Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Persuasive Essay On Cyber Privacy - 1952 Words

Introduction: In recent decades, there is an increasingly types of surveillance are appearing in public areas such as video cameras, phone tap, and online surveillance, and this essay will focus on one type of surveillance(cyber surveillance). Many people would like to say why we need surveillance? On the one hand, with the tides and waves of globalization, false and fake information like Internet virus, spam mails, phishing have been overflowed. In the context of this, cyber security and Internet crimes have emerged from time to time. On the other hand, it’s a kind of way to collect citizen’s data, and allow the government to defense of a country and rational surveillance us. Following by, there is a comparison between China and west†¦show more content†¦In the end, the Internet has been a medium facilitating them to form a set of unique mechanism and system, on which they train their staff and contact partners. There is no denying that online network has ser ved as their tool to overturn the government. In addition, when the Internet surveillance technology can be used to detect criminal activities and terrorism, but there are privacy concerns (Dinev et al., 2008). To make it further, the existence of Internet has also posed threats to the rights of privacy, one of the basic human rights. (Martin, 2014), a columnist with The New York Times, observed that the US government’s attempt to create an all-encompassing, all-seeing, database of its citizens is an â€Å"attempt to create an Orwellian ‘virtual, centralized grand database,’ which could put a spyglass on American’s every move, from literally the way Americans move to their virtual moves, scanning shopping, e-mail, bank deposits, vacations, medical prescriptions, academic grades and trips to the vet†. For instance, in June 2013, an American technical analyst, Edward Snowden exposed the PRISM, official name as â€Å"US-984XN†. This program was an electronic monitoring system initiated by NSA since George Walker Bush was in the office. According to the documents released by Snowden that NSA had been accessible to large amounts of personal chatting information, storage data, voice messages, file transference, individualShow MoreRelatedE Commerce : A Global Commercial Environment940 Words   |  4 Pagestrader in terms of setting the e-commerce environment excluding net servers which will incorporate vast investments. Another challenge e-commerce organizations have to deal with is the safeguarding of security or privacy on online transactions. Small firms like Thread.com are prone to cyber bullying where hackers may want to access customer data or valuable financial information. Also,the internet isn’t cheap and gaining access to it in remote areas is always an issue making it inconvenient for potentialRead MoreIs The Iso 27001 Beneficial For It Governance Within The Modern Enterprise?2572 Words   |  11 PagesJam es Anthony Whelan (i7245831) Computing Framework Digital Forensics Cyber Security (Hons) Level I Word count: 2353 Persuasive Essay: Is The ISO 27001 beneficial for IT governance within the modern enterprise? Introduction This essay is aimed to help readers to explore whether or not the ISO 27001 Model is beneficial for IT Governance within the modern enterprise. This will ultimately be achieved by looking at existing research, which includes journals, articles, websites and otherRead MoreHow Identity Theft Affect the Culture of Our Society5785 Words   |  24 Pagesand cultural growth and double jeopardizes an already unstable system to the brink of its destruction. To understand how identity theft works or happens, one need to know and understand what identity theft is, the different forms of identity theft, cyber security and the impact on its victims, the methods used by identity thieves to obtain identifying information about their victims, and preventive solutions. How Identity Theft Affect the Culture of Our Society A single mother lookingRead MoreRacial Profiling And The Civil Rights Movement2959 Words   |  12 Pagesthe government, housing, and countless other establishments. One cannot describe America without slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, and other racially motivated movements. Race (and racism, unfortunately) is what makes America, America. For this essay, I will be exploring the question: Is there still a racial issue in America, predominantly, against blacks? Also, I will be exploring if stereotypes are related to racial profiling, if the media affects racism, and if racism is still present in theRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility10163 Words   |  41 PagesAbstract: COPYRIGHT Kluwer Academic Publishers 1992 Several scholars have recently criticized the dominant emphasis upon mid-level principles in bioethics best exemplified by Beauchamp and Childresss Principles of Biomedical Ethics. In Part I of this essay, I assess the fairness and cogency of three broad critic isms raised against principlism as an approach: (1) that principlism, as an exercise in applied ethics, is insufficiently attentive to the dialectical relations between ethical theory and moralRead MoreEthnic Reproduction and the Amniotic Deep: Joy Kogawas Obasan13316 Words   |  54 Pagesencourage or facilitate virtual adultery. Online relationships can proceed through chat rooms, interactive games or newsgroups. What may begin as a simple email exchange or innocent chat-room encounter can escalate into an intense and passionate cyber affair – and eventually into face-to-face sexual encounters. Griffiths (2000) claims that ‘electronic communication is the easiest, most disinhibiting and most accessible way to meet potential new partners’. 28: INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Monday, December 16, 2019

Teen Suicide and Bullying Free Essays

Bullying is a worldwide problem that can be linked to teen suicide. The third leading cause of death in youth is suicide, which results in nearly 4,400 deaths per year (Centers for Disease Control, 2012). At least half of these deaths are caused by bullying. We will write a custom essay sample on Teen Suicide and Bullying or any similar topic only for you Order Now Although bullying is still seen by many to be a normal part of growing up, it is a severe problem that leads to many negative effects, including suicide. Unfortunately, there is not a definitive solution to this problem. However, there are multiple ways to help teens who are contemplating suicide due to bullying: seeking immediate medical help, encouraging teens to talk, parents keeping communication open, and by parents communicating with school authorities. Bullying is a form of abuse that is displayed toward the victim which forms an unhealthy relationship. This relationship consists of the bully having continual control of the victim’s life for an extended period of time. It gives the bully a sense of empowerment that they continue to feed off of. This is much different from school aged aggression that typically has a one-time occurrence, such as fighting or teasing between friends. Conversely, bullying can lead to suicide. Bully related suicide can be connected to any type of bullying, whether it is physical bullying, emotional bullying, cyber bullying, sexting, or even the circulating of suggestive photos of a person. Sadly, over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide and almost seven percent have actually attempted it. The power obtained by the bully over the victim can be devastating and can lead to many negative effects. Bullying can lead to poor mental health such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Nearly 160,000 children stay home from school every day due to fear of torment by other students. This causes the students grades to drop and adds to the victim’s sense of failure. These effects can become so debilitating that the victim may turn to suicide as their way of ending the internal pain. Emotional pain felt by the victim can become so overwhelming that they believe the only way out is through suicide. They may feel as if no one cares or that it would be pointless to reach out to someone because it might even make things worse. Sadly, many times victims feel that they are alone and no one could possibly understand what they are going through. In the case of Amanda Todd, she was bullied and ridiculed at school and online to the point where she felt she could no longer live. Unfortunately, she experienced verbal, physical, and emotional pain at the hands of her peers including people she believed liked her. She was tortured on a daily basis and felt there was no way out. Amanda changed schools as an attempt to end the torment. Unfortunately, as in many cases, the bullying followed her. Amanda attempted suicide on a couple of occasions. She tried reaching out by posting a video on YouTube telling her story. Sadly, a week later she committed suicide. Amanda Todd was a victim to one of the cruelest forms of abuse that is happening today all over the world. Could her suicide have been prevented? According to reports, many of Amanda’s peers did not notice any signs of this struggle. However, she cried out for help not only through her video posted on the internet, but well before that by her multiple attempts of suicide. It may have been possible to save her life if there were more awareness brought to her community on bullying and suicide. If people knew what signs to look for and would have noticed the red flags just from sheer knowledge, Amanda Todd may have received the help she wanted and so badly needed. Although there is no definitive solution to the problem of teen suicide from bullying, there are several ways to prevent a majority of this from happening. One extremely important way to help a teen who is suicidal is to immediately seek medical attention. Doctors and medical professionals are able to find problems that others cannot see. They provide hope for teens contemplating ending their lives. Medical professionals are able to diagnose underlying conditions that are typically found in youth who are at risk for suicidal tendencies. Most mental health disorders, such as depression, can be treated. Not only can these professionals diagnose and treat illnesses but they can also provide teens and parents with resources and useful information. Another great way to prevent teen suicide is to encourage them to talk. Suppressing thoughts and feelings, typically makes things worse. Therefore, getting teens to open up and talk is a great way for them to relieve their burdened hearts. Having them verbalize their thoughts and feelings helps them and others to have a better understanding of what they are going through. Likewise, when a teen is being bullied it is important that they express how they have been hurt. It creates an awareness of the problem which can lead to finding a solution. Sometimes, when a teen is thinking about suicide, what they really want is someone to listen to them. They just want to know that they are not alone. One of the best things a parent can do is keep the lines of communication open with their children. It becomes increasingly important throughout the teen years as they experience many changes such as emotional, physical and hormonal. Communication between parent and child is crucial for the child to feel comfortable opening up to them and discussing any problem they may be having. Being involved allows this team to identify the existence of bullying and suicidal thoughts along with other problems. Connor and Rueter (2006) found that a warm and supportive relationship, especially with the father, shielded a teen from emotional distress and suicidal tendencies. Most importantly, communication and openness can be a deterrent to suicide. When a teen communicates that they are being bullied it is helpful for parents to discuss it with school authorities stop existing problems. This is another way to help prevent teen suicide due to bullying. Since a majority of bullying takes place on or near school campuses, it is the school’s responsibility along with the parents to take action in addressing situations as such. School authorities can help monitor a teen that is in distress and offer great resources to help solve the issues they may facing. By parents communicating with the teen’s school, they can share their ideas and find what works best for the community and their students to stop bullying and prevent teen suicide. Bullying is a major problem happening to teens all over the world. Although there is not a definitive solution to bullying and the connection to teen suicide, there are many preventive measures that can be taken. Seeking immediate medical help for teens who want to commit suicide can be life changing. Encouraging teens to talk will allow them to express their thoughts and feelings instead of internalizing them. Likewise, parents can help prevent teen suicide by keeping the lines of communication open. It lets teens take comfort in knowing they have someone to talk to. When bullying and thoughts of suicide become a part of a teen’s life, it is important that the parent speaks to school authorities. This enables the school and parents to team up against the problems. Anyone can play a part in saving a life by working together to prevent teen suicide from bullying. How to cite Teen Suicide and Bullying, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

