Affluenza Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Affluenza - Essay Example This heady mix of wealth and power need to be counterbalanced by accountability and responsibility for the general public. But, going by the evidence presented by the authors of this book, the outcomes so far have been harmful for the people at large and the environment in which they live. The poor people are especially badly hit by this phenomenon (de Graaf et. al, p.112). While the rich are getting richer than ever before, the real incomes of the poor in America have stagnated or declined. In this way the poor are disadvantaged twice, as the consumerist society keeps promoting ‘affluenza’. In this context, one can understand the importance of delving further into this topic and learn more about its role in promoting a regressive consumerist culture. The following passages will cite pertaining arguments from the book in support of the thesis, which is that the poor are punished twice as a result of Affluenza. A major manifest symptom of Aflluenza, the authors point out, is the general decline in sense of self-worth among Americans. A culture that endlessly promotes materialism and accumulation of wealth with barely any mention of other aspects of healthy living such as harmonious family life, participation in communal activities, etc. is fundamentally wrong. What psychologists refer to as low self-esteem is alternatively called as ‘status anxiety’ by social commentators. These are especially more evident in poor peoples’ conceptions of themselves, as they suffer from ‘Affluenza’ - â€Å"the bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses† (de Graaf et. al, p.172). In other words, it is the influenza like ailment that affects citizens when they march mindlessly in pursuit of affluence. As the authors pertinently state, â€Å"theres a downside to this obsession, and in our

Examining the Songs of Slavery In America Essay Example for Free

Examining the Songs of Slavery In America Essay For some reason, the last song you hear on the radio always sticks in your head. Later in the day, you catch yourself singing it†¦and you realize that it’s not even a song that you like! Fortunately for you, and unfortunately for all those around you, we can sing that song, no matter who, including yourself, cares to listen to it. No one is going to punish you for the quirkiness that goes with having the guts to actually sing a song that the guy in the cubicle next to yours just busted up the radio for playing. Music is part of our everyday lives. It is something that most of us have never lived without. Something in a song empowers us, saddens us, angers us, and makes us fall in love. So many of us can link a special memory to a song†¦and that 4-minute composition of words written by someone whom you’ve never even, met can take you back to â€Å"that place†, if for only a moment, and make you feel â€Å"that way† again. Songs are a way of life for most of us, and they have been for many years. Today, we listen to songs freely. History, however, reveals that many of us were not born with the same freedom. Can you imagine being punished for enjoying music? For history’s slave community, singing, humming, or listening to music was prohibited (Lang, p. 13). To slave owners, the practice of music portrayed a relaxed state for the slave. Most felt that carrying on with such â€Å"nonsense† would interfere with the slave’s focus, resulting in poor performance. The opposite, however, was the outcome. When they were allowed to sing, the slave found joy in the day Crane/Fleming 2 (Watts, p. 1). Singing was an outlet†¦a way to say how they felt about their owners, the job being done, family, God, and about dreams for themselves. Originating during the Civil War slave days, singing soon caught on all over the South and beyond. It served both hidden and obvious purpose. Not only could a slave could sing a song, and feel relaxed performing assigned duties, a slave could also â€Å"chant† a song to communicate messages to fellow slaves. So much mystery lies behind this aged practice, and uncovering the mystery will leave you appreciating the creativity utilized, whether you are of slave ancestry or not. If you have ever been to a traditional, majority Black church, you would walk out feeling energized. The energy exercised to convey God’s word is pretty unmatched by churches of other ethnicities. It’s as if the Black community has been doing this for years†¦and they have been. In early slave days, slaves were not allowed to read scriptures. Instead, they learned of God through â€Å"white folks’† church (Brown, p. 1). It was at these meetings that they listened to hymns, heard a few bible scriptures, and were told â€Å"mind† their masters. Soon, the slaves took it upon themselves to meet privately and discuss God and what he had planned for them. After the meetings, several would stay behind and â€Å"ring shout†, or chant songs about God and His plan for them. Foot tapping and hand clapping were accompanied by paced singing, and as the song continued, the pace would increase (Watt, p. 1). Men and women slaves became so involved in the chanting that they would collapse in emotion to the ground. Ministers were disturbed by this unusual behavior and soon banned the practice of ring shouts. It was at these early gatherings when the historical slave songs evolved. The very nature in which they are practiced lead back to the days of ring shouts. Soon, the topics of the shouts veered from being only about God, and began to include chants of hopes, prayers, and displays of confidence. Crane/Fleming 3 In the movie, Glory (Zwick, 1989) the men of the â€Å"Fifty-fourth† prepare to fight by performing a ring shout to bear hopes of success against the men they will soon face. These black men, formerly slaves, start slow and humble, and soon roar to a fast paced shout of faith in God, love of family, and belief in each other. Hands clap and legs are slapped for rhythm. This scene in the movie portrays the sole possession these men have to hold on to: each other. With a bit of encouraging, one soldier is assisted by another to not just â€Å"say† his hopes for the battle’s outcome, but to â€Å"demand† them with confidence that his prayers will be answered. Although Hollywood glamorized this scene with embellishments such as a pre-determined beat and a chorus, this type of shouting is how it all began. Knowing how it all began leaves us with the need to know â€Å"why† it all began. Why did â€Å"slave songs† (Ware, Allen, and Garrison, p. I) become such a big part of history? No other group in history utilized song the way that history’s slave did. Not only did singing pass the day, but singing helped the slave to identify with themselves. Bringing God into the lyrics, they created biblical images (Silverman, p. 79) of who they compared themselves to during biblical times. Many compared themselves to Moses, and sang of leading all slaves to freedom, just as Moses led the Israelites from Pharaoh’s captivity. This gave the slaves hope. Soon, this boost of hope led to singing songs about what it would be like when they were free. In Slavery Chain Done Broke at Last (Silverman, p. 83), the slave sings of how freedom is abound. He is sure to thank God, and vows to continue telling God his problems, in hopes of receiving more help when needed. In other songs, such as Oh, Freedom, (Ware, Allen and Garrison, p. 33), slaves give thanks at the end of a long and dangerous journey to freedom. On the other side of serious purpose, slave songs were not always sung just to say â€Å"thanks†. They were also sung as a way to Crane/Fleming 4 entertain, just as today’s music does for us. A good example of this is Now Let Me Fly (Brown, p. 1), where slaves sing of African people who could fly. Songs like these were loved by children, as their imaginations soared with images of flying people. But along with singing about being thankful and creating silly images for children, these songs served another purpose†¦perhaps the most important purpose of all: they served as a form of communication among the slaves (Johnson and Johnson, p. 18). Slaves lived a hard life. Along with being â€Å"owned† by another human being, the slave’s owner employed harsh rules for the slave to live by. One of these rules was that they were owned property, and could not leave on their own accord to be a free person (Watts, p. 1). Discussions of being free were punishable by whipping, beating and starving the slave. The slave was forced to create a way to communicate ploys to escape, warnings of a master’s mood, new slaves joining the old slaves, and many other issues in code. The slave song was the perfect way to convey messages without being discovered. Many of the slave’s work songs were composed out of sheer desperation to warn others of trouble ahead, or to keep an escape attempt from getting botched. Let Us Break Bread Together (Allen, Ware, and Garrison, p. 34) allowed fellow slaves to know about meetings to be held in the early morning hours (before sunrise) to discuss concerns, share prayers, and plan an escape. These meetings were held far earlier than the master’s waking hours. Plans were made, escape routes were decided, and updates on other slave’s escape attempts were provided. Later in the day, in the fields, around the house, or where ever else work was to be done, the slaves sang their songs, inconspicuously passing messages to one another. Other songs, such as No More Auction Block for Me (Johnson and Johnson, p. 20) conveyed a message of weariness of a slave’s hope. This song was often sung under one’s breath, during or Crane/Fleming 5 almost immediately after being beaten. One slave could often recognize the beaten slave’s mouth movements, and gather the support of fellow slaves to encourage new hope if the beating was survived. Happy, sad, useful, or light-hearted, the hidden messages of these songs were understood among all those who sang or listened to them. Although creative in nature, and almost ingenious in creation, these songs were recorded in words for us to read today in the exact format in which they were written. It is interesting to read some of the lyrics of these songs, spelling included, particularly because these songs were written down exactly the way they were spoken. The spoken English of some slaves could be somewhat choppy, and sometimes difficult to understand. Though the message is clear, songs such as Hear from Heaven Today (Allen, Ware and Garrison, p. 2) display a perfect example of how the words of the song were to be pronounced: â€Å"†¦a baby born in Bethlehem, and I yearde De trumpet sourd in the oder bright land My name is called and I mus go De bell is a-ringin’ in de oder bright world My brudder, my brudder Joseph and sista Mary†¦Ã¢â‚¬  -Anonymous Though some are difficult to read, the authenticity of unedited lyrics links us to a part of history not to be misunderstood. While the level of education is evident, what can be proven is that slaves were absolutely not ignorant people. Sometimes the subject matter of a song is simple. An example of this can be found in Git De Chores Done (Brown, p. 1). The slave sings, â€Å"Did you feed my cow? Yes, Maam. Will you tell-a me how? Yes, Maam. Oh, what did you give her? Cawn and hay. Oh, what did you give her? Cawn and hay. -Anonymous Crane/Fleming 6 The slave was encouraged by something as simple as a brief conversation between him and the slave’s owner to create a song that added motivation to the day’s duty. On the other side of the â€Å"work song† (Watt, p. 1) is a song far more complex. Codes were often sent through songs. In Get Dem Chilen Home (Brown, p. 1), the slave sings of certain obstacles to look out for: â€Å"†¦Take careful when you turn dat co’ner. He waitin’ fo you, waitin’ fo you, always watchin’. Get Dem Chilen Home by way of dem hills, But take careful when you turn dat co’ner. -Stephen Foster In history, no other group of people made full use of song the way the slaves did (Watt, p. 1). Not only did they sing about what they did, they saved lives and led each other to freedom. Their songs changed what we know about history in a colorful way. Love it or not, music and song are here to stay. We have the great fortune to do with it what we will. Some will choose to listen, and others will choose to write. We may never again do with song what the slaves did with it, and that’s o. k. But who knows†¦maybe one day our children’s children will be writing a paper on what people of our time did to change music and song forever.

