Mis Paper on Movie Industry

One hotly contested and highly competitive industry is the movie rental business. You can rent videos from local video rental stores, you can order pay-per-view from the comfort of your own home, and you can rent videos from the Web at such sites as NetFlix. Using Porter's Five Forces Model, evaluate the relative attractiveness of entering the movie rental business. Is buyer power low or high? Is supplier power low or high? Which substitute products and services are perceived as threats? Can new entrants easily enter the market? What are the barriers to entry? What is the level of rivalry among existing competitors? What is your overall view of the movie rental business? Is it a good or bad industry to enter? Why? The model I will be using to evaluate the relative attractiveness of entering the movie rental business is Redbox that have become a leader in kiosk DVD rentals with low prices and ease of renting movies. Buying power is low in this market because there is only a few distributors and the each are selling the same movies so the price they pay is relativity the same for each customer with very little price difference. The price of movies has gone up on the newer types of DVD’s ( blu-ray) but it has gone up for everyone, but the volume of movies sold by Redbox offsets that increase. The bargaining power of the customers determines the pressure customers put on a particular market. Redbox’s business model considers this in the following ways:Â   Customers generally do not buy large volumes of the product. There are only a few operators in the industry. The fixed cost by suppliers is high, but this applies to competitors as well. There is really no legal substitute for the product. Customers are price-sensitive, but Redbox provides the product cheaper then all of its competitors. Customers can not produce the product. The product is of strategically importance – entertainment. The threat of alternative products does not exist. It is only the distribution of the product that has alternative modes. The customer gets the same brand of the same quality with Redbox as with any other seller in the industry. Close customer relations do exist, but not in the conventional sense; however, it exist through customer service and online. There is no notable difference in the price for performance – except the ease of obtaining Redbox’s products. Redbox’s business model deals with the different pressures of new entrants in the following ways:Â   Competition would have to develop an enterprise of significant size to be considered a threat. The have secured many of the prize locations for their kiosk (Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, Walgreen’s). A company would be hard press to find better locations to compete on the same level as redbox. Considering the volume of hardware, software and personnel; the initial cost to competitors would be very high. The machines are extremely expensive plus having the software and personnel to run them. Existing competitors, (Blockbusters) though experienced, are not prepared to compete in a kiosk rental capacity. But they are moving in that direction Blockbuster as an example has said it will close some of it stores and put in kiosks instead, called Blockbuster Express. The loyalty in this industry is to the product, not the distributor. Existing competitors will have to completely reinvent their business to compete in that Market. Most competitors’ strategies are out-dated and are playing catch up to redbox’s business model, The product is the same between competitors; it is Redbox’s kiosks presence that makes it more attractive. The market growth is constant. Rivalry among competitors is very high and they are always looking for more ways to bring the customer to them and away from the competition, they use advertising, promotions, and price cuts to get customers to use them. Redbox has done a good job of competing by using the low price of its product verses it competition. Before redbox an average rental was between 3 and 4 dollars for one or two nights. With redbox lowering the price to one dollar a night and using the convenience of an atm style platform it set the competitors scrambling to match that price point. I have a different view of the movie industry then most I feel because of the situation I am in as owning my own store for the last ten years. When I first started out we only had vhs tapes and they were very expansive to buy for rental which was offset by the fact that you could not buy new release at Wal-Mart for 30 to 45 days so the customer had to rent from you. With the invention of the dvd the studios began selling to Wal-Mart on the same day it came out at the video store, so now customers could buy it instead of renting it of course the price came down but so did the profits. Then with redbox entering the market the total price point changed. The dollar price point does not leave much room for profit unless there is a large turnover. The small mom and pop stores are hard pressed to compete in this market because they can not buy in volume or sell as many products to make it affordable. If I was starting my business today I would not open a brick and mortar store I would try to get into the kiosk market. But I would do it in a way that would be unique. I would go to smaller markets with less competition and sell my product at a higher price then redbox but cheaper then the brick and motor stores. Works Cited http://www. slashfilm. com/2009/09/16/blockbuster-may-close-20-of-locations-is-the-chains-future-kiosk-only

The textbook was a very interesting and colorfully descriptive history text

I read approximately 350-400 pages in the text A History of Western Society, 8th Ed.   Ã‚  I didn’t read in a continuous style instead flipping through the book stopping at something interesting reading then reading several pages of that chapter, moving on to others gaining knowledge of several chapters of the book rather than focusing on one.It is a historical text on western civilization from Mesopotamia to the present, with focus on social history with chapters on Greece, Rome, religious wars, political revolutions, evolutions in energy and industry, expansion, urbanism, nationalism, dictatorship and the Second World War, even the Cold War.   I thought of it as a sociological perspective on history.The textbook was a very interesting and colorfully descriptive history text.   I liked that the theme of politics and culture were balanced giving the reader a chance to see it from a broader perspective.   It balanced the socio-economical structures during different peri ods in time that was very intriguing.The way the book was presented the reader with tools to help with self-educating and useful study guides for students to truly understand what it must have been like in the past, socially.   I felt the questions were really helpful in stimulating my own critical thinking.   Features all through the text gave interesting accounts of everything from groups to major historical events that put the reader right into history.I felt that the pictures were chosen well to present the material written.   I like that everything from resent news, art and European countries were given a fair introduction to western history.   I felt the authors were able to give a broader perspective to foreign countries that were much unbiased.   Islamic regions were also introduced to the reader in very stimulating terms. And I am glad to see that the expansion of history to include women and gender issues that has occurred in western society.   The section on w itch hunts and the Athenian women balanced the book nicely.I really enjoyed flipping through and reading the text and felt that it would be a very good tool to use for undergraduate study as an introductory class.   It gives the student a really good start on terms and concepts of sociology and history.   I felt that this would also be a good book for the use in Art History.The color photos clearly show the artistic beauty of many cultures and society.   The three authors John P. McKay, Bennett D. Hill, and Buckler are well respected and each is very proficient in history; which gave the book a solid scholarly mark for it to be a must reading.The book should be on any good historian’s book shelf.   The use of Blackboard I really liked because of the apparent growing use of that learning tool.   This text was full of teaching tools to use with that program that will help the first year student to become acquainted with something they will increasing begin to use on t heir trek towards their college degrees.Reference:McKay, J.P., Hill, B.D., & Buckler, J. (2006) A History of Western Society, 8th. Ed.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Boston: Houghton Mifflin.   

HS630 week 9 conference Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HS630 week 9 conference - Essay Example In this regard, at the onset, risk was made apparently clear. Do people know what to do and when to do it? Through the eight stages, people are made aware on what to do and when to do it through information needs assessment, communication action assessment and communication action implementation stages (Lindell, Prater, & Perry, 2007, p. 83). For instance, in the stage involving information needs assessment, an identified need is confirmed. Through communication action assessment, people get to know what to do since â€Å"people often rely on the news media to confirm information they received about the hazard from other sources† (Lindell, Prater, & Perry, 2007, p. 84). And through communication action implementation stage, people have confirmed the threat or risk and take the needed protective action, as advised. Do people know and how to get more information? Yes, people get to know the manner of getting more information through â€Å"contacting many people many people over a short period of time (Drabek and Stephenson, 1971; cited in Lindell, Prater, & Perry, 2007, p. 85). Through the eight stages of warning and action, information is gathered and communicated effectively to enable them to gather as much information as reliably possible and to take appropriate action, as relayed. Essay Question 2: For a business or a local jurisdiction, outline an outreach communications plan for a crisis. Identify the type of crisis first, and 5 different audiences you need to communicate with. For each audience segment, summarize the key messages you need to convey, what media or method you would use to disseminate those messages, the timing (before a crisis, immediately after, during response, during recovery), and who might be the spokesperson (e.g., e-mail or tweet from a CEO; briefing by an expert). The spokesperson is optional. Follow the template below. potential flash floods as information was received from news media and local government agencies; include

Managing Communications, Knowledge and Information Essay - 3

Managing Communications, Knowledge and Information - Essay Example There is virtually no need to worry about differences in opinions since they are healthy so long as people remain calm and state their opinion in a polite manner. Respect is therefore identified as an effective communication tool which allows you to do that because it emphasizes the other person’s right to have a different viewpoint to your own. There doesn’t have to be a right and a wrong in everything. b. Focus on the other person Being in another person’s shoes ought to facilitate communication. One should be able to understand and appreciate that whatever he or she is saying is expressed with a lot of ease. It is thus advisable that one really listens to what another person is saying and gives him/her a good chance to speak. It is worth noting that much impossibility accompanies any action of trying to speak and listen at the same time. So one needs to make sure there is much time when he/she is not speaking, so that he/she can listen what the other person ha s to say. Take note of what is being said. c. Read between the lines Any assumptions have the possibility of leading to several problems, but there is a middle ground. Over and over again, people can be nervous of speaking their mind, but their worries and their feelings do not get away, they just fester and make people feel bad. One is proficient enough to employ some knowledge about the person being spoken to, to be familiar with situations of holding back on another person. He/she could then gently look into in the area or reassure them that they are safe to speak their mind. Determining where the gaps are in a situation that entirely depends more so on being sensitive to the next point. d. Body language It may be of surprise that more of the messages are conveyed through body languages than by verbal communications. One has to ensure that your body language says that you are open and willing to listen, and watch out for what the other person’s body language is saying to y ou. Reading body language is a really effective communication skill. e. Considering responses A number of conversations are thrown off course by an overemotional response. That destroys effective communication and can be evaded via taking deep breaths, stepping back slightly and thinking prior to speaking. An efficient communication proficiency that is often over-looked is the acknowledgment of gender divergences in communication. One fact is that men in most cases do communicate on factual levels, while women do it on emotional levels. It can lead to misapprehensions. Action Plan Good goals are effective in enhancing communication skills. SMART (Specific and Strategic; Measurable; Action Oriented; Rigorous, Realistic and Results Focused; Timed and Tracked) goals framework is a fundamental tool for individuals to use in creating effective goals and action plans. Specific and Strategic (S) A Goal needs to be simple and plainly written, with adequate specificities to determine whether they have been accomplished. A goal is defined as strategic only if it serves a significant purpose and when it concentrates on something which is likely to have a large impact on the overall vision. Measurable (M) Whatever is cannot be measured, cannot be managed whatsoever. What measures of quantity, quality, and/or impact can be used to determine whet

Whether to Publish a Rape Victim's Name Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Whether to Publish a Rape Victim's Name - Essay Example This raises both ethical and legal aspect in which the police might fall in the pressure of the public to expedite the findings on the people involve. This consequentially gives wrong leads and the police might end up with the wrong people. The legal aspect is that the police might face liability later upon deeper findings on how the real culprits. The editor or the news director must consider whether the rape victim is okay with the story being shared with other people. The rape aspect is a sensitive aspect and therefore requires the media to confide to the victim on whether to publish the story. Publishing the story without informing the victim is contrary to private life and amounts to unethical standards on a professional journalism career (McBride & Tom 12). Rape victims normally undergo tough situations and suffer from illnesses like posttraumatic stress (Smith 19). Therefore, they tend to shy away from anything that reminds them of the ordeal. Therefore, according to journalism standards, an editor must consider whether the victim in question is at the position of handling consequent reminders of the painful experience. This has to be weighed b understanding the victim’s background and establish prior to the

