A Visit to the Lantern Festival Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Visit to the Lantern Festival - Essay Example Being a student of Asian American Studies, it was mostly out of academic interest that I visited the lantern festival hosted by Chinese American Museum, Los Angeles. The friend who had suggested this event for me had told me that the festival was lot of fun with Chinese New Year celebration, and magnificent cultural events. When I reached the festival place, it was crowded already. The first sight itself of the festival would transport the onlooker into another time and space, into a traditional Chinese village street fair- where lovely lanterns swing in the wind and the mouth-watering Chinese rural delicacies invitingly wait along the pavements. I could see the pavement vendors selling yuanxiao, the â€Å"glutinous† edible balls placed in sweet syrup, which is a special dish of the lantern festival (Fu, 75). The spectacular lion dance was being performed on the stage built at the festival site. I could see the richness of Chinese culture coming alive in many colors and hues. Also I was reminded of the cultural diversity of Asia and what the Americans could gain if we could combine our technological advancements with the magnificent global cultural inheritance. The sense of community that was a common inherent factor in Asian cultures was at its full display. Chinese people had come with their families, friends and children to the festival. In contrast to this, almost all the Americans who came to the festival venue were either alone or accompanied by their peers only. Of course a few American women came with their children. But this is a significant difference between these two cultures. And the community bonding and family bonding inside Chinese culture is something that Americans can try to learn to survive in the totally chaotic and individualistic world of ours. The bamboo flutes started melodiously singing with rhythm and the ambience immediately turned magical. The lantern festival, which is the culmination of Chinese New Year celebrations, is hel d annually on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The elegantly designed and ornamented lanterns are signs of peace of prosperity. These lanterns are also symbols signifying a myth, in Chinese folklore, which says that by lighting the lanterns and creating an impression that the town was ablaze, the Chinese ancestors had escaped the wrath of the Jade Emperor in heaven, who had plans to set fire to the town to avenge the killing of his goose by the town people. This is a legend, which dates back to around 2000 years and the Han Dynasty. The lantern festival conducted by Chinese American Museum has an added flavor in that it envisages educating the visitors on Chinese culture. The craftsmanship involved in the making of lanterns, the color combinations, the beauty of origami, the fineries of Chinese calligraphy, the varieties of Chinese dance and music- everything was brought under one umbrella in the CAM lantern festival. A large number of the visitors to the festival were Am ericans and this presented a picture of healthy cultural mixing and exchange. Especially the children who participated in the festival were getting an opportunity to train themselves to live in a cosmopolitan culture in which different races and nationalities mix. The American children who came to the festival could realize that there are other cultures in the world as rich and historic as American culture is. They could also get familiarized with a more ancient culture than theirs by getting acquainted with Chinese culture in such close quarters. Similarly, for the Chinese children living in America, the festival was a rare occasion to feel the ties of their roots, their culture and tradition. As the Chinese value their family ties very much, this kind of festivals are for them, occasions to strengthen such family bonding (Fu, 69). Also, these children are getting a unique chance to live their culture in an alien land. In this way, both the Chinese and American children are here, p articipating in the making of a new cosmopolitan cult

Time in The Two Poems Essay Example for Free

Time in The Two Poems Essay The titles of these poems alone suggest there will be a theme of time in them; The title Days speaks for itself as days are a way of measuring time, Toads Revisited however is much more subtle but the notion of revisiting, indirectly tells us that he is going somewhere or doing something that he has done before in his lifetime. Days is a poem about Larkins views on death and how our approach on the subject can alter the way we live. Larkin begins his first stanza with the rhetorical question of What are days for?, though this is a question similar to the biggest question of all time What is the meaning of life? Larkin answers it with a simple monosyllabic response, Days are where we live. For such a broad and open question this is a very closed, unrefined answer. This could be a reflection of Larkins view on the meaning of life, that he feels it is not important to search for a complex answer. I get the impression that Larkin is tired of life and its repetitive structure, They come they wake us, time and time over this is shown by his impassionate language and monosyllabic style. Its seems as if he feels time is passing too slowly. Toads Revisited unlike Days is the second poem out of two, the first being similar in subject but written 10 years before when Larkin was at a different stage in his life. Toads Revisited is written in a much more day to day fashion where as Days is written on a more general topic. Toads Revisited is about Larkins distaste for work and his realisation that without it his life would be empty. He looks at the way in which people without jobs spend their time. He comes to the conclusion that without his job he would have too much time and he would become bored. When referring to the unemployed he says think of being them! Hearing the hours chime Toads Revisited is set in 9 stanzas all with four lines each, this repetitive structure is used by Larkin to reflect the content of the stanzas (the dull life of unemployment. ) Towards the end of the poem Larkins words become less monosyllabic which reflects the way he feels about employment, (that is is duller to be unemployed than employed because at least job fills- like syllables!) Days is set in just two stanzas which like its monosyllabic style reflects the simplicity of the message Larkin is sending out in this poem. The second stanza of Days is a response to the second question Larkin asks in stanza one Where can we live but days? in response to this Larkin does not answer but concludes that to tackle such a question will sooner kill you than lead you to an answer, solving that question brings the priest and the doctor in their long coats. This is a sinister image that personifies death. The last two stanzas of Toads revisited show Larkins acceptance of work but not in a way that he embraces the idea of work with love and passion, but that he has not alternatives What else can I answer. Like the poem Days Toads Revisited also end on a sombre note about death, give me your arm, old toad; Help me down Cemetery road, again here death has been personified in the eerie form of a toad. Both these poems send out the message that death is ominous and inevitable.

GlenGarry Glen Ross :: essays research papers

Psychology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Glen Gary Glen Ross I thought was interesting. There were many different kinds of characters in this film. The salesmen in this movie are all after the same goal money and power. There is a constant competition between the salesmen to see who can close more deals to earn the top leads. The Glen Gary leads are the best leads and they become the symbol in this movie. They symbolize the greed that is in each one of these salesmen’s eyes. In the movie there are bosses and managers standing in the way of the men achieving their goals. The head boss played by Alec Baldwin has the most power in the company because he is the owner of the company. He is a cocky man who shows off his power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first scene of the movie, Alec Baldwin’s character is in the office with the three other salesmen. Alec being that he is the boss is talking down to the employees and treating them like garbage. Alec talks to them this way because money and power has taken over his body. He has no idea what employee moral means. He gets a kick out of treating people like this. When the employees respond to him he makes a smart remark and yells at them. He acts this way because he knows that they will follow anything he says because he is the boss. When Jack Lemon’s character questions him about something Alec tells him off because Alec does not want to hear any complaints. Alec just wants the job done and if they cannot do the job he will find people that can. Alec is screaming at them to try to get them to comply with his orders and if they do not he will fire them because he does not need employees slowing him down.

Case Study: Not Just Another Outdoor Company

THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY MM2021: Management & Organization |Case Study: Not Just Another Outdoor Company | Case Scenario The company we are discussing this time, based in Portland, Oregon, was the brainchild of a small group of executives who left big-time jobs at Patagonia, Nike, and Adidas. These individuals shared a belief that â€Å"in addition to generating a profit, companies have an equal responsibility to create positive social and environmental change†.Putting their beliefs into action, the group formed Nau (which is Maori for â€Å"Welcome! Come in†). And Nau is not just another outdoor company! When deciding what Nau was going to be like and how it was going to do business, the founders know they did not want to do things the way they would always been done by traditional businesses. CEO Chris Van Dyke said, â€Å"We started with a clean whiteboard. We believed every single operational element in our business was an opportunity to turn traditiona l business notions inside out, integrating environmental, social, and economic factors†.From design to sales to finances, Nau is driven by these factors. Everything is Nau’s operation has been approached with a sustainability and social justice â€Å"Filter†. In the design area, the company, in partnership with suppliers, developed 24 of its 32 fabrics to be more sustainable and to combine performance and visual appeal. Each supplier, manufacturer, and even Nau itself is bound by a code of conduct. To ensure that all parties are living up to the standards, their actions are overseen by an independent, nonprofit auditing and research firm.In the sales area, the way the company retails its product is also unique. Using a concept it calls a â€Å"Web-front†, Nau has combined the efficiency of the Web with the intimacy of a gallery-like boutique. In the â€Å"store†, customers can try on clothes, but they use self-service kiosks to purchase from the Web . Because in-store inventory is greatly reduced, the stores are small (2,400 squares feet compared to the standard 4,000-plus-square-foot outdoor retail store). This approach saves operating expenses because less energy and fewer materials are used. Good for the planet†¦good for the business.Finally, Nau has a unique financial approach it calls â€Å"aggressive altruism†. The company has pledged 5 percent of sales to charitable organizations dedicated to solving crucial environmental and humanitarian problems. The â€Å"philanthropic gold standard† is 1 percent of sales, and the average among all corporations is . 047 percent. But although the amount it gives is unusual what happens with Nau’s dollars is really exceptional: Nau puts the giving decision in the hands of its customers. They are asked to indicate which â€Å"Partners for Change† they would like their 5 percent to go to.Using this â€Å"conscious choice† process, Nau is â€Å"call ing its customers out, daring them to connect the dots†. Discussions: 1. What do you think of Nau’s approach to doing business? Is it being ethical and responsible? Discuss. [pic] Sources: Nau Website, www. nau. com; and P. LaBarre, â€Å"Leap of Faith†, Fast Company, June, 2007, pp. 96-103. Robbins, S. P. and Coulter, M. (2009). Management. Pearson Prentice Hall. ———————– Each student is required to discuss Question 1 as short essay, i. e. 500 words (as 5% of your continuous assessment).