21st Century Breakdown by Green Day free essay sample

Green Day’s long anticipated follow-up to American Idiot was released on May 15th, 2009. The album is based upon a couple, Christian and Gloria, who struggle through the challenges that we face today. Billy Joe Armstrong shows a metaphor throughout the album, the static you hear in many of the songs. This is a metaphor on how America is depending more and more on technology and the media. When I first listened to the album, I didn’t think much of it. I listened to many of the songs over again, and they had meaning. I see the world through the eyes of Christian and Gloria. I could see their struggle in the world we live in today. The songs also showed that no matter what, their love together would prevail, and they would get through everything together. The album has many great songs but a few of the songs really brought to my attention. We will write a custom essay sample on 21st Century Breakdown by Green Day or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"East Jesus Nowhere† is one of them. This song was definitely my favorite off the album, the outstanding guitar riff, and the solo. â€Å"A fire burns today, of blasphemy and genocide† is a line from the chorus, that most likely directed towards the media, and how everybody turns to the media. â€Å"Viva La Gloria (Little Girl)† a perhaps unusual song. It really caught my attention though because of the somewhat harsh lyrics. It made me see some of the problems that Gloria faced. â€Å"Little girl, little girl you dirty liar, your just a junky preaching to the choir†. An odd song, but if you really listen, you can see some of the problems that she is facing. â€Å"Life Before The Lobotomy† is a first person song, most likely drawn for Armstrong’s abandonment earlier in his life. â€Å"Last Night on Earth† really touched me more than any other song on the album. In my opinion, this is a love song shown to Gloria by Christian, the two characters often mentioned on this album. It shows that Christian is fully pledged to Gloria, and is willing to give his life for her because he loves her. This album may not be the hardcore rock older Green Day. However, I believe this is the best Green Day album lyric wise. The lyrics of this album touched me in ways that almost no other album could do. The music on this album made me feel good though. The love shown between Christian and Gloria really raised my spirits, and then I got to songs like â€Å"Horseshows and Hand grenades†, â€Å"Know Your Enemy†, â€Å"East Jesus Nowhere†, and â€Å"American Eulogy† and I get rowdy. These songs are more like the old Green Day that I so much love. The transition from the song Christian’s Inferno into Last Night on Earth is also fantastic, it really fits. I give this album 15 stars out of ten. It is excellent, but you have to really listen to it closely to understand the story of the two lovers, Christian and Gloria 21st Century Breakdown by Green Day free essay sample What joy I had when Green Days 21st Century Breakdown came out. Ive been a big fan of them since forever. Eversince theyre breakthrough album, American Idiot, these punks from California have become an iconic band. Green Day consists of Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool. 21st Century Breakdown is the story of two lovers Christian and Gloria, who live in post-Bush Jr. era. Armstrong describes Gloria and Christiian. I look at Christian and Gloria, and its me. Gloria is one side: this person trying to hold on to this sense of belief, still trying to do good. Whereas Christian is deep into his own demons and victimizing himself over that. Songs like East Jesus Nowhere, Peacemaker, or Vive La Gloria, make this album another classic for this punk rock band. ROCK ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Shock Jock in Trouble

Show business manifests through myriad media formats and the recent spurt in radio talk shows and their wide local popularity has spurred the development of numerous FM stations all over the country. In order to grab the attention of the avid listeners, innovative and meticulously planned music as well as talk shows are planned, designed and executed keeping in mind the tastes and preferences of local audiences as well as the national stage, if the broadcast capabilities include such a framework.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Shock Jock in Trouble specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Shock Jocks contribute substantially in the success of such programs with their witty comments and innovative utterances which stimulate anticipation as well as keen interest in the listeners. In the process local and national advertisers are able to push many of the products across to their customers through strategically placed audio ads which generate huge revenue for their respective companies. A radio jockey has to keep in mind what to say and what not to according to the prevalent norms in the social setup he or she is operating in. Inadvertent or intentional slips of the tongue, though generating great interest can sometimes lead to serious trouble as demonstrated by the incident leading to the sacking of Don Imus from two of the major broadcasting radio stations, CBS and MSNBC (Clemmitt 1). Slapstick comedy and shock comments are the essence of a successful radio jockey and on most occasions they get away with the most preposterous and ridiculous comments which serve to stimulate as well as titillate the humor bone of the listeners. But if certain limits are crossed, the very comments which appear innocuous at first can be interpreted in a different way altogether. Imus, who already had a reputation for passing racial slurs, especially against the African-American community, was caught offhand on one such occasion while discussing the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, in which he labeled the Rutgers University Women’s Basketball Team members as â€Å"nappy headed hos†, largely due to their composition of the team, which was represented by all black team (Clemmitt 20). Although he was quick enough to air an apology when he realized the gravity of his mistake, the comment sparked huge outcries which lead to severe condemnation and protests form African American organizations across America. Imus was labeled a misogynist and this particular comment was widely published over the internet which strengthened the case against him (Clemmitt 20). The protests reached such a crescendo that the two major broadcasters he was working with had to stop the talk show and sack him permanently.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A controversy raged thereafter which attra cted numerous comments from primarily African American celebrities and organizations as well political followers which included both the conservatives as well as liberals, who debated the applicability and enforcement of specific laws and regulations to prevent such incidents in the future. Although the incident set up a precedent for sacking other jockeys due to their selectivity of slurs directed against particular ethnic communities, it was highly debated by supporters and fans of Imus, who were addicted to his inimitable style. His supporters asserted that such slurs were common even within the African American populations and the vocabulary used was a product of their own hip-hop and ‘Gangsta’ styles of music and living, in which women were labeled with insulting names, denigrating their position in society. The supporters pleaded that if such labels are not considered insulting in music which is constantly being aired worldwide, why did the use of this particular phrase by Imus, despite his public apology, was used to annihilate him socially and professionally. His fans believed that the termination of his program spelled a doom for the ‘shock jock’ system of entertainment, whose foundation itself was based upon the value to elicit the elements of surprise and humor among the audiences. He is known for his satire and outrageous comments (Imus on MSNBC). The detractors however built a crescendo of allegations against Imus due to the plethora of evidence of racial slurs associated with his performances which had denigrated to the level of insulting innocent, apparently admirable batch of young students who were representing their university team. (Clemmitt 15-17) in her article has analyzed the issue incisively and presented the pros and cons related to the incident. She provides evidence from the American history during the past century which has numerous anecdotes and incidents of racial discrimination against the minorities, wh ich need to be addressed by such punitive measures to discourage such misadventures in future.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Shock Jock in Trouble specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The views and arguments put forth by prominent personalities from the Black world in America were instrumental in building the public opinion against Imus, which lead to his sacking. The author has nevertheless interspersed her article with comments from others who were concerned about the freedom of radio as an instrument for expression and entertainment, which they feel was under grave threat of being throttled, if regulatory authorities started directing and dictating the content of the aired programs. Ethnic and race based jokes have existed in all societies of the world and cannot be completely be got rid off as they serve to titillate and entertain people during the course of their daily activities. But there use on a public pl atform such as radio and television is definitely objectionable and needs to be prevented in the future to build a more safe and tolerant society. Works Cited Clemmitt, M.†Shock Jocks, Should Racist and Misogynistic Speech be Regulated†, CQ Researcher, Vol. 17, Issue 21, pp. 481. June 1, 2007. â€Å"Imus on MSNBC, Don Imus- Host†, online information. Web. This essay on Shock Jock in Trouble was written and submitted by user Maurice Hicks to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Philosophy On Education essays

Philosophy On Education essays I do not believe the practices of our current public education reflect the aims of Philosophy on education from Plato to Dewey because of the Context Statement and questions Rorty ask in The Ruling History of Education. What are the directions and limits of public education in a liberal pluralist society? How can we best assure an equitable distribution of educational opportunity? Should the quality of education be supervised by national standards and test? Should public schools undertake moral and religious education? These same questions or controversies have been asked from Plato to present day. In America today we are breaking away from the roots of philosophical and educational thought. We implement new ideas for education without thinking them through. For instance, No child left behind is a prime example of not weighing all the pros and cons of instituting a new concept. We have experts with ideas of what educators should do and how to teach but no proof that it will be a success. After 8 to 12 years we abandon it for some new idea published in an educational journal. Today students forget what they are taught because most of what we teach is subject matter. They are not taught problem solving through experience. We have gotten away from the ways of education that worked for millions, which go back to the ancient philosophers. These ancient philosophers believed in the idea of family first, the state second, and that school should be like home as much as possible (Aristotle). I agree with Dewey that teaching is an art and students learn through activity or experienc es. Education begins at birth and ends with death. Contempory educators have little interest in Plato and Aristotle, the late nineteenth and twentieth century thinkers like Nietzsche, John Dewey, Peirce, Habermas, or Gadamer whose works include serious reassessments of the contemporary relevance of the ancient Philoso...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Five Terms Related to Submitting a Manuscript