Economics of Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Economics of Education - Assignment Example Hanushek uses statistical analysis, typically regression analysis, to analyze results from a total of 137 studies. He samples the work to smaller groups depending on the number of researches that used a given parameter. He investigates three main factors that have greatly been used to determine basic school expenditures namely schools, expenditure and achievement. According to most researches, instructional expenditures accounts for approximately two thirds of a school’s expenditure. Instructional expenditures are determined by class sizes and teacher salaries. For these reason, he sampled a total of 7 expenditure parameters used in a majority of the investigated studies. These parameters include teacher/pupil ratio, teacher experience, teacher education, teacher salary, administrative inputs, expenditure/pupil, and facilities. By analyzing the impact of each of these parameters, Hanushek sought to show that there is no strong correlation between the level of expenditure and t he school performance and therefore, school policies should not be formulated based on this (Hanushek ). He carried out extensive regression analysis to show how results from different studies were statistically insignificant with the use of the seven parameters. The second study by Hedges et al. reanalyzes the literature review done by Hanushek. The researchers in this case began by setting a null hypothesis that the educational resource inputs do not have an impact on the performance of students. They used different statistical methods of analysis and the same data used by Hanushek to show that Hanushek’s vote count was inconsistent with the null hypothesis. They used a normal curve to show how the conclusions failed to consider basics of statistics analysis. Among the defects they were able to show in Hanushek’s work include failure to provide indications for the effects’ magnitude and using vote counting, yet it depicts low power in detecting defects. They c oncluded that Hanushek made a type II statistical analysis error by using this statistical method. To correct the mistakes in Hanushek’s work, they used sophisticated procedures namely combined significance tests and effect magnitude analysis. Combined significance tests are done by combining the p-values of significance values from all the studies that test similar conceptual hypothesis but uses different outcome measures and designs. Using this method, Hedge et al were able to show that there is a significant positive relationship between input resources and student performance. Effect magnitude analysis method is a method where coefficients from independent studies are combined. This method of analysis was also able to show a positive relationship between school inputs and performance. They used standard deviation methods to standardize both inputs as well as outputs. Question 2 Although both studies used the same data set to analyze the data, they had different conclusion s. Hanushek concluded that expenditure was statistically insignificant on student performance, while Hedge et al concluded that all the seven inputs had a positive effect on student performance. According to Hedge et al, the amount of expenditure input can help improve general student and school performance. These differences in conclusion are

How does King Louis XIV's History Reflect Through Buildings, Arches, Research Paper

How does King Louis XIV's History Reflect Through Buildings, Arches, and Statues in Paris - Research Paper Example The changes introduced by King Louis XIV in building were to replace the current styles in architecture: ornate rococo dominated in the design of market buildings, hospitals and hotels. He adopted the modern floor plans, and a well planned logic was behind all those changes. The exteriors of buildings were composed of large, regularly shaped blocks, and the walls of buildings were plain, with no architectural extravagancies. The Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture was also established under his rule, and the king took measures to promote the work of art and architecture (Blunt). The Louvre and the palace of Versailles were the projects that were supervised by the king himself. They were considered to be the most glamorous building, and even today the architecture of Paris is largely defined by the period of the Sun King’s rule. The king brought the concept of absolute monarchy in the country, which also reflected in his way of life. In contrast with the aristocratic mindse t, he was fond of making portraits and statues of his own and had a great taste for making arches in Paris. The King reconstructed the Louvre in 1663 and created the Apollo Temples, the name of which resonated with the Louis XVI’s nickname: Appollo means ‘the god of sun,’ and hence his alias ‘the Sun King’ (Blunt). In spite of all the money that was spent on wars and winning those wars, the art under the rule of Louis flourished like it had never flourished before. He sponsored many great architects, artists and sculptures and promoted the French Classicism. Classicism was the style in architecture in which more focus was put on logic and the order of patterns. It focused more on the right use of colors than on adorning the building with painting (Shennan). The king... The research paper attempts to describe and discuss the history of the King of France King Louis XIV and explores his huge impact and interest in buildings, arches, and statues in Paris. This paper mentiones Paris as an architectural pearl due to the styles of buildings and statues that were built according to the old styles, such as French Baroque that is a style in architecture which was evolved under the reign of Louis XIV and then spread out into all the European countries. Classicism that was also analyzed in the paper has dominated in the design of buildings in Paris and was the preferred style in the seventeenth century. The king’s approach to architecture reflected his political clout. The research paper describes how the king recognized the importance of the city as it represented the power of the king. Artistic productivity was one of the defining characteristics of Louis XIV’s reign as he led the country to its cultural greatness through the patronage of the architectural development. Before his reign, Rome was considered as the artistic capital of Europe, but closer to the end of his rule, Paris had became the European centre of art. When concluding the efforts of King Louis, it should be mentioned that he had to demonstrate his power to other countries, which motivated to develop interest in fostering the creation of buildings that are still considered to be the greatest achievement of his reign. These glamorous buildings, arches and statues will remain the center of attraction in Paris for many centuries to come.

Technology of Information Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Technology of Information Security - Essay Example at the present are a mixture of these two solutions, where some data are stored on a centralized server and accessed by client computers, as well as some data is stored only on local computers which is never shared with other client computers (Microsoft, 2003; Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat, 2005). In addition, all of the above discussed situations come with a variety of security problems to consider. In fact, for the majority of business organizations, at the very least some of this data must be kept secure. Moreover, in order to help present effective data security in the above discussed situations, there exist a wide variety of IT security technologies that can be used by the business organizations to keep their sensitive data and information secure during storage and network communication. Additionally, there is not a single IT security technology that has the capability to protect all data against all kinds of attack. However, there are many security technologies that can be combined to implement a wide-ranging security infrastructure that protects against a wide variety of security attacks (Microsoft, 2003; Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat, 2005). I have presented below three information security technologies: It is an admitted fact that the majority of business organizations are exposing their personal networks to Internet traffic; as a result, the deployment of firewalls has become a basic need. Basically, â€Å"a firewall stops illegal communication inside and outside of the network, facilitating the company to implement a security strategy on traffic running between its network and the Internet† (Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005; Laudon & Laudon, 1999). Additionally, firewalls can be either software or hardware. However, an effective firewall arrangement will be based on both (Beal, 2004). In this scenario, a firewall divides a network into different domains. A wide-ranging implementation of the firewall has the Internet as un-trusted domain; a semi

Video Case Meredith Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Video Meredith - Case Study Example Another key variable is interest, as this helps define what kind of products they are interested in, as many of the magazines, special interest publications and advertisements are targeted around specific interests. Finally, recent marketing efforts have focused on life events, what factors are changing in the life of the consumer, such as whether they are having a baby or are close to retirement in order to segment the market. Meredith uses survey techniques to get in touch with customers, asking them a wide range of questions including what they do and do not like in the magazines, editorial interests, and where they are in their life. This allows them to build a comprehensive picture of the needs and desires of consumers, their interests and their passion and what they desire in a magazine. The marketing department feels that with the wide range of products now available it is important to have substantial knowledge of the target market. Meredith’s database is large, having 85 million entries, and allows them to reach eight out of ten home owner. As a consequence of this wealth of information, Meredith uses targeted marketing, in particular direct mail to advertise to customers. They use this to send out direct mail offers to consumers on the database that are targeted around this information. Their marketing techniques are very direct, and they prefer to send out a limited number of targeted dir ect advertisements and offers than a large number of broad ones. The direct mail they send is more than simply advertisements, instead the mail contains offers on a large number of products and publications that the consumer is likely to be interested in based on the database information. As a consequence, there is a much higher chance of the consumer responding to the advertising than to non-targeted or mass advertising. Because of their wide database and ability to data mine and analyze the information that is contained within it, Meredith has been

