Intercultural Communication Essay

Comparison of the light that Catholicism was held in a century ago and its close correlation to the current treatment of Islam as a threat to the US is an important lesson learned from ‘Islam in America’. The close correlation and its replication in history considering that Islam is trying to expand in the US is an eye opener that makes one reconsider his position on the role played by Islam in terrorism and other vices that have been labeled as being closely related to the Islam faith. Another lesson that has been brought out by the article is the fact that more Arabs are Christians. Muslims, Arabs and injustice against America have in recent time been portrayed as being one and the same. Reading the article develops a clear collaboration between what can be considered wayward Islam and Arab Christianity in engaging in acts that are subversive for either Koran or bible dictates. The extreme differences that exist between different Islam groups are also brought out. To any one outside Islam the differences that exists in beliefs thus actions of Muslims and the development that have happened within Islam cannot be developed without having access to such eye opening information. Ida B. Wells, what a woman she was! Surprisingly I had never had of her existence even under black history catalogues. It is amazing how the influence of Wells was inspirational to the development of a number of organizations and uprisings that championed for equality yet her contribution has not even been documented by many writers and literatures. Another lesson from reading the article on her contribution to the liberation of African Americans is that President Lincoln actually placed an ultimatum for southerners to surrender or else lose their slaves. This version of American history is a realization of events within history that have carefully been concealed from the current generation to hide the dismay and inhumanity that past leaders currently held in awe as being great founders of America were involved in. Why is understanding history Important? Understanding the history behind a culture is important in developing a clear picture of events in the current society. Culture is considered a development from history that unluckily is in varied versions (Martin, & Nakayama, 2007); having a deeper understanding of experiences that define a community is thus important in objectively analyzing the different versions and coming up with a personal image. Moreover, without seeking an understanding of history the systems that have been placed to hide the truth may negatively affect one’s perception of events without and within his community (Martin, & Nakayama, 2007). Without understanding the differences that led to the development of different Muslim sects and the fact that they are of different ideologies one may be affected by the negative image that has been created by the media of Islam and terrorism. Without understanding the fact that America has historically been repulsive to entry of new religion one may be duped into believing that controversies surrounding Islam in the current society are a new development in American history. Abraham Lincoln and other great have had considerable effects on the current image of America. Realization that such a great could have made an absurd statement like ‘ surrender now or lose your slaves’ develops an appreciation of the fact that American leaders have had flaws and are not as perfect as modern literature portrays them to be. Appreciation of the role played by individuals whose names are not imprinted in American history or even black history in development that have been attained by African American is developed by Ida Wells’ biography. This develops an appreciation of the effects that individual can have on communities and even generations. Role in Competent Multicultural Communication Perception greatly affects the levels of efficiency that can be attained in human communication. Irrespective of the diversity that has been developed by forces of globalization the history of an individual whether formal or informal will always affect the perception he develops of others (Martin, & Nakayama, 2007). A multicultural communicator must be aware of his culture and the effects that it has on his cognition and others’ to ensure effective communication. An understanding of the differences that exist between cultures and therefore values is important in prior determination of areas of conflict in any given communication. Such information or knowledge is vital in addressing conflict areas in the best way possible. Management of conflicts that are inherent of communication between two communicating parties is affected by appreciation of their perception of each other. Addressing myths like it was the case in demystifying the role played by lynching in reducing African Americans’ role in raping white women and developing a clear difference that exists between Arabs ad Muslims is important in dealing with the negative effect that such have on intercultural communication. Language is part of a culture and unless intercultural communicators are appreciative of the differences in culture thus history has on perception (Martin, & Nakayama, 2007), conflicts in communication and even derivation of meaning that is core to communication becomes constrained.

Kantian Ethics Essay

Immanuel Kant’s moral theory has become the heart of deontological ethics. It differentiates itself by looking at morality as an extension of man’s reason. Unlike other ethical theories, the individual is seen as the primary actor of all moral decisions. His autonomy, his will is seen as the locust of ethical judgment. For Kant in order for an act to be considered morally worthy it has to be done out of duty. From my understanding of Kant, when we talk of duty it is something which our reason recognizes as a manifestation of a universal law, one which he/she cannot deny. Doing the right thing is not about whether or not the outcome might be gauged to be positive, or that because an individual â€Å"feels† that he/she must perform a particular act rather she â€Å"knows† that it is his/her duty. In order to be ethically praiseworthy, the person must ask himself, â€Å"Am â€Å"I† the one who is deciding and acting? † The morality of Kant builds on the want of the philosopher to describe and order an ethical life that is centered on the rational faculty of man, his reason. It is the case that in a lot of cases people tend to look at the possible consequences of an action in judging whether or not what they’re about to do is moral or not. At times we act out of good intentions, helping others, sharing, et al. because we feel that it’s the good thing to do. Unfortunately, Kant won’t agree with our ways. In fact, he would even say that such actions have no moral worth. For Kant, the important thing is our obligation to do something, feelings, intentions, and consequences may gain the approval of others but they are too whimsical. There is for him an a priori (before reason) law which tells us what ought to be done. As rational beings we are dignified with our ability to discern this law, much more, we are capable of making it (Kremling, n. d. ). To act contrary to what our reason dictates, is choosing to act in heteronomy, a big no-no for Immanuel Kant because it belittles the individual, the latter produces as a result, acts that are empty. If Kantian Morality sounds a bit of feel-good emotions, intentions, and happy thoughts, then I think we’re on the right track. Ethics in terms of Kant is not about making another person smile; it’s not about calculating how many people you could help out by doing something. At the end of the day, acting on such things are all half-chances, there is no guarantee that by helping someone out would be good, there’s no assurance that if you think of the number of people who would benefit, it means you won’t harm others. Autonomy plays a central role in the moral theory of Kant, in such a way that a man must in his own volition choose to legislate a universal law and act in accordance to it. How does one determine which acts are in accordance with good will per se and is thus uninversalizable? For Kant all actions can be stated as a maxim, a person as an autonomous person creates the maxim but at the same time has to make sure that it is a principle that every rational being can agree to with no exceptions. This is the categorical imperative, contrary to the hypothetical imperative which is stated as an If-then. I. e. If I want to pass this class then I have to study; the Categorical Imperative claims a universal statement that is true at all times (. When a person acts out of duty the latter is presumed to have passed the categorical maxim put forward to state the action: In layman’s terms we could state the maxim as a question first, i. e. can I will to cheat on an exam, in such a way that others would as a whole can will to do so? There are categorical imperatives that have been formulated by Kant as the most basic of ethical requirements, like for example, Lying is an act that for him will never become morally justifiable, we must always follow the imperative to never use a person but always as an end (Hillar, 2003). We again see here the theme of dignity and respect, man and his reason is central in the ethical works of Kant. Even if for example in doing an act we would do so for the good of the majority, it would still not be valid if a minority would be sacrificed along the way. We do something because it ought to be done as determined by our reason and verified through the maxim which we test and attempt to put as a categorical imperative; the latter could be thought of as the fixed rules that govern how we as rational agents act. The main criticisms to be raised with regards to other ethical theories are founded on the assumptions of Kant regarding the fulfillment of moral obligation for the sake of good in itself. Utilitarianism takes as a central part of its tenets, the concept of summum bonum (greatest good for the greatest number). If we look at this ethical formulation we shall see that it would contradict with the notion of Kant that Human Being should always be considered ends never as a means, not even for the greatest number. Problem may also arise in the altruistic claims of utilitarian moralizing. One ought not to pursue something out of happiness or other virtues like Aristotle’s notion of the good man as the man of mean and virtues. This would not qualify for Kant as enough grounds to pursue good, because as he had mentioned in the groundings, prior to the good is the good will with which there is no qualification (Johnson, 2004). If one is an individualist, he might more likely be pleased with the ethical prescriptions of Kant. I personally find strength in his moral philosophy in finding support for the need to protect certain inalienable rights. In focusing on a moral law, his theory is not vulnerable to the attacks of situational morality but rather focuses on the man as a rational being and a moral agent, whose will is in a sense the will of all (Baron, 1995). There is stability and consistency in Kant’s moral philosophy by centering on the autonomy of all individuals under the precept that when it all boils down to it, man shares a common reason and will that would allow them to determine what is right from wrong. On the other hand I think that there are certain things in life wherein following the rules set through categorical imperatives would not suffice. There are moral dilemmas wherein human lives are hanged in the balance. Although reason can help us in making our decisions, the moral duties of Kant can only go so far. I am left to wonder how a person could be satisfied with himself in pointing the whereabouts of innocent African-Americans to deranged members of the Ku Klux Clan who are vowing to kill them; on the basis of fulfilling his moral duty of always telling the truth. Take note, in Kant’s philosophy, there is no hierarchy of duties, one has to fulfill them all, regardless of the outcome. References: Baron, Marcia, 1995, Kantian Ethics Almost Without Apology Cornell: Cornell U. P. Hillar, Marian, 2003, Kant’s Moral Axioms, Retrieved August 3, 2007 from Socinian. org: http://www. socinian. org/kant. html Johnson, Robert, 2004, Kant’s Moral Philosophy, Retrieved August 4, 2007 from Stanford http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/

