Effects of Media Violence on Children and Family Essay

The National Television Violence Study defines â€Å"media violence as an overtly depiction of credible threat of physical force intended to physically harm an animate being or group of beings† (Bartholow, Dill, Anderson, & Lindsay, 2003, p. 3). Violent portrayal on television, video games, music videos, films or the Internet informs children that people are revengeful and retaliation is a natural response to conflict (â€Å"Media violence†). Children between ages of six and 10 are more compromised to the negative effects of television because they may conceive that most of what they see on television is real (â€Å"The effects†). Strasburger and Wilson (2003) mention that the prosocial-violent cartoon produced more imitative aggression among kindergartners than did the purely violent cartoon because the superhero’s violent behavior was more striking than his prosocial words were (p. 83). Playing violent video games can increase aggressive thoughts, feelings and behavior of children and is more harmful than violent television and movies because it is more interactive and requires the player to identify with the aggressor (â€Å"Violence in†). Boys who watched either violent or nonviolent rap videos have a high probability not to attend college or do not believe that they would ever finish school (Roberts, Christenson, and Gentile, 2003, p. 168). Research studies indicate that higher rate of television viewing are linked with increased habit of using tobacco, increased intake of alcoholic beverages and younger onset of sexual activity (â€Å"Facts about†). They also show that repeated exposure to media violence makes people to be less disturbed when they witness real life violence and have less sympathy for its victims (â€Å"Research on†). Cook (2000) suggests that parents should ensure that their children are thoughtful, critical consumers of media and should establish content and time limits on media use, monitor, and discuss the media their children use. References Bartholow, B. D. , Dill, K. E. , Anderson, K. B. , & Lindsay J. J. (2003). The proliferation of media violence and its economic underpinnings. In D. A. Gentile (Ed. ), Media Violence and Children: A Complete Guide for Parents and Professionals (pp. 1-18). Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group. Cook, Donald (2000). Testimony of the American Academy of Pediatrics on Media Violence. Retrieved June 3, 2009, from http://www. aap. org/advocacy/releases/mediaviolencetestimony. pdf. Facts About Media Violence and Effects on the Family (2005). Retrieved June 3, 2009, from http://74. 125. 45. 132/search? q=cache:kiPT7NJfTWwJ:www. echeat. com/essay. php%3Ft%3D27026+effects+of+media+violence+on+family&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk Media violence: more than just child’s play? (2003). Facts of Life: Issue Briefings for Health Reporters 8(10). Retrieved June 3, 2009, from http://www. lionlamb. org/More_Than_Just_Childs_Play. htm

Carrie Buck Essay

Buck versus Bell 274 U. S. 2000 (1927) was the United States Supreme Court ruling that upheld a statue instituting compulsory sterilization of the unfit, including the mentally retarded â€Å"for the protection and health of the state. † (Holmes) It was largely seen as an endorsement of negative eugenics which is the attempt of science to improve the human race by eliminating â€Å"defectives† from the gene pool. (Elof) Paul Lombardo argues (in N. Y. U. Law Review, April 1985, 60(30):30-62) that the Buck case was a milestone in government power over individual rights. Lambardo) In his essay â€Å"Carrie Buck’s Daughter: a popular, quasi-scientific idea can be a powerful tool for injustice,† Stephen Jay Gould attacks the injustice of the false â€Å"science† of eugenics, and champions Carrie Buck as the example of the victims. This paper aims scrutinized Gould’s writing skills by studying and analyzing the five metaphors he used in the essay. First, the comparison to Judeo-Christian (Exodus) and pagan Greco-Roman (philosopher Plato) ideas of punishment through 3 generations which is unjust will be tackled. Second, Carrie Buck is an instrument of showing the people what injustice is. Third, the references to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi’s policy of eugenics through gas ovens will be analyzed. Fourth, the issue of the dishonesty of the American legal system and the issue regarding Oliver Wendell Holmes will prove that government powers overpower the individual rights. This should not be the case. Lastly, the metaphor from the ballad â€Å"Barbara Allen† will be talked about. At the end this paper will also examine and evaluate whether Gould succeeded or not in his argument or persuasion essay Gould was a world renowned historian of science. (Shermer) This is why one believes that he uses metaphors that happened in history. He wanted to prove his arguments by relating to what has already happened in the past which is unique for a writer to do. The first metaphor was a comparison to Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman ideas of punishment through 3 generations. In addition to that is the superstition of bad things happens in threes. One supposes that Gould wants the readers to realize the similarity of the ruling and the ancient beliefs. He argued though that the injustice here is that the children are innocent of the crimes of their fathers or grandfathers. (Gould) When Gould referred to Adolf Hitler as the perfect metaphor for evil, it could be he was coming from a point of view that no person in the history of the world had done what Adolf Hitler did and all for the reason of eugenics. Gould was also known to write about philosophical matters. He was clearly disgusted by the eradication of over 9 million people through gas ovens just because they were considered â€Å"imperfect. † (Gould) How could Hitler know what is perfect if he is imperfect? Surely, it seems illogical when one sees this argument. As for the issue of dishonesty of the American legal system were the victims were not told of sterilization and that the government falsified records was just plain unjust. The government does not have powers to undermine the rights of any individual. The individual is in the proper perspective to know how to better a government and a sense of bettering a society rather than one person holding a high office. That should better fulfill each individual needs and in turn produce a more controlled government. A government should be entirely equal to all citizens and each individual should make his or her own decisions. (Rousseau) One of the most notable documents in history tells of the necessity of individual rights and explains why those rights are a necessity. Individuals’ wants and needs could possibly be blind to the state running the government and everyday pleasures that many take for granted could quickly come to light once they were gone. Often, the state does not visualize this method and can sometimes ignore the individual’s needs all together when proposing things. This basically give power to the federal government to control and set laws for people instead of letting the individual think for him or herself and control their own actions. With having the states predominate control over individuals, problems often occur and the different laws and propositions could alienate some people. The Declaration of Independence originally established different rights for the population of the United States in which gave the people rights of freedom that the citizens needed and a norm to have a guide for the people. Plato’s â€Å"from Crito† is a document that established and guidelines to be held by the states instead of the individual. The Declaration of Independence sought for individual unlike the principles regarded in â€Å"from Crito†, in which saw the power of the government to be lead by the state. Over time people have swayed from the views of the Declaration of Independence and have abused their rights that were allowed to them. That should be no reason to have these freedoms taken from them. Individual rights are a must in society and are important in the function of everyday life. The individual’s rights should predominate and not the government powers. In fact, the government has defeated their purpose by doing acts like fraud and telling lies. (Rousseau) They have the responsibility to defend and protect the innocent and helpless against people that will try to harm them. In this case, the people who are harming the innocent are the ones that should have been protecting the victims. Gould argued that as we can see in the evidences that Carrie Bucker is a victim of this injustice. Gould also made a reference to the ballad â€Å"Barbara Allen†. The ballad was about two lovers who were united only in their deaths which is similar to what has happened to the mother and child in the Buck case. Carrie and Vivian Buck were reunited when they were already dead. Gould’s tone during this part was a person who mourns as if the two people were related to him. He was so disappointed in what happened in their lives and was disappointed that because of the injustice done by the government we see the end of the Buck lineage with Vivian. Stephen Jay Gould is one unique writer. What distinguishes Gould from other writers is that he has taken his work beyond academia and into everyday life. He takes certain aspects of information in history or in any topic that appeal to a general audience and makes them relevant to the here and now. Gould uses his unique style to condense the key contributions of influential figures into a single essay. He also uses his own seemingly mundane experiences to make larger points. In this essay, one could see that readers will be enthralled to read from the very first page. He uses ordinary language but this does not mean that the depth of his words and thoughts would suffer. One can also see that he uses different perspectives in looking at the problem and not just contained in his expertise. He definitely succeeded in this persuasion essay if what he really wants was to open the eyes of the public to the negative effects of eugenics in our lives. Gould captures the emotions of the readers by using information that is both scientific and historical. However, if one questions whether Gould was impartial or objective then one would say that he was impartial. Although he did not directly state it in the essay, one could feel his emotions when one is reading through the article. Gould has established an interesting point in this essay. It was fascinating to see how he had developed the theme and wrapped it up. The essay was like a more structured version of a good and intellectual conversation. Gould has his own unique philosophy of science that has influenced both his career and his life. That philosophy can best be summed up in a quotation from Charles Darwin, frequently cited by Gould as a sound principle of philosophy: â€Å"All observation must be for or against some view if it is to be of any service. † (Darwin) Gould has followed Darwin’s advice throughout his career and his extensive writings.