Loneliness and Isolation in Baldwin’s, Here be Dragons :: Here Dragons

Loneliness and Isolation in Baldwin’s, Here be Dragons I am not a targeted minority and I have never felt discriminated against, but I certainly have found my self weighed down, unable to keep up, in the constant rush and roar that is our society. I have felt isolated and left behind by everything around me, and this utter loneliness is not something that is easy to deal with. This loneliness inevitably turns to self-hatred as I ask myself why I can’t keep pace with everyone else when they seem to be doing just fine? Reading James Baldwin has reminded me that I’m not alone, and that there are many ways to deal with the isolation one feels within society. For some, struggling to keep afloat in the mainstream as it rushes along is the most comprehensible way, but for others, like Baldwin, it’s easier to simply get out of the water and walk along the bank at his own chosen pace. In Baldwin’s â€Å"Here be Dragons† he addresses the issues of loneliness and isolation in many ways. In the end, he comes to the conclusion that everyone has a part of everyone else inside of him or her, much like a yin yang: â€Å"†¦we are all androgynous†¦because each of us, helplessly and forever, contains the other-male in female, female in male, white in black and black in white. We are a part of each other†(160). If we are all a part of each other, then we do not need to try to keep up with the current of society to stay connected with the world. We can go wherever we please, whenever and however, and never have to fear the loss of the vital links that keep humans human. In the beginning of his story Baldwin speaks of his young adolescence during which various men constantly take advantage of him. In this part of life he speaks much of loneliness. First, as he talks about those who are literally androgynous, containing male and female parts, he guesses at the â€Å"†¦all-but-intolerable loneliness†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (150) that they must feel at not being able to find love by being themselves for fear of humiliation at being so different. Later, he tells of his many encounters with men that appeared to be stereotypical American citizens looking â€Å"†¦like cops, football players, soldiers†¦or bank presidents†¦construction workers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (153). These men would accost Baldwin in dark movie theaters and in the alleys at night begging or bullying him to take them to bed.

‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling Analysis

The poem ‘If’ is directed to Kipling’s son, and is a message to him on his route to manhood. This is seen in the very last line of the poem, when Kipling writes: â€Å"And- which is more- you’ll be a Man, my son! † The poem is about setting goals, taking risks, being a leader and self-belief, but all in moderation. An example in the text is: â€Å"If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you. But make allowance for their doubting too†. Kipling tells his son to believe in himself, but to never be over-confident. Throughout the poem, Kipling writes what it takes to be a man, and what his son should aspire to be.The purpose of the poem is to both inspire and warn the reader. An example in the text is â€Å"If you can dream- and not make dreams your master;†. This phrase inspires readers to dream and set goals in their life, through hardships and failures. However, it also warns readers to never let these dreams consume them, and to be able to detach from these dreams when they need to. This phrase sends a message to keep a balance. You can work towards a dream, but it should not be all you work towards, and you should not be a slave to that dream. Throughout the poem ‘If’, emotion is expressed.At the start of the poem (stanza 1) the emotion is generally quite sad and more depressing then the rest of the poem. This is shown in the second line â€Å"Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;†. However, as the poem progresses the emotion of the poem becomes happier and more inspirational. This is shown in the line â€Å"Or walk with Kings- not lose the common touch†. The poem seeks to make the reader reflect on their own life and to compare the attitudes and feelings to the ones described in the poem. Kipling uses many writing techniques in his poem to help get his message across.A few of these include personal pronouns, repetition and personification. An example of personification in the te xt is: â€Å"Except the Will which says to them†, where Kipling personifies a will. Kipling uses personal pronouns such as â€Å"you† to make the reader feel as if the poem is directed to them, and therefore make it more personalised. This use of personal pronouns could inspire readers, as the feel they are being directly spoken to. Kipling uses repetition to emphasise certain points, an example of this in the text is â€Å"if you can†.This phrase is also repeated to inspire, as readers may think, â€Å"If I can do something, I’ll be able to get this†. The poem is made up of four octaves. Every other line of the poem rhymes with each other (e. g. ABAB rhyming structure). The first line of the poem has eleven syllables and the second has ten syllables this pattern continuous throughout the poem, with every other line having 11 syllables. Throughout the poem there are only two main sentences, from stanza one to three, and the last stanza is its own s entence. In the poem a semi-colon or colon splits the main phrases up.The lack of punctuation throughout the poem makes the poem easier to read, as it is almost one collective thought. Kipling could possibly be showing the confusion in a boy’s head when entering manhood. The poem is almost constructed as an instructional manual, as the language of the poem is quite descriptive and somewhat instructional, yet mainly simple words are used throughout the poem. This is shown in the first two lines, where Kipling writes: â€Å"If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you†.This type of language is quite appropriate as it is supposed to be directed to his son (so simple words are used), and is a guide towards how his son should act (so the instructions in the poem are clear). Using this type of language the instructions are easy to understand. Kipling uses various techniques to get different images in the reader’s head; commonly used techniques include metaphors and personification. An example of personification in the text is â€Å"If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same.†Where Kipling personifies Triumph and Disasters as two people who have betrayed someone. An example of a metaphor in the poem is â€Å"If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run†, where he uses running as a metaphor for life. In this metaphor Kipling says you must try you’re hardest all the time, even if it leaves you exhausted, which is what running does. These different forms of imagery could have been written in order to make the reader imagine and dream. Therefore, they can get a better understanding of what message the writer may be trying to convey.The poem ‘If’ has a regular rhythm following the pattern of an iambic pentameter. An example in the poem is (where the capitalised words are stressed syllables): â€Å"i f YOU can KEEP your HEAD†. The regular rhythm of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable is quite calming and reassuring. The poem flows very well and it is almost written like a song. This steady rhythm allows readers to be inspired, as they are reassured by the calmness of the poem. Kipling uses alliteration throughout his poem to emphasise key points.An example in the text is when Kipling writes â€Å"Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools†. In this sentence a hard ‘t’ sound starts three different words. The hard ‘t’ sounds could be said to reinforce negativity in the sentence. The last two words of the line have a ‘f’ sound at the start which could be said to reinforce the ‘fools’ sound. The last word of every other line in the poem rhyme with each other (e. g. ABAB) rhyming structure. For example â€Å"not make dreams your master†¦ Meet with Triumph and Disaster†. This structure coul d be implemented to make the poem more interesting.I feel like this poem was written very well as through the use of many techniques it does achieve the poet’s purpose, which is to inspire. The poem is written in a very easy way to understand, as the language is relatively simple, the rhythm is regular, great imagery is used and the poem is structured well. The poem teaches one to be a leader, to have a strong work ethic and to be self-righteous, yet always be able to detach from these things when necessary. Due to the strong message the poem conveys and great craftsmanship, I really enjoyed this poem.