The Achievement of Desire

Growing up is something inevitable to all cultures and people. We have all gone through that time in our lives when we move on from being a child and become an adult. However, in the reality that education is the fact that starts this transition, Richard Rodriguez brilliantly focuses on the realization that education itself gives us the â€Å"ways of speaking and caring† about this transition. In the essay â€Å"The Achievement of Desire†, Rodriguez explains how his own life can be seen as his achievement for the desire to be the â€Å"scholarship boy†. Throughout his early years, Rodriguez defines himself as a good â€Å"imitator† â€Å"anxious and eager to learn†(546). He would constantly take in what his teachers taught him and then take these new ideas back to his family. This kind of â€Å"scholarship boy† to Rodriguez could be described as a model student who simply brings up the information obtained through his teachers yet doesn't develop his own idea. Rodriguez himself became, from an early age, that model student, superior to the rest of his peers. However, he also notes that being this kind of person, also meant he didn't express anything other than the thoughts provided by his teachers and books. Nevertheless, Rodriguez goes deeper into his â€Å"scholarship boy† situation and questions the motivations behind his actions, in other words, he questions his ability to originate ideas. What he realizes in third grade is that his education was actually changing him and separating him from the life he once had and loved. This realization was very important for Rodriguez because it meant that there would come a time when a choice would have to be made. A choice between keeping the ways of education in his home life, or choosing to abandon his home life and start his journey to a successful, independent, educational life. A choice between allowing his parents, who he loved more than anything, teach him or allowing his teachers to teach him more completely. It is at this point in Rodriguez’s life that he sees the education system as a kind of permanent examination and chooses to follow his own ways of learning and goals. In essence, he ends up developing the â€Å"ways of caring† about this transition. Rodriguez admits that all of us, one time or another must go through this kind of transition and separation from our past. However, he rejects any belief that education and the home culture can actually exist together. He describes these two ‘worlds' as extremes throughout his life growing up. The choice between these two worlds, these two extremes, is not a mysterious one, but it is an obvious one according to Rodriguez. To the scholarship boy, both the choice and the sacrifice it requires are obvious, and it is that decision which gives the person the â€Å"ways of speaking and caring† about the decision that is made. The scholarship boy fully understands the decision at the moment of making it, and so engages in a way that will allow him to reflect about it in the future. Nonetheless, Rodriguez also argues that most people are not as changed by education as he was. Rodriguez himself was a very special case. Having been born and raised by his uneducated parents, his culture and education allowed him to exceed the academic level of his parents. This environment was especially hard for him in his high school years, as he was embarrassed of his parents because they were not like his teachers. Over the years his parents lost their authority to him. This made him look for something else, whether that was knowledge given by his teachers or their authority towards him. For Rodriguez, he could not afford to admire his parents. As he moved from fourth grade up, he slowly developed the skills to hide the secret of his success. What he was actually doing was hiding his enthusiasm about his separation from his parents and his home life. In doing so, he found the tools required to both care and speak about the changes he knew were taking place with him. Eventually Rodriguez does get to the top of his education when he graduates high school and is accepted into Stanford University. Everything he had worked so hard for was finally worth it, as he could enter the real world of academics. Pleased with the idea of entering this new world, Rodriguez found that the academics community was lacking something. This is evident after his return home and not being able to connect with his family anymore, he also comes to the realization that he has been removed from the everyday life of his family and friends. In his sacrifice to become formed by education, he has in effect been changed deeply, so deeply that its not possible to connect with that past life. As he grew up and experienced changes of such importance in his life, Rodriguez learned and developed a number of scholarly abilities that provided him the â€Å"ways of speaking, reading, and caring† about his own life. He developed a professionalism in language as in a way to separate himself from his parents. Not only that, he also developed an incontrollable hunger of knowledge whether it was from books or teachers, which allowed him to study those who were like him or had ideas like him. For example, his article turned around proving wrong Hoggart’s idea of what a â€Å"scholarship boy† really was in the inside. In fact, his article proved that scholarship boys were not those who absorbed information and repeat it afterwards, but those that could use that information and education to form original thoughts and opinions as well. He demonstrated that â€Å"ways of reading and caring† were valued in the academic community. He explained his desire of becoming a teacher as for the knowledge and the â€Å"desire for knowledge† that he had. Rodriguez shows a desire for something, a desire to understand ideas. He explains this by saying that what he â€Å"withheld from his mother and father of what mattered the most: the extraordinary experience of first-learning†. This kind of desire to achieve the ways of reading, speaking, and caring about academics and life in general is why he had â€Å"always been a successful student†. Lastly, Rodriguez’s view on the definition of education and what it meant to be a â€Å"scholarship boy† in this article made him an independent thinker, which is what Rodriguez desired most, to have his own opinions and thoughts. He finally had changed from being a simple â€Å"scholarship boy† to become a real independent thinker. Everything in his life, his family, his teachers, his schooling, his books, and himself led him to discover the true â€Å"achievement of desire†.

Smart Famous People and Their SAT Scores

Smart Famous People and Their SAT Scores SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you are taking the SAT, you are definitely not alone! While colleges use SAT scores as an indicator of smarts and aptitude for college, smart people do not always perform well on the SAT test. In this article, I will share the SAT scores of some reputedly smart people, former and current Presidents, CEOs, authors, etc. Hopefully, their scores will make you feel proud of your own! SAT Scores of Smart People At PrepScholar, we've gathered a complete list of smart people’s SAT scores. We found theirscores in past interviews or through investigative research.You will see their scores are widespread: Smart Person Known For SAT Score (out of 1600) Alma Mater Paul Allen Co-founder of Microsoft 1600 Washington State University Bill Gates Co-founder of Microsoft 1590 Harvard Ben Bernanke Economist / Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve 1590 Harvard Bill O'Reilly Political Commentator 1585 Marist College Rush Limbaugh Political Commentator 1530 Southeast Missouri State University Scott McNealy Businessman / Co-founder ofSun Microsystems 1420 Stanford Al Gore 45th Vice President of the United States, under President Bill Clinton 1355 Harvard Meredith Vieira Television Host 1300s Tufts University Stephen King Author 1300s University of Maine George W. Bush 43rd President of the United States 1206 Yale John Kerry Current Secretary of State 1190 Yale Amy Tan Author 1100s Linfield College, San Josà © State University Bill Clinton 42nd President of the United States 1032 Georgetown Al Franken US Senator / Former SNL Comedian 1020 Harvard Howard Stern Radio and TV Personality 870 Boston University All of these people took the SAT, but others took the ACT, and we converted their ACT scores to the SAT scale: Smart Person Known For ACT Score SAT Conversion (out of 1600) Alma Mater Sonia Sotomayor Associate Justice of the Supreme Court 35 1560 Princeton Steve Jobs Co-founder of Apple 32 1420 Reed College Barack Obama 44th and current President of the United States 30 1340 Columbia University Lyndon B. Johnson 36th President of the United States 26 1190 Texas State University William Faulkner Author 18 870 University of Mississippi Obviously, you do not need to score well on the SAT to succeed in life or to be considered "smart".However, if you score well on the SAT, you will have the opportunity to attend better colleges and will be afforded more post-collegiate job opportunities.So even though the SAT may not be an indicator of smarts or success, you should still try to get the highest score possible. Be as cool as this guy! (and hopefully as rich) How can you improve your own SAT Score? Study the test format Make sure you know the test format cold.Be aware that there are changes coming to the SAT, the new SAT will start in the spring of 2016.To learn the test, check out our other free resources: how long is the SAT, how is the SAT scored, and how to get a perfect SAT score from a full 2400 scorer. Practice practice practice You should be practicing timed SAT tests and reviewing all of the answers you got wrong.Check out all of the free SAT tests available in our other article. Consider using a paid resource to help you prep If you enjoy our free articles, you would love our PrepScholar SAT prep program, and you can try it free for 5 days.We do the heavy lifting for you, by splitting up our prep material into specific skills. We'll detect your weaknesses automatically and give you focused lessons and quizzes to improve those skills.For more paid study resources, check out our recommended SAT prep books. What’s next? Check out our other resources for help raising your SAT score: The Best Way to Review Your Mistakes for the SAT/ACT The Best Way to Read the Passage in SAT Reading How to get 800 on SAT Writing: 11 Strategies from a Perfect Scorer How to Get 800 on SAT Math, by a Perfect Scorer Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Organic Products Essay Example