Grotesque Characters

Brittany Luckey Mr. Clements American Literature 21 March 2013 Grotesque Characters What is a grotesque character? In literature, a character or location that is irregular, extravagant or fantastic in form. When used as a device, the purpose is often in the style of expressionism, making the grotesque a parody of human qualities or a distorted reflection of a familiar place. In many ways grotesque characters have some kind of problem in society, and example would be a veteran who lost a limb in war and trying to fit back into society, or anything that we see as not normal in our society.Characters in this particular subject can be deformed, obsessed, or in our terms just not normal or right. Another definition of a grotesque character is characterized by ludicrous or incongruous distortion, as of appearance or manner. Flannery O’ Connor, Angela Carter, and Carson McCullers all experienced uses with grotesque characters whose works can be seen with characters who are deformed, disfigured, or social outcasts. What elements make up grotesque characters? One element of the narrative that is a character can be irregular, extravagant or fantastic in form.A grotesque character may possess a exaggerated personality trait or characteristic for the purpose of eliciting both empathy and disgust in the reader. In Flannery O’ Connor’s stories she uses two different types of grotesque characters. One type of characterized grotesque characters are called â€Å"physical grotesques† and the other type of grotesque is called â€Å"secular grotesques. † Two characters in particular are Mrs. Crater and Mr. Shiftlet; they are both grotesque characters, because they are both ruled by obsession. Mrs. Crater’s obsession is trying to marry off her daughter, and fails to see the character flaws of Mr.Shiftlet who cheats and lies. He uses Mrs. Crater for her money, Mr. Shiftlet is obsesses with morality and that makes both these characters grotes que, because their obsession rules their lives. Mrs. Crater’s obsession is trying to marry off her daughter, and fails to see the character flaws of Mr. Shiftlet who cheats and lies. Mr. Shiftlet is obsesses with morality and that makes both these characters grotesque. (â€Å"The Life You Save May Be Your Own†). Why are grotesque characters so popular in the Modernist movement and the Southern Gothic movement?In Southern Gothic literature grotesque characters are used to portray deeply flawed characters. Grotesque characters allow a talented writer to exaggerate their writing making it longer and believing it made their writing better. Grotesque characters can also help with unpleasant aspects within society without making it to church-like. McCullers used grotesque characters to bring about the truths of the human society. In the Modernist movement grotesque characters were used to describe the aberration from ideal form, it helped to create misshapen, ugly, or formle ss characters.In Modernism they are characterized by the qualities they lack such as fixity, stability, order, and sometimes even sanity. Writers in this period used grotesque characters to shape the history, practice, and theories in the nineteenth and twentieth century’s. What type of effect does a grotesque character have on a story? In Angela Carter’s story (John Bowen par. 1-5) they dominate, they are not beautiful, they tend to be dirtier than they clean. The main characters are Honeybuzzard, Morris, Ghislaine, and Emily. Honeybuzzard is the prettiest, but she is selfish, cruel and a killer.They are used in a lot of gothic writing to improve, and interest and keep the reader in the book. They affect the book in many ways such as people not wanting to be around them. They normally have problems such as obsession, missing limbs, mental illnesses, or just not right in physical appearance. They stand out from other characters in a story, because of how they look or h ow they act. They are also known as outliers. Grotesque characters face many problems in society or wherever they live, because people judge them for how they look or how they act.How does this story characterization add or subtract from the story? These types of characters give the story a mix of fear, abnormality, and it causes the reader to want to keep reading, and not put the book down. They can subtract from a story by having a book full of grotesque characters and the book becomes less interesting to a reader, because there is nothing happening except a group full of deformed and disfigured people. They give a book something to talk about and allow a reader to understand why they have been outcast, or why they have certain obsessions.They bring out some qualities a lot of authors don’t write about, and that makes the book just that much more entertaining. Who is a good example of supporting grotesque characters? An example from Malcom Griffith about grotesque character s â€Å"For example, he uses vague guidelines such as â€Å"the open-ended nature of grotesque† without prior explanation of which way the grotesque is open-ended (Griffith 49). What Griffith lacks in cohesion of a definition, he tries to make up for in examples. † He breaks down trying to explain what causes a grotesque character, to be open- ended, and why they are different from other characters.Grotesque characters help make literature entertaining and enjoyable to read. They bring out the other side of literature in which characters aren’t normal. These things show how far literature has come from very different authors. Different types of grotesque characters have very different obsessions, problems, and living situations. Grotesque characters are used a lot and can be found in literature such as Southern Gothic Literature and some Modernism. Grotesque characters shape a lot of our books in literature today. Grotesque add thrills and excitement to our book s and other sources of literature.In conclusion, we find grotesque characters to be unwanted, socially awkward, sometimes helpless, dysfunctional, overall just not what we consider normal in our life. They don’t fit in they are just abnormal and freakish. Works Cited Griffith, Malcolm. â€Å"The Grotesque in American Fiction. † Ohio: Ohio State University Press. 1996. Fearnow, Mark. The American Stage and the Great Depression: A Cultural History of the Grotesque. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Witkin, Joel-Peter. and Stanley B. Burns. Masterpieces of Medical Photography: Selections from the Burns Archive. Pasadena, CA: Twelvetrees Press, 1987.

I don't know the topic yet . Please get an article on health topic or

I don't know the topic yet . Please get an on health topic or what do you think is a good or a chapter in a textbook that has been assigned for you to read - Article Example The newspaper that published the story is backed by decades of credibility as a news source and the reporters, by association, also benefit from the trust that the people place in the articles that the newspaper publishes. However, there is something more important than the newspaper name and the byline of the article. In this case, it is the fact that First Lady Michelle Obama is being quoted throughout the article along with her collaborators on the program Such high profile and respected a name attached to the article using direct quotes definitely gives a heightened, if not unquestionable accuracy to the written report. The credibility comes from the fact that the First Lady has, for the duration of her husbands presidency, advocated a healthier lifestyle for all Americans. Even undertaking her own special health programs to help promote a healthy diet and healthier lifestyle. In the article, we can clearly see that the reporters thoroughly researched the history of food labels and the reasons behind the method the food contents are classified on the back label of the product. Cutting to the fact that the American diet has changed over the past 20 years and that the average American has also modified his eating habits, we see that a great deal of research was done by the first lady in order to defend her stand on the issue of food labeling. With the inclusion of the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg in the interview, in support of the first lady, the article found itself being lent further credibility. More importantly, the article presented the information to the reader in a method that did not talk down or confuse them. Reading the article was almost like reading a pamphlet that informed a person about the potential benefits of a particular item. The quotes from the first lady and the FDA commissioner added the important touch of credibility to the article at the

Structural engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Structural engineering - Essay Example The analysis can be done either manually or using commercial software. This paper is aimed at expounding on the details of sub-frame structural design. For a span that is greater than or equal to two times the overall depth for simply supported span and greater than or equal to two and a half times the overall depth for continuous span, a beam is classified as shallow beam, otherwise it is a deep beam. Effective width (beff) = width of beam (bw) + ÃŽ £(0.2 times of half the centre to centre width to the next beam (0.2bi) + 0.1 times the span of zero moment (0.1lpi), with the sum of the latter not exceeding 0.2 times the span of zero moment and lpi taken as 0.7 times the effective span of the beam). Design moment of beam (and slab) monolithic with its support providing rotational restraint should be that at support face if the support is rectangular and 0.2Ø if the support is circular with diameter Ø. But the design moment after reduction should not be less than 65% of the support moment. For a simply supported or continuous beam, the clear distance between restraints should be less than or equal to 60bc or 250bc 2/d if less; and for a cantilever with lateral restraint only at support, the clear distance from cantilever to support should be less than or equal to 25bc or 100bc 2/d if less where bc is the breadth of the compression face of the beam and d is the effective depth. Usually the slenderness limits need be checked for inverted beams or bare beam (without slab) We can, as far as our building structures are concerned, roughly adopt condition 1 (Mild) for the structures in the interior of our buildings (except for bathrooms and kitchens which should be condition 2), and to adopt condition 2 for the external structures. Nevertheless, the â€Å"Code of Practice for Fire Resisting Construction 1996† should also be checked for different fire resistance periods (FRP). So, taking into account our current practice of using concrete not inferior than

Judith clark Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Judith clark - Essay Example Similar individuals involved in the crime pleaded for lesser charges; however Clark received a seventy-five year sentence. It seems that while the extraordinary circumstances surrounding her crime – namely its ideological underpinnings – may have contributed to increased attention, there is also the recognition that her sentence was in-line with that many individuals would receive for similar charges. Still, her strong ideological stance at the time prevented her from establishing a plea arrangement for a lesser sentence; this is an ideological stance she claims to have since abandoned. Even while Clark claims she has been rehabilitated, she remains an accomplice to murder. Her strong ideological bent at the time of crime may have also contributed to its planning and execution. Ultimately then while Clark’s seventy-five year sentence may be too extreme, it does not seem a fair principle of justice to release her from prison anytime in the near

War between Palestine and Israel (In favor of Palestine INFORMATIVE Essay

War between Palestine and Israel (In favor of Palestine INFORMATIVE - Essay Example The countries comprising Lebanon, Egypt, Jordon, Turkey, Palestine and Tunisia, which mainly constitute of Palestinian populaces, allegedly termed as refugees, decipher negative views about Israel. On the other hand, France, China, Germany and the USA, who are often observed as lacking adequate knowledge and understanding of the situation from a dual and unbiased perspective, are identified to have favorable views about the peaceful resolutions considered by Israelis. Even in the preceding years of the 20th century, conflict settlement processes had been initiated with the aim of settling the disputes between these two groups; for example, Oslo Accords in the year 1993 (Zanotti 2), Camp David Summit in 2000 and Taba Summit in 2001have been few of the failed peace treaties in this context (Emerson and Tocci 13). Recently, a two-state solution has been initiated with the objective of developing an independent state for Palestine and Israel. This settlement policy is expected to be effe ctive in resolving the dispute amid these countries as they will be facilitated with the opportunity of performing their operations independently without interventions from each other (Pew Research Center, â€Å"Despite Their Wide Differences, Many Israelis and Palestinians Want Bigger Role for Obama in Resolving Conflict† n.p.). It is worth mentioning in this regard that in most of the instances, the interests of Israelis of the Arab population have been considered with greater attention as compared to the Palestinians which can again be affirmed as a stimulator to Palestinians’ war strategies preferring terrorism. ARGUMENTS AGAINST To be mentioned specifically, Palestinians’ involvement in terrorist attacks in... The paper outlines all pros and cons of the war between Palestine and Israel. Apparently, history reveals that Palestinians have been the ancient citizens of the land but are now living in poverty as refugees in many regions of the state. From a generalized perspective, where Arab’s or Israelis’ quest to re-conquer Palestine can be justified on the grounds of religious beliefs, it can also be strongly contradicted on the basis of political interests and profits. Palestinians have often sought mutual alliance with the Israelis and gain the reputation of being the citizen of Palestine which is their native land. To be mentioned specifically, Palestinians’ involvement in terrorist attacks in Israel, affecting the life of many innocent civilians, has been raised major counter arguments to the role of the group in the sectarian war with Arabs. Whatever the reasons behind executing terrorist attacks, such as action however, cannot be justified on moral grounds, but can be addressed as a response on the economic and emotional grounds from the Palestinians. The conflict amid Israel and Palestine is continuing since the mid 20th century fundamentally centralizes on the right of the either group to reside as native in the land. Conclusively, based on the above discussion, it can be affirmed that in order to mitigate these issues and conflicts, transparent understanding of the main causes and the current beliefs as well as needs of the two groups must be considered in an unbiased manner; rather than disregarding Palestinians’ views owing to their involvement in terrorist attacks to gain their needs.

