See below Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

See below - Dissertation Example In the last thirty years legal barriers to the employment of women in correction have been removed. Larger numbers of women are now employed in this sector, but there are still issues relating to the concentration of female employees in certain jobs or facilities (horizontal segregation) and at certain levels in correctional organizations (vertical segregation). In the corrections context the segregation between administration and â€Å"frontline† staff, often expressed in the terms â€Å"contact† and â€Å"non-contact† may disguise deep prejudices about what kind of work is â€Å"appropriate† for men and for women. This kind of prejudice is hard to remove. The barriers which now exist are more likely to be cultural and social, as male employees seek to maintain their dominant position. Men are more likely to appoint men, and some of the prevailing cliches about violence and control favour a masculine view of the world. The issue of women being hampered in their career progression by the dominance of men is common in many areas of employment and not just in corrections. There has been extensive work on the â€Å"glass ceiling effect† which is what happens when invisible barriers are placed in the way to prevent women from having equal chances against men. (Wirth, 2001) Studies have shown that gender stereotyping has often used by male correction officers in the past to argue oppose integration of male and female staff. Women’s alleged weakness and vulnerability to rape from prisoners, for example, has been often cited as evidence that women officers in prisons are a security risk. In previous years subtle practices like height and weight requirements filtered out many women from particular roles, but nowadays the arguments used for the preferment of men are more likely to be made on the basis of security concerns, or alternatively the rights of prisoners, the majority of whom are men, to have their privacy respected by keeping their living quarters free of the presence of women. Scholars have pointed out that the evidence from the 1980s and early 1990s shows a greater awareness of the issues, but a mixed result in terms of actual career chances for Women. From the mid 1990s onward there is evidence of considerable intervention and positive action to address equal opportunities in correctional facilities. Key achievements such as the appointment of Kathleen Hawk as the first female Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 1992 are evidence of this. Some of the barriers to women’s success are due to the long traditions that have been built up in training and on the job which unintentionally favour men. Feinman describes for example the tendency of women to achieve lower scores than men on a rifle shooting exercise which was addressed at first by offering women extra training. It was noticed that the rifles were unnecessarily heavy: â€Å"A new lighter and more effective rifle was selecte d, and women achieved very high scores immediately† (Feinman, 1994, p. 168) Other factors such as the location of many male prisons in rural areas can make it difficult for women with children to relocate in order to take up promotion opportunities. A minority of women in senior positions also means that there is a lack of female role models and mentors for future generations.

Dear Doug Essay Example for Free

Dear Doug Essay I am happy to hear you are adjusting to college life. I’m sure it’s a big change, but at least you have found friends to help you with the transition. It is also good to hear that you have a diverse group of friends, even though you do not all agree on the same thing. It will be a really good opportunity for you to show them the Christian view and maybe question their own beliefs. So I saw your question from Nathan about if God created all of nature, everything would be divine. No, not everything is divine, but God did create everything. Divinity has characteristics specific to itself that are lacking in finite (human) beings, animals, and material things. For instance, none of these are omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotence (all-powerful), omnipresent (always everywhere), or immutable (non-changing). Therefore, nature is created by the divine (God), and is a work of His creative nature, but nature is not divine in itself. Human beings were created in the image of God†, meaning that He provided us with the knowledge and gifted us the Holy Spirit, which gives us a connection, a relationship with Him. Now the question about the trinity is hard for everyone to understand. Since we as human are very visual and physical we try to understand that trinity in our own terms, but since it is something out of our nature we have a hard time grasping the concept that God is three in one. In the essay â€Å"Are all Religions One† by Douglas Groothuis he explains that there is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), who eternally exists in three equal persons: The Father (Ephesians 1:3), the Son (John 1:1), and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-5). The trinity teaches that there is one divine essence that exists in three persons, not that one person equals three. Also I do not think God is a human invention. If we believe that we exist because of matter and chance then how could we trust our own minds? There would be no reason to trust our own mind since there is no absolute truth. Also everyone has a sense of right and wrong, well again evil could not exist if there was no truth, and God is our truth. I think it is pretty hard to make say God is a human invention and then have no explanation for the creation around us. Last but not least you asked about what is the Christian view of God. The Christian view would be that Physical and non-physical things both exist, such as morality, minds, souls, and numbers. Also while physical things change, non-physical things do not. Therefore, Christians believe that God (non-physical) exist and is unchangeable. Along with that he is all knowing and all-powerful, creating the universe in which we live. God is not dependable on us, but we sure are dependable on him. I hope this helps answers some of your questions, have fun on your date night! Cannot wait to hear all about it. Sincerely,

Standard Forms of Contracts in Construction Benefits

Standard Forms of Contracts in Construction Benefits The Importance of Using Standard Forms of Contracts in Construction Industry According to the 1996 Act of UK law construction contract has been defined as an agreement in writing or evidenced in writing, under which a party carries out construction operations, arrange for others to carry out construction operations or/and provide labor for carrying out of construction operations (Zaghloul Hartman, 2003). The contract forms establish the legal relationship between the parties, in terms of rights, obligation and duties and regulate the commercial relationship between the parties (Robinson Lavers, 1996). There are two main classifications of contracts, namely standard and non standard contracts (Murdoch Hughes, 2007). In the recent times, the commercial activities associated with the construction industry are highly complex and the standard forms of contracts have integrated into the day-to-day transactions of most agreements (Bunni, 1997). It is not compulsory to use standard contracts in the construction industry; however it has become the common practice in procuring contractors, consultants or architects. There have been numerous recommendations by authors and researchers to adopt standard forms of contracts in the construction business. According to Banwell Report (1964), the construction industry should formulate and use a single standard-form contract for its entire projects. The Latham Report (1990s) also supported the concept as recommended the Engineering and Construction Contract to be adopted as universal standard construction contracts. The use of standard form of contract for all type of construction projects is not realistic, but for similar type of project has been seen to be indee d is very beneficial (Murdoch Hughes, 2007). The purpose of standardising contract forms is mainly to specify the chief variables concerning the construction processes and activities (Clegg, 1992). For example, it so happens in most projects that actual work done by the contractor differs from as specified in the contract. And these alterations are a major source of many conflicts and disputes (Othman, 1997). In such cases, standard forms contain arrangements as to how to manage these variations. Standard forms of contract are mostly published by an authoritative body of the industry, recognised by all the parties involved, outlining the terms and conditions which sets the parameters for the proceeding of the work. In the correct spirit of standardization, these forms are not subjected to any negotiation and amendments and are suitable for wide array of similar projects and works. The initial set of standard forms was formulated by the government department of UK for works in the public sector. Inspired by their concept, many other professional bodies also devised their versions of standard forms (Bunni, 1997; Ismail, n.d.). Among various standard forms of construction contracts are ICE 7 (Institute of Civil Engineers), NEC 3 (New Engineering Contract), JCT (Joint Contract Tribunal), FIDIC (International Federation of Consulting Engineers), AIA (American Institute of Architects), EJDC (Engineers Joint Contracts Documents Committee), etc. (Murdoch Hughes, 2007). There are several advantages associated with the use of standard forms of construction contracts. Basically, standard forms originate from different sectors of construction industry for various reasons (Murdoch Hughes, 2007). They have been devised as an output of a process of negotiation between various sectors of the industry; hence, they represent a compromise between the interest groups of the industry (Murdoch Hughes, 2000). Also, as numbers of interest groups are involved and considered in the formulation of standard contracts, there is better possibility of fair and balanced risk allocation among the parties involved (Murdoch Hughes, 2007). The prime reason that inclines construction personnel to adopt standard form of contracts is familiarity. The major advantage of using a standard contractual form is that by repetitive use of the document one becomes familiar with its content, and hence is conscious of both its strengths and drawbacks (Broome Hayes, 1997). The contractual complexities associated with any type of contract are often rather typical to understand. The use of standard contractual documents aids in familiarising the various contractual clauses and provisions to the users (Murdoch Hughes, 2007). This familiarity with the content and clauses of the contract leads to lesser number of disputes and misunderstandings. The possibility of redundancy is also removed (Broome Hayes, 1997). In addition, the repetitive use of these forms leads to development of experience bank and result in increased efficiency (Bunni, 1997). Precedent is another important factor which generates from being similar with the contract and is favorable to the involved parties. In the scenario when a disputed project is taken to court, the standard contracts enable the lawyers to advice their clients regarding the probable result of the case, as judges are bound to follow the previous decisions (Broome Hayes, 1997). Standard forms of contracts have been reported and observed to assist the conduct of trade (Murdoch Hughes, 2000). Another factor which attracts personnel towards standard contracts is that it reduces the focus on specific contractual terms during the bargaining process (Murdoch Hughes, 2007). These forms are helpful in reducing the cost linked to tendering and contract administration. This is contrary to the amended forms of contracted which require the clients and tenderers to seek additional legal advice and the probability of the disputes resulting from unfamiliar terms also increase (OGC, n.d.). These forms lead to saving in time as drawing up of contracts from scratch is a tedious task (Ismail, n.d.). Standardisation of the contract forms provides basic legal frameworks which recognise the rights, obligations and duties of the parties and highlights the ambit of the powers and duties of the contract administrator (Nayagam Pathmavathy, 2005). Furthermore, standardisation of contracts leads to higher degree of certainty and fairness during tendering process. They become the basis of comparison and evaluation and familiarity with the content makes it convenient and faster in pricing as well (Bunni, 1997; Ismail, n.d.). As aforementioned, there are various institutions which have developed standard forms of contract. One of the most used and popular set of standard forms of contract have been developed by International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC). These forms have been in use for international construction projects ever since their formulation in 1957. The FIDIC contracts provide a comprehensive code which can be applied with ease in any legal system. The input has been provided from both engineers with experience of many engineering projects and lawyers with wide array of experience drafting construction contracts. The acquaintance with these contracts has offered the construction industry benefits in both tendering and project management. The contracts offer balanced and clearly defined risks between the contracting parties. FIDIC believes that it only a fair and balanced contract which is in the lasting best interest of all concerned. The contracts account for all possible and prob able risk factors as well as clearly define the role of all involved parties. These aspects of the contract facilitate in reducing the number of unwarranted disputes and litigations (Thomas, Glover Hughes, 2006; Wade, 2005). FIDIC and other similar standard forms of contract are favourable to the construction industry as they facilitate the saving of both time and cost two success criteria for any type of construction projects. With the exception of few entirely unique projects, construction projects often share their main characteristics and these standard forms are devised considering the same. Reference: Broome, J.C. Hayes, R.W., 1997, A comparison of the clarity of traditional construction contracts and of the New Engineering Contract, International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 255-261 Clegg, R.S., 1992, Contracts cause conflicts, In Construction Conflict Management and Resolution, 25-27 September, UMIST, pp 128-144 Ismail, Z., n.d., Standard Forms of Construction Contracts, Lecture on Construction Law, available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/10109497/Lect-2-Standard-Forms, accessed 11/02/2010 Nayagam, K. Pathmavathy, N., 2005, Drafting Construction Contracts, Legal Insight, Issue 2, page 5-7 Murdoch, H. Hughes, W., 2007, Construction Contracts, Edition 3, Routledge, pg 101-117 Murdoch, H. Hughes, W., 2000, Construction Contracts Law and Management, Edition 3, Spon Press Office of Government Commerce, n.d., Procurement and Contract Strategies, Achieving Excellence in Construction Procurement Guide, available at: http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/CP0066AEGuide6.pdf, accessed 10/02/2010 Othman, N., 1997, Management of variations in construction contracts, In A. Thorpe (ed.) Proceedingsofthe13th Annual Association of Researchers in Construction Management (ARCOM), 15-17 September, Kings College, Cambridge Robinson, N.M. Lavers, A.P. 1996, Construction Law in Singapore and Malaysia, 2nd Edition, Butterworths Thomas, C., Glover, J. Hughes, S., 2006, Understanding the new FIDIC red book: a clause-by-clause commentary, Sweet Maxwell Wade, C., 2005, The FIDIC Contract Forms and the New MDB Contract, International Construction Contracts and the Resolution of Disputes ICC-FIDIC Conference Paris 2005 Zaghloul, R. Hartman, F., 2003, Construction contract: the cost of mistrust, International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 21, pp 419-424