Organic Products Essay Example Organic Products Essay Organic Products Essay Definition of Ecopreneurship The term â€Å"ecopreneur† is derived from two terms which are â€Å"entrepreneur† and â€Å"ecology. An entrepreneur is a person who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods and who accepts the risks associated with them. (Schaper, Michael. 2002) He can be anyone who identifies an opportunity in a market and has a belief that it would succeed in the economy and on that belief he starts exploiting the opportunity. They may create a new organization or may be a part of an existing organization where they revitalize the organization in response to their perceived opportunity. Generally, the word entrepreneur is used to denote a person who starts a new business but with time and more understanding of the subject, the revised definition of an   entrepreneur also includes â€Å"intrapreneurs†, that is an entrepreneur operating within a corporate environment. Entrepreneurs are the strategic factors in economic development and the central factors in the trade cycle as they are the driving force of an economy. Ecology or environmental biology is the branch of biology which takes into consideration the examination of living organisms in the natural environment. It includes the study of individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems. (Goliath. 2002). The ecology has reached enormous importance in the last years because of man’s interest in the environment in which he lives and to find ways to protect the environment in order to make it sustainable. The word ecopreneur is a portmanteau of â€Å"ecological† and â€Å"entrepreneur. An ecopreneur is an individual who is focused on ecologically-friendly issues and causes, attempting to do business in a way which benefits the environment. He may not be a person or entity only involved in products like solar powered cells, water conservation system or compostable packaging. In fact, an ecopreneur is anyone who ranks environment more than or equally to profits as his most effective criteria as a business owner (reuters, 2007) . While many entrepreneurs may be motivated, at least in part, to the mantra of â€Å"greed is great† on their journey to becoming a millionaire, growing numbers of ecopreneurs are adopting a different course, focusing on solving the problems facing society through the businesses they create, greening their bottom line. Many are redefining their wealth, as we have, not by the size of their bank account or square footage of their home. Wealth is defined by life’s tangibles: health, wellness, meaningful work, vibrant community life and family. †(John Ivanko. . The main aim of an ecopreneur is to build a firm which is more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Sustainability development is a pattern of resource use such that it not only meets present human needs, but also preserves the environment so that the resource can also be utilized by the future generations. Sustainable business, or green business, is enterprise that has no negative impact on the global or local environment, community, society, or economy- a business that strives to meet the triple bottom line (people, planet and profit). Often, sustainable businesses have progressive environmental and human rights policies. In general, business is described as green if it matches the following four criteria: * It incorporates principles of sustainability into each of its business decisions. * It supplies environmentally friendly products or services that replace demand for nongreen products and/or services. * It is greener than traditional competition. * It has made an enduring commitment to environmental principles in its business operations. Who is an Ecopreneur An entrepreneur whose business efforts are not only driven by profit, but also by a concern for the environment†. (Schuyler. 1998). The terms such as â€Å"Sustainopreneur†, â€Å"environmental Entrepreneur† and â€Å"eco capitalist† are synonymous with ecopreneur. The characteristics of ecopreneur are: * They all undertake business ventures which involves a measure of risk * They must identify a feasible business opportunity * Th eir activities must have a positive impact on the environment. * The degree of intentionality separates ecopreneur from accidental entrepreneurs. Principles of ecopreneurship There are some basic principles and measurements that can help guide the practice of ecopreneur and provide some basic standards of principle to this emerging group. 1. Energy and Resource Use Efficiency and Maximization: â€Å"In nature, one-way linear flows do not long survive. Nor, by extension, can they long survive in the human economy that is a part of the earths ecosystem. The challenge is to redesign the materials economy so that it is compatible with the ecosystem†. (Lester Brown. Earth Policy Institute). By minimizing waste production and maximizing reuse of waste streams, sustainable business can potentially significantly increase profits. 2. Ecosystem Services: Services related to protection of ecosystem and natural resources and preventing environmental degradation can be an inspiration for a green business idea for ecopreneurs. 3. Natural step principles: Ecopreneurs can see potential risks, such as extinction of substances extracted from the Earth’s crust or overharvesting etc, as opportunities for success through green business. 4. Eco- efficiency and eco-effectiveness: Ecopreneurs should find methods of decreasing waste while increasing productivity such that the waste of the production process and the product itself can be the raw materials of a new product of service. Drivers and Challenges The driving forces behind ecopreneurship are as follows: 1. Global population growth: Ecopreneurs realize that as the resources and land area is limited, so it is their responsibility to ensure that there are enough resources not only to fulfill the needs of the current population which is growing continuously, but also for the future generations. Hence they should find ways to conserve energy, materials, and resources by developing new technologies or finding ways to control birth rate and finding ways to meet the food and shelter demand for the growing population in order to make sustainability possible. 2. Increasing life expectancy: Ecopreneurs value life, not only their own and of family members, but of the whole humanity. They want everyone to live a longer and healthier life, that is why they develop products and ways to increase life expectancy such as healthier food, purified water etc. . Climate change: Climate shapes the way we live on this planet and the way we live, work and play is advertently changing the climate. The pollutants released in the air due to use of fossil fuels is adversely affecting the climate. In order to sustain the climate, ecopreneurs are involved in finding alternate ways to produce energy such as using wind, water and solar energy. 4. Resource scarcity: The diminishing natural resources are a great issue as we will be left with no natural resources if we do not sustain them. In order to sustain them, ecopreneurs constantly look for alternatives by recycling them or using a cheaper, abundantly available resource if possible. 5. Lack of equity in the world: The people of the world are living in a continuum, with one end which has all the facilities of the world including the best quality food, water and home, while on the other end are people who do not even have the basic necessities of life. Ecopreneurs want to make sure that every living being on the world is treated equally so that no one is deprived of anything. That is why they are active members of movements such as WTO and also find ways to produce goods and services affordable by everyone. They are also involved in philanthropic acts such as giving charity donations to help the deprived people of the society (Environlution, 2010). Organic Food as Eco Friendly Product Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives. For the vast majority of human history, agriculture can be described as organic; only during the 20th century was a large supply of new synthetic chemicals introduced to the food supply. The organic farming movement arose in the 1940s in response to the industrialization of agriculture known as the Green Revolution. Organic food production is a heavily regulated industry, distinct from private gardening. Currently, the European Union, the United States, Canada, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain special certification in order to market food as organic within their borders. ORGANIC VERSUS CONVENTIONALLY- PRODUCED FOOD Although the attributes associated with organic foods may be difficult to identify by visual inspection alone, most consumers purchase organic products because of a perception that these products have unique (and in some cases superior) attributes compared to conventionally grown alternatives (Vindigni et. al, 2002). On the other hand, a major rea son why some consumers do not purchase organic foods is linked to a perception that such foods are not better than their conventionally produced alternatives (Jolly et al. 1989). There is, thus, a continuing debate about whether organically produced products are superior to and/or different from conventionally produced alternatives and, if so, in terms of what characteristics. * CONSUMER AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ORGANIC FOOD The environmental ethic that gained worldwide prominence with Earth Day 1990 placed emphasis on individual responsibility (for personal health) and social action (on environmental quality and animal welfare) (MacEachern 1990; Jolly, 1991). Personal responsibilities include making informed consumer choices. This, in turn, requires consumer knowledge and awareness about competing products. Knowledge and awareness have other direct and indirect effects on attitudes toward consumer products, and the willingness to pay a price premium. Because organic products are credence goods, consumers (unlike producers who are aware that their products are organic) may not know whether a product is produced using organic or conventional methods, not even after repeated purchase and consumption, unless they are told so (Giannakas, 2002). Thus, awareness and knowledge about organically produced foods are critical in the consumer purchase decisions. If an individual cannot clearly differentiate between two alternative products, a price premium on the organic product can confuse and/or affect the individual’s purchasing decision, in favor of the cheaper product. Most studies on consumer knowledge about organic products reflect a conceptual belief that is true and justified. Consequently, studies typically use measurement methods that essentially rely on correctness to answers on survey questionnaire (Hunt, 2003). Correct (or incorrect) responses imply that the respondent has knowledge (or does not have knowledge) about organic foods and products. Hunt (2003) has noted some limitations associated with such a narrow definition of consumer knowledge, and proposed a wider definition and measurement that captures other important, but often neglected, dimensions of knowledge. Studies that investigated the level of consumer awareness and knowledge about organic foods include Jolly et al. (1989), Ekelund (1990), Akgungor et al. 1997), Hutchins and Greenhalgh (1997), Wang et al. (1997), Compagnoni et al. (2000), Environics (2001), Oystein et al. (2001), Kenano? lu and Karahan (2002), Cunningham (2002), Demeritt (2002), Hill and Lynchehaun (2002). A critical review of these studies suggests that, overall, there is some consumer awareness about organic foods around the world. This awareness is high especially in Western Europe, where the organic market is relatively well developed, compared to other reg ions of the world. Consumer awareness of organic products in North America compares reasonably well with that of Western Europe. Although there is general consumer awareness around the world, the literature also suggests that consumers have inconsistent interpretations about what is ‘organic’. For example, in a survey of consumers in three California counties, Jolly et al. (1989) found that respondents associated organic produce with no pesticides, no artificial fertilizer, no growth regulators, and residue-free products. Similarly, survey respondents in the UK perceived ‘organic farming’ to imply absence of chemicals, ‘absence of growth hormones’, and ‘not intensively grown’ or ‘products grown naturally’ (Hutchins and Greenhalgh, 1997). In a more recent study for the UK, respondents described organically produced food as one that is more natural and healthy, compared to conventional food (Hill and Lynchehaun, 2002). Furthermore, there was no difference in the UK consumers’ understanding of â€Å"organic† among organic and non-organic food buyers. In other words, both buyers of organic and non-organic products felt that organic alternatives have no pesticides and/or use no chemical fertilizers, and are natural and healthy. In contrast, Jolly (1991) reported a substantial difference in how US buyers and non-buyers rated organic product quality, compared to conventionally grown products. Consumer knowledge and awareness will continue to be important in the organic food market in two respects. First, there is still a segment of the potential market that is not yet informed about organic foods. For example, in a US study which reported that knowledge and awareness was considered the number one reason why consumers do not buy organic food, 59% respondents indicated that they never considered organic products because they did not know about them (Demeritt, 2002). A second dimension to the knowledge and awareness puzzle is the possibility that those who do not consider organic products may have a general knowledge about them, but do not have enough detailed information to clearly differentiate the unique attributes of organic from