Annotated Bibliography (PHI 445) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Annotated Bibliography (PHI 445) - Essay Example In essence, this study is highly effective because it begins to show the human cost to corruption, more than just a financial one. Bishara, N. (2011). Governance and corruption constraints in the Middle East: Overcoming the business ethics glass ceiling. American Business Law Journal, 48(2), 227-283. This is an in-depth study that analyzes the way corruption in many areas of business in Middle East has impacted the ability of small and medium-sized family businesses from growing too large. The author is a Middle Eastern business expert and has a unique spin on the glass ceiling. Taking a commonly used sociological term, Bishara spins that to demonstrate how certain types and sizes of business operating in the Middle East encounter a glass ceiling upon growing too big and quickly discover how corruption prevents them from growing even more, and limits their economic ability. He does this be talking about various issues related to corruption, including bribery and exploitation, and how this limits the continued development and expansion of small to medium sized enterprises. The glass ceiling, then, prevents the ethically minded firm from truly growing as an organization. Chauncey, M., and Jude, R. (2010). Daily practice: Ethics in Leadership. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 3(7), 19. Chanucy and Jude are focused on educating future business leaders, and current managers in the field, about the importance for teaching ethics in school. They focus on the reality that many universities and colleges around the country tout their own ethics, yet they often fail in their attempts to educate future leaders about the importance of creating an ethical and honest business environment when they move into the professional world. This is the first of a series of studies aimed at illustrating the importance of ethics in leadership and provides the reader with some great information about what concepts to employ moving forward. Hansen, H. (2011). Managing corruption risks. Review of International Political Economy, 18(2), 251-275. In this study, rather than simply focusing on the effects of corruption, Hansen goes further to provide the reader with specific measure that they can implement to shield themselves from the risks of corruption. His focus is on Western companies who are looking to expand internationally. There are obviously risks in making this step, many of which involve how to navigate the business landscape in the host country. By minimizing the risks of corruption from the outset, the company can limit potential losses down the road. He proposes certain networks that need to be established, prior to entering a foreign market, in order to limit the possibility that corruption will become a necessity. The article is quite in-depth and would be a great inclusion to the library of any executive tasked with the responsibility of navigating international business markets. Johnson, V. (2012). Higher education, corruption, and reform. Con temporary Readings in Law and Social Justice, 4(1), 478. This study by Johnson takes another unique look at corruption by put into context of higher education. Many individuals understand that corruption exists in higher education around the world, but many fail to focus

Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Book Review - Essay Example Obama’s political position on many different subjects such as war in Iraq to health care and education. After reading this book I really appreciate the author because he was eloquent and seemed thoughtful. Mr. Obama has an inviting and warm way of communication which shows him as an agent of change in the history of American politics. The writing style of this book is really good but it seems a bit too earnest for political correctness in America. The author presents his faith and values in such a way that is far more comfortable than many other political contemporaries. In this book Mr. Obama does a good job of describing how and why his values cause him to act and think in the way that he does. In my point of view if even someone doesn’t agrees to his plans and policies but will respect his commitment to change and energy of the author. I take issue with the author’s actual policies like health care which may seems great but it will lead to decreased choice and quality for most of the fellow Americans and issues like budget deficits and soaring taxes but I do agree with his policy that our country must overcome the addiction of foreign oil. I also agree on the point that more emphasis required for upholding traditional values and strengthening families. Mr. Obama’s opposition for many different reasonable remedies is really curious. The most important point was the emphasis on finding the root causes of poverty in the world and in our country and we should focus on dangerous issue like teen pregnancy. There are many expressed ideas of Mr. Obama that cannot be aligned with the ridiculous and radical statement of the senator’s pastor, who was the man that inspired the title of this book. In my point of view whether someone is liberal or conservative this book is a great source of information and it gives a great insight into the most significant

'Prison works and community sentences are a soft option.' Critically Essay

'Prison works and community sentences are a soft option.' Critically discuss - Essay Example Nevertheless, the public and the government remain divided on the issue of sentencing and punishments. On the one hand, there are people who believe that punishments are not as tough as they should be (Bowditch 2008). They believe that hardened and repeating criminals do not deserve mere slaps in the wrists through community sentences (Powell 1999, p.209). On the other hand, others insist that community sentences and prison works have worthy merits (Gibb 2006). They are cheaper than imprisonment and can be effective punishment alternatives on their own. Community sentences, if properly managed, can do more rehabilitation than custodial sentences (Edwards 2011). This paper explores the issue that asserts that prison works and community sentences are soft options and it also discusses dissent against soft options, especially in an era that demands stiffer penalties. This statement underscores that these soft options are only for minor crimes and not recommended in resolving penology an d social problems. This paper argues prison works and community sentences are soft options, compared to custodial sentences, but they can also be effective in addressing penal issues and decreasing the social concern of recidivism, as long as they are properly and strictly managed and implemented. Community sentences Notions of probation can be traced to local court practices in the early nineteenth century, where young offenders or those guilty with small offences could be discharged or bound if a suitable person offered to take accountability for supervising future conduct (Raynor 2002: 1172). In 1876, the Church of England Temperance Society started to create an active presence in some city police courts to promote moral reform of offenders and to keep them abstained from alcohol (Raynor 2002: 1172). From the 1950s to the 1980s, probation experienced two reformulations and rethinking, with major effects on the questions tackled by probation research (Raynor 2002: 1174). Wilkins ( 1958) and Radzinowicz (1958) asserted that the effects of probation can be located in the â€Å"treatment model,† where for Radzinowicz (1958), probation was â€Å"a form of social service preventing further crime by a readjustment of the culprit† (Raynor 2002: 1174). Wilkins agreed that the treatment model focused more on subsequent behaviour of offenders and not issues of the criminal justice system (Raynor 2002: 1174). As the 1970s ended, the â€Å"treatment model† faced strong criticisms. Empirically, the studies of the effectiveness of penal sanctions of different forms led to negative results and the general finding that â€Å"nothing works† (Raynor 2002: 1175). There were also moral and philosophical arguments against the treatment, such as the objectification and dehumanisation of subjects and resting on the unverified claims of superior professional knowledge† (Raynor 2002: 1175). Community sentences were first enacted by law in 1907 for th e â€Å"probation† of offenders (Ministry of Justice 2008: 1). They departed from the treatment agenda, because they focused on effects of systems, instead of people (Raynor 2002: 1177). During the 1980s, an emphasis on community sentencing emerged as part of crime policymaking (Charman and Savage 1999: 194). Community service and supervision orders took greater priority over prisons as ways of resolving crimes (Charman

Analyzing Pro Forma Statements Essay Example for Free

Analyzing Pro Forma Statements Essay Upper management has propositioned the financial analysis team to develop Pro Forma financial statements covering the next five years for the new product line that increases revenue in a similar but slightly different market. (The make-believe company is a restaurant group, the make-believe new product is pizza). The financial statement helps assess the possible financial impacts of pizza. The Pro Forma statements are based on the current year’s (2014) Balance Sheet and Profit/Loss Statement and are projected for an 18% increase in sales each year for the next five years. Analysis for the Pro Forma statement indicates that sales increases from the 2014 mark of $571,379 to $1,307,177 by the end of 2019. Consequently, the projected additional revenue will have the following financial, reflected on the Profit/Loss Statement: Cost of Goods Sold increases by $25,000 per year (pizza is a low cost product after the equipment and license overhead is paid for). Currently COGS is $182,129, after year five the COGS will be $282,129. Therefore projected gross profit will grow to $1,025,048 from $414,250 Wages increase by 12.5% in the first year because of the new hires. Every year after the wage expense increases 2.5% because of merit based raises and bonuses. In 2014 our wage expense is $172,704, by 2019 it will grow to $214,462. Credit Card Fees and Taxes are expected to grow 20% each year because of the additional sales from $14,852 and $17,800 to $37,325 and $44,292 respectively The budget for Supplies, Water/Sewage, Utilities, Repairs and Maintenance will also increase every year by 20% given the additional sales. The following table organizes this data: Net profit is projected to grow from $109,531 to $332,283 by 2019 The Current Assets accounts of Cash, Accounts Receivables, Inventories, Pre-paid Assets, and Other are also projected to increase. Cash is projected to increase from the current amount of $200,000 to $457,552 by the end of 2019. Accounts Receivables will increase from the current amount of $371,379 to $$849,625. Inventory will increase from the current amount of $9,100 to $20,819 by the end of projected period, and Prepaid Assets will climb from $2,500 to $5,816. Total Fixed Assets are not projected to increase, the property and equipment assets associated with Total Fixed assets will depreciate stagnantly by $15,000 over the 5 year projected period. The Asset category, â€Å"Other† will increase from $988 to $2,107. Along with the increase of these asset accounts, the Liabilities Account of Account Payable will increase from $147,179 to $365,682 by the end of 2019. From the prepared Pro Forma projections, expanding the product line to pizza is good for the bottom line. Net Profit will increase by approximately 322%  and Cash is projected to increase by 228%. The additional retained earnings over the five year period from the pizza line can be used to finance the project. In other words, by applying the retained earnings from the pizza line project back into the company we can finance the project in-house. References: Parrino, R., Kidwell, D. S, Bates, T.W. (2012). Fundamentals of corporate finance (2nd ed). Hoboken NJ: Wiley.