Five Terms Related to Submitting a Manuscript Five Terms Related to Submitting a Manuscript Five Terms Related to Submitting a Manuscript By Maeve Maddox A reader asks about some terms: I’m confused: Whats the difference between Submissions and Query Letters and Cover Letters and Biographies and Resumà ©s? As these terms are often used interchangeably on writing sites, the reader’s confusion is understandable. Perhaps the following explanations can help. 1. Query Letter A query letter is a one-page letter intended to interest an editor in something a writer has written or intends to write. It should address the editor by name (spelled correctly) and begin with a hook: a strong statement that piques the editor’s interest. If the query is about a magazine article, the hook might be the first paragraph of the article. The query should give the editor an idea of the structure and content of the piece being offered. If the offered work is a novel, the letter should include a description of the main theme and story line, including conflict and resolution (how it ends). A query letter should tell why the author is qualified to write the article or book and end with a direct request for the desired magazine assignment or for permission to send a manuscript. 2. Cover Letter When the editor asks to see a manuscript or sample pages, the writer includes a cover letter with the submission: a brief letter to accompany the manuscript or sample. Editors receive hundreds of queries. The cover letter is a practical and courteous way to remind the editor of the particulars of your initial query. Keep it short and don’t try to do any additional selling. It’s enough to say something like this: â€Å"Here’s the short story I queried you about on March 20, 2016. I look forward to hearing from you.† 3. Author’s Bio The shortening bio for biography is the norm in the context of marketing written material. The bio focuses on the writer’s credentials. Publishers want to know if the writer has published before and is qualified to write about the material being offered. They do not want to know about the writer’s dogs, cats, children, hobbies, or any other irrelevancies. 4. Resumà © A resumà © is a brief account of ones education and professional experience. Some of the same information that belongs in a resumà © can also have a place in an author’s bio, but a resumà © will be more comprehensive regarding past employment. A writer who is applying for a job as an editor or a blogger will certainly offer a resumà © to the potential employer. Note: Although the French original is spelled with two accent marks (rà ©Ã‚ ·su ·mà ©) American spelling recognizes both resume and resumà ©. I favor a single accent for two reasons: the first accent is meaningless to most English speakers, but the final accent mark distinguishes the noun and its pronunciation from the verb resume.   For example: â€Å"I started writing my resumà © today, but was interrupted. I’ll resume work on it in the morning.† 5. Submission When an editor asks to see a partial or completed manuscript, the writer prepares a submission that includes a manuscript (partial or complete) and whatever additional material has been requested by an editor or publisher. Before preparing a submission, the writer will consult the publisher’s guidelines to see how the manuscript should be formatted, how it should be sent (by mail or electronically), and what additional enclosures are wanted. The manuscript included in a submission should be as complete and as correct as the writer can make it. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Program vs. ProgrammeEnglish Grammar 101: Verb MoodEspecially vs. Specially

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Why the Saudi Government has implemented banning exports of cement and Article

Why the Saudi Government has implemented banning exports of cement and explain the answer in terms of monopoly strategy - Article Example This ban in led to a 58 percent slump in the cement index and reduced profits for most cement producing companies. The decision by the Saudi government to stop and ban the exportation of cement was prompted by the soaring domestic prices of building and construction materials. In the subsequent discussion, we will attempt to identify and explain the cause(s) of such a shortage, and factor(s) leading to the imposition of the ban. In addition, we will assess the reasons for its partial uplift and subsequent reinstatement, how the government’s actions translate to monopolistic behavior. Finally, we will analyze the impact, and effectiveness of the monopolistic strategy on the economy and in particular in relation to the country’s projected economic growth. Despite being the highest producer of cement among GCC countries, Saudi Arabia has recently been experiencing cement shortages. This is because the manufacturing companies export most of their products to international market to fetch higher prices. The exportation of cements has grown steadily between 2004 and 2007. In 2006, the cement export volume was quoted as 2.26 million tones. Total production over the same period was estimated at 33.1 million tones against a local consumption level of 31.2 million tones. This translates to a shortage of approximately 0.36 million tones locally. These statistics show the total production of cement in Saudi Arabia was 33.1 million tons in 2006. However, the total consumption of cement in the same year was about 31.2 million tones (El-Quqa, Hasa, Desai, Rout & Gupta 2007, p. 9). Comparing the above statistics, it is evident that there has been a shortage of cement in the local market. Since this trend has continued, the government responded by banning exports of cement to alleviate the shortage in the local market. In 2009, the ban was partially lifted following an upsurge in demand in the Middle Eastern countries.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

WorkBrain Corp- A case in exit stratgy Research Paper

WorkBrain Corp- A case in exit stratgy - Research Paper Example The company is doing fairly well being a private entity. The company has cash in abundance, over $10 million and can easily operate within its realm. Moreover the current investors of the company are happy with the position of the firm in the market and are willing to even invest more if need arises. No investor of the company has expressed any desire to withdraw its investment. These are positive signs for the company and if it wishes to expand then the best alternate is to use cash from current investors who trusted in the vision of the company before it came into existence. Going public may mean new investors with a different vision that might not be in compliance with the current investors. Saying all this now is the perfect time to go public. Going public would mean more customers for the company. At the moment WorkBrain has to convince its clients that it is financially solvent and in a good position to provide services to them. As the customers cannot see the financial positio n of a private company they hesitate to get the work done from them. If WorkBrain goes public then all the financial details will be present for the customers to see and approach the company for their services. The company will benefit tremendously as it would be able to make clients and customers in much larger numbers. Keeping in mind how solvent the company is, it is the best time for WorkBrain to go public and make more customers (Bilimoria, 2007). The best option for the company would be to go with TSX listing. The reason for this is that TSX in future would be more viable. Compared to NASDAQ, TSX has a small-cap market with more some to medium term service providers and financial institutions. WorkBrain perfectly fits in their category. NASDAQ is more prestigious and has a larger clientele in terms of revenues. It would be fair to say that if WorkBrain needs to go with NASDAQ it would have to come up with a revenue margin of around $75 million. The reason for the company to go public is that it makes it financial statement visible in the market so that potential customers would know how solvent the company is. Going public gives them a chance to come out in the open and make more customers. Acquisition is a completely different proposition. It deals with selling a part of the company or rather a share of profit with someone who is ready in buying a part of business. Normally the rate at which an acquirer buys part of the business is a much bigger rate because of the goodwill attached with the firm. As WorkBrain has done tremendously well showing consistent profit since it emergence, the takeover would have to pay a lot of money for the acquisition. But there is no need of selling part or whole of the business when the firm is making sufficient profits and it is predicted that the company will only look to grow more in the coming years (Arnold, 2008). There might be other alternates that the company might look at. Bank loan is one of them but it comes wit h a cost. A high interest rate has to be paid whenever a company takes a loan from the bank. The biggest advantage of a loan is that the current owners will get to keep the possession of the firm without selling any part of the business to an investor or by going public in the stock exchange. The current owners will get to make the decisions just the way they now do as they will have the control of the firm. Lack of ability to pay in time may get the business into trouble and if

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Physical - Circuit Essay Example for Free