conventionally grown alternatives. In summary, knowledge and awareness about organic products can affect attitudes and perceptions about the product and, ultimately, buying decisions. If the skepticism about organic products stemming, in part, from reported cases of mislabeling and fraud are assuaged, perceptions about the appeal and inherent characteristics of organic may translate into actual demand. * CONSUMER ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS Consumers actions regarding organic food stem from attitudes that in turn, are linked to a complex set of ideas, motivations and experiences. Beliefs and perceptions are highly subjective notions (Fishbein and Ajzein, 1975), because they reflect opinions about the objective state of the world. Although in reality such perceptions may or may not be true, the individual who holds the perception thinks that it is true. Given Lancasters (1966) notion that consumers demand bundles of product characteristics, perceptions about particular (desirable) characteristics of organic food can influence a buyers choice. Studies on consumer perceptions about organic versus conventionally produced food therefore attempt to determine what consumers think is true. By comparison, consumer attitudes are likes and dislikes. That is, the positive and negative orientations toward organic or conventionally grown food. Weistberg et al. (1996) argued that consumer preference for a particular product is based on attitudes toward available alternatives. Thus if consumers are asked to indicate their preferences regarding organically versus conventionally produced food, such respondents typically compare their attitudes toward the methods of purchasing the goods, and/or the product characteristics under consideration, before stating their preferences. Although particular attitudes are often assumed to lead to specific behaviors, the food and nutrition science and social-psychological literature provide limited evidence to support the assumption (Goldman and Clancy, 1991; Sims, 1980). Overall, the scholarly literature suggests that various consumer attitudes work in contrasting ways- for and against purchasing organic products. Several consumer studies have been undertaken in North America and Europe to assess consumer perceptions about organic foods (e. g. Hay, 1989; Ott, 1990; Huang et al, 1990, Huang et al, 1993; Misra et al, 1991; Jolly et al, 1989; Jolly, 1991; Goldman and Clancy, 1991; Ekelund, 1990; Baker and Crosbie, 1993; Swanson and Lewis, 1993; Groff et al, 1993; Sylvander, 1993; Buzby and Kees, 1994; Byrne et al, 1994; Fricke and von Alvensleben, 1997; Hack, 1997; Hutchins and Greenlagh, 1997; The Packer, 1998; Thompson and Kidwell, 1998; Oystein et al, 2001, O’Donovan and McCarthy, 2002; Jolly, 2001; The Packer, 2001; Demeritt, 2002; Wolf, 2002; Cunningham, 2002). The key findings from selected studies on consumers’ attitudes and preferences about organic foods are summarized in Table 4. Most of these studies concluded that consumers purchase organic foods because of a perception that such products are safer, healthier, and more environmental friendly than conventionally produced alternatives. Some studies reported health and food safety as the number one quality attribute considered by organic product buyers. Concern for the environment was less important compared to food safety and health concerns, suggesting that such consumers might rank private or personal benefits higher than the social benefits of organic agriculture. * CONSUMER PREFERENCES FOR ORGANIC FOOD Consumer preference for organic food is based on a general perception that organic products have more desirable characteristics than conventionally grown alternatives. Apart from health, food safety and environmental considerations, several other product characteristics such as nutritive value, taste, freshness, appearance, color and other sensory characteristics influence consumer preferences (Bourn and Prescott, 2002). Studies that investigated the effect of organic quality attributes and other characteristics on consumer preferences include Jolly et al. , 1989; Hay, 1989; Ekelund, 1990; Jolly, 1991; Jolly and Norris, 1991; Sylvander, 1993; Buzby and Skees, 1994; Huang, 1996; Kyriakopoulos et al. 1997; Schifferstein and Oude-Ophuis, 1998; Akgungor et al. , 1997; Mahesh et al. , 1997; Land, 1998; Torjusen et al. , 1999; The Packer, 2001; Meatnews, 2001; Loureiro et al. , 2001; Aguirre, 2001; Demeritt, 2002; Wolf, 2002; and Cunningham, 2002. These studies differ in several respects, making comparisons across studies difficult. For example, there is inconsistency in defining the concept of quality. Thus, while some studies examined quality in terms of both sensory and nutritive characteristics, others differentiate sensory characteristics from nutritive attributes. Thus, different studies may have conveyed different notions of quality to the various survey respondents. In general, the empirical evidence supports the hypothesis that product quality characteristics affect consumers’ preferences for organic food; with the most important including nutritional value, economic value, freshness, flavor or taste, ripeness, and general appearance (especially of fruits and vegetables). Wolf (2002), for example, reported that respondents in California rated fresh-tasting and fresh-looking grapes as the most desirable attribute. Other North American surveys that ranked taste as the most important quality characteristic influencing consumer demand include The Packer (2002), Cunningham (2002), and Demerit (2002). The Packer (2002) reported that 87% of US respondents identified taste as the primary factor considered in the purchase of fresh produce. Cunningham (2002) also reported that 93% of Canadian respondents prefer food products with good taste. In contrast, studies for other parts of the world (e. g. , Jolly et al. , 1989; Buzby and Skees, 1994; Torjusen et al. 1999) reported that consumers ranked nutritional value and freshness higher than taste and other related quality characteristics. While most studies reviewed for North America tended to suggest that consumers rank taste and related sensory characteristics as more important than food safety and environmental concerns, studies in the other regions (such as the EU) tended to place health and food safety, and environmental concerns at the top of the pr eference ranking (see, for example, Sylvander, 1993; Shifferstein and Oude Ophuis, 1997; Akgungor et al. 1997; Aguirre, 2001; Sandalidou et al. , 2002). What seems clear, and consistent across studies, is that consumers in all regions tend to prefer locally grown organic produce, compared to shipments from other places. In addition, organic product purchase decisions tend to be influenced more by product quality and other inherent characteristics, than by price premium. On the other hand, several studies (e. g. , Sylverstone, 1993; Buzby and Skees, 1994; Davies et al. , 1995; Roddy et al. , 1996; Latacz-Lohman and Foster, 1997, Worner and Meier-Ploeger, 1999; Oystein et al. 2001; Demeritt, 2002; O’Donovan and McCarthy, 2002) reported that price premium, lack of knowledge and product availability were the major reasons preventing non-buyers from purchasing organic food. Demeritt (2002), for example, reported that the most important reason why US consumers did not purchase orga nic food was lack of knowledge or awareness. About 59% of those who did not purchase organic products indicated they never really considered organic, while 39% indicated that price was the main inhibiting factor. Another 16% reported they did not purchase organic foods because of limited availability. Davies et al. (1995) and O’Donovan and McCarthy (2002) also reported product availability and price as key inhibitors to consumers’ demand for organic foods in Ireland. According to Davis (1995), two-thirds of non-buyers of organic food in Ireland reported they would buy organic if it was easily available. By comparison, O’Donovan and McCarthy (2002) reported that among Irish respondents who did not purchase organic food, 43% indicated it was too expensive, 28% cited lack of availability, while 29% were just not interested. Challenges in Organic Food Industry Successful transition from niche to mainstream status The major challenge the organic food industry faces is the successful transition from niche to mainstream status. Although organic foods are becoming more visible in European food retailers, they have yet to acquire broad appeal with consumers. Organic foods are not considered to have mainstream status since a small amount of consumers account for the majority of purchases in most countries. For instance, consumer research shows that 61% of organic foods in the UK are purchased by 7% of consumers. In Denmark, 1% of consumers account for 80% of purchases. Although many consumers are now buying organic foods in European countries, a small consumer base is responsible for the bulk of purchases. This is responsible for slowing growth rates in countries like Denmark and the UK. Organic foods need to have broader consumer appeal if they are to take mainstream status in the food industry and the major challenge faced by many organic food companies is how to expand the loyal consumer base. Prevention of fraudulent business practices A number of cases have been reported in the last couple of years of non-organic food being labelled and sold as organic food. For instance, in May 2001 it was discovered that 20,000 tonnes of non-organic grain was imported and sold as organic grain to unsuspecting British organic farmers and producers. This is a major threat to the industry for consumers purchase organic foods because of the belief that it has been grown according to organic farming principles. The continuation of these fraudulent cases risks undermining consumer confidence in organic foods. Consumer demand for organic foods, especially imported products, could collapse if this type of fraud continues. Continuing political support required for industry development. There is growing pressure to reform the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and changes are likely in the short term. There is a need for political representation of organic farming. Organic farming needs to be promoted at the ministerial level as a sustainable form of agriculture. The question is: who will take the lead with political change happening on a regular basis due to the growing trend of coalition governments? Protection of price premium Organic foods, because of their nature of production, have a price premium over conventional foods. This can range from 15% for organic milk to over 100% for some organic exotic fruit and specialty cheeses. There is growing pressure for organic food growers and producers to reduce production costs. This pressure comes from retailers, which attempt to narrow the price premium as low as possible in order to encourage consumer demand. The major barrier to product adoption in many countries consumers is the high price. The concern is that this pressure could translate into a compromise in organic standards and the method of production. For instance, organic farmers can be tempted to produce to the lowest standards of organic production in order to cut costs. This is likely to erode consumer confidence and promote divisions in the organic food industry on the lines of organic standards. Recommendations for organic food industry * Food safety, hygienic regulations and consumer protection Politicians and decision makers should promote the idea of mature and responsible producers and consumers with regard to food safety. Controls and liability for food safety should not be burdened only on the shoulders of governments and authorities. Citizens will relieve authorities by accepting responsibility too. The duty of governments and authorities will only be to function as controllers of private control services. Producers, processors, traders and consumers should hold regular meetings on round tables and develop mutual confidence with the aim to accept together responsibility for food safety. Fair prices (no dumping prices) for high quality and healthy food are an important precondition to guarantee food safety. The practiced biodynamic farm model to produce a high percentage of the animal feedstuff directly on the farm and use mainly the own fertilizer is a very suitable one to ensure food safety. * Food quality Creation of consciousness that food quality means more than producing hygienic sound nutrition. Food quality must not be reduced only to chemical detectable contents. Conventional food quality analyses should be supplemented by other analytical methods that can detect vital force in foodstuffs. The production of superior food quality( that fulfils all quality aspects) should be promoted. Education in organic farming Promoting education of children in schools about organic food and agriculture. Establishing and funding of vocational education programs especially for organic Farming. Funding of practical studies and training in organic farming organizations. Reference * Website quicklogodesign. com/blog/ecopreneurship-entrepreneurs-and-ecology. * http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Sustainable_business * http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Triple_bottom_line#Definition * http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Principles_of_ecopreneurship * http://academic-papers. rg/ocs2/session/Papers/F6/216-2066-1-DR. doc * http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Organic_food * just-food. com/analysis/european-organic-food-industry-challenges-future-outlook_id93636. aspx * http://demeter. net/brussels/di_eu_action_plan. pdf * greenprof. org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/The-Making-of-the-Ecopreneur. pdf ajofai. info/Abstract/Consumer%20knowledge%20and%20perception%20about%20organic%20food%20a%20challenge%20for%20consumer%20education%20on%20the%20benefits%20of%20going%20organic. pdf

