have reason to view the USA as the enemy. Is this to do with religion, a real jihad, or is it that because everybody in poor Muslim countries that have suffered a lot of war feel envious of the power and wealth of the world’s only remaining superpower? If President Bush can talk carelessly (or was it carelessly?) about a crusade, is it not understandable that many Muslims feel that this is anti-Islamic in general and not just anti-Bin Laden? There is really no such thing as a justifiable holy war because no one should attack anyone else simply because they have different religious beliefs: the background to any war is always far more complicated than matters of doctrine – it is usually a power game and/or an economics game. Whether we are believers or not, we all have to hope that if used properly and in the right hands, religion can still be a force for good. In bad hands such as those of religious fundamentalists of an extreme kind it can be very dangerous. It is difficult for us to enter the minds of extremists partly because their motives often seem mixed: for example, it is said that the night before the attack on the World Trade Centre a lot of shares were bought and sold by people with connections to Bin Laden, and he seems to be a rich man already. The West has not yet come to terms with what these types of religion can mean and that is why it was taken by surprise on September 11. Until we understand what lies behind the sectarianism of religious extremists we will not be able to deal with these forces which bring what can only be called evil in their wake.

Lonmin Plc company analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Lonmin Plc company analysis - Essay Example It is this affiliate formed to handle the mining business that eventually became renamed as Lonmin Plc in 1999 (4-traders, 2014:n.p.). The company operates in three major segments of the mining industry, where it has an exploration department, an evaluation department and a PMG operations department. Despite the fact that the company runs its operations in different countries in the Weste African region, most of the operations of the company, which entail the refinement and marketing of the metals after being mined in different regions is undertaken in the Bushveld facility in south Africa (Lonmin Plc, 2014:n.p.). The company is listed in three different stock markets, where its shares are trade in Germany, USA and in the UK. The market capitalization of the company as at 2014 was worth US$ 146.7 billion, which is equivalent to 95 billion British pounds (Guru Focus LLC, 2014:n.p.). The company has total 583.8 million outstanding shares, whose prices in the stock market ranges at betw een 160.70 and 163.64 British pounds (Guru Focus LLC, 2014:n.p). The company held a total of 38,2923 employees by the close of the financial year 2014, with 28,276 of the employees being employed full time, while 10,016 operated as part time employees. The company holds a considerable value of assets, both in its operating assets such as the machineries and equipment, as well as the stock of minerals in the various mines that the company has explored. While some of these minerals are already extracted and their value well verified, there is still some more whose value is still to be ascertained. The graph below presents the assets of the company that are held in minerals. In the year 2014, Lonmin Plc made a total sale of 441,684 ounces of Platinum, at a market price value of $1,537 per ounce, which contributed to a higher percentage of the company’s

InTERNATIONAL STUDIES IN BUSINESS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

InTERNATIONAL STUDIES IN BUSINESS - Assignment Example Conventional theory argues that liberation in trade should benefit the developing countries more than it benefitted the developed countries because globalisation is supposed to assist the countrys joining the bigger economies have access to their markets. On the contrary, it is the developed countries which have been gaining instead. On April 10, 2006, immediately after the director general had announced that they were planning to implement the Doha strategy some countries like U.S started demanding benefits for its own economy in case they provide aid to LDCs. I agree; WTO is meant to improve comprative advantage and hence increase international trade. WTO has made progressive in balancing trade between developed countries and developing countries, however, for globalization to be achieved, WTO will have to lower export tarrrifs for LCDs. Also developed countries should provide a good political

You will write a critical analysis on Johnathan Swift's A Modest Essay

You will write a critical analysis on Johnathan Swift's A Modest Proposal - Essay Example To develop this thesis he goes into details about how much it will cost to rear a child, how this cost can be saved if the child is sold as food and what portion of the population will be affected. He even gives specific details about the number of servings a child can provide. This is what Swift (1729) has to say, â€Å"I have already computed the charge of nursing a beggars child†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. to be about two shillings per annum, rags included; and I believe no gentleman would repine to give ten shillings for the carcass of a good fat child, which, as I have said, will make four dishes of excellent nutritive meat†. According to him the meat of the children of Ireland will be a delicacy for the English and the Irish landowners. Here Swift (1729) writes, â€Å"...a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled†. A satire has always been considered as a piece of art and A Modest Proposal, is a masterpiece belonging to this genre. Swift uses satire to give solutions to the Irish people. He argues that the Irish should either starve or take recourse to cannibalism by fattening up children and selling them in the meat markets. Swifts "modest proposal" is ironic and satirical and succeeds in pointing out the unfair and hypocritical way England had dealt with the famine in Ireland. Swifts satire is sometimes oblique and sometimes direct. For example in one place he says while the meat of children cannot be preserved in salt for long sea voyages, he â€Å"could name a country which would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it.† (Swift, 1729) Here he alludes to England. The satire in some places is directed at Protestant-Catholic divisions. He ridicules the Irish for their Roman Catholic religious practice which discourages birth control and encourages people to have more children.. . This is what he says his proposal would do,

Oppression & Criminal Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Oppression & Criminal Activity - Essay Example On the other side, poverty is a harsh reality which has a language and dialect of its own and it has the power to adversely influence one’s social and spiritual health. This other side is heartrendingly established by Meridel Le Sueur in her novel ‘The Girl’. The girl is one of those for whom the childhood is not a sweet memory. Quite on the contrary, it is an account of pain, humiliation and patriarchal brutality. It is explicitly revealed in the playfulness and rejoicing of children when the girl’s father is dead. Though the story was originally set in the backdrop of the Great Depression in the United States, its implications remain valid irrespective of time and space; that a delay of four decades in the publication of ‘The Girl’ did not have any effect on its popularity is a testimony to the timelessness of the relevance of its theme. When starvation, sexual abuse, monotony and lack of opportunities become the order of life, they create the ground for the evolution of a naà ¯ve farm girl into an accomplice in a bank robbery. The girl’s anonymity does not cause any confusion because the applicability of her experiences is universal. It is the same stimulus – poverty – that makes the girl indulge in recreational sex (Coiner 111), gives Belle the courage to operate a speakeasy or pushes Clara into prostitution. It may be noted that none of them ever had any feelings of guilt nor any qualms of conscience over what they did. Le Sueur’s focus in the novel, which was intended as a memorial to the women of the Depression, was primarily on the lives and condition of women of the proletarian class in the thirties, but the story, through the character of Butch, the girl’s lover, incidentally throws light on the evils of the capitalist structure (Sueur 135). Butch’s speech before his death (after the foiled bank robbery attempt) exposes how the system and institutions in vogue contribute to unequal opportunities thereby making a section of the population desperate and furious. The significance of the story’s tragic end is that the desperation and fury of the oppressed are not of any consequence, as is indicated by Clara’s unwept death or the kind of end that Hoink, Ganz and Butch eventually meet with. In the struggle for survival, it is always the mighty that win; the rest is foredoomed to become extinct. The personal good and bad traits of the characters notwithstanding, the y have a common source of motivation – lack of options – that drives them towards planning and executing (often unsuccessfully) criminal activities. Modern theories on self-improvement suggest that if one thinks one can do, one can. Examined from the perspective of Butch’s experience, the validity of such theories becomes debatable. Butch feels good, feels strong, has a passion for winning and claims that he is a natural winner, that winning is in his bones. What, then, turns such a man of attitude into a criminal is an eternal mystery. What, however, turns out to be obvious is that poverty is not quite the right platform to produce winners. It is the population at the lower rungs of the economic ladder that fills prisons and never the other way round. By and large, there are prisons because there are slums and these slums produce a lot of blind men with pistols. ‘Blind Man with a Pistol’ by Chester Himes is less a detective novel and more an anti-d etective novel in which the plight of the poor and the disenfranchised and their victimization by the law and order enforcement machinery is realistically depicted. The prostitutes, homosexuals and janitors chased by Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson are invariably from ghettos or tenements. Here it is not only the question of survival