Physical Circuit Essay Length (centimetres) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps)Length (centimetres) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Resistance (? )Â   As the table shows above, the resistance of the length 5cm and 10cm were equal, and then it suddenly decreases. This shows theres an error; I think it happened because we didnt set our circuit in the correct positon. Table 5: This table shows the details about normal wires used in the experiment, Constantan wire with diameter of 0. 90mm, however is longer than the one before, retry. First Tried Second Tried Third Tried Length (centimetres) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Length (centimetres) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Resistance (? ). This seems to be nice results as it shows; the resistance were rising up slowly as the length grows. It proved this is a nice experiment, and let us understand this wire could be use for transferring the current through. Table 6: This table gives the results about the different kind of wires used in the experiment, Nichrome wire with diameter of 0. 90mm. First Tried Second Tried Third Tried Length (centimetres) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps)Â   Â  Length (centimetres) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Resistance (? )Â   This graph shows a very clear results, the increase of resistance were easy to see, from the positive correlation shown. This means that this is quiet a good test, it dont seems to have any error in this experiment. Table 7: This table gives the details about the third wires used in the experiment, Copper wire with diameter of 0. 90mm. First Tried Second Tried Third Tried Length (centimetres) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Length (centimetres) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Resistance (? ) This result shows the metal which can transfer the least resistance through by the differences of the length. It was mostly under , this means that we cant use this much as the time were transferring a large amount of currents. Table 8: This table have the results which copper wires were heated in the beaker of water. Wire length equals to 100cm long. Room temperature were 24Ci. First Tried Second Tried Third Tried Temperature (Ci ) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Temperature (Ci) Voltage (Volts) Current (amps) Resistance (? )Â   The last experiment we done, by putting a wire with length 100cm, diameter of 90mm into boiling water. Our result shows more clear on the table than the graph. As we can see, the resistance only raise a bit as the temperature goes up. But the difference from 30 Ci to 50 Ci were higher than what I expect, I think this is because of the temperature were not fix while we were recording our results down to our table. Compare and Contrast. This is the averages of the 3 wires. By showing this on a graph we could be able to tell which wire has the highest resistance. Constantan Wire Copper Wire Nichrome Wire Length (centimetres) Resistance (? ) Length (centimetres) Resistance (? ) Length (centimetres) Resistance (? ) By reading the graph, we could see that Nicrhome Wire have the highest resistance out of the three wires, so we could tell that it can allows least current flow through each time compare to the rest of them. If one day we have to choose a wire from this three to pass current through, the best is using the Copper Wire, it got the lowest resistance which means it have a high amount of current can pass through per second. If we dont want the electricity to flow through easily, we will choose the Nichrome Wire, because it only allows small amount of current to pass through each time. Constantan Wire was a normal wire, it cant be use for high resistance flowing, but it can allow more current flow at each time compare to the Nichrome Wire. However, we could see that the resistance were rising up no matter which materials of wire we have chosen, so that means they still conduct electricity, so we shouldnt touch it while having this kind of experiment. Compare and Contrast 2 This is the averages of the 3 different diameters of wires. By showing this on a graph we could be able to tell that which diameters can allows the most resistance to pass through. Wire with 0. 45mm Wire with 0. 9mm Wire with 1. 25mm Length (centimetres) Resistance (? ) Length (centimetres) Resistance (? ) Length (centimetres) Resistance (? ). By looking at the graph, we could see that Constantan Wire with 0. 45mm of diameter have the highest resistance out of all. So we could tell that it can allow high amount of resistance but low amount of current flow through each time compare to the rest of them. The wire with diameter of 1. 25mm can allows the lowest resistance, that means it could have highest current to flow through each time. However, we could see that the resistance were rising up no matter which diameter of wire we have chosen, so that means they still conduct electricity, so we can use it to let current pass through. Evaluation In my experiment, Ive found out theres some error occurs. In my first results, by using the length of 15cm, the resistance seems to be a little bit different from the rest, so it didnt showed as a straight line. This might because my circuit werent set correctly, so this error occurred. For the second experiment I did, theres seems to be a error at the second try of length 10cm, the number seems to be too high compare to the rest of them, I believe this happened because we accidentally crash the variable resistor. Then in Table 3 we got an error again, the current of the wire seems to be a lot more higher, Im sure this occurs because the resistor is not working well, and also the circuit were kind of messy, might affect the results we got. Then we got an error results shows at Table 4, none of the results can fit with Table 3, there were the same wire, same diameter, only the length we tested is different, but the results we got were too out of range, so I can say that this is a failed try out. So we re-do the experiment using this wire again. I think that this happened because the ammeter is down, the current were keep increasing by every few seconds. In Table 8, for testing the temperature, it seems to be a nice results, however the different of 50Ci and 30Ci were larger than what I have expect, so I could tell that the temperature of the water might not be as accurate as the time we measured. Also it might because some water spread out of the beaker, onto the wires; this should be changing my normal results. Also, Im not really sure about how the resistor works with ammeter; therefore by accidentally move it might decrease the accuracy of my results as well. The results of resistance might be different because the circuit we set werent exactly the same, therefore it might also be some differences compare to the first time, the first results we got. So, maybe next time we should have used the same circuit, and do all of the experiment in same time, and it might have a better results in future. Conclusion. In my own opinion, I believe this is quiet a nice experiment, and I also get some good results as well. Ive found out that my prediction was correct, about the copper wire with a diameter of 90mm will transfer the least energy compare to the rest of the two. I also learned about the circuit of electricity, I could now tell how the current flowing was, and how it could be measured. By looking at the results Ive got, I was really please, even though some mistakes happened in the experiment, but we still success to finish our experiment in the time limit, which is such a great thing to celebrate. Resistor can be use to protect the ammeter, this is a very useful apparatus; I know the ammeter was an important character in the circuit while measuring the resistance. So if the ammeter were damage cause of the flowing current were too high, this will be a very bad news for us. So take care of the equipment is another important thing I learn from this experiment. If I have a chance to repeat the experiment, I would be likely to set my circuit up just like this time, because there shall be less problems. And I might use the copper wire more often in the circuit, using copper wires it allows more current to pass through compare to the Nicrhome and Constantan wires, which might help in my future life. Bibliography: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Series_and_parallel_circuits http://www. circuitcity. com/ccd/home. do Science Investigation Report Daniel F5D 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Watching Tennis and A Subaltern’s Love Song Essay -- English Literatur

Watching Tennis and A Subaltern’s Love Song Introduction The themes and ideas are so similar that if one was to briefly explain what both poems were about, you would think that they were exactly the same poems. Yet what really separates these two poems is their technical side. Form The form of a poem can be mainly observed by looking at and listening to the poem. Rhyme scheme, verse length, and line length are but a few examples of a poem’s form. A Subaltern’s Love song is a relatively long poem compared to Watching Tennis. It contains eleven verses, each of four lines length. There are between ten and thirteen syllables in each line. As this poem tells us a story and has a regular rhyme scheme, it is a narrative and can be classed as a ballad. It contains rhyming couplets which show a sense of control and harmony. Watching Tennis is a less orthodox poem. It is a Petrarchan sonnet, containing fourteen lines. This type of sonnet is divided up into two verses, one of length eight lines; the other of six. John Heath Stubbs has divided these two verses in equal lengths again. This results in both halves of the poem containing different verse lengths. The first two verses contain four lines, whereas the last two verses contain three lines. The rhyming scheme too is unorthodox. The rhyming scheme is in the form ABAB for the first two verses and although the first two verses rhyme in order, the last two don’t. This shows how the author is trying to create an image of loss of control and harmony. Style Both poems have a very distinct style. A Subaltern’s Love Song has a very strict and orthodox rhythm which emphasises the idea of how the man gets closer and closer to his dream woman. The steady... ... league. However, A Subaltern’s Love Song talks more in a hopeful, jocular light. The man believes that the girl is in a different league to him. He also talks in a very graceful, pleasant and sweet way about the girl, â€Å"Speed of a swallow, Grace of a boy.† He talks in less of a seductive sexy way as Heath-Stubbs does. â€Å"Your mouth on mine found its silent need.† However, Heath-Stubbs also talks about how the girl is graceful and delicate, â€Å"You move like a dancer,† Conclusion In conclusion, although both poems share very similar ideas and themes, they differ on the technical side. A Subaltern’s Love Song is written in a much more orthodox fashion than Watching Tennis. However, one major concept which both poems share is that they both commence with the idea of the man and woman in love with each other as hopeless, and end with that idea a being hopeful.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Anthropology Book Report