Reeking and Wreaking

Reeking and Wreaking Reeking and Wreaking Reeking and Wreaking By Maeve Maddox Here is a very small sampling taken from the web of the misuse of the verb reek: We had an extremely wet May and June this year in New York City which reeked havoc on many tomato gardens. SISTERS reeked havoc at Momma’s Christmas Dinner today Although this helped in some patients, it reeked havoc with others, resulting in law suits. that virus sure reeked havoc with your computer The deadly twister that reeked havoc in Tuscaloosa. Note that each error is an attempt to use the idiom to wreak havoc, meaning to cause destruction or devastation. It would be correct to say, A huge earthquake wreaked havoc on Japan, or A string of tornadoes wreaked havoc on Alabama. By itself, wreak means to give expression to; to vent. The word havoc, meaning devastation, derives from a French idiom, crier havoc, to cry (or shout) havoc!' The most familiar use of this word occurs in Antonys funeral speech in Julius Caesar: ANTONY: †¨Caesars spirit, ranging for revenge, †¨ With Ate by his side come hot from hell, †¨ Shall in these confines with a monarchs voice †¨Cry Havoc, and let slip the dogs of war; Shouting Havoc! was the signal to begin battle, the result of which would be destruction. The verb reek derives from two similarly pronounced words that were familiar in Old English times. One meant to emit smoke and the other meant to emit a strong smell. Today the verb reek may have either meaning: The reeking chimney annoyed the neighbors. After putting gas in the car my hands reeked of gasoline. The homes and clothing of smokers reek of burnt tobacco. His actions reek of self-love. Bottom line: Chimneys, cigars, and bad relationships reek. Hurricanes, earthquakes, ice storms, droughts, and war wreak destruction and devastation. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the FutureEnglish Grammar 101: Verb MoodTypes of Plots

Stereotypes in the media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Stereotypes in the media - Essay Example We might care to say one thing or the other that is in complete opposition to these stereotypes but we do not dare do something about it. The whole thinking mindset thus needs to be changed for the better if we want to abolish the whole concept of the ever remaining stereotypes present within the media. To start with, advertising and media communications is all about conveying a single, unified message down to the target audience in a manner which meshes along well both with the client’s budget as well as the aspirations and expectations of the people for whom the brand is being marketed or advertised. It is formed on the basis of psychological and physiological movements which are studied by the advertising and marketing people so that the client (the company people) also remain happy and their business flourishes in the longer run. However, to get this very message down to the intended people is not an easy job to start with. It needs to be very targeted, precise and significant for them in order for them to take notice and understand that the particular brand connects with them in the best and most easiest of manners possible and hence they should be the ones to buy it for themselves and for this reason satisfy their need or even please themselves more than they had alrea dy expected. It is a sure tough job for the people who have to extract the perfect message which needs to be sharpened again and again before it actually gets down to the right kind of people who will make the actual purchase and therefore the product will be sold in the end. However, on the flip side of the coin, this requires selling the product or the brand in the mind of the consumer before he actually decides to go and buy the very same. This is refereed as the pre-selling stage and advertising has got a lot to do with it. Psychologically speaking, children connect with what is

Personal analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal analysis - Essay Example It is based on the theory of Carl Jung that the MBTI Personality types are founded. In this paper, I will discuss my personality type and how it my influence my success in achieving life goals. A critical evaluation of myself reveals that I am more of an extrovert than an introvert. I like to be with people and often find people around me. I also take great interest in people, perhaps the reason other people find me warm, sociable and interesting. While I take time alone sometimes, I spend much more of my time being with people, talking to them and trying to bring out the best in them. It hardly goes without my notice when a friend or close acquaintance is in a bad or good mood. I realise that I have the ability to â€Å"read† other people’s feelings and find it easy to understand their points of view. I find a lot of joy in being around happy people and therefore do whatever is within my power to make other people happy so that a moment is not lost in grief. I not only have a strong point in being with people but also find myself to be quite dependable. In this regard, I take my work seriously and often focus on the details maintaining warmth and energy. Perhaps it is for this reason that in many occasions I find myself being chosen as a team leader. I have what it takes to ensure that things get done the right way. I also generally like to be in control and will give my opinion without fearing, no wonder some people consider me manipulative. I find myself to be a person who respects authority and set rules. Once we agree on something with peers, friends or team-mates, I never wish to be the one to break the rule. In the same way, I always do whatever I can to be on the right side of the law and obey the rules that have been set just like I expect others to do the same. Being a Chinese lady, I have been raised in a traditional setting. In the Chinese traditional setting, women are expected to play certain gender roles. They are

Knowledge and Talent Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Knowledge and Talent Development - Essay Example The effectiveness of employees, as designed in the HR strategies, is a crucial component in achieving positive business outcomes. Every company has a comprehensive and structured set of techniques that an organization adopts in order to improve quality, efficiency, and reliability of their goods and services. These strategies are all geared towards making the organization globally competitive and adhere to the established standards and best business practices. This approach cuts across all departments, employees, suppliers and the clients of the organization. Talent development and knowledge management are geared towards improving the performance of both the employees and organization. According to Garavan Et al (2012), talent developments are activities that ensure the rightful management of the human resources. Talent development in organizations has progressed in line with changes experienced in the world such as globalization, technology, and culture. Talent development leads to efficient systems that result in job satisfaction, effective career growth, increased motivation, and organizational commitment of the employees. As a result, this leads to the creation of a favorable working environment build on trust and relationship where employees are able to make proper and informed judgments. Knowledge and Talent Development According Herzberg’s Hygiene theory on employee motivation, employees experience job contentment when they fulfill career growth and needs (Lunenburg & Ornstein, 2012, p. 16). When employees exhibit a strong desire to be part of a particular organization, they are willing to exert high levels of their efforts on behalf of their organization. Employee satisfaction plays a pivotal function in increasing the productivity of employees. Motivation commits the employees to work passionately in order to gain promotion, new skills, more remuneration, and benefits. The employees of an organization need to be provided with the necessary infor mation, training, mentoring, and coachin

Walt Disney Co. V. Beijing Publishing Press Essay

Walt Disney Co. V. Beijing Publishing Press - Essay Example Although Beijing Publishing Press had entered into contract with and paid Maxwell which has intellectual property rights from Disney, it violated Disney IPR. The contract details form Disney did not give Maxwell the right to subcontract its intellectual properties to third parties, which means that the contract between Maxwell and Beijing was void. The fact that the contract was illegal makes it void. Disney enjoys copyright protection of its products from the Chinese law. Therefore, any third parties who wish to utilize its intellectual properties must enter into a contract with Disney. In this case, there existed no contract between Disney and Beijing Publishing. Before paying IPR, a party should conduct careful due diligence to assure that it is paying for enforceable IPR. This case illustrates concept in that Beijing Publishing Company had an obligation to carry out proper investigations to ascertain the legality of the contract with Maxwell Company and Children Press. The department of state copyright administration requires companies to conduct an inquiry and implement registration procedures with the relevant authorities before actual use of IPR. Although Beijing Publishing Company had exempted itself in the working agreement with the Children press, where it stated that Children press would bear any responsibilities arising because of non-registration with the copyright authority; it failed to ascertain that Children Press is not an independent legal person and thus had to bear the responsibility. Beijing Company has a lawsuit against Maxwell. The contract between Disney and Maxwell stated, â€Å"Disney Company licenses to Maxwell Comp any exclusive rights to publish and sell within China its publications based on Disney world characters.† The contract expressly states that the license given should not be granted to third parties (Shaffer, Agusti, and Earle 574). Beijing Publishing can sue Maxwell on the ground that it breached the initial contract, which led to it incurring damages. Champagne V. Wines Worth Group Ltd This case involves an Australian company by name Wines Worth Group against French Department of Champagne that sought an injunction to prevent Australians from â€Å"passing off† their wine as produced from France. French Department of Champagne filed on the basis that they own the trademark. A trademark is a distinctive sign used by businesses to speak a message to their consumers to specify the origin of the product and henceforth dictate the target markets. It is a name, word, phrase, logo, or symbol and the owners of