Homosexuality and God Essay Example for Free

Homosexuality and God Essay LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. In use since the 1990s, the term LGBT is an adaptation of the initialism LGB, which itself started replacing the phrase gay community beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the community in question felt did not accurately represent all those to whom it referred. The initialism has become mainstream as a self-designation and has been adopted by the majority sexuality and gender identity-based community centers and media in the United States and some other English-speaking countries. The term LGBT is intended to emphasize a diversity of sexuality and gender identity-based cultures and is sometimes used to refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual or cisgender instead of exclusively to people who are homosexual, bisexual, or transgender. To recognize this inclusion, a popular variant adds the letter Q for those who identify as queer and/or are questioning their sexual identity as LGBTQ, recorded since 1996. In Malaysia, LGBT rights are partially recognized. LGBT individuals encompass all races and ethnicities, religions, and social classes. Sexual orientation and gender identity questions are not asked on most national or State surveys, making it difficult to estimate the number of LGBT individuals and their health needs. Research suggests that LGBT individuals face health disparities linked to societal stigma, discrimination, and denial of their civil and human rights. Discrimination against LGBT persons has been associated with high rates of psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and suicide. Experiences of violence and victimization are frequent for LGBT individuals, and have long-lasting effects on the individual and the community. Personal, family, and social acceptance of sexual orientation and gender identity affects the mental health and personal safety of LGBT individuals. It is important to recognize the difference between sexual orientation and sexual behavior as well as the differences among sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender role. Sexual orientation is the affectional or loving attraction to another person. It can be considered as ranging along a continuum from same-sex attraction only at one end of the continuum to pposite-sex attraction only at the other end. Heterosexuality is the attraction to persons of the opposite sex; homosexuality, to persons of the same sex; and bisexuality, to both sexes. Sexual orientation can be seen as part of a continuum ranging from same-sex attraction only (at one end of the continuum) to opposite-sex attraction only (at the other end of the continuum). Sexual behavior, or sexual activity, differs from sexual orientation and alone does not define someone as an LGBT individual. Any person may be capable of sexual behavior with a person of the same or opposite sex, but an individual knows his or her longings—erotic and affectional—and which sex is more likely to satisfy those needs. It is necessary to draw a distinction between sexual orientation and sexual behavior. Not every person with a homosexual or bisexual orientation is sexually active. A person’s sexual orientation does not tell us if she/he is sexually active or does it define her /his specific sexual behaviors. Similarly, sexual behavior alone does not define orientation. A personal awareness of having a sexual orientation that is not exclusively heterosexual is one way a person identifies herself or himself as an LGBT person. Or a person may have a sexual identity that differs from his or her biological sex—that is, a person may have been born a male but identifies and feels more comfortable as a female. Sexual orientation and gender identity are two independent variables in an individual’s definition of himself or herself. Sexual identity is the personal and unique way that a person perceives his or her own sexual desires and sexual expressions. Biological sex is the biological distinction between men and women. Gender is the concept of maleness and masculinity or femaleness and femininity. One’s gender identity is the sense of one’s self as male or female and does not refer to one’s sexual orientation or gender role. Sex refers to the biological characteristics of a person at birth, while gender relates to his or her perception of being male or female and is known as the gender role. Gender role refers to the behaviors and desires to act in certain ways that are viewed as masculine or feminine by a particular culture. A culture usually labels behaviors as masculine or feminine, but these behaviors are not necessarily a direct component of gender or gender identity. It is common in our culture to call the behaviors, styles, or interests shown by males that are usually associated with women â€Å"effeminate† and to call the boys who behave this way â€Å"sissies. Women or girls who have interests usually associated with men are labeled â€Å"masculine† or â€Å"butch,† and the girls are often called â€Å"tomboys. † Transsexuals are people with the biological characteristics of one sex who identify themselves as the opposite gender and have had some type of surgical alteration and/or hormone treatments that changes their bodies’ appearance in alignment with their identity. While understanding the various concepts used in sexual orientation in general, it is very imperative to define in specific details definition of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) accordingly. Lesbian which is originally a Greek word, is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an adjective, to describe characteristics of an object or activity related to female same-sex desire. Lesbian as a concept, used to differentiate women with a shared sexual orientation, is a 20th-century construct. Gay is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward/between males. Gay is a word (a noun or an adjective) that primarily refers to a homosexual person. The word gay arrived in English during the 12th century from Old French gai, most likely deriving ultimately from a Germanic source. The term was originally used to refer to feelings of being carefree, happy, or bright and showy; it had also come to acquire some connotations of immorality as early as 1637. The terms use as a reference to homosexuality may date as early as the late 19th century, but its use gradually increased in the 20th century. In modern English, gay has come to be used as an adjective, and as a noun, referring to the people, especially to men, and the practices and cultures associated with homosexuality. By the end of the 20th century, the word gay was recommended by major LGBT groups and style guides to describe people attracted to members of the same sex. Bisexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward males and females. The term is especially used in the context of human sexual attraction to denote romantic or sexual feelings toward men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the heterosexual–homosexual continuum. People who have a distinct but not exclusive sexual preference for one sex over the other may identify themselves as bisexual. Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles. Transgender is the state of ones gender identity (self-identification as woman, man, neither or both) not matching ones assigned sex (identification by others as male, female or intersex based on physical/genetic sex). †Transgender does not imply any specific form of sexual orientation; transgender people may identify as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, or asexual; some may consider conventional sexual orientation labels inadequate or inapplicable to them. The precise definition for transgender remains in flux, but includes: Of, relating to, or designating a person whose identity does not conform unambiguously to conventional notions of male or female gender roles, but combines or moves between these. People who were assigned a sex, usually at birth and based on their genitals, but who feel that this is a false or incomplete description of themselves. Non-identification with, or non-presentation as, the sex (and assumed gender) one was assigned at birth. A transgender individual may have characteristics that are normally associated with a particular gender, identify elsewhere on the traditional gender continuum, or exist outside of it as other, agender, Genderqueer, or third gender. Sexuality and gender have different impacts in each culture’s laws, attitudes, and organizations. More secular and â€Å"modernized† societies often have more favorable treatment of LGBT individuals than societies which value tradition and r eligious piety. However, accurate generalizations are difficult to make; even within Malaysia, attitudes towards LGBT individuals vary from person to person. Cultural differences in LGBT issues have wide-ranging effects. Other cultures may have different ways of expressing affection—for example, in India, it is common for same-sex friends to hold hands without any assumption of a romantic connection—or of categorizing gender and sexuality—for example, in parts of Latin America, a man is not considered gay if he engages in same-sex intercourse as the insertive artner. Thus, American English terms and conceptualizations of LGBT issues may not directly translate. The visibility of LGBT individuals and organizations varies by culture. Some cultures have an underground LGBT scene where LGBT individuals are tolerated as long as they remain mainly closeted, whereas other cultures may have a more open and organized community of LGBT individuals. In addition, some cultures may provide legal protection for LGBT individuals and recognize their partnerships, while other cultures may criminalize same-sex intercourse. Globally in some country; For example in Malaysia, Cross-dressing(Gender identity/expression) is not technically a crime. However, transgender individuals have often been arrested by police officers under the civil laws governing public indecency, and if they are Muslim, can be further charged by religious officers under Sharia Laws for impersonating women. For example, in 1998, Forty-five Muslim transvestites were charged and convicted in court for dressing as women, and twenty-three more transgender persons faced similar fines and imprisonment in 1999. Finally, there may be major differences within the LGBT community in a specific culture; for example, in parts of southeastern Asia it is considered culturally acceptable for a man to have sex with a feminine transgendered man, while there are no such provisions for women having sex with transgendered women. Homosexuality: The Christian Perspective (LESBIAN, GAY Bisexuality) In a world of moral confusion and ethical compromise, the principles for which the Holy Bible stands, is directing the Christians in the right path to God and the way of life. The Christian point of view is based solely upon the Bible, the divinely inspired Word of God. A truly Christian standard of ethics is the conduct of divine revelation, not of statistical research or of public opinion. For the Christian, the Bible is the final authority for both belief and behaviour. The Explicitly the Bible teach about homosexuality can be considered as basic because, if we accept Gods Word on the subject of homosexuality, we benefit from His adequate answer to this problem as seen in Christianity. This project is concerned only with the Christian or biblical view of homosexuality. The Bible has much to say about sex sins in general for a view in Homosexuality in Christian perspective. First, there is adultery. Adultery in the natural sense is sexual intercourse of a married person with someone other than his or her own spouse. It is condemned in both the Old and New Testaments (Exodus 20:14; I Cor. 6:9, 10). Christ forbids dwelling upon the thoughts, the free play of ones imagination that leads to adultery (Matthew 5:28). Second, there is fornication, the illicit sex acts of unmarried persons which is likewise forbidden (I Corinthians 5:1; 6:13, 18; Ephesians 5:3). Then there is homosexuality which likewise is condemned in Scripture. The Apostle Paul, writing by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, declares that homosexuality shall not inherit the kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:9; 10). Now Paul does not single out the homosexual as a special offender. He includes fornicators, idolators, adulterers, thieves, covetous persons, drunkards, revilers and extortioners. And then he adds the comment that some of the Christians at Corinth had been delivered from these very practices: And such were some of you: But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God (I Corinthians 6:11). All of the sins mentioned in this passage are condemned by God, but just as there was hope in Christ for the Corinthians, so is there hope for all of us. Homosexuality is an illicit lust forbidden by God. He said to His people Israel, Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination (Leviticus 18:22). If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them (Leviticus 20:13). In these passages homosexuality is condemned as a prime example of sin, a sexual perversion. The Christian can neither alter Gods viewpoint nor depart from it. In the Bible sodomy is a synonym for homosexuality. God spoke plainly on the matter when He said, There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel (Deuteronomy 23:17). The whore and the sodomite are in the same category. A sodomite was not an inhabitant of Sodom nor a descendant of an inhabitant of Sodom, but a man who had given himself to homosexuality, and the unnatural vice for which Sodom was known. Let us look at the passages in question: â€Å"But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house around, old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men hich came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them. And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. (Genesis 19:4-8)† The Hebrew word for know in verse 5 is yada `, a sexual term. It is used frequently to denote sexual intercourse (Genesis 4:1, 17, 25; Matthew 1:24, 25). The message in the context of Genesis 19 is clear. Lot pled with the men to do not so wickedly. Homosexuality is wickedness and must be recognized as such else there is no hope for the homosexual who is asking for help to be extricated from his sinful way of life. Romans 1:24-27; I Timothy 1:10 and Jude 7. If one takes these Scriptures seriously, homosexuality will be recognized as an evil. The Romans passage is unmistakably clear. Paul attributes the moral depravity of men and women to their rejection of the truth of God (1:25). They refused to retain God in their knowledge (1:28), thereby dethroning God and deifying themselves. The Old Testament had clearly condemned homosexuality but in Pauls day there were those persons who rejected its teaching. Because of their rejection of Gods commands He punished their sin by delivering them over to it. The philosophy of substituting Gods Word with ones own reasoning commenced with Satan. He introduced it at the outset of the human race by suggesting to Eve that she ignore Gods orders, assuring her that in so doing she would become like God with the power to discern good and evil (Genesis 3:1-5). That was Satans big lie. Paul said that when any person rejects Gods truth, his mind becomes reprobate, meaning void of sound judgment. The reprobate mind, having rejected Gods truth, is not capable of discerning good and evil. In Romans 1:26-31 twenty-three punishable sins are listed with homosexuality leading the list. Paul wrote, For this cause God gave them up into vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. † (Romans 1:26, 27). These verses are telling us that homosexuals suffer in their body and personality the inevitable consequences of their wrong doing. Notice that the behaviour of the homosexual is described as a vile affection (1:26). The Greek word translated vile (atimia) means filthy, dirty, evil, and dishonourable. The word affection in Greek is pathos, used by the Greeks of either a good or bad desire. Here in the context of Romans it is used in a bad sense. The vile affection is a degrading passion, a shameful lust. Both the desire (lusting after) and the act of homosexuality are condemned in the Bible as sin.