Art Is an Expression

Art History 6A 19 November 2011 Triumph! Art is an expression that we as humans do as a way to express and communicate with others. Through art every painting/sculpture has an intended purpose and message/story to convey. No matter what race, gender, or class, one can understand what message is being shared or find an entirely opposite interpretation other than what the artist intended. It can relate to the individual on a personal level, and that’s the beauty of art. In this essay I will be writing about two pieces of art that have been around for thousands of years.I will be comparing and contrasting the Palette of King Narmer (back) and the painting â€Å"Ti watching a hippopotamus hunt. † Both murals contain symbolism, as well as concepts of life and death. Each in their individual way conveys a message of importance and triumph. The Palette of King Narmer dates back to the first Egyptian dynasty, from Hierakonpolis, c. 3000 B. C, it is flat in appearance and double -sided with engravings on both sides, each individual side separated into 3 distinctive sections by horizontal lines with the middle being the biggest.It stands approximately 25† inches (63. 5cm) in height and tapers down to a point. The structure of the piece is very similar to the outline of a shield. It is composed of a dark color slate, common rock found in Egypt. Unlike the Palette the painting of â€Å"Ti Watching a Hippopotamus Hunt† is much bigger almost double in size, standing 4 feet tall. It was created during the fifth dynasty, Saqqara, c. 2400 B. C. and is composed of painted limestone. Prior to the creation of the Palette of King Narmer, art was divided throughout Egypt.Egypt was divided geographically and politically into Upper and Lower Egypt. Society had an emphasis on becoming unified and the palate marks the unification of these two lands. King Narmer is famously known as the first king to rule these lands. The palettes’ historical importance m arks the transition from pre-historical to historical period in Egypt and serves as the foundation for generations of art glorifying kings. During the time of â€Å"Ti Watching a Hippopotamus Hunt† Egyptians had a very strong belief and emphasis in death and the afterlife.Death was rarely filled with a sense of fear, but instead embraced with open arms and seen as a necessary transition one must make to live in the afterlife. Egyptians constructed mastabas for the dead. For this reason there was a plethora of funerary offerings including statues, carvings, and paintings made and placed into mastabas. The Egyptians built their mastabas very similar to homes for the dead so when they entered the afterlife they would have all the necessities and luxuries they once had during their lifetime.Narmers palette was an object commonly used in the preparation of eye make up, used by the Egyptians mostly to block and shield out the sun. The palette is most likely a votive or gift to the gods. Whereas the painting of â€Å"Ti Watching a Hippopotamus Hunt† was a funerary gift made to honor loved ones who have passed and entered their next chapter in life. In both works of art, animals are portrayed but only in the palette do animals have true symbolic meaning. On the Back of the palette the upmost section portrays two cow heads one on each side, which appear to have human faces.This representation depicts a variety of interpretations: the goddess Hathor, or the goddess bat, or just a symbolism for the Kings power and strength, which is a common symbolism of a bull throughout Egyptian art. The true meaning of these symbolic bulls is unknown till this day due to the uncommon frontal portrayal of the bulls. Also in the back of the palette there stands a falcon, symbolizing the god Horus- protector of kings. The falcon is placed on top of a head sitting on papyrus representing Lower Egypt. This signifies the triumph and power Upper Egypt had over Lower Egypt.In th e painting of â€Å"Ti Watching a Hippopotamus Hunt† animals individually serve no significant value, but as a whole in Egyptian art a successful hunt is a metaphor for triumph over evil. In the palette of King Narmer there are a series of hieroglyphics used to signify the powerful King Narmer making Narmers palette the earliest existing labeled piece of art. In between the bullheads are hieroglyphics of a catfish (nar) and a chisel (mer) within a frame representing the royal palace. The fish also pays tribute to the Nile River since Egypt strived and lived off the river for all its resources such as food and water.In the painting of â€Å"Ti Watching a Hippopotamus Hunt† there are no hieroglyphics used because it was intended for the dead. Its purpose served to represent and honor the loved ones passed. In â€Å"Ti Watching a Hippopotamus Hunt† the artist incorporates a unique series of lines/patterns to bring structure and organization to the piece. This is po rtrayed in the water beneath the boats by a pattern of wavy lines that embody fish and hippopotami. In the uppermost of the painting the artist uses a series of fine grooves that lead into a commotion of birds and foxes resembling papyrus flowers.Similarly lines play a Important role in the Palette of Narmer. A series of Horizontal lines are used to break the palette into 3 distinctive sections. Without the use of lines, the palette would have no organization and would become chaotic. The portrayal of the body when referencing both Narmer and Ti is very similar. Showing the influence Narmers palette had in art. In both pictures the eye and upper body is in frontal view while the head and legs/feet are in profile view, one in front of the other, which was a very common depiction of important figures.It was believed that by showing the Egyptians in this way all the body parts needed in the afterlife would be properly expressed and available to the deceased when needed. Slaves and anim als were painted more natural and relaxed, and with a smaller scale in drawings to show there limited importance. In both pictures the artists illustrate both Narmer and Ti being the dominating and largest figure (which is called  hierarchical scale). In the palette of King Narmer, Narmer is significantly larger in his ceremonial beard wearing a bowling pin shape crown, which represents Upper Egypt.Attached to the end of his kilt is a bulls tail indicating the power and strength of Narmer. Behind King Narmer is a much smaller servant, most likely of high rank, carrying his sandals making Narmer barefoot. Throughout Egyptian art being barefoot symbolizes the person is on holy ground. In Narmers right hand he holds a club, ready to strike a kneeling warrior he holds by the head with his left hand. This once again signifies the power and strength of Narmer over his enemies. Below this scene are two bearded men most likely enemies of the king lying dead symbolic of how lethal and vict orious of a ruler he is.In the mastaba of a Ti the painting â€Å"Ti Watching a Hippopotamus Hunt† Ti is similarly portrayed. Ti is shown much larger and out of scale compared to his slaves depicted, representing his importance and social status. In Egypt a successful hunt was a metaphor for triumph over evil. Ti and his slaves are roaming through marshes, hunting hippopotami and birds. Ti unlike Narmer is distant away from the hunt, not engaging in the action of killing the hippopotami but yet he is still present over looking his slaves during the hunt.He is a neutral observer of life, resembling his Ka being at peace. Both murals use a variety of lines, symbols, and details not only to focus on the importance and triumph of Narmer and Ti but also make a structured organized piece of art. The palette of Narmer represents this triumph over evil more straightforward being that Narmer has already killed two of his foes about to kill another, holding in the palm of his hand the power to give life or death. On the other hand the painting â€Å"Ti Watching a Hippopotamus Hunt† is metaphorically representing victory and triumph through the hunt.

Basic Tips to Ace Your Biology Class

Basic Tips to Ace Your Biology Class Taking a biology class doesnt have to be overwhelming. If you follow a few simple steps, studying will be less stressful, more productive, and result in better grades. Always read the lecture material before class. This simple step will pay big dividends.Always sit in the front of the class. It minimizes distractions and gives you an opportunity for your professor to know who you are.Use effective study techniques like comparing notes with a friend, not cramming, and making sure to start studying well before exams. Biology Study Tips Always read the lecture material before the classroom lecture. This simple step is surprisingly powerful and effective. By preparing beforehand, your time in the actual lecture will be more productive. The basic material will be fresh in your mind and you will have the opportunity to get any questions answered during the lecture. Biology, like most sciences, is hands-on. Most of us learn best when we are actively participating in a topic. So make sure to pay attention in biology lab sessions and actually perform the experiments. Remember, you wont be graded on your lab partners ability to perform an experiment, but your own.Sit in the front of the class. Simple, yet effective. College students, pay close attention. Youll need recommendations one day, so make sure your professor knows you by name and you arent 1 face in 400.Compare biology notes with a friend. Since much of biology tends to be abstract, have a note buddy. Each day after class compare notes with your buddy and fill in any gaps. Two heads are better than one!Use the lull period between classes to immediately review the biology notes you have just taken.Dont cram! As a rule, you should start studying for biology exams a minimum of two weeks prior to the exam.This tip is very important- stay awake in class. Teachers have observed too many people s noozing (even snoring!) in the middle of class. Osmosis may work for water absorption, but it wont work when it comes time for biology exams. Additional Study Tips Avail yourself of your teachers or professors office hours, review sessions, and similar activities. In these sessions, you are able to get any questions answered directly from the source.Many schools have excellent tutorial programs that are a great resource for getting questions answered. Studying for the AP Bio Exam   Those who wish to gain credit for introductory college level biology courses should consider taking an Advanced Placement Biology course. Students enrolled in the AP Biology course must take the AP Biology exam to gain credit. Most colleges will give credit toward entry level biology courses for students who earn a score of 3 or better on the exam. If taking the AP Biology exam, it is a good idea to use good AP Biology exam prep books and flash cards to be sure that you are prepared to score high on the exam. Key Takeaways Always read the lecture material before class. This simple step will pay big dividends.Always sit in the front of the class. It minimizes distractions and gives you an opportunity for your professor to know who you are.Use effective study techniques like comparing notes with a friend, not cramming, and making sure to start studying well before exams.