The Annuciation in Gothic and Early Renaissance Art Essay

The Annuciation in Gothic and Early Renaissance Art - Essay Example Overall, the painters act as the societal mirror with emphasis in interpretation of complex issues. Vyssi Brod Cycle was a painting done by Master/Cycle of Vyssi Brod and is dated 1350. The 14th century was manifested with the urge to represent the Annunciation by several painters as observed in the above art showing an angel communicating to Virgin Mary. Master/Cycle of Vyssi Brod, an artist of German descent, use tempera on wood panel to smoothen the linen coating of his painting now located in the National Gallery in Prague (Janson & Janson 123). This painting is called Annunciation with St. Margaret and St. Ansanus and was done by two artists namely Lippo Memmi and Simone Martini. These were Italian Gothic artists fascinated with the Annunciation concept prompting them to complete the painting in 1333. On the other hand, they used gold on panel and Tempera to exquisitely paint the Cathedral of Siena as dedication to the patron saints of the city such as St. Ansanus and St. Victor. Therefore, because of its brilliant nature, the painting is presently located in Florence, Italy and mostly displayed at Uffizi Gallery. It means the Annunciation of this painting is determined by the entry of Archangel Gabriel into the house of Virgin Mary to bear the message of the son to be born called Jesus. In terms of Annunciation, the two artists easily compare to original biblical text found in Luke 1:26-38. For example, Annunciation with St. Margaret and St. Ansanus by Lippo Memmi and Simone Martini actually depict the moment Archangel Gabriel has descended from heaven to impart the good message of a son to be born. This is complimented by extras that include the background setting where Mary is seated in a holy place flanked by companions carrying crosses. Alternatively, the props that include the flower in Gabriel’s hand enable the two artists to elaborate the story because it is a representation of a gift (Janson & Janson 128). Additionally, the two

The Roman Destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish diaspora Annotated Bibliography

The Roman Destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish diaspora - Annotated Bibliography Example een the New Testament account of Jesus and classical gods or demigods such as Bacchus, Perseurs, or Bellerophon were recognized by the church fathers and just like Justin Martyr termed â€Å"demonic imitation† in the 2nd century. According to Alan F. Seagal, one speaks of â€Å"twin birth†, of two new Judaism’s, both markedly different from the religious systems that preceded them. Christianity religious twins and rabbinic Judaism were not the only ones, but like Jacob and Essau, the twin sons of Rebecca and Isaac, they fought in the womb, setting the stage for life after the womb. Jewish messianism has its room in the apocalyptic literature of the 2nd century BCE to 1st century BCE, promising a future â€Å"anointed† leader or messiah to resurrect the â€Å"Israelite kingdom of God†, in place of the foreign rulers of the time. The Maccabean revolt directed against the Seleucids corresponds with this. Related to the fall of the Hasmonean kingdom, it was directed against the Roman administration of Judea province, which according to Josephus, begun with the formation of the Zealots during the census of Quirinius of 6 CE, although full scale open revolt did not occur till the 1st Jewish-Roman war in 66 CE. Hellenistic culture had a profound impact on the customs and practices of Jews, both in the land of Israel and in the Diaspora. The inroads to Judaism gave rise to Hellenistic Judaism in the Jewish Diaspora which sought to establish a Hebraic-Jewish religious tradition within the culture and language of Hellenism. Hellenistic Judaism spread to Ptolemaic Egypt from the 3rd century BCE, and became a not able religio licita after the Roman Conquest of Greece, Anatolia, Syria, Judea, and Egypt, until in the 3rd century when it declined parallel to the rise of Gnosticism and Early Christianity. There also were pagan roots that developed during the era of Roman Empire which many religions like the Greco-Roman Religions of the Roman Empire period, the Roman imperial

Analytical essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analytical - Essay Example It was seven pm and Chris was still at work, after a long wait I decided to go ahead along with my friends. Music was on but was not rocking enough really to dance with joy, seeming as though it was a heart breaking moment leaving another year behind. I took my place at one corner leaving all my friends aside, with a drink in my hand and thoughts wandering in my mind. All my friends had their love by their side, holding one another smiling softly feeling every moment of that night. I wish I had my love too as it was ten in the night. We were done with our dinner, drinks and play. I was unable to pretend any longer, tears just roll off my eyes when I did see flowers showered over my head. Chris grabbed my shoulders to lift me up and wiped off the tears and was sorry to keep me waiting for some time. I just stood by unable to explain how much hard it was to be away from him on this specially arranged night. All I could do was to just lay my head on his shoulder and spend the rest of the night in his arms. The dance floor was on with couples dancing by and when the clock ticked 12 midnight there was the blast of music and crackers all around. Crowd just shouted in a single tone â€Å"Happy New Year 2006† after the count down was done. I turned up to Chris to wish him a bright and prosperous year ahead, but there was something special in store for me tonight. Chris go down on his knees to ask me share his life, this was the moment I started to cry once again but this time the tears were rolling out of joy. Now I see myself by his side unable to believe how these long years just flew. Everything around seems to be the same with all the dazzling stars and the moon shinning to the brightest in the clear

World War I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

World War I - Essay Example Through conscientious study of the events depicting imperialism, militarism, nationalism, the immediate cause, as well as the underlying intricacies of the alliances formed, threatening unrest to all other nations, I would attempt to figure justification for the next plan of action. Having found that the aforementioned grounds are ceaseless and bearing impact on a global scale, marching out to join and support the Allies must then prove reasonable. Participating in warfare does not have to mean exhibiting competitiveness yet as a measure to suppress the imperialists along with the height of their militaristic principle, it becomes necessary to demonstrate that emergence of power via American forces in addition to the Allies in defense is likely to intimidate the enemy. In the hope of possibly exhausting the enemies with the idea that endless wars are futile and would only yield to further damages regardless of any projected goal to gain advantage by the opposing parties, combat ought to proceed. As a U.S. president, I understand that I have sworn a delicate responsibility to protect my nation. With the prevailing world crisis, however, accepting the armed challenge to fight in the battlefield is rather an innovation than a mere act of impulse to help others subdue the enemy and fulfill the common objective of world peace. At this point, to me the presence of U.S. troops overseas, expressing the motive to cooperate with the armed men of the allied nations is a response of envisioning a kind of renewed life for the Americans where, after all the military and political hostilities, living exists with the desired quality of peace and economy. By engaging in the war, Americans can be accustomed to dealing with violent encounters which would serve as tests to strengthen individual courage or make resolute the overall character of American citizenry. In time, once the joint forces with the European ‘Allies’ consisting of France, Russia, Britain, and Serbia

49 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth Essay Example for Free

