The Great Gatsby And The Destruction Of The American Dream Essays

The Great Gatsby And The Destruction Of The American Dream The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is about the corruption of the American Dream, and the downfall of those who attempt to attain its illusionary goals. As the novel shows, the 20th century is a moral wasteland and a corruption of the original idealistic American Dream of the past. Fitzgerald's moral wasteland is shown physically in the valley of ashes scene of the novel. This 'dismal' and 'desolate' wasteland exists side-by-side with the white and unreal dream of Daisy and her world. Even the colors of this landscape have correlations to Daisy: the yellow of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg's spectacles and the brick of the houses on the street is a color of decay, but also of riches like sunlight and gold. Also, the ashes in the valley form figures (to Nick) which disintegrate at the slightest puff of wind. Gatsby is incapable of recognizing the ashes of what Daisy represents and takes her emptiness for substance. Although Nick sees the moral desolation of the Buchanans' world, Gatsby cannot and tries to find in this world a dream worth holding on to. As shown in Gatsby's parties, nothing is tethered to reality; there is laughter without amusement, 'enthusiasm' between strangers, friends without friendship, and life without meaning. Gatsby's dream is that through wealth and power, one can acquire happiness (Daisy). Throughout the novel we see that Gatsby cannot see that the past is over and done with and he therefor can have no chance with Daisy. He is sure that he can capture his dream with wealth and influence. Nick attempts to show Gatsby the folly of his dream and tell him that he cannot relive the past, but Gatsby confidently replies, Yes you can, old sport. There are many connections between Gatsby's dream with the American Dream. A big part of both is the pursuit of material things and both have a touch (or more than a touch) of unreality about them. The American dream used to be self-betterment, wealth, and success through hard work and perseverance or luck, pluck, and virtue, as Alger would put it. However, in the modern era, all that changed. The American Dream shrunk from self-betterment, wealth, and success through hard work and perseverance to 'success' through wealth by any means possible, just as Gatsby's dream, his Platonic conception of himself, shrunk into Daisy. The corruption of the American dream can be illustrated by how Gatsby came by his fortune. Through his dealings with organized crime, he didn't adhere to the original American Dream guidelines. His very dishonesty that allowed him to get the wealth and connections to be near Daisy is also the very thing that would make it impossible for him to live in Daisy's world or she in his. In effect, pursuing his dream without thought to honesty or morality, Gatsby guaranteed that his dream would not come true. This is true also of the American Dream. Those who try to attain the American Dream without thought to honesty or morality are doomed to have their dreams remain unattainable or, if they achieve wealth, to have the dream become meaningless due to their very immorality (like Jordan's cheating takes the meaning out of her 'wins'). Also, in the novel all the immoral and dishonest people (Tom, Daisy, Jordan) have all the money. This concept of the corruption and destruction of the American Dream is also physically illustrated by how the 'fresh, green promise' of the world was displaced by the 'gloomy', 'gray' Valley of Ashes. The Great Gatsby illustrates how the pursuit for happiness through materialism cannot be successful without accompanying morality. Cut off from their mid-West traditions and ethics, the characters in the novel live in a sort of sick parody of the American Dream. They cannot be truly happy because they lack the inner reserves for such an emotion. This parallels modern society's rootlessness and accompanying corruption of the American Dream. Without something to believe in, to hold on to, we can not attain anything of genuine worth. Book Reports

Maximum Wage essays

Maximum Wage essays The United States has had a minimum wage for over sixty years, which begs the question: if we have a government-imposed income floor, why dont we have an income ceiling? Through the years, the idea of an income ceiling has been brought up several times as the solution to the supposed problem in the U.S. of a very small percentage of the population controlling a very large percentage of the assets of the country. One of the first times this suggestion was made was in conjunction with the proposal of a minimum wage in the early 20th century. During his 1932 campaign for Presidency, Franklin D. Roosevelt argued that the economic problem of the post-depression U.S. wasnt an insufficiency of capital, but an insufficient distribution of buying power coupled with an over sufficient speculation in production. In other words, the problem was not that the rich people didnt have enough money to invest, but that no one else had any money to buy (Long 298). A similar theme is found in economist Ravi Batras argument that recessions are caused by unequal distribution of income. Batra also notes that all great depressions have been preceded by great speculative manias triggered by high wealth disparity. Roosevelt, Batra, and many economists have agreed that as rich people become richer and more wealth is controlled by fewer people, more people are left with few or no assets. This fact creates a higher demand for loans, but the people who demand these loans are less credit-worthy, therefore the number of banks with questionable loans rises (Batra 117). The rich people become caught up in a speculative fever, which generates missed opportunities for meaningful economic growth. These two problems combined can have devastating effects on the economy, such as recessions or depressions (Pizzigati 19). Eventually these ideas, coupled with the need for gove...