The Role of Cordelia in King Lear Essays

The Role of Cordelia in King Lear Essays The Role of Cordelia in King Lear Paper The Role of Cordelia in King Lear Paper Essay Topic: King Lear Although Cordelia appears in Act I, Scene I and disappears until Act IV, she has an enormous impact on the play as a whole. It is generally acknowledged that the role played by Cordelia in King Lear is a symbolic one. She is a symbol of good amidst the evil characters within the play. Since the play is about values which have been corrupted and must be restored, it is not surprising that the figure who directs the action must be embodiment of those values which are in jeopardy – love, truth, pity, honour, courage and forgiveness. Cordelia’s reply does not initiate the tragedy; Lear’s misguided question does that. Her â€Å"nothing† sets her father’s tragic journey in motion. There is nothing wrong with her remarks. Cordelia is a catalyst and sparks action in the play. Her actions at the start of the play provide us with an explosive opening and create much suspense. Her behaviour prompts Lear’s stupidity and subsequent action. Her refusal to â€Å"heave her heart into her mouth† causes Lear to banish her and he ends up at the mercy of his two evil daughters. If Cordelia had not spoken as she did, Lear would never have embarked on his journey of rediscovery. Her scenes with Lear in Act IV provide much poignancy and show the reader how much Lear has changed. She acts as a perfect foil for her evil sisters, Goneril and Regan. Her reaction to them at the start of the play leaves the audience interested but suspicious. Her words â€Å"nothing, my lord† and Lear’s actions arising from them trigger the theme of â€Å"nothingness† in the play. She also brings the theme of â€Å"appearance versus reality† to the forefront. She personifies true love in the play. Words can eloquently describe love but they do not express it. Only behaviour expresses it. She forgives her father and strives to look after him despite his betrayal of her. She honours her filial duty within the play. Both she and Edgar are needed in the play to represent good. If they were not present in the play the audience would have a very pessimistic view of the world. Even at the risk of losing Lear’s love and her inheritance, she refuses to indulge in the flattery that Lear demands. She is disgusted at her ercenary and calculating sisters, who deceive their father. She prefers to â€Å"love and be silent. † â€Å"Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty According to my bond; now more now less. † Cordelia personifies integrity, honesty and love throughout the play. By her very nature she is unable to flatter or curry favour since dishonesty is not part of that nature. She represe nts the truth and it is against the backdrop of her loyalty and undying love for her father that we measure Lear’s arrogant behaviour. Cordelia’s disinheritance and banishment are frighteningly disproportionate to the â€Å"sin† she has committed in not flattering Lear. So too, is Kent’s treatment at his hands. This concept of disproportionate consequences for actions done, underlines how monstrous Lear’s arrogance is, as well as his petty tyranny and his lack of self-knowledge. However, the horrors Lear himself will have to suffer later in the play, as a result of his own folly, will also be out of all proportion to his initial blunder. Without Cordelia in the play, these actions would not have been sparked in Lear. The rivals for Cordelia’s hand are interestingly contrasted in Act I Scene I. Burgundy is mercenary, refusing Cordelia’s hand when she is offered â€Å"new-adopted to our hate† and without a dowry. France on the other hand is a sensitive, courteous prince who sees her now â€Å"most rich, being poor. † He ignores Lear’s spiteful advice â€Å"to advert your liking a worthier way. † France takes her as his queen. He admires her personal qualities and it is for those that he wants to marry her. Cordelia’s role in the play here is to highlight how shallow Burgundy is and how he only wanted her for her land and status. She represents goodness, love and bravery in this scene. When she is unjustly treated by her father, Cordelia does not hurt or condemn either Lear or her sisters but gently forgives her father. â€Å"The jewels of our father, with wash’d eyes Cordelia leaves you: I know you what you are. Use well our father. † She also represents forgiveness in the play. In Act IV, celestial language is used to capture the lyrical and spiritual nature of her forgiveness. There she shook The Holy water from her heavenly eyes † Absolute love includes absolute forgiveness. When she says she â€Å"has no cause† to hate Lear, she is right. Cordelia is not proud or obstinate – she is, like the Fool, a hostage to truth. In everything she says she reinforces this. She points out that she is glad not to have a tongue like her sisters, implying t hat in her, speech is of a different kind. If Cordelia’s purpose was to enlighten Lear and expose the corruption of the court, her task is accomplished by the end of the play. The only outlet then is through her death. Her death adds to the tragedy of the play. Though Cordelia dies, her cause and truth do not. In carrying her corpse, Lear emits an animal cry of anguish â€Å"howl, howl, howl. † He has discovered that no words can contain his grief and pain, that words are limited, that they can be abused. This cry echoes Cordelia’s own truth. Edgar’s closing words bear witness to the martyrdom of Cordelia. The lesson learnt is: â€Å"Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say. † (Act V, Scene III)

Top 10 Telecommuting Jobs That Will Pay You a Great Salary

Top 10 Telecommuting Jobs That Will Pay You a Great Salary Want to work at home and still feel like a mover and shaker? Telecommuting doesn’t have to be mindless and dull. Here are 10 surprisingly interesting and challenging telecommuting jobs where you can work from home, not be bored to tears, and earn a living. 1. Offshore and Marine Travel ConsultantIf you’ve got service skills, plus a travel or military background, then this could be a good gig for you. You’ll need plenty of experience managing international and domestic travel routes, experience with corporate clients, and solid marine contacts. The average salary is just over $30k per year.2. Account ExecutiveIf you’ve got at least three years of good sales experience, then you could work in account management, client services, or even bilingual sales- if you speak Spanish. Good organization and communication skills are a plus. And the median salary is nearly $68k per year.3. Foreign Language Legal ResearcherHave reading fluency in another language and lega l experience? You could help law firms out evaluating regulations and industry developments as well as researching and updating databases. Legal researchers on average make just over $46k per year, with a median salary well over $60k.4. Senior Threat ResearcherIf you’ve got a solid background in software development, understand reverse engineering, â€Å"exploit and attack† development, and have a good handle on rooting out abnormalities and detecting cyber threats? Take your Windows, OSX, and Linux savvy and collect a median salary of nearly $97k per year.5. DevOps EngineerDevOps Engineers should be fluent in at least one programming language and have a solid engineering or software development background. You’d be building the back end of company’s websites and tracking performance. Median annual salary: over $89k.6. Events ManagerYou can work from anywhere, but you’ll need some solid communication, service, event planning, nonprofit, and possibl y sports and fitness experience to help you manage all the budgets, logistics, recruiting, and marketing (etc.) aspects of the job. Not to mention at least three years experience. The median salary is over $74.5k per year.7. Speech/Language PathologistYou’ll need a Masters in speech language pathology and a national certificate, but you can work remotely, helping K-12 students through online platforms. The median annual salary is just under $70k.8. Head of DesignIf you have at least five years of great experience as a product designer and are well versed in both graphic and web design, you can lead a team of collaborating designers and make a whopping median annual salary of about $175k per year.9. RN for Nurse Advice Line TriageYou’ll need an RN license plus three years of solid and relevant nursing experience in a clinical environment that deals with acute patient care (emergency or ICU, etc.), but you can work remotely providing care to patients on help lines. The m edian salary is just over $68k per year.10. Product ManagerIf you have an IT with securities service experience and at least three years under your belt in product management, you can provide driving and support service for a number of employers and telecommute. The median annual salary is just around $61k.

Photojournalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Photojournalism - Essay Example the local radio in Perth, we see the balanced interplay of photojournalistic element and recorded narration of the radio presenter, with the latter’s speech receiving immediate visual support of the photo material created by the photojournalists – from the studio environment the character from the video works in to the outdoor community festival photos. In fact, the viewer would be able to obtain rather sufficient information about the event even with the smaller amount of the speaking on the part of the radio presenter: the range of pictures has a clearly organized sequence and well-captured moments: dancing, martial arts demonstration, singing, food fair and so on. However, audio support provided by the speaker adds more information and raises informative value of the video clip, for the radio presenter gives detailed comments on what is going on in the pictures. Looking at the video, one could definitely state that the material is presented in a highly objective and neutral manner with photos being of good quality and their ‘stepping rate’ being rather suitable for the viewer (whose eye will be able to ‘examine’ the picture within the given interval), which indicates the good work of the photo

Territorial Disagreements between the Jewish People and the Research Paper

Territorial Disagreements between the Jewish People and the Palestinian Arabs - Research Paper Example According to this Declaration, the British government supported the Zionist movement which demanded territory in Palestine exclusively for the Jews. This territory would provide all the legal and civil rights to the Jews. With the Balfour Declaration, the British government established a national home for the Jews without violating the rights of the existing non-Jews in Palestine or the rights of the Jews in any other country (Gelvin, 2005). Both the communities asserted their legal claim on Palestine. While the Jews demanded that they have historical rights over the territory, the Arabs have claimed that they have inhabited Palestine for many centuries (Khater, 2010, p.143). It is only political stubbornness that is causing hindrance to peace between the Israelis and the Arabs. There has been already a proposal that dictates that the two sides should accept the division of the territory into two states. This proposal has been advocated globally, and even by the majority of ordinary Israelis and Palestinians. It now remains that the leaders on both sides come to a common agreement. Even though proposals from both sides are very close, still the current Israeli Prime Minister shows no sign of relent claiming that the conflict cannot be solved (Hill, 2012). As another possible solution there can be a one-state solution by which Jews and Arabs will stay together with common political and social rights. However, seeing the murderous hatred between them even this cannot be a viable solution as this can only probably cause another holocaust. The impact of World War I can be long-lasting in the Middle Eastern region.  

Urban renewal in the al-Darb al-Ahmar District of the Cairo Essay

Urban renewal in the al-Darb al-Ahmar District of the Cairo - Essay Example However, this area is ripe for revitalization, as the residences of the area are committed to living there, and are willing to commit time and resources to make it happen. This paper will describe the history of the al-Darb Al-Ahmar area, as well as detail the reasons why it is ripe for revitalization, and the steps that are being taken to accomplish this. Brief Historical Analysis The history of al-Darb Al-Ahmar, according to Rashidi (2005), was that it was a settlement that was located just outside the walled city of Fatimid, which was the palace-city inside the city of Cairo, Egypt. The neighborhood was originally a cemetery, and, after the exodus of the population within the walled city after periods of drought and famine in the 11th Century, has brought people outside the walls of the precinct. This expanded the walls of the Fatimid to encompass other urban developed areas, and the al-Darb Al-Ahmar became one of the first areas that were a part of this urban expansion. The Citadel, within the al-Darb Al-Ahmar area, became the seat of power, which helped shape the urban development of the area, according to Rashidi (2005). The eastern city wall, which extended past the Citadel, formed the outer edge of the al-Darb Al-Ahmar, and the al-Darb Al-Ahmar area became an important area for the functioning of the city of Cairo. Because the Citadel remained the seat of power, the al-Darb area became a prestigious area, and became the centre of the economic and political life during the Mamluk period (Rashidi, 2005). The city is very historical, as many of the buildings w hich are institutional in nature have been present since the medieval era. The residential buildings, however, from that era have long since been torn down to make way for palaces and mosques. The institutional buildings have been supported by endowments, especially the religious buildings, and these buildings still stand. Religious buildings are not the only institutional buildings that have remained, as a hospital built around 1420, which is in the Citadel area, still remains, through endowments by the civic court institutions (Rashidi, 2005). In the modern day, there have been mixed attempts to preserve the area of the al-Darb, according to Rashidi (2005). The historic buildings have been preserved by the Comite de Conservation des Monuments de l’Art Arabe, which is an organization that has been dedicated to preserving the historical monuments of the area. Specifically, these historical monuments were being encroached by the derelict properties that surrounded these monume nts. However, the plan to get rid of these encroachments, so that the monuments were free-standing went too far, according to Rashidi (2005), in that all of these buildings were demolished, which damaged the urban fabric. Moreover, the planners, through the years, although well-intentioned, also helped to undermine the urban area, as they did not take into account that entire areas of the neighborhood should be considered to be historic. This resulted in such actions as widening the streets, without regard to social and urban consequences of doing so, and this made the urban fabric of the al-Darb Al-Ahmar decay. The al-Darb Al-Ahmar Project The al-Darb Al-Ahmar project came about, according to The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (2005), because the neighborhood was decaying. The refuse was piling up in alleyways, and landlords did not care for their properties. Yet, the neighborhood is one of the most