49 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth Essay Some of them, with their complicated timers and instant start-up features, constantly consume small amounts of electricity. (Even the TV? my wife asks. Good thinking, I tell her.) 3. SEPARATE YOUR GARBAGE. At our house we have separate garbage cans for glass, paper, plastic, aluminum, wood, organic matter, natural fabrics, synthetic fabrics, and rubber. (We split the work—my wife does the separating, I drop everything off at the recycling center.) 4. USE LESS WATER. We have two bricks in our toilet tank. But theres a much simpler way to save water: Dont flush every time! (Dont take the sports section in there with you! is my wifes tip. A sense of humor isso important.) 5. DONT MOW THE LAWN. Let it grow. Naturally. Like a meadow. (Like a dump! jokes my wife.) See more:  Perseverance essay 6. DONT SHAVE AS OFTEN. I shave once a week. (If its good enough for Don Johnson, I quip. That was passà © years ago, my wife informs me.) 7. DRIVE SLOWER. I try to maintain a nice, steady 40 miles per hour, the legal minimum on most highways. Also, I roll up the windows. It reduces wind resistance and noise. (You cant hear those horns? my wife asks, incredulous.) 8. SHOP WITH A RE-USABLE SHOPPING BAG. And, if you can, walk to the store. (Itll do wonders for your figure, I mention casually to the missus.) 9. BOYCOTT! Boycott polluters, or anyone who sells any product that can cause pollution, or any product that might contain an ingredient that can cause pollution. (What does that leave? my wife asks. Just the good stuff, I reply.) 1 0. DO YOUR LAUNDRY BY HAND. It may be drudgery of the lowest order to have to hand-launder your clothes and hang them on a clothesline, but it saves water and energy. (Whistle while you work, I kid my wife. Hitler is a jerk, she continues. Id forgotten that verse!) 11. TURN DOWN THE HEAT. Especially the water heater. (They take cold showers in Sweden, I like to hint. Go to Sweden!—my wife.) 12. TAKE FEWER SHOWERS. But dont share them, even if its been touted, albeit humorously, in other x-number-of-simple-things-you-can-do-to-save-the-earth books. Why? It uses more water. Figure it out for yourself. Better would be to take a bath in recycled bath water. Best: An occasional sponge bath. (No, Im not kidding, I tell the wife.) 13. REPLACE METAL DOORKNOBS. During the winter, when its very dry, touch a metal doorknob and you get a little shock from the static electricity. Thats wasted electricity, I figure. Weve replaced all our metal doorknobs with ones made of non-conducting rubber, wood or glass. (Youve got a screw loose, my wife points out. And shes right!) 14. GO SOLAR. For a small investment of about ten thousand dollars you can convert your house to solar energy. Itll pay for itself in twenty years, I estimate. (What next? my wife wonders, as we all do.) 15. MOUNT A WINDMILL ON YOUR ROOF. Its cheap—about eight hundred dollars—and easy to install. (A little more to the right, I yell up to her.) 16. MAKE YOUR OWN HONEY. In addition to producing delicious honey, our beehive is a real conversation starter. (We have to talk, my wife says. See?) 17. WORK AT HOME. Recently, I quit my job of twenty years to become a full-time writer. I write at home, on a computer. Im not using up any gasoline or motor oil, Im not wearing out any clothing or shoes. To put it simply: Im not a drain on the environment. (You dont move, my wife observes, exaggerating slightly.) 18. BOARD UP THE WINDOWS. Windows are nice, but they either let in too much heat, or let out too much, or vice versa. (This is better than mini-blinds! I shout to the wife, who can barely hear me over her own hammering.) 1 9. GET RID OF THE TELEPHONE. Think you cant live without a telephone? Think again. Weve done fine. (Who would call us? my wife rationalizes.) 20. GET RID OF THE BED. Many leading chiropractors say that sleeping on the floor, with no mattress or cushion, is the best way to sleep. (We certainly havent needed a bed much lately, my wife confides to a mutual friend.) 21. GET OUT AND ORGANIZE. At my wifes suggestion, I got out of the house and into the community—to organize. Now I work with a diverse group of community activists and we meet four times a week—at our house. (Whoare these people? my wife asks. They are the people, I tell her proudly.) 22. BAN ALL CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS. Not just spray cans, but the refrigerator and the air conditioner. Get rid of them! We now have ice delivered to our house every day. (Youre crazy! my wife shouts from the kitchen. So was Van Gogh! I shout back.) 23. TREAT WOUNDS NATURALLY. If youre injured, cut on the head, above the eyebrow—from a sharp piece of ice, lets say—treat it naturally. Salt and lemon juice is the combination my wife favors. (I want a divorce, she says, pouring salt on my wound. Ouch! I say.) 24. KNOW THE LAW. And know a good lawyer. (My wife does.) 25. WHEN YOU MOVE, BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR. Having recently relocated to a smaller environment—an apartment—I can empathize with anyone who has had to go through a moving experience as I call it. Remember, along with a new habitat come new co-inhabitants. Get to know them. They are your neighbors and, as simplistic as this sounds, they are the keys to your survival. (When I explain this simplistic theory to one of my new neighbors, shes fascinated. Maybe the beard works!) 26. CARPOOL. At my new part-time job I carpool with a couple of the ladies from the office. Were saving gas, money, and were getting to know each other better. (He used to have a fear of intimacy, my wife tells the judge. On the advice of Barry, my lawyer, I can say nothing.) 27. MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR. I know, I know. But, if I could just use one earth-saving tip to draw your attention to the beautiful and cosmic experience of making love with a truly giving and understanding sexual partner. (Takethat, you lying, blood-sucking witch!) 28. SHARE YOUR SHOWERS. Ive done a complete one-eighty on this one. Use a kitchen timer. (Or Ravels Bolero!) 29. WOMEN! Or should I say, women judges! (This just in: She gets the car, the house—everything except the profits from this book, Dear Reader.) 30. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. When someone (especially someone much younger and less experienced than yourself that you only met two weeks ago) tells you that one person cant make a difference—that no matter how much shouting and yelling and whining and complaining one person does nothing will change, that youre too old to be acting that way, that you should settle down and focus on one thing and do that well—when someone lays that trip on you, its time to split. (I can make a difference! I tell her, gathering my things.) 31. BUNDLE AND RECYCLE NEWSPAPERS. Sorry, I lost sight of what were trying to do here, which is save the earth. Take all your old newspapers, bundle them together, and bring them to a recycling center. Theyll give you a few bucks, which is nothing to sneeze at. (What happened?) 32. BUY A RECYCLED CAR. There are some good deals in used cars—if you take the time to look. (I didnt, and boy am I sorry.) 33. DONT LITTER THE HIGHWAYS. Be considerate. There are laws, but theyre rarely enforced. (Except in my case, of course. I told the officer I wasnt living in my car—it had broken down, I was tired—but: A $100 fine for vagrancy, a night in jail, a towing charge of $75, and a ticket—Im getting rid of this damn car!) 34. KEEP FIGHTING. Thats right. No matter how tough it gets, the fight to save the earth will go on, with or without you. (Right now its without. Im back to my old habits again—smoking, drinking, and hanging out with a bunch of losers. One of them is a real nut, calls himself The Master.) 35. DONATE OLD CLOTHING. There are people out there who can get some good use out of your old moth-eaten sweater or sports jacket or worn-out pair of shoes. (Im a 41 short.) 36. FOLLOW THE MASTER. The Master has forged an alliance with the human spirit that allows him to speak directly and simultaneously to every living thing on this planet. (Follow The Master.) 37. THINK FOR YOURSELF. Take it from someone who, after having his self-esteem obliterated by a persuasive con man and his gang of sycophants, escaped on foot—with nothing to eat for nine days but wild berries and mushrooms—and lived to talk about it! (You might have seen the story in the papers—DAZED FOLLOWER OF DIZZY GURU FOUND ON FREEWAY) 38. HI, HOW ARE YOU? I knew it was her before I picked up the phone. (The cobwebs that covered the receiver were now sticking to my face. Fine, I said.) 39. DONT BE FOOLED. A wise consumer is a protected consumer. (I told my ex this when we got together for some Irish coffee at the mini-mall, near the old house. She ended up selling that barn for—get this—$650,000! Honey, it seems like old times! I whooped.) 40. RECYCLE! REVIVE! RERUN! Excuse my exuberance, but something is finally happening out there—something positive, something good. People are separating their garbage. Theyre using biodegradable, ecologically safe, recyclable and reusable materials. Everything old is new again! (When my ex-wife and I decided to re-marry, I suggested a Save the Earth clause be added to our pre-nuptial agreement. We have to talk, she said, showing great interest at the time.) 41. MOVE TO THE COUNTRY. Inherit the land again. Thats what we did. Bought forty-three acres in Upstate New York. Its a working farm, where my wife can go out to the barn and milk the cows, pick out the freshest eggs and knit our clothes from the wool she shears from our very own sheep. (And I can finish this book!)