This is a book review of, With No Direction Home: Homeless Youth on the Road and in the Streets written by Marni Finkelstein. The writer gives a voice to the homeless youth and highlights on their everyday lives, the condition in which they live and the experience they go though in the streets.Furthermore, the writer through her interviews obtained first hand experience and which she writes with logical honesty, the study which she took its ethnographic methodology for the reason that she combined qualitative interviews and direct observation. The writer defines who the streets kids are hence the reader get to know how they come to be streets kids.She describes the different reasons why most of them leave their homes to end up being street youths. Their life in the streets is well tackled in the book on how they socialize in the streets and form peer networks.   She explains on how peer groups formed makes them use and abuse substances. Their subsistence in the streets and their da ily lives as it is explained in the book gives an insight to the readers to understand them even more.Finkelstein discusses how the youths in the streets are prone to victimization by the society; they are ill treated, oppressed and discriminated the youths reiterate by being violent for them to survive the hostile environment in which they live. The book concludes with recommendations which would be adopted to ensure that the ever increasing numbers of youths in the streets would be reduced and eventually make them leave the streets.This study falls under social anthropology as the study is done with evidence of how the streets youths, who form a group of the society currently behave in social a group. Social anthropology investigation is an intensive field studies which include participant observation methods like the ones used in this book.The study done was how social organization of the youths in the street socializes among them selves and the public. Social anthropology explor es indistinctness and contradictions of social life, sociality patterns, conflicts and violence which forms social behavior of a group of the society. It also address diversity of positions and perspective found in a social group. This is what is addressed in Finkelstein book when discussing how the street youths socialize and form peer networks which abuse substance, being victimized and violent.The research method used is ethnographic methodology, by combining direct observation and qualitative interviews to provide descriptive study of a group of human society. The study done is about street youths which are a group of human society.The research has focused on sociology through close field observations of social cultural incidents. The research is focusing on a social group and is able to study their activities and how they affect them and the society at large. It is done by interviewing informants several times using information from previous informers to ensure that the informa tion obtained is accurate and dependable to support the writers arguments.The research is done by first selection of a culture and identifications of variables which are used to obtain information from informants and gather data inform of observation and interview recording. To be precise the research method used is Micro-ethnography because it’s the study of narrowly-defined cultural group which in this case it’s the youths in the streets.When the research was being done there was resistance by the street youths to willingly disseminate information which they were being interviewed. The street youths are victimized by the society and they felt that they are not worth hence they have a feeling that they are inferior and the research being done will not be of any use to them.Trustworthy of the information obtained is one of the challenges encountered in qualitative research. For the writer to obtain a reliable source of information, interviews are done to several of the street children with the same question and compare their responses to ensure that the facts are accurate.Obtaining a sample on which the research was to be done was a challenging, as none or very few who were willing to be interviewed. On such a social study one is not supposed to influence the informers either by giving them incentives to woo them to provide information because it will be biased and won’t reflect the actual scenarios under study. The interviewees are supposed to be voluntary which in this study volunteering was a problem.The youths in the streets are a subculture because they give a diversity of culture in the society. The group way of life and social phenomena is distinguishable with the normal cultural practices of a family setup where the youths are expected since they are kids to be brought up in a family setup where they are provided for until they are independent. Their social practices and ethics are far much below the set standards of a youth being brought up in their homes where the environment is conducive. Their practice is referred to as social fall out from the cultural setup acceptable by the society.The group is made up of diversified age ranges which include youth who are hard-core, refuges and immigrants, runways, squatters, young single mothers and those who are homeless because the entire family is homeless. The group lacks shelter and has difficult to obtain adequate food and they are at risk of nutritional and health problems.Even after being health wise challenged they don’t have access to medication this result to ailment which some times is life threatening hence they experience high mortality rate. The difficulties which they go through coupled with the drugs which they take makes them to be depressed and have mental disorders which makes them committee suicide and die due to drug overdose which have been registered as the leading cause of deaths among the street children’s.I have realized that s treet homeless youths they are a nomadic group of youths who ends up in the streets. After reading the book I come to realize that they are in the street and who they are due to circumstances which are beyond their control. Such as, the whole family being homeless or they are refuges or even single mothers. I understand that they abuse substances and are drug peddlers because of peer pressure.They are also discriminated by the society hence they are not employed to earn money this result them to be thugs, sex workers, drug dealers and participate in scams to earn so as they can sustain their livelihood. Most of them do not travel very far from their homes to the nearby cities. Travelling of the kids is not an easy task because they have little or no money so their main mode of transport is hitchhiking and train jumping which both of them are very dangerous.Most of them leave their households where there is an abusive environment or they are simply kicked out from their homes. Finkel stein stated in her book that most of them remain on the streets for a short period then they seek refuge in shelters and their underlying motives are substance abuse and sense of aimlessness.According to Finkelstein, most of the abused substances in New York is beer and heroin most of them had experimented the drug before they got out of their homes but they become serious addict after they have prolonged their inhabitance in the streets. The excuse they give is that they abuse them because they want to forget their trouble such as helplessness and poverty.This group of homeless youths exists in the society because they arose from disadvantaged families such as disrupted and dysfunctional families. Such families experience divorce, poverty, parental drug abuse, domestic violence and poverty. There is also high rate of Sexual, emotional, and physical abuse which result the children to run away from such environment. There are also a substantial number of the streets youth who run aw ay from children protection services such as children’s homes or even run away to hind from the existing criminal justice systems.After being in the streets for long this group of youths develop self-reliant skills and abilities through networks of mutual supports and spirituality. Furthermore, most of them adapt to the hard environments they are exposed to enabling them to survive for years in dangerous circumstances.I was surprised to know that the street youths are not there by choice. I thought they were in the street as there choice of life. I came to realize that they have been pushed to be at the streets by hardships / factors which they have no control on. These unfortunate youths are really discriminated by the society who does not respect them hence they do not consider them for any form of employment. I was surprised on know this discrimination makes them revolt by being drug dealers, thugs and sex workers as they strive to survive.I thought that they are young you ths who are in street as a choice they have made willingly as a way of life and they are thugs or prostitutes. I thought that they choose to be in the streets so as to pursue their interest of being drug users and dealers which they could only do it more conveniently at the streets.Most of the homeless in the streets of New York are the minor who probably have suffered a lot of hardship which got them to the streets. These minors are not given money when they borrow because it’s discouraged; donations are only given out to worthy charities.This book has acted as a voice to the homeless youths by highlighting who they are, how they came to be whom they are and how they exist and coexist. It has formed a source of reliable information for the readers who would need to know about the street homeless youths.Self-reliance which grew with time by the youths being in the streets for long makes it difficult to eliminate or reduce them. Once they have been in the streets for long the form social groups and networks which enable them to have some sort of adaptation and building of skills which makes them survive for years in the hostile environment which they are exposed to.ReferencesFinkelstein, M. (2004) With No Direction Home: Homeless Youth on the Road and in the Streets, Belmont: Wadsworth

Saturday, November 9, 2019

An essayist writing skills Essay

‘Education matters’; the academic distinction as seen within the essayist is the peak of personal pride and the prime of the essayist. This is the backdrop of his imagery skill and panache as he seeks to make the issue figurative and argumentative and in his situation hypothetical. Within the context, he redefines the role of education with the general public. This is his onset to express his insight about what the general public thinks about situations that reflect on those it knows. â€Å"BOY. Drop out of school and that’s what they’ll call you the rest of your life. ‘Drop out’ is figurative and intrinsically variable. It is an expression of discontent towards a situation and the person in the situation. It is a moral insight and one that the essayist seeks to use to make a case against his distinguished position as a disadvantaged worker in a workplace which is far much below his qualifications. ‘Drop out’ is what offsets his passion to describe, discuss and put forward his case. It is what could make you a scorn yet even without the valuable education you are the same match to the drop out. Today I saw them saying something else’ is a passionate and morose appeal to his pride gained from the value of education to make him recognizable. He is now a minnow and below the centre of social repute and distinctiveness of an individual. Within these profound contexts within the essayist situation analysis and his insights about the repercussions of manoeuvres to attain academic distinction yet plunge into a sea of misrecognition by being compared and working as one of those detested and referred as public scorns for their minimal academic capacity is insulting and confusing. To him, it is ailing his conscience. They were untrue in part; it turns out that you’ll get called â€Å"boy† if you do work that others don’t respect even if you have a Ph. D. It isn’t education that counts, but the job in which you land. This is his perspective, to expound on the uselessness of education comparatively to his situation analysis. Here we see a subtle cry and his way of comparing his fate. It is an emotional and socially perceptive ideology. Emotional, since he is worried that he learned and hoped to supersede social implications and join the league of the learned employed who influence and are the pride of the society. Yet he is now among the least recognized and looked down on. ‘It turns out that you’ll get called â€Å"boy† if you do work that others don’t respect even if you have a PhD’ This is his point on this perspective, he is learned and qualified yet he works as a lemon cutter and he is not even recognized at the workplace let alone by the barmaid. This point showcases the writers wit and it’s within this context we decipher the judicious self- exposure of the writer’s own character. He is objective and determined a listener and an analytical person. â€Å"Are you the boy who cuts the lemons? This is where we discover he is frustrated and feels insulted by circumstances. He is grappling with reality. His point explains the discontentment of the protagonist about his career and the relevancy to his assertion about education being important and suddenly the realization that it is not on some circumstances† I’m the man who does’ It is his acceptance of his fate and an expression of conformity to the circumstances that he is now pitted in. He finds no discourse in segregating his position due to his education background hence accepts his fate and position as a social perceptiveness. He is no longer focussed on making his moral authority within the academic faculties to spell out his elite nature as farcified by the billboard impression. â€Å"Are you the boy who cuts the lemons? I’m the man who does’ is an expression of his seeking to make some points clear within the workplace. It is a coupled methodology of making a case clear, emotive and correlative to his perspective. This is imagery and metaphoric distinctiveness. His workmates don’t even recognize him as an integral part of the workplace. The name boy is contentious and he seeks to address the problem of misrecognition by creating a scenario that imparts his distinctiveness which within the workplace is not recognizable. The workmates are oblivious of his qualifications. Here he seeks to make us identify with his vast knowledge which so far he deems useless. In his two expressions which seek to vilify his potential, he mentions that the maid didn’t realize is reply that ‘he is the man who does it, not the boy who does it’ He is making it clear that he is qualified to be in a better and more professional position. Secondly his reflections ‘They assumed that some people just won’t learn respect for others, so you should adapt yourself to them. Don’t try to change them. Get the right job and they won’t call you boy any more. They’ll save it for the next man. It isn’t just people like this one waitress who learn slowly, if at all. We see lamentations here. He is metaphoric ‘that some people just won’t learn respect for others, so you should adapt yourself to them’ and figurative in context Get the right job and they won’t call you boy any more’. Auspiciously he is figurative in seeking to identify and correlate with the college scenario of the ‘wombats’ and metaphorical as he seeks to put in place the generalization of excellence and academic capacity as a triviality within workplace on a situation in which, the protagonist is doing the same thing with those without any distinctive capacity so as to make ends meet. He is emphatic, lamentative and perspective as he seeks to make his lingering acrimonious reservation to the degradation of his moral position though he has an invariable better and dignified capacity than what he seems to view as his detractor within the workplace. Certainly I won’t forget being called a boy today’ The essayist is using word play to make clear a case of emotions he felt when he was undermined and that he made emphatic efforts to make the scenario change to his favour to no avail. On the basis of dialogue, the writer is seen to converse with the waitress who seems to be merely up to no positive perspectives in the conversation. It is in this conversation the writer denounces the waitress and makes the issue of recognition within workplace contentious. This is as seen in this conversation with the waitress and the cook Dana â€Å"Are you the boy who cuts the lemons? † I’m the man who does, â€Å"I replied. â€Å"Well, there are none cut. † There wasn’t even a hint that she heard my point. Dana, who has cooked here for twelve years or so, heard that exchange,. â€Å"It’s no use, Jack,† he said when she was gone. â€Å"If she doesn’t know now, she never will. † Imagery is the integral in his prose and his title ‘from man to boy’ is indicative of his perspective to use imagery. He has a varying penchant for long figurative and satirical sentences to make clear some of his sentiments. This is seen as he sums up his forlorn though deciphered from the waitress looking down on him situation. ‘It didn’t take much persuasion to get the name dropped. Today there are few students who remember it at all. But I imagine the cleaning women remember it well. Certainly I won’t forget being called a boy today. ’ He is coupling exposition and dialogue while at the same time making an inclusion of ethos to actualize his point.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Beware these Dangerous E-Z Pass Scams