Important Read This Before Sending ACT Scores to Colleges

Important Read This Before Sending ACT Scores to Colleges SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips No college application is complete without test scores. But sending scores to colleges doesn't have tobe a confusing and frustrating process! Read this article tounderstand all theoptions for sending out your ACT scores,to get help with the many decisions you will have to make, and to know what to do if you run into problems. I'll describe the basic process of how to send ACTscores, how to take full advantage of the ACT's individual score reporting, when to send scores, and howto make sure your scores don't get lost. At the same time, I'll go through the pros and cons of every option and suggest a recommended course of action. How to Send Your ACT Scores: 2 Methods You can send your ACT scores either when you take the test or any time after you get your scores. Method 1: Use Your Four Free Score Reports From the time youregister for the ACT until noon Central Time the Thursday after your test date, you have the option of sending out four free score reports to colleges or scholarship programs. However, this means you'll be sending your scoreswithout having actually seen them. Whether you should take this free reports offerreally depends on your circumstances: Pros:These four reports are free,so you'll save some money. Cons:You won’t be able to take advantage of the ACT score choicepolicy (more on this later). In other words, instead of getting to pick and choose which of your scores colleges will see, yourtest results will be sent to colleges even if you do worse than you expect. I recommend usingthe free reports to send scores to colleges thatrequire you to send all your ACT scores. Method 2: Order Additional Score Reports You can also send your ACT scores any time after you receive them by logging into your ACT accountor by sending in an order form for additional score reports. In your account, you can see your scores from all ACTs you've taken and create reports of these scores forcolleges to see. Here's our advice about whether you should send ACT scores after you've seen them: Pros:You can customize each score report to have only the test dates you want to send to colleges. This lets you take advantage ofACT score choice(again, I'll tell you all about this a little further down). Cons:Each score report costs $13 (even for students eligible for fee waivers), and each report can only have one test date and one college on it. For example, sending one test score to 10 schools costs $130, while sending four test scores to one school costs $52. Priority reports cost even more: $16.50 per report. These fees add up quickly,so think carefully about what you want to send where. Here are some of our recommendations on when to send additional score reports: Send scores withyour best section results to colleges that superscore the ACT. These schools willmake a new composite score for you using your best English, Math, Reading, and Science scores from any ACTs you took. Send your single highest score to colleges that neither superscore norrequire all your scores,to ACT scholarship programs,andto the NAIA if you are going to playcollege sports. Can You Send Old ACT Scores? To send ACT scores from any test taken before September 1, 2016, you have to request them from the ACT archives.Each regular archived report costs $38 (including a nonrefundable $25 archived scores fee), and each priority report costs $41.50. Here are three options for ordering older ACT scores: Request your scores online by creating anACT account. Send in a request form(if you can remember your approximate test year, ACT, Inc., can check a range of years in their records for you) or a letter of request (if you can't remember) to the following address: ACT Customer Care- Score Reports PO Box 451 Iowa City, IA 52243-0451 Call ACT, Inc., at(319) 337-1313.Note that you can only order regular reports this way- no priority reports. In addition, there is an extra $15 phone service fee. Pro Tip:Some QA websites claim that you can print out your scores from the ACT website and mail or fax them to colleges as a way of sending scores for free. If only!Unfortunately, the vast majority of colleges only accept score reports sent by ACT, Inc. What's more, most colleges only accept electronic scores through ACT's special service. It didn't work when you tried to mail your baby brother away when you were 4, and it won't work now for your ACT scores. Can You Choose Which ACT Scores to Send? Because of the way the ACT score ordering process is structured- you get to pick which score or scores to send to which colleges- their policy ends up being almost identical to the College Board's Score Choice policy for the SAT. (The ACT doesn’t call it Score Choice, but I will for the sake of simplicity.) Let's say you tookthe ACT twice. The first time you took it you were getting over the flu and having a terrible day. The basic idea of ACT Score Choice is that you can send just your second test score to your target colleges and pretend your first testdidn’t even happen. Here are some of the major pros and cons of ACT Score Choice: Pros Score Choice is awesome for colleges that don’t want to see all your ACT scores. It's also perfect for colleges that superscore- you can send your schools just those test dates that have your highest section scores. It’s also the best way to send your highest score to scholarship programs and the NAIA. Cons You have to be careful and read your target colleges' score submission policies carefully. Failing to send all your ACT scores to collegesthat require all of them could jeopardize your application! Because each score report can only haveone college and one score on it,sending out many reports can get reallyexpensive fast. The hot, new "make it rain" rap video montage accessory? A stack of envelopes from ACT, Inc. When Should You Send Your ACT Scores? Now, let's talk about the best times to send your ACT scores to schools. Should You Send ACT Scores Early? Some students have heard that sending ACT scores early (maybe even in your junior year!) shows colleges that you're a very interested applicant. It’s true that there is such a thing as demonstrated interest- admissions committees sometimes want to see proof that an applicant sincerely wants to go to their school. But demonstrated interest only comes into play after yourfull application has been submitted, usually as a way to move someone up on a waitlist. In any case, sending ACT scores early willnot give you an edge or constitute demonstrated interest.Generally, if you send scores to a college but haven’t applied there yet, the admissions committee will simply save them under your name in a general file until your application shows up. They don’t keep track of whose scores get there first. And it's not only that:if you send your scores early but are still planning to retake the ACT, you won't get the full benefit of Score Choice since you won't be able to choose between that early score and ones from later tests. Sending scores early enough for Neanderthals to receive them won't give you a leg up. When Should ACT Scores Get to Colleges? It'll be no surprise to hear that official score reports should be received by each university's respective application deadline.In order to figure out what this means in terms of when to send your ACT scores, let’s go through the timing of everything that happens after you take the test. Step 1: ACT, Inc., Scores Your Test This usually takes two weeks for multiple-choice scores (but can take up to eight). It takes an extra two weeks for Writing scores (if you took the ACT with Writing). It also takes an extra one to two weeks if you took the test outside the US or Canada (on top of the extra two weeks for Writing). Step 2: Score Reports Are Posted Online and Processed for Sending Scores are posted online as soon as multiple-choice results are ready (and Writing results are added two weeks later when they are finished). However, if you tested through State and District, School, or DANTES Testing, you’ll only see your scores online after getting your printed score report in the mail. If you registered for the four free score reports, these are sent out as soon as your full score report (multiple choice plus Writing, if you took the latter as well) is ready. Any score reports ordered through the ACT website take aboutone week of processing before being sent to colleges. Step 3: Colleges Receive ACT Scores Mostcolleges get ACT scores electronically.The schools themselves determine how often they receive scores. The least frequent possibility is once every two weeks, though most schools choose to receive scores far more often (for example, UVA gets them daily). A small number ofcolleges receive paper score reports sent by first-class mail. These are usually delivered within a few days. Remember that there will be a lag between when a college gets your scores and when it adds them to your application file. In most circumstances, the math for ordering the test goes like this: 1 week for ordering scores + 1 week for colleges to get and file scores = you need to order at least 2weeks before the application deadline Just in case, however, it's best to send ACT scores as soon as you're done testing and are sure which schools you're applying to. Your last possible test-date math looks like this: 2 weeks for scoring multiple choice + 2 weeks for scoring Writing + 3 weeks for ordering tests = take your last test no later than 7 weeks before the application deadline Sending your scores is the synchronized swimming of college applications: to do it well, you have to master perfect timing. Should You Order ACT Priority Score Reports? If you’re running short on time, you can send colleges your scores throughACT’s rush service. Here are the pros and cons of doing this: Pros Instead of taking up to one week to send your scores, ACT, Inc., guarantees that scores will be processed within two business days of your request and delivered three to four days later. Cons This service does not speed up how long it takes to score your test. This service also does not speed up how long it takes for colleges to receive your scores- colleges choose the timing themselves, which cantakeup to two weeks. In other words, while scores are sent sooner, they aren't necessarily going to be seen sooner. Colleges that receive ACT score reports electronically might not view priority reports at all. The cost is$16.50 per report. Here are our recommendations:if every moment counts because the deadline is fast approaching, it might make sense to pay extra to buy yourself a little more time. Just keep in mind that colleges might not see your scores any faster if their delivery preferences aren’t set up for priority reports. What If Your ACT Scores Arrive After the Application Deadline? What happens to applications when ACT scores are received late ultimately depends on each college’s individual policy. Some schools have a hard-and-fast rule that late application materials disqualify applicants. For example, theUniversity of Texas’s policy even overrides the guaranteed admission this state school offers to any in-states students in the top 10% of their class. At some schools, late ACT scores are a gamble- you’re betting that your application won’t be considered until further into the process, so your scores might have a chance to get there. For example, here's whatStanford’s admissions site warns in regard to late scores: â€Å"We cannot delay the review of an application in anticipation of scores that will arrive after the deadline nor can we guarantee that late [ACT] scores will be reviewed." Meanwhile,UVA points out what happens if your scores are late: â€Å"There is a chance that we will have already started the [sic] review your file before those scores arrive. You should still send those scores. ... There's a chance that the scores will be seen at some point in the process.† Finally, some schools judge each application on a case-by-case basis. This means that an otherwise excellent application might be put aside until ACT scores arrive, while an application that's clearly not a good fit for the school might be rejected even before scores arrive. Still better than being late for the Queen of Hearts and her "off with your head" policy. How Can You Make Sure Your ACT Scores Don’t Get Lost? The top reasons colleges can’t find your ACT scores are as follows: You enteredthe wrong ACT college code You forgot to send your scores to that particular college If you registered for the four free score reports, you can check your own score report for the code numbers you put in and confirm they're correct. If you ordered reports from the ACT website, go to your account and double-check the college codes there. A good rule of thumb is to wait three weeks after your sending date to check whether your scores have been received.Usually, this info will be available on the college’s application site. In other cases, colleges might contact you to let you know which application materials have not yet arrived. If you get a notice from the college that your ACT scores are missing, don’t panic:it can take a few weeks for received application materials to be logged.Chances are, the school has indeed received your scores but simply hasn’t filed them yet. Feel free to call the admissions office and calmly and respectfully ask them to check whether your scores have arrived. If your ACT scores don't turn up- whether because they got lost in the mail, were somehow electronically derailed, or were simply misfiled- you can still resend your scores by ordering new reportsfrom the ACT website. If she's facing away from Lost, does that mean she's going to Found? Deep thoughts. What’s Next? Is your ACT score good enough? Learn what an excellent ACT score is for your top-choice schools, and get a first-person guide to getting a perfect 36. Studying for an ACT retake?Learn how to stop running out of time on Math and Reading,and check out our complete guide to ACT Science. Want to blow off a little steam? Here are five fun facts about the ACT. Maybe one will help you win that coveted pink Trivial Pursuit wedge! Disappointed with your ACT scores? Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