The Differences Between Health Care

The Differences Between Health Care A persons first level of contact, with regards to the health system is known as Primary Health Care (French, S., Old, A., Healy, J. (2001)). It is necessary, usually community based, health care aimed to be reachable to all everywhere and delivering health care nearer to peoples homes and workplaces (Gillies A. (2003). The primary providers of this type of health care are general practitioners (GPs); however the number of nurses and midwives that are providing primary health care is rising (French et.al (2001)). Types of primary health care include the treatment of everyday problems such as sore throats, diabetes, etc. but also preventive care such as vaccinations and screening (Bodenheimer, T. S., and Brumbach, K. (2009)). Primary health care also requires continuity which allows a GP to track and ensure the health of a patient over time (Schoen, C., Osborn, R., Doty, M. M., Bishop, M., Peugh, J., Murukutla, N. (2007)). The next level up from primary health care is Secondary and Tertiary Health Care. Secondary requires the use of more specialised skill and equipment to fix the problems (Bodenheimer, T. S., and Brumbach, K. (2009)). Such services will usually be found in hospitals, inpatient services and outpatient clinics, as well as the occasional private clinics (French et al (2001)). This type of care is reserved for specialist doctors in such fields as neurology, gynaecology, general surgery amongst others and can only act as consultants through referrals from the persons GP (Bodenheimer, T. S., and Brumbach, K. (2009)). Tertiary health care is for the more complex and expensive procedures with only a select few hospitals fully equipped to handle them, such as open heart surgery or organ transplants (Bodenheimer, T. S., and Brumbach, K. (2009)). Nowadays the distinction between secondary and tertiary is blurred as technological advances have made previously complex procedures relatively uncomplicated, such as non-invasive surgery (French et.al (2001)). Which primary health care services enhance individual health? Which ones enhance population health? Due to the signing of the 1978 Alma Ata Declaration, a strong focus was put on primary health services, both to enhance individual health. Services that are designed to enhance the overall health of an individual include immunisation against many harmful infectious diseases such as measles and polio. These vaccines are usually administered by your general practitioner or nurse practitioner in your community. Another individual enhancer includes screening programs that allow us to identify any dangerous and/or deadly diseases or conditions present in a person, for such things as tumours (Gillies A. (2003)). Services that enhance population health are in most cases very large preventive, educational and recuperative services aimed at tackling the main health concerns of communities. Examples include the education of proper nutrition so people can eat more healthily, improved and satisfactory quality of water supplied to the population, better elementary public hygiene. When a threat of an endemic in the region/area occurs, the management of it to prevent further contamination of others is a large scale, and preventive, type of population health services. An important population health enhancer is the provision of services for soon to be or planning to be mothers and for those already with children, known as family planning. In some cases, for the health of people to be fully achieved, having access to very necessary drugs and medication is a service that enhances population health (Gillies A. (2003)). What is gatekeeping? Describe the consequences of gatekeeping for patients and for the overall health system. Gatekeeping is a concept wherein the availability of receiving a consultation from a secondary health care provider, such as brain or orthopaedic specialist, is limited to the patient without acquiring a written referral from their primary care provider (PCP), their general practitioner. This leads to the PCP acting as a gatekeeper (or a general health co-ordinator) and is done to limit the number of referrals to specialist, diagnostic tests amongst other services with the promise of incentives for doing so due to certain financial agreements with these specialists (Bodenheimer, T. S., and Brumbach, K. (2009)). An exception to this is in the case of accident and emergency services (French, S., Old, A., Healy, J. (2001)). The consequences of this system for patients are that some will become annoyed with any limiting of availability to specialists. This is due to many patients insisting that they must have access to both adequate primary and specialty care, when they feel the need for more specialized care they have a problem with the constricting of access to them (Bodenheimer, T. S., and Brumbach, K. (2009)). Another consequence is that patients are ensured of receiving the correct treatment at the proper time in the right place (Bodenheimer, T. S., and Brumbach, K. (2009)). Also due to the PCPs being able to deliver continuing and thorough care for patients, there are higher chances of improved health outcomes (reference required WHO health network?) PCPs having more access to their patients and the gatekeeping role they perform have led to lower hospitalisation, usage of specialist and emergency centers and the odds of unnecessary health interventions and is considered to be more cost effective than going directly to a specialist (reference required WHO health network?). The presence of such a system also appears to have a beneficial effect of lowering the need for costly and specialist-led hospital care (reference required WHO health network?). In New Zealand we have a health care system in which most primary care requires payment from recipients of care, yet almost all higher level care is free. What problems are likely to arise from this dual system? Unnecessary use of hospitals and ambulances, less access for poorer people, Robin Hood effect, inverse care law, funding, cost, define, What, if any, are some positive features of this system? Security felt by people who otherwise couldnt afford, Identify some (4-5) indicators that provide evidence of the extent of problems. GPs per capita in certain areas, unnecessary hospitalisation, wrongful budget spending (over and under), quality of care by GPs who believe patients are fine,