U S Custom Border Protection Are We Secure Criminology Essay

U S Custom Border Protection Are We Secure Criminology Essay U.S customs and border protection is the united states department of homeland security, which is charged for facilitation and regulation of international trades, enforcing U.S regulations and laws, including trade, customs and immigration. It is responsible for protecting the United States sovereign border at and between the official ports of entry. The agency protects the U.S from terrorist and harmful weapons. It provides assuarity of protection against human and drug trafficking and illegal immigration. This agency is protecting united states agriculture and economy from harmful pest and diseases. Its the federal enforcement agency which keeps an eye on illegal immigrations and providing security from intellectual property theft. Over 40000 soldiers ensures that border traffic moves smoothly to legitimate travel and trade while keeping undesirable people and goods out of the country. It was established in 2003. Its mission statement is: We are the guardians of our nations borders. We are Americas frontline. We safeguard the American homeland at and beyond our borders. We protect the American public against terrorists and the instruments of terror. We steadfastly enforce the laws of the United States while fostering our nations economic security through lawful international trade and travel. We serve the American public with vigilance, integrity, and professionalism. CBP.gov: CBP Mission Statement and Core Values MISSION: U.S customs and border protection has the authority to search inbound and outbound shipments, and carry out its mission in these areas. It has the power to seize all the merchandise that is stolen or smuggled. CBP plays a key role in over all anti drug effort at the border. Drug interdiction is the primary undertaking encapsulated by CBPs overall mission to secure the nations borders and prevent unlawful entry of dangerous people and goods while facilitating the legitimate flow of travel and trade. CBP combine all the law enforcement agencies under one administrative umbrella. This involved absorbing employees from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the Border Patrol, the Customs Service, and the Department Of Agriculture. Its primary mission is to detect and prevent the entry of terrorists, weapons of mass destruction, and unauthorized aliens into the country, and to interdict drug smugglers and other criminals. The USBP is thus vitally important to our nations defense against Terrorists and all others who are attempting to enter goods or persons into the country illegally. In the course of discharging its duties the USBP patrols over 8,000 miles of our international Borders with Mexico and Canada and the coastal waters around Florida and Puerto Rico. At official ports of entry, CBP officers are responsible for conducting immigrations, culture and agricultures inspection on entering aliens. As a result of new one face at the border initiative the CBP officers are cross-trained to perform all three types of inspections in order to stream line the border crossing process. CBP officers enforces the immigration law by examining and verifying the law documents for traveling so that to ensure that they have the legal right to enter the country. On the customs side, CBP inspectors ensure that all imports and exports Comply with U.S. laws and regulations, collect and protect U.S. revenues, and guard against the smuggling of contraband. In order to apply and execute its mission.CBP maintains and utilizes several database. CBP also administers the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (U.S-VISIT) program, which requires all incoming non-immigrant aliens to Submit to a biometric scan. Additionally, CBP administers the Container Security Initiative, a program in which CBP inspectors pre-screen U.S.-bound marine containers at foreign ports of loading around the world. Environmental Stewardship: Congress has given the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a governmental permission to obtain and maintain operational control of the border. U.S custom and border protection is the part of DHS, whose solitary purpose is to protect the borders. Building and controlling strategic infrastructure is the main objective of the CBP. Strategic infrastructure lets border officers to do their job in a more effective way. CBP is required to making, controlling and maintaining strategic infrastructure in an environmentally dependable method. Environmental planning helps CBP carry out this requirement. CBP works in a mutual way with the local government, even with the civilians to recognize, understand and reduce its impact on the environment. CBP prepared Environmental Stewardship Plans (ESPs) and worked effectively with State and Federal resources agencies, affected landowners, and other stakeholders. Cultural Stewardship: CBP plays a role in protecting and enhancing culture for future generations, and takes significant conservation into account in planning and carrying out facilities and operational activities. To safeguard traditional and cultural resources and guarantee their liable and respectful treatment, CBP promotes communication and partnerships with Native groups, the private sector, and important government entities. HISTORY: The U.S customs service was initially established during 17th century by the fifth act of the first congress of the United States at 31 July 1789, which emerged from the 2nd and 3rd act of the first congress of united states, which established the system of tariffs on imported goods and tonnages of ships. There was a urgent need of money to support the federal government so the founding father and member of congress imposed tariff on imports and tonnage of ships, and created a well-regulated customs service to ensure due collections. The department of custom services was then placed under the supervision of President Washington after the creation of department of treasury on September, 11, 1789, when the President appointed Alexander Hamilton as the first treasury secretary. In 1790 congress authorizes the treasury secretary to undertake the building of 10 customs revenue cutters. Customs collectors tasked with the design, building and selection of crews and captain, and management o f U.S revenue marine. In 1791 congress authorizes the president to utilize the U.S revenue marine for the defense of the nation. Afterward treasury secretary authorized to employ the special agents for the purpose of examining the account and books of the collectors of customs. Special treasury agents were also created in the same year. In 1796 collectors of customs was tasked to aid the enforcement of quarantine and healthy laws. 1789 was the year of establishment of the marine hospital services. In 1799 the customs ensign and pennant was designed by treasury secretary Oliver Wolcott. During 18th century customs services had eradicated the huge national debt incurred during the American Revolution. In 1836 commissioner of patents worked for the agriculture. On 27 December 1837 life saving service was established by the department of treasury. Customs Revenue represented 90% of all federal funds deposited in the U.S treasury, in 1860. The bureau of internal revenue was established in 1862, in order to fund cost of the civil war a personal income tax was also established by the treasury department. In the same year president Lincoln also established the U.S department of agriculture. In 1870 U.S special agency service was established as the branch office in the office of secretary of the treasury. Revenues marine division was created in the treasury department in 1871. After the civil war, various states began passing their own immigration laws, which in 1875 led to the supreme court ruling that enforcement of immigration laws was a federal responsibility. In 1879 c ongress enables the creation of position of the fraud roll employee which is often titled as the customs agents or special agents. In 1890 custom administrative act established board of general appraisal which was renamed as United States customs court in 1926. The collection and revenue of customs service was the primary source of federal funding until the permanent establishment of the personal income tax in 1913. During the era of 1853 and 1939, the responsibility for the design and construction of federal buildings nationwide lay with the office of the supervising architect of the treasury. The authority and the responsibility for the federal architect program as removed from the treasury department after the creation of public buildings administration in the federal work agency in 1939. 16th December 1900 was the year of opening of the rebuilt immigration station .public health and marine hospital services was established in the treasury department which was renamed as public health service in 1912. On 12 June 1906 the basic naturalization act provides the uniform rule of naturalization of the aliens. This act required that the applicants should be able to speak English, in the same year bureau of naturalization and immigration was joined into a single entity which was named as the bureau of immigration and naturalization. In 1912 federal horticultural board was established.1917 to 1924 was the era of immigration control.1920 to 1933 was the prohibition era. Customs mounted inspectors was officially changed to customs patrol inspectors in may 1933.during world war ii all the port operations were maintained by the customs service ,customs immigration and naturalization service and the state department along with the U.S military and the coast guard which were assumed overall control of the port security.1952 was the year of creation of customs co-operation council. U.S border patrol canine program was initiated with purchase of surplus military sentry dogs from the U.S military. Customs computer program opened and online in 1966.air security program was initiated in1970, prompted by multiple hijacking of U.S flag air careers.1973 was the year in which bureau of customs officially renamed as the United States Customs Services. In 1987 customs automated commercial systems was fully implemented. In 1990 treasury department established financial crime enforcement network . in 1994 customs co-operation council adopts the working name world customs organization. In the attack on world trade center U.S customs house was destroyed and fortunately it does not suffer any life loss. After this incident, on 19th September the terrorism task force was established to coordinate all investigation leads and intelligence information developed by customs with regard to the terrorist attacks in the United States. U.S customs then established container security initiative(CSI) in 2002.on 1st march 2003 bureau of customs and border protection was established in the directorate for border and transportation security, department of homeland security. In the same year, congress mandates the creation of a northern border year wing. Border safety initiative was announced. 24-hour rule was established. Customs trade partnership against terrorism was launched. CBP creates AG/BIO -TERROR COUNTERMEASURES (ABTC) with the mission to prevent the entry of AG/BIO terrorist and thei r weapons. OASISS was expended in 2007. Automated commercial environment was deployed. According to western hemisphere travel initiative, travelers entering the united states by land or sea must have travel documentation. They must have one of six things us passport, U.S passport card, enhanced driver license card, trusted traveler program cards, special groups. Today, it is the second largest source of revenue supporting the federal government. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Technology: Increased Integrated Surveillance Intelligence System (ISIS), that utilizes distantly supervised night-day camera and sensing to better identify, observe and react to illegal crossings on either the north or the south borders of the country. Organized radiation detection also included the personal radiation detectors (PRDs) to above 10,400 CBP officials. A southwest initiative that initiated, the Geographic Information System (GIS), which detects prohibited migration patterns to better organize personnel and resource to obtain better control on the border. Augmented border patrol aircraft and marine operations on the northern, southern and coastal areas to improve our aptitude to defend the waterways. Tripled the number of agents before 9/11, from 1000 to a 11, 200 at the present situation. Secure traveler programs: Implemented NEXUS, a substitute detection system that allows pre-screened, less risky travelers to be processed in an accelerated manner by CBP, through a designated commuter track at several Canadian land borders. Used the Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) at ports of entrance along U.S- Mexico border. Improved selectivity, screening, and targeting: The NTC is the centralized synchronization spot for all of CBPs anti-terrorism efforts. Utilizing complicated targeting methodology it investigates, display, and aims for thorough anti-terrorism examination of all passengers and cargo before entrance in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CBP personnel are working together at the NTC to protect the U.S rations supply by viewing risky imported food deliveries. The Student and Exchange Visitor System (SEVIS) were started in August 2003, It is an Internet/Intranet based system managed by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that electronically confine, maintains, and detects information significant to each foreign student. Pushing Our Zone of Security Outward CSI enables the CBP to target, and with our foreign counterparts, screen containers, prior to the container being loaded on ships intended for the U.S. Organized , Immigration Security Initiative (ISI) pilot program that places teams of CBP officers at key foreign center airports working with overseas law enforcement and airline officer to detect risky passengers preceding to boarding U.S. aircraft. Extending the Border Safety Initiative (BSI), whose most important purpose is the lessening of damages and avoidance of deaths in the southwest border region and the formation of a safer border environment? One Face at the Border: Issued new DHS badges to CBP officers, CBP agriculture specialists, and CBP Border Patrol agents. The new badge is the noticeable, uniting icon of the entire CBP frontline workforce. Effectively started four different organizations from three different departments of government into CBP without any disturbance in operations. Expanded coverage of the Customs Officer Pay Reform Act (COPRA) to bring equality to inspector overtime pay. Initiated an inventive Border Patrol repositioning cost program. The new program reduces the average cost of voluntary moves for Border Patrol Agents from approximately $72,000 to $12,000 per move. Training: Enhanced anti-terrorism training for all CBP personnel. CBP has carried out an anti-terrorism training for all workers with a special focus upon training related to weapons of mass outcome. This includes identifying potential items of terrorism using non-intrusive detection technology and radiation detection equipment. Keeping our borders and our future protected and safe CBP will continue its efforts to defend our borders against terrorists and their weapons through original use of detection technology, advanced information systems, and mutual projects with the trade and foreign governments while maintaining a strong and friendly tourism and commercial trade attitude. Weaknesses and criticism An article known as DHS Decision-making: Competence or Character?, James Giermanski states that the main problem in CBP is has not just feeble but at times inconsistent management. He says that CBP undergo seriously flawed decision making, mentioning the door only policy, radio frequency identification technology, and having no focus on exports that may contain bombs. National Public Radios Morning edition stated that CBP radiation detection equipment at ports is better at inspecting kitty litter than dangerous weapons, and that U.S borders are so permeable that congressional investigators carrying stimulated nuclear have been able to go across the borders without any harm. CBP chemists and textile analysts that were working in the Office of Information and Technology (OIT) were told to write official laboratory reports without the proper training or knowledge in merchandise entering the nations borders. CBP has also been blamed of failing to defend U.S consumers from risks such as: lead in toys, poison in dog/cat food, poison in imported fish, and the false positive radiation detectors at U.S ports. At the time of a federal court case for unlawful removal, CBP and United States Department of Justice attorneys quoted the U.S. Supreme Court case of Garcetti v. Ceballos (04-473), which stated that CBP recruits do not have protection from retribution by CBP managers under the First Amendment of the Constitution. The free speech protections of the First Amendment have long been used to protect whistleblowers from retribution. CONCLUSION (HOW SECURE ARE WE?): U.S custom and border protections core values are vigilance, service to country and integrity. The employees of this agency are dedicated and protecting our borders. Many employees put their lives on the line like other individuals serving our country and their communities but they often come under fire of their actions. It has seen in the past that border patrol employees have been arrested and they may or may not have any justification for their actions. I have no problem with taking action against those who violate valid laws but there must be clear proof for the existence of such violations for which action has been taken. In my opinion it is very irresponsible to arrest border patrols without clear evident of crime because it send bad signal to others watching how they accomplish assigned tasks. It imprints the impact to the people that they are not safe because if those who are assigned to enforced laws and constitutions are breaking laws then how could they prevent us from law breakers. This can lead to safety concerns as they would be worried about how their actions are viewed after the fact. They may think twice before taking action and this can cause injury or death of these employees. Border patrol employees help to make this country safer and should be treated with respect. They and others who are helping to secure our borders should be thanked, not prosecuted. The mission and responsibilities of this department can sometimes put their employees in dangerous situations. While it is important to assure that all our laws are upheld in the performance of assigned duties and those responsibilities for enforcement must consider the circumstances. There are certain circumstances when these agencies placed their soldiers in difficult and sometimes dangerous situations that are not limited to this agency. Making decision to prosecute a federal employee should be taken with caution as prosecuting someone for doing their job send a wrong signal to others. Nev ertheless our countries border patrol employees are taking risk just to give protection to their country then how could we be not secure. They are taking certain measures to more ensure our countrys security. We are a nation of immigrants. Developing a solution to the current problem of immigration must be accomplished for this purpose. I personally feel that there must be a method to recognize those individuals that fulfill a need and provide them with a way to remain in the country. Recently president Obama meets with lawmakers to develop a strategy for passing a bill this year. He is making a renewed push for an immigration overhaul. It is reported that he plans to make the case for providing a path legal status for the estimated 11 million people who live in the U.S illegally while strengthening border enforcement. Moreover CBP has changed border crossing documents requirements. Now you have to have one of six things U.S passport, U.S passport card, enhanced driver license card, trusted traveler program cards, special groups. While those individuals who violate the laws in our country do not deserve to acquire citizenship of United States. CBP Taking safety measures against terrorism as it is at its peak these days to protect our country from terrorism.

