Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic Essay

Alison Bechdel’s â€Å"Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic† is an exciting autobiography with comics that bring her story to life. Alison Bechdel wrote this book about her childhood, the relationship she had with her father and one of the many things they shared in common, their sexuality. In addition to their common homosexuality, Alison and Bruce Bechdel share o b sessive compulsive tendencies and their artistic ways, even using her artistic language to describe the father daughter relationship they had, â€Å"I was Spartan to my father’s Athenian. Modern to his Victorian. Butch to his nelly. Utilitarian to his aesthete.† This opposition was a source of tension in their relationship, as both tried to express their dissatisfaction with their given gender roles: â€Å"Not only were we inverts, we were inversions of each other. While I was trying to compensate for something unmanly in him, he was attempting to express something feminine through me. It was a war of cross-purposes, and so doomed to perpetual escalation.† At the center of where it all begins at â€Å"Fun Home,† Alison helps us envision her desperate need to make a connection with her father, Bruce Allen Bechdel. Father and daughter are playing a game of â€Å"airplane† that ends almost as soon as it begins because of her fathers obsession with keeping his old Victorian house he personally restored clean and what he seems to always want kept in perfect condition. Bruce â€Å"could spin garbage into gold† and â€Å"cultivate the barren yard into a lush flowering landscape.† â€Å"He treated his furniture like children, and his children like furniture.† Alison makes it clear by telling her story and drawings that he was so emotionally distant, that even before his death, she â€Å"ached as if he were already gone.† Before Bruce’s death, he and his daughter have a conversation in which Bruce confesses some of his sexual history; this is presented as a partial resolution to the conflict between father and daughter. Alison along with the rest of her siblings didn’t have the typical dramatic and sad reaction other people would express if there own father passed. Instead she describes it as â€Å"Dry-eyed and sheepish, my brothers and I looked for as long as we sensed it was appropriate. If only they made smelling salts to induce grief-stricken swoons, rather than snap you out of them.† Although Bruce’s death was assumed to be an accident, it was also a tragedy that started a long time before his life had even began which is why many readers, or even Alison suspect suicide because of the evidence Bechdel reveals to the reader. Four moths prior to his death, she came out to her parents that she was in fact a lesbian, she writes, â€Å"If I had not felt compelled to share my little sexual secret, perhaps the semi would have passed without incident.† This statement shows a hidden connection between father and daughter before the actual relationship beings. Her mother also shared the news while Alison was away at college about her husband’s affairs with men and interest in young boys, for example â€Å"more promising high school students.† – the muscular, male ones, it seems – to visit his home to borrow copies of great American novels like â€Å"The Sun Also Rises† and â€Å"The Great Gatsby.† Last but not least, two weeks before his passing, his wife asked for a divorce. Although these series of events that led up to Bruce’s death may seem very tragic, it allowed Alison to tell not just a story about herself but her fathers struggle to let his secret out as well. One of the most important key points in Alison Bechdel’s memoir is the connection both her and Bruce shared was expressing their sexuality through literature which plays a important role in Alison’s self discovery. She writes â€Å"My realization at 19 that I was a lesbian came about in a manner consistent with my bookish upbringing,† Alison chose to accept the fact and not hide from the issue, taking a female partner and going to â€Å"gay union† meetings, she was open about her sexuality before she’d even been in a homosexual relationship. Her  father, on the other hand, had had countless affairs with men but wasn’t open about it â€Å". This may be due to him being afraid of coming out, as the images show â€Å"the fear in his eyes† when the conversation topic almost ends up being about homosexuality. Alison Bechdel introduces her readers to many copied by hand family photographs, letters, local maps and excerpts from her own childhood journal, incorporating these images into her narrative. Since the reader is directly responsible for interpreting â€Å"action† in a comic, he or she is more directly engaged on a far more personal level. Fun Home is one such example of a graphic novel making use of comics as a means of opening a discourse about the scars family members leave on their children and finding some form of connections and closure through sharing these stories with others. This novel really shows how comics are moving in new directions and demonstrates a willingness to engage readers in new and challenging ways. Each image seems to give a very specific emotion that is carried throughout her story and the pictures contain elements of beauty, longing, memories, and hope. The bittersweet relationship of parent and child is held again and again in â€Å"Fun Home.† The memoir ends with two images that portray the bad times and the good. The top half of the final page shows the truck about to strike; the bottom half shows daughter, in jumping into a pool, waiting to be caught in her father’s arms. The bonding of the two images is compelling and striking. They also offer reader and author a choice appreciate what was had or continue to yearn. In completing â€Å"Fun Home† Alison Bechdel may have finally ended her longing.

Edgar Allan Poe Analaysis

Isaiah Mutakabbir Dille Senior English 2 23, March, 2013 Edgar Allan Poe Literary Analysis Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809, Massachusetts. Poe died at the age of 40. The cause of his death is undetermined and has been attributed to alcohol, drugs, cholera, rabies, and other agents. He is most known for his poems and short stories such as The Raven, Tell-Tale Heart, and The Black Cat. Poe was one of the early American practitioners of the short story and a progenitor of detective fiction and crime fiction.Poe used many different forms of figurative language in his poems but the one I find as his best and most used is his use of symbolism. Poe’s use of this literary element is seen all throughout his works. In one of his greatest poems, The Raven, symbolism is used very many times. Such as the main symbol in the poem which is a raven. It symbolizes never ending and mournful remembrance. Many others also agree that symbolism is Poe’s greatest form of figurativ e language is his use of symbolism. Such as Tyler G. who said that Poe â€Å"masters it in his every work. He also said that â€Å"in The Pit and the Pendulum, the whole story symbolizes the dark and rough time in the torture chambers. † Another critic named Christoffer Hallqvist agrees and says that â€Å"Poe uses several symbols to take the poem to a higher level. † In his online essay written about Poe’s use of figurative elements he is also quoted saying that Poe’s â€Å"way of interpreting signs that do not bear a real meaning, is one of the most profound impulses of human nature. † Though many believe that symbolism is Poe’s greatest literary element others believe that it is his use of foreshadowing that should be known as his best element.In an article on 123helpme. com it was written that Poe’s â€Å"most common literary element used †¦throughout many of his works is foreshadowing. † The article also stated that When Fortunato states, â€Å"I shall not die of a mere cough†, Monstressor enthusiastically agrees with him. If you read into this meaning behind this it is direct foreshadowing that he will not die of a mere cough, but starvation and dehydration caused by Monstressor burying him in a wall will be what kills him. Though this is a good example of Poe’s use of figurative language I still believe that it s his use of symbolism that should be accredited with being his most and greatest used literary element. Poe overall is one of the post modern pioneers of symbolism. Works Cited Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition, September 2006, p1, 10p â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe and His Use of Literary Devices. †Ã‚  Teen Ink. N. p. , n. d. Web. 23 Mar. 2013. â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe. †Ã‚  A Brief Biography of including Selected Works to Read Online. N. p. , n. d. Web. 23 Mar. 2013. â€Å"Literary Elements Used by Poe :: Essays Research Papers. †Ã ‚  Literary Elements Used by Poe :: Essays Research Papers. N. p. , n. d. Web. 23 Mar. 2013.

Research CSS (level 1) vs. CSS3 Essay

The latest version of CSS is the CSS3 version which basically differs from CSS2 in the incorporation of Modules and other changes. Modules enable the designing to be done in a lesser time with more ease while updating individual features and specifications. The CSS3 version supports many more browsers than CSS2, but make sure it works on all operating systems and browsers. Other major changes include CSS Selectors which CSS2 had simple selectors and the new version calls the components as a sequence of simple selectors. Pseudo elements because many Pseudo elements have been added that allow in-depth yet easy styling. Also a new convention of double colons ‘::’ has been introduced. Style properties let multiple background images be layered in the box using different elements like background image position and repeat. Border style is the styling of borders that extended to images and rounded designs which includes creating image of the borders and then automatically apply image to the borders through CSS. Additions in Properties include border-radius, image-source, image-slice, and the values for width outset and stretch have been added in CSS3. It also features properties for managing boxes like shadowing, wrapping and breaking have been added. The best part of CSS3 is that it has done away with complex structures for div tag and makes it easy for hassle free designing of multiple table-less columns. This can be simply done by putting in the number of columns in the browser that need to be added in the body element along with their width, color and height to make the text flow through the columns with ease.