Beware these Dangerous E-Z Pass Scams Want to jump on the fast lane to becoming an identity theft victim? Simple! Just fall for the dangerous and tricky E-Z Pass email phishing scam. The E-Z Pass system  automatic toll collection system  allows subscribers to avoid having to stop at crowded highway toll plazas. Once the driver has set up an E-Z Pass prepaid account, they receive a small electronic transponder that attaches to the inside of the windshield of their vehicle. When they travel thru a toll facility where E-Z Pass is accepted, an antenna at the toll plaza reads their transponder and automatically debits their account the appropriate amount for the toll. E-Z Pass is currently available in 17 states, with over 35 million E‑Z Pass devices in circulation.   According to the Federal Trade Commission, potential victims targeted by this scam get an email appearing to be from their state E-Z Pass toll road agency. The email will have a realistic E-Z Pass logo and will use pretty threatening language to informing you that you owe money for driving on a toll road without paying or using E-Z Pass. The email also contains the â€Å"hook† in the form of a link to a website where you can view your supposed invoice and take care of your supposed fine without fear of further legal action against you. The scam email is not from the real E-Z Pass Group, an association of toll agencies in 17 states that manages the popular E-Z Pass program. While the E-Z Pass system  operates in only 17  states, and your state may not even have any toll roads, you may still be targeted by the E-Z Pass scam, because  the scam emails are being sent to consumers nationwide. The Worst That Can Happen If you click on the link given in the email, the scumbags running the scam will try to put malware on your computer. And if you give the fake E-Z Pass website any of your personal information, they will almost certainly use it to steal your identity. Goodbye money, credit rating, and personal security. How to Protect Yourself from the Scam The FTC recommends that if you get the E-Z Pass email, do not click on any links in the message or try to reply to it. If you think the email may really be from E-Z Pass or if you think you might actually owe a toll road payment, contact E-Z Pass customer service to confirm that it is really from them. The E-Z Pass email is only one of a seemingly endless list of similar phishing scams, in which scammers pose as legitimate businesses in an attempt to steal consumers’ personal information. To help stay safe from these dangerous scams, the FTC advises: Never click on any links in emails unless you are certain you know or do business with the sender.Never reply to any emails that ask for personal or financial information. Even if the sender is legitimate, email is not a secure way to send such information. In fact, it is never a good idea to include things like your Social Security number or bank account information in any email message, including those you send.Always keep your computer security software current and active. How to Turn the Scammers In If you think you might have gotten a phishing scam email or be a victim of one, you can: Forward the suspect email to spamuce.gov and to the company impersonated in the email.File an official complaint with the Federal Trade Commission’s online FTC Complain Assistant. The E-Z Pass Transponder Theft Scam Another dangerous E-Z Pass scam has nothing to do with email. In this simple act of costly mayhem, thieves find cars and trucks that have been left unlocked so they do not have to break in. Once inside the vehicle, the thief simply steals the victim’s E-Z Pass device and replaces it with a non-operating fake one. In a matter of seconds, the crime that can cost the victim for months, or at least until they figure it out. In 2016, one stolen EZ Pass transponder in Pennsylvania racked up more than $11,000 in fraudulent charges before its real owner discovered the crime. As police advise, avoiding the E-Z Pass transponder theft scam is simple: Lock your car or truck.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

A Tongue-Twisting Language Arts Lesson Plan

A Tongue-Twisting Language Arts Lesson Plan Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers! She Sells Seashells by the Seashore! Toy Boat! Toy Boat! Toy Boat! Try saying these words several times quickly and youll see why tongue twisters can be a totally terrific part of your Language Arts curriculum. Not only are they silly, but these funny phrases focus on phonics, parts of speech, oral language, alliteration, reading, writing, and more. First, pique the childrens interest by introducing them to some of the more well-known tongue twisters. Challenge the children to say each phrase five times fast. Toy Boat is a great one because it sounds easy, but its actually quite difficult to repeat it fast. Try it yourself and see! Next, read a tongue-twisting book such as Twimericks, Dr. Seuss Oh Say Can You Say?, or Worlds Toughest Tongue Twisters. The kids will love watching you struggle through the tongue-tickling phrases from these books. You will probably have to stop every so often to give the kids a chance to practice the twisters. Its simply too irresistible to them if they have to wait. After the book, introduce the concept of alliteration. If you teach students in second grade or older, they will probably be able to handle this big word. In fact, it is a third grade academic standard in my district that all students know alliteration and begin to apply it in their writing. Alliteration simply means the repetition of the beginning sound in two or more words together. Younger students can build on the letter decoding skills included in tongue twisters by reading phonics poems in books such as the Phonics Through Poetry series. These poems are a little different than traditional tongue twisters, but they are a fun way to practice certain beginning sounds, rhymes, digraphs, and more. You may also want to discuss what makes these sentences and phrases so difficult to pronounce quickly. To build in writing practice, the students will have a blast building their own tongue twisters. To start, you can have the kids make four columns on their papers: one for adjectives, one for nouns, one for verbs, and one for other parts of speech. To determine the letter for their twisters, I usually just have them pick one of their initials. This gives them a little bit of free choice, but also ensures that you dont get 20 twisters of the same letter. After the children brainstorm approximately 10-15 words for each column that begin with their chosen letters, they can start putting together their twisters. I stipulate that they have to write complete sentences, not simple phrases. My students got so carried away that many of them asked if they could make more than one. I even had one child who made 12! To culminate the tongue twisting lesson, I have the kids write one twister on the bottom of a page and illustrate it above. These make a great project to post on a bulletin board because the children will love reading each others sentences and trying to say them five times fast. Give this tongue-twisting lesson a try and its sure to become one of your favorite lessons to teach each year. Yes, its a little silly and full of giggles, but at the end of the day, the kids really will have gained valuable language arts skills.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Telephonica Global Strategy, Structure, and Operations Essay

Telephonica Global Strategy, Structure, and Operations - Essay Example The economics of scale in producing and marketing a product in the same way worldwide would produce substantially lower costs, and thus allow lower prices that would overcome remaining differences in tastes. According to the case study: "the telecommunications industry has today become the largest in the world, generating $US 1 trillion (US$1,000 billion) in revenues in 1998 in worldwide service revenues and equipment sales. In 1997, telecom services alone generated a revenue in excess of USS650 billion" (Telephonica Today, 1999). Globalization allows Telephonica to maintain high-speed growth through continuous optimization of is product mix and constant technological innovation. It has also realized rapid expansion through capital injections. In 1997 Telephonica became "a completely private company" and has begun to follow a strategy of withdrawing from small markets with limited potential for its core products and to look for markets in countries with a major growth potential for telecommunication industry. "The first half of 1999 was putting Telef6nica's aggressive strategy of investing in Latin America to the test" (Telephonica Today, 1999). The choice of Brazil was not accidental. This market is considered as the most potential one for telecommunication industry because it had the poorest telecommunication infrastructure development among other Latin American countries. The other potential markets were Argentina, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, El Salvador and Chili. The situation is marked by two factor - specification, which is to do with the 'design quality' of service, and conformity, which is to do with the 'process' quality which is achieved are of particular importance to customers. The main challenge is that Telephonica is well-positioned to take on this important global leadership role. It has the global resources and certainly has the technological capability. According to Johnson and Scholes (1998) the size of the investment required by a business wishing to enter an industry is an important determinant of the extent new entrants. The higher the investment required, the less the threat from new entrants. The lower the required investment, the greater is the threat. In this situation: "Telefonica saw opportunity in Latin America whereas most other companies saw risk, and is now present in nine countries with an annual average growth of 13% since 1995" (Telephonica Today, 1999). Another important challenge of global strategy applied by Telephonica is the concept of international culture, which "was absent in the world of telecommunication at that time" (Case study). Latin America has a complex culture which interacts with business in the way of socialization (the influences which shape behaviour in a particular social setting). At its deepest level. In spite this fact, it was more easy for a Spanish-based company to penetrate into Latin American market and gain its competitice position. Another important opportunity is great belief of management team in potential and success. Juan Villalonga commented that "Latin America is to Telefobica what the United States is to AT&T, It is our home, our culture and our language" (Telephonica Today, 1999). In general, it is possible to say that culture in Telephonica is based on the interrelationship of strategy formulation and implementation. The success of the company was caused by correlation of strategy, structure,