The Irish History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Irish History - Essay Example How various people responded to the Great Famine of 1845-1852 will also be discussed. Moreover, it will address the role of women in the history of Ireland, as well as the contributions of the Hollywood and Bill Clinton family to promoting peace in Ireland. The Irish Conquest came to a close during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James. This was after several years of struggle, which was characterized by very brutal conflicts. There was an Irish Parliamentary meeting in 1541, during which Henry the eighth ascended to power as the new King of Ireland. This consequently made sure there was a government in place. Therefore, having a friendly king in Ireland, the English saw it as a rare opportunity to acquire further control of over their Kingdom of Ireland to its other claimed territories. This process took them close to a century to eventually succeed in their new endeavors. The process was characterized by various fighting and negotiations between the English administrators an d independent Irish and conservative English lords (Moody and Martin 31). As stated above, the conquest only ended during the times of Elizabeth and James. After a complete conquest, the English realized their first real governance of Ireland. They then established a centralized government all over, an event which was immediately followed by a complete disarmament of the local lordships. However, I would like to argue that this conquest cannot be termed as fully successful by 1603. I admit that by this time they had established a strong control over this territory, at least physically. Some structures, however, still remained unchanged. The Irish had been dominantly Catholics, a fact that had not changed a big deal by 1603. The Irish had not yet adopted the English Protestant ideology by 1603, and there was no sign that that would happen in the near future. The English were also employing very crude methods to strengthen their hold the territory. Methods such as martial law only att racted more resentment from the natives. There was also the introduction of the infamous plantation system which meant total colonization. The English had simply just failed, at least from the ideological perspective (Moody and Martin 31). The Irish gave another life to William of Orange as a Protestant savior even after years of irrelevance among the non-Protestants. William had preached the Protestant ideologies as the ideals. He had worked so hard within the Orange Order, an organization which had emerged after the â€Å"Battle of Diamond.† The ideology of â€Å"biblical Protestantism† emerged again under the new Orange Order, with the stronger principles of reformation. This Order also only accepted those who subscribed to the Protestant ideologies (Johnson 180). William had also successfully convinced not only other Orange Order members but also other protestant Irish that it was important to help The United Kingdom rein forever. Under the English rule, the Protes tants were assured of security and prosperity, since it would highly enrich them while discriminating against the Catholics. Therefore, William’s ideas for Unionism, which opposed any form of Irish re-unification or even the independence of Scotland, was an admirable gesture that would ensure that Protestants rule over Irish Catholics forever. Therefore, William was always seen as the Protestant savior against any fall (Johnson 180). The Catholics were continuously treated