Human Nature in Minority Report :: Film, Movie

In the movie â€Å"Minority report† by Steven Spielberg, shows that the Pre-cogs who can predict murder are the main component of Pre-crime department and John Anderton, who is the chief of squad to stop the murder before it happens. However, he was predicted to commit a murder in the future, so he decided to find the truth of pre-cogs vision to prove that he is innocent. At the beginning, he believed that Danny Witwer who was the observer from Justice set him up in this incident. Finally, he found out he was set up by Lamar Burgess who was John’s boss and he also proved that the predictions of pre-cogs were not correct at all. The Pre-crime department had been shut down at the end. Therefore from this movie, we could then know that self-preservation is the natural behavior of human being. This argument has suggested that the act of murder might be some sort of prevention for revealing secrets, protect one’s benefits and defend oneself from harm. First of all, human beings are always protecting themselves, so some of them may choose to kill others to conceal the fact. If the truth which will harm their reputation or status expose to others that should not be known, a kind person may turn into evil. This is because they want to hide their secrets as this is one of the nature behaviors that every human would have. At the beginning, they may choose to lie to cover the truth; killing would definitely be the last choice for them to protect themselves. Most of the time, this secret is in relation to evil. From this movie, Danny discovered the secret in the case of Anne which is related to Lamar. Hoping to hide the secret forever, Lamar killed Danny. Hence, killing others to hide the truth is one of the ways of self-protection for some human being. Hoping to protect one’s benefit, homicide could be the choice to some of the human. The nature of human is always selfish; we are born to live for ourselves. Because of this nature, if someone is trying to harm us, hurt the one we love, we will do anything to protect them from harm; even animals. In the movie, Lamar killed Anne as she wanted to take her daughter Agatha who was one of the pre-cogs back. Yet, Agatha is the most important pre-cog among three of them, so Lamar murdered Anne to protect his Pre-crime.

Columbus City Schools Policies Essay

The reason I don’t like the rule about fire arm look-alikes is because, if you have a toy gun that your younger sibling has asked you to hold for them in your bag and you forget about it is an instant 5-10 day suspension. I understand why you would suspend someone for that reason; it is because you have to insure the person’s safety and the rest of the schools. But if someone leaves the toy or look-alike in your bag and you forget about its unfair we have to get suspended for that amount of time I get a day or two but 5-10 it’s not fair that is the only reason I have to have a problem with that policy. Insubordination is another one. When a teacher asks you to do something unfair for instance give up your phone when it has fallen out your pocket and they say you have been texting while doing an assignment or cheating is also unfair. Not everyone cheats on their work if our phone happens to slip out why get punished it was an accident not intentional. But I get why you do it, it’s only to insure we aren’t cheating or texting during class. The last one is possession, sale or distribution of drugs other than tobacco or alcohol. If someone has a massive headache and can’t concentrate in class and the student asks you for an Aspirin or Tylenol and you give it to them why put it as possession, sale or distribution of drugs other than tobacco or alcohol. That in my mind is unfair you’re just helping someone out with a legitimate problem that they are having. We are keeping them out of the nurse’s office and having them in class longer so what is the problem with that? The reasons for this and I know why are because of Marijuana, Cocaine and crack or other narcotics you should put narcotics as its own punishment instead of Aspirin or another type pain reliever. If you would only make the slightest change I would greatly appreciate it. also the drug problems we have and leaving the school without permission. Those are the only few changes I would make about the CCS policy.

A Division of Parody Productions Essay

1. FACTS: Parody Productions, LLC is a company that sale his playing cards over the internet. The product portrays well-known players from a sports team’s history. The plaintiff in this suit, Ronald Swoboda, is included in the New York Mets Hero Deck. Swoboda claims that he has never given Parody permission to use his image. He further contends that through his attorney he sent Parody a cease and desist letter. Parody refused to stop selling cards with Swoboda’s name and images. In response, Swoboda filed the instant lawsuit to enjoin Parody from the continued use of his name and likeness and for damages for violating his right to publicity, and, alternatively, damages for unjust enrichment. The trial court sustained the exception of lack of personal jurisdiction and this appeal followed. See more: Satirical elements in the adventure of Huckleberry Finn essay 2. ISSUE: The issue is â€Å"Did Court of Appeal of Louisiana approve lack of personal jurisdiction of an internet merchandiser?† 3. DECISION: Affirmed 4. REASONING: Since 1945, technology has advanced to such a degree that it is possible for sellers to reach consumers in their homes worldwide. The onset of the Internet has created a lapse between the method of doing business in 1945 and the legal system’s ability to keep up with technology. The â€Å"purposeful availment† requirement for the exercise of personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant ensures that it will not be haled into a jurisdiction solely as a result of a random, fortuitous, or attenuated contact, or by the unilateral activity of another party or a third person. In Quality Design, the court ruled that Tuff Coat’s website was a passive one, whereby information about its product was provided, but actual sales were arranged via telephone or mail.

Tess of the d Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Tess of the d Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy Tess of the d'UrbervillesSome critics have said that fate conspiresagainst Tess, and that she is not responsiblefor the things which happen to her. Sheherself says, "I am more sinned against than sinning." Do you agree or disagree? Supportyour answer with evidence from the text.As a person who believes that many things are un-avoidable, no matter how careful you are to avoid them, I believe that Tess's life was tragically destroyed by the hand of fate. It is obvious through the words and actions of Tess that she only wanted to have a calm, normal life. However, it seems that she was chosen, for whatever reason, to be on the receiving end of continuous hardships.From the very beginning of the novel, Tess receives "the short end of the stick" in almost every scene. She is one of the girls who doesn't get to dance with the strange young man before he returns to his brothers.Rose,Tess of the d'Urbervilles,ãÆ' Ã£Æ' ©,ãÆ'†ã‚ ¹ ã‚ ªÃ¯ ¿ ½...Although they exchange looks at each ot her, he runs off into the night without a word spoken between them. This is our first glimpse of Tess, and even before we learn more about her, we know that her family is not well off and that her father seems to be a bit of a drunk. Next, she is, to a degree, railroaded into going to claim kinship to the d'Urbervilles."OeWell, as I killed the horse, mother,' shesaid mournfully, OeI suppose I ought to dosomething. I don't mind going and seeingher, but you must leave it to me aboutasking for help."Tess was very reluctant to go to the d'Urberville house and ask for help, but for some reason, her parents chose her. At the d'Urberville's house, Alec first harasses Tess when they go horseback...