Oppositional World Views: Plato & The Sophists Essay -- essays researc

The Sophist views and beliefs originated in Ancient Greece around 400 B.C.E. The Sophists were known as wandering rhetoricians who gave speeches to those who could afford to listen. The Sophists deeply believed in the power of rhetoric and how it could improve one’s life. Plato on the other hand was opposed to all Sophist beliefs. He viewed the Sophists as rhetorical manipulators who were only interested in how people could be persuaded that they learned the truth, regardless if it was in fact the truth. Plato basically opposed every view the Sophists held true and tried to disprove them throughout his many dialogues. The Sophists and Plato held two very contrasting views and this paper will attempt to sift through them all in hopes of illustrating each one. This paper will first focus on each group. It will begin by identifying both the Sophists and Plato and then citing the significant principles associated with each world view. This paper will then focus on how each compon ent of their world views relate specifically to rhetoric. Finally, this paper will focus on illustrating each world view by way of current newspaper editorial.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As noted, the Sophists were rooted in ancient Greece but traveled to many places, giving speeches on rhetoric to those who could afford to listen. Within their teachings, the Sophists focused on rhetorical techniques and how they could be used to successfully argue any side of an argument. They harped on the idea that through their teachings, self improvement could be achieved because those who controlled language had the power. The Sophists were relativists, which means they believed that an individual or society’s beliefs, while true for that particular individual or society, might be untrue for others. (Bizzell P. & Herzberg, B., 2001, pg. 6) The Sophists referred to this as kairos and said that because of it, there could be no absolute truth because the truth was dependent on that particular person’s point of view. They believed that the only knowledge that humans could achieve is knowledge that is probable because absolute knowledge is unattaina ble. The Sophists feel that this probable knowledge can be boiled down through what they refer to as dissoi logoi. This technique, in which each opposing side of an argument is examined in order to identify the probable truth, was developed by Protago... ..., this would be dusting away the debris (the myths) and uncovering the absolute truth of what really happened. Through rhetoric, probable truths such as McDonalds had to pay three million, are cleared out and absolute truths, McDonalds had to pay $640,000, are uncovered. (Doroshow, J. pg.1-3) This is exactly how Plato would have had it. To summarize, the Sophists were traveling rhetoricians who were paid to teach people techniques to becoming great arguers and persuaders. They were relativists who believed there was no absolute truth, only probable. This probable truth was discovered through kairos, dependent on a person’s situation, or dissoi logoi, the truth is uncovered by examining opposing arguments. The philosopher Plato was in opposition to virtually every belief the Sophists had. He believed in absolute truth and that rhetoric and discourse should be used to uncover this truth. He also believed that false rhetoric was that of the Sophists. Whether the Sophist view is correct or Plato’s view is, there is some sort of truth out there and maybe one day it can be decided as to which method best uncovered it. But until then, the debate will rage on, as it did within this paper. Oppositional World Views: Plato & The Sophists Essay -- essays researc The Sophist views and beliefs originated in Ancient Greece around 400 B.C.E. The Sophists were known as wandering rhetoricians who gave speeches to those who could afford to listen. The Sophists deeply believed in the power of rhetoric and how it could improve one’s life. Plato on the other hand was opposed to all Sophist beliefs. He viewed the Sophists as rhetorical manipulators who were only interested in how people could be persuaded that they learned the truth, regardless if it was in fact the truth. Plato basically opposed every view the Sophists held true and tried to disprove them throughout his many dialogues. The Sophists and Plato held two very contrasting views and this paper will attempt to sift through them all in hopes of illustrating each one. This paper will first focus on each group. It will begin by identifying both the Sophists and Plato and then citing the significant principles associated with each world view. This paper will then focus on how each compon ent of their world views relate specifically to rhetoric. Finally, this paper will focus on illustrating each world view by way of current newspaper editorial.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As noted, the Sophists were rooted in ancient Greece but traveled to many places, giving speeches on rhetoric to those who could afford to listen. Within their teachings, the Sophists focused on rhetorical techniques and how they could be used to successfully argue any side of an argument. They harped on the idea that through their teachings, self improvement could be achieved because those who controlled language had the power. The Sophists were relativists, which means they believed that an individual or society’s beliefs, while true for that particular individual or society, might be untrue for others. (Bizzell P. & Herzberg, B., 2001, pg. 6) The Sophists referred to this as kairos and said that because of it, there could be no absolute truth because the truth was dependent on that particular person’s point of view. They believed that the only knowledge that humans could achieve is knowledge that is probable because absolute knowledge is unattaina ble. The Sophists feel that this probable knowledge can be boiled down through what they refer to as dissoi logoi. This technique, in which each opposing side of an argument is examined in order to identify the probable truth, was developed by Protago... ..., this would be dusting away the debris (the myths) and uncovering the absolute truth of what really happened. Through rhetoric, probable truths such as McDonalds had to pay three million, are cleared out and absolute truths, McDonalds had to pay $640,000, are uncovered. (Doroshow, J. pg.1-3) This is exactly how Plato would have had it. To summarize, the Sophists were traveling rhetoricians who were paid to teach people techniques to becoming great arguers and persuaders. They were relativists who believed there was no absolute truth, only probable. This probable truth was discovered through kairos, dependent on a person’s situation, or dissoi logoi, the truth is uncovered by examining opposing arguments. The philosopher Plato was in opposition to virtually every belief the Sophists had. He believed in absolute truth and that rhetoric and discourse should be used to uncover this truth. He also believed that false rhetoric was that of the Sophists. Whether the Sophist view is correct or Plato’s view is, there is some sort of truth out there and maybe one day it can be decided as to which method best uncovered it. But until then, the debate will rage on, as it did within this paper.

Lemonhead :: essays research papers

Lemonhead Nobody knows why Ethan had an enormous lemon shaped head. It was a major debilitating factor in his life that prevented him from doing many activities. He couldn’t wear a football helmet or hats. Ethan couldn’t even play in the play places at McDonalds because his head wouldn’t fit through the tubes. Ethan wasn’t born with a lemon shaped head he just kind of slowly grew into it. When he was seven it was only about the size of a watermelon and was just starting to take the shape of a lemon. By the time Ethan hit middle school his head was about a foot and a half wide and two feet tall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people would ask Ethan why he had such a large head. His responses over the years to questions about his head differ. When he was ten he would cry and run away, but when he was fourteen he would respond with witty sarcasm. A girl named Whitney once asked â€Å"wow†¦why is your head so big† and he responded with â€Å"why is your nose so big, I guess god hates me and you† If Ethan was in a really bad mood he would just simply give them the finger and say â€Å"why do you ask dumb questions.† Some people revered Ethan for his comicalness and for his personality but others called him lemon head or big head and made fun of his large head. Ethan never took too much offense to the teasing though; he figured they were just ignorant. After all Ethan was not short of friends he had plenty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ethan was the kindest hearted and most outgoing person you’d ever meet and he rarely ever hated life. He didn’t let the size of his head affect his life in a negative way. In fact Ethan rarely cared what his head looked like. But he began to care when Daria moved into the house next door.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Daria was the new girl in town and Ethan noticed her as soon as she stepped out of the moving van that brought her here. She was stunningly beautiful she had brown hair that flowed around her as if it was always in a breeze. She had the most gorgeous blue eyes and had creamy light brown skin that could make any heart melt. She was perfect in every aspect in Ethan’s eyes. As soon as Ethan could gather up enough courage he went next door to talk to her.

Utilitarianism or God, do we have to choose? Essay -- essays research

Utilitarianism or God, do we have to choose? During many years that question is being formulated and many scholars had a very difficult time to decide if it was possible to follow God’s will and the principle of utility maximization. The principle of utility maximization was a theory created by John Stuart Mill and presented in his book Utilitarianism (1863). Societies throughout the years have argued that those theories are hard to combine, since Utilitarianism seeks for self-development and God’s teachings seek for community growth. This paper will start with a context on actuality of society, then it will try to clarify what is the Bible view of Utilitarianism by explaining the principle of Utilitarianism, what society has to change to avoid to forget God’s principles and only base their behavior on Mill’s theory, how society should accept both theories and combine them into one in order to create a better society. An important part of this discussion is based on understanding what is happening with society nowadays. Societies all around the world are becoming more and more individualists, what is causing problems that can affect the whole world, problems such as terrorists attacks, war or even in a lower but maybe more important scale hunger. This is basically happening because every single member of every society is only looking after themselves instead of the group, they are only trying to progress individually, but most of these individuals forget that to really achieve the top you need help, and that help comes from other individuals. The following part of the paper will try to clarify the biblical view of Mill’s theory, the Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism has always been seen as an opposite theory from God’s teachings. That is not absolutely correct. Jesus gave us the major example of understanding Mill’s principle by dying on the cross. Of course it is simple to say that Jesus died for every human being and that is a proof of community spirit instead of individualism, however Jesus showed that He was following actually not His will but God’s will, what is showed on the passage before Jesus is captured by the roman soldiers: â€Å"O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt† (Matthew 26:39). What Jesus was showing is that every single human has the principle of utilitarianism inside themselve... ...s Consulted †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rose, John T., â€Å"Utility Versus Self-Sacrificing Love† Christian Scholar’s Review Fall 2004 †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leightner, Jonathan, â€Å"‘Not my Will†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢:Further Thoughts on Utility Versus Self-Sacrificing Love† Christian Scholar’s Review Fall 2004 †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  NRSV Bible †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"FAO unveils global anti-hunger program† http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/news/2002/5500-en.html †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mill, John Stuart, Utilitarianism, Hackett Publishing Company Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1979, Original Publication, 1861 †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harcourt, Edward, â€Å"Mill’s ‘Sanctions’, Internalization and the Self† European Journal of Philosophy; Oct98, Vol. 6 Issue 3, p318, 17p †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kant Immanuel, Grounding For The Metaphysics Of Morals, Third Edition, Hackett Publishing Company Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1993, Original Publication, 1785 †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Smart, and Bernard Williams. Utilitarianism: For and Against. Trowbridge: Redwood Burn, 1973 †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lewis, C.S., â€Å"Mere Christianity† Harper Collins Edition 2001