Nike Fuel Band Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nike Fuel Band - Essay Example Buyers of the product want to understand their habits more effectively, so that they can improve. Shame is one of the factors that propel buyers to make use of the device once they purchase it. If no activity is registered, the band will have a dull red dot with no other signal. Therefore, users will feel guilty about not doing enough to activate the sensors in the machine. On the other hand, one may also assume that these consumers are driven by attainment of short term goals. They want to feel good about themselves and the efforts that they have put into self improvement. It is for this reason that the band sends congratulatory messages to those persons who have attained their daily goals. Buyers of the product are also believers of scientific techniques. This device will collect data on the consumer’s fitness activities throughout the day through a combination of their movements and plyometrics. Essentially, one would not buy such a band if one did not believe in the power of science to find information about something and then build it to become a more informative insight. These are also people who are well-informed about fitness processes. Many of them know the intricacies of calorie counting as well as the implications of exercise intensity (Dent, 2012). ... Usually, the rewards come in the form of a dancing alien. While the latter may seems like an insignificant and intangible item, it is the meaning of that reward that counts. These types of consumers also long for approval from other people. Perhaps another revolutionary thing about the product is its ability to link consumers with other users though social networks. It allows persons with similar goals to share their accomplishments and thus boost each other’s morale. Such buyers relish complements from their peers. They also care about what people think regarding them. Conversely, one may look at this behavior from a different angle. Persons who purchase the band in order to connect with friends may be perceived as friendly and sociable creatures. The device could simply be a new way of spending time with their counterparts and sharing with them. They may be looking for different points of contact with each other. Buyers of the product are tech-savvy, which explains why a per son will need to use a range of other technology platforms to reap its full benefits. For instance, it depends on Bluetooth technology in order to use an application which will calculate the person’s activity rate. Additionally, consumers with ipads and ipods may also use the device in order to enjoy tracking via their applications (Nike, 2013). The product is sold for substantially more than other similar devices in the market. It goes for $150 yet a competing product is sold at $60. Regardless, of these differences, the bands were sold out during the launch. Clearly, these consumers do not focus much on price. They are more interested in the value that they can derive from the product. Purchasers have

Supply Chain Mangagement Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Supply Chain Mangagement - Case Study Example Are all these SKUs necessary, profitable, and providing value to the company Many products may make good marketing sense, but Barilla's margins may be affected by the costs of the equally complex supply chain needed. b. Complacency of internal sales and marketing staff: If their reaction to JITD is any indication (p. 99-100), this may be most serious cause. Perhaps, they were just poorly managed because they did not buy the idea that a more efficient distribution system would result in higher sales and profits. Or worse, to satisfy unprofitable market demand and meet sales quotas, the sales team couldn't refuse requests of distributors and retailers even if the company's profitability suffered in the process. c. Old-fashioned distribution system: JITD was a partial solution superimposed on an existing distribution channel that proved non-scalable with sales volumes increases. JITD, by shifting control over buyer information from distributors to Barilla, marked a big difference in the dynamics of the supply chain to which existing players inside and outside the company found difficult to adjust. Poor planning and forecasting also shows how 'old-fashioned' (p. 96) is the distribution system that may have worked when sales volumes were still low and manageable. d. d. Poorly designed marketing incentive system: Marketing incentives should push the product and add predictability to market demand, but despite having a system in place every four weeks (p. 96-97), Barilla continued to experience variability in orders. Barilla has to address these underlying causes when implementing JITD that is, like all supply chain management systems, a support activity to major strategic decisions. 2. Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the JITD program. a. The JITD was designed to give the following benefits to Barilla and its distributors: i. Better service to the end-customer who will get the product when needed. ii. Barilla and distributors can build a stronger partnership because of the mutual dependence created. Properly managed, this is good for both. iii. More stable timing of orders, generated on a predefined basis, assures better product quality. iv. Distributors will experience lower stockout and inventory levels and improved fill rates from Barilla and to the end customer. This means lower planning and ordering costs, and higher profits, for distributors as these costs are shifted to the manufacturer. v. Distributors can provide better quality service to end customers. vi. Barilla will find forecasting easier, plan its incentives better, and improve its inventory and procurement plans. Product returns will be lower as only those that could be sold given the stable end-customer demand will be delivered. b. However, JITD also has some drawbacks: i. Every employee at Barilla and distributors must fully understand and accept the program. Total participation is needed so that this change to the way things are done can be properly managed. ii. Close coordination between Barilla and distributors is needed as regards trade promotions and the gain or loss of large

Zara Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Zara Case Study - Essay Example Moreover, an analysis of the internal environment is performed to determine the strengths as well as weaknesses of the company. It has been observed that there are certain incidents in relation to adverse treatment of employees that has affected the stability of the company. Moreover, the employees are also perceived to be provided with deprived working environment. These incidents are accountable for hampering the brand image as well as reputation of the company. Furthermore, the strategies of the company are recognised in order to determine their appropriateness. It has been perceived that the company is quite successful with its existing strategies. There are a few recommendations which are made with respect to corporate social responsibility policies in order to improve the business principles to perform its operations more responsibly. Table of Contents 1. Introduction 4 2. Q1. Analysis of the External Environment 5 2.1. Macro Environment Analysis – PESTEL

Evaluate the novels as works of literature and compare and contrast Research Paper

Evaluate the novels as works of literature and compare and contrast them. Discuss the political and psychological aspects of eac - Research Paper Example Through the dystopian novel the writers expresses their opinion regarding the evil society more dramatically and its influence on the minds of the people. The protagonist of the novels who are victims of political oppression and sufferers from a psychological complexity carry a political message as designed by the author. The novel Nineteen Eighty-four, written by George Orwell, illustrates the central character Winston as a victim of the present political autocracy. Winston dreams of an ideal world where the difference between public and private life existed. He idealizes a world which is drastically different from the evil controlled society of 1984. Winston’s craving to go back to his childhood to the private world was similar to the mental condition of Orwell who longed to return to his past. The author states that the political and spiritual condition of the late forties was complex. He detests the totalitarian mentality that gave birth to the cruel Inner Party to attain the power in the fifties and sixties. (Gottlieb, 271, 278-279) Alex in ‘A Clockwork Orange’ is also a victim of the totalitarian society. The complexities faced by Winston and Alex both politically and psychologically, experienced in the dystopian society reveal the mental conflict of both the characters to adjust with the prevalent regime of the government. In George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-four, Winston who is the protagonist of the story is an epitome of sanity in the society which diverges completely from the perception of reality. O’Brien, who was an orthodox government agent remarked about the star that, â€Å"they are bits of fire a few kilometers away. We could reach them if we wanted to. Or we could blot them out.† (Plank 118) Winston’s character possessed different feeling that was a mixture of self destruction and insanity. The entire story centers on Winston and O’Brien. O’Brien plays a cat and mouse game with Winston. Both the characters complete each other by their roles and activities that they play in the course of the story. This novel comprises of both political historical as well as psychological moral side. Characters suffer from a psychological disturbance due to the effect of the Big Brother, a dictator leader of the state Oceania. Big Brother is the representative of God and is assumed that similar to the powers of God, this leader also has the power to control the lives of people. There is an indirect challenge that people should worship Big Brother like the way they worship God. The author has compared the activities of God with that of Big Brother. As people are ignorant about the intentions of God, similarly the intention and motivation of Big Brother and its party is completely vague in the minds of the people. Winston secretly hates the government and the Party. Through the characters Orwell expresses his own feeling that he possesses in his sub conscious mind. He expose s his feelings in such manner that it is easily accepted by the character by introducing a whole culture of Oceania so that the characters may â€Å"blend into the woodwork† (Plank 119). Canetti remarked on Orwell’s depiction of Winston as an inferior man than he was himself, â€Å"if one is nothing oneself, there is a peculiar kind of servile gratification to be got from ending in the belly of power† (Plank, 119). The power of the autocratic government ruled the entire life of Winston and invoked immense torture to him. Orwell presented Oceania as a gigantic state which had no

Southwest Airlines Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Southwest Airlines - Research Paper Example This airline particularly targeted the bottom-of-the-pyramid market segment by offering no-frills services that resulted in reduced fares. It was claimed to be one of the most low cost carriers as it offered high frequency and short hauls matched with point-to-point service and reasonable fares (Inkpen 5). Unlike its competitors, Southwest did not believe in the hub-and-spoke system as it resulted in congestion and a lot of time wasted in the process of waiting for customers to arrive from other airports. In the words of the company’s Annual report, the company was poised to manage well in good times so as to sustain during bad times (Inkpen 1). Even though the company enjoys a high volume of passenger traffic and high turnover, it has met with various challenges. The most important challenge was the increasing efficiency of legacy carriers in the U.S along with large mergers such as those between Delta and Northwest that was leading to industry consolidation (Inkpen 1). Such consolidations were a threat to companies such as Southwest since the consolidated companies had access to lower operating costs (owing in part due to joint resources) as well as higher prices of tickets which is something Southwest did not focus on. This is reflected in the fact that, according to the financial statements, Southwest possesses the lowest â€Å"average revenue passenger miles† per passenger and has the highest operating margin in the industry (Inkpen 3). However, since passenger yield is high (reflecting high volume of passengers), Southwest has managed to rack up profits in years when others have faced losses. The company also possesses the lowest costs (including unit costs, labor costs and number of employees per aircraft) which add to its source of competitive advantage. However, the company’s ability to offer low fares at low costs has been challenged by smaller airlines such as JetBlue and Allegiant. Furthermore, the acquisition of Air Tran was a big challenge as it would require downsizing, acquiring new fleet as well as moving into non-U.S destinations. One of the major issues faced by the company was the attempts by its competitors to prevent the company from flourishing. Time and again various airlines that were Texas based tried to tilt law in their favor; however, the company succeeded in its legal proceedings. In line with further attempts to outdo its competitors, Southwest offered unmatched low fares such as $59 compared to $310 offered by its competitors (Inkpen 4). Although this was a good thing in one way, it was difficult to position these fares as regular and not introductory fares in the minds of customers. Positioning the brand through such low prices was, therefore, the ultimate challenge. Another issue faced by the company as that of growing and expanding its operations. There was some resistance by employees to this idea which could result in losing markets to rivals. Furthermore, entry into the northeast region did pose threat to the company’s operations due to congestion on airport and high turnaround times at airports. The company might consider using â€Å"drive through airport† models that reduce the number of lanes that the aircraft must pass through. Perhaps the most pressing issue is the Air Tran deal which requires merger of two airlines with different mindsets and operations. There was a difference in the type of fleets used along with Air