Data warehouse, data mart and business intelligence Essay - 1

Data warehouse, data mart and business intelligence - Essay Example ique data structure that allows comparatively rapid and trouble-free performance of big and complex queries over large amounts of data (Business Intelligence Secrets, 2012). Additionally, the data warehouse is built to support the business intelligence tasks and decision support systems of an organization. However, the data warehouse is developed on the basis of relational database that supports queries and reporting instead of traditional business transaction processing. Moreover, it typically holds historical data resulting from transaction data; as well it can gather data from other corporate sources. Also, it divides bossiness analysis workload from corporate operations workload and allows a business to merge data from numerous sources (Oracle Corporation, 2002; Einbinder, Scully, Pates, Schubart, & Reynolds, 2001). There is another concept related to business intelligence known as data mart, it is a business decision support structure that integrates data from different sources and focuses on major processes or tasks of the business. In addition, the data marts encompass exact business related processes and principles like that forecasting sales, determining performance and influence of marketing promotions, assessing the influence of new product launching on business income or calculating and forecasting the working of a new business division or department. In fact, data marts are strictly business related software systems. Though, data marts can capture large amounts of data, even hundreds of gigabytes, but it cannot be larger than the data warehouse, which is also used by similar businesses. On the other hand, data marts are more aligned with specific company motives, system requirements and planning and analysis are performed in an effective manner and as a result implementation, design, i nstallation and testing are less expensive as compared to data warehouses (Demarest, 1993; Firestone, 1997). In addition, they can be developed rapidly and they are

Clashes of Race Essay Example for Free

Clashes of Race Essay Abstract The purpose of this paper is to explore racism and discrimination within America. It was also a goal to show the relationships between racial clashes throughout history, and what the purpose behind the clashes was. By showing these clashes society gets a better understand of what triggers these action within society. Running Header: CLASHES OF RACE: UNDERSTANDING THE PURPOSE In the rather complex world in which society dwells on, society lacks appreciation for the simplicity of the universe. one act or idea can spawn certain events that affect the course of history. to understand history, it is essential for society to look at the causes behind the significance of an event. racial discrimination has spawned social clashes between ethnicities for generations, and it continues to do so. to understand the significance of these events, it is important to analyze the source of these racial clashes throughout history. analyzing the sources of these events provides, if any, patterns of human nature in response to mistreatment due to racial profiling. it is also essential to analyze the basic principles of discrimination within the twenty-first century and what society faces in present day. before analyzing racial discrimination in the twenty-first century, the importance of understanding the different types of racism is needed. There are two types of discrimination that society faces present day, direct discrimination and indirect discrimination. direct discrimination by definition, is when an individual or group is singled out directly by society or an individual based on there race. indirect discrimination is when an individual is singled out surreptitiously by an individual or group. this is more prevalent within present day culture, compared to direct discrimination. the reason being that racism in the twenty-first century is less acceptable among society. the result of racism is that it is less acceptable within modern day society is racism taking on a more enigmatic face. Running Header: CLASHES OF RACE: UNDERSTANDING THE PURPOSE social clashes that resulted from direct discrimination have been apart of america for decades. prime examples of direct discrimination are famously the wars and massacres enacted on early native americans. The reasons for these attacks on native americans were due to new settlers in america wanting to acquire resources from the natives themselves. the colonist’s believed that the natives way of life was inferior to their own, due to the savageness of their own human nature. This is a prime example of micro-aggression in early american culture. Such events such as the â€Å"trail of tears† and many other attacks on the native american’s way of life was justified due to the idea of manifest destiny, which is a belief that the territory was a divine gift to the american colonist. This resulted in constant conflict between american society and native americans in the twenty-first century. it is important to understand how micro-aggression works and operates in the twenty-first century. with modern society changing into a more diversified culture in the United States, it is important to understand how indirect discrimination works in modern society. Society by nature tends to group themselves within certain micro-cultures, it is important to understand this important dynamic due to its purpose within society. this dynamic by nature forces ethnicities to side with a certain set of social norms and values.(West,2004) examples of how this affects modern day society would best be described by conflict with interracial marriages and racial generalization. ethnic grouping has been apart of america since the beginning of american society. the colonist settled in america based on their religions and values, in which the colonist Running Header: CLASHES OF RACE: UNDERSTANDING THE PURPOSE had previously in britain. more modern examples of ethnic grouping would be groups, such as the black panther party, naacp are examples of more modern cases of ethnic grouping.(Jablonski,2012) the common feature of today’s society, also well known as mass media, has a huge impact on racial conflictions with the populace of todays society. one psychological principle says that if an image or idea is shown repetitively that the image or idea will leave an imprint on the mind, later on making the mind recognize the image or ideology as† normalcy†.(Yosso,2002) the mainstream media controls the public agenda, as well as the emotions reflected within society. the mass media needs to recognize the effect in which it has on society, the purpose of the media should be to promote the truth of a matter accurately. This would help balance out racial out lashes between ethnic neighborhood, as well as riots and other ethnic protest. (Vann,2006) in recent times of society, racism in north america has went through a major transformation, especially after the post-civil rights era where the democrats believed in equality for all types of ethnicities that specifically did not get along throughout the history of racism in society(Wamsted,D,2012). This shows the progression of diversity within America. however, even with change in equality the south still shows a higher percentage of direct discrimination as well as indirect discrimination in modern day society than the north. some examples of the result of discrimination can best be depicted is social out lashes of an ethnic communities. this can be shown through protest, as well as more Running Header: CLASHES OF RACE: UNDERSTANDING THE PURPOSE serious demonstrations such as riots. the causes of these demonstrations can be a number of reasons, but one pattern that is shown throughout history is that most social out lashes resulted due to mistreatment among their race. an example of this would be the los angeles riots of 1992. The riots resulted from six officers found not guilty that were accused of beating a black male, rodney king. the riots lasted for six days, and resulted in thousands of injuries and fifty-three deaths.(Watts,2011) however, not every protest result in death and injury. through the civil rights era many protesters believed in the nonviolent approach of martin luther king jr. most protesters believed in sit-ins, boycotts, and other forms of nonviolent forms of protest. however, the effects of racism and discrimination has not stopped america from diversifying, but rather fueled individualism among minorities within america. A study shows that more minorities are striving for higher education within america. derek bok reported in 2000 in his book The Shape of the River that eighty-six percent of black students who enrolled in twenty-eight selective universities across the nation were apart of the middle-class or upper-middle class. This shows not only an increase in african american on college campus, but also the percentage of success among blacks with a stable financial backing. This trend is important to understand due to the progression of diversity within america. It is prevalent that not only income have increased among african americans, but also the number of blacks going to college compared to college statistics of the 1990s and 1980s.(Harring-Smith,2012) to understand the importance of an action, is in essence the greatest ideology or knowledge to grasp. for every action within society has an effect on history. The Running Header: CLASHES OF RACE: UNDERSTANDING THE PURPOSE importance of diversity within society continues to show progression. however, racism will always have its place within society. society has to continue to evolve as well as continue to educate the youth in society to limit the grasp that racism has on america, whether the discrimination is indirect or direct. â€Å"weve got to face the fact that some people say you fight fire best with fire, but we say you put fire out best with water. we say you dont fight racism with racism. were gonna fight racism with solidarity.†-Fred Hampton Running Header: CLASHES OF RACE: UNDERSTANDING THE PURPOSE References: Haring-Smith, T. (2012). Broadening Our Definition of Diversity. Liberal Education, 98(2), 6. Jablonski, N. (2012). The struggle to overcome racism. New Scientist, 215(2880), 26. Vann, A. (2006, June 29). Sometimes the allegation of reverse racism is camouflage for maintaining the status quo. New York Amsterdam News. p. 13. Wamsted, D. J. (2012). Opening Doors for Diversity. Electric Perspectives, 37(3), 26. Watts. (2011). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 1. West, E. (2004). Expanding the Racial Frontier. Historian, 66(3), 552. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6563.2004.00088.x Yosso, T. J. (2002). Critical Race Media Literacy: Challenging Deficit Discourse about Chicanas/os. Journal Of Popular Film Television, 30(1), 52.