Monastic spirituality in the 21st Century Essay Example for Free

Monastic spirituality in the 21st Century Essay In the 21st Century, it could be said that monastic spirituality in an outdated concept. In the contemporary world we live in today, it has become increasingly difficult to live obedient to the Churches teaching. Some people would argue that there should be no real set of moral codes, and that the Church should not have such high authority. This contrasts to the Celtic Monks belief that Nothing must be refused in their obedience; to be Christs true discipleit will not be pleasing to the Lord. In society today, people dont see a need for a moral code. They make their own subjective decisions about what is right and wrong from them, and dont accept religious or government law. Grove argues People do not see the Church as having a real relevance in their everyday lives, and therefore do not recognise its authority in everyday matters. Some sociologists have said that it is this belief that has led to religious organizations watering down their beliefs to accommodate many beliefs, in the hope that this would make their religion more popular. However, in actual fact this can often lead to the religious organization becoming less popular, as they may lose the devoted members, who arent looking for a watered down religion. Pope Benedict said that relativismdoes not recognise anything as being certainits highest goals are ones own ego and desire. Relativism is the belief that concepts such as right and wrong, goodness and badness, or truth and falsehood are not definite and that they alter in different cultures and situations. It could be described as the cherry picking for faith. An example of this would be ignoring the rule of no contraception, for promiscuous reasons. An other common example would be the issue of sex before marriage. The Celtic monks had a huge sense of Divine Will that had to be obeyed. Saint Columbanus reminded us of this by saying by strict obedience shall the monk show his love of God. Many of these traits, that the monks found so admirable, have been lost in todays society. Monks believed that community was better than the individual, and that when we do something, it should be for the sake of the community, rather than for the sake of the individual themselves. The monks saw obedience as responding to Gods call. We can see a huge lack of obedience to God by looking at the large decline in vocations in recent years. In 2008, in Dublin, only three people were ordained into the priesthood. There are many reasons for this, a main possibility being the recent scandal the Church has been involved in in recent years. In 1968, 95% of Catholics went to mass. By 2004 this amount had dropped to a mere 50% (BBC Newsline). These figures support the view that as Christians, we no longer feel compelled to be obedient to God. This can relate back to what Pope Benedict described as The Culture of Relativism. Another debated issue is the importance of chastity and sexuality in our society today. Saint Columbanus said a monks chastity is indeed judged by his thoughts. He said that they were not only judged by sexual relations, but by the purity of the mind, and the sexual desires that they experienced. This view contrasts greatly to the view of society today. In our modern society, people are often sexually objectified. An estimated average of 75% of prime television shows include content of a sexual nature, and in soap operas it is estimated that extra-marital sex is referred to two out of three times every hour. This is because the television companys know that in todays society, sex sells. It is no longer thought of as a big deal, and there has been a massive increase in sexual promiscuity. This has led to a big increase in sexually transmitted diseases, which are becoming increasingly difficult to control. It also meant a big increase in the amount of unwanted pregnancies. Unlike monastic living which promoted the selfless giving of ones self to the community, we have adopted a hedonistic, narcissistic attitude. We have become our own lust. Michael Maher points out that the standards in Celtic monasteries are severe, particularly in the area of sexual morality. For many today, the idea of chastity is an outdated concept and is problematic for the future of the priesthood in the Catholic Church. This would lead me to believe that in regard to this aspect of monastic life, monastic spirituality could very easily be perceived as outdated in the 21st Century. Brigid of Kildare had a preferential option for the poor. She vowed to the king of Leinster, If I had all your wealth, I would take it and give it away to the poor, So Brigids monastery in Kildare, became known as the City of the poor. Aidan of Lindesfarm also expressed solidarity to the poor, when he gave away the kings gift of a horse to the first beggar he met saying Surely this son of a mare is not more important to you than that son of man. However, the Church didnt always share the same view. Leondardo Boff argues that the Church became an abstract speculation removed from the original spirit of the Gospel message, and out of touch with real life. The Church has been criticised for siding with the vested interest, and in its history has even been involved in colonisation and the removal of land from the peasantry, in its commitment to obeying the laws of the land. Richard Woods reminds us that justice and chastity were the main hinges of Celtic social action. This is another way, in that it could be said that monastic spirituality is an outdated concept in the 21st Century. Views that should be had today have slowly died off, and have left places worse off. However, Bishop Casadaliga reminds us that as long as there are poor people in the world, and as long as there is a God who cares for the poor, there will be a need for a theology of Liberation. The spirit of Liberation Theology is very much evident in Celtic Monasticism in many ways, from the care of the poor and the sinner, to the welcoming of the stranger. Hospitality was always extremely generous in the monasteries, and any stranger who came was very well looked after. In 2004, 19% of asylum seekers were allowed to find refuge in Britain, while 78% were turned away. The Celtic monks in their openness to all, especially the weakest turned no one away. This shows another way that Monastic Spirituality could be considered an outdated concept in 21st Century life. In conclusion, it would appear that Monastic Spirituality is in fact an outdated concept in 21st Century living, with our lackadaisical views on chastity and sexuality, and our selfish views on poverty, it seems that Monastic Spirituality has been lost, and I believe it would be in the Catholic Churches interest to try and retrieve some of this monastic spirit.