Models for Entrepreneurship Development

Models for Entrepreneurship Development Develop a business proposal based on an actual or potential opportunity which has not yet been exploited 1.0 Introduction Innovations and new business ideas are the cornerstone of business development and wealth creation in an economy (Drucker, 1993). As such, the creation of robust business proposals and plans to exploit these opportunities is likewise vital to ensuring ongoing economic success. This piece will analyse three potential entrepreneurial business opportunities, decide which one has the most potential, and then apply relevant economic theories and models to create business plans and financial projections for said opportunity, along with a discussion of any risks and considerations for this business to address. 2.0 Opportunity selection 2.1 Creative thinking model Walls (1926) creative thinking model contains five stages: preparation, incubation, intimation, illumination and verification. However, in line with Wiener’s (1971) analysis, this piece will condense this model to a four stage model, ignoring the intimation stage, which can be argued to represent a sub stage of the process. Idea 1: Mobile Grocery Retail Service Preparation: In many rural areas there are significant distances between shops, and many people do not have access to local shops selling a wide variety of products. The small size of many villages also makes it impractical to serve them with a large scale brick and mortar supermarket or by requested online delivery. Incubation: The idea was mainly developed from the author’s experience of living in a rural community, where village shops tended to be poorly stocked, and hence rural dwellers tended not to have access to the same level of choice as people in urban centres. Illumination: The concept of a mobile grocery retail service, with a wide range of groceries sold direct to consumers from the back of a van was seen as the only feasible way to serve scattered rural communities with no major supermarkets of their own. This would take advantage of existing wholesale and distribution facilities set up across the country. Verification: Research from Datamonitor (2007) indicates that the grocery sector is very large and competitive, but that no store manages to maintain a significant level of loyalty amongst its customer, with over eighty per cent of customers using more than one brand of grocery retailer. As such, customers tend to be very flexible about where they buy groceries, thus creating an attractive niche market and meets verification criteria. Idea 2: Farm selling its own branded range of organic products Preparation: As with the grocery service, past experience of living in a rural community led to the conclusion that many farms are struggling because they fail to make use of all their available opportunities. Incubation: After considering various diversification ideas, the idea of selling farm made goods in shops developed as the only one yet to be fully exploited. This led to the idea of developing a distinctive brand appeal and partnering with a major supermarket chain. Illumination: Research by Trobe (2001) indicated that consumers have an increasing preference for locally grown, organic and ethical food, and that they want to source it from the manufacturer to be sure of its organic credentials. As such, a farm branded product would provide the required level of assurance, above that offered by a supermarket corporation. Verification: MarketWatch (2005) indicates that consumers are willing to pay significantly higher prices for organic food they know is grown in the local area. In addition, the Soil Association (2008) demonstrated that the organic food market in the UK grew by around 22% in 2006, and that growth was predicted to continue in the future. This makes the market very valuable for new entrants. However, the fact that this opportunity would need to be undertaken in partnership with existing supermarket chains would likely make it difficult to create a business plan without first finding a retail partner. Idea 3: Small screen cinema business Preparation: The film entertainment business is very volatile, with some films making huge revenues whilst others take very little. As such, the author tried to work out a way to minimise this volatility by creating an offering with a steady cash flow and no ‘box office flops’. Incubation: Unfortunately, in a creative industry such as film entertainment, there is no way to find opportunities which are guaranteed to succeed. As such, the aim was to find a way of extracting more revenue and value from existing successful films. Illumination: The current lifecycle for a film goes from cinema to DVD to pay television to standard television. This means that only a quarter of the lifecycle is spent in the cinema, whilst the remaining three quarters is spent in people’s homes. This reduces the extent to which the film can be shown to large groups. As such, the aim was to extend the lifecycle for large groups, by showing films on smaller screens in smaller cinemas before they go to DVD, making a more exclusive environment than standard cinemas. Verification: Unfortunately, in this area there was little research available to indicate that the opportunity was likely to succeed. Many filmmakers are reluctant to adjust their model for fear of undermining their mainstream box office revenues, and also resist making films widely available before they go to DVD due to the risk of piracy. As such, this idea did not achieve verification or present itself as a viable opportunity. 2.2 Opportunity assessment Based on the analysis above, there was insufficient data to assess the third opportunity, which indicates that it does not fulfil Casson’s (1982) criteria of providing new goods or services at greater than their cost of production or Shane’s (1996) definition of recombining resources to produce a profit. As such, the only two ideas to be assessed are the first and second. Of these, the second idea cannot be pursued in depth at this stage, as it requires a significant degree of commitment from a partner organisation before it can be investigated in detail and financial resources can be determined. This implies that idea one is the one which should be taken forward. 3.0 Analysis of business concept â€Å"Setting up a mobile grocery retail service with the aim of serving communities with a wide range of groceries in convenient local locations† Food 2 You is a new venture which will look to service local communities which do not have access to a large supermarket or shop. The venture will operate a number of refitted lorries which will contain a wide range of groceries beyond that which would be available in a typical village shop. The mobility of this service will make such a range cost effective because Food 2 You will not be limited by the geographic distribution radii possessed by most local stores. Instead, the lorries will be able to visit numerous villages; thus achieving economies of scale similar to a supermarket whilst maintaining all the convenience of a local store. 3.1 Difa analysis According to Rae’s (2007) argument, the existence of a demand and the ability to fill it is key to the success of any innovation. As such, the Difa model will be used to assess the level of demand, the innovation of the model, the feasibility of supplying the market and the attractiveness of the potential segment. Demand The UK grocery industry is forecast to grow by 35% from 2007 to 2012, a compound annual growth rate of over 6% (Datamonitor, 2008). In addition to this, Cotterill (2006) reports on the findings of various studies into the competitive nature of grocery retailing markets, finding that customers often lack choice about the services available to them. As such, a completely new service which is unlike any previous offerings could succeed in attracting a large number of customers. Innovation As discussed above, the main innovation in this offering is that it is unique in grocery retailing. Currently, customers have the choice of either visiting a shop, which requires time and effort, or ordering online which requires extra delivery expense and the risk of the wrong goods being packed or supplied. Food 2 You offers the certainty of making selections from a shop, whilst also providing the convenience of local food delivery. Feasibility A MarketWatch (2007) report indicates that consumers are more active in choosing where to shop for food when compared to any other retail sectors. Indeed, shoppers for food and groceries regularly use three stores, on average, to fill all their shopping requirements. This implies that it is feasible to fit this service into existing demand and make a profit from it. Attractiveness Ketzenberg and Ferguson (2008) argue that one of the key issues facing many shops is how to handle the slow moving perishable items which have higher levels of waste and lower revenues. By combining all such items into one mobile store, and selling them in a variety of locations, Food 2 You can access a niche which is not particularly profitable for other shops. This will help it develop rapidly with little competition from the established players, who have little profits to defend