Empire Building in Africa Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Empire Building in Africa - Research Paper Example Many of the European Nations developed an interest in Africa due to various reasons. First, in the wake of industrial revolution, these nations realized that they required extra raw materials to use in their newly established industries. In addition, these European nations required new markets for their manufactured goods, which stirred up competition for Africa. Due to this, many European nations or colonial powers confiscated large segments of Africa and established empires (Lakeview.org, 2008). In addition to need for markets and raw materials, the European nations also wanted to acquire power and reputation. In this regard, these nations competed for a larger control of Africa. The nations thought that they would be more powerful and would have more reputation if they control and rule over a large territory. The combination of these factors led for the scramble for Africa and eventually the establishment of colonial rule in the continent (Lloyd, 2009). Before the 19th century, the whole world regarded Africa as the Dark Continent. This is because a part from the inhabitants of Africa, the rest of the world did not know anything concerning this continent. The first contact between the Europeans and Africans was through trade, which gradually begun between the Europeans and African traders in the coast of Africa. Conversely, since this trade occurred at the coast, the Europeans were interested with the interior of Africa, and some started to explore this continent in the early 19th century. The first European explorers in Africa were the missionaries who had the sole purpose of spreading the gospel to Africans as well as to eliminate slave trade. These missionaries deemed that slave trade was poisonous and had negative consequences to most African poor (Nosotro, 2010). As the Europeans endeavored to explore Africa’s interior, they encountered a problem. They could not travel in to the interior in large numbers due to inconveniences

Has the Arab Spring met the popular demands in North Africa A Case Thesis Proposal

Has the Arab Spring met the popular demands in North Africa A Case Study as Tunisia Negotiates an inclusive governance - Thesis Proposal Example Inspired by the social uprising in Tunisia, the Arab Spring caused similar impacts in other North African states like Egypt, Libya, etc. The extent to which the governments of the North African states have been able to meet the expectations of the Arab Spring and the demands of the people can be found in this thesis work. The thesis work has been conducted with the help of analysis on the secondary data and information on the North African states and the occurrence of Arab Spring that brought about the changes in those countries as desired by the common masses. The Arab Spring is a wave of mass protests and demonstrations that began in the Arab world for the time in the year of 2010. The wave of protests were not only limited to the Arab countries but also spread to the other parts and majorly in the North Africa. Tunisia which is the smallest country in North Africa and is a member of the Arab League has been in the forefront of the news with Arab Spring spreading to the country and other parts of North Africa. The uprising of the Arab Spring in North African States and Tunisia in particular has been mainly due to the discontent of the people in the region on the failure of their governments to establish an inclusive government that upholds the freedom and rights of the people (Perkins, 2013, p.57). The differential treatment of the North African governments on the different sections of the society and the lack of legitimacy of the Muslim brotherhood rulers in providing the basic infrastructure for the growth of the countries have led to the uprising of the people and opposition leaders against the ruling authorities. The North African government, namely Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, etc were unable to meet the rising demands of the people. There were lack of infrastructure for education, health, livelihood and investments. The availability of jobs in the countries was much below the demand for employments. Thus the income level of the people

See attachment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

See attachment - Essay Example Despite the numerous benefits derived from market segmentation, there tends to be various challenges, as well as barriers, which the use of market segmentation may pose. In the case of innovations, there tends to be several ways in which the organisation can overcome the problem of segmentation and customer focus (Dibb, 2005, p. 13). One of the problems that segmentation poses includes the identification of the market segments, which can be regarded as the most significant. The organisation is also faced with the challenge of identifying the strategies that can help in marketing the product, the desire to fulfil all the customer needs for customers who may not be within the market segment, as well as realizing changes that may take place within the market segment. In order to overcome this problem, the organisation should ensure that the market segment that it chooses can be reachable, easy to identify, as well as unique. This will ensure that Innovations categorises its customers ea sily, and it will know the markets that it should target (Cherneko 2011, p. 3). For Innovations, segmentation would also pose the problem of knowing how the organisation can reach the market segment, which it has chosen to target. Innovations may find segmentation a challenge with regard to this problem, especially if the organisation uses categories that deal with lifestyle patterns in choosing the market segments. ... ations should also come to the realisation of the dynamic nature of their markets, and ensure that come up with new strategies, which will be in line with the changes (Hunt & Arnett 2004, p. 8). Another way in which Innovations can overcome the problem of market segmentation and customer focus is through coming up with few market segments. The organisation should introduce few segments that can be easily managed and understood. This will ensure that there is no confusion in the market since the organisation will know its segments better. Innovations can also overcome the problem of market segmentation and customer focus by conducting thorough research (Hunt & Arnett 2004, p. 9). Research is essential as it would allow the organisation to know which market segments it should target. Market research will ensure that there is no misallocation of resources and staff needed to market the products. Market research also equips the organisation with the necessary information regarding the ma rket segments where the products would make high sales, as well as the segments that need certain products (Dibb, 2005, p. 17). The other strategy that Innovations can use in order to overcome the problem of segmentation and customer focus is through introducing regular changes to the market segments. Innovations should aim at defining the segments regularly in order to ensure consistency, as well as relevance of the segmentation strategies. The products should be tailored and developed to coincide with the needs of customers in the market segments (Weinstein 2006, p. 115). Innovations should also be aware of the emerging trends in the market and ensure that the market segments remain relevant to the new trends. Market segments have to be updated to avoid challenges that may result from

Has the Arab Spring met the popular demands in North Africa A Case Thesis Proposal

Has the Arab Spring met the popular demands in North Africa A Case Study as Tunisia Negotiates an inclusive governance - Thesis Proposal Example Inspired by the social uprising in Tunisia, the Arab Spring caused similar impacts in other North African states like Egypt, Libya, etc. The extent to which the governments of the North African states have been able to meet the expectations of the Arab Spring and the demands of the people can be found in this thesis work. The thesis work has been conducted with the help of analysis on the secondary data and information on the North African states and the occurrence of Arab Spring that brought about the changes in those countries as desired by the common masses. The Arab Spring is a wave of mass protests and demonstrations that began in the Arab world for the time in the year of 2010. The wave of protests were not only limited to the Arab countries but also spread to the other parts and majorly in the North Africa. Tunisia which is the smallest country in North Africa and is a member of the Arab League has been in the forefront of the news with Arab Spring spreading to the country and other parts of North Africa. The uprising of the Arab Spring in North African States and Tunisia in particular has been mainly due to the discontent of the people in the region on the failure of their governments to establish an inclusive government that upholds the freedom and rights of the people (Perkins, 2013, p.57). The differential treatment of the North African governments on the different sections of the society and the lack of legitimacy of the Muslim brotherhood rulers in providing the basic infrastructure for the growth of the countries have led to the uprising of the people and opposition leaders against the ruling authorities. The North African government, namely Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, etc were unable to meet the rising demands of the people. There were lack of infrastructure for education, health, livelihood and investments. The availability of jobs in the countries was much below the demand for employments. Thus the income level of the people

Writing Assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Writing Assignment 3 - Essay Example s entail the cost incurred by the investor/borrower whereby, the borrower pays back the principle amount and additional cost for borrowing (interest rates). Therefore, an increase in market interest rates influences incentives to invest in numerous ways. For example, it makes the cost of borrowing to an investor to increase and hence, discouraging borrowing and investment. Further, increase in market interest rates causes the aggregate demand to shrink which further discourage spending and investments. In addition, higher interest rates may leads to higher monthly payments on mortgages. This reduces consumer’s levels of disposable income making it difficult for consumers to have something to invest. Therefore, however, it can be observed that higher interest rates discourage investment as it increases the cost of accessing loans. This influences incentives to invest (DSouza, 2008). Based on the above model, it can be observed that large government budget deficits year after year will have an impact on the equilibrium interest rate. This is because large government deficit causes the amount of loanable funds supplied to be below the equilibrium point. This means that the quantity of loanable funds demanded will be higher than quantity supplied. This in turn causes an automatic increase in interest rates (DSouza, 2008). 4). The reason why McKinsey Global Institute conclude that long-term fiscal sustainability is important for economic growth is because long-term fiscal sustainability helps to pull together required amount of financial resources that may be utilized for investments and establishing long term economic growth (DSouza, 2008). Coombs, G., & South Australian Centre for Economic Studies. (2001). Essays on regional economic development. Rundle Mall, SA, Australia: South Australia Centre for Economic Studies in association with Wakefield