History of the Latin Kings

History of the Latin Kings The History of the Latin Kings begins in the 1920s or 1930s, but at this time they were known under a different name. In the beginning of the 20th century a lot of Puerto Rican immigrants came to New York. A lot of groups were formed, such as Noble Knights (who have ties to todays Latin Kings) or Young Lords. The group still has connections to these gangs. The founder of the original Latin Kings is called Papa King or Papa Santos. He started the gang in the 1950s in Chicago. Although he is an important person in the history of Latin Kings you dont know much about him or his life. Even his birthday is unknown. He himself was a Young Lord. Due to oral stories the LK were formed on the Southside of Chicago on the corner of 18th and Wabash. During the 60s they became more and more successful and expended to the north. They grew faster and were the best organized gang these days. The Latin Kings worked with social workers, because they received government benefits from meeting them. Thats why they acted more and more bad to get more and more benefits, such as money, fun activities, etc. Today this system doesnt exist anymore, of course. Some gangs thought the LK were part of the Royal Kings, who had arguments with the so called Ambrose. As a consequence the Latin Kings and Ambrose became enemies. In the 1970 the LKs were often connected with major crimes and organized criminal activities. 1977/78 they were suspected for robbing an armory. The FBI arrested one member, who acknowledged that they had stolen military weapons. It was rumored that they sold them to different allied gangs. In the 1980s the LK convinced also white gangs to join the so called people alliance, formed with Vice Lords and Elrukns. In 1888 Papa King was killed. His followers were Lord Gino (of whom you say that he ordered Papa Kinds death) as the leader of the LKN in prison and Baby king as leader on the streets. Size and Ethnic Origin Since the 1990s theyre also spread in New York City and nowadays you can find them nearly everywhere in the US. The Latin Kings and Queens Nation is primary spread in Illinois, Texas, and Florida and of course in New York and Chicago. Although they have many allies they are still the third largest gang in Chicago and people say that it is the biggest and most influential Latino gang in the world. Experts guess that there are about 50.00 to 80.000 members world wide, but youll never find out the exact number. They often have Puerto Rican background, but during the last 20 years when they broadened to Europe, there became more and more people with also Hispanic, Portuguese or Italian background members. As in many gangs there are more male members than female. Structure and Organization Both, men and women, are allowed to become a member at the Latin Kings and Queens Nation has, as the name already says. They have a strict hierarchy and rules. It has always been important that the members have social responsibilities. Depending on their age they should have or search for a job or go to school. Education in general is quite important to the Nation. Thats why there are so called schoolings. Knowledge workers are people whose jobs focus on working with information and for whom a certain theoretical and analytical knowledge is important. Knowledge is not tied to any country it is portable and represents might, a typical LK ambition. They should also be interested in their ethnic background and family history and free or hard drugs to be able to mainly concentrate on their duties in the nation and not to drag down the other members. There are three stages of social responsibilities a member goes threw when he decides to be a Latin King: Primitive Stage: the King warrior acts very impulsive. Most of his time he does gang banging (engaging gang activities) or getting high. The Conservative or Mummy Stage: The member doesnt want to be on the streets and gets tired of being seen as big and bad. He gets married and retires. The New King Stage: The member sees himself as a new King, which means that he starts to recognize that the time of revolution is in his hand. When he becomes a new King the will of the Nation becomes his will. Everything starts to have a meaning to him and he only lives for the nation. They are well structured and known for their hierarchy. The leadership consists for example out of: Supreme Crown Authorities Executive Crown Authorities and Local Presidents in their respective prisons and communities. They are responsible for a particular area. Furthermore there are officers or leaders, the so called Incas that are each supported by a Crown Council of seven members. The gangs head is the so called Corona which means Crown. He is able to decide nearly everything, but is, of course, also responsible for every activity outside prison. At that time Gino Gustavo Colon is the leader of the Latin Kings. Rules Because of their strict hierarchy they need, as mentioned before, strict rules. There are ones for every part of their live. They are written in their bible, which is called the Kings Manifesto. For example they have rules how to communicate with other gang members.. A few official rules are: A brother never crosses his left over his right arm, he never covers his right hand, because it represents his crown. No member should take the law into his own hand, he isnt allowed to exploit any person inside or outside the nation, when a member gives another member a salute it always has to be returned. That rules are often highly ritualistic. Due to that the Latin Kings are very religious. They believe in Kingism, which includes their whole system. But they also believe in Yahweh, god, the almighty father, King of all Kings. He is also called the El of the Universe. A non religious LK youll find very rarely. The Nation says that also their name is an acronym and shows their devotion to Yahweh. Almighty stands for: A love measured in great harmony toward Yahweh In their Manifesto there are not only rules and regulations, but also prayers. There are 2 prayers in the beginning; one is called the holy prayer. They believe that Yahweh is the founder of the universe, of the Manifesto and the Kingism. This belief should give them faith in themselves. The Latin Kings say that theres a heaven and a soul that will meet Yahweh after death. In fact it has a great similarity to the Christian and Jewish believe. What Kingism exactly is does only a member of the Latin Kings and Queens Nation know. They have certain Kings, but if they are holy, imaginary persons or real historic figures, isnt clear. Punishments When a member does not stick to that rules he gets punished by his colleagues. Besides physical punishment it includes social exclusion and group harming. Their application varies in intensity and frequency whether its a Chicago or New Yorker Leader. They have a few different rules and their execution also depends on the leader. A non-physical punishment can be prohibition, which varies between 2 weeks and 2 month. Others can be fines, being isolated and so on and so forth. But, as everything in their lives, they also have strict rules for physical punishments. There are: three-minute physicals, as the name already explains three members punish for three minutes five-point violations, which means that there are 5 members of the leadership that punish the victim (they stand for the 5 points of the crown) or even T.O.S. It stands for Terminate on Sight and is a death penalty. The reasons for this last brutal action are treason, challenging a leadership or sadly just homosexuality. Symbols and Rituals As every gang they have specific colors you find on all their logos and tattoos. In this case they are black and yellow. The dark color represents death and stands in opposite to the light one, which represents life. They arent only included in their symbols, but also on their cloth. Their emblem is always five pointed, e.g. a star, a crown (sometimes worn by a lion) or anything else that shows this number. Their most recent emblem is the bulldog with a crown. You can say that the number five is holy to them, because they often use it in their philosophy. The LKs are known for their drawings and graffiti paintings. They use symbols such as A.L.K.Q.N (Almighty Latin King Queen Nation), A.L.K.Q.C.N (Charter Nation), A.D.R (Amor Deu Rei Love the Kings), guns, Coat of arms, money or cars. They sign places with graffiti where a gang member has fallen. On the graffiti the deceased persons ID-Number is shown, his/her name and the date of the death. If another gang is responsible for his/her death an upside down symbol of this gang is painted with the words Lollypop as a putdown for that gang. A very important thing for them is to learn to control their tongue. They believe that speaking of the control of the tongue is addressing the whole body. Thats what they want to learn. For that reason its not easy for the police to uncover their criminal activities they are faithful to their colleagues. Newspapers talk about special rituals to train themselves. Criminal Activities The LKs are known for not just using but also selling weapons. High ranking members often wear bullet proof vests, because of their enemies. Every member owns a weapon and they do not always carry them with them when they are on post. Its very hard to get information from them, because they are that faithful to their group. However, their primary source of income is dealing with drugs, such as cocaine, heroin and marijuana. The internet is full of stories about Latin Kings and their criminal activities including burglary, homicide, identity theft and money laundering. Reportedly also the police are corrupted. In 2011 two policemen had arrested drug dealers for fake, took their drugs and gave their proceeds to the Latin Kings. Statistics of the Chicago Police say that they find about 150 kilograms cocaine and 1000 kilogram marijuana a year in the Latin Kings region. Their Rival Gangs are the Latin Locos, Folk Nation gangs and the Solidos. Latin Queens Originally there were no female members allowed. Nowadays women get an equal share. They constituted, in addition to the male Kings, a few Queens. They join the gang for self-respect, independence, family support, ethnic identity and self-empowerment. Still they fill in female stereotypical roles and stay at home, mainly running the household, while the male members are fighting on the streets or dealing with drugs. They have a home life of protection. Reason for Becoming a Gang Member As Ive mentioned before a lot of women became members to feel safer. But still the Latin Kings and Queens Nation has more male members. They have a lot of influence in the world and the black market. That would be the main reason why people become members. In New York or Chicago they are common and young people are attracted by their philosophy and might. They often come from broken families and want to find a new one. Besides this its youll have no choice weather you want to be a LK or not when your parents already join them. On the other hand these kids grew up with the ideology of Kingism. They do not know anything else. Thats why the Latin Kings grow that fast. Due to this life in poverty seems to be a lot easier when you can relate on your gang and know that theyll support you even in prison. And of course you always have access to drugs and weapons, what favors young people the most. My Opinion When I started searching for information about the Almighty Latin Kings and Queens Nation I thought they where just one out of thousand Latin American gangs. But when I researched more I found their philosophy really fascinating. Kingism is not a religion I would personally agree with but I found it strange that so many people follow that few leaders and that there is such a strict hierarchy although everybodys talking about freedom. I wasnt surprised about their criminal activities and the stories about street wars or corrupt policemen do not really shock me. I expected that. Another think that was interesting is that although the LKs are so popular and even have their leaders in prison it is very hard to find out information about them. I had to concentrate on facts, but most of the sources are influenced by the gang itself, which forced me to read even more about them to stay subjective. A Latin Kings Poem NOT A DAY GOES BY THAT WE DONT REPRESENT THROWING UP THE CROWN WITH ALL OUR LOVE SHOUTING AMOR DE REY TILL WE DIE TO THE ALMIGHTY FATHER UP ABOVE BUSTING OUT IN OUR HOODS KEEPING THE LOVE ALIVE NEVER LETTING FLAKES DISRESPECT OUR EMBLEMS THAT WE MADE WITH SO MUCH PRIDE BUT AS ALL OF THIS IS HAPPENING WE ARE GETTING STRONGER AND STRONGER EACH DAY WATCHING SHORTIES JOIN AND OLDER BOYS RETIRE THEIR FLAG BUT AS ONE KING DROP HIS FLAG THERE IS A SHORTY TO PICK IT UP AS THE OLDER BOYS PASS THAT FLAG FROM AN OLD HAND TO A NEW ONE HE WILL GIVE HIM SOME WISE ADVISE KEEP THIS FLAG IN YOUR HEART AND NEVER LET IT DIE RESPECT AND HONOR THIS CROWN FOR IT I ONCE DID DIE FOR THIS CROWN AS OTHER KINGS /QUEENS DID EVER TAKE A BRO OR SIS NAME THAT DIED WITH RESPECT NOT UNLESS YOURE WILLING TO DIE LIKE HE / SHE DID LIKE A TRUE KING / QUEEN DIES IN THE BATTLE FIELD REMEMBER THOSE WHO DIED, GO TO THEIR GRAVE AND SHED NO TEARS BRING THEM SOME BIG ASS FLOWERS, TELL THEM THAT THEY DIDNT DIED IN VAIN!!!! DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO DIED AND THOSE WHO PASSED THE CROWN FROM AND TO HAND AND THOSE WHO STILL KEEP THE LOVE ALIVE Sources: http://www.chicagogangs.org/index.php?pr=LATIN_KINGS http://www.uic.edu/orgs/kbc/latinkings/latindex.html http://www.segag.org/ganginfo/frlkings.html http://books.google.at/books?id=rXeTZvvoJRQCpg=PA72lpg=PA72dq=latin+kings+Primitive+Stagesource=blots=t9YRCIsgAEsig=wB5LugquOM3UMuxflu0f-yaN9D0hl=enei=qr_FS7XlFKTuNLfItcQOsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=latin%20kings%20Primitive%20Stagef=false http://www.gangwar.com/items/items42.htm http://www.docstoc.com/docs/8387967/Chicago-Latin-Kings http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/chicago/chicago-cops-accused-of-working-for-latin-kings-held-without/article_635f3dcd-f84c-5f0e-9695-757167d2c6eb.html

The Rich Brother by Tobias Wolff Essay -- Rich Brother Tobias Wolff Es

The Rich Brother by Tobias Wolff Works Cited Not Included Tobias Wolff's short story, "The Rich Brother", is a parallel story to the biblical fable of Able and Cain. The biblical story of Able and Cain is that of the first story that puts man against man. Cain and Able are children of Adam and Eve, where Cain is the eldest and Able the younger of the two. In the biblical story Cain and Able end up giving gifts (sacrifices) to appease to their God. This in turn, creates tension between the two because Able's sacrifice of the lamb is much favored by God than is Cain's offering of his crops. Cain becomes outraged because he believes that Able has purposely tried to embarrass him, ultimately, leading Cain to become so enraged that he ends up murdering his only brother in cold blood. Throughout, 'The Rich Brother', Wolff portrays Peter as Cain because he shows a lack of devotion to God, creates a rival ship with his brother, and climatically abandons his only brother Donald. Throughout the ?The Rich Brother? Pete never criticizes God but never speaks as profoundly about God as his brother does. His brother Donald is represented as almost a religious zealot where as Pete is merely portrayed as a rich business man. In the bible Cain is less favored then his younger brother Abel because of his gift to his almighty God. God favored Abel because Abel gift was that of his first born lamb whereas Cain?s gift was only part of his crop. Abel?s sacrifice of his first born lamb showe...