Families Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Families - Essay Example Therefore, while defining the term â€Å"family†, it is important to mention that a group of individuals make a family irrespective of whether they love one another or not since they are blood-related to one another and are biologically family members. Often, family members assume financial obligations towards one another religiously if not legally. On the other hand, new concepts of family are emerging with the changing moods of the dynamic modern world, where homosexuality has been legally accepted in certain countries. But such concepts are man-made. It is highly unethical to consider such union of people as a family. In today’s society, the definition of â€Å"family† I gave might not be quite welcomed and many people might find it offensive. Typically, the gays and lesbians would find it an offense of their fundamental beliefs. Today’s modern society has given equal rights to homosexuals and straight people. This gives the homosexuals leverage to choose to live with the person they like irrespective of his/her gender. Homosexuals tend to make a family. But they certainly can not make babies in the natural biological way. This speaks of the nature’s definition of a family. Nature certainly does not consider them a family and accordingly does not bless them with children. That is why, homosexuals living together tend to develop themselves as a family by adopting children. This is highly unethical because it does not only ruin the fundamental structure of a family, but also inculcates many negative aspects in the personality of the adopted children. On the other hand, m any thoughtful people will consider this definition of family quite rational since it covers all major aspects of relationship between individuals forming a family. According to my definition of a family, individuals caught in a legal case should find help from their family members. Help comes in the form of financial support and psychological

Discuss the treatment of the sacrament of confession in Essay

Discuss the treatment of the sacrament of confession in Boccaccioâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s tale of Ser Ciappelletto, The Summoning of Everyman, and Hesseâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Narcissus and Goldmund - Essay Example In the spirit of a culture beginning to question the superficiality of dogma, Boccaccio transcends the cynical humor of Ciappelletto’s confession, and the friar’s absolution, reminding us that there is a divine immanence beyond and above the temporal, sometimes absurd practices of the medieval church. After Ciappelletto’s false confession, the narration muses that he may have, at the last, received forgiveness for his many sins, having â€Å"made so complete an act of contrition that perchance God had mercy on him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Boccaccio 89). But considering the evidence of his transgressions, eternal punishment is a much more likely fate. In other words, he may have fooled the friar and ultimately received canonization, but true justice is another matter Saint or no, Ciappelletto faces a verdict from which he cannot escape through bluff and deception. It is not given to us to know the final disposition of Ciappelletto’s soul but if eternal damnation is his lot, then it is a â€Å" manifest token of the superabundance of the goodness of God to usward, inasmuch as he regards not our error but the sincerity of our faith, and hearkens unto us when, mistaking one who is at enmity with Him for a friend, we have recourse to him, as to one holy indeed, as our intercessor for His grace† (Boccaccio 90). Confession has enabled Ciappelletto to â€Å"work the system,† to play on notions of holiness, seen through the prism of a worldly church, in order to receive absolution and achieve sainthood. His confession typifies the comparative spiritual impotency of the medieval church, itself a wan reflection of the true spirit it purports to embody. Flouting the sacrament, he has effectively lied his way to sainthood. But Boccaccio assures us that, for all his fabrications, Ciappelletto’s punishment surely must be all the worse in the next world for having â€Å"gotten away with it† in this

Families Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Families - Essay Example Therefore, while defining the term â€Å"family†, it is important to mention that a group of individuals make a family irrespective of whether they love one another or not since they are blood-related to one another and are biologically family members. Often, family members assume financial obligations towards one another religiously if not legally. On the other hand, new concepts of family are emerging with the changing moods of the dynamic modern world, where homosexuality has been legally accepted in certain countries. But such concepts are man-made. It is highly unethical to consider such union of people as a family. In today’s society, the definition of â€Å"family† I gave might not be quite welcomed and many people might find it offensive. Typically, the gays and lesbians would find it an offense of their fundamental beliefs. Today’s modern society has given equal rights to homosexuals and straight people. This gives the homosexuals leverage to choose to live with the person they like irrespective of his/her gender. Homosexuals tend to make a family. But they certainly can not make babies in the natural biological way. This speaks of the nature’s definition of a family. Nature certainly does not consider them a family and accordingly does not bless them with children. That is why, homosexuals living together tend to develop themselves as a family by adopting children. This is highly unethical because it does not only ruin the fundamental structure of a family, but also inculcates many negative aspects in the personality of the adopted children. On the other hand, m any thoughtful people will consider this definition of family quite rational since it covers all major aspects of relationship between individuals forming a family. According to my definition of a family, individuals caught in a legal case should find help from their family members. Help comes in the form of financial support and psychological

Porsche 911 turbo and ferrari 458 italia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Porsche 911 turbo and ferrari 458 italia - Essay Example Loaded with tones of accessories and electronics, the two cars provide a remarkable comfort level to the driver. However, Porsche 911 Turbo S beats Ferrari 458 Italia in terms of pricing, its low maintenance cost, and ability to be used as a daily car. The price is one factor which differentiates the two cars with a Porsche 911 Turbo S being available for about $140,000 while the fully loaded version comes for only an additional $20,000 i.e. $160,000. A Ferrari 458 Italia on the other hand has a base price of about $230,000 while the fully loaded version comes at $300,000. The main upside to buying a Porsche 911 Turbo S is the fact that it is available with fairly similar specifications and engine power at a significantly low price as compared to a Ferrari 458 Italia. The high pricing for the Ferrari discourage many people from buying the car as it provides almost similar level of comfort, style, and performance but for a very high price. As a result, many would prefer investing in a Porsche which comes with similar technical specifications but for a pocket friendly price. Although Ferrari 458 Italia costs a dreadfully large amount of money to the buyer, it also does not come with any warranty. In order to acquire a warranty for the car, an additional $50,000 has to be paid over the price which only covers the warranty for 7 years. A Porsche 911 Turbo S however gets warranty coverage for only an additional fee of $2500 which is significantly low as compared to the extremely high warranty fee for a Ferrari. Also, this includes warranty coverage for 9 years. Apart from the high warranty fee, Ferrari also has a high maintenance cost particularly due to its unreliable nature and frequent break downs. In such cases, the spare parts are quite expensive. Due to a dual clutch gearbox in Ferrari the typical replacement costs more than $40,000. However, the Porsche proves to be a reliable car with cheaper spare parts and maintenance costs. Another advantage of owning a P orsche 911 Turbo S is its ability to be used as an everyday car. This feature is particularly useful for those individuals who have an inclination for high speed and want to use the car to travel to work or any other place. A Ferrari with its upper high speed engine is normally suitable for driving on tracks rather than city roads which has traffic and may not satisfy the driver as a work vehicle. Many people prefer buying a Porsche because it can be used as a daily car. Also, it provides a smoother ride and a more comfortable one as compared to a Ferrari which is often uncomfortable to drive on city roads. That is why one may find more Porsches on the road than Ferraris. While a Ferrari may be a favorite among its fans, a Porsche proves to be a far more practical option for people looking for a fast, reliable, and yet a cheap car to maintain. Not only is its initial cost low but it does not require frequent maintenance because of its dependable nature. The warranty covers a greater number of years allowing its owners to stay tension-free with the high costs. Even its spare parts come at a cheaper cost and its simple Turbo 911 engine at the rear, the cost of repairing the engine is low and seldom does it break down. Because of the