A Look At Technical Education In Bangladesh

A Look At Technical Education In Bangladesh The People’s Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia which became independent in 1971 after a glorious nine months of liberation war with Pakistan Army who killed three millions Bangalees. Bangladesh literally means â€Å"The Country of Bengal†. Lying north of the Bay of Bengal, on land it borders India and Myanmar, and it is a close neighbor to China, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. Bangladesh is surrounded by India in The West, North and North-East and Myanmar to the South-East. It is situated between 20034†² and 26038†² North Latitude and 88001†² and 92041†² East Longitude. It has an area of 147,570 sq. km. and a population of nearly 140 million. It has a population density of 948 persons per sq. km., which is the highest in world. As the name â€Å"The Country of Bengal† suggests that Bangladesh is an ethnically homogeneous country. Among the different ethnic groups Bengalis 98  % and the remainder are mostly, Santhals, Chakmas, G aros, Biharis, Oraons and Mundas. Variations in Bengali culture and language do exist of course. The estimate of religious makeup from the 2001 census reported that the population was 89.58% Muslim, 9.34% Hindu, 0.62% Buddhist, 0.31% Christian and 0.15% Animist. With the highest density of population in the world and slow economic progress, the people of this country are trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty. Over 50% of the people who live below the poverty line are not able to provide for their basic needs and amenities. With 140 million people, Bangladesh is the eighth largest in the world in population. It is also one of the most densely populated countries and endowed with limited natural resources. Bangladesh has to rely, more than most developing countries, on its human resources for progress and prosperity. Educational Structure of Bangladesh The present education system of Bangladesh may be broadly divided into three major stages, viz. general education, madrasha educatio n and technical education. Here I am discussing about technical education in Bangladesh. Technical & Vocational Education For the students whose interests are not strictly academic may find technical-vocational programmes more interesting and more valuable for their future. Government tries to ensure that the course curriculum should be relevant to students’ interest and aspirations while at the same time it should address the needs of the job market. a. Primary level. There is no technical-vocational institution in primary level of education. Ebtedayee in the first level (Primary level) of madrasah education has no scope for technical-vocational education. Accordingly, technical – vocational education in Bangladesh is designed in three phases under two major levels of secondary and tertiary level of education. b. Secondary level. Vocational courses starts from secondary level. The certificate courses prepare skilled workers in different vocations starting from ninth g rade after completion of three years of schooling in secondary school. At this level the courses are diversified in different vocations spread over 1 to 2 years duration. Recently, 2 years duration vocational courses have been introduced at the higher secondary level in government managed vocational training institute (renamed as Technical School & College). Diploma courses prepare the diploma engineers at the polytechnic institutes. This course spread over 4 years duration after passing the secondary school certification examination. There is a technical education board called Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB), which grants affiliation to the technical institutes. It conducts examinations of the students completing different courses in different vocational and technical education, and awards certificates to the successful candidates.

Business Plan Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Plan - Coursework Example Startup capital shall be from two sources – personal investments from each partner, and a short-term bank loan, which the company sees to close by the end of its 3rd year of operations. Since the business is really more of an independent label, very little capital expenditures shall be made. The bulk of its budget will be focused on marketing and operations. The business will initially be located in one of the partner’s homes, for cost efficiency. This is where the management will meet with clients and vendors, and hold office in the meantime. It will operate on no revenue and implement a low overhead for the first year. The owners will focus on relationship marketing in order to get media partners and good costs for equipment rental during recordings. It will do tie ups with event organizers and media bodies to achieve the desired media mileage for the brand as a whole, and for all its talents. Diva Records desires to achieve equity through below the line efforts with these potential partners. II. BUSINESS DESCRIPTION AND VISION Diva Record’s vision is to promote local music groups while increasing live appearances and sales. This two-fold objective is really focused on giving back to the community by honing local talents and at the same time gaining revenues for the company to be able to sustain and expand the services. Its keys to success are as follows: 1. Careful selection of talents to sign up. There will be very rigid screening to get only the finest local talents per category. 2. Limit the number of talents to sign up to be able to stay focused on the marketing efforts. 3. Have a mix of work and fun. The music business is a fun business, and the owners, being passionate about their work, looks forward to creative improvements as time goes by. Instead of competing with the larger record labels, Diva records will apply a more focused regional approach to concentrate on local and homegrown talents. These artists’ goal is to be v isibly known in the local market, and eventually penetrate the mainstream. This group in interested in gaining exposure and be known by the local market, since as more people know them, they are most likely to get projects and gigs, and possibly produce a CD, consequently earning more revenues. Diva Records wishes to be known as a hard-working and promoting record label, with the reputation of having support for local talents. Such brand equity will bring the record label to its own place in the market. III. MARKET ANALYSIS Diva Records targets two primary market segments – record stores and consumers at live shows. The management’s focus is to develop visibility within the community, enough to be able to sign up artists which is they to gaining mileage and revenues. The two target markets that have been identified are as follows: 1. Record retailers – this segment distributes the product to end-users. This is the retail channel that ultimately moves the greates t quantity of CDs. It takes time for record stores to be able to sell these CDs as some artists need to gain following before their songs are patronized. However, Diva Records will endeavor to get the partnerships of these record stores, even going as far as sponsoring their activities to be able to have a good position in their display areas. A long-term relationship is foreseen with these establishments. 2. Patrons at live gigs and concerts –

Professional athlete are not over paid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Professional athlete are not over paid - Essay Example They have proven their skills over a period of time, they have work hard to achieve them and the most they have work hard towards creating an image. It doesn’t take a day, week, month or even a year to achieve a strong position but it takes dedication of decades to finally be able to play at a national and then international level. To be recognized and selected out of hundred and thousands of sports persons. Else for representing their country they also become a benchmark and a perfect image in minds of many people. They become their super heroes, after religion or for most of the people even before they place their heroes. They follow them in style, personality and traits. They start believing in them and that makes them a brand. Sports persons are than hired by different organizations to represent their product and services. These organizations know that their brand will be promoted because of the image they present. If we see the different aspect that they represent we shall conclude that a sports person is not alone, he does not only carry his/her name, he compromises many years of his life in order to master the skills and at the same time they compromise on their families and other social relations because they don’t have much spare time. For the efforts that the place, there are reason I can easily say that they are not over paid. For one they are best at what they do, even in other fields including accountants, lawyers, doctors, actors even writers, are millionaires, and they are paid because they perform good. In any field one would only gain if they prove that they are nothing less than the best. Same goes for the sports persons, the perform and they are paid for performing good. Another aspect that has to be kept in mind is that sports is only for a certain time period with age sports cannot be continued and that is why the earning of a sports person ends

SmartTool Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

SmartTool Inc - Essay Example Doug has been taking high risks in business especially in bagging orders that cannot be delivered readily using the core competencies of the organization. Such orders would either require structured R&D mechanisms, or else uncontrolled costs in trial & errors. The findings of Elwood pertaining to a loss of $190000 on seven projects pertaining to 3D dies present the objective evidence against this conclusion. Also, the company took the route to ISO 9000 certification while the processes in a mess and were not automated. In this scenario, the certification doesn’t qualify the organization to have an efficient QMS system. Overall, Doug is competent to start a business and run it till enough cash is generated but his money management skills were not adequate. From the gravy stamping job, SmartTools achieved financial flexibility which means there was surplus cash for self-funding of the working capital. Doug could have made the company debt free but instead preferred to expand int o areas that were lesser known to SmartTools thus increasing risk of uncertainty in order processing.Doug was technology savvy person and he wanted to expand the technology horizon and competency of the organization. He did not value the value of self-reliance thus ensuring operating profitability. Moreover, he was poor in handling working capitals efficiently for the growth of the organization. He kept on realizing more and more working capital loans from the Bank and losing profits and cash in the backend. He along with Janet tried to cover up the slumping profitability by inducing the accounting discrepancies detailed below and in this process risked the wealth of the shareholders as well as serious legal issues that could have put both Doug and Eb behind bars. Accounting Issues Operationally, Doug and Eb didn’t manage the accounting system properly. Given the requirements of section 404 of Sarbanes Oxley, spreadsheets with macros cannot

The Ku Klux Klan in the City 1915-1930 by Kenneth Jackson Essay

The Ku Klux Klan in the City 1915-1930 by Kenneth Jackson - Essay Example The rise of the Ku Klux Klan is urban areas in the 1915 was one of the most astonishing events that occurred in the American history post World War I. Kenneth Jackson, in his work discusses the many aspects regarding the second Klan. Jackson insists that many Americans joined the second Klan genuinely joined with the intention of being a true patriot. However, many Americans were unaware of the extreme prejudices that were hidden. The re-enlightenment of the second era had many different views than its predecessors. Post 1920, the Klan grew a strong membership of 4 to 5 million. Unlike the first Klan movement in the reconstruction era, it extended beyond the traditional motives. The second wave of the Klan continued to focus national agendas at hand that went beyond the agrarian economy. Since the Klan compromised majority of white and Protestant, it was vital that they elaborated on array of social and political issues. The macro focus was on civil issues such as Prohibition, employment, immigration restriction. One might even insist that it was a reformation movement. However, this movement did have many ramifications as it propagated violence and publicly humiliated the status of minorities. The Klan’s supreme strength was unpredictable as it held strong ground in Indiana, Oregon, and Colorado. The Klan played a huge role in politics according to Jackson as it affected the Democratic convention in 19 24. The Klan was fed up from the fact that black workers on the domestic front earned decent wages and were being accepted in this new America. According to Jackson, the Klan made its moral duty to halt this new type of African American growth in society. Jackson reiterates the fact the Klan rose due to many factors. First and foremost was the fact that it possessed great numbers outside the South and half of the followers lived in the cities. The Klan in essence was so engrossed in its own agenda that it embedded prejudice and racism in their ideology. Often times, it crossed the legal boundaries and infringed on basic human rights as killings became common. Secondly, the Klan rose in an era where depression plagued society. The Klan was fed up with not only economic conditions but also due to the fear of the growth of communism. Since the south at that time was majority, the Klan made it their priority to attack that particular region. Jackson argues that the Klan that rose in tho se cities had different agendas, which was to enforce a moral code according to their perspective. Interestingly enough, states such as Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma did not face as much hostility from the Klan as expected. According to many historians, Texas should have the main target for the Klan. However, that was not the case as El Paso was never the home for target violence. Hence, it became common that the appeal of the Klan spread to North and West. The Klan had so much influence that its members served in the congress. The second wave of KKK was much stronger, organized, and confident that the emergence of the first KKK. As mentioned, this organization not only propagated for â€Å"white supremacy,† an intense attachment to anti-Semitic and anti-Catholicism. One of the