Thursday, October 31, 2019

The concept of entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The concept of entrepreneurship - Essay Example The intention of this study is the concept of entrepreneurship as the process of searching the environment to identify business opportunities for improvement, to mobilise resources and implement actions to maximise these opportunities. Thus, the kind of business venture normally involves an element of risk for which a profit reward is usually sought. Entrepreneurship also encompasses aspects such as the introduction of new goods or improving the new ones, developing the new methods of production, opening new markets as well as creating new forms of business organisation. As such, it can be observed that this is not an easy feat to achieve given that there are certain characteristics and traits necessary to start, manage and develop an entrepreneurial enterprise. Some of these traits required for staring up business are discussed below. The entrepreneur is always looking for business opportunities because he has the courage to take the risk to start a business. Whilst other people wou ld like to believe that entrepreneurs are born with special characteristics, it would be more accurate to say that entrepreneurship is learnt behaviour. The longer one continues to scout for business opportunities the more one notices profitable business opportunities. Thus, a prospective entrepreneur must always analyse himself and determine weak and strong points that characterise his personality. It can be observed that entrepreneurs possess particular characteristics that set them apart from people are not intent on starting an enterprise of their own. (Burke, 2007). Each entrepreneur has got a unique combination of characteristics and traits at his disposal for achieving success. 2.1.1 Philosophy of life The entrepreneur often tries things where the majority of people will back off (Gundill, 2006). Entrepreneurs are self starting and they are always looking for opportunities to which others have not even dreamed of and one notable aspect about these people is that they are ente rprising and they approach all things positively. Through innovation and creativity, an entrepreneur is able to identify an opportunity in the market and looks at both the positive as well as negative aspects that are related to that opportunity. The key success factor of the entrepreneurs in this particular case is that they always look at positive aspects of a given situation then look at the challenges later. This enables them to be better positioned to take the risk and approach the situation with caution fully knowing the measures that can be implemented in order to overcome the challenges or any other negative aspect that can impact on the business venture. It can be observed that every big business starts off as a small business and a good example can be drawn from the cases of McDonald’s hamburger, Apple computer as well as Ford car (Steinhoff & Burgess 1993:4). McDonald’

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Europe in the Renaissance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Europe in the Renaissance - Essay Example A major theme of Renaissance in England was a transition from purely religious ways of life (even in architecture and art) to a more secular mode of living, which included a shift from the way people idealised various things and concepts to a different outlook. The Church was no longer being considered a source of instruction in political, religious, social and individual matters. Rather, dissolution of power was taking place while the Church remained a religious identity while the power to deal with matters of law and government were vested with the (oft secular) political government. Hence, while there was a less opportunity to progress and open up to different varied disciplines while the Church was in power, people could focus on the development of culture and art during and after the Renaissance period. This is the reason why much emphasis is paid and research effort given to the cultural and art development during this period and there is much less focus on the political change . There was also an element of foreign ideas’ mixture into the concepts and ideas that were gaining popularity in England which eventually gave rise to a whole Renaissance theme containing a blend of traditional and modern ideas (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). â€Å"I call it our English Renaissance as it is certainly a type of new beginning of the character of man, like the great Italian Renaissance of the 1500s, in its wish for a more affable and comely approach of life, its obsession for physical beauty, its elite notice to shape, its seeking for new subjects for poetry, new intellectual, new forms of art, and imaginative enjoyments: and I call it our romantic association since it is our most current appearance of beauty. We describe it as a mere restoration of Greek modes of thinking, and again as a mere recovery of mediaeval feeling. Rather I would say that to these forms of the human spirit it has added anything of artistic value the complexity and density

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Beliefs of the Republication Party, USA