Prime Duty of the Government Is to Serve Essay Example for Free

Prime Duty of the Government Is to Serve Essay The dining area is more than just an area to place the  tables and chair. It should be inviting, warm and cozy, a place where the family enjoys sitting together. Think back to your childhood. Chances are, mealtimes stand out in your memory. The family sits together, eats, and talks. If you dont want everyone to just eat and run, strive to make this place as inviting as possible. Here are some tips. Seating All too often we come across sleek  dining room chairs  with little or no padding. Although these may look good depending on the rest of the decor, they are not the most comfortable. If you like to linger over a meal with your loved ones, ensure that the seats are as comfortable as can be, with plenty of padding. If the dining table is placed in the corner of a room, consider placing sofa-bench style seating on the wall-side of the table. You could have comfortable chairs on the other side. Candles Eat by candlelight! You dont need to spend a fortune replenishing candles. Take a tall glass, fill it up with water, and float a tea-light on the top. Light this every night. A single tea-light burns for around four hours, so it should last you three or four nights. You could lower the lights and truly enjoy the experience and reduce electricity costs. Place a  dimmer  switch on the lights. Keep a tall candlestand on the center of the table to hold straight, elegant candles. Light these when entertaining. Flowers A vase of flowers looks charming. Ensure it doesnt occupy too much space, and you dont need to remove it when serving the food or when seated at the table. Also, remember that the flowers should not prevent people on the table from seeing each other. Tablecloth Stay clear from  plastic tablecloths, no matter how practical they are! If your children spill when they eat and want to avoid staining wooden polish, invest in a table with a  glass tabletop. Alternatively, use a regular cloth tablecloth. Anything simple, which you can subject to regular wear and tear, will do. Keep the fancy tablecloths for entertaining. When purchasing tableware, dont pick up anything that catches your fancy. Try to co-ordinate the items. This is easy to ensure when you are decorating your home from scratch. If you already have a crockery set that you use on a daily basis, pick up a couple of tablecloths to match this crockery. Pick up a separate tablecloth to go with your expensive crockery that you plan to use only when entertaining. In any case, whether to use a tablecloth or not is entirely up to you. If you table is very attractive by itself, skip the tablecloth entirely. But if your table is stained or otherwise in poor condition, cover it up. Mats Always use  placemats  though. A table is not completely set without mats. If you are using  cloth napkins, it is a good idea to starch them. Sideboard If you have the space in your dining room, invest in a sideboard. You can store your crockery, cutlery,  placemats, napkins and tablecloths here, so when you are  setting the table, everything will be easily within reach. In addition, you can always keep valuable crockery, like silverware, in your sideboard under  lock and key.

Discrimination of Immigrants in 1920s America :: American America History

Discrimination of Immigrants in 1920's America Beginning in the early nineteenth century there were massive waves of immigration. These "new" immigants were largely from Italy, Russia, and Ireland. There was a mixed reaction to these incomming foreigners. While they provided industries with a cheap source of labor, Americans were both afraid of, and hostile towards these new groups. They differed from the "typical American" in language, customs, and religion. Many individuals and industries alike played upon America's fears of immigration to further their own goals. Leuchtenburg follows this common theme from the beginning of World War I up untill the election of 1928. If there was one man who singlely used America's fear of immigrants to advance his own political goals it was Attorney General Palmer. The rise of Communism in Russia created a fear of its spread across Europe, and to America. Palmer tied this fear to that of immigration. He denounced labor unions, the Socialist party, and the Communist party in America, as being infultrated with radicals who sought to overturn America's political, economic, and social institutions. Palmer exasperated this fear in Americans and then presented himself as the country's savior, combatting the evils of Communism. He mainly centered his attack on Russian immigrants. During the infamous Palmer raids thousands of aliens were deported and even more were arrested on little or no evidence. Their civil liberties were violated, they were not told the reasons for their arrests, denied counsel, and not given fair trials. What followed was an investigation of Palmer led by Louis Post which overturned many of Palmer's actions. Palmer's cretability was shattered after in a last minute attempt to gain the 1920 presidencial nomination, he made predictions about a May Day radical uprising, the nation perpared itself, but on May 1st 1920 all was peaceful. While the raids had stopped, the hostilities towards immagrants still remained prevelent. Immigrants were used by organized industries as a source of cheap labor. But as labor unions began to form and push for better pay, shorter hours, and improved working conditions industries saw that it was not as easy to exploit these immigrants as it had been before. Like Palmer, they tied the American's hostilities towards immigrants to the newly emerging fear of radicalism. When workers struck, industry leaders turned public opinion agains them by labling the strikes as attemps at radical uprising. As a result, workers were often left with no other choice than to accept the terms of industry management. The fight for prohabition was aided by America's antagonism for immigrants. Protestants and "old-stock" Americans attempted to link alchol

Caves to Knowledge or Knowledge to Aid Essays -- essays research paper

â€Å"Allegory of a Cave† by Plato is and interesting story that is meant to educate the reader. By presenting a fictional story Plato is able to symbolize many aspects of our lives that we do not often think about. This story is symbolic of many important periods in our lives like education, growing up from a child to an adult, and even visiting a foreign country. It is these important events in our lives that Plato wants us to think about and examine so that we better understand how we develop and view the world   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While reading the story I thought about childhood and how the prisoners in the cave were like infants and small children. â€Å"their legs and necks chained so they cannot move†(line 6). The prisoners knowing only what they are shown is symbolic of how a parent chooses what a child sees and learns. During the childhood stage of a human life the parent is in control of what their child learns and interacts with, therefore the child’s knowledge is limited to what the parent is willing to teach. It seems that even thought the prisoners in the cave are of adult stature they still are controlled like children. However, when one of the prisoners is released into the light he comes to realize that the cave is only a small portion of the world that he now knows. The prisoner leaving the cave is like the child becoming old enough to understand the intricacies of the world without having that information first filtered by the parents. A vast wealth of kn...

literature review on service industry Essay

Hospitality Industry relates many sources with customer interactions and relationships. In the oligopoly market, numerous businesses have had entered, failed and exit the competition. In this assignment, literature regarding customer service in hospitality will be reviewed to analyze the relationship with customers. Further, it describes how customer perceptions play a great impact on businesses, which then lead to customer satisfaction and to certain extent, customer loyalty. Moreover, we shall review the relationship between product quality and service performance as tools to build customer relationships. Customer Perceived Value and Service Quality According to Blackwell et al (2001), providing value to customers is one of the most crucial marketing strategies in hospitality industry these days. In the competitive market, companies have to offer customers excellent quality of products and services, which create the value itself. Competitors have to be creative and responsive in regards to customer demands and needs in order to compete and sustain themselves in the competition (Dawkins and Reichheld, 1990). It means that a company that provides product and service quality with high creativity and responsiveness to satisfy customers demands would have higher chance to lead the competition in the market. To illustrate this argument, a family visited a restaurant and decided not revisit again because they had to rush their meals. However, a customer visits the same coffee shop every morning before work during rush hours yet always leaves with a smile on the face to start the day. These two illustrations contrast the situation of delivering and perceiving value. The question would be what went wrong in the restaurant? Woodruff and Gardial (1996) mentioned the difference between customers perceived value and service quality. While in the case above, both the scenario happened during busy hours yet there are two different outcomes. The restaurant only provided what is necessary; product and service, which service quality only focused on. Whereas the coffee shop delivered more than service quality, it offers value for customers to perceive through interaction and connection. Why customer perceived value is important? As mentioned before creating and delivering value to customers is an asset for a company to be utilized as a strategy or even competitive advantage. Creating and delivering the right value to the targeted customers is what boost customers’ perception about the company, which leads to customers relationship and trust with the company.