How It Feels to Be Colored Me, by Zora Neale Hurston

How It Feels to Be Colored Me, by Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neal Hurston was an author that was widely acclaimed. A genius of the South, novelist, folklorist, anthropologist- those are the words that Alice Walker had inscribed on the tombstone of Zora Neale Hurston. In this personal  essay (first published in The World Tomorrow, May 1928), the acclaimed author of Their Eyes Were Watching God explores her own sense of identity through a series of memorable examples and striking metaphors. As  Sharon L. Jones has observed, Hurstons essay challenges the reader to consider race and ethnicity as fluid, evolving, and dynamic rather than static and unchanging -Critical Companion to Zora Neale Hurston, 2009 How It Feels to Be Colored Me by Zora Neale Hurston 1 I am colored but I offer nothing in the way of extenuating circumstances except the fact that I am the only Negro in the United States whose grandfather on the mothers side was not an Indian chief. 2 I remember the very day that I became colored. Up to my thirteenth year I lived in the little Negro town of Eatonville, Florida. It is exclusively a colored town. The only white people I knew passed through the town going to or coming from Orlando. The native whites rode dusty horses, the Northern tourists chugged down the sandy village road in automobiles. The town knew the Southerners and never stopped cane chewing when they passed. But the Northerners were something else again. They were peered at cautiously from behind curtains by the timid. The more venturesome would come out on the porch to watch them go past and got just as much pleasure out of the tourists as the tourists got out of the village. 3 The front porch might seem a daring place for the rest of the town, but it was a gallery seat for me. My favorite place was atop the gatepost. Proscenium box for a born first-nighter. Not only did I enjoy the show, but I didnt mind the actors knowing that I liked it. I usually spoke to them in passing. Id wave at them and when they returned my salute, I would say something like this: Howdy-do-well-I-thank-you-where-you-goin? Usually, automobile or the horse paused at this, and after a queer exchange of compliments, I would probably go a piece of the way with them, as we say in farthest Florida. If one of my family happened to come to the front in time to see me, of course, negotiations would be rudely broken off. But even so, it is clear that I was the first welcome-to-our-state Floridian, and I hope the Miami Chamber of Commerce will please take notice. 4 During this period, white people differed from colored to me only in that they rode through town and never lived there. They liked to hear me speak pieces and sing and wanted to see me dance the parse-me-la, and gave me generously of their small silver for doing these things, which seemed strange to me for I wanted to do them so much that I needed bribing to stop, only they didnt know it. The colored people gave no dimes. They deplored any joyful tendencies in me, but I was their Zora nevertheless. I belonged to them, to the nearby hotels, to the county- everybodys Zora. 5 But changes came in the family when I was thirteen, and I was sent to school in Jacksonville. I left Eatonville, the town of the oleanders, a Zora. When I disembarked from the riverboat at Jacksonville, she was no more. It seemed that I had suffered a sea change. I was not Zora of Orange County anymore, I was now a little colored girl. I found it out in certain ways. In my heart as well as in the mirror, I became a fast brown- warranted not to rub nor run. 6 But I am not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes. I do not mind at all. I do not belong to the sobbing school of Negrohood who hold that nature somehow has given them a lowdown dirty deal and whose feelings are all but about it. Even in the helter-skelter skirmish that is my life, I have seen that the world is to the strong regardless of a little pigmentation more of less. No, I do not weep at the world- I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife. 7 Someone is always at my elbow reminding me that I am the granddaughter of slaves. It fails to register depression with me. Slavery is sixty years in the past. The operation was successful and the patient is doing well, thank you. The terrible struggle that made me an American out of a potential slave said On the line! The Reconstruction said Get set! and the generation before said Go! I am off to a flying start and I must not halt in the stretch to look behind and weep. Slavery is the price I paid for civilization, and the choice was not with me. It is a bully adventure and worth all that I have paid through my ancestors for it. No one on earth ever had a greater chance for glory. The world to be won and nothing to be lost. It is thrilling to think- to know that for any act of mine, I shall get twice as much praise or twice as much blame. It is quite exciting to hold the center of the national stage, with the spectators not knowing whether to laugh or to weep. 8 The position of my white neighbor is much more difficult. No brown specter pulls up a chair beside me when I sit down to eat. No dark ghost thrusts its leg against mine in bed. The game of keeping what one has is never so exciting as the game of getting. 9 I do not always feel colored. Even now I often achieve the unconscious Zora of Eatonville before the Hegira. I feel most colored when I am thrown against a sharp white background. 10 For instance at Barnard. Beside the waters of the Hudson I feel my race. Among the thousand white persons, I am a dark rock surged upon, and overswept, but through it all, I remain myself. When covered by the waters, I am; and the ebb but reveals me again. 11 Sometimes it is the other way around. A white person is set down in our midst, but the contrast is just as sharp for me. For instance, when I sit in the drafty basement that is The New World Cabaret with a white person, my color comes. We enter chatting about any little nothing that we have in common and are seated by the jazz waiters. In the abrupt way that jazz orchestras have, this one plunges into a number. It loses no time in circumlocutions, but gets right down to business. It constricts the thorax and splits the heart with its tempo and narcotic harmonies. This orchestra grows rambunctious, rears on its hind legs and attacks the tonal veil with primitive fury, rending it, clawing it until it breaks through to the jungle beyond. I follow those heathen- follow them exultingly. I dance wildly inside myself; I yell within, I whoop; I shake my assegai above my head, I hurl it true to the mark yeeeeooww! I am in the jungle and living in the jungle way. My face is painted red and yellow and my body is painted blue. My pulse is throbbing like a war drum. I want to slaughter something- give pain, give death to what, I do not know. But the piece ends. The men of the orchestra wipe their lips and rest their fingers. I creep back slowly to the veneer we call civilization with the last tone and find the white friend sitting motionless in his seat, smoking calmly. 12 Good music they have here, he remarks, drumming the table with his fingertips. 13 Music. The great blobs of purple and red emotion have not touched him. He has only heard what I felt. He is far away and I see him but dimly across the ocean and the continent that have fallen between us. He is so pale with his whiteness then and I am so colored. 14 At certain times I have no race, I am me. When I set my hat at a certain angle and saunter down Seventh Avenue, Harlem City, feeling as snooty as the lions in front of the Forty-Second Street Library, for instance. So far as my feelings are concerned, Peggy Hopkins Joyce on the Boule Mich with her gorgeous raiment, stately carriage, knees knocking together in a most aristocratic manner, has nothing on me. The cosmic Zora emerges. I belong to no race nor time. I am the eternal feminine with its string of beads. 15 I have no separate feeling about being an American citizen and colored. I am merely a fragment of the Great Soul that surges within the boundaries. My country, right or wrong. 16 Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? Its beyond me. 17 But in the main, I feel like a brown bag of miscellany propped against a wall. Against a wall in company with other bags, white, red and yellow. Pour out the contents, and there is discovered a jumble of small things priceless and worthless. A first-water diamond, an empty spool, bits of broken glass, lengths of string, a key to a door long since crumbled away, a rusty knife-blade, old shoes saved for a road that never was and never will be, a nail bent under the weight of things too heavy for any nail, a dried flower or two still a little fragrant. In your hand is the brown bag. On the ground before you is the jumble it held- so much like the jumble in the bags, could they be emptied, that all might be dumped in a single heap and the bags refilled without altering the content of any greatly. A bit of colored glass more or less would not matter. Perhaps that is how the Great Stuffer of Bags filled them in the first place- who knows?

The Real Chocolate company Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Real Chocolate company - Assignment Example The company strategically positions its retail stores in tourist environments, regional malls, airports and entertainment oriented sites where it mainly targets outgoing people. Apart from a choice of about 300 chocolates, the company also offers an assortment of other confectionary products. However, its major challenge it is facing is the growing competition from other chocolatiers in the industry. Usually, unfavourable elements within a business environment often threaten its viability and can lead to failure in some cases hence require concerted efforts to counter them. In this particular case, competition from other rival competitors is the major threat to the Real Chocolate Company. According to statistics by the National Chocolate Association, gourmet chocolates in particular account for about 10% of the chocolate industry and there are about 15 competitors in the industry. The major competitors of Real Chocolate Company are Godiva chocolatier with annual sales of five million, Russell Stover as well as See's Candies with an annual sales of five million. Stiff competition can often lead to saturation of markets which would also negatively affect the sales as a result of monotony likely to be created as a result of lack of choice emanating from flooding of the markets. Only very innovative companies stand better chances of winning the hearts of their trusted customers in s uch a scenario which is regarded as a major threat to the operations of a company's business. If the situation is not properly managed, a company can be easily kicked out of business through the loss of customers to competitors. The chocolate and confectionary industry must comply with numerous regulations that cover health, education, sanitary and franchise operations especially with regards to registration and privacy. Things such as labelling must comply with the Nutrition and Labelling Education Act of 1990. Whilst the laws are promulgated to protect the interests of the citizens, in some instances the provisions of some sections of the legislation may be a bit heavy especially on Small Scale Enterprises (SMEs) whose budgets may prohibit full compliance with some of the regulations. Such pieces of legislation often threaten the viability of small scale companies that are still trying to establish themselves in the market. For instance, the prescribed packaging for chocolates can be costly to companies still in their infancy hence it's a threat that needs to be given due consideration. Unfavourable climatic conditions can also negatively affect the chocolate industry in many ways. For example, adverse climatic conditions in areas where the crop which provides the basic ingredient in chocolate production is grown, can lead to negative growth in the chocolate industry. The cocoa bean is the main fruit used hence an outbreak of a disease in the areas where it is produced would mean a slump in production of chocolate. The world is also face with unprecedented climatic changes brought about by global warming. In the event that extreme weather conditions occur, production of cocoa is also likely to be negatively affected which translate into a decline in chocolate production. Natural environmental conditions are uncontrollable in most cases and their effects should not be undermined. Opportunities The Real Chocolate Company is also exposed to certain opportunities which can lead to growth of business. In this case, these include the use of franchise