Huck Finn :: essays research papers

Huck Finn Huck has a grim attitude toward people he disagrees with or doesnt get along with. Huck tends to alienate himself from those people. He doesnt let it bother him. Unlike most people Huck doesnt try to make his point. When Huck has a certain outlook on things he keep his view. He will not change it for anyone. For instance in Chapter Three when Miss Watson tells Huck that if he prayed he would get everything he wished for. Huck just shook his head yes and walked away telling Tom that it doesnt work because he has tried it before with fishing line and fishing hooks. this tell us that Huck is an independent person who doesnt need to rely on other people. This is a book of social criticism. Twain has his ways of criticizing people of their actions and the things they do. Twain does a good job expressing the characters social behaivors. Instead of upfront making fun of Hulks actions he hints towards them or tries to glorify them when he does something that is socially wrong or unintelligent. Huck stages his death. This is not a real bright thing to do even though Huck's father is real mean and is a threat to his life and Huck's life. Huck wants to get away from him so bad that the first thing that comes into his mind is to stage his death so Pap will think he's dead and won't be looking for him ever again. Twain feels that by making Huck do this Twain is poking fun a Huck's intelligence. Not his nature intelligence but his book intelligence. In other words Twain is making fun of Huck. Twain also portrays Huck and Jim as stupid when Huck dresses up like a girl. Everyone knows Huck will not pass as a girl Jim is very much like a father to Huck. He looks out for Huck and he is respected and looked upon by Huck. This is also more significant because Huckleberry Finn never had a father and he never really had a role model. Jim serves this purpose perfectly. On one occasion Huck and Jim were exploring an old house that had floated down stream. While they were looking in it Jim discovered a dead body.

Morrisons Bluest Eye Essay: Conformity -- Bluest Eye Essays

The Bluest Eye: Conformity The basic theme of the novel, The Bluest Eye revolves around African Americans' conformity to white standards. Although beauty is the larger theme of the novel, Morrison scrutinizes the dominant white culture's influence on class levels. Morrison sets the foundation of the novel on issues of beauty in an attempt to make African Americans aware that they do not have to conform to white standards on any level. Morrison's main character, Pecola Breedlove, unquestioningly accepts the ideology that white features correlate with beauty. Yet Morrison wrote this novel at the height of the "Black Is Beautiful" era during which African Americans were being reconditioned to believe that their looks are synonymous with beauty. The novel is a retrospective story told by Claudia, one of Pecola's childhood friends. Claudia's account allows the reader to sympathize with Pecola's self-hatred. As an adult, Claudia best articulates how Pecola's victimization is caused by her environment. Telling the story almost three decades later, during the sixties, Claudia reflects on the pain of wanting to be something you can never become. According to an interview entitled "Toni Morrison's Black Magic" in Newsweek, Morrison states that Pecola's character was formed based on the fact that "Black is beautiful was in the air. . . .So I wrote about a child who was ugly-Pecola is the perfect defeated victim-only she was beautiful" (Strouse 56). Morrison's depiction of a victimized Pecola addresses how the dominance of white consumer society can effect the psyche of a young African American girl. Morrison writes the novel as a coming of age story about three elementary s... ...n life, being exposed to nicer lifestyles made them want more for themselves. The Breedloves all believe they would have attained a higher level of success, if they were born beautiful. Morrison implies that they believe success correlates with beauty. She states "As long as she [Pecola] looked the way she did, as long as she was ugly, she would have to stay with those people" (39). Do white standards of beauty put beautiful people in a higher class status? According to Morrison, the Breedloves attribute their storefront residence to the fact that "they were poor and black, and they stayed there because they believed they were ugly" (34). The Breedloves' mentality is instilled in them by their surroundings. Moving from the south to the north, African Americans' moral values changed from valuing the community and family to fetishizing material possessions.

Anatony Exam Questions Essay

Chapter 19 Blood Specify the composition and functions of plasma. Plasma is mainly composed of water, electrolytes, and proteins, in particular, globulin and albumin. Its most important functions include the transport of carbon dioxide, oxygen, glucose, amino acids, and lipids, among others.   Describe the recycling system for aged or damaged red blood cells   Old or damaged red blood cells are recycled after certain macrophages called Kupfer cells consume them through phagocytosis. The hemoglobin portion of the red blood is broken down into heme and globin. The globin portion is reused while the heme portion is further degraded into iron, which is also reused. III. Explain the importance of blood typing and the basis for ABO and Rh incompatibilities. Blood typing basically determines the blood type of a person. Performing blood typing is important most especially during transfusion so that doctors would be able to transfuse the appropriate blood type to the patient. It is important to infuse blood with same blood type as the patient to avoid transfusion reactions. On the other hand, ABO and Rh incompatibilities happen when the blood being transfused does not have the same blood type and Rh as the patient. For example, its is ABO incompatible if blood type B is transfused to a patient with blood type A. Likewise, it is Rh incompatible if a patient who is blood type B, Rh positive, or a patient who has the D antigen in his blood, is transfused with a blood that is blood type B, Rh positive, or a patient who lacks the D antigen in his blood. Categorize the various white blood cells on the basis of their structures and functions. Generally, white blood cells are divided into two categories: the granulocytes, which are white blood cells with granules in their cytoplasm and agranulocytes, which are white blood cells without granules. Granulocytes are basically cells with phagocytic capabilities which include neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, and basophils. On the other hand, agranuloctyes mainly include the lymphocytes, which are cells responsible for producing antibodies to fight foreign substances and induce immunity. Chapter 22 Lymphatic System and Immunity I Identify the major components of the lymphatic system, and explain their functions The major components of the lymphatic system include, the bone marrow, which   lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus. Their main functions include the transportation of lipids to the blood, the production of lymphocytes for defense against diseases, and also drains fluid from cells and tissues. List the body’s nonspecific defenses and explain the function of each. The body’s nonspecific defenses include skin barriers and mucous membranes which block foreign substances from entering, fever, which is a defense against inflammation, and white blood cells such as basophils, neutrophils, macrophages, natural killer cells, and eosinophils, which all kill and attack foreign substances. III. Define specific resistance, and identify the forms and properties of immunity.   Specific resistance means having an immunity to a particular foreign substance or disease. This type of resistance is induced by lymphocytes, such as cytotoxic T-cells, and antibodies. However, immunity can also be acquired through vaccination against a disease.   Chapter 20 Heart Describe the location and general features of the heart. The heart is located in the middle of the thorax, underneath the left breastbone. The features of the heart include the atrium, which are two chambers on the upper part, the ventricles, which two chambers on the lower part, the septum, a muscle in the middle that separates the left and right side of the heart, and valves that regulate blood flow. Trace the flow of blood through the heart, identifying the major blood vessels, chambers, and heart valves   The oxygen-poor blood first enters the heart through two large veins, the superior and inferior vena cava, and fill the right atrium. The tricuspid valve opens and blood fills the right ventricle. After the right ventricle is full, the tricuspid valve closes to prevent the blood from flowing back to the atrium. Next, the pulmonary valve opens allowing the blood flow into the pulmonary artery and to the lungs. The pulmonary valve closes to prevent blood from reentering the right ventricle. The oxygen rich blood from the lungs then enters the pulmonary vein and fills the left atrium. The mitral valve then opens to allow the blood to fill the left ventricle. The mitral valve then closes to prevent blood from reentering the left atrium. Blood then flows through the aorta and to the rest of the body. III.   Describe the events of an action potential in cardiac muscle, and explain the importance of calcium ions to the contractile process The contraction of the heart itself is basically caused by contractions of small cells of the heart, which is triggered by electric impulse called action potential. The cardiac muscle is basically stimulated to by a voltage to contract. During these events inward flow of calcium ions is equal to the outward flow of potassium. Basically, calcium is important because when it is released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum it increases myoplasmic free calcium which it turn causes contraction Describe the vascular supply to the heart.   The vascular supply or the oxygen supply to the heart is basically carried out by one atrium and one ventricle. Explain the events of the cardiac cycle, including atrial and ventricular systole and diastole, and relate the heart sounds to specific events in the cycle. The cardiac cycle basically begins with Diastasis where in the pressure in the aorta is descreasing while the venous pressure is increasing. Once the tricuspid and mitral valves close, the first hear t sound is produced which is known as S1 or first â€Å"lub-dub.†Ã‚   Next is the atrial contraction wherein the atria transfers blood into the ventricle and increases ventricular pressure. In the ventricular isometric contraction, the aortic and pulmonary valves close, the blood volume is constant and the pressure slightly increases. Here, the second â€Å"lub-dub† sound or S2 sound is produced. Next is called rapid ejection wherein the aortic valves open and blood flows rapidly from the ventricle into the aorta. Afterwards,   The ejection or flow of blood from the ventricles decreases along with ventricular and aortic pressure. The left ventricle pressure then decreases causing the aortic and pulmonary valves to close and this is called Isometric Relaxation. Finally the blood from the aorta to the peripheral arteries continues to flow while the aortic pressure falls slowly. Chapter 21 Blood vessels and Circulation Distinguish among the types of blood vessels on the basis of their structure and function. The are basically three types of blood vessels: the arteries, veins, and capillaries. The arteries pump blood away from the heart while the veins pump blood towards the heart. On the other hand, capillaries basically connect the arteries and veins and allows exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.   Describe the factors that influence blood pressure and how blood pressure is regulated Blood pressure is basically the measurement pressure applied on the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood through the body. The factors that influence blood pressure are the amount of force and blood pumped and the size and versatility of the arteries. However, other factors that also affect blood pressure include temperature, diet, emotional and physical state, posture, and medication. III.   Identify the principal blood vessels and the functional characteristics of the special circulation to the brain, heart, and lungs. The principal blood vessels are the arteries, veins, and capillaries. The types of special circulation include coronary circulation which is the circulation of blood in the blood vessels which deliver blood to and from the heart muscle. In the brain, the arteries that carry blood to the brain are the internal carotids and vertebral arteries. On the other hand, blood is circulated to the lungs to gain oxygen before it is transported throughout the entire body. Discuss the mechanisms and various pressures involved in the movement of fluids between capillaries and interstitial spaces. The fluid here basically flows out of   a capillary near an atriole and reenters a capillary near a venule. However, the movement of the fluid at any point in the capillary wall is determined by blood pressure and osmotic pressure, which are two opposing forces. Basically the movement of tissue and blood fluids are different because of their osmotic pressure disparity.