Organizational Structure and Culture Essay

Knowledge – Mastery of facts, range of information in subject matter area. Skills – Proficiency, expertise, or competence in given area; e.g., science, art, crafts. Abilities – Demonstrated performance to use knowledge and skills when needed. KSA Definitions Interpersonal Skill Is aware of, responds to, and considers the needs, feelings, and capabilities of others. Deals with conflicts, confrontations, disagreements in a positive manner, which minimizes personal impact, to include controlling one’s feelings and reactions. Deals effectively with others in both favorable and unfavorable situations regardless of status of position. Accepts interpersonal and cultural diversity. Team Skill Establishes effective working relationships among team members. Participates in solving problems and making decisions. Communications Presents and expresses ideas and information clearly and concisely in a manner appropriate to the audience, whether oral or written. Actively listens to what others are saying to achieve understanding. Shares information with others and facilitates the open exchange of ideas and information. Is open, honest, and straightforward with others. Planning and Organizing Establishes courses of action for self to accomplish specific goals [e.g., establishes action plans]. Identifies need, arranges for, and obtains resources needed to accomplish own goals and objectives. Develops and uses tracking systems for monitoring own work progress. Effectively uses resources such as time and information. Organizational Knowledge and Competence Acquires accurate information concerning the agency components, the mission[s] of each relevant organizational unit, and the principal programs in the agency. Interprets and utilizes information about the formal and informal organization, including the organizational structure, functioning, and relationships among units. Correctly identifies and draws upon source[s] of information for support. Problem Solving and Analytical Ability Identifies existing and potential problems/issues. Obtains relevant information about the problem/issue, including recognizing whether or not more information is needed. Objectively evaluates relevant information about the problem/issue. Identifies the specific cause of the problem/issue. Develops recommendations, develops and evaluates alternative course of action, selects courses of action, and follows up. Judgment Makes well reasoned and timely decisions based on careful, objective review and informed analysis of available considerations and factors. Supports decisions or recommendations with accurate information or reasoning. Direction and Motivation Sets a good example of how to do the job; demonstrates personal integrity, responsibility, and accountability. Provides advice and assistance to help others accomplish their work. Directs/motivates self. Decisiveness Identifies when immediate action is needed, is willing to make decisions, render judgments, and take action. Accepts responsibility for the decision, including sustaining effort in spite of obstacles. Self-Development Accurately evaluates own performance and identifies skills and abilities as  targets of training and development activities related to current and future job requirements. Analyzes present career status. Sets goals [short and/or long term]. Identifies available resources and methods for self-improvement. Sets realistic time frames for goals and follows up. Flexibility Modifies own behavior and work activities in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles. Views issues/problems from different perspectives. Considers a wide range of alternatives, including innovative or creative approaches. Strives to take actions that are acceptable to others having differing views. Leadership Ability to make right decisions based on perceptive and analytical processes. Practices good judgment in gray areas. Acts decisively. KSA Definitions {General Supervisory/Manager Competencies} Problem Solving and Analytical Ability Identifies existing and potential problems; notes, understands, and includes the critical elements of problem situations; obtains and evaluates relevant information; demonstrates awareness that new and/or additional information sources are required; notes interrelationships among elements; identifies possible causes of the problems; recognizes the need to shift to an alternative course of action including innovative or creative approaches; and appropriately terminates information collection and evaluation activities. Planning and Organizing Identifies requirements; allocates, and effectively uses information, personnel, time, and other resources necessary for mission accomplishment; establishes appropriate courses of action for self and/or others to accomplish specific goals; develops evaluation criteria and tracking systems for monitoring goal progress and accomplishment; and specifies objectives, schedules, and priorities. Decisiveness Makes decisions, renders judgments, and takes action on difficult or unpleasant tasks in a timely fashion, to include the appropriate communication of both negative and positive information and decisions. Judgment Develops and evaluates alternative courses of action; makes decisions based on correct assumptions concerning resources and guidelines; supports decisions or recommendations with data or reasoning; defines and implements solutions to problems; and recognizes when no action is required. Communication Skill Presents and expresses ideas and information effectively and concisely in an oral and/or written mode; listens to and comprehends what others are saying; shares information with others and facilitates the open exchange of ideas and information; is open, honest, and straightforward with others; provides a complete and timely explanation of issues and decisions in a manner appropriate for the audience; and presents information and material in a manner that gains the agreement of others. Interpersonal Skill Is aware of, responds to, and considers the needs, feelings, and capabilities of others; deals effectively with others in favorable and unfavorable situations regardless of their status or position; accepts interpersonal and cultural differences; manages conflict/confrontations/ disagreements in a positive manner that minimizes personal impact, to include controlling one’s own feelings and reactions; and provides appropriate support to others. Direction and Motivation Motivates and provides direction in the activities of others to accomplish goals; gains the respect and confidence of others; appropriately assigns work and authority to others in the accomplishment of goals; provides advice and assistance as required. Supervisory role Performance Displays knowledge of the roles, responsibilities, and duties of supervisors and managers; accurately assesses the impact upon others of role performance; and supports and promotes organizational decisions, policies, programs, and initiatives such as EEO and Affirmative Action. Specialty Competence Understands and appropriately applies procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies; maintains credibility with others on specialty matters; uses appropriate procedures or systems in the operation and/or staff environment as the position requires. Organizational Knowledge Demonstrates knowledge of the department’s or agency’s organizational components, the mission[s] of each relevant organizational unit, and the principal programs in the organization. Leadership Establishes work standards and expectations for self and others. Appropriately assigns/delegates work and authority to others in the accomplishment of goals. Keeps goals and objectives in sight at all times, monitors progress toward goals, and works to overcome barriers and obstacles. Provides coaching, advice, and assistance as required; e.g., helps subordinates overcome obstacles and deal with problems. Appropriately assesses contributions and p performance of employees; provides appropriate recognition, and deals with problems as they arise. Instills in others a sense of pride in the job at hand. Executive Core Competencies [ECC] ECC #1Leading Change ECC #2Leading People ECC #3Results Driven ECC #4Business Acumen ECC #5Building Coalitions/Communications ECC #1 Leading Change This core qualification encompasses the ability to develop and implement an organizational vision which integrates key national and program goals, priorities, values, and other factors. Inherent to it is the ability to balance change and continuity – to continually strive to improve customer service and program performance within the basic government framework, to create a work environment that encourages creative thinking, and to maintain focus, intensity and persistence, even under adversity. Key Characteristics: 1. Exercising leadership and motivating managers to incorporate vision, strategic planning, and elements of quality management into the full range of the organization’s activities; encouraging creative thinking and innovation; influencing others toward a spirit of service; designing and implementing new or cutting edge programs/processes. 2. Identifying and integrating key issues affecting the organization, including political, economic, social, technological, and administrative factors. 3. Understanding the roles and relationships of the components of the state or regional policy making and implementation process, including the Governor, legislature, the judiciary, local governments, and interest groups; and formulating effective strategies to balance those interests consistent with the business of the organization. 4. Being open to change and new information; tolerating ambiguity; adapting behavior and work methods in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles; adjusting rapidly to new situations warranting attention and resolution. 5. Dealing effectively with pressure; maintaining focus and intensity and remaining persistent, even under adversity; recovering quickly from setbacks. 6. Displaying a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment to public service; being proactive and achievement-oriented; being self-motivated; pursuing self-development; seeking feedback from others and opportunities to master new knowledge. Leadership Competencies Creativity and Innovation – Develops new insights into situations and applies innovative solutions to make organizational improvements; creates a work environment that encourages creative thinking and innovation; designs and implements new or cutting-edge programs/processes. Resilience – Deals effectively with pressure; maintains focus and intensity and remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity. Recovers quickly from setbacks. Effectively balances personal life and work. Continual Learning – Grasps the essence of new information; masters new technical and business knowledge; recognizes own strengths and weaknesses; pursues self-development; seeks feedback from others and opportunities to master new knowledge. Service Motivation – Creates and sustains an organizational culture which encourages others to provide the quality of service essential to high performance. Enables others to acquire the tools and support they need to perform well. Shows a commitment to public service. Influence others toward a spirit of service and meaningful contributions to mission accomplishment. External Awareness – Identifies and keeps up to date on key national and international policies and economic, political, and social trends that affect the organization. Understands near-term and long-range plans and determines how best to be positioned to achieve a competitive business advantage. Strategic Thinking – Formulates effective strategies consistent with the business and competitive strategy of the organization. Examines policy issues and strategic planning with a long-term perspective. Determines objectives and sets priorities; anticipates potential threats or opportunities. Flexibility – Is open to change and new information; adapts behavior and wok methods in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles. Adjust rapidly to new situations warranting attention and resolution. Vision – Takes a long-term view and acts as a catalyst for organizational change; builds a shared vision with others. Influences others to translate vision into action. ECC #2 Leading People This core competency involves the ability to design and implement strategies which maximize employee potential and foster high ethical standards in meeting the organization’s vision, mission, and goals. Key Characteristics: 1. Providing leadership in setting the workforce’s expected performance levels commensurate with the organization’s strategic objectives; inspiring, motivating, and guiding others toward total accomplishment; empowering people by sharing power and authority. 2. Promoting quality through effective use of the organization’s performance management system [e.g., establishing performance standards, appraising staff accomplishments using the developed standards, and taking action to reward, counsel, or remove employees, as appropriate]. 3. Valuing cultural diversity and other differences; fostering an environment where people who are culturally diverse can work together cooperatively and effectively in achieving organizational goals. 4. Assessing employees’ unique developmental needs and providing developmental opportunities which maximize employees’ capabilities and contribute to the achievement of organizational goals; developing leadership in others through coaching and mentoring. 5. Fostering commitment, team spirit, pride, trust, and group identity; taking steps to prevent situations what could result in unpleasant confrontations. 6. R3solving conflicts in a positive and constructive manner; this includes promoting labor/management partnerships and dealing effectively with employee relations matters, attending to morale and organizational climate issues, handling administrative, labor management, and EEO issues, and taking disciplinary actions when others means have not been successful. Leadership Competencies Conflict Management – Identifies and takes steps to prevent potential situations that could result in unpleasant confrontations. Manages and resolves conflicts and disagreements in a positive and constructive manner to minimize negative impact. Integrity/Honesty – Instills mutual trust and confidence; creates a culture that fosters high standards of ethics; behaves in a fair and ethical manner toward others, and demonstrates a sense of corporate responsibility and commitment to public service. Cultural Aw3areness – Initiates and manages cultural change within the organization to impact organizational effectiveness. Values cultural diversity and other individual differences in the workforce. Ensures that the organization builds on these differences and that employees are treated in a fair and equitable manner. Team Building – Inspires, motivates, and guides others toward goal accomplishments. Consistently develops and sustains cooperative working relationships. Encourages and facilitates cooperation within the organization and with customer groups; fosters commitment, team spirit, pride, trust. Develops leadership in others through coaching, mentoring, rewarding, and guiding employees. ECC #3 Results Driven This core competency stresses accountability and continuous improvement. It includes the ability to make timely and effective decisions and produce results through strategic planning and the implementation and evaluation of programs and policies. Key Characteristics: 1. Understanding and appropriately applying procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise; understanding linkages between administrative competencies and mission needs; keeping current on issues, practices, and procedures in technical areas. 2. Stressing results by formulating strategic program plans which assess policy/program feasibility and include realistic short and long-term goals and objectives. 3. Exercising good judgment in structuring and organizing work an setting priorities; balancing the interests of clients and readily readjusting priorities to respond to customer demands. 4. Anticipating and identifying, diagnosing, and consulting on potential or actual problem areas relating to program implementation and goal achievement; selecting from alternative courses of corrective action, and taking action from developed contingency plans. 5. Setting program standards; holding self and others accountable for achieving these standards; acting decisively to modify them to promote customer service and/or quality of programs and policies. 6. Identifying opportunities to develop and market new products and services with or outside of the organization; taking risks to pursue a recognized benefit or advantage. Leadership competencies Accountability – Assures that effective controls are developed and maintained to ensure the integrity of the organization. Holds self and others accountable for rules and responsibilities. Can be relied upon to ensure that projects within areas of specific responsibility are completed in a timely manner and within budget. Monitors and evaluates plans; focuses on results and measuring attainment of outcomes. Entrepreneurship – Identifies opportunities to develop and market new products and services within or outside of the organization. Is willing to take risks; initiates actions that involve a deliberate risk to achieve a recognized benefit or advantage. Customer Service – Balancing interests of a variety of clients; readily readjust priorities to respond to pressing and changing client demands. Anticipates and meets the need of clients; achieves quality end-products; is committed to continuous improvement of services. Problem Solving – Identifies and analyzes problems; distinguishes between relevant and irrelevant information to make logical decisions; provides solutions to individual and organizational problems. Decisiveness – Exercises good judgment by making sound and well-informed decision; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; makes effective and timely decisions, even when data is limited or solutions produce unpleasant consequences; is proactive and achievement oriented. Technical Credibility – Understands and appropriately applies procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise. Is able to make sound hiring and capital resource decisions and to address training and development needs. Understand linkages between administrative competencies and mission needs. ECC #4 Business Acumen This core competency involves the ability to acquire and administer human, financial, material, and information resources in a manner which instills public trust and accomplishes the organization’s mission, and to use new technology to enhance decision making. Key Characteristics 1. Assessing current and future staffing needs based on organizational goals and budget realities. Applying sound human resource principles to develop, select, and manage a diverse workforce. 2. Overseeing the allocation of financial resources; identifying cost-effective approaches; establishing and assuring the use of internal controls for financial systems. 3. Managing the budgetary process, including preparing and justifying a budget and operating the budget under organizational and legislative procedures; understanding the marketing expertise necessary to ensure appropriate funding levels. 4. Overseeing procurement and contracting procedures and processes. 5. Integrating and coordinating logistical operations. 6. Ensuring the efficient and cost-effective development and utilization of management information systems and other technological resources that meet the organization’s needs; understanding the impact of technological changes on the organization. Leadership Competencies Financial Management – Demonstrates broad understanding of principles of financial management and marketing expertise necessary to ensure appropriate funding levels. Prepares, justifies, and/or administers the budget for the program area; uses cost-benefit thinking to set priorities; monitors expenditures in support of programs and policies, Identifies cost-effective approaches. Manages procurement and contracting. Technological Management – Uses efficient and cost-effective approaches to integrate technology into the workplace and improve program effectiveness. Develops strategies using new technology to enhance decision making. Understands the impact of technological changes on the organization. Human Resource Management – Assesses current and future staffing needs based on organizational goals and budget realities. Using merit principles, ensure staff are appropriately selected, developed, utilized, appraised, and rewarded; takes corrective action. ECC #5 Building Coalitions/Communication This core competency involves the ability to explain, advocate and express facts and ideas in a convincing manner, and negotiate wit5h individuals and groups internally and externally. It also involves the ability to develop an expansive professional network with other organizations, and to identify the internal and external politics that impact the work of the organization. Key Characteristics 1. Representing and speaking for the organizational unit and its work [e.g., presenting, explaining, selling, defining, and negotiating] to those within and outside the office [e.g., agency heads and other government executives; corporate executives; Department of Administrative Services budget officials; legislative members and staff; the media; governor’s office; clientele and professional groups]; making clear and convincing oral presentations to individuals and groups; listening effectively and clarifying information; facilitating an open exchange of ideas. 2. Establishing and maintaining working relationships with internal organizational units [e.g., other program areas and staff support functions]; approaching each problem situation with a clear perception of organizational and political reality; using contacts to build and strengthen internal support bases; getting understanding and support from higher level management. 3. Developing and enhancing alliances with external groups [e.g., other agencies or firms, state and local governments, legislature, and clientele groups]; engaging in cross-functional activities; finding common ground with a widening range of stakeholders. 4. Working in groups and teams; conducting briefings and othe45r meetings; gaining cooperation from others to obtain information and accomplish goals; facilitating â€Å"win-win† situations. 5. Considering and responding appropriately to the needs, feelings, and capabilities of different people in different situations is tactful and treats others with respect. 6. Seeing that reports, memoranda, and other documents reflect the position and work of the organization in a clear, convincing, and organized manner. Leadership Competencies Influencing/Negotiating – Persuades others; builds consensus through give and take; gains cooperation from others to obtain information and accomplish goals; facilitates â€Å"win-win† situations. Partnering – Develops networks and builds alliances, engages in cross-functional activities; collaborates across boundaries, and finds common ground with a widening range of stakeholders. Utilizes contacts to build and strengthen internal support bases. Interpersonal Skills – Considers and responds appropriately to the needs, feelings, and capabilities of different people in different situations; is tactful, compassionate and sensitive, and treats others with respect. Political Savvy – Identifies the internal and external politics that impact the work of the organization. Approaches each problem situation with a clear perception of organizational and political reality; recognizes the impact of alternative courses of action. Oral Communication – Makes clear and convincing oral presentations to individuals or groups; listens effectively and clarifies information as needed; facilitates an open exchange of ideas and fosters an atmosphere of open communication. Written Communication – Expresses facts and ideas in writing in a clear, convincing and organized manner.