in this area. 3.2 Business model See Appendix 1 for the business model 3.3 Market potential segmentation Datamonitor (2007) claims that grocery customers are very flexible regarding the locations and times at which they shop, with low levels of brand loyalty. As such, they are very likely to switch supplier if there is a more convenient option available. As a result, this business will be based strongly on providing a convenient solution, giving customers what they want, when and where they want it. The expectation is that customers will be willing to pay a small premium for this additional convenience, and thus this service will be able to extra significant rents. The service will likely have three target customer segments: Families where one or both parents work, and hence they are under significant time pressure and regular shopping trips increase this pressure further. In addition, these families would tend to have higher income levels, due to both parents working, and will thus be able to afford to pay the premium. Elderly or retired people who will find it challenging to go to the shops on a regular basis. As such, they will often be limited to local shops with a very poor selection and quite high prices due to a lack of economies of scale. As such, this segment would potentially not see higher shopping bills due to using the service, but will benefit from increased convenience. Homemakers and people who work from home. These people may have chosen to stay at home because they have small children, something which can make shopping in a large store very difficult. In addition, they do not commute to work, and hence have a lower geographic range when shopping. Also, as this segment is not constrained by time, and is growing due to the increase in flexible working (Vant, 2003), it could be one of the largest growing market segments in the coming years. 4.0 Resources, returns, risks 4.1 Financial plan forecasts See Appendix 2 for detailed financial plan and forecasts. 4.2 Proposed investment anticipated returns The service is such that it can be started out on a small scale and can grow further as its profile and demand rise. As such, an initial investment of  £200,000 should be sufficient.  £100,000 of this could be used to purchase the first two lorries and refit them to carry goods including refrigerated food. The remaining  £100,000 would be used to buy groceries on the wholesale markets and to provide ongoing cashflow. Given the anticipated demand for this service, this capital should be fully recouped within eight years. 4.3 Required human capabilities The main human capabilities needed are in two areas. The first of these is the ability to source and negotiate groceries at or near to wholesale prices. This could be quite difficult, as the supermarkets in the UK tend to have significant power over the distribution networks for groceries. As such, it would be ideal to either recruit someone with supermarket experience, or to enter into a supply partnership with a supermarket or a major grocery supplier in order to purchase groceries on the same terms as other major players (Kumar, 2008). The second capability required is rather more mundane: the service needs drivers who can also operate their lorries as mobile shops. It is envisioned that the lorries will operate by opening one side completely, so that customers can see all products within the store. However, this will not allow a significant number of customers to enter the lorry at any one time. As such, the driver will also need to fetch most goods for the customer, bag them and perform all other customer service actions. This will require a somewhat unique combination of human capabilities. 4.4 Risk assessment There are several risks to this venture: Lack of acceptance from customers over established brands Failure to launch in a local market with sufficient customer demand Failure to negotiate partnerships or supply deals with wholesalers Rising costs such as petrol prices Inadequate start up capital Mitigation strategies are as follows: Carry out local advertising prior to launch Conduct studies of market demographics to determine which are the best areas for the target market If supply deals cannot be negotiated, the venture will not be cost competitive and will likely have to be abandoned Rising petrol prices should drive up grocery prices across the board hence prices can be raised to absorb the additional cost Additional drawdown facilities should be negotiated to provide additional cash flow in case of difficulties 5.0 Start-up marketing plan As discussed above, the initial actions will focus on using demographic, social and economic analyses to determine the best markets for the service to launch into. Households in these areas will then be surveyed to determine the likely response to the service and generate word of mouth publicity. This is consistent with Collinson and Shaw’s (2001) view that entrepreneurial organisations should structure their activities around the market. 5.1 Internal evaluation Food 2 You’s main strength will be its flexibility and responsiveness, as well as the relationships it can build up with the local communities. For example, customers will be given the opportunity to place orders for goods they want, which can be sourced through the supply deals and be collected by the customer the next time the lorry is serving the area. However, the main weakness of the service is that it will not have the marketing and buyer power of the main supermarkets, and thus will not be able to match them for price. Also, in the early stages of launch, it will not have the reputation and awareness amongst consumers, and thus it may be difficult to establish the service. 5.2 Competitor analysis As discussed above, the main competitors will be the big supermarkets, whose buyer power allows them to keep their prices at lower levels that Food 2 You’s. In addition, local shops may oppose the service, seeing it as a threat to their business. Of these, Tesco is likely to represent the main threat, as it has stores in every UK postcode area and thus will be the only company to challenge the potential geographic reach of Food 2 You. 5.3 Porters five forces Porters (1980) five forces model is one of the most used and recognised methods for analysing the competitive environment acting in a market. The forces tend to act at the microeconomic level, which means that they will impact on Food 2 You differently in each region served. However, in general the five forces will act as follows: New Entrants Whilst the market is very attractive for Food 2 You to enter, this will also apply for any other potential entrants, particularly if Food 2 You’s offering proves profitable. Indeed, the low entry costs: all new entrants require is refurbished lorries and the ability to buy groceries at wholesale prices, will also make the market more attractive to potential new entrants. As such, and due to the small growth speed of the service due to the need to analyse a region before entering it, it is likely that Food 2 You will soon face several competitors and will not be able to dominate the market. Potential Substitutes As discussed above, the main substitutes are shopping in a standard store or ordering groceries online from a major supermarket chain. Shopping in a standard store is the dominant mode of purchasing groceries, but has significant time and travel requirements, particularly for those who do not live near a store. Online ordering reduces the time and travel requirement, but leaves customers unable to choose their own produce, at the risk of errors by the supermarket, and having to pay a delivery charge. Buyers Given the wide range of choice and the ability of consumers to switch supplier at will, consumers represent the dominant force in the grocery market. As such, this service aims to play on this by offering consumers a service close to their homes, with a wide selection, and at a convenient time. It is hoped that this will attract consumers away from stores. Suppliers In the early stage, the service is likely to be dependent on one major supplier, which means the supplier will have significant power. This could be countered by making the supplier a partner in the service, giving said supplier an incentive to grow the service and make it profitable. If this does not prove to be possible, then as the service grows it should look to work with more suppliers to reduce this level of power. Competitive Rivalry The UK supermarket industry has very strong competitive rivalry, however the rivalry is lower in home delivery as there are fewer suppliers and the market is not large enough for the major supermarkets to pay much attention to it (Boyer and Hult, 2006; Teller et al, 2006). However, with the low barriers to entry, if Food 2 You proves popular the market and the number of competitors in it could grow rapidly. 5.4 Marketing objectives The main marketing objective will be to build relationships with the villages or towns identified as being worthwhile locations in which to operate. These locations will be segmented according to their demographic, social and economic characteristics and the residents will be surveyed to find out their times and dates. Each part of the town or village will then be allocated a delivery slot based on their espoused interest. 