Problem Identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Problem Identification - Essay Example In 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) argued that the risk of cardiovascular disease is increased by the lack of control or detection of hypertension. In that publication, W.H.O claimed that an increase in blood pressure by 20/10 mmHg from such a level as 115/75 mmHg doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease (WHO, 2011). The eighth Joint National Commission panel (JNC 8) developed an evidence-based guideline for managing high blood pressure in adults. The guideline was captured in nine recommendations. Each recommendation shows its target age bracket, strength and the treatment intervention appropriate for the said age bracket or section of the population. The aim of the current paper is to understand whether the JNC guideline can help reduce the future risk of cardiovascular disease. Rosendorff et al (2007) reckon that hypertension is a major independent risk factor for coronary artery disease. Based on JNC’s definition of hypertension as having a blood pressure of greater or equal to 140/90 mm Hg, Rosendorff et al (2007) concluded that sixty five million American adults have hypertension. This was equivalent to one fourth of the population of the United States as at 2007. The study also concluded that one fourth of the population of the United States was in prehypertension stage that the JNC stipulated as systolic blood pressure of between 120 and 139 mm Hg or a diastolic blood pressure ranging between 80 and 89 mm Hg (Rosendorff et. al., 2007). Rosendorff et al (2007) noted that blood pressure is strongly related to age but that the relationship is complicated. As one progresses through life up to age fifty, the systolic blood pressure rises in line with diastolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure continues rising after fifty years of age but diastolic blood pressure starts decelerating. According to their study, more than half of the American population above

Why are many countries in Africa described as weak states Essay

Why are many countries in Africa described as weak states - Essay Example table political institutions; ensuring security for their populations from violent conflict and maintaining their territory; and meeting the basic human needs of their populations. State effectiveness in delivering on these four critical dimensions, is the main criterion for measurement. A state’s strength or weakness is a function of its effectivenes, responsiveness, and legitimacy across a range of government activities. Many countries in Africa are described as weak states. Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the world’s highest concentration of weak and failed states. Weak states are defined as having a prevalence of structural inequality, which consist of economic differentiation, cultural or social inequality and political inequality (Atiku-Abubakar & Shaw-Taylor, 2003: 168). Weak states are unable or unwilling to provide essential public services which include supporting equitable and sustainable economic growth, legitimate governance, ensuring physical security and provision of basic services. To evaluate state capacity in each core area of state responsibility, policy makers and scholars resort to a host of adjectives: weak, fragile, failing, failed and even collapsed, to distinguish between countries suffering from a wide variety of capacity gaps (Rice & Patrick, 2008: 5). The degree of effectiveness of the delivery of the most crucial political goods distinguish strong states from weak ones, and weak ones from failed or collapsed ones. The hierarchy of political goods have security, especially human security at the apex, followed by the provision of law and order, free and open political participation, medical care, educational facilities, physical and social infrastructure, in that order (Rotberg, 2004: 4). State failure is a long-term and multidimensional process whereby state collapse is the distinctive endpoint of this process. The two dimensions to state failure are: the loss of legitimacy which is the gradual decline of the authority of

Home School Essay Example for Free

Home School Essay It has come to the attention of many that the debate over home schooling has been getting more brutal each and every day. Below is reassurance on why the board should offer this marvelous opportunity to these students. Every student is different, each has its own learning curves; some more then others. I am for home school because students can be overwhelmed by the large amount of work, students can get off task easily in traditional school, and if a student is home schooled, the student is the center of attention. When students go to traditional school, there are a lot of other students. Being with so many other students can be overwhelming for some, not all. For the students that it is too overwhelming for, why shouldn’t those students get an equal opportunity to do there best in school? If it is school were talking, then throw in the conversation of life as well. Without good schooling, students will be unable to get into a good college, without college, well it is kind of sad for the rest of their lives. As the Board of Education you want students to succeed in school, and in life, well then tell people to stop trying to slow down there education and the process in which students and parents educate. A positive in being home schooled is not getting off task. If the students do not have a large amount of distraction, then the want for distraction will be eliminated. Students get off task very easily (Trust me). An example of an off task student is a student talking to another student, thus far not hearing the teachers instructions. By keeping them on task then that is a great way to destroy a learning curve or learning curves. Another positive in home school is, the student is the center of attention! In any traditional school, there is a lot of students that do not understand or get the concept of a focus of study. Teachers have many students and may not always be available to make the focus of study more clear to the student. Home school guarantees the idea of a student never being left behind. What is the point of putting a student through school and the student only grasps bits and pieces, when the student could understand it all and probably even learn more then the average student in traditional school. To conclude this essay, please remember that home schooling is a great opportunity. Students are different and need special attention. I am for home school because students can be overwhelmed by the large amount of work, students can get off task easily in traditional school, and if a student is home schooled, the student is the center of attention. If the student can afford and have the means to do so, let home schooling happen!

Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Martin Luther King, Jr is a prominent African American in the history of the United States of America renown for his civil rights activism in his life making him an important human rights icon even today. Martin Luther King Jr was born in Atlanta, Georgia on 15th January 1929 in a Christian family with his father Martin Luther King Sr. a reverend and his mother Alberta Williams King. He had two siblings, an older sister and a younger brother. King grew up in Atlanta and attended Bookker T Washington High School. He joined Morehouse College at the age of fifteen and later in 1948 graduated with a degree in Arts majoring in sociology. He later enrolled in Cruzer Theological Seminary for theological studies and graduated in 1951. He enrolled in Boston University for his doctorate in systematic theology and received his PHD in 1955. He married Coretta Scott in 1953 and had four children. In 1954 he became Dextor Avenue Baptist Church Pastor at the age of 25. In 1955 he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1957 assisted the founding of Southern Christian Leadership conference, 1963 led March on Washington where he delivered his â€Å"I have a Dream† speech and in1964, he received Nobel Peace prize. Thereafter his focuses was on poverty Vietnam War and religion and in 1968 April 4th, he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. His significance is still felt and have been rewarded the 1977 Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2004 Congressional Gold Medal and the United States further established a national holiday in his respect in 1986. (Bruns 1-30) Martin Luther King Jr accomplished a lot in his life. The 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott which he led was as a result of the oppressions and discriminations that African Americans were going through from the dominating whites. The Jim Crow laws existed and which segregated non-white communities in public services. The boycott lasted for a year leading to King’s arrest and his house bombing. However, he influenced the end of racial segregation on the buses and Jim Crow laws amendment in 1965. With other civil rights activists, Martin Luther founded the Southern Christian leadership conference in 1957. This group aimed at mobilizing the black churches against civil right abuse. Kings applied non violence techniques in his awareness a concept he borrowed from Mahatma Gandhi. In 1960s the American politics were dominated by civil right injustices. Kings therefore mobilized the society on right to vote, labor rights, civil rights and desegregation. He became so influential from public opinion sympathy. However, he was successful in influencing the civil rights act of 1964 and voting rights act 1965. In his fight against desegregation, King found himself in conflict with the law and in life threatening incidents. At one time he was stubbed on the chest by a woman because of his stance. In 1961 he was arrested and jailed along others in Albany movement. In 1963 along with SCLC he led the Birmingham campaigns that lasted for two months against all racial segregations and discriminatory laws. In these campaigns they confronted with the law enforcers and many were arrested. Children also took into the campaigns. Despite Kings Advocate for non-violent campaigns, at times pressure exceeded and violence was reported. These campaigns were significant in the Jim Crow laws removal and King’s reputation growth. He was also influential in the 1964 St Augustine and Selma Marches against white’s harassment. The 1963 March of Washington was very significant in the history of Martin Luther Kings as well as that of the United States. It attracted around half a million people from all racial backgrounds. It is at this place that he voiced his ‘I have a dream’ speech that influenced and still influences Americans even today. The march aimed at voicing freedom and equality in all sectors like in jobs. Along with other civil rights movements and activists, they voiced on poor wages, desegregations in public institutions like schools, protection of civil movements from police brutality, self government for Washington among others. There after, he continued with his activism expressing his stance on compensation of the disadvantaged and black Americans. He was involved in Bloody Sunday saga and influenced the Chicago marches that included the Belmont Cragin, Bogan, Gege Park, and Evergreen Park alongside others. He also opposed the Vietnam War terming the American government involvement as goal oriented and as the purveyor of the violence. â€Å"Beyond Vietnam† speech was very significant in his stance on Vietnam. He basically criticized the United States government involvement in to this war. All these pressures and influences he had against the American government made him very insecure. His life was endangered with instances of even physical assaults and life threats. All these led to his assassination in 1968 when in his civil duties. His death still remains a controversy as his enemies ranged from the government to individuals. His influence still remains even today. His is known to have influenced many prominent people including Jesse Jackson and Barrack Obama. His influence was also felt in the third world countries across Africa and Asia. (Bruns 1-143) The thoughts and the life of Martin Luther Kings Jr are very significant not only to the Americans but to the world at large. Many of the third world countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia have drawn their political dominance struggle from his teachings. By the year 1968 in his assassination, many African countries had acquired independence but elements of Europeans control still dominated their political and economic settings. They have applied king’s thoughts to seek fully their independence. In South Africa, prominent people against apartheid like Desmond Tutu, Nelson and Winnie Mandela, Alan Boesky have advocated kings thought in their struggle. The social divisions characterizing most nations in the world have brought discrimination of the lower classes. For instance the Rich discriminate the poor. The poor have continued struggling and in most cases they have used the kings’ non violence strategy for fear that the rich would overcome them in violence. (Roof 113-115) African American originally migrated in the United States as slaves. They were discriminated and oppressed in their places of work. Even after the abolishment of slavery, elements of oppression and discrimination were still rampant in American society. There was and have been the need to address this issue as the superiority nature of US depends on its entire people and not a particular race. Martin Luther was among the many people who have dedicated their lives to create a racism free society. He challenged the United States government which led to the abolishment of constitution based discriminative elements. It was upon his efforts that many other anti-segregation and civil rights have emerged. They have challenged consecutive government enhancing equality in race in the United States society. As a super power, United States have significantly influenced the global community against racism. It has influenced the united nation to act against racism in European world a place where racism is one of the major social issues. His influence is not only in black people but also in minority group in the world. Martin Luther King Jr is celebrated for he sowed the seeds of healing and hope in United States. His leadership was courageous, truthful, and compassionate of dignity and humility. He advocated for forgiveness, unconditional love and nonviolence element that most of the successful leader in the world today have adopted. His expression in the dream of America has in itself a lot to copy. He emphasized multiracial nation bound by justice, peace and reconciliation. His holiday is very significant in the American unity. There is not other day that brings all races together in a vibrant spirit of togetherness. The Hispanic, African Americans, Native Americans and all other immigrants feel they are part of the Luther’s dream on America. He had a vision on the world that its people and nations will overcome poverty, war, racism and violence. He had a vision on ecumenical solidarity which implied that all faiths have a significant contribution to the beloved society. His life and thoughts have also had an influence to many people in that his endurance in threats and beatings for the sake of the freedom for others. (Rev King Holiday) In education, he influenced sociology. He was an advocate of non violence reconciliation and unconditional love perspectives that can be applied in solving social conflicts. His emphasis on â€Å"what is the most loving way I can resolve this conflict? † in solving problem is the most diplomatic method that many nations have applied in solving their differences. He prompted love to all mankind. In his holiday Americans take that opportunity to help the unfortunate the sick and the poor in their society. His life is also significant to the Christianity way of life. It emphasized the love of God and the love for your neighbor as the greatest commandment. He was food of quoting the Bible and almost lived a perfect way. Jesus Himself died for the good of the people to set them free from their sins. Martin Luther’s died in the war for freedom of his people. He has influence many non-Christians to join the faith and also many Christians to imitate his strategies (The Struggle Begins) The election of Barrack Obama as the president of the United States is a reflection of Martin Luther King fight against racism in the US. It is an evidence of the extent the United States people have reached in race relation. It reflects Americans citizen’s decisions not on the color of the skin but on the content and characters of its leaders. Obama’s appointment can be described to be a fulfillment of King’s dream. He expressed his hopes in an equitable society and appealed to the moral consciousness of Americans. It is under this inspiration that the American voted in. Obama’s win was also on caution to those amongst the American who are still in racism ideologies. King’s influence will continue as such racist are now likely to reform making US a racism free society. (Zaid) Martin Luther king Jr was a young man who has influenced a lot of young men around the world. He worked tirelessly to fully realize his potential despite the challenges he came across. Unfortunately he was assassinated. His life has been a challenge to many youth who are vulnerable in loosing hope. His life is a testimony implying everybody can succeed in all areas in life. The ideology that the more one is aged the more successful is a thing of the past. Many youths have exploited their talents and have really succeeded under king’s inspiration. They are evident in sports, entertainment, politics, business and education. He emphasized on moral consciousness a concept that when adapted, one can refrain from civil disobedience reducing violation through drug abuse and other crimes. For any society to succeed in all dimensions of life, it must observe equality, be moral conscious, obey the civil rights, and use friendly strategy in solving conflicts. These were the king’s major advocacies. He is a significant icon in the United States success. Therefore, his strategies should be used all over the world in foreign and domestic polices. His thoughts and strategies can be effective in solving many conflicts around the world. Nation-nation conflicts may be resolved using a more friendly and diplomatic strategy. Domestic violence especially in African communities may be solved without violation of human rights and civil rights. Even as Kings influence continue to be felt all over, even as his dreams start fulfilling a lot need to be done to address the uncovered issues that still oppress the minority and the poor. He fought for civil movements and who should in turn continue challenging the violators of justice. Work cited: Roof, C. W.World Order and Religion: SUNY Press, 1991: 113 115 Bruns, R. Martin Luther King, Jr: A Biography: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006: 1 143 Rev King Holiday. Martin Luther king. Retrieved on Monday, December 08, 2008 from, http://www. theholidayspot. com/martin_luther_king_day/meaning. htm Zaid, I. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. , Barack Obama, and the Fate of America. 2008. Retrieved on Monday, December 08, 2008 from, http://www. newislamicdirections. com/nid/notes/dr_martin_luther_king_jr_barack _obama_and_the_fate_of_america/ The Struggle Begins. Lecture 25 Martin Luther Kings. Retrieved on Monday, December 08, 2008 from, http://www. wfu. edu/~matthetl/perspectives/twentysix. html