Customer Perception Essay

ABSTRACT Recent advancements in technology have facilitated commerce around the globe. The online medium of commerce has provided and will continue to provide great opportunities for consumers and businesses. However, there are a number of issues that need to be addressed before the advantages of online shopping can be fully realized. One significant aspect is consumer perception of online shopping. The purpose of this paper is to examine the online shopping perception of consumers who shop from traditional stores. A survey was conducted in shopping malls in the southeastern region of the United States. The results show a positive perception of offline consumers toward online shopping. In addition, the results coincide with national trends for online shopping which show many traditional shoppers gather information on products and services online, but still make the purchase onsite in a traditional setting by visiting a store. Keywords: Perception of shopping, Offline shopping consumers, Online increasing numbers of customers. Many traditional businesses are reacting by going online to remain competitive (Schoenbachler and Gordon 2002). Advancements in technology enable apparel stores, for instance, to improve their online services by using personalized virtual models allowing consumers to visualize the product on the model to determine correct sizing and fit (Kim and Kim 2004; for a trend forecast of the online apparel industry, see: Newbery 2004). In general, online businesses such as Dell are able to mass customize because of current technology and offer customers basically a build-to-order service. Retail based e-commerce sites also try to serve customers by providing a personal shopper. As the shopper searches for an item of interest online, similar or complementing products are suggested. This personal one-on-one customized assistance might require more knowledgeable staff in a traditional store and might require an increase in the costs of products to compensate for the increased staffing costs. The internet has influenced the life of everyone in the recent years and has impacted behavior of consumers (Garrett and Parrott 2005). In general, three types of consumers in regard to their shopping habits can be classified (Lepkowska-White 2004): Online shoppers, i.e. those who purchase regularly online Online browsers, who mainly use the internet as a source of information but prefer to conduct their transactions in traditional stores Hard core offline shoppers, comprised of the continuously diminishing group of individuals, who do not use the resources of the internet either for information gathering or for shopping purposes These different groups show different characteristics and will need to be addressed differently to optimize or initiate online shopping behavior. This study focuses on the traditional consumers who prefer shopping onsite. It is important to know their perception toward online shopping and their classifications of online browsers or hard core offline shoppers. In addition, the factors preventing them from shopping online are important to understand. INTRODUCTION The rise in internet access and online commerce possibilities in recent years has made online shopping a major opportunity for businesses and has changed the way that consumers go about acquiring goods and services (Garrett and Parrott 2005; Schoenbachler and Gordon 2002). For consumers, online shopping provides more flexibility and opportunity (Stafford, Turan, and Raisinghani 2004). For example, consumers can shop with increased knowledge of products through online research and place less reliance on salespersons. If they wish to make a purchase, consumers are not restricted by time, distance, or location (Kim and Kim 2004; Schoenbachler and Gordon 2002). Furthermore, online stores do not incur costs such as store staffing, maintenance, and inventory and might be able to specialize in items and extreme sizes that would not be practical for traditional stores to carry. Amazon and eBay are examples of successful online retailers that use low-priced items and large stocks to attract and retain customers. Online commerce is expanding and is attracting Online Shopping Perceptions of Offline Shoppers The findings of this study should help motivating and encouraging more people to shop online. Reasons for not shopping online might include a lack of interest and knowledge about computers or the internet or going online for research purposes only. The foregoing discussion therefore suggests the following research questions (RQs): RQ1: Are offline shoppers computer and internet literate? RQ2: Do offline shoppers go online? RQ3: Do offline shoppers access the internet for purposes other than purchasing? RQ4: Are there certain distinguishing characteristics between online and traditional shoppers (defined as online browsers and offline shoppers) in regard to online shopping? In order to answer the above RQs the following two major hypotheses are tested. H01: Offline shoppers are computer and internet illiterate H02: Offline shoppers do not go online RELATED LITERATURE The number of internet users and online shoppers are increasing significantly every year. U.S. consumers are spending billions of dollars online each year (Preston-Hubbard, 2004). The internet retail sale is increasing rapidly to the extent that this increase is realized and measured by quarter and not year. (Tamini, Sebastianelli, and Rajan 2005). Currently, many Americans have internet access and the number of households to have access to internet will increase significantly in the years to come (Lepkowska-White 2004). An increasing percentage of those who are currently connected, shop online, i.e. use the internet to complete at least one purchase per month (Lepkowska-White 2004). Similar numbers are available for the European market, where, a significant number of internet users are shopping online (Monsuwe, Dellaert, and Ruyter 2004). For example, in Germany, retail sales of textiles, electronic products and durables via the internet has increased significantly in recent years (Reinhardt 2004). A significantly higher number of individuals, sometimes referred to as online browsers in the literature (e.g. Lepkowska-White 2004), avail themselves of the resources provided by the internet to check products or compare prices (Jaillet 2003). A study by Pew Internet and American Life Project suggests that most online browsers need about one to Volume X, No. 2, 2009 23 three years to become online shoppers (LepkowskaWhite 2004). Depending on how many of those individuals can be turned into online shoppers, predictions for online sales vary widely from $81 billion in 2005 (Bellman, Lohse, and Johnson 1999; Monsuwe, Dellaert, and Ruyter 2004) to as much as $269 billion in 2006 (Lepkowska-White 2004). Consequently, there is a huge market to be explored. However, businesses must be aware of perceptions and concerns regarding online shopping of traditional shoppers, and the online browsers. In order to capitalize on this potential in the best possible way, various models and frameworks for analysis have been presented in the recent literature on the topic (Chiang, Dholakia 2003; Zhou, Chiang, Zhang 2004). Monsuwe, Dellaert, and Ruyter (2004) have suggested a framework for consumers’ intentions to shop online which draws on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), popular in the field of Information Systems. According to this framework, utilitarian dimensions such as usefulness and ease of use of the site and hedonic dimensions such as enjoyment together with the consumer’s traits shape the consumer’s attitude towards online shopping. Situational factors trust in online shopping, product characteristics and previous online shopping experience affect the final decision to conclude the transaction online or not. Lepkowska-White (2004) divides variables for the analysis of online shopping behavior into supply and demand factors, with supply factors meaning web design and technical aspects and demand factors referring to consumer factors, such as social interaction, and product/service determinants, such as selection of products available online. Despite different naming conventions, the literature on the topic agrees that the 24/7 availability of products and information about products have changed the retail industry and consumer shopping. Most stores feel they cannot afford not to be online, even if for information purposes only (Schoenbachler and Gordon 2002). Generally, time and location constraints, convenience, availability of products, incentive programs and easy comparison of product information induce shoppers to shop online (Huang, Schrank, Dubinsky 2004; Kim and Kim 2004; Levin, Levin, and Heath 2003). Shoppers are looking for hassle free, accurate transactions, proper display of sufficient information and efficient download times for sites in their online experience (Tamini, Sebastianelli, and Rajan 2005). Regarding price, the literature cites both lower prices as incentives for shopping online (GfK 2004; Girard, Silverblatt, and Korgaonkar 2002; Kim and Kim 2004) as well as a lesser degree of price sensitivity of online shoppers Issues in Information Systems due to the added convenience. In addition, online browsers display a higher degree of price sensitivity compared to online shoppers but lesser degree of time sensitivity (Lepkowska-White 2004). The demographic information on online shoppers is inconsistent in the literature. For example, Kim & Kim (2004), report 43% of their respondents held graduate degrees while 12.41% of respondents in Tamini, Sebastianelli, and Rajan’s (2005) study held graduate degrees. It seems, however, that most online shoppers have a higher level of education and higher incomes, with the average household income of online shoppers expected to be $65,000 by 2006 (Kim and Kim 2004). While currently the majority of online shoppers is aged 44 or under (Kim & Kim 2004), shoppers aged 50 years and over are expected to become a more significant portion of the online shopping population, increasing to 30% by 2006 (Anonymous 2002). Regarding gender, research suggests that while men were early adopters of online shopping behavior, women have caught up and online shopping is starting to display the same gender proportion as offline shopping does (Kim and Kim 2004; Lepkowska-White 2004; Stafford, Turan and Raisinghani 2004; Tamini, Sebastianelli and Rajan 2005; Van Slyke, Comunale, and Belanger 2002). Previous positive experience with online shopping, trust in the company shopped from, and sufficient customer service enhance positive attitudes towards online shopping as well as conviction of one’s ability in one’s computer skills and access to computers and the internet (Levin, Levin, and Heath 2003). Generally, the greatest obstacles to getting individuals to shop online are hedonic dimensions of the shopping experience, security concerns and a lack of confidence in their computer skills (Swinyard and Smith 2003). The majority of those, who value the social components of the traditional shopping experience, such as interaction with sales people, window shopping, meeting up with peers and friends or the benefit of obtaining the product immediately, spend less time engaging in online shopping (Lepkowska-White 2004). Similarly, despite increased attempts at better security, credit card and personal information security are still a main concern for most shoppers: approximately 500 emails per day report online fraud to the Securities and Exchange Commission and average losses from online fraud have risen from $318 per person in 2000 to $638 in 2001 (Sager and Green 2002; Lepkowska-White 2004). Finally, individuals who do not complete transactions online indicated a lower level of confidence in their computer skills (LepkowskaWhite 2004). Volume X, No. 2, 2009 24 In order to retain current and attract new online customers, online stores should ensure sufficient product information, such as displaying price and the product details as well as a well operational, current, user friendly and easy to download web sites (Chiang and Dholakis 2003). Security and accurate and comprehensive cost information positively skew the customer perception of the online shopping experience as well as good customer service and hassle free return policies (Tamimi, Sebastianelli, and Rajan 2005). Providing free shipping might prove a powerful incentive to increase the number of persons who complete an online purchase: a 2002 study found that shipping costs were the deterrent for 53% of individuals in the US who decided against an online purchase in the last steps of the process (Kim and Kim 2004). METHODOLOGY A survey was randomly administered at shopping malls in the southeastern region of the United States. A survey instrument was developed to determine the perception of consumers who enjoy shopping from traditional stores about online shopping. The survey was not conducted online to better target the offline shoppers. 