5.5 Product strategy The service will aim to stock the products which will be most in demand in specific areas, focusing on high quality, high margin products in affluent areas and more basic products in poorer areas. However, in general the service will aim to provide higher quality items in order to justify its price premium. 5.6 Price strategy As discussed with the products, the company will pursue a pricing strategy based on providing maximum convenience in terms of time and distance. As such, the service will not be aiming to compete on price, and thus will have more flexibility to set premium prices and extract additional surplus from time pressured consumers. This will likely reduce the size of the target market for the service, but at the same time increase its value and profitability. 5.7 Place strategy The service will look to select locations in each town or village based on the locations which are easiest to reach for the majority of target customers. This will also require some consideration of where lorries can be parked most easily, as well as some consultation with local authorities to ensure that roads are not blocked and the public are not inconvenienced. 5.8 Promotion strategy The promotional activity of Food 2 You will concentrate on showing consumers the value that the company offers to them, in terms of not needing to spend lots of time and effort travelling to supermarkets. It will focus strongly on developing word of mouth advertising around the convenience of the stores and will also look to build relationships through allowing consumers to place orders for their favourite products and have a say in their delivery times. 6.0 Growth exit 6.1 Growth strategy The main growth strategy for the company will be to develop sufficient word of mouth in its chosen launch locations to allow it to develop into nearby geographical areas and hence to expand its fleet of mobile stores (Bolton and Drew, 1991). As this word of mouth begins to reach its limits in terms of reach and effectiveness, it can be supplemented by effective PR, such as arranging for local newspapers to write stories about the impact of the delivery service (Klein, 2007). Once the company’s brand image has grown significantly, it can also help grow itself through internet promotions, such as setting up a website through which potential customers can request the company provide services to their local area (Mayzlin, 2006). This will then help the company grow from being a local to a national company, thus allowing it to better compete with other stores on price. 6.2 Exit strategy The exit strategy for the venture is likely to be contingent on the level of success it experiences, and the reactions of other players in the grocery industry to its success. Should the company be launched in partnership with a major supermarket chain or supplier, then a takeover of Food 2 You by said partner would be a likely exit strategy. However, if the company launches alone and experiences significant success then it may still be purchased by one of the major players, as this would help the buyer increase their market share and access this segment of the industry without having to start their own offering. If this does not come to pass, then the most likely exit strategy would be an IPO by the owners, who could then decide whether to stay on as managers to the company or whether to exit completely. Alternatively, depending on the relationships the company builds with the communities in which it operates, the company could be taken over by these communities and run as a co-oper ative, or even taken over by its employees. 7.0 Conclusion The market analysis indicates that there is significant potential demand for this service, and that it can fill a sizeable existing gap in the grocery market. However, the main criteria for the success of the company is that it is able to partner with an existing major grocery retailer or supplier in order to obtain wholesale prices for its groceries. If it can do this, then it will be able to remain relatively price competitive, and thus can compete aggressively on convenience for consumers. However, in the initial two years of operation the venture will be quite high risk, particularly in terms of the locations in which it chooses to operate and its level of customer exposure. As such, it is vital that the company is careful when researching and selecting its start up locations, and also has significant cash flow to get it through the initial start up period where sales may be low. However, the innovative and convenient nature of the service should mean that, once it is through the initial period, it will rapidly develop a significant following and will grow into a successful and sustainable business venture. 8.0 References Birley, S. and Muzyka, D. (2000) Mastering Entrepreneurship: your single source guide to becoming a master of entrepreneurship. Pearson Education. Bolton, R. N. and Drew, J. H. (1991) A Multistage Model of Customers Assessments of Service Quality and Value. Journal of Consumer Research; Vol. 17, Issue 4, p. 375-384. Boyer, K. K. and Hult, G. T. M. (2006) Customer behavioral intentions for online purchases: An examination of fulfillment method and customer experience level. Journal of Operations Management; Vol. 24, Issue 2, p. 124-147. Casson M. (1982), The Entrepreneur Totowa: Barnes and Noble. Cotterill, R. W. (2006) Antitrust analysis of supermarkets: global concerns playing out in local markets. Australian Journal of Agricultural Resource Economics; Vol. 50, Issue 1, p. 17-32. Datamonitor (2008) Food Retail in the United Kingdom: Industry Profile. July 2008. Datamonitor (2007) UK grocery market: more competitive than ever. MarketWatch: Global Round-up; Vol. 6, Issue 12, p. 65-66. Drucker, P. F. (1993) Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Collins. Hutchings A. (1995), Marketing: A Resource Book, London: Pitman Publishing. Ketzenberg, M. and Ferguson, M. E. (2008) Managing Slow-Moving Perishables in the Grocery Industry. Production Operations Management; Vol. 17, Issue 5, p. 513-521. Klein, K. E. (2007) Effective PR on a Limited Budget. Business Week Online; 9th April 2007, p. 13. Kotler, P. and Keller, K. L. (2006) Marketing Management: 12th Edition. Harlow: Financial Times / Prentice Hall. Kumar, S. (2008) A study of the supermarket industry and its growing logistics capabilities. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management; Vol. 36, Issue 3, p. 192-211. MarketWatch (2007) UK grocery market: more competitive than ever. Datamonitor MarketWatch: Food; Vol. 6, Issue 12, p. 12-13. MarketWatch (2005) Industry Comment: UK organics: harvesting rewards. Datamonitor MarketWatch: Food; Vol. 4, Issue 1, p. 16. Mayzlin, D. (2006) Promotional Chat on the Internet. Marketing Science; Vol. 25, Issue 2, p. 155-163. Odin Y. Odin N. Valette-Florence P. (2001), Conceptual and Operational Aspects of Brand Loyalty: An Empirical Investigation, Journal of Business Research; Volume 53, Number 2, p75-84. Porter M. (1980), Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. London: Free Press. Rae D. (2007) Entrepreneurship: From Opportunity to Action, Palgrave MacMillan. Shane S. (2000), Prior Knowledge and the Discovery of Entrepreneurial Opportunities, Organization Science, Volume 11, Number 4, p448-469. Simkin, L. (1996) Understanding Competitors Strategies: The Practitioner Academic Gap, Marketing Intelligence Planning, Volume 15, Number 3, p124-134. Soil Association (2008) UK organic sales nudge  £2bn up 22 per cent – averaging  £7 million growth per week. Sales through local, direct marketing schemes such as veg boxes soar by 53 per cent. Soil Association; http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/7626dec679c2455580256de2004bae42/efd75fcb51d9029c8025734800579da9!OpenDocument Accessed 13th October 2008. Steyaert, C. and Hjorth, D. (2006) Entrepreneurship as Social Change: a Third Movements in Entrepreneurship Book. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Teller, C. Kotzab, H. and Grant, D. B. (2006) The consumer direct services revolution in grocery retailing: an exploratory investigation. Managing Service Quality; Vol. 16, Issue 1, p. 78-96. Trobe, H. L. (2001) Farmers markets: consuming local rural produce. International Journal of Consumer Studies; Vol. 25, Issue 3, p. 181-192. Vant, T. R. (2003) More jobs, greater choice. OECD Observer; Issue 239, p. 29. Wallas, G. (1926) The Art of Thought. New York: Harcourt Brace. West and Steinhouse (2008) Think Like An Entrepreneur: Your Psychological Toolkit For Success. Pearson Education. Wiener, M. (1971) Between two worlds: The political thought of Graham Wallas. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Appendix 1: Business Model Appendix 2: Detailed Financial Plan and Forecasts Monthly Cash Flow Forecast Year 1 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Opening Balance 250000 223000 96000 94000 92060 90181 88365 86612 84924 83303 81749 80264 Revenue Income from Sales 0 0 10000 10200 10404 10612 10824 11041 11262 11487 11717 11951 Expenses Marketing Expense 25000 25000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Equipme