US Public Lands Essay -- US territory, US Forest service, government

U.S. Public Lands are a vital part of our nation and what is stands for, but you rarely hear anything about of these lands or the creation of their units anywhere other than a bleak mention in a high school American history class where they briefly mention their conception or if you seek it out in college. The federal government owns just about 30% of all public lands in the United States, (Bureau of Land Management Lecture), which equates to almost 650 million acres, of land of all different types and terrains. The U.S. Public Lands system is divided into five major units, all owned by the federal government, all with different goals and all ran by different legislation but all still dealing with the same things: nature and the environment. When first learning about the existence of these five major units, I asked myself, why aren’t these all under the same branches, just as many other sectors of life in America. Or if anything why isn’t it up to the individual sta tes to decide how they want their land looked after? I quickly realized was that they weren’t all created as one because each different unit has it’s owns mission’s, legislations to abide by and it’s own practices and that by owning so much land federally, the United States is able to hold more control over the individual states. Although I don’t think that it will be effortless and uncomplicated, I do think that the land owned by the federal government should be devolved back to the individual states so they can customize their care for the environment that is specifically catered to their specific terrain’s needs. I believe the best alternative is for the United States to give back the federal land to the individual states, and then the individual states consol... ... are now barely breaking even, even with tourism. The only really profitable aspects are the oil, gas and mining companies, which reside on federal land but those are poorly managed and do more bad than good for the environment and all people living around them. At first it will be hard but it’s not impossible under the right leadership who truly only wants the betterment of the environment, I think with strict guidelines and rules this could be the most profitable solution for humankind and the environment. I believe that giving the land back to the states will be beneficial to help keep the costs down, centralize the efforts, and make â€Å"saving,† and â€Å"preserving,† the environment more efficient in the long run. Works Cited Edwards, Chris, and Randal O'Toole. "Reforming Federal Land Management." Downsizing the Federal Government. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.