Daily Reading Responses2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Daily Reading Responses2 - Essay Example However, the reading asserts that women have not been enjoying these rights despite their continued struggle. As such, colored women in America are yet to enjoy the full benefits of the American independence. The reading claims that women have a right to vote, earn, and civil justice just like men. The article notes that very few people addressed the rights for colored women after colored men got their rights. As a result, colored men became masters over the women defining a unique type of slavery that demeaned the American independence. Unfortunately, this misfortune only happened to colored women since the white women are a great deal smarter and ensured they enjoyed the same rights as the white men. Conveniently, the reading justifies the struggle for equal rights for colored women by asserting the benefits of having equal human rights for both colored men and colored women in the American community. Indeed, colored women deserve to earn, study, lead, and enjoy civil justice just like colored men since colored people have their freedom in America (University of California 2). Only then will America enjoy the full benefits of the American independence. University of California. Sojourner Truth, Address to the First Annual Meeting of the American Equal Rights Association, New York City, May 9, 1867. Web. 22 July 2014.

Marketing outline of a selected organisation Assignment

Marketing outline of a selected organisation - Assignment Example Marketing strategy takes into consideration a thorough analysis of external and internal environments. Marketing mix modelling is a key factor during scanning of internal environment. This aspect even includes analysis of strategic constraints and its overall performance. The external environmental factors mainly comprises of target market analysis, customer analysis, competitor analysis along with evaluation of external environmental factors such as political, economic, legal, social and technological. Marketing strategies designed by an organization usually differs from another organization. These strategies are highly dependent on particular business scenario. Real life marketing needs to focus on external environmental conditions, market opportunity, uncertainties, and optimum utilization of available resources. In this study wide array of marketing concepts shall be applied on a UK based organization called Tesco. Tesco is a renowned multinational general merchandise and grocery retailer based in United Kingdom. The company has its retail stores located across 12 countries and is regarded as UK’s grocery market leader. Across the globe Tesco is considered to be second largest retailer in terms of revenue margins. The organization was founded in 1919 and since then it has implemented best marketing strategies. There are widespread aspects which are followed while designing its marketing strategy. Firstly different products or services of Tesco possesses specific target market segment. Their overall positioning strategy states that the firm is focused towards offering quality products at reasonable price. This marketing concept has enabled the company to remain competitive in the market place. In recent scenario the company has diversified into many areas like books, petrol, furniture, clothing, toys, electronics, financial services, internet, telecom, etc. This kind of diversification has supported the company to acquire greater percentage of

Management theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management theories - Essay Example While managers administer, depend on control and focus on organizational systems and structure, leaders innovate, inspire trust and focus on individuals in an organization. In addition, managers and leaders differ greatly in that leaders have individuals following them whereas managers have individuals working for them. Moreover, leaders tend to be brilliant and charismatic, like taking risks, visionary and creative among others. They use non-coercive form of influence to make individuals achieve certain goals (Bertocci 2009, p.7). In contrast, managers are rational, problem solvers, and in most cases, they focus on organizational goals, structures, personnel as well as the availability of resources. Mostly, managers make use of formal and rational method when organizing people while leaders use passion and stirs emotions when dealing with their subordinates. Managers have to deal with complex issues in an organization like setting standards for development, developing action plans, and effectively using available resource (Klein 2007, p.2). Moreover, the effectiveness of leaders is determined by the accomplishment of goals while managers’ effec tiveness is determined by results like profit margins (Bertocci 2009, p.9). Nevertheless, leaders and managers approach to tasks differently, that is, leaders look at the problem and come up with creative solutions. Their charisma and dedications helps them to motivate employees to do their best and to effectively solve any problem arising. In contrast, managers establish strategies to form teams and combine ideas to come up with appropriate solution to any problem. They encourage their subordinates to share their views in order to reduce inherent risk and promote success. Accordingly, they both have different approaches to risk in that as leaders are risk takers, managers are risk averse. More so, leaders are the facilitators when decisions are made while managers are involved

Major project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Major project - Research Paper Example Both these organizations advocate rules and policies favoring workers in the US, and play an active political role, mostly favoring the Democratic Party. The recent Economic Crisis of 2008 that shook the economic basis of the US found the Labor Unions a burden. According to some people, the three major automakers of US found it difficult to cope with the changing situations and to compete with their global opponents as a result of the costly labor agreements including pension and health plan. As a result of this poor economic condition, states, especially the ones led by Republican Party like Wisconsin, Ohio, Tennessee, Michigan, and Illinois have introduced bills that would result in salary cuts, and some are planning to restrict the collective bargaining rights the workers enjoyed in the US for about a century. Thus, it becomes evident that the labor unions, despite decades of struggle and violence, seemed to have gained little as the new developments take away most of the freedom they gained over a century. Though polls reveal that most people are against this governmental step, the Democratic Party seems strong in its decision. ... However, it faced eventual collapse due to poor organization. Though there were labor protests even before 1800s, they were poorly coordinated and localized. The first recorded labor union strike took place in 1786 in Philadelphia. It was conducted by printers opposing a wage cut. However, the first major strike that brought the idea of the never ending conflict between workers and business owners was the railway strike in 1877. It was against the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and it spread to the whole of northeast. To curb the violence, troops were called out and using considerable amount of force, the strike was crushed. Throughout their history, the labor unions used ideologies ranging from intimidation, threats, vandalism, and violence, and their history was never peaceful. Another important incident (cited in Foner, 27-37) that deserves to be mentioned is the Haymarket Riot that eventually led to the development of AFL. On 4 May 1886, a labor rally was conducted at the Haymarket Square in Chicago in support of the eight-hour workday. However, the rally turned violent leading to bloody clashes between the agitators and police. The courts had a rough time dealing with the legal status of labor unions. The question was and still is whether these cartels of laborers lawful or not? Do they amount to criminal conspiracies against trade? Are the strikes an expression of the individual right to bargain for lawful employment? One can find a lot of disparity in the issue from the very beginning. To illustrate, as Tomlins (p.128) reports, in the 1806 Commonwealth v. Pullis, the jury convicted the accused unionists of criminal conspiracy. However, as Bennett, Heard and Holland (235) write, in Commonwealth v. Hunt (1842), the Massachusetts

That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded Essay - 3

That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow. Consider knowledge issues raised by this statement in two areas of knowledge - Essay Example Clearly, from all indications, society is dynamic. Cultures change and people change in different timeframes. Thus, it is apparent that as time changes, what is regarded as true in one era might not be taken as accurate or correct in another generation. Culture refers to the way a group of people live and carry out their activities. Schabracq identifies that cultural change and knowledge have a symbiotic relationship2. This is because as knowledge increases in a given community or society, the way they do things and the way they perceive things also changes. This is because the worldview of a given people is based on their understanding of the world at every point in time. And this defines their values, norms and morals at every given point in time. This indicates that culture knowledge is bound to also change as the culture changes. This is because in a situation where a nations culture changes, what they define as â€Å"truth† will also change. This implies that the views and ideas of people are tied to the dominant culture and the dominant views of doing things. In the Western world today, people who were defined as deviant and illegals for their indulgence in same-sex affairs 50 years were humiliated and demeaned in the society. This is because the society had the belief that same sex activities were evil and defined as wrong by the dominant rules of the society. Many people were forced to seek treatments and others were discriminated against. However, due to changes in what these people call the â€Å"truth† or â€Å"knowledge†, the Western world has increasingly taken an acceptive approach to same sex partnerships. This shows that there is a trend towards changes and modification in a given society and this changes the definition of knowledge from time to time. The advances in knowledge and understanding of concepts and ideas puts an obligation on the authorities in a given sector to discard previous knowledge and take

Management theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management theories - Essay Example While managers administer, depend on control and focus on organizational systems and structure, leaders innovate, inspire trust and focus on individuals in an organization. In addition, managers and leaders differ greatly in that leaders have individuals following them whereas managers have individuals working for them. Moreover, leaders tend to be brilliant and charismatic, like taking risks, visionary and creative among others. They use non-coercive form of influence to make individuals achieve certain goals (Bertocci 2009, p.7). In contrast, managers are rational, problem solvers, and in most cases, they focus on organizational goals, structures, personnel as well as the availability of resources. Mostly, managers make use of formal and rational method when organizing people while leaders use passion and stirs emotions when dealing with their subordinates. Managers have to deal with complex issues in an organization like setting standards for development, developing action plans, and effectively using available resource (Klein 2007, p.2). Moreover, the effectiveness of leaders is determined by the accomplishment of goals while managers’ effec tiveness is determined by results like profit margins (Bertocci 2009, p.9). Nevertheless, leaders and managers approach to tasks differently, that is, leaders look at the problem and come up with creative solutions. Their charisma and dedications helps them to motivate employees to do their best and to effectively solve any problem arising. In contrast, managers establish strategies to form teams and combine ideas to come up with appropriate solution to any problem. They encourage their subordinates to share their views in order to reduce inherent risk and promote success. Accordingly, they both have different approaches to risk in that as leaders are risk takers, managers are risk averse. More so, leaders are the facilitators when decisions are made while managers are involved