Impact of Turks and Mongols on the Islamic world Essay

The Turks and Mongols are two races that are an integral part in shaping the Islamic World as we know it today. Their roles in Islamic History are still visible when looking at the Islamic world in the present. The roots of Islam could be traced after the death of The Prophet, Muhammad. The early Islam world was dominated by the Umayyad from Damascus. The Umayyad was in turn succeeded by the Abbasids, which made Baghdad their capital. It was during the two caliphates that a majority of Muslim culture, government and society was established. The years of the Caliphates was known as the Golden Age of Islam. (Wilkinson and Salazar). The Abbasid Caliphate was ended by the Invasion of the Mongols. The Mongols were a nomadic tribe coming from the grasslands of Mongolia, their ruler then, The Great Khan Mongke, ordered his brother to attack the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. (Chaliand and Berrett) Baghdad, the capital of the Islamic world then was captured by Hulagu in 1258. (Bingham) This effectively destroyed most Islamic influence and put an end to the advances of the Golden Age. It became a region known as the Il-Khanate. The early years of the Il Khanate was characterized by persecution of the Muslims in the hands of the Buddhists and Christians in the area. However, when Ghazan, a Buddhist, became Khan, he converted to Islam and the whole region followed suit. Islam made a return as the dominant religion, driving out the Christians and Buddhists. (Halm) Schools and mosques were reestablished and peace again was at hand. (Wilkinson and Salazar) The Mongol Invasion effectively put an end to the Golden age. The various advancements in science, literature, medicine and the arts were in majority obliterated when the invasion occurred. The destruction of libraries, the killing of Muslim scholars and scientists all contributed to the rapid decline of Islamic learning. This was the major factor in the crippling of Muslim advancement in those fields by which at that time they were much more ahead than the West. Almost five hundred years worth of knowledge was obliterated upon the invasion of the Mongols. (Halm) The might and barbarity of the Mongol Hordes checked the advances of a larger empire, albeit one whose priority was not military, but religion and learning. The Ottomans were a group of Turkish tribes which united after being driven south by Mongol invaders. (Stefoff) They derive their name from Osman, who united the clans into a major force. They came into contact and embraced Islam as their faith. They were the frontier soldiers of the Islamic world, guarding against the Mongol Hordes. The invasion of Tamerlane weakened the Ottomans, but they recovered and began to take control of most of the Islam World. (Marozzi) It was under the Ottomans that the Muslims finally entered Constantinople, Turkey, effectively re breaching the barrier between east and west which was ended with the fall of Spain. (Halm) The ottomans were very effective in uniting the diverse people under their thrall. They developed an administrative system whereas religious autonomy was recognized under the sultanates, which greatly facilitated tax collecting. This millet system made the unification of ethically diverse people under a government of Islam not only feasible, but effective. (Stefoff) The Ottoman Empire became a bastion of the Islamic world against the west. At the same time, it was instrumental in allowing western advances in science and technology to reach the Muslim world. The military and economic strength of the empire prevented western influence from entering thru turkey and thus effectively ensured the maintaining of Islamic way of life in Southwest Asia. (Gardner et al. ; Kennedy) It was the ottoman Turks who nearly regained the lost glory of the Muslim Empire. Their management practice of dividing the Islamic world into sultanates, with each sultan acting as autonomous ruler greatly enhanced the stability of the empire. Their military strength secured Islam way of life up until the 1900s. The peak of the Ottoman Empire, under Suleiman, greatly enhanced Islamic way of life, introducing resurgence in Muslim culture and learning. (Meri and Bacharach) The strategic location of the Ottoman Empire gave them control of the land routes between Europe and Asia, thus making them economic powers. The two groups, the Mongols and the Turks, show how an outside force can impact a civilization. In the case on the Mongol Hordes, their impact upon the Islam world effectively retarded its growth, letting the West catch up to its advancement. The invasion brought an end to the Golden Age of Islam; however, it was also Mongols, those that converted, which started the revitalization of the Islamic World. (Gardner et al. ; Kennedy). The Turks also started as a separate ethnic group. However, with their conversion, the Islamic world gained leaders which spearheaded its strengthening, expansion and development. The role of these two groups in Islamic history is both significant, the Mongols in ending the Golden age, and the Turks, in revitalizing the Islamic way of life. References Bingham, Marjorie. â€Å"An Age of Empires, 1200-1750. † (2005): 157 p. Chaliand, Gerard, and A. M. Berrett. â€Å"Nomadic Empires : From Mongolia to the Danube. † (2004): xii, 135 p. Gardner, Robert, et al. Cities of Light the Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain. [videorecording] :. Unity Productions Foundation,, [Potomac Falls, VA? ] :, 2007. Halm, Heinz. â€Å"The Arabs : A Short History. † (2007): vi, 186 p. Kennedy, Hugh. â€Å"The Great Arab Conquests : How the Spread of Islam Changed the World We Live In. † (2007): viii, 421 p. , [16] p. of plates. Marozzi, Justin. â€Å"Tamerlane : Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World. † (2006): xxiv, 449 p. , [16] p. of plates. Meri, Josef W. , and Jere L. Bacharach. â€Å"Medieval Islamic Civilization : An Encyclopedia. † (2006). Stefoff, Rebecca. â€Å"The Medieval World. † (2005): 48 p. Wilkinson, Philip, and Batul Salazar. â€Å"Islam. † Dorling Kindersley eyewitness books. (2005): 72 p.

Math Skills for Today’s Workforce

Sometimes people would think that what we learn is school is actually useless when we work in the real world. Yes it is true. You will not really apply everything what you learn, but there are skills that we acquire during the process of learning, and that is what’s more significant. A skill that is very indispensable is basic math. It will get you a long way. Perfecting your ability to calculate in your head and properly analyzing word problems will not hurt. Basic math is actually occurring in different situations, some in implicit ways, everyday. From street vendors, to hairdressers, to clerks, to managers and leaders, they all use it. By being skilled in that area, you will absolutely make your work more efficient.There are issues in education on the required math units for students, setting a higher standard for them to be more competent when they get to step into the real world. However, with higher requirements, it was discovered that employers do not actually need educ ation in math higher than what is taught in 9th or 10th grade (Cavanagh 21). Yet, it is still believed that having more advanced skills will help you succeed in college, as well as get a higher-paying job.The contradiction is that, if students work right after high school, what they should be taught must be more of the applied math and not much dwell on the technical and complex side of math. This will not only help them improve their skills needed for today’s workforce, it may increase student’s participation and interest on the subject.In that same article, it was revealed that out of the 51 varied professionals interviewed by Rosenbaum in the mid-1990s, on the subject of skills that are relevant in the workplace; basic math like arithmetic, fractions, algebra are them most common (Cavanagh 21). Another shocking survey took by Michael Handel revealed that out of the 2300 white and blue-collar workers, 94 percent applied math in their jobs. 22 percent of the workers s aid that they only used math skills like adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. 19 percent only used Algebra 1 skills and only 9 percent used Algebra 2 (Cavanagh 22).Handel also proved the statement a while ago that people taking the most mathematics are earning way better – and that is Algebra 2 and above (Cavanagh 23). It was shown in their research that only less than 5 percent makes use of Algebra 2 and other higher math like trigonometriy, calculus and geometry.Math teachers have been greatly criticized on the theoretical approach and many students are actually looking for ways to apply the concepts being taught.   Not everyone will be taking Chemistry or Engineering so why tackle more on the very complex math? Employers are actually disappointed on the workforce today, which lacks the basic workforce skills like basic math, which involves more problem solving-related skills.In another study, which involved technical professionals, it has been discovered that m ath is very essential in areas that involve electronics (Stasz 210). They use geometry, algebra, trigonometry and even statistics. For health workers and vocational nurses, basic math is only needed in implementing their tasks.Waipahu High School and Kihei Charter School promotes education on the field of science, math, engineering and technology, which are needed to â€Å"fuel our new knowledge economy†. (Hatada 1) He said that math and science are very critical subjects and students must be able to master these subjects. It was said that most businesses are in need of â€Å"creative problem solvers†, which requires higher and stronger math and science knowledge.In their study, only half of the 17 year old students have strong enough math skills that will bring them to jobs in production. America’s 15 year olds rank poorly, with 24 out of the 29 developed nations in terms of math and problem solving skills (Hatada 1). That is why a lot of schools now are trying to reinvent their curriculum, especially for high school, whose big chunk already goes to the workforce after they graduate.There are programs for adults which refreshes you with basic education. An example is in Iowa, wherein local employers have been reported to provide education and training of their employees, which are more focused on the skills that are needed on a particular job description (Lundberg 1).The topics that will e discussed include the usual addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of whole numbers, addition and subtraction of decimals, addition and subtraction of shop fractions, addition and subtraction of shop decimals, basic calculation using scale drawings, ranking decimals and fractions, conversion between centimeters and millimeters, conversion between inches and metric measurements and last is tape measure reading.In Canada, the employability skills that are needed to enter, remain and also progress in your career are divided into three: fundamen tal skills, personal management skills and teamwork skills (The Conference Board Canada 2). Fundamental skills involve knowledge in math. When you communicate, you have to impart your knowledge through clear explanation of your ideas. When you manage information, you must be able to apply skills in mathematics as well, especially in statistics. When you use numbers, you measure something and methods in mathematics are really important. When you solve problems, math is undeniably an important tool in your analysis.It is also very evident in most skill tests in pre-employment examinations include math topics that are applied in business. An example question would be:If two employees working together product 12 products, four employees product 36 and eight employees produce 96, how many products would sixteen employees be expected to product?192  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  208  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  220  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  240If you were to organize the products for efficiency in picking and shipping, how would you position them relative to those employees responsible for picking the products?Product Z closest to the picker, then X and then Y.Such questions were taken from G Neil Skills Profiler Website. Evidently, there is a use of logic and common sense in these questions. This is to evaluate the applicant’s ability to strategize in different situations as well as assess how the applicant is able to apply such math skills than on the theoretical perspective of the math problem. Which means that the math used in workplace are more applied than the theoretical one that is mostly taught in school.The National Institute for Literacy took a survey regarding skills tested in the workplace. 11 percent of the firms have tested all their applicants of their math skills during 2001, which is higher by a few percentage points from the past several years, while 38 percent tested only some applicants (American Management Association 1).In 2001, math skills rank third in the survey, â€Å"Voices from Main Street: Assessing the State of Small Business Workforce Skills† with 62 percent (American Express 12). Verbal communication and interpersonal skills ranked higher. Other skills include written communication, basic business skills, financial accounting, mechanical ability, computer skills, internet knowledge and science.There was also a study by the National Center on the Educational Quality workforce (2). As said earlier, there have been efforts from employers to provide workplace education programs. In the manufacturing sector, 10 percent increase in the education of the workers is related to the 8.6 percent increase of productivity. An increase of 10 percent of working hours increases 5.6 percent of productivity, while 10 percent increase in the capital stock produces an increase of 3.4 percent in productivity. Evidently, the highest among the three would be increasing the average education of the workers, which emphasizes the importance of workforce training.In the non-manufacturing sector, a 10 percent increase in education yields a higher increase in productivity, with 11 percent. A 10 percent increase of working hours increases 6.3 percent productivity, while a 10 percent increase in capital stock yields an additional 3.9 percent productivity. This implies that training provides higher benefits in the non-manufacturing sector, although it is not really that far from the performance in the manufacturing sector.Training means an additional year of schooling for workers. With workplace education programs, there is at least one benefit gained by the organization itself, and at least one skill gained by the employees.   Thus, these programs mutually benefit the organization and employees and such programs would really be worth of the organization time, effort and money (Bloom 9).With these findings from various studies, I do believe that strong math skills pose a lot of benefits in the workforce today, by giving you an edge over other employees. You will be more efficient and be more likely receive higher compensation.   Math skills do not mean mastering the various mathematical theorems and definitions. There is a difference between being good in math and being good in applied math. Math is really useless if you cannot apply it to your job, since courses in school in the first place have the purpose of being applied when you get out of the campus. I believe that the current workforce must be reinforced with their basic education that is already geared towards their line of work.References:American Express, Small Business Services, Voices from Main Street: Assessing the State of Small Business Workforce Skills (PDF file), American Express, New York, NY, 2000.American Management Association, 2001 AMA Survey on Workplace Testing: Basic Skills, Job Skills, Psychological Measurement – Summary of Key Findings (PDF file), American Management Association, New York, NY, 2001.Bloom, Michael R. and Brenda Lafleur, Turning Skills into Profit: Economic Benefits ofWorkplace Education Programs, The Conference Board, New York, NY, 1999.Cavanagh, Sean. What kind of math matters? 12 June 2007. 5 February 2008. .Conference Board Canada. Employability Skills 2000+. 5 February 2008. .G. Neil Website. Skills Profiler. 5 February 2008. < http://www.gneil.com/info/skillsprofiler>.Hatada, Tori. Students need stronger math, science skills. 5 February 2008. .Lundberg, Marty. Workplace Math. December 1999. 5 February 2008. .Stasz, Cathy. Do employers need the skills they want? Evidence from technical work. Journal of Education and Work, 10(3), 205-223. 1997.