Ideal Society Essay

What does one think of when discussing the topic of an â€Å"ideal society†? Throughout history, mankind has struggled to improve society for future generations. Every person has his/her own views on what an ideal society should be like. Society is defined as â€Å"a body of individuals living as members of a community†. Many scholars and well-known authors such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Thomas More express those ideas through public speaking. Although those ideas are just one person’s opinion, others believe in the power of God and the belief that he created the world. This, in turn, developed societies amongst the people. Society is built upon individuals expressing their own beliefs and their opinions and putting them into action. The real question is how we, as individuals, take those thoughts, and utilize them to the best of our ability in our everyday lives. Realistically, an ideal society will only work if the ideals are upheld within each individual in the society. An ideal society has been talked of as a â€Å"Utopia†. It is one of the common dreams of man. It is a topic that has no such notion of a perfect explanation. There are many different perceptions from each person in today’s world. What are people continuously trying to improve? I feel that one aspect of an ideal society would be where we all are treated equally. People of different race, sex, gender, disability, etc†¦ would not be stigmatized by the rest of society as most are today. However, one’s talent could not be disregarded. In so many communist societies, their plans for an equal society had always failed. These societies failed to take notice of the talents in individuals and could not tolerate the people who outgrew their society. Society should provide more opportunities to a person with talent. Therefore, would â€Å"equality† still be able to hold true for all persons? I think not in this case. When talking about justice, what should really be considered? Justice can mean a multitude of different things to different people and societies. The concept of justice has always been closely tied to the idea of fairness. It has also always been associated with the idea of rationality. Everyone wants to live in a society that is fair. When a case goes before the Supreme Court, the judges (or justices) are expected to rationally deliberate long and hard about the fairest course of action. An ideal society should definitely have justice just as our society does today. Issues that could arise should be dealt with in the fairest way possible. The individuals making the decisions should be rationale about their planned course of action. Actions should not be taken based off of a biased view of something but rather an unbiased view. Freedom is another big concept that should not be ignored when thinking of an ideal society. It is considered to be the greatest human value. The more degree of freedom one has, the more one can realize his/her true potentials. If an individual is told they can’t do this or they can’t do that by another person than that other person is limiting the individual’s freedom. Each person should be allowed freedom but freedom must be regulated to a certain extreme. This is because freedom does not and cannot mean freedom to harm, exploit, or kill someone or something. Due to the fact that freedom should be regulated in an ideal society, this brings up the concept of governance and laws. There still remain people who may try to take away the freedoms of others if given a free hand. Individuals should have the highest possible freedom available but they still must follow the laws set forth by a government. Without these laws in place, there would be no order. If someone breaks a law, they must go before the governing body to determine the fairest way to handle the breaking of the law. An ideal society should not have to be one that does not have rules or laws and everyone runs around doing whatever they please. Public interest is the nature of a government itself. It refers to the general welfare of a society. In an ideal society, the attention of the people would actually have a large impact on governing ideas. This is supposed to hold true in today’s society but most people have a large speculation about it. A society’s interests should be considered when running a government. It is these individuals one is looking out for. A governing body must consider what is in a society’s best interests and what needs to be done to ensure their general welfare. This includes making sure they are not in harm’s way. A government will protect its society in any way possible. There are many components that could play into creating an ideal society. The ones mention above are just a few. Undoubtedly religion would play some role in the theory of an ideal society and the people’s lives of the society. Government and the components that go into an effective government are also key elements. Another thing that one may look at would be healthcare. However, what components I think should go into an ideal society may differ from those of another person. Every person has his/her own views and ideas concerning this concept. There is no universal right or wrong in this case, there is only what you believe.

Comare and Contrast Living in the Country and in the City Essay

Everyone has the different lifestyle. City lifestyle and country lifestyle are two different types of livings. There are some most different thing between living in the country and in the city are the environment, job opportunity, cost of living, and social life. The environment in the countryside and the city is very different. There are less pollution, fewer cars, and fewer factories in the countryside. Moreover, there are many trees while there are many buildings in the city. These entire make the environment is better, fresh, and more natural. In the city filled with cares and factories which are the important causes of noise and environmental pollution. People would prefer to live in the countryside far away from the noisy and dirty city. There are more the job opportunities in the city. The job market in the countryside is smaller than in the city. People in the country have their farms or field, and stores that they can make a living, so the jobs in the country are more relax than in the city. However, most people move to the city to find a job because it’s easier. People in the city are owner of a big company or work mostly in the companies. In the city, most of work requires a high class and people almost work with technology such as computer, printer, phone all day in the building. City is a gathering place of a large number of different professions. Industrialists, small business owners, job holders, people related to transportation like taxi drivers and rickshaw pullers, doctors, professors, garments workers and many other are found in a city. Working in the city make more money than in the country, but on the other hand, people get more stressed than working in the country. Therefore, the city life has more job opportunities but some people like living in country. The cost of living in the city is higher than the country. The goods are more expensive. In the country, most people have the sufficient economy. They can plant and breed animals so they have the cost of living that is lower and the goods are cheaper. The country life is simple and comfortable. The inhabitants of countryside are always bound by a sense of community, but they also suffer from being cut off from the exciting outside world. They have the advantage of knowing that there is someone to turn to when they need help and some ideal places to go when they need to be alone. The life is simple but cozy enough. But the inconvenient transportation and underdevelopment of economy deprive villagers the possibility of going to a new show or a latest movie, and make shopping a major problem. City life may breed a scaring feeling of isolation but it can also focus people’s attention. Living in the building, all people can see from the window is sky and the concrete building jungle. Gradually they tend to hide their feelings and do not even say hello to the neighbors or they too busy to care about people around; even though, they do not have time with their family. However, compared to the countryside, the city is a center of fashion and events, and an ocean of opportuni ties and material prosperity. Besides, the life in the city does not come to an end at ten at night like it does in the countryside. These reasons above shown very clearly. The country lifestyle is much better, simpler, and more relaxing than the city lifestyle. In the country, people make less and use less, but they enjoy their life with their family, have a peace life without competitive, noise, busy, crowded, and stressful.

Imeprialism Should We or Shouldnt We essays

Imeprialism Should We or Shouldnt We essays Imperialism:Should We or Shouldnt We? The decision of America to branch out and expand the country is a decision that has been highly debated over the course of Americas history. It was a difficult time in America, around the 1890s; and America was faced with a dilemma. The working class was poor and most Americans felt it was because of overproduction. The popular belief was that America was producing, it just wasnt using it all. The belief of overproduction and another popular belief of Manifest Destiny were the driving forces behind imperialism. I believe these reasons alone were not sufficient enough to justify the building of an American empire. Imperialism in America at the time was a good thing. America was indeed overproducing. So in order to improve the economy Government believed that if the country expanded this would create a better market and improve the economy all around. It would create more jobs and more people to buy up the surplus America was producing. It would basically level out the economy so that everyone could prosper. Another good thing about Imperialism came through Manifest Destiny. It was the belief that America was destined to rule and so expansion also came about. One of the things that developed through Manifest Destiny was a new sense of nationalism. It gave people pride in their country unlike anything before. They felt good towards their country so much so that most Americans supported imperialism. They used reasons like white mans burden, and god given rights to base imperialism on. It brought pride and happiness, which in turn improved peoples spirits in everything. The workplace, life, family everything. America was a great place to be in during these times with all the good feelings being generated by everyone. It was a good morale booster for everyone in America. That is one of the most positive things I think developed out of American Imperialis ...