Visual culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Visual culture - Essay Example They also play a big role in deciding what kind of attitude we develop for our values and how we manage and develop social relationships in practical terms. While different visual media have been examined independently, â€Å"there is now a need to interpret the postmodern globalization of the visual as everyday life† (Mirzoeff, 1999, p. 3). The power of visuality is enormous in many aspects. It is an undeniable reality that visual culture specifically visual imagery in the form of different advertisements, comics, television plays, and internet has a lot to do with almost all actions we take in everyday life which is why contemporary culture is widely considered to be a visual culture. â€Å"Visual culture does not depend on pictures themselves but the modern tendency to picture or visualize existence† (Mirzoeff, 1999, p. 5). The ability to interpret visual information is so remarkable that it is claimed to serve as â€Å"the basis of industrial society and is becomin g even more important in the information age† (Mirzoeff, 1999, p. 5). ... In fact this interaction is so huge in terms of internet used and television daily watched etc. that one cannot remain oblivious to it. This essay is primarily based on contemplating the effects produced by visual images on managing behavior, values, and relationships. Throughout this essay I will discuss the role played by modern technology in our daily lives and explore multiple ways in which visual imagery prompts us and restricts us to perform any activity or in any social relation basically identifying the benefits offered by visual images. I will also make use of examples augmenting my argument to discuss how and why visual culture holds such fundamental importance in our lives presently. General consensus is that visual images form a rich and dense source of cultural information and encode the obvious relationship between culture and behavior management. The trend towards dominance of image continues to foment with the rise of visual reality and the Internet â€Å"combined wi th the global popularity of television, videotape, and film† (Mirzoeff, 1999, p. 9). A culture dominated by visual has often been criticized to be second-rate and this criticism has long history â€Å"for there always has been a hostility to visual culture in Western thought. All such criticism implies that a visually dominated culture must be impoverished or even schizophrenic† (Mirzoeff, 1999, pp. 9-10). Presence of visual images is so profound now thanks to the Internet facility available everywhere at quite cheap rates that many systems have started depending solely on different visual mediums. â€Å"Internet has come to function as a commodity-delivery system for vastly expanded media companies† (Stratton, cited in Nakamura, 2007, p. 3). It is true that some visual images

Transportation Safety Administration Research Paper

Transportation Safety Administration - Research Paper Example Keywords: 4th Amendment, AIT Scanner, Pat downs. Transportation Safety Administration Screening at U. S. Airports The Bill of Rights and the 4th Amendment 2001 and Now Introduction: September 11, 2001 will never be forgotten by anyone who is an American citizen. It became a day that the â€Å"light came on† for many people who had before taken security for granted. To the major portion of Americans, terrorism was something that happened in other countries, never their own. A total of 19 terrorists were able to evade security checkpoints and personnel and board four commercial airline planes. The results of that day were a â€Å"wake up call† for security in America but particularly for airline security. (Taylor; Steedman, 2003). After 9/11 security professionals have been seen as a major defense to managing the terrorism threat. The security industry has seen a boom after September 11, 2001. The airline industry has been the fastest to upgrade their security measures, s ince the hijackings occurred on commercial airlines. Immediately following the attacks, President Bush poured $20 billion dollars into intelligence and security. The airlines had to enact new security measures so that people would feel safe flying. Stricter background checks and heavier security for baggage checks were the first placement measures. (Taylor; Steedman, 2003). The following research covers the new airline laws, the TSA and how it effects the Bill of Rights and the 4th Amendment. The New Security Measures: The new security laws were put into place on November 1, 2001. They needed to be in place before the heightened traveling season of Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2001. On November 19, 2001 Congress passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA). The Homeland Security Act was passed on November 25, 2002 and the TSA was moved to the Department of Homeland Security, which had formerly been directly under the Department of Transportation. (Taylor; Steedman, 20 03). Security officers are very important in an airport that caters to millions of people traveling from different parts of the world. They are employed to assure the safety of assets; â€Å"they are on the front line.† (Taylor; Steedman, 2003). A security officer takes his position more personal and is able to detect little things that others would not normally see by observation. These officers are well versed on baggage checks, vehicle checks, screening passengers and personnel and operating detection equipment. Shortly after the TSA was formed, 65,000 new federal employees were hired. (Taylor; Steedman, 2003). They were offered higher wages and better benefits, and increased training from 12 hours to 100 hours on all baggage and passenger screeners. (Blalock; Kadiyali; Simon, 2007). The immediate short term upgrades to security included criminal background checks on 750,000 airport employees, screening of all checked baggage with whatever equipment was available. This inc luded x-ray machines, personal hands on inspections, presence of more air marshals on board, and prescreening of suspicious passengers with the FBI. By 2003 5,000 more air marshals were placed on domestic and international flights. Long-term upgrades included 28,000 airport baggage screeners being equipped with explosive

The Business of Beer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Business of Beer - Essay Example It must be stated then, that beer has a prominent place both in history and the present culture. Given its popularity and significance in society, it was only a matter of time before the profit-driven human being made a business out of this widespread drink. According to Wikipedia, the first breweries in history were actually the brewers' homes, specifically their kitchens.1 When brewing became industrialized, breweries were built as a different construction from the house. The brewery, Weihenstephan (in Germany) is believed to be the longest-standing brewery. While in Manhattan, Adrian Block and Hans Christiansen were the ones who established the first brewery in the New World. The year was 1612. Today, there is a long list of the current top breweries of beer. The Webtender index cites the following in its top 5: Aldaris, Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc. (brewer of Budweiser, Michelob and Busch beers), UK's Aston Manor brewery, BO's Brewery and Bistro and Brewerania. The success of beer companies in the U.S. shows how the country is a favorable market for the beer industry. Paul Gatza, director of Brewers Association, states: "The craft beer segment has grown steadily over the past ten years, but in 2004 it showed its biggest increase since 1996. The strong growth in craft beer sales shows American consumers' continuing interest in flavorful American beers." Below is the table2 of the Top 10 craft brewers in the United States: We can see the Boston Beer Co leading the pack of the top breweries. Headed by Jim Coch, the Boston Beer Company is the award-winning brewer of the popular Samuel Adams Lager among its many styles of beer. The Success of Samuel Adams The company's interactive annual report in 2003 gave us a preview of the tactics used by a powerful beer brewery to further solidify its place in the industry. First, it is important to establish what kind of beer does the company specialize in. In the case of the Boston Beer Co, the answer is Better Beer. Simply put, the Better Beer category is defined as the opposite of the regular, mass-produced beer. We can identify Better Beer by its contrast from the rest of the market-usually it is imported, highly advertised and more expensive. The Boston Beer Co aims to lock the top position in this product category. Innovation, commitment and meticulous evaluation have paved the way to success of the company. The company put fervent focus on its products and its marketability. Its flagship brand, Samuel Adams Boston Lager and Sam Adams Light are the company's standards, already guaranteed to appeal to the consumers because of its reputation and having passed the test of time. Then like a special treat, the company also came up with its "Limited Edition Beers", this includes Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock, Samuel Adams Triple Bock and Samuel Adams Utopias. These products were sold at a higher price due to its "in short supply" appeal. These strategies, along with venturing to other innovations (i.e. Twisted Tea), have helped the Boston Beer Co guarantee its place in the Better Beer competition. Having established its standard products (Samuel Adams Bosto

Cell Bio Lab Report Essay Example for Free

Cell Bio Lab Report Essay The purpose of this lab was to test the biological activity of ConA by performing a hemagglutination assay. If ConA is active then agglutination will occur due to ConA’s free receptors being able to bind to the glucose residues on the sheep’s red blood cells. If ConA is not active then no agglutination will occur. To test the hemagglutination reaction, two types of ConA solutions were compared, a purchased control ConA solution in buffer as the positive control, and a purified solution of ConA in buffer previously purified in lab. Each solution was at a 2mg/ml concentration of ConA in ConA buffer, which is necessary for ConAs biological activity. Two variables were added, Galactose and Mannose, to the ConA solution to compare the effects each had on the hemagglutination reaction. I hypothesize for ConA to be able to agglutinate the red blood cells if in the adequate concentration and if in the presence of Galactose, not Mannose. Mannose will inhibit the ConA from binding to the red blood cell’s membrane, preventing agglutination. RESULTS The reaction plate containing the ConA dilutions was incubated over the weekend and resulted in all wells being pink, appearing as if every well had agglutinated. There was a vague outline of the non-agglutinated cells in various wells. The last agglutination was observed at titer 0.0625 (1/16). Agglutination was seen in rows A, B D, and E (row A contained the control ConA, row B contained the control ConA + Galactose, row D contained the sample ConA, and row E contained the sample ConA + Galactose). In the well rows C and F which contained control ConA + Mannose and sample ConA + Mannose, agglutination did not occur at any concentration of ConA. Row G, the negative control appeared to have agglutinated as well as Row H, which contained only ConA buffer. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION The results did not support my hypothesis for the biological activity of ConA. There are some sources of error that could explain the results obtained. It’s possible there was a problem with either the ConA buffer or the sheep red blood cells to allow for all wells to turn pink and appear agglutinated. Another explanation of the irregular results was there might have been cross contamination from not changing tips when transferring to different ConA concentrations, or if bubbles were introduced while diluting the ConA, making the results difficult to interpret. For wells A, B D, and E as ConA became more diluted or decreased in concentration, it became more difficult for it to effectively crosslink and agglutinate the red blood cells. Well D, the positive control that contained the purchased ConA resulted in agglutination of the first couple wells, then no agglutination as the ConA concentration decreased, similar to Row A. Wells B and E that had the Galacatose additive obtained the same titer of the control ConA because ConA does not bind Galactose. Galactose doesn’t interfere with ConA from binding to the sugar residues on the red blood cells. Mannose on the other hand, is an inhibitor to ConA’s binding sites. The Mannose in solution competed with the ConA and did not allow to bind to the sugar residues on the red blood cells as seen in rows C and F. Row G, the negative control, should have resulted in non-agglutination, similar to the rows containing the Mannose additive. The results observed showed agglutination formed in this row. Lastly, Row H should have shown non-agglutination through out because the well contained only ConA buffer, not ConA protein. In conclusion, the results did not clearly explain the biological activity of ConA with the hemagglutination assay. The experiment contained too many anomalies to get a clear determination of ConA’s functionality post purification. The results did show that a change in the concentration of ConA would alter the strength of the reaction. Also, ConA’s ability to bind to sugar residues can be affected if ConA has to compete or is inhibited to bind to a cells membrane. LITERATURE CITED Cell Biology 3822 Lab Manual, Cell Surface Glycoprotein Receptor Analysis Using Concanavalin A Lab 7. Pearson Learning Solutions. 2012: 147-154. Madeleine Zaechringer. Cell Biology 3822 Analysis of purified ConA via Hemagglutinatino Assay Lab 7: Powerpoint. 2014.