Inference Practice

Making an Inference Directions: Some of the questions following the passages ask you to make inferences from the passages. To infer means to arrive at a conclusion by reasoning from evidence. Synonyms for infer are deduce, judge, or conclude. If you are told to infer something from a passage, you are basically being asked what conclusions can be drawn from the content of the story. Tip: If you replace the word infer with conclude in a question, it may make more sense to you. In cities throughout the country, there is a new direction in local campaign coverage.Frequently in local elections, journalists are not giving voters enough information to understand the issues and evaluate the candidates. The local news media devotes too much time to scandal and not enough time to policy. 1. This paragraph best supports the statement that the local news media a. is not doing an adequate job when it comes to covering local campaigns. b. does not understand either campaign issues or politics. c. should learn how to cover politics by watching the national news media. d. has no interest in covering stories about local political events.The use of desktop computer equipment and software to create high-quality documents such as newsletters, business cards, letterhead, and brochures is called Desktop Publishing, or DTP. The most important part of any DTP project is planning. Before you begin, you should know your intended audience, the message you want to communicate, and what form your message will take. 2. The paragraph best supports the statement that e. Desktop Publishing is one way to become acquainted with a new business audience. f. computer software is continually being refined to produce high-quality printing. . the first stage of any proposed DTP project should be organization and design. h. the planning stage of any DTP project should include talking with the intended audience. The entire low-carbohydrate versus low-fat diet argument is so prevalent that one would thin k that these are the only two options available for losing weight and staying healthy. Some experts even feel that the low-carb/low-fat debate distracts us from an even more important issue—our culture's reliance on processed and manufactured foods. 3. The paragraph best supports the statement that i. xperts state that not all fats are equal, so we need not reduce our intake of all fats; just those that contain partially hydrogenated oils. j. important health concerns get overlooked when we focus exclusively on the low-fat versus low-carb question. k. low-carbohydrate diets lead to significant and sustained weight loss. l. processed foods can lead to many adverse health problems including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Every year, Americans use over one billion sharp objects to administer healthcare in their homes. These sharp objects include lancets, needles, and syringes.If not disposed of in puncture-resistant containers, they can injure sanitation workers. Sharp objects should be disposed of in hard plastic or metal containers with secure lids. The containers should be clearly marked and be puncture resistant. 4. The paragraph best supports the idea that sanitation workers can be injured if they m. do not place sharp objects in puncture-resistant containers. n. come in contact with sharp objects that have not been placed in secure containers. o. are careless with sharp objects such as lancets, needles, and syringes in their homes. p. o not mark the containers they pick up with a warning that those containers contain sharp objects. Litigation is not always the only or best way to resolve conflicts. Mediation offers an alternative approach and it is one that can be quite efficient and successful. Mediation can be faster, less expensive, and can lead to creative solutions not always possible in a court of law. Additionally, mediation focuses on mutually acceptable solutions, rather than on winning or losing. 5. This paragraph best suppor ts the idea that q. there is too much reliance on litigation in our society. r. itigation is expensive, slow, and limited by its reliance on following the letter of the law. s. mediation is the best way to resolve a crisis. t. mediation can be an effective way to resolve conflicts. One of the missions of the Peace Corps is to help the people of interested countries meet their need for trained men and women. People who work for the Peace Corps do so because they want to, but to keep the agency dynamic with fresh ideas, no staff member can work for the agency for more than five years. 6. The paragraph best supports the statement that Peace Corps employees u. are highly intelligent people. . must train for about five years. w. are hired for a limited term of employment. x. have both academic and work experience. More and more office workers telecommute from offices in their own homes. The upside of telecommuting is both greater productivity and greater flexibility. Telecommuters produc e, on average, 20% more than if they were to work in an office, and their flexible schedule allows them to balance both their family and work responsibilities. 7. The paragraph best supports the statement that telecommuters y. get more work done in a given time period than workers who travel to the office. . produce a better quality work product than workers who travel to the office. {. are more flexible in their ideas than workers who travel to the office. |. would do 20% more work if they were to work in an office. Sushi, the thousand-year-old Japanese delicacy, started small in the United States, in a handful of restaurants in big cities. Today, sushi consumption in America is 50% greater than it was ten years ago and not just in restaurants. Sushi is also sold at concession stands in sports stadiums, university dining halls, and in supermarkets throughout the country. . This paragraph best supports the statement that }. sushi is now a fast food as popular as hot dogs, burgers, a nd fries. ~. more sushi is sold in restaurants than in supermarkets. . Americans are more adventurous eaters than they were in the past. . sushi wasn't always widely available in the United States. Today's shopping mall has as its antecedents historical marketplaces, such as Greek agoras, European piazzas, and Asian bazaars. The purpose of these sites, as with the shopping mall, is both economic and social.People not only go to buy and sell wares, but also to be seen, catch up on news, and be part of the human drama. 9. The paragraph best supports the statement that . modern Americans spend an average of 15 hours a month in shopping malls. . shopping malls serve an important purpose in our culture. . shopping malls have a social as well as commercial function. . there are historical antecedents for almost everything in contemporary society. Many animals hibernate during parts of the year, entering a state that is similar to a very deep sleep. But hibernation is more than simply a d eep sleep.The animal's body temperature drops well below its normal range, the animal does not wake up for a long period of time, and its metabolism slows to the point that the animal does not need to eat or relieve itself during that period. In order to prepare for hibernation, the animal must build up its body weight and increase its body fat. This is important, since the animal will be living off its own body fat during the months of hibernation. Of course, once the period of hibernation is over, the animal â€Å"wakes up† to find itself slim and trim once again! 10. How does an animal prepare for hibernation? . It exercises for two months. It gradually increases its sleeping habits. . It grows extra fur. . It eats more food than usual. 11. This passage best supports the statement that . all animals hibernate to some degree. . food is scarce in the winter. . hibernation is very different from normal sleep. . bears hibernate every year. Patrick Henry is considered one of th e great patriots of America's early history. He was a leader in every protest against British tyranny and in every movement for colonial rights, openly speaking against the unfair taxation and overly burdensome regulations imposed upon the American colonists by the British Parliament.In March 1775, Patrick Henry urged his fellow Virginians to arm themselves in self-defense. He spoke boldly in Richmond, Virginia, during the meeting of the state legislature. He closed that famous speech with the immortal words, â€Å"I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death. † 12. This passage best supports the statement that . Patrick Henry later became a governor of West Virginia. . the Virginia legislature was not listening to Henry's speech. . Patrick Henry was willing to lay down his life for his country. People in Colonial times faced harsh living conditions. 13. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for this passage? . T he Speeches of Patrick Henry . Patrick Henry, American Patriot . Early American Patriots . History of the Virginia Legislature Ratatouille is a dish that has grown in popularity over the last few years. It features eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, and garlic chopped, mixed, sauteed, and finally, cooked slowly over low heat. As the vegetables cook slowly, they make their own broth, which may be extended with a little tomato paste.The name ratatouille comes from the French word touiller, meaning to stir or mix together. 14. Which of the following is the correct order of steps for making ratatouille? . chop vegetables, add tomato paste, stir or mix together . mix the vegetables together, saute them, and add tomato paste . cook the vegetables slowly, mix them together, add tomato paste . add tomato paste to extend the broth and cook slowly overlow heat 15. Ratatouille can best be described as a . French pastry. . sauce to put over vegetables. . pasta dish extended with tomato past e. vegetable stew. The competitive civil-service system is designed to give candidates fair and equal treatment and to ensure that federal applicants are hired based on objective criteria. Hiring has to be based solely on a candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities (which you'll sometimes see abbreviated as ksa), and not on external factors such as race, religion, sex, and so on. Whereas employers in the private sector can hire employees for subjective reasons, federal employers must be able to justify their decision with objective evidence that the candidate is qualified. 6. The paragraph best supports the statement that . hiring in the private sector is inherently unfair. . ksa is not as important as test scores to federal employers. . federal hiring practices are simpler than those employed by the private sector. . the civil service strives to hire on the basis of a candidate's abilities. 17. The federal government's practice of hiring on the basis of ksa frequently results in the hiring of employees . based on race, religion, sex, and so forth. . who are unqualified for the job. . who are qualified for the job. on the basis of subjective judgment. It is well known that the world urgently needs adequate distribution of food, so that everyone gets enough. Adequate distribution of medicine is just as urgent. Medical expertise and medical supplies need to be redistributed throughout the world so that people in emerging nations will have proper medical care. 18. This paragraph best supports the statement that . the majority of the people in the world have no medical care. . medical resources in emerging nations have diminished in the past few years. not enough doctors give time and money to those in need of medical care. . many people who live in emerging nations are not receiving proper medical care. Knitting has made a major comeback. People are knitting on college campuses, in coffee shops, and in small knitting groups throughout the United States. New kn itting stores, many with cafes, are popping up all over, and there are more knitting books and magazines being published than ever before. And not all of these knitters are women: As knitting continues to surge in popularity, men are picking up knitting needles in record numbers. 9. The paragraph best supports the statement that . joining a knitting group is a great way to make new friends. . some people knit because it helps them relax and release stress. . today's knitter is not the stereotypical grandmother in a rocking chair. . as is the case with all fads, this new obsession with knitting will fade quickly. Everyone is sensitive to extreme weather conditions. But with age, the body may become less able to respond to long exposure to very hot or very cold temperatures. Some older people might develop hypothermia when exposed to cold weather.Hypothermia is a drop in internal body temperature, which can be fatal if not detected and treated. 