Prostitution in 18th Century

Prostitution in 18th Century Prostitution in Europe in the 18th century was a widely accepted in the European society despite religious leaders and the government efforts to contain it. Pornography was a flourishing business. Even poets wrote about these beautiful sexy girls. It was one of the few arenas that women could gain economic independence.  [1]  The prostitution could be classified into different classes. There those who were mistress to prominent men, those worked in urban taverns, tea parlor, bawdy houses, theatres and even on the streets. The mistresses attained social success, riches and even derived power from prostitution. Prostitutes especially from low socio-economic background were vulnerable and subjected to cruelty, sanction and reformation throughout the 18th century. Background information Prostitution has been in existence throughout human history and it is regarded as the oldest profession. During medieval times prostitution in Europe was tolerated with public bathtubs giving prostitutes channel of contact with their customers. In other places such as Victoria, England prostitution was disgraceful but at the same time accepted a necessary social and sexual outlet for men.  [2]  It was considered to be less evil if a middle-class man engages in a sexual relationship with a prostitute other than being engaged in a sexual relationship with another middle-class mans wife or daughter. 18th century was tremendous for England. It was the time it became Great Britain, lost thirteen of its colonies, launched industrial revolution and achieved parliamentary government.  [3]  It was an age when men struggled to be reasonable. Life was leisurely and everything was elegant. This created an enabling environment for flourishing of prostitution. Prostitution gave men of the middle and high class sexual gratification which they could not obtain from their partners. During this era capitalism flourished making the political class swim in riches leaving the lower class people (those who worked in industries such as textile industries) to live in abject poverty. Thus many engaged in prostitution for financial gain. As mentioned earlier, the society tolerated prostitution. England being a male dominant society, men were freer to engage in promiscuity before marriage and within marriage. They could give money to buy sex. In contrast women rarely paid money in exchange for sex on the contrary they went into prostitution for monitory gain. They desperately required financial independence but there were very few opportunities for them to achieve it. Thus prostitution was the alternative channel for them. Presence of public bathtubs in England in the 18th century where prostitutes could freely find customers shows that prostitution was widely accepted in England. Vern and Bonnie Bollough affirm that prostitutes provided men with sexual outlet before and during marriage.  [4]   Initially, poets praised prostitution, representing young prostitutes as healthy, fresh and lovely.  [5]  This shows that prostitutes were held in high social status. The role was significantly accepted in the society. Prostitutes in London could even advertise their services on card which were distributed throughout the city.  [6]  However over time, this perception changed. The society later understood that there were negative consequences of prostitution. There was increased spread of diseases, illegitimate children and poverty tarnished the initial image.  [7]  Perfect image of a mother flourished as sensibility and concern for the health overpowered the spirit of sexual experimentation. Prostitution became ridicule in public discussion. It was represented as filthy, degraded and diseased. Why prostitution flourished in England in the 18th century Several factors led to flourishing of prostitution in England and more so in London in the 18th century. London being a port city received many sailors. There were several districts in the city that provided for sailors.  [8]  One of the best known districts was Ratcliffe Highway that lay on the north of Wapping water-front.  [9]  Although subsequent kings of England made effort to keep prostitution away from London, they did not succeed much. Streets like Shareditch, Petticoat Lane, Cheapsides,s Grope cunt Lane, and Clerkenwell were very common with prostitutes. The period between 1750 and 1850 was characterized by great economic change in England.  [10]  British agricultural revolution in the 18th century was characterized by high agricultural output. This led to population explosion and people had look for alternative jobs to meet their needs and those of the population. It is this agricultural revolution that ushered in industrial revolution. During the agricultural revolution women used to work alongside their husbands in the farms. However, industrial revolution at the end of 18th century caused people to migrate to the urban areas to seek better pay in the industries.  [11]  Introduction of machinery made it difficult for women to work in industries and therefore other social duties were relegated to women. These jobs were not well paying. As a result some women ventured into prostitution in order to become economically sufficient. Industrial revolution great Britain lead to improvement of economic status of many people. There was money to spend on anything elegant including prostitutes especially by the people of the high-class. More bathhouses, theatres and alehouses were opened in London. Bathhouses mainly concentrated around Covent Garden and unlike the stews of earlier centuries they were more luxurious. Theatres and alehouses became newly fashionable coffeehouses and public tea-gardens such as the Dog and Duck in St. Goerges Fields.  [12]  Some brothels could even have a card table among the attractors of the house. Lack of strong government policies to contain the vice made it to flourish instead. Decrees to close down alehouses and theaters made prostitution to spread to other areas. The involvement of aristocrats in prostitution fueled it more. Prostitution cut across all social classes. Unlike the poor who even live entirely on the streets, elegant women practiced prostitution in Kings Place off Pall Mall or Miss Fawklands in St. James Street. The high-class prostitutes catered for wealthy men, aristocrats and members of parliament.  [13]  They did their trade in freedom without being troubled by any threat of official hindrance. High economic independence associated with women who practiced prostitution also fueled increase of prostitution in London in the 18th century. Mistresses to aristocrats and members of parliament were held in high esteem by other women in the society. This motivated other women to go into prostitution to gain economic independence. Effects of increase in prostitution on lives of the people The government of England tried very much to reduce prostitution in England and particularly in London. Laws were put in place to close down brothels and alehouses which were areas of trade for the prostitutes. Those who defied the law were convicted and jailed making their lives even more miserable. Most of the women who engaged in prostitution were teens. They never wanted to get pregnant has this would interfere with their trade. They used different methods to protect themselves from becoming pregnant. Chemicals and plant extracts such as wormwood, hyssop and fassron among others were used without much consideration of the harm they might cause.  [14]  When these methods failed they would wait until the baby is born and then kill. Some prostitutes also died in their effort to abort the fetus. All this consequences of prostitution affected their psychological well-being. This added misery to their poor state. Increase in prostitution increased incidences of venereal diseases mainly syphilis. Many died of the disease for fear of seeking treatment. This was a lot stigma attached to the disease even at the hospitals. For example the addition of wards in Lock Hospital allowed discrimination of patients and women thought to be blamable in the contraction of the disease were isolated from the innocent.  [15]  Men of high social status could not also seek treatment due to fear of tarnishing their social standing. Some of them being married transmitted the disease to their partners. Who suffered the brunt of stigma attached to the disease although innocent. Venereal diseases and the stigma attached to it cut short further the lives of the people of London already languishing in poverty. Prostitutes state of life Life was very difficult for the prostitutes especially after the initial image of prostitutes as healthy, fresh and beautiful had been marred were regarded as diseased, and disgraceful. Their social status dwindled and the society alienated them. They had caused a lot of problems in families and the society in general. Abandoned children were on the increase because they were not ready to take up responsibility of parenthood. Some left these children with their old parents who were burdened with responsibility of bring up the children. Worse still, the rise in prevalence of venereal diseases was attributed to prostitution. They became people who should be sympathized with. Slump in their social status caused them to be objects of oppression, exploitation and coercion. Life became so hard for the prostitutes. They became people who should be sympathized with and many organizations sprang up to assist them. The health status of prostitutes worsened with the spread of venereal diseases like syphilis. The sickly could no longer go out on the streets to earn money which further aggravated their health status because they could not afford treatment. With no source of income even affording food was difficult. The economic status of prostitution reduced when the image of prostitution as a noble job changed. The fact that they were no longer well tolerated by the society meant fewer clients. Clients became even fewer due to fear of contracting venereal diseases. Government policies directed to reducing prostitution in London and other cities of England saw some brothels and alehouses closed. Places where prostitutes could meet their clients freely became fewer and those that remained could not be accessible to the poor class of prostitutes. They became even poorer with very little to sustain themselves. Most of the women who engaged in prostitution were from poor background. They had little education that could have helped them to find other kinds of work away from prostitution unlike the women from high social status who engaged in prostitution on part-time. They had education that helped them to find work elsewhere. With kings decrees to close down brothels and alehouses, prostitutes from poor socio-economic class could not be able to find work elsewhere making sink further into poverty. They went on practicing prostitution in secret and of course with fear of interference by the law. On the other hand, women of high socio-economic status who practiced prostitution were less affected by laws imposed against prostitution. Even when the king gave decree of closing down brothels and alehouses those that belonged to people of high-class were never interfered with. Those who were mistresses to aristocrats and members of parliament felt secure from the law. Conclusion Prostitution in the 18th century has two stages. The initial stage is where it is widely tolerated in the society and even poets sang praises of prostitutes. They were beautiful, lovely and healthy. The provided a sexual outlet for men. Its increase was fueled by the explosion of population during the British agricultural revolution. The farms could no longer provide employment for everybody. The Agricultural revolution lead to industrial revolution that saw introduction of machinery in the industries. Women were believed to be unable of driving the machines due to their weaker body as compared to men. The society relegated other duties to women and many joined cottage industry, others became domestic servants and others prostitution. Some women opted for prostitution a means of earning money that was so much needed and it was tolerated by society. However, the image of prostitution took a twist in mid-18th century. Due to rise in prevalence of syphilis attributed to prostitution as well as increase in number of illegitimate children, society started regarding prostitution as diseased and disgraceful. The prostitutes suffered alienation from the society, exploitation, poor economic status, ill-health, and became objects of oppression and coercion.

Menu for Sandwichman :: Free Descriptive Essays

Menu for Sandwichman Sandwichman is the name for our sandwich restaurant. Sandwichman was started by four college students at Iowa State University: Rajane Patel, Ashlyn Bloom, Rachel Te, and Agus Leonardo. We decided to open this sandwich restaurant at 1000 Duff Avenue here in Ames, Iowa. The basic colors for our sandwich restaurant are orange and yellow. My responsibilities in building this sandwich restaurant are designing and preparing the menu. The Menu is considered to be the most important aspect in order to build a restaurant because a menu tells what the restaurant offers. In order to create a menu for this restaurant, several items need to be considered, such as: prices, type of ingredients, and the nutritional facts for the sandwiches we offered. I have done some research about the menu from other sandwich restaurants. In this paper, I would like to discuss all these items. Prices are one of the most important considerations for people who want to buy a sandwich. In order to determine the right prices for our sandwiches, we have to know our targeting customers first. In this case, the majority of our targeting customers are students and people who are living in the lower economic class. Because of these targeting customers, the price for a sandwich in our restaurant is relatively cheaper than in other sandwich restaurants, such as: Subway, Jimmy John's, etc. Moreover, our sandwich restaurant is built as a low-profit restaurant. The price for all sandwiches in our restaurant will be $3.75. They all have the same price because it will be easier for the internal operation of the restaurant, especially the cashier. Moreover, having the same price enables the customers to pay for any sandwich more conveniently and easily too. Besides that, our restaurant also provides meal packages. These meal packages consist of a sandwich, a drink, and chips. In these meal packages, customers are free to choose what kind of sandwich, drink, and chips they want to have. These meal packages will cost $5.00 for one meal. Beside sandwiches and meal packages, our sandwich restaurant also provides salads, chips, and drinks. Salads will cost $3.00; chips will cost $0.75; and drinks(soda and lemonade) will cost $1.00. However, iced tea will cost only $0.75. The payment for the sandwiches can be done by cash or credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover will work. Choosing the right type of ingredients is a major concern for this menu.

Essay --

A volcano erupts, and lava spews everywhere, burning every living thing it touches. By the time the eruption is over, not a single blade of grass is still living in the area. Volcanoes and their magma have always been viewed as chaotic, uncontrollable objects. But what if humans could use them for their own advantage? Geothermal energy is energy from Earth’s heat. Geothermal energy has some advantages over other types of energy. One is that it is available over 90% of the time compared to coal plants only getting 75%. That means that while many power plants, like solar plants and wind turbines, and even coal plants can’t be producing energy anywhere near all of the time, geothermal energy plants can be working nearly all of the time. Recently, scientists drilling into the Krafla volcano in Ireland, led by Gumunder Omar Friedleifsson accidentally discovered that magma can be a useful way to get geothermal energy. This happened when the scientists found magma 7,000 feet into the earth. They soon realized that the water heating the drill they were using, and the extremely hot magma made a superheated steam tha could be chemically altered to power a turbine. After the discovery, scientists estimated that geothermal energy from magma could produce 25 MW of power, which is 5 times more t han current geothermal energy wells makeInterestingly enough, this more powerful energy would also be cheaper, because conventional geothermal energy needs expensive perforated piping down the entire hole, while geothermal energy from magma would only need it for about 100 meters. Also, unlike fossil fuels, another cheap energy source, geothermal energy is renewable, and it does not harm the environment a lot. This one accidental discovery the scient... ...many of the island country's economies, because they wouldn’t have to import a lot of fossil fuels for their energy. This would help the whole world in general, and could keep them from going any farther into debt. Geothermal energy from magma will be extremely useful, especially to countries with a lot of volcanoes that are in debt. Scientists have discovered that magma can be used to make geothermal energy. This would be very useful, as it is much more efficient than conventional geothermal energy, and it is better for the environment than fossil fuels, and it is renewable. There are, however, some bad parts about the energy. The plants could cause minor earthquakes, and could be destroyed by the volcano erupting. However, the advantages of geothermal energy from magma outweigh the risks, and it probably will become a very important energy type in the near future.