That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded Essay - 3

That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow. Consider knowledge issues raised by this statement in two areas of knowledge - Essay Example Clearly, from all indications, society is dynamic. Cultures change and people change in different timeframes. Thus, it is apparent that as time changes, what is regarded as true in one era might not be taken as accurate or correct in another generation. Culture refers to the way a group of people live and carry out their activities. Schabracq identifies that cultural change and knowledge have a symbiotic relationship2. This is because as knowledge increases in a given community or society, the way they do things and the way they perceive things also changes. This is because the worldview of a given people is based on their understanding of the world at every point in time. And this defines their values, norms and morals at every given point in time. This indicates that culture knowledge is bound to also change as the culture changes. This is because in a situation where a nations culture changes, what they define as â€Å"truth† will also change. This implies that the views and ideas of people are tied to the dominant culture and the dominant views of doing things. In the Western world today, people who were defined as deviant and illegals for their indulgence in same-sex affairs 50 years were humiliated and demeaned in the society. This is because the society had the belief that same sex activities were evil and defined as wrong by the dominant rules of the society. Many people were forced to seek treatments and others were discriminated against. However, due to changes in what these people call the â€Å"truth† or â€Å"knowledge†, the Western world has increasingly taken an acceptive approach to same sex partnerships. This shows that there is a trend towards changes and modification in a given society and this changes the definition of knowledge from time to time. The advances in knowledge and understanding of concepts and ideas puts an obligation on the authorities in a given sector to discard previous knowledge and take

After high school Essay Example for Free

After high school Essay As we get older, more and more problems begin to form. When we reach our teenage years though, it becomes worse. One problem I think the hardest is for young adults is deciding what we want to do for the rest of our lives when we are so young. You can go to college, military or the working field depending on your preference. When we’re in high school, we have to raise our hand and ask to use the restroom, go to the office to make any phone call no matter how important it may be and have ridiculous dress code rules. You are treated like a child from kindergarten all the way up to senior year and yet they expect you to make the most important decision of your life then. One thing that people do straight out of high school is go directly to the work field. Although its normally in most people’s best interest not to, not everyone is made for college. Unless you are extremely lucky, it has been found that people who didn’t advance to other education after high school make 85% less than those with a college diploma. My brother has a roommate in college and his dad dropped out of college after his first year or two and he makes more money than most people will ever see. His wife doesn’t have to work and his kids have it made when it comes to the materialistic things in life. He owns his own real estate company in Pittsburgh and sells and rents houses to people. He does most of his own work so he doesn’t have to pay people to do it, which is very convenient for him. Although most people do not get as lucky as him, that’s okay for some people because money isn’t everything though. Sometimes it’s better to take time off of school instead of wasting all that money when you don’t even know what you are planning on doing for the rest of your life and going straight to college. There are many reasons why people decide to not go to college, not because they just don’t think that they can do it. Sometimes people have kids before they plan, family problems or even they just can’t get help to pay for it so it holds them back from attending. College is an expensive thing that most people don’t want to pay for. You have years of loans to pay back and for a lot of people; they end up miserable at their jobs after a few years. It is also very hard to get help to pay for you college education. When my cousin tried getting help for college, because she had a full time job and no kids she could get barely any money even though she wasn’t getting any help from her parents. If college still isn’t the right thing for you but you don’t want McDonalds to be your only  definite in for a job, the military is a great option. Although you have to work your butt off for it, the military gives awesome benefits. Of course it’s nothing that the NBA players make, which is ridiculous, but it is still a lot just for being in the military. A player in the NBA averages about $5.15 million per year and all the do is dribble and shoot a basketball for a living where people in the military have to work their tails off every single day to fight for our country and they only get about $70 thousand per year. There is a lot of schooling that they will pay for you so you can still get an education while being in the military. Not only will you get your schooling paid for, but also you can even get paid for going. Also, they have programs like ROTC where you can still train for the military but you are in an actual college getting your education. As well as getting your education paid for, you also get free medical care, financial security and you can retire around 20 years before other people do. If you get all of that stuff paid for, is there even anything left to buy? Food and housing. No worries, in the Army, you receive a regular paycheck and free housing including meals. If you live off of base, you will still receive a housing allowance. Even if the amount of free meals and the checks don’t cover all of the food you want, some restaurants and grocery stores offer military discounts, which will also save a lot of money. My dad owns houses and rent them out to people and the first thing he looks at is what kind of job they have to make sure they can keep up with rent. Last summer there was a guy from the Army that tried to rent of my dad and he told him that the monthly paying isn’t going to be a big deal because he gets checks from the Army specifically for his housing so it is totally free for him. Although college isn’t everyone’s best option, I believe it’s more worth it than working forever at a job that barely gets you by. Colleges can really help you out when you aren’t exactly sure what you want to do. Some even make you take a full year of general education classes just so you are sure that you want to be in that major. Nobody should waste thousands of dollars just to change their mind like 50-70% of college kids end up doing. Also, most colleges have classes that help you transition from high school to college and help get good study habits and things like that. For most kids, what they do for the school like sports, music, theatre and clubs is the most important part of high school. Proceeding to college gives you the opportunity to further  your career in things like that where there are plenty of sports, clubs, different bands and also sororities and fraternities. Although that would be going to college for the wrong reasons, a college education in general expands your knowledge base, makes you more organized and exposes you to a whole new world of learning. There are also so many different types of colleges though. Depending on your preference, you can go to school for a few months or 12 years. There are community colleges, tech schools, four-year schools and also schools that are totally based on what you want to do. At the four-year schools, you have to take a certain amount of general education courses where as a college with a certain amount of month program, all of your classes are dedicated for your major. Every school that you go to has a variety of majors to choose from which also make the college option hard. There are some things that people will never even hear of until they go to college and even then, there are thousands of jobs you can do with most majors that people will probably never even know throughout their entire life. A lot of people don’t realize that a really big benefit of going to both college and the military is the life long friends that you make. Of course you’ll always have your friends from high school, but college and the military both give you the opportunity to start over and make new friends. As you can see, there are benefits to every option you decide to do when you graduate high school. There are also a lot of cons to the option that you decide. It all depends on the person and what they are like. It’s just a very hard decision to make when you are barely old enough to stay outside past 11pm. We are very uneducated about the all the different majors in college and the benefits of or other options if we decided to not go to college. We have only lived about a quarter of our life and we are expected to decide what we want to do for three more quarters of our life. This decision is the one that is going to affect you for the rest of your life and I just don’t think that we are educated enough to make it.