Rhinoceros Facts

Rhinoceros Facts There are five species of Rhinoceroses- Ceratotherium simum, Diceros bicornis, Rhinoceros unicornis, R. sondaicos, Dicerorhinus sumatrensis- and for the most part, they live in widely separated ranges. By most counts, there are less than 30,000 rhinoceroses alive today, a steep plunge in population for a mammal that has existed on the earth, in one form or another, for 50 million years. Fast Facts: Rhinoceros Scientific Name: Five species are Ceratotherium simum, Diceros bicornis, Rhinoceros unicornis, R. sondaicos, Dicerorhinus sumatrensisCommon Name: White, Black, Indian, Javan, SumatranBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 4–15 feet tall, 7–15 feet long, depending on speciesWeight: 1,000–5,000 poundsLifespan: 10–45 yearsDiet:  HerbivoreHabitat: Subharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Indian subcontinentPopulation: 30,000Conservation Status: Three species are Critically Endangered (Javan, Sumatran, black), one is Vulnerable (Indian), one is Near Threatened (white) Description Rhinoceroses are perissodactyls, or odd-toed ungulates, a family of mammals characterized by their herbivorous diets, relatively simple stomachs, and ​an odd number of toes on their feet (one or three). The only other perissodactyls on earth today are horses, zebras, and donkeys (all belonging to genus Equus), and the strange, pig-like mammals known as tapirs.  Rhinoceroses are characterized by their large sizes, quadrupedal postures, and single or double  horns on the ends of their snouts- the name rhinoceros is Greek for nose horn. These horns probably evolved as a sexually selected characteristic- that is, males with bigger, more prominent horns were more successful with females during mating season. Considering how big they are, rhinoceroses have unusually small brains- no more than a pound and a half in the largest individuals, and about five times smaller than a comparably sized elephant. That is a common attribute in animals which have elaborate anti-predator defenses like body armor: their encephalization quotient (the relative size of an animals brain compared to the rest of its body) is low. WLDavies/Getty Images   Species There are five extant rhino species- the white rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, Indian rhinoceros, Javan rhinoceros, and Sumatran rhinoceros. The largest rhinoceros species, the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) consists of two subspecies- the southern white rhinoceros, which lives in the southernmost regions of Africa, and the northern white rhinoceros of central Africa. There are about 20,000 southern white rhinoceroses in the wild, the males of which weigh over two tons, but the northern white rhinoceros is on the brink of extinction, with a mere handful of individuals surviving in zoos and nature reserves. No one is quite sure why C. simum is called white- this may be a corruption of the Dutch word wijd, which means wide (as in widespread), or because its horn is lighter than that of other rhinoceros species. Actually brown or grey in color, the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) used to be widespread across southern and central Africa, but today its numbers have dwindled to about half those of the southern white rhinoceros. (In Greek, bicornis means two-horned; an adult black rhinoceros has a larger horn toward the front of its snout, and a narrower one directly behind.) Black rhinoceros adults rarely exceed two tons in weight, and they browse on shrubs rather than grazing on grass like their white cousins. There used to be a bewildering number of black rhinoceros subspecies, but today the International Union for the Conservation of Nature recognizes only three, all of them seriously endangered. The Indian or greater one-horned rhinoceros, Rhinoceros unicornis, used to be thick on the ground in India and Pakistan until a combination of hunting and habitat destruction restricted its numbers to the puny 4,000 or so individuals alive today. Full-grown Indian rhinos weigh between three and four tons and are characterized by their long, thick, black horns, which are prized by unscrupulous poachers. On a historical note, the Indian rhinoceros was the first rhino to be seen in Europe, a single individual shipped to Lisbon in 1515. Plucked from its natural habitat, this unfortunate rhino quickly died, but not before it had been immortalized in a woodcut by Albrecht Durer, the sole reference point for European  enthusiasts until another Indian rhino arrived in England in 1683. One of the rarest mammals in the entire world, the Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicos) consists of a few dozen individuals living on the western edge of Java (the largest island in the Indonesian archipelago). This cousin of the Indian rhinoceros (same genus, different species) is slightly smaller, with a comparably smaller horn, which has not, sadly, prevented it from being hunted to near-extinction by poachers. The Javan rhinoceros used to be widespread across Indonesia and southeast Asia; one of the key factors in its decline was the Vietnam War, in which millions of acres of habitat were destroyed by incendiary bombing and poisoning of vegetation by the herbicide called Agent Orange. Also known as the hairy rhinoceros, the Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) is almost as endangered as the Javan rhinoceros, with which it once shared the same territory of Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Adults of this species rarely exceed 2,000 pounds in weight, making it the smallest living rhinoceros. Unfortunately, as with the Javan rhinoceros, the relatively short horn of the Sumatran rhinoceros hasnt spared it from the depredations of poachers: The powdered horn of a Sumatran rhino commands over $30,000 per kilogram on the black market. Not only is D. sumatrensis the smallest rhino, but its also the most mysterious. This is by far the most vocal rhino species and herd members communicate with one another via yelps, moans, and whistles. Habitat and Range Rhinoceroses are native to Subharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Indian subcontinent, depending on their species. They live in a variety of habitats, including tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas and shrublands, tropical moist forests, and deserts and xeric shrublands. Diet Rhinos are all herbivores, but their diets depend on their habitat: Sumatran and Javan rhinos feed on tropical vegetation, including some fruits, while black rhinoceros are primarily browsers that feed on herbs and shrubs, and Indian rhinos feed on both grasses and aquatic plants. They require a great deal of time to forage and spend most of their active time doing that. Rhinos can be active day or night and generally regulate their activity depending on the weather. If its too hot or too cold, they will stay near water. Behavior If theres one place the average person does not want to be, its in the path of a stampeding rhino. When startled, this animal can hit top speeds of 30 miles per hour, and its not exactly equipped to stop on a dime (which may be one reason rhinos evolved their nasal horns as they can absorb unexpected impacts with stationary trees). Because rhinos are basically solitary animals, and because they have become so thin on the ground, its rare to see a true crash (as a group of rhinos is called), but this phenomenon has been known to occur around watering holes. Rhinos also have poorer eyesight than most animals, another reason not to linger in the path of a four-ton male on your next African safari. The closest rhinoceros bond is between a mother and her offspring. Bachelor rhinos congregate in small crashes of three to five, and sometimes as many as 10, to cooperate against predators. Rhinos may also gather around limited resources, water pools, wallows, feeding areas, and salt licks, always staying one body length apart. Reproduction and Offspring All rhinoceroses are polygamous and polyandrous- both sexes seek multiple mates. Courting and mating can occur at any time during the day. During courtship, males engage in mate-guarding behavior until the female is in full estrus and will permit males to approach her. Indian male rhinos whistle loudly to announce reproductive condition and location, six to 10 hours before breeding activity. Gestation takes 15–16 months, and by two months of age, calves are weaned and may be left alone while the female forager a few feet away. When separated temporarily, the female and her calves stay in contact through vocalizations. Calves suckle until the calf is two or the mother conceives again; they become completely independent at three years. Females become sexually mature at 5–7, and males at 10 years. Rhinos typically live between 10 and 45 years, depending on the species.   mantaphoto/Getty Images Evolutionary History Researchers trace the evolutionary lineage of modern rhinoceroses back 50 million years, to small, pig-sized ancestors that originated in Eurasia and later spread to North America. A good example is Menoceras, a tiny, four-footed plant-eater that sported a pair of small horns. The North American branch of this family went extinct about five million years ago, but rhinos continued to live in Europe until the end of the last Ice Age (at which point Coelodonta, also known as the woolly rhino, went extinct along with its fellow mammalian megafaunas like the woolly mammoth and the saber-toothed tiger). One recent rhinoceros ancestor, Elasmotherium, may even have inspired the unicorn myth, as its single, prominent horn struck awe in early human populations. Daniel Eskridge/Stocktrek Images/Getty Images Conservation Status All of the five species of rhinoceroses are listed as endangered or vulnerable ty the IUCN. Three are listed as Critically Endangered (Javan, Sumatran, and black rhinos); one is Vulnerable (Indian), and one is Near Threatened (white).   Ã‚  Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images Threats Rhinoceroses have been continually driven relentlessly to the brink of extinction by human poachers. What these hunters are after is rhino horns, which, when ground up into powder, are valued in the east as aphrodisiacs (today, the largest market for powdered rhino horn is in Vietnam, as Chinese authorities have recently cracked down on this illicit trade). Whats ironic is that the horn of a rhinoceros is composed entirely of keratin, the same substance that makes up human hair and fingernails. Rather than continuing to drive these majestic animals into extinction, perhaps poachers can be convinced to grind up their toenail clippings and see if anyone notices the difference! Sources Emslie, R. Ceratotherium simum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T4185A16980466, 2012.-. Diceros bicornis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T6557A16980917, 2012.  Hutchins, M., and M. D. Kreger. Rhinoceros Behaviour: Implications for Captive Management and Conservation. International Zoo Yearbook 40.1 (2006): 150-73. Print.Talukdar, B.K. et al. Rhinoceros unicornis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T19496A8928657, 2008.  van Strien, N.J. et al. Rhinoceros sondaicus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T19495A8925965, 2008.van Strien, N.J., et al. Dicerorhinus sumatrensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T6553A12787457, 2008.