The Welcome Ceremony: A Role :: essays research papers fc

The Welcome Ceremony is performed when visitors entering a village where they are expected usually find the ali'i and faipule waiting for them either outside or within a house. If the occasion is a very formal one, the whole village may have assembled in its various groups, matai, Pastors of different denominations, Women's Committee in distinctive uniforms, schools and young men and women. In this case, a arch of welcome will probably also have been constructed. The meeting house (fale fono) and other houses set aside for the adjustment of the party, are almost certain to have been carefully and beautifully decorated with leaves and flowers. In search of our topic, â€Å"The Welcome Ceremony,† also known in Samoan,†Usuga,† we put together the three categories that were given to us. We, as a group wanted our topic to relate to the theme, so we elaborated on our topic,† The Welcome Ceremony: A Role In Communication Between Different Villages, Environments and Agriculture.† Our topic if shortened,† The Welcome Ceremony,† is a ceremony performed to welcome visitors, its performed with hospitality, honor and respect. Most visitors find this ceremony pleasing and delightful. They admire the customs used, for instance: the sitting positions, the cultural greetings with High Rank Samoan Chiefs and Pastors(Faifeau) of different denomination and then manners taken place during the ceremony. We carried out our research by gathering sources from primary and secondary sources. We planned and gathered our sources with patience. Source of research were of interviews, internet access and brief readings. The category chosen to carry out our topic is, a Group Performance. Why a group performance? We want people to know and see in their own visual aid how the ceremony is performed. We also want to state for a fact that our generation knows what the ceremony is and the process of the performance. The topic being brought to life by the performers tells or sends the audience a message, telling them that we, the presenters, are interested in our topic. It also sends a message to the newcomers that our generation is bringing back the true meaning of our culture. We are reviving our Samoan culture. By doing so, we picked the performance category to show what we understand about our topic. The welcome ceremony: a role of communication between different villages, environments and agricultures; to us, it has a great relationship to this years theme. The Welcome ceremony has a lot of communicating actions and reactions.

A short story – Behind the Canvas

Behind the canvas the shadow loomed large and dangerous. The head was enormous and it seemed to be floating in the air. The feet, as long as canoes, would rise and fall as the other elongated shadow moved up towards the top of the tent. As John entered the tent, the head burst. It was a balloon, a silly childish prank. The shadow, a petite ten year old. Falling on top of his mates in laughter, John started to come round from his ever-lasting laughing fit. â€Å"That was the worst monster I've ever seen,† laughed James. † It wasn't as bad as your go yesterday!† chuckled David. â€Å"OK, but you have to say that that was awful David,† James stated. † Time for some real stories I think.† â€Å"Not ghost stories, James they're boring,† whined John. â€Å"Not a ghost story, John, a real story†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The time was 2-45pm and there was only fifteen minutes until kick-off and the road was deserted. A piece of tumbleweed blew across the pavement. A bulky shadow squeezed under the thin barriers and a tall, chunky middle-aged man was walking across the road towards the ground. By his side his son, a skinny seven year old. They rushed through the busy traffic and into the long never-ending passageway, which reflected the sight of a Leviathan winding through the prehistoric woodlands, towards the stadium. The boy was furiously tugging his father's hand in an attempt to arrive on time. Stopping 100m from the ground the boy's dad slowly bent down to tie his shoelaces up. By this point the young boy could see the amount of people. Thousands gathering for the match. He began to sweat. His father rose; he quickly grasped his hand and tightened up against the giant figure. And pulled. As they pushed through the big crowds plaguing the entrance, a sight similar to an ocean of tall, blue and white waves crashing into each other, a loud, unfamiliar crackling sound rang in his ear. He sharply turned his head and could see a speaker blurting out messages that just seemed scrambled to the excited boy. They took their seats for the start of the match. With his father to the left of him, the boy looked across to his right where he saw a big-boned bald supporter, with distinctive dark glasses, tucking into a Cornish pasty. The man lowered his head. As the match progressed the crowd grew more and more agitated. A large, black crow hovered over the grandstand. The boy's father was fidgeting constantly. After a few minutes the father got up from his seat. † I'll be a few minutes son, just got to use the toilet.† The small boy looked like a pebble on the beach in contrast to the crowd's attendance, which was like the mountainous Rockies. Minutes past and his father had still not returned. He looked over to his right. The man with dark glasses had disappeared. A grey cloud passed over the stadium. The boy started to panic. His heartbeat rocketing, his body trembling and his eyes watering. The referee blew his whistle loudly to signal half time and the crowds started to disappear into the toilets and hot dog stalls, into the bars and club shop. In an instant the crowd had plummeted in number. He couldn't see anybody he recognized and he felt so alone. The minutes ticked by, never before had he been left so alone. As the crowd reappeared from the exits, every fan that wasn't the boy's Dad was like a knife in his heart, as painful as a pig to the slaughter. After nearly giving up hope of his father returning, the strange dark-glassed man emerged from the exit, a wide grin on his face. As he placed himself next to the boy he glanced over. † Alright kiddo, are you enjoying yourself?† The small boy, as frightened as a cat running away from a dog, hesitantly replied with a nod. As the match progressed so did the boy's anxiety. It had been 30 minutes since his Dad left and the boy was really starting to shake. He lowered his head onto his lap and as he lifted it back up he could see a tall, broad, sinister looking Caribbean man with an afro plodding up the steps in a fluorescent orange jacket. The boy sat up properly and the man squeezed his way through the seated crowd and placed himself next to the boy. Before the boy could speak he was being carted off towards the emergency exit and thrown into the back of a shiny silver Renault Cleo. The boy didn't know what was happening and as they passed through the gates of the football stadium he could see the chunky bald man he'd been sitting next too staring at him with his dark shaded glasses. Suddenly I shiver wriggled down the boy's spine. The car, being driven more recklessly by the minute, every junction they passed through a loud ringing sound would come out of the car. The car, going faster than the boy was used to when his dad was driving started swinging round roundabouts, accelerating through motorways and skidding past corners at great speed. The car finally came to a halt outside a big four-storey building; the boy was swiftly whisked out of the car and marched into a plain white room where he was left. This room was plain, with five simple chairs around an oak table. A few womens magazines were all that lay upon this furnished table and it seemed an eternity for the boy whilst, he was waiting. The boy didn't know what was happening; with nothing to do he stared at the low walls. He heard the door rattle and turned sharply, the door hadn't been touch. The boy, panicking, ran to the door to answer it but it wouldn't budge. He yanked it. He kicked it. He barged into it but it still wouldn't open. He was going, crazy what place was this? He could see men and women in wheelchairs and crutches ambling round the place. Men with head bandages and women with there arms in slings. Every few minutes a big trolley would pass the room. The boy would knock as hard as he could but still there would be no answer. Nobody could see him and no one answered his cries. As the fourth trolley rushed past it stopped just outside the door. A tall, chunky middle-aged man stepped off it. The boy instantly recognized the figure. It was his father. The door was unlocked immediately and the two were re-united. The boy was still unsure what had happened but he didn't care in the slightest. â€Å"That wasn't scary at all James, tell us another one,† laughed John. â€Å"It was scary John, look how scared Peter is,† â€Å"Peter, what's the matter that wasn't as scary as one of mine.† As the boys looked across to Peter who was shaking like a leaf, the door flap flew open as a cold chilling wind descending down their spines, and in the door laid a pair of dark shaded glasses.

Ethical Use of Tecnology in a Mordern Society Essay

As a result, there are more opportunities than ever for millions of individuals to engage with information technology in an unethical manner. This is why it is essential for the education systems and businesses to address the ethical concerns of information technology usage and to develop a practical code of ethics to prevent, or at least mitigate ,ethical dilemmas and infractions. In today’s organizations, ethical challenges relate to areas like fraud, right to privacy for consumers, social responsibility, and trade restrictions. For Information Technology (IT) specifically, these can translate to considerations on how technology is used to violate people’s privacy, how automation leads to job reductions, or how management information and its corresponding systems are used and abused for personal gain. I n the last 25 years, we have seen an overwhelming technology infusion affecting business, education, and society. Virtually all areas of our society have been transformed by the usage of technology. The change is important from an ethical perspective in terms of whose Information Technology (IT) workers are today and what their tasks are. In the 1980s, IT workers were mainly limited to technical fields, such as programming, data processing, server administration, and phone services. Today, IT workers are integrated into every department of organizations, they function globally, and they have access to a wealth of knowledge and information (Payne & Landry, 2006). With the power and skills to access such large amounts of data comes with the need for ethical employees. The computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CSPR) web site provides us food for thought when they state â€Å"Technology is driving the future, the steering is up to us†¦. nd we need every hand at the wheel† (Computer Professionals For Social Responsibility, 2007). So how do we prepare for taking the wheel as an individual working with Information Technology (IT) or Information Systems (IS)? A broader view of social responsibility is coming into focus; it is one that incorporates some real Information Technology (IT) flash points. Issues that have long been concerns of corporate technology managers, including security, privacy, and intellectual property, are increasingly understood as matters of ethics and good citizenship. This perspective is far from universal. The research of CIO (Chief Information Officer), a leading information technology trade journal, shows that while IT managers are very aware of â€Å"the larger effect of technology on people’s lives,† nearly half those surveyed say IT pros are â€Å"not very concerned† about it (Cones, 2008). This more global understanding of technology’s powerful role in society is not new. Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, an organization which deals with related issues, was founded in 1983. Much has been written on technology’s impact on the way we live and work, including musings on the moral aspects of a wired society. But the sense that these issues encompass the day-to-day operations of corporate IT appears to be gaining popularity. According to Donald Amoroso, chair of the computer science and information systems department at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, it is a piece of the maturing of information technology. As the job becomes less about the technology itself and more about the information Age, the definition of responsible corporate citizenship changes too. Social responsibility has to do with being a good person in different parts of the community,† Amoroso says. It determines how you will function and do your job in a societal sense, not just as part of the community you do philanthropy with† (Cone, 2008). At the 2007 conference of the Information

Can Virtual Communication Substitute Human Relations?