Physical Training In Badminton Physical Education Essay

Physical Training In Badminton Physical Education Essay Introduction In Badminton research, the plyometrics training is not extensively researched. This chapter will note the importance of understanding the related factors leading to the idea of conducting this study. The review of the related literature for this study is presented into five main sections: Physical Training in Sports Physical Training in Badminton Agility in Sports Agility Contribution in Badminton Plyometric Training in Improving Agility Physical Training in Sports Physical fitness is a very important factor affecting performance in sports. As in the preparatory phase of periodization plan for any training programme, the physical fitness is always the first to be developed before focusing into other training factors such as technical training, tactical training, and psychological training. Physical fitness contributes to sports performance. It serves as a foundation that leads to a higher possibility of succeeding in competitive arena of sports (Bompa, T. O. Haff, G. G., 2009). Many researchers have studied on various types of physical fitness training, such as balance training, agility training, sprinting training, resistance training, circuit training, interval training, and plyometric training. Many studies found that physical training serve the purpose of improving various physical attributes, such as flexibility, functional performance, muscular control, muscular power, distance running performance, running economy, strength performance, explosive power, vertical jump, initial acceleration, speed, agility, and many other attributes. Physical Training in Badminton Badminton is a highly competitive dynamic sport. At elite level, it is suggest that badminton is characterized by repetitive efforts of alactic nature and great intensity which are continuously performed throughout the match. Badminton players are required to be able to move in multiple directions while smashing and receiving a shuttlecock with fast speed. The speed of a shuttlecock can be up to 421kph (Guinness World Record, 2009). Badminton players are often required to perform speed, agility, flexibility, endurance, and strength capabilities at their limit. It is proposed by Badminton Association of England (2002) that the off-court type of fitness training for badminton can include strength training, aerobic training, speed and agility training, flexibility training, core stability training, and circuit training. As an explosive sport, badminton performance can be enhanced from resistance training. Effective resistance training programme requires a systematic process of analysis, implementation and evaluation to ensure maximum adaptation and improvement. The prescription of resistance training methods can enhance badminton specific performance in jump smashes, lunges, and fast change of direction. Agility in Sports Agility is often considered an essential element for many sports and activities. It is an ability that involves a rapid whole body movement with changes of direction or velocity in response to a stimulus. In many competitive sports such as badminton, the players do not perform at their own pace and move, but are performing in response to the shuttlecock, the opponent, or the partners. As such, agility in badminton is not completely an independent factor. Little and William (2005) proposed that agility is a specific physical attribute that is fundamentally important to sports performance for three reasons. First, developing agility will provide a strong foundation for muscular control and motor skill function, thereby establishing overall performance in badminton. Second, good agility enable players to move fast in balanced and stabled manner, and this proper movement mechanics and this may reduce injury risk. Finally, as an athlete matures, a heightened ability to quickly change directions will enhance overall performance in both proactive offensive and reactive defensive circumstances. According to Young and Farrow (2006) and Vescovi (2008), agility is important as many sports such as badminton performed on a court require high-speed total body movements. Many of these movements are in response to the motion of the shuttlecock, opponents, or partner. As such, fast movement is very important. Deterministic model of agility performance The multifactorial nature of agility has been represented by a deterministic model in Figure 2.1 which indicating the various factors contributing to performance. Figure 2.1 is the model suggested by Young et al. (2002) which indicated that main factors determining agility. Agility can be affected by a few factors, such as visual scanning, anticipation, pattern recognition, knowledge, technique, straight sprinting speed, and leg muscles quality. Agility Perceptual and decision making factors Change of direction speed Straight sprinting speed Technique Pattern recognition Anticipation Visual scanning Knowledge Leg muscle qualities Foot placement Strength Adjustment of strides to accelerate decelerate Power Body lean posture Reactive strength Figure 2.1 Deterministic model of agility performance. Perceptual and decision making factors According to Young et al. (2002), perceptual and decision making is one of the main factor affecting agility. The factors affecting perceptual and decision making included visual scanning, anticipating, pattern recognition, and knowledge. Visual scanning is the ability to process visual information in the competitive environment. In a badminton match, as it is like other ball games, players are paying their visual focus on the trajectory of shuttlecock or ball, or movement of opponent. A common words of à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"eyes on ballà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ , this shows that the badminton players are applying the visual scanning on the shuttlecock and opponent to analyze what is the next step to move. Anticipation and prediction in badminton match influences the movements of a player. From the visual information from visual scanning, badminton player process the information and start to anticipate the move of opponent and the shuttlecock. As the opponent tense up the body with great back swing, it is anticipated that the next move might be a smash; as the opponent remain relax and small actions of racket, it can be anticipated that the next move might be a soft drop. Pattern recognition is the ability to recognize the patterns of play by the opponent. This happened when a player has specific playing habit or favourite shots. It happen as simple as an attacking badminton player has more smashes and a defensive player has more return in high shots. By understanding the pattern, badminton player can be more agile by narrowing the possibility of stimulus to be response. Knowledge from experiencing different game play situations can help predict probable movements of opponent. When a player is out of position and the body is not in favourable position to return a shot, it is likely that the return will go to the front court rather than the back court. As such, a badminton player can be faster and more agile to react to the circumstance. Change of directional speed Young and Farrow (2006) also noted that agility is affected by the change of direction speed. Change of direction speed is influenced by the techniques, straight sprinting speed, and leg muscle quality. Techniques to change direction and change velocity quickly are expected to be influenced by the position of the body while running. A forward lean is required to accelerate, a backward lean to decelerate and stop, and a sideward lean to produce a lateral change of direction. These body positions are necessary in order to produce forces to the ground to evoke reaction forces in the desired direction. If a badminton player is ready to react and move to any direction in court, the ready stance of the body should be slightly knee bend, body leaning forward, and body weight more on toe than on heel (Badminton England, 2002). This ready stance enables the player to make quick adjustments to the running posture to execute a quick change of direction. Such quick adjustments of posture and positioning of limbs is clearly a skill that requires training. Young et al. (2001) conducted a study where found that the straight sprinting speed was improved significantly after six weeks of straight sprint training, but had no gains in changes of direction test. The six weeks change of direction training had limited contribution to straight sprinting speed as well. These findings can be explained by training specificity, and suggest that athletes must train specifically with the movement patterns required in their sports. Badminton requires a lot of sudden sprint and stop, deep lunge, explosive jumping but limited straight sprint. To benefit optimally from the training, badminton player must train specifically on the sudden sprint and stop in various directions but not only the straight sprint. Leg muscles quality is exclusively responsible for change of directional movements. The available research provides little support that leg muscle strength, power, and reactive strength are major contributors to agility performance. However, a rationale was made to suggest that plyometric training program involving jumping exercises that contain single leg lateral takeoffs, such as bounding in a zigzag pattern could potentially be beneficial to change of directional speed development. A better quality of leg muscle in badminton can help to reduce time taken from ready position to move to receive a shot. Agility Contribution in Badminton Motion analysis of a typical badminton match reveals that there are many changes in direction and it requires the athlete to be very agile in all directions . Notational analysis of European players during international tournaments indicated that badminton can be characterized by repetitive, short-duration, high-intensity efforts with high-frequency movement. Badminton is the fastest sport among the racket games with the speed of the shuttlecocks capable of travelling up to 421kph. This means in the court area of approximately 34m2 for badminton singles, the shuttlecock will take not more than 0.15 second to pass through the entire badminton court which is 13.4m in length (Olympics ABC, 2007). As a sport with such a high speed, agility plays a very important role to contribute to the performance. In an elite badminton match, the competition can be played up to more than 60 minutes, and the total running distance can be covered up to 6km. But it does not mean the energy spent for both players are the same. When a player is more agile and faster than opponent, he can play the shot to move opponent around in the badminton court which will lead to greater radius of movement for the opponent. In another word, throughout the match, the player who have better agility are having advantage and spending less effort and energy compare to the less agile opponent. Olympic ABC (2007) also proposed that a player need approximately 0.32 to 0.36 second to move from a ready position towards the shuttle and approximately 0.486 seconds to react to the coming shot. This lead to an idea that a badminton player needs about 0.8 second to react to a shot and move to receive the shot. In this condition, agility is a critical factor affecting the performance. Time taken to react to the coming shot is affecting by the perceptual and decision making factor, while the time taken to move from a ready position towards the shuttle is affecting by the agility, which have the direct relationship with the change of direction speed. Good agility and fast action to move from ready position enable a badminton player to return the shot in a favourable position and have advantage over opponent. Plyometric Training in Improving Agility Plyometrics are training techniques used by athletes in all types of sports to increase strength and explosiveness (Chu, 1998). Plyometric training program involving jumping exercises that could potentially be beneficial to agility development. Plyometric drills usually involve stopping, starting, and changing directions of movement in an explosive manner. These movements are components that can contribute to developing agility . Previous studies found that plyometric training, when used in a periodized manner, can contribute to agility gains . Agility is an explosive movement which can be referred to running speed and changes of direction ability. Fast running speed and quick change of direction contribute to good agility. Explosiveness is affecting the running speed and change of direction ability. Thus, improvement in explosiveness leads to agility development. Plyometrics have been proven to be an effective method to improve on explosiveness. By enhancing balance and control of body positions during movement, agility theoretically should improve . Plyometric activities have been used in sports such as football, tennis, soccer or other sports event. These sports are intermediate sports which require rapid whole body movement with changes of direction or velocity in response to a stimulus, which is similar to badminton. Conclusion Badminton is an intermediate sport which is the fastest among the racket games, it is a very high speed sport which the shuttlecocks capable of travelling up to 421kph (Guinness World Record, 2009), as such, agility is a critical physical attribute affecting the performance. In badminton, a player performed on a court requires high-speed total body movements. Many of these movements are in response to the motion of the shuttlecock, opponents, or partner. Agility permits badminton player to start quickly and efficiently, move in the correct direction, and to change direction or stop quickly to make a play in fast, smooth, efficient, and repeatable manner, in response to a stimulus. A competitive badminton match can be played up to more than 60 minutes, agility allow a player to play the shot to move opponent around in the badminton court which will lead to greater radius of movement for the opponent. In another word, agility lead to the advantage of lesser effort and energy spent than the less agile player. Young and Farrow (2006) noted that agility is affected by change of direction speed. Quality of leg muscles is exclusively responsible for change of directional speed. Better quality of leg muscle and good agility in badminton help to reduce time taken from ready position to move to receive a shot. This enables a badminton player to return the shot in a favourable position and have advantage over opponent. Agility refers to running speed and changes of direction in explosive manner. Fast running speed and quick change of direction is the key of good agility, which is affected by explosiveness. Thus, improvement in explosiveness should leads to agility development. Plyometrics has been proven to be effective and efficient in developing explosiveness. A rationale was made to suggest that plyometric training program involving jumping exercises could potentially be beneficial to agility gain Plyometric drills involve starting, stopping, and change of movement directions in an explosive manner. These movements contribute to agility development. Previous studies showed that plyometric training, when used in a periodized manner, can contribute to agility gains . Miller (2006) and Young and Farrow (2006) proposed that agility should improve by enhancing balance and control of body positions during movement. Plyometric activities have been used in sports which are similar to badminton, such as football, tennis, soccer or other sports event. These sports are intermediate sports which require rapid whole body movement with changes of direction or velocity in response to a stimulus.