Animal Testing Pros Essay Example for Free

Animal Testing Pros Essay Animal testing is basically making use of animals in experiments carried out for the betterment of human lives. These animal experiments are carried out by universities, pharmaceutical companies and even by students and researchers at medical schools. These animals are either bred specifically for carrying out experiments or are caught from their wild habitat and locked up in cages. There are some pros that motivate scientists to carry out experiments on these animals. So, what are some of the good things that support the torturing of these poor animals? Lets see some of these animal testing pros that makes proponents of animal experimentation argue for use of animals in research. Animal testing helps in finding ways to help save lives of animals and humans by testing lifesaving drugs and processes. A few animals tend to react the same way like humans in response to certain diseases and allergies. This helps the scientists find a cure for certain diseases by studying these animals. Open heart surgeries, coronary bypass surgery and heart transplantation are some of the procedures that came into existence by carrying out experimentation on dogs. Insulin for diabetes, lifesaving antibiotics, etc. have been made by experimenting on animals. Contagious diseases like smallpox, measles, chickenpox, rubella, polio, rabies, mumps, etc. were brought into control due to vaccines made by carrying out experiments on animals. About 99% of the human genes are similar to that of the chimpanzees as well as a few other monkeys. Thus, experimenting with these animals gives  scientists an idea about their possible reaction in the human body. As it is immoral to experiment on humans, chimpanzees and other monkeys remain the only option. Treatment for scarlet fever, tuberculosis, complex surgical procedures for humans were tested OK for humans through animal testing. Tests for vaccines for diseases like AIDS is being carried out on animals. The common animals used for these tests include rats, mice, rabbits, monkeys, dogs, goats, horses, etc. Chimpanzees share about 90% of their genetic make up with humans. These animals have similar reactions and somewhat similar inner organs to humans that help in determining the effects of drugs and procedures on humans. Many transplantation operations were first carried out on animals, that helped determine and save lives for humans. Animals are not only tested for making lives of humans better, but for the betterment of animals themselves as well. People often overlook the fact, that may breakthroughs in veterinary medicine has occurred due to this experimemntation. Animal surgeries, animal antibiotics, etc. have all come into existence, due to testing. Thus, animal testing pros prove it is very vital in saving not only the lives of humans, but those of animals as well. Cell cultures are useful only when one needs to see the side effects at molecular level. In order to see other physical side effects such as rashes, acne, wheezing, cardiac problems, etc. one needs to use animals. Although, animal physiology is not similar to human physiology, the results acquired after animal testing, help gauge their effects on humans. Animal testing helps in figuring out the safety of drugs on humans, before scientists begin the human trail. You dont want people getting adverse reactions to these drugs and adding more woes to their misery. The animal trials help minimize the chances of human death during clinical trials, saving pharmaceutical and medical organizations millions of dollars in compensation. Also, animals, like mice and rabbits, reproduce very quickly. This gives the researchers a chance to see the effects of the experiments on the progeny too. Now, let us see some of the arguments against animal testing. Animal Testing Cons When we speak about animal testing cons, there are plenty of emotional and ethical issues staring in our faces. The first con is the issue of pain the animal must be going through. Although, it is claimed none of the animals were hurt in the test, but how can one be 100% sure? Not all handlers are alike and some just jab the needles through their body, keep them in cramped up spaces, with little or no food sometimes. Animals cannot speak, so how can we determine whether or not and the level of pain the poor creature is going through? Animal testing statistics show many creatures lose their lives during the course of experiments. Some lose their limbs, eyesight, hearing ability, etc. All in the name of saving human lives. Agreed, when people say millions of animals are killed worldwide for food. But, you cant compare that with the months of torture the animals go through while the experiments are on. Wouldnt you prefer being killed in one shot, rather than enduring poking needles, cuts and poisonous chemicals being injected into your system and being kept caged in a really small space for what seems like all eternity? You may wish to escape the dreaded place that smells of disinfectants, chemicals and may be sure death, but cannot. There are many animal rights group that claim killing animals is inhumane. Animal testing in cosmetic industry as well as a household products is not worth the life of a poor animal. Experimenting using animals also proves to be a bit expensive. This is because the cost of housing, feeding caring for the animals is quite high. Animals are in a great deal of stress as they are not living in their natural habitat and the controlled environment may take a toll on their minds. Also, some claim animal experiments can be misleading as an animals response to a drug cannot be absolutely similar to a humans. People are now suggesting use of tissue culture, statistics and even computer models for carrying out the test. Animal rights also exist and abusing  someone weaker than us is not right. The death of animals due to an experiment gone wrong is similar to murder of a human who was tested against his will. In human tests, at least humans are asked whether they would like to sign up legally for being tested. There are legal papers and documents that safeguard the rights of the human subject and compensate him for any kind of loss. Animals however, are never asked for their opinion and have never had their rights safeguarded. The obvious explanation being they do not have the understanding capabilities of humans. This does not give us the right to use another life for our benefits. To find a cure for cancer, the animal cells are forced to grow abnormally, so that experiments can be carried out to find a remedy. With stem cell research and genetics getting a push, animals are subjected to further animal cruelty. Hybrid animals and cloning is carried out on the poor animals who are injected with genes of other animals within an embryo of another species. The resultant being a cross, that is either malformed or dead before being born. Do we have the right to reduce the dignity of animals by forcing mutations on them? You can see both the sides of animal testing facts tilt the scales of the balance equally. Animal testing helps saves lives of millions of humans, but in turn, thousands of these animals lose their lives. It is an open fact, not all handlers and researchers handle the animals with care. Computers cannot predict an outcome, just the possibility and tissue culture cannot predict the physical implications of a drug like rashes, cardiac failure, etc. Similarly, testing cannot accurately prove the implications of drugs and procedures on humans. Pulling away babies from their mothers before they even get a chance to open their eyes, is not being human. Breeding animals only because you want to check the outcome of your drug on hapless babies is wrong. Till an experiment is a success, torturing hundreds of animals, be it a mice or monkey is rather totally unethical. It has been proven that over 92% of drugs that claim to pass the animal trials fail when tested on humans by the Humane Society of the United States. This debate on animal testing pros and cons will continue till  scientists do not find an alternative to this cruel process of animal experimentation. You can decide for yourself, whether you are for, against or just a mute spectator to animal testing. Every coin has two sides, so does animal testing. It is now up to each one of us to decide, which side do we choose. Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/animal-testing-pros-and-cons.html The question of legalizing marijuana refers to whether or not Americans should be allowed to legally grow, sell, buy or ingest marijuana. At present, the U.S. government claims the right to, and does, criminalize the growing, selling and possession of marijuana in all states. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed this federal right in two separate court cases: In 2001, U.S. v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers Cooperative, which overturned California proposition 215 which, in 1996, legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes. In 2005, Gonzales v. Raich, which again upheld the right of the federal government to ban marijuana use in all states. (See page two of this article for specific Pros Cons of Legalizing Marijuana.) What Is Marijuana? Marijuana is the dried blossom of cannabis sativa and cannabis indica plants, leafy annual plants with parts that are used for as herbs, animal food, medicine and as hemp for rope-making. The flowers contain psychoactive and physiologically active chemical compounds known as cannabinoids that are consumed for recreational, medicinal, and spiritual purposes, per Wikipedia. Why is Marijuana Banned in the U.S.? Before the 20th century, cannabis plants in the U.S. were relatively unregulated, and marijuana was a common ingredient in medicines. Recreational use of marijuana was thought to have been introduced in the U.S. early in the 20th century by immigrants from Mexico. In the 1930s, marijuana was linked publicly in several research studies, and via a famed 1936 film named Reefer Madness, to crime, violence, and anti-social behavior. Many believe that objections to marijuana first rose sharply as part of the U.S. temperence movement against alcohol. Others claim that marijuana was initially demonized partly due to fears of the Mexican immigrants associated with the drug. In the 21st century, marijuana is  illegal in the U.S. ostensibly due to moral and public health reasons, and because of continuing concern over violence and crime associated with production and distribution of the drug. Latest Developments On June 23, 2011, a federal bill to fully legalize marijuana was introduced in the House by Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA.) The bill would remove marijuana from controlled substance classification. On February 25, 2009, Attorney General Eric Holderannounced that that federal agents will now target marijuana distributors only when they violate both federal and state laws. The impact of Holders statement is that if a state has legalized marijuana, then the Obama administration will not override state law. To date, thirteen states have decriminalized marijuana for medical purposes only. In 2010, States Move to Loosen Marijuana Laws In November 2010, Californians defeated a ballot proposition that Californians over age 21 would be able to possess up to one ounce of marijuana, and grow their own plants on a plot up to 5 feet by 5 feet large. Washington, New Hampshire and Massachusetts state legislatures are slated to consider marijuana legalization bills in 2010-2011. And more than 20 other states are considering bills to otherwise loosen criminalization of marijuana use and possession. President Obama Avoids the Marijuana Question When asked at a March 2009 online town hall about marijuana legalization, President Barack Obama avoided a serious answer, and laughingly demurred I dont know what this says about the online audience. But, no, I dont think that is a good strategy to grow our economyWrote an irritated college newspaper columnist at State University of New York at Geneseo: Many people were disappointed by his reaction, as Obama did not offer any counter-arguments and completely ignored the potential medical and social benefits of ending the prohibition on marijuana. Yes, some who wish to see marijuana legalized use it for recreational purposes, but the other benefits cannot be ignored. Cannabis is known to ease pain disorders, including the side-effects cancer patients experience throughout treatment. In addition to this, legalization would strike an enormous blow to organized crime, free up the overflowing prison system and reduce violence along the  Mexican-American border. Obama Supported Decriminalization in 2004 However, in a 2004 appearance at Northwestern University, then Illinois politician Obama told a crowd, I think the war on drugs has been a failure, and I think we need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws. (See page two of this article for specific Pros Cons of Legalizing Marijuana.) Background The following are milestones of federal marijuana enforcement in U.S. history: Prohibition, 1919 to 1933 As use of marijuana became popular in response to alcohol prohibition, conservative anti-drug campaigners railed against the Marijuana Menace, linking the drug to crime, violence and other bad behaviors. 1930, Federal Bureau of Narcotics established By 1931, 29 states had criminalized marijuana. Uniform State Narcotic Act of 1932 Pushed states, rather than federal authorities, to regulate narcotics. Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 Restricted marijuana to persons who paid an excise tax for certain medical uses of the drug. 1944, New York Academy of Medicine Report finds that marijuana does not induce violence, insanity or sex crimes. Narcotics Control Act of 1956 Set mandatory prison sentences and fines for drug offenses, including for marijuana. 1960s Counter-Culture Movement U.S. marijuana use grew rapidly. Studies commissioned by Presidents Kennedy and Johnson concluded that marijuana use did not induce violence. 1970 in Congress Repealed mandatory penalties for drug offenses. Marijuana was differentiated from other drugs. Per PBS, It was widely acknowledged that the mandatory minimum sentences of the 1950s had done nothing to eliminate the drug culture that embraced marijuana use throughout the 60s 1973, Drug Enforcement Agency Created by President Nixon. 1976, Conservative Christian Groups Led by Rev. Jerry Falwells Moral Majority, rising conservative groups lobbied for stricter marijuana laws. The coalition grew powerful, leading to the 1980s War on Drugs. Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 Pushed for and signed by President Reagan, the Act raised penalties for marijuana offenses, and established harsh mandatory three strikes sentencing laws. 1989, New War on Drugs Declared by President George H.W. Bush 1996 in California Voters legalized marijuana use for cancer, AIDS, glaucoma and other patients, via a doctors  prescription. 1996 to 2008 12 other states legalized medicinal marijuana use, albeit with widely varying restrictions. Most states cant implement their programs, though, as the Bush DEA executed a series ofsurprise raids on marijuana clinics, arresting both sellers and patients. The White House claimed that federal law held precedence over state legislatures. MAIN SOURCE: Condensed from materials produced by PBS and WGBH/Frontline.