Legal & Ethical Environment of Business Essay Example for Free

Legal Ethical Environment of Business Essay In this individual project I will be analyzing and explaining the state of our legal system in terms of ethics as a personal and business standpoint. Secondly I will be figuring out if our legal system promotes bad ethics and what they are doing in trying to make it into god ethics. Then lastly I will be going over the role of judges in promoting good legal ethical practices in our society as of today. Sate of Our Legal System in Terms of Ethics  Ethical assessment making begins with the reaction that there is a good versus a bad moral decision to be made con ­cerning a particular condition a â€Å"correct† choice established on interests benefiting mortality in some way as different to a â€Å"incorrect† choice established on some corrupt or self-serving concern. It also involves characters to appraise the morality of their own, and often others’, actions (Board, 2012). Ethics are the resources by which we choose what movements are allowable and what activities are not. What is less identified is the fact that every ethic involves of two quantities: an importance that explains what it is that we need more of in our lives, or what we wish to exploit, and a belief, or system of views, that defines what activities we are to take to acquire more of the worth that we pursue. Still less frequently known is the fact that an ethic may be effective or unacceptable. Effective ethics create the preferred outcomes an escalation in the standards wanted. Void ethics create the opposite result a decreasing of that which is pursued or wanted. As an example, contemplate the ethic implemented by our country’s forefathers. The assessment they wished to exploit was freedom for the country’s societies (excluding maybe women and slaves). The belief system was founded on the values of a democratic republic memorial popular regulation. Each year but two (1865 and 1920) we have had less freedom than the year before (Singer, n. d. ). Today, through the propagation of ever more preventive laws, almost every part of our lives is structured or controlled by our county, state, federal, or public governments. Without government authorization we cannot drive a car, own property, board a plane, modify our home, open a bank account, control a business, consume prescribed medication, carry a gun, or do any of a thousand other things that our forefathers and foremothers would have reflected to be our unchallengeable rights. In short, the creators of our country chose to implement an ethic that is unacceptable because its acceptance fashioned the conflicting effect of that anticipated. While we are on the focus of ethics, let’s consider two other precise ethics that are particularly appropriate to an considerate of the problem that mortality presently faces. The first I shall mention to as the Power Ethic. This ethic pursues to exploit power over others in the influences of those who accept it. The confidence system that supports this ethic can be summarized by the declaration, â€Å"Might makes right†. In other words, those who can afford to buy artillery and to pay or intimidate young men and women to use those arms in combat have the right to exercise power over others for whatever reasons they wish. This is the ethic accepted by those who conceived government as-we-know-it in Sumer eight thousand years ago. This ethic is still the principle of those who run the governments of the world nowadays. At first it might seem that the Power Ethic is effective because, undeniably, those who have accepted it have prospered in accruing more and more power over their associated men and women. But there are secondary penalties. Incorporated among these are drug addiction, international strife, poverty, hunger, slavery, terrorism, wars, interpersonal violence, bureaucracy, oligarchy, environmental degradation, and all manner of crime. If the macroscopic development continues it is more than likely that the end outcome will be the total extermination of all human life on our planet thus decreasing the earth to a radioactive residue. Like a universal pest, those who have espoused the Power Ethic will abolish their host and themselves with it. So in the end the ethic is not usable. By contrast, reflect an ethic that picks originality and its logical counterparts as the standards to be exploited. Such means as love, consciousness, objective truth, and development may be measured as reasonable equivalents of imagination, because whenever one of these assets is amplified they are all improved, and vice versa. John David Garcia, the brilliant author of Creative Transformation, called this ethic the Evolutionary Ethic, so I will do likewise (AIU Online, 2013). We might note at this point that all affluence, and eventually all cheerfulness, originates from someone’s creativeness. The belief system that authorizes this ethic instigates with the concept that an act is good if it intensifications originality or any of its logical counterparts for at least one person without limiting or fading creativity for anyone. From this meaning a broad variety of values can be resulting by simple judgment. This ethic, it turns out, is effective. Inquisitively, the acceptance of this ethic normally exploits affluence and happiness, even though these are not logical equivalents of creativeness. In fact, ethics based on the expansion of affluence and happiness are not lawful creating poverty and unhappiness in its place. From this point on I shall use the terms ethical and unethical in place to this ethic precisely. There are numerous other legal ethics which I choose not to discuss in this paper excluding to note that each of them shows, upon close inspection, to be logical counterparts of the Evolutionary Ethic in that they call for the same interactive choices when determining between alternative sequences of action. From the preceding we can see that mortality’s big  problem  is the fact that the world’s governments, without omission, have selected the Power Ethic as their factor basis reasonably than the Evolutionary Ethic or one of its logical counterparts. The big  question  that humankind faces today is whether this choice is permanent and if not, what we must do to dodge the disaster that the Power Ethic is leading us toward (AIU Online, 2013). In our legal system in terms of ethics as being a big part of our nation’s survival and in terms of businesses keeping up a good production of products and jobs for eople to live on be able to pay bills and what not. Legal System Promote Bad Ethics In an ethical society freedom is restricted by ethical law. Those who wish to perform in a dependent or destructive manner are prohibited to do so. The inaccuracy of our establishment fathers was to exploit freedom in such a way that the most predacious, parasitic, and normally unethical persons were allowable to command the law, thereby creating the commands that allowed the ultra-wealthy to control the rest of us. We must reverse this trend if humanity is to survive, let alone thrive. To accomplish this end we must understand the nature of ethical law and disprove the authority of unethical law. To aid in descriptive this peculiarity, I shall mention to unethical laws as government announcements, or simply as pronouncements. If so, might makes right, and anyone who can afford to buy weapons and persuade others to use them to enforce their will has a right to so. This is the premise upon which all of today’s governments are founded. This has been the true basis of law throughout the world for at least eight thousand years, since government was invented in Sumer. To answer this question properly, we note first that all law presumes the use of force or power over others. But it takes only a simple exercise of logic to see that the exercise of power over others is only ethical in self-protection against someone who has initiated or defenseless the use of force for their own purposes. Therefore, ethical laws are only those that provide defense against such unethical acts. Since everyone has the right to defend themselves against the use of violence, it follows that everyone has the right to delegate to others their specialist to defend themselves. From this we conclude that all ethical laws embody this principle: All ethical laws, all legitimate laws, represent a contract under which a group of individuals, each having the right of self-defense, agrees to enforce a mutual defense pact. Ethical law can exist for this purpose alone. Additionally, we note that all existing laws, and laws, forbid some act or permit the act only when a tax is paid to the government (AIU Online, 2013). Role of Judges in Promoting Good Legal Ethical Practices The makings of a good judge are the abilities of a good man. There are supplementary demands on a judge, to be sure information of the law, a will to append judgment until all the indication is in. But at least it must be the complexity and consistency of his mortality that succeed and define the judge (Newton, n. d. ). Those who come before a judge do not really know before whom they stand. The person who manages over the courtroom, covered in the earnest black robes of his or her office, is in that moment less an individual than a sign of democratic standards and an tool of state power. In appreciation of that power and ability, all rise as the judge enters the courtroom and takes the seat, eminent above everyone else in the room, from which impartiality will be noticeable. It is the hope of all, and the principle of most, that this individual will do his or her job well, administration what is possibly our most valuable social good justice. Yet, in most compliments, judges remain unidentified to those who conduct their business before the court. What no one knows, what no one is even allowed to ask, is the character of the person wearing that robe and the ways in which that individual’s particular aptitudes will affect the presentation of his or her responsibilities (Newton, n. d. ). The judges I interviewed all acknowledged both that doing their job involved elements of discretion and that exercising discretion was in some measure a reflection of one’s own moral values. Yet, each responded to these challenges differently. Judge Meyer appeared most concerned about the subjectivity inherent in judging. In response to my proposition that judging elaborate evaluating the ethical character of people in certain ways and that this involved a good deal of indecision (Newton, n. d. ). Conclusion In conclusion, this individual project has really shown me some great ethics, morality and legalities in how to focus on the analysis of each portion of legal systems and role of judges in trying to promote good ethical practices. It just goes to show that in the different analysis in explaining the stat of our legal system in terms of ethics is a big portion in our societies now days. Although, in going into the legal system in promoting bad ethics is that you never really know what to expect in trying to promote bad ethics with some companies in furthering their demographic. However, in the role of judges in promoting good legal ethical practices is that judges have to stick with a strict process of being good in supporting these laws in the legal system in terms of ethics. So overall I found this assignment to have taught me some great information in trying to come up with the best research to best complement in delivering the additional material in providing the focus on this topic.