Recycling and Plastic Bag Essay

They are also cheap, light, durable, easy to carry and in many cases, free. The most commonly used shopping bag is made of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). This type is used in the majority of supermarkets and stores. After these bags are used, they often end up in landfills or as litter, roughly only three percent of plastic bags is actually recycled per year (Planet Ark, 2011). The materials used in making plastic bags make them non-biodegradable. According to the science dictionary, 2011 refers to â€Å"these materials cannot be decomposed into environmentally safe waste materials by the action of soil bacteria. † These harmful substances are toxic and take approximately four hundred years to break down, or in this case photo-degrade; which is how plastics made from (HDPE) break down. Since they are not biodegradable, they remain in the environment and are absorbed in soil or water (Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment, 2010). This essay will discuss the various harmful effects of plastic bags, and demonstrate the risks that these bags impose on humans, animals and the environment. It will also discuss a series of suggested solutions that could help reduce plastic bag usage. Although plastic bags appear to be fragile and light, their negative environmental effect is devastating. Plastic bags may cause large amounts of pollution in every step of their limited life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials, production, transportation, and recycling or disposal. Plastic bags can be defined as the most damaging form of environmental pollution. They can have a damaging effect on marine animals and wildlife in addition to the aesthetic effects on beaches, parks, and trees. Plastic bags are potentially one of the main causes of death to marine animals (Harbor keepers,2008). Up to one hundred thousand marine animals or more die each year from eating plastic bags which are mistaken for food. This can result in blocking the animal’s intestines and possibly lead to the animal’s death. Another possible situation is that wildlife, such as birds, can get tangled in plastic bags causing choking and immobility, which may eventually lead to death. (Senior, 2008) and (Citizen Campaign, 2010). In other situations, after plastic bags photo degrade they remain toxic and could be eaten by fish, shellfish or any other marine life and survive this allows the toxins to enter our food chain through bioaccumulation (Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, 2011). As a solution to these types of problems is taking action by educating and increasing the public’s awareness to the harmful affects that a plastic bag impose on our environment. Applying this would mean to get consumers involved in reducing the number of plastic bags they consume and instead of getting new bags they can simply reuse their old bags (Sea Turtles Conservancy,2011). Another important solution would be using bio degradable bags instead; these types of bags take up a shorter time to degrade and become environmentally safe to both humans and animals. These types of bags are made from natural materials therefore; they are digested if animals swallow them (Biodegradable Plastic Bags,2011). The harmful effects of plastic bags extend to affect human health and social lives. According to the US CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2011) suffocation has been a significant of death among children under the age of one. According to a report presented in 2007 by Clean up Australia, when plastic bags are thrown in the streets they may block the drains and result in flooding during heavy rain. Stagnant water in blocked drains may create a breeding ground for many forms of insects like mosquitoes, which can transmit dangerous diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and encephalitis (World Health Organisation, 2011). Reducing, reusing and recycling, in that order, could be the most viable option to decrease the social and health impact of plastic bags. Reducing the number of plastic bags can be applied by imposing a fee such as PlasTax. In 2002 PlasTax was issued in The Republic of Ireland, which is a fee on plastic bags. This new tax resulted in a ninety four percent drop in plastic bag consumption in one year (Convery F, McDonnell S, Ferreira S, 2007). The next step is to reuse, instead of disposing of plastic bags consumers should be encouraged to keep reusing their bags. The final step is to recycle the plastic bags, many supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s give the consumers the option to bring in their old bags for recycling. In conclusion, usages of plastic bags are very limited unlike their infinite damages. They are harmful to health, the environment and wildlife. The solutions to put an end to the problems associated with plastic bags are available, cooperation between governments, shops and individuals is vital to take the necessary actions by reducing, reusing and recycling plastic bags.