Social Security Essays -- essays research papers

Social Security   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Social Security is a public program designed to provide income and services to individuals in the event of retirement, sickness, disability, death, or unemployment. In the United States, the word social security refers to the programs established in 1935 under the Social Security Act. Societies throughout history have devised ways to support people who cannot support themselves. In 1937 the government began issuing Social Security identification cards to all citizens. Each card had a unique number that the government used to keep track of a person’s earnings and the taxes collected from those earnings that went to finance Social Security benefits. The Social Security Act is an act in which taxes would be deducted from workers earnings to finance both old age benefits and unemployment compensation. The government began collecting Social Security taxes in 1937 and putting them in a trust fund. It was a fund that the government could use to pay benefits, cover administrative costs, and invest in securities to earn interest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since 1935, the U.S. government has modified the Social Security Act more than 20 times by major amendments. One of the first amendments, passed in 1939, added benefit support for the family members of retired workers and for survivors of deceased workers. In 1956, under President Dwight Eisenhower, the U.S. Congress added monthly benefits for disabled workers to Social Security. Along with the amendment of 1939 for benefits to family members and survivors, this new amendment created the form of Social Security that still exists today, which is known as Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI). In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed an amendment that created Medicare. Medicare is a program that provides hospital insurance to the elderly, along with supplementary medical insurance for other medical costs. During the 1970s and 1980s, concern arose about the financial integrity of the Social Security trust funds. The balance was shifting between money co ming in from taxes and benefits going out of the funds. The administration of President Ronald Reagan passed a set of major legislative changes to Social Security laws in 1983. These changes included the cancellation and, in some cases, taxation of certain benefits. The Congress also improvised a slight ... ...onesty, we will succeed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am really against the change of the Social Security system because it is going to dismantle the system and it is going to take very hard work to change the system the way he wants it to be. The Social Security system will face a crisis. The plans that President Bush plans to go about will amount to a huge cost. The United States is already in debt, so why make it more in debt? Sources http://www.governmentguide.com/govsite.adp?bread=*Main&url=http%3A//www.governmentguide.com/ams/clickThruRedirect.adp%3F55076483%2C16920155%2Chttp%3A//www.ssa.gov/history/history.html http://www.socialsecurityreform.org/history/index.cfm http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/gahff/html/ff_168800_socialsecuri.htm http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2002-2003/americas/united_states.html http://www.disabilityresources.org/SS.html http://www.foreignborn.com/self-help/social_sec/6programs.htm http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/unemployment_compensation.html http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/medicare.html http://www.newsbatch.com/socialsecurity.htm http://www.swem.wm.edu/GOVDOC/welfare.html Social Security Essays -- essays research papers Social Security   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Social Security is a public program designed to provide income and services to individuals in the event of retirement, sickness, disability, death, or unemployment. In the United States, the word social security refers to the programs established in 1935 under the Social Security Act. Societies throughout history have devised ways to support people who cannot support themselves. In 1937 the government began issuing Social Security identification cards to all citizens. Each card had a unique number that the government used to keep track of a person’s earnings and the taxes collected from those earnings that went to finance Social Security benefits. The Social Security Act is an act in which taxes would be deducted from workers earnings to finance both old age benefits and unemployment compensation. The government began collecting Social Security taxes in 1937 and putting them in a trust fund. It was a fund that the government could use to pay benefits, cover administrative costs, and invest in securities to earn interest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since 1935, the U.S. government has modified the Social Security Act more than 20 times by major amendments. One of the first amendments, passed in 1939, added benefit support for the family members of retired workers and for survivors of deceased workers. In 1956, under President Dwight Eisenhower, the U.S. Congress added monthly benefits for disabled workers to Social Security. Along with the amendment of 1939 for benefits to family members and survivors, this new amendment created the form of Social Security that still exists today, which is known as Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI). In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed an amendment that created Medicare. Medicare is a program that provides hospital insurance to the elderly, along with supplementary medical insurance for other medical costs. During the 1970s and 1980s, concern arose about the financial integrity of the Social Security trust funds. The balance was shifting between money co ming in from taxes and benefits going out of the funds. The administration of President Ronald Reagan passed a set of major legislative changes to Social Security laws in 1983. These changes included the cancellation and, in some cases, taxation of certain benefits. The Congress also improvised a slight ... ...onesty, we will succeed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am really against the change of the Social Security system because it is going to dismantle the system and it is going to take very hard work to change the system the way he wants it to be. The Social Security system will face a crisis. The plans that President Bush plans to go about will amount to a huge cost. The United States is already in debt, so why make it more in debt? Sources http://www.governmentguide.com/govsite.adp?bread=*Main&url=http%3A//www.governmentguide.com/ams/clickThruRedirect.adp%3F55076483%2C16920155%2Chttp%3A//www.ssa.gov/history/history.html http://www.socialsecurityreform.org/history/index.cfm http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/gahff/html/ff_168800_socialsecuri.htm http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2002-2003/americas/united_states.html http://www.disabilityresources.org/SS.html http://www.foreignborn.com/self-help/social_sec/6programs.htm http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/unemployment_compensation.html http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/medicare.html http://www.newsbatch.com/socialsecurity.htm http://www.swem.wm.edu/GOVDOC/welfare.html

Essay --

Describe the future As the world grows so do our challenges. Not only are our problems growing in number but they are also growing in complexity. There is barely a day that goes by when I don't hear about some new problem that will soon endanger us all. While some of these problems such as El Nino, earthquakes, and other natural disasters cannot be stopped there are other threats such as the extension of racial abhorrence, mounting risk of disease spread, and the increasing levels of civil agitation all over the world, which endanger numerous lives everyday. Most of the future's challenges will only be made possible if all people, regardless of race, color, or nationality, attempt to work together for a stronger world. There are numerous ways in which I believe that we can assist society meet this future challenge of coming together as a united world. To make the people of the world combine would barely take time in persuading people of the world that we are all in quest of the sam e fundamental goals. Many suffer problems on a much less grandiose scale. In spite of the fact that th... Essay -- Describe the future As the world grows so do our challenges. Not only are our problems growing in number but they are also growing in complexity. There is barely a day that goes by when I don't hear about some new problem that will soon endanger us all. While some of these problems such as El Nino, earthquakes, and other natural disasters cannot be stopped there are other threats such as the extension of racial abhorrence, mounting risk of disease spread, and the increasing levels of civil agitation all over the world, which endanger numerous lives everyday. Most of the future's challenges will only be made possible if all people, regardless of race, color, or nationality, attempt to work together for a stronger world. There are numerous ways in which I believe that we can assist society meet this future challenge of coming together as a united world. To make the people of the world combine would barely take time in persuading people of the world that we are all in quest of the sam e fundamental goals. Many suffer problems on a much less grandiose scale. In spite of the fact that th...

Macbeth - Macbeth Character Study Essay example -- essays research pap

Thesis: Macbeth's changing character over the course of the play can be seen in his roles a general, husband and a king. I. General A. Early in the play he is brave 1. Captain reports 2. Duncan conversation B. Late in the play he is ineffective 1. Fearful 2. Cornered II. Husband A. Initially close to wife 1. Confides in her via letter 2. Has pet name B. Later becomes distant/cold 1. Tells doctor to cure Lady Macbeth 2. Feels resignation, not anguish at her death III. King A. At first is powerful 1. Malcolm and Donaldbain free Scotland 2. He succeeds in killing Banquo B. At end is powerless 1. Fleance escapes 2. Malcolm conquers Scotland The story of Macbeth is one of power at the expense of everything. The main character, Macbeth starts out greatly admired with strong character. As the play progresses, Macbeth's personality and actions become more deceitful leading to his destruction. Macbeth's changing character over the course of the play can be seen in his roles a general, husband and a king. First, Macbeth's changing character is evident in his role as a general. As the play begins, he is a brave general, well respected by his peers. The captain returning from battle reports of this saying, "But all's too weak; for brave Macbeth (he deserves that name)" (1.2. 17-18) Duncan later confers his title as king of Scotland, claiming, "No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest. Go, pronounce his present death, and with his former title,... Macbeth - Macbeth Character Study Essay example -- essays research pap Thesis: Macbeth's changing character over the course of the play can be seen in his roles a general, husband and a king. I. General A. Early in the play he is brave 1. Captain reports 2. Duncan conversation B. Late in the play he is ineffective 1. Fearful 2. Cornered II. Husband A. Initially close to wife 1. Confides in her via letter 2. Has pet name B. Later becomes distant/cold 1. Tells doctor to cure Lady Macbeth 2. Feels resignation, not anguish at her death III. King A. At first is powerful 1. Malcolm and Donaldbain free Scotland 2. He succeeds in killing Banquo B. At end is powerless 1. Fleance escapes 2. Malcolm conquers Scotland The story of Macbeth is one of power at the expense of everything. The main character, Macbeth starts out greatly admired with strong character. As the play progresses, Macbeth's personality and actions become more deceitful leading to his destruction. Macbeth's changing character over the course of the play can be seen in his roles a general, husband and a king. First, Macbeth's changing character is evident in his role as a general. As the play begins, he is a brave general, well respected by his peers. The captain returning from battle reports of this saying, "But all's too weak; for brave Macbeth (he deserves that name)" (1.2. 17-18) Duncan later confers his title as king of Scotland, claiming, "No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest. Go, pronounce his present death, and with his former title,...