The Hindu Temples Architecture And Style Theology Religion Essay

The Hindu Temples Architecture And Style Theology Religion Essay The temples in India have always taken an important place in their cultural and spiritual life of its people, from the early times and till nowadays. In fact the whole cultural and spiritual life of Indian people is built around the temple. The overall purpose of the Hindu temple can be presented in such a way: like the Himalayas, the temple points to the heavens, the abode of the gods. The Hindu temple, step by step, shape-by-shape reverses this primeval descent and places man back on the path toward heaven. Temples were usually built in places marked by special holiness.  The legends associated them with the acts of Vishnu, Shiva, Durga and other gods.  In the 4-5 centuries, when Hinduism during the reign of Gupta dynasty, became the state religion, the main structural elements of the temples were plinth, sanctuary and superstructure.  The stone base of a Hindu temple symbolized the altar, on which the temple itself was sacrificed to a deity.  With the modular characteristics of the proportions of the temple measure cap not taken into account.  The temple was conceived as a structural unit, resting on the altar.   In some early temples the wall of the sanctuary served as main walls of the building, in others the sanctuary was surrounded by a second ring of walls, which created a special gallery to circumvent.  In any case, the churches were dark inside.   Module for Hindu temples and their center was a sculpture of a deity his idol.  Temple priests were called guardians of the idol and the servants of God, whose dwelling was in the temple. Modern scientific analysis of a temple shows that temple-space is surcharged with great positive energy and the visitors can feel physical welfare and mental well-being. This fact rises a lot of questions: how could a structure built of stone or of brick have that kind of energy? What makes the temple so powerful? There is a scientific view that a temple is not a home of God but it is the form of God that means that the temple structure itself is worthy of worship . (Michell , p. 68.) The temple architecture is a scientific phenomenon. The basic concept that determines worthiness of the structure and form of temple is The layout adopted for temple form is synonymous with the layout of the Cosmos. The plan of the layout of a temple is technically called Mandala or Vaastu Pada with a grid of 8x 8 =64 spaces or 9x 9 = 81 spaces of equal dimensions. In modern architectural terminology this can be addressed as energy-grid. Those two layouts are the geometrical formulae to replicate the subtle substance of the universe into visual material form. (Volwahsen, p 44) The important aspect of Hindu temple is that it serves as a cosmic intersection of man, God, and the Universe. But it also is the Universe, reflected in its repeating architectural forms. The careful mathematical measurements that lie in the basic construction of a Hindu temple express the structure of the Universe. For example, in order for the temple to face east, its width must be a perfect multiple of the fraction three-eighths. The outer dimensions of the temple must also satisfy five other equations relating to stars, planets and the passage of time. (Kramrisch, p.132) Another important analogy is between the temple and the mountain that can help to understand the divine purpose of the temple-to serve as a meeting place between man and the gods. It means that the gods could descend to be in the presence of man, like human souls rising up to meet the gods. (Rao, p. 126) The piece of land upon which the temple stands is itself a sacred location a tirtha, a Sanskrit word literally meaning crossing place is a site favored by the gods where water, shade and seclusion are plentiful. Temples must be built on tirthas in order to serve their true purpose as crossing places, and this site selection is only the first step in building a temple. Another important aspect is the vastu-purusa-mandala , that is a rough architectural blueprint for the foundation of the temple, that serves both a practical and a highly symbolic purpose, becoming the architectural and spiritual foundation of the Hindu temple. (Rao, p. 135.) As suggested earlier, the temple is also a microcosm of the Universe, the mandala reflects this aspect of the temple as well: the center square of the mandala stands for the mythical mountain of Meru, the geographic center of the cosmos. Around Mount Meru is arranged a symbolic pantheon of gods, and each god occupies its own square and is ranked in importance by its proximity to the center. (Rao, p. 135.) The next part of this essay analyzes separate elements of the temple, both interior and exterior, and places these elements within the context of the temples divine purpose: to serve as a cosmic meeting place for devotee and deity. The garbhagrha, the sanctum sanctorum of the Hindu temple, presents itself as a point of departure: if the temple is a mountain, the garbhagrha is the cave inside the mountain. The garbhagrha is dark, and its walls are largely undecorated, that contrasts the exterior of the temple, which is often highly ornate and replete with thousands of sculpted images. The simple darkness of the sanctum reflects its function as a womb house, one of the meanings of garbhagrha. (Kramrisch, p. 169) Analysis of Hindu temples in Nagara and Dravida styles The two temples described here, one at Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), the other at Angkor Wat, give the best possible idea of how the contrasting Nagara and Dravida styles had developed by the 11 century and present aesthetic achievements of the Hindu architectural tradition. Style Nagara, which developed during the 5h century, is characterized by a tower-type hive (called shikhara) made up of several words of architectural elements, such as kapotas and gavaksas, culminating in a large round cushion like element, named amalaka, and  parlance Drum.  The plan of the temple is based on the square, but the walls are often broken down decorative elements in creating the impression that the tower is round.  In more recent temples the central mandapa was surrounded by several small temple buildings, creating a visual effect of a fountain. From the 7th century Dravida , or southern style, has formed a pyramidal tower consisting of progressively diminishing tiers, bottleneck, and the dome on top, also called shikhara (in the southern terminology).  Repeated horizontal tiers visually impart the southern temples squat. Less obvious differences between the two main temple types Nagara and Dravida include the plan area, the selection and arrangement of stone, from which the cut shapes on the external walls and the interior, the range of decorative elements. In spite of their obvious stylistic differences, the temples at Khajuraho and Angkor Wat have basic principles connected with Hindu beliefs and practices. Kandariya Mahadeva temple, Khajuraho This temple was built in the middle of the 11th century by one of the kings of the Chandella dynasty, this great Shiva temple represents the Nagara style ad is one of the best achievements. Kandariya Mahadeva temple is the tallest monument at Khajuraho, its spire rising more than 30.5 metres above the plinth on which the temple is elevated. The temple has 30.5 metres in length and 20 metres in width. Like other fully developed Chandella temples at Khajuraho, it consists of a linear east-west sequence of access steps, entrance porch, columned hall with side balconies, and linga shrine with encircling passageway, off which open three additional balconies, that bring porches. The porches serve as balconies with high seating, bringing ventilation and light to the interior. What distinguishes the Kandariya Mahadeva temple from the other monuments a Khajuraho is its grand scale and elaboration of design and ornamentation. Undoubtedly, the glory of the temple is its lofty curving tower, crowned by an amalaka ( ribbed circular motif). Very significant in the temple is the sculptural treatment of its outer walls, which are covered with images of the god Shiva, to whom the monument is dedicated, with consorts, attendants and lesser divinities. Important among the images here are the aspect of the god, including those who subdues the blind demon, the cosmic dancer, and the destroyer of the triple demon cities. The sculptures are arranged in three tiers on the outside, amounting to no less than 646 figures in all, not counting the 226 figures of the interior. The temple is well known for its erotic groups which are placed on the juncture of the walls of the mandapa and the passageway surrounding the sanctuary, marking one of the most ritually vulnerable parts of the monument. Among the other images are those of female deities, such as the seven mothers, let alone the countless apsaras, or heavenly maidens that attend on the gods, and who are shown in alluring postures that reveal the mastery of the Khajuraho artists in rendering female contours with conscious sophistication and exuberant grace. Angkor Wat in Cambodia, is the second Hindu temple described in the paper, that refers to the Dravida style. This temple was dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, the preserver of the world. Angkor Wat is a gigantic threeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ step pyramid adorned by nine slender towers of enormous height, the steps of the pyramid are capped by galleries. Framed by an enclosure wall and a majestic moat, the temple covers 2.5 square kilometres. The pyramid is raised on a vast terrace of 2 m high, and surrounded by naga balustrades. It opens to the cardinal points by entrance pavilions and stairways. The steps are crowned by surrounding galleries: the first step, containing the gallery of the basreliefs, is 203 m large and 3 m high. Pavilions mark the corners, at the corners of the second tier are four towers, their superstructure is partly missing. The outer gallery of the pyramid, including the western corner pavilions, shelters the most precious treasures of Angkor Wat, reliefs in a total length of more than 600 m. They depict narrative scenes from mythology and history. Reliefs do not simply embellish a temple; they make it a sacred space. In the images which depict the gods and their deeds, the gods themselves are present, and figures and parts of the body are either shown frontally or in profile. Reliefs were always carved in situ, after the walls had been finished; they were cut into the stone. It is important to mention twelve stairways rise to the third level of the pyramid. All five towers open to the cardinal directions, giving open views along the galleries, and the overall picture was a wide and airy hall, full of light. The third level, where are the finest reliefs of Devata, was the throne room of God Vishnu. As for the symbolism of the temple, Angkor Wat is an unsurpassed image of the Mount Meru, the abode of the Gods in the centre of the world. Corresponding to the five peaks of this mountain, at Angkor Wat five towers were visible from every cardinal direction. The enclosure wall symbolizes the mountains surrounding and hiding the Mount Meru; the moat symbolizes the cosmic ocean. The temple complex is a microcosm, an image of a perfect world, stable and in geometrical harmony. We can see that Angkor Wat, as well as Kandariya Mahadeva temple, as all Hindu temples serves as a cosmic intersection of man, God, and the Universe, and also the Universe is reflected in its repeating architectural forms.

What Happened to Ward and June Cleaver Essay -- essays research papers

What Happened to Ward and June Cleaver? Single parent homes, broken families, and divorce are rampant in today’s society. Marriage is no longer the revered union that it once was. Divorce is clearly on the rise since the days of yesteryear that depicted happy families in the favorable image of Ward and June Cleaver. Unlike the June Cleaver’s of days gone by, the women of today now busily juggle careers, family and household responsibilities, and play the role of â€Å"soccer mom† among many other things. Now that June is swept away with her many responsibilities, together with her earning capacity, reduces her need to rely on Ward ultimately making it easier, and more likely, that their children, Wally and Beaver will become the unfortunate products of a broken home and divorce. Rather than dealing with so many divorces and trying to battle the issue of broken homes from the back end where the damage is irreparable, why not attempt preventative measures instead? According to the Council on Families In America, â€Å"for the average American, the probability that a marriage taking place today will end in divorce or permanent separation is calculated to be a staggering 60% and more than half of divorcing couples have children under the age of 18. The odds that a child today will witness the divorce of their parents, is twice as great as a generation ago, with as many as half of all children likely to experience a parental divorce before they leave home.† Many states, now concerned with the rise in numbers of broken homes and divorce rates, have decided to take measures to reduce this epidemic by implementing mandatory waiting periods when obtaining a marriage license, and mandating programs and educational seminars similar to post-divorce programs now enforced by almost every court systems across the nation. The controversy, however, lies in the argument from critics that restricting couples from marriage or imposing fines or penalties is unjust. Jennifer Daw, a therapist with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy quoted an article from USA Today wherein opponents argued that, â€Å"divorce regulations or restrictions would create messier divorces, not prevent them and tougher restrictions on divorce could endanger women in abusive marriages.† People were once required to negotiate in divorce. The â€Å"No Fault Divorce† has changed that and takes the ground... ..., healthier, everlasting relationships fostered by good-old fashioned communication? Works Cited Council on Families in America. "Divorce Harms Society." Marriage and Divorce. Eds. Tamara L. Roleff and Mary E. Williams. Current Controversies Series. Greenhaven Press, 1997. Excerpted from â€Å"Marriage in America: A Report to the Nation by the Council on Families in America,† March 1995. Rpt. by permission of the Institute for Family Values. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thompson Gale. 15 June 2005 . Daw, Jennifer. â€Å"Saving Marriages: How to do it?† American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. 16 June 2005. 16 June 2005 . McManus, Mike. â€Å"Modesto’s Valentine: Divorce Rate Plunges 47.6%† Marriage Savers. 2001. 8 July 2005 . Plunkett, Robert L. â€Å"Divorce Laws Should Be Reformed.† Marriage and Divorce. Eds. Tamara L. Roleff and Mary E. Williams. Current Controversies Series. Greenhaven Press, 1997. From Robert L. Plunkett, "Vow for Now," National Review, May 29, 1995; (c) 1995 by National Review, New York, NY. Rpt. by permission. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thompson Gale. 15 June 2005 .