264 surveys were used for the purpose of data analysis. Fourteen surveys had to be discarded since they were incomplete or instructions had not been followed. The survey consisted of components such as demographics, computer and internet literacy, perception which included attitude and behavior. FINDINGS The largest group of respondents was aged 18-30 (35.7%), and the next largest group was individuals aged 61 and over (28.3%). Of the 264 respondents, 32.6% were male. The most common response, given by slightly less than 30% of the respondents, indicated they were shopping online one to five times per year which further confirms the respondents of this study to be primarily offline shoppers. Online shoppers are assumed to shop online more than once a month (Lepkowska-White 2004). The consumers of this study were overwhelmingly computer literate and had access to the internet (84.5%). However, they were shopping in shopping malls (RQ1). Therefore, H01 is rejected and there is evidence that the offline shoppers of this study are in fact computer and internet literate. Many of them indicated they were going online (RQ2) to collect information and do research on products to be better prepared shoppers before purchasing items in Issues in Information Systems Online Shopping Perceptions of Offline Shoppers traditional stores (72.4%) (RQ3). Only a small number of these consumers purchased the product online (1 to 5 times a year) after they found the searched product (32.3%) (RQ4). Therefore, H02 is also rejected and the contention offline shoppers of this study do in fact go online is supported. It is clear that the consumers of this study shop offline. However, a small number of them 32.3% while searching for information on different products online ended up purchasing the product online one to five times per year (29.7%). These individual cited the following reasons for completing the transaction online and purchasing the product they were researching for online: Familiarity with the online stores, No brick-and-mortar alternative (e-Bay, Amazon), Low-ticketed items. In addition, they considered ease of return the online-purchased item, and they thought the design of website was influential in their decision of finalizing the transaction and purchasing the product online. DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS Online shopping has already influenced shopping patterns and is expected to influence even more in the future with improvements in technology. Online shopping has made shoppers more knowledgeable than ever before. Consumers are becoming more efficient by shopping online and more effective because of ease of information accessibility online. Many shoppers go online for research purpose rather than purchase purpose. Prices and features of products can easily be compared to make an informed purchase decision. Information on products can be obtained from anywhere at anytime. The purchase is then made online or from a more tradition store. Especially for more expensive purchases, shoppers tend to take advantage of the availability of information online, replacing traditional methods of going from store to store in order to compare prices and look for the best buy. Consumers in this study as expected were mainly offline shoppers who were browsing the internet for information. They were computer literate and had access to the internet. This study reveals a positive attitude toward online shopping by those consumers who still like traditional stores. The consumers of this study are mostly in low and high age groups. It is possible that these consumer groups place a stronger emphasis on the social aspects of offline shopping and have more time to spend in traditional stores and malls and value the offline shopping experience for social reasons, such as meeting with friends. These consumers are technology oriented and take advantage of technology and the inter net to educate themselves about products of interest and then purchase them from traditional stores. CONCLUSION, LIMITATIONS, AND FUTURE WORKS Online shopping is a relatively new experience and has greatly impacted the lives of consumers in its short time of existence (Garrett & Parrott 2005). It is expected to grow constantly in years to come with more advancement in technology. Online shopping has made consumers more effective and efficient in their shopping behavior and has driven businesses to a new level, forcing many to make the necessary adjustments and changes to reach the new market of knowledgeable consumers (Lepkowska-White 2004; Schaupp and BÃ ©langer 2005). Tomorrow’s consumers include today’s elementary and secondary school students who grow up using browsers and search tools in order to retrieve information from global resources. The offline shoppers of this study indicated a positive perception of online shopping. These offline shoppers collected the necessary information online to facilitate their offline shopping, and it seems they are not too far away from completing the transaction and making the purchase online. It is important for businesses to find the online analogy of factors that make customers buy in a brick-and-mortar setting (Lepkowska-White 2004). Future studies should look into the factors preventing the current offline shoppers and online browsers from completing the transaction online after they have gained more knowledge about the product of interest. Factors encouraging individuals to complete a transaction online should be investigated. Future studies should also focus on what needs to be done in order to make the idea of online shopping in general more appealing to offline shoppers to turn more offline shoppers into online shoppers. In addition, perception of online shoppers toward traditional stores and onsite shopping should be considered. A perception comparison of online and offline shoppers on the internet and online shopping in general would facilitate understanding of restraining and motivational factors in online shopping. This survey was conducted in one region and future works should focus on different regions and classifications of consumers based on demographic make up such as age, income, and occupation. Cultural differences and online shopping would also be a good factor to examine (see for instance: Bin, Chen, and Sun 2003; Stafford, Turan and Raisinghani 2004). REFERENCES 1. Anonymous, 2002, Online Shoppers Grow Up Marketing Management, 11(3), 4. Bellman, S, G. L. Lohse, and E. J. Johnson, 1999, Predictors of Online Buying Behavior, Communications of the ACM, 42(12), 32-38. Bin, Q., C. Shu-Jen and S. Sun, 2003, Cultural Differences in E-Commerce: A Comparison Between the U.S. and China, Journal of Global Information Management, 11(2), 48-56. Chiang, K. and Ruby R. Dholakia, 2003, Factors Driving Consumer Intention to Shop Online: An Empirical Investigation, Journal of Consumer Psychology, 13(1, 2), 98-105. 4. Garrett, G. and G. Parrott, 2005, E-Business: Understanding Key Trends and Applying Best Practices, Contract Management, 45(7), 34-42. GfK Group, 2004, Market for Online Shopping Grows, Retrieved from: http://www.gfk.com/english/presse/pressemeldun g/contentdetail.php Girard, T., R. Silverblatt, and P. Korgaonkar, 2002, Influence of Product Class on Preference for Shopping on the Internet, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 8, 1-22. Huan g, W., H. Schrank and A.J. Dubinsky, 2004, Effect of Brand Name on Consumers’ Risk Perceptions of Online Shopping, Journal of Consumer Behavior, 4(1), 40-51. Jaillet, H.F., 2003, Web Metrics: Measuring Patterns in Online Shopping, Journal of Consumer Behavior, 2(4), 369-382. Kim E.Y. and Y. Kim., 2004, Predicting Online Purchase Intentions for Clothing Products, European Journal of Marketing, 38(7), 883-898. 12. Newbery, M., 2004, Trends in Apparel Online Retailing, Forecasts to 2010, Just in Style, 1-8. 13. Monsuwe, Perea y, T., B. Dellaert and K. de Ruyter, 2004, What Drives Consumers to Shop Online? A Literature Review, International Journal of Service Industry Management, 15(1), 102-122. 14. Preston-Hubbard, H. April 17, 2004, Growth Drives Revival in Internet Shares, International Herald Tribune. 15. Reinhardt, A., 2004, Europe Hits the E-Mall, Business Newsweek, 51-52. 16. Sager, I. and H. Green, 2002, So Where Are All the Bargains?, Business Week, 162-164. 17. Schaupp, L. and F. BÃ ©langer, 2005, A Conjoint Analysis of Online Consumer Satisfaction, Journal of Electronic Consumer Research, 6(2), 95-111. 18. Schoenbachler, D. and G. Gordon, 2002, Multichannel Shopping: Understanding What Drives Channel Choice, The Journal of Consumer Marketing, 19(1), 42-54. 19. Stafford, T.H., A. Turan and M. Raisinghani, 2004, International and Cross-Cultural Influences on Online Shopping Behavior, Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 7(2), 70-88. 20. Swinyard, W. R. and S. M. Smith, 2003, Why People (Don’t) shop Online: A Lifestyle Study of the Internet Consumer, Psychology and Marketing, 20, 567-597. 21. Tamimi, N., Sebastianelli, R. & Rajan M., 2005, What Do Online Customers Value?, Quality Progress, 38(7), 35-40.

MCI Communications Corporation Essay

1-What is the likely level of MCI’s external needs over the next several years? By how much could they be expected to vary? Why? 2-Critique MCI’s past financial strtategy, giving attention to the types of securities on which it has relied. Why did MCI finance itself in the manner it did? 3-Based upon your analysis of the outlook for MCI and the competitive and regulatory evolution of the industry, recommend a capital structure policy for MCI and defend your proposal against plausible events. 4-Assume that Mr.English, the MCI chief financial officer, has the following financial alternatives available to him as of April 1983: a)$500 million of 12 1/2 , 20 year subordinated debentures b)$400 million of common stock c1)$600 million 7 5/8 20 year convertible subordinated debentures with conversion price of $ 54 per share (i.e., $1,000 bond would be converted into 18.52 conmmon shares) c2) $1 billion of a unit package consisting of a $1000 7  ½, 10 year subordinated debenture and 18.18 warrants, each entitling the holder to purchase one share of MCI common stock for 55$. The warrants would be exercisable until 1988 and are callable. The exercisei price of the warrants would be payable either in cash or by surrender of the debentures valued at their principal amount. Which if any of these alternatives would you recommend that Mr.English take? Why? In broad outline, what financing steps would you recommend he take over  the next several years?