Demographic Analysis for Associations with Poverty

Demographic Analysis for Associations with Poverty 3. Socio-economic Characteristics In this paper, demographic characteristics such as age, sex and education as well as socio-economic characteristics such as household assets and livelihood activities are assessed. These characteristics provide an overview on the background of the respondents, which in turn provides an overview about the suitability of the study population. Without necessarily being the source of poverty, it has been pointed out that having a particular characteristic may be associated with poverty. For example, most households that depend on agriculture, livestock and fishing keeping are more likely to be poor. We have also collected data about their profession that how they manage fishing. Also, data has been collected about their economic activities like have they received microcredit or do they pay any usury. Here in the following table we show their professional activities. Non-Users of mobile phone number is 53 out of 205, which is 25.85% and number respondent using mobile more than 1 year is 92 out of 205, which is 60.53%. These characteristics are described in table 1, 2 and 3. Table 3: Information (Qualitative) about Mobile Phone of the User Subject Number of User Percentage Length of using mobile phone 18 11.8% 7 to 12 months 42 27.6% >1 year 92 60.5% Reason of using mobile phone Family 20 13.2% Business 93 51.2% Other 39 25.7% The level of literacy rate is 30.7 % which is less than rural Bangladesh illiteracy rate 50.6% (BBS, 2013). Mobile phones are easy to afford and do not require the user to have much technological knowledge or even to be able to read or write, so this group with primary or no education can operate this. Table 4: Income Status For Mobile Users (N = 152) Variable Income Before use mobile Income after mobile use Income [Mean ( ±S.D.)] (Bangladeshi taka) 13068.39 ( ± 11840.35) 20854.72 ( ±22868.66) Household monthly income N (%) N (%) Lower Income (0-10000) 87 (42.4 %) 75 (36.6 %) Average Income (10000-15000) 34 (16.6 %) 13 (6.3 %) Higher Income (>15000) 84 (41.0 %) 115 (56.1 %) For Non-Mobile Users (N = 53) Variable Last Year Present Year Income [Mean ( ±S.D.)] (Bangladeshi taka) 4666.97 ( ±11390.37) 4134.08 ( ±9743.71) In order to understand the socio-economic status of the households, a number of household assets and livelihood activities were assessed through multiple-response questions. As all respondents are fishermen, so their main earnings are from this occupation. At the same time, they are also involved in some agricultural productions. Also, some respondents are partly involved in business. As we collected the whole information of their family, so the other source of income with fishing by the other members of the family are also involved. The other member either may be migrated or jobholder or may be involved in business like storekeeper. So, in our data, all of the income earnings through these income sectors are also included. The Income group are separated in three groups with their monthly income. The lower income group with the income from 0 to 10000 taka, average income group with the income from 10000 to 15000 taka and higher income group with the income higher than 15000 taka. For mobile phone user, the average income before mobile phone use was 13068.39 taka where after the use of mobile phone this average income raised to 20854.72 taka. For the non-user of mobile phone we collected the data about income for the previous year. The estimated average income of the last year was 4666.97 taka where in present period this income has decreased to 4134.08 taka. The estimated income of the mobile phone user and non-user are given by the following Table-4. 4. Impacts of Mobile Phone Use on Fishing Community’s Business The study has sought to identify the impacts of the mobile phone in fishing community life. Impact refers to the difference that access to the mobile phone has meant to the individuals in the study areas. Assessments of impacts are based on the self-reported advantages of mobile phone access that the interviewees have indicated. Access to the mobile phone has above all meant the creation of more opportunities and choices, but it has also provided help in managing uncertainty. Moreover, existing business relations have been strengthened. We have asked several questions related mobile phone use in their business and they answered (Table- 5). The advantages that the users feel the mobile phone has given them in business transactions is above all relate to the reduced access time to information. Reduced communication expenses are also important to many. Table 5: Business related advantages of mobile phone users (N=152) Mobile phone has helped in: Agreed Easy to use 125 (82.2%) Easy to access market information 128 (84.2%) Reducing search cost and improve market knowledge 110 (72.4%) Reducing risk 119 (78.3%) Most of the respondents say that they call mostly for their business purpose. Before introducing mobile phone they had to accept the middleman’s price offer for fishes because they had no other way to know the market price for fishes in the bigger markets. Mobile phone gave them the opportunity to verify the market price of fishes. Now, before sell fishes to middlemen, they do verify the market price in the nearby markets and only agree to sell when they get a good price. Now they feel much more confident as they have gained bargaining power with the middle men who mostly deprive them from their profit. Table 6: Business information of mobile phone users (N=152) Business Related Questions Agreed N (%) Strongly Agreed N (%) Neither Agreed nor Disagreed N (%) Disagreed N (%) Strongly Disagreed N (%) After using mobile phone income has increased 102 (67.1%) 5 (3.28%) 31 (20.39%) 14 (9.21%) 0 (0%) After using mobile phone savings have increased 78 (51.32%) 6 (3.95%) 33 (21.71%) 35 (23.03%) 0 (0%) After using mobile phone expenditure has increased 82 (53.95%) 17 (11.18%) 37 (24.34%) 14 (9.21%) 2 (1.32%) After using mobile phone, 67.1 percent fishermen have agreed that their income has increased, 3.28 percent have strongly agreed. Again, about the increase in savings, after mobile phone use 51.32 percent have agreed, 3.95 percent have strongly agreed. Finally, about the increase in expenditure. 53.95 percent agreed that their expenditure has increased, 11.18 percent have strongly agreed. 24.34 percent are indifferent whether 9.21 percent have disagreed and 1.32 percent strongly disagreed about the increase in price (table- 6). They are agreed mostly that the impact of mobile phone on rural market is that the rural suppliers could more easily get market information, they could more easily get price information and they find out that the market is expanding. Also they find out that the introduce of mobile phone strengthening their relationships with business partners, motivating himself in taking new initiatives and creating new economic or income generating opportunities. Findings of table- 7 suggest that contribution of mobile phones were enabling rural households in Sylhet region to overcome vulnerabilities related to social exclusion .The phones were also reducing travel times and monetary costs; decreases physical risks; and increases the outcomes of those necessary journeys. Furthermore, increased temporal accessibility enables people to manage several activities regardless of their physical location. Table 7: Qualitative information about mobile phone user’s (N=152) business Livelihood and development aspects Agreed N (%) Does mobile phone can reduce risk? 119 (78.29%) Do you get the assistance of health service initializing mobile technologies? 35 (23.03%) Do mobile application and practices can increase the benefit to women? 68 (44.74%) Do you face any harassment by others? 37 (24.34%) Do your productivity rise? 103 (67.76%) 5. Empowerment Empowerment is the reduction of dependency, owners as well as users have experienced a variety of changes after access to the mobile phone. In rural Bangladesh, people have very little scope for choice in work or social relation but remain confined to the village and its limited income earning opportunities. Economic empowerment refers not only to increases in income but also to having control over resource and resource management, decision making power, involvement in and control over economic transactions. Mobile phone, besides financial gain, could also facilitate the economic empowerment of women. Mobile phone has created an income generation opportunity for rural women. It has also provided scope for interacting with a wider cross-section of people. Obviously, mobile phone as a business venture provides an opportunity for financial gain for the users. Almost most of the fishermen 70.38% (Summation of â€Å"agreed† and â€Å"strongly agreed†, table- 6) have said their income have increased through mobile phone. In the majority of cases the income of the fishermen has increased with the length of the mobile phone owning period. The greater the length of ownership, the higher has been the increase in income. So, apparently, as an income opportunity, the mobile phone has b een a success for the fishermen. 