According to UN’s telecommunications agency one of the three people is involved in the internet. Cyberspace has created a means for people to come closer together. Rather than spending money on phone services, people in different cities or even different countries can use messenger services, social networking or email to communicate. The Internet allows people to find old friends, classmates, and family members, or meet new people. Many people treat Internet as an enjoyable way of spending their free time.The most significant feature of internet is the possibility of global communication which gives a lot of opportunities to find a related soul or even a true love; however it does have certain drawbacks that people tend to forget about. In other words, despite the fact that internet is convenient tool of communication; people should not forget about big value and advantages of real conventional relations. One of the benefit from building relationship, people are able to talk w ith thousands of people all over the world.In real life it would not be possible, even if they would spend all their life traveling and having new relationships. While using the computer a person can have a friend in Russia or talk with tango dancers from Argentina. What is more online friends do not judge weight, skin color or clothes. Despite the pluses which were mentioned above, one of the major disadvantages of virtual communication, especially at the beginning of new acquaintance is that anyone can enhance the truth as much as he wants.Not all sites require a photo, and even those that do cannot guarantee that the photo is a real one. Clear signs that the photo may be a fake are strange backgrounds that might indicate a stock image, photos that appear professionally taken and photos that seem old rather than current. Unfortunately some people are not able to identify counterfeit images therefore the internet makes it easy to lie, thus in some cases almost impossible to discern whether the ad is honest or the truth is being embellished.Furthermore, relations through the internet reduce or eliminate face-to-face socialization. Due to the autonomy afforded by the virtual world, individuals are free to create a fantasy persona and can pretend to be someone else. Besides that it is hard to say no, be rude, or ignore someone when you are looking them in the eye. Also, it's incredibly easy and quick to unfriend or unfollow someone or simply block their efforts to make a connection. In other words, just one click of the mouse and your problems would be finished.Unfortunately, this feature of online socialization cheats people of the opportunity to learn how to resolve conflicts in the world outside the Internet and it could retard or cripple one's social skills developments. A report from the National School Boards Association shows that 41 percent of teenagers spend their time posting messages instead of face-to-face interactions with their peers. In conclusion , although the extension of virtual influence is increasing day by day, the real human interactions will not be replaced among society.

Uses and Abuses of Information in Orwell’s 1984

In George Orwell†s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, we are presented with a dystopian vision of the future. Orwell†s book follows the life of Winston Smith, a citizen of Airstrip 1, formerly Britain and part of the nation of Oceania. The country is governed by Ingsoc, the English Socialists, a totalitarian regime led by the iconic leader Big Brother. Oceania is constantly at war with as well as always being in alliance with one of the other two nations of the earth, Euraisia and Eastasia. The population is divided into three social groups, at the top of the power structure is the Inner Party, whose members are the policy makers and number relatively few. Below them are the members of the Outer Party, who are educated and work in governmental departments. It is this group which Winston Smith belongs to. Underneath them are the proletariat, the uneducated masses that made up 85% of the population. The life of a party member involves being constantly subjected to government propaganda by the medium of the telescreen. This is a device similar to a television placed in the home and workplace of Party members, unlike a television it cannot be turned off and it transmits as well as receives. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, one of four government ministries. The Ministry of Love is concerned with law and order, The Ministry of peace concerns itself with war, The Ministry of Plenty which deals with economic affairs and The Ministry of Truth which is responsible for the production of news, education, entertainment and fine arts. Orwell is said to have based the infrastructure of Oceania on that of Stalinist Russia of the 1940s. I want to compare and contrast Orwell†s vision of the future and control of information to the world of today. I hope to draw parallels in the ideology of Insog, governments of the present day and those of past regimes. Winston worked in the records department of the Ministry of Truth. His job consisted of the constant updating of news archives. He was responsible for altering or ‘rectifying† news reports from back issues of the state newspaper. For example, it appeared from The Times of the seventeenth of March that Big Brother, in his speech of the previous day, had predicted that the South Indian front would remain quiet but that a Eurasian offensive would shortly be launched in North Africa. As it happened, the Eurasian Higher Command had launched its offensive in South India and left North Africa alone. It was therefore necessary to rewrite a paragraph of Big Brother†s speech, in such a way as to make him predict the thing that had actually happened. (Orwell1949). In another case the Ministry of Plenty promised there would be no cut in the chocolate ration. After a cut in the ration, this speech was rewritten to say that they had predicted a cut some time in the future and eventually that the ration had been increased. Once these articles had been rewritten, the old newspapers were destroyed, new issues printed and used as historical records. All documentation of the past had been tailored to say exactly what the government wanted it to. No other records of the past existed other than those that had been manipulated and falsified by the ministry of truth. This may seem fantastic and unfeasible in modern western society, but Orwell himself performed a similar role in the BBC during World War II. This gave him a solid taste of bureaucratic hypocrisy and may have provided the inspiration for his invention of â€Å"newspeak,† the truth-denying language of Big Brother's rule in Nineteen Eighty-Four (Johnson 1993). In 1944 Orwell wrote a letter to tribune bringing up the question of how true history actually is. He said that until recently the chances were that major events were recorded with some accuracy. He says that the battle of Hastings probably happened in 1066, that Columbus discovered America, that Henry VIII had six wives, and so on. A certain degree of truthfulness was possible so long as it was admitted that a fact may be true even if you don†t like it. (Orwell1944). He goes on to say that even as late as just prior to World War I, a substantial amount of facts in the encyclopaedia Britannica are compiled from German sources and were regarded as neutral. An account of World War II would vary from different sources. The Nazis of the day would have a completely different account of the war than that of the Allies. The decision of which of these accounts reaches the history books is decided on the battlefield. If Hitler and the Nazis had won the war, the ‘history books† would undoubtedly be different from those we are brought up to believe in post war Britain. For example Orwell says that in 1941 and 1942 the Luftwaffe were busy in Russia, whilst at the same time German radio was proclaiming the devastation of London through aerial bombing. According to our history, these raids never happened. If we were living in London at that time we would know that those raids never happened, if Hitler then seizes power, those raids might as well have happened as the history books will be written accordingly. This theory is the basis that Orwell uses for the management of information in the fictitious Ministry of Truth. There are countless examples of history being re-written. Orwell gives other examples: Is the protocols of the Elders of Zion a genuine document? Did Trotsky plot with the Nazis? How many German aeroplanes were shot down in the Battle of Britain? Does Europe welcome the New Order? In no case do you get one answer that is universally accepted because it is true: in each case you get a number of totally incompatible answers, one of which is finally adopted as the result of a physical struggle. History is written by the winners. (Orwell 1944). Noam Chomsky develops these ideas and applies them to the Vietnam and Gulf wars. He describes a study that was done at the University of Massachusetts on attitudes towards the Gulf war. This study was designed to gauge the beliefs and attitudes of television watchers. One of the questions asked in that study was, How (sic) many Vietnamese casualties would you estimate that there were during the Vietnam war? The average response on the part of Americans today is about 100,000. The official figure is about two million. The actual figure is probably three to four million. (Chomsky 1991). This example highlights an almost eerie foresight into the future from Orwell. Are the telescreens that pump out propaganda and manipulated facts and figures to the population of Oceania really that different in principle to the televisions that are dotted around our houses now? It seems that the information broadcast on television is believed by its viewers. The history of the Vietnam war has probably altered since it ended. It may be hard to write an objective history of it from an American perspective, as attitudes toward the conflict seem to be ambiguous. When the war ended, American vets were seen by their country as failures, now they are honoured officially. It is unclear who is writing the history of Vietnam. During the conflict, news coverage was biased toward the plight of the American forces and anti communist ideals, creating a monster out of the enemy as to keep people†s thought irrational and unquestionably loyal to the American war effort. Towards the end of the seventies we saw the first of a wave of Vietnam feature films. It was now the directors telling the story, but whose is correct? Mc Carthyists may argue that Hollywood is adopting a communist point of view and thus siding with the old enemy. Is it just wars whose facts and figures are subject to alteration? Who is to say for instance that the so-called financial boom of the eighties actually happened? As it the decade gets more vague in our memories, it may be open to historical manipulation for political means. The likelihood is the current Labour government of 1999 will have a different recollection of the financial situation of the last twenty years than that of the Conservatives. Which, if either, account is correct? We (the public) have our own realities of the era; the amount of money we had at the time. As individuals though we are not in a position of power with which to rewrite history. Chomsky talks about the first modern government propaganda, that of the Woodrow Wilson Administration of The United States at the time of World War I. The population of America were pacifistic at that time and saw no reason to become involved in a European conflict. The Wilson government were committed to war and decided to do something about it. They established a government propaganda division, called the Creel Commission, which succeeded, within six months, in turning a pacifist population into a hysterical, war-mongering population which wanted to tear the Germans limb from limb, go to war and save the world. (Chomsky 1991). These same techniques were used for anti socialist campaigns after the war, which destroyed unions and restricted the freedom of the press. The same techniques were used by the British propaganda ministry, whose commitment at the time, as they put it in their secret deliberations, was ‘to direct the thought of most of the world†. (Chomsky1991). Chomsky goes on to say that the British propaganda ministry†s aim was to control the thought of the more intelligent members of the community in the United States, who would then disseminate the propaganda that they were concocting and convert the pacifistic country to wartime hysteria. He says that this taught a lesson to Hitler and many others that state propaganda, when supported by the educated classes and when no deviation is permitted from it, can have a big effect. A concise example of the use of propaganda in nineteen eighty- four is the rabble rousing Two Minutes Hate. This is a daily gathering where members of the Party vent their hatred for enemies of the state, In particular the spectre of Emmanuel Goldstein. Party members gather together in front of a telescreen while a film of the traitor Goldstein is shown. The participants are worked into a fury of hate before being brought back to calm by the image and voice of Big Brother. In chapter 1 of the book Orwell describes the event: Goldstein was delivering his usual venomous attack upon the doctrines of the Party – an attack so exaggerated and perverse that a child should have been able to see through it, and yet just plausible enough to leave one with an alarmed feeling that other people, less level headed than oneself, might be taken in by it. (1949) I believe evidence of Orwell†s own belief in the power of persuasive propaganda is expressed through the thoughts of Winston. Although Winston is a rebellious thinker who initially uses the two minute hate to vent his detestation of Insoc and it†s subsidiary organisations, he finds his feelings switching to a hatred of the image of Goldstein. He then voluntarily switches his hatred to the image of the girl behind him. Oceania is personified by the image of Big Brother, whilst its enemies are symbolised by Goldstein. This rhetoric is well used in propaganda and there are many examples, either official, as with Marianne and Germania, or unofficial, as in the cartoon stereotypes of John Bull. (Hobsbawm 1983). I have not really scratched the surface of concepts of information manipulation that Orwell highlights in Nineteen Eighty- Four, Newspeak for instance. A whole book could be written on this language and probably has been. After reading Orwell and Chomsky a great deal of correlation is evident between their ideas. Orwell says: The really frightening thing about totalitarianism is not that it commits ‘atrocities† but that it attacks the concept of objective truth; it claims to control the past as well as the future (1944) Although we live in a so-called democracy today the practice of history rewriting still seems to be prevalent. Chomsky says: the picture of the world that†s presented to the public has only the remotest relation to reality. The truth of the matter is buried under edifice after edifice of lies upon lies†¦ It†s not like a totalitarian state, where it†s done by force. These achievements are under conditions of freedom (1991). Although we do live in a free society (try arguing that we don†t with someone who†s lived under an oppressive regime), we live under what Chomsky calls a self-imposed totalitarianism (1991) with our televisions as our telescreens. As our daily newspapers switch political allegiances, who is to say that they are not employing modern day Winston Smiths to change accounts of the past. Why should the Sun hark on about the good old days under the Tory government when they want Blair to win the next election?