The Kodak Venture in China Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Kodak Venture in China - Case Study Example 2001) .China has indeed got all the ingredients to make an IJV(international joint venture ) a success based upon its vast population, large consumer base and less firm grasp of the brand MNC's power and few branded commodities - a marketer's dream come true.Many writers have described China as an enigma ..With many organizations having already tried and failed". (Heracleous, L. 2001) This is due to a lack of knowledge of the local environment and guanxi (relationships and connections). (see appendix below) The Kodak venture in China was different story as the international company owned by Eastman Kodak struggled to permeate into the Far Eastern Human Resource Management barriers.It is reported that currently Kodak's Chinese revenues are currently more than $300 and it has a 40 percent market share along with 5,500 outlets. (Alon 2001).Where as Kodak benefitted immensely from its focus on the franchises for rapid distribution and focused on brand equity and closer trust and consumer understanding, a strategy of long term investment and less short term costs and a strategy of establishing close relationships with multiple levels of government . (see appendix below) (Alon 2001). From an HRM perspective however Kodak had the following potential challenges in the HRM area in front of it. It is however worth identifying the conceptual framework with in which I will be commenting on the Kodak case study. (Alon 2001).This framework implies the whole organization and planning of the research and identification of the purpose and the methods applied and outcomes derived as result of the organizational framework. This chart shows the framework which served a guideline for the research procedure. In commenting on the Chinese HRM challenges facing Kodak as a Western Company the table below illustrates my approach in explaining the success of Kodak in localizing management strategies in China. (Alon 2001). What is really important is the way Kodak was able to recognize the importance of developing a corporate management culture to effectively work in the Chinese market cannot be overemphasized. With economic growth exceeding 10%, Kodak fast realized that China's enormous domestic market offers huge upside gains for those firms who successfully implement localization techniques to make their ventures more successful. In addition to settling up the methods, procedures, and environment in which to train them, Kodak also has had to devise the means via which to retain them as well, as the Heidrick & Struggles (2006) report cites that the management turnover in China ranges between 15 to 20% according to their survey of 148 executives. This situation has put those managers with the skills and expertise in this area in the position of being able to switch to jobs offering the highest compensation and fringe benefits. This leads