Beliefs of the Republication Party, USA Caleb Dawson The Republican Platform Ever since a small group of anti-slavery activists met in 1854, the Republican Party has been a strong influence in American government and politics. In 1861, Abraham Lincoln firmly set the Republican Party as one of the two major political parties, when he became their first President and then won the Civil War. Then in the 1980s, Ronald Reagan, widely famed for his conservatism, highlighted the Republican Party’s key principles of freedom, equal opportunity, and God-given rights. Today, Republicans seek to reinstall America’s legacy of freedom and conservatism in the hearts of all Americans with their domestic, economic, and foreign policies. Republicans aim to protect individual freedoms, restore power and influence to communities, and encourage self-sustainability both locally and nationally through their domestic policy. First, the Republican Party holds a very strong view on the heavily debated topic of education. When the public education system first started, Republicans fought against the radical idea. They wanted individual communities to be able to instill their own beliefs into their people. As a result, current Republicans support private schools and home-schooling, which both return the power of teaching closer to the family level (â€Å"Republican Party (United States),† 2014). Recently, the Supreme Court ruled that prayer is illegal in the school. Feeling that this infringes our religious rights, Republicans strongly promote returning prayer to the school (â€Å"Republican Party on Education,† 2013). Another current issue is that of higher education. With the cost of college quickly rising, stu dent debt is soaring to new heights. In fact, the national student debt has now exceeded the national credit card debt (â€Å"Student Debt,† 2014). To help solve this problem, Republicans seek to stop all federal loans for college and help promote private loans, making long term debt less likely. Another problem is that, more than half of all recent graduates find themselves either working in areas outside their field of study or unemployed. As a result, Republicans say that more students should be encouraged to attend community colleges and technical institutions to get more practical training (â€Å"Republican Party on Education,† 2013). Also hitting the headlines, the energy crisis brings the Republican’s domestic views to light. Specifically about production methods, Republicans support â€Å"increased Federal investment into the development of clean alternative fuels, increased nuclear power, as well as fuels such as ethanol, as a way of helping the U.S. achieve energy independence, as opposed to supporting less use of carbon dioxide-producing methods of generating energy† (â€Å"Republican Party (United States),† 2014). With coal accounting for 37% of energy produced in the United States, they support improving coal plants and continuing to make them more environmentally-friendly. Also, nuclear energy should be promoted as a great energy source for America. Renewable, green energy sources should be thoroughly researched and promoted, but not as the primary source of energy. When it comes to resources, the Republican Party’s primary goal is for America to achieve self-sustainability. By legalizing and promoting the drilling for oil in many places, such as Alaska, Republicans hope to create many jobs and expand America’s energy resources. However, because of burdensome government regulations, the oil and natural gas industries have been greatly stifled. But by lightening these regulations, Republicans hope to get the American economy moving once again (â€Å"Energy – The All-American Plan,† 2014). A rapidly growing problem, the executive bureaucracy, is the subject of much discussion among Republicans. Although most Republicans believe that the bureaucracy as a whole is violating many American rights, many target regulatory agencies as the main problem. Because regulation has become a punitive threat instead of a beneficial guide, Republicans want new major regulations to have to pass congressional approval before they are applied. Another way through which the Republican Party seeks to reduce the power of the bureaucracy is by removing many of the regulations on businesses. Saying that current regulations are essentially a stealth tax on Americans, Republicans want to remove the regulations that are counter effective and only implement ones that are cost-effective (â€Å"2012 Republican Platform,† 2013). After removing many powers from the federal bureaucracy, Republicans hope to restore those powers back to the state and local levels. For they believe that the level c losest to the area dealt with should be the one to receive the governing authority on it (â€Å"Jefferson Perspective: Bureaucracies,† 1996). The Republican stance on gun control rights is very conservative and protective. Republicans think that the right to own a gun is part of the fundamental right of self-defense; therefore, it should not be infringed upon by the government. Also, Republicans believe ammunition should also be able to be obtained and stored freely without registration. Furthermore, they want to stop lawsuits targeted at gun manufacturers as an attempt to deprive Americans of the rights given to them by the 2nd Amendment. They say that when a tragic event occurs involving a gun, the gun is not the thing that should be regulated. The criminal should be punished, not the rest of the nation. Just like if a person killed someone with a spoon, spoons should not be banned across the nation (â€Å"Republican Party on Gun Control,† 2013R). Showing its Christian heritage, the Republican Party has widely made known its pro-life stance. Their main goal is to make abortion banned except for in cases of incest or rape. Republicans support the human life amendment, which would ban abortion. They support adoption and abstinence instead of adoption clinic referrals (â€Å"Republican Party on the Issues,† 2013). Most Republicans believe that abortion is simply a moral issue. While believing in the Christian principle that every human has a right to life, Republicans claim that abortion is simply murder. Furthermore, they state that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution never state that an unborn baby does not have the Creator-endowed right to life (â€Å"The Republican Party is the Pro-Life Party,† 2001). Seeking to restore both freedoms and productivity to America, the Republican Party holds strongly to their economic policy. One of the cornerstones of the American success is its free-market economy, so Republicans hold strong opinions on it, encouraging economic prosperity through free markets and individual achievement (â€Å"Republican Party (United States),† 2014). â€Å"Republicans believe in the importance of sensible business regulations that promote confidence in our economy among consumers, entrepreneurs and businesses alike. However, they oppose interventionist policies that put the federal government in control of industry and allow it to pick winners and losers in the marketplace† (â€Å"2012 Republican Platform,† 2013). When it comes to income tax, Republicans claim it is harmful, for they say it punishes people that save and has grave implications for seniors living on fixed incomes (â€Å"Republican Party on Budget and Economy,†2013). They o ppose a graduated income tax, because it targets those that create jobs and wealth, stifling our free market economy. Supporting the worker, the GOP believes that workers should have the right to decide whether to join a union or not (â€Å"Republican Party (United States),† 2014). While welfare can be an honorable thing, Republicans do not want it to be abused. While most Republicans agree that a welfare system should be implemented to assist the poor, they prefer the government leave welfare in the hands of the individual and local level. As a result, religious organizations and other charities would become the target for welfare spending. Unfortunately, however, the welfare system is often abused by individuals. So Republicans seek to crack down on these incidents by tightening restrictions on welfare application and benefits (â€Å"Republican Party (United States),† 2014). Because of poor management many people now use welfare as a means of living. Republicans want welfare only to help people, not to support them (â€Å"Republican Party on Budget and Economy,† 2013). Overall, Republicans are opposed to government-run healthcare. Although many Republican politicians are in favor of Medicare and Medicaid, all are against a government health care program (â€Å"Republican Party (United States),† 2014). â€Å"We oppose government-run health care, which won’t protect the physician-patient relationship, won’t promote competition, and won’t promote health care quality and choice† (â€Å"2012 Republican Platform,† 2013). Republicans also state that government healthcare is used as a method to gain governmental power. For example, many Republicans believe that Obamacare was never really about health, but about government power. Through it, Obama would have taken control of over one-sixth of the economy. Also, if it is fully implemented, Republicans predict that it would itself collapse, demonstrating the inefficiency and uselessness of government healthcare (â€Å"Republican Party on Health Care,† 2013). When it comes to their foreign policy, the Republican Party holds a very proactive stance. In general, most Republicans believe that peace is best acquired though having a strong military. For example, the current Obama Administration wants to cut the members of the military by about 100,000, but Republicans seek to raise the number by that much! (â€Å"Republicans seek to add more in defense spending,† 2014). Further, Republicans acknowledge that America is in a national security crisis. Many people do not realize that China and North Korea are building up long-distance weapons to fire on us; therefore, Republicans say a strong military is key to our safety. They do not however believe America should go policing everybody; instead America should regulate the world just enough to keep us safe (â€Å"John Bolton at CPAC,† 2014). The Republicans seek to completely curb terrorism. Republicans are almost always in agreement with sending American troops abroad to fight terrorist groups. However, when it comes to our homeland, Republicans are split. Some say the government should observe private phone calls and emails in an effort to tighten national security. Others say that this is unconstitutional and that it violates Americans’ right to privacy (â€Å"Differing Views on Terrorism,† 2006). Another point brought up by Republicans is that terrorists will be fighting us no matter where the location is, so it is best to keep to keep a presence in other parts of the world in order to keep the fighting overseas. And moreover, since terrorists do not negotiate and keep fighting to the end, we must annihilate them for any hope of peace (â€Å"Republican Party on War and Peace,† 2013). Republicans believe that America should have the strongest and most modernized nuclear stockpile in the world in an effort to deter any attacks. The GOP thinks that the only way to stop a nuclear war is if all nations reduce or eliminate their nuclear stockpiles. They also know that if America takes the front of this movement, America must keep enough nuclear weapons to deter any other nation. They are worried because the Obama Administration has abandoned America’s nuclear force. This puts America in a vulnerable spot compared to the rest of the world. Also, by abandoning our missile bases in Poland and the Czech Republic, the current administration is undermining America’s missile defense. With nations developing nuclear missiles that can reach the U.S., Republicans state that it is foolish to undermine our own missile shield (â€Å"What Does Your†¦,† 2012). Through their conservative platform, Republicans seek restore liberty and prosperity to America. Founded on Christian morals and principles, the GOP seeks to use its conservative stance to draw American’s back from the invading concept of social liberalism. As the economy of America is rapidly degrading, the Republican Party is trying to reform the government to bring back America’s prosperity. And by having a strong military presence in the world, Republicans hope to make the world a safer place for our nation. As expressed by the GOP themselves, â€Å"The Party’s core principles of freedom and equal opportunity are as relevant today as at our founding, and they are the roadmap for American renewal in a new and interconnected world† (â€Å"Our History,† 2013). Bibliography 2012 Republican National Convention. â€Å"2012 Republican Platform.† 2013. http://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_home/ (accessed Feb. 25, 2014). Breitbart. â€Å"John Bolton at CPAC: Replace Obamas Drift, Decline, and Defeatism with Reaganite Peace Through Strength.† 6 March 2014. http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/03/06/John-Bolton-at-CPAC-Replace-Obama-s-Drift-Decline-and-Defeatism-with-Reaganite-Peace-Through-Strength (accessed Mar. 28,2014). Dan Balz and Claudia Deane. â€Å"Differing Views on Terrorism.† 2006. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/10/AR2006011001192.html (accessed Mar. 26, 2014). Eyler Robert Coates, Sr. â€Å"Jefferson Perspective: Bureaucracies.† 1996. http://eyler.freeservers.com/JeffPers/jefpco34.htm (accessed Mar. 28, 2014). GOP.gov. â€Å"Energy – The All-American Plan.† http://www.gop.gov/energy/ (accessed Mar. 21, 2014). On The Issues. â€Å"Republican Party on Budget and Economy.† 11 October 2013. http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Republican_Party_Budget_+_Economy.htm (accessed Mar. 23, 2014). On The Issues. â€Å"Republican Party on Education.† 11 October 2013. http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Republican_Party_Education.htm (accessed Mar. 19, 2014). On The Issues. â€Å"Republican Party on Government Reform.† 11 October 2013. http://www.ontheissues.org/celeb/Republican_Party_Government_Reform.htm (accessed Mar. 23, 2014). On The Issues. â€Å"Republican Party on Gun Control.† 11 October 2013. http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Republican_Party_Gun_Control.htm (accessed Mar. 24,2014). On The Issues. â€Å"Republican Party on Health Care.† 11 October 2013. http://www.ontheissues.org/celeb/Republican_Party_Health_Care.htm (accessed Mar. 23,2014). On The Issues. â€Å"Republican Party on the Issues.† 2013. http://www.ontheissues.org/Republican_Party.htm (accessed Mar. 19, 2014). On The Issues. â€Å"Republican Party on War and Peace.† 11 October 2013. http://www.ontheissues.org/celeb/Republican_Party_War_+_Peace.htm (accessed Mar. 26, 2014). On The Issues. â€Å"Republican Party on Welfare and Poverty.† 11 October 2013. http://www.ontheissues.org/celeb/Republican_Party_Welfare_+_Poverty.htm (accessed Mar. 23, 2014). Republican National Convention. â€Å"Our History.† 2013. http://www.gop.com/our-party/our-history/ (accessed Apr. 11, 2014). RNC for Life. â€Å"The Republican Party is the Pro-Life Party.† 2001. http://www.rnclife.org/brochure/rprolife.html (accessed Mar. 21, 2014). Waging Peace Today. â€Å"What Does Your Political Party Say About Nuclear Weapons.† 12 September 2012. http://wagingpeacetoday.blogspot.com/2012/09/what-does-your-political-party-say.html (accessed Mar. 26, 2014). Walter Pincus. â€Å"Republicans seek to add more in defense spending.† 2014. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/republicans-seek-to-add-more-in-defense-spending/2012/05/07/gIQAKiq48T_story.html (accessed Mar. 28, 2014). Wikipedia. â€Å"Republican Party (United States).† 24 February 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States) (accessed Feb. 25, 2014). Wikipedia. â€Å"Student Debt.† 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_debt (accessed Apr. 3, 2014).

Friday, October 25, 2019

Japanese New Year Essay -- Japan History Holidays Essays

Japanese New Year Introduction: In Japan one of the most celebrated festivals is New Years. The Japanese New Year, or Oshogatsu (‚ ¨Ã‚ ³Ã…’Å ½), is given more preparation than any other festival. There are many traditions and activities that happen at this time. Oshogatsu is a time to visit temples, forget the troubles of the past year, and wish for good fortune in the new. Many festivals around this time also reflect the values and ideals of New Years. History: During the time of the Empress Suiko (593-628), Japan was influenced greatly by the religion and beliefs of China. In A.D. 604 Japan officially adopted the Chinese calendar. gThe new calendar was a lunar- solar one that has its months based on the lunar cycle. Casal writes gThe month begins when the sun enters the sign of the Fishes: the first day of the year, therefore falls on a day between January 20th and February 19th, and this is much nearer to spring (2). This system was in effect until the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1872. This is important because the seasons fall in line better with the lunar calendar than the modern one. In rural areas, many farmers still apply the Chinese calendar to their trade. Japanese people believed that the New Year started when the plants began to sprout life again, a new beginning. This happens throughout most of Japan in mid Jan. in line with the lunar calendar. In todayfs society Oshogatsu always falls on the same day (Jan. 1st), there are other festivals, which fall into the lunar calendar that have the same values of purification and new beginnings. Another influence from China at this time was Buddhism, which had been praised by Prince Shotoku Taishi, and became the official religion in 621.... ...nt from, and happier than, we do on ordinary days.h(Casal 1) Bibliography Festivals.com. 28 Nov. 2003 Seattle, Washington, http://www.festivals.com/search/display_event.aspx?eid=mYJmQbyD5jQ%3d&srid=3&page=1&bycountry=1&RID=jp&PROV= http://www.festivals.com/search/display_event.aspx?eid=lvluK1qWwM8%3d&srid=7&page=1&bycountry=1&RID=jp&PROV= (7) Japan Cultural Network Homepage. 28 Nov. 2003 http://www.hevanet.com/miyumi/december.htm http://www.hevanet.com/miyumi/january.htm http://www.hevanet.com/miyumi/february.htm Japan-Guide.com 2 Dec. 2003 Casal, U. A. The Five Sacred Festivals of Ancient Japan. Ruttland, Vermont &Tokyo Japan: Charles E. Tuttle Company Inc. 1967 Bauer, Helen & Carlquist, Sherwin. Japanese Festivals Doubleday & Company Inc. Garden City, New York, 1965 gHadaka Mairih Akita sakigake (Newspaper) 20 Jan. 2003 (1, 26)