Significance of the Attire of Men and Women in the 18th Century Essay

Significance of the Attire of Men and Women in the 18th Century The attire of men and women in the eighteenth century cemented the roles they were supposed to play. The style of made dress belied his nature as somewhat more free from restrictions whereas the woman, bound by corsets and strict dress-codes found herself held back in clothing as in society. A sphere of influence, behavior and conduct was assigned to both sexes; each was valued for different qualities. These gender distinctions do not allow any overlap between the two sexes. (Marsden, 21) In light of this, society viewed cross-dressing (the practice of one gender dressing themselves in the attire of the other) as a threat to its own structure. For a woman to forsake the clothes and character of women for that of men sounded monstrous. Such a practice would create sexual ambiguity - a woman would assume the clothes of a man and thus the manner and actions of a man, yet her physical nature denied her that right. Cross-dressing creates monstrations - a woman ceases to be a woman after she has assumed male garb and can never hope to be a man. An aversion to cross-dressing has its roots in the Bible: "The women shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment; for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God" (qtd. in Garber, 28). On August 13, 1597 Queen Elizabeth announced a sumptuary (dealing with attire) proclamation which defined the "separate categories for men's and women's apparel: each took the form of a long list of proscribed items of dress with an indication of who alone was permitted to wear them" (Garber, 26). This law sought to prohibit the rise in classes that was transpiring - ambitious ind... ...both may wear the prototypical shirt and pants}, the gender distinctions become blur. Men feared the idea of women as sexually aggressive as men - or perhaps worse, women who pursued other women. mite simply, the idea of 'gender-swapping' caused fear and anger. Individuals designed the practice to work outside of the uniform social structure; such actions were seen as threats to the social structure. Thus, society acted strictly towards those who thought themselves 'above' social gender laws. Works Cited Garber, Marjorie. Vested Interests: Cross Dressing and Cultural Anxiety. New York: Routledge. 1992. 21-41, 211-215. Marsden, Jean I. "Modesty Unshackled: Dorothy Jordan and the Dangers of Cross-Dressing." Studies in Eighteenth-Century Culture vol. 22. Ed. by Patricia B. Craddock and Carla H. Hay. East Lansing, Michigan: Colleagues Press Inc. 1992. 21-36.

Embryonic Stem Cell Research: How does it affect you? Essay -- essays

Embryonic Stem Cell Research: How does it affect you?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Embryonic stem cell research is widely controversial in the scientific world. Issues on the ethics of Embryonic Stem (ES) cell research have created pandemonium in our society. The different views on this subject are well researched and supportive. The facts presented have the capability to support or possibly change the public’s perspective. This case study is based on facts and concerns that much of the research done on embryonic stem cells is derived from human embryos. This case study will provide others with a more in depth view of both sides of this great debate. In biological terms, embryonic stem cells posses a virtually unlimited future. â€Å"Adult stem cell research has produced results that could help many patients with various diseases, but proponents of embryonic stem cell research argue that the progress in adult stem cell research should not preclude embryonic stem cell research† (Kukla, 2002). As of November 2004, California residents voted â€Å"yes† to approve $3 billion dollars for stem cell research. Michelle Lane, who is the state coordinator for the Parkinson's Action Network in Louisiana, was not only relieved to see this go through but because she has early on-set signs of Parkinson’s disease she says â€Å"It proves we can win this battle.† Kalb, C. (2004) Scientists believe that using embryonic stem cells offers the most possibilities in scientific research; these cells have the capability to develop into any of the 210 cells found in the human body including heart cells, nerve cells, muscle cells, and skin cells. The budding capacity of the embryonic stem cell may prove useful for treatment of some medical conditions including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, heart disease and cancer. The prospective advantage of using embryonic stem cells is fascinating. Embryonic stem cells are capable of becoming any cell type in the body making them more versatile than adult stem cells. There is a possibility that the patient’s body can reject the adult cells because their derivative is from cells that are not a patient’s own. Supporters of research state that stem cells from embryos are acceptable for research since the embryos are not considered to be human and is vital to the possible future cure of so... ...es Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity (2002) Human Embryo Experimentation: Embryonic Stem Cell Research Is Unethical (Roman Espejo, Ed). Greenhaven : At Issue Series. Kalb, C. (2004) Newsweek. New York: Dec 6, 2004) Retrieved January 2, 2005 from the ProQuest database. Kukla, H. J. (2002). Embryonic stem cell research: An ethical justification, Georgetown Law Journal. Washington, 90 (2), 503-544. Retrieved January 2, 2005 from the ProQuest database. Landry, D.W. & Zucker, H.A. (2004, November) Embryonic death and the creation of human embryonic stem cells [Electronic version]. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 114(9) pp1184-1186. Retrieved December 20, 2002, from http://www.jci.org EBSCO Prentice, D. (2003). Science and ethics: The intertwined debate on stem cells. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences 95(4). Retrieved January 2, 2005 from the ProQuest database. Saltzman, R. (2001) The Ethics of Abortion: Research Using Human Embryos Is Morally Unacceptable (Jennifer A. Hurley, Ed.) At Issue Series: Greenhaven Press Sullivan, A. (2001) Human Embryo Experimentation.: Early human embryos are human beings.( Roman Espejo, Ed.) At Issue Series: Greenhaven Press

Women in india

Objectification of women in India â€Å"You can tell the condition of a Nation by looking at the status of its Women. † Jawaharlal Nehru, Leader of India's Independence movement, and India's first Prime Minister. According to a global poll conducted by Thomson Reuters, India is the â€Å"fourth most dangerous country† in the world for women and the worst country for women among the 620 countries. Today's India offers a lot of opportunities to women, with women having a voice in everyday life, the business world as well as in political life.Nevertheless India is still a male dominated society, where women are ften seen as subordinate and inferior to men. In Ancient India, scholars believe that in ancient India, women enjoyed equal status with men in all aspects of life. Works by ancient Indian grammarians such as PatanJali and Katyayana suggest that women were educated in the early Vedic period. Rigvedic verses suggest that women married at a mature age and were probably free to select their own husbands. So, what happened in the middle age/ Medieval Period of Indian civilization?Indian women's position in society further deteriorated during the medieval period, when Sati, child marriages and a ban on emarriage by widows became part of social life in some communities in India. India's Patriarchal Traditions Dowry Tradition: Much of the discrimination against women arises from India's dowry tradition, where the bride's family gives the groom's family money and/or gifts. Dowries were made illegal in India in 1961, however the law is almost impossible to enforce, and the practice persists for most marriages.Women as a Liability: The Indian constitution grants women equal rights to men, but strong patriarchal traditions persist in many different societal parts, with women's lives shaped by ustoms that are centuries old. Hence, in these strata daughters are often regarded as a liability, and conditioned to believe that they are inferior and subordinate to men, whereas sons might be idolized and celebrated. Discrimination against Women: It should be noted that in a vast country like India – spanning 3. 9 million sq. km, where cultural backgrounds, religions and traditions vary widely – the extend of discrimination against women also varies from one societal stratum to another and from state to state – some areas in India being historically more inclined to gender bias than others. Present scenario Women are becoming unprotected day by day both at their homes and outside. The NCRB (National Crime Record Bureau) states in its report that every hour in India 18 women are raped.There has been recorded 700 per cent phenomenal increase in cases of rape from 1971 data's, whereas in other areas of crime against women this increase is 300 per cent. Evidently, this heinous crime against women reflects the taltering moral and mental state ot men in society . There nas been a marked increase in crimes against women in rece nt years. Every year around 6000 women are prey to dowry deaths. Bride burning is the major means of dowry death. Rural areas are witness to more violations of women's human rights. This is more concerning because more than 70 per cent of Indian population resides in the rural areas.In rural areas women are prey to molestation every 26th minute, rape every 34th minute, sexual abuse every 42nd minute, kidnapping every 43rd minute and dowry death every 93rd minute. While in the educated, urban middle class women's rights continue to improve, there remains a strong bias against gender equality in those societal parts of India, where patriarchal traditions prevail. Consequently, in these strata any inheritance of a deceased husband or father would be passed down to the oldest son, while his wife or daughters would not receive any financial benefit.There are laws in place to ensure legal protection for women's right to inheritance, but the enforcement of the law is challenging, when the woman is refused her right by the family, and when she is not confident or educated enough to claim her right. Bollywood The narratives of Hindi cinema have undoubtedly been male dominated and male centric. Themes have been explored from the male audience's point of view. The heroine is always secondary to the hero. Her role is charted out in context of any male character which is central to the script.It may be the hero, the villain, the father, the boss, an elderly male figure etc. She is devoid of any independent existence and her Journey throughout the film is explored in relation to the male character. This kind of straightjacketing limits the women's role to providing glamour, relief, respite and entertainment. For eg: Priyanka Chopra†s character in Agneepath (2012) is not of any significance to the story as such. It is only to give the audience a reak from the tedious scenes of violence and drama. She is there only as a romantic partner to Hrithik Roshan who is busy in avenging his father's brutal murder.Chronicling the male†s experiences, dreams, stories, revenge, angst, ambitions etc has been the essence of Hindi films. In the action genre of films popularized by the likes of Akshay Kumar, Sunny Deol and Sunil Shetty; the heroine is abruptly placed in the romantic track as a distraction for the viewer from monotonous bouts of violence. It is unusual to witness a strong female character in an action movie even if she indulges in some fghts and punches. Where are the Charlie's Angels of Bollywood (2000) and where can we find a character that Angelina Jolie played in SALT (2010)?Bollywood has so far dished out such female characters that the audience has almost been tamed into accepting women in certain kinds of roles only. Conclusion It is difficult to come to a uniform conclusion on the portrayal of celluloid women. Considering the fact that women in India are not a homogenous group – they belong to different religions, castes, class , and socio-economic status and have different kinds of ambitions and desires as a result of which they lead different lives, it is mproper to conclude that women on Indian silver screen have been portrayed in an identical manner.The portrayal ot course nas to be sensitive to the category to which they belong. For e. g. : An urban middle class woman's story would be entirely different from that of a woman in a village. Films thus have to be responsive towards the context in which they locate women characters. Women characters should possess agency to dismantle the existing power structures as well as be able to negotiate their own position within this structure. It is time that cinema seeks a redefinition of women as objects of male gaze. Women's experiences and dilemmas as points of narration are the need of the hour.Going beyond the stereotypes will do a great help to the cause of women in Indian society. Cinema has to create a separate and independent space for Indian women to he lp them realize their dreams. Cinema's only end is not to entertain. It must begin a quest for social change through entertainment. As a media product, identified to accelerate the process of modernity, cinema should not stick to the ?formula film†6; it should come up with more progressive representations of women. Such portrayals would do Justice to women and their role in the society.