6. Results and Discussion 6.1 Probit Regression Probit regression analysis attained in table-8 suggested mobile phone has a significant impact on social and economic condition. Table 8: Probit Regression: Dependent Variable- Probability of using mobile phone Variables Coefficient Constant -0.24 (0.47) Age -0.01335 (0.0085) Education 0.89** (0.29) Maritaul Status 0.29 (0.23) Otherych 0.0018** (0.0008) Fishych 0.0024*** (0.0007) Credit 0.06 (0.23) Sellall 0.97*** (0.29) Number of observation 205 LR chi2 (7) 59.28 Prob > chi2 0.0000 Log likelihood -88.560767 Note: (1)*, ** *** denote 10%,5% and 1%level of significance respectively, (2) Standard Error is repeated in parenthesis. (3) Otherych=Income from other source; Fishych = Income from fishing; Credit= Micro-credit; Sellall = Sell all fish Probit regression suggested that an increase in Age decreases the predicted probability of mobile phone use by 0.013. However, it can be easily seen that age has no significant influence on probability of mobile phone use. The coefficient ofâ€Å"Education†shows that an increase in education increases the probability of using mobile phone by 0.89. This result was significant at 5% level. Another coefficient ofâ€Å"marital status†was 0.29,which means that there is a positive impact of marriage in the predicted probability of income. One of the most important coefficient â€Å"income from other sources† (Otherych) was 0.00175, the result was significant at 5% level. This means that increase in income from other source than fishing cause increase in total income. The coefficient of â€Å"income from fishing† (Fishych) was 0.0024. This means the increase income from fishing increases the total income. This result was significant at 1% level. The coefficient of â€Å"microcredit† (Credit) was 0.06. This means that an increase in receiving microcredit causes an increase in total income. Coefficient of â€Å"selling all fish† (Sell all) was 0.97. This means that the increase in selling all fish causes an increase in total income. This result was significant at 1% level. The constant term is -0.24 which describes that predicted probability of income of the fishermen through mobile phone is extremely low if all of the predictors (Age, education, marital status, otherych, fishych, credit and sell all) are evaluated at zero. The Likelihood Ratio (LR) Chi-Square (χ2 ) was 59.28 assuming that the model converged with all the parameters. Here, the value of log-likelihood is -88.56, which is negative, indicating better fit of this model. Prob > χ2 If Prob > χ2 tends to zero then there is no heteroscedasticity problem. Our probability of χ2 value is 0.0000 that rules out existence of heteroscedasticity problem. 6.2 Marginal Effects after Probit Marginal effects after probit is taken to find out the variation in the probability of increasing mobile phone use of the respondents. The marginal effects are calculated in Table- 9. Table 9: Marginal Effects after Probit Regression Variables dy/dx Age -0.004 (0.002) Education+ 0.21*** (0.06) Maritaul Status+ 0.08 (0.07) Otherych 0.0005** (0.0002) Fishych 0.0007*** (0.0002) Credit+ 0.017 (0.07) Sell all+ 0.33** (0.11) Note: (1) (+) dy/dx is for discrete change of dummy variable from 0 to 1 (2) *, ** *** denote 10%,5% and 1%level of significance respectively. (3) Otherych=Income from other source; Fishych = Income from fishing; Credit= Micro-credit; Sellall = Sell all fish All else held constant, education increases the probability of income by 21.28% and this was significant at 1% level. As the literate fishermen who are more educated can operate mobile phone effectively than the illiterate fishermen and are more informed about new inventions. They know that the use of mobile phone can minimize their cost by proving various market information including ups and downs in prices, pick demand etc. Relying on the middlemen, instead do not provide the mark; they information about price and market demand. So, the use of mobile phone among the fishermen who are educated is higher than the fishermen who are not educated. Also, the income from other source rather than fishing, when all else held constant, increases the total mobile usage by 0.05 %, with a significance of 5% level .That is, the change in income from other sources like agriculture, remittances, businesses, wage or salaries and interest earnings were influenced by the change in attitude towards mobile use. Again, earnings from fishing increases the total income by 0.07 % and this result is significant at 1% level. That is the income earnings from fishing change the mobile usage positively. The fishermen who were using mobile phone can sell their fishes with better prices. So, the total income of the fishermen who were mobile phone user greater than the fishermen who were not mobile phone user. We have to admit however, that the real impacts on the probability to use mobile phone by both income variables are quite low. Finally, selling all fish remaining increases mobile phone use by 33.14% and this result was significant at 1% level. So, the fishermen who are mobile phone user can sell all the fishes whereas the fishermen who were not the user of mobile phone cannot sell all the fishes very fast compared to fishermen who were the user of mobile phone. As fish is very perishable good, it becomes a vital incentive for the fishermen to use mobile phone. On the other hand, the impact of marital status and credit has no any significant impact on the change in total income. The status â€Å"Married† for person increases the probability of increasing income by 8.14% which was not significant. Receiving credit has a positive probability and increases the probability of increasing total income by 1.67% which was not significant. That the receiving microcredit may enhance their wealth but the wealth status is not much more different of both the fishermen who are mobile phone user or not. Finally, the probability of increase in total income is negatively related to the age. As age increases, the probability of increasing income decreases at 0.37% rate. This change is also not significant.

Essay --

In the short story â€Å"Going to Meet the Man† by James Baldwin, Baldwin pushes the boundaries of racism and cultural repression. Jesse is white deputy sheriff who is sexually frustrated in bed with his wife Grace when he cannot develop an erection. For the first time he is suffering from insomnia and he begins to have flashbacks of the many interactions he has had with the black race. He starts to tell his wife of an earlier incident he had with a group of black protesters who would not stop singing. While the sheriffs are arresting the protesters, Jesse takes the â€Å"ring leader† of the group to a cell and beats him repeatedly with a prod in order to force him to stop the singing. As Jesse heads for the cell door, the boy reminds him of his pass when he once disrespected his auntie, Old Julia. This channels the many flashbacks he has to understand why he sexually repressed with violence and has grown to be racist. Baldwin conveys that violence and pain manifests th emselves in each generation because families teach them through household values and societal expectations. Jesse first lesson was his childhood friend, Otis. Jesse was not always violent towards the black race as he was in the jail cell with that black, battered body. As a child, he looked beyond race and his black friend Otis was just a boy to him: â€Å"He had a black friend, eight, who lived nearby. His name was Otis. They wrestled together in the dirt† (1756). Baldwin shows that Jesse and Otis are simply friends. Jesse plays with Otis because he did not care about his race but he just wanted to be a kid and have fun. Shortly following the friendly interaction with Otis, Jesse started his transition from child to the chauvinistic man he is now. Soon young Jesse realizes that... ...oked to them for courage now† (1754). Jesse’s prior experiences provoke him to believe that through violence towards the colored race was the epitome of being a man. It was because of his father and his friends, which forms the racial tension he has with colored race and the moral value of white supremacy. Overall, racism and social repression is a pending issue that has yet to cease. Racism has become the face of American history because of the belief structure and family morals built on hatred of one another. This leads to societies broken and has become the most common setback of modern society. The use of violence and pain has manifest through generations, teaching whites to be superior and allowing blacks to be use to common oppression. If the world fails to reprimand the issue, generations will grow to believe the unrealistic morals that have shaped America.

Solar Heating Essay -- Solar Sun Energy Essays

Solar Heating It seems self-evident that, as a global society, we must transition eventually from the nonrenewable fossil fuels we currently rely on to renewable sources of energy such as biomass, wind, and particularly solar energy. The latter, though it involves some difficulties, which we will discuss shortly, is especially attractive, I think, because its source is the energy provided by the sun, which is so vast that, according to some, â€Å"if it could be effectively harnessed, two days’ worth of solar energy could provide more power than all known fossil fuel reserves.† (Duke Power) Because I will be getting a house of my own in just a few years, I decided that an interesting topic for study might be solar heating. There are two different kinds of solar heating, so I will briefly discuss them both: Active Solar Heating There are two different kinds of active solar heating systems: air and liquid. In both kinds of Active Solar Heating, flat plate solar energy collectors are installed on the roof or on the ground. Most often, the side that faces the sun has a glass or plastic cover and the inside space is a black absorbing material. Air systems use air to capture, transfer, and store heat produced by the collectors, while the liquid systems use water or an antifreeze solution. From there, fans or pumps deliver the heat to the house. Ultimately, I feel I would opt for the liquid system, because they cost less to operate and ta...