Assessing The Difference Between Crime And Defiance Criminology Essay

Assessing The Difference Between Crime And Defiance Criminology Essay Crime and Deviance, is a major topic which affects mostly every society in today’s world. When defining crime and deviance, it will depend of the norms and values of a society. Many societies have many different values and norms. Norms of society, is where all society members are expected to conform to certain behaviours. Values of a society, is where a society values something which all society members conform to. For example, many societies value certain types of religion such as Christianity or Buddhism and many other types of religion. Crime in society, is usually very specific, that it goes against the laws of society. People who commit crimes, are breaking the law and if caught, must be punished. People can be punished for committing crimes such as burglary, damage to people’s property, murder and assault. People who are found guilty of committing crimes, must be punished by the courts of law. Crime is a relative concept. This means that how a society views crimi nal acts, can differ. Criminal acts in one society, may not be seen as a criminal act in another society. Society may also differ in how to punish people for committing specific criminal acts. (Broom and Selznick, 1963 p 540,541). When looking at crime in society, it is important to look at the physiological and psychological approaches in relation to crime. These approaches have been criticised. Looking at the physiological approach, a biological theory was carried out by Cesare Lombroso. Cesare Lombroso, tried to find out if there was a connection between crime and biological causes. In 1876, Cesare Lombroso carried out research called â€Å"L’Uomo Delinquente†. Cesare Lombroso (1835 – 1909), came up with the suggestion that criminals could be identified using certain physical characterisitics such as large jaws, low foreheads and excessive body hair. Cesare Lombroso’s work was dismissed, because the theory was only focused on the criminals, in prison. This theory failed to take into account, why some people who have similar human attributes, are found throughout the world. The theory, failed to explain how certain physical human attributes distinguish criminals from people who do not commit criminal activities. (Macionis and Plummer,1998. P207) The psychological approach suggests that criminal behaviour, could be explained due to the individual’s mental make up and processes such as personality, rather than the person’s physical characteristics. Hans Eysenck, carried out research in â€Å"Crime and personality† in 1964. Hans Eysenck, suggested that it was possible that certain personality traits that people have can make certain people â€Å"resistant to discipline than others†.(Stephenson,1992. Page 7). Hans Eysenck also suggested that people with certain personality characteristics would be more likely to commit criminal behaviours.(Stephenson,1992. Page 7). Overall, using the physiological and psych ological approach has been criticised as it does not take into account some factors such as â€Å"exploring how conceptions of right and wrong initially rise,†.(Macionis and Plummer,1998. P208). Deviance can be defined as behaviour which does not conform to certain norms of a specific society.(Haralambos & Holborn,2008). Deviance can be explained as a more broader term than crime. It is not specific and deviant behaviour may not be criminal.

Early Islam and Islam Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Early Islam and Islam Today - Essay Example The culture and beliefs of Muslims are also discussed. This paper also presents a brief overview on both historical and modern Islam, worldwide and in America. Culture and Beliefs of Muslims Islam is a monotheistic religion and Muslims believe in the oneness of god. They have five basic principles that they call the â€Å"pillars† of Islam (Shepard, 2009). The first pillar is that of the Shahada, which is the declaration that there is only one god and prophet Muhammad is his messenger. The second pillar is the Salah, i.e. prayer, which is performed five times a day. The third pillar is the Zakah, i.e. charity for the poor. The fourth pillar is the Sawm, which means fasting. Muslims fast during the entire month of Ramazan, a holy month of the Islamic calendar. It is believed that the Quran, the word of God (Allah), began to be revealed to Prophet Muhammad by angel Gabriel during this month. The fifth and final pillar of Islam is Hajj, or pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, at least once in a lifetime (Shepard, 2009). Muhammad, who is believed by Muslims to be a prophet and messenger of Allah, founded Islam. Islam abolished the practice of polytheism, which was the religion of pagan Arabia, and introduced the concept of unity or oneness of God. According to Muhammad’s teachings, there are certain tenets and standards of living, ethics and polity, as described in the Quran, the holy book of Muslims, to be followed by Muslims, failing which they would face penalty both in this life and in the afterlife. Muslims have faith in the Judgment Day, when all humans will be judged for their deeds and will be sent to hell or heaven based on their doings. Muslims place a great significance on the conservation of women’s modesty, and so, women are asked to cover themselves by veils. They are not allowed to reveal themselves to other men except their husbands and close kin. Women and men are segregated in their social gatherings. Although it is widely be lieved that Muslim women are suppressed, it is believed to be the wrongdoing of men themselves rather than Islam, as Islam preaches equality of both men and women (Ezzati, 2002). Muslims are forbidden to consume pork and alcohol (Shepard, 2009). While monogamy is the common practice among Muslims, polygamy is legal and permitted by Islam (Shepard, 2009). While Muslim women are allowed only one husband, Muslim men can have a maximum of four wives only if they can treat all their wives equally. The Arabs made great scientific and cultural progress with the advent of Islam (Shepard, 2009). Origin and Expansion of Islam Islam has many universal elements that appealed to all cultures and religions outside Arabia (Stearns et al., 2004). This led to the acceptance of Islam and conversion to Islam by people of other religions such as Christianity, Judaism, etc. Following the death of Muhammad, his followers set up a caliphate in order to maintain political stability among the Arabs (Hemming er, 1997). Abu-Bakr was made the first caliph and military exhibition was used to gain the caliph’s authority over Arabia (Hemminger, 1997). Under his caliphate, the Arabs overtook Persian and Byzantine forces. He was succeeded by Umar, who became the second caliph and under whose reign, many other neighboring empires were conquered. By 637 CE, Ctesiphon (Persia’

The Importance of Using Social Media in Business Research Paper

The Importance of Using Social Media in Business - Research Paper Example   Through social media, businesses are able to establish and use social marketing as a tool to expand. Social marketing is one of the key factors for making a business successful in terms of sales by increasing the market range. For marketing to become a success in social media by the use of social marketing, businesses must set up hierarchies that prove effective in marketing the business. At the bottom of the hierarchy, pyramid is blogging. It is a known fact that the internet has revolutionized the world. Using this view, it has been observed that blogging has seen to revolutionize the internet world. Blogs are online diaries, which help the business people reach their potential customers. Through blogs, businesspersons are able to air views to their customers and, using them as online dialogue, receive feedback. Through blogs, businesses are able to monitor the progress of their businesses and hence they are able to effectively market their business. From blogs, businesses are also able to make the necessary adjustments so as to achieve success through factors such as increased sales, which result in a higher profit margin in the business. Blogging comes as an aid in building customer loyalty. This is in the sense that a businessperson is able to keep his or her customers engaged with your business by keeping customers apprised of new products in the business and fluctuation of prices. New services in the business are also known to the customers through blogs due to their accessibility (Debono, 2012).