Tom Shiftlet Was Happy with the Craters

O’Conner portrays Mr. Shiftlet very vaguely at the beginning of the story, but she tells readers a few facts about him that are vital to understanding who Tom really is. Mr. Shiftlet comes with an open heart to the Crater’s residence. He admires their home and is willing to work if they let him stay. This reveals that Tom is a hard working man. Although he seems to have an overly keen interest in their automobile, which seems suspicious, he makes an effort to make life easier for Lucynell Sr. and Jr. He even takes the time to Teach Lucynell Jr. a word. Up until this point he seems genuinely happy making them happy. Once Mrs. Crater starts trying to force tom to marry her daughter, he starts becoming uncomfortable with the situation. He even tries to go on as if nothing had happened and keep living as they were, but that does not work and Mrs. Crater keeps forcing it upon him. The most important fact that is revealed about Tom is that he is extremely unhappy with his life. Readers know that he ran away from his mother when he was younger and that he now regrets it very much. He also ends up running away from Mrs.  Crater when she started to try to control him. This suggests that Tom is not very fond of people controlling him. And although he continually runs away he is very unhappy with the decisions that he has made over the course of the years but instead of standing his ground and fixing his problems and himself, he runs away. Mr. Shiftlet introduces himself as a carpenter to Mrs. Carter and has a tin box to prove it. He seems, however, very hesitant to tell her anything else about himself since whenever she asked him a question, â€Å"he didn't answer† (977). He promptly proves his worth the next morning when â€Å"he began on the roof of the garden house† (978). â€Å"He had not been around a week before the change he had made was apparent. He had patched the front and back steps, built a new hog pen, and restored a fence† (978-9). The question most readers would ask is why would he go through all the trouble to fix all of these things? The literal answer may seem simple and functional: he wants to create a trusting atmosphere so he could lure Lucynell into somehow giving him the car. That is, after all what he seems to want. His eye are always â€Å"focused on part of the automobile† (978) and he was able to get it in the end, but it is clearly not what he really wants or needs since he still â€Å"became depressed in spite of the car† (982). What Tom really wanted was to feel loved and needed without being controlled. He wanted to be part of a family again, but under his terms. So he tried with all his might, and even went to the extent of teaching the deaf girl to speak, to make the situation work the way he wanted it to. What he quickly realized was that Lucynell Sr. had a plan for him. As the story progresses readers find that Mr. Shiftlet is quite unhappy with his past. He seems upset when Mrs. Crater calls him a â€Å"poor disabled friendless drifting man† (980). Although she is stating exactly who he is and what he presents himself to be, he does not approve and â€Å"the ugly words settled in his head a like a group of buzzards† (980). Later on in the conversation when Mrs. Crater accuses Tom of milking her, he is â€Å"deeply hurt by the word milk† (981). These two examples demonstrate how hard it is for Tom to deal with reality. Lucynell does nothing but state simple facts, yet he is still disturbed by them. This may mean that he wants to change, or it may mean that he wants to start over altogether. After he takes the car and leaves Lucynell Jr. at the Hot Spot â€Å"he was more depressed then ever as he drove on by himself† (982). This is very intriguing because he no longer has to care for Lucynell, he has money and a car, yet he is still unhappy, and maybe even more than before. Again this shows that all Tom wants is to be part of a family, like he once was. He wants another chance since he ruined the one he had with his mother long ago by running away. Taking into consideration Tom’s feelings and actions, readers can now see the real problem. Tom is a very insecure person, and he is not content with the person that he has become. He claims to have never â€Å"rued a day of his life like the one he rued when he left† (983) his mother. The events that take place after this obviously force him to think negatively of himself. He is not able to handle problems so he takes to running away from them. And like an addict, he keeps on running faster and faster, knowing full well that it is not the right thing to do. It seems as if he is unable to wrap his mind around the ides of someone telling him what to do. When he married Lucynell, he was â€Å"morose and bitter as if he had been insulted† (981). Although Tom is portrayed as a very strong character that takes charge of situations and achieves what he wants, it becomes quite clear as the story goes on that he is the complete opposite. Lucynell Sr. quickly takes control of his life and becomes a little greedy with her demands. It is not enough for her that Tom has made her and her daughter’s lives eons better, and that he has every intention of continuing to do so. She forces him to marry her daughter, and this proves to be too much for Tom. The only thing he knows how to do is to run away from anyone who tries to make decisions for him. He is very discontent with himself and is almost disgusted with what he is; a disabled, drifting, and friendless man. To get rid of some of the disgust, he runs away and tries to start over. This substitutes his inability to repair his own problems and the constant need to flee. In the end, it is safe to say that Tom T. Shiftlet has the desire to be good, and conquer his own problems, but has not found the courage or the ability to do so. He has the desire to be part of a family and be a proper man, but is unable to accept the fact that he cannot control everything all the time. For now he is still a carpenter, and that is as far as his ability to repair things will go.

American Dad

Roger, the sarcastic alien who saved Stan from Area 51 hates the fact that he is restricted to the our walls of the house unless he dresses in ridiculous outfits that question his sexuality. He smokes and drinks to cope with the torture of his own life. Klaus, the family goldfish is not actually a normal fish is from an experiment gone wrong due to the CIA. When they tried to put a German mans brain in a fishs brain they created Klaus who is also madly in love with Francine. (midi. Com) A utopia is a community or society possessing highly desirable or near perfect qualities. (Webster Dictionary). The show American Dad tries to portray their society and family as a Utopia meaning whatever happens wrought the episode there will always be a happy ending after the thirty minutes the show allots. This show exemplifies entertainment for the audience as utopia. The show revolves around C. I. A. Agent Stan Smith, and his not so average family. Stan is constantly fighting off terrorists who threaten the safety of the United States, sometimes causing more harm than good. His wife Francine is your average house wife.She juggles Stan and the kids while keeping a sound mind. Halley, Stains only daughter, is your average rebellious teenager. She speaks her own mind, and does things her win way. Steve, Stains only son, is a bit of a geek. He enjoys games like Dungeons and Dragons, and participating in comic book conventions. Although hes not Stains dream son, he always makes him proud. Then theres Roger, the illegal alien who the Smith are keeping protected. Roger deals with your average alien emotions, and the fact that he is not allowed out in public, which causes him great distress.Last but not least, Klaus, the Smith s wisecracking talking fish who is secretly in love with Francine. (TV Calendar) The theme song that opens the show on every episode starts by inning a catchy patriotic jingle. The first few lines Stan sings tells Of his optimistic outlook on his beloved country LISA, giving inanimate objects humanistic qualities which is personification. Although the song is short and sweet, it makes the audience think this show is going to an upbeat and positive television show for a family. By comparing this show to our country, it gives a negative light to the United States as a whole.In a recent episode, the rapture occurred while Stan and Francine are left on the planet with Roger to occupy their time. Stan went to any and all lengths to try to get selected for the second coming of the rapture by finding the supposed Jesus Christ backstage and letting him have sexual activities with him after he blamed Francine for all his problems. After all the problems that occurred in this episode, the end of the episode made everyone look like one big happy family. The show American Dad ridicules America with the constant back and forth idiotic tactics they do throughout all the seasons.It makes fun of America by basically saying whatever happens in this show is how America is in a whole. Stan hides Roger in his attic so the government would not take him because he feels he owes Roger something for saving his life. This example proves that there is corruption in our government. Although Francine appears to be a normal housewife her dark, secretive past with lust, drugs, and sex constantly haunt her. Haley Stan and Franchises daughter, is an activist to anything her father has to defend because she feels like the government are a bunch of arrogant, conceited men in suits with too much power.The son Steve, is an average high school aged boy who just wants to it in. He tries almost everything in his power to make the girls in his school want to lust after him like he lusts after them. The alien Roger, he plays the role as the red headed step child that doesnt really fit in but makes the show more entertaining to people. Klaus the goldfish, he always has a trick up his sleeve in any situation he comes across. American Dad does not portray America the way we or any other country should view it.It makes a mockery of our country by saying no matter what you do or the severity you do it to everything will go back to normal at the end of the day which is not reality. If there were actual consequences to the actions the characters Stan, Francine, Haley, Steve, Roger, or Klaus committed it would not be topic of discussion, but since there is no repercussion for their actions they continue to do illegal things. American Dad is nothing short of a joke to society and the fact that people make real comparisons to the show and our country shows that television has an impact on the lives of the people who inhabit our world.