Freud?s view of civilization Essay -- essays research papers

Freud’s view of civilization emerges from his understanding of the struggle between Eros and Death. Freud expresses the existence of two contrary instincts, Eros and Death, via starting from the speculations on the beginning of life and biological parallels. While Eros preserves the living substance and joins it into larger units, such as societies, Death dissolves these units and brings them back to their primeval state. The death drives appear to be regressive, striving for a return to a less differentiated, less organized state of tensionlessness. In contrast, Eros (which embraces sexual and life-preserving instincts) is progressive in seeking ever more differentiated forms of organized life and even the widening of differences in it as between the organism and its surroundings. Freud explains the life as concurrent or mutually opposing action of, and therefore balance between Eros and death instincts. Beside this, civilization works with Eros in order to combine individuals to form families, then families to form nations and then great unity of mankind. Actually, the founding of families aroused from the permanent need of male for genital satisfaction. As a result of this, the male wanted his sex object, the female near him, while also the female did not want to leave from her children and had to stay with the stronger male. After that, the sons discovered that a union could be stronger than a single individual by overpowering their father. Because of that, the sons imposed some restrictions to work to each other in order to preserve the new state. Therefore, there are two foundations of the communal life of the human beings: the power of love between man and woman, and woman and her child, and the compulsion to work created by external necessity. The first one of these foundations is the result of Eros and the other is the result of the death instinct, which serves for Eros to co mbine individuals. However, in most cases death distinct opposes to civilization because of the results of death instinct. Because the death instinct directs towards the external world and it occurs as an instinct of aggressiveness and destructiveness. In this way the instinct enters the service of Eros, such that the organism destroys other things instead of destroying itself. However, restriction of these instincts directed towards other things speeds up the process of destr... ...ion. However, difference between male and female is not about strength and endurance, but about the reproductive differences and the ability to nurse of female. Because of these differences, destiny of female in society was designated by the anatomy of female in the past, but this is no longer valid and nor should it be. If we look at the probable criticisms of Gerda Lerner of about the Alphonso Lingis article, Lust, we can see the main difference between them, which is the point of view about woman. Lingis mentions about woman while he is mentioning about prostitutes in Bangkok. This means that like Freud, Lingis sees woman as sex object. Furthermore, he degrades women by saying that travesties in the stage of Calypso are women than women. He does not consider the reproductive property of women and therefore he exhibits the tendency towards men. Gerda Lerner might criticize this point of view of Lingis. Other than that, these two writers do not exhibits big differences since their point of views are different. Gerda Lerner approaches to the topic historically and deal with the subordination of women. On the other hand, Lingis mentions about the representation of self and desire.

Civil War Inevitable Essay

By the end of 1854 the two sections, the North (Union) and the South (Confederacy) had reached an impasse and that Civil War was inevitable sooner or later. The conflicts grew tension between the two, the manufacturing section of the North and the agricultural South, which led to Civil War. Between the North and the South there were economic, social and political differences. The North had a number of goals concerning slavery and the South. The North wanted to abolish slavery, stop the spread of slavery in the western territories, and the spreading of slavery in Kansas. And the immediate reason for the Civil War was to save the union. While the South wanted to continue slavery, spread slavery throughout the western territories, and ensure establishment in Kansas territory. Nevertheless, after seizing Mexico and the spreading of territories westward the South depended highly on slavery because of the â€Å"cotton king†. One of these territories included the Kansas-Nebraska where many newcomers and the proslavery settlers began to move into the territory. In this territory after the 1852 election, the temporary peace of the Compromise of 1850 came to an end. Senator Stephen Douglas passes the Kansas-Nebraska Act which created two new territories of Kansas and Nebraska. The status of slavery in the area was decided to be by popular sovereignty. This act wrecked two compromises The Compromise of 1820, and 1850, and the democratic party. While the act formed a new party: the Republicans. Throughout many compromises, and conflicts one of the large decisions was the Dred Scott decision. Dred Scott, who had lived in Illinois for 5 years with his master, sued his master for his freedom because Illinois was a free state. The decision concluded by the court ruled that because the slave was a property the master could take them in any area. With this decision it delighted the Southerners’, while it made the Northerners’ angry. As the North and the South became angry at each other and took different sides, one of the main conflicts was the election of 1860. The new Republican Party chose Abraham Lincoln for their candidate, which won for president. Now with Lincoln being the president the south felt very uncomfortable since Lincoln wanted a preserve union and anti-slavery. For  this reason South Carolina succeed from the union. As later on more states started succeeding from the Union, where they formed the Confederacy. This outraged the North. Now the North and the South had become two different sections, making the Civil was inevitable. The existence of slavery was the main conflict between the North and the South that led to other conflicts such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Dred Scott decision, and the election of President Abraham Lincoln. The conflicts made the Civil War inevitable to escape. The two sections had two different choices the North wanted to abolish slavery while the South the opposite. But after the South seceded the Civil War started.