20. The paragraph best supports the stat ement that . cold weather is more dangerous for older people than warm weather. . hypothermia is a condition that only affects older people. . older people who live in warm climates are healthier than older people who live in cold climates. . an older person is more susceptible to hypothermia than a younger person. Whether you can accomplish a specific goal or meet a specific deadline depends first on how much time you need to get the job done.What should you do when the demands of the job exceed the time you have available? The best approach is to divide the project into smaller pieces. Different goals will have to be divided in different ways, but one seemingly unrealistic goal can often be accomplished by working on several smaller, more reasonable goals. 21. The main idea of the passage is that . jobs often remain only partially completed because of lack of time. . the best way to complete projects is to make sure your goals are achievable. . the best way to tackle a large proje ct is to separate it into smaller parts. the best approach to a demanding job is to delegate responsibility. Health clubs have undergone a major transformation that can be described in three words: mind, body, and spirit. Loud, fast, heartt-humping aerobics has been replaced by the hushed tones of yoga and the controlled movements of Pilates. The clubs are responding to the needs of their customers who are increasingly looking for a retreat from their hectic lifestyles and a way to find a healthy balance in their lives by nurturing their whole selves. 22. The main idea of the paragraph is that exercise is less important now than it once was. . health clubs are much less popular now than they were ten years ago. . many health clubs will go out of business because of the decline in traditional exercise. . people's desire to nurture all aspects of themselves has contributed to big changes for health clubs. For most judges, sentencing a person who has been convicted of a crime is a diff icult decision. In the majority of jurisdictions throughout the country, judges have few sentencing options from which to choose. Generally, their options are confined to a fine, probation, or incarceration.Crimes, however, cover a wide spectrum of criminal behavior and motivation, and a wide variety of sanctions should be available. 23. The main idea of the paragraph is that . there should be laws that dictate which sentence a judge should hand down. . someone other than a judge should be allowed to sentence a criminal. . judges should be given more sentencing options from which to choose. . more money should be spent on the criminal justice system. Before you begin to compose a business letter, sit down and think about your purpose in writing the letter.Do you want to request information, order a product, register a complaint, or apply for something? Do some brainstorming and gather information before you begin writing. Always keep your objective in mind. 24. The main idea of the passage is that . planning is an important part of writing a business letter. . business letters are frequently complaint letters. . brainstorming and writing take approximately equal amounts of time. . many people fail to plan ahead when they are writing a business letter. Keeping busy at important tasks is much more motivating than having too little to do.Today's employees are not afraid of responsibility. Most people are willing to take on extra responsibility in order to have more variety in their positions. In addition, along with that responsibility should come more authority to independently carry out some important tasks. 25. The main idea of the paragraph is that . variety and independence on the job increase employee motivation. . to avoid boredom, many people do more work than their jobs require of them. . today's employees are demanding more independence than ever before. . office jobs in the past have carried less responsibility.Managing job and family is not simple. Bo th commitments make strong demands on people and are sometimes in direct opposition to each other. Saying yes to one means saying no to the other, and stress can often result. Being realistic and creating a balance in life can help set priorities. 26. The main idea of the paragraph is that . most family responsibilities cause stress at home and at work. . because it pays the bills, a job must take priority over other commitments. . it is important to have a balance between job and family responsibilities. because they are so important, family duties must take priority over the job. Women business owners are critically important to the American economy, yet women still face unique obstacles in the business world. The U. S. Small Business Administration offers a variety of programs and services to help women-owned businesses succeed and to advocate for women entrepreneurs. 27. This paragraph best supports the statement that women business owners . have more success in the United State s than in other countries. . cannot succeed without outside help. . may find the Small Business Administration a useful resource. should not make any major decisions without seeking the advice of the Small Business Administration. Passages in this section can have one to six questions following. You must respond accordingly. Use of electronic mail (e-mail) has been widespread for more than a decade. E-mail simplifies the flow of ideas, connects people from distant offices, eliminates the need for meetings, and often boosts productivity. However, e-mail should be carefully managed to avoid unclear and inappropriate communication. E-mail messages should be concise and limited to one topic.When complex issues need to be addressed, phone calls are still best. 28. The main idea of the paragraph is that e-mail . is not always the easiest way to connect people from distant offices. . has changed considerably since it first began a decade ago. . causes people to be unproductive when it is u sed incorrectly. . is effective for certain kinds of messages but only if managed wisely. 29. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for the passage? . Appropriate Use of E-Mail . E-Mail's Popularity . E-Mail: The Ideal Form of Communication . Why Phone Calls Are Better Than E-MailNative American art often incorporates a language of abstract visual symbols. The artist gives a poetic message to the viewer, communicating the beauty of an idea, either by using religious symbols or a design from nature such as rain on leaves or sunshine on water. The idea communicated may even be purely whimsical, in which case the artist might start out with symbols developed from a bird's tracks or a child's toy. 30. The main idea of the passage is that Native American art . is purely poetic and dreamlike. . is usually abstract, although it can also be poetic and beautiful. communicates the beauty of ideas through the use of symbols. . is sometimes purely whimsical. Answers 1. a. C hoice d may seem attractive at first, but the passage simply says that the local media does not adequately cover local politics—it doesn't discuss the reason for their neglect. 2. c. Sentence 3 indicates the importance of organization and design. The other choices, even if true, are not in the passage. 3. b. Both sentences in this passage support the idea that the emphasis on the low-carb/low-fat debate is misleading and might distract us from other important ideas.The other choices are not supported by or developed in this passage. 4. b. The other choices are wrong because the passage is not concerned with how sanitation workers should deal with sharp objects but with how everyone should dispose of sharp objects in order to avoid hurting sanitation workers. 5. d. See the second sentence of the passage. Choices a and b are not in the passage. Choice c might seem attractive, but the passage does not say that mediation is the best way to resolve a conflict, simply that it is an alternative way that might prove effective. 6. c. See the final sentence of the passage.The other choices might be true but are not in the passage. 7. a. The second sentence speaks of the greater productivity of telecommuters. The other choices may seem attractive on the surface because they contain words and phrases from the passage, but a closer look will show them to be incorrect or absent from the passage. 8. d. The first sentence indicates that sushi was once available only in a handful of eating establishments. 9. c. Choice b may seem attractive at first, but the passage doesn't offer the opinion that the purpose of the shopping mall is important, it simply tells us what the purposes are. 0. d. The second paragraph states that an animal prepares for hibernation by increasing its body weight and fat. The reader can infer from this that the animal eats more food than usual. 11. c. The passage states that hibernation is â€Å"more than simply a deep sleep,† then lists sev eral ways that hibernation differs from sleep. The other choices are not addressed in the passage. 12. c. Patrick Henry's famous words, â€Å"Give me liberty or give me death,† indicate that he was willing to fight for his nation's freedom—even if it cost him his life. The other choices are not addressed in the passage. 3. b. The passage is about Patrick Henry, and focuses on his patriotic activities. No other patriot is mentioned, nor is information given about his other speeches or about the Virginia legislature. 14. b. See the second and third sentences for the steps in making ratatouille. Only choice b reflects the correct order. 15. d. The main part of the passage describes how to cook vegetables. Only choice d indicates that vegetables are included in the dish. The other choices are not reflected in the passage. 16. d. See the final sentence of the passage. 17. c.See the second sentence, which defines ksa. The other choices are refuted in the passage. 18. d. This answer is implied by the statement that redistribution is needed so that people in emerging nations can have proper medical care. Choices a, b, and c are not mentioned in the passage. 19. c. This choice is the best answer because the paragraph indicates that the new knitters are of varying ages and are not just women. Choices a and b may be true, but they are not supported by the paragraph. Choice d is a prediction that is not made in the paragraph. 20. d.The paragraph specifically states that age makes a person less able to respond to long exposure to very hot or very cold temperatures. This would mean that older people are more susceptible to hypothermia. Choices a, b, and c are not supported by the information given in the paragraph. 21. c. The third sentence is the main idea. It is a general idea that answers the only question posed in the passage. The other choices are not in the passage. 22. d. The passage states that health clubs have undergone a major transformation due to people's interest in taking care of their minds, bodies, and spirits.Choice a is incorrect because the paragraph doesn't say exercise is less important. It simply says the focus and type of exercise have changed. Choices b and c are not supported by the paragraph. 23. c. This choice is closely related to all three sentences of the passage. Choice a is contradicted in the passage. Choices b and d are not in the passage. 24. a. The entire passage relates to this idea. The other ideas are not reflected in the passage. 25. a. This is the main idea of the passage because all the sentences relate to it.The other choices may be true but are not reflected in the passage. 26. c. This idea is expressed in the final sentence and wraps up the passage, speaking of the importance of creating a balance. The other choices are not in the passage. 27. c. The support for choice c is given in the second sentence. No support is given for choices a and d. Choice b is incorrect because the paragraph state s that women business owners face unique obstacles, but it does not say that they absolutely require outside help to succeed, just that it is available. 8. d. This choice encompasses the main information in the passage. Choices a, b, and c are not mentioned. 29. a. The title should express the main idea of the passage. The passage, as a whole, focuses on appropriate and inappropriate uses of e-mail. The other choices address more specific ideas expressed in the passage but are not its main idea. 30. c. The first and second sentences reflect this idea. The passage does not say that Native American art is dreamlike (choice a). Choices b and d are too limited to be main ideas.