Monetary Policy vs. Fiscal Policy Essay

People always struggled with an idea of prosperity and success, whether it was a personal goal or whether it was something major – like wealth of a country. Nowadays, we are studying a science, which is really significant and valuable – Economics. Economics is a tool for achieving those goals, knowledge that people can use and imply in real life, and at the present time probably undividable part of governments’ performances around the world. For us, students, there are two different matters we study – Macroeconomics, the study of the performance of national economies and Microeconomics, which focuses on the behavior of individual households, firms, and markets. During the fall quarter of 2001, I was exposed to the basic ideas and uses of the Macroeconomics. Macroeconomics policies – government actions to improve the performance of the economy – are of particular concern to macroeconomists, as the quality of macroeconomic policymaking as a major determinant of a nation’s economic health. Monetary and Fiscal policies are two policies that we were concentrated on, and were the most significant part of the course for me. There is too much involved in these policies and they interact with each other consistently. I decided to write this paper, summarizing the basic functions of two policies, tried to explain what it is that makes them work, how effective these two policies can be, and how one relates to another. In looking at the effectiveness of Monetary and Fiscal policies, it must be understood how the two relate to each other within the government structure. The Federal Open Market Committee – FOMC – is the most important monetary policy-making body of the Federal Reserve System. It is responsible for the formulation of a policy designed to promote economic growth, full employment, stable prices, and a sustainable pattern of international trade and payments. The seven Board members constitute a majority of the 12-member Federal Open Market Committee, the group that makes the key decisions affecting the cost and availability of money and credit in the economy. The other five members of the FOMC are Reserve Bank presidents, one of who is  the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The Board sets reserve requirements and shares the responsibility with the Reserve Banks for discount rate policy. The FOMC is the policy arm of the Fed and the tasks of the Federal Re serve are to supervise banks, fixing maximum rates of interests. The U.S Treasury, though it aids in much of the monetary management, represents the fiscal sector, which is the U.S Congress. Fiscal policy covers, such areas as taxation and other revenue gathering and spending measures. Fiscal policies are those actions that are enacted by the Legislative Branch of the U.S government, the Congress. Their fiscal policies are enacted through the U.S Treasury. Therefore, the Treasury is the arm of fiscal policy and the Federal Reserve is the arm of monetary policy. For example, even if Congress has allocated some amount of money to take over failing banks and savings and loans, and it is not enough, than the Fed can pump capital into the system by buying bank stocks. So, this is example of how the Fed interacts and influences the ups and downs of the economy. In looking at the relationship between the Fed and The Treasury, essentially, the Fed was set up to provide the U.S Treasury with a more satisfactory fiscal agent. In acting as the fiscal agent for the U.S Treasury, or more specifically, as the primary banker for the federal government, the Fed acts as Financial advisor, depository and receiving agent, agent for issuing and retiring treasury securities, agent for other transactions involving purchases and sales of securities for Treasury account, agent for the government in purchasing and gold and foreign exchange, and lender to the Treasury. The Treasury influences monetary and credit conditions as well, through its revenue and expenditure policies, its debt management policies relative to the size and location of its money balance, and so on. As an instrument of monetary management, the Treasury keeps its money balance in cash in the vaults as Treasury deposits at the Federal Reserve, and Treasury deposits at commercial banks. Owing to the degree of Treasury operations, these policies have marked effect on monetary and credit conditions, especially over periods. Ordinarily, the Treasury does not use these powers for intentional and continuous monetary management; this is primarily the function of the Federal Reserve. However, it does try to use its powers in such a way as to avoid creating serious problems for the Federal Reserve, and on occasion, it uses them intentionally to supplement Federal Reserve policies. The following is an example of how this occurs. The Treasury can implement restrictive actions. For example, the Treasury increases it money balance $1 billion by taxing the public or selling securities to the public. When the Treasury cashes the checks, the public loses $1 billion of its deposits. If the Treasury holds these deposits at commercial banks, this is the extent of the effect; the reserve positions of the banks are unaffected. But if the Treasury uses the $1 billion to build up its cash in vault or its deposits at the Federal Reserve, member banks reserves will be reduced by $1 billion. Basically, if we find an increase in the Treasury’s money balance, this tends to be restrictive unless the Treasury acquires the extra money by borrowing from the Federal Reserve. If it acquires the money balance by taxing the public or selling securities to it, the public’s money supply is directly decreased. If it acquires money by selling securities to commercial banks, the public’s money supply is not directly decrease, but the ability of the banks to create deposits for the public is reduced because they must use some their reserves to support the Treasury deposit. However, given the size of any increase in the Treasury’s balance, the degree of restrictiveness depends on the form in which it is held. On the other hand, the Treasury can affect monetary policy, by easing restrictions as well. Sometimes the Treasury utilizes liberalizing actions in a positive way to ease credit to supplement Federal Reserve actions. More often, however, it uses them to a void creating conditions that would make the job of the Federal Reserve more difficult. Given, this information, we can see what the relationship is between the  Federal Reserve and the U.S Treasury. They often complement each other and balance each other out. However, the prime job of the Federal Reserve is to act as the federal government bank, as well as regulating monetary policy, credit regulations, and supervising function of member banks. The U.S Treasury is the element of the government, which collects money from the public, either through the sale of securities or through taxation. The U.S Treasury is that arm of the government, which provides the government with money it needs to operate, which of course is part of fiscal policy operations. The Fed is the bank that the Treasury uses for its banking needs, to be it in the most simplistic terms. *** We were all shocked by tragedy that happened on September 11, 2001. There was a tremendous impact on the entire world by that event. People were heavily affected emotionally same as financially. Many lives were taken by the coward act of those who responsible for such disaster. The US faced a number of consequences followed by many bumps on its way to the future. Unbelievable economic downturn made all sectors of the economy to suffer this impact and force them to make decisions, which they probably didn’t thought of. Because Fiscal and Monetary Policy have a straight connection to the several actions taken by the government to stimulate weakened economy, I decided to cover what is going on right now within government structure and briefly explain what people should expect from policymakers, who are doing their best to respond to these obstacles, which we are facing right now, as quick as possible. Considering that today’s U.S. economy is already in mild recession and many indicators show it might face the most severe economic downturn since 1970s of the last century, President Bush and his administration called for additional stimulus package for fiscal 2002. Policymakers in Washington are considering a number of actions that could stimulate the economy. Among them the options being considering are tax cuts that could spur consumption or investment, and additional federal spending that could directly increase economic activity. Republicans are the majorities in the House of  Representatives and Democrats, who control the Senate, have very different and opposite visions about ways to stimulate the U.S. economy. Republicans consider that economic growth is generated through investments by businesses, which encouraged by cuts in taxes and tax rates. Democrats support the proposal that stimulates consumer spending such as through tax rebates for low-income, extensions of unemployment insurance, and government spending to promote construction and other infrastructure. A several weeks ago, the House Ways and Means Committee have passed a $100 billion economic stimulus package main part of which – 85% – for permanent tax cuts, mostly for corporate tax cuts. The major components of this plan are: Elimination of the corporate alternative minimum taxes and refunds AMT credits. This is a most controversial point of the House Republicans proposal. The minimum tax was designed to make profitable companies to pay a basic amount even if they owe no corporate income tax because of some deductions. Democrats support the fairness of this tax cut but disagree with its retroactive method because although these refunds would effectively reduce the tax rate on corporate income but those compensations for the previous investment, not new investment. Permit 30% immediate expensing write-off for purchase of capital assets over the next three years. Reduce the maximum tax rate on long-term capital gain from 20% to 18%. Deductions of net losses from taxes paid up to five years earlier. Republicans argue that all these corporate tax cuts are necessary to encourage businesses to invest more into new capital because businesses would have more income or retained earnings. And as a result it would spur the economy. Democrats disagree. They tell that businesses would not  necessary to invest; some of any tax cuts will be saved or businesses can simply to pay down their debts or to spend them for dividends to their stockholders and maybe only small part would go into new investment. Permanent cut in the former 28% tax cut rate to 25% would be accelerated to 2002. Democrats argue that this tax cut would be more effective if it will be temporary rather than permanent tax cut because this acceleration significantly shorten government revenue in later years and in the long run the government can’t afford these rates cuts. Moreover, most of the tax relief would benefit only the top one-quarter of all income tax filers, who are likely to save more and spend less from tax cuts than those who have lower incomes and tend to spend whatever extra income they have. That is why Democrats support the proposal to send additional tax rebates for low-income workers, because the more rebate is spend the more effective it is as a stimulus. Democrats want to freeze marginal tax reduction in previous 39.6 bracket to 38.6% rather to decline it. It would save roughly $100 billion between 2002 and 2011. Democrats have proposed a smaller package with far fewer and temporary tax cuts and significantly more new spending – 75% of the stimulus plan. They support the ways that spur consumer spending that has kept the economy afloat such as through tax rebates for lower income workers, expansions of unemployment insurance and government spending for construction and other infrastructure. For instance, temporary changes in the unemployment insurance program or any additional benefits provided would likely be spent and go directly to output. Public capital investments involve direct government purchases of goods and services and therefore directly add demand into economy.

FC Arsenal – A brief history

West Ham Wembley As of the 2012-13 season, there are fourteen professional football teams in London, six play in the Premier League and eight in the Football League. Wembley is also shown. Football is the most popular sport, both in terms of participants and spectators, in London. [l] London has several of England's leading football clubs, and the city is home to fourteen professional teams and more than 80 amateur leagues regulated by the London Football Association. [2] Most London clubs are named after the district in which they play or used to play.Fulham is London's oldest club still playing professionally, having been founded in 1879. Royal Arsenal were London's first team to turn professional in 1891. Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are London's most successful teams in domestic and European competitions. Between them, they've won a total of 84 titles and trophies. Wembley Stadium, England's national stadium is in London. It is the home venue of the England national foo tball team and has traditionally hosted the FA Cup Final since 1923. On 19 May 2012, Chelsea became the first London club to become European champions after winning the 2011-12 UEFA Champions League.History The playing of team ball games (almost certainly including football) was first recorded n London by William FitzStephen around 1174-1183. He described the activities of London youths during the annual festival of Shrove Tuesday. The playing of some form of football in London has been well documented since its creation in 1314. Regular references to the game occurred throughout the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, including the first reference to word â€Å"football† in English when it was outlawed by King Henry IV of England in 1409. Early games were probably disorganised and violent.In the sixteenth century, the headmaster of St Paul's School Richard Mulcaster is credited with taking mob football and transforming it into rganised and refereed team football. In 1581 he described in English his game of football, which included smaller teams, referees, set positions and even a coach. Royal Engineers A. F. C. , 1872 The modern game of football was first codified in 1863 in London and subsequently spread worldwide. Key to the establishment of the modern game was Londoner Ebenezer Cobb Morley who was a founding member of the Football Association, the oldest football organisation in the world.Morley wrote to Bell's Life newspaper proposing a governing body for football which led directly to the first meeting at the Freemasons' Tavern in central London of the FA. He wrote the first set of rules of true modern football at his house in Barnes. The modern passing game was invented in London in the early 1870s by the Royal Engineers Prior to the first meeting of the Football Association in the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street, London on 26 October 1863, there were no universally accepted rules for the playing of the game of football.

A Special Place Within My Heart Essay Essay

I have lived in the same community since I was three years old and know every store, road, and area of Niles, Illinois like the back of my hand. I grew up with the same group of friends, which I am still friends with them today, and I have grown up with mentors in which I hold close to my heart, for shaping me into the young woman I am today. Niles, Illinois is a mid sized community with about 30,000 residents; I have become close with many residents due to countless activities and events. I am a young woman in which I always need to be doing something with my time, and the place in which I am perfectly content, gives me the ability to do so. When I was four years old, I started at St. John Brebeuf School, a Catholic school, which is apart of St. John Brebeuf Parish. Growing up throughout the years there, I learned many new things such as: meeting loyal friends, finding a mentor, seeing all the hustle and bustle of the community, and of course the many activities and committees in which you are able to become more involved. Seventh grade is when I really became involved within my parish. I began by joining the Lifeteen choir, in which we sing at mass, playing hand bells at mass, the Youth Ministry program in which you talk about church itself and volunteer within the community, Altar Serving which consists of helping the Priest and deacon at mass, and the GLADD program, which helps mentally challenged children learn about God. As the years went on, I found more activities and committees to become involved in, and now in addition to what I was apart of since seventh grade, I am now a Lector at mass, in which I read either the first or second reading, schedule the times in which altar servers serve, and also organize parties, To Teach Who Christ Is committee, where we teach the church about Christ, and where we raise money to fund for repairs to the parish, Picnic Planner, and 60th Anniversary Party Planner, we are having a big party to celebrate our 60th year as a parish. By joining all of these activities and committees, I have met key people within the parish, learned more about the parish history and its community, and met my mentor. I met my mentor four years ago, when I began taking singing more seriously. This woman had been a respected parishioner of the parish for a lengthy time, sings as a cantor weekly, been involved with many activities, and is the wife of a key member of the parish, a deacon. This woman’s name is Jan Skaja, I admire her for her determination to every task she puts her mind too, her kind and generous nature, her attentive listening skills in which I can talk to her about anything, she teaches me to be myself, and confident regardless of what the situation is, and inspired me to be the vocalist I am today. Meeting Jan has shaped a big part of my life by following her life examples, and looking up to someone who also enjoys singing. By participating in these multiple activities and committees, St. John Brebeuf has become like a second home and the parishioners have become like family to me, it has taught me leadership skills though the multiple activities, time management with balancing school work and my responsibilities at church, and maturity because most of the activities I am apart of require me to work with adults. This parish has been my everything, and I wouldn’t change a minute of my time here. My memories are now in a special place in my heart, and I can’t